Raja Petra Kamaruddin Freed

This is good news out of the increasingly over-Islamic Malaysia.

Malaysia's top blogger released from detention

Malaysia's leading blogger, Raja Petra Kamaruddin, was Friday released from detention under controversial internal security laws after a court ruled the government had no right to hold him.

Raja Petra, a vocal government critic who had been held at a notorious detention camp since September, wept and embraced his family after being freed by the Shah Alam High Court.

"I'm realy glad it's over. I'm really tired. The judge's decision proves that there was no justification for my detention," he said, calling for an end to the Internal Security Act (ISA) which allows for detention without trial.

"We have to fight all-out and get the ISA abolished," he told reporters.

Looking haggard and dressed in a brown T-shirt and jeans, Raja Petra was garlanded by dozens of supporters outside the court before stepping into a maroon Rolls Royce provided by a supporter to ferry him home.

"It's a great day for human rights and fundamental liberties," said Malaysian human rights commissioner Denison Jayasooria.

"The executive must use the ISA only in situations where there is a real threat to national security," he told AFP.

Raja Petra, founder of the popular Malaysia Today website which has outraged top leaders with its stream of critical stories, was detained in September for writing articles that allegedly insulted Islam.

His lawyer Malik Imtiaz Sarwar said the High Court ruled earlier Friday that Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar had acted outside his powers by ordering Raja Petra to serve two years in detention without trial.

"The judge ruled that the circumstances which existed at the time that Raja Petra was detained did not satisfy the threshold conditions under the ISA," he told AFP.

Malik said it was the first time a court has ordered the release of an ISA detainee since 1989, when courts were barred from interfering once a detention order has been signed by the home minister.

"It is certainly an historic ruling and a profound moment for civil liberties in this country," he said, while adding that the government can appeal the decision.

Opposition parliamentarian Lim Kit Siang said the ruling "sustains hope that basic judicial decency, independence and integrity have not been completely destroyed, despite two decades of judicial darkness."

He called on the government to "fully respect" the verdict and "slap down any trickery or stratagem to frustrate the judicial decision, such as a re-arrest."

Raja Petra is best known for his articles on politics, and had already been charged with sedition and defamation for linking Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak and his wife to the sensational murder of a Mongolian woman.

But he was also accused of threatening public security and causing racial tension by inciting hate in his articles on Islam -- a serious offence in predominantly Muslim Malaysia.

There has been a rash of detentions in recent months under the ISA, which allows for renewable two-year periods of detention without trial.

Raja Petra was detained on the same day as opposition lawmaker Teresa Kok and journalist Tan Hoon Cheng, both of whom have since been freed.

Tan's arrest in particular caused a furore as she had merely reported on racist comments from a ruling party member who was subsequently suspended by the United Malays National Organisation.

Malaysia Threatens to Pull Out Monitors

Someone please tell the increasingly pompus and self-righteous Islamic busy-body known as Malaysia to take a hike. Why the Pinoys even waste their time "talking" to the MILF after all this time is a mystery. Just defeat them and be done with it.

Malaysia may pull peace monitors from Philippines

Malaysia has threatened to withdraw monitors overseeing a four-year ceasefire between the Philippine army and the country's biggest Muslim separatist guerrilla group because of delays in peace talks, sources said on Tuesday.

Tension has risen lately between the army and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), with both sides accusing the other of breaking the truce during a skirmish on the island of Basilan last week.

On Tuesday, at least four Navy commandos and six rebels died in another firefight on Basilan, as Philippine troops pursued the Abu Sayyaf group, which has close links with the MILF.

A resumption in peace talks, scheduled to take place in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur next month, is in doubt again after four postponements. The talks broke down a year ago amid disagreements over the size and wealth of a proposed ancestral homeland for Muslims on the southern island of Mindanao.

Government and rebel sources told Reuters the Malaysian government was getting impatient, and threatened during an informal meeting in Kuala Lumpur last week to recall its 60 monitors to pressure the sides to resume talks.

Mohaqher Iqbal, the rebels' chief negotiator, told Reuters in a phone interview from his hideout on Mindanao that any withdrawal of Malaysian soldiers would endanger the truce and harm implementation of development projects.

