Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Khairy: Anwar lying about Pakatan’s need for private jet
- ‘Anwar approved attacks against Guan Eng’
- RPK sowing fear, says ex-comrade
- Anwar: Private jet is friend’s
- Zaid tells Dr M: I rather be an ungrateful Malay than a stupid one
- PR leaders: Tunku Aziz is a BN agent
- Photos of Pakatan leaders in private jet hits cyberspace
- Kepong Umno Youth chief stabbed, in critical condition
- Uproar against Ngeh and Nga at DAP convention
- Dong Zong duo get more flak
- Veteran newsman accuses Malaysiakini of being insincere
- Why Suaram’s status is suddenly so important
- Anwar: Dr M, Daim behind forex scandal
- Pakatan must prove its worth to win GE13, says Guan Eng
- Selangor govt confusing people on water issues, says Cassa
- Dr M: Hudud law will create injustice
- Dr M: Soros wants to install puppet PM
- Pakistan minister places bounty on anti-Islam filmmaker
- Liverpool, United add respect to rivalry
- Karpal: You don’t have be a Penangite to be CM
- Karpal gets support for anti-hopping bill
- Ex-DAP Tunku Aziz: Lim Guan Eng appointed himself CM
- Ex-mufti: Pakatan should rebuke its own for anti-Islam remarks
- IGP: Police studying police reports against Ngeh
- Karpal denies DAP getting foreign funds
- Israel won't force Google to block anti-Muslim video
- Let authorities probe Suaram foreign funding, says Najib
- 237 reports made against Ngeh’s controversial Tweet
- End the siege on religions, urges NGO
- Tunku Abdul Aziz: No political clout in Pakatan Rakyat to form the next federal government
- France bans protests over Prophet Mohammad cartoons
- Who will be the Sabah opposition CM?
- Report: M’sia high on religious intolerance
- Next Parliament session may be last before polls
- NST report: ‘Ridiculous and rubbish’
- EC waiting for AG's nod over postal voting for overseas Malaysians
- Najib slams fake letter to IIUM as a 'desperate act'
- Karpal denounces insults against Prophet
- ‘Reopen probe against Mahathir’
- Pakatan promises affordable housing, after cheaper cars, free education
- Malaysian role vexes Thai conflict
- Malaysia wants to prevent homosexuality from spreading
- Dr M: Leaders can be reproached and challenged
| Khairy: Anwar lying about Pakatan’s need for private jet Posted: 23 Sep 2012 06:33 PM PDT
(Malaysian Digest) - Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin has rubbished Parti Keadilan Rakyat de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's explanation that Pakatan Rakyat needed to use a specially-chartered private jet to travel from Kota Kinabalu to Labuan as there were no flights available. Anwar, in a Press conference in Parliament today, had explained that the Pakatan entourage needed to use a private jet on their September 16 trip to East Malaysia as there were no connecting flights available from Labuan to Kota Kinabalu that day. Khairy, however, dismissed the claims and said a simple check would show that there were indeed flights available.
@font-face p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal div.Section1 The Malaysia Airlines flight schedule tweeted by Khairy earlier today. Pix: Twitter/Khairykj Producing Malaysia Airlines' flight schedule, Khairy said it was evidence enough that there were flights catered to Kota Kinabalu from Labuan that day.
