15 people go missing a day

 Published: Friday February 1, 2013 MYT 12:00:00 AM
Updated: Wednesday April 17, 2013 MYT 12:01:43 PM

15 people go missing a day          

 PETALING JAYA: A startling average of 15 people went missing every day in Malaysia last year, nearly a quarter of them Malay girls aged between 13 and 17.

According to police records, 4,804 people were reported missing from January to October last year and more than half of them did not make it back home.
In 2011, 5,961 people went missing.
Police blamed peer pressure and social problems for the majority of missing person cases involving teenagers.
Federal CID director Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Bakri Zinin said a number of missing people came from broken homes, where the parents were either divorced or separated.
“It is a domino effect, where teenagers from broken families are at an increased risk of peer pressure to run away from home,” he said.
Some who went missing were school dropouts while others, especially girls, ran away with their boyfriends.
The records also show that those aged between 13 and 17 are the highest age group reported to have disappeared from home.
Of this, Malay girls form the biggest group, making up 1,124 missing cases from January till October in 2012 and close to four times the total of their male counterparts.
Comm Mohd Bakri said there were isolated cases of missing people being victims of sexual predators and human traffickers.
The numbers also do not include cases of kidnapping, where the abductors have asked for ransom.
“The police have been working tirelessly to track down those who have gone missing.
“It is an uphill task but we try our best to find each and everyone who is missing,” he said.
Comm Mohd Bakri said there were mechanisms, such as the NUR (National Urgent Response) alert for children below 12 who went missing, but members of society, especially family, should play their part as well.
“It is of the utmost importance that a missing person's report be lodged as fast as possible as it will assist us in mobilising our resources quickly,” he said.
Every child and teenager aged 18 and below who goes missing and are located will be sent for counselling with the Welfare Department.
Those who are abducted would undergo therapy to recover from their trauma, said department director-general Datuk Norani Mohd Hashim.
“The children will be given counselling until they can adapt themselves back into society without worry.”
Related Stories: Missing teens need the same attention Family pines for missing 21-year-old and child.

http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2013/02/01/15-people-go-missing-a-day.aspx/

12% Malaysians suffer from some forms of mental illness

Posted on 17 February 2012 - 05:26am
Last updated on 17 February 2012 - 02:29pm

Michelle Chun

PUTRAJAYA (Feb 16, 2012): Mental health is now a mind-bogging problem in the country, with more people believed to be experiencing some sorts of emotional stress and mental distress.
According to the 2011 National Health and Morbidity Survey, 12% of Malaysians aged between 18 and 60 are suffering from some forms of mental illness.
Mental health has also been recently discussed in the media with murders being committed by alleged mentally-ill patients, such as the one in Trengganu where a saleswoman was killed by an alleged mentally-deranged person.
Of the percentage affected by mental illness, depression made up 2%, psychosis 1%, worrying 1.8%, while the rest involved anxiety disorder, which is a chronic disease, and mild mental diseases.
In response to the rising number of people diagnosed with mental illness, the Mental Health Community Centre was set up by the Health Ministry in November last year.
The centre is the first of its kind in the country. It is affiliated to a government hospital that offers psychiatric community services. There are also home visits so that patients are not confined to the hospital, but have the support of family and community.
Hospital Putrajaya (HPJ) psychiatry department head Dr Azizul Awaluddin, who oversees the centre, told theSun that the centre was set up last year to help de-congest the hospitals, especially the HPJ and Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL).
"This reduces waiting times for patients, and specialists can assess psycho-social factors like the home environment," he said.
The shortage of specialists to combat the rising number of patients is evidenced in a recent case of a grandmother in Petaling Jaya, who, charged for the murder of her granddaughter, had to be moved from the HKL to Hospital Bahagia as there was a lack of specialists to evaluate the severity of her illness.
"The HPJ staff members assigned to the centre are three psychiatrists, three medical officers, and four health professionals. At present, with the team available, we can cater to more patients than the 45 we have now, but we don't know our limit yet," Azizul said.
He said that three hospitals from Penang, Sabah and Kelantan have sought their assistance to set up similar centres.
"The onset of psychotic illness is 15 to 24 years of age for males, and 24 to 35 for females.
The males normally start getting mental problems when they start discovering their identity. For women, the illness usually becomes apparent after they got married," he said.
While the fight against mental illness is a hard, and sometimes, an extremely long journey, success stories reinforce the belief that there is hope for many.
At the centre, patients are also involved in rehabilitation programmes. Twice a week, a group of 10 patients makes a traditional cake or dish to sell at HPJ, and those involved in selling the food items get a commission from the sales.
"In our rehabilitation programme, the patients are stable enough to know they need to take medication and need to come in for their follow-ups, so we train them for the working world," Azizul said.
"So far, six patients have 'graduated' and hold jobs as waiters, car washers, and fast food chain workers through our Supported Employment programme," he said.
The goal of the centre is to see all its patients walk out of its doors someday, stable and independent and able to support themselves.
Some patients such as "John" visit to the centre to have someone to talk to. John is a schizophrenia patient enrolled in the rehabilitation programme at the Mental Health Community Centre.
Under Azizul and his team of well-trained staff, John, 30, is said to have made improvements since he started going to the centre last year.
Azizul said the rehabilitation programme was launched in 2008, but due to space constraints in the hospital, group therapies were conducted only once a week.
"Now, with this centre, we can do a lot more. We have a five-day programme when we teach them social skills, conduct group therapy and also teach them how to cook and do simple housework," he said.

