Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- UKM lecturer lodges police report against Suara Keadilan
- Bersih: PAS repeats call for police to act on UMNO-Perkasa
- Yen Yen, explain ‘Curi-curi’ M’sia
- Sarbaini kin reject inquest, demand RCI
- Nazri: Rosmah's involvement elevates country's image
- Let’s see who’s bigger, Perkasa dares Bersih
- As mainstream media fails, BN takes on Pakatan in ceramahs
- Bersih rally: Hindraf opts out
- Police brace for hackers’ attack
- RIM wants another file-sharing site blocked
- Not a single decent road in oil-rich Sabah
| UKM lecturer lodges police report against Suara Keadilan Posted: 14 Jun 2011 11:09 PM PDT
(Bernama) - A Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia lecturer has lodged a report at the district police headquarters today, claiming Suara Keadilan newspaper had twisted his statement in its June 7 publication. Assoc Prof Dr Samsul Adabi Mamat said he wanted to clear his name as he did not make the statement as reported by the official organ of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR). He was referring to a report on page two of the newspaper, headlined "Kerajaan Perpaduan Berkubur" (Unity government is dead) – Prof Samsul Adabi" and its front-page report titled "Umno Putih Mata" (Umno is disappointed). Samsul Adabi said, commenting on the recent PAS election, he concluded that the party had been dominated by PKR in terms of its new line-up and this spelt the end of the Umno-proposed unity government. Asked what he actually said on Barisan Nasional (BN), he said he believed BN could still win big and comfortably in the coming general election even without PAS' support for the unity government. "But what was reported, was the other way round. Statements like Umno 'putih mata' and would be facing difficulty in the 13th general election...I did not say that. "My statement was manipulated to support their thinking. I am disappointed and sad. It is not proper for the newspaper to do this to anyone, especially academicians like me," he said. Asked whether he would like the newspaper to apologise or make a retraction or correction, he said as of now he was still thinking of the next course of action.
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| Bersih: PAS repeats call for police to act on UMNO-Perkasa Posted: 14 Jun 2011 08:38 PM PDT
(Harakah Daily) - PAS has urged police to act against the provocative statements by UMNO's sister organisation Perkasa, whose chief Ibrahim Ali threaten to physically stop the July 9 rally by electoral reform group Bersih.
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| Yen Yen, explain ‘Curi-curi’ M’sia Posted: 14 Jun 2011 06:13 PM PDT
If the minister fails to provide a proper explanation for the RM1.8 million 'splurge', an opposition MP warns that netizens may bay for her blood. (Free Malaysia Today) - Due to the growing discontent, an opposition leader urged Tourism Minister Dr Ng Yen Yen to explain why RM1.8 million was spent on six Facebook pages to promote Malaysia. Speaking in Parliament, DAP's Rasah MP Anthony Loke said there was palpable discontent against the amount spent when it could have been attained at almost no cost. Loke highlighted two Facebook pages regarding the matter, the "1 million Malaysians say no to RM1.8 million" and "Curi-curi wang Malaysia", the latter being a twist of the ministry's famous tagline "Cuti-cuti Malaysia". "These are very creative. Within 18 hours the 'Curi-Curi wang Malaysia' page already has 11,380 'likes' – already half of the Tourism Malaysia's Facebook site. And it is free!" he told reporters. The Citrawarna 1Malaysia Facebook page attracted a total of 20,292 Facebook "likes" since its launch on May 21 this year. A quick check by FMT revealed that "Curi-Curi wang Malaysia" currently had 14, 232 "likes" whereas "1 million Malaysians say no to RM1.8 million" had 749 "likes". Loke said the online community was upset that taxpayers' money was being splurged on things that could have been done for free. Yesterday, Deputy Tourism Minister James Dawos Mamit told Parliament that his ministry spent close to RM1.8 million to create six Tourism Malaysia Facebook applications. He had justified the cost, saying: "This covers the creative works, concepts and ideas, design, flash programming, coding, testing and debugging, uploading and launching of applications, system server development and maintenance, development of database from the contest, campaign management and monitoring as well as online advertisements and fan recruitment on Facebook and Google." However, Loke had rubbished this, arguing that DAP created similar Facebook fan pages and flash applications at no cost. 'Another splurge campaign' During this afternoon's press conference, the Rasah MP said: "No one can explain the situation except Yen Yen herself." He also warned that if the minister did not provide an adequate response, then there could be online campaigns calling for her resignation. Loke also criticised Ng for not coming to Parliament to "face him or the media" to explain the matter. "Rather, she has given a statement to MCA's mouthpiece, the Star. She said that the costs were important as the tourism sector was one of the main revenue earners for the country," he said. "We agree that the tourism industry is important but why spend so much on something that can be gotten for free," asked Loke. According to the Star report, Ng said the RM1,758,432 allocation by the ministry to develop its Facebook page professionally was part of its social media campaign. She added that it was a small amount compared to that spent by other countries in the region.
