Category: Uncategorized

From ‘Malacca’ to ‘Melaka’: Is it worth the effort?

Is it worth the effort, standardising the spelling of “Malacca” to “Melaka”?

The answer appears to be yes, according to members of the public polled.

Tour guide Shaukani Abbas said the move is commendable as it can bring an end to confusion, especially among tourists.

“The state was previously spelled ‘Melaka’ (even in English) and it should be maintained as such. It is good that the state government finally standardising it,” he said.

Mr Shaukani said, as a tour guide, he was often quizzed by puzzled tourists on the actual spelling of the state’s name.

“It can be confusing to have two spellings. It should be spelled as ‘Melaka’.

“It is high time we finally spell the state name out as ‘Melaka’, not ‘Malacca’,” he said.

On Wednesday (May 3), the Malacca State Executive Council decided that the Anglicised state name spelling of “Malacca” will cease to be used, and that reference to the state in English shall henceforth be exclusively “Melaka”.

Melaka State Secretary Naim Abu Bakar said that all newspapers and the media, whether Bahasa Malaysia, English or any other language, shall use “Melaka” in writing or when mentioning the state.

“This is intended to standardise the use of the name “Melaka”, especially in English,” he said.

Meanwhile, over on social media, Facebook user Abdul Rasyid Muhammad Razak, said it was a good effort.

“Don’t let them change it (the name) like Singapore (from Singapura). Pulau Pinang (Penang) should also do the same,” he said.

Other netizens felt that changing the name wasn’t an issue, as it is also practised elsewhere historically.

“No issue. Indonesia, India, China, Russia and many other countries have changed the names of their cities before,” said Facebook user Tuan Zamani Amir.

Another netizen Sureen Tan also shared a similar sentiment, saying that the word “Malacca” is commonly used in conversation only.

“Only the Strait settlement has this spelling – Penang/Pulau Pinang, Singapore/Singapura and Malacca/Melaka… I don’t see an issue. Putting ‘Melaka’ (as the) name in the Unesco World Heritage is proper.”

Others, however, felt that the name change was unnecessary as the state government should be focusing on more pressing matters.

Rilek1Corner

Source: http://www.todayonline.com/

May 5, 2017
Philippines: Abu Sayyaf Leader Behind Execution Of Foreigners Is Killed

A leader of a militant group who was directly involved in the kidnap and execution of Canadian and German nationals was among those killed by Philippine troops in a clash on a resort island this week, the military said on Wednesday.

Troops killed at least six members of the Islamic State-linked Abu Sayyaf during the firefight on the popular tourist island of Bohol on Tuesday, but suffered four casualties.

The military has recovered the body of Muamar Askali, also known as Abu Rami, a former spokesman for Abu Sayyaf, a group well known for extortion, piracy and kidnaps for ransom.

Armed Forces chief of Staff General Eduardo Ano described Abu Rami as “a very notorious Abu Sayyaf leader” responsible for several atrocities.

The group last year beheaded Canadians John Ridsdel and Robert Hall. Elderly German Jurgen Kantner suffered the same fate in February when a US$600,000 ransom demand was not paid.

Ano said Abu Rami was “trying to make a name of his own” and had risen to become one of Abu Sayyaf’s top leaders. He was involved in what the army said was a thwarted attempt to kidnap tourists in Bohol during Holy Week in the mainly Roman Catholic nation.

Ano said the situation in Bohol, far from Abu Sayyaf’s island strongholds in the South, was now “back to normal” even as security forces chased down other fighters involved in the gun battle.

The clash happened after the United States, Canadian, Australian and British embassies warned citizens about kidnappings during the holiday and advised against travel to Central Visayas, which includes Cebu and Bohol.

The military has declared all-out war with Abu Sayyaf on the islands of Jolo and Basilan, but is hamstrung by its presence among large civilian communities.

Abu Sayyaf has its roots in separatism but its activities are mostly banditry and piracy and it has invested the profits of its business in modern weapons and fast boats.

The military has struggled to curb the piracy, with the group’s boats difficult to detect when they target slow-moving trawlers. Indonesian, Malaysian and Vietnamese vessels are frequently targeted and their crew abducted, and the government has sought international help to patrol the Sulu Sea.

The government also says it has credible intelligence that some Abu Sayyaf leaders are in contact with Islamic State with a view to establishing a presence in the mainly Muslim southern Philippines.

President Rodrigo Duterte has warned of a potential Islamic State “contamination”.

