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August 21, 2010

syaitan itu tidak menjanjikan kepada mereka selain dari tipuan belaka.

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
يَعِدُهُمْ وَيُمَنِّيهِمْ ۖ وَمَا يَعِدُهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ إِلَّا غُرُورًا
Surah An Nisa ayat 120

Syaitan promises them and arouses desire in them. But Satan does not promise them except delusion.

Syaitan sentiasa menjanjikan mereka (dengan janji-janji indah) serta memperdayakan mereka dengan angan-angan kosong; dan apa yang dijanjikan oleh Syaitan itu tidak lain hanyalah tipu daya semata-mata.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ادْخُلُوا فِي السِّلْمِ كَافَّةً وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ ۚ إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ
Surah Al-Baqarah ayat 208

O you who have believed, enter into Islam completely [and perfectly] and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy.

Wahai orang-orang yang beriman! Masuklah kamu ke dalam Ugama Islam (dengan mematuhi) segala hukum-hukumnya; dan janganlah kamu menurut jejak langkah Syaitan; sesungguhnya Syaitan itu musuh bagi kamu yang terang nyata.

Bapa rogol anak kena 60 tahun
Oleh M Hifzuddin Ikhsan
hifzuddin@bharian.com.my
2010/08/21


KUCHING: Seorang bapa dijatuhi hukuman penjara 60 tahun selepas didapati bersalah merogol anak kandungnya yang kudung tangan, manakala dua anak lelakinya masing-masing dikenakan penjara 36 tahun dan 24 kali sebatan kerana kesalahan sama yang dilakukan terhadap mangsa di antara 2006 dan 2008.

Hakim Mahkamah Sesyen, Amelati Parnel mendapati bapa mangsa berusia 52 tahun bersalah atas lima tuduhan merogol dan melakukan sumbang mahram ke atas mangsa yang kini berusia 20 tahun.

Beliau menjatuhkan hukuman penjara 20 tahun bagi kesalahan pertama yang didakwa dilakukan pada Disember 2006 ketika mangsa berusia 16 tahun, di kawasan semak berdekatan Padang Golf Petra Jaya.

“Bagi kesalahan kedua, ketiga dan keempat yang berlaku di Pejabat Tanah dan Survei, Jalan Pending; sebuah rumah di Bandar Baru Semariang dan di persimpangan lampu isyarat Semerah Padi antara Januari dan Disember 2007, hukuman penjara 20 tahun akan berjalan serentak sebaik tempoh hukuman pertama selesai.

“Bagi kesalahan kelima iaitu merogol mangsa di atas motosikal berdekatan Padang Golf Petra Jaya, pada November 2008, tertuduh juga dikenakan hukuman penjara 20 tahun bermula selepas tempoh hukuman 40 tahun bagi kesalahan pertama hingga keempat selesai,” katanya.

Amelati berkata, tertuduh kedua, 24 tahun dan tertuduh ketiga, 22, yang juga abang kepada mangsa turut didapati bersalah, masing-masing di atas dua pertuduhan merogol dan sumbang mahram.
Mereka berdua secara bersama dituduh merogol dan melakukan sumbang mahram ke atas adik kandung mereka antara Januari dan Disember 2006 serta antara Januari hingga Disember 2007 di bilik mangsa di sebuah rumah di Bandar Baru Semariang.

“Hukuman dijatuhkan selepas mengira kepentingan awam dan teladan kepada orang ramai dalam memastikan anak-anak diberi peluang untuk hidup sempurna walaupun mangsa dalam kes ini adalah seorang insan kurang upaya,” katanya.

Terdahulu, peguam Mohd Fairus Masri, yang mewakili semua tertuduh meminta mahkamah menjatuhkan hukuman ringan kepada mereka berikutan keluarga berkenaan kehilangan anak bongsu berusia 10 tahun yang lemas, tahun lalu selain terpaksa berhadapan pandangan negatif masyarakat.

