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• Ibrahim Ali disappointed by Himpun turnout
• Malaysia, Maids and the Lash
• MACC opens 36 cases following federal audit
• Ibrahim calls Perkasa ‘catalyst for Malaysian unity’
• Ambiga: Putrajaya stalling over electoral reform
• Perkasa eyes ‘kingmaker’ role in polls
• Pre-vocational subject in 50 schools next year
• Audit report proves failure of Najib’s reforms, says Anwar
• In Australia, Ambiga serves notice of people power
• Students stage demo, warn of ‘bigger’ uprising
• 'Only ballot papers, not AG’s report, can jolt deaf BN'
• What AG's report says on Kelantan
• What AG's report says on Selangor
• What AG's report says on Penang
• What AG's report says on Kedah
• PKR to Noh Omar: Explain the missing RM110m farmers’ incentives
• WikiLeaks too broke for now
• Millions paid to dead pensioners
• No action against trio behind Teoh’s death
• Prosecute ‘pack of liars’ for Beng Hock’s death, says Kit Siang
• Audit finds minister’s family made mess of national cattle farming project
• Kelantan sets up hudud framework panel
• OWC sex guide under review by Home Ministry
• No seats for M Ravi and Chegu Bard?
• EC to display list of 40,000 ‘unverified voters’ from Oct 27
• RM7.55 bil armoured carriers: DAP goes ballistic
• Southeast Asia Mints More Millionaires
• No action against ‘notorious’ military contractors
• 'Wrong to question those who fought communists'
• Malaysia on track for Digital Economy by 2020
• Soi Lek tells people to be ‘less hateful’, ‘less jealous’
• Nine ministries overspent RM3.73b, says government audit
• Auditor-General: Putrajaya risked lives in delaying Bukit Jalil stadium roof repair
• Holland bans Malaysian logs
• Thumbs up for good paymaster S’gor
• Govt agencies show better financial management, says Auditor-General
• Muhyiddin defends statement on Guan Eng’s son
• Motion against Khairy’s ‘breasts’ comment
• Hasan’s Himpun attendance not sign of tension within PAS
• Gutter politics or sordid politicians?
• ‘I don’t know what Anwar was talking about’
• Policy outcry as more asylum seekers arrive by boat
• Kit Siang: Cease acrimony against SAPP
• Najib: Aziz Bari case misunderstood
• PKR, DAP in seat tussle
• National debt in 2010 at RM407b, says government audit
• Food prices push September inflation rate up
• Muhyiddin: Police probe best way to clear air over Guan Eng’s son
• PAS readies new media troopers for next GE
• Perkasa says Himpun united PAS and Umno

Ibrahim Ali disappointed by Himpun turnout Posted: 26 Oct 2011 01:26 AM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali has expressed embarrassment over the poor turnout at the Himpunan Sejuta Umat rally, despite the Malay rights movement earlier shrugging off the low attendance. Only 5,000 people filled the 100,000-seat Shah Alam Stadium where the rally against the alleged Christianisation of Malaysia took place last weekend. "Even as late at 4pm, there were fewer than 10,000 people... I was embarrassed as a Malay and a Muslim. Where are our Malays? "But when there's a conference or an assembly, why this, why that?" Ibrahim said in his winding-up speech at the 2nd Perkasa general assembly here. The Malay rights leader lamented that Malays were very good at asking for things but were reluctant to put their money where their mouth was when time came for action. "What is our sacrifice? How far are we willing to go?" he said. Ibrahim added that if Malays remained too passive in voicing their objections despite being "under attack from within and without", they would suffer the same fate as Singaporean Malays and Malays in Penang, whom he said were marginalised. READ MORE HERE

Malaysia, Maids and the Lash Posted: 25 Oct 2011 05:57 PM PDT By Luke Hunt, The Diplomat Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak hasn't put a political foot wrong since speculation began an election could be called for as soon as November or early in the New Year. First, he announced an inquiry into electoral reforms, then repealed laws curtailing civil liberties and delivered an election friendly budget. But Najib pulled off a real coup last week, winning an agreement from Jakarta that will allow Indonesian maids to return to work in Malaysia. That decision will prove popular, particularly among the middle class Muslim women of Peninsula Malaysia who say they are suffering from a lack of domestic help after Indonesia banned its women from working there because of appalling treatment meted out by many employers. Critics argue that domestic helpers, who don't enjoy a minimum wage or a day off a week, are little more than modern day slaves for the self-indulged. Such concerns, along with further reports of abuse, resulted in Cambodia compounding Malaysia's problems and banning its women from working there, too. Kuala Lumpur says it needs 300,000 maids to meet demand. There is currently a 100,000 shortfall and a growing waiting list of irritable and wealthy women who are demanding extra help in the home and who blame the government for export bans on maids. The timing couldn't have been better for Najib, although his bureaucrats, along with their peers in Singapore, would have paid close attention to a court decision in Hong Kong where domestic helpers have traditionally enjoyed far better work conditions. Hong Kong's High Court found in favour of a Filipino maid who has lived in Hong Kong since 1986 and challenged laws that specifically exclude maids – normally Filipino or Indonesian – from standard rules that allow all other working foreigners to settle as permanent residents in the territory after seven years of uninterrupted residency. Malaysia and Singapore, whose courts were also born out of British traditions and might be tempted to follow legal precedents, would hardly have been impressed. But for Najib, such issues are unlikely to have an impact before he stakes his political future on an early poll. What will matter will be the West Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak. Both states have welcomed the repeal of the Internal Securities Act – which allowed for unlimited detention without trial – and laws blamed for curtailing press freedom, along with increased budget spending and more maids.   However, both states are traditionally a combination of Christians, a very moderate form Islam and Buddhism. Mixed marriages were common, apostasy was accommodated, and forced conversions an anathema before the 1970s. In these states, most resent the enormous encroachment made by militant Islam since then. Sharia Courts, like headscarves and head to toe hijabs, were also unknown before Sabah and Sarawak joined the Malaysian Federation as equal one-third partners with West Malaysia in 1963. This point will figure prominently in the next election. Of importance is George Kabayan, a 37-year-old native who converted to Isalm becoming Kamaruddin Abdullah. He has just become the first Sabahan to be whipped under Sharia law, receiving five lashes of the cane and a year's prison sentence for having an affair with an Indonesian woman, Suryati binti Sumarto. The pair had lived together for some time, had two children, didn't have the correct paperwork and the religious authorities only acted after neighbours complained to the Sabah Religious Affairs Department. The story was widely ignored by Malaysia's mainstream press. Najib has gone a long way in winning over Malaysia's moderates, which will stand him in good stead at the next poll. But that could be undone if his United Malays National Organization (UMNO), which has ruled since independence, fails to deal with the festering religious issues of East Malaysia.

MACC opens 36 cases following federal audit Posted: 25 Oct 2011 05:43 PM PDT By Debra Chong, The Malaysian Insider PUTRAJAYA, Oct 26 — The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has opened up 36 files to investigate the public sector following the Auditor-General's Report 2010 released two days ago. In a statement yesterday, the national graftbuster said the investigations were initiated based on public feedback after the federal audit revealed discrepancies in the spending of various government ministries, agencies and companies over the past year. It said Sabah and Perak topped the list of ongoing investigations with seven cases each. This was followed by Kedah and Terengganu with six files each; three in Penang; and two cases each in Sarawak and Putrajaya. The two-year-old commission, which was also taken to task in the recent audit report for being among nine government departments that overspent their allocations by 0.73 per cent, also acted promptly to explain its action. The MACC defended the excess payments as due to the federal government's directive last year to pay a special government financial aid scheme for officers ranked Grade 54 and below. "The excessive spending does not mean MACC breached any Treasure rules or any other financial management procedure but actually was approved by the government as it actually a bonus payment approved by the government," it said in the statement.

Ibrahim calls Perkasa ‘catalyst for Malaysian unity’ Posted: 25 Oct 2011 05:41 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - Perkasa is not a racist party but a champion of national unity, president Datuk Ibrahim Ali said today. The Malay rights leader said the group was a "catalyst for unity" as it sought to keep intact the social contract agreed upon by the country's founding fathers for the sake of peace and harmony. "Perkasa fights to ensure the country is free from threats. This means Perkasa is not overly obsessed or too focused... on Malay and Bumiputera issues only. "Perkasa is the catalyst for Malaysian unity overall," he said in his policy speech at the second Perkasa general assembly here today. Ibrahim pointed out that adherence to and respect for the social contract and Bumiputera constitutional rights had allowed Malaysians of all races to prosper since independence. "Any threat to [the social contract] will threaten everyone... Perkasa intends to keep the national contract from being the spark for racial conflict that will burn us all," he said. READ MORE HERE

Ambiga: Putrajaya stalling over electoral reform Posted: 25 Oct 2011 05:40 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - Bersih 2.0 chief Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan accused Putrajaya of dragging its feet on electoral reform ahead of key national polls likely to be called by early next year, Australia's national broadcaster reported today. In an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) earlier today, Ambiga highlighted the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) government's refusal hold off on the 13th general election until after it implements reforms to the polling system. This, she said, was despite the formation of a bi-partisan parliamentary select committee (PSC) by the Najib administration following widespread global criticism over its crackdown of Bersih 2.0's July 9 rally here. "We've started a campaign called 'Clean Before 13'," she told the ABC in its Connect Asia radio programme this morning. "What is crying out for reform is the cleaning up of the electoral roll. My own view is we can't go to the polls with the electoral roll in the state that it is," she said, adding there was no point implementing the reforms only after Malaysians have voted. The ABC reported Ambiga saying proposed reforms, such as the enrolment of three million unregistered voters and automatic voter registration at the age of 21, should only take six months, though she also admitted cleaning up the electoral roll may take longer. The prominent lawyer is currently touring Australia to alert Malaysians there of their voting rights and rally support for the movement demanding clean and fair elections she heads. READ MORE HERE