The centre, located at Precinct 11 in Putrajaya, was set up as a pilot project with the aim of providing support to the psychiatric departments of government hospitals in the area.
http://www.thesundaily.my/news/297933

8th century temple site in Bujang Valley demolished

B Nantha Kumar  | November 29, 2013 

 

PETALING JAYA: A housing developer has demolished several temples sites, including an 8th century heritage site, in Bujang Valley, Kedah, and the authorities are not taking any action to stop the act.
Non-governmental organisation Bujang Valley Study Circle chairman V Nadarajan has urged the Tourism and Culture Ministry to stop the developer from further destroying the area and preserve the site.
Nadarajan said several ancient temples, called Candi, had been demolished in the last few years to make way for development.
He said the developer had now demolished the most famous 8th century temple remnants known as Candi Sungai Batu estate or Bujang Valley site 11.
Nadarajan, who is a lawyer, urged Tourism and Culture Minister Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz to stop the demolition process.
“The temple in Sungai Batu estate is the most famous tourism spot in Bujang Valley, but now it is gone,” he said.
Nadarajan, who has written a book on the Bujang Valley heritage site, said the authorities had failed to stop the demolition.
“The National Heritage Department, Museum, Kedah state tourism committee and Sungai Petani Municipal Council should have protected the sites but they have turned a blind eye to the demolition work,” he added.
Area is packed with historical artifacts
He said that he was not sure when the Candi Sungai Batu was demolished but believes it was done earlier this week. He only realised it was demolished when he visited the Candi two days ago.
“This entire area is packed with historical artifacts. Most of them are hidden away from our view. This particular temple site is famous with tourists.
“The developer is greedy and willing to pay the fine for the demolishing the temples (and its remnants) because they will make a huge profit from the housing project.
“I am surprised why the Malaysian government is so careless in Bujang Valley when countries like Indonesia and Cambodia are proud of their heritage sites,” said Nadarajan.
The Bujang Valley is an archeological site and excavation had revealed jetty remains, iron-smelting areas and a clay-brick monument dating back 110AD making it the oldest man-made structure to be recorded in South-east Asia.
“It is the most important entry port before Malacca (15th century) and Singapore (19th century). Bujang Valley has been a mid-way hub to Arab nations, India and China,” said Nadarajah.
“We should be proud of the heritage and not give the site to profit-minded individuals,” he added.
Nadarajan urged the ministry to issue a stop-work order to the developer and preserve the remaining sites.

 http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/11/29/8th-century-temple-site-in-bujang-valley-demolished/

