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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- DAP like small child scared of ghosts, says Nik Aziz
- Zaid to critics: Call EGM and sack me
- PAS seeks royal probe on A-G
- Mat Zain: Charge Gani Patail, not change A-G’s powers
- DAP wants PAS president to make official stand on Islamic state agenda
- Sarbaini verdict: Death by misadventure
- Gag order on Pakatan leaders
- ‘Anwar, hudud bad for Pakatan’
- Private sector retirement age to go up
- Materialistic society paying a high price for choosing status over their needs
- Is MCA In Better Position To Face General Election?
- Hiccup at TGA, not end of SNAP
- Taking the fight to enemy territory
- New Economic Model’s greatest challenge yet
- MTUC warns Oct 3 picket if Putrajaya tables labour law reforms
| DAP like small child scared of ghosts, says Nik Aziz Posted: 25 Sep 2011 11:28 PM PDT
(Bernama) - Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat said the hudud law proposed to be implemented in Kelantan had nothing to do with non-Muslims and as such, DAP had no reason to oppose it. He likened DAP to "a small child who is scared of ghosts", and contended that hudud which was to be implemented in Kelantan, was fairer and did not involve the non-Muslim community. So, what is DAP's connection with the Muslims? Some people are scared of hudud like they're scared of ghosts," he told reporters at the Menteri Besar's residence, here, today. The DAP leaders, however, had reportedly said that they would resign en bloc if hudud implementation was incorporated into the common policy framework of the opposition grouping. He said this had been agreed upon between him, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and DAP Youth head Anthony Loke.
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| Zaid to critics: Call EGM and sack me Posted: 25 Sep 2011 08:50 PM PDT
The Kita boss shrugs off recent attacks against him as "trivial" and thinks the party's image is intact (Free Malaysia Today) - Kita chief Zaid Ibrahim has finally responded to allegations that he is tyrannical and that he flouts party protocol, dismissing them as "trivial" and "untrue". A number of party leaders and ordinary members have been hammering him for more than a week for his recent controversial and solitary decisions, but in an interview with FMT Zaid refused to make a counter attack or defend himself with a vigour that would match theirs. He invited his critics to back their accusations with proof and even suggested that they call an emergency general meeting to make good their threat to oust him. Zaid began courting internal dissent when he sacked central secretary Abdul Latif Thambi, treasurer Rashid Azad Khan and central executive committee member Muhammad Firdaus Christopher. Latif strongly protested his sacking, which he said was punishment for his refusal to disclose the password to the party's website. "Does it make sense for me to sack someone over a password?" Zaid said. "If I think the person is good for the party, why would I sack him? "I've spent a lot of time and effort building this party; so I will not allow anyone to sabotage or hamper its progress. I have my reasons for doing things. And whether the issue is trivial or not is my decision because I'm the boss. "When a secretary and a boss cannot see eye to eye, one of them has to go." Zaid said Latif was merely an administrator and not a political ally or the "centre of political decision-making" that he imagined himself to be. Firdaus has been steadily attacking Zaid on Facebook and Twitter since Zaid stopped paying his salary three months ago. Zaid denied Firdaus's allegation that he had financial difficulties. "We stopped paying his salary because the party has very little money," Zaid explained. "I don't have financial difficulties, but I don't have a lot of money either. "It was the same situation with Rashid, but he took it well. I told Rashid the situation we were in and suggested that he find another job to supplement his income, which he did. That's what Firdaus should have done, but he will never get a job now because people have seen his nasty streak." Asked why he had kept silent for so long in the face of Firdaus's allegations, Zaid said he was giving him time to blow off steam and was hoping that he would "come to his senses" soon enough for a proper conversation. However, he said, Firdaus went too far when he began undermining Kita in an attempt to cast him in a bad light. "But he won't succeed because people with sense will know what he's all about," Zaid said. "And I'm not concerned with whatever he says anymore because he has not succeeded in doing any damage to the party or to me. Anyone who has worked with me before knows I'm not like that. "But I'm not angry over the situation. What else can you do but move on? The more popular you are, the more people want to attack you so that they too can get in the news."
