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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Mat Sabu arrested over alleged Bukit Kepong remarks
- Mat Sabu to face criminal charge over communist remarks
- Hisham Rais Agrees with Ambiga, Credits M’sian Civil Society Over Abolishment of ISA
- Hisham Rais: Mat Sabu's Statement on Mat Indera Came in Perfect Timing
- Time to quit, Zaid told
- MCLM: Real reforms if BN is removed
- Will Tenaga Nasional be split up?
- Taib Named In UK Parliament
- Bumis ‘typically’ sold government contracts for cars, houses, leaked study reveals
- Half-a-billion ringgit suits await Felda
- Najib rapped for denying people's role in ISA repeal
- Molotov cocktails hurled at Mat Sabu's home
- Prosecution discredits Aussie expert
- Utusan wants ‘spirit of ISA’ retained in new anti-terror laws
| Mat Sabu arrested over alleged Bukit Kepong remarks Posted: 20 Sep 2011 12:32 AM PDT
(The Star) - PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu has been arrested by police in connection with his alleged remarks on the Bukit Kepong incident. Mohamad, or Mat Sabu, had voluntarily gone to the state police headquarters at 8.30pm before he was detained. He was released on bail at 9.05pm. Mat Sabu is expected to be charged for criminal defamation under Section 500 of the Penal Code on Wednesday.
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| Mat Sabu to face criminal charge over communist remarks Posted: 19 Sep 2011 05:51 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - Mohamad Sabu will be charged in court tomorrow over remarks allegedly glorifying communist guerillas who attacked the Bukit Kepong police station in 1950. The PAS deputy president will be charged with public mischief under section 505 of the Penal Code in the Butterworth Sessions Court. Contacted by The Malaysian Insider, Mohamad's lawyer Hanipa Maidin confirmed that police have informed his client of the charge. "Yes, we have been informed of it. Mat Sabu and I will be there," he said. Umno's Utusan Malaysia had first accused the maverick politician of glorifying Ahmad Indera in an August 27 report that quoted Mohamad as saying that the communist leader was a true hero. Twenty-five policemen were killed in the attack on the Bukit Kepong police station in 1950. The daily and Malay hardliners in Umno have repeatedly called for Mohamad to be charged over the comment with some even insisting that the PAS leader be stripped of his citizenship. Mohamad's remarks have sparked debate over who were Malaysia's independence fighters. But Mohamad denies glorifying communists, saying he never mentioned "communism" in his speech. His Pakatan Rakyat (PR) colleagues have admitted that Mohamad's remarks had given their rivals in Barisan Nasional (BN) an opening to attack them. BN had been on the defensive for months following surging inflation and international condemnation of the government's crackdown on the July 9 Bersih rally. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced a raft of reforms last week to give Malaysians more freedom but Mohamad's prosecution may spark fears of a crackdown against dissent.
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| Hisham Rais Agrees with Ambiga, Credits M’sian Civil Society Over Abolishment of ISA Posted: 19 Sep 2011 05:39 PM PDT (Malaysian Digest) - Activist Hishamuddin Rais today echoed the statement made by former Bar Council President Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan saying that the civil society of Malaysia should be credited over the decision to abolish the Internal Security Act (ISA). According to him, after years of pressure from the civil society such as Suara Anak Malaysia (SUARAM), Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA (GMI) and BERSIH, the Act was finally abolished by the government under the Najib administration. "If he has some self respect, then Najib should thank the civil society for enlightening him to abolish the 1960 draconian law of ISA," said Hishamuddin when met by Malaysian Digest. Seeing the decision to abolish the ISA as an attempt to liberalize the country, Hishamuddin however said that nothing is concrete at the moment as the prime minister only made an announcement and nothing has yet been tabled in the parliament. "Let's not get overexcited about this, the country has seen the prime minister making flip-flop decisions over various government policies in the past. "For example on the gambling license which in the end doesn't go much further after all," said Hishamuddin. The activist admits that the announcement made by the prime minister is a quantum leap after Merdeka Review reported their poll results stating that Najib's popularity have been declining. "This can just be Najib's public relation practice that will make him popular in the rakyat's eyes. But that doesn't mean anything, as in Malaysia, the election doesn't go in the way like the presidential election in the United States. "Therefore, for me, if this is a public relation practice by Najib, it won't affect anything at all," he added. Hishamuddin also said that the call from PAS Deputy President, Mohamad Sabu for the government to pay compensation to those who used to be detained under the ISA as 'a very nice proposal', but stating an apology should have been more than enough. "An apology should be enough for me. It's in our tradition and norms that one must apologize after making a mistake," he said. "And if the government decides to make an apology for detaining me for two years in Kem Tahanan Kamunting (Kamunting detention camp), I would have welcomed it," he added.