"If that happens, it would have a big impact on the peace process," Iqbal said.

Unarmed Malaysian soldiers have been in Mindanao since 2004 as part of an effort to end nearly 40 years of conflict that has killed more than 120,000 people and displaced 2 million. Libya and Brunei also have small contingents in the monitoring team.

Iqbar said last week's meeting in Kuala Lumpur had been "productive" but had failed to fix a date for formal talks.

"Our differences were not really poles apart, we've narrowed the gaps from where we started two years ago," Iqbar said.

"But our counterparts could not commit to anything without the approval of the political leadership in Manila," he said.

"The government must have political will to conclude the peace process."

Last week, the military accused MILF members of helping a band of Abu Sayyaf rebels during a firefight on Basilan island and threatened to file a protest to a ceasefire panel.

The MILF countered by saying Philippine troops had entered rebel territory without coordinating with the panel, and had attacked one of its camps.

There was no word on any MILF involvement in Tuesday's fighting, sparked by a pre-dawn raid on a suspected Abu Sayyaf hideout.

Mindanao has been a focus of international attention because Western governments believe it has been a training base for islamic militants with links to Al Qaeda and regional group Jemaah Islamiah.

Japan has been funding about $1 million worth of social and economic projects, including repairs of school buildings and installation of potable water systems.

The World Bank has a separate $3 million project helping set up cooperatives to start and manage small businesses, such as copra and rice production.

Canada, Sweden and the United States have also expressed keen interest in funding post-conflict livelihood projects and helping facilitate the negotiations brokered by Malaysia since 2001.

"I hope the government realises what it stands to lose if the peace process fails," Iqbal said.

Oh well then, we all should just surrender to Allah's Army of Halfwits and be done with it.

Happy Ramadam, You're Under Arrest...

Malaysia might be free from colonial rule... But they seem to have traded British rule of law for backwards nonsense from the dark ages. And how long before the Religious Police start cracking down on non-Muslims breaking the Ramadan rules?

Crackdown in Malaysia on those violating Ramadan fasting norms

An undercover team has been set up in Malaysia's Kelantan state to nab Muslims who eat, drink and smoke in public places during the Ramadan fasting hours.

Kota Baru Municipal Council public relations director Azman Mohd Daham said, 10 men in plain clothes from the council's religious unit would keep an eye on food outlets. "This is the first time the council is taking this action as we have received numerous complaints about those who eat openly during the fasting period," he was quoted as saying by the local media.

In Kelantan, Muslim food outlets are allowed to operate only after 3 pm. Those caught not fasting will be fined 20 ringgit (about 140 rupees) while errant outlets can be fined up to 500 ringgit. Besides the municipal council, the Kelantan Religious Department's enforcement unit is also on the prowl for the same purpose, media reports added.

The Pigs May Live

Huzzah. The pigs will live! Or at least some of them.

Malaysia calls off pig cull and denies racial tension

Malaysia has called off a cull of 50,000 pigs amid concerns it could stoke racial tensions between Chinese pig farmers and their Muslim neighbours.

Authorities in southern Malacca state abandoned the cull on Tuesday night after dozens of farmers formed a human barricade around their farms. Riot police were called in to keep them at bay.

Officials had said they ordered the cull following complaints from residents about the smell and water pollution from the pig farms.

The government denied on Wednesday the cull had been called off because of fears of racial tensions and said farmers had now agreed to reduce their herds. But an opposition party said the racial dimension had forced authorities to back down.

"People, their children and women came out, willing to defend their property, the government felt the backlash would be too great," said Lim Guan Eng, secretary-general of Malaysia's main opposition Democratic Action Party.

He said the ruling coalition, dominated by Muslim ethnic Malays, had planned the cull for religious and political reasons.

"It was done for political reasons to show that they are good Muslims and are fighting for Malay rights," Lim said.

Ethnic Chinese in multi-racial Malaysia relish pork, but the meat is banned in Islam as unfit for Muslim consumption.

Malacca's chief minister has said the state did not want to emerge as Malaysia's biggest pig producer and the national government wants Malaysia to become a global hub for halal food.

Farmers said their pigs were healthy and did not cause any pollution.

A veterinary department official said the situation needed cooling down but denied it was a racial issue.

