Suhakam: Cops were unprofessional

by Fauwaz Abdul Aziz     Published 7 Aug 2007    Source : Malaysiakini

The Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) agrees that the police acted unprofessionally in preventing an inter-religious seminar on water from being held at the National Mosque in Kuala Lumpur.

Commissioner N Siva Subramaniam said the opportunity for inter-religious dialogue and understanding - even on an issue as innocuous as water - may have suffered a setback and even led to further confusion.

"Such a gathering (at the National Mosque) would have united everyone... and (allowed them to) talk about things (that they have) in common," he said at a meeting this morning with the seminar organisers.

Water is God's gift, say religious groups

by Fauwaz Abdul Aziz     Published 6 Aug 2007     Source : Malaysiakini

Despite the authorities' refusal to permit the seminar from being held at the National Mosque in Kuala Lumpur, six religious groups declared over the weekend their united stand on the human right to water.

At a Saturday forum in Kuala Lumpur, they inked their endorsement of a 'Merdeka Water Declaration' on the sacred right of access for all peoples' to water.

The groups included the Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia (Abim), the Archdiocesan Office for Human Development (AOHD), the Buddhist Missionary Society of Malaysia (BMSM) and the Council of Churches of Malaysia (CCM).

Religious forum on water 'forced' to switch venue

by Fauwaz Abdul Aziz     Published 4 Aug 2007    Source : Malaysiakini

Organisers of an inter-religious seminar on water privatisation have been forced to make last-minute changes to their plans, as certain quarters have withheld permission to hold it at the National Mosque in Kuala Lumpur, its original venue.

The half-day seminar, entitled 'United for Water: Religions Speak on the Right to Water' and scheduled for today, has the backing of eight religious organisations and a number of civil society organisations.

National Mosque officials were said to have been supportive of the event and had extended their cooperation and its facilities to the seminar organisers.