Perkasa eyes ‘kingmaker’ role in polls Posted: 25 Oct 2011 04:49 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - Perkasa believes it can be a "kingmaker" in the next national polls by getting members to withhold votes from candidates and parties that insult Malays or Islam. Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali said the Malay rights group had made a list of lawmakers who committed such offences and was ready to blast instructions via text message to its 300,000 members come polling day. "All this while, people thought Indians were important despite their small numbers as they've become kingmakers. "Even though they're few, they can be the deciding factor. Same with Perkasa. It's very likely that we'll play this role," he told reporters at the second Perkasa general assembly here today. Ibrahim said Perkasa would only focus on seats where offending lawmakers had won by small margins, but was confident the group's estimated 500 to 600 members per state seat would make a big impact. He stressed that Perkasa was not against any particular party or race — pointing out that it also had Umno members in its sights — and would target anyone who hurt the feelings of the Malay community. "They shouldn't think only they have votes. They shouldn't think only of getting votes from their factions. Perkasa's members are not few," he said. READ MORE HERE

Pre-vocational subject in 50 schools next year Posted: 25 Oct 2011 03:21 PM PDT By Ahmad Fairuz Othman, NST SINGAPORE: A pre-vocational subject would be introduced to 50 secondary schools next year to expose students to various professional skills at an early stage. Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also education minister said the pioneering project would allow students between Form One and Three to aquire basic knowledge in various professional fields. He said the subject would not be made compulsary, and those students who show a keen interest in it would be streamed accordingly at a later level. "After that, if they are interested in the subject, they could continue at certificate and diploma level," said Muhyiddin after visiting Tuas South Incineration Plant here during his official two-day visit to the republic yesterday. He said existing teachers and instructors under the Education Ministry, who specialise in vocational studies would be roped into the pioneer project. "This is only an early education (on vocational fields) that does not require high level skills as seen in full vocational schools." Muhyiddin had earlier visited the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), which is known for its vocational and technical courses. He said the Education Ministry is looking into the model for vocational studies in Singapore, which differs from the Malaysian model, to see whether it could be adopted. "Singapore's vocational education is as such that 70 per cent of its learning is made up of practical, while only 30 per cent is theory." On another matter, Muhyiddin, who is chairman of the Cabinet Committee on Solid Waste Management said the Housing and Local Government Ministry would identify new systems for solid waste management that are both efficient and safe to be used in the country. He said incineration of solid waste which is being done in four plants in Singapore was also being looked into. "It is important for us to use the best system and technology. We can see how Singapore has manage this field and we would look at its suitability for us." Muhyiddin described his official visit to Singapore as fruitful as it helped to further established strong bilateral ties between the two neighbouring countries.

Audit report proves failure of Najib’s reforms, says Anwar Posted: 25 Oct 2011 02:43 PM PDT By Debra Chong, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 26 — Pointing to the Auditor-General's Report for 2010, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim denounced the Najib administration for failing to deliver its transformation plans ahead of national polls that could elevate the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) pact into Putrajaya. The opposition leader also accused Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak of deliberately delaying the report's release in a bid to cover up the Barisan Nasional (BN) government's inefficiencies. A former deputy prime minister and finance minister, Anwar said the latest audit report, released on Monday, was late 17 days from October 7 when the government's Budget 2012 was presented in Parliament. He said the Auditor-General's Report should have been presented on the same day to allow the public to assess how the federal government spent taxpayers' money. "The delay in distributing the report should not arise unless there is a strategy to hide the facts from the public," the de facto PKR chief said in a statement last night. "Even though Datuk Seri Najib announced many promises to overcome the imbalances and weaknesses, clearly those promises have not been fulfilled," Anwar said. He appeared to be capitalising on the fact that Najib is seeking his first mandate since becoming prime minister after Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi quit office ahead of term in April 2009. "The Auditor-General's Report 2011 [sic] has exposed and proved the failure of the prime minister's transformation policy," Anwar said. The 64-year-old who is also economic advisor to Selangor — Malaysia's richest state — said the audit of 32 government ministries, their agencies and seven companies revealed various weaknesses stemming from poor supervision, ineffective monitoring, insufficient funding, labour and expertise.   READ MORE HERE.

In Australia, Ambiga serves notice of people power Posted: 25 Oct 2011 02:40 PM PDT By KC Boey, The Malaysian Insider MELBOURNE, Oct 26 — Bersih 2.0 will hold Pakatan Rakyat (PR) to the civic movement's eight demands on elections and governance should the opposition pact come into government, chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan said at a public forum here yesterday. "Not only Pakatan," Ambiga said of her movement that transcends party politics. "We will hold all parties accountable. That's the way it should be. The power is with us (the people), not with them (political parties). It's only when power is in the hands of the citizenry that we have a working democracy." Ambiga was responding to a question at a public lecture at the Asian Law Centre, University of Melbourne, to kick off a speaking tour of four of the most renowned law schools in Australia. On Friday she shares Bersih 2.0 stories with Malaysians at a solidarity evening organised by Bersih 2.0 Australia and the Melbourne chapter of Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia Australia (SABMoz). Ambiga speaks at the University of New South Wales and the University of Sydney on October 31, and the College of Law at the Australian National University in Canberra on November 1, at each stop encouraging Malaysians to register as voters. Malaysians waiting in line to greet Ambiga (right) after the talk. At the lecture in Melbourne, Malaysia's Consulate-General in Melbourne, Dr Mohamad Rameez Yahaya, told the audience that foreign missions such as his had started to put in place processes to register voters. "We registered 26 voters (last night)," said David Teoh, co-ordinator for Bersih 2.0 Australia and SABMoz Melbourne. More than 300 mostly young Malaysians filled a lecture theatre at the Asian Law Centre for the lecture hosted by Dean of Law Professor Carolyn Evans. In her talk on electoral reform and the quest for democracy in Malaysia, Ambiga spoke on the significance of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights to which Malaysia is a signatory. She recounted events leading up to Bersih's rally on July 9, the implications of the rally, and considered whether the government's subsequent undertaking to amend or repeal laws such as the Internal Security Act might offer hope for a more democratic Malaysia. She drew attention to the aspirations of youth, lamenting the "disconnect" of old politics with new technology, a yellow pashmina draped around her neck, and sporting a "CleanBefore13" lapel badge. As Ambiga was speaking, Global Bersih was following events on microblogging service Twitter, using the #CleanBefore13 hashtag. Moderator Professor Tim Lindsey, director of the Asian Law Centre, had to apologise for not being able to accommodate all those who had questions for Ambiga, almost all of them from Malaysians studying or living in Melbourne, who make up the highest number of Malaysians in Australia.   READ MORE HERE.

Students stage demo, warn of ‘bigger’ uprising Posted: 25 Oct 2011 06:09 AM PDT UIA students want police investigation against academician Abdul Aziz Bari dropped. (Free Malaysia Today) - Some 40 students from various universities staged a protest within the International Islamic University (UIA) grounds tonight, condemning "persecution" against vocal academician Professor Abdul Aziz Bari. Gathering at about 8pm in front of the UIA mosque, the students lighted up candles and held up papers printed "Mahasiswa tuntut kebebasan akademik" (students seek academic freedom) and "Bebaskan university daripada cengkaman politik" (free university from political stranglehold). However, the university administration confronted the students when they attempted to march to the hall where Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein was officiating at the "Piala Perdana Menteri" debate competition. After negotiating for some 15 minutes, they were finally allowed to march a shorter distance in silence towards the hall, but were stopped from going near it. The students then exited the campus compound and continued their protest at the university gates, this time shouting: "Hidup mahasiswa. Hidup ilmu. Hancur kezaliman!" (Long live the students, long live knowledge, down with cruelty!) Speaking to reporters later, the spokesperson for the group, Muhammad Zaki Sukery, who is also the deputy president of Malaysian University Student Solidarity Movement (SMM), said the protest was held not only for Aziz. "This is not just for the professor. Malaysia needs to be more open to freedom of knowledge," said Zaki, a former student of the lecturer. "Lifting his suspension is not enough; there is still the police investigation; his laptop was even seized. He is still under pressure. We have now asked Prime Minister (Najib Tun Razak) to intervene. Whatever Aziz did was within his rights and jurisdiction as an academic; he should not be undergoing this," he said. Two objectives It was understood that UIA student representative council president Mohd Ikbal Abdul Wahab handed over a memorandum to Hishammuddin at 8.30pm. "We understand that Ikbal has handed the memorandum and the minister has promised to give it to the prime minister," said SMM chairman Ahmad Syukri Abdul Razab. Syukri said that the memorandum contained two objectives: urging the nation's leaders to allow freedom to academicians and students; and urging that investigation on Aziz be dropped without conditions. "No time limit is given. But we warn our nation's leaders that they shouldn't wait until we call the rakyat to rise up to protest with us in bigger numbers. "We won't hesitate and we already have the support of electoral watchdog Bersih 2.0," said Syukri, who urged the authorities to reply soon. Speaking to FMT, one student, who wished to be known only as Yuyuluna, said the government, and UIA were being unfair. "Aziz Bari does not belong to UIA; he belongs to those who love knowledge. When he talks about the truth, and happens to side with the opposition's stance, it is unfair that they bring him down just because they felt that they've been slapped," she said. "What about the professor who said that Malaysia was never colonised? He is a disgrace and he is the one who should be suspended. Aziz was just giving his comments. He has even criticised the opposition before," added the 22-year-old Malay literature student. READ MORE HERE

'Only ballot papers, not AG’s report, can jolt deaf BN' Posted: 24 Oct 2011 07:18 PM PDT (Harakah Daily) - The intensely discussed Auditor-General's report which has given damning evidences of wastages by the government will be powerless to change the state of affairs, unless the people take to the ballots to jolt the BN government of its malpractices. "If the present government is not replaced with a government that is accountable and responsible, the disappointment is bound to repeat," said PAS information chief Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man (pic). He said despite being reprimanded by the AG annually over exorbitant and wasteful spending of taxpayers' money, the BN's bad habits had only continued unabated. Citing from the AG's 2010 report released yesterday, Tuan Ibrahim said the country's financial management continued to be marred by direct negotiations and cronyism. Government-linked-companies such as Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad, KTMB, Prasarana and Aset Global Network, noted Tuan Ibrahim, continued to be in the red despite being reprimanded year after year. "The national debt had risen by 12.3 percent to RM407.11 billion in 2010 from RM362.39 billion in 2009, and this is the second consecutive year the debt to GDP (gross domestic product) ratio exceeded 50 percent at 53.1 percent," he said. The Pahang PAS commissioner said BN's resistance to change and reform had only disappointed the public through the AG annual's negative observations. "Clearly they can only be taught though the ballot box, and the people must not waste their votes to teach and punish this deaf government," he added.

