Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- FBI Pressured to Stop Backing Malaysian Potentate
- WikiLeaks Releases Tens of Thousands More Classified Cables
- Sodomy II: Trial postponed to Sept 19-23
- Fuziah takes on TV3; PAS wants action against rogue MP
- Former MAS chairman sues news portal for RM200mil
- Pemandu admits land acquisition only way to recoup MRT cost
- Hisham defends decision to deport Uighurs
- New investigation into film maker that took millions from Malaysia
- Refugee unrest in Malaysia after deportation bungle
- Malaysia Prepares For Ageing Nation As World Population Reaches Seven Billion
- Bar Council Asked To State Views On Anwar's Action In Court
- On being detained at Kuala Lumpur airport
- Malaysia's Slowing Performance
- Malaysia's Opposition Chief: Country Needs to Prepare for Slowdown
- ‘Male Y’ DNA profile tainted, Sodomy II trial told
- Perak mufti says Malays must defend race
- MCA founder’s granddaughter lauds Guan Eng’s policies in Penang
- Najib: Auditioning for Umno warlords
- Malaysians abroad may soon be allowed to vote via post
- NEP under attack: Dr M to the rescue
- ‘Lab did not meet international standards’
- EC mulls using both biometric system and indelible ink
- Malaysia UNHCR Accused of Betraying Refugees
- Hishammuddin receives two live bullets, death threat
- Poser over sperm survival: 36 or 65 hours?
- ‘Pray Anwar does not become PM’
- Putrajaya doles out RM1.4b to the underprivileged
- Contract in Malaysia helps Petrofac outshine forecasts
- Fuel cost burdens airlines
- Petronas, Partners Plan $5 Billion Malaysia Gas Investment to Boost Supply
- 4 jailed for gang-rape of Malaysian student
- Vell Paari’s Aussie firm crisis
- From POLITICO - Justin Smith steps down from FBC Media board
- Beng Hock’s family challenges RCI suicide verdict
- PAS ready to face lawsuit over 'UMNO hand' in church affair
- Bumi quota may bloat MRT project cost, say experts
- Anwar is like a Renaissance man who likes ‘naked men’, says Utusan
| FBI Pressured to Stop Backing Malaysian Potentate Posted: 25 Aug 2011 07:30 PM PDT By World-Wire Western NGOs are increasing the pressure on the United States' federal police for its ties with Malaysian potentate Abdul Taib Mahmud ("Taib"), one of South-East Asia's longest-serving and most corrupt politicians BASEL, SWITZERLAND/SAN FRANCISCO/WASHINGTON, D.C., August 25, 2011 –-/WORLD-WIRE/– In a letter to FBI Director Robert Mueller, the Swiss Bruno Manser Fund and the San-Francisco-based Borneo Project are calling on the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to cut ties with Wallysons Inc., a US company controlled by the Malaysian Taib family. The NGOs are asking the American federal police to suspend the rental contracts for the Abraham Lincoln Building in Seattle, which is owned by Wallysons Inc., and houses the FBI's Seattle Division headquarters. FBI Director Mueller is also asked to ascertain if the Taib family's US investments are in line with the country's anti-money-laundering legislation, and to freeze all Taib family assets in the United States. "While the the fight against public corruption should be one of the FBI's top priorities, it is renting premises from the Taib family, one of South East Asia's largest corruption networks. We are seriously concerned that the FBI appears to be unduly backing the Taib family and its illicit foreign assets," the Bruno Manser Fund wrote in a statement. Copies of the letter have been sent to a number of US government agencies and top politicians, including the Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, the Secretary for the Treasury, Timothy Geithner, the Attorney General, Eric Holder, and the Judiciary Committees of congress who oversee the FBI. In March 2011, the NGOs had approached the American federal police on the matter and organized a street protest in front of the FBI's Seattle Division Headquarters. The FBI had left their complaints unanswered and refused to receive a NGO delegation. Wallysons Inc. is one out of five US companies blacklisted by the Bruno Manser Fund for their close association with the Taib family. 75-year old Abdul Taib Mahmud ("Taib") has been governing Malaysia's largest state, Sarawak, since 1981, a position which he has abused to amass a fortune estimated at several billion US dollars. Most of Taib's wealth is believed to stem from the destructive logging of Borneo's tropical rainforests. In June 2011, the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission announced it had opened a corruption investigation against Abdul Taib Mahmud. For more information contact: Bruno Manser Fund, Socinstrasse 37, 4051 Basel / Switzerland
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| WikiLeaks Releases Tens of Thousands More Classified Cables Posted: 25 Aug 2011 04:52 PM PDT
(Malaysian Digest) - WASHINGTON: The WikiLeaks organization said on Thursday it was releasing tens of thousands of previously unpublished US diplomatic cables, some of which are still classified, reported Reuters. "We will have released over 100,000 US embassy cables from around the world by the end of today," said a message on WikiLeaks' Twitter feed. The Twitter page is believed to be controlled by Julian Assange, WikiLeaks' controversial Australian-born founder and chief. According to the report, the cables which the website said it is dumping onto the public record appear to be from a cache of more than 250,000 State Department reports leaked to the group. WikiLeaks began releasing the cables in smaller batches late last year, but until now had made them public in piecemeal fashion. By late afternoon on Thursday, the WikiLeaks website said it had published 97,115 of the 251,287 cables it possesses. It did not specify its motives for releasing such a large amount of material at once.
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| Sodomy II: Trial postponed to Sept 19-23 Posted: 25 Aug 2011 04:14 PM PDT
(The Star) - The sodomy trial of Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been postponed, and will be held from Sept 19 to 23. Earlier Friday, DNA expert Dr Brian Leslie McDonald told the High Court that the process used by a chemist did not ensure that the sperm extracted from the rectum of complainant Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan was pure and not mixed with other cells. During examination in chief by counsel Ram Karpal Singh, Dr Mcdonald told the court, in his opinion, the differential extraction process (DEP) carried out by Dr Seah Lay Hong, who was the prosecution witness, was speculative. He added that the sperm examined by Dr Seah did not comprise purely sperm heads and there was the existence of other cells there. McDonald, the fourth defence witness, had testified Thursday that Dr Seah's testing procedure did not follow international standards. Anwar, 63, is charged with sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful, 26, at Desa Damansara Condominium in Bukit Damansara, between 3.01pm and 4.30pm on June 26, 2008.
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| Fuziah takes on TV3; PAS wants action against rogue MP Posted: 25 Aug 2011 03:39 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders in Pahang are baying for blood after TV3 featured PAS's Hulu Langat MP Che Rosli Che Mat in a primetime news segment supporting the controversial rare earth plant currently being built near Kuantan. PKR vice president Fuziah Salleh, who has led calls against the RM700 million refinery being built by Australian miner Lynas Corp, has demanded a retraction and an apology from the Umno-owned broadcaster and also local rival Datuk Ti Lian Ker, who is Kuantan MCA chief, for alleged defamatory remarks made against her. Pahang PAS has also called for its federal leadership to haul up Che Rosli to explain his sudden outburst that was televised on Wednesday night. Kuantan MP Fuziah said the clip "is just a concerted plot by the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration to continue their agenda of protecting Lynas for their own benefit and not for the rakyat." PAS state information chief Suhaimi Md Saad told The Malaysian Insider that Che Rosli's actions were unacceptable as the nuclear scientist could have used party channels or even voiced his support for the plant in party organ, Harakah. "We know he supported the plant when we first discussed the issue in 2009. But after consulting other experts, PAS's stand was to oppose the project. But now he has gone into the enemy's camp to attack his own party," he said. TV3 ran a news piece by environmental journalist Karam Singh Walia quoting radiology safety and health expert Dr Ahmad Termizi Ramli and Che Rosli claiming that Fuziah had been misleading the public by comparing the project with nuclear facilities. Che Rosli went on to accused PKR of spinning the issue for their own benefit, and that he was "ashamed" that they would resort to arguments that have no scientific or academic basis. But Fuziah said in a statement today that Che Rosli was only speaking in terms of radiological hazards whereas she and the residents living around the plant in the Gebeng industrial zone have consulted at least half a dozen experts in fields such as public health, chemical engineering, nuclear physics and environmental law.