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| Sarbaini kin reject inquest, demand RCI Posted: 14 Jun 2011 05:51 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - The family of Selangor Customs assistant director Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed has rejected Putrajaya's decision to hold an inquest into his death and are insisting instead on a royal commission of inquiry (RCI). The inquest, to be presided over by Coroner Aizatul Akmal Maharani, was set for July 4 to 15 at the magistrate's court here. Sarbaini's son, Shahril Ahmad, told The Malaysian Insider that his family preferred the RCI as it would be harder to determine the cause of his father's death through an inquest and that this would delay the pursuance of justice. "That is really the purpose of holding the inquest... we want an answer on the incident and we feel an RCI would be more accurate. "If you hold an inquest, it looks like it will just be a waste of time... and it may just become like Teoh Beng Hock's case — after the inquest, an RCI is called... so it is better to just hold an RCI straightaway," he said. In the inquest of political aide Teoh Beng Hock, who also died while under the supervision of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), the coroner ruled out both suicide and homicide, and returned an open verdict. Sarbaini, 56, was found dead on the badminton court of the MACC building at Jalan Cochrane around 10.20am on April 6, barely two hours after walking in. His death occurred when Teoh's RCI was still ongoing and delivered a huge blow to the anti-graft body's already-battered credibility. "An RCI is our best option. Who suggested holding the inquest? It was so sudden and the family did not even know about it. An RCI can bring those responsible to face justice... those who will sit on the panel will be credible individuals," said Shahril.
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| Nazri: Rosmah's involvement elevates country's image Posted: 14 Jun 2011 05:11 PM PDT
(Bernama) - The involvement of the Prime Minister's wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor in international conventions and seminars is seen as something positive as it elevates the country's image, the Dewan Rakyat was told Wednesday. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said the invitations were a recognition and tribute to Malaysia's policies and strategies in the advancement of education, early education and child care, women's development and welfare. He said through the involvement, Malaysia could share its experiences and achievements in these fields. "Indirectly, she will also be able to shape international perception on the country's achievements in these fields," he said when responding to a question from Datuk Juslie Ajirol (BN-Libaran). On the role of the Association of Wives of Ministers and Deputy Ministers (Bakti), he said it was similar to what it was before when it was led by Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, especially in charitable works. "We have seen that Bakti is well received and there is no bone of contention on its role now. Bakti is doing the same thing like before and there is no difference between then and now," he added.
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| Let’s see who’s bigger, Perkasa dares Bersih Posted: 14 Jun 2011 01:16 PM PDT
Ibrahim says Perkasa is not out to cause mischief. — file pic (TMI) KUALA LUMPUR, June 15 — Claiming the support of 36 NGOs, Perkasa threw down the gauntlet last night to organisers of the Bersih gathering to see who could rally more support when the two groups face off in the federal capital on July 9. The Malay rights group said that it had no choice but to take to the streets to counter election watchdogs Bersih because "if we don't, then the world will think that they have the support of all Malaysians." "Wait for July 9, then we will see who has more," Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali told reporters after chairing a roundtable meeting with representatives from various NGOs. The Pasir Mas MP insisted the 37 NGOs including Perkasa was not trying to "create chaos" as alleged by critics but simply wanting to show that "we are rakyat as well." "The Bersih gathering has a hidden political agenda to cause chaos. There is no justification to gather hundreds of thousands simply to ask for free and fair elections when the Election Commission has already answered." "Please don't assume we are trying to create chaos. That makes no sense at all. Our stand is simple. They march, we march. They cancel, we cancel. We don't want them to say they are doing this in the name of the rakyat. We are also the rakyat," he said. Pakatan Rakyat (PR) parties and activists are gearing up to march next month in the second such rally by Bersih, the first being in 2007 when up to 50,000 were reported to have gathered in the capital, with many being dispersed by water cannons and tear gas fired by the police. PAS has promised to bring 300,000 protestors this year in hopes that it will galvanise support for the opposition in the general election expected within the year. The 2007 rally was said to play a big role in bringing record gains for the opposition electoral pact in Election 2008, where it swept five state governments and won 82 parliamentary seats.