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| ‘Anwar approved attacks against Guan Eng’ Posted: 23 Sep 2012 04:38 PM PDT
Independent Nibong Tebal MP Tan Tee Beng claims the opposition leader had condemned the Penang chief minister in 2009. Athi Shankar, FMT GEORGE TOWN: Independent Nibong Tebal MP Tan Tee Beng claims that PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim had once condemned Penang Chief Minister and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, calling him "kurang ajar" (rude or insolent). Tan alleged that Anwar told him this in a private discussion during a break from a parliamentary session in 2009. He also alleged that Anwar gave him the green light, when he was in PKR, to reproach Lim for his wrongdoings and mismanagement in Penang. Tan had apparently called for a private meeting with Anwar in the Parliament house to find out whether the latter was upset with his (Tan's) constant criticisms of the Pakatan Rakyat state government. When he sought the clarification from Anwar during the November parliamentary sitting, Tan said his former political boss told him that he was not upset, but welcomed it. He said he decided to seek the clarification after he was told by some PKR colleagues that the opposition leader was unhappy with his stinging criticisms against the Lim's administration. Tan claimed Anwar told him that "this young boy [Lim] is kurang ajar. He needs to be taught some lessons". Tan said he started publicly criticising Lim only after receiving Anwar's approval. "Anwar had given his blessings to me to attack Lim. So I was naturally confused when some PKR leaders told me that Anwar was upset," he told FMT. However, Tan said he became frustrated and upset when Anwar failed to shield him against Lim's attacks on him. "Anwar just dumped me. He just washed his hands off me," said Tan.
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| RPK sowing fear, says ex-comrade Posted: 23 Sep 2012 04:28 PM PDT
Haris Ibrahim takes offence at a Malaysia Today article claiming that racism has become worse. K Pragalath, FMT Social activist Haris Ibrahim has accused Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kamarudin of fear mongering with his statement that racism in Malaysia has reached a new height. Haris apologised to followers of his blog for an article he posted last January, in which he defended Raja Petra, popularly known as RPK, against accusations that the latter had turned his back against the struggle to oust Barisan Nasional from power. In a blog posting referring to a Sept 21 Malaysia Today article, Haris accused RPK of trying to "sow the seeds of fear". The offending article came under the headline "Cina sudah kurang ajar! Dah lupa 13 Mei ke?" (The Chinese have become rude! Have they forgotten 13 May?") It declared: "Racism in Malaysia has reached a dangerous level never seen before since May 1969." In response, Haris said: "The only thing racist in this country is Umno, BN, Dr M and the mainstream media. "And now, of course, RPK's untiring efforts to sow the seeds of fear." Haris's article argued that the various races in the country had become more united, offering as evidence the Bersih gatherings and other recent public protests against the ruling regime. "Did the tender scenes of the makcik in the Ganesha temple in Jalan Pudu putting bits of salt in the mouths of those anak bangsa Malaysia of all ethnicities and gender, seeking refuge in the temple after being hit by tear gas and chemical-laced water, smack of racism?" he wrote. "Have the anti-Lynas campaigns been racist? No!" Haris and RPK were founders of the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement, one of the objectives of which was to identify election candidates for Pakatan Rakyat. Haris quit the movement early this year.
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| Anwar: Private jet is friend’s Posted: 23 Sep 2012 04:00 PM PDT
The deal to shuttle Anwar and other Pakatan politicians to East Malaysia, apparently came with no strings attached. Patrick Lee, FMT A friend, according to Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, arranged for the him and other Pakatan Rakyat MPs to travel on a private jet to East Malaysia earlier this month. Speaking to reporters in the Parliament lobby, he did not disclose the "friend's" name, though Anwar added that the trip came with no strings attached. "I asked him, because I was concerned that he had some interest in Penang, Kedah, Selangor or Kelantan…He said no, it was not tied to anything, so I said okay. "He is not that involved [in politics]. I've known him for some time. He said he will do this for a friend, because he understands the problem of logistics," he said. Anwar was referring to a series of articles and blog posts critical of the Permatang Pauh MP travelling in a private jet on Sept 15 and 16. The criticisms were based off photographs taken and later uploaded to the Internet by PKR vice-president Tian Chua, who accompanied Anwar on the trip. Anwar said: "Why did we ask Tian Chua to take these pictures? Because I didn't want people think that this was a secret." He added that the coverage of this matter was an attempt by Umno and the MCA to frighten businessmen from helping Pakatan Rakyat politicians. He also asked why Umno chose to harp on this issue when there were alleged matters of corruption and irregularities that needed tending to.
