Tag: Penang

20 People Killed in Communal Clash Between Muslims and Buddhists from Myanmar

GEORGE TOWN, Sept 18 — Twenty people savagely murdered in Penang this year are believed to be victims of communal clashes between Muslims and Buddhists from Myanmar.

Police said the latest was the double-murder of two men in their 30s who had their throats slit and their bodies dumped in an oil palm plantation in Kampung Manggis in Bukit Mertajam on Monday.

Police are worried religious and ethnic tensions between the two groups in Myanmar have bubbled to surface in the state with deadly consequences. Most of the victims were Buddhists.

They have been unable to head off the violence due to communication problems with both
communities.

State deputy police chief Datuk A. Thaiveegan said a special task force has been set up by police to investigate the deaths.

“We are probing if religious disputes are involved,” he said.

The flashpoint of this violence is Seberang Prai where Rohingya Muslims from the western Rakhine state are the main suspects in the killings.

No one has been arrested in connection with the murders which began in January, although several weapons, mainly knives have been seized.

The reason for the killings are not immediately clear, with both groups blaming each other for the bitter tension.

Police sources said the victims, mostly factory workers, were brutally killed and were found with their throats slit.

A source said: “Six people were been killed in central Seberang Prai in three separate cases while the remains of two other victims were discovered in southern Seberang Prai in the last four months.

“The remaining cases were reported in northern Seberang Prai while several other cases have also been occurred on the island.”

The source said the victims, all men, aged between 20 and 40 were abducted from their homes and murdered elsewhere.

Most of the victims were found without documents and their remains were identified by colleagues and friends.

Police believe the assailants had targeted their victims through their workplace colleagues and had also obtained information on them from members of their community who have been here for years.

Investigations have shown further conflict is at risk and police have asked employers of the victims for leads.

On Monday, a plantation worker stumbled upon the bodies of the two men at about 8.50am. Apart from slit throats, they also suffered multiple stab wounds.

Police believe they were murdered at another place before their bodies were dumped at the plantation.

One of the victims was identified based on his travel document while the identity of the other is still unknown.

Source: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/gruesome-myanmar-communal-murders-grip-penang#sthash.GqBY6W1Z.I4nMDZ6q.dpuf

September 18, 2014
Penang-born Husband Took Singaporean Wife and Two Children to Syria, Join ISIS

A 37-year-old Penang-born man has brought his Singaporean family to Syria where they are believed to be in different locations fighting alongside jihadists or supporting them.

His Singaporean wife was a 47-year-old widow who had a daughter and a son – aged 18 and 14 – from a previous marriage, The Star newspaper reported on Friday.

The report quoted sources as saying the family went to Syria in November, but did not stay together.

“The authorities believe the man joined the Jabhat Al-Nusra group and his stepson the IS (Islamic State),” the sources told the newspaper. IS is also known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

“The wife worked as a cook while the daughter taught English to the children of the fighters in Syria,” one source was quoted as saying.

The family members are believed to be in different parts of Syria, according to the newspaper. One possible location is east Hama, where jihadists are known to have set up a base of operations.

Authorities are keeping close tab on the family and trying to find out how they were influenced to go to Syria, said the report. The sources said the authorities believe their decision had to do with the woman’s former husband.

In July, Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean disclosed in parliament that several Singaporeans are among 12,000 foreigners taking part in the armed conflict in Syria, including a couple of parents who had taken along their children

Among the “handful” of Singaporeans is said to be a woman who went with her foreign husband and their two teenage children.

“The whole family is taking part in the conflict in various ways, either joining the terrorist groups to fight, or providing aid and support to the fighters,” said Mr Teo, who is also Singapore’s Home Affairs Minister.

Another man, Haja Fakkurudeen Usman Ali, 37, took with him his wife and three children between the ages of two and 11. He is a Singapore citizen who was an Indian national, the Home Affairs Ministry had said in March when announcing that he was under investigation.

