But how did they end up fighting for the British and when did they emerge as an elite unit? That’s the story we are telling today. 

My Gurkha annecdeote comes from my grandad, WW2 had just finished and he was visiting a botanical garden in london full of tropical plants....all of a sudden he got a tap on the shoulder, he looks round to see a smiling Gurkha "You didn't see me, did you?" 

The way he told it was like Gurkhas had supernatural powers of stealth. In the late sixties, I was in the bar at Marylebone Station when a Gurkha came in and ordered a beer. No one in the bar would allow him to pay for it himself, such was the respect.they are held in.

He said such pressure was inappropriate against those raising corruption concerns.

PurpleDragon0476 : I still remember Najib throwing a hysterical tantrum when Mary Ann Jolley interviewed him on ABC about his corruption. “You’re not being fair to me!” he cried, clutching his pearls and moaning. Anwar is essentially doing the exact same thing.

Gabriel, a survivor of the Lebanese Civil War, shares her firsthand experience of growing up in a bomb shelter and explains why she believes Western Europe, especially Britain under Keir Starmer’s Labour government, is facing a crisis of free speech, immigration policy, and political Islam. 

The author admits she is 'heartbroken' to reveal she has turned down speaking engagements in Britain this year due to fear she will be persecuted by police for her views in a similar manner to Graham Linehan. 

She discusses: Two-tier policing in the UK The Muslim Brotherhood’s long-term strategy Mass immigration and assimilation The decline of debate in Britain Free speech and “anti-Muslim hostility” laws Donald Trump’s leadership in the US Whether Britain risks becoming “the next Lebanon”

India Pakistan War 1965: The Battle of Asal Uttar

In 1965, the Centurion was essentially and arguably at its prime. These were Centurion Mk.5, which cannot be compared with the original Mk1 or even Korea era Mk3. The extensive use of the HESH grenades by the Indian Army worked very well against the Patton's armour, to the intense discomfort of the Pakistani invaders. 

Great description of the battle. Indian western army commander Harbaksh Singh was one of the critical leaders who led in this effort and his role needs to be mentioned. The Centurion and the Pattons were fairly close in age The main-Production Centurion Mk3 dated from 1948 while the Pattons 1950-52. 

But a huge difference in deaign philosophy. Assal Uttar was also called Patton Naggar or Patton Graveyard and the tank responsuble for the destruction was the Centurion Tanks used by the Indian Army. The Centurion was a far superior tank to the M-47 and M-48 used by Pakistan. The 20 Pounder APDS would go clean trough a Patton at 2,000 meters it was faster firing and much easier to aim and fire.

Last Wednesday’s part demolition of a temple in Rawang was criminal damage under cover of grievance.Four men allegedly used a backhoe to tear down a section of a Hindu temple without informing local authorities or engaging temple management.

Police arrested them and seized the machinery, opening investigations for mischief, trespass, damage to a place of worship and acts likely to breach the peace. That should have been the end of it, a criminal case handled by the courts.

Instead, the incident lands in a climate already thick with rhetoric about “illegal” houses of worship, planned rallies and loud declarations of moral outrage. In such a toxic environment, a backhoe becomes more than a machine. It becomes a signal.

And the signal is dangerous. This is not about one structure in Rawang. It is about a growing temptation in our politics: the belief that if you feel strongly enough, you may enforce your own version of the law. That belief will ruin us.

When grievance turns into force

Malaysia has disputes over land use, over planning approval and over religious sites. These are not new. What is new is the willingness of some to bypass due process and act first. That is vigilantism. Strip away the slogans and that is what remains.

The rule of law does not bend to emotion and it does not answer to crowds. It requires evidence, procedure and restraint. When citizens take enforcement into their own hands, they do not strengthen the law. They weaken it, they swap courts with impulse, and they replace institutions with intimidation.

History offers a warning. In 1978, violence in Kerling over the alleged desecration of a temple spiralled into killings. Young men believed they were defending what was sacred. Five people died, others went to prison. The scars lasted far longer than the headlines.

No one set out that day planning to create a national wound. But once private defence turned into lethal force, events outran intentions. That is how escalation works. It rarely announces itself. Rawang did not descend into violence. It could have.

When emotions run high and communities feel cornered, retaliation does not require much imagination. A single act can trigger another. Soon the argument shifts from permits and land titles to pride and revenge. We would then face consequences far beyond a disputed structure.

Leadership is the firewall

Police have urged the public not to speculate and not to inflame tensions. That call for restraint matters. Calm enforcement sends a message that institutions still function. But law enforcement alone cannot carry the burden.

