Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Law Replacing ISA Must Not Infringe Basic Human Rights - Khairy
- Hudud cracks in Pakatan
- Muhyiddin: Umno backs hudud law too
- AG withdraws application for revision in Teoh Beng Hock's inquest
- IGP: We will probe Anwar over false report on sex tape issue
- Anwar backs hudud in Kelantan
- DNA expert: ‘Extremely rare’ to find sperm in rectum after 113 hours
- RM218m suit against BN struck out
- ‘Govt can’t use force to interpret history’
- ‘If GE is in November, BN will win’
- Aussie expert: It’s a historic case
- Najib announces rural change scheme, RM50m grant
- Nik Aziz dares Najib to back hudud law
| Law Replacing ISA Must Not Infringe Basic Human Rights - Khairy Posted: 22 Sep 2011 04:33 AM PDT (Bernama) -- The proposed new law to replace the Internal Security Act (ISA) must not infringe basic human rights, said Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin. He said if basic human rights like access to a lawyer and to be tried in an open court were upheld, he was confident that Malaysians would accept the new law.
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| Posted: 21 Sep 2011 08:11 PM PDT By K Pragalath, FMT PETALING JAYA: Cracks are beginning to appear in Pakatan Rakyat over the Islamic law issue, with opposition supremo Anwar Ibrahim backing its implementation in the PAS-run state of Kelantan but DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang shooting it down. Political pundits noted that Barisan Nasional was bound to exploit this issue, especially with the general election being around the corner. The controversy surrounding the Islamic law could be used to spook fear in the opposition-leaning Chinese electorate. In a Twitter posting this evening, Lim said his party's stand on Hudud law and the Islamic state concept was consistent. "It is not suitable for Malaysia and it is not part of Pakatan's common policies," he noted. DAP had always been a fierce opponent of PAS' theocratic ambitions, and the party pulled out of a loose opposition coalition named Barisan Alternatif in 2001 over this issue. Lim also said that any such change required the agreement of all three Pakatan component parties – PAS, DAP and PKR. |
| Muhyiddin: Umno backs hudud law too Posted: 21 Sep 2011 08:08 PM PDT By Yow Hong Chieh, The Malaysian Insider PUTRAJAYA, Sept 22 — Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said today that Umno supported hudud laws in principle as they are part and parcel of Islam but stressed that Malaysia was not ready for such laws to be enacted. The deputy prime minister and Umno deputy president said there was a need to spread information about hudud laws so that the people understood what they meant before the ruling party could even think of implementing them. "This has been our stance from long ago," he told reporters here after chairing a Cabinet committee meeting on pricing and supply. "Morever, in the context of a multi-racial and multi-religious society, we should spread that knowledge widely before we can reach a stage where we think it's time but I don't believe we're there yet." Muhyiddin explained that Muslims could not reject "the reality" that hudud laws were an integral part of their faith but stressed that the party disagreed with opposition parties PAS and PKR that now was the time to introduce hudud. "The issue here is not the laws (hukum), it is a question of the implementation of hudud," he said. "Please bear in mind that this is the most important aspect in which, as far as we're concerned, Umno differs from Pakatan Rakyat (PR)." He added that if Kelantan Mentri Besar and PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat felt it was time to introduce hudud laws in Kelantan, it was up to him to do so. Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today backed the introduction of hudud in the east coast state, which he assured would not infringe on non-Muslims' rights. "For now, in general, in principle, I believe this can be implemented. Looking at the specific areas, and there is clear guarantee that there is administration of justice. |
| AG withdraws application for revision in Teoh Beng Hock's inquest Posted: 21 Sep 2011 08:06 PM PDT (The Star) - SHAH ALAM: The Attorney-General's Chambers has withdrawn an application for a revision of the open verdict in the Teoh Beng Hock's inquest. DPP Manoj Kurup made the application when the matter came up for case management. He said the revision application was filed prior to the setting up of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Teoh's death. "Now that the commission has delivered its findings, there was no need for a revision (of the inquest)," he said. Senior Assistant Registrar Khairul Nizam Abu Bakar then struck off the application. On July 21, the RCI released a 124-page report that said Teoh was driven to commit suicide after the aggressive, relentless, oppressive and unscrupulous interrogation of three MACC officers. Teoh's family lawyer Gobind Singh Deo, however, told reporters that the revision application still stands as they had filed a written submission during the last mention date and had brought the matter to the court's notice. The court fixed Oct 6 for case management to decide the status of this application. Teoh was found dead outside Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam, where the MACC's headquarters is located, a day after he was interrogatedovernight on July 16, 2009. After a long inquest, coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas returned an open verdicton Jan 5, ruling Teohs death was neither a suicide nor a homicide. |