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| Zaid tells Dr M: I rather be an ungrateful Malay than a stupid one Posted: 23 Sep 2012 03:02 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - Former Cabinet member Datuk Zaid Ibrahim said today he would rather be ungrateful than stupid, as he mocked Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad for suggesting that Malays who were unappreciative would cause the community to lose political power. Dr Mahathir told Umno's Utusan Malaysia in an interview published yesterday that Malays were "ungrateful" and "lacking intelligence", warning that the greed of a few power-hungry Malays in the opposition would see the country's dominant race lose its political power. The former PM also alleged that "if any of these Malay (opposition) parties win the elections and form the government, this government would have to follow the dictates of other (races)." Responding on Twitter this morning, Zaid said: "I rather be called ungrateful Malay than a stupid one, who doesn't think, who follow blindly the dictates of arrogant Malay leaders." Zaid was part of Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's Cabinet but was sacked in 2008, a few months after he resigned as minister in protest against the government's decision to use the Internal Security Act (ISA) to arrest an opposition politician, a blogger and a journalist. He became a PKR member before eventually quitting, and is now the leader of an opposition-aligned party, while continuing to push for political and law reforms. Dr Mahathir has become in recent months a vocal campaigner for Datuk Seri Najib Razak's Umno, and his growing influence has seen the party shed many of its reform plans in favour of playing the race card. Yesterday, in his lengthy tirade against the Malays, the former prime minister expressed sadness that the Malays were now purportedly split into three factions and said that this has resulted in them "begging" for support from the other races. At another function, Dr Mahathir also suggested that currency speculator George Soros was attempting to usurp political power from the Barisan Nasional (BN) government by appointing his own leader as the next prime minister of Malaysia. The former prime minister made this statement when asked to comment on several local NGOs that were in the limelight recently after the Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism Ministry called on the Registrar of Societies to investigate Suaram, which has received funds from Soros. Commenting on this, Zaid also mocked Dr Mahathir on Twitter yesterday by saying that if English football club Manchester United won their match against Liverpool yesterday, it must also be because of Soros. "If Man U wins then Soros must hav a hand in this." In another tweet, he added: "Malays must be really stupid to believe the Jewish conspiracy to install puppet PM."
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| PR leaders: Tunku Aziz is a BN agent Posted: 23 Sep 2012 02:57 PM PDT
Md Izwan, The Malaysian Insider Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders have labelled Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim a Barisan Nasional (BN) agent who lacks credibility following recent reports where the former DAP vice-chairman has openly criticised his former party and leaders. The opposition leaders yesterday slammed Tunku Aziz as a traitor in response to the latter's statement on Friday about his plan to tour the country to open the minds of the people, especially opposition supporters, to make the right decision during the upcoming general election. Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai described Tunku Aziz's actions as representing BN, saying the latter was now an agent of the ruling coalition for his attacks against DAP and PR leaders. "He is now like a BN agent, attacking PR and DAP every day. I pity him for due to his treachery, many have avoided him," Tan told The Malaysian Insider when contacted yesterday. Tan also describe Tunku Aziz as weak and not having any credibility and integrity left. He also accused the former DAP leader of ill intentions for his accusations about the DAP without any basis and proof. Kuala Selangor MP and PAS leader Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad expressed shock over Tunku Aziz's statement, saying the latter's decision to tour the nation was a waste of time. Dzulkefly also regarded Tunku Aziz's actions as being those of a BN agent because of its wide coverage in BN-controlled newspapers and television channels. "This is a wasteful action and a treacherous attitude," he said. "If we look at the coverage given to him by Umno and BN-controlled media, it is clear he is a BN agent," he added. Rasah MP Anthony Loke agreed with his colleagues that Tunku Aziz was no longer credible. "He is no longer credible and his words have made people lose respect for him," Loke said. He added Tunku Aziz's accusations about the DAP were baseless and without proof, expressing confidence that people could judge Tunku Aziz for themselves. Tunku Aziz had in May announced his departure from the DAP over a conflict of opinions with other party leaders over the Bersih 3.0 rally on April 28. Following his departure, Tunku Aziz has been increasingly vocal and critical towards the opposition PR especially the DAP, stirring discontent among his former colleagues.