Several other Singaporeans had planned to join the conflict but were detained before they could set off, and some others were under investigation, said Mr Teo.

The Star newspaper had earlier reported that five former Internal Security Act detainees are among 40 Malaysians who have joined the militants.

The five named include 45-year-old former Kedah PAS Youth information chief Mohd Lotfi Ariffin, who was injured in an attack which killed the youngest Malaysian jihadist in Syria on Tuesday. Mohammad Fadhlan Shahidi Mohammad Khir, 21, from Kedah was the second Malaysian jihadist to be killed in Syria.

The first Malaysian militant to die in Syria was Abu Turob, 52, who was killed during an attack by tanks and snipers on Aug 19.

In Putrajaya, Malaysian Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi called on Malaysians to reject extremist views and protect the country’s image. He said the actions of a few individuals did not reflect the true nature of the country and its people.

“We don’t want Malaysia to be presumed internationally as a breeding ground for terrorists (and) we must protect the image of our religion and country based on the principle of moderation or wasatiyyah.

“This principle has to be defended by all citizens. We have to avoid being extreme left or extreme right.”

Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/news/asia/south-east-asia/story/malaysian-man-took-singaporean-family-join-syria-jihadists-report-20

September 12, 2014
Penang Teen Under Sedition Probe For Liking ‘I Love Israel’ Facebook Page

NIBONG TEBAL, Aug 13 — A Form Five student who was threatened with immolation for allegedly liking an “I love Israel” Facebook page is now under investigation for sedition.

The 17-year-old who sought police aid two days ago was called in for questioning today by the South Seberang Perai police.

“We are investigating him under Section 4 (1) (a) of the Sedition Act,” Penang police chief Datuk Abdul Rahim Hanafi told reporters at the South Seberang Perai district police headquarters Hari Raya open house here.

“In his statement, he claimed that he had accidentally clicked ‘like’ on the page,” he said, referring to the teen’s recorded statement.

Abdul Rahim added that the police had questioned yesterday a teacher from the same school as the student who had allegedly linked the teen to the “I love Israel” Facebook page.

The sedition law prescribes a maximum fine of RM5,000 or a jail sentence of three years for a convicted first-time offender, or both, and raises the jail term to five years for subsequent offences.

The fifth former filed a police report after a teacher from his school allegedly circulated a screen captured image of the controversial post, which prompted attacks from other Facebook users to cut off ties with the student and to “boycott”.

Another teacher purportedly from the same school, went a step further, leaving on the first teacher’s Facebook page that is accessible only to friends a message that read: “Kita bakor je hahaha [We just burn hahaha]”.

South Seberang Perai district police chief ACP Shafein Mamat said more teachers and students from the boy’s school will be called to give their statements.

“We are investigating both aspects, one of him liking the controversial page and another on the threats against him,” Shafein said.

The student has since deactivated his Facebook account.

Source: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/penang-teen-who-liked-i-love-israel-facebook-page-under-sedition-probe

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August 13, 2014
Pink Dot Penang 2014 Dikecam ABIM

Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM) membantah penganjuran acara “Pink Dot Penang 2014” di George Town, Pulau Pinang yang didakwanya bertujuan meraikan kumpulan Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT).

Poster acara tersebut telah dimuat naik di Internet, dan ia akan berlangsung di 1926 Heritage Hotel pada Mac 29.

ABIM berpandangan bahawa acara sebegitu amat bercanggah dengan nilai-nilai pelbagai agama dan adat budaya di Malaysia, kata Setiausaha Agungnya Muhammad Faisal Abdul Aziz.

Katanya, berdasarkan rujukan terhadap laman Pink Dot Singapore, pada tahun 2013, acara seumpama itu telah diadakan secara besar-besaran “dengan tujuan menyeru persamaan hak bagi komuniti LGBT agar hubungan sesama jenis tidak dianggap suatu yang negatif”.

