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Mohamed Jufrie Mahmood: Mana Suara Lantang Badan Melayu Islam Dalam Isu Rohingya?

Bila Aung San Suu Kyi diraikan di Singapura minggu lepas, golongan pemerintah dan masyarakat perniagaan berpusu-pusu dgn perangai rakus mereka utk cuba mendapatkan manfaat dari pembangunan Myanmar yg dikatakan kaya dgn sumber asli. Sedikitpun tidak dikemukakan kpdnya secara terbuka tentang kezaliman dan penghapusan terhadap masyarakat Rohingya yg sedang berluasa di negeri yg diketuai oleh perempuan jahannam itu.
Ini tidak menghairankan saya kerana yg jadi mangsa di Myanmar terdiri dari orang-orang Islam dan yg sangat ghairah meraikan perempuan jahannam itu, termasuk para pemimpin negara, dan golongan peniaga terdiri dari yg bukan Islam. Mereka rata-rata menganggap apa yg berlaku di Myanmar itu sebagai isu dalaman dan tidak melihatnya sebagai isu kemanusian. Lagipun yg jadi mangsa adalah kaum Muslimin.
Tapi tidakkah kehadiran si jahannam di bumi Singapura ini memberikan suatu peluang yg baik bagi badan-badan Melayu Islam yg ramai bilangannya di negara kita utk menyampaikan bantahan terhadap kezaliman yg berlaku di Myanmar?
Mereka cukup lantang bersuara bila berlaku kekejaman di negara barat yg dikatakan dilakukan oleh orang-orang yg bertindak atas nama Islam.
Di mana perginya RRG, Mufti, ustaz-ustaz dari PERGAS – terutamanya ustaz Hasbi, ustaz Ali dan anak beliau, dan habib Hassan?
Semuga Allah mengadili semua yg bersifat talam dua muka kerana Dia sangat mengetahui dan maha adil.
Saya jangkakan perkara yg sama akan berlaku bila seorang lagi Jahannam – SYAITANYAHU namanya – tiba di sini sedikit masa lagi atas undangan perdana menteri. Na’uzubillahi min zalik!

Source: Mohamed Jufrie Bin Mahmood

December 7, 2016
Average Singapore Airbnb Host ‘Makes About $5,000 A Year’

The average Singapore Airbnb host who lets out his home or room makes about $5,000 a year. On average, he receives guests for 45 nights a year.

“There is a thought that this is a full-time occupation,” Airbnb’s Asia-Pacific regional director Julian Persaud told The Straits Times last week. “(But) the average amount of time our hosts are renting out is like three or four days a month.”

These hosts are doing it despite the fact that home-sharing in Singapore has yet to be given the green light by the authorities. In Singapore, home rentals shorter than six months are deemed illegal. Because of this, home-sharing businesses like Airbnb – whose hosts overseas can rake in thousands of dollars in rentals a month – have had to tread a fine line here.

Worries over the side effects of home-sharing have also plagued the sector, with residents raising concerns about safety and noise from transient tourists in their backyard. Hotels have also questioned hygiene and safety standards of unregulated accommodation.

Revealing its Singapore numbers for the first time, Mr Persaud stressed that safety is the “No. 1” priority for Airbnb.

“The most important to us is the safety of our community. And if we don’t have that, we don’t have a business,” he said, adding that the portal has a slew of measures to mitigate any potential issues. These include a verified identification process for guests and hosts and reviews for both parties.

In June, it also rolled out a new Neighbour Tool which allows neighbours of hosts to flag any concerns they have about Airbnb listings. When asked for the number of reported cases via this tool here, Mr Persaud said it was “negligible”.

Airbnb, which set up its regional headquarters in Singapore in 2012, has about 7,000 property listings here as of last month. Some 242,400 visitors have checked into Airbnb lodgings here in the past year.

Mr Persaud added that problems arising from Airbnb arrangements are generally rare. Of the 17 million tourists who used Airbnb globally from May to July this year, there were fewer than 300 urgent customer service calls, he said.

Mr John Kim, president of Texas-based vacation rental site HomeAway, also said that complaints about disturbances from guests are “very much the exception”. HomeAway, which comes under parent company Expedia, focuses on whole-home rentals.

Public sentiment is likely to feature prominently in the debate on whether home-sharing in Singapore will be given the green light.