What AG's report says on Kelantan Posted: 24 Oct 2011 07:12 PM PDT (Harakah Daily) - The Auditor General has rated the Kelantan state government's financial position in 2010 as satisfactory. The state saw a revenue increase of RM51.07 million or 52.5 percent, from RM97.23 million in 2009 to RM148.30 million in 2010. "Analysis of 5 years into the consolidated revenue from 2006 to 2010 shows a dip in 2007 and 2008 and then increase in 2009 and 2010. Cash reserves and investment rose in 2010, with the balance of RM97.23 million in 2009 increasing to RM148.30 million in 2010," reads the AG's report released yesterday. The AG has advised Kelantan to spend prudently without affecting quality of service and development, citing an increase in state debt by RM118.25 million, from RM993.75 million in 2009 to RM1,112 million in 2010. "The state government must also ensure arrears in revenue are collected and loans repaid according to schedule, and arrears repayment must be collected in full. The debt to Federal government must also be paid according to schedule including delayed repayment," the report adds. On the state's development, the AG notes that the state government underspent for a period of five years utilising only RM715.23 million or 42.1 percent of the total allocation. As such, the report concludes that the spending and implementation have been "unsatisfactory". It however praises financial management of all government agencies in Kelantan, with four state agencies being rated as 'very good' and the other 15 as 'good'. "This shows an improvement in financial management of the state compared to 2009 where only two agencies were rated as 'very good' and 12 as 'good'," it added, saying state performance could be improved through financial and management training for state officers.

What AG's report says on Selangor Posted: 24 Oct 2011 07:10 PM PDT (Harakah Daily) - Overall, the Selangor state government received a 'satisfactory' rating from the Auditor General for its financial position ending 2010. The state's consolidated revenue increased by RM266.91 million or 20.2 percent, from RM1,319.97 million in 2009 to RM1,586.88 million in 2010. This is despite it registering a 10.9 percent or RM192.36 million drop to RM1,571.50 million in state's revenue last year (RM1,763.86 million in 2009). "The operating expenditure has also decreased by RM382.56 million or (20.9 percent) to RM1,447.26 million in 2010 compared to RM1,829.82 million in 2009," reads the AG's report. The state government received praised for reduction in revenue arrears by RM99.87 million or 16.6 percent, from RM601.92 million in 2009 to RM502.05 million in 2010. The AG however rates the state's long-term investment as 'unsatisfactory' due to very low dividend returns over the past five years, from 2006 to 2009, with no dividend recorded in 2010. In the development category, the AG notes that the state government completed 64.5 percent or 927 self-funded projects listed under the Nineth Malaysia Plan. "Although the expenditure achievement for 9th Malaysia Plan for 5 years from 2006 to 2010 has reached 92.1 percent, there are only 1,108 (77.1 percent) from 1,437 approved projects which are completed or implemented," it notes. The report rates as 'very good' the financial management for four state agencies, namely the state treasury, Ampang Jaya Municipal Council, Selayang Municipal Council, and Urban and Rural Planning department. According to the report, 11 agencies are 'good' and one agency is 'satisfactory'. This, it adds, is better compared to 2009 as only one agency was listed as 'very good', 14 as 'good' and one satisfactory.

What AG's report says on Penang Posted: 24 Oct 2011 07:04 PM PDT (Harakah Daily) - The Penang state government continues to be in the good books of the Auditor General, who commended its improved financial position in 2010 compared to 2009. According to the latest AG report, Penang's consolidated revenue grew by 2.7 percent, from RM1,101.89 million for 2009 to RM1,131.17 million in 2010. The consolidated cash reserve rose by 6.2 percent to RM572.49 million, up from RM538.95 million in 2009. "The state's revenue for 2010 has increased by RM34.19 million or 9.1 percent compared to 2009 from RM376.51 million to RM410.70 million," observes the report. The AG advises the state government to make better investment analysis as a way to increase dividends. "Besides that, the state government is also urged to continue its effort to collect arrears in revenue amounting to RM78.78 million at the end of 2010 from land tax, loan repayment to students, rental of houses, shop lots and so on," the report adds. On development under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, the AG rates the state's performance as satisfactory with a total of RM787.17 or 77.8 percent being spent from the allocated RM1.01 billion. In terms of implementation of projects, the report hails the state's performance as 'very good' with 99 percent of the 9,003 projects successfully carried out. The report concludes that the financial management of state agencies remained good for 2010. "In 2010, 3 agencies are in 'very good' category like 2009. 10 agencies are considered 'good' and one at satisfactory level," it says. For three successive years, 13 state agencies audited at least twice between 2007 to 2010 have showed 'very good' financial management by the state treasury and development body.

What AG's report says on Kedah Posted: 24 Oct 2011 07:00 PM PDT (Harakah Daily) - The Kedah state government achieved a 135.8 percent increase in state revenue with a  record surplus budget for 2010 at RM22.50 million, compared to deficit of RM62.89 million in 2009, says the latest Auditor General's report on the state. "State expenditure meanwhile only rose by RM2.55 million or 0.6 percent. This led to a surplus for the state government in 2010," it said. Last year, the AG rated Kedah's financial position as satisfactory with a consolidated revenue increase of 23.9, from  RM265.52 million to RM328.28 million in 2009. The increase, says the latest report, reduced the balance of the Consolidated Revenue Account deficit in 2010 by a total of RM22.50 million or 7 percent, from RM320.73 million down to RM298.23 in 2009.     The report however cautions the state over the increase in loans from the Federal government by RM249.81 million in 2010, bringing the total amount to RM2.61 billion from RM2.38 billion in 2009. It urges the state to take more effective measures to recover arrears of revenue as 2010 had registered only RM172.67 million, a fall of 13.5 percent or RM27.16 million, compared to RM199.83 million in 2009. On projects under the Nineth Malaysia Plan, the report rates the state's project implementation as of 31 December 2010 as satisfactory with RM2.51 billion or 73.3 percent from the RM3.42 billion allocated being spent. It also commends the state government for improving the financial management of its agencies compared to 2009, with four agencies getting the 'very good' rate, 12 'good' and one as 'satisfactory'. "Overall, the financial management of the state's agencies has improved compared to 2009," it notes.

PKR to Noh Omar: Explain the missing RM110m farmers’ incentives Posted: 24 Oct 2011 06:39 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - PKR Selangor demanded today Datuk Seri Noh Omar clarify the RM110 million worth of incentives promised to paddy farmers which is still owing. "We demand Noh Omar answer that. How did the money that was supposed to be awarded to the farmers, those who had succeeded in increasing their rice production, were not given the incentives that was promised. "This is one of the failures of the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry and Noh Omar's as well as Umno Selangor's failure in managing the funds that was supposed to go to the farmers," Shuhaimi Shafiei, PKR Selangor information chief told reporters here at the PKR headquarters. He said the minister of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry, who is also the Umno Selangor deputy chairman has failed to prove that the biggest party in the ruling coalition is sincere in taking back Selangor from the hands of the Opposition. The Auditor-General's report yesterday showed the ministry has yet to pay RM110.67 million it owed to more than 70,000 farmers under a scheme to encourage a higher rice production. Citing Padiberas Nasional Berhad (Bernas), Malaysia's rice industry regulator, the report said the farmers were eligible to receive RM341.29 million between January 2007 and January 2010. However, Bernas only managed to pay incentives worth RM230.62 million as at end 2010, citing lack of funds. This resulted in 73,291 farmers not receiving incentives totalling RM110.67 million. Bernas currently controls about 24 per cent of the paddy market and 45 per cent of the local rice demand. READ MORE HERE

WikiLeaks too broke for now Posted: 24 Oct 2011 06:25 PM PDT (AFP) - LONDON: WikiLeaks has been forced to suspend publishing classified files after a funding blockade and could have no option but to shut down by the end of the year, founder Julian Assange announced Monday. The whistleblowing website has seen its funding plunge by 95 percent due to an "arbitrary and unlawful financial blockade" mounted by companies including Visa and MasterCard since December last year, Assange said in London. "In order to ensure our future survival, WikiLeaks is now forced to temporarily suspend its publishing operations and aggressively fundraise in order to fight back against this blockade and its proponents," he said. "If WikiLeaks does not find a way to remove this blockade, given our current levels of expenditure we will simply not be able to continue by the turn of the New Year." The Australian condemned the blockade as politically motivated and directly linked to "Cablegate", coming within days of the website's release of tens of thousands of classified US diplomatic cables in November last year. Many relate to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan while others contain frank and sometimes embarrassing assessments of world leaders made by US diplomats. Assange said WikiLeaks was taking legal action against the blockade in several states including Britain, United States and Australia and has 100,000 publications pending, but warned it was facing an "existential threat". The former computer hacker said WikiLeaks needed $3.5 million (2.5 million euros) to get through the next 12 months. WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson explained that before the funding squeeze, average monthly donations exceeded 100,000 euros, but since then they had plunged to between 6,000 and 7,000 euros. Assange claimed the blockade was part of "a concerted US-based, political attack that included vitriol by senior right-wing politicians, including assassination calls against WikiLeaks staff." He said it had cost the organisation "tens of millions of dollars" in lost donations. The former hacker also revealed that WikiLeaks had material on Bank of America, which it had previously threatened to release, but he admitted it was now in the custody of an employee that WikiLeaks suspended last August. Despite 11 months of legal action and hopes of retrieving it, "at this stage we do not believe, unfortunately, that we will regain that material, which is a great loss," Assange said. Returning to the funding issue, he said WikiLeaks has lodged an anti-trust complaint at the European Commission and expects a decision by mid-November on whether the European Commission Authority will open a full investigation. He added: "A handful of US finance companies cannot be allowed to decide how the whole world votes with its pocket." Assange announced that WikiLeaks would implement a new secure submission system for whistleblowers to send in confidential documents, to be launched on November 28 -- the first anniversary of the so-called Cablegate release. The new generation submission system will be safer than current online systems, which Assange claimed had been infiltrated by intelligence agencies. The Australian said WikiLeaks has around 20 staff, about 800 volunteers and two million supporters. The average individual donation is $25. Assange, 40, is currently living under strict bail conditions in Britain while he fights extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning over allegations of rape. He denies the claims against him, saying they are politically motivated.

