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Hold closed-door forum, Najib tells Bar Council
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Najib: Not suitable to discuss conversion to Islam issues in public forum
©The
Star (Used by permission)
by Izatun Shari
• Umno youth warns Bar Council
PETALING JAYA: The Bar Council Malaysia's proposed forum entitled Conversion to
Islam is unsuitable to held in an open manner, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri
Najib Tun Razak said.
He said an open forum on such a topic could incite emotions among those with
differing views.
"Forums on such sensitive topics should best be discussed in a closed session,"
he told reporters Thursday after the launch of VistaJet's charter services into
Asia via Subang and opening of SkyPark FBO Malaysia here.
"We are not stopping public debates. It is something healthy, but it should be
organised in a closed manner."
Asked whether the Government would stop the Bar Council's plan from organising
the forum, he said: "I don't know lah. They have their own mind."
Najib also said Subang SkyPark Sdn Bhd's proposal to transform Sultan Abdul Aziz
Shah Airport into a leading fixed-based operation (FBO) particularly for
corporate jet rental service with VistaJet was a good move to develop the
aerospace industry and put Malaysia on the global map.
"When the service can be used by the private sector and local and foreign
corporate leaders, indirectly Malaysia will become a general and corporate
aviation hub. That is why the Government supports SkyPark's proposal."
He said for the second phase and third phase, the airport would be turned into a
maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility and entertainment and Leisure
Park respectively. The airport, which was in a state of neglect, would be given
a new lease of life.
"The world class brands of VistaJet SA, ExecuJet and Hawker Pacific brought
together by Subang SkyPark are certain to value-add in helping the Government
realise its broader vision for the Malaysian International Aerospace Centre in
Subang."
Najib said Subang SkyPark has invested more than RM3mil to develop the FBO and a
further RM35mil to refurbish Terminal 3 into a brand new SkyPark terminal.
He said VistaJet had fulfilled its promise to base corporate jets worth more
than US$60mil in Subang namely the Bombardier Challenger CL605 and the
Challenger CL850.
He added another jet would be joining the fleet to serve Malaysia and the Asian
market in 2009, bringing the cumulative value of aircrafts in excess of
US$100mil.
Umno youth warns Bar Council
PETALING JAYA: Umno Youth warned the Bar Council Malaysia not to “stoke the
fires of disunity.”
The movement’s exco member Datuk Pirdaus Ismail said the movement strongly
opposed the Bar Council’s plan to organise an open forum on conversion to Islam.
“Don’t play with fire! Don’t ever touch religious and racial (matters)!" he said
in a statement released on Thursday.
"Why has the Bar Council been stoking the fires of disunity lately -- like they
have been used by foreign powers who want to create chaos and intervene in the
country’s internal affairs?” he said.
“Whatever (the) excuses given, the forum would still provoke Malay sentiment and
create uneasiness and public disorder, particularly among the Malays,” he said
in the statement.
He said the movement urged the authorities to implement preventive measures
before the situation got out of hand.
Pirdaus said the Bar Council had previously also organised a forum on the
much-discussed social contract, which incited anger among the Malays and created
doubt in the other races.
“It is pointless to organise forums based on intellectualism, professionalism or
controversial issues when the safety, peace, harmony and stability of the
country were being compromised,” he added.
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Invitation to the Launching of the Bar Council Legal Aid Centre (Kuala Lumpur) Website 
The Family Law Committee Members are aware of some concerns - which they hope to share with the public. Is it wrong for the committee members to be caring and helpful? Is it wrong for them to be doing their duties?
Why are we so confused these days? What is wrong, is deemed right; what is right is unnecessarily disputed and refuted!
God's creations were never like this before!
Right should not be deemed 'wrong'; it should be defended. We need to know the right(s) and wrong(s) before we can know what to regard as the truth.
It is probably time for our "lesser educated" (i.e. in terms of mental development, and out-look) leaders to be taught once again so that we are led in the right direction while we follow their leadership.
Surely all the world, and worldly travels have enhanced their minds - to be of such qualifying standard of broad-mindedness - for the benefit of our people - rather than their constant repetition of salient threats issued in their narrow-minded ways.
In this age, "Tsunami" has come, attacking lands as never before had the waters! If the forum topic is 'sensitive', how then can we ever expect ourselves to withstand the 'Tsunami' when it comes; or are some of our leaders deliberately instigating us to be 'quiet' and 'holy' by their standards?
Tan Peek Guat