Last year, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) ran a public consultation to see if there was a need to review short-term rental rules for private housing. It said in May this year that it needs more time to study the matter as views are split. Those in favour of short rentals argue that it can help boost tourism and cultural exchanges between hosts and guests.

Noting that most Airbnb listings (78 per cent) are outside main tourist areas such as Orchard, Mr Persaud said home rentals can bring tourist dollars into other areas.

“We’re very keen for them (the URA) to… make a ruling on it because I think our guests, hosts and community here of Singaporeans who want to rent out their homes on an occasional basis… are looking for clarity,” he said.

The Government has hinted that there could be room for regulations to co-exist with home-sharing here. National Development Minister Lawrence Wong told The Straits Times in October that while he understands the misgivings about home-sharing, attitudes may change and Singapore is not closing the door on it.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said at the Apec CEO Summit in Peru last month that old rules may no longer be relevant to disruptive economic activities such as Airbnb, but stressed that rules are still required.

Mr Persaud said his company hopes to adopt a collaborative approach with regulators here on private housing. He said: “We know in Singapore, it’s a unique situation (due to) the housing stock (where private housing makes up only 20 per cent of Singapore homes).

“It’s very different from most of the world… and we’re very cognisant of that. We, as a company… have a broad mission where people can belong. And… the last thing we want to do is to cause any sort of issues in the local community.”

Source: The Straits Times

December 6, 2016
1 Maut, 2 Cedera Dalam Nahas Di Pusat Pemeriksaan Tuas; Cetus Kesesakan Trafik Yang Panjang

Satu kemalangan yang berlaku di Pusat Pemeriksaan Tuas meragut satu nyawa dan mencederakan dua lagi orang pagi tadi (6 Dis), menurut Pasukan Pertahanan Awam Singapura (SCDF).

SCDF menyatakan ia mengerahkan sebuah ambulans ke tempat kejadian setelah menerima panggilan meminta bantuan pada 5.09 pagi.

Seorang lelaki berusia 50-an tahun disahkan mati di tempat kejadian oleh para paramedik. Seorang wanita dan lelaki, yang kedua-duanya berusia 30-an tahun, dikejarkan ke Hospital Ng Teng Fong dalam keadaan sedar, tambah SCDF.

Penguasa Imigresen dan Pusat Pemeriksaan (ICA) pada 9.39 pagi menyatakan nahas itu melibatkan tiga penunggang motosikal Malaysia.

ICA sebelum ini menyatakan oleh kerana nahas itu berlaku semasa waktu sibuk sebelah pagi, kesesakan semakin memanjang dan para pemandu dijangka mengalami kelengahan.

Pada sekitar 7.25 pagi, ICA mengemas kini maklumat mengenai kemalangan itu dengan mendedahkan bahawa nahas tersebut menjejas lorong bas dan lori di jambatan yang menghala masuk ke Singapura. Siasatan sedang diteruskan.

Rakaman kamera trafik pada pukul 7.10 pagi menunjukkan kesesakan lalu lintas yang panjang, dengan sekurang-kurangnya tiga kenderaan polis dan sebuah khemah polis berwarna biru dipasang di tempat kejadian.

Source: Berita MediaCorp

December 6, 2016
Pegawai Myanmar: Komen PM Najib Di Rapat Rohingya “Tidak Benar”

Kehadiran Perdana Menteri Malaysia Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak di rapat pro-Rohingya di Kuala Lumpur sudah mencetuskan bantahan di Myanmar.

Ucapan PM Najib di rapat itu tentang perlunya menentang “pembunuhan kaum” Muslim Rohingya di Myanmar, tidak membantu keadaan, kata seorang pegawai Myanmar kepada Mediacorp.

“Apa yang beliau katakan di Malaysia itu tidak benar. Kami sedang cuba menghuraikannya bersama para penyokong antarabangsa. Tapi ini pilihan kami, negara lain tidak boleh membuat keputusan tentang negara kami,” kata Nyan Win, anggota sekretariat Liga Nasional bagi Demokrasi.

“PM NAJIB GUNA ISU ITU UNTUK TAMBAT SOKONGAN”

U Zaw Htay, timbalan ketua pengarah Pejabat Presiden, memberitahu The Myanmar Times bahawa pemerintah Myanmar akan mengeluarkan kenyataan rasmi bagi membantah penyertaan PM Najib dalam bantahan di Kuala Lumpur itu.

Beliau juga memberitahu akhbar itu bahawa tindakan PM Najib itu boleh mencetuskan ekstremisme agama, dan menambah PM Najib menggunakan isu itu untuk menarik sokongan warga Malaysia.