Political and civic leaders must speak with rationality. Not selective clarity. Not partisan reason. Clear condemnation of unlawful acts — full stop. Silence, equivocation or applause disguised as “understanding the frustration” only feeds the belief that some forms of lawlessness deserve sympathy.

They do not. If a house of worship violates planning laws, there are legal remedies. If land status remains disputed, there are courts. If relocation becomes necessary, there are structured negotiations. These processes may frustrate activists. They may move slowly but they exist for a reason: they prevent chaos.

We face a deeper problem than zoning disputes. We face a shortage of steady leadership at a time when steady leadership matters most. Loose statements, careless rhetoric and performative outrage push a tense society closer to the edge. Nations do not collapse overnight. They erode when citizens lose faith that institutions will act fairly.

They erode when mobs believe they can act faster than judges. They erode when anger replaces patience. Malaysia has worked too hard to present itself as stable, progressive and plural to flirt with that erosion.

This moment demands discipline. Investigate the Rawang demolition thoroughly. Charge those responsible if evidence supports it and let the courts decide.

At the same time, create transparent mechanisms to address disputes over places of worship before frustration festers. Above all, reject the idea that force equals resolve. A backhoe against a temple wall may look decisive. In truth, it signals something weaker — a loss of faith in lawful process.

If we normalise that loss of faith, we invite something far worse than damaged bricks.We invite a cycle in which every group feels justified in acting first and answering later. That path has no winners.

Malaysia stands at a simple crossroads. Either we defend the rule of law when it feels inconvenient, or we surrender it when emotions run high.

Malaysiakini : The wanton destruction of Hindu temples by local councils in several states must now stop as it could fan religious and racial animosity among Malaysians, Gerakan Youth warned today.

Have never seen this movie before. Had 2 uncles who fought in Vietnam in the early 70s. When they returned back home. They were traumatized in silence, for years. 1 uncle moved to Aussie and ended up homeless, drug addiction and nobody knows where he is. 

My other uncle came back to NZ, and lived his life quietly. We dare not speak about Vietnam because we saw how traumatized he was for years. Always silent and always loved by all there, nieces and nephews. Love you plenty Uncles. Respect to all who fought in all wars including in themselves.

Well acted and a authentic feel with the Greek's independence. Some scenes were very hard to watch and with such brave people meeting their deaths. Absolute brilliant family movie. In fact , Greece become first autonomous and then an independent state thanks to Russian empire. 

And its victorious wars against the Ottoman empire. As well as Serbia, Monte Negro, Bulgaria and all Balkan countries. Bulgarians share the same fate and history, as the Greeks..for a better future need respect and good relations with our neighbors .. no wars.

The only intellectual person in entire Congress. Salute to Mr. Tharoor. "Even God couldn't trust the English in the dark" You read my mind. Even as a Pakistani, this feels so good to hear. Hats off to a man like him!!! 

As a German-born I know how important it is to accept and deal with the entire national history. We can't pick and choose the good parts of our histories and for the rest claim - "oh, I wasn't even born then". That would be ridiculously wrong. It makes us feel better if we become aware of and accept all that really happened before we were born.

He just won the debate with single sentence saying" you can't shame the state which has no shame " he ate it and left no crumbs. "Pakistan is the epicenter of terrorism"----- Dr S Jaishankar. "We are not war with Pakistan but with terroristan " - Dr S jaishankar. When you are sharpening your argument they are sharpening their swords. 

Dialogue is not their strength but bloodshed is. Our gen z is more interested in foreign policies, diplomacy,national security and nationalism. It's heartening to know that there's an Indian student at the Oxford who feels like a true Indian. We need young and competent voices like him to talk about the brutality of our neighbours.

Swiss scholar Prof. Ingo Strauch and French expert Prof. Charlotte Schmid spotlight "Cikai Korran" (possibly "Tufted Leader") scrawled eight times, with one declaring "Cikai Korran vara kanta" or "Cikai Korran came and saw," mimicking Greek graffiti styles from the era. People are unable to digest and recognise the ancientness of Tamil language, Tamil culture and their achievements.

What does this say about India's military calculations? Why is India doubling down on the French Rafale? Excellent deal. The Rafale jets are proven and reliable and furthermore value for money. This is purchase comes as no surprise. 

India already had plans to aquire those 114 Rafales all the way back since the first 36 to replace it's Mirages and Jaguars. It will give a massive boost India's air power and capabilities and it doesn't mean that India can't get the Su-57, that deal can still happen...or it will. 

