Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Muhyiddin rubbishes Anwar’s claim of voter swing to Pakatan
- Malaysia should change PMs like Japan, says Zaid
- Decide if Mat Sabu is an Islamist or communist, Guan Eng tells critics
- Dr M says PAS reveres communists
- Malaysian PM takes a beating over reforms, inflation
- Guan Eng advises Pakatan members to ‘zip it’ after row
- Two police reports lodged against Mohamad Sabu latest!
- Time for rhetoric long over, PM
- ‘Don’t make the same mistake as PKR’
- Police to question Mat Sabu
- ‘Mutiny in Umno’: MIC must back Najib
- Stop Lynas till doubts are cleared: PAS Youth
- Mat Sabu to sue Utusan over ‘false report’
- Halls of Power Narrow for Malaysian Women
- PAS man denies supporting Lynas plant
- Revised law rewards judiciary’s top three, works other judges longer
- Mat Sabu mum on Utusan attack, says can’t recall Aug 21 speech
- Utusan says Mat Sabu wants to turn Malaysia into a republic
- Anti-Chinese sentiment gaining ground in Malaysia
- 'Lowering requirements may affect residential schools'
- Muhyiddin: Mohamad’s communist remarks insulting
- Penang BN to focus on 18 ‘critical seats’, says Koh
- Election Commission should fine-tune voting options list
- A-G denies Raja Petra’s bribe claims
- Sodomy II: Sperm sample not taken properly, says expert
- RM8bil joy for bumiputra contractors
- ‘Sabah getting a raw deal from Petronas’
- Malaysia's Petronas Chemicals Q1 net profit 737mn ringgit
- Malaysia Petronas 1Q Net Profit MYR19.35 Billion Vs MYR12.32 Billion
- Pakatan: MRT rail, property model is land grab
- Pakatan confident of ‘mission impossible’
- Biometric System Would Do More Harm Than Good?
- Harapan Komuniti receives death threat
- ACCIM claims MRT abused as front for land grab
- RBA briefed on bribery, deputy governor admits
| Muhyiddin rubbishes Anwar’s claim of voter swing to Pakatan Posted: 29 Aug 2011 09:41 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin poured cold water on Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's claim today that the prime minister's sliding popularity based on a recent poll signified a voter shift to Pakatan Rakyat (PR). He also played down the survey from independent pollster Merdeka Center, saying the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) government did not take the survey results as "too serious" because the findings depended largely on its sample size. Merdeka Center yesterday released the results of its survey, which showed a six-point dip in the approval rating of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak; from 65 per cent in May to 59 per cent. PKR adviser Anwar appeared delighted with the latest rating, saying the indicated drop in support for Najib showed voters were moving towards the opposition PR pact. "That's not necessarily true," Muhyiddin said, responding to Anwar's remark made earlier today at the Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house of Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim. Muhyiddin, who is BN deputy president, was quick to highlight that his political rival had his own situation to deal with, though he did not elaborate. The vocal Anwar, however, appears to have been distracted in the past few months and has been keeping a much lower profile as he turns his attention to his ongoing Sodomy II trial, which is to resume on September 19. "I think Datuk Seri Anwar has also got his own situation," Muhyiddin said at Najib's open house here on the first day of the Muslim holiday. "What's important is not the survey, but what we do from now on."
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| Malaysia should change PMs like Japan, says Zaid Posted: 29 Aug 2011 09:38 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - Kita president Datuk Zaid Ibrahim has suggested Malaysians try changing prime ministers, even as Malaysia faces slower growth prospects next year. Japanese Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda was confirmed today as the country's sixth prime minister in five years after he outmanoeuvred rivals at an internal party ballot yesterday. "Japan still an economic power. Despite changing PM every year. We should try it here," Zaid, the former de facto law minister, said in a tongue-in-cheek post on micro-blogging site Twitter. This comes after a Merdeka Center poll released yesterday showed that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's approval rating has fallen to 59 per cent after steadily sliding from a high of 72 per cent in May last year. Najib, who came to power in 2009 with a low 34 per cent approval rating, is under pressure to reign in a ballooning budget deficit by slashing subsidies while trying to keep cost of living increases in check. Rising inflation, which hit a two-year high of 3.5 per cent in July, was cited as the number one worry by 30.3 per cent of those polled by the Merdeka Centre earlier this month.
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| Decide if Mat Sabu is an Islamist or communist, Guan Eng tells critics Posted: 29 Aug 2011 09:35 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - Lim Guan Eng has challenged critics of Pakatan Rakyat (PR) colleague Mohamad Sabu to make up their minds over whether the PAS deputy president is an Islamic extremist or a communist. The DAP secretary-general said that he had been detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) in 1987 during the Operation Lalang clampdown along with Mohamad, who was then accused of being an Islamic fundamentalist. "Now, they are saying he is supporting communism. Is there any credibility to these accusations?" he told reporters at the prime minister's Hari Raya open house today. On Satuday, Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia quoted Mohamad as saying that the communists who attacked the Bukit Kepong police station during the pre-Independence communist insurgency were heroes. The newspaper accused him of disparaging the country's armed forces and expressing support for communists but Mohamad, popularly known as Mat Sabu, has since denied the report and accused the Malay-language daily of fabricating the quote.
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| Dr M says PAS reveres communists Posted: 29 Aug 2011 09:31 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has accused PAS of idolising communists and disparaging the founding fathers of Malaysia and Umno. The influential former prime minister told reporters today that recent comments by PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu "is part of efforts to disparage leaders of old maybe because they are related to Umno and to idolise communists." "I did not expect this to happen but unfortunately the ones who are pushing this trend is PAS. This trend has continued up to the point where they are idolising communists who killed so many of our security personnel," he said at the prime minister's Hari Raya open house. Malaysia's longest-serving prime minister said that "there is no reason to say that communists fought for independence. They fought for independence only so they can takeover the country and turn it into a communist country." "This is not a fight for independence. The ones who fought for independence are Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Abduk Razak and others who ensured we are free from the claws of the colonists," he added, referring to Malaysia's first two prime ministers. He also claimed that "children in schools have been taught that Tunku Abdul Rahman is a traitor to the nation." Although Dr Mahathir has not always seen eye-to-eye with Malaysia's first prime minister, both have been strident opposers of the communist movement in the country. On Satuday, Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia quoted Mohamad as saying that the communists who attacked the Bukit Kepong police station during the pre-Independence communist insurgency were heroes.