Beliau mengeluarkan komen-komen itu setelah para penduduk Myanmar mengadakan tunjuk perasaan membantah PM Najib setelah beliau menyeru negara-negara asing supaya campur tangan dalam menghentikan “pembunuhan kaum” Muslim Rohingya.

Sekitar 150 orang, dipimpin para sami Buddha dari Persatuan Sami Kebangsaan Myanmar, berhimpun semalam (4 Dis) di Pagoda Sule di bandar Yangon, sambil mengibarkan panji-panji.

Malaysia kian lantang bersuara tentang cara Myanmar menangani keganasan dan dakwaan pencabulan kuasa di wilayah Rakhine, yang memaksa ratusan orang Rohingya melarikan diri merentasi sempadan ke Bangladesh.

PM Najib dalam ucapannya di satu rapat di Kuala Lumpur berkata “Dunia tidak boleh hanya berdiam diri dan menyaksikan pembunuhan kaum berlaku.” Beliau menambah bahawa beliau akan meminta Indonesia turut mengadakan rapat sebagai menunjukkan perpaduan dengan orang Rohingya, dan berkata beliau mahu lebih ramai rakyat Malaysia keluar dan membantah tindakan Myanmar.

Kementerian Ehwal Luar Malaysia menyifatkan keganasan di Myanmar itu sebagai “pembersihan kaum” kelmarin. PM Najib pula meminta Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu (PBB), Mahkamah Jenayah Antarabangsa dan Pertubuhan Persidangan Islam (OIC) supaya campur tangan.

KOFI ANNAN: CARI HURAIAN YANG AMAN

Mantan ketua PBB, Kofi Annan mengunjungi wilayah Rakhine di Myanmar pada Jumaat lalu dan kelmarin sebagai Pengerusi Suruhanjaya Penasihat Wilayah Rakhine.

Saluran televisyen Myanmar menunjukkan Encik Annan bertemu dengan beberapa kumpulan masyarakat, termasuk kumpulan Buddha dan Muslim Rohingya.

Suruhanjaya itu termasuk Muslim Rohingya serta masyarakat Rakhine yang beragama Buddha. Ia fokus terhadap mengelak konflik, bantuan, perdamaian, hak asasi manusia dan pembangunan, menurut pemerintah Myanmar.

Tentera dan pemerintah Myanmar menafikan dakwaan oleh para penduduk dan kumpulan-kumpulan hak asasi bahawa para askarnya merogol wanita Rphingya, membakar rumah-rumah dan membunuh orang awam semasa operasi ketenteraannya.

Di satu sidang media, Encik Annan menggesa semua pihak supaya mencari huraian kepada “isu-isu mereka secara aman.”

PBB menyatakan sekitar 30,000 orang kehilangan tempat tinggal akibat keganasan itu.

Pemerintah Myanmar tidak mengiktiraf orang Rohingya sebagai rakyatnya. Keganasan yang berlaku di Rakhine baru-baru ini adalah pertumpahan darah kedua paling dahsyat di Myanmar sejak rusuhan kaum pada 2012 meragut ratusan nyawa.

Akibat ditindas dan dibelenggu kemiskinan, ribuan orang Rohingya melarikan diri dari Myanmar menyusuli keganasan antara penganut Buddha dan Islam di sana empat tahun lalu.

Ramai daripada mereka diseludup atau diperdagang ke negara-negara jiran, kebanyakannya ke Thailand dan Malaysia.

Source: Berita MediaCorp

December 6, 2016
Jokowi Treason Arrests Questioned

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s commitment to freedom of speech has come under scrutiny following the arrest of several antigovernment figures last week over alleged treason.

Jokowi won praise for his bold move to take part in mass prayers last Friday with thousands of Muslims who demanded the imprisonment of blasphemy suspect and incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama.

Hours earlier, the police had arrested 11 people accused of attempting to mobilize a movement to overthrow the government by utilizing the large-scale rally.

On Saturday, the National Police released eight of the suspects, including activist Ratna Sarumpaet and musician-turned-politician Ahmad Dhani.

Former anti-Soeharto activist Sri Bintang Pamungkas, 71, and two siblings, Jamran and Rizal, remain in detention.

Another suspect, Alvin Indra, was only announced by the police in a press conference on Saturday.

Most of the suspects were charged under articles 107, 110 and 87 of the Criminal Code (KUHP) on treason and conspiracy to commit treason.

