Thousands of refugees living in fear

from:malaysiakini As Rajoo, 27, makes tea at a rundown shed in Brickfields, a depressed suburb of the capital inhabited by hundreds of Tamil immigrants from Sri Lanka, he evinces no sign of anxiety and a deep yearning for something.

Ulama denies joining Umno for protection

Fathul explain in his office the type of Islam he promotes. – Picture by Choo Choy May KUALA LUMPUR, June 30 – An Islamic scholar who joined Umno last week denied doing so to receive the political protection of the Malay nationalist party Fathul Bari Mat Jahya, also denied that he is a follower of the puritanical Wahhabi [...]

Malaysia forecast to be ‘young and poor’ by 2030

By 2030, Malaysia’s EDR is expected to be about 15 with a GDP per capita of about US$50,000 while Australia, Singapore and the US are expected to have an EDR of between 30 and 40 and per capita GDPs of US$110,000 and US$160,000. Read more>>

Exploited abused workers building Malaysia’s new Palace?

Workers building the new palace for the Malaysian King are being exploited…this is an embarrassment. (see media reports below.)   The government is, I believe, really pro-employer pro-big businesses ….and not pro-workers. Over the years, this government has, by their actions and omissions, demonstrated that they are  not concerned about worker rights or welfare.   [...]

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar should be the PM if Julia Gillard can reach the top post in Australia

Adapted and changed from_ First world aspiration, third-world mentality, Malaysian Mirror         WHILE the whole world celebrates Julia Gillard’s achievement as Australia’s first female prime minister, Myanmrs should take note that here is one woman who was not even born in Australia but who spent most of her life there and then rose to [...]

The Star:Foreigners hired to build palace claim they have not been paid

KUALA LUMPUR: Many foreign workers hired to build the RM800mil Istana Negara claim that they have not received three months’ wages from some project sub-contractors. Read more>>

Britain to announce interim cap on non-EU migrants

LONDON, June 26 — Britain plans to put a temporary limit on the number of non-European Union migrants to prevent a surge of foreign workers arriving before a permanent cap is introduced next April. Read more>>

‘I’m an Umno man, I’m not a terrorist’

By Adib Zalkapli, June 25, 2010 KUALA LUMPUR, June 25 – An Islamic scholar who joined Umno today dismissed the suggestion that the decision was made as a reaction to a controversial security briefing on terrorism. “I don’t see the link. We are here to promote Islamic virtues as discussed earlier and it looks we can cooperate [...]

World – a hostile place for refugees

DIPLOMATICALLY SPEAKING By DENNIS IGNATIUS JUNE 20th was World Refugee Day. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), millions of people across the world are forced to flee their homes as a consequence of war and persecution and ethnic, tribal and religious violence. Read more >>

Abandon secular human rights, urges Pak Lah

Gavaskar Brian Raj Jun 22, 10 from:malaysiakini Secular human rights should be abandoned because these eventually poison the mind and lead to the irrelevance of spirituality, divinity and morality, said former premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Refugees bring rich cultural diversity

Sarah Thwaites Jun 21, 10 It was World Refugee Day yesterday. So it is timely to reflect a little bit on the experiences of refugees who have come to Malaysia seeking safety. Read more>>

Stop vulture agents from preying on foreign workers

  Sarajun Hoda Jun 21, 10 I would like to agree with the suggestion made that tabs should be kept of foreign workers. But the tabs should be on the people who in fact exploit these poor workers and themselves live luxury lives. Read more >>

The Star:Former Miss Malaysia speaks out

KUALA LUMPUR: Passionate about the refugee plight, former Miss Malaysia Deborah Priya Henry is always eager to lend a hand to the cause. Read more>>

The Star:Camerons tourism faces backlash over lack of foreign workers

CAMERON HIGHLANDS: Tourism in cool Cameron Highlands, famous for its tea plantations, vegetable and strawberry gardens, is “under threat.”And it has got nothing to do with intruders, just the lack of foreign workers. Hoteliers and tour operators said the lack of helping hands might lead to more tea plantations and vegetable farms closing down. Read [...]