"They are trying to cool down the situation and negotiating with people how to implement this agreement to reduce pigs," the official said.

Under the pact, farmers agreed to cut the swine population from around 160,000 to 48,000 by September 21, an official of the Federation of Livestock Farmers' Associations of Malaysia said.

"They will either sell the pigs or relocate them to farms in other states," said the official, who declined to be named. "It is not fair, it will lead to panic selling."

In April, independent news Web site Malaysiakini.com reported that the Islamic International College in the region feared pollution from pig farms could affect its student intake.

The Pigs Must Go!

I have been on a pig farm in my life and I would understand people complaining about the smell however I wonder about this. The Islamists in Malaysia have been using "safety" as a backdoor means of shoving Sharia Law edicts down every one's throat. In the past they've used this to knock down old Hindu Temples, now they're after those nasty pigs.

Malaysian farmers ordered to get rid of 105,000 pigs

Authorities in Muslim-majority Malaysia have ordered ethnic Chinese pig farmers in the south to get rid of 105,000 swine after residents complained about odors and pollution from the animals — considered unclean in Islam.

The government gave farmers in three districts of southern Malacca state until Sept. 21 to reduce the number of pigs from 153,000 to 48,000, otherwise authorities will slaughter them, state police chief Mortadza Nazrene said Wednesday.

The dispute has the potential to raise racial tensions in this Muslim-majority country, as virtually all pig farmers are Chinese, and many of the residents who object to the swine are believed to be Malay Muslims. Pigs are considered unclean in Islam.

The Sept. 21 deadline was issued after negotiations ended a standoff with the farmers on Tuesday when authorities were ready to forcibly start the cull, Mortadza said. At least 400 policemen were deployed to the area anticipating resistance from farmers.

"The complaints have been there for a long time," Mortadza told The Associated Press.

He said villagers and tourist resorts had complained about the smell from the farms, and some alleged that pig waste had been dumped into nearby rivers.

"This is nothing racial," Mortadza said, adding the farms were unhygienic because many have hundreds of pigs cramped in sheds.

Malaysia is one of Southeast Asia's biggest pork producers, but pig rearing has long been a sensitive issue in this multiethnic country, which prides itself on racial tolerance.

Ethnic Malay Muslims comprise nearly 60 percent of Malaysia's 27 million people. Pig farms are run by ethnic Chinese Buddhists and Christians, who constitute about a quarter of the population.

Pig farmers have been told to either move or sell their pigs.

"Where are they going to move?" said politician Lim Guan Eng of the opposition Democratic Action Party, who visited two of the areas Tuesday. "The villages are built on pig farming, so if you take out pig farming you destroy the villages."

The Malaysian Association of Food Animal Veterinarians also appealed to authorities to understand the farmers' plight and find an amicable solution.

"Pig farming ... contributes to Malaysia's economy, providing gainful employment, producing food for the public, and dutifully paying taxes to government," said association President Vincent Ng.

Malaysia Turns 50

Hurray, we're free, now lets embrace a totalitarian ideology from the dark ages!

Malaysia's golden anniversary soured by widening ethnic divide

Malaysia marks 50 years of independence this week as an economic success story with a worrying trend: a widening ethnic divide.

Ethnic Malay, Chinese and Indian dance troops were to perform together in a national parade Friday to commemorate the end of British colonial rule on Aug. 31, 1957. For many Malaysians, the display of unity will be just a show.

"We see Malaysia being divided into religious and ethnic ghettos," said Farish Noor, a Malaysian political analyst based in Berlin. "That's why I find it so difficult to celebrate the 50th anniversary of independence because I see so few 'Malaysians.' ... Everyone speaks of his own tribe."

At the heart of the polarization is deep disenchantment among the minority Chinese and Indians over two issues. One is a long-running affirmative action program for Malays, a Muslim people that make up 60 percent of the population. The other is the growing influence of Islam, with the apparent blessing of the government.

Analysts warn that minority discontent could upset the ethnic peace that has been the bedrock of Malaysia's stability and economic prosperity. Ethnic Chinese represent 25 percent of the country's 26 million people, and Indians, 10 percent. About 5 percent belong to indigenous groups.

