Is Our Constitution Balanced for a Multicultural Society?

As part of our Contact Talk series, a talk about Malaysia's Federal Constitution by Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr. Shad Saleem Faruqi was held on Saturday, 1st December 2012 at zubedy's office.The event started from 9 a.m. and lasted until 12 p.m. Attendees were zubedy's clients, students from local law institutions, and the public.

This talk addresses gripping issues about our Constitution. Prof. Shad Faruqi's key points are:

• The concept and ideas behind nation-building and the different approaches to nation-building such as the ‘melting pot’ and the ‘mosaic or rainbow’.

• The Malaysian Constitution is balanced in its approach towards inter-communal harmony and moderation. According to him, “The Constitution is replete with safeguards for the interest of other communities (other than the Malays)”. 

• Prof. Shad Faruqi explained furthermore than the Constitution grants personal liberty, protection against slavery and forced labor, protection against retrospective criminal laws and repeated trials, right to equality, and freedom of movement; among many other rights and freedoms.

• While Islam is the official religion of the Federation, the country is not an Islamic state. He said, “The syariah does not apply to non-Muslims. The syariah courts have no jurisdiction over non-Muslims”. 

• As quoted from his book, “…the Malaysian legal system is neither fully secular nor fully theocratic. It is hybrid. It permits legal pluralism”. 

• All religious communities are allowed to profess and practice their faiths in peace and harmony. Funds and grant of land is often given to other religions, as a way of support by the state.

• Religious competition over the hearts and minds of the people is evident all over the world. Prof. Shad Faruqi shed some light about freedom of religion and issues of proselytization in Malaysia.

• Commentary on the American Constitution; its silence on social economy unlike Malaysia's. For instance, basic necessities for the people such as water and land is covered in our Constitution.

• The special position of the Malays, as well as its limitations intended by the Constitution as opposed to what is practiced today in broad. Prof. Shad Faruqi said, "The Constitution did not use the term "Ketuanan Melayu", but the term "Kedudukan Istimewa".

• The roles of the government and the people in upholding the Constitution. As said by Prof. Shad Faruqi, "The law is as good as those who administer it".

According to Anas Zubedy, moderator for the day, the purpose of having this event is to encourage the culture of knowledge exchange and open dialogues. He said, “As the title of the talk suggests, we want to promote the spirit of moderation to all Malaysians. This talk is aimed at making the public understand that our Constitution is one of the most accommodating charter and that it takes into account all races and religions of Malaysia”. He added, “The backbone of this nation rests on two; the people and the Constitution. That is why we have to pay attention to these two”.

Prof. Shad Faruqi's session was followed by an open discussion with the public about the Constitution. The participants took part and the discussion turned out to be a lively one. Afterwards, the participants were served with a light meal before the event ended.

Anas ended the event by saying, “We are happy with the turn out today and how well the talk went. We are definitely holding more of these events in the future”.

To watch the full video, please click here. 

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Let's vote 4 Msia's own Singer/Songwriter Amirah Ali 4 d VIMA Southeast Asian Award 2013 Nominations for Best Pop Song, Best Pop Act, Best Dance Song, Best Overall Female Act, Best Instrumental Music and Best Collaboration. Amirah sings unity songs!

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From zubedy's sales handbook 4.1

13 ) Code of Conduct for Sales & Servicing

1)     When representing Zubedy for sales and servicing activities, all Sales Personnel  

         must abide by the following Code of Conduct.  The rules and regulations are as  

         follows:

a)    No bribery

b)    No begging

c)    No hard selling

d)    No under counter (those that does under counter will be terminated

       immediately)

e)    Sells on equal terms with all prospects and clients

f)     Politely refuse clients from the industry below as these industries are not

       aligned with our company branding;

i)      Liquor or Alcohol beverage companies

ii)     Gambling based companies

iii)    Cigarette based companies

g)    All other rules and regulations as listed in the Employee Handbook

5 Lies the Media Keeps Repeating About Gaza by Omar Baddar - The Huffington post

As Israel continues to pound Gaza, the Palestinian death toll of the latest round of violence has crossed the 100 mark. Thus far, the American media has given Israeli officials and spokespersons a free pass to shape the narrative of this conflict with falsehoods. Here are the top 5 lies the media doesn't challenge about the crisis in Gaza:

1. Israel Was Forced to Respond to Rockets to Defend Its Citizens 

CNN, like many other American outlets, chose to begin the story of the latest round of violence in Gaza on November 10th, when 4 Israeli soldiers were wounded by Palestinian fire, and the IDF "retaliated" by killing several Palestinians. But just two days before, a 13 year old Palestinian boy was killed in an Israeli military incursion into Gaza (among other fatalities in preceding days). Is there any reason why those couldn't be the starting point of the "cycle of violence"? The bias was even more blatant in 2008/09, when Israel's massive assault on Gaza (which killed 1400+ Palestinians) was cast as self-defense, even though it was acknowledged in passing that Israel was the party that broke the ceasefire agreement in place at the time. Are the Palestinians not entitled to self-defense? And if indiscriminate Palestinian rocket fire is not an acceptable response to Israeli violence (which it absolutely isn't), how can indiscriminate Israeli bombings of Gaza ever be acceptable? And why is the broader context, the fact that Gaza remains under Israeli blockade and military control, overlooked?