| IGP: We will probe Anwar over false report on sex tape issue Posted: 21 Sep 2011 05:09 PM PDT (The Star) - PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will be investigated for lodging a false police report in connection with the sex tape featuring a man resembling him. Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar yesterday said an investigation paper would be opened soon following a police report lodged by Puteri Umno recently, after police investigations revealed that the sex video which allegedly implicated the Opposition leader was 99.9% authentic. Police had sent the video to an independent company in South Korea and the United States of America to verify its authenticity. In the report, Puteri Umno stated that since the video had been authenticated, it meant that Anwar had lied when he lodged a police report stating that it was not him in the sex video. "We will open an investigation paper on Anwar soon on the matter," he said yesterday. Anwar had lodged a police report on April 28 over the emergence of a video clip showing a man who resembled him, having sex with a woman. The video clip was shown to a group of media representatives at Carcosa Seri Negara on March 21. In an unrelated matter, Ismail dismissed an accusation made by PAS deputy president Mohamed Sabu's son that the police may have masterminded the arson attempt on their double-storey link house in Section 19, Shah Alam on Tuesday at about 12.40am. "The police have been accused of all kinds of things and this is just another one," he said dismissively.
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| Posted: 21 Sep 2011 05:05 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today threw his weight behind Kelantan's longstanding plans to implement hudud, saying that the laws proposed by the PAS government protected the rights of non-Muslims. The Pakatan Rakyat (PR) de facto leader stressed however that PR had not discussed the matter and this was only a "personal opinion". "For now, in general, in principle, I believe this can be implemented. Looking at the specific areas, and there is clear guarantee that there is administration of justice. "It does not in any way infringe on the rights of non-Muslims," Anwar told reporters outside the Jalan Duta courthouse here. He explained that Kelantan's hudud law plans were "specific" and it covered two important aspects — a fair administration according to Islamic law and ensuring that the rights of non-Muslims are protected. "It is a specific area that affects Muslims and does not impeach rights of non-Muslims. The proceeding makes sure that administration of justice is guaranteed," he said. Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat has challenged Datuk Seri Najib Razak to withdraw any objections the federal government still had over Kelantan's longstanding plans to implement hudud. He dismissed as laughable suggestions that Kelantan could now go ahead to implement hudud in the state now that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was no longer the prime minister. Dr Mahathir, the former prime minister, had previously written to the Kelantan mentri besar to inform him that the state did not have a right to implement hudud, which prescribes stoning, whipping and amputation as punishment for criminal offences. But in remarks released through his Facebook page today, Nik Aziz pointed out that the letter from Dr Mahathir remained valid. Anwar also challenged Najib to state his stand on the matter.
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| DNA expert: ‘Extremely rare’ to find sperm in rectum after 113 hours Posted: 21 Sep 2011 05:01 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - An Australian DNA expert in the Sodomy II trial today disputed medical findings that sperm could still be retrieved from a person's rectum 113 hours after anal sex. Dr Brian McDonald said during Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy trial that it was "extremely rare" that healthy DNA profiles could still be found from a person's anal region after such a long time. "In 99.9 per cent (of the cases), you cannot find sperm at all after such long hours. These are the rarest entries reported in (the literature). "However, this (sodomy) case is the only one (that I know of) in the world where the sperm can be captured after 56 hours and given to the chemist two days later, where you can still find a good DNA sample," he testified in court today. "In my experience for the last 20 years, it would give poor results," the defence expert witness said. Prosecution lawyers have charged that based on a medical article presented in court, semen can be retrieved from a person's rectum between four and 113 hours after anal intercourse. The 1997 article, titled "Sexual assault and semen persistence", was written by G.M. Willott and J.E. Allard. The prosecution had previously in the trial cited a separate case where sperm heads were discovered up to 65 hours after sex, shower and defecation. Doctors from Hospital Kuala Lumpur, who examined complainant Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan two days after the alleged sodomy, have said they managed to obtain DNA specimens from the complainant's rectum despite a lapse of 56 hours, which has been a key issue disputed by Anwar's defence team.