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| Former MAS chairman sues news portal for RM200mil Posted: 25 Aug 2011 03:33 PM PDT
(Bernama) - Former executive chairman of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) Tan Sri Tajudin Ramli has filed a RM200mil suit against a news portal over the publication of a article on the airline suffering losses of RM8bil. He named The Malaysian Insider Sdn Bhd, its chief executive officer Jahabar Sadiq and journalist Shazwan Mustafa Kamal as defendants. Tajudin, who was the MAS executive chairman between 1994 and 2001, filed the suit last Aug 18 at the Civil High Court registry here through the legal firm of Lim Kian Leong & Co. The case has been set for case management before judge Harmindar Singh Dhaliwal on Sept 19. In the statement of claims, Tajudin stated that the portal had published defamatory words in an article, with the title "MACC clear A-G of graft allegations", on May 31, 2011. He claimed that the article was published after the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) revealed the outcome of its graft probe against Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail. Tajudin claimed that the article was published with the intention of reflecting that he was implicated in the investigation against the Attorney-General. Tajudin claimed that the portal also repeated the defamatory words in other articles, despite a letter sent to it to not do so. He said The Malaysian Insider, when responding to his letter, stated that the words in the article were not defamatory and that they had obtained the information from multiple sources. Besides general damages of RM200mil, Tajudin is also seeking aggravated damages and interests.
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| Pemandu admits land acquisition only way to recoup MRT cost Posted: 25 Aug 2011 09:19 AM PDT
By Yow Hong Chieh, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 26 — Putrajaya's powerful efficiency unit has admitted that the Najib administration needs to acquire and develop land along the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) route as it cannot afford the multi-billion ringgit project otherwise. In a letter sighted by The Malaysian Insider, Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) chief executive Datuk Seri Idris Jala told Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Malaysia (ACCCIM) president Tan Sri William Cheng that the government was pursuing a "rail-and-property" model as it would not be able to recover the cost of the first line between Sungai Buloh and Kajang through fares alone. "For the government to manage the project efficiently and sustainably, fare box revenue will not be sufficient to finance the high capex and opex for the MRT network," Idris said in the letter dated August 23, written in response to Cheng's queries about the acquisition of Jalan Sultan land. "Increasing the fares is not an option as the government wants to act responsibly by providing the rakyat with an affordable means of transport. Instead, the government is adopting a prudent approach towards a sustainable financial model for the MRT through a modified rail-plus-property model." The government has said a Ministry of Finance unit called Dana Infra will raise funds for the MRT, which is the country's most expensive infrastructure project to date, but has yet to give any details of the funding apart from saying it will develop the land along the route. The Minister in the Prime Minister's Department pointed out that Hong Kong's MTR Corporation, which has successfully applied the model to its Mass Transit Railway (MTR) network, would not have an "effective means of recouping the vast sums spent on developing the MRT" without revenue from property development as earnings from fares only made up 35 per cent of total revenue. He stressed that Singapore's MRT operators, who rely heavily on fare box revenues with minimal contribution from commercial activities, were considered an exception rather than the norm. But Malaysia would be using a modified version of the rail-and-property model with "some amount of land acquisition" as the Sungai Buloh-Kajang (SBK) line would traverse built-up areas unlike Hong Kong, which had access to several tracts of mainly reclaimed land that allowed for integrated station and property development, Idris said. "The government is thus not acquiring land banks for the MRT Co. nor abusing the Land Acquisition Act for this purpose," he assured, referring to the new project owner effective September 1. However, Idris also revealed that land along the SBK corridor that will be developed by government-linked companies (GLCs), including the Rubber Research Institute (RRI) and Kuala Lumpur International Financial District (KLIFD) sites, would not go directly towards offsetting the capital expenditure for the MRT. The minister added that he would let the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) respond to Cheng's concerns over the land acquisition on Jalan Sultan in Chinatown, which traders there see as a threat to the historic enclave. "These involve technical details such as the design of the alignment, constructibility, the need for station integration and so forth and why land above ground is acquired (in respect to the National Land Code) even if the MRT tunnels are below for safety and security concerns," he said. "On this score, perhaps we may also see a more positive development from the proximity of the MRT line to Chinatown where opportunities for revitalisation and restoration of the area would benefit the Chinese community in this part of Kuala Lumpur."
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| Hisham defends decision to deport Uighurs Posted: 25 Aug 2011 09:16 AM PDT
By Husna Yusop, The Sun The decision to send back 11 Chinese Uighur Muslim refugees to China last week was justified as they were involved in criminal activities, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein. Commenting on international human rights groups criticising Malaysia for repatriating the Uighurs to China on Aug 18, he told a press conference today that there were still five others detained on suspicion of human trafficking.The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' office in Kuala Lumpur has reportedly voiced regret that the deportation was done without allowing them access to UN officials. "We get condemnations all around in anything we do. But, these people were wanted by the China government. We have to be on the side of justice and, at the end of the day, what is most important to me is the safety and stability of our people and our country," he told reporters after the ministry's monthly Speaking after attending the ministry's monthly assembly, Hishammuddin said it is best to leave the matter to the authorities as they were still under investigation. "We can argue and debate the whole day. Those with views can come and engage us, we can discuss. The rights of the press to report must not come in the way of investigations that are on-going," he said. In another development, Hishammuddin denied reports that the ministry has ordered for UNHCR cardholders to register under the 6P Programme on Monday. "It was not ordered by the ministry. That's not true. From what I've discovered, it was the decision of all those refugees to register at that particular time. It was reported that about 10,000 refugees and asylum seekers flooded the Immigration Department in Putrajaya when they were given an 11th hour notice to register themselves under the programme. Overwhelmed and ill prepared, immigration officials reportedly had little choice but to turn back a large number of the refugees and asked them to return the next day. Hishammuddin said the ministry officers have been instructed to engage UNHCR to come up with proper planning for the refugees so that there will not be any bottlenecks. "If they tell us in advance they want to come in big numbers, we can make the necessary arrangement," he said adding the original decision was for the registration to be in staggered.