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| Photos of Pakatan leaders in private jet hits cyberspace Posted: 23 Sep 2012 02:36 PM PDT
Travelling in style: Anwar and DAP vicechairman Tan Seng Giaw pictured in the private jet (inset) during a trip with other Pakatan Rakyat leaders. (The Star) - Photographs of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and several Pakatan Rakyat leaders travelling on a private jet have caused a stir in cyberspace. While some bloggers and Barisan Nasional officials criticised their "travel style", Anwar and his team maintained it was merely an easy mode to travel across Sarawak and Sabah. The pictures, originally tweeted by PKR vice-president Tian Chua on Sept 15, were uploaded by several blogs. Apart from Anwar and Tian Chua, those seen in the aircraft included DAP vice-chairman Dr Tan Seng Giaw, PKR Wanita chief Zuraida Kamaruddin, PAS treasurer Dr Hatta Ramli and Terengganu PKR chief Abdul Rahman Yusof. Some of the blogs even suggested that the aircraft may have been registered to a United States bank. A posting in novandri.blogspot.com said the Opposition leaders had accused the Barisan government of being wasteful while they often portray themselves as being prudent and travel only on low-cost airline AirAsia. "Many supporters were impressed but, unfortunately, this is all an act. "The latest story about Anwar travelling in a private jet with other Opposition leaders will surely leave a negative perception on the people," said the blogger. Kota Belud MP Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan said it was ironic that the Opposition, who accused Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and the Government of being wasteful, actually used a private jet for campaigning. "Even if the service was paid for or arranged by a certain party, the rakyat has the right to know who did it and whether it was a local or foreign sponsor," he said. Kedah Gerakan Youth chief Tan Keng Liang said: "Even if it was a loan, they must realise there is no free lunch in this world." Reacting to the criticisms, Anwar tweeted on Saturday: "What's the issue? A friend arranged for a private jet." Defending her father, Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar tweeted: "What's the issue with a jet trip loaned by a friend? Ain't ours, ain't public funds." Tian Chua said they were travelling to several places in Sarawak and Sabah over the weekend of Malaysia Day, adding that it was cheaper and time saving to charter the jet than to fly commercial.
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| Kepong Umno Youth chief stabbed, in critical condition Posted: 23 Sep 2012 02:31 PM PDT
(The Star) - Kepong Umno youth chief Datuk Norizan Ali, 41, is in critical condition after he was stabbed in the stomach outside his home early Monday morning. Ampang OCPD Asst Comm Amiruddin Jamaluddin said the incident was believed to have occurred at about 4am after he returned home from watching football with friends at a mamak stall. "It is believed he parked his car about 20m from his double story house at Jalan Dagang 2/4, Taman Dagang when he was approached by two men believed to be foreigners. "We are not sure if there was a struggle, but he suffered injuries before the suspects left," he said when met at the Ampang Hospital. He added that none of the victim's belongings were reported missing and police are still in the dark over the matter and hope to get more details after he regains consciousness. It is learnt that Norizan is now undergoing surgery after he suffered stab wounds to his stomach. One of his fingers was almost sliced off. The case is currently being investigated under Section 307 of the Penal Code for attempted murder.