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| Hisham Rais: Mat Sabu's Statement on Mat Indera Came in Perfect Timing Posted: 19 Sep 2011 05:38 PM PDT (Malaysian Digest) - PAS Deputy President Mohamad Sabu or better known as Mat Sabu's statement over on Mat Indera and Malayan independence struggles have come in a timely month, according to activist Hishamuddin Rais. According to him, the issue that was first brought by Mat Sabu comes in perfect timing that benefits the younger generation. According to Hishamuddin, the younger generations have now acknowledged that the Malayan independence struggles also consists of arm-movement in the likes of Angkatan Pemuda Insaf (API), Hizbul Muslimin and Parti Komunis Malaya (PKM) and not only championed by United Malay Organisations (UMNO) as deemed nowadays.
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| Posted: 19 Sep 2011 04:40 PM PDT Growing internal dissent against Kita chief culminates in a call for his resignation. (Free Malaysia Today) - The rising internal dissent against Kita chief, Zaid Ibrahim, has peaked with a top leadership member calling for his resignation today. Central executive committee member, Zahrein Zahari, said that Zaid's recent actions were in clear violation of the party principle and warranted his stepping down as party chief. Over the past week Zaid's reputation has slowly been torn apart as unhappy members have publicly flayed him for his alleged high-handedness, contempt for protocol and rash decisions. The sudden strife within a party that is three months shy of its first anniversary has taken many by surprise but Zahrein clarified in a press statement that talk of "internal bickering" were untrue. "There is no bickering in Kita," he said. "There are only those who decided to go against the principle which the party builds upon, and this includes Zaid." Zahrein explained that party members, especially the youth had joined Kita for its "fearless stand" against authoritarianism, promotion of grassroots democracy and an internal structure where decisions are made from the bottom-up. He pointed out that a democratic party should give room for dissent to be heard and debated as no leader is infallible be it Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim or Zaid himself. "We in Kita believe in building criticism, and we strongly advocate freedom of speech," Zahrein said. "I'm very sure Zaid has no problem swallowing this medicine with a pinch of salt." "Zaid may have started Kita but we gave spirit to it. He doesn't own Kita and Kita is not Zaid. Kita was built upon the same spirit in which Zaid walked out from PKR – a smack on their face and a fine reminder for us." Old must make way for the new Zahrein then took a dig at Zaid by stating that when the old get "nyanyuk or nyanyu" (senile), it is only right for the young to take the lead. He went on to urge young Malaysians to show the "old hard-headed" politicians how things should be done the right way and that this process should begin with Zaid.
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| MCLM: Real reforms if BN is removed Posted: 19 Sep 2011 04:14 PM PDT
The Barisan Nasional should have been serious about socio-political change after the 12th general election, says MCLM. (Free Malaysia Today) - Real reforms are only possible if a non-Barisan Nasional government comes to power, a human rights group said. Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) president Haris Ibrahim said that if the BN was serious about socio-political change, it would have acted in the aftermath of the 12th general election. "If it's BN (that stays in power), then we can kiss this (reforms) goodbye. If they had listened… they would have… done it post 12th GE," Haris told FMT. "In order to do that, you need to have a strong prime minister… focused on (his) … five years (as premier), who'll say, 'I need to do these reforms.'" Haris also made a reference to past and present prime ministers, and alleged that they were more focused on calling for general election than on change. He made the claim after presenting the Rakyat Reform Agenda (RARA) at an MCLM-organised forum at the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall last night. According to the group, the RARA covered four different points:
Speaking on the last two points, Haris said that both of the factors were being prepared by MCLM-affiliated parties for the benefit of non-BN political parties in the advent of a change of government. Sabah and Sarawak's agreements as equal partners of the Malaysian Federation, he added, would be examined under an "honest" Royal Commission of Inquiry. The inquiry, Haris added, would look into the alleged "wholesale cheating" of the two East Malaysian states. All four points, he said, would be compiled into a concise document for these parties after Oct 27 as a set of guidelines for them to follow. "We'll send this document, a brief write-up of what it is… (so that) we can facilitate the leaders (of these parties) to a better understanding (of reforms)," he said.