I think this is somewhat misleading. India had already planned to aquire the 114 Rafales later on after the first batch of 36 many years ago, mainly to replace some of their older jets which would be phased out anyways (the Mig-29K, a carrier based Mig-29, Mirage 2000s and Jaguars) with a far superior one.

Selangor police chief Shazeli Kahar, the presidents of the various local councils and district officers attended the meeting. “The incident in Rawang has caused unease and concern among the public. “This must be addressed immediately to prevent any incident that could undermine the state’s harmony along racial and religious lines,” said Amirudin in a statement.

The menteri besar stressed that for places of worship built on privately owned land, the existing process requires the landowner to appoint a lawyer and obtain a court order before any eviction or demolition can take place. “No party may take action on their own without going through the court process. This is in accordance with the National Land Code and related land laws,” he added.

Veteran 1972 : ISIS beliefs at work here. Your heads must be buried so far up that you cannot see, same beliefs, Whaddaya expect? Voting for radical extremists like PKR is the same as voting for PAS. Wake up and smell the coffee.

FairMind : PMX should take the larger part of the blame for encouraging vigilantes and hate preachers to demolish indian temples without regard to the laws and cause the disharmony in the country. 

He opened his big mouth but its the presidents of the various local councils and district officers who are scrambling to contain the damages and chaos.

MarioT : Change must occur to this state government who have forgotten who gave them the mandate to manage the state. They forget that forty percent of the state population are non Malays and their needs and welfare are also important as they contribute the majority of the state's revenue. I wonder who runs the state under a constitutional monarchy?

Outlier : PKR can now say goodbye to 100% of the Indian votes. Chinese already said goodbye long time ago. Let’s see how much the apologist DAP will suffer next.

Anonymous_3f4b : Wipe both PKR and DAP out from Selangor. They have abused their powers, acted arrogantly and breach their many promises to their nons supporters after only 18 years as the state government. Time to show them who is Boss and people's power.

VP Biden : What about illegal tahfiz schools ? Why are they being legalised under the "whitewashing policy" ie not demolished but allowed to be legalised?

What about allocating land and funds for new non muslim house of worships proportional to the population of Selangor which is about 40%? Why no allocations? 

What about existing house of worships pre 2008 which the Pakatan government said will be assessed case by case ie to remain as they are or allocated new locations? What about vigilantes taking law onto own hands? 

What about hate preachers and mongers who continue to disregard the law and incite their followers? Are you waiting for someone to be killed before action is taken?

Kerling : Malaysiakini : Remember the ‘Kerling incident’ “We hereby issue a stern warning to all local councils to stop demolishing temples and to avoid the repeat of another 'Kerling incident' because of their (local governments) insensitivities of the right of minority groups,” added Paranjothy. 

In 1977, five Muslim Malays, accused of being involved in a series of temple desecration, were killed after being ambushed near the vicinity of a Hindu temple by several Indian Hindus in Kerling, near Kuala Selangor. The incident drew a storm of controversy and the assailants were all given jail sentences. 

They were then represented by former MIC secretary-general DP Vijandran. Paranjothy argued that most of such temples have been long in existence and the local authorities should show sensitivity by relocating them to appropriate places.

Isn't this data flawed when 99% Hindus live in India? Which is developing compared to developed world most of which got developed on colonial wealth? Example- India got looted $65 trillion worth of wealth by BR!T!SH. The British museum is a crime scene, look at all the loot in it. Even the crown is with a diamond stolen by the British. The kohinoor diamond. I don't hate brits but facts are facts.

In downtown Johor Bahru, within just 1.3 kilometres, stand 9 historic houses of worship representing 6 different religions — all within walking distance of one another. 

Join us on a walking journey through JB’s historic core, starting at the Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Glass Temple and continuing past churches, mosques, a Sikh gurdwara, and Chinese temples — each shaped by the communities that built the city in the 19th and 20th centuries. 

Discover how Chinese, Indian, Sikh, Arab, and Malay communities lived side by side, establishing sacred spaces near their homes and workplaces. Many sites were built on land granted by the Johor Sultans, quietly shaping the city’s multicultural identity. This is not just a story about religion — it is a story about coexistence, trust, and shared space, preserved within a small stretch of Johor Bahru.

There is no distortion of Islam...just the distortion of the reality of Islam and those who lie about it and try to cover it up. For example..."Islam is a religion of peace". This is exactly what David Wood and some others said many years ago. This is one of the reasons they hate us. 