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| Uproar against Ngeh and Nga at DAP convention Posted: 23 Sep 2012 02:08 PM PDT
(The Star) - A commotion broke out at the Perak DAP convention with delegates accusing two of their leaders of blocking members from forming new branches. A disgruntled delegate demanded that state chief Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham and secretary Nga Kor Ming explain the matter. There had been talk that the cousins had been using their influence to strengthen their hold in the party. The delegate claimed he had found out from the national headquarters that Ngeh and Nga had rejected the application for new branches to be set up. Other delegates also pounced on the two men, criticising them of using the Chinese media to attack members for holding party activities. A delegate also lambasted Ngeh over his controversial tweet over the film trailers of the Innocence of Muslims movie, pointing out he should have been more considerate and not hurt the feelings of the Malay community. When contacted, Ngeh brushed aside the grouses, saying there should be proper procedures when dealing with party matters. "The issues raised were old ones, for which I had already made the necessary clarifications," he said, declining to elaborate.
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| Posted: 23 Sep 2012 02:04 PM PDT
(The Star) - The MCA has slammed the top two leaders of the United Chinese School Committees Association of Malaysia for "using" the organisation to further their personal agenda. Party president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said Dong Zong chairman Yap Sin Tian and his deputy Chow Siew Hon had caused a split in the Chinese community instead of bringing them together in developing Chinese education. "We feel it is time to evaluate these two leaders; whether they are suitable to lead Dong Zong," he said after a briefing on Chinese school issues here yesterday. The session was attended by 250 representatives from the board of directors and parent-teacher associations of Chinese schools in Johor. On the Sept 26 rally, which is seeking to oust Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong as the Deputy Education Minister, Dr Chua said the "whole purpose of the 926 rally is to damage the MCA and Barisan Nasional". He said the party had all along been cooperating with Chinese schools to resolve their issues. Later, in JOHOR BARU, the MCA president said the Chinese community should realise the importance of having a good command of at least three languages to have a competitive edge. Aside from the importance of the mother-tongue, he said the community should know two other languages too. "Having a good command of least three languages serves as an added advantage in the competitive world as well as the chance to contribute to the nation better," he said at a dinner on Saturday for SJKC Pei Chih, Taman Desa Cemerlang, to raise funds for a new RM1.5mil multi-purpose hall. Dr Chua recounted his experience in 1992 when he visited Shenzhen, China, where he faced difficulty in understanding the government officials' English. "But the situation is so much better now," he said. "Recently, I visited China again, and I must say that their command of English is better than some of us. "Although China, as an economic giant, still uses Chinese as their main language, they have come to realise the importance of learning another language," he pointed out. Dr Chua also debunked claims by certain parties that the Government did not care about Chinese education, citing how it had helped in the development of Chinese schools besides recognising qualifications from 820 universities in China. After his speech, Dr Chua announced a RM200,000 donation to fund the school hall.
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| Veteran newsman accuses Malaysiakini of being insincere Posted: 23 Sep 2012 01:56 PM PDT
(The Star) - Veteran journalist Y.L. Chong has challenged Malaysiakini to reveal its annual financial report. He said that while the portal operators claim to promote transparency, accountability and media independence, they neither announced the value of shares nor declared dividends. He was responding to comments by Malaysiakini CEO Premesh Chandran that co-founders and staff of the news portal owned 70% of the shares. Chong quit Malaysiakini 11 years ago following the top manage-ment's refusal to publicly declare its links to currency speculator George Soros. The issue surfaced again recently following reports that Malaysiakini and Suaram were among several anti-establishment organisations that allegedly received foreign funding. The two main contributors are the American-based National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and Soros-linked Open Society Institute (OSI), which had been financing groups supporting its interests and objectives around the world. Chong questioned if Malaysiakini revealed its annual financial statements to its staff. "When I was serving as news editor, I was verbally told during top management meetings that I am also a shareholder. "But I never received in black-and-white how much shares I owned. "And until today, Malaysiakini has never revealed the value of its shares,'' he said. Chong said as the news editor, he was privy to information raised at Malaysiakini's meetings. "I learned that Malaysiakini had then received 10% downpayment of RM188,000 from MDLF (Media Development Loan Fund) for a 10% interest in Malaysiakini,'' he said. "I want Premesh to declare how much is the 70% shares owned by Malaysiakini co-founders and staff worth now,'' he said. In an immediate reaction, Premesh said Mkini Dotcom Sdn Bhd owned Malaysiakini and the company files its annual returns yearly with CCM (Companies Commission of Malaysia). "This includes all details of shareholders. The par value of the shares is RM1,'' he said, adding that all staff who owned shares had been issued share certificates. However, he said, they had not issued any dividends to shareholders.
