Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- MCA Youth: Student politics a must for democracy to grow
- Yellow shirt bikers protest outside Penang assembly
- Malaysia has one million expatriates abroad
- PAS to Umno: Why sign deals with Communist China?
- Three MPs thrown out
- Lim to lodge police report against Umno Online today
- DAP: Pakatan can retain Penang
- Egyptians abroad can vote in embassies, court rules
- EPF loaned RM55bil without gov't guarantee backing
- DAP, PAS remain at odds on hudud
- Don’t toy with Umno, LDP warned
- Moral victory for student politics
- ‘Unconstitutional to ban students from politics’
- Phang gives Nazri’s non-Malay PM remark thumbs up
- PAS: Ties with communist nations show Umno’s hypocrisy
- RM6.5m price ‘too high’ for Khir’s house, says valuer
| MCA Youth: Student politics a must for democracy to grow Posted: 30 Oct 2011 07:36 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - Lauding today's Court of Appeal ruling that the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) was unconstitutional, MCA Youth has called the ban on student politics as "unhealthy for any democracy to mature". MCA Youth national chairman Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong said student idealism through activism should be acknowledged, and that a continued ban on student politics was akin to looking down on students as "children incapable of making independent decisions". "So long as students are not unruly during their political activities where responsible freedom of expression is practised and do not touch on seditious or criminal content, MCA Youth fails to see why Section 15(5)(A) was even inserted in the first place. "Meanwhile, it should also be pointed out that the Appeal Court ruling is not a carte blanche for students to start rampaging the streets similar to the London riots under the guise of freedom of expression and association," he said in a statement today. The deputy education minister also pointed out that one of the resolutions passed during this year's MCA Youth annual general meeting called for the abolition of Section 15 of UUCA to return the freedoms of assembly and association to university students. "It does not make sense to allow student elections on campus yet deny undergraduate and post graduate students to take part in political activities," he said, noting that the same ban did not apply to students in private or foreign universities.
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| Yellow shirt bikers protest outside Penang assembly Posted: 30 Oct 2011 07:30 PM PDT (The Star) - GEORGE TOWN: Some 300 motorcyclists in yellow t-shirts rode to the Penang state legislative assembly during lunch break, causing traffic to slow down to a crawl. The riders, their t-shirts with the words "selamatkan Pulau Pinang LGE rasis" (Safe Penang LGE racist), stopped beside Light Street to demonstrate against the state government at about 12.45pm. Police cars and a Black Maria arrived at the scene shortly and detained five riders for unruly behaviour. Order was restored at about 1.15pm. Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's political secretary Ng Wei Aik condemned the protesters for disrupting public order. "This is very serious. The police must investigate this group," he said. The state assembly reconvened at 2pm.
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| Malaysia has one million expatriates abroad Posted: 30 Oct 2011 07:22 PM PDT
(Bernama) - There are about one million Malaysian expatriates working overseas as of April this year, the Dewan Rakyat was told Monday. Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk S.K. Devamany said the figure was based on a joint study by the World Bank and the Economic Planning Unit of the Prime Minister's Department. He said the setting up of Talent Corporation Malaysia Berhad (TalentCorp) was a good move to attract them to come home. "Among the initiatives taken by TalentCorp to reach out to them is through the Returning Expert Programme (REP)," he said in reply to a question from Salahuddin Ayub (PAS-Kubang Kerian). He said TalentCorp would create a professional network with those who wanted to remain abroad to inform them of the job opportunities available in Malaysia and to leverage their expertise and network for the country's economic development. "TalentCorp will reach out to them, including those in Australia, United States and United Kingdom," he said, adding that these expatriates contributed to the country's gross domestic product through remittance.
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| PAS to Umno: Why sign deals with Communist China? Posted: 30 Oct 2011 06:46 PM PDT
The Islamist party refuses to let the issue rest, and asks Umno why several MoUs were inked with China, a country which once supported the Malayan Communist Party. (Free Malaysia Today) - The communist issue was bought up again today but this time, instead of the Mat Indera fiasco, Umno's ties with Communist China was questioned in parliament today. Pokok Sena MP Mahfuz Omar asked deputy minister of foreign affairs, Richard Riot, how Malaysia could have diplomatic ties with a country that aided the Malaysian Communist Party (MCP). "How could Umno have ties with a country which at one point was behind the MCP?" he asked when it was revealed that both countries have signed several Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on trade and other matters. Mahfuz zeroed in on Umno, saying that the party had signed a separate MoU with Communist China. He was referring to the MoU which Umno and the Communist Party of China (CPC) signed in 2010 for their youth wings to have leadership exchanges. The deputy minister, who is also Serian MP, however said that the MoU was a Barisan National (BN) affair and not an Umno deal, and struggled to draw the difference between an established communist country and one that is perceived as one. "Initially they (China) practised a closed door policy but now even Communist countries have an open door policy, so we (Malaysia) do not have a problem with that," said Riot. Later at a press conference, Mahfuz said that the whole matter revealed Umno's hypocrisy.