"Sometimes it is disgusting how the Malays treat us. They have no respect for us Indians," Murali Mogan, a 19-year-old barber, said. "If I could, I would leave and settle in London."

Further, if Islamic conservatism is not controlled, many experts fear that Malaysia could become a breeding ground for hard-liners who want to impose a strict interpretation of Islam.

"If you give them space to move in, to maneuver, they will come in," said Al-Mustaqeem M. Radhi, a Malay Muslim who runs the Middle-Eastern Graduates Center, a think tank in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia "could become a fertile ground to train and nurture the extremists."

But Radhi and others play down worries that Malaysia could become a haven for the al-Qaida terror network and its regional affiliate, Jemaah Islamiyah. The two organizations tried to recruit Malays and held at least one key meeting here to plot the Sept. 11 attacks. But the network has been rolled up in Malaysia since early 2002.

Economically, Malaysia has much to celebrate.

From a postcolonial tin-mining backwater in the 1950s, Malaysia has grown into an industrial state that exports semiconductors and other electronic goods and aspires to become a fully developed country by 2020.

It boasts the Petronas Twin Towers, the third tallest building in the world, and its new capital, Putrajaya, is a sprawling, leafy city of grand architecture, palatial ministerial homes and fantastically shaped bridges.

Only 5 percent of the population lives in poverty, down from 50 percent at independence. Annual per capita income, adjusted for inflation, has jumped from US$290 (€210) to US$3,700 (€2,700).

The nation's political stability stems from a power-sharing arrangement that has kept the National Front, a coalition of Malay, Chinese, Indian and other parties, in power since 1957.

The unspoken threat of a law that allows indefinite detention without trial also helps keep dissent at bay.

"The Malaysian state realizes that you can maintain soft authoritarianism through a combination of threat and patronage ... to keep things warm but never on the boil," Farish said. "It never lets the situation reach a boiling point but it can cook the Malaysian public for eternity."

Race riots broke out in May 1969, but Malaysia has otherwise enjoyed five decades of generally peaceful ethnic relations. Malik Imtiaz, a prominent constitutional and human rights lawyer, says that reflects racial tolerance, not racial integration.

Entire neighborhoods, and sometimes towns, are identified with a particular ethnicity. The three groups rarely mix outside the workplace and know little about each other's cultures. In university cafeterias and shopping malls, young people tend to cluster by race.

"There is a lot of tolerance among races in many respects. But the comfort level with each other is not there," said Azmi Khalid, the environment minister and a member of the ruling Malay elite.

Minority anger has grown over the New Economic Policy, which has given preference to Malays — historically the poorest group — in jobs, education and businesses since 1971. The policy is credited with lifting the education level of Malays, also known as Bumiputeras, or "sons of the soil." But critics say it has evolved into a tool to benefit a few well-connected Malays.

There are growing calls, even from some Malays, to scrap the policy.

Please let me point out that this "ethnic divide" isn't growing because of anyone OTHER than the Islamists and Gwen Stefani protesting ilk.

Malaysiastan

Fears of creeping conservatism in Malaysia

As Malaysians prepare to celebrate 50 years of independence from Britain, there are growing concerns about the influence of Islam and a creeping conservatism in religion and politics.

While Malaysia is one of the world's most stable and moderate Islamic nations, there is some soul-searching about what the future holds.

In the Malaysian state of Kelantan there are separate checkout aisles for men and women, and calls for sharia law to be adopted.

When independence was granted in 1957, the new leaders promised peace and harmony of ethnicity and religion for all Malaysians - Malay, Chinese, Indian.

Since then Malaysia has been hailed as a modern and moderate Islamic nation.

Despite growing concerns, that is still the case, says Abdul Hamil Otman, the religious adviser to Malaysia's Prime Minister.

"Although there are some interpretations here and there, it's not a big problem for the country," he said.

It used to be that only small parts of Malaysia imposed strict Islamic practices.

But Zainah Anwar, from Sisters in Islam, sees an alarming trend emerging.

"These groups that are at the forefront of the Islamic revival movement, pronounce that the kind of Islam that we have been practising all this long is Jahiliah Islam - Islam of the ignorant," she said.

Malaysia's constitution determines that anyone born into the majority ethnic Malay population is automatically a Muslim.