Rilek1Corner

Source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com

April 12, 2017
Pembaca Berita Sampaikan Berita Kematian Suami Di Televisyen

Seorang pembaca berita televisyen mengetahui berita mengenai suaminya maut dalam nahas jalan raya ketika menyampaikan laporan berita tergempar secara langsung.

Supreet Kaur yang merupakan pembaca berita untuk saluran IBC24 di India dilihat tenang semasa seorang wartawan yang berada di tempat kejadian memberikan butiran nahas dan mangsa menerusi panggilan telefon.

Walaupun wartawan itu tidak menyebut nama-nama mangsa, tetapi memaklumkan bahawa tiga daripada lima orang di dalam kereta yang terbabit dalam nahas itu terbunuh, menurut mStar Online yang menukil laporan Mirror.

Butiran itu sudah cukup bagi Kaur, 28 tahun, menyedari bahawa suaminya, Harsad Kawade merupakan salah seorang daripada tiga yang maut.

Ketika kejadian, suaminya menaiki kereta yang sama, Renault Duster, di jalan yang sama pada masa yang sama bersama empat lagi rakan.

Kaur bagaimanapun terus membaca berita-berita lain selama 10 minit selepas laporan mengenai nahas jalan raya membabitkan suaminya disampaikan.

Memetik laporan Hindustan Times, Kaur bagaimanapun menitiskan air mata sebaik sahaja program berita pagi Sabtu berakhir.

Seorang editor kanan memberitahu, kakitangannya menyedari mengenai kematian suaminya semasa membaca berita berkenaan.

Editor itu berkata: “Tetapi kami tidak memberitahu beliau. Kami tak sanggup.”

“Beliau bagaimanapun dapat merasakan bahawa kenderaan yang terbabit dalam nahas itu adalah kenderaan yang dinaiki suaminya.”

Seorang rakan setugas berkata: “Beliau seorang wanita yang sangat tabah. Kami berbangga dengan beliau sebagai pembaca berita, tetapi apa yang telah berlaku hari ini benar-benar mengejutkan kami.”

Kaur bertugas sebagai pembaca berita untuk IBC24 selama sembilan tahun. Beliau dan suaminya sudah setahun berkahwin.

Source: http://berita.mediacorp.sg

April 10, 2017
Nazem Suki: Still No Resolution On Tudung Issue Even After Decades

Plainly speaking to my non-Muslim friends about the tudung issue.

The request since over the last 30 years;
1) Our Muslim women should be allowed to wear the tudung at work.
2) Our Muslims girls should be allowed to wear the tudung in school.

The Muslim community never request for a mandatory requirements for our women and girls to don the tudung, but to have the options available should they wish to. There is no huss and fuss about the Islamic obligations to talk about, but we are only asking for the particular options to be available for our women.

How different will it be when the options are there, and we still can see some are not with their tudung? In parliament itself is a good example of harmony between Muslim women with and without tudung, even if the ratio is majority with tudung.

What influence does it make to any person or community or the state? Who is making it a complicated matter at all? The people or the establishment?

Keeping it politically is not a correct motivation and bound to ransom and conflict. This is unfair for the women, Muslim or non-Muslim, who prefer to wear the tudung anywhere and everywhere. There are no religious reasons for a non-Muslim to put on the tudung if they want to. There are guidelines in Islam for Muslim women to put on their tudung. Ultimately it is the individual preference, and if only the option is there. But now, what options are there?

Question? Why and who and what is holding it back? Nearly 40 years with no resolution?

Source: Mohamed Nazem Suki

April 6, 2017
KL Sets Up Website To Counter Fake News

Malaysia’s multimedia watchdog has launched a website to allow citizens to check the authenticity of information spread through social media and to counter fake news.

Called Sebenarnya (“actually” in Malay), it was launched on Tuesday by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission.

“False news not only confuses, but could also threaten security, prosperity and the well-being of the people and country,” said Communications and Multimedia Minister Salleh Said Keruak at the launch.

“This does not only happen in Malaysia, but also in the United States, Indonesia and European countries,” he said, adding that the Sebenarnya site will ensure members of the public receive only “real news”.

The minister also said that the communications and multimedia commission had identified nearly 1,000 false news items of public interest being spread in the country.

He said such items and related information would be gathered, analysed, validated and uploaded to the news site, sebenarnya.my, for reference by the public regardless of their political background.

For example, the site’s lead item posted last Saturday said in Malay: “Fake: Viral post on social media claims that a Malaysian military personnel was hurt by an explosion.

“Actually: The army denied reports that its soldier was hit by a bomb, with the photo that went viral having been snapped at a ceremony marking the end of a medical course in Syed Sirajuddin Camp in Gemas.”

Source: ST

April 3, 2017