Disgorge in Kuala Lumpur 8.18.2013

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Disgorge in Kuala Lumpur 8.18.2013

Jello Biafra once remarked that death metal "is the first form of rock music that has caught on with poor people over the world"; he also noted that the bands "sound more than a little bit alike." I'm not sure that fans in Malaysia would appreciate being lumped in with Jello's "poor people", but the sentiment is spot on, and seems to be especially true about "slam". What started off as a New York-centric style is now a worldwide phenomenon, with Suffocation's disciples popping up everywhere from Las Vegas to Laos. That all the bands seem virtually identical hasn't slowed its spread one iota; message board C.H.U.D.s can't seem to get enough gurgling vocals and palm muted chugging. I only recently warmed to the style but as someone always whinging about the death metal scene in KL (or rather, the lack thereof), I'm not in a position to be picky.

I regret missing PunahRanah, who are one of the better death/grind bands in the scene (actual songs!) and who I haven't seen since the end of last year. By the time I arrived, Sick Society were onstage and had a pit going - five people running into each other like bumper cars still counts, right? Despite ostensibly playing "brutal death metal", their songs occasionally betray that "Roots Bloody Roots" and "Territory" are probably closer to their hearts than any Devourment album...but that was probably true of their audience as well.

When I saw Flesh Disgorged at Singapore Deathfest, the cavernous hall and marble floor conspired together to make them sound like the world's most gore-obsessed cement grinder; the only way I could tell their groove parts from their blasts was when their singer leaped in the air. This time, the sound was clear enough to show that the Singaporeans aren't just fast, but ridiculously tight. They made sure to bring their stage gore with them, making me wonder what their white t-shirt budget is (because there's no way they're washing and reusing them, right?). Their setlist was almost as long as the headliners, but no one seemed to mind. Bloody good fun.

apparently my camera made this animated GIF. not really sure how or why.

Infectious Maggots are scene veterans, one of the few still playing shows. Seeing various Rumah Api mainstays watching reverently in the front row says a lot about IM's status in the scene, as did their vocalist's playful and relaxed banter. Their material doesn't sound dated even though the bulk of it was recorded in the 90's. At a time when most metalheads are victims of nostalgia for an era they didn't actually experience, it's always a pleasure to see an old band and not just one trying to be "old school".

Here's an honest admission: I know virtually nothing about headliners Disgorge, except that there's more than one band with that name. Between subwoofer-rupturing bellows, their vocalist paced back and forth as if he was in the middle of Hulking out. Despite his intimidating presence, his calls to "fuck shit up" sounded less like a demand and more of a polite invitation; but one the crowd was still eager to take him up on. Disgorge are as no-frills as brutal death gets; even their slam riffs go straight for the throat without the "ohhhhhhh shit" pandering that made deathcore devolve into self-parody so quickly. But their set was over way sooner than it should have been. I don't know, I thought all the kids climbing over each other to high five the band would have encouraged Disgorge to go for another 15 minutes at least. But after the obligatory single encore, they wisely slipped away before they could get mobbed by all the kids and their cell phone cameras.

STRAY BULLETS

Since most of the audience at the Disgorge show seemed to be new to the whole "death metal concert" thing, a few tips on etiquette:

• You don't have to hold hands in the circle pit. This isn't a Greek wedding.

• Attempting to crowd-surf and then headbanging while you're in the air only encourages the rest of us to drop you. Which we will do, because you're making our arms tired.

• Yes, I know it sucks that the promoters kept pushing you off the stage when you were up there headbanging with Disgorge, but people paid to see the band and not you. There's a stage for a reason. If you're up there longer than 10 seconds, you're just asking for a shove.

• Headscarf with skulls beats patch jackets in the KVLT sweepstakes any day.

http://adriansol2.blogspot.com/2013/08/disgorge-in-kuala-lumpur-8182013.html

Tren Lines #1

Tren Lines #1

 http://cityofsharedstorieskualalumpur.com/story/title/tren-lines-1/

You know when your heart
Feels like breaking
One hairline crack
At a time

From beauty
From hope
From longing

Be careful what you wish for.

