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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19 November 2011

CORRUPTIONS: SPRM OR POLICE ?


Comment:

The Police who investigate the 'illegal money' from SPRM, now the 'illegal money' are gone from the police state office? So who are corrupted??

Maybe we should increase the salaries and other benefits to SPRM/Police so that they will not indulge in corruptions. But the thing is, I heard it was ALREADY increased a few times in a year, bonuses, etc. and review almost every year?!

On the other hand, the salaries of teachers and lecturers, and other public servants, have been somewhat IGNORED, on the basis that their salaries are already high? What high when the costs of living increases higher than their salaries?

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(19 NOV 2011)



MACC money missing

Cops launch investigation into disappearance of RM11,700 belonging to detained officers
AIZAT SHARIF
Friday, November 18th, 2011 11:28:00

TUN HISAN: 'We will check whether the standard operating procedure was followed. We view this as a serious matter as it involved the image and integrity of the force'

SHAH ALAM: Cash belonging to one of the three Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commision (MACC) officers charged with stealing from money-changers in Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on Sept 15 has gone missing.

Selangor police launched an investigation to find out how the RM11,700 and a wallet, which were kept at the State police contingent building, could have been taken.

State police chief Datuk Tun Hisan Tun Hamzah said police only realised the money had gone missing from the investigative officers’ (IO) office at 2pm on Nov 8, 2011. An internal check was conducted before a report was lodged on Tuesday.

To date, 26 police personnel have been questioned.

“We found signs of forced entry on the door and the IO’ drawer was ransacked,” said Tun Hisan.

He said the missing cash was not part of an exhibit or the stolen money related to the court case.

“The money stolen by the suspects were in US dollar bills while the ones missing was in Malaysian ringgit. The cash was stuffed inside a wallet belonging to one of the two detained MACC officers.”

Tun Hisan refused to elaborate on whether the incident was an inside job.

“We will check whether the standard operating procedure was followed. We view this as a serious matter as it involved the image and integrity of the force."

When questioned why the report was lodged five days after the incident, Tun Hisan said the officer needed time to look for the cash before declaring it missing.

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On Oct 7, three MACC officers were charged with nine counts of robbery and abetting two others with robbing three Singaporeans of US$300,000 (RM944,701).

MACC deputy superintendent S. Vijayarao, 33, and assistant superintendents Wan Elfie Shafizy Wan Ahmad, 30, and Assistant Superintendent Aziz Jaafar, 48, had pleaded not guilty to the charges at the Sepang Sessions Court.

The trio were charged with assisting two other men still at large – T. Sritharan, 32, and D. Nagarajan, 34 — to rob Singaporeans Hameed Saadik Batcha, Abd Rahman Maricar and Mohamad Zakkaria Mohamed Shatik, who were all money-changers.

The case is fixed for mention on Dec 6, 2011.

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http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2011&dt=1119&pub=Utusan_Malaysia&sec=Jenayah&pg=je_03.htm
(19 NOV 2011)

Bukit Aman siasat kes WANG Hilang

SHAH ALAM 18 Nov. - Siasatan kes kehilangan dompet dan wang tunai berjumlah RM11,700 daripada simpanan pegawai penyiasat kes samun melibatkan tiga pegawai Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) kini diambil alih oleh Ibu Pejabat Polis Bukit Aman.

Pengarah Jabatan Siasatan Jenayah Bukit Aman, Datuk Seri Mohd. Bakri Mohd. Zinin berkata, pihaknya mengambil alih siasatan kes tersebut memandangkan ia satu kejadian yang amat serius dan berlaku di dalam kawasan ibu pejabat polis.

"Berikutan kes ini dianggap penting, kita (Bukit Aman) perlu ambil tindakan dan menangani kes ini dengan serius," kata beliau ketika dihubungi di sini, hari ini.

Mohd. Bakri mengulas perkembangan siasatan kes kes kehilangan dompet dan wang tunai berjumlah RM11,700 daripada simpanan pegawai penyiasat kes samun melibatkan tiga pegawai SPRM di Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Kuala Lumpur (KLIA), September lalu.

Kehilangan dompet dan wang tunai itu disedari pegawai penyiasat berkenaan pada 8 November lalu selepas dia mendapati terdapat kesan umpil pada pintu bilik dan laci meja pejabatnya di bangunan lama Ibu Pejabat Polis Kontinjen (IPK) Selangor, di sini.

Berikutan kejadian itu, seramai 26 pegawai polis telah dipanggil untuk disoal siasat bagi membantu siasatan sehingga semalam.