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| New investigation into film maker that took millions from Malaysia Posted: 25 Aug 2011 09:13 AM PDT
By Ian Burrell, The Independent Press corps in Kuala Lumpur all knew FBC had close links to the Malaysian government with special access. One of America's most prestigious magazines, the 154-year-old The Atlantic, has become the latest high-profile news organisation to launch an investigation into its relationship with a media company that was allocated millions of pounds by the Malaysian government. The Washington-based magazine and website is "reviewing all transactions" it had with FBC, a media company that also produced television programmes for the BBC and the business channel CNBC. The Independent revealed this month that FBC had been hired by Malaysia in a "global strategic communications campaign". The FBC programmes broadcast on BBC World News dealt with contentious issues including Malaysia's treatment of its indigenous peoples, its management of rainforests and its controversial palm-oil industry. The BBC said: "FBC has now admitted to the BBC that it has worked for the Malaysian government. That information was not disclosed to the BBC as we believe it should have been when the BBC contracted programming from FBC. Given this, the BBC has decided to transmit no more programming from FBC while it reviews its relationship with the company." The Atlantic has ordered a "full review" into its own relationship with FBC. Justin Smith, president of Atlantic Media Co, publisher of the magazine, has resigned from the board of FBC. FBC's founder Alan Friedman, a long-term friend of Mr Smith's, blogged for The Atlantic from this year's World Economic Forum in Davos. Mr Friedman also encouraged The Atlantic to host an event in March in which the Malaysian Prime Minister, Najib Razak, was interviewed by a correspondent of The Atlantic. Natalie Raabe, director of communications for The Atlantic, said Mr Smith's role at FBC was unpaid and "largely nominal". She said that the magazine was "reviewing all interactions it has had with FBC and its chairman," including blogs Mr Friedman wrote about Indonesia. "We have found several instances in which Friedman wrote positively about the Indonesian government and its representatives. Our internal process will seek to determine whether Friedman was representing Indonesia at the time he wrote for TheAtlantic.com." She said the company was also examining blog comments made by Mr Friedman on Malaysia and had now attached an online reference to inform readers that he was working for the Malaysian government "at or around the time he wrote them". FBC also made a half-hourly weekly programme for CNBC, part of the American NBC network. Many of its episodes featured Malaysia. CNBC has withdrawn the programme "indefinitely" and "immediately initiated an examination of FBC and its business practices". Since publication of The Independent's investigation, the newspaper has been contacted by numerous correspondents based in Kuala Lumpur, who complained that the broadcasters should have taken action earlier. One senior international journalist with a decade of experience in Malaysia, said FBC's relationship with the Malaysian government was "common knowledge among the press corps in KL". He said: "The real scandal is the failure by BBC and CNBC to police the outsourcing of their programmes. They need to answer some hard questions." The BBC said it had "acted swiftly to suspend the broadcasting from FBC" and pointed out that "all independent TV companies who produce programmes for BBC World News have to sign strict agreements". A former correspondent for a prominent US magazine said that correspondents became accustomed to seeing FBC granted access to "notoriously press-shy" senior political and business figures who would not speak to other sections of the media. "Knowing FBC and their modus operandi, it was pretty clear how it happened," he said. The Independent has established that FBC also hired the Washington-based American lobbying company APCO Worldwide for the purpose of "raising awareness of the importance of policies in Malaysia that are pro-business and pro-investment as well as the significance of reform and anti-terrorism efforts in that country". FBC denies impropriety in any of its programme-making. Its lawyers said in a letter that "at no time have the television programmes made for the BBC ever been influenced or affected by our client's commercial activities". It said that FBC ran production and commercial divisions, which "are and always have been quite separate and distinct". The BBC, CNBC and the media regulator Ofcom continue to investigate. |
| Refugee unrest in Malaysia after deportation bungle Posted: 25 Aug 2011 01:42 AM PDT By Kirsty Needham, The Sydney Morning Herald THE United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Malaysia has admitted thousands of refugees have been incorrectly issued letters by the Malaysian government marked ''return to home country'', raising widespread fears of deportation. The Refugee Convention principle of ''non-refoulement'', and Malaysia's commitment that 800 refugees from Australia would not be returned to the country from which they fled, underpin the federal government's defence to a High Court challenge to the Malaysia deal. Up to 10,000 refugees descended on an immigration office in Putrajaya, a suburb of the capital, Kuala Lumpur, on Tuesday after the UNHCR was told, at late notice by the Malaysian government, that refugees must immediately register under a new biometric system designed to record illegal and legal migrant workers. Witnesses who spoke to the Herald said RELA - the vigilante force that was banished from Malaysian streets this year because of human rights concerns - was then called in by the immigration department as chaos erupted. Advertisement: Story continues below A co-ordinator of the Malaysian human rights group Suaram, Andika Wahab, told the Herald that the situation was shocking and he saw RELA members carrying sticks. ''I didn't see RELA beat individuals, but I saw RELA hit the wall and push people. The situation was very overcrowded,'' he said. The refugees became alarmed at about 4pm when it was realised that, after having their fingerprints taken, some were being issued letters stamped: ''Return to home country''. ''They feared they would be deported to Burma,'' he said. A spokeswoman for the UNHCR in Malaysia, Yante Ismail, said the document should have been given only to migrant workers, and not refugees. ''When the UNHCR learnt about this yesterday, we immediately raised this matter with the government, who will now rectify the document for all UNHCR-registered refugees and asylum seekers,'' she said. ''Understandably this has created confusion among refugees and asylum seekers, and this has created great anxiety among this population,'' Ms Ismail said. She said the force used by Malaysian police was proportionate. She said the police had taken women, children and the elderly to the front of the line to avoid physical danger. Because ''overwhelming numbers'' turned up on Tuesday, refugees would now be processed in batches instead, she said. Refugee groups said yesterday they still had not received an explanation for the letters. Dr Irene Fernandez, the executive director of the refugee group, Tenaganita, said it was ''problematic'' that refugees were given the wrong letters. Dr Fernandez said RELA ''became quite abusive, started pushing them and not treating them well''. The opposition immigration spokesman, Scott Morrison, was kicked out of Federal Parliament yesterday after questioning the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, over a Malaysian website report that RELA had beaten ''children, mothers and the elderly'' in the queue. He later said, ''the beatings that have been reported and the fact that refugees have gone to be registered and received papers that say: 'Return to home country','' were serious issues for the Malaysia swap. The Greens Senator, Sarah Hanson-Young, said: ''there is no guarantee people who are found by the UNHCR to be refugees in need of protection will not be returned to their home country at the whim of the Malaysian government.'' Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/refugee-unrest-in-malaysia-after-deportation-bungle-20110825-1jcj2.html#ixzz1W3lLrv54 |
| Malaysia Prepares For Ageing Nation As World Population Reaches Seven Billion Posted: 24 Aug 2011 10:53 PM PDT Based upon the projection rate and current trend, the Malaysian population is expected to reach 35 million by 2020, with 3.4 million being senior citizens. (Bernama) -- Although mankind is some two million years old, the world's population has grown slowly during most of human history. |
| Bar Council Asked To State Views On Anwar's Action In Court Posted: 24 Aug 2011 10:45 PM PDT
(Bernama) -- The Bar Council was today asked to state its views on the action of Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim who has chosen to give his evidence from the dock in his ongoing sodomy trial. Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities Datuk Hamzah Zainuddin told Bernama he was curious to know what was the Bar Council's stand on the matter.
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| On being detained at Kuala Lumpur airport Posted: 24 Aug 2011 10:42 PM PDT By Imran Khan, Guardian Malaysia didn't want me to enter the country to gather evidence about how ethnic Indians were treated by colonial Britain. In the Hollywood film The Terminal Tom Hanks plays (with obligatory mangled foreign accent) a character who is trapped in New York's JFK airport. Last week, I had a similar experience at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Malaysia. Whereas Tom Hanks's character spends years trapped, I was only there for a few hours. The episode was both humiliating and enlightening. I had been engaged by a Malaysian lawyer, Waytha Moorthy, to look into taking action against the British government for its role in the exploitation of Indian Hindus during Malaysia's period as a colony, and its failure to protect their rights when independence was declared in 1957. Ethnic Indians make up just over 6% of Malaysia's 28.3 million people, while Muslim Malays account for just over 61% and ethnic Chinese some 25%. A coalition led by the United Malays National Organisation has ruled since independence, which, according to Moorthy, had led to widespread human rights violations and discrimination of the Indian Malaysian population. About 70% live in abject poverty and one in six are effectively stateless as they are denied a birth certificate. Moorthy originally lodged his action on the 31 August 2007, the 50th anniversary of Malaysia's independence. However, the claim stalled following the arrest of the lawyers involved under a draconian piece of legislation called the Internal Security Act. Moorthy had demanded compensation for Indian Malaysians whose ancestors were brought in by the British government as indentured labour. The claim was that, after granting independence, the British had left the Indians without representation and at the mercy of the Malays. So, the plan was to visit Malaysia and gather evidence and claims that would form the foundation of the case. A recent case involving individuals tortured by British soldiers in colonial Kenya