Millions paid to dead pensioners Posted: 24 Oct 2011 06:19 PM PDT The AG's report states that the JPA had overpaid pensioners, both alive and dead, more than RM 4.5 million. (Free Malaysia Today) - A retired civil servant who was supposed to receive a monthly RM214.33 pension – received a hundred times that amount instead. This was revealed in the 2010 Auditor-General's Report, which said that the error was due to a decimal point error by the Public Service Department (PSD) and the Post Service Division (BP), the departments in charge of pension funds for government staff. The particular retiree, now deceased, had received RM21,433 for 16 months. The report said the pensioner had died in 2007, but due to the error, the government had to recover the overpaid sum by deducting from the retiree's pension since July 2007 and will continue until May 2044. "It was found that because of one misplaced decimal point, it has caused an overpayment of pension amounting to RM133,051 since January 2006 to May 2007," said the report. The AG's report said that the PSD had overpaid pensioners, both alive and dead, more than RM 4.5 million. An audit carried out between May and September 2010 to assess the extent of overpaid pension found: based on over-paid pension register, from 2007 to September 2010, a total of RM2.57 million was paid to 1,975 pensioners/pension recipients who are deceased; and of the total, some RM0.85 million was recovered from 965 beneficiaries. For the balance of RM1.72 million which should be recovered from the 1,010 deceased family members, only RM0.39 million is in the process of being recovered from 206 heirs via payments by instalments. The report said the RM1.33 million is yet to be collected as notices of claim could not be delivered to beneficiaries, who are either untracable, shifted, or died; or that notices were sent out but refunds were yet to be made. Records not updated The AG's report found that one of the reasons for overpaid pension is that the records on the pensioners' deaths are not updated properly in the BP's computer system. (BP had developed the POWER or Pensions Online Workflow Environment, an integrated system to "modernise pension administration system" to ensure the payment of retirement benefits are accurately paid in accordance with the prescribed period. It was put in force since 2003 and fully functional since Oct 2004.) The BP is supposed to update the information about the death of pensioners via monthly death reports downloaded from the National Registration Department (NRD) or when the death certificates are received from the beneficiaries who deliver them to the BP. If the information from NRD does not match with POWER system, an "unmatch report" is issued. "According to this report, between 2007 and September 2010, there was data on 2,262  pensioners/recipients, which was not updated because information such as names, IC numbers and birthdates were inconsistent in both systems," said the report. The report said another problem with immediate updating of the status of death and termination of payments was that death certificate submitted by the beneficiary came in late. READ MORE HERE

No action against trio behind Teoh’s death Posted: 24 Oct 2011 06:08 PM PDT The Attorney-General is not pursuing legal action against the three MACC officers for lack of evidence. (Free Malaysia Today) - No legal action will be taken against the three anti-graft officers held responsible for Teoh Beng Hock's suicide given the lack of investigative evidence, Parliament was told today. Minister in the Prime Minister Department Nazri Aziz said the Attorney-General "was not compelled" to pursue the case but will do so if new evidence surfaces. "The AG is not pursuing legal action against the anti-graft officers who drove Teoh to suicide because there was a lack of investigative evidence and witness accounts," Nazri said in his winding-up speech on the 2012 Budget debate. He was responding to Gobind Singh Deo (DAP-Puchong), the lawyer representing Teoh's family who wanted to know if action would be taken against the three Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers. Teoh, the political aide to Seri Kembangan assemblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead on July 16, 2009 on the fifth-floor corridor of Selangor MACC's office in Shah Alam after overnight questioning. A Royal Commission of Inquiry, set up after a coroner's court gave an open verdict, found excessive aggression in interrogation methods had caused Teoh to commit suicide. Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar had said that there are no laws to charge the three with while the MACC said it will deal with them internally by setting up a special investigative team. READ MORE HERE

Prosecute ‘pack of liars’ for Beng Hock’s death, says Kit Siang Posted: 24 Oct 2011 04:34 PM PDT By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider Lim Kit Siang called today for the Attorney-General to prosecute "the pack of liars" linked to Teoh Beng Hock's death.   A fatal plunge ended the life of the former DAP aide  at the premises of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) over two years ago. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz told Parliament yesterday that no legal action would be taken against the anti-graft officers who drove Teoh Beng Hock to suicide as no police report has been lodged over the matter. But the DAP parliamentary leader said in a statement today that de facto law minister had given a "very lame excuse" as the royal commission of inquiry (RCI) on Teoh's death offered "sufficient reasons... to bring to book Beng Hock's killers." Lim (picture) pointed out that the RCI was "most scathing in its indictment of the character and testimony of the MACC officers... apart from two brave and truthful souls, the RCI virtually dismissed the rest as a pack of liars led by Hishamuddin Hashim, the "mastermind" of the massive and unjustified operation which resulted in Teoh's death." "In fact, the report is a fertile source for multiple perjury charges against Hishamuddin and other MACC officers in giving false testimony at the RCI," he said, referring to the offence under Section 193 of the Penal Code that provides for a maximum sentence of seven years jail and fine on conviction. The Ipoh Timor MP said A-G Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail should "direct a police report be lodged on Teoh Beng Hock's death based on the findings and new leads in the RCI... and vigourous prosecution pursued (to ensure) no cover-up."     READ MORE HERE.

Audit finds minister’s family made mess of national cattle farming project Posted: 24 Oct 2011 04:25 PM PDT By Debra Chong, The Malaysian Insider A RM73.64 million government project — linked to minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil's family — to create Malaysia's "Beef Valley" has turned into a mess, a federal audit report said. The Auditor-General's Report, released yesterday, showed that the National Feedlot Centre (NFC) set up in 2008 in Gemas, Negri Sembilan failed to hit its target of breeding 8,000 cattle last year. "An audit check found production in 2010 was only at 3,289 heads of cattle or 41.1 per cent," the report said. Among reasons cited were the NFC corporation's poor management including its failure to train 130 farmers for the project, the 5,000-acre farmland in Gemas being overgrown with thorny acacia shrubs, and poor use and maintenance of its facilities. The NFC is a joint-venture between Negri Sembilan and federal government through the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry (MoA) to commercially produce more beef domestically and cut down import of the meat. Previous media reports showed the MoA picked a company called Agroscience Industries Sdn Bhd, owned by Shahrizat's husband, Datuk Dr Mohamad Salleh Ismail, to spearhead the project, under a company called National Feedlot Corporation Sdn Bhd (NFCorp). Shahrizat's three children, Izran, Izmir and Izzana, reportedly play key roles in the NFCorp. Izran is CEO while his brother and sister are executive directors. MORE TO COME HERE.

Kelantan sets up hudud framework panel Posted: 24 Oct 2011 11:05 AM PDT By Syed Azhar, The Star KOTA BARU: The Kelantan Government has announced the setting up of a hudud technical committee headed by Deputy Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob. State Islamic Development, Education and Dakwah Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah said the 19-member committee included him, state Syariah chief Judge Datuk Daud Mohamad, Kelantan Mufti Datuk Mohamad Shukri Mohamad, State Islamic Affairs Department director Datuk Che Mohd Rahim Jusoh and Kelantan police chief Datuk Jalaluddin Abdul Rahman. However, Mohd Amar said the state government would let the appointees decide whether to accept or decline the offer after issuing official letters to them. "One of the main roles of the committee is to study the possibilities of implementing the hudud enactment following views by constitutional law experts that syariah criminal laws could be implemented without amending the Federal Constitution and existing syariah laws. "Therefore, one of their tasks is to exhaust all avenues to study this matter and come up with suggestions on how these laws could be practised. "However, it is up to these members to accept or decline the offer because what is important is everything is done within the legal framework of the law," he said after attending the state exco meeting yesterday. Mohd Amar also said that no time frame had been set for the committee to convene its first meeting.

OWC sex guide under review by Home Ministry Posted: 24 Oct 2011 10:47 AM PDT By Nurul Ain Mohd Hussain, The Star PETALING JAYA: The Home Ministry is studying the contents of the controversial sex guide book released by the Obedient Wives Club (OWC) before taking action. Sources from the Al-Quran Text and Publishing Control division said they were working with the Islamic Development Department (Jakim) in studying the contents of the book, mStar reports. "We are currently unable to determine the status of the book but work is under way. "The issue is that this book involves the belief of the al-Arqam group, which is why the cooperation of Jakim is crucial to determine the status of the book," said the source. The source was referring to the statement made by the club that it was going ahead with the global launch of Seks Islam, Perangi Yahudi untuk Kembalikan Seks Islam kepada Dunia ("Islamic sex, fighting Jews to return Islamic sex to the world") despite protests from women's groups. The 115-page book had, among others, supposedly encouraged Muslim husbands to have sex simultaneously with their wives. The OWC was formed by Global Ikhwan Sdn Bhd, an organisation founded by former members of the banned al-Arqam.

