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NST Online » Local News
2008/01/10
KUCHING: A teacher had to apologise to two students for tapping their cheeks with a diary when they turned up at their former school without wearing their headscarf (tudung).
He was cautioned for his action and was advised to be tactful when discharging his duties as the school's disciplinary teacher.
The students, Nadya Islyanna Othman and her friend Taqwatul Zaffrinie, both 17, claimed that they were slapped with a diary by the discipline teacher for turning up at their former school without their headscarf on Tuesday.
The two girls, together with Nadya's father, Othman Maidin, 48, lodged a report at the Kuching police headquarters at 11.30am the same day.
However, the matter was settled amicably after the students' parents accepted the teacher's apology at a four-and-a-half-hour meeting yesterday.
At the meeting which was also attended by school principal Hasanah Junaidi, state Education disciplinary officer Georgina Apphia Ngau and several officials from the state Education Department, it was found that the teacher had only tapped the two girls on the cheeks with a diary.
State Education deputy director Mortadza Alop said there was no criminal intention in the actions of the teacher, who had acted in good faith.
Othman told the New Straits Times that he accepted the teacher's apology and understood his duty as a disciplinary teacher.
NST Online, Local News
2008/01/10
(From left) Taqwatul Zaffrinie, Nadya Islyanna Othman and her father Othman Maidin attended the meeting where the matter was settled amicably.
KUCHING: A teacher had to apologise to two students for tapping their cheeks with a diary when they turned up at their former school without wearing their headscarf (tudung).
The students, Nadya Islyanna Othman and her friend Taqwatul Zaffrinie, both 17, claimed that they were slapped with a diary by the discipline teacher for turning up at their former school without their headscarf on Tuesday.
The two girls, together with Nadya's father, Othman Maidin, 48, lodged a report at the Kuching police headquarters at 11.30am the same day.
However, the matter was settled amicably after the students' parents accepted the teacher's apology at a four-and-a-half-hour meeting yesterday.
State Education deputy director Mortadza Alop said there was no criminal intention in the actions of the teacher, who had acted in good faith.
Othman told the New Straits Times that he accepted the teacher's apology and understood his duty as a disciplinary teacher.
Wong Teck Chi
Sep 11, 07 5:24pm
As Malaysia’s 17 public universities warm up for another round of campus polls, the Universiti Malaya Muslim Students Association (PMI) - an anti-establishment group - is finding out that politics can be a dirty business. 
It has been targeted in a smear campaign via claims in a number of claims that have been displayed around the campus ahead of elections, widely expected to be held this month.
One flyer alleges that PMI is a ‘Jewish agent’ because the association’s activities have been funded by the non-profit German-based Konrad Adenauer Foundation.
Another accuses PMI president Mohd Dzul Khairi Mohd Noor of being a ‘hypocrite’ for putting up a pious front despite allegedly being a ‘womaniser’.
A third claim is that Mohd Dzul Khairi manipulates students into taking part in demonstrations, and calls for UM to be saved from him.
The message ends with the slogan ‘UM is One’, used by the ‘pro-government’ or Aspirasi student group.
They are often pitted against the anti-establishment Gagasan Mahasiswa coalition - who called themselves 'pro-students' - at the often bitterly contested annual polls held simultaneously nationwide.
At a press conference today, PMI spokesperson Azlan Zailan said the allegations are “provocative” and "lies", and that evidence is being compiled to be forwarded to UM vice-chancellor Rafiah Salim soon. 
"In the past, such flyers have been used to attack the ‘anti-establishment’ groups, but now they are used to tarnish and single out PMI," he said.
He accused the Aspirasi group of violating regulations because it has started campaigning and is introducing their candidates even before the election date has been announced.
Azlan also alleged that hostel wardens have began carrying out spot-checks on students’ rooms and have been warning students not to participate in activities organised by the ‘anti-establishment’ groups.
