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Islam protects all: King
by Hemananthani
Sivanandam
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
KUALA LUMPUR: Yang di-Per-
tuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal
Abidin says Islam prohibited all
forms of malpractices, power
abuse and discrimination and
propagated peace, equality and
mutual help.
“Islam makes it obligatory to
protect and ensure equal rights
for all strata of the society, re-
gardless of whether they were
Muslims or non-Muslims,” said
Tuanku Mizan at the National
Level Maulidur Rasul Celebration
at Dataran Merdeka yesterday.
Also present were Prime
Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah
Ahmad Badawi and his deputy
Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak.
Tuanku Mizan also called on
Muslims to appreciate the life
history of Prophet Muhammad
who had placed much empha-
sis on unity and solidarity to
achieve excellence.
His Majesty said efforts to
unite the community was an
ongoing process in line with the
demands and challenges of the
21st century.
“As such, all policies that are
formulated to turn the country
into a developed nation in fu-
ture will not be achieved if the
aspects of unity and solidarity
are taken lightly by everyone.
“When a section of the
population becomes greedy and
places self-interest above others,
ignoring noble values in pursuing
material wealth, then various
calamities will strike, bringing
destruction to the people and
drawing the wrath of Allah.”
The King said the apprecia-
tion of Islam, which had been
translated through the history of
its glorious era, had shown that
the ummah had once united on
the axis of truth.
During the Islamic glory,
there was harmony, stability
and consensus, he said.
His Majesty also presented
» Fishy directive pg12
pg19
the Maulidur Rasul Awards to
six recipients. The sole recipient
of the Maulidur Rasul Premier
Award 2009 was Professor Dr
Sidek Baba from the Educational
Institute of the International
Islamic University, who also re-
ceived RM50,000 and a plaque.
The recipients of the
Maulidur Rasul Award were
Malaysian Islamic Consumers
Association secretary-general
Datuk Dr Maamor Osman, Sya-
rikat Laksamana Nusantara
Sdn Bhd managing-director
Mortadha Abdullah, Malaysian
Caring Society president Mohd
Yunus Pathi Mohd, student
Muhammad Ahmad Zahid and
special child Muhammad Haziq
Samrat, who is paralysed from
the waist downwards.
All five received RM22,000
and a plaque each.
The celebration yesterday
started with a procession com-
prising about 100,000 people
who recited praises on the
Prophet along the way. Those
taking part in the procession
were public and private sector
employees, representatives
from non-governmental organi-
sations, schools, public institu-
tions of higher learning and
training institutes, and mosque
representatives.
In SEREMBAN, Bernama re-
ports that Yang di-Pertuan Besar
Negri Sembilan Tuanku Muhriz
Ibni Almarhum Tuanku Munawir
led more than 9,000 Muslims in
the state-level Maulidur Rasul
procession on the Seremban
Municipal Council field. Sixty-two
contingents from government
departments and agencies,
NGOs and the private sectors as
well as the public took part in the
procession around town carrying
banners and reciting praises on
the Prophet.
Earlier in his speech, Tuanku
Muhriz called on Muslims in the
state to strive to be faithful to
Islam, to acquire knowledge and
adhere to the teachings of Islam
and the “sunnah” of the Prophet.
Member of Audit Bureau of Circulations (Malaysia)
TELLING IT AS IT IS
» Women’s Day marks crisis of poverty, violence pg11
Hold them back!
MTUC: REVOKE 70,000 WORK VISAS ISSUED TO BANGLADESHIS
UALA LUMPUR:
K
Work visas have been
issued to some 70,000
Bangladeshis who are
expected to take up jobs in the
country soon and the MTUC
wants the permits revoked.
Its vice-president A. Bala-
subramaniam told Bernama
the country was under great
stress of losing thousands of
jobs and the influx of foreign
workers would worsen the
situation.
Moreover, he said, thou-
sands of Bangladeshi work-
ers now in the country were
facing a bleak future due to
unemployment and under-
employment.
He said it was better to
No. 4712 PP 2644/12/2009 (023092)
revoke the visas while the
workers were still in their
country of origin.
Balasubramaniam was
commenting on the dis-
closure by Bangladeshi
Labour Counsellor Talat
Mahmud Khan that 70,000
Bangladeshi workers, who
had approved visas, were
expected to arrive here soon
to take up employment in the
plantation, construction and
services sectors.
In MALACCA, Human
Resources Minister Datuk
Dr S. Subramaniam said
the ministry would ensure
that the Bangladeshi work-
ers were confined to the
plantation, construction and
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services sectors. ket sources said the problem
He said the government could not be that easily
would allow them to work resolved as these workers had
in only these three sectors paid between RM9,000 and
as the jobs for foreigners in RM10,000 for their visas and
the other sectors had been levy to agents from outsourc-
frozen. ing companies, and they were
“If they are coming to unlikely to get a refund.
work in other sectors where There are more than 250
jobs have been frozen, the registered outsourcing com-
matter has to be looked into panies in Malaysia.
with the Home Ministry The problem was further
for a decision,” he after a complicated by the fact that
ceremony in the Sannasima- the workers had borrowed
lai Hindu temple in Cheng. the money for the visas from
He said the government relatives and moneylenders.
had in place a policy to “Under such circumstanc-
reduce the number of foreign es, if the visas are revoked,
workers and that it was being the workers will lose all
implemented. their money and this will not
Meanwhile, labour mar- be acceptable and will also
tarnish Malaysia’s image in
BERNAMAPIX
the world labour market,” said
the sources.
Balasubramaniam pro-
posed that both the Human Re-
sources and Home Ministries
call for an immediate meeting
with all stakeholders to find
an amicable solution to the
problem.
He pointed out that
the main weakness in the
issuing of visas currently
in Malaysia was that the
visas were approved by the
Home Ministry while the
Human Resources Ministry
acted in an advisory capacity.
– Bernama
Tuanku Mizan presenting
the Maulidur Rasul Award to
Muhammad Haziq Samrat,
14, who is paralysed from
the waist down. On the
left is Minister in the Prime
Minister’s Department Datuk
Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
In the background are other
recipients of the award.