No seats for M Ravi and Chegu Bard? Posted: 24 Oct 2011 10:38 AM PDT By Zehfry Dahalan, FMT SEREMBAN: Popular PKR figures M Ravi and Badrul Hisham Shaharin are in danger of being left out of the election candidates' list as punishment for their outspokenness. FMT has learnt that Negri Sembilan PKR is ignoring the strength of the two politicians in their power bases as it engages in seat negotiations with PAS and DAP. Ravi is the state assemblyman for Port Dickson and Badrul Hisham, better known as Chegu Bard, is widely seen as the most winnable candidate for the Rembau parliamentary seat. Both are known to be critical of state PKR chairman Kamarul Baharin Abbas. A Telok Kemang PKR member said his party's negotiators seemed keen to let DAP contest in Port Dickson in exchange for the Rahang seat, which Kamarul Baharin is apparently interested in. "It's unlikely that Ravi will be given a chance to contest anywhere," he said. "His relationship with Kamarul Baharin turned sour after the last party elections." In the PKR elections last year, Ravi challenged Kamarul Baharin for the Telok Kemang PKR chief's position and beat him convincingly. "I learnt that Kamarul Baharin himself will contest the Rahang state seat," the source said. "So Ravi will not have any place where he can contest." As for the Rembau seat, sources said PKR had decided to let PAS contest there in exchange for Jempol. In the last election, Chegu Bard lost in Rembau to Umno Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin, but he is still tremendously popular there. Many observers, including politicians from outside PKR, see him as the most winnable opposition candidate there. Lack of political energy Chegu Bard is known to be the one of the most vocal members of the PKR state leadership council in questioning decisions made by Kamarul Baharin and his allies. Insiders say he has regularly criticised the party's state leadership for its lack of political energy.   READ MORE HERE.

EC to display list of 40,000 ‘unverified voters’ from Oct 27 Posted: 24 Oct 2011 10:29 AM PDT By G Manimaran, The Malaysian Insider The Election Commission (EC) will display the list of 40,000 voters that have yet to be verified or authenticated from Thursday as talk of a snap election gathers pace. Electoral reforms coalition Bersih 2.0 had listed cleaning up electoral rolls as the first of eight demands although the EC routinely checks the list. The latest list will be made available with this year's third quarter electoral roll at 1,000 selected venues and also on the EC website. Commission deputy chairman Datuk Wira Wan Ahmad Wan Omar said those on it should come forward to verify details. "The verification can be done within a week from the display," he said, when contacted by The Malaysian Insider. Wan Ahmad said unverified names would be removed. He added the commission had been unable to remove these names from the list as information received from the National Registration Department (JPN) showed their details to be valid. However, several parties, especially opposition parties, had claimed the electoral roll was tainted. Wan Ahmad said the commission would not allow the use of doubtful names because "we have to be fair". "JPN had said the names were valid, so by law, this verification is sufficient. The EC cannot just remove the names without verifying voter information," he said. When asked if the voters involved can contact the EC after the period of one week, Wan Ahmad said, "Yes, they can. But they have to provide supporting documents for that purpose."   READ MORE HERE.

RM7.55 bil armoured carriers: DAP goes ballistic Posted: 23 Oct 2011 06:09 PM PDT The government will pay RM7.55-billion for 257 APCs, four times more than an originally intended deal made earlier this year. (Free Malaysia Today) - Under a new agreement, the government will pay RM7.55 billion for 257 armored personnel carriers (APCs), four times more for the same deal made earlier this year. However, the government claims to have no knowledge of the February deal for 257 Turkish Pars 8×8 APCs, which at the time, cost US$559 million (RM1.749 billion). This irked DAP's PJ Utara MP Tony Pua, who launched an attack on the government. "Minister of Defence Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was there to witness the signing between (Turkish company) FNSS and (Malaysian company) Deftech," he said. Speaking to reporters in Parliament, he said the difference in price is so big that a responsible government must ask, "What are the differences that make up the gap (between the two prices)?" On Oct 18, Pua asked the defence minister in Parliament why the government was willing to spend RM7.8 billion for the 257 APCs. In a written response, Zahid replied: "The finalised price for the procurement of 257 APCs is RM7.55 billion for a period of seven years from 2011 to 2018, and not RM7.8 billion as said." "The Defence Ministry has no information over the 257 APCs by Deftech… with Turkey's FNSS for the price of US$559 million. Therefore, the question is out of the ministry's knowledge." According to a Jun 3 BAE Systems news release, military equipment manufacturer FNSS signed a US$559-million letter of offer and acceptance from Deftech Sdn Bhd for the design, development and building of the 257 APCs. READ MORE HERE

Southeast Asia Mints More Millionaires Posted: 23 Oct 2011 06:08 PM PDT By Eric Bellman, Wall Street Journal If you've been placed on another long waiting list to buy a Breitling or a BMW, it may be because Southeast Asia is spawning a growing number of the world's newest nouveau riche. The number of millionaires almost tripled in Singapore over the last year and a half while it came close to doubling in both Indonesia and Malaysia, according to a report this week from Credit Suisse Group. When compared to the numbers from the report released early last year, those three countries alone have given birth to close to 190,000 new millionaires since the beginning of last year according to the report, which did not give figures for the Philippines or Thailand. That total is short of the 212,000 new millionaires minted in China over the same period but well ahead of the other BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia and India) which had each added less than 100,000 new millionaires. So where is all the new money coming from? Much of the rise is just a reflection of the weakening dollar, which makes the Singapore dollar- and rupiah-denominated riches look more impressive when translated into U.S. dollars. Otherwise it can be attributed to growing savings, stock and property prices. Credit-Suisse defines wealth as a person's financial and real estate assets minus their debt. The number of people with wealth of more than $1 million shot up by 118,000 in Singapore during the period to 183,000, which means the small city state is one of the places you are most likely to randomly bump into a millionaire. Even the average Singaporean is wealthy compared to the rest of the world. Average household wealth was $285,000 in the middle of this year, the report said. That makes Singaporeans the fifth wealthiest in the world (after Switzerland, Australia, Norway and France.) Malaysia added 19,000 new millionaires over the 18 months, bringing its total to 39,000. Meanwhile the number of millionaires in Indonesia jumped by 52,000 people to 112,000.  Interestingly, Indonesia had 12 billionaires by the middle of this year, according to Credit-Suisse's calculations, more than Singapore and Malaysia combined. Average wealth in Indonesia – which is Southeast Asia's largest economy but has a population of around 240 million – was lower than its neighbors at around $12,000. That's still a great improvement from the turn of the century when it was as lows as $2,000. "The rise in personal wealth in Indonesia has been stunning since the year 2000, with average wealth growing by a factor of five," the report said. Strong currencies, rising property prices, climbing commodity prices and healthy stock markets have helped the region but the real secret to Southeast Asia's success may be how stingy money makers are here. Average household debt which offsets much of savings and investments in Western countries is very low in the region. It's only 13% of total assets in Singapore and 2.5% of total assets in Indonesia.

No action against ‘notorious’ military contractors Posted: 23 Oct 2011 05:57 PM PDT Defence Ministry keeps errant contractors despite reminders from Auditor-General's Office. (Free Malaysia Today) - The Defence Ministry refused to take stern action against 10 errant contractors who were awarded contracts worth RM76 million for work delays despite being notified by the Auditor-General's Office. Each of these companies recorded various levels of delay in repairing the air force's Aviation Ground Support Vehicles (AGSV). The 2010 AG's Report noted that instead of severely censoring them, the ministry extended their contracts. In its rebuke, the AG noted that the ministry did nothing more than issue these notorious contractors warning letters. "And their contracts were extended till Dec 6 last year although their contracts were supposed to expire on June 5," noted the report. It noted that the companies most notorious for their delay in delivery of repaired vehicles were Kobat Engineering Sdn Bhd, Sesama Auto Sdn Bhd, Aerospace Technology System Corporation Sdn Bhd and Aviasi Industri Sdn Bhd. Kobat Engineering had the worst track record, while another company Aviasi took more than a year to repair and return a towing truck to the ministry. "And the excuse they gave is lack of expertise, no spare parts and sometimes say they couldn't even find what's the problem with the vehicle," noted the AG's Report. READ MORE HERE

'Wrong to question those who fought communists' Posted: 23 Oct 2011 05:53 PM PDT By Rozanna Latif, NST KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said questioning the sacrifices of police officers who fought against the communists is "an unforgivable sin" akin to an act of treason. He said the police officers who had given their lives to fight the communist threat had ensured that the country did not suffer the same fate as nations like Cambodia, which fell under a totalitarian communist regime. "Here, the communists were eventually forced to admit that they had lost the battle for the people's hearts and minds, partly as a result of the sacrifices made by heroic police officers. To deny these officers' heroism is an inexcusable betrayal and a sin that cannot be forgiven," said Najib at a gathering with retired and former police officers at the Putra World Trade Centre here yesterday. He said investigations had revealed that Muhammad Ahmad Indera (Mat Indera), who led the attack on a police station in Bukit Kepong in 1950, was a communist. In a recording of an interview with police officers, Mat Indera admitted to being a member of the Malayan Communist Party. "There is a book titled Dialogues with Chin Peng in which (MCP leader) Chin Peng himself claimed that Mat Indera was a member," said Najib, adding that plans were under way to enact a memorial in Bukit Kepong to commemorate the incident. Later, Najib said the evidence might be made public. "We have to take a stand against people who say such heartbreaking things about those who had sacrificed so much for our country's peace." Present at the gathering of more than 6,000 retired and former police officers and their families were Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar, Deputy Home Minister Datuk Wira Abu Seman Yusop and former IGP Tun Hanif Omar.