At the same time, he denied that PMI had anything to do with two banners critical of Rafiah. These refer to her as a “grandmother” and accuse her of “conspiring” with PMI.
“The university authorities have questioned us on the matter. The student affairs department wants to believe it was our doing, but we’re not involved,” said Azlan.
Nazri express support
PMI will submit a memorandum in relation to these matters and the campus polls. It will call for balloting to be done at the faculties instead if hostels; the appointment of credible scrutineers from among lecturers and university administrators; and for clean, fair and transparent elections.
In recent years, campus polls have been marred by accusations of discrepancies and government interference. 
In another development, umbrella group Malaysian Student Solidarity (SMM) met Parliamentary Human Rights Caucus chairperson Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz in Parliament today to discuss issues relating to campus polls.
Speaking to reporters later, Nazri said some of the matters discussed will be raised at tomorrow’s cabinet meeting, particularly with Higher Education Minister Mustapa Mohamed.
“I’ll talk to Mustapa about extending the campaign period, abolishing the (electronic) voting system and ensuring that the polls are free and fair,” said Nazri, who is also minister in the prime minister’s department.
He promised to release a statement tomorrow on behalf of the caucus, supporting the demands made by the student groups.
SMM represents six prominent student bodies from several public universities.
Friday August 3, 2007
FIVE schoolgirls and several boys held no-holds-barred sex romps when their parents were not at home, Harian Metro reported.
The girls, aged 13 to 17, allegedly gave their bodies willingly to the boys, who grouped under the names “Geng Apache,” “Pangkah Shell” and “Budak Shell,” the tabloid said.
The boys favoured these girls from three schools in Putrajaya over others because they are said to be promiscuous and need not be “forced” into having sex.
Sources told the paper that the girls were so daring that they carried out their exploits at either their or the boys' homes after school and when the parents were not at home.
However, their illicit activities were exposed after 25 schoolboys were caught smoking and sniffing glue in two houses at Precincts 9 and 11, Putrajaya.
Several of the boys confessed that they had had sex with the girls over the past few months without any of their families knowing about it.
Sources said no action had so far been taken against either the boys or the girls, because no police report has been made.
> Kosmo! reported that an umbrella spoke pierced the scalp of a young boy who had just turned seven on Wednesday.
Mohd Ikmal Daniel Md Islam was warded at the Taiping Hospital, where the 40cm spoke was removed after two operations.
His brother, Sufian Sawari Sulaiman, 19, said the boy came home crying after a quarrel with a Form One boy near their house at Kampung Larut Tin on Sunday.
“My father tried to pull out the spoke, but there was still about 12cm of the rod stuck in his head. We realised it was a serious injury and rushed him to the hospital,” said Sufian, adding that he later went round the village to find the culprit.
He later lodged a police report.
After Mohd Ikmal was admitted, a student came to see the boy and admitted that he had used the spoke on the Year One pupil.
Oleh Siti Fatimah Mohamed Anwar
Kementerian wajibkan calon jalani ujian MEdSI
KUALA LUMPUR: Lelaki ‘lembut’ tidak akan mendapat tempat dalam bidang perguruan di negara ini dan permohonan mereka mengikuti program ijazah sarjana muda pendidikan di universiti tempatan berkemungkinan besar akan ditolak, walaupun cemerlang dalam akademik.
Malah, semua calon guru berkenaan diwajibkan menjalani ujian Malaysian Educators Selection Inventory (MEdSI), selain saringan temu duga dikendalikan Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi, sebagai langkah memastikan mereka tidak tergolong dalam kumpulan yang mengalami ‘kekeliruan gender’.
Setiausaha Parlimen Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi, Datuk Dr Adham Baba, berkata tindakan itu dilakukan bukan untuk mewujudkan diskriminasi terhadap golongan lelaki ‘lembut’ terbabit, sebaliknya sebagai pendekatan berhemah menyedarkan golongan berkenaan yang menyimpang daripada landasan hidup sebenar.