Bagaimanapun, Timbalan Pendakwa Raya Stella Augutine Deruce, menyifatkan kesalahan yang dilakukan semua tertuduh adalah sangat serius dan mereka wajar dijatuhkan hukuman setimpal dengan kesalahan dilakukan

bharian.com.my

Friday August 20, 2010 MYT 5:15:00 PM

Father and his 2 sons get total of 152 years jail for incest
By NG AI FERN

KUCHING: A 54-year-old carpenter was found guilty of raping his disabled daughter. Two of his sons were also found guilty the girl.

The father was sentenced to a total of 100 years’ jail while his sons, 24 and 22, were each jailed 36 years.

The father escaped the rotan because of his age but his two sons were sentenced to 24 strokes of rotan each.

The father will serve 60 years in jail while the boys will each serve 18 years as some of the sentences are to run concurrently.

Apparently, the three were not aware of each other’s actions until the victim, 19, lodged a police report against her father, claiming that he had molested her since she was 12.

The three men looked silently at the floor when Session Court Judge Amelati Parnell delivered her judgment Friday.

Amelati found the accuseds’ inconsistencies and contradictions were merely an “after thought defence”, but the victim was consistent in all her statements and her evidence was not shaken.

One of the son’s early defence that he only went to the sister’s room and touched her, then masturbated in the washroom, was also deemed as a bare denial.

The girl’s mother, who was present throughout the proceedings, was praying inside the courtroom, but later broke down into tears when she learnt the outcome.

She also attempted to stop reporters from taking photographs of her husband and sons as they were taken out of the courtroom.

The eldest son in the family, who was also arrested but later discharged and acquitted for molesting his sister, was not present at the court.

In their mitigation, the three asked for leniency saying the family was financially burdened and that the father has a medical problem and was suffering hernia.

Their legal counsel Mohd Fairuz Masri told the court that the man was married to a housewife with five children.

His youngest son, 10, had passed away due to drowning last year. He said the family had no source of income since the three were remanded in February last year.

However, the Judge was not moved by the plea of family hardship.

“The victim was traumatised and in tears all along during the trial. On two occasions, the victim was referred to the Sarawak General Hospital. It is not deniable that the act had great impact on her physically and mentally,” Judge Amelati said.

She said the sentence was on the ground of the seriousness of the offences and the need to protect the victim from them.

The father was charged with five counts of raping his daughter from December 2006 to November 2008 at five different locations such as the government office where he worked, in the bush by the roadside near a golf course, on a motorcycle in a bush, in a bush near the junction of traffic light and inside their house.

The sons were each charged with two counts of raping their sister in a room in their house in 2006 and 2007.

All charges were under Section 376B of the Penal Code for committing incest which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment and liable to whipping.

thestar.com.my

August 20, 2010

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia Apprentice Training Centre (ATC)

Latest batch of Mechatronics apprentices graduate from Mercedes-Benz Training Centre

by suzhen
Friday, July 30th, 2010



ATC graduates fulfill the need for specially-trained technicians to oversee
every aspect of Mercedes-Benz vehicles

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia Apprentice Training Centre (ATC) honoured its fifth batch of Mercedes-Benz Automotive Mechatronics graduates in a ceremony at The Saujana Kuala Lumpur recently

The 25 apprentices who successfully completed the three-year Mercedes-Benz Automotive Mechatronics Programme represent a select group of highly skilled individuals who have been trained in complex areas involving Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

ATC graduates fulfill this need for specially-trained technicians to oversee and ensure that every aspect of its vehicle from its intricate electronics, safety to performance standards and play a vital role in the company's customer service set-up, ensuring Mercedes-Benz standards are maintained at all times and customers continue to enjoy the Mercedes-Benz experience.

The highly-trained ATC graduates will be based at selected Mercedes-Benz Malaysia dealerships nationwide, ensuring the company's dealers' network is equipped with the necessary resources to provide customers the best service for their vehicles.

mmail.com.my 

August 19, 2010

Truly Asia : Malaysia

Multiculturalism has not only made Malaysia a gastronomical paradise, it has also made Malaysia home to hundreds of colourful festivals. It's no wonder that we love celebrating and socialising. As a people, Malaysians are very laid back, warm and friendly.