------------------------------
Above the roar

He and she
Gestured
Gesticulated
and signed
To each other.

Third and fourth digits on palms
There was an I an L a Y
From one heart to the other.

Silence was more articulate
Than noise.

------------------------------
You told me:

Some places
are better kept in
Your mind.

Like India
Like Cairo
Like the past.

You liked how
Memory keeps out
The dust and
Noise.

Too bad
Pain has no
filter.

Ties that bind: Sarawak and Adelaide

BY 

DAHLIA MARTIN,

 18 SEPTEMBER 2013

Adelaide has had strong Malaysian ties from its early days – it was, after all, founded by William Light, an illegitimate son of Penang’s founder Francis Light. Some speculate that William’s mother was Siamese or Malay.

One South Australian Premier, Don Dunstan, had a Malaysian wife, and oversaw the establishment of Adelaide and Georgetown as sister cities.

Malaysian-born politician Senator Penny Wong calls Adelaide home.

But there is one connection between Malaysia and the South Australian capital that has increasingly attracted criticism.

The Student Representative Council (SRC) at the University of Adelaide has organized a rally for this Thursday at the institution’s Taib Mahmud Court – a courtyard named after the man who has been Chief Minister of the Malaysian state of Sarawak since 1981.

The SRC is hoping to persuade the University to put more distance between itself and Taib, an alumnus of the University and a recipient of an honorary doctorate from there. He is understood to have donated over half a million dollars to the University.

The SRC, on a Facebook page it has established to promote the campaign, refers to this money as “blood money.”

Taib has been accused by activists of overseeing the destruction of Sarawak’s remaining rainforests. Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called this destruction “probably the biggest environmental crimes of our times.”

Indigenous people whose livelihoods depend on the local environment have especially suffered under Taib’s rule. In 2009, a Cabinet Task Force revealed that women and girls from the Penan tribe had been raped by loggers. It noted the particularly marginalized position of the Penan tribe, and recommended a number of reforms – including increased self-determination for the Penan people – be implemented.

Four years later, none of the rapists have been brought to justice, and little has changed in the way of the lot of the Penan people.

Meanwhile, Taib and his family have continued to amass a fortune overseas – with Adelaide being the so-called “hub” of Taib’s foreign property portfolio (Taib’s family owns the Adelaide Hilton through Sitehost Pty Ltd).

The SRC first passed a resolution calling for the renaming of Taib Mahmud Court in 2011. The next two years saw some behind-the-scenes negotiation on this front, but in 2013, the SRC decided it was time for a new approach, to help demonstrate to the University how unhappy students would be at learning of the University’s links with Taib.

“The SRC felt it had to increase awareness of this issue amongst students first,” said SRC Ethnocultural Officer Yasmin Martin.

“Taib Mahmud Court is a popular rendezvous point, but most people don’t know who Taib Mahmud is – and more importantly, what he’s done.”

A Facebook page was swiftly created, with the assistance of student Lizzie Taylor. Lizzie had a few months earlier travelled to Tasmania, and seen firsthand the destruction that Ta Ann – a company headed by a first cousin of Taib’s which has logged much of the rainforest in Sarawak – was doing there.

Yasmin authored a letter to Vice Chancellor Professor Warren Bebbington asking that Taib’s honorary doctorate be revoked and that the courtyard named for Taib be renamed.

She describes the letter she received in response as “disappointing.”

“The letter cited a ‘written agreement’ as a reason that the courtyard could not be renamed,” said Yasmin.

“It also explained that honorary doctorates were awarded to individuals who had done a service, and since Taib was Chief Minister of Sarawak, it was appropriate for him to be the recipient of one.

“The letter did not address any of our concerns regarding the allegations of corruption and human rights abuses that was listed in the letter I sent.

“The response was basically nothing can be done.

“But I’m not convinced that the University has explored all or any avenues with regards to our requests, and I’m not convinced they take the allegations against Taib seriously.”