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| As mainstream media fails, BN takes on Pakatan in ceramahs Posted: 14 Jun 2011 01:02 PM PDT
(TMI) KUALA LUMPUR, June 15 — With the young ignoring mainstream media, Barisan Nasional (BN) is now penetrating the ceramah circuit to vie for support among the urban youth — a key demographic in the next general election. Bypassing the print and broadcast media it controls and admitting that "online media cannot be controlled," Umno Youth leaders told The Malaysian Insider it has been trying to break Pakatan Rakyat's (PR) stranglehold on public speaking events. "These new voters don't get mainstream media. They don't watch Warta Perdana or Buletin Utama," said Lokman Noor Adam, BN Youth's Unit Pidato (public speaking unit) chief, referring to the primetime news programmes on RTM1 and TV3. He said that the unit, established by Khairy Jamaluddin after he became Umno Youth chief in March 2009, was an effort to address BN's poor performance and response when holding ceramahs, forums and debates. "We didn't have anyone who can convince the public and break down the claims of opposition speakers. We also failed when it came to organising these programmes and mobilising large crowds to attend," the Umno Youth executive council member said. He told The Malaysian Insider that those under 40 make up 80 per cent of newly registered voters. Between Election 2008 to the next GE, they will grow from 41 to 49 per cent of the electorate. Alternative media channels have chipped away at the advantage BN holds from its control of both print and broadcast media. The latest Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) figures for the year ended June 30, 2010 showed that the Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia lost 5.9 per cent of its circulation from the previous year, dropping from 181,346 to just 170,558 copies. The ABC report also showed The Star's circulation dropping from 295,479 to 286,409 (-3.1 per cent), the New Straits Times from 120,770 to 109,341 (-9.5 per cent), and Berita Harian from 183,187 to 160,597 (-12.3 per cent). Meanwhile, social media networks usage among Malaysians has grown exponentially, with 9.5 million Facebook accounts registered as of January 2011. Both PKR and DAP have also set up websites to cater for the Facebook generation that will vote for the first time in the next general election. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/as-mainstream-media-fails-bn-takes-on-pakatan-in-ceramahs/
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| Bersih rally: Hindraf opts out Posted: 14 Jun 2011 12:57 PM PDT
The movement's leader says since Pakatan failed to endorse its 18-point demand, Hindraf will not participate in the rally. However, Uthayakumar said Hindraf will back Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim and Pakatan on the condition that HRP is allowed to contest 15 parliamentary and 38 state seats in the next polls. (TMI) -- Hindraf Makkal Sakti will not be participating in the July 9 Bersih 2.0 rally, said its leader P Uthayakumar. "We are not participating because Pakatan Rakyat failed to endorse our 18-point demand made in 2007," he added in a press statement. Uthayakumar was responding to a news report that linked the Hindraf rally to the first Bersih rally in 2007 that swung public sentiment against the government during the 2008 general election. The former Internal Security Act detainee said back then, the movement supported Pakatan because it did not have a choice. "Hindraf did not have a political choice but to give the unconditional political directions to support Pakatan. But after the 2008 general election, it became more plain and obvious that PKR, DAP and PAS like the Umno-BN regime only wanted Indian votes," he said. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2011/06/15/bersih-rally-hindraf-opts-out/
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| Police brace for hackers’ attack Posted: 14 Jun 2011 12:55 PM PDT (NST) Police are working with several government agencies in preparing for the "worst" in the event a group of international hackers carry out their threat against the country. Calling themselves "Anonymous", the international hacker group has threatened to sabotage and disrupt the Malaysian government's official online portal tomorrow. Federal Commercial Crime Investigation Department director Datuk Syed Ismail Syed Azizan said police were working with the National Security Council and CyberSecurity Malaysia in tracking and monitoring the group. "We are looking at various measures to identify the hackers and take steps to prevent the attack." He said several IT experts had been roped in for this effort. The group, believed to be made up of hackers worldwide, claimed they were targeting the Malaysian government after noticing unreasonable censorship in the country. The group specified that the recent blocking of file-sharing and sites, such as The Pirate Bay and WikiLeaks, as the reason for their outrage and threat. In a message at pastebin.com, the group claimed that the Malaysian gover nment's censorship was similar to taking away basic human rights. "Malaysia is one of the world's strictest governments, even blocking out movies, and television shows. "These acts of censorship are inexcusable," the group said. The group threatened to carry out the hacking, dubbed "Op eration Malaysia" at 7.30pm GMT (3.30am tomorrow local time) which can be accessed on a graphic poster at http://i.imgur.com/PTFWh.png. The discovery of the threat was made by a computer security software firm officer in Finland, with an online notification at 4.42am yester - d ay. Last week, Anonymous launched DDoS (distributed denial of service) attacks on Turkish government websites, in protest against the government's plans to introduce Internet filter ing. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission said it was working with other government agencies to coordinate security measures to mitigate the attack. It said in a statement that it was aware of the planned cyber attack on the malaysia.gov.my website through news reports on the matter. |
| RIM wants another file-sharing site blocked Posted: 14 Jun 2011 12:52 PM PDT (The Star) The Recording Industry Association of Malaysia (RIM) has called on the Government to ban another file-sharing site - jiwang.org.