Malaysia on track for Digital Economy by 2020 Posted: 23 Oct 2011 05:47 PM PDT (Bernama) - KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is on the right path towards a digital economy by 2020 amid strong demand for new technology, says Nielsen, a leading global information and analytics provider. There is strong interest for new technology as Malaysians are ready for the changes as shown in the Malaysian Digital Consumer Report 2011, said Luca Griseri, Nielsen Malaysia director of customised research, client services. Malaysia's digital transformation programme is going to change consumers' behaviour, he told a press conference after the launch of the Malaysian Digital Consumer Report 2011 here today. Griseri said the report revealed that the take-up rate for smartphones and tablet computers is gaining significant momentum in Malaysia, and therefore the industry must ensure easy access for these devices. "Smartphone ownership is expected to double in the next 12 months to reach 89 per cent from 48 per cent currently, while tablet computers is likely to reach 75 per cent from 18 per cent presently," he said. To ensure a successful digital transformation programme, Griseri said telco players and the government need good cooperation to deliver the infrastructure and network capacity to enable Malaysians to enjoy new techology and devices. Griseri said Malaysia is still lagging behind Singapore and Thailand in terms of Internet penetration and usage of new technology due to lack of infrastructure and geographical issues such as Malaysia being surrounded by forests. He said online advertising spending will continue to increase given the rising demand for tablet computers and smartphones, as well as consumers spending more hours online. The report showed Malaysians spend nearly 20 hours online per week. Griseri said it is important for traditional media such as television and radio to integrate with online media to ensure a successful digital industry. The Malaysian Digital Consumer Report 2011 examines Internet and techology trends in the usage patterns and future uptake in the Malaysian market. Conducted in June and July 2011, a total of 1,321 interviews were completed among Malaysian consumers aged 15 and above. -- BERNAMA

Soi Lek tells people to be ‘less hateful’, ‘less jealous’ Posted: 23 Oct 2011 05:34 PM PDT By Lisa J Ariffin, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 — Leaders will have less to worry if the rakyat can be less hateful, less jealous, more forgiving, Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said today. "We have to unshackle the grip on social discontentment and think positively ahead to create a Malaysian society that has great compassion, innovativeness and creativeness to move forward," the MCA president said in his Deepavali message. "The last thing that Malaysia needs now is communal conflicts or being embroiled in social or political upheaval," he added. Dr Chua (picture) said the many initiatives outlined by the government including the goodies announced during the recent budget are examples of a caring government. "These are all in line with the 1 Malaysia agenda and the government needs the full backing of the people to continue with its ongoing activities to cater to the expectations and aspirations of the people," he said. He added that Malaysians must celebrate but have to remind themselves "not to overspend, overindulge or splurge on unnecessary things or outings that we can do without". "We need more of the good-feel factor in our lives to uplift our spirits to face the current challenging times in the world economy."

Nine ministries overspent RM3.73b, says government audit Posted: 23 Oct 2011 05:29 PM PDT By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 — Nine ministries and government departments overspent last year's overall operational allocation by a total of RM3.73 billion, according to the Auditor-General's Report released today. The ministries include the Education Ministry, Health Ministry, Home Ministry, Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Ministry, Public Service Department, Attorney-General's Department, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the Public Services Commission. The report stated that the overspending in several ministries was unavoidable due to additional activities and unscheduled payments. "According to financial rules, an expenditure can only be carried out if the approved financial allocation was enough. The audit checks found that this rule was not fully abided by several ministries who have overspent beyond what has been allocated.   READ MORE HERE.

Auditor-General: Putrajaya risked lives in delaying Bukit Jalil stadium roof repair Posted: 23 Oct 2011 05:27 PM PDT By Debra Chong, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 — Putrajaya risked public safety when it took four years to approve funds to repair the damaged roof at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium, the Auditor-General said in his report released today. The report highlighted that the Merdeka Stadium Corporation (MSC), a federal statutory body responsible for the management of all national sports complexes, had applied to repair damage to the Bukit Jalil Stadium a total of four times since 2006. The government finally approved RM30 million to repair the damaged stadium (picture) in December last year, the report added. "The Auditor is of the view the delay in completing the roof repairs at Bukit Jalil National Stadium... was because the government did not approve the allocation applied for since 2006. "This could jeopardise the comfort of users who would be exposed to the rain and endanger their safety if the roof collapsed especially for international events," the report said. The report said the 90,000-capacity stadium had a 10-year warranty for the German-made membrane roof cover, which expired in 2008, but noted MSC could not get a replacement roof because it was damaged by fireworks. It noted too the stadium, which has hosted 2,100 events between 2008 and 2010, require other immediate repairs and pointed out rusty and loose cable screws holding up the roof. READ MORE HERE

Holland bans Malaysian logs Posted: 23 Oct 2011 05:25 PM PDT (FMT) - KUCHING: Whilst Sarawak continues to turn its nose on international regulations over timber certifications, Netherlands has ruled that wood from Malaysia is not worthy of entry onto its shores. The country's Independent Appeals Board in Amsterdam recently ruled that Malaysia's regulations governing forestation was well below world standards. Ruling in favour of international NGO Greenpeace, the Board concurred with Greenpeace's complaint that Malaysia's wood certification scheme fell below the acceptable world standards and was not a badge of good practice. Greenpeace's complaint was based on 'solid evidence and international reports' which it had compiled and presented to the Board. According to the Appeals Board judgment, the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme (MTCS) had demonstrated: i) No respect for the rights of indigenous peoples, ii) Maps of MTCS certified forests are not adequately accessible to the public, iii) The EIAs used for environmental impact assessment in Malaysia are inadequate to assess sustainability and iv) No guarantee can be given that MTCS certified forests do not disappear for other land uses, such as plantations. The decision simply means that the Dutch will ban wood products certified under the MTCS from entering the country. Tighter laws The Dutch government policy on the import of raw materials must comply with general European Commission (EC) policy, and with respect to this product the guidelines set by the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO). The EC follows basic tenets in their Environmental Action Programme (EAP). The EAP states that wood can only be imported from tropical areas that are managed and practice sustainable wood harvesting practices. Netherlands along with a host of other countries are complying with European Union (EU) efforts to standardise basic trade regulations in the bloc. FMT learnt that certain locales within Netherland and in neighbouring countries within the EU bloc have already banned the use of tropical hard woods in construction projects especially those imported from Malaysia and to a lesser extent Indonesia. Stubborn Sarawak However this doesn't seem to bother Sarawak. Last week State Second Resource Planning and Environment Minister Awang Tengah Ali Hassan stubbornly said Sarawak will not comply with international timber certification and trade regulations. He said the state "already has its own set of timber industry policies".   READ MORE HERE.

Thumbs up for good paymaster S’gor Posted: 23 Oct 2011 05:23 PM PDT By Teoh El Sen, FMT PETALING JAYA: The Selangor state government has been lauded in the 2010 Auditor-General's Report for its "very good" performance in decreasing public debts. "Performance in payment of public debt in 2010 was very good because public debt dropped by RM58.91 million whereas loan repayment arrears were reduced by RM173.47 million," said the report. The report showed that in 2010, the Pakatan Rakyat-controlled state's debt to the federal government had decreased by 5.5% (RM58.91 million) – from RM1,004.64 million (2010) compared to RM1,063.55million (2009). The loan repayment arrears were reduced by 20.9% from RM829.86 million (2009) to RM656.39 million (2010). Among others, this achievement was due to a repayment of loans on lost-cost houses (RM52.42 million), forest farming project (RM6.49 million), an exemption from interest rates for all outstanding loans on a water supply project and a write-off of all arrears on the same loan from the federal government. "Consolidated state revenue recorded a surplus of RM124.24 million compared to the deficit of RM65.96 million in 2009," the report stated. Describing Selangor's financial position as "satisfactory", the report said the state's consolidated funds increased by RM266.91 million (20.2%) to RM1,586.88 million (2010) compared to RM1,319.97 million in 2009. However, the state's revenue dropped by 10.9%, a decrease of RM192.36 million to RM1,571.50 million (2010) from RM1,763.86 million in the previous year.   READ MORE HERE.

Govt agencies show better financial management, says Auditor-General Posted: 23 Oct 2011 05:19 PM PDT (Bernama) - KUALA LUMPUR: Government agencies have shown better financial management performance for the year 2010 compared to the previous year. In a statement during the presentation of the 2010 Auditor General's Report at Dewan Rakyat, the National Audit Department said 357 government agencies were audited last year and 77 of them attained the "very good" rating compared to only 48 out 399 given the same ranking in 2009. "The significant improvement signifies that the implementation of the Accountability Index (AI) proved to be an incentive to heads of departments and agencies to pay more attention to financial management," the department said. The department implemented the AI-based audit rating system in 2007 divided into mandatory and rotational categories to assess the extent of government agencies' financial management compliance with statutory laws and regulations. The statement added that 368 out of 453 audited annual financial statements were given audit certificates without a reprimand in 2010, meaning they were completely satisfactory. Thirty-three financial statements were issued certificates with reprimand as the auditor was dissatisfied with certain aspects of the statements. In comparison, 357 financial statements were issued certificates without a reprimand and 25 with certificates with a reprimand in the year 2009, it said. BERNAMA

Muhyiddin defends statement on Guan Eng’s son Posted: 23 Oct 2011 05:19 PM PDT The DPM blames the media for spinning the issue with the aim of sowing enmity between him and Lim. (Free Malaysia Today) - Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin today defended his statement urging Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to lodge a police report to clear his 16-year-old son from allegations of sexual assault. He also said his statement on the matter was "spun" by the alternative media like The Malaysian Insider. Muhyiddin, who is also the Education Minister, said his statement that a mere denial from Lim was insufficient to clear his son's name carried no malice and that it was made only as a response from reporters from the said online news portal. He suggested that the questions posed to him on the matter were sinister in nature and was aimed at sowing enmity between him and Lim. "I know what he (Lim) feels, I have children too and I am against dragging families into politics," he told Parliament during his ministry's winding up speech on the 2012 Budget debate. "The truth is I don't really care about the allegations. I just said it in response to questions by reporters from the likes of The Malaysian Insider. My statement was spun," he said, in response to queries made by Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur). Kit Siang, the grandfather of the teen that was accused of molesting his female schoolmate, had asked Muhyiddin if he trusted his own staff including the principal of the school who denied there was any sexual assault case involving Lim's son. The Ipoh Timur had criticised the DPM for saying "denial alone is not enough" to absolve his grandson from the allegation, calling it a violation to children's rights to protection. READ MORE HERE