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| Will Tenaga Nasional be split up? Posted: 19 Sep 2011 03:01 PM PDT By Fintan Ng, The STar Speculation resurfaces as the utility faces additional RM3bil in costs PETALING JAYA: Speculation of splitting Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) up has resurfaced as the utility company faces an additional RM3bil in costs from having to look for alternative sources of fuel for power generation due to a shortage in gas supply. However, TNB president and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Che Khalib Mohd Noh did not respond to StarBiz query on the matter. Analysts said there were a number of obstacles that would make any break-up of the company unlikely at the moment. They pointed out that fixed energy prices and power-purchase agreements signed with the independent power producers were among the main reasons why there would not be any imminent split-up. "This was mooted 10 years ago as part of a power-pooling structure where prices would have been deregulated and left to the markets," an analyst pointed out. TNB has three divisions, transmission, distribution and generation, of which the first two are the most profitable. The analyst said any break-up of TNB was highly unlikely as the political costs would be too high. "Due to the high costs of energy, letting prices gyrate may not be a good idea," he said. Furthermore, he said energy subsidies would only be entirely removed in 13 years (based on recommendations by the Performance Management and Delivery Unit that subsidies be gradually removed) while the power purchase agreements (PPAs) signed with the independent power producers complicated any move to restructure prices. "The Government will have to wait at least until 2016 when the first of the first generation PPAs expire," he said. Meanwhile, another analyst added that the idea of breaking up TNB was not feasible as long as the company's generation division did not have a cost pass-through mechanism. "It's difficult to see earnings visibility especially if there's more disruption to gas supply," he said, adding that there was also the question of whether the Government would allow the company to pass on the costs to consumers. HLIB Research analyst Daniel Wong, in a report, downgraded TNB shares to "hold" with a target price of RM5.10, based on discounted cash-flow estimates on continued disruption in gas supply and delay in tariff hikes. TNB closed 8 sen up at RM5.09 yesterday. "In the near term, TNB's margin will be eroded by higher fuel cost due to gas shortage (even if Petroliam Nasional Bhd maintenance is completed) as power demand increases while coal and hydro power capacity utilisation has been maximised," Wong said. He said the decision to implement a fuel cost-pass-through mechanism lay with the Government and was influenced by political, economic and social factors. Wong added that the proposal for fuel cost sharing during gas curtailment period was also pending Government approval. |
| Posted: 19 Sep 2011 02:55 PM PDT By Sarawak Report Knowledge and concern about the timber corruption associated with Sarawak's Chief Minister is now spreading to the UK. Last week his name was raised in the UK Parliament's upper chamber, The House of Lords, after a question had been asked of the Government to give an assessment of the impact of logging on indigenous people, plants and animal life. Present to answer the question was one of the Government Ministers from the Department for International Development (DFID), Baroness Verma. The Baroness answered that the UK Government is well aware of the concern about unrestrained logging and how it impoverishes around a billion people on the planet.
Lord St John of Bletso
One of the best known campaigners for Rainforests in the Lords then raised the issue of Abdul Taib Mahmud and his effect on Sarawak and its people. To cries of "Hear, hear", he rose to ask:
The Baroness replied that although she could not respond on a particular individual, the mechanisms are in place to deal with timber corruption:
Taib's assets in the UK
 Ridgeford Properties' portfolio in London belongs to the Taibs The mention represents a set-back for the Chief Minister, whose family assets are extensive in the UK. Timber corruption campaigners have already prompted money laundering investigations in Switzerland and Germany, as referred to in the Lords debate. Last week also Canadian Government acknowledged that it too is aware of the fact that the Taib family have hundreds of millions of dollars of property assets in North America. While it has refused to confirm or deny any investigation at this stage, a top executive of Canada's Department of Justice told the Bruno Manser Fund that:
