Joy decision a political one
The Lina Joy decision is not of Islam vs Christianity or Malay vs non-Malay. This is about the Barisan Nasional being worried about losing their Malay support.
On PM: Don't be emotional over Joy decision
Ratormo: The Lina Joy's case is not of Islam vs Christianity or Malay vs non-Malay. This is about the BN being worried about losing the Malay support. No other religion in this world emphasises on blind obedience except Islam here (I am not talking about the Islamic teaching but of how Islam is practiced in Malaysia today) . A Muslim cannot question the religious authorities regarding Islamic issues to avoid being castigated as a 'murtad'.
So what happens if the Malays are allowed to leave Islam for other religions that do not condone blind obedience? Will they still follow the BN government? Lina should be thankful she was not declared mentally unstable by the courts and thrown in a mental asylum for the rest of her natural life. This actually happened in Afghanistan no too long ago if you care to recall.
Ric: What a sad day for Malaysia. The court verdict against Lina Joy has destroyed her bid to have her religious choice be seen as a matter of personal conscience rather than as a state- imposed obligation.
Whilst some celebrate, religion again trumps the constitution and provides yet another early indication of the cracks forming in this previously rights-based democracy.
This verdict and other sad cases such as that of Subashini perhaps, may mean that the country's tourist promotion board needs to rework its 'Truly Asia' campaign. Perhaps now they need to market as 'Malaysia Truly Arabia'.
Enlightened Malaysian: Your reader Nathanial Tan seems to miss the point that the Federal court has side-stepped the constitutional significance of Lina's case by treating it as an administrative matter for the Syariah Court and the NRD to settle.
The Federal Court has failed to play its role as the ' 'supreme" court of the land. Maybe now we should have our own 'First Amendment' to the Federal Constitution, something as follows: 'Freedom to profess and practise one's religion is not applicable to the Malay Malaysians, whose other special rights shall remain unchanged'.
On 'They came with batons and lock-cutters'
K Narayanasamy: Even if the Rela members were utilised for such raids, it will not be too much to ask the relevant authorities to have senior officers from the police and/or the immigration to be fully in command of such operations to ensure that the Rela members adhere to their role and do not go beyond.
The present trend of using them without control seems to be an easy way of escaping accountability - which is not good for the Malaysian image.
KSN: Deputy Home Affairs Minister Radzi Sheikh Ahmad's said that the 450,000 strong Rela with the help of other enforcement agencies like police and immigration captured 16,000 illegals from Jan to April this year. It is reported that the number of illegals amounts to a few million. Does it not strike you that if 16,000 is what Rela can deliver, an average of 4,000 per month, than would it be worth keeping such a force? What is the cost of keeping the department alive? The administration, maintenance and allowances for the 450,000 Rela members.
Can Radzi announce the entire annual costs of the department so that the public can make an assessment on the financial cost to the nation compared against the beneficial work Rela provides to the nation which, of course, has been challenged as damage being done.
Their uniforms itself must run into many millions of ringgit. Our government never listens to good suggestions. It likes to hold on to its stupid policies and practices regardless of the harm done to Malaysia.
On Proton, Volkswagen talks fail: PM
Ah Chong: Proton has to decide if it wants to remain in existence or continue to be nationalistic. Petronas can afford to be a national company because it has a precious commodity as a product. Even if it is inefficient, it can still make profits. It is, in a sense, a company doing national service. Proton, however, is in a highly competitive industry and if it continues to protect its majority shareholding, then it may be curtains for the Proton brand.
Who in the right mind is going to inject capital in a loss-making company and yet not be able to have a majority share? Nobody owes Proton, Malaysia or Mahathir any favours and the world is not going to give you special privileges because you are a bumiputera company. Outside Malaysia, sorry to tell you dear prime minister, its real economics and real business. No NEP to protect you. The sooner Malaysian GLCs realise this the better.
Concerned Non-Economist: There is nothing wrong with Proton. It was given the kiss of death by APs issued for the import of cars under 2000cc. Motor manufacturers usually try to influence developing countries to allow the import of their cars with a promise to manufacture the car locally after testing the market for five years. At the end of that period, they will tell you, what you already know - that your market is too small to make it viable to manufacture their car locally.
You then have to decide to allow further import of their cars until such time they tell you that it is viable to manufacture their car locally. That day will never come because for a car manufacturing plant to viable, you must produce at least 300,000 units a year.
I recently bought a Proton Waja and find the car a good buy for its price. The powers-that-be must step in and stop issuing APs and dedicate themselves to Proton.
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