Islam never abrogated the reasoning for slavery, it entrenched it but Christianity did and it was Western Christians and white people who did that and isn't it strange that despite doing that all you ever hear is how white people are responsible for the whole of slavery. It's like somehow by doing this we have taken the hatred of this world upon us for doing that.

During a Feb. 10 hearing titled “Sharia-Free America: Why Political Islam and Sharia Law Are Incompatible with the U.S. Constitution,” the U.S. House Subcommittee on the Constitution will examine evidence about the potential threat that Sharia poses to the basic freedoms underpinning our constitutional republic.

Sharia is derived from Islam’s most important foundational texts, the Quran and hadith (the canonical collections of the Muslim prophet Muhammad’s deeds and pronouncements), and their interpretation and codification by Islam’s greatest classical legists. 

Not merely holistic, in the general sense of all-encompassing, it is totalitarian, regulating everything from the ritual aspects of religion to personal hygiene to the governance of a Muslim-minority community or an Islamic state, bloc of states or global Islamic order.

At its core, it demonstrates the yawning gap between Western and Islamic conceptions of freedom, hurriyya in Arabic. Indeed, following Sharia slavishly throughout one’s life was paramount to hurriyya, whose essence was pronounced by the 11th-century Sufi scholar al-Qushayri as “the perfection of slavery to Allah, and [his] religious law.”

Clearly, Sharia-based governance is the most troubling contemporary aspect of this Muslim conception of organizing society, being an ancient antecedent of more familiar modern totalitarian systems.

The partition of British India in 1947 divided the subcontinent into India and Pakistan along religious lines, resulting in mass violence and the splitting of the Indus River Basin. India gained control of the headwaters of the eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej), while Pakistan inherited most of the downstream flow of the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab), creating immediate disputes over water allocation.  

The Indus Waters Treaty was signed on September 19, 1960, in Karachi by Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistani President Ayub Khan, with World Bank President Eugene Black as a witness.

After nine years of negotiations following the partition, the treaty resolved the bitter water dispute by dividing the six main rivers of the Indus Basin. India received unrestricted use of the three eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej), while Pakistan was allocated the three western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab), securing roughly 80% of the total annual flow for Pakistan.

The agreement required Pakistan to build a vast replacement infrastructure system to compensate for losing control over the eastern rivers, which had long irrigated large parts of Punjab and Sindh. This included constructing link canals to transfer water from the western rivers eastward, storage reservoirs, and major dams. The World Bank provided substantial financial support and mediation, making the treaty one of the most expensive water-sharing deals in world history at the time.

A couple of years ago, in my book, A Heretic’s Manifesto, I envisioned a situation where Iran’s female warriors against theocracy might one day come to the West only to find themselves branded ‘Islamophobic’. In my dystopic foretelling, these valiant hijab-burners would be accused by the pious pricks of the woke of such blasphemous sins as ‘hijabophobia’ – a real word, meaning ‘hostility to the hijab’. They might look to the West for refuge and wind up not being celebrated but being shouted down, charged with the thoughtcrime of Islamophobia.

Well, now it’s happened. Iranian icon Masih Alinejad has been damned as an Islamophobe. One of the theocratic regime’s most dreaded heretics, for her fearless defence of secular values and women’s rights, Alinejad has been living in exile in the United States since 2014. 

And last week she was marked with that shaming slur of ‘phobe’. Her crime? Daring to diss the hijab. Her accuser? None other than Mehdi Hasan – motormouth hack, darling of America’s coastal bourgeoisie, and someone who will never suffer the indignity of being told what to wear by preening, arrogant men who think they can talk to God.

I don’t think I have ever been as much ‘team’ someone as I was Team Masih in her digital clash with Hasan. It kicked off on Thursday when Alinejad had the temerity to criticise New York’s sainted faux-Marxian mayor, Zohran Mamdani. 

His office put out a tweet celebrating World Hijab Day. This garment is a ‘powerful symbol of devotion and celebration of Muslim heritage’, it gushed. It’s also a powerful symbol of sexist suppression under the boot of theocracy, as anyone who can be arsed to watch the news from Iran will know. Alinejad wasn’t happy. She let rip.

‘Really? Right now?’, she tweeted in reply to City Hall’s clueless hijab-cheering. You fawn over this hair-shaming cloak while women in ‘my wounded country’ are being jailed, shot and killed for refusing [it]’, she thundered. 

She then mused on Mamdani’s yellow-bellied silence on the massacres in Iran. ‘Not a single word of sympathy from you’, she wrote. ‘No expression of solidarity.’ She wondered – searingly – what kind of supposed progressive is less interested in ‘standing with women’ than ‘standing with our jailers’.