Geographically, Malaysia is as diverse as its culture. There are two parts to the country, 11 states in the peninsula of Malaysia and two states on the northern part of Borneo. Cool hideaways are found in the highlands that roll down to warm, sandy beaches and rich, humid mangroves.

One of Malaysia's key attractions is its extreme contrasts. Towering skyscrapers look down upon wooden houses built on stilts, and five-star hotels sit several metres away from ancient reefs.

For the perfect holiday full of surprises, eclectic cultures and natural wonders, the time is now, the place is Malaysia.

* Further information tourism.gov.my


INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF MALAYSIA


Paka,Terengganu


Royal Custom Museum - Kelantan

Light House during the Colonial times still stands today
Light House at Bukit Melawati


Bikes on the Wall Berlin Germany

Pick a bike on the wall
2010-08-17







A bike shop in Berlin, Germany.
(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Editor: Fang Yang

August 18, 2010

Nick Vujicic No Arms No Legs No Worries !

LOOK AT YOURSELF AFTER WATCHING THIS

harrish0789 | March 12, 2010

August 17, 2010

Malaysia Fisherman Indonesia Officer kidnapped Riau Flag Batam Release Burn Work Together

7 fishermen kidnapped in Riau

2010/08/16
By Jassmine Shadiqe and Ahmad Othman

KOTA TINGGI: Seven fishermen are believed to have been kidnapped by a group of Indonesian Fisheries Department officers on Friday, about four nautical miles off Tanjung Punggai, in Pengerang, near here.

In the 9.45pm incident, which happened in Malaysian waters, 15 fishermen in five boats were stopped by several men who were in a boat painted with "Perikanan" (fisheries) on its side.

Three of the men, wearing Indonesian Fisheries Department uniform, boarded the fishermen's boats and forced them to follow them into Indonesian waters, about 14 nautical miles away near the republic's Batam island.


At 10.40pm, members of the Southern Region Marine police spotted the five boats and the Indonesian boat and instructed them to stop.

The Indonesian boat, however, sped off into Indonesian waters with seven of the 15 men on board.

Three of the Indonesians who were on board the fishermen's boat were stranded. The marine police detained the Indonesians.


Kota Tinggi police chief Superintendent Osman Sebot said the case has been classified as kidnapping.

The seven abducted men have been identified as Boh Kee Soo, 63; Chong Ah Choi, 58; Roszaidi Akub, 29; Faisal Mohamad, 39; Ghazali Wahab, 41; Lim Kok Guan, 32; and Mulimin Mahmid, 53.

"We are now increasing our efforts to locate and bring our fishermen back to safety. We are using diplomatic channels to ensure their release," said Osman.


Check on the three Indonesians in police custody, aged between 26 and 41, indicated that they were genuine Fisheries Department enforcement officers. They have been remanded until Wednesday to facilitate investigations.

Pengerang Fishermen Association chairman Abu Bakar Mohammad said the fishermen were in Malaysian waters and the Indonesians had encroached on Malaysian waters.

He also claimed that there had been cases in the past where the Indonesian Fisheries Department had demanded a ransom for the return of fishermen who had encroached on their waters.

"We hope the authorities would bring back the seven men safely. As for now, our association will try to ensure the welfare of their families."

In Jakarta, Bernama reports that the Malaysian ambassador to Indonesia has been contacted by the Indonesian marine and fisheries minister to find a solution to the case.

"I have informed Kuala Lumpur of this development and the need to find the best solution immediately so that it will not affect Malaysia-Indonesia ties which are in the best position since the past few years," ambassador Datuk Syed Munshe Afzaruddin Syed Hassan said.

Media reports quoted the Indonesian director-general of the Marine Resources and Fisheries Monitoring and Supervision Department, Marine and Fisheries Ministry, Aji Sularso, as saying that the incident occurred in the waters off Bintan, Riau.

Syed Munsye Afzaruddin said the Malaysian embassy here was now gathering details of the incident, particularly the location where the detention took place.

Malaysia, Indonesia work to free fishermen

2010/08/17
By Evangeline Majawat, Ahmad Fairuz Othman and Ben Tan
news@time.net.my


KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia and Indonesia are working together to secure the release of seven Malaysian fishermen who were detained by Indonesian authorities on Sunday.