gave fresh impetus to the proceedings. My pending arrival in Malaysia had receivedadvance publicity from local police who had sought to intimidate organisers of the venue where I was expected to meet potential claimants. There was, therefore, some trepidation when I presented myself to the immigration desk on arrival at KLIA. As soon as my passport was handed over at the immigration desk, the slow cogs of government bureaucracy moved into action. Without explanation I was taken to the immigration office. KLIA is an impressive building; made of polished steel and glass it has a central hub with four long offshoots. It is populated by the ubiquitous outlets that make most airports seem identical. However,, the immigration office was a more spartan affair. Teams of immigration officers sat behind desks shouting the names of those refused entry to come forward and explain their reasons for trying to enter. Handing my passport over to one of them I noticed the large sign on the back wall of the office – "Service with a smile" it said. True to their motto a pleasant immigration officer smiled while she told me that I had been refused entry. I asked for an explanation and was told that the immigration department had no problem with me – the decision to refuse me entry had come from the very top. I asked for written reasons. The officer agreed that I should be given them but none were given. It was not until I was in transit in Dubai that I found out that I had been classed as a "prohibited immigrant". I still have no idea what that means and despite the involvement of the British consulate and the British government cabinet office, I found myself stranded, waiting for my return flight. It was clear that the decision was a political one – I had been refused entry to stop me doing work that the government of Malaysia did not want to take place. Thousands were expected to attend meetings that had been organised. I was to see the ways in which government policies had affected the lives of Indian Malaysians in all parts of the country. Yet, like many governments which seek to stifle opposition, its actions are often irrational because, while refusing me entry into the country, it had allowed my colleague who had been travelling with me to do so. He is now meeting all those potential claimants and collecting evidence to progress the claim. Meanwhile, sitting in the immigration office at KLIA gave me a glimpse of how differently people are treated in Malaysia. Sitting beside me awaiting interrogation were men – predominantly young, on their own and originating from Pakistan, India or sub-Saharan Africa. They would be summoned to their meeting with an immigration officer via an intermediary – always a Malaysian of Chinese origin wearing a coloured paper bracelet to signify that he had clearance to come into the airport. He would order his charge in terms which reminded me of a master/servant relationship – a click of the fingers, a terse command, the use of their surname only. These men appeared to be workers entering the country through the patronage of their Chinese bosses. It didn't take much imagination to work out how they would be treated once they left the airport terminal. These were the lucky ones. Those sharing my predicament were marched off to a detention centre before being sent back to their country of origin. Thankfully, I was told that I had been spared such a fate. Nevertheless, the experience was a humiliating one. Without a passport or able to leave the terminal I could not check in; I was escorted to the aircraft to be seated; my passport was handed over to the aircraft crew who viewed me with suspicion and contempt. I have often thought that lawyers, as well as doctors, should consider what it is like to be in their clients' position so that it can inform their approach. This was one occasion when I truly felt what it must be like for detainees all over the world – coming up against foreign jurisdiction; facing a decision which may be wrong and unjust; being treated without dignity; occupying a twilight world of ever-changing time zones and feeling utterly powerless. Having returned to the UK, I am even more determined to ensure that the issues raised by the case are highlighted beyond the borders of Malaysia. Like many in Britain, I had only thought of Malaysia as the country advertised in brochures. Every day, buses pass my office window in central London emblazoned with adverts encouraging us to visit Malaysia, illustrated with montages of sun and sea. Few people are likely look beyond that image or get to see the reality that exists underneath. For me, a country that, on the face of it, is engaged in widespread, institutional discrimination and human rights abuses should rightly be condemned. Even more so when it refuses its citizens access to legal representation.
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| Malaysia's Slowing Performance Posted: 24 Aug 2011 10:25 PM PDT By Greg Lopez, Asia Sentinel In the 70 years since World War II ended, East Asian economies, including Malaysia, appear to have largely got performance right. Malaysia was also one of 13 countries identified by the Commission on Growth and Development in its 2008 Growth Report to have recorded average growth of more than 7 percent per year for 25 years or more. Malaysia achieved this spectacular performance from 1967 to 1997. However, since the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997 and1998, Malaysia's economic performance when compared to previous decades has been lackluster and most macroeconomic indicators are trending downwards. This was confirmed by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak himself in the publication on March 30, 2010 of the New Economic Model – Part 1. This was a very brave move but a necessary one by the premier as he acknowledged publicly the failures of Malaysia's current economic model in order to demonstrate urgency for reforms.
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| Malaysia's Opposition Chief: Country Needs to Prepare for Slowdown Posted: 24 Aug 2011 10:17 PM PDT By James Hookway, Wall Street Journal KUALA LUMPUR—Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said Thursday the country's export-driven economy needs to prepare for the prospect of a double-dip recession in the U.S. and Europe, and steel itself for a prolonged period of weakness in the global economy. Mr. Anwar, a former finance minister, said Malaysia should focus on building up budget surpluses to better buffer itself from any further volatility in the global economy. "That's what we did during my time as finance minister: We built up the reserves and we were able to withstand the shock a lot better as a result," Mr. Anwar said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. He said Prime Minister Najib Razak needs to focus on weeding out corruption and waste to make the country more efficient. "And we need to educate Malaysians about what is going on so they can prepare," Mr. Anwar said. The Muslim-majority, resource-rich country ran a budget deficit equivalent to 5.6% of gross domestic product in 2010, down from a record 7% the year prior as Mr. Najib spent freely to help stimulate the economy during the worst of the global economic slump. This year, Mr. Najib has said he aims to reduce the deficit to 5.4% of GDP. Mr. Anwar, 64, lost his job as Malaysia's finance chief and deputy prime minister when he clashed with former leader Mahathir Mohamad on the direction of Malaysia's economic policy in 1998. An economic liberal, Mr. Anwar pressed for reforming Malaysia's heavily state-influenced economic system. He was later arrested and convicted of sodomizing two male aides—allegations he denied and called a political stunt—before the convictions were overturned in 2004. Now the leader of Malaysia's multi-ethnic opposition alliance, Mr. Anwar is again on trial for violating Malaysia's strict sodomy laws—this time for allegedly having sex with another male aide. Again, Mr. Anwar denies the allegation brought by 26-year-old Saiful Bukhari Azlan, saying the legal case was drummed up by Mr. Najib to destroy his political comeback. By law, Mr. Najib must call fresh elections by 2013. Mr. Najib, though, denies having anything to do with Mr. Anwar's trial, which this week is focusing on complex forensic DNA evidence legal experts say could determine its outcome. Mr. Anwar said that apparent inconsistencies in the prosecutors' case could provide him a legal lifeline. The opposition chief also said he sees a further decline in the value of the U.S. dollar and euro, saying "we have not seen the end of it." Mr. Anwar said he is worried, too, about whether China can continue being an engine of growth for the relatively healthier Asian economies. "You've got to wonder how sustainable it is," he said. |
| ‘Male Y’ DNA profile tainted, Sodomy II trial told Posted: 24 Aug 2011 08:41 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - A local scientist had flubbed a crucial DNA profiling test that the prosecution had used to link Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to a charge of sodomising his former aide, an Australian DNA expert told the High Court today. The defence team's fourth witness, Dr Brian McDonald, said government chemist Nor Aidora Saedon had made a major miscalculation in her test that had led to Anwar being wrongly marked as "Male Y" whose DNA profile was allegedly found in complainant Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan's anus. "What you have is evidence of a mixture of profiles. She reported them as a single profile," Dr McDonald told the court. He said she had messed up a fundamental guideline on how to perform the DNA profiling test, which gave her the wrong reading. The opposition leader's sodomy trial was given an indepth review of DNA analysis, including a deeply detailed explanation of how to mark and read the results. "If these were tests done in school, she'd have failed them," he told an amused court.
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| Perak mufti says Malays must defend race Posted: 24 Aug 2011 06:36 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria has denied claims that he is undermining the Najib administration and insisted today that the Umno president must find a way to unite the Malays. The Perak mufti told The Malaysian Insider that his advice to Datuk Seri Najib Razak was not influenced by any party but due to concern that "division among Malays is happening for a fact." "We must defend our race and Najib must find a way to reunite Malays," Harussani (picture) said. Several blogs and people on micro-blogging site Twitter have questioned Harussani's statement yesterday that the prime minister's weak government was the cause of Malay disunity, with some claiming that the Muslim scholar's statements seemed to be slanted towards Najib's deputy Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. Although Harussani acknowledged that he has come under fierce criticism since yesterday, he held to his stand that "division among Malays is a fact, you can see it for yourself." "When I speak, people will attack me. But I will not stop giving advice to anyone including the prime minister," he said. He had revealed during a religious forum yesterday that he met and advised Najib on the need to address "weak government, corruption and lack of trust."