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| Posted: 30 Oct 2011 06:41 PM PDT Er Teck Hwa, Lim Lip Eng and N Gobalakrishnan defied the Speaker's order to sit down. (Free Malaysia Today) - Three MPs were kicked out of parliament house for disobeying the Speaker's order to sit down. Bakri MP Er Teck Hwa was told to get out when he remained standing and continued to demand an answer to a question he posed to the Minister of International Trade and Industry, Mustapa Mohamed, who finished his winding up speech without responding to the former. Er wanted clarification on a piece of information alleging that Malaysia was interested in trading with Israel. Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia repeatedly asked him to sit down, but he was defiant. "Why didn't the minister answer?" he said. "It's just a yes or no. I just want to know if Malaysia has economic ties with Israel" Pandikar Amin eventually ordered Er out after several failed attempts to get him to sit down. Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng told Er not to leave. A clearly livid Pandikar then showed the door to him as well. The Speaker said there was no room for questions after a minister had finished his speech. However, he allowed both the DAP reps back into the house 25 minutes later. Er told reporters that he was not satisfied with the Speaker's decision as he was merely trying to seek clarification.
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| Lim to lodge police report against Umno Online today Posted: 30 Oct 2011 06:36 PM PDT (The Malay Mail) - Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's political secretary, Zairil Khir Johari, will lodge a police report on his behalf at the State police contingent headquarters today. Lim had given Umno Online a 48-hour ultimatum on Thursday to withdraw articles attacking his son, or a police report would be made. Lim, who is also the DAP secretary-general, said both he and his wife were outraged by the continued accusation by bloggers against his 15-year-old son despite having issued a denial that none of the alleged incidents took place. His son had been accused of outraging the modesty of a female classmate, causing him to be transferred to another school and that Lim paid RM200,000 to the girl's family to keep things under wraps. Lim said his son was the victim of "morally despicable and barbaric lies" and he had not wanted to involve the police in the matter initially. Umno Online, in its reports, had called on Lim to address the allegations, claiming he was inconsistent in his statements regarding the issue. Lim's Press secretary, Cheong Yin Fan, said Lim could not personally lodge the police report because he had to attend the State assembly sitting. "Lim's political secretary will be making the police report because we have not received any apology from Umno Online and the articles attacking his son have not been removed from the site," she told The Malay Mail. Zairil also confirmed Lim was considering taking legal action against the portal. "I have been asked to lodge the police report by the Chief Minister. We are considering legal action but we will tell you when the time comes," he said. DAP chairman Karpal Singh had made a separate police report last week against Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin for his comments on the allegations against Lim's son in the microblogging service Twitter. Khairy had twitted on Oct 17: "Mungkin dia roboh Kampung Buah Pala sebab nak ganti dengan Kampung Buah Dada" (Maybe he destroyed Kampung Buah Pala because he wants to replace it with Kampung Buah Dada). Karpal also said he would initiate legal action against a tweet Khairy made on Oct 17 for criminal defamation.
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| DAP: Pakatan can retain Penang Posted: 30 Oct 2011 06:35 PM PDT
(The Star) - DAP is optimistic that Pakatan Rakyat can retain control over Penang if its members continue to work hard by building on the momentum it had gained after the 2008 general election. Penang DAP chairman Chow Kon Yeow said the next general election would be different for the alliance as it would be the first time that DAP, PAS and PKR would be defending instead of winning over electoral seats. "We will go all out to ensure that our mission in defending Penang can be accomplished," Chow said. Chow, who is the Tanjong MP and Padang Kota assemblyman, claimed that the people here know that Pakatan was working hard for them and that they had addressed all issues raised by the electorate here. Chow said this after a ceremony to launch the mobilisation of the Tanjong DAP election machinery. "It will be a challenge for us to repeat or better our performance (in the 2008 election)." In 2008, DAP won 19 state seats, PKR nine and PAS one, while Barisan Nasional won 11 seats.