In a statement, the Foreign Affairs Ministry said all detainees would be released once their statements had been recorded.

Following the incident, Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman had spoken to his Indonesian counterpart Dr R. M Marty M. Natalegawa, and both expressed their hope to resolve the matter amicably and immediately.


Fifteen fishermen in five boats were fishing near Tanjung Punggai in Pengerang, Johor, when they were stopped by men wearing Indonesian Fisheries Department uniform in the weekend incident.

Three Indonesian men boarded the fishermen's boats and forced them into Indonesian waters, near the republic's Batam Island.

The seven men have been identified as Boh Kee Soo, 63; Chong Ah Choi, 58; Roszaidi Akub, 29; Faisal Mohamad, 39; Ghazali Wahab, 41; Lim Kok Guan, 32; and Mulimin Mahmid, 53.


The Southern Region Marine police gave chase but failed to stop the men. The three men wearing Indonesian Fisheries Department uniform were then taken into custody.

In Kota Tinggi, Pengerang member of parliament Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, who visited the detainees on Batam Island yesterday, said the Malaysian fishermen were treated well.

"They are being treated well. Those fasting were allowed to have their sahur and breaking of fast. We hope they would be released soon. I hope they would be back within two or three days," she said.


"The families of the detainees were allowed to see them, while some were allowed to telephone their families. I hope the matter would be resolved soon, and I believe it is something that often occurs at the borders of two countries and stems from misunderstanding."

During the visit, Azalina's entourage managed to buy a few Indonesian newspapers, which showed their focus on the three Indonesian men stranded in Malaysia.

Meanwhile, the wife of one of the detainees, Aslinah Mohamad, 29, urged the Indonesian government to return her husband, Roszaidy Akub, and his other fishermen friends.

"Please do not do anything to my husband. I have been praying for his safe return.

"He usually goes out to sea at about two in the afternoon, and returns the next day. I had packed some tenggiri fish curry for him that day. He is a good man and will never intentionally break the law."

In Jakarta, Antara news agency reported Natalegawa as saying that the case of the seven Malaysian fishermen would be settled through due legal process.

"Their case is being handled by the relevant authorities," he told newsmen after attending President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's state address at the House of Representatives.

Some 50 members from a non-governmental organisation, Laskar Merah Putih, protested in front of the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta.

The 21/2-hour protest was to demand the release of the three personnel from the Indonesian Marine and Fisheries Department who were detained by the Malaysian authorities.

In Kuala Lumpur, the Association of Malaysian and Indonesian Journalists (Iswami) pro-tem chairman Datuk Ahmad A. Talib, in a statement, appealed to all the parties involved to stay calm.

He said Iswami understood that individuals and organisations had their freedom of speech, but regarded the latest development at the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta as something unexpected.

He added that Iswami did not wish to see the relationship between Malaysia and Indonesia affected due to some irresponsible parties.

nst.com.my

Indonesia releases seven Malaysian fishermenThe Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 08/17/2010 10:32 AM

The Indonesian maritime affairs and fisheries ministry released on Tuesday seven Malaysian fishermen who have been detained for illegally fishing in Riau waters.

In exchange for the release, Malaysia freed three Indonesian officers it held as hostages during the Riau waters fishing incident.

Antara news agency reported that the seven Malaysian fishermen had departed from Batam at 8.30 to Johor Baru, Malaysia.

Malaysia releases three Indonesian officers

The Jakarta Post | Tue, 08/17/2010 10:02 AM

Malaysian Police finally released three Indonesian officers on Tuesday after keeping them as hostages following an incident involving two countries' officers in Riau waters.

Kompas.com reported that Malaysia had no enough evidences to further detain the three Indonesian officers.

Pontianak maritime affairs and fisheries monitoring station head Bambang Nugroho said that the three officers were expected to participate in the ceremony of the 65th anniversary of Indonesian Independence at the Indonesian consulate general in Johor later on the day.