And sharia law deems that once a Muslim, always a Muslim.

But Dr Otman says this is a constitutional problem, not a religious problem.

He says the Government is looking at that section of the constitution, but not much progress has been made.

Another issue confronting Malaysia is the affirmative action program affecting the majority ethnic Malays, or Bumiputras.

What was designed to overcome the economic marginalisaton of Malays under the British has over three decades become an instrument for cronyism and nepotism.

Critics such as Ms Anwar say it has done little to benefit ordinary people.

"It deepens the intertwining of business and politics and merit is no longer the first criteria," she said.

The ruling United Malays National Organisation has been reluctant to alter the policy.

But as time goes on it is getting harder to shake off accusations that it is a form of protectionism.

Former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim has been lobbying Asian leaders to press the point at next month's APEC meeting in Sydney.

Malaysia Slides Toward Complete Crappiness

Well on their way. A good overview of the direction 'moderate' Malaysia is headed.

Malaysia's axis mysteriously shifting

When Abdullah Badawi became Malaysia's prime minister in 2003, many thought the mild-mannered leader would take a more moderate approach to international relations than his prickly predecessor Mahathir Mohamad, who often locked diplomatic horns with the United States and other Western countries.

But a string of scandals and crimes with international dimensions, some even linked to Abdullah's family members, have put his
government's relations with Washington on an uncomfortable footing.

US authorities last month arrested and charged Pakistani national Jilani Humayun for his alleged role in shipping contraband military goods to Malaysia, from where they were re-exported to Iran. He was also charged with conspiracy to commit money-laundering and mail fraud. The sensitive dual-use hardware, which was funneled through an as yet unnamed Malaysian company, included parts for F-5 and F-14 fighter jets and Chinook helicopters.

In April the US imposed sanctions on 14 companies, individuals and government agencies it accused of dealing in advanced weapon technology with Iran or Syria. Two of the companies listed were Malaysian, the Challenger Corp and Target Airfreight.

Moreover, a federal jury in New York last year convicted Singaporean businessman Ernest Koh Chong Tek of smuggling dual-use US military parts to Malaysia for transshipment to Iran's military - a violation of the 1995 embargo the US placed on all exports and re-exports of commodities to Iran without approval by the US Office of Foreign Asset Control. He was also charged with laundering millions of dollars through his Singapore bank accounts in the smuggling scheme.

The US and Iran are currently at diplomatic loggerheads over Tehran's nuclear program, and Washington has frequently accused Iran's military of arming radical Muslim militias in the Middle East, including the Lebanon-based Hezbollah as well as Iraqi insurgents who have targeted US troops. However, at least on the surface, bilateral relations with Malaysia remain cordial.

US officials who spoke with Asia Times Online would not comment on the investigations involving Malaysia on the grounds that they involve sensitive intelligence information. And so far there is no evidence to link recent violations of the US embargo directly to Abdullah. Yet security analysts say the recent incidents have put the crucial bilateral relationship on edge.

"I am absolutely sure that the US is watching these developments closely and pressing hard on Malaysia behind the scenes," said Tim Huxley of the Singapore-based International Institute of Strategic Studies.

The US is Malaysia's largest foreign investor, and the two sides are negotiating a wide-ranging free-trade agreement. Kuala Lumpur relies heavily on the United States' military presence to maintain the region's balance of power, particularly vis-a-vis its heavily armed neighbor Singapore. At the same time, Malaysia has been a key ally to the US administration's "global war on terror" in the region.

"Malaysia needs the US and doesn't want to do anything that will tilt the US toward Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia," said Richard Bitzinger, a security specialist at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. "Both sides will be willing to accept some [security] deficiencies, if they remain at low levels."

Read it all...

Malaysia Becomes Asia's Islamic Busy-Body

Malaysia, where tourists get hassled by the religious police, Hindu, Sikh and Christians can't get into the better schools and their secular Constitution gets over-ridden by Islamic law, has really begun to take itself far to seriously as of late.

Malaysia urges Philippines, Muslim rebels to resume peace talks soon

Malaysia has urged the neighboring Philippines to quickly resume peace talks with Muslim rebels, saying Kuala Lumpur is closely watching efforts to bolster security in the southern Philippines, a news report said.