Unperturbed, the SRC’s Ethnocultural Department has continued with its campaign in a variety of ways. It has begun collecting videos from students urging the University to dissociate itself from Taib, and posting these videos on its Facebook page.

It also recently organized an event where activist and Sarawak Report founder Claire Rewcastle, who is also the sister-in-law of Brown, Skyped in to talk about her firsthand experiences with Taib’s administration. The event also heard from South Australian state politician Mark Parnell, who has previously called for the University to cut its ties with Taib, as well as Tasmanian environmentalist Jenny Weber.

“The rally on Thursday will go a long way in raising awareness amongst students as to just who their University is honoring,” said Yasmin.

“However, the SRC’s position on the University’s relationship with Taib is clear. We do not feel at all comfortable with Taib using his relationship with the University of Adelaide to establish credibility on the international stage, and we will continue our campaign until that stops.”

Disclosure: Yasmin Martin is related to the author of this piece.

Dahlia Martin is currently doing her PhD on motherhood and Malay Muslim identity at Flinders University.

http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2013/09/18/ties-that-bind-sarawak-and-adelaide/

Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve - Kuala Lumpur

A rich variety of flora can be found within the Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve

The bustling city of Kuala Lumpur has many tall buildings and modern structures. However, many people are not aware that in the heart of the city, a patch of greenery still exists.

In fact, one of Malaysia’s most prominent landmarks, the Kuala Lumpur Tower (KL Tower), is built on top of one of the oldest forest reserves in Malaysia, the Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve.

Gazetted in 1906, Bukit Nanas serves as a green lung of Kuala Lumpur and is home to an abundance of flora and fauna unique to the Malaysian tropical rainforest.

Bukit Nanas can be categorised as a heritage for two reasons. Firstly, it is the only remaining patch of tropical rainforest that still stands in the middle of the city.  Secondly, it is one of the oldest permanent forest reserves in the country (it celebrated its Centennial Anniversary in 2006).

The 10.5 hectare forest reserve was also gazetted as a Wildlife Reserve and Bird Sanctuary in 1934 and in 1950 respectively, with a section of about five hectares dedicated as a Virgin Jungle Reserve.

When paying a visit to KL Tower, visitors should include a trip to Bukit Nanas in their itinerary, as it lies just beside the entrance to the tower and requires no admission fee. It offers nature lovers a good opportunity to learn more about the ecology of the local forest. It is also perfect for shutterbugs and photography enthusiasts.

Nature guides are available to explain about the various types of flora and fauna in the jungle reserve. The daily guided tour runs at 11am, 12:30pm, 2:30pm and 4:30pm.

“This jungle helps to cleanse the air within its surrounding environment, and the visitors here are very supportive of preserving the natural ecology,” explained Anthony Paleng, one of the nature guides, whilst guiding a group of visitors to Bukit Nanas.

According to him, a rich variety of flora can be found within the forest reserve, which includes rare herbs, creepers, ferns, climbers and giant bamboo grasses. Huge tropical tree species also occupy the jungle namely meranti, keruing, chengal and pulai.

“All of the trees here have a unique way of surviving in the wild, a bio defense mechanism specific to each species,” he explained further.

Along the trail, there are traces of broken branches, indicating the presence of local monkeys. If you are lucky, you might see the two local species of monkeys that exist in the park, namely the Silvered Langur and the Long-tailed Macaque. Other varieties of fauna include squirrels, snakes and birds.

A camp site is available for nature lovers who wish to pitch a tent and enjoy the lush greenery of the jungle, free of charge.

People who love jogging can also enjoy running through the forest trail, and there is an outdoor obstacle course for those who want to do a little stretching and body lifting.

Visitors to the forest reserve need to take certain precautionary measures during their visit as there are some slopes that are quite steep along the forest trails. It is advisable for visitors to dress casually, ideally sports wear which includes running shoes, as there is a ladder section that could be tricky to navigate.