Motion against Khairy’s ‘breasts’ comment Posted: 23 Oct 2011 05:17 PM PDT Karpal Singh says the motion is of urgent public importance as Khairy's words brought the House into disrepute. (Free Malaysia Today) - DAP MP Karpal Singh wants the Dewan Rakyat to adjourn proceedings to discuss a motion regarding Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin's remarks against Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and his son. Karpal (Bukit Gelugor) today submitted his notice for the motion to Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia at the latter's chambers this morning. "These baseless, unfounded, scurrilous and barbaric words directly refer to the 16-year-old son of Bagan MP (Lim), accused by bloggers of outraging the modesty of a woman," he said in a letter to Pandikar Amin. Karpal was referring to Rembau MP's Oct 17 tweet, where the latter said: "Mungkin dia roboh Kampung Buah Pala sebab nak ganti dengan Kampung Buah Dada." In English it means: "Maybe he demolished Kampung Buah Pala because he wanted to replace it with Kampung Breasts." At the time, Khairy was referring to allegations raised by pro-Umno bloggers that Lim's son had supposedly molested a female schoolmate. He was also referring to Kampung Buah Pala, a demolished Indian village in Penang. The blogs also claimed that Lim had paid off the victim's family RM200,000 to keep them quiet. Khairy's comments as well as these allegations caused an uproar within Pakatan Rakyat, which denounced them as lies. DAP later revealed that the alleged molest victim, as published in the pro-Umno blogs, was international chess champion Anya Corke, who said that she had not been to Malaysia in the past seven years. Corke also said that she neither met with Lim's son, nor was she molested in any way. Criminal defamation Karpal felt that Khairy is guilty of criminal defamation for his comments which have not been retracted. "Khairy has clearly committed an offence of criminal defamation against (Lim's son) under Section 500 of the Penal Code." READ MORE HERE

Hasan’s Himpun attendance not sign of tension within PAS Posted: 23 Oct 2011 05:14 PM PDT PAS leaders defended their colleague Selangor executive councillor Hasan Ali's personal right to attend the Himpun gathering. (Free malaysia Today) - PAS Youth chief Nasruddin Hasan Tantawi, who was conspicuously missing from last Saturday's 'Himpunan Sejuta Umat' (Himpun) gathering, said today that he stayed away out of respect for the organisors who wished to keep the event apolitical. Nasruddin's absence was noticeable because he was among those who had openly supported the Himpun gathering against the wishes of party leaders. PAS central leadership had decided to stay away from the gathering but did not ban party members from attending in their personal capacity. "I didn't attend because the organisers had requested for the event to be apolitical. "My stand on the matter is not contradictory to the party's official stand. "There is not much difference (with the central party's stand). "We (PAS Youth) were merely expressing our support for Muslims to gather to strengthen their faith" he told FMT. Subdued rally Although organizers planned to gather one million Muslims to gauge the "unity" among them particularly against proselytising, only about 5,000 supporters turned up at the Shah Alam stadium on Saturday, Oct 22 in what was mostly a subdued rally. The event was organised hot on the heels of the Aug 3 controversial raid by Selangor religious authority, JAIS on the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC). The raid followed a tip-off that proselytisation activity was happening at an event. Despite the PAS'  ban on members attending Saturday's event, PAS Selangor executive councilor in charge of religious affairs, Hasan Ali attended it. Hasan who supported the raid on DUMC did not speak at the event but only recited a prayer at the end of it. He was one of the two notable political figures who attended Saturday's rally. The other was Perkasa chief, Ibrahim Ali. READ MORE HERE

Gutter politics or sordid politicians? Posted: 23 Oct 2011 05:03 PM PDT By Soong Phui Jee, AsiaOne Some bloggers have made accusations against Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's son of sexual molestation and instead of condemning the acts, some politicians have taken the advantage to attack their political opponent. Even MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek has admitted that such a phenomenon of which social values are greatly distorted is a practice of gutter politics. However, Chua also claimed that Malaysian politicians have started practising gutter politics since the 2008 general elections. He also said that the Pakatan Rakyat stands on moral high ground only when they are affected. There is neither condemnation nor action for righteousness. He just casually blames gutter politics. In reality, the practice of gutter politics to attack opponents can indeed be found everywhere. It is dirty and at the same time, harmful. Even more terribly, although some politicians knew that the rumour was groundless and the so-called victim was a foreign girl who has never been in Penang, they still took the advantage to stir up troubles or just watched with folded arms, letting the lies ferment and hurt those who are innocent. Is it necessary to make politics so horrible? When unscrupulousness becomes the last tool to fight the battle, when politicians who look prim and proper distort social values and even slander bully children of their opponents to fight for power and status, how many basic human norms are left in the society? When politicians set a bad example instead of a good one, what else wouldn't be done by villains in the society? Sadly, it seems like our politics is bending towards gutter politics, particularly in the Internet era when politicians can speak "freely" online. Abusive, libelous, discrediting and pornographic remarks, as well as various kinds of scandals might be exciting but they are also confusing, causing people unable to distinguish between right and wrong. As American author and humourist Samuel Langhorne Clemens, or better known by his pen name Mark Twain said: "A lie can travel halfway round the world while the truth is putting on its shoes," the malicious objective would have been achieved while damages would have also been done before the truth is revealed. Politics is not dirty by nature and it is some politicians who are sordid. Politics must not abandon the principles of reasoning and facts and it must pursue rationality. Once politicians abandon the basic competition rules of righteousness and fairness, and resort to dirty and nasty political means to achieve their objectives, politics would then no longer be able to manage the crowd, but harm the public instead!

‘I don’t know what Anwar was talking about’ Posted: 23 Oct 2011 05:02 PM PDT (Borneo Post) - KUCHING: Deputy Works Minister Datuk Yong Khoon Seng said yesterday his ministry's records show that over 90 per cent of projects scheduled for every Malaysia Plan (MP) has been accomplished. As such he had no idea where PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim got the record in his claim that 92 per cent of 310 projects approved for the state had not been implemented. Yong, who is also Stampin MP, added he could not verify Anwar's statement as not all development projects came under the Ministry of Works. He explained to reporters covering the closing of an accounting workshop here that the Ministry of Works took care of the construction and maintenance of federal roads, multi-purpose buildings and bridges, while other development projects were handled by other ministries. "Not all projects are under our jurisdiction. For instance, rural roads, water, and electricity supplies go to the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development, school projects to the Education Ministry, and police headquarters works fall under the Home Ministry. "So, I don't know what Anwar meant by 92 per cent not completed," he said. To a question, Yong declined to offer advice for the opposition leader as he believed Anwar blurted out his claim simply for political mileage. "It's okay, this is politics. Whatever he wants to say, by all means, except that I don't want to 'cakap sebarang' (do baseless utterance)," he said. Ninety-six students, who will be sitting for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination, attended the three-day workshop jointly organised by the Saberkas Third Mile and Stapok Unit. In his speech, Yong advised these students to pursue higher education after the public examinations. "Do not stop at SPM level as there is still a long way to go. Go for tertiary studies after the exams and make yourself a professional who can better contribute towards nation-building," he said. Among those present were Saberkas Third Mile Unit chairman Melson Chai and Stapok Unit chairman Tan Hun Seang.

Policy outcry as more asylum seekers arrive by boat Posted: 23 Oct 2011 05:01 PM PDT By Matt Johnston, Herald Sun MORE than 800 asylum seekers have arrived in boats since the Government signed its people swap deal with Malaysia in July. The plan, which has fallen over, would have resulted in up to 800 asylum seekers being sent to Malaysia in return for Australia settling 4000 confirmed refugees. Three boats sailed into Australian waters this weekend holding a total of almost 140 people. The Government has warned about 600 asylum seekers would come by boat every month while its Malaysia solution, which was scuttled by a High Court decision in August, remains off-limits. Since the High Court ruling, the Government has been unable to get enough support in Parliament to change migration laws and resurrect the policy. It blames Tony Abbott for the situation, saying the Opposition Leader should have backed law changes to allow offshore processing, including in Malaysia. Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor yesterday said Mr Abbott "has sought to trash border protection in this country". He said the Government would work with countries in Asia to try to stamp out people smuggling while it was unable to implement its Malaysia policy. "Our effort to have the most effective deterrent is being frustrated by the Leader of the Opposition, who is the best friend that people smugglers have ever had," he said. Mr Abbott said the Government and Prime Minister Julia Gillard were desperate to blame others for the issue, and had lost control of Australia's borders. "It's interesting when Julia Gillard was in opposition she blamed the government for the boats. Now that she's in government she blames the Opposition," he said. "It is her responsibility. She needs to put policies in place that will actually stop the boats." The Government will stick to onshore processing of asylum seekers while its policy is shelved. More bridging visas will be used to allow asylum seekers to live in the community, like many who arrive by plane. Senior Labor Minister Anthony Albanese told Sky News this was appropriate and would enable the Government to discuss the asylum seeker issue without "some of the hysteria that has characterised this debate".

Kit Siang: Cease acrimony against SAPP Posted: 23 Oct 2011 05:01 PM PDT (Borneo Post) - PENAMPANG: DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang yesterday reminded party leaders in Sabah to cease their acrimonious war of words against Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP). Lim said they should instead focus on strengthening the party and the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition to gain victory over Barisan Nasional (BN) in the coming general election. Speaking at the Sabah DAP annual delegates congress here yesterday, Lim pointed out that the next election will not be about DAP against SAPP, but DAP and PR against Umno and BN. "My advice to Sabah DAP leaders is that we have to end the acrimony and to focus on DAP/PR's fight against Umno/BN," he said. On the issue of the allocation of seats for the coming election, Lim expressed hope that PR in Sabah will be able to formulate a common policy on the matter. According to him, he was made to understand that there have been very advanced discussions and negotiations on seat allocations. "Because there was a change in the Sabah PKR leadership, we have to await for further communication. "What has been decided and negotiated within the Sabah PR was conducted when Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail was the chairperson and I therefore believe there will be a basis for us to reach a consensus. "And we hope that PR Sabah will be ready to take on BN on a one-to-one fight and to ensure we will capture at least one third of the parliamentary seats in Sabah to be on the way to Putrajaya to bring about changes not only in Malaysia but in Sabah as well," Lim said. Meanwhile, Sabah DAP chief Jimmy Wong said that they will abide by Lim's advice and will enforce a 'cease-fire' for the time being.