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| MCA founder’s granddaughter lauds Guan Eng’s policies in Penang Posted: 24 Aug 2011 04:06 PM PDT
The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 25 — Lim Guan Eng received praise from an unexpected source today when the granddaughter of the MCA's first president and daughter of the country's longest-serving finance minister said the Penang chief minister should be given his due for the state's prudent management of public funds. Tan Siok Choo (picture), the daughter of Tun Tan Siew Sin and granddaughter of Tun Sir Tan Cheng Lock — both of whom were former MCA presidents — told BFM radio this morning that it was good that Lim had shown what could be done by eliminating waste and implementing open tenders. "For my father... he was always very particular that government funds should be looked after like your own funds. I think it is in a way, currently, very good that Lim Guan Eng, Chief Minister of Penang, has shown what can be done if you eliminate waste and if you have an open tender. "The fact that he has been able to run Penang without much contribution from the federal government and yet turn in, yet attract one of the highest rates of investment, I think speaks for itself. "And this is barring the fact that when my father was in politics, Kit Siang never had a good word to say about my father. So there is history between our two fathers but I think one must give Guan Eng his due," she told the radio station's Morning Grille programme. Siok Choo's father Siew Sin was finance minister from 1959 until 1974. Guan Eng's father Kit Siang became an MP for the first time in 1969 and eventually became parliamentary opposition leader. Her remarks today come as the DAP is increasingly being seen as the party of choice for the country's Chinese community while the MCA, the party founded by Siok Choo's grandfather Cheng Lock, appears to be floundering. Recently, international news magazine The Economist also praised Guan Eng's open tender policies and credited his administration with helping Penang regain its lustre as a "global city" by lifting the state's economy to beyond that of a sweat shop industry. The international weekly dubbed Penang "the first custom-made city of globalisation" and credited Guan Eng for boosting the port city's revival by axing a racial special treatment economic policy in the state to create a more level-playing field that appeals to foreign investors.
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| Najib: Auditioning for Umno warlords Posted: 24 Aug 2011 03:54 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's three-days-a-week-pressing-the-flesh campaign is as much aimed at reconnecting with voters as it is targeted at convincing Umno that he has the tools to lead Barisan Nasional (BN) to victory. His recent problems and questions about his leadership — which have been raised by the opposition, some Umno warlords, the Perak mufti and the chattering class — have made it necessary for Najib to chart an election-like stumping strategy of leaving his office three times a week to meet the electorate.The PM is banking on his charisma and ability to dole out cash to boost his administration which has been battered by poor handling of Bersih, tepid action against corruption, flip-flops on reforms, racial and religious strife and personal issues linked to the Scorpene submarine deal and the RM24 million ring. His advisers believe that the electorate will like what they see and hear when Najib hits the road, convinced that brand Najib will win over doubters. But an equally important target for him are the Umno warlords, who have been grumbling about the lack of money/contracts; about the PM's indecisiveness and personal issues of the First Family and pandering to non-Malays and lack of concern for the Bumiputera agenda. Najib knows that he has to hush these noises if Umno is going to do well at the polls. He also has to moderate expectations, talking down winning two-thirds majority, knowing that if he does not deliver on a high target he will be vulnerable at the party polls. For now he does not have to worry about Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the man whose attacks led to the fall of Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Dr Mahathir's friends say that while the former prime minister has some issues with Najib's leadership, he is not interested in leading any campaign against the PM. So, it's up to Najib now to do whatever it takes to deliver a victory for Umno and BN.
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| Malaysians abroad may soon be allowed to vote via post Posted: 24 Aug 2011 03:48 PM PDT
By Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider All Malaysians living abroad may soon be able to vote in elections via post, Election Commission (EC) chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Yusof said today. Abdul Aziz said the commission was looking into the possibility of amending election regulations to allow this, adding that it would "hopefully" be implemented before the 13th general election. "We want it such that so long as you are Malaysian and you have valid identification, you can vote. "Hopefully this can be done for the next election," he said during a media briefing here today. At present, election regulations only permit civil servants, full-time students and their spouses living abroad to vote via post. Abdul Aziz (picture) stressed however that those living abroad must first register themselves as voters via Malaysian embassies in the respective countries they reside in before applying to the EC to become a postal voter. "The EC will consider their application before approving," he said.
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| NEP under attack: Dr M to the rescue Posted: 24 Aug 2011 03:34 PM PDT
(FMT) - PETALING JAYA: Dr Mahathir Mohamad has defended the New Economic Policy (NEP), the controversial socio-economomic restructuring affirmative action programme launched in 1971. Taking the critics, including Anwar Ibrahim, to task, the former premier said NEP had been denigrated by opposition politicians to the point that it appeared to be the worst policy ever conceived and implemented. "While (prominent economist) Ramon Navaratnam blames NEP as being the cause of foreign investors not coming to Malaysia, Anwar condemned it for the abuses and corruption involved in its implementation," he said in a blog posting. "Anwar loudly proclaims that NEP benefits only the cronies of the government and that the contracts, Approval Permits (APs) and licenses given out under NEP involve corruption. "He makes it sound as if NEP did not benefit the Malays and other bumiputera at all," he added. However, Mahathir admitted that a few of the recipients of APs, contracts and licenses might know the leaders of government or were members of Umno "And there may be corruption involved in some cases but the charge is not warranted because in most cases, the benefits of NEP has been enjoyed by almost every Malay and bumiputera. In fact indirectly and in some cases directly it has benefited the non-bumiputera as well," he said. Giving them education For example, Mahathir said, every Malay child was helped in his or her education with free text books and often with free meals. "Schools are built in the remotest areas where before there were no schools. Hostels are built for mostly Malay and other bumiputera children so that they can live a better life and are able to study in better surroundings then in their homes in the villages," he added. For the qualified, the former premier noted, tertiary education was readily accessible, with huge numbers of scholarships. As a result, he said, many of the children of poor families or of families unable to pay high fees, now held university degrees, were highly qualified and many were professionals. "Before only 5% of the doctors in Malaysia were Malays and bumiputera, now 40% of them are Malays," the doctor-turned-politician said, adding that it was the same with other professions. "Just count the number of students in public universities in the country and those abroad on scholarships and one will appreciate how NEP has benefitted the Malays and other bumiputera in education," he said.
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| ‘Lab did not meet international standards’ Posted: 24 Aug 2011 02:08 PM PDT
By Teoh El Sen, FMT KUALA LUMPUR: The Chemistry Department of Malaysia, which did tests on DNA samples in the Anwar Ibrahim Sodomy II trial has never received an accreditation as it did not meet international standards.
Anwar's defence team today alleged that the laboratory had applied for an accreditation from the American Society of Crime Lab Directors (ASCLD) but had failed to receive it since 2005. "The department did the DNA test on Anwar's DNA sample in 2008 when, all this while, it had failed to meet the ISO 17025 standard… it was given two extensions to apply for accreditation by the ASCLD. It only received a legacy accreditation, which is merely like a probation " Anwar's counsel Sankara Nair told reporters outside the court. (ASCLD accredits laboratories and regulates international standards.) "This affects the credibility of the DNA testing and the work methods of the department's laboratory. This amounts to misleading the court," he said, adding that chemist Dr Seah Lay Hong had earlier testified that her lab had met ISO 17025 standard. Earlier, Australian DNA specialist Dr Brian Leslie McDonald said that having an accreditation was important and meeting certain standards ensure that labs around the whole have standardised results. The 60-year-old consultant molecular geneticist from Sydney said that accreditation also gives recognition to a lab that has complied with standard guidelines. Asked by defence lawyer Ram Karpal Singh Deo whether such accreditation is required in a Malaysian context, McDonald said: " I don't know, I would think if the government asks a lab to conduct tests, you must be accredited."Prosection wants evidence expunged "This evidence is inadmissible… It should be expunged," said Mohd Yusof, who had an exchange of words with Ram. Referring to a letter that Ram had produced, Mohd Yusof said: "This is 2010, the test was conducted in 2008." McDonald, who is also an ISO assessor for the Australian body of accreditation National Association of Testing Authority, earlier explained how forensic DNA testings worked. He said that in general, accreditation of a forensic laboratory should be disclosed, adding that it is an "obligation", especially if its evidence is used in court.