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| RM218m suit against BN struck out Posted: 21 Sep 2011 04:53 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - The High Court today struck out a RM218 million suit against the Barisan Nasional (BN) brought by a company which claimed it had supplied the BN election material. Elegant Advisory Sdn Bhd was also ordered to pay RM1,500 in costs to the BN. Datuk Mohd Hafarizam Harun, who represented the BN, told reporters that Justice Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof made the judgment in chambers. The judge held that the plaintiff had abused the court process by filing two other suits in connection with the same items and products, according to Bernama Online. Elegant Advisory filed the suit on February 17 this year after an earlier action it filed in 2009 was rejected when Umno succeeded in setting it aside on grounds that the plaintiff did not abide by the Contracts Act 1950. Bernama Online said Elegant Advisory had, in its writ of summons, claimed to have supplied election material, transportation as well as publications, and provided BN with various election paraphernalia during the 11th general election in 2004. The company had also claimed that it sent an invoice for RM218,013,475 to the defendants, and said they had failed to pay up.
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| ‘Govt can’t use force to interpret history’ Posted: 21 Sep 2011 04:00 PM PDT Oslo-based Armed For the Quill says the charge against Mat Sabu violates the rights to freedom of thought. (Free Malaysia Today) - An international NGO promoting freedom of speech, Armed For the Quill (AFTQ), has jumped on the bandwagon in telling the government off for charging PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu in court with criminal defamation.
Stalin also changed history to make himself the hero of the revolution and to reduce Trotsky to a minor role "The government cannot force its interpretation about any historical event on anybody. "This is because such action is denying the people freedom of thought and expression," AFTQ's Southeast Asian regional head and Malaysian representative, Shaharul Anwar Shafie, said in a press statement yesterday. The Oslo-based NGO sees the charge against the PAS leader as an attempt to deny the right of speech and expression on matters that have room for interpretation and dispute. Popularly known as Mat Sabu, he was charged at the Butterworth Sessions Court yesterday with allegedly defaming several police personnel and their families, who defended themselves during a Communist attack led by Mat Indera on the Bukit Kepong police station, Muar, Johor, on Feb 23, 1950. Mat Sabu is alleged to have committed the offence during a public speech at Tasek Gelugor, Penang, between 10pm and 12 midnight on Aug 21. Mat Sabu was charged under Section 500 of the Penal Code with criminal defamation but pleaded not guilty and posted a RM15,000 bail. Shaharul said that debates and historical facts must be welcomed because history evolves based on new study modes, information and observation. He also said the issue, if handled properly, would be beneficial to the government as it would earn brownie points. "If the government can show some level of great wisdom and seriousness in dealing with democratic reforms, the Malaysian government will continue to be held in high esteem by its citizens."
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| ‘If GE is in November, BN will win’ Posted: 21 Sep 2011 03:58 PM PDT A report by the PM's Department states that the ruling coalition will be saved by Sabah and Sarawak. But a tough battle is expected across the sea. (Free Malaysia Today) - Barisan Nasional looks set to retain control of the federal government in the next general election (GE) if it is held in November, with Sabah and Sarawak once again being the saviours, according to a survey. And after Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's announcement last Thursday that the Internal Security Act (ISA) would be abolished, the chances seem brighter. However, a source said the survey conducted by the Prime Minister's Department revealed that it would only be a simple majority with about 140 seats. He added that BN would face a tough fight in the Peninsula, but the ruling coalition was expected to clinch 54 of the 56 parliamentary seats up for grabs in Sabah and Sarawak. "The only concern now is DAP; the Chinese in East Malaysia are still supportive of the party," he said. Based on the report, the source, who is a senior officer with the PM's Deparment, said that DAP would take two seats for certain in Sarawak – Kuching and Stampin. As for DAP's strong performance in the recently-concluded Sarawak state election, the source said that the general election would be different. "We must understand that state elections are different. One of the major factors why DAP won 13 seats in the state election is that the party top guns from the Peninsula were campaigning there. "But this won't happen during general elections," he added. Furthermore, he said DAP was suffering from internal problems in Sarawak, and the party did not command the support of the indigenous people. On the chances of other other Pakatan Rakyat parties, PKR and PAS, the source claimed that it would be a miracle if the two win even a single seat in Sarawak. "In Sabah, it will be a total wipeout for the opposition," he stressed. "BN will retain Sabah with a 100% win." He said that the Kota Kinabalu constituency incumbent Dr Hiew King Cheu, who is also Sabah DAP committee chairperson, was also not certain of retaining his seat. "DAP's hope of capturing at least two seats, Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan, is also bleak," he added.
