The rape of young Penan girls

Photo by TheStar

Allegations of Penan girls and women being raped and molested by timber company workers in the Baram district in Sarawak have been confi rmed to be true.

A special committee set up by the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry revealed that at least seven girls and women were raped and molested - confi rming a news report by The Star late last year.

The horror the Penan girls and women went through.

● A girl, 12, was raped by a stranger outside her hostel and by a timber worker when she took a lift in a timber company’s vehicle from her village in Long Kawi to her school in Long Lama. She got pregnant, quit school and married a Penan man.

● A woman from Long Item was raped by a timber worker in 2005 and 2007 and gave birth to a baby girl, now two years old.

● One was raped by an Iban timber worker when she was kidnapped at the age of 13, while visiting her relatives in Miri.

● One was almost raped when she took a lift with her father from a timber company to apply for an identity card.

● In Long Muboi, a student said her 14-year-old friend was molested by a truck driver who gave her a lift to school.

● A 17-year-old girl gave birth to a child and her neighbours claimed that she had sexual relations with the timber workers.

● A group of women said they believed that sex exploitation exists among the Penan women and girls but they were too ashamed to tell their stories.

Reported by TheStar

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Rape of Young Penan Girls - Helpless for Them ?

Photo by AFP

Police say they would not be able to nail the loggers who raped and sexually abused Penan women and girls in timber concession zones despite a government report that confirmed these crimes -- not unless they get detailed information.

The Women and Family Affairs Ministry has confirmed that these crimes -- first uncovered by the Bruno Manser Fund on its website, then highlighted by local media -- had taken place, but police said they need detailed information that can lead them to these rapists.

The head of the Criminal Investigation Department in Sarawak, Senior Asst Comm 2 Huzir Mohamed, told The Star on Thursday that the police need more detailed and specific information like names, dates and places. More on TheStar

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3. Malaysia gov't report: Loggers raped Borneo girls

4. Tribe - Penan

6 Cow-Head Protesters Charged With Sedition

Six people who took part in the "cow's head" demonstration in front of the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah building here last month were charged with sedition in the Sessions Court here on Wednesday.

They are Ahmad Mahayuddin Abd Manaf, 36, Ibrahim Sabri, 43, Eyzva Ezhar Ramly, 31, Mohd Azmir Mohd Zain, 35, Ahmad Suhairy Zakaria, 30, and Mohd Hilmi Ni, 40.

They pleaded not guilty and asked to be tried when the charges were read out to them separately before Judge Hasbi Hasan.

Ibrahim and Ahmad Mahayuddin are charged with stepping on the cow's head, Eyzva Ezhar with bringing the cow's head, while Mohd Azmir, Ahmad Suhairy and Mohd Hilmi, with bringing the cow's head and stepping on it in the illegal assembly.

Read more on Bernama

Related News :

1. Cow head protestors charged with sedition, illegal assembly

2. Six Malaysians who dragged cow’s head charged with sedition

3. Malaysian Muslim protesters charged with sedition

4. Malaysia charges 12 Muslims for anti-Hindu protest

5. "Cow Head" Protesters Plead Not Guilty To Sedition

Muslim NGO to Defend Cow Head Protestors

Malay non-governmental organisation Perkasa wants to provide legal counsel to the 12 “cow head protestors” who were charged with sedition and illegal assembly at the Shah Alam Sessions and Magistrates courts on Wednesday.

Its president Datuk Ibrahim Ali said several lawyer members of the movement were willing to take up the case as a “jihad,” or any war undertaken in the name of Islam against unbelievers or backsliders.

“We will also go on a donation drive to help them financially to pay for unforeseen expenses that they might incur during the trial proper.

“We are not doing this as a publicity stunt or political mileage but for the sake of the Ummah (the community of believers) and to defend Allah’s religion,” he said in a press statement issued here on Wednesday.

Ibrahim, who is also the independent Member of Parliament for Pasir Mas, criticised those in power, accusing them of being cowards for not protecting the religion.

However, many Muslim and political leaders have condemned the incident (see below), saying such hatred and disrespect had no place in the religion.

On Aug 28, some 50 people, led by residents of Section 23 in Shah Alam, marched about 300m from the state mosque to the gates of the Selangor state secretariat building to protest against the relocation of the Sri Mahamariamman temple from Section 19 to Section 21.

They dragged along a decapitated cow’s head then proceeded to stamp and spit on it.

They also warned of further action if the temple was built in their area, with one protest leader promising bloodshed.- TheStar

Police arrest 15 others in aborted candlelight vigil

Police have arrested 16 people including Human Rights Party leader P. Uthayakumar as they were attempting to march from Masjed Jamek to Dataran Merdeka here tonight for a candlelight vigil protesting last week’s cow-head demonstration by Section 23 residents in Shah Alam.

Authorities had closed off access to the square to prevent the group of about 50 demonstrators from carrying out the vigil.

The group first gathered near Central Market at about 7.30 pm and made their way towards the Masjid Jamek LRT station where they started lighting candles and distributing placards to supporters.