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| EC mulls using both biometric system and indelible ink Posted: 24 Aug 2011 01:55 PM PDT By Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider The Election Commission (EC) may use both the biometric system and indelible ink for the elections, laying to rest the ongoing squabble over the superiority of either mechanism. However, EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Yusof said the commission was still studying the legal implications of both systems and whether they could be used on a "voluntary" or "mandatory" basis. But he noted that if voters were not required by law to use the new system, it would render the entire exercise pointless. "That is why we want to make sure everyone uses it," he said. Asked if the EC would propose its recommendation to the parliamentary select committee (PSC) for polls reform to be formed in October, Abdul Aziz said the commission hoped to do so. When asked if the changes would be implemented for the coming polls, he said: "Insyaallah." He said if the changes were to be made mandatory, amendments to election laws were needed to be passed in Parliament. The commission, he said, was now preparing the framework for the PSC, which is due to be presented to the Cabinet by September 7. |
| Malaysia UNHCR Accused of Betraying Refugees Posted: 24 Aug 2011 01:45 PM PDT
By Ko Htwe, The Irrawaddy The Malaysia United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is accused of betraying refugees by conspiring with Putrajaya Immigration Office to take their fingerprints and send them back to their own countries, it has been claimed. On Tuesday, several UNHCR-affiliated organizations in Malaysia instructed refugees to provide fingerprints at Putrajaya Immigration Office, claims Shwe Zin, a Burmese refugee living in Malaysia. "I arrived at the immigration office in the morning and was made to queue up. Then when my turn came, I had my fingerprints and a photo taken. And then I was given a printed document written in Malay that said to go back to our own country," said Shwe Zin. Many registered refugees came to the immigration office to give their fingerprints but did not know the details of what was going on, she added. Many refugees received a document entitled "Pulang Ke Negara Asal" which translates as "Returning Home," "Leaving" or "Going back to native country." However, others were registered and given an alternative document which allows them to stay in Malaysia. "I think I made a mistake by giving my fingerprints. It is impossible for me to go back [to Burma]," said Shwe Zin, adding that UNHCR staff were present in the immigration office. "The UNHCR is tricking us because they want to settle corruption dealings with refugee processes. I don't know why some refugee receive different documents," said Kyaw Htoo Aung from Malaysia, who works for worker affairs. An official from Putrajaya Immigration Office in Malaysia refused to give further details when contacted byThe Irrawaddy, but just said that it was an "enforcement event." Malaysia is currently running the 6P Program to tackle illegal migrant numbers in a bid to settle social problems and crime related to illegal foreigners. Although the Malaysia UNHCR was officially against the scheme, after Aug. 23 the organization is legally obliged to assist with the 6P registration. UNHCR refugee card holder Myat Ko Ko sent a letter to UNHCR officials asking why the organization was not upfront about its involvement in the fingerprint campaign, and questioning its commitment to protecting international human rights and refugees affairs. "As a result of the UNHCR and Malaysia [government] fingerprint program addressed to all the ethnic Burmese refugees in Malaysia, all of them are in trouble and the UNHCR should surely have given an announcement about it," he wrote. The Irrawaddy repeatedly tried to contact the UNHCR office in Malaysia but there was no reply. The Malaysia UNHCR has been accused of discriminating between refugees and corruptly selling resettlement registrations for profit, according to refugees in Malaysia. "While I met with the Malaysian authorities, my friend told me not to give a thumbprint on the document when the [UNHCR] called us. It is an act of cheating. They made the plan in secret but the problem is now widely known," said Yan Naing Tun. Australia and Malaysia's recent agreement to swap 800 asylum seekers who came to Australia for 4,000 refugees living in Malaysia was widely criticized by human rights groups, as Malaysia is not a signatory of the 1951 UN Refugee Convention. The Malaysian government has cooperated with the UNHCR on humanitarian grounds since 1975 even though Malaysia has not signed the UN Convention Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees. Burmese refugees have since been sent to third countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, France, New Zealand, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway. |
| Hishammuddin receives two live bullets, death threat Posted: 24 Aug 2011 04:10 AM PDT
The home minister says the items were in an envelope posted to his office in Putrajaya. (Bernama) - Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein today received two live bullets with a threatening note in an envelope posted to his office in Putrajaya. The envelope, which was received at 2pm, also contained a booklet in which the handwritten note was slipped in. Met by reporters after attending a breaking of fast at the Al-Ikhlasiyah mosque di Pantai Dalam here, Hishammuddin, however, declined to say what were the contents of the note. "I can confirm that I received two live bullets together with a threatening note today. This is the first time I have experienced such a thing. "The envelope was received by an aide of mine and he has since lodged a police report," he said. Hishammuddin, however, said it would not dampen his spirit to continue discharging his duties as entrusted to him. "I view this as something serious. However, it will not deter me from carrying out my duties as entrusted to me by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. "This might be the work of some frustrated people, probably because they are not happy with the work we (home ministry) are doing. But I am unfazed by this threat," he added.
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| Poser over sperm survival: 36 or 65 hours? Posted: 23 Aug 2011 07:42 PM PDT
By Teoh El Sen, FMT KUALA LUMPUR: An Australian forensic expert agrees today that sperm cells can be discovered inside a person's body up to 65 hours after sexual intercourse when testifying in the Anwar Ibrahim's Sodomy II trial. Dr David Lawrence Noel Wells concurred with lead prosecutor Solicitor-General II Mohd Yusof Zainal Abiden when the latter pointed to a United Kingdom study published in the "Forensic Science International" journal in 1982. This contradicted Well's testimony yesterday which stated that sperm could only survive up to 36 hours. However, Wells, the head of forensic medicine at the Victoria Institute of Medicine, quickly cautioned that he, as well as most of those experts in his field, would put "reservations" on that finding as it was the only published case for over 30 years. "This particular 1982 paper is often quoted and it is quite depressing that in 30 years there's only one case. I would like to hear of one other case. The question is, how much weight should we put on this? Should we base all of our forensic findings on a single untested case?" asked Wells. Mohd Yusof also referred to an article in "Clinical Forensic Medicine" by WDS Mclay. The paper said research showed sperm may be identified and rectal swabs taken up to three days after anal intercourse even when defecation has occurred. The article also suggested that samples could be obtained even if an individual has showered. However, Wells stuck to his previous stand. "From my experience, to get an extraction after more than 20 to 36 hours is very rare. I have never heard of such a case. The single case was in 1982. The question is how much weight do you put on that case," said the expert in the field of sexual assault cases. Wells: It is exceedingly rare to get any results beyond 20 to 36 hours. Mohd Yusof: Then why do you think doctors suggest that swabs can be taken from the anus after three days up to 65 hours? This sample can even be taken when the victim has showered. Wells: The article you are quoting from also refers to the single 1982 case. Mohd Yusof: But can you say it's not possible. Wells: No I can't say. Doctor stumped Wells added that "in medicine, you sometimes have to be realistic. Why don't we collect toxicological samples from patients who consumed something two to three months ago? There's a reason for it". "I would not base a scientific premise on a single case; with some confidence I can say (in Anwar's case) that already we have a sample that is not dried and not frozen and kept at room temperature; the possibility is very small that you can extract a foreign DNA," said Wells. Wells added that there have been numerous attempts to test for sperm specimens 36 hours later, with "zero" results.
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| ‘Pray Anwar does not become PM’ Posted: 23 Aug 2011 07:35 PM PDT By Stephanie Sta Maria, FMT PETALING JAYA: Oposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's recent conduct in the High Court has so incensed Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali that the latter has put out a call for Malaysians to pray for the fomer's political demise. Anwar had delivered a hour-long statement from the dock on Monday denying that he had sodomised his aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, in 2008. His decision to make his statement from the dock meant that he could not be cross-examined. But numerous quarters questioned this move with his detractors surmising that his avoidance of cross-examination was reflective of his guilt. Ibrahim joined the criticism by branding this scenario as "truly insane". "Saiful took an oath sat in the witness stand and was questioned by Anwar's defence team. Anwar didn't take an oath, sat in the dock and delivered a speech about (fomer Russian dictator) Joseph Stalin, (former South African president) Nelson Mandela and conspiracy… all of which could not be cross-examined," he said. In his statement, Anwar had quoted the words of Mandela in his speech made from the dock during the Rivonia trial of 1963. His reference to Stalin was used to explain that Saiful was made to play helpless victim because the public would no longer believe the 1998 method of employing Stalin-like confessions.
