ONE New Year gift that must surely cheer up all Malaysians is the appointment of Penang Mayor Datuk Maimunah Mohd Sharif as executive director of the United Nations Human Settlements programme (UN-Habitat). Maimunah makes history by becoming the first Asian to hold this prestigious job, and her appointment helps meet one of UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres’ promises to see women in more of UN’s senior most positions. UN-Habitat is considered one of the most active agencies of the international body. Maimunah will oversee 400 core staff, up to 2,000 project-based employees, four regional offices and activities in more than 70 countries. A key focus of the agency will be UN’s New Urban Ag

As the year comes to an end, the latest press statements from two civil society organisations, Persatuan Patriot Kebangsaan (Patriot) and G25, provide renewed hope that the struggle for the freedoms and values of a robust democratic system will continue, with key stakeholders providing overdue support. For too long most Malaysians - outside the political arena, who are well-positioned to resist the authoritarian political and religious forces seeking to kill off moderate positions with regressive and illiberal socioeconomic policies and programmes - have remained quiet. They have been spectators, or have stood outside the political process, hoping that the long-entrenched ruling government i

PETALING JAYA: Moderation advocates have condemned the statement by preacher Azhar Idrus, who said that Muslim girls are marriageable at age 15 and Muslim women should not take photos in non-Muslim owned photo studios. In a Harakah Daily reader question-and-answer section, Azhar answered a query about the boundaries between men and women by saying that women are marriageable at 15 after they have reached puberty. He said, however, girls are getting married at a later age due to education, adding that they are about 28 years old by the time they are finished with university. "But at 28 years old, no one would want to marry them and even if there were, the woman's value has dropped

POLITICIANS (and presidents) come and go and governments can change around the world but investors and people stay in countries where they have trust in the strength of institutions that make up the backbone of a country. That is why it is important for Malaysia to make several structural reforms to strengthen the foundations of the country’s institutions so that poor governance does not sap the nation’s growth potential. “Several basic reforms are needed so that institutions can provide effective checks and balances on the executive. Governments can change but if institutions are strong, there is no worry of changes. For example, in Japan and Korea, governments can fall but businesses are c

G25 stands in unity with Sisters in Islam, other civic groups, and academicians in the defence of freedom of speech. We too are alarmed at the investigation on Professor Datuk Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi under Section 504 of the Penal Code in relation to the article that he wrote in The Star in which he touched on the radicalisation of Islam, claiming it is on the rise. The investigation against the professor on his claim sets a dangerous precedent that any discussion on Islam and its place within the Constitution, that is not in line with the official view, will be considered by the authorities as radical and therefore a threat to national peace and security. Such an attitude by our law enforceme

PETALING JAYA: Holding a Jerusalem solidarity rally is good but concrete steps still need to be taken to help the Palestinian cause, a former diplomat said today. Redzuan Kushairi said Prime Minister Najib Razak deserved the backing of all Malaysians on the matter, including having East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine and standing up to any “bullying” by US President Donald Trump. “I think it is good to have such a solidarity march and for good reason. Malaysia’s foreign policy must be based on principles and protection of our core values. “I have said before that foreign policy begins at home. But for certain international issues involving important principles of justice, Malaysia mus

MODERATE Muslim groups in Malaysia should not get embroiled in unproductive debates over labels with local religious authorities, said a US-based Islamic scholar today. "My advice to you is not to get locked into a debate as to whether you are a liberal or not, and whether your accusers are extremists or fundamentalists. "That type of debate is unproductive and gets you nowhere. I would recommend that you try to shift the conversations away from labels and focus on values. "What values do we as Malaysians hold dear that should be the foundations of the creation of a just society? "Do we believe that all Malaysians have a right to participate in public decision-making? Do we believe as Malays

BOTH the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank, in their regular reporting on our country, have made encouraging forecasts about our economic prospects, stating that the GDP growth momentum will continue into 2018 on the back of world economic recovery, strong export performance and expanding domestic demand from the private and public sector. They attribute this favourable outlook to the good policies which the Government has implemented, including the introduction of GST and removal of wasteful expenditures on fuel subsidies. Their forecasts on national and household debts indicate that these are manageable and therefore unlikely to cause a risk to the country’s financial health

DECEMBER 15 — We G25 are deeply touched by Aisyah Osman’s vigorous defence of freedom of speech, where she has stated that whether one is Islamist or secular, it is a fundamental right in a democracy that must be respected to the fullest extent by everyone. Bravo! She also represents, Young Professionals, a group founded by dissenting lawyers whose goals, according to their profile, appears to preserve, protect and defend the Federal Constitution. We wish to ask Aisyah Osman to explain why Iksim lodged a police report against Professor Datuk Shad Saleem Faruqi over his article in the Star on the 23rd of November 2017 about religious radicalism on the rise. Why did Jawi instigate the arrest a

MUSLIM countries and American allies are shocked and dismayed that US President Donald Trump has defied their advice and gone ahead to implement his campaign pledge to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move the US Embassy there. As Jerusalem is a Holy City to Muslims just as it is to Jews and Christians, Trump's decision will have a destabilising effect on the already volatile region, making the Palestinian peace process an even more difficult task to achieve. By his stubborn behaviour of acting to please his electoral base, he has effectively destroyed whatever confidence the Palestinians and Arab nations had on the sincerity and reliability of the US as an honest peace broke

The slide presentation The full report Media coverage: G25: Time for full 1MDB disclosure and closure, FMT Set up Equal Opportunities Commission to move forward, urges G25, FMT Let the media report, its good for the nation, says G25 founding member, FMT Jangan kongkong kebebasan akhbar, kata G25, The Malaysian Insight Don’t muzzle the press, says G25, The Malaysian Insight Peguam negara tidak boleh pegang 2 tugas, kata G25, The Malaysian Insight A-G shouldn’t be public prosecutor and govt legal adviser, says G25 PM tak perlu campur tangan pelantikan, penaikan pangkat hakim, kata G25, The Malaysian Insight PM should have no role in appointment, promotion of judges, says G25, The Malaysian Ins

Religious authorities must take heed of the various concerns raised by the Malay Rulers, the latest being from His Royal Highness Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah Al-Maghfullah. HRH the Sultan’s “titah” is a reminder to us all that their Royal Highnesses the Rulers are the Head of Religion in their respective states. As such, the implementation of Islam by religious authorities must be done with due respect for the rights of citizens to justice, as any injustice will reflect badly not only on the integrity of their Royal Highnesses the Sultans but also on the reputation of Islam itself as a religion of peace and harmony for all Malaysians. The caution

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia should step back and recalibrate its relations with Saudi Arabia and the region, said a former ambassador. Redzuan Kushairi said Malaysia should take a neutral stance and not get involved in the politics and conflicts in the region. “Taking a completely neutral policy would allow Malaysia, as a medium power, a Muslim country and a member of the OIC (Organisation of Islamic Countries), to play a role that could contribute towards diplomatic efforts and search of peaceful resolutions of conflicts in the region,” he told FMT. Redzuan was commenting on remarks made by political analyst Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid, who had voiced concern over the strengthening of ties between