The three officers - Asriadi, Erwan, Seivo Grevo Wewengkang - were among other officers who captured Malaysian fishermen illegaly operating in Riau waters on Friday, but they were then detained by Malaysian Police who chased them and tried to stop the arrest of Malaysian fishermen.

70 Malasyian flags burned in Batam

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 08/17/2010 11:18 AM

As many as 70 Malaysian flags were burned on Tuesday in Batam by a local youth organization.

The organization called Pemuda Pancasila burned the flags as a protest to Malaysia for breaching Indonesian territory.

The incident took place at the Batam Center, the International ferry terminal.

thejakartapost.com



Teenagers may develop asthma by taking paracetamol

London, August 14, 2010

Teenagers could double their risk of developing asthma by taking paracetamol, a widely used over-the-counter pain reliever, even once a month, scientists in New Zealand have said. Adolescents who use the painkiller at least once a year have a 50 percent increase in risk compared with those who
don’t, a study found.

The international report, covering 300,000 teenagers in 50 countries, also found paracetamol users were more likely to suffer from eczema and allergic nasal conditions, the Daily Mail reported Friday.

Scientists believe paracetamol may cause changes in the body that leave children more vulnerable to inflammation and allergies.

The study adds to mounting evidence of a link between the painkiller and asthma, with previous research into adults and babies suggesting its use increased the risk of the disease.

A report in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine says paracetamol has not been proven to cause asthma, but there was a 'significant association'.

More exposure to the drug resulted in a greater chance of developing the condition.

The study, headed by Dr Richard Beasley of the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand, sent written and video questionnaires to more than 300,000 children aged 13 and 14 asking them how often they used paracetamol, also known as acetaminophen.

High use was at least once in the last month and medium at least once in the last year, compared with those who never used it.

Those using the drug monthly had double the risk of asthma, while those taking it at least once a year had a 50 percent rise in risk.

For medium users, the risk of eczema was 43 percent higher than non-users while high users were two-and-a-half times more likely to suffer skin rashes.

There were similarly higher risks of allergic nasal disorders among users. Beasley said if further research proved a link, limiting the use of paracetamol among teenagers could cut asthma cases by up to 40 percent.

He said "If the associations were causal, they would be of major public health significance. Randomised controlled trials are urgently required to investigate this relationship further and to guide the use of antipyretics (fever reducing medication), not only in children but in pregnancy and adult life."

Charity Asthma UK, however, said while the research had found a link, there was no need for parents to stop their children using the drug at this stage.

hindustantimes.com

August 16, 2010

Sumpah Setia Sumpah Suka Suka

Junjung al-Quran

Oleh ASMIZAN MOHD SAMIRAN dan FIRDAUS SAHAT
metahad@hmetro.com.my
2010/08/15


KUALA LUMPUR: Mereka menjunjung al-Quran sambil bersumpah taat setia dengan nama Allah SWT, tetapi pada masa sama tergamak meneguk arak, berzina selain bertindak sebagai kaki pukul.
Perkara itu didedahkan individu yang menduduki hierarki tertinggi dalam sebuah pertubuhan selepas bimbang dengan trend ‘langgar sumpah’ yang semakin menjadi-jadi kebelakangan ini.

“Walaupun pahit untuk menyatakan kebenaran ini tetapi saya perlu lakukannya kerana ramai yang seperti sudah termakan sumpah. Bukan saja orang biasa, beberapa artis yang sudah berbai’ah (sumpah taat setia) juga tidak terkecuali.

“Ada beberapa artis sudah bersumpah dengan nama Allah, tetapi berbuat perkara mungkar sehingga hidup menjadi tidak tentu hala. Mereka bersumpah mengikut suruhan serta meninggalkan laranganNya, namun sumpah hanya di bibir saja,” katanya.

Individu dikenali sebagai Ayah Haji itu berkata, artis yang menjadi ahli kepada beberapa pertubuhan yang mensyaratkan ahlinya melafazkan sumpah taat setia sudah melanggar sumpah sehingga ditimpa musibah.
“Cukup saya katakan beberapa artis yang dimaksudkan sudah hilang populariti akibat beberapa ‘hal mungkar’ yang dilakukan. Semoga mereka sedar dan bermuhasabah diri.