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| Why Suaram’s status is suddenly so important Posted: 23 Sep 2012 01:39 PM PDT
By showing that Suaram is a company, the Najib administration can tell the French authorities that Suaram has not legal standing to bring the Scorpene inquiry, says Raja Petra. Free Malaysia Today The ongoing government onslaught on human rights watchdog Suaram is a carefully planned tactic undertaken by the Najib administration to defend itself against a French inquiry into the Scorpene submarine deal. The government intends to show to the French authorities that Suaram is a profit-motivated company and not an international NGO as it had claimed itself to be at the French courts. "As such, Suaram has no locus standi in the 'class action suit' [over the alleged corruption in the Scorpene deal]," popular blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin said today in a posting in his Malaysia-Today portal. Raja Petra said that the French investigation into the sale of the two submarines to Malaysia was launched mainly because of an application made by Suaram, which had applied to the French court for the investigation to be launched on the basis that it was an international NGO. He said that Suaram had claimed that it has suffered damage because France sold the two submarines to Malaysia. He added that Suaram was also seeking compensation. "Suaram has managed to convince the French court that it is an international NGO and therefore has locus standi to take this 'class action suit' against the Malaysian government." Raja Petra also attached a document submitted to the French authorities to indicate that Suaram was "an international NGO that was eligible to sue for compensation as it had personally suffered damages because of the obvious phenomenon surrounding the corrupt sale of these submarines". "The Malaysian government, therefore, now has to defend itself against a possible legal action. "And to do that, it has to bring into question Suaram's status as an international NGO. And if the Malaysian government can prove that Suaram is not an international NGO but is a registered company [and hence profit-motivated], then it may be able to torpedo the submarine investigation," he said.
Raja Petra said that the Malaysian government has to "rip to shreds Suaram's status" so that it can argue that "not only is Suaram a profit-motivated company and not an international NGO but also it has no locus standi in this class action suit". In recent weeks, Suaram has come under intense attack over its funding and organisational structure. The government has accused it of being funded by foreign powers to "destabilise the peace of the country". Last week, Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that six government agencies are taking action against Suara Inisiatif Sdn Bhd, the operating entity of Suaram, for breaching five sections of the Companies Act 1965. Suaram has consistently denied any wrongdoings.
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| Anwar: Dr M, Daim behind forex scandal Posted: 23 Sep 2012 01:36 PM PDT
Referring to the foreign exchange scandal that erupted in the 90s, Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim said that he instructed Bank Negara to stop speculating in the currency market. G Vinod, FMT Bank Negara got involved in foreign exchange speculation under the direction of the finance minister before me, with the blessings of the then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim said this at Parliament today. Anwar served as finance minister from 1991 to 1998. His immediate predecessor was Umno veteran, Daim Zainuddin. Earlier, Deputy Finance Minister Donald Lim told the Dewan that Malaysia lost RM5.7 billion when Bank Negara was said to be involved in the forex scandal. When Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng asked whether action was taken against officers involved in the matter, the deputy minister told the Penang chief minister to refer the matter to Anwar as he was serving as the finance minister then. The hall soon erupted and Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin pointed out that on April 27, 1993, DAP MP Lim Kit Siang had said that Anwar must take responsibility for the billions lost. Anwar stood up to defend himself, saying it was he who instructed Bank Negara to stop speculating on the currency market in 1993. He also said Kit Siang was right to ask the question at that time and said that he had admitted to the DAP veteran that Bank Negara made some losses in the scandal. "Then Bank Negara governor, Jaafar Hussein resigned despite not being directly involved in the matter, together with Nor Mohamed Yakcop who was then in charge of the Forex Trading Unit. "But when I was jailed in 1998, Nor Mohamed was promoted to become a minister," said Anwar.