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| Malaysian PM takes a beating over reforms, inflation Posted: 29 Aug 2011 04:05 PM PDT Carolyn Hong, The Straits Times Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak's approval rating has dipped below 60 per cent, the lowest in a year, as he faces a public restless with the slow pace of reform and struggling with rising inflation. The survey released yesterday by the independent Merdeka Centre said 59 per cent of those polled said they were satisfied with PM Najib's performance, down from 65 per cent in the last poll in May. The centre's director, Mr Ibrahim Suffian, described this as a 'significantly reduced' approval rating. Mr Ibrahim said the drop was due to increased concerns over the rising cost of living, as ordinary Malaysians begin to feel the rise in fuel and electricity prices. Datuk Seri Najib's office did not respond to a request for comment. The survey, which polled 1,027 Malaysians around Peninsular Malaysia this month, was conducted about a month after a Bersih rally where tens of thousands defied police orders and marched in the streets to demand electoral reforms. Other recent controversies included a raid by the Islamic authorities on a church in Petaling Jaya, on suspicion that Muslims were being converted; opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's ongoing sodomy trial; and claims of discrepancies in the voter roll. In the survey, only 38 per cent of Chinese Malaysians said they were satisfied with Mr Najib's performance, compared with 69 per cent of Malays and Indians. "A major part of the perception was shaped by how people feel the economy is performing, but at the same time, unending controversies such as the Christian issues, and poor handling of the Bersih and election reform issues appear to give the public a negative impression about how the government and leaders handle problems," Mr Ibrahim said. Bersih, which means "clean" in Malay, is a civil society movement pushing for electoral reforms. Mr Ibrahim said Malaysians may also see Mr Najib's attempts to stay above the political fray as an inability to address problems or to control his team members. When Mr Najib took office in April 2009, he had an approval rating of just 44 per cent. That was higher than the 34 per cent among those polled a month before on whether they thought he would make a good prime minister. Thanks to his attempts to bring about economic and government reforms, his approval rating climbed steadily over the next year, reaching 72 per cent in May last year. Since then, his rating has dropped, after he appeared to backpedal on some of his promises, particularly on rolling back pro-Malay policies. The six percentage point dip this time came even after Mr Najib made extensive efforts to engage directly with different groups of Malaysians. Since he became PM, he has gone on numerous walkabouts in various parts of the country, and has personally made pledges to reform the government and economy. The falling numbers are significant because he is expected to call a general election within the next year. The survey also found that the percentage of respondents who felt that Malaysia was headed in the right direction had fallen to 51 per cent this month from 54 per cent in May. Respondents said their top concern remained the economy, followed by social problems and political matters. The Chinese remain the most pessimistic with only 31 per cent agreeing that the country was headed in the right direction, compared to 39 per cent of the Indians and 64 per cent of the Malays. The respondents were also asked about the Bersih rally last month, when police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse protesters, and arrested over 1,000 people. Almost half the respondents said they were dissatisfied with the way the government handled the Bersih rally, while the vast majority agreed with Bersih's proposals for reforms. These proposals include the use of indelible ink, allowing foreign election observers, greater access for the opposition to the media, and cleaning up the electoral rolls.
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| Guan Eng advises Pakatan members to ‘zip it’ after row Posted: 29 Aug 2011 03:39 PM PDT (The Star) - Penang DAP committee member Zulkifli Mohd Noor, who has suggested that PKR make way in several seats at the next general election, has been told to refrain from making any further comments by his party boss. DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, who is also Chief Minister, called this an "advice" while party chairman Karpal Singh has described Zulkifli's statement as "unwarranted". Lim said all Pakatan Rakyat members in the state should stop making statements in the press against each other, adding that problems should be discussed and resolved internally. He was asked to comment on statements made by Zulkifli and Penang PKR information chief Johari Kassim. Zulkifli had suggested that PKR make way for DAP in at least one parliamentary seat and five state seats in Penang for Malay DAP candidates to contest in the next general election. Johari responded by saying Zulkifli should not make unwise suggestions since he is a senior party member.
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| Two police reports lodged against Mohamad Sabu latest! Posted: 29 Aug 2011 02:47 AM PDT (Borneo Post) - Former Police Association of Malaysia (PBPM) Keningau branch and Labuan Umno yesterday made police reports against PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu for insulting the national fighters. Chairman of the association, former sub-inspector Anggi Kathil, said the association viewed the statement as very serious. Mat Sabu, when giving a ceramah in Tasek Gelugor, Penang on August 21, considered terrorists from the Fourth Company Force of the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) which attacked and killed members of the security force and their families in Bukit Kepong as the real heroes. The PAS leader also considered Muhammad Indera, the Malay man who conspired with Goh Peng Tun and 200 communists personnel as a hero, not the 25 police personnel and their families who defended themselves in the attack at the police station. In his ceremah, Mat Sabu also claimed that Dato Onn Jaafar and Tunku Abdul Rahman were not eligible to be considered as independence fighter and pledged to revise the history of independence if the opposition seized Putrajaya as he claimed the history written today do not show the actual facts. Meanwhile, Anggi representing state PBPM president Haji Abdul Rahman Teo when making the police report, said members of the association protested against Mat Sabu's statement which claimed that the communists were the heroes of this country and police who died in the incident as otherwise. He said the statement clearly deviated from historical facts. "The state and branch associations assume the ceramah was to instigate people to hate the police and security forces in the country, in addition to underestimating police efforts to protect the security of this country and its people," he said. He said the association viewed this matter very seriously and urged the authorities concerned to take serious action in order not to make the policemen who served and died in their service to defend the sovereignty of this country to become the scorn of society. "PBPM Sabah and Keningau are asking the authorities concerned to take action against Mat Sabu in accordance with the provisions of the existing laws of this country," he said. In Labuan, Labuan Umno acting chief Senator Datuk Yunus Kurus who led party members to lodge the report at the police station, said Umno members were disappointed over Mat Sabu's statement and urged the government to take stern action against him. "His statement (Mat Sabu) is the highest insult to the country's patriots and fighters by twisting historical facts for their cheap political mileage," he said. He added that Labuan Umno would give their full support to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak, Defence Minister Datuk Zahid Hamidi and Home Minister Datuk Hishammuddin Tun Hussin in defending this country's sovereignty. Also present at the police station were Labuan Umno vice president Bashir Alias, secretary Rozman Datuk Isli and Women chief Aini Safar.