Sri Bintang was also charged under the 2008 Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law for hate speech.

In a video uploaded to YouTube, he was seen encouraging dozens of people to demand that the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) overthrow Jokowi.

“If [we all] unite, let’s go together and demand the MPR revoke Jokowi’s mandate as president,” Sri Bintang said in the video.

Jamran and Rizal were also charged with the 2008 law as the police claimed they had actively spread hate speech and provocation on the internet ahead of the Dec. 2 rally.

National Police spokesperson Insp. Gen. Boy Rafli denied that the arrests were arbitrary or aimed at silencing government critics.

“There is a clear line of distinction between delivering criticism and attempting to conspire and provoke people to commit treason,” Boy said on Saturday.

“[In this case] treason was [the action of those] who used their freedom to spread provocative ideas that could create a reaction, mislead people and drive public opinion,” he added.

He claimed the police had solid grounds to name them suspects, based on evidence including a “handwritten document and electronic evidence that recorded a conversation among the suspects”.

One of the suspects, activist Firza Husein, is the chairwoman of the Cendana Friend Solidarity Movement (SSC), an organization that reveres former president Soeharto.

Cyberlaw expert Megi Margiyono urged the authorities to be prudent and cautious in handling the cases, citing people’s freedom of expression, which is protected under the 1945 Constitution and international laws, including the UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

“Don’t make the public negatively assume that this is an attempt [by the authorities] to silence those who strongly criticize the government,” he told The Jakarta Post.

Similarly, Asep Komarudin of the Legal Aid Institute for the Press (LBH Pers) viewed the arrests as a threat to freedom of expression.

“It’s bad for the public image of the President and the government. Government intelligence should have waited for them to take concrete action before arresting them,” he told the Post.

Asep said treason charges in the Criminal Code had been loosely used by the government in the past to silence government critics.

Under the New Order regime, Indonesia saw numerous activists who opposed Soeharto charged with treason. Since the Reform Era, treason has been mostly reserved for Papuan activists and terror suspects.

Constitutional expert Refly Harun, however, said it was “right” for the police to make the arrests as a preventive action.

“However, the authorities should ensure they uphold the rule of law and have strong evidence,” he said.

Boy suggested that labor activists may have also planned to use the rally to launch a treason plot.

“We are now investigating whether [labor activists] also had a treason plot,” he said.

_________________________________

8 treason suspects

• Rachmawati Soekarnoputri: The daughter of Indonesia’s first president Sukarno often takes a different stance to her sister, Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairwoman and former president Megawati Soekarnoputri. In 2002, Rachmawati founded the Pioneers’ Party before joining the NasDem Party, which is led by media mogul and President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s confidant Surya Paloh.

• Firza Husain: Jakarta Police investigators arrested the activist at the Sari Pan Pacific Hotel in Central Jakarta. She reportedly has a close relationship with the once-powerful “Cendana” family, which refers to the family of Indonesia’s second president Soeharto.

• Kivlan Zen: The 69-year-old retired two-star Army general was known as a staunch supporter of Gerindra Party chairman Prabowo Subianto during the 2014 presidential election. Since his retirement from the Army, Kivlan has often been involved in political activities.

• Sri Bintang Pamungkas: Sri Bintang, 71, is best known for his political activities during the authoritarian regime of Soeharto, when he was once jailed for treason. In 1996, he founded the United Democratic Indonesia Party, which garnered a mere 0.13 percent of votes during the 1999 general election.

• Ratna Sarumpaet: The actress-turned-activist has frequently made headlines for her fierce criticism of Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama’s policies. The mother of actress Atiqah Hasiholan is also known to be vocal on social media.

• Adityawarman Thaha: The retired Army general is a renowned counterterrorism expert. As chairman of the Indonesian Muslim Students’ Family Association between 2011 and 2015, Adityawarman is also known for his close relationship with conservative Muslim groups. He was Prabowo’s supporter in the 2014 presidential race.

• Eko Suryo Santjojo: Eko was the secretary-general of Rachmawati’s Pioneers’ Party. Eko has a master’s degree in law and is a member of the rector’s council of the Rachmawati-led Bung Karno University (UBK) in Jakarta.

• Alvin Indra: Little is known about Alvin, whose status as a suspect in the alleged treason plot was only revealed on Saturday. Circulating rumors have suggested he is a labor activist.

Source: The Jakarta Post

December 6, 2016