Beliau berkata, pengambilan calon bagi program ijazah pendidikan yang dilaksanakan sebelum ini hanya berlandaskan kecemerlangan akademik semata-mata, dan calon tidak perlu menjalani ujian serta menghadiri proses saringan temu duga.
Keadaan itu menimbulkan masalah apabila banyak sekolah mula dibanjiri guru lelaki ‘lembut’ dan senario ini jelas sekali mencacatkan imej perguruan dan pendidikan negara.
“Justeru, mulai tahun ini semua calon yang mahu menyertai bidang perguruan perlu menjalani ujian MEdSI dan saringan temu duga. Hanya mereka yang lulus dan menepati kriteria ditetapkan termasuk tidak mengalami masalah kekeliruan gender akan dibenar menyertai kursus pendidikan,” katanya.
Ketika diminta mengulas definisi lembut, Dr Adham berkata, ia bukan merujuk kepada guru lelaki yang berperwatakan sopan santun, tetapi golongan ‘hetroseksual’ iaitu lelaki yang mempunyai perwatakan wanita seperti bersolek dan membentuk kening.
“Sebagai pendidik yang juga model kepada pelajar, mereka tidak boleh mempamerkan imej sedemikian kerana perkara ini menimbulkan persekitaran kurang sihat kepada pelajar. Jika inilah golongan pendidik, apa yang akan jadi pada generasi negara akan datang,” katanya.
Sementara itu, Naib Canselor Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), Datuk Dr Muhammad Rais Abdul Karim, berkata langkah memperkenalkan ujian MEdSI dan saringan temu duga diyakini mampu mengatasi lambakan guru tidak berkelayakan di sekolah.
“Kami mahu guru tampil dalam satu pakej yang sempurna bukan saja mempunyai kredibiliti bahkan imej yang terpuji,” katanya.
Decades of irregular migration to Sabah in eastern Malaysia have resulted in large numbers of undocumented children of migrants from the Philippines and Indonesia who are potentially at risk of statelessness. Undocumented migrants in Malaysia are targets for arrest and deportation, which in some cases has left their children alone on the street. Children of migrants who are born in Malaysia may be undocumented if they do not possess a birth certificate. In addition, if a child's parents have been deported and they have no other family ties in Malaysia, it may be difficult for them to trace their heritage back to their parents' country of origin in order to apply for a passport. If no government recognizes these undocumented children as nationals, then the children are vulnerable to statelessness.
Malaysia is a signatory to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which states in Article 7 that all children have a right to acquire nationality at birth. However, Malaysia does not grant citizenship by birth, choosing not to adhere to the principle of jus soli. Individuals can only apply for citizenship if one parent is a citizen of Malaysia. Foreign parents can register their children for birth certificates, but the certificates are stamped orang asing (foreigner), reflecting the fact that the parents are not citizens of Malaysia.
Refugees International recently traveled to Sabah and interviewed migrants of Filipino and Indonesian descent. Children with orang asing on their birth certificates, as well as those who do not possess a birth certificate, cannot go to government schools in Sabah. Private school is an option but the cost is prohibitive for most families. There are church and community organizations in Sabah that offer private education at a reduced cost. One such non-governmental organization has worked to educate almost 5,000 undocumented children in western Sabah, including those on the oil palm plantations, with the support of local authorities.
The Government of Malaysia has been cracking down on irregular migrants in the country. In Sabah, raids are conducted in housing areas where the migrants live and in markets and public areas where many work. Those arrested are deported back to their country of origin. Many children whose parents have been deported and who do not have any other family or guardian in Sabah end up living and working on the street at a very young age, often in fish markets. A local community worker told RI, "It's those who have nobody who are there [in the fish markets]."