It claimed that the site specialises in providing pirated Malaysian music recordings for illegal downloads. RIM said the site also reaps lucrative advertising revenue from commercial organisations. Last week, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) banned 10 file-sharing sites and called on local Internet service providers to block access to the sites. RIM chairman Norman Abdul Halim lauded the Government's efforts to uphold copyright laws in cyberspace by taking action against the file-sharing sites. The websites were among the most visited by Malaysians to illegally download movies. He added that RIM had filed a complaint with the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry about jiwang.org. Norman said the ban was a good starting point against illegal downloads, although savvy Internet users could still circumvent any blocks. Malaysia is the first country in South-East Asia to block file-sharing sites, he said. Although Internet censorship was against the MSC Malaysia Bill of Guarantees, which states that the Government will not censor the Internet, it was illegal to download pirated songs and movies, he said. |
| Not a single decent road in oil-rich Sabah Posted: 14 Jun 2011 12:41 PM PDT (FMT) The federal government had failed to build a modern road network in Sabah despite 47 years of nation-building, says a former minister.
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is clearly not in the nation-building plans of the Barisan Nasional government in the last 47 years. For todate, "not a single decent trunk road or highway" has been built for the state. A former Sabah minister, Kong Hong Ming, said the federal government had failed to build a modern road network in the state almost half a century since the formation of Malaysia. He said Sabahans were still begging for infrastructural development despite regularly giving away 95% of the state's oil and gas resources to the federal government. Kong, now a PKR leader, has accused the Umno-led BN federal government of taxing Sabahans and treating Sabah as a backwater. "With all our oil and gas resources, there is not a single decent trunk road or highway in Sabah after 47 years. "Worse still, almost all the trunk roads linking the major towns in Sabah are in bad shape due to lack of maintenance despite billion of ringgit spent on the task. "Meanwhile, we watch and admire the modern and expensive communication system and networks in Peninsular Malaysia built and enjoyed by the people there. "Obviously, what we have in Malaysia is one country with two systems of administration, with Sabah given lower priority in every aspect of development," Kong said, adding that the BN government had nothing to shout about in so far as development in Sabah was concerned. Unserviceable roads
Kong, who happened to be the "whistle-blower" of the controversial project, also warned that the government might end up wasting another RM270 million of taxpayers' money on the "upgrading" of the road. "It is almost certain that RM565 million of public funds spent on Sapulut-Kalabakan Road has gone to waste. "It is also likely that the government will be throwing away another RM270 million for nothing without a proper study of the current resent deplorable conditions of road. "It appears that the supposedly new road is now already beyond repair and re-construction is necessary," said Kong, a civil engineer. He noted that the federal government had pledged in Parliament in April last year, an additional allocation of RM270 million for upgrading the road, which is meant to link Tawau to here. However, to this day no upgrading has been done. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2011/06/15/not-a-single-decent-road-in-oil-rich-sabah/ |
"The inaction by the police makes it seem that the country is lawless because there exists an organisation which is above the law," said PAS information chief Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man (right).
Tuan Ibrahim said PAS would continue to hold dialogues with EC before the rally.
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