Philippine government officials had been scheduled to restart Malaysian-brokered talks with Moro Islamic Liberation Front guerrillas on Aug. 22, but the meeting in Kuala Lumpur was abruptly canceled last week. Chief government negotiator Rodolfo Garcia said he sought the postponement to give him more time to consolidate data and the government's position.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said late Saturday the reasons behind the delay "should be identified quickly so that resumption of the negotiations can begin," the national news agency Bernama reported.

"It requires faith on the part of the parties involved," Bernama quoted Syed Hamid as saying. "Whatever happens in southern Philippines, it is very important for us to identify the implications and effects on Malaysia."

Syed Hamid's aides could not immediately be reached to confirm the report.

The talks have stalled since September last year over territorial demands by the rebels, who have been fighting for self-rule in predominantly Muslim areas in the southern Philippines.

Despite suspicions that the Moro Islamic Liberation Front has ties to al-Qaida-linked militants, Philippine and U.S. officials have continued to promote the talks, hoping the guerrillas would end their rebellion and not become potential allies of terror groups.

Talk yes, that has helped so many times in the past dealing with Islamic groups. Just look at all the examples of peaceful resolutions to conflicts with Islamic groups. It should be as easy as making Jello.

Malaysia To Help Thais

Why am I not so enthused?

Malaysia may help Thai Islamic banking

Malaysia is ready to provide technical assistance in setting up an Islamic bank in Thailand, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Wednesday.

"Malaysia will introduce Islamic banking in southern Thailand and Bangkok," the prime minister told reporters after the annual consultation between Malaysia and Thailand here.

He said the effort would begin with the development of the Islamic windows in the existing banks.

"And this of course depends on how the government responds to the situation in southern Thailand. I understand that they have some kind of licence to set up an Islamic bank but that is not a problem," he said.

Abdullah and his Thai counterpart, Surayud Chulanont, had an hour-long meeting.

Abdullah said many areas of cooperation could be developed between the two countries, including economic and investment as well as education.

"I'm very happy with the outcome of yesterday's meeting and the annual consultation today," he said, adding that the meetings were centred on deepening bilateral relations between Malaysia and Thailand.

Meanwhile, Surayud, told the joint press conference that there would be further discussions on the cooperation in Islamic banking in the near future.

"We will have discussions between banks of Thailand and Malaysia in the very near future," he said.

There should not be any problem in establishing the Islamic Bank in Thailand, he added.

"Thanks to Abdullah for his keen interest in providing everything that we would like to do in the future. This is the most important way of working closely together in the next 50 years," he said.

Gwen Isn't Bad

I know, I posted something on this before... But I just wanted an excuse to post another photo of the hotness which is Gwen.



Gwen: I am not a bad girl

Gwen Stefani arrived here for her one-night concert with a message to her critics: “I am not a bad girl.”

“What they said about me is totally the opposite of what I believe in and how I see myself. I have a lot of respect for different cultures and religions. Plus, I’m a mother.

“Of course, I have certain moral values that I uphold. In America, they see me as a good role model,” said the former lead singer of No Doubt, who is now making waves as a solo singer.

Ahead of her arrival here for the Sweet Escape concert at the Putra Stadium tonight, there had been ripples of discontent and protests by some groups, who felt that she would be a bad influence on young Malaysians with her dressing and stage act.

Interviewed by Galaxie last night, however, she was donning a denim jacket, which covered a round-neck T-shirt. She was also wearing a long-flared white skirt.

The ensemble was from her LAMB collection which she personally designs.

However, she declined to be photographed, saying that she looked drab without her make-up and stage clothing.

“I’ve been in the music industry for 20 years and this is the first time that I’m facing opposition from people who have misunderstood me,” the 37-year-old American pop star said at her Shangri-la Hotel suit here.

Accompanying Gwen are her rocker husband Rossdale (of British group, Bush) and their 15-month-old son, Kingston, who she held in her arms during the interview.

It turned out that Gwen has got some Malaysian connection – Rossdale’s stepmother is Malaysian.

“I’ve made a lot of changes to my concert just for Malaysia. It’s a major sacrifice that I have made as an artiste. But I’m willing to do it ’cos I want my fans in this country to see me perform here.