It was a blistering pushback. And she’s dead right: there is something seriously off about the fact that as women in Iran risk their lives by casting off the hijab, we in the West bow down to that regressive covering. There are even World Hijab Day events in British schools, where non-Muslim girls are encouraged to put one on to see what life is like for a Muslim. As one observer quipped, how about encouraging Muslim girls to take theirs off so that they might taste that hair-flowing freedom their non-Muslim peers enjoy?

The videos show Democrats calling to stop illegal immigration, while Fitzgerald revealed that 90 members’ phone records were obtained, adding another layer of scrutiny. He also highlighted the Arctic Frost operation, which Bondi repeatedly refused to discuss, escalating tensions in the hearing. This should’ve been played as a Super Bowl commercial. Why is this not a commercial being played everywhere.

Indons captured by 3 RAR

Pendaratan ini kembali terbilang gagal. Tentara Indonesia langsung berhadapan dengan pasukan Malaysia dibantu Inggris. Perdana Menteri Malaysia Tunku Abdul Rahman sampai menyempatkan diri melihat tentara Indonesia yang tertangkap dan ditahan di Kantor Polisi Pontian.

"However strong you may feel, you may like or dislike, respect or disrespect others' beliefs, but the ground rules must be observed. "Therefore, I want to remind my friends you have been told to observe these rules and you must adhere to these principles, and you have no right whatsoever to take the law into your own hands," he said at a Chinese New Year dinner hosted by the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM) last night.

He stressed that only the authorities can take action against unauthorised temples.

Raja Chulan : The government must first of all address the root cause(s) of the non-Muslim places of worship being built without "proper" approvals. The reason is plain and simple- it is because the government authorities act unreasonably and don't give approvals. 

Can the government show us how many approvals were given for non-Muslim places of worship the last 10 years? Compare that with masjids and suraus being built. I ask the PM and the Madani government to be fair. 

Don't say something and do the opposite- hypocrite. When you want their votes, you are pleasant but then after ascending to power you betray them. To the non- Muslims, I have this advice- VOTE THEM OUT!!

AyuhMy : Temples that stood since precolonial days, and before even the land code came into effect are not illegal but simply not given their due legal titles. Were these omitted on purpose? 

Land stolen from the precolonial temple and another house of worship built on the same site will only make it illegal and tak suc!..! No good will come from it. These temple and pig farms issues have been purposely stirred up to make life uncomfortable for the NM's. 

They think they can prosper without the NM's but they should think hard again. Just the corruption within their own (from defence to sanitation) is bringing the nation down. When the investors leave and tourists stop coming, it will be too late, and malusia can join the likes of burma and bangla..

Veteran 1972 : He threw the rock now he tries to hide his guilty hands!

“Since January, the state government has halted the issuance of pig farming licences and has focused on clearing existing farm sites in Tanjong Sepat in line with the decree of His Royal Highness (Selangor ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah),” he said in a statement issued after chairing the state executive council meeting.

Amirudin said about 70 percent of pork requirements for the non-Muslim community are sourced through imports from other states. Following the executive council’s decision, the menteri besar said the entire local requirement will be fully imported.  

Benefits of Pork

MarioT : DAP holds 15 seats in the Selangor state assembly compared to 12 seats held by PKR. It should consider moving out of PH and join with PN to replace the state government for its inconsiderate and discriminatory decision to ban pig farming in the state. Do not be led by the nose.

On the Other Hand : As usual, Anthony Loke and the DAP are hiding in a hole, not wanting to be noticed. Counting their Ministerial salaries and pensions?

Asam Pedas : Illegal Malay businesses by the hundreds of thousands operated all over Selangor. However legitimate tax paying business by non-Malays are forced to shutdown. So easy and no one raises a hand. Respect is a one way street along with tolerance? Shameful!!

GSVL : So the 44% non-Malays/Muslims in Selangor have no rights? Why not also ban cow and goat farming because they also pollute the environment, is unclean and emit foul smells? These is a serious erosion of non-Muslim rights in the face of Muslim fundamentalist extremism. 

The Sultan should not have issued such a decree. You mean there is not a single non-Malay/Muslim majority area in one of the 9 districts in the state where small scale, clean, modern and environmentally sound pig farming could be carried out? 

What is going to happen to the livelihoods of the 69 licensed pig farm owners in Selangor who still have around 100,000 pigs? Who is going to compensate them? Let us assume that 100% of the pork is going to be imported into the state, are the Muslims then going to object as to how and where the pork is going to be sold and consumed by non-Muslims? 