The exact number of street children in Sabah is unknown, but they are estimated to be in the thousands, mostly of Filipino descent. There is strong local resentment of undocumented migrants in Sabah, and the street children are portrayed as a criminal element by authorities and the media. The children working at the fish markets are wary of outsiders and are under constant threat of raids by police. In 2006, the police arrested about 160 street children who were placed in detention. Those with family contacts were eventually released, but there is no information on the whereabouts of the others.
Zugoh, a 12-year-old boy of Filipino descent, works through the night at a fish market in Kota Kinabalu. He pushes a heavy wooden cart hoping that customers will allow him to transport their purchases to their car. Zugoh earns around 1 MYR, or 30 cents per customer. Zugoh does not have a father. He has a mother, but he does not stay with her. Zugoh told RI that he sleeps somewhere on the street near the fish market. He does not go to school, and he has no identity documents.
Local sources in Sabah told RI that the children living on the street often do not possess identity documents like a birth certificate. There are several reasons for this. In order to obtain a birth certificate in Malaysia, it is necessary to produce a valid passport for each parent and a certificate of marriage, documents which many migrants do not possess. In addition, those who work in rural areas are sometimes not able to travel to the national registration authority to apply for the birth certificate.
Under the UN Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons, the term "stateless person" refers to anyone who is not considered a national by any State under the operation of its law. The absence of a birth certificate does not mean that a child is stateless. However, when a child does not have a birth certificate and she has no other way of tracing her family's country of origin to apply for a passport, then the child may indeed be stateless or at risk of statelessness.
Interviews with migrants suggest that both Indonesia and the Philippines grant citizenship through the nationality of the parents, adhering to the principle of jus sanguinis. Currently, individuals of Indonesian and Filipino descent must travel to their country of origin in order to apply for a passport. However, there is an Indonesian consulate in Sabah which could assist those of Indonesian descent with the processing of identity documents. There is no permanent consular presence for the Philippines, however, due to an unresolved dispute between the governments of Malaysia and the Philippines over the ownership of Sabah.
The existence of undocumented children in Sabah who may be vulnerable to statelessness is a complex and politicized issue. Recognizing the problematic situation, Malaysian non-governmental organizations and the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (SUHAKAM) have conducted fact-finding missions to Sabah. Both the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) report that their offices are monitoring this issue. While steps are being taken to assist undocumented children in Sabah, many are still in need of increased protection and access to their basic rights, including an identity, a nationality, and education.
Refugees International, therefore, recommends that:
The Government of Malaysia
* Ensure that all births in Malaysia are registered.
* Convene discussions on the issue of children vulnerable to statelessness in Sabah to develop a strategic plan of assistance involving all concerned parties: the Governments of Indonesia and the Philippines, UNHCR and UNICEF, Ministers of Parliament, Malaysian NGOs and migrant community leaders.
* Uphold its commitments under the Convention on the Rights of the Child and allow free primary education to undocumented children.
* Cease the arrest and detention of undocumented children in Sabah.
The Government of the Philippines
* Ensure that migrants from the Philippines have regular access to representatives of the Philippine Embassy to receive assistance with the processing of identity documents for children of Filipino descent.
UN Agencies
* UNHCR undertake a survey to identify the numbers of children who are stateless or at risk of statelessness and take concrete steps to prevent and reduce statelessness.
* UNICEF increase advocacy efforts on the protection of undocumented children in Sabah and support local community education programs that are already in place.
* In cooperation with the Government of Malaysia, UNICEF facilitate the registration process to ensure that all children are registered at birth.
Camilla Olson assessed the situation for children vulnerable to statelessness in Sabah in April.
Dowload a .pdf of this policy recommendation at:
http://www.refugeesinternational.org/fi
Read more about Refugees International's work on statelessness
http://www.refintl.org/content/issue/de
David A. Feingold, Ph.D.