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| Bumis ‘typically’ sold government contracts for cars, houses, leaked study reveals Posted: 19 Sep 2011 02:53 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 20 — An unpublished Works Ministry study found that Bumiputera contractors as a rule sold their government contracts to buy luxury cars and houses apart from misusing payments received from the Treasury, according to a leaked US diplomatic cable. The cable, revealed by whistleblower website WikiLeaks, comes just after Putrajaya agreed to allocate RM8 billion worth of contracts in the country's most expensive infrastructure project, the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), which initially set strict rules for its contractors. The US diplomatic cable quoted a Works Ministry source as saying the "Study on Bumiputera Contractor Leakage" was the result of feedback from various industry sources on failed and successful projects. The report was used by then-Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to castigate failing Bumiputera businessmen in February 2007. "The current system of awarding lucrative government contracts to Bumis provides them with a strong economic incentive to simply act as agents, turning over as many projects as possible and taking a cut before handing each one off to a competent non-Bumi implementer. "This 'Bumi agent' system is firmly entrenched in Malaysia. Any effort to make reforms is likely to be resisted not only by well-established Bumis, but also by the non-Bumi implementers who have built up a network of well-oiled agent partnership," the US Embassy concluded in the report published by the Malaysia-Today news portal. The US and European Union have called for more transparency and equality in government procurement by Malaysia as part of the free trade agreement talks which have yet to be concluded. In the leaked cable, the US embassy reported: "The source said the study, which has not been released to the public, revealed that many Bumi contractors typically sold off their tenders for quick money, often to finance expensive cars and houses. The report also found Bumiputera contractors had misused payments received from the government to pay off creditors and that they often sought additional government tenders prior to completing the ones already awarded to them." "The official said contractors were irresponsible and had abused the trust given to them by the government which was meant to help Bumiputeras progress," it added. The US cable noted that then-Finance Ministry secretary-general Tan Sri Izzudin Dali had disclosed new regulations that Bumiputera contractors seeking government tenders will soon be required to sign an official declaration promising not to sell or subcontract their tender to other races. "Violators will have their contracts and registrations terminated. Izzudin added that under the new rules contractors undertaking public infrastructure contracts will now be awarded only one project at a time and that projects will be distributed evenly among contractors in the same area or district," the cable said, quoting Izzudin's speech on February 16, 2007.
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| Half-a-billion ringgit suits await Felda Posted: 19 Sep 2011 02:44 PM PDT (Harakah Daily) - More suits are coming in the way of embattled Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) as settlers now seek redress over the body's alleged manipulation in the grading of palm oil. Today, some 345 settlers from Jengka Pahang have joined the movement against Felda, bringing the total of those seeking legal redress to a whopping 1,056 to date. They signed up the lawyers appointment form to sue Felda Jengka of some RM510 million in compensation, claiming Felda had manipulated in the grading of palm oil. Felda is currently facing a string of lawsuits from settlers in Kelantan, Johor and Negeri Sembilan. Writing in his blog, PKR's Felda community and native bureau chairman Suhaimi Said said the amount was the biggest filed by Felda settlers. Suhaimi said settlers were demanding the return of oil palm rejected by Felda factories after lab results showed they were of 20 percent extraction grade quality. READ MORE HERE. |
| Najib rapped for denying people's role in ISA repeal Posted: 19 Sep 2011 02:41 PM PDT (Harakah Daily) - National laureate A Samad Said has taken prime minister Najib Razak to task for refusing to acknowledge it was the people's struggle for the abolishment of the Internal Security Act that prompted the latter to announce its repeal last week. "For the past 54 years, they never did think of abolishing the ISA. Suddenly, they received an inspiration and claimed it was not due to the demands especially from the youths who could no longer see the act in existence," said the activist Pak Samad (right) during a youth gathering in his honour at Central Market yesterday. He was reacting to a statement by Najib that his decision to repeal the ISA and other similar laws was "a decision made by the Barisan Nasional government because we listened to Malaysians who want this change", and not due to the role played by anti-ISA activists. According to Pak Samad, Najib could not have made such an announcement without pressure. "The Prime Minister over the last two, three days announced, 'Oh, it was us, we ourselves abolished ISA', but did not say it was those who pushed (for ISA's repeal) that had led it to change. If there were no pressure, I don't think (ISA will be abolished) as it is a very useful tool to suppress the people," he said. He also reminded that the ISA had been defended over the last 54 years by UMNO and Barisan Nasional. But in spite of denying their role, said Pak Samad, it was still a victory for the youth. 'Who defended ISA?' Earlier, PAS information chief Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man chided UMNO and hitherto pro-ISA leaders for claiming credit over the notorious act's abolishment, and made comparison to UMNO leaders' denial of non-UMNO and left-wing fighters who had struggled for the country's independence. "Where is the recognition to the contribution of those who had all along fought for ISA's abolishment?" asked Tuan Ibrahim.