The placards read “Threat and insulting the religion of others is condoned by the government, where is justice?” and “Umno must repent”.

The group’s message echoed those of Pakatan Rakyat leaders, who believe the racially charged cow- head protest was instigated by Umno, the dominant party in the ruling Barisan Nasional.

As they marched towards Dataran Merdeka, Uthayakumar and Hindraf coordinator S. Jayathas led the march with songs as others followed them.

The singing didn’t last long as police soon moved in to detain the protesters, among them Uthayakumar’s fiancée S. Indradevi, despite the group heeding police orders to disperse and leave the area.

Also arrested were Hindraf leader and Uthayakumar’s brother P. Waytha Moorthy’s wife and sister.

Uthayakumar, who recently returned from medical treatment abroad, was seen manhandled by the police despite not resisting while his fiancée was roughly pushed and dragged into the police truck.

All 16 were later taken to the Dang Wangi police station to have their statement taken.

In a statement from his London base, Waytha Moorthy said he was appalled by the arrests, saying it was a deliberate and calculated attempt to target the main leaders of Hindraf so that the planned candle vigil would be foiled.

“Those vigil participants were going with candles and roses when they were arrested. PM Najib’s 1 Malaysia is a shame to all democracy-loving Malaysians.

“It is ridiculous that the Muslim extremist cow head protesters – with blood still dripping from the head – who behaved in violent manner, delivered fiery speeches promoting racial hatred and insulted Hindus were given full police protection whilst Hindraf supporters who were armed with unlit candles and roses were violently arrested, bundled and taken into police lock ups,” said Waytha Moorthy who lives in self-exile.

He branded the government and police as fascists who did not have any respect for the Federal Constitution, which provides for freedom of assembly, equality and freedom of religion.

In last week’s protest in Shah Alam, around 50 residents from Section 23 marched towards the Selangor state secretariat building after Friday prayers to protest the planned relocation of a Hindu temple to their housing area.

The protesters brandished a severed cow’s head during the protest, which was observed by the police. No arrests were made then or since.

Today, Selangor mentri besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim announced the relocation will now be temporarily put on hold, following an abortive Shah Alam town hall meeting called this morning to discuss the growing controversy.

By The Malaysian Insider

Federal govt considers offering another site for temple

Both the Federal and Selangor governments are separately scrambling to contain the fallout from last Friday’s cow-head protest held by a group who oppose a plan to relocate a 150-year-old Hindu Temple to Section 23 here.

While the state government is hosting a dialogue session with all residents this Saturday, the Barisan Nasional (BN) federal government is also considering holding an event to bring both Muslims and Hindus together to defuse racial tension.

The plan, which entailed roping in the assistance of Hindu Sangam, was proposed to the Cabinet by Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Noh Omar, who is also the Umno state deputy liaison chief.

According to sources, the Cabinet is also considering offering an alternative site to relocate the Hindu temple despite the fact that such matters fall under the jurisdiction of the state government.

The Malaysian Insider understands that Noh was forced to defend himself at the Cabinet meeting yesterday. He told the meeting that he did not instigate the Malay-Muslims of Section 23 to protest against the temple relocation.

He is understood to have also told the Cabinet that he would organise a sit-down with Hindus and Muslims in the neighbourhood.

However Hindu Sangam president RS Mohan Shahmugam today told The Malaysian Insider they have had no official invitation yet to meet the federal government about the issue.

Hindu Sangam also believes the proposed site in Section 23 is the best area to relocate the temple.

Mohan said the temple was not meant to cater only to the Hindus from Section 23 but also from Sections 19, 20, 21 and 22.

Together there are at least 3,000 Hindus in these areas, Mohan said, adding the issue of relocating the temple from its current site in Section 19, had been pending for the last two decades.

The current temple was once part of Sungai Garing Estate, but over the years the Selangor Development Corporation (PKNS) had developed the areas surrounding the site into a housing estate.

The temple now lies in the middle of a Muslim-majority area and there had been no concrete effort to relocate until recently.

“This is not a new problem and I don’t understand why the small group of residents needed to protest in such a manner,” Mohan said.

Mohan said that carrying the head of a cow which is scared to Hindus was insulting and called on the government to take action against the culprits.

He also denied claims made yesterday by Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein that residents of Section 23 had met Hindu Sangam to resolve the relocation issue.

“I have checked and there was no such meeting.”

However Mohan said he would welcome a meeting with the minister.

Meanwhile Hindu residents of Section 23 today also denied press reports that they also did not want the temple to be relocated to the area.

K. Raju said one third of all residents in Section 23 were Non-Malays and they have carried out a signature campaign to support the state government’s move to relocate the temple.

He also disputed claims in the press that the cow’s head used during the protest was brought to the scene by outsiders.

“The people who carried the head are Umno members, from Section 23, and they seem to be above the law.”

He added the protest was politically motivated.

By Neville Spykerman, The Malaysian Insider