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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08 December 2013

Hundreds of millions (of Ringgit) Swindled from banks in past 5 years, mostly by Staff !


Source:
http://my.news.yahoo.com/hundreds-millions-swindled-banks-past-5-years-mostly-155349378.html

Hundreds of millions swindled from banks in past 5 years, mostly by staff, say police - Bernama

The Malaysian Insider – Fri, Dec 6, 2013

Fraud by bank employees is getting more serious as losses incurred by banks due to money swindled by staff has increased to RM473.82 million over the last five years.
Bukit Aman Commercial Crimes Department's Head of Unit for Banking and Financial Crimes Supt Harjinder Kaur Gurdial Singh said overall the banks suffered losses amounting to RM789,106,376 for various types of fraud during the period.
In 2008, it was RM10.1 million, RM27.1 million (2009), RM85.4 million (2010), RM84.5 million (2011), RM191.8 million (2012) and RM390 million (up to November 2013), she told reporters during a special interview on commercial crime in Kuala Lumpur today.
She said among fraud cases involving bank employees were withdrawing money from accounts that have been inactive for more than three years and not crediting cash deposits into customers' accounts.
Bank branch managers were also found abusing overdraft facilities by abusing accounts of customers.
"Our investigation found 60% of the bank fraud was committed by their own employees, 30% by the management while 10% were by the account holders themselves," she said.
Apart from cases of fraud involving bank employees, other fraud involved criminal breach of trust (CBT), document forging, misappropriation of properties and attempts to cheat through banks said Harjinder Kaur.
"What is more shocking is that 60% of bank fraud was committed by women compared with only 40% by men, while 70% of the victims in these fraud cases were men," she said.
She also said bank officers and employees were advised to comply with standard operating procedures (SOP) when processing loan applications from customers.
"Members of the public are advised to be cautious with their security details and personal documents which could be abused by third parties," she said. - Bernama, December 6, 2013.
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 Comment:  How about ALL the cents, that some bank staff took from account holders, cents seem like a small issue, but when you multiple them by a million times, you end up filthy rich !!  Bank top management needs to check on that too ! And Bank Negara needs to check on commercial banks CEO ! 
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