Is the Sultan then going to issue another decree to restrict the sale and consumption of pork in Malay/Muslim majority areas? This is a slippery slope. What is the legality of a royal decree? A constitutional ruler has no executive power to make policy decisions to the exclusion of the state exco and the state government.

Veteran 1972 : Make sure PKR and DAP suffer massive losses in the next elections. Cutting off a source of livelihood for the destitute and the poor.

Just a Malaysian : Pig is the most efficient animal converting leftovers or anything into meat. As compare to Cows or sheep that needs vast land and plentiful of grass to convert into meat. 

But pig rearing is dirty and smelly and that should be a challenge to agro industry to modernise pig farming like Taiwan and China. Government should lead in initiating this drive. But like all things non Muslim...don't like just ban. 

Pork is already very expensive and this move will add more burden to the non Muslim citizens. Its sad..our Tuanku who declares as ruler of all citizens did not take time to explore other options.

Open minded 2281 : The end of PH and DAP in Selangor. First PMX directed local councils to clear Hindu temples which existed prior to independence and local councils refusing to award land titles due to unknown reasons and secondly the closure of pig farms which also existed for a long time. The NM have been lied and cheated by politicians.

I can't understand this. The very people that destroyed NY during 9/11 put someone like them in office. Put a MUSLIM IN POWER AT YOUR PERIL. Prime example, LONDONISTAN. How could the New Yorkers vote for a man like this! 

All the leftists, wokes and communists are there, to form the nucleus for the destruction of the Western Civilization. It turns my stomach- my parents (father in WWII), are turning in their graves... Wow, is this mind blowing! As a boomer, it's horrifying to realize how close we have come to loosing constitutional America.

Even in countries such as India and China, he said, places of worship may only be built on legally approved sites. That comparison was deliberate: it signalled that Malaysia’s position does not stand outside regional norms. The rule that sacred space must comply with land and planning law is not unusual. 

It is standard practice across countries that take governance seriously. But the way different countries manage this tension between faith and regulation offers important lessons. India presents one path, China presents another. Neither offers a blueprint, both offer warnings.

India: law as shield — and battleground

India enacted the Places of Worship Act in 1991 to freeze the religious character of places of worship as they stood at independence. The aim was to prevent historical grievances from spilling endlessly into modern disputes. The law sought to draw a legal line and protect public order. That move showed foresight. It recognised that unresolved religious claims can destabilise a plural society.

Yet India also shows how disputes can shift into the courts and into politics. Even with legal safeguards, contested sites have triggered prolonged litigation and street mobilisation. Local politics often shapes enforcement. Court decisions sometimes settle matters, but not always public sentiment. The lesson here is not that law fails. It is that law must operate within trusted institutions.

When people believe enforcement bends to political pressure, even sound legislation struggles. India also reminds us of the importance of heritage protection. Many sites carry historical and cultural meaning beyond their religious function. Preserving them strengthens national identity. Ignoring that dimension fuels resentment. Malaysia can draw from this experience. Clear legal status matters, so does credible administration.

China: order through control

China approaches the issue differently. It requires strict registration of religious organisations and tightly regulates construction. Unauthorised structures rarely survive long. The country exercises firm oversight over land use and religious activity. This approach produces visible order. It reduces ambiguity and sends a strong signal that no religious activity falls outside regulatory frameworks.

But the cost is equally visible. Heavy control narrows religious space and places significant authority in state hands. Communities comply, but not always with confidence. Malaysia is not China. Nor should it seek that model. Order achieved through rigid control may prevent disorder, but it can also suppress trust. Still, China illustrates one reality clearly: governments that enforce land law consistently avoid the perception that sacred status overrides civic rules.

Malaysia’s middle path

Malaysia stands between these two approaches. It does not freeze history in law as India attempted. It does not centralise religious administration as China does. Instead, it operates within a constitutional framework that recognises Islam as the religion of the Federation while protecting the rights of other faiths.

That balance requires discipline. Anwar’s warning about unchecked structures addresses a genuine concern. When informal sites multiply without approval, authorities lose oversight. Landowners lose clarity, and communities lose predictability. But enforcement must reflect Malaysia’s character.

This country thrives on negotiation, documentation and local engagement. It resolves disputes through committees, not commands. That tradition is a strength, not a weakness. Malaysia can succeed if it pairs firm standards with transparent process. First, the federal government should define compliance criteria clearly and publish them.

When communities understand the benchmarks — land title, safety standards, planning approval — they can respond accordingly. Second, authorities should handle long-standing cases differently from new violations. History does not excuse illegality, but it does shape context. A shrine that stood quietly for 100 years requires careful handling, not abrupt removal.