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| Time for rhetoric long over, PM Posted: 28 Aug 2011 09:31 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - Here we go again. It was thought Putrajaya has sacked FBC Media, APCO Worldwide and other spin merchants, but it looks like their ideas are still influencing the government. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is obviously enamoured with the idea of sounding like a statesman abroad, and there is nothing wrong with that posturing if it is supported by substance. But having an opinion piece in The Times of London and praising Britain for rejecting extremism is shallow, given the manner in which chauvinism and extremism is embraced by his administration and political party. In the article, Najib was pleased at the response of thousands of Britons who slammed the attack on a Malaysian student and who stood up for moderation. Strange, because his administration did not laud the thousands of middle-class Malaysians who left their living rooms and Starbucks to march for a clean electoral system. Instead, these Malaysians were demonised, called names and branded an illegal organisation. At the same time, this administration has been incapable of protecting Malaysians from growing extremism. There is also more than a nagging suspicion that the government permits the likes of Datuk Ibrahim Ali and Perkasa to flourish. The Times article is at the core of what ails this administration. They want to look good to the outside world, specifically Western world. So, millions of ringgit is spent on buying airtime and column space to project the leaders of this country as moderate and progressive. But little attention is paid to walking the talk at home. The end result is that there is growing ambivalence about government and PM, as is reflected in downward trend in the PM's approval rating. |
| ‘Don’t make the same mistake as PKR’ Posted: 28 Aug 2011 07:17 PM PDT DAP is warned not to use Dayaks for merely 'window-dressing'. (Free Malaysia Today) - The DAP leadership both at state and federal levels cannot afford to trivialize the Dayak community's involvement if they are aiming for success in the coming general election. "They should not make the same mistake that PKR did. Dayaks must be given important roles," said Simangang DAP branch chairman Leon Jimat Donald. Warning DAP leadership not to view Dayaks as merely 'making-up the numbers' in Sarawak, Donald said the party should not emulate its arch rival Sarawak United People's Party's (SUPP) 'partnership' model. He claimed Dayaks members and reps in SUPP were merely seen as 'window dressings'. It is a common knowledge here that Dayaks have played second and sometimes third fiddle to the Chinese in the SUPP, which is a Barisan Nasional ally. In the recent April state election, SUPP lost 13 of 19 seats it contested . Whilst only two of its 15 Chinese assemblymen managed to retain their seats, all four Dayak representatives got voted-in. Today SUPP is 'surviving' entirely on its Dayak representatives. Donald said DAP must convince Dayaks that they are important to the party. "In order to remove the perception of Chinese chauvinism, the Dayaks have to play or be perceived to play important roles in the party in order to avoid the accusations of window dressing. "DAP should provide proper representation for the Dayaks in the national DAP's central executive committee by appointment. "As we have seen during the last PKR election, there was nobody elected to the national PKR. "With next to no Dayak branches around to elect any Dayak representatives to the national DAP CEC, no one can hope to be elected as the majority of party members will continue to be from the peninsula," he said. Dayak reps in Pakatan government Donald suggested that DAP also considered appointing a few Dayak members to be part of the respective Pakatan Rakyat state governments. He suggested that qualified Dayaks be appointed as political secretaries and be made responsible for the Dayaks working in the peninsula. It would also show DAP's sincerity in accommodating the Dayak community as a whole. "There are Dayaks numbering in the thousands, working in states such as Selangor, Penang, Johor and the Klang Valley. "Such a gesture will be seen and perceived as a good start in the Dayak political relationship with DAP," he added. Donald also addressed the new economic policy and how important it is to educate Dayaks on its shortcomings.
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| Posted: 28 Aug 2011 06:34 PM PDT Start reading history books, deputy IGP tells him (NST) -- Pas deputy president Mohamad Sabu will soon be called to give his statement over his alleged remarks that communist terrorists who attacked the Bukit Kepong police station in 1950 were the country's true heroes. Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Khalid Abu Bakar said police had received at least 43 reports against the opposition politician's speech and were investigating the case under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code for making a statement that could cause alarm to the public. "Police are expecting to record his statement soon to facilitate investigations," he told the New Straits Times yesterday. Mohamad, better known as Mat Sabu, had allegedly made the remarks at a political ceramah in Tasek Gelugor, Penang, on Aug 21. "It has not only angered members of the country's security forces but also hurt the feelings of the families of the 16 Bukit Kepong policemen who were killed in the incident. It was reported in a Malay daily that Mohamad had allegedly said Muhammad Indera, who helped the communists in the attack, was the real hero and not the 25 policemen and their family members who defended the station as they were "British officers". |
| ‘Mutiny in Umno’: MIC must back Najib Posted: 28 Aug 2011 03:44 PM PDT
By B Nantha Kumar, FMT KUALA LUMPUR: MIC should reconsider its position in Barisan Nasional if Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is toppled from power by certain forces within Umno, said party Central Working Committee (CWC) member S Vell Paari. In a news report published in Tamil Nesan yesterday, he said there was intense speculation that Najib is facing a challenge in Umno. If there is any truth to the speculation, Vell Paari urged MIC to defend Najib. "He is the best prime minister we have in terms of catering for the Indian community, so we must stand by him. "We don't know if the rumour is true but MIC must protect Najib against those who are working against the prime minister," he added. Vell Paari, who raised the matter during the MIC CWC meeting yesterday, said that it was his personal opinion. "This is my own opinion. It is up to the party leadership and CWC members to accept my opinion or not," he added.
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| Stop Lynas till doubts are cleared: PAS Youth Posted: 28 Aug 2011 03:23 PM PDT
(Harakah Daily) - Saying there are ample opinions from experts, PAS Youth has urged the government to halt the controversial Lynas Advanced Material Plant project in Gebeng, Pahang until questions over its safety can be put to rest. Youth chief Nasrudin Hasan Tantawi (right) said a time frame must be given so those competent in various related fields can suggest concrete actions with regards to the Australian-based company's decision to construct the rare-earth refinery.