Najib: Aziz Bari case misunderstood Posted: 23 Oct 2011 04:59 PM PDT By Husna Yusop, The Sun KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 23, 2011): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak has clarified that law lecturer Prof Dr Abdul Aziz Bari has not been suspended from his duties by the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). He said Abdul Aziz was instead suspended pending investigation by the university on the statements he made in relation to the Selangor Sultan's recent decree concerning the JAIS-Harapan Komuniti issue. "Whether he would be suspended from work or not, it depends on the reply or explanation he is going to give. We don't know about that yet. "This is a public misunderstanding. Disciplinary action has yet to be taken against him. The university is investigating now what he actually said (before). We must not pre-empt (their actions)," Najib said. Abdul Aziz has been issued with a show-cause letter on Oct 19 over allegedly seditious remarks he made about the Sultan regarding his decree on the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS) inspection during a thanksgiving dinner by NGO Harapan Komuniti at the Damansara Utama Methodist Church in Petaling Jaya on Aug 3. The Sultan had said there were attempts to proselytise Muslims but no group would be prosecuted over the incident. Abdul Aziz was quoted by a news portal calling the Sultan's action of intervening in the issue as uncommon. Najib said IIUM Rector Prof Datuk Dr Zaleha Kamaruddin has told him Abdul Aziz was under investigation and being given a chance to explain himself. He has until Oct 25 to reply to the show-cause letter. On the Himpunan Sejuta Umat (Himpun) rally at Stadium Shah Alam on Saturday, Najib congratulated those involved, saying they were "well-mannered and under-control." "That was my intention when the government offered a stadium to Bersih 2.0. Compared to the chaos during Bersih, it was way different. During Himpun, no one felt disturbed and pressured or unsafe," he said. He said it also reflected on the government's intention to amend Section 27 of the Police Act. "We will study what happened (during Himpun) and the norms in other countries. We will think of the best ways to balance between basic human rights, public interest and safety as a modern and progressive country," he said. On the demonstrators call for an Apostasy Act to be put into place, Najib said it is for the state government to take the proper action as religion is a state matter under the jurisdiction of the Malay Rulers. On Saturday, about 5,000 people gathered at the stadium for the event, organised by 25 non-governmental organisations, including the Malay right wing group Perkasa. On another matter, Najib was asked whether it was unethical for children of politicians to be exploited for political mileage. To this, he said it work both ways. "If you want to have certain ethics, to exclude the family, then everybody should adhere to it, including the opposition. That is the ideal in a modern democracy - you concentrate on policy matters. "You can debate about differences in policies, weaknesses in implementation, but you leave aside family, or exploiting family matters, for your own political gain," he added, in reference to Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who had complained that bloggers had unfairly targetted his teenage son and posted lies about him.

PKR, DAP in seat tussle Posted: 23 Oct 2011 04:57 PM PDT (NST) - ALOR STAR: Seat allocation negotiations involving parties ruling Kedah appear to have stalled after DAP, now with a solitary state seat, demanded to contest two parliamentary and six state seats. State DAP chief Lee Guan Aik said he had referred the matter to party headquarters last month. The party, which contested two state seats in the 2008 general election, had asked to contest the Padang Serai and Alor Star parliamentary seats. Additionally, DAP wanted to retain its Kota Darulaman state seat, held by Lee, and also wished to contest in Bakar Bata, Lunas, Gurun, Bakar Arang and Derga, all of which would require Parti Keadilan Rakyat to make concessions. Lee told the New Straits Times that the party hoped to have a bigger role in the Pas-led state government if the loose grouping retained the state government in the next general election. Kedah PKR chief Datuk Wan Salleh Wan Isa could not be reached for comment. Lee won the Kota Darulaman seat with 5,145 votes in a straight fight with MCA's Datuk Chong Itt Chew. However, DAP lost the Derga seat in a three-cornered fight with Gerakan and PKR. State Gerakan chief Dr Cheah Soon Hai retained the seat for Barisan Nasional, obtaining 6,516 votes. Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak sought to downplay the impasse when quizzed by reporters here yesterday. "Pas has no problems in terms of seat allocation as we have decided where to contest. All is well except for one or two seats, which are still being discussed between PKR and DAP. "This is not a big issue. The allocation of seats will be based on the wishes of the voters in the constituencies." Pas has 16 seats in the 36-seat state assembly while PKR has three seats after two of its assemblymen — Tan Wei Shu (Bakar Arang) and Mohd Radzi Salleh (Lunas) — quit the party to become independents.

National debt in 2010 at RM407b, says government audit Posted: 23 Oct 2011 02:26 PM PDT By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 — Malaysia's national debt rose by 12.3 per cent to over RM407 billion last year, according to the Auditor-General's report released today. Although the economy grew by 7.2 per cent in 2010, last year's fiscal deficit maintained public debt at over 50 per cent of GDP for the second year running. The Auditor-General said in the report that the government owed 53.1 per cent of GDP, slightly down from 53.7 per cent last year. "The ratio of the federal government debt to GDP at the end of 2010 is 53.1 per cent, over 50 per cent for the second year running," Tan Sri Ambrin Buang (picture) wrote. The audit report stated public debt from domestic sources rose by RM41.76 billion to RM390.36 billion while loans from foreign sources rose to RM16.75 billion, up RM2.96 billion. The Loan (Local) and Government Investment Acts set a domestic debt ceiling of 55 per cent for the government while the External Loans Act 1963 limits foreign loan exposure to RM35 billion. Putrajaya's domestic debt level at the end of 2010 stands at 51 per cent of GDP, according to the audit figures. READ MORE HERE

Food prices push September inflation rate up Posted: 23 Oct 2011 02:18 PM PDT By Lee Wei Lian, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 — Food prices in September jumped five per cent from the same period last year, driving the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to increase at a faster rate of 3.4 per cent compared with 3.3 per cent in August. The slight increase in inflation rate comes as the Najib administration struggles with the need to balance growth with accommodative interest rates while at the same time helping keep a lid on the cost of living. Figures released by the Statistics Department show that the index for Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages and Non-Food for the month of September showed increases of 5.0 and 2.7 per cent respectively compared with the same month in 2010. RHB Research Institute said however that inflation will likely moderate but stay elevated at around 2.8 per cent in 2012 compared with 3.3 per cent estimated for 2011. "This is on account of a reduction in subsidies for fuel and power tariffs as well as industrial gas once every six months by the government that will lead to higher input costs and part of it will likely be passed on to consumers," said RHB. Inflation has been surging globally largely due to massive amounts of liquidity that have been released by governments to prop up economic growth following the 2008 financial crisis. READ MORE HERE

Muhyiddin: Police probe best way to clear air over Guan Eng’s son Posted: 23 Oct 2011 02:07 PM PDT By Yow Hong Chieh, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 — Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today defended his remarks that Lim Guan Eng should ask the police to probe claims his son had molested a girl as the best way to put an end to the allegations. Muhyiddin said a statement from Lim on his son's innocence might not be good enough for the public and that a proper investigation would serve to end talk of the 16-year-old's alleged assault. "That's my intention, not that I want to interfere. Please get the intention. There's no ill-feeling," he said in reply to Ipoh Timur MP Lim Kit Siang in Parliament today. "I'm not saying he's guilty but other people make their own evaluation... It will be cleared very much easier (via a police probe). It's not a question of politics," Muhyiddin (picture) added. MORE TO COME

PAS readies new media troopers for next GE Posted: 22 Oct 2011 08:01 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - PAS is rallying its "cybertroopers" in preparation for an upcoming general election that it says is shaping up to be "an information war." "The world that we live in today is in a constant information war, news war. "If we fall behind in conveying our messages, we will lose out," PAS President Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang told The Malaysian Insider after closing the party's ICT and New Media Conference yesterday. About 500 of the party's "hardcore" ICT officers from all over the country attended the day-long event, which appeared to address rival Umno's growing army of cybertroopers. "We will use every means possible — Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, offline TV, online TV. We want ICT officers to have smartphones, no more outdated phones," the Marang MP said. The ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) controls or owns most of the mainstream print and broadcast media. BN had its nose bloodied at the 12th General Election in urban centres such as the Klang Valley and Penang, ceding its customary two-thirds majority in Parliament as the Opposition took a record 82 seats and, at the same time, five state governments. BN is said to have lost its customary two-thirds majority in Parliament and five states in the historic March 2008 elections due to easy access to alternative information on the Internet. Umno Youth new media chief Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz has said that "80 to 90 per cent" of those online were anti-BN in the landmark election of 2008. "Our target by the next election is for all division youth chiefs to be on Twitter and for every state to have their own cyberwar team," he said in an interview with The Malaysian Insider. READ MORE HERE

Perkasa says Himpun united PAS and Umno Posted: 22 Oct 2011 06:39 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - Malay rights group Perkasa lauded the success of Himpunan Sejuta Umat (Himpun) saying it unified Muslims even from opposing political factions. "To me it is a success. One of the most successful part was that there were PAS and Umno leaders on the stage, and other individuals who are not affiliated with any parties are on the stage as well. "I believe Umno or PAS members and Malays in PKR, they all support (Himpun) but maybe they have to follow instructions from their leaders. I don't understand why are they not allowed to gather," secretary-general Syed Hassan Syed Ali said today. He shrugged off the low turn out of about 5,000 as "the one million means one million who are with us in spirit. "To me, the ones who are with Himpun are almost every Muslim in this country. Only a small number of Muslims are liberal who are not really interested in this rally," he said. Himpun chairman Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid has also said yesterday it is not concerned with the poor turnout at the rally, arguing that the spirit of the 5,000-strong crowd was more important. Azmi also said he considered the rally a great success as it proved that Muslims could come together to talk calmly about the issues affecting Islam, whatever their background or political affiliation. READ MORE HERE

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