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| Posted: 25 Sep 2011 06:23 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - PAS is demanding Putrajaya form a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) to investigate allegations of misconduct against Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail or prosecute the latter's accusers for making false accusations. PAS vice-president Datuk Mahfuz Omar today asked why the government and Abdul Gani have chosen to ignore the allegations, which include several claims of corruption and evidence fabrication. Failure to act on the accusations, he added, would only tarnish the image, reputation and integrity of the Attorney-General's Chambers and the post of the Attorney-General, who serves as the country's highest-ranking public prosecutor. "If the government fails to take any action within an acceptable timeframe, PAS will initiate a petition calling for the formation of an RCI and submit it to the Agong," Mahfuz told a press conference here. The PAS MP listed several accusations against Abdul Gani including claims made by blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin that construction company Ho Hup Bhd had paid for renovations at one of the Attorney-General's houses; the A-G's purported relationship with Shahidan Shafie, an alleged proxy to former Malaysia Airlines (MAS) chairman Tan Sri Tajuddin Ramli; and his alleged role in the case of murdered Mongolian model Altantuya Shaaribuu. Abdul Gani is also the centre of allegations by former senior police officer Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim, who has accused the former of fabricating evidence in Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's 1998 "black-eye" probe. Mahfuz pointed out that if Abdul Gani's reason for not filing legal action against his accusers was because Raja Petra is abroad, the A-G could still sue Mat Zain. "If these accusations are untrue, why not take legal action? Or at the very least, the claims must be investigated and not ignored," he said.
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| Mat Zain: Charge Gani Patail, not change A-G’s powers Posted: 25 Sep 2011 06:18 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - Taking away the Attorney-General's power to prosecute will not stop abuses of power, a former senior police officer said today. Former Kuala Lumpur CID chief Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim said that there was nothing wrong with the functions of the A-G as defined by the Federal Constitution, and charged that it was Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail who had abused his powers as the current A-G "several times over." "We should not blame the Constitution. It's the honesty of the person holding the post that matters. "Even if we were to separate the functions of the A-G and the PP, there are no guarantees that either one or both of them will not abuse their powers," Mat Zain wrote in an open letter to The Malaysian Insider. Mat Zain was referring to Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz's recent remarks supporting calls to separate the functions of the A-G. In Malaysia, the A-G is the principal legal adviser to the government and also serves as the country's highest-ranking public prosecutor. The former policeman continued his attacks against Abdul Gani, accusing him of fabricating evidence in an investigation back in 1998. It is believed he was referring to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's controversial "black eye" incident.
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| DAP wants PAS president to make official stand on Islamic state agenda Posted: 25 Sep 2011 06:09 PM PDT
(The Star) - DAP, apparently tired of dealing with Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, wants PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang to clear the air on the hudud controversy. DAP national chairman Karpal Singh said it was important for the PAS president to make a clear stand on the matter. He said Nik Aziz, PAS' spiritual adviser, is "not part of the leadership proper" in Pakatan Rakyat and had, therefore, no bearing on the coalition. "Hadi should come up with a statement as he is the authoritative figure in the party, especially as he had declared during the recent PAS muktamar that his party is no longer pursuing the Islamic state agenda," added Karpal. He said it was clear during PAS' muktamar in June that the party had given up on pursuing its Islamic state agenda. "Therefore, the hudud issue should not arise," he said. In his Facebook posting, Nik Aziz said he could resolve the matter with Karpal without involving the media. Hadi could not be reached for comments as he is currently abroad, believed to be in Iran. In SEREMBAN, DAP stalwart Dr Chen Man Hin said it would be a "mission impossible" for PAS to implement hudud laws in Kelantan with or without the support of its allies in the Pakatan coalition because the Federal Constitution does not allow it. "It is not wrong for PAS to think it is good to have hudud but they should also accept the fact that it cannot be done," said the former DAP chief, who is now the party's life adviser. Dr Chen, considered the Grand Old Man of DAP, once took the party into a coalition that also involved PAS and the now-defunct Parti Semangat 46 but left after a rift over the Islamic state issue pursued by PAS. He said Pakatan leaders should stop dwelling on the matter, adding that the Supreme Court had, in 1988, ruled that Malaysia is a secular state. Asked on comments by Nik Aziz and PAS Youth that DAP was free to leave the Pakatan coalition if it was not comfortable with hudud law, Dr Chen said: "They may be entitled to their opinion but it is not being diplomatic." When asked as to why Karpal Singh was the only DAP leader talking openly on the matter, Dr Chen said this was because he was a legal expert and one who had dealt with the issue for many years. "The DAP leaders talk about this among us and Karpal makes our stand public," he said.