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| Mat Sabu to sue Utusan over ‘false report’ Posted: 28 Aug 2011 03:16 PM PDT
By Stephanie Sta Maria, FMT PETALING JAYA: PAS deputy president, Mohamad Sabu, will take legal action against Utusan Malaysia for the "distorted and false" reporting of his ceramah in Penang's Tasek Gelugor on Augt 21. Last Saturday, the Umno-owned daily had quoted the PAS leader as saying that the communists who attacked the Bukit Kepong police station during the Emergency on Feb 3, 1950, were heroes and not the 17 policemen who died in the attack. Utusan also quoted him as saying that the country's first prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, and Umno's first president, Onn Jaafar, should not be recognised as freedom fighters because they were also British officers. Up to 20 police reports have been lodged against Mohamad, better known as Mat Sabu, over the weekend accompanied by accusations that he intends to re-write history to turn Malaysia into a republic. Yesterday, Mat Sabu declined to comment on the report, saying that he could not remember what he had said during his ceramah and needed to review it first. However, today he told FMT that he had listened to the recordings of his speech and confirmed that Utusan's report was "distorted and a lie". "I even asked all my friends who attended the ceramah to be doubly sure that I didn't convey what was reported in Utusan," he said. "The report is definitely false. So I will meet my lawyer after Hari Raya to discuss suing Utusan over this matter." According to Mat Sabu, he had mentioned the Bukit Kepong attack but not the communists or the name of their leaders. "What I said was that Mat Indera (Muhammad Indera) is a Malay hero because he fought against British rule," he explained. "I never mentioned the communists, that was Utusan's exaggeration." Mat Indera, however, is known as a Malay communist and was said to have led the Bukit Kepong attack. But when this was pointed out, Mat Sabu insisted that he never hailed Mat Indera as a hero for the attack or for leading the communists. He reiterated that Mat Indera was a hero simply for fighting against British rule. 'Merdeka an Umno celebration'
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| Halls of Power Narrow for Malaysian Women Posted: 28 Aug 2011 03:12 PM PDT By Liz Gooch, New York Times KUALA LUMPUR — At the gathering in a hotel on the outskirts of the Malaysian capital, there was talk of canvassing "highly persuadable" voters, campaign budgets and media strategies. There was even a stirring speech by a "candidate." The gathering had all the hallmarks of an election campaign meeting, with a couple of exceptions: all the participants were women, and they were from across the political spectrum, united in their eagerness to learn how to run a successful campaign.
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| PAS man denies supporting Lynas plant Posted: 28 Aug 2011 12:41 PM PDT
By G.Manimaran, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 29 — PAS lawmaker Che Rosli Che Mat has insisted that his comments on primetime television were not in support of a controversial RM700 million rare earth plant that is being opposed by his Pakatan Rakyat (PR) colleagues. The Hulu Langat MP also told The Malaysian Insider yesterday that he appeared in a TV3 segment that staunchly defended the refinery being built by Australian miner Lynas Corp in his personal capacity as a nuclear scientist and not as a representative of the Islamist party.
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| Revised law rewards judiciary’s top three, works other judges longer Posted: 28 Aug 2011 11:42 AM PDT
By Debra Chong, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 29 — Unlike his predecessors, Tun Zaki Azmi will retire on a full pension when he clocks out for the last time from the Palace of Justice on September 12 despite serving less than three years as Chief Justice, thanks to a recent revision of a remuneration law for the country's judges. It used to be a minimum of 15 years for judges from the High Court upwards to get their full pensions but few in the courts appear aware of the revisions to the Judges' Remuneration Act (JRA) 1971, passed in Parliament two months ago, that gave senior judges a shorter time to get pensions while junior judges now have to spend 18 years to get their full pension
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| Mat Sabu mum on Utusan attack, says can’t recall Aug 21 speech Posted: 27 Aug 2011 07:42 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - Mohamad Sabu has refused to comment on Utusan Malaysia's attack of his speech allegedly supporting communists, saying he can't remember all of it and will review it first. Mohamad was speaking at a political ceramah in Penang's Tasek Gelugor on August 21. The PAS deputy president told The Malaysian Insider yesterday that he has not read the Malay daily's report, and said that he won't "deny or confirm" whether what was reported was true. "I cannot recall everything that I said as it was said on August 21…the report in Utusan came out on August 27. "I am not denying or confirming anything. I just want to look back at the recordings…Utusan's reports are not always trustworthy," he said. During the Emergency (1948-1960), communist insurgents attacked the Bukit Kepong police station on February 23 1950, while the country was still under British rule. Utusan yesterday quoted Mohamad as saying that the communists who attacked Bukit Kepong police station were heroes insults those who fought for the country.
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| Utusan says Mat Sabu wants to turn Malaysia into a republic Posted: 27 Aug 2011 07:39 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - Utusan Malaysia today launched a full-scale assault on Mohamad Sabu, accusing him rewriting history to turn Malaysia into a republic, over his alleged remarks praising communists. Mingguan Malaysia, the weekend edition of the Umno daily carried eight pages worth of comments and criticisms against Mohamad, ranging from top Umno leaders like Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar to ex-soldiers who had fought communists during the February 23, 1950 attack on the Bukit Kepong police station. The daily attacked Mohamad — who is popularly known as Mat Sabu — for allegedly praising the communists who attacked the police station in British-ruled Malaya during Emergency (1948-1960) "Awang sees what Mat Sabu says as an insult to the country especially with the coming National Day this Wednesday. But Awang is not surprised. Mat Sabu is actually carrying the aspirations of other parties who have always fanned their own agenda to rewrite the history and constitution of our country. "The strategy of some DAP leaders to engage in close ties with Mat Sabu has clearly worked...Awang will not be surprised if once the opposition takes over, he (Mohamad) will place Parti Komunis Malaya Leader (PKM) Chin Peng as a national hero and suggest that Malaysia be turned into a republic," Awang Selamat wrote today. Awang Selamat is a pseudonym under which editors of Utusan Malaysia write. The Malay daily interviewed Temenggong Kanang Langkau, one of the few army survivors from the attack on Bukit Kepong who demanded that the Internal Security Act be used on the PAS leader for his supposed remarks made during a recent ceramah. "This man is useless, is this what you call a former elected representative? Tell him if he wants to support Communists he does not have to contest in the general elections. "He is supports communists, therefore he is a communist. He should be banished," the former soldier told the Malay daily. Utusan aired its first report on Mohamad's alleged speech during a ceramah in Tasek Gelugor yesterday. The report also claimed that the PAS leader said the country's first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj and Umno's first president Datuk Onn Jaafar were not freedom fighters.