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| Putrajaya doles out RM1.4b to the underprivileged Posted: 23 Aug 2011 07:28 PM PDT By Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider PUTRAJAYA, Aug 24 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced today a RM1.4 billion welfare allocation to around 500,000 underprivileged recipients including senior citizens, the disabled and widows of army and police personnel. The allocation, to be disbursed monthly under the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry's newly-launched initiative called Program Kebajikan Rakyat 1 Malaysia (KAR1SMA), was increased by RM200 million from last year's RM1.2 billion for 424,000 identified recipients. Najib (picture) said the increase in aid to the needy is in line with one of the main pillars of his administration's philosophy which is to uphold social justice. "The underprivileged represent a large group and without intervention, they will remain a marginalised and we would have failed to uphold social justice. "Today, now that we have changed the direction and focus of the government through the Government Transformation Programme (GTP), we have identified that a large part of our community consist of the marginalised and they need help so they can become independent... not always depending on the government but independent," he said during his speech at the launch. Najib added that despite the global economic crisis, Malaysia still remains in the position to not only offer but increase financial aid to the underprivileged. "In some countries, they have had to slash their pensioner funds and cut back on welfare aid. "So I hope now that those receiving aid will be inspired with new hope, skills and spirit, enabling them to contribute to their futures and that of the country," he said.
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| Contract in Malaysia helps Petrofac outshine forecasts Posted: 23 Aug 2011 07:10 PM PDT By Yorkshire Post OIL services firm Petrofac has posted a forecast-beating first-half profit, after receiving a boost from its business in Malaysia. The company said it was confident that demand from national oil firms would continue to fuel future growth. Petrofac, which designs and builds oil and gas infrastructure and also invests alongside oil firms in oil fields, posted net profit of $246.3m for the first six months of the year, a 6.6 per cent rise on the previous year. This compared to a consensus forecast of $238m from a company-supplied poll of eight analysts. Profits in the FTSE 100 company's offshore engineering and operations business soared by more than 700 per cent reflecting strong activity levels in Malaysia, where it has a contract to develop oil and gas facilities for the country's state oil firm Petronas. The company said it was on track to double its 2010 earnings by 2015, a goal it announced in June. The company believes a recent contract win in Mexico validated its strategy of building up the part of its business which invests in oil fields to help national oil companies develop their reserves. "We are increasingly seeing resource holders who don't want to give up the title to reserves but do need expertise to help improve or develop their resources," chief financial officer Keith Roberts said. "Whether it's Malaysia, Petrom in Romania, now Mexico. This is a long-term systemic trend," he said, adding that the company also saw future opportunities for that part of the business in Iraq and Turkmenistan. "These positive results follow the potentially transformational production enhancement contract awards in Mexico... which will go some way toward delivering the group earnings growth target," said Evolution analyst Keith Morris. He added that Petrofac looks undervalued after recent poor share price performance. Shares in the company have fallen almost 20 per cent over the last month, broadly in line with recent sell-offs across the oil and gas sector. Petrofac also said it was on course to meet market forecasts for the full-year and it expected to deliver like-for-like net profit growth of at least 15 per cent in 2011. Numis analyst Sanjeev Bahl said he believed the company could beat that target given the first-half results |
| Posted: 23 Aug 2011 06:52 PM PDT By Joy Lee, The Edge KUALA LUMPUR: High fuel cost continues to weigh on airlines as low-cost carrier AirAsia Bhd saw its 2QFY11 net profit shrink 48% year-on-year (y-o-y) while national carrier Malaysian Airline System Bhd (MAS) languished in the red. AirAsia posted net profit of RM104.3 million for 2QFY11 ended June 30, from RM198.9 million in the previous corresponding quarter. Revenue, however, rose 15% to RM1.1 billion from RM933.4 million previously, supported by a 15% growth in passenger volume. |
| Petronas, Partners Plan $5 Billion Malaysia Gas Investment to Boost Supply Posted: 23 Aug 2011 06:47 PM PDT By Barry Porter, Bloomberg Petroleum Nasional Bhd., Malaysia's state oil and gas company, plans to invest 15 billion ringgit ($5 billion) with partners to develop natural gas fields off the country's eastern coast in a move to help replenish the Southeast Asian nation's shrinking energy reserves. The so-called North Malay Basin project aims to extract gas with high carbon dioxide content from nine discovered fields to help meet rising demand on Peninsular Malaysia, according to a statement today from Petronas, as the company is known. A 200 kilometer-pipeline (124 miles) will be laid to transport the fuel to Kerteh, in Terengganu state, it said. "The development of the North Malay basin project follows recently introduced incentives by the government, particularly for the development of marginal fields," Petronas said. "The gradual revision of gas prices to domestic customers, as recently announced by the government, also makes the project more economically feasible for industry players." The state utility has traditionally sold gas at a discount to power distributor Tenaga Nasional Bhd. (TNB) to help keep business and consumer costs low in Malaysia. On May 30, the government allowed it to reduce that subsidy, acknowledging that this had limited Petronas's ability to reinvest and pay dividends. 'Minimal' Investment"These subsidized gas prices have resulted in minimal investments in the exploration of gas projects by oil and gas players, constraining growth in supply capacity," Petronas said in today's statement. "In recent years, demand for gas has increased by more than 30 percent, buoyed by the introduction of regulated prices in 1997 that has lagged concomitant increases in market prices." The nation's crude and natural gas production has fallen for two straight years, declining to the equivalent of 1.63 million barrels of oil a day in the year ended March 31 from 1.66 million a day a year earlier, according to Petronas's annual report. It didn't name its production-sharing partners for the North Malay Basin project. The gas fields are located within Blocks PM301 and PM302 in the Bergading contract area, about 300 kilometers off the country's peninsula, it said. The investment will be undertaken on an "accelerated" basis, with the first delivery of 100 million cubic feet of gas per day expected by early 2013, rising to 250 million by 2015, according to the e-mailed statement. |
| 4 jailed for gang-rape of Malaysian student Posted: 23 Aug 2011 04:09 PM PDT (New Straits Times) - Four wealthy Russians cheered a gang rape like "professional footballers celebrating the scoring of a goal", a judge said today as he jailed them for a total of 36 years.
(Clockwise, from top left) Oleg Ivanov, 23, Norayr Davtyan, 22, Armen Simonyan, 19, and Gregory Melnikov, 23, denied raping the teenager but were unanimously convicted yesterday after an eight-week trial. Oleg Ivanov and Gregory Andreev Melnikov, both 23, Norayr Davtyan, 22, and Armen Simonyan, 19, filmed the sickening attack on an 18-year old Malaysian fellow student at their £30,000 (RM147,000)-a-year boarding school using an iPhone. Ringleader Davtyan was jailed for 10 years, Melnikov for nine years and Ivanov and Simonyan for eight years apiece at Woolwich Crown Court yesterday. In the course of the "disgusting" attack they egged each other on by saying: "You're not going to marry her." Judge Peter Murphy said: "The iPhone footage shows what can only be described as a callous disregard for the victim as a human being and indeed as anything other than an object of their own pleasure. "(The victim) in my judgment certainly is heard to utter the word 'no' on a number of occasions. Whatever the case of her condition, it is clear as I think it must have been to the defendants that she was in no position to decide whether to consent or not to consent, or to resist what was going on. No one who has seen that footage can leave this trial without feeling complete disgust towards it."