“Mereka masih ada peluang untuk berubah,” katanya yang sudah berpuluh tahun menyertai sebuah pertubuhan.

Ayah Haji berkata, sumpah taat setia dilafaz bukan perkara ‘suka-suka’ dan boleh dipandang ringan.

“Sumpah dibuat dengan nama Allah sambil menjunjung al-Quran. Ahli menyebut Wallahi, Wabillahi, Watallahi.... bersumpah bahawa akan taat setia kepada agama dan mengikut segala suruhan serta meninggalkan laranganNya. Bukan itu saja, sumpah dibuat diakhiri dengan sumpah mengatakan jika mungkir janji dibuat akan ditimpa bala, malah tidak selamat di dunia dan akhirat, tetapi apa yang berlaku, kebanyakan daripada mereka membuat sumpah itu seperti mainan.

“Ada yang terus dengan tabiat minum arak, ambil dadah, ‘kaki betina’ dan ‘kaki pukul’. Jelas, sumpah dibuat dilanggar dan tidak hairan pelbagai masalah menimpa mereka,” katanya.

Ayah Haji mengakui sudah melihat ramai ahli pertubuhannya menderita gara-gara bersumpah sesuka hati.

“Macam-macam yang sudah saya lihat. Ada yang keluarga porak peranda, perniagaan jatuh merudum, dipenjara, cacat, malah mati pun ada. Semua berlaku kerana berbuat kemungkaran.
“Sudah bersumpah menyeru ke arah kebaikan, mencegah kemungkaran, tetapi menjadi ‘kaki betina’ sehingga keluarga porak peranda, jadi ‘kaki pukul’ sehingga cacat, malah mati dalam pergaduhan dan jadi penagih serta pengedar dadah sehingga dipenjarakan,” katanya.

Menurut Ayah Haji, sehingga hari ini dia masih mengingati kisah salah seorang ahli pertubuhan yang kini lumpuh separuh badan.

“Ahli itu bersungguh-sungguh berbai’ah, namun hanya dalam tempoh beberapa jam selepas itu, dia ke disko, berfoya-foya dengan wanita sambil mabuk kononnya mahu meraikan penyertaannya dalam pertubuhan.

“Beberapa bulan selepas itu, dia jatuh di bilik air dan lumpuh separuh badan,” katanya.

Ayah Haji berkata, ada juga yang berbai’ah dalam keadaan khayal, mabuk dan tidak suci.

“Ada yang pandai ‘berlakon’. Ketika bersumpah taat setia menggunakan nama Allah, muka nampak tak buat apa-apa kesalahan, tetapi sebenarnya dalam keadaan khayal kerana dadah, mabuk kerana arak dan tidak suci, tidak kiralah belum mandi wajib atau baru lepas berzina.

“Bayangkan betapa mudahnya individu yang tidak memahami perjuangan melafazkan sumpah. Sama ada mereka sedar atau saja buat tidak tahu, sumpah dengan nama Allah bukan perkara yang boleh dibuat main-main,” katanya.

Begitupun, Ayah Haji berkata, bukan semua ahli melanggar sumpah, kerana masih ada yang benar-benar memahami dan mengamalkan sumpah yang dilafazkan.

“Yang menyertai perjuangan dengan ikhlas, tahu sumpah dilafazkan bukan mainan. Ada yang dulu jahat sehingga digelar ‘setan’, kini berubah.

“Apabila kita faham sumpah yang dibuat dan tahu tanggungjawab terhadap sumpah dibuat, usaha menyeru ke arah kebaikan, mencegah kemungkaran, mengikut suruhan serta meninggalkan laranganNya dapat dilaksanakan,” katanya.

Seorang lagi individu berpangkat tinggi dalam sebuah pertubuhan yang enggan dikenali berkata, kebanyakan individu yang mahu menyertai pertubuhan yang meletakkan syarat mengangkat sumpah taat setia sebelum diterima sebagai ahli berasa selamat dan kuat jika menyertai pertubuhan itu.