For more information, please contact:

Anthony Paleng (Nature Guide)   Mobile: 6012-207 1562

Site Office  

Department of Forestry Peninsular Malaysia  
Lot 240, Bukit Nanas                                                    
Jalan Raja Chulan
50250 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 603-2230 6342

Fax: 603-2292 5667

Web: www.forestry.gov.my

Kuala Lumpur Tower (KL Tower)

The Kuala Lumpur Tower project was completed in 1995, and is used for communication purposes. It features an antenna that reaches 421 m (1,381 ft), which currently makes it the 18^th tallest freestanding tower in the world. There are various activities that can be enjoyed by visitors here, which include a scenic view of the city through the observation deck, shopping, visiting the mini zoo, and also enjoying a pony ride. The Kuala Lumpur Tower also organises large-scale events annually such as the KL Tower International Jump Malaysia. KL Tower and Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve are on the KL Hop-on Hop-off city tour route. The KL Hop-on Hop-off city tour covers approximately more than 40 attractions where passengers can hop-on or hop-off the tour bus at any of the 22 designated stops in KL. The bus runs on a 15- to 30-minute interval between 8.30 am until 8.30 pm. For ticket prices and information on the KL Hop-on Hop-off city tour, visit www.myhoponhopoff.com.

Fast Facts

Getting There: The forest reserve is located in front of Jalan Raja Chulan and not far from the Telekom Museum. By car, drive up the hill at KL Tower and pay for the entrance fee and car park; admission to the forest reserve is free. Alternatively, take the Kelana Jaya Line LRT and stop at the Dang Wangi Station, or take the KL monorail and disembark at the Bukit Nanas station. Those who use the Ampang Line LRT need to disembark at the Masjid Jamek LRT station.

Main attractions: The forest trail or “Jejak Rimba” activity on the tropical rainforest can be soothing, as a walk through the sanctuary can be a refreshing change to the fast pace of urban lifestyle.

Other attractions: A large field for camping, a bird watching area, a jogging trail, and a mini herbal park.

Entrance fee: Free of charge

Visiting hours: 7.00am to 6.00pm including weekends and public holidays.

 http://blog.tourism.gov.my/bukit-nanas-forest-reserve-kuala-lumpur/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ZnDuqShHlyk

Uncle Bugs : A Malaysian Inventor

Hi,

Over the years I've created many inventions. I've also written a few books. And I hope in the next few minutes you will browse through the relevant articles and see what I've in store for you.

For some of you who wished to help me commercialize some of these new inventions, pls contact me. And for some who wished to be my distributor in your area for some of my products, pls contact me too.

I can be reached at bugstan@gmail.com

 

http://uncle-bugs.blogspot.com/2010/09/bugs-tan-malaysian-inventor.html

Fifty years of women's activism

Updated: Thursday August 29, 2013 MYT 7:29:51 AM

Fifty years of women's activism

BY IVY SOON

Leading the way: Activists (from left) Datuk Ramani Gurusamy, Datuk Rasammah Bhupalan and Ho Yock Lin shared their experiences of advocating for women.

The National Council of Women’s Organisations (NCWO) has led the way in raising women’s status in Malaysia.

SHE has achieved many milestones for women’s rights in the past 60 years, but Datuk Rasammah Bhupalan is all too well aware of the work that is still not done, especially among underprivileged groups.

“We have come a long way. But how do we gauge the empowerment of women when we have only touched upper and middle-income women. What about the lower-income group? What have we brought to them?” said Rasammah, 86, who co-founded the National Council of Women’s Organisations (NCWO) 50 years ago.

NCWO is the umbrella organisation, with 125 affiliates, working to raise women’s status in Malaysia. There is just no resting on the laurels for Rasammah, or for the other two women activists at NCWO’s Breakfast with Mentors session recently, held in conjuction with the organisation’s Golden Jubilee celebrations.

Rasammah, NCWO vice president Datuk Ramani Gurusamy, 72, and All Women’s Action Society (AWAM) president Ho Yock Lin, 58, are all veterans in Malaysia’s feminist movement, and they have worked hard to raise the standard of Malaysian women’s lives – from advocating for equal pay to amending legislation on rape, violence against women and custody rights, to creating awareness of breast cancer.