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| Vell Paari’s Aussie firm crisis Posted: 23 Aug 2011 03:53 PM PDT
Claims of misappropriation of funds, missing files, non-payment of salaries (The Malay Mail) - An internal financial crackdown of MIC central working committee member S. Vell Paari's Western Australia-based 4WD auto company is underway following allegations of misappropriation of millions of ringgit, missing accounting files and "stolen" intellectual property manuals. Three Australian authorities, in the meantime, are investigating his company for non-payment of staff salaries, unpaid superannuation — a retirement and pensions programme — and alleged violation of investment procedures. Vell Paari told The Malay Mail international audit firm KPMG was conducting forensic examination on the finances of OKA Motor Co., the trading name of Reymer Pty Ltd, that Vell Paari controls. The audit is also to protect the company's intellectual property in the form of manuals to manufacture all-terrain trucks and tour buses. The manuals, valued at RM80 million, were discovered missing recently, he said. Vell Paari said millions in company funds have also been siphoned out of Australia into a private account in Europe. In the case of the manuals, he said, sabotage was suspected. "The manuals that were stored in a computer server are currently being rebuilt." On the missing accounting files, he said except for those over the past two years, files from previous years had gone missing. The son of former MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu was speaking to The Malay Mail on claims his auto company had collapsed. "The company has not collapsed. Matters have come to a standstill until we have cleared this mess," he declared. He said: "Majority of the employees have now been paid their salaries except for those whose claims have to be verified by the auditors. "Payments to certain creditors are also disputable and I suspect their accounts are shady. We are putting everything in order and are co-operating with the authorities to get to the root of the problems." He said the irregularities came to light in an internal investigation into complaints of nonpayment of staff salaries over the past two-and-a-half-months. Vell Paari said an email sent to him by an employee raising concerns over non-payment of salaries triggered the internal action. "I suspected irregularities as we had money from sales of allterrain vehicles while the company was still focused on research and development on a new range of vehicles. "It was then we discovered millions have been siphoned out of Australia into a private account." He claimed OKA chief financial officer Tom Ksserkas had owned up to the auditors that he had misappropriated company funds. The chief executive officer, Arthur Gold, resigned soon after the forensics audit was commissioned, he added. He accused both men for the current state of affairs. "I was not responsible for the unpaid wages. "I might be company chairman and have other ventures in Australia but I don't get involved in daily operations as I spend most of my time in Kuala Lumpur. Further, I don't have a working visa there." Vell Paari said he expected a full report from the auditors soon after which he would make police reports against those responsible. In the meantime, he said, operations at the plant in Bibra Lake have ground to a halt to facilitate investigations. At least 20 workers have been retrenched. He said he was liaising with Fair Work Ombudsman that is looking into allegations of unpaid salaries. "I am aware the workers had also lodged a claim with the Australian Taxation office for unpaid superannuation. "A complaint has also been filed with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and I am in touch with the authorities." Vell Paari said moves were in progress to relocate the manufacturing plant to Malaysia. He said he has hired a new COO, an Indian national with expertise in armoured and non-armoured vehicles for Indonesian military, to head the operations in Malaysia from October.
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| From POLITICO - Justin Smith steps down from FBC Media board Posted: 23 Aug 2011 03:39 PM PDT
Ben Smith and I report on the main site how The Atlantic has become the latest media company to get tangled in the scandal surrounding FBC Media, a British company on whose board Atlantic Media Co. President Justin Smith sat until the bad press moved him to resign.
"I have directed a full review of The Atlantic's dealings with him, and the responsibility at The Atlantic for any problems it might uncover will be mine. It is my job to safeguard at all costs The Atlantic's reputation for editorial integrity."
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| Beng Hock’s family challenges RCI suicide verdict Posted: 23 Aug 2011 02:13 PM PDT
By Boo Su-Lyn, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 24 — Teoh Beng Hock's family applied for a judicial review against the royal commission of inquiry's (RCI) conclusion that the political aide committed suicide in 2009. The application was made at the High Court today. The family's lawyer Gobind Singh Deo pointed out that there was no testimony on what happened to Teoh, between 3.30am and 7am on July 16, 2009, the crucial hours before he was eventually found dead outside the then Selangor Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office in Plaza Masalam, Shah Alam. "If you do not know for sure what happened, how can you come to these findings?" asked Gobind at a press conference after filing the application for leave today. The RCI, which was chaired by sitting Federal Court judge Tan Sri James Foong, found that Teoh was driven to suicide after relentless questioning by anti-graft officers. The five-man panel wrapped up its report on June 15 after having heard testimony from 70 witnesses in its bid to unravel the mysterious circumstances behind Teoh's death. Former Court of Appeal judge Datuk N.H. Chan has called the three judges on the five-man panel "three blind mice" for concluding that Teoh killed himself despite lacking expert opinion. A copy of the judicial review provided to the press today quoted the RCI as saying in its report: "We believe something had happened between 3.30am (after Teoh Beng Hock's statement was recorded) and 7.00am (the earliest estimate of his time of death) on July 16, 2009, that drove Teoh Beng Hock to suicide." Teoh's family said it was obvious that the RCI did not know what had happened to Teoh at that time before the former aide to Selangor executive councillor, Ean Yong Hian Wah, plunged nine floors to his death. Gobind also questioned the lack of action against three MACC officers whom the RCI said had pressured Teoh into committing suicide.
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| PAS ready to face lawsuit over 'UMNO hand' in church affair Posted: 23 Aug 2011 01:07 PM PDT (Harakah Daily) - PAS president Tuan Guru Abdul Hadi Awang has given his backing to secretary general Mustafa Ali over the latter's claim that UMNO had a hand in the controversy surrounding the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS) and the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC). The claim has infuriated Selangor UMNO, who threatened to file a RM10 million suit against Mustafa if he refused to apologise. Mustafa however twice rejected the demand for apology, saying he had ample proof to be presented in court.
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| Bumi quota may bloat MRT project cost, say experts Posted: 23 Aug 2011 11:41 AM PDT By Boo Su-Lyn, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 24 — A 30 per cent Bumiputera quota for the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) construction packages may swell the cost of the multi-billion ringgit rail project, say experts. RAM Holdings chief economist Dr Yeah Kim Leng said some small Bumiputera contractors may not be able to leverage on economy of scale in terms of equipment and resources. "The smaller ones don't have that scale economy. Costs will be higher," Yeah told The Malaysian Insider. He said six out of the 16 packages for elevated civil works and stations, as well as the Kajang depot work package, were reserved for Bumiputeras. Twenty-eight firms including heavyweights such as Sunway Bhd, IJM Bhd and MRCB have been shortlisted for the construction of the first phase of the MRT project. Political analyst James Chin pointed out that the Bumiputera quota would increase costs due to a smaller pool of competitors. "The Bumiputera portion will be confined to Bumiputeras only. If you know that the competition is for Bumiputeras only, they'll increase prices because they (the government) cannot buy from anyone else," Chin told The Malaysian Insider.
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| Anwar is like a Renaissance man who likes ‘naked men’, says Utusan Posted: 23 Aug 2011 11:25 AM PDT
By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 24 — Utusan Malaysia mocked Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today and likened him to Renaissance era artists such as Michaelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci who "like fully naked men and handsome young boys." Its assistant chief editor Datuk Zaini Hassan wrote in the Umno-owned newspaper that the opposition leader's "32-page statement was as usual, complete with quotes from the Quran, former South African President Nelson Mandela, Shakespeare and many others," in reference to Anwar's unsworn testimony from the dock during his sodomy trial on Monday."Anwar wants to be known as The Renaissance Man of the new millennium. He has even written a book called The Asian Renaissance," Zaini wrote in his Cuit column today. He stated in the Malay daily that Michaelangelo and Leonardo "like fully naked men and handsome young boys" and asked readers to look up their works, such as the statue of David and the sketch of the Vitruvian Man — both naked depictions — on online encyclopedia Wikipedia. Anwar is currently fighting a sodomy charge levelled against him by his former aide Mohamed Saiful Bukhari Azlan who was 22 when the alleged incident happened in 2008. The former deputy prime minister said in a nearly two-hour testimony from the dock on Monday that this second sodomy charge was a "conspiracy by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak" and denied ever having sex with Saiful. PKR later said that its de facto leader's decision to enter an unsworn statement in his defence was an act of protest against "the legal and political establishment's" trumped-up charges, following in the footsteps of Mandela, who also took the same course of action when charged with treason in 1963. But Zaini mocked the Permatang Pauh MP, writing that "Anwar using Mandela's words? Does he want to be known as the Malayan Mandela?" "He wants his speech to be in high language, with jargon and philosophy, making reporters dizzy... unlike his former boss Dr Mahathir who would use simple language, whether Malay or English," he wrote in the Malay daily.
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