“Yang nyata, ramai yang mahu masuk pertubuhan kerana kononnya mendapat perlindungan ahli lain. Jika ada orang lain cari pasal, boleh panggil ahli lain bantu dan apabila sudah ramai, rasa diri selamat dan kuat.

“Jangan terkejut, ada yang bayaran kereta tertunggak mahu jadi ahli kononnya selepas jadi ahli, kereta boleh terus digunakan tanpa gangguan daripada penarik kereta kerana ahli lain boleh beri perlindungan. Golongan seperti ini tidak faham perjuangan dan sumpah dibuat, malah menggunakan pertubuhan untuk kepentingan diri sendiri.

“Ini semua salah. Perjuangan yang kita maksudkan bukan begini. Tetapi bila bilangan anggota menjadi ramai, ada yang lupa daratan dan gilakan kuasa. Akhirnya persatuan jadi huru hara,” katanya.

hmetro.com.my 

Expatriates full throttle with fasting

Ika Krismantari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Sat, 08/14/2010 11:23 AM


The first time is always the hardest.

That is the conclusion that can be made from the experience of Muslim expatriates when it comes to fasting, a requirement of Islam, stipulating Muslims must not eat and drink, and control their emotions during the day.

Take 30-year-old housewife Maria Myutel from Russia for example. She experienced the first Ramadan, the holy month of fasting, in Mumbai, India, where she converted to Islam in 2005.

“I lost a bit of weight and was sick most of the time,” the mother of two said.

She realized that was because she did not know how to fast properly.

Not until she married an Indonesian man and went to Jakarta where she learned the right way to do it. However, Maria had not been able to fast for few years due to two pregnancies. Being a Muslim for almost five years, she only fasted for full month twice and hopefully will make it a third time this year. She even fasted when she breastfed her first son in 2007.

“I am surprised, but I could produce enough milk, and my son is healthy,” the woman who lives with her family in Ciledug, Tangerang said.

But that doesn’t mean fasting is an easy feat for her.

“The hardest thing to do is not drink,” she said.

Jafar, 40, from the US, also encounters difficulty fasting.

“The first time was difficult because it was something new and the most difficult thing was being hungry,” the man said, sharing his first experience on fasting in Pennsylvania, the US.

Jafar said he did not fast for 10 days during his first attempt.

But, amazingly after that, he has never failed. This year will be Jafar’s 20th time fasting for Ramadan.

“I realized that I have fasted for two years of my life. I counted in all, I’ve fasted for more than 600 days,” he said.

The man, who works as a consultant for the Indonesian government, said he converted to Islam 20 years ago in the US after undertaking “personal study”.

“In some [religions], I found internal contradictions especially in philosophy. Sometimes they say nice things, but they do not guide you through your life.

“But after reading the Koran in English, I didn’t find any contradictions. That is probably the main thing that convinced me,” said the man who has been living in Indonesia for 13 years.

When it comes to fasting, Jafar sees it as more than not eating and drinking. He sees it as more like spiritual learning, through which people can improve their spiritual quotient. “It teaches you to understand that you don’t need that much food. You realize eating twice a day is enough,” the man said.

Like other Muslim expats, both Jafar and Maria are excited by the chance to experience the holy month in the capital of Indonesia, the world’s biggest Muslim country, where more than 80 percent of the people are Muslims.

“I like the way people in Jakarta operate during Ramadan, for example, I like the spirit of the people preparing breakfast in offices,” Maria said, embracing the sense of togetherness among people during the holy month.

Agreeing with Maria, Jafar said celebrating Lebaran was nicer here as people got together to rejoice the victorious moment in the festivity days after the end of fasting month.

There is no official data on how many Muslim expatriates are living in Jakarta.

However, some gather and meet routinely through communities that accommodate their needs to learn more about Islam.

One such organization that exists in Jakarta is Rahmania Foundation.

thejakartapost.com

August 15, 2010

Is pop music sexualising our children?

Yes : Radbrowser
Watch their dressing and ask the children what they think..

The real article is here
The debate: music journalist Victoria Segal and feminist blogger Laurie Penny debate the effects of pop music on children, in the wake of record producer Mike Stock's comment that most R&B videos are like soft porn

www.guardian.co.uk