“I will wear jackets over my tops and leotards underneath my skirts or dresses,” added Gwen, who had earlier privately met with Culture, Arts and Heritage Ministry deputy secretary-general Datuk Mohammed Mohd Daud.

“I will not mess up. I’ve got all the guidelines in my e-mail and I’ve been reading them so much that they’ve been drilled into my mind,” she said.

On thing folks in the West don't seem to be able to wrap their heads around is that the people would are protesting Gwen AREN'T going to be appeased by anything she does or any changes she makes as according to their strict reading of Islamic Law she should even be ON STAGE or able to do anything beyond cook and make babies.



No Gwen, you're not bad at all...

Malaysian Halfwits Against Hot Chicks

Here's a suprise. Even after Ms. Stefani toned down her show Allah's gang of miserable halfwits STILL want her banned. Because Allah is greatly offended by Gwen hottness.

Malaysia's Islamic opposition calls for Gwen Stefani concert to be canceled

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: Malaysia's Islamic opposition party demanded Friday that Gwen Stefani be forbidden from performing in the country, saying the U.S. pop singer would corrupt Malaysia's Muslim-majority youth.

Kamarulzaman Mohamed, an official of the fundamentalist Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, said Stefani's planned concert in Kuala Lumpur later this month would promote promiscuity, worsening an existing "teenage social problem."

"The issue is that Gwen Stefani brings with her a bad image. The way she dances, the way she dresses — it's not proper," he told The Associated Press. "When our teenagers see this, it will induce them to behave improperly."

Earlier Friday, members of the party, the only opposition party to rule a state in Malaysia, handed a two-page memorandum to the organizer, Maxis Communications Bhd., to call off the Aug. 21 concert. They also submitted a memorandum to the Kuala Lumpur municipal authorities.

Their protest, however, is unlikely to have any effect, and preparations for the concert are well-underway, and Stefani has promised to dress modestly.

Following a similar protest by the 10,000-member National Union of Malaysian Muslim Students earlier, organizer Maxis pledged that Stefani will follow the local code of ethics for foreign artists, which bans the unnecessary baring of skin.

In Malaysia, ethnic Malay Muslims form about 60 percent of the population, with ethnic Chinese and Indians of Christian, Buddhist and Hindu faiths forming most of the rest.

Maxis, the country's biggest mobile phone company, hopes to attract some 9,000 people to the concert, which is part of the 37-year-old singer's Sweet Escape world tour that also includes Australia, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Thailand.

The Culture, Arts and Heritage Ministry said enforcement officers would meet Stefani before the concert to remind her about local guidelines and monitor her stage act.

Under the official guide to performing in Malaysia, a female artist needs to cover from the top of her chest to her knees including shoulders. No jumping, shouting or throwing of objects on stage or at the audience is allowed. Performers can also not hug or kiss and their clothes must not have obscene or drug-related images or messages.

A local company, which organized a Pussycat Dolls concert last year, was fined 10,000 ringgit (US$2,857, €2,091) after the U.S. all-girl group was found to have flouted decency regulations.

You know God can see through your clothes. He has special powers.

Actually I think Gwen Stefani is PROOF of God's amazing design ablities.



PRAISE THE LORD!

IT IS A MIRACLE!

Islamic Malaysia

This article gives an execellent back ground on what has been happening in Malaysia. Please give it a read.

Another messenger in the firing line

A WORD, once uttered, can seldom be withdrawn. This is true for most of us and particularly true for politicians who forget that we now live in an age of modern communications technology where every sentence, every utterance, even every burp, hiccup and indiscreet bodily emission will be recorded for posterity.

What has now become a maxim of politics was amply demonstrated recently by the remarks of the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, Najib Tun Razak, who claimed during a press conference in Kuala Lumpur that Malaysia is an ‘Islamic state’ that has ‘never been affiliated’ to a secular position and that Malaysia’s development ‘has been driven by our adherence to the fundamentals of Islam’. (Bernama, 17 July 2007) Needless to say, the deputy prime minister’s remarks were a cause of concern for many Malaysians who have been living under the assumption that the country was a constitutional democracy and not a theocratic state.