FREEDOM OF SPEECH / FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION


FREEDOM OF SPEECH / FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak without censorship and/or limitation. The synonymous term freedom of expression is sometimes used to indicate not only freedom of verbal speech but any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used [United Nations, 1966, 1976]. The right to freedom of speech is recognized as a human right under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and recognized in international human rights law in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The ICCPR recognizes the right to freedom of speech as "the right to hold opinions without interference. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression". Furthermore freedom of speech is recognized in European, inter-American and African regional human rights law [United Nations, 1966, 1967]. Freedom of speech, or the freedom of expression, is recognized in international and regional human rights law. The right is enshrined in Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, Article 13 of the American Convention on Human Rights and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights [Andrew Puddephatt & Hodder Arnold, 2005; Kumar, Ambika, 2006].

In Islamic ethics freedom of speech was first declared in the Rashidun period by the caliph Umar in the 7th century. In the Abbasid Caliphate period, freedom of speech was also declared by al-Hashimi (a cousin of Caliph al-Ma'mun) in a letter to one of the religious opponents he was attempting to convert through reason.

According to George Makdisi and Hugh Goddard, "the idea of academic freedom" in universities was "modelled on Islamic custom" as practiced in the medieval Madrasah system from the 9th century. Islamic influence was "certainly discernible in the foundation of the first deliberately-planned university" in Europe [Boisard, Marcel A., 1980].

* Selected REFERENCES / Sources:


Amnesty International: Annual Reports: URLhttp://www.amnesty.org/ailib/aireport/index.html Andrew Puddephatt & Hodder Arnold. (2005). Freedom of Expression: The Essentials of Human Rights. United Publishers. Boisard, Marcel A. (July 1980), "On the Probable Influence of Islam on Western Public and International Law", International Journal of Middle East Studies 11 (4): 429–50. Goddard, Hugh. (2000). A History of Christian-Muslim Relations. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. Kumar, Ambika. (2006). ‘Using Courts to Enforce the Free Speech Provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.’ Published by Chicago Journal of International Law. Summer 2006. URLhttp://www.allbusiness.com/corporate-governance/4082846-1.html United Nations: ‘International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.’ Adopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession by General Assembly resolution 2200A (XXI) of 16th December 1966: Entry into force 23 March 1976, in accordance with Article 49. URLhttp://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/ccpr.htm (United Nations) Wikipedia. (2010). ‘Freedom of Speech.’ Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. URLhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_expression

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20 April 2010

Kompaun JPJ Naik 333 Peratus

Comment:

One thing comes to my mind when the JPJ/government announced the 333 percent increases in summones, compounds, and/or fines for vehicle and/or traffic offences = This will definitely make road users more careful of their speed limits and other traffic and/or vehicle offences, but at the same time, this will also encourage 'corruptions' among JPJ enforcement officers. Why would someone wants to pay RM1000 for an offence when they can pay RM200-500 cash (of corruption money) to enforcement officers?? (JPJ officers will definitely get fatter after this! Some of course!).

At the end of the day, we need to ask the JPJ/government, what is all the fuss of the ridiculously large increase in compounds/summones? Are the people not suffering enough already due to the economic crisis, high unemployment rates, and high crime rates, among others.

http://www.kosmo.com.my/kosmo/content.asp?y=2010&dt=0420&pub=Kosmo&sec=Negara&pg=ne_01.htm (20th April 2010)

Kompaun JPJ naik 333 peratus
Oleh JUNHAIRI ALYASA
junhairi.alyasa@kosmo.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR - Para pemilik kenderaan dan pengguna jalan raya perlu lebih berhati-hati selepas ini berikutan kadar kompaun maksimum kesalahan jalan raya akan dinaikkan daripada RM300 kepada RM1,000 tidak lama lagi.

Kenaikan kira-kira 333 peratus itu berikutan pindaan ke atas Akta Pengangkutan Jalan 1987 yang akan dikuatkuasakan kelak. Peruntukan itu adalah antara 51 Fasal pindaan yang terkandung di dalam Rang Undang-Undang Pengangkutan Jalan (Pindaan) 2010 yang dibentangkan untuk bacaan kali pertama oleh Timbalan Menteri Pengangkutan, Datuk Rahim Bakri di Dewan Rakyat semalam.

Antara pindaan lain yang dicadangkan termasuk menaikkan umur kelayakan memohon lesen memandu motosikal daripada 16 tahun kepada 17 tahun. Penalti bagi kesalahan melanggar umur kelayakan itu juga dinaikkan daripada tidak melebihi RM2,000 kepada tidak kurang daripada RM1,000 dan tidak lebih daripada RM5,000.





07 April 2010

Police Chief in Hot Water over Dinner??


http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/latest/7030023/sack-nixon-for-bushfire-dinner-fielding/ (7th April 2010)

Police union joins Nixon criticism
AAP April 7, 2010, 12:34 pm
It's impossible for anyone to back former Victoria police chief Christine Nixon after revelations she had dinner at a pub on Black Saturday while hundreds of homes burned, the police union says.
Come on, even police officer has the right to a dinner, damn right, if the bushfire victims have their rights to a dinner, so too is the police chief! Thats what we call equal right to basic needs (e.g. a dinner)!


And victims of the nation's worst bushfire disaster now face an "unthinkable" situation having realised that Ms Nixon, who is now in charge of bushfire reconstruction, had left her post at 6pm the day of the tragedy, said Police Association secretary Greg Davies.
What 'unthinkable situation'... its all a media playdown, support by police officers that dislike her!


"This is a scandalous situation. There is no excuse for it," he told reporters on Wednesday.
Ms Nixon told the royal commission into the disaster on Tuesday that she had a meal and monitored the bushfires through the internet, television and radio on February 7, 2009.

What 'scandalous situation' ? This is a bit too much to say to someone who has a dinner after a long day at work!! (And nowadays, professionals monitor the bushfires through the Internet, television, and radio... professional also use what we call the GIS (Geographic Information System) to monitor effectively the situation and bring it under control. They don't need to be in the 'burning fields' to get the job done!!


But she expanded on those comments in the media, saying she went out to a bistro for dinner with friends that night and has since defended that decision. "I did say in the statement I gave to the (royal) commission that I had a meal and I didn't say, obviously, at the time that I had gone to a local hotel and had a meal with two friends," she told ABC Radio. "That's all it was, it was a very quick meal and I went back home again and received many calls and monitored the situation."


Ms Nixon was appointed head of bushfire reconstruction upon leaving her position as the state's police chief.


"It's unthinkable that the victims of this disaster now have to look at the very person who was supposed have their hand on the tiller but had their hand on the cutlery (and who) is now supposed to be responsible for rebuilding their lives," Mr Davies said.

Again the word 'unthinkable'... played by the media and others, bushfire victims have the right to a meal (dinner), so is the police chief ! Come on, grow up people!
He said Victorian Premier John Brumby should no longer have confidence in her abilities. "On the information that's available, it's impossible for anyone to back her," he said.

What 'abilities' issue?? You mean having dinner (because one is hungry) will have their 'abilities' and 'professionalism' in question?!


"This is not about a Christine Nixon witchhunt. This is about substance over style and there was very little substance on the day, quite clearly." Family First Senator Steve Fielding said Ms Nixon should be removed from the Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority immediately. "It's beyond belief that the state's top cop was more interested in going out to dinner with friends than steering the police force through this country's biggest natural disaster," he said in a statement.

Come on people... grow up! Get the facts right... And don't be a hypocrite !