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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05 October 2016

MACC seize RM112 million cash from Sabah department director & deputy !



https://sg.news.yahoo.com/macc-seize-rm112-million-cash-101958983.html




MACC seize RM112 million cash from Sabah department director & deputy

AVILA GERALDINE

KOTA KINABALU: The Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) has recorded one of its largest ever seizures, totalling RM112 million, following its probe on four people, including two senior officers of a Sabah government agency. MACC deputy chief commissioner (operations) Datuk Azam Baki said RM45 million was seized from a director while RM7.2 million was confiscated from a deputy director. "This is the biggest seizure involving civil servants. The most we had confiscated in the past was RM10 million. "In the operation, MACC raided their office and houses. We also seized about RM23 million from bank accounts belonging to the officers and their family members," he told a press conference here today. 



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MACC deputy chief commissioner (operations) Datuk Azam Baki said RM45 million was seized from a director while RM7.2 million was confiscated from a deputy director. (Photo by AVILA GERALDINE)
Six safe deposit boxes, with one containing RM2.5 million, were also seized. MACC also froze RM37 million from a company bank account linked to one of the officers. Other items seized in the operation included luxury cars, jewellery, handbags, and 127 land title grants. Yesterday, the 54-year-old director and 51-year-old deputy director were arrested under suspicion of having monopolised projects under the purview of their department and given them to their relatives. Azam said both officers had handled infrastructure construction projects valued at more than RM3.3 billion since 2010. At the press conference today, MACC displayed the seized items including boxes of cash in both ringgit and foreign currency, gold jewelry, as well as luxury watches. 



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The Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) has recorded one of its largest ever seizures, totalling RM112 million, following its probe on four people, including two senior officers of a Sabah government agency. (Photo by AVILA GERALDINE)
Following their arrests, MACC picked up the deputy director's brother, who is a 55-year-old Datuk and businessman, as well as the latter's 50-year-old accountant to facilitate investigation. The four people would be remanded for seven days beginning today. Based on investigation, Azam said MACC believed the senior officers had also kept money in a neighbouring country and that several individuals would be called in to assist in the probe. © New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd

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