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| Sarbaini verdict: Death by misadventure Posted: 25 Sep 2011 05:28 PM PDT
(Free Malaysia Today) - The coroner's court today returned a verdict of misadventure at the inquest into the death of former Selangor Customs assistant director Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed. In delivering his ruling, Coroner Aizatul Akmal Maharani said: "The evidence all supports the theory that this was an unintentional fall from a height." Aizatul said he agreed with a local pathologist's theory that Ahmad Sarbaini slipped and fell. He also said that he does not think there were any criminal elements as there were no defensive wounds found on the deceased or any signs of a struggle. He also ruled that Ahmad Sarbaini could not have committed suicide. Ahmad Sarbaini, 56, was found sprawled on the first floor of the badminton court at the Federal Territory MACC building in Jalan Cochrane, Cheras April 6. He was believed to have fallen from the third floor pantry of the MACC office after returning to the office. Ahmad Sarbaini, who was attached to the Port Klang Customs Department, was among the 62 officers detained on April 1 in a massive nationwide MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission) probe over graft allegations of a "Customs syndicate" laundering billions through tax evasion. MACC, which said Ahmad Sarbaini had returned to change his statement, had also said an officer had left Ahmad Sarbaini alone in a third-floor room and had returned to find him missing. His body was discovered later. Following his death, police formed a special task force to investigate and later classified the case as sudden death and later confirmed that no elements of foul play were found. However, Ahmad Sarbaini's family and friends have consistently said it was impossible that he had committed suicide or had taken any bribe. The inquest, from July 4 to Aug 4, sat for 13 days. Among the 34 witnesses who testified were several FT MACC officers, two pathologists, a forensic officer, a number of Customs officers and the late Sarbaini's widow Masiah @ Maziah Manap. The inquest, provided for under Sections328 to 341A of the Criminal Procedure Code, is held to determine where, when, how and in what manner Ahmad Sarbaini died. Its three possible findings are: an open verdict, a verdict of misadventure, or death by person or persons unknown. It would not, however, find any criminal liability of any persons. During the inquest, MACC had submitted that the court should reach the verdict of an accidental death. Its lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah had submitted that "the absence of defensive wounds and DNA evidence connecting any MACC officer to the death, clearly indicate that no MACC officer was criminally concerned with regard to the death. There is also not a shred of proof that he was physically abused or mistreated during his detention by MACC."
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| Posted: 25 Sep 2011 05:26 PM PDT
Top brass goes into damage control over the hudud controversy. (Free Malaysia Today) - Pakatan Rakyat top brass today placed a gag order on all its leaders from issuing further statements regarding the hudud controversy. The order will be in force until top Pakatan leaders, including PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang and DAP national chairman, Karpal Singh, meet to discuss the matter on Wednesday. "Many people, including Muslims themselves, don't understand (the matter)," PAS secretary-general Mustafa Ali said at a press conference today. "Statements have been issued by numerous people and we don't blame them. Hudud is a sensitive matter that can be easily misinterpreted," he said. He was flanked by PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution and DAP representative Anthony Loke. DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng is currently overseas on an official visit as Penang Chief Minister. Mustafa said that even if Pakatan remained silent, Umno-BN will continue to exploit this matter to cause disagreement among the three parties in the opposition coalition.