2. Israel Tries to Avoid Civilian Casualties

It must be aggravating for Israel's propagandists when high-ranking political officials slip and get off the sanitized/approved message for public consumption. Yesterday, Israeli Interior Minister Eli Yishai said the "goal of the operation is to send Gaza back to the Middle Ages." Not to be outdone, Gilad Sharon, son of former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon, said "we need to flatten entire neighborhoods in Gaza. Flatten all of Gaza." If you're thinking this is just rhetoric, consider the fact that, according to Amnesty International, Israel "flattened... busy neighborhoods" into "moonscapes" during its last major assault on Gaza in 2008/09. And it wasn't just human rights organizations that were exposing Israeli war crimes in Gaza, but Israeli soldiers whose consciencecould not bear to remain silent about the atrocities they had committed were also coming forward.

click here to read more on this article

zubedy is hiring and we need TALENTS!

zubedy is hiring and we need TALENTS!

Zubedy (M) Sdn Bhd is a for-profit organisation with a social cause. We are a fast growing human development and training consultancy, with a mission to add value to everyone we interact with. Our vision is to unite people by getting the world to work together.

We need like-minded people who understand other people.

We need dedicated people to promote our business.

We need thinking people to strategise our brand.

If you are a qualified and self-motivated candidate with an eye for a dynamic and fulfilling career with a heart, kindly submit your application to hr@zubedy.com by 25 November 2012.

Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

For more information, visit www.zubedy.com

Wisma WIM, 3^rd Floor, 7 Jalan Abang Haji Openg, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, 60000 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03 – 7727 0758            Fax: 03 – 7727 0759

The lowdown on the AES by Shahanaaz Habib

The AES may not be the only solution to reducing road accidents but it can be an effective initiative in the long run.

IT was supposed to be the solution for many of Malaysia’s road safety woes, but the Automated Enforcement System (AES) has instead drawn mixed reactions. The latest was the Selangor state government’s decision to block the installation and implementation of the system until an independent valuator reviewed if the Transport Ministry has “holistically” considered all necessary procedures.

Transport expert and Universiti Putra Malaysia vice-chancellor Datuk Dr Radin Umar Radin Sohaidi, who came up with the AES concept when he was heading the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros), shares his views on the automated system.

> Is the AES really the way to go to bring down road accidents and fatalities?

It is one of the proven ways to tackle speed-related crashes and red light-running crashes in any country. In Malaysia, we have about 1,500 deaths, 5,000 serious injuries, 12,000 slight injuries, (and) around 50,000 damage-only crashes related to speed and running red lights every year on our roads. Many are just victims like you and me.

> What are the pros and cons of the AES?

AES offers a 24-7 enforcement opportunity, provided it is set up properly and there is good acceptance by all. At the same time, it eliminates discretion and corruption. It has the potential of reducing about 30% to 40% of speed-related and red light-running “Killed and Seriously Injured” (KSI) cases (around 2000 less KSI) per year. The key success factor is in the details, particularly on parameter settings and engagement with the public. The public should look at it from the public safety point of view rather than revenue generation. 

> Is there an alternative and different system that is comparable and just as effective? If so – what and how does it work?

Traffic calming like speed control devices such as humps, rumble strips, speed tables, super elevations, and delineation have also been used. However, they are only appropriate under certain conditions. In addressing speed-related and red light-running cases, the AES would be the best option.

> Why do you think there is so much objection and resistance on the AES if the objective is to save lives and that those who do not commit traffic offences do not need to pay?

First, it has been politicised and the general election is coming near. Second, the parameter settings were not done properly.

Third, the public have not been properly informed. Fourth, there have been many spinners with the wrong knowledge and information, for example that AES is saman ekor – which is not the case. Fifth, it is perceived as being subcontracted to a private company. Somehow, it is not promoted as a life-saving initiative. Hence, there is a need to get it right.

> How surprised are you at the resistance to the AES?

Not surprised. This is the normal cycle and has also been experienced by other countries.

> What should or could be done to gain public confidence and acceptance of the AES?

Site verification must be carried out. What is on the map must be on the ground. Collision mechanisms and road user movements (RUM) must be attributable to speed-related and red light-running crashes. We need the RUM and collision diagrams to verify this.

Parameter settings must be carried out. Among the parameter settings for red light cameras are phasing, timing, inter green, dilemma zones, viability, layout configurations, lane balance, trapped lanes and others. All of these must be properly set first, before the camera is installed. This is to ensure that red-light running is not due to poor design of the intersection. For example, we can’t blame the road user for beating the traffic light due to frustration (waiting for more than three cycles of red light).

For speed cameras, the parameter setting would be speed consistency within a 5km section, speed change, approach speed, 85th percentile speed, and design speed, among others. If more than 15% are caught overspeeding, it indicates that the posted speeds are not appropriate. Signage is important, too. Finally, outcomes of the AES in saving lives must be communicated.

> What is the best way to reduce accidents, fatalities and mishaps?

Many interventions but each one depends on the (individual) crash characteristics.

Click here to read more on this article

Invitation to Zubedy Talk on “Our Constitution: The Foundation of National Unity”

I’m happy to invite you to attend this talk, which will be delivered by the renowned constitutional expert, Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi to be held as follows:

Date    :           1 December 2012 (Saturday)

Time    :           9.00 – 11.30 a.m.

Venue  :           zubedy (m) sdn. bhd.

3rd Floor, Wisma W.I.M.

Jalan Abang Hj. Openg

Taman Tun Dr. Ismail

60000 Kuala Lumpur

Based on his book, “The Bedrock of Our Nation: Our Constitution”, the talk will address constitutional issues such as the Islamic state debate, social contract, special position of Sabah and Sarawak, Muslim apostasy issue, and many others.

We look forward to seeing you. Feel free to get in touch for further information, please contact this number: 03 – 7727 0758 or email it to: aizat@zubedy.com.

Please RSVP by 19 November 2012.

Thank you.