Director,
Ophidian Research Institute
International Coordinator for HIV/AIDS and Trafficking, Office of the Regional Advisor for Culture,
United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization,UNESCO Bangkok Office
5th Floor Darakarn Building, 920 Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok 10110 Thailand
Tel: (662) 391-0577 (ext.504)
Fax: (662) 391-0866
Visit: http://www.unescobkk.org/culture/traffi
June 13, 2007
Contact: Camilla Olson
ri@refugeesinternational.org or 202.828.0110
From R Gopakumar DH News Service Thiruvananthapuram:
Deccan Herald National
Detailed Story
A Catholic Church-run mass communications college in Kottayam has stirred a hornet's nest by expelling five students for making a film on homosexuality.
The students are all fourth semester BA (multimedia) students of the St Joseph's College of Communications at Changanassery.
The incident brings alive the raging worldwide debate on homosexuality to the church circles in Kerala.
Neither the expelled students nor the authorities were readily willing to comment. Prathyush, one of the expelled students, told Deccan Herald that four of them had acted in the five-minute short film titled Secret Minds.
The film depicting homosexuality was directed by an MA (film and TV) student Jeo Baby. He claimed that it was mainly intended for an inter- collegiate film festival here.
The college management, however, felt that the film had transgressed the limits of decency and moral values that the college stood for and would have misled youths. The college authorities further said that the students misused the campus and college hostel premises for making the film and had also acted entirely nude in it. The management made clear its stand in the showcause notice issued to the students. The students were first served a showcause notice on March 23 and 27 and later expelled on April 2 on finding that their replies were unsatisfactory.
However, Prathyush who was the only student willing to speak denied these allegations and said that they had exercised only their freedom of expression. The film was also well within the confines of the course to which they were admitted. Also, they had acted only partially nude as required by the script.
"In any case, the film was not for public viewing but for a specific festival audience. They are just creating unnecessary fuss," he said.
The students registered a complaint against the college with the Mahatma Gandhi University's grievance cell and also forwarded the notice which contained the charges against them.
When contacted, college director Fr Sebastian refused to comment saying the issue was not over and was "undergoing certain processes".
However, experts see the incident as an offshoot of the lack of theological guidance in the Church on the issue of homosexuality.
by DAWN CHAN
IS segregation the answer to sexual harassment problems?
Three non-governmental organisations contacted by The Malay Mail yesterday agreed it’s not.
The NGOs were asked to comment on Sri Gading MP Datuk Mohamad Aziz’s suggestion to have separate coaches for male and female LRT passengers to prevent ‘awkward situations’.
Women’s Development Collective executive director Maria Chin Abdullah said sexual harassment will not stop with segregation.
“Sexual harassment can take place anywhere. Segregation should be the last resort,” said Chin.
“At the end of the day, it comes back to education on gender sensitivity.
“The transport provider should go beyond providing public transport services. They should emphasise on security for all passengers.”
All Women’s Action Society president Judith Loh-Koh called for a more effective and lasting solution.
“Putting men and women in separate coaches will not eliminate sexual assault on a woman’s integrity in any way, be it verbal, non-verbal, visual, psychological or physical,” she said.
A fairer option, she said, is to provide the avenues for victims to make complaints with RapidKL personnel trained to handle them sensitively.
Loh-Koh said there is also the need for an efficient public transport system to spread out the congestion.
“There should be more trains and buses that run according to schedule,” she said.
“Another suggestion is to introduce flexible working hours to spread out road congestion and reduce its duration.
“Sexual harassment should not occur under any circumstance.”
Loh-Koh hopes the Government and RapidKL will seek alternative steps to combat the problem.
“In the long run, the society needs to be educated,” she said.
“Sexual harassment is not acceptable on any grounds, and it is symptomatic of a society based on unequal gender relations.”
Sisters In Islam programme manager Norhayati Kaprawi said segregation will just create more problems.
“It is perplexing how segregation can solve the problem. If sexual harassment is an issue, we urge policymakers to ensure that awareness on gender and sexual harassment issues be carried out in schools,” she said.
“The Government needs to be serious in pushing for gender sensitivity not only to our young, but also among the decision- makers.”