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| ‘Anwar, hudud bad for Pakatan’ Posted: 25 Sep 2011 04:49 PM PDT
The hudud spat and Anwar's craze for power is breaking Pakatan Rakyat apart, claims Kita chief Zaid Ibrahim. (Free Malaysia Today) - Pakatan Rakyat is breaking apart over the hudud law issue and there is nothing that its leader Anwar Ibrahim can do about it, Kita president Zaid Ibrahim said. "The opposition is woefully fractured, with a leader who has lost the plot and is behaving like a headless chicken roaming the political landscape. DAP remains speechless on the hudud issue, as is the so-called multi-racial party of PKR. "All reform-minded and peace-loving Malaysians… are asking if Anwar (Ibrahim) truly is the 'Renaissance man' he would like us to believe he is, or if he is actually a closet Islamic fundamentalist," he said. Zaid was referring to the hudud uproar that erupted within Pakatan following a dare by former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Last week, Mahathir dared the PAS-ruled Kelantan to impose hudud, with Anwar voicing his support for the Islamic law. Since then, DAP leaders have opposed the idea, adding that the law was not suitable for Malaysia. Zaid said PAS' stance on the law, once shelved for not gaining political traction, was brought back after the Islamic party was supposedly done with its "consensus politics" within Pakatan. "The colour of the tide has turned a familiar shade of dark green," he said, referring to the PAS' logo. "And self-righteous political rhetoric proclaiming to also be God's work has taken centre stage once again." This did not help Pakatan's chances, Zaid said, given Anwar's past with Umno and the Malaysian Islamic Youth Front (Abim). "Anwar was never a reformer… he was instrumental in changing the education in Malaysia by injecting so-called Arabic ideas into the system and dress code," he said. Zaid added that Anwar's pushing for a constitutional amendment by putting the civil and the Islamic syariah courts on an equal legal standing did not make it easier for the judiciary. He also reminded Malaysians that Anwar was part of the Cabinet that removed Lord President Salleh Abas from heading the then Supreme Court of Malaysia, and that he was a firm supporter of the Internal Security Act as well as preventive detention.
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| Private sector retirement age to go up Posted: 25 Sep 2011 02:42 PM PDT
By G. Manimaran, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 26 — Private sector employees will be allowed to work until they are 64, with a minimum mandatory retirement age of 60 under a new law being drafted by the government. The Private Sector Retirement Age Act will mandate retirement at 60, with an option for a four-year extension. "This means that the retirement age will be raised from 55 to 60. A technical committee has met two or three times with the last coming just before Hari Raya," Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) secretary-general Abdul Halim Mansor told The Malaysian Insider. The Malaysian Insider understands that the change, which will benefit six million workers, will also require an amendment to the Employment and Employees Provident Fund Acts. It is also understood that except for one employers' representative, there has been unanimous agreement on the proposal. Although the matter is being refined by the technical committee, Halim said the MTUC wants the welfare and benefits of employees to be given priority. "We ask the government to take into account the shortcomings of the Employment Act when laws on private sector retirement age are introduced," he said.
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| Materialistic society paying a high price for choosing status over their needs Posted: 25 Sep 2011 01:26 PM PDT (The Star): Despite the rising cost of living, Malaysian consumers identify strongly with expensive branded products, said the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca). Its chief executive officer Datuk Paul Selvaraj said instead of buying cheaper in-house brands, consumers opt for branded items that are usually more expensive. "This shows we have become a materialistic society," he said during The Star's "Protect Our Pockets" roundtable on the rising cost of living on Tuesday. He said Malaysians have become obsessed with brands until they overlook cheaper price items which they think have less quality. "Appearances have become more important than substance. They buy a car not because it could bring them from one place to another but to make them feel better. "It is about our value system. One example is buying a Honda City when they can only afford a Perodua Kancil," said Selvaraj. Other panellists at the roundtable were Malaysian Retailers-Chains Associations secretary-general Valerie Choo, Carrefour marketing communications (Singapore and Malaysia) director Low Ngai Yuen, Pemandu director of National Key Result Areas and National Key Economic Areas D. Ravindran, Pemandu senior manager Philip See and The Star's executive editor Datuk Wong Sai Wan. Wong added that the basic rule of smart consumerism was spending within one's means and being mindful of consumption. "You can come out with all sorts of formulae, but you must spend less than you earn. Everyone should also set aside at least 30% of their earnings for emergencies," he said. Choo concurred, adding that: "Financial planning is more than just an ability to manage money but a value that is inculcated at a young age." She added that parents play a vital role as role models for their children on the importance of savings. |
| Is MCA In Better Position To Face General Election? Posted: 25 Sep 2011 01:05 PM PDT (Bernama) -- Come Oct 2, the MCA will hold its 58th Annual General Meeting (AGM), an important general assembly to be attended by party members and delegates, before it heads towards the 13th General Election (GE). No doubt, the second largest Barisan Nasional (BN) component is more stable and its leadership more focused on efforts to rebuild the party after two turbulent years, following the party's worst-ever performance in the last general election in 2008. |
