Gripevine

IF you think that the mass culling of stray dogs in the northern states which began last month, after rabies was first detected in Perlis on Aug 19 will serve to eliminate the zoonotic virus from spreading further, I urge you to think again. Let us not be deluded by the notion that the council workers, dog catchers and Department of Veterinary Services personnel are coming face to face with ferocious, rabid and snarling dogs on their culling rounds which they are "destroying" for the good of the community. The dogs that are becoming easy kill are dogs like Ah Pek, his photo first appeared in a Facebook post on Sept 23. It was a poignant image of a white dog sitting resignedly with its head slightly bent. The dog had a collar around its neck and was surrounded by Majilis Bandaraya Pulau Pinang (MBPP) workers, one worker in particular held a metal chain that was fastened around Ah Pek's neck. It was a sad image indeed, of man's best friend on death row. ...

JUSTICE delayed is justice denied is a popular legal maxim that means if legal redress is not forthcoming in a timely manner, it is akin to having no redress at all. I believe the friends and family members of marketing executive Chee Gaik Yap who was raped and murdered in 2006 would heartily agree with this. On Aug 9, almost ten years after her tragic demise, businessman Shahril Jaafar was sentenced to death by the Alor Star High Court for Chee's murder. Despite the weight of the crime that he was accused off, Shahril almost got away with it on two occasions. The first was when he skipped police bail and left for Perth, Australia, where he obtained permanent resident status. He was rearrested six years later upon his return on Jan 17, 2012. He was charged two weeks later and stood trial, only to be acquitted by the High Court on June 25, 2013, without his defence being called. In an emotionally charged scene, moments after the High Court discharged a...

IT is said that one would do anything for one's own flesh and blood, that the love of a parent for a child knows no bounds. That a father or mother would make great sacrifices for the wellbeing of their children, but does this great love extend to spilling the blood of another? Is it called love when the life of one child is sacrificed so another can thrive? Does the sacrifices a parent makes for a child extend to slaughtering the child of another? In a tale filled with more evil than love, one man had no qualms about luring a little boy to meet his end in a cruel manner, in the hopes that it might cure his sick teenage son who appeared to be possessed by a ghost. According to Kodai Harijan, his 18-year-old son Bijay frequently fell ill. However this time around the ailing teenager who appeared to be possessed by a spirit, demanded for human flesh. This incident took place in a village in southwest Nepal bordering India, where most of the populace are illiterate and p...

JUNE 17, 2015 marked a momentous day for Malaysia as the Animal Welfare Bill 2015 was passed by the Dewan Rakyat. It proved to be one of those rare bills that garnered support from both sides of the political divide. Animal lovers who were following the live debate on RTM1, spoke of how refreshing it was to see both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat MPs eloquently debate and support the new act.  In the words of SPCA's Selangor patron Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye - "While politics may divide us, let this new Animal Welfare Act unite us." One of the key points of the act is harsher penalties for animal abuse - a minimum fine of RM20,000 and a maximum of RM100,000 or a jail term of up to three years or both, a far more severe penalty than the RM200 animal abusers had to pay under the Animal Act 1953. As netizens celebrated the passing of the bill seen as a huge step forward in tackling cases of animal abuse and neglect, many people expressed scepticism on whe...

WHEN I was a child, way before I entered primary one, I knew what rape was, courtesy of Tamil and Hindi movies. Literally every movie had at least one rape or attempted rape scene. What were these scenes for? To entertain the audience? Though I believe that one who is entertained by such scenes, must be of a perverse nature, and if these scenes are of mass appeal, then are the masses perverts?? In most of these movies, as a result of the rape, the woman would either commit suicide or live a life of shame thereafter. If she was lucky, the rapist would decide to marry her or someone would prevail upon the rapist to marry her. I can't ever recall a scene where a police report was lodged against the said rapist, he being sent to prison for his crime and being whipped for it, his life and future destroyed. Nope, never. After committing the crime, he would gloat about it as the victim weeped piteously of a life destroyed. Yup the message put across in such movies was a dysfunc...

Early this month, Jais delivered a highly controversial sermon titled: " Aurat: Antara Kebebasan dan Maruah Diri ” (Aurat: Between freedom and self dignity). The gist of the sermon is this: Muslim women should cover up their "aurat" to prevent “being harassed physically or mentally... so as to prevent false accusations (fitnah),  evil gazes (pandangan yang jahat) and bad incidents from taking place (perkara yang buruk berlaku)... Negative incidents such as rape, illicit sex, and incest (rogol, zina, sumbang mahram) can be avoided. [ Excerpt from Malaysiakini ] More of the sermon at this link: http://e-masjid.jais.gov.my/uploads/uploads/KhutbahJumaat%28Rumi%2906022015.pdf The sermon was deemed insensitive by many, and the tide of anger only worsened when DAP's Penang Exco member Chong Eng was questioned by police over her statement  which was deemed critical of the sermon. Chong however pointed out that she was not stirring the relig...