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| Anti-Chinese sentiment gaining ground in Malaysia Posted: 27 Aug 2011 11:24 AM PDT By China.org.cn Recently, a racial incident again took place in a Malaysian school. A middle school history teacher in Johor told a student of Chinese descent to "go back to China." The incident came mere months after another case of schoolyard racism when a middle school principal insulted his Chinese students with similar remarks at the end of last year. Although racial remarks and activities are often punished firmly by the Malaysian authorities, these discordant voices continue to drum in schools in attempts of clearing out Chinese descendants. For the middle school principal, however, the only consequence for his behavior last year was being reassigned from his post. This did not appease the anger of the Chinese community. Moreover, it was shown to be a tacit approval for anti-Chinese sentiment by the government. This time, it is a history teacher who made such improper remarks. The saying goes: Take history as a mirror, and we can see the rise and fall of dynasties. Obviously, this history teacher does not measure up to his supposed expertise, and his ignorance is on clear display as he stirs up racial disputes. Malaysia is a multiracial and multicultural nation with Malays, Chinese and Indians as its three major ethnicities. All three settled on the islands almost at the same time; none is technically aborigines in Malaysia. However, the anti-Chinese sentiment has been deeply rooted. Malays account for 60 percent of the population, Chinese 26 percent and Indians 8 percent. The current administration implements preferential policies to Malays, which has further deepened the racial discrimination in the society. Chinese descendents in Southeast Asian countries constitute the majority of the foreign Chinese. Minorities in all, the Chinese descendents have still played important roles in the social and economical developments of these countries. Even in the hardest time, they did not leave the countries but stuck to their businesses there. As citizens, they made contribution to the social and economical restorations to the countries where they reside. This was especially the case in Malaysia. Therefore, "Go back to China" is no small thing. It reflects a lack of sensitivity to racism in Malaysia, as well as the lack of understanding for the local Chinese. The Chinese descendents do not want the government to simply adopt measures to deal with improper remarks or activities as a formality. They want a deeper, intrinsic kind of respect for their community. And instead of fanning the flames of racism and condoning anti-Chinese behaviors, they hope government would take on a meaningful role in maintaining the unity of the ethnicities. A politician once pointed out this of the Malaysian government: "If you knock it, it will shake. But if you knock harder, it will break. It looks well on the outside, but ill on the inside." Moreover, a Malaysian congressman confronted the government, saying it was a great shame that although his party had won an overwhelming 91 percent of parliament seats in the election in March, 2004, the prime minister did not take this chance to promote a national unity. On the contrary, ethnic separatists are more influential than ever, bringing a new crisis to the country. |
| 'Lowering requirements may affect residential schools' Posted: 27 Aug 2011 10:57 AM PDT By Rahmah Ghazali, NST KUALA LUMPUR: Revising the minimum admission requirements to residential schools for less fortunate pupils may cause a drop in the schools' performances, said an educational non-governmental organisation.
Parents Action Group for Education president Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said pupils in residential schools obtained stellar results in their Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR).
"We should encourage these students to do better, instead of coming up with mediocre work," she told the New Sunday Times. He said the new requirements would see students from low-income families needing to score only a minimum of 3As and 2Bs in their UPSR, whereas students from rural areas needed to achieve a minimum of 4As and 1B.
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| Muhyiddin: Mohamad’s communist remarks insulting Posted: 27 Aug 2011 10:47 AM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 28 — PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu saying the communists who attacked Bukit Kepong police station were heroes insults those who fought for the country, said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday. During the Emergency (1958-1960), communist insurgents attacked the police station in the 1950s, while the country was still under British rule. Muhyiddin said he was extremely disappointed with Mohamad who is more popularly known as Mat Sabu, for his August 21 remarks made at a Tasek Gelugot political gathering, as reported by a local daily. The report also stated that the PAS leader said the country's first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj and Umno's first president Datuk Onn Jaafar were not freedom fighters, Muhyiddin pointed out. In his statement released to Bernama Online, Muhyiddin said Mohamad was ignorant of the contribution made by past Malay leaders to lead the country to independence. He wants Mohamad to now apologise to all Malaysians for his remarks. Muhyiddin explained further that the Malay leaders Mohamad derided who ended up inspired Malays to oppose British rule and the Malayan Union. He said that they led to the formation of Umno and have always defended Malay rulers, Malay rights, Malay language and Islam.
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| Penang BN to focus on 18 ‘critical seats’, says Koh Posted: 27 Aug 2011 10:21 AM PDT By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 28 — Penang Barisan Nasional (BN) is focused on regaining and retaining 18 "critical" state seats in the next polls, as state coalition chief Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon believes they are crucial to winning back the state. Koh was chief minister from 1990 until the political tsunami of March 2008 — when Pakatan Rakyat (PR) won 29 out of the total 40 state seats in the state. DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng replaced him. "Of the 11 seats BN has won in March 2008, there are six seats which we won by less than the 600 vote margin. We have to first defend this. Then there are seven seats which we lost by less than 2000 vote margin, have to try and win back these seats. We also have five seats which we lost less than the 3000 majority margin. "So we are talking about critical seats altogether of 18 that we have to work very hard on. That's our target we are working on this.18 critical seats," Koh told The Malaysian Insider in an exclusive interview. The six seats won by BN by less than a 600 vote margin are Telok Bahang, Pulau Betong, Bayan Lepas, Sungai Acheh, Seberang Jaya and Sungai Dua. The seven seats BN lost by less than a 2000 vote margin are Bukit Tengah, Tanjung Bungah, Pulau Tikus, Padang Kota, Datuk Keramat, Batu Uban and Pantai Jerejak. The five seats BN lost by less than a 3000 vote margin are Penanti, Sungai Bakap, Sungai Pinang, Seri Delima and Air Itam. "I'm not going to claim that we will win. Neither am I going to claim that we will lose because a lot depends on what happens between now and the GE. After March 2008, any politician with the right sense will not make claims after another... In politics there's no absolute surety. (But) we have to try our very best," added the Gerakan president. The DAP won 19 state seats in the last polls, PKR won 9 and PAS won 1, while Umno won 11 seats. BN coalition partners Gerakan, MCA and MIC however were completely wiped out. Koh is also facing heat as state BN chief, as there have been calls from within the coalition demanding that the mild-mannered politician step down. BN leaders have said this was necessary if the coalition is to have any chance of wresting back Penang from PR. The Princeton graduate has been viewed as indecisive and a symbol of the BN leadership that was rejected by the voters in 2008. BN chairman and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has spoken behind closed doors on the need to rejuvenate the Gerakan leadership with younger talent and acknowledges that BN component parties need new blood if inroads are to be made in Penang, where DAP's Lim is a formidable opponent. Najib is due to pay a visit and speak at the Han Chiang High School in Penang on Sept 29 in what is seen as an attempt to woo the majority Chinese voters on the island. The school field was the site of a massive PR rally on March 6, 2008, two days before Lim swept to power in the state. The visit is seen as part of Najib's latest strategy to go to the ground every weekend before calling elections ahead of the BN mandate expiring in 2013.