“In the 1960s, the fights were for bread and butter issues, like equal pay. Then, women became temporary teachers when they got married. They were also not eligible for pension,” recalled Ramani.

Fighting for equal pay for women teachers was “the first real struggle for women in Malaya”, said Rasammah who founded and headed the first Women Teachers Union in 1960. It was only in 1972 that women teachers finally received the same pay as their male peers.

Over the decades, women activists have lobbied to put women’s rights at the forefront of government policies, beginning with the establishment of the Women’s Advisory Council in 1976 to maximise women’s participation in Malaysia’s development.

In 1983, the Secretariat for Women’s Affairs, Hawa, was set up under the Prime Minister’s Department ensure women have equal opportunities, and a National Policy on Women was adopted in 1989. They paved the way for the setting up of the Women’s Ministry in 2001; it was the culmination of many decades of advocating for women’s issues to be integrated into all public policies. These milestones in the women’s movement were documented in NCWO 50 Years Remembered, a book to commemorate NCWO’s 50th Anniversary (pic).

One of the most important tasks undertaken by activists was in changing legislations that were discriminatory towards women. In 1985, NCWO brought together women’s organisations and identified laws that discriminated against women.

“Amending legislation is a long-drawn process. We worked on reforming laws on rape and domestic violence, custody and guardianship of children, inheritence and property rights. We also lobbied for maternity leave to be extended from 42 days to 60 days, and to 90 days in 2010,” recalled Ramani.

She recounted how women activists networked with their Canadian counterparts to change how rape cases were handled in the 1980s. “We helped set up the first One-Stop Rape Crisis Centre in Hospital Kuala Lumpur in1994, and put together a rape investigation kit. I remember we went to see the Inspector General of Police Tun Hanif Omar to lobby for the setting up of a special unit of women police officers to investigate rape cases, and it was set up in 1986,” said Ramani, who also cited amendments to the Domestic Violence Act which came into effect in 1996 as another important achievement.

Although much has been done in the past 50 years, the three women activists emphasised that so much more needs to be done. Rasammah pointed out there is still not enough women representation in Parliament, or debates focused on women.

“We must not be afraid to fight for change. I grew up questioning institutions and justices, and learnt about women’s rights in the UK where I was studying. I remembered reading about the women’s teachers union activism at that time (1960s),” recalled Ho, who cited how they fought for the age limit for statutuory rape to be raised from below 14 to 16.

At 58, Ho joked that she was the “youngest” at the panel, but the three women activists certainly presented an energetic session to their young audience. Rasammah is feisty and unwavering in her commitment to the women’s cause, and Ramani spoke of how she continues to be motivated to work for marginalised women.

Most importantly, they said there is no standing on the sidelines. “We need young, fresh blood in the women’s movement. We need your excitement, your passion and your commitment. So, prepare yourself to get into the movement. Get the leadership skills you need, and you probably already have them. Get into an organisation. Now, with the Internet, you can see what an organisation is all about. See what are the issues that interest you and get involved. We need you,” said Ramani.

Rasammah said it’s essential to be active in an organisation, even if it’s only for two hours a week, or even a fortnight. They also need men to be involved in the women’s cause, said Ho who cited the success of NCWO’s MenCare campaign which engaged men to encourage women to screen for breast cancer.

For more information on NCWO and for enquiries on its 50th Anniversary book, visit ncwomalaysia.org.my.

Miss Lim's carjacked experience! SS2 Petaling Jaya

Miss Lim's carjacked experience!

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have shown tremendous concern and now relate my nasty experience during my recent misfortune.
If you happen to know of anyone who provides daily to and fro transport from SS4,
Kelana Jaya and Sri Garden, please let me know. I am from the primary section.

My Myvi was carjacked by 2 guys in front of my house on Saturday’s night (14/7/12)
when I returned at 9:10p.m. from SS2 Macdonald.