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| Molotov cocktails hurled at Mat Sabu's home Posted: 19 Sep 2011 02:39 PM PDT By A Ruban, The Star SHAH ALAM: Teenage miscreants hurled explosive materials, believed to be Molotov cocktails, at the entrance of PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu's house early Tuesday. According to Mohamad Sabu's son Ahmad Saiful Islam, 23, two teenagers were seen throwing the explosive materials at his home in Section 19 here. They fled when the neighbours were alerted. "They were school boys and they did not come in any vehicle. The neighbours helped put the fire out when the boys ran away. "The police arrived here about 30 minutes later," he said when met at the double-storey link house. Ahmad Saiful said only his sister, Nurul Huda Mohamad, 28, was at home at the time of the incident after midnight. Mohamad Sabu could not be reached for comment. Police have confirmed the incident. |
| Prosecution discredits Aussie expert Posted: 19 Sep 2011 02:35 PM PDT By Teoh El Sen, FMT KUALA LUMPUR: Australian consultant molecular geneticist Dr Brian Leslie McDonald cannot be considered an expert in the field of forensic DNA, said the prosecution in the Anwar Ibrahim Sodomy II trial today. "I'm very impressed with the doctor's credentials… (but) just because the witness can explain all the scientific terms, it does not make him an expert," argued lead prosecutor Solicitor-General II Mohd Yusof Zainal Abiden. McDonald agreed to this, to which Yusof added: "That's what I'm saying, you're not an expert." McDonald, who was being cross-examined by the prosecution after completing his testimony yesterday, anwered "yes" when asked if his field of study included forensic DNA. He also agreed that the field of DNA had advanced and 20 years ago, when he obtained his qualifications in 1992, forensic DNA did not exist then. However, McDonald denied Yusof's claim that this rendered his credentials obsolete. Yusof: You have never been formally trained in forensic DNA testing? McDonald: No. Yusof: So you are not trained in extraction of DNA and its interpretation…? McDonald: (I am) absolutely. I have 30 years of experience Yusof: But do you have formal training? Did you attend a course? McDonald: When I started this, I actually conducted the courses (to train doctors to interpret findings). I am certainly trained as a scientist and as I said, forensic science itself as a field is a recent development.
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| Utusan wants ‘spirit of ISA’ retained in new anti-terror laws Posted: 19 Sep 2011 02:08 PM PDT
By Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 20 — Utusan Malaysia today joined political hardliners in pressing to preserve the "spirit of the Internal Security Act (ISA)" in the country's two new anti-terrorism laws as the push back began against Putrajaya's plans to repeal security laws. The Umno-owned daily reasoned that such preventive laws were now considered "universal practice", citing terrorism activities across the globe like the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York. The attacks, said senior news editor Zulkefli Hamzah in his column, had fuelled the international community's fears towards terrorism and subversive threats and made such preventive laws a necessity in any part of the world. "Surely, if the United States had to resort to enforcing laws allowing detention without trial, (Malaysia's) new (anti-terrorism) laws to be enacted soon should also play the role of the ISA, which is to protect the peace and security of the country," he wrote. He pointed out that former US President George W. Bush, who once reportedly criticised the ISA, had to "eat his own words" after the 2001 terrorist attacks and was forced to enact the Patriot Act to prevent further acts of terrorism in the country. "And after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced the repeal of the ISA, in conjunction with Malaysia Day — 54 years after Merdeka — what would Bush's reaction have been if he were still in power?" he asked. Zulkefli then attributed Malaysia's peace and prosperity to the 40-year existence of the ISA, saying that in comparison with other countries Malaysians were now mature enough and ready for the country to achieve developed nation status. "Do not deny that the ISA played a role in what we enjoy today," he said. With the ISA, he added, Malaysia and her neighbours Singapore and Brunei, both of which had also inherited the law, could successfully thwart terrorism and violent extremism to maintain public order. "Surely we all do not want parties to interfere with the country's transformation process," said Zulkefli. It has been barely a week since Najib caused ripples in the political landscape when he announced plans to repeal the ISA and reforms to several security and press laws but already signs of resistance have begun to surface. On Sunday, Datuk Ibrahim Ali, president of Malay rights group Perkasa, declared that his organisation would reject the two new anti-terrorism laws that would replace the ISA if they do not keep to the "preventive spirit" of the Act.
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