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| Election Commission should fine-tune voting options list Posted: 27 Aug 2011 10:10 AM PDT (The Star) - FOR nearly one million Malaysians based abroad, postal voting will soon become a reality. The Elections Commission (EC) has rightly been commended for this move, which respects the right of voters to vote even when based overseas, makes it convenient for them to do so, and helps them maintain ties with their home country. So far, only full-time Malaysian students as well as civil servants and their spouses abroad may cast postal ballots, with many others employed in the private sector left out. Widening the option of postal voting is definitely an improvement, but the EC should go further. The procedure for postal voting takes time, is circuitous, and thus may raise doubts about the security and confidentiality of the ballots. Each Malaysian embassy abroad would hand out the ballots for marking by voters, who then return them to the embassies, which then send them back to Malaysia where they are transported to the respective polling centres of the voters' Malaysian addresses. Current technology evident in the biometric system being considered for all polling centres suggests that we can do better. Can the EC devise a practical and secure means of voting online from abroad? It would be good to know that the EC has at least explored the options to see what is possible. For now, Malaysians based abroad who had not been able to vote but are now hoping to do so must first register for postal balloting. This is only reasonable as they must first be on record as postal voters. It is also only fair, since voters should show their interest in casting their votes by registering before being given postal ballots. The EC has still to decide whether to recommend indelible ink, biometrics or both to Parliament to help secure the integrity of voting in the coming general election. The decision should result from a thorough consideration of what is best, not from any pressure from critics or interested parties. Only then can the EC earn the respect of all. |
| A-G denies Raja Petra’s bribe claims Posted: 26 Aug 2011 08:08 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - Attorney-General (A-G) Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail has denied claims by blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin that he was being bribed by former Ho Hup Bhd deputy executive chairman Datuk Vincent Lye in exchange for help in a boardroom tussle. Raja Petra had alleged on his blog Malaysia-Today on August 23 that Lye had "bribed" Gani and used Ho Hup funds to pay for renovation work at Gani Patail's second wife's house in Negeri Sembilan. (Read more here: http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/42988-now-lets-see-what-the-macc-is-going-to-do) In his first response to Raja Petra's claims, Abdul Gani told The Malaysian Insider that he had never accepted any money from the construction company. "I didn't take a single cent from Ho Hup. I have a rule; I don't take money," he said. When asked whether he owned a house in Seremban, he replied: "I don't have a house in Seremban or anywhere in Negri Sembilan." "I don't know what to say … all these things happened in 2009 but the case was from 2010, so it doesn't make sense," he added, apparently referring to the charges filed against Low. Raja Petra had insinuated that the A-G used his influence on behalf of Lye to have his boardroom rival Datuk TC Low charged in court in January this year for non-timely disclosure of his interests in the company. The blogger had also posted pictures on the website of what appears to be a computer-generated invoice dated July 13 2009 from a company in Petaling Jaya to Ho Hup for installation of lighting fixtures for "AG's Bungalow at Seremban 2 — Sri Carcosa"; a handwritten invoice dated July 13 to Lye for renovation work for Sri Carcosa in Seremban 2; a cash payment voucher from Ho Hup dated August 12 for work done for "AG Tan Sri Ghani Patail Bangalow at Seremban 2 — Sri Carcosa" worth RM18,000; and a cheque made out to the renovation supplier for RM18,000.
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| Sodomy II: Sperm sample not taken properly, says expert Posted: 26 Aug 2011 05:20 PM PDT (THE STAR) - A DNA expert told the High Court yesterday that sperm samples taken from Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan's rectum had not been properly extracted by a chemist. Dr Brian Leslie McDonald said the differential extraction process (DEP) carried out by the chemist was not properly conducted due to the presence of Mohd Saiful's DNA. Describing the chemist's findings as speculative, he said a detailed process was necessary to ensure the sperm was isolated from other cells belonging to the complainant. He said that in order to get the proper results, the samples had "to be cleaned a couple of times."  Dr McDonald pointed out that the report prepared by the chemist did not indicate where the swabs came from. He said doctors at Hospital Kuala Lumpur did not use the same numbering system for the samples as used by the chemist. "We have to assume where the swabs came from as this was not reflected in the chemist's report," said Dr McDonald. He said samples must be verified whether they came from the anal and rectum areas in sodomy cases. Giving his opinion on the results of the samples taken from Mohd Saiful, Dr McDonald said the two swabs - taken from Mohd Saiful's high rectum and one from the low rectum - showed no degradation despite being examined after more than 90 hours. "The evidence found was pristine as there was no evidence of degradation, and this is inconsistent with its history." he said. He explained that in the low rectum swab, there was a mixture of two samples, which included Male Y. "The second high rectal swab had a mixture of Male Y and the complainant," he said, adding that the "dominance is by the complainant." "And the one from the low rectal was inconclusive," said Dr McDonald. On Thursday, Dr McDonald said the samples should have been smeared onto a glass slide, air-dried and immediately frozen at -20C to stop the growth of bacteria from destroying the sperm cells. The hearing was adjourned to Sept 19.
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| RM8bil joy for bumiputra contractors Posted: 26 Aug 2011 05:18 PM PDT (THE STAR) - More than RM8bil worth of projects will be awarded to bumiputra companies as part of the MY Rapid Transit (MRT) project, according to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. He said several packages in the RM20bil project had been specially allocated to bumiputra contractors. The packages are civil and infrastructure works, Tenaga Nasional Bhd power supply, centralised procurement, tunnel and underground works, and MRT systems, he said after chairing the fifth Bumiputra Agenda action council meeting yesterday. Meanwhile, the Bumiputra Agenda Coordinating Unit (Teraju) in the Prime Minister's Department said procurement strategies for the MRT project had been approved by the one-stop procurement committee headed by Najib, who is also finance minister. Since its inception, Teraju has been working to increase bumiputra participation in the mega project by securing opportunities for bumiputra contractors under Class D, E, and F and ensure "economies of scale" in the centralised procurement. Teraju said packages worth RM200mil had been set aside for contractors in Class D, E and F to undertake civil and infrastructure works. Meanwhile, at a breaking of fast at the Foreign Ministry, Najib said the Government would ensure democracy flourished in the country and would not tolerate anarchy. The Prime Minister said the Government would provide space for dissent but would not allow riots and disturbances to public order. "We have always championed democracy from day one but will not tolerate anarchy and riots. "We know the way forward is for us to allow room and space for dissent but at the same time to uphold the rules and laws," he said. Also present were Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman and members of foreign missions, including ambassadors and high commissioners. Najib said the Government would review many things, including censorship laws and ensure that there would be space for society to show dissent in an orderly manner. He said events happening around the world showed that law and order could not be taken for granted. "Who would have imagined the event (riots) in London, a cradle of democracy. "If such a homogeneous society can break down, what more a diverse society like Malaysia which is very plural. "I am not saying that everything is perfect in Malaysia ... we are far from it but are working on it," he said.