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| Egyptians abroad can vote in embassies, court rules Posted: 30 Oct 2011 06:27 PM PDT
CAIRO (Reuters) - An Egyptian court ruled on Tuesday that Egyptians living abroad should be allowed to vote at embassies in upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections, a judicial source said. Egypt's parliamentary elections, the first elections after mass protests ended President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule in February, will start on November 28. Egyptians will then vote for a new president although no date has been set. The ruling army council has sent mixed messages about whether expatriates would be allowed to vote, although many protesters had made it one of their demands. Egyptian media suggests about 8 million citizens study and work abroad, many of them driven away to find jobs because of high unemployment at home. Most work in other Arab states, including the Gulf, though there is a sizeable community in the West. Egypt, the Arab world's most populous state with about 80 million people, relies heavily on remittances from its expatriates for foreign currency income.
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| EPF loaned RM55bil without gov't guarantee backing Posted: 30 Oct 2011 06:19 PM PDT
(Yahoo News) - The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) approved loans worth an astounding RM55.1 billion not backed by government guarantees. However, the Auditor-General's Report 2010 found only one of the 13 debtors was qualified to obtain a loan without such a guarantee. That particular debtor was extended credit worth RM21.3 billion. Of the remaining 12 debtors, all of whom are not named in the report, two were exempted from producing government guarantees as they had high credit ratings. The loans to the two parties totalled RM7.3 billion. The report also revealed that the EPF had also given out 15 loans worth a total of RM35.69 billion as of the Dec 31, 2010. Of the 15 loans given, two were made to non-government entities despite having government guarantees. The loans are worth RM5 billion and RM1.24 billion respectively. EPF in its response said one of the debtors is an incorporated body of the Finance Ministry, while a government agency has a 66 percent stake in the second debtor company. The EPF Act 1991 allows it to extend credit to the federal and state governments, as well as to companies incorporated under the Companies Act 1965, or set up with the Finance Ministry's written permission. The report said that as of the end of 2010, EPF had given out a total RM95.79 billion, earning RM2.52 billion in interest payments for the year.
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| DAP, PAS remain at odds on hudud Posted: 30 Oct 2011 06:16 PM PDT
Karpal Singh criticised for making "unfair" statement when such Islamic laws have not been implemented yet. (Free Malaysia Today) - The attempt by Pakatan Rakyat to bury the hudud hatchet is proving to be difficult as the Islamist PAS and secularist DAP continue to trade barbs over PAS' plan to implement Islamic law in Kelantan. PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub, in an immediate reaction to Karpal Singh's stinging statement on hudud, said it was unfair for the DAP chairman to say that there will be a rise in crime if Islamic law was implemented. "It's not fair for him to say that. It (hudud) has not even been implemented yet," the Kubang Krian MP told FMT. Yesterday, Karpal, the Batu Gelugor MP, claimed that hudud laws will boost, and not deter, crimes because of the high standard of proof that would impede the prosecution from establishing its case. He said the rigid requirement to have four witnesses under hudud laws meant that the case must be proven with certainty and this was contrary to the current criminal legal system which only required the prosecution to prove a case beyond reasonable doubt. Karpal's statement is seen as an open attack against PAS and casts doubts on Pakatan's position on the matter when it agreed that hudud can only be implemented if there was a consensus. PAS' Islamic agenda again exposes Pakatan to claims that it will never be able to be a solid unified substitute to the ruling Barisan Nasional as the DAP and lynchpin PKR are against any hardcore Islamisation attempts.
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| Don’t toy with Umno, LDP warned Posted: 30 Oct 2011 06:14 PM PDT LDP leaders deliberately turning a deaf ear to all the assistance given to them by Umno Sabah, says Sabah Puteri Umno. (Free Malaysia Today) - Criticising Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman is as good as criticising Umno and the Barisan Nasional (BN) as a whole, Puteri Umno Sabah said yesterday. Sabah Umno Puteri chief Musliati Moslimin said its BN ally, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), was behaving like an opposition, making its existence in the ruling coalition unjustifiable. She said LDP was behaving as if the party no longer subscribed to the BN's spirit of camaraderie and did not have the sense of belonging in the coalition. She said no one had a right to openly demand for the resignation of the chief minister. "They (LDP leaders) seem to have lost direction in their political struggle and also going against the BN's concept and principle," she said when commenting on statements made by LDP deputy president Senator Chin Su Phin and women's wing chief Nancy Lim at the party's Youth and Wanita joint congress in Sandakan over the weekend. Musliati said asking Musa to resign showed a lack of respect for Umno and its president Najib Tun Razak who, she claimed, has full trust and confidence in Musa to lead the state.