“ABIM memandang berat penganjuran acara sebegini sebagai satu usaha yang biadab dan jelas tidak menghormati sentimen majoriti masyarakat Malaysia yang rata-ratanya berpegang teguh dengan ajaran agama.

“Acara sebegini seolah-olah ingin membawa anasir kebebasan percintaan songsang yang telah kedengaran di merata pelosok dunia termasuk di negara-negara maju seperti UK, Perancis dan lain-lain,” katanya dalam satu kenyataan hari ini.

“Namun ABIM juga menilai acara tersebut sebagai reaksi dari sikap dan persepsi buruk masyarakat yang amat keterlaluan hingga mengakibatkan hilang pertimbangan keadilan dalam keadaan tertentu ketika menghukum mereka sebagai seorang warganegara hanya atas dasar mereka cenderung dengan kelompok LGBT,” tambanya.

Bagaimanapun, katanya, ABIM melihat memadai untuk kelompok ini didekati dan diberikan bimbingan tidak sehingga diberikan pengiktirafan meluas menerusi acara seperti yang dirancang.

Sehubungan itu, katanya, ABIM akan menghantar surat bantahan kepada kerajaan negeri Pulau Pinang, Jabatan Agama Islam Pulau Pinang, Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (JAKIM) serta Pejabat Menteri serta Pejabat Ketua Pembangkang.

Selain itu, katanya, ABIM juga akan membuat laporan polis menuntut siasatan dilakukan kerana ia bercanggah dengan semangat yang terkandung dalam Perkara 3 Perlembagaan Persekutuan yang secara terang-terangan mengiktiraf Islam dan agama-agama lain sebagai teras kepada nilai kenegaraan.

Malaysia tidak mempunyai undang-undang terhadap homoseksual, tetapi liwat adalah satu jenayah di bawah Kanun Keseksaan yang boleh disabitkan hukuman penjara sehingga 20 tahun.

Pada tahun 2011, acara yang sama ‘Seksualiti Merdeka ‘ di Kuala Lumpur telah diharamkan, di mana kira-kira 30 anggota polis menyerbu majlis itu semasa ia sedang berjalan.

Source: Malaysiakini, ABIM

March 15, 2014
Pork Thrown into a Mosque in Penang

A piece of meat believed to be pork found at the mosque in Machang Bubuk in mainland Penang on 16 Feb 2014.

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has called on Penangites to unite and keep calm hours after the discovery early this morning of a slab of meat believed to be pork in the compound of a mosque in Cherok Tok Kun.

Lim said mutual respect for each others’ differences are the most effective way to defect provocateurs and such criminal acts.

“We condemn this treacherous act. We should not fall into such irresponsible elements that seek to disrupt our harmony.

“Penangites must stand united and maintain the peace we enjoy,” he said today after visiting the Cherok Tok Kun Atas mosque in Machang Bubuk on the mainland.

The mosque’s deputy imam, Saad Arop, 78, found a slab of meat at one of the entrances of the mosque at 5.30am this morning.

Lim said closed circuit television (CCTV) will be installed outside the mosque to prevent similar incidents in the future.

He said the state has also instructed Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim and Machang Bubuk assemblyman Lee Khai Loon to look into it immediately.

“The mosque is just next to the main road so anyone could have thrown the meat.

“So far, the mosque congregation is calm and we advise everyone to remain so,” he said.

Earlier today, Penang crime investigation department chief senior assistant commissioner Mazlan Kesah confirmed the incident and said a police report on the matter was lodged at about 7.20am.

Mazlan said there were no CCTVs in the area and that the meat had been sent to the Bukit Minyak Veterinary department to be tested and verified.

The incident is being investigated under Section 295 of the Penal Code for injuring or defiling a place of worship with intent to insult a religion.

Today’s incident is the second involving a place of worship in the state.

On January 27, two molotov cocktails were thrown into the compound of the Assumption Church in George Town.

Since the incident, police have been patrolling around churches and mosques. – February 16, 2014.

Source: The Malaysian Insider

February 17, 2014