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| ‘Sabah getting a raw deal from Petronas’ Posted: 26 Aug 2011 01:56 PM PDT
By Queville To, FMT KOTA KINABALU: Petronas,which gets a major portion of their wealth from Sabah, was taken to task for spending on luxury projects such as the Sepang F1 racing circuit and a '5-star' hospital for the rich . PKR Sabah secretary Dr Roland Chia said Petronas gets a major portion of its wealth from Sabah,but it is spending money millions on lavish peojects in the Peninsula while Sabah is right at the bottom in the country's poverty index. Chia said Petronas had neglected its corporate social responsibility (CSR) to Sabah and has instead indulged in unnecessary projects. He said Petronas should be using its billions of ringgit following the oil price hike for more meaningful causes, rather than sponsoring sports cars to participate in the F1 Circuit, or continue to finance the accumulated losses incurred by the Prince Court Medical Centre (PCMC) in Kuala Lumpur. Sabah, the largest gas producer and the fourth largest crude oil producer in the country, has been short – changed and many feel Petronas should do more for the state. "I urge Petronas to channel their CSR funds for more meaningful causes rather than building a half-a-billion ringgit elite hospital in Kuala Lumpur and continuing to finance the Prince Court Medical Centre. "The money can be used by sponsoring community buses for rural school children who needed to walk for 10-20 km to reach their schools in Sabah and Sarawak," he said. Critics have complained that Petronas spent RM544 million on PCMC and this contrasts with the RM47 million the company spent over the last 36 years from 1975 to 2011 on its Education Sponsorship Programme (PESP) in Sabah, which works out to RM1.3 million a year. "This is utterly ridiculous. Sabahans are living in poverty … their overty index is among the highest in the country and Petronas under the BN government has got their priorities absolutely wrong." On losses incurred by PCMC, Chia noted that in its most recent annual financial report ended April 2010, the hospital, wholly owned by Petronas, suffered a net loss of RM451 million on the back of a RM82 million revenue. According to records, the luxury healthcare facility had liabilities and current liabilities of RM749.4 million while its reserves were RM178.3 million. The hospital which was launched in 2007, made a loss of RM203 million on revenue of RM24 million in 2009 to put its accumulated losses over the two years at RM654 million.
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| Malaysia's Petronas Chemicals Q1 net profit 737mn ringgit Posted: 26 Aug 2011 12:24 PM PDT By Business Recorder KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's Petronas Chemicals: Net profit 737 million ringgit ($247 million) for the quarter ended June 30, 2011. The Company had on March 2 2011, announced the change of financial year end from March 31 to Dec. 31 beginning from April 2011. As a result, there is no equivalent comparative quarter. Results driven by strong prices seen across most petrochemical products and partially offset by a stronger Malaysian ringgit against the US Dollar. |
| Malaysia Petronas 1Q Net Profit MYR19.35 Billion Vs MYR12.32 Billion Posted: 26 Aug 2011 12:21 PM PDT By Jason Ng, Dow Jones Newswires KUALA LUMPUR -(Dow Jones)- Malaysia's state-owned oil-and-gas firm Petroliam Nasional Bhd. Friday reported a 57% rise in its first-quarter net profit, but said growth is likely to slow from the second quarter, and may continue to be sluggish going into 2012. Malaysia's only Fortune 500 company and the country's most profitable firm, also known as Petronas, said net profit for the quarter ended June 30 rose to MYR19.35 billion, compared with MYR12.32 billion in the year-earlier period. Revenue was higher at MYR72.97 billion from MYR58.56 billion. |
| Pakatan: MRT rail, property model is land grab Posted: 26 Aug 2011 12:17 PM PDT By Yow Hong Chieh, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 27 — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has accused Putrajaya of using the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) as an excuse to acquire prime land after it was revealed that the government will rely on property development to foot project costs. DAP international secretary Liew Chin Tong said the modified rail-and-property model was just "land grab by another name" and accused the Land Public Transport Authority (SPAD) of putting revenue considerations before the needs of the public. He told The Malaysian Insider that the regulator's focus on how to maximise returns through property redevelopment rather than public transport requirements was akin to putting the cart before the horse, and called an example of "worst planning practices". "You should look at transport needs and how to cater for that before anything else," Liew said, adding that this called into question whether the alignment of the Sungai Buloh-Kajang (SBK) line had been determined by property development propositions rather than demand. "The most important thing is to think how to get people to work (riding the MRT)... The number one priority is to ensure this is the easiest way to work so you don't have a peak hour (congestion) problem." PKR strategic director Rafizi Ramli said the viability of the entire MRT project was now suspect given the risky nature of property developments, especially since the government will incur "huge public debt" financing them. He pointed out that returns from such developments were not guaranteed as the outlook for the high-end property market was "quite gloomy" and there was already a property glut in the Klang Valley. "This is the danger of the MRT project if it's not managed properly," he said. Rafizi also questioned the timeline for property development on the acquired land and whether it would take place before or after the MRT is scheduled to begin service in 2016. "When is this so-called redevelopment for [capital expenditure] and [operating expenditure] going to take place? 2017? 2018? In the meantime, the public has to fork out more money while waiting for the returns," he added. PAS central committee member Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said there was a need for the Najib administration to open up the project to parliamentary scrutiny as the reliance on property development showed that not enough thought had gone into how to finance the MRT. "If this an afterthought? Have they not said it was a PFI (privately financed initiative) in the first place?" he said. The Kuala Selangor MP said that the RM50 billion bill for the project would "go through the roof" now as the original estimate had not taken into consideration the massive cost of redeveloping properties the government plans to acquire. Dzulkefly added that if land acquisition was the single most dominant factor that determines the success of the MRT, Putrajaya should be "humble" enough to engage the Selangor state government on land acquisition matters cordially.