Third, heritage assessment must play a central role. Some temples represent the journeys of plantation workers, traders and migrants who built modern Malaysia. Demolishing such sites without review erases part of the national story. Fourth, councils must apply standards consistently. A temple in one district cannot face harsher action than a similar structure elsewhere. Uneven enforcement breeds suspicion. None of this weakens the rule of law. It strengthens it.

Why regional comparisons matter

By referencing India and China, Anwar reframed the debate. He reminded Malaysians that regulated worship is normal. Sacred space does not sit outside civic order anywhere in Asia. The comparison also tempers emotional reaction. It shows that requiring legal approval is not hostility toward faith. It is governance. But comparisons also warn us against extremes.

India demonstrates how unresolved disputes can become political flashpoints. China demonstrates how excessive control can narrow space for trust. Malaysia must avoid both traps. It must enforce the law without theatrical displays. It must regularise where possible. It must relocate only when necessary, and it must always communicate decisions clearly. The aim is not to win an argument but to preserve harmony while restoring order.

A moment for measured leadership

Religious issues test the maturity of a nation. They stir memory and identity, they invite opportunists to inflame sentiment, and they tempt governments to act quickly for the sake of optics. Measured leadership resists that temptation. If Putrajaya sets clear national standards and insists on consistent application, it will stabilise the issue.

If councils document decisions and explain them publicly, suspicion will fade. India and China show that regulation is normal. They also show that trust determines whether regulation succeeds. Malaysia’s strength lies in its plural society and its constitutional framework. That framework already contains the answer: rights exist within law; law exists to protect rights.

Firm standards, careful execution and equal treatment. That is the middle path.

In this video, I break down: 

• The footage everyone is calling “Australia’s Rodney King moment”

• The claims of police brutality vs what actually happened

• The biting incident and why context matters

• The role of Green politicians and performative outrage

• The protests surrounding President Isaac Herzog’s visit

• The broader rise of Islamist activism in Australia

• Why public support for law enforcement matters

• And why hard-right parties are surging in the polls

Are police supposed to maintain order, or step back when faced with aggression? Are we witnessing necessary enforcement of the law — or political theater designed to shame officers for doing their jobs?

I also compare how different Western police forces respond to disruptive protests — including examples from Germany and the ACT — and ask whether Australia is finally drawing a line. This isn’t about silencing peaceful protest. It’s about whether intimidation, aggression, and open hostility towards the state should be tolerated in the name of “activism”.

Ken Paxton, attorney general for the state of Texas, at AmericaFest 2025 in Phoenix, Ariz., on Dec. 20, 2025.

Ken Paxton, the attorney general in Texas, has launched a series of high-profile legal actions targeting alleged terrorist-linked organizations as part of his efforts to combat domestic and foreign extremism in the state.

On Feb. 5, he announced a lawsuit against the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) “to stop the terrorist groups from operating in Texas.”

According to the 32-page filing submitted to a Collin County district court, the State of Texas alleges that the Muslim Brotherhood “is a radical terrorist organization that exists to usurp governmental power and establish dominion through Sharia law” and that it has “covertly operated in the United States under the name ‘CAIR’ for decades.”

The document states that “the group is not peaceful. It is not tolerant. It does not respect the freedom to practice other religions or sects, including Christianity and Judaism.”

Paxton is seeking temporary and permanent injunctions to halt all operations, fundraising, property ownership and recruitment by the organizations in Texas.

The attorney general also turned his attention to domestic terror groups. On Feb. 6, Paxton initiated legal action against the Houston-based Screwston Anti-Fascist Committee, described by his office as an “Antifa-affiliated unincorporated nonprofit association,” alleging violations of Texas law tied to doxing and violence.

“Radical leftists have engaged in coordinated efforts to militantly attack our nation and undermine the rule of law,” he said. “These deranged traitors will face the full force of law. No stone will be left unturned, and no tool will be left unused.”

Paxton noted that Antifa has been designated by U.S. President Donald Trump as a terrorist organization and that “reported members of Screwston affiliates recently participated in an armed assault on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Alvarado, Texas.”

As such, he is opening an investigation into the group and has issued a “legal demand for records and documents that will be used to identify the scope of legal violations committed by the organization.”

Those Christians who attempt to practice their faith more or less openly do so with the awareness that they could attract the attention of the authorities at any time, and so they have to proceed with extreme caution, a caution that is utterly foreign to Christians in the West — but might not be for much longer.   