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| Aussie expert: It’s a historic case Posted: 21 Sep 2011 02:21 PM PDT By Teoh El Sen, FMT KUALA LUMPUR: Anwar Ibrahim's Sodomy II trial has made history by being the first case in the world where DNA samples have been identified in an anus after 56 hours following an alleged sodomy. Australian DNA specialist Dr Brian Leslie McDonald, the fourth defence witness, said that the case was "very unique" as it was the longest time recorded of DNA being retrieved from a victim. "It's not normal or usual according to literature of 40 years. There is only one single case, our case, of 56 hours (and it) is the longest ever of DNA ever been identified," he said during re-examination by defence lawyer Ramkarpal Singh. McDonald was commenting on an article from a medical journal the prosecution produced on Tuesday which claimed that sperm cells could be extracted from a rectum even up to 113 hours after sex. The expert pointed out that even the particular article and another which said sperm could last and be found 65 hours after anal sex was not talking about DNA. "None of the cases referred to me is about DNA. Those studies were simply about the identification of semen. "In our (Anwar's) case, there's a 99.99% chance that it (obtaining sperm or DNA) won't occur," he added. |
| Najib announces rural change scheme, RM50m grant Posted: 21 Sep 2011 02:08 PM PDT By Yow Hong Chieh, The Malaysian Insider PUTRAJAYA, Sept 22 — The government will soon launch the Rural Transformation Programme (RTP) to spur economic development in rural areas, starting with a multi-million ringgit distribution centre in Gopeng, Perak. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the Rural Transformation Centre (RTC) will help small-scale rural entrepreneurs forge better links with the market in order to boost demand for their products. "It will be used as an agro-food and agro-business supply centre that will connect suppliers with consumers," he told some 2,000 entrepreneurs and their families here. Najib also announced an early allocation of RM50 million to some 10,000 rural businesses under the Usahawan Kecil Dinamik (Dynamic Small Entrepreneurs) programme that will be administered by Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara). He added that there were other RTP programmes in the pipeline but said he would only announce them at the upcoming Budget 2012 next month. Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal later told reporters that, in addition to helping entrepreneurs reach a wider market, the RTC will also be a one-stop centre for business financing and training. "We have provided kiosks kitted out by the Rural Development Ministry with all the information entrepreneurs need," he said.
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| Nik Aziz dares Najib to back hudud law Posted: 21 Sep 2011 01:52 PM PDT By G Manimaran, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 22 — Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat dismissed as laughable suggestions that Kelantan could now go ahead to implement hudud law in the state now that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was no longer the prime minister. Instead, he challenged Datuk Seri Najib Razak to withdraw any objections the federal government still had over Kelantan's longstanding plans to implement hudud. Dr Mahathir, the former prime minister, had previously written to the Kelantan mentri besar to inform him that the state did not have a right to implement hudud, which prescribes stoning, whipping and amputation as punishment for criminal offences. But in remarks released through his Facebook page today, Nik Aziz (picture) pointed out that the letter from Dr Mahathir remained valid. "I have not heard of any policy whereby letters sent by a prime minister expires after that prime minister resigns. "Do all matters expire and need to be renewed when there is a change of prime minister? Tun Mahathir's challenge is funny indeed," he said. Dr Mahathir quit as PM in 2003. Dr Mahathir challenged Nik Aziz yesterday to implement hudud because he was no longer prime minister. The former PM's remarks appear aimed at highlighting an issue that will almost certainly spark intense debate and rouse opposition from non-Muslims. Since 2008 PAS and its Pakatan Rakyat allies, the DAP and PKR, have won over non-Muslim support, largely due to unhappiness with graft in government as well as policies seen as discriminatory to them. The MCA, MIC and Gerakan, the three major non-Muslim Barisan Nasional (BN) parties, have been struggling to win back voters after losing record numbers of seats in the 2008 general election.
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