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| Pakatan confident of ‘mission impossible’ Posted: 26 Aug 2011 12:06 PM PDT
By B Nantha Kumar, FMT PETALING JAYA: Pakatan Rakyat is gearing to launch a powerful offensive in Malacca, which is considered a Barisan Nasional stronghold, in the next general election. Although political pundits predict that BN would retain power, PKR and PAS were aiming to win more seats in the state assembly. Sources revealed that the two opposition parties alongside DAP would bank on "Umno's arrogance" in running the state to pull in the votes. In the 2008 general election, BN won 23 seats while the opposition won five – all by DAP. DAP contested eight but won the Bachang, Ayer Keroh, Kesidang, Kota Laksamana and Bandar Hilir state seats. PAS contested 13 seats while PKR fielded seven candidates. Time time around, a Malacca DAP leader said Pakatan was confident of capturing at least 14 of the 28 state seats up for grabs. While political analysts dismissed this as "mission impossible", the opposition believes that with the right campaign strategy, it could turn the tide against BN. In the next general election, DAP plans to increase its tally to six while PAS and PKR were aiming to seize four seats each. "DAP is confident of retaining five seats. They are also eyeing the Duyong seat, it is the only state seat they lost in the Kota Melaka parliamentary constituency in the last general election," a party insider told FMT. The Duyong seat was won by BN candidate Gan Tian Loo with a slim 806 vote majority defeating DAP's Damian Yeo Shen Li. However, there were several issues which needed to be ironed out before DAP could contest the seat. Speculation was rife that PKR wanted the seat as part of a swap plan. DAP leaders on the other hand were adamant about contesting in Duyong. |
| Biometric System Would Do More Harm Than Good? Posted: 26 Aug 2011 11:36 AM PDT By Syed Zahar. Malaysian Digest As the story goes, during the height of the space race in the 1960s, NASA scientists realized that pens could not function in space since there's no gravity to make the ink flow down to the ball of the pen. They needed to figure out another way for the astronauts to write things down. So they spent years and millions of taxpayer dollars to develop a pen that could put ink to paper in a weightless environment. Meanwhile, their crafty Soviet counterparts at RESA simply equipped their cosmonauts with pencils.
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| Harapan Komuniti receives death threat Posted: 26 Aug 2011 10:59 AM PDT By Stephanie Sta Maria, FMT PETALING JAYA: Harapan Komuniti, the organisers of the thanksgiving dinner raided by the Selangor Religious Islamic Department (JAIS) on Aug 3, received a death threat yesterday morning. The source who informed FMT of the incident was unable to provide any details except that the handwritten note was written in Malay and contained a warning to Christians that Muslims would not "lose". Harapan Komuniti lodged a police report at the Sea Park police station at about 10pm last night. When contacted Harapan Komuniti's management appeared upset that the news had reached the media and declined to comment. The source told FMT that the NGO was remaining tight-lipped over the incident as it was "devastated" that the home had now become an innocent target of irresponsible individuals. "They are fearing for the lives of those under their care, especially the children," the source said. "And the last thing they want is for this incident to be spun by media with agenda which could worsen the situation." Being harrassed JAIS raided the dinner held in the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) on Aug 3 after allegedly receiving a complaint that proselytising activities were being carried out there. Harapan Komuniti has denied this and inisted that the dinner was held for HIV/AIDS supporters. JAIS has since summoned the 12 Muslims present at the dinner for questioning earlier this week. |
| ACCIM claims MRT abused as front for land grab Posted: 26 Aug 2011 10:49 AM PDT
By Yow Hong Chieh, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 27 — The country's largest Chinese business association has accused the regulator and the owner of the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) of abusing the Land Acquisition Act to acquire a prime land bank for property development by "favoured parties". In a no-holds barred letter sighted by The Malaysian Insider, the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Malaysia (ACCCIM) told the transport minister that the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) and Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd (Prasarana) should stop the abuse and focus on developing an efficient public transport system instead.
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| RBA briefed on bribery, deputy governor admits Posted: 26 Aug 2011 10:41 AM PDT
By Richard Baker and Nick McKenzie, The Age Federal police last month charged NPA and sister firm Securency with Australia's first foreign bribery offences, alleging that millions of dollars paid to the companies' agents in Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia were used to bribe officials. Eight former NPA and Securency senior executives have also been charged. THE Reserve Bank of Australia board was briefed twice in 2007 on information implicating subsidiary Note Printing Australia in overseas bribery, deputy governor Ric Battellino (pictured) admitted yesterday. Mr Battellino's admission came as he and RBA governor Glenn Stevens faced questions from the House of Representatives' economics committee on the bribery scandal involving the bank's currency printing firms NPA and Securency. At the committee's meeting in February, Mr Stevens said it was unlikely any RBA officials knew of bribery allegations involving its banknote businesses prior to The Age revealing corruption concerns about Securency in May 2009. Under questioning from Liberal MP Kelly O'Dwyer and Greens MP Adam Bandt, Mr Battellino confirmed the details of a report by The Age this month, which revealed the board of NPA and senior RBA officials were, in May 2007, presented with strong evidence implicating the company and two of its agents in the bribery of officials in Malaysia and Nepal in return for contracts. The 2007 information included an admission from an NPA agent that he had paid bribes and requests from another agent to be paid excessive commissions into a third-party bank account. Mr Battellino said the information presented to the NPA board raised issues ''about bad business practices in relation to agents and, as a result of that, they took some very hard decisions''. But instead of referring the bribery evidence to the Australian Federal Police for investigation, the RBA and the NPA board decided to handle the matter internally by sacking the agents, calling in the Reserve Bank's audit team and later contracting law firm Freehills to conduct an inquiry. Mr Battellino said the RBA board was briefed on the internal inquiries into the NPA bribery matters in July and August 2007. The RBA board was told Freehills had been unable to find any breach of Australian laws, he said. Asked by Ms O'Dwyer why neither the NPA board nor the RBA called the police in 2007, Mr Battellino said: ''There was no basis to. This was an investigation that was started by the NPA board as part of an ongoing control around the way the business was being run. They pursued that to its logical conclusion. You have to accept it is a very serious matter for any organisation to call in police to have staff investigated and my guess is that most organisations would not do that.'' Freehills did not have the AFP's powers to formally question people, issue search warrants to seize evidence or seek co-operation from overseas police. The RBA has twice refused freedom-of-information requests from The Age for the Freehills report. Federal police last month charged NPA and sister firm Securency with Australia's first foreign bribery offences, alleging that millions of dollars paid to the companies' agents in Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia were used to bribe officials. Eight former NPA and Securency senior executives have also been charged. Mr Battellino confirmed to the committee yesterday that Abdul Kayum, the Malaysian agent specifically referred to in the 2007 bribery information, had also last month been charged with corruption offences by Malaysian authorities investigating NPA's 2004 central bank contract. A former assistant governor of Malaysia's central bank was also charged with accepting a bribe from NPA. The alleged kickbacks paid by NPA's Nepal agent, Himalaya Pande, to secure a 2002 central bank contract are still being investigated by the AFP and by Nepal's anti-corruption agency. The NPA board in 2007 was chaired by former RBA deputy governor and former Australian Prudential Regulation Authority chief Graeme Thompson. |
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