| Hiccup at TGA, not end of SNAP Posted: 25 Sep 2011 12:51 PM PDT By Joseph Tawie, FMT KUCHING: Just out from an eight year political turmoil, Sarawak National Party is hit by yet another 'crisis' that forced the party's highest decision-making body, the central executive committee (CEC), to postpone its triennial general assembly (TGA) at the last minute.The TGA and the party's presidential polls was scheduled to have been held yesterday morning. Four days ago SNAP received a letter from peninsular-based People's Progressive Party (PPP) saying that presidential candidate Michael Lias was a member. SNAP's constitution does not allow for double memberships. Also Lias is currently a member of SNAP's CEC, the party's highest decision-making body. The disclosure threatened the polls. To preserve the intergrity of the presidential election, the CEC decided to postpone Sunday's TGA and polls to a later date. Explaining the situation, out-going SNAP president Edwin Dundang said: "We received a letter on Sept 22 from PPP saying that Michael Lias, who has offered himself as a contender for the post of president of SNAP is its member. "We don't want to deny him the right to contest, but we have to be very clear regarding his status in the party and to be fair to him and to the party, we give him a show cause letter and should come back to us within 30 days to answer and to clarify. "While waiting for all this, the CEC gives itself 60 days to organise the TGA. I hope this will give us a good breathing space," he said. Dundang said that Article 3 of the party constitution clearly stated that the party will never accept anyone who is known to be a member of other political party or someone who is known to be bankrupt or someone who has been jailed. He said: "If you are a member of SNAP and are found to be a member of other political party, you are deemed to have resigned from SNAP. "But if you are to rejoin SNAP, you need to reapply, and this has been the precedent and the case in the past. "Michael has been sitting as CEC member since 2009, because we did not know that he is a member of PPP," he said. Not a PPP member Lias however is insisting that he is no longer a PPP member. On his part, Lias has submitted a statutory declaration to SNAP stating that he did join PPP on Sept 14, 2009 as an ordinary member but had ceased to be a member as his yearly membership had been duly expired and was never renewed.
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| Taking the fight to enemy territory Posted: 25 Sep 2011 12:31 PM PDT By Zainal Epi, FMT KUALA LUMPUR: Najib Tun Razak is on the offensive – the prime minister has gone down to the grassroots to make his case and at the same hitting out at the opposition. For the last two years, he has borne the brunt of the opposition onslaught on him – ranging from his personal life to the policies he had mooted and implemented.
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| New Economic Model’s greatest challenge yet Posted: 25 Sep 2011 12:12 PM PDT By John Loh, The Star Local think tank says Govt's political will needed for model's success. PETALING JAYA: Although the New Economic Model (NEM) launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is the right step towards achieving Malaysia's high-income nation aspirations, its greatest challenge yet is the political will of the Government to see it through, according to a new study by a local think tank. |
| MTUC warns Oct 3 picket if Putrajaya tables labour law reforms Posted: 25 Sep 2011 12:04 PM PDT By G Manimaran, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 26 — The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) has vowed to stage a protest outside Parliament when it starts sitting on October 3 if Putrajaya proceeds with its plan to amend current labour laws. MTUC secretary-general Abdul Halim Mansor pointed out that Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam had recently given his assurance that the amendment Bill would not be tabled in the House without prior discussion with the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC). The NLAC comprises representatives from the government, employers and employees. He told The Malaysian Insider that the decision was reached during MTUC's general council meeting last night. "If the government really goes ahead with debates on any labour law Bill, especially the Employment (Amendment) Bill 2010, MTUC will picket outside Parliament on the first day of the sitting," he said. Parliament will reconvene this October 3 and go on until December. The coming session is scheduled to focus on debates for Budget 2012 but several Bills are also expected to be tabled. Halim said the MTUC general council has directed its secretariat to contact the ministry and find out if the amendment Bills would be brought to Parliament next month. "If so, then it violates the minister's guarantee to MTUC before this. If the Bills are read, MTUC will not hesitate to picket... we want the government to hold a discussion before any amendments are tabled," he said. The second reading of the Employment (Amendment) Bill 2010 has been postponed twice before this. Trade union representatives and opposition politicians had decried the proposed amendments, claiming they were drawn up at the behest of multinational corporations and potential investors and deliberately designed to empower employers to employ workers on fixed-term contract for as long as they please. The MTUC had also highlighted the fact that once the amendments are passed, "employers would be permitted to impose unreasonable working hours, change weekly rest days as they please", in effect requiring women workers to work at night.
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