1. The Star Online （http://thestar.com.my）
Locals and tourists celebrate second anniversary of heritage listing, 8 July 2010
GEORGE TOWN: The George Town Festival 2010 got off to a rousing start as locals and tourists took advantage of the public holiday here to enjoy the sights and sounds of the Pearl of the Orient.
Despite the drizzle, they turned up at the Town Hall in Esplanade as early as 8am yes-terday for the launch of the second anniversary celebration of George Town’s joint listing with Malacca as Unesco World Heritage Site.
This is the first year that the occasion is marked with a public holiday.
The month-long festival is to create awareness on the importance of preserving, protecting and promoting George Town’s heritage.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who launched the celebration, said the state government had set up George Town World Heritage Incorporated, whose main objective was to manage the site by working with all the stakeholders.
After the opening ceremony, Lim flagged off the heritage “trea-shaw” hunt, which saw participants hopping onto trishaws to explore food, costumes and buildings in George Town.
This was followed by a visit to the Logan Memorial – a tribute to 19th century lawyer and ethnologist James Richardson Logan – which stands in front of the new seven-storey court building.
Later, Lim also rode on a pony cart with 20 trishaws with other invited guests following him on a heritage enclave trail.
Australian Adam Houston, 31, who was there with girlfriend Sandra Williams, 27, said he was fortunate to be in Penang at a time when many events were taking place in conjunction with the festival.
“By a stroke of luck, we are able to enjoy not only the cultural aspect of the city but also its heritage,” he said.
The day-long extravaganza, themed “Streets Come Alive — Unforgettable George Town”, also saw many of the heritage zone’s sites and attractions opened to the public free-of-charge.
In Malacca, the anniversary was marked by special thanksgiving prayers at the 17th century Masjid Kampung Keling along Jalan Tukang Emas, followed by a procession of some 60 antique bicycles - led by state Governor Tun Mohd Khalil Yaakob - along the famous “Harmony Street” past several landmarks in the heart of the city.
Hundreds of guests later thronged the Independence Memorial to watch a performance held by the Munshi Abdullah Musical Theater, culminating in a fireworks display.
The state has lined up 59 events to commemorate the occasion, including seminars, traditional performances, dances and games and the screening of popular old Malay, Chinese and Indian movies.
2. WorldWide Religious News（http://www.wwrn.org）
Malaysia appoints 1st female Islamic court judges
("ZeeNews," July 8, 2010)
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Malaysia's Islamic Shariah courts have appointed their first female judges — a move praised by women's rights activists on Thursday as a boost for a judicial system often accused of favouring men.
Suraya Ramli and Rafidah Abdul Razak, formerly officials at the government's Islamic judicial department, were named Shariah court judges for Kuala Lumpur and the administrative capital of Putrajaya in May, but the appointment was only announced in the past week by Prime Minister Najib Razak.
Najib said the step was meant to "enhance justice in cases involving families and women's rights" in Malaysia, where nearly two-thirds of the country's 28 million people are Muslims.
Women have long complained they face discrimination in cases involving divorce, child custody rights, inheritance, polygamy and other disputes in Islamic courts, which handle matters involving family and morality for Malaysian Muslims.
Rights activists have said they receive hundreds of complaints each year from women because Shariah courts are slow to penalise ex-husbands who fail to pay child support. Men are also known to find it relatively easy to divorce their wives while taking a greater share of the couple's property.
Norhayati Kaprawi, a prominent Malaysian Muslim women's activist, said the appointments were long overdue.
"What they must focus on is ensuring that they deliver justice and take into consideration ... the realities of Muslim women's lives," Norhayati said.
Meera Samanther, president of Malaysian group Women's Aid Organisation, said fair representation within the justice system was "a necessity”.
Suraya, 31, could not immediately be contacted on Thursday, and Rafidah, 39, declined to immediately comment. Court officials could not be reached to elaborate on what cases the judges have handled so far.
Female judges are common in Malaysia's secular courts, though most top posts are held by men.
（End）