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| Moral victory for student politics Posted: 30 Oct 2011 05:05 PM PDT
By G Vinod, FMT PETALING JAYA: Student activists hailed the Court of Appeal's decison as a victory for student politics and freedom of speech. Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) student activist Muhammad Hilman Idham described it as a historic moment for student politics. Earlier today, a three-men bench Court of Appeal ruled the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) as unconstitutional as it violates freedom of expression as enshrined in Article 10 of the Federal Constitution. Two judges, Hishammuddin Yunus and Linton Albert ruled in favour of the students while Low Hop Bing dissented. In April 2010, Hilman, Woon King Chai, Ismail Aminuddin and Azlin Shafina Adza were caught campaigning during the Hulu Selangor by-election, which was in breach of the UUCA. The four then challenged UKM in the High Court for allegedly violating their freedom of expression which is guaranteed under the Federal Constitution. However, the High Court dismissed their case, prompting them to appeal against the decision. Hilman said he was happy that their sacrifice was recognised by the Court of Appeal. "The court's decision is in tandem with our belief that students should be allowed to decide for themselves," said Hilman. He also said that students, being tomorrow's leaders , must be empowered to make decision for themselves first before they could make decisions for the benefit of the nation. "And the court agreed to this argument when it called for the UUCA to be amended to allow students the right to express themselves without any unnecessary restrictions," he said. Hilman said the counsel for UKM, Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, had indicated that he would appeal against the verdict at the Federal Court on behalf of UKM soon. "No matter what the outcome at the Federal Court is, we will continue to press for freedom of speech and academic freedom," he said.
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| ‘Unconstitutional to ban students from politics’ Posted: 30 Oct 2011 05:03 PM PDT
(FMT) - KUALA LUMPUR: The Court of Appeal today ruled that a law banning college students from political activities was unconstitutional, in a move hailed by the ban's opponents as a landmark decision. Students have long campaigned for a repeal of the 1971 Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA), which bars them from joining political parties and trade unions, saying the ban violates human rights and free speech. Court of Appeal ruled that the law contravened constitutionally protected freedom of expression. "This is a landmark decision… the net effect is that students are free to participate in political activities now," lawyer Ashok Kandiah, who represented four former political science students in challenging the ban, told AFP. However, a lawyer representing Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia — attended by the students — told the court he would appeal the decision to the Federal Court, Malaysia's highest. The four students launched the court challenge last year after the university threatened them with disciplinary action after they were accused of campaigning for Malaysia's political opposition in a local by-election. The Kuala Lumpur High Court had earlier upheld the ban's constitutionality. The students were eventually cleared of any wrongdoing. Ahmad Syazwan Muhammad Hasan, of the Islamic student organisation Gamis, welcomed the decision. "UUCA was implemented to block the student movement. It breaks our social freedom," he told AFP.
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| Phang gives Nazri’s non-Malay PM remark thumbs up Posted: 30 Oct 2011 04:13 PM PDT By Yow Hong Chieh, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 31 — Tan Sri Robert Phang has saluted Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz for saying a non-Malay could be prime minister if he was right for the job. Phang, a former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) adviser, said the de facto law minister's statement was "very meaningful" and would help towards building a truly multiracial nation.
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| PAS: Ties with communist nations show Umno’s hypocrisy Posted: 30 Oct 2011 04:08 PM PDT
By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 31 — PAS accused Umno today of hypocrisy for claiming that Mohamad Sabu had glorified communists despite the ruling party fostering close ties with five communist nations. Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Richard Riot told Parliament that Malaysia has benefited from bilateral relations with China, Cuba, Laos, Vietnam and North Korea.
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| RM6.5m price ‘too high’ for Khir’s house, says valuer Posted: 30 Oct 2011 04:06 PM PDT By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal, The Malaysian Insider SHAH ALAM, Oct 31 — Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo's palatial home and land do not cost RM6.5 million, the former Selangor Mentri Besar's corruption trial was told today. Professional valuer Iramy Ahmad, 48, testified that the market price for the mansion valued by his firm Irhamy & Co in 2005 was RM4.3 million. |
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