Orthodox Times on Thursday published an illuminating account of life in the tiny Greek Orthodox community in Tehran, which, we’re informed, “gathers at the only Orthodox church in the entire country, the Church of the Annunciation.” 

It doesn’t, however, gather very often. Archimandrite Nikiforos Kounalis of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Crete has gone to Tehran three times to provide the faithful of the Church of the Annunciation with a parish priest, always for a brief period. Otherwise, there is no parish priest at the Church of the Annunciation, and most of the time, the church isn’t even open — because Iran’s Islamic authorities frown on its being open at all. 

Fr. Nikiforos recounts: “I always went there during Holy Week, because that was the only time the church was open.” The other 51 weeks of the year, the Church of the Annunciation sits closed in Tehran, a silent witness to how difficult the Islamic Republic makes life for Christians.

Not out of sentimentality, but because they represent the civilisational pillars of the West. Australia is my home. Britain is our cultural ancestor. America is the muscle that keeps the whole thing standing. What I expose here is far more serious than culture wars or partisan squabbles. 

Newly released documents show how the European Union has been pressuring American tech companies since at least 2015 to censor legal political speech. Populist views. Anti-migration arguments. Criticism of elites. Satire. Anything that challenges their agenda. 

This censorship doesn’t stop at Europe’s borders. It affects Australians, Americans, Britons, Canadians. Anyone using platforms owned by U.S. companies. That’s why leaders across Europe are now openly targeting Elon Musk. 

X is the only major platform that refused to comply. Raids, investigations, threats of criminal liability for CEOs are not accidents. They are intimidation. Say the wrong thing about mass migration. Say the wrong thing about citizenship giveaways. Say the wrong thing about ideology. 

And suddenly it’s “hate speech”. This is why America matters. This is why free speech still matters there. And this is why the warning from Ronald Reagan feels more relevant than ever. We are no longer one generation away from losing our freedom.

Genocide Criminals No space In Australia Deport them, Criminals nation wide! Waste of time and energy. That will never change Israeli policy of holding onto its ancestral land. No protest against brutal Iranian regime but Israel, Hypocracy! This is what you get when you vote for the greens the most disgusting political party in Australian history. 

Ex-AG's daughter pans NSW premier over 'carnage' at protest vs Israeli rep

World Citizen : Hannah, you are a disgrace to your father. You and you gang showed no outrage on the Bondi Beach massacre nor did you offer prayers for the victims. The Australian Government should cancel your citizenship and deport you back to Malaysia. 

Then you will understand what freedom means and how it is to live under a Muslim hegemonic country. You need to know or just talk to your father on the recent incidents of how the majority here is victimising the minorities on the temples and the pig farms issues. 

These are just the samplings of the injustices done to minorities. You are sitting there in a white man's country who treats you with respect and fairness but you are asking the Premier of NSW to resign. How dare you and what gall of you! Are these the values your father taught you?

ScarletViper9930 : Religious rallies of this kind should not be allowed because we know how religion can give rise to extremism and violence. Police did right to clamp down on these people.Hannah Thomas should go live in Palestine instead of abusing the country which host her.

Sherlock : This woman has lost her moral compass. Without Palestinian issue, she would have been championing tree hugging. Issues with no solution in sight, so that it remains perpetual. And be noticed.

Sealthedeal : It's a global phenomenon. People are fed up with Muslims protesting on foreign soil over the Palestinian situation when they started it and in Australia the recent mass shooting by an IS inspired Muslim. 

If Muslims feel that strongly go to Palestine but do not cause trouble in more enlightened countries even if you are citizens of that country. Non Muslims have had enough.

Vijay47 : Ms Hannah, you describe police action against demonstrators protesting the visit to Australia by the Israeli President as "a carnage". Fair enough. 

That is your view, a stand that I and many others in Malaysia do not share. But I don't recall you having expressed any outrage against the Bondi Beach carnage. Jewish lives don't matter?

BlackDove Type C : Concurred, Hannah Thomas should return to Malaysia. Look no further, Orang asli Jakun is being driven out from their adat land in Pahang like Palestinians in Gaza at this moment, why don't you ask her to look into it? 

Malaysians are going to be proud of you. Of course, this is due to peaceful Orang Asli did not fight like Hamas by kidnapped, raped and murdered on Oct 7. 

If the Orang Asli is very safe here and are free to live in the vast jungle in Malaysia on their adat lands, then how come 21 Orang Asli villagers detained for alleged trespassing in Pahang? 

Talking about temples, these temples existed since colonial times, subsequently, other people go to buy the land then start the eviction.