By 9:35p.m., I lost my car and all my personal documents. In fact, when I reached my house, I did look around but I did not see any suspicious car. As I bent down to put on
my shoes before getting down, there was a sudden knock at my driver’s side window.
I looked up and saw a smiling smartly dressed man signalling to me to wind down my window but I ignored him. I proceeded on to look for my shoes. All of a sudden, I heard
a loud bang next to my ears. I looked up and saw a hole with glass shattered around it.
I realized then it was a robbery. I screamed for help and the guy kept hitting the glass splinter onto my face, hair and mouth.

The robbers came in a big, dark coloured car with black tinted windows. I couldn’t drive away as the robbers’ car had blocked my way. My car was also sandwiched between my neighbour’s car and a lamp post. There is a drain next to the playground on my left front passenger’s seat too.

After smashing the window, the robber stretched his hand into my car to unlock it. There was an accomplice behind the guy and I knew that both of them were getting ready to enter my car. I continued screaming as I got ready to escape. The minute I could open
the passenger’s door quietly in the dark, I quickly crawled from the driver seat to the passenger seat and had a quick jump across the drain. I was out and ran helter-skelter
for my life. One of them chased after me. I turned around and saw that I was quite within a striking distance of the robber and his steps were big as he is a tall man. At that moment, I automatically ran in a zigzag manner as I used to play the catching game
‘You Cannot Catch Me’ with the lower level students during the break time; where one
has to run in a zigzag manner to avoid being caught. I could control my movements better than when I played in school because I was bare footed when I escaped.

Soon the distance between the robber and me increased as he stopped a few times during the chase. I continued running very fast with all my might round a tree until he finally decided to give up chasing me. During the chase, his accomplice was already inside my car and getting ready to leave the scene with him. I helplessly watched them drove away my Myvi which I just bought 3 months ago with my handbag and Macdonald food in it. I shouted at the top of my voice during the whole ordeal but nobody was there to help, not even the security guards whom I have been paying RM50.00 monthly for the security of the area.

The last few days, I was in and out of the police station, driving licence & IC dept, bank and insurance company. What an experience to make my life topsy-turvy!

I am a person who never uses the honk system so I forgot about using it or the alarm system when the robber smashed my window. I also forgot to remove my car key when
I made my escape. I should have removed the car key and threw it into the drain.

I am sharing my experience with you because I am the 3rd case when the police inspector interviewed me on Sunday morning at 8:30. The robbers nowadays prefer to target single lady while the car is stationary with the driver inside the car or when she is getting in or getting out of the car. So lady teachers, please be smarter than me!!!

09 August 2013| last updated at 10:01PM

Police investigating another religious insult on facebook

PAGOH: Another religious insult has surfaced through a Hari Raya card posted on the Facebook page of an assemblyman's assistant, showing a roasted pig's head sandwiched by 'lemang' and 'ketupat', with a caption inviting Muslims to enjoy the dish.

A further search for the posting under the account of 'Alan Tang' found it missing.    

However, Alan Tang, assistant to Stulang assemblyman Andrew Chen Kah Eng (DAP) claimed through his latest post that someone had used his identity to upload the insensitive photo and caption.   

He further claimed that he received a death threat on his mobile phone about 9am yesterday, from a private number but had ignored it.    

He lodged a report on the matter at the Taman Pelangi police station in Johor Baru later at 4.30 pm the same day, after he found out about the posting.

Johor CID deputy chief ACP Nor Azizan Anan confirmed that police had received the report and was working with the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission on the investigation.

Meanwhile, MCA President Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek expressed his disappointment with the latest incident and said it proved that the younger generation were unclear on the concept of racial and religious sensitivities.  

Met after attending Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's open house at Kompleks Seri Pekembar here, he said it was a shame that despite more than five decades of independence such incidents were still occurring to threaten the country's peace and harmony.     -- BERNAMA

Read more: Police investigating another religious insult on facebook - Latest - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/latest/police-investigating-another-religious-insult-on-facebook-1.334990#ixzz2bWtS04OkRead more: Police investigating another religious insult on facebook - Latest - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/latest/police-investigating-another-religious-insult-on-facebook-1.334990#ixzz2bWtKl4vg