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| Pakatan must prove its worth to win GE13, says Guan Eng Posted: 22 Sep 2012 06:29 PM PDT
Liza J. Ariffin, The Malaysian Insider Pakatan Rakyat (PR) needs to convince voters of its ability to form a formidable federal government and to cooperate as a unified pact to win its place in Putrajaya in the coming polls, Lim Guan Eng said today. The DAP secretary-general accused the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) of perpetuating three "myths" about the opposition to spread doubt over its readiness to govern — that PR leaders cannot work together much less co-operate when in power; PR is not capable of administrating a nation; and PR does not have the people's interests at heart and are only power crazy. Lim said the Najib administration has been using "extremist, racial and religious rhetoric" to mask failures of the BN government and to win votes in the upcoming general election. The Penang chief minister also moved to dispel three "lies" he claimed were spun by the government to distract attention from BN's failure to fight corruption and its lack of "competency, accountability and transparency in governance". "The first lie is that Malaysia would go bankrupt if PR wins because we can not afford to deliver all our promises," Lim said today during the Perak DAP state annual convention in Ipoh. "Our competent performance in the four PR states clearly disproves this lie as no PR states went bankrupt, instead recorded large surpluses," he added. Lim said the second lie was MCA's claims that a PR victory would lead to an Islamic state under PAS, while Umno claims a Christian state would be formed under DAP. "This lie by MCA and Umno is self-contradictory. The clearest rebuttal is that there is no mention of an Islamic or a Christian state in the PR's common policy," he said. Lim then claimed BN's third lie was a reoccurrence of the May 13 racial riots if there is a change of government. "Such threats are intended to frighten non-Malays even though BN and Umno know that a change of government can only happen if the Malay voters desire change as Malays form the majority of voters," he said. "The 2008 general elections show that Malaysian voters are mature and there were no racial incidents even though there was a change of state governments in five states. "As the last three Bersih rallies have shown, the desire for clean elections has strong support from Malays who made up the majority of the peaceful demonstrators," he added. Lim, however, believed Putrajaya's "reliance on playing extremist racial and religious sentiments will be rejected by Malaysians". "I believe that Malaysians would choose a new government that delivers on economic performance, prosperity for all and reversing the brain drain and reject an unchanged government that exploits race and religious extremist sentiments to hide its corruption and cronyism," he said. Lim then urged PR leaders to emphasise integrity, clean leadership and good governance to reflect good performance in PR states. "We must institutionalise open tenders and publicly declare our assets to show we have nothing to hide just as PR leaders have done in Penang."
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| Selangor govt confusing people on water issues, says Cassa Posted: 22 Sep 2012 06:19 PM PDT
Cassa says most people in the state are not sure who is right and wrong. (Bernama) - Wat-er confusion! The Selangor government is confusing the people over water issues in the state to suit its political agenda, and at the expense of consumers and the economy, a prominent consumer activist charged today. Consumer Association of Subang and Shah Alam (Cassa) president Jacob George said, based on feedback he had received, most people in Selangor were confused over who was right and wrong. Amidst this confusion, he said the state government had also injected, as an after-thought, a new dimension to the water issue – that water tariffs would increase if the federal government went ahead with building the Langat 2 water treatment plant. George also lamented that a number of executive councillors (excos) in the Selangor government were formerly non-governmental organisation (NGO) activists who had been looking at things negatively, no matter how well-intentioned the federal government plans were, to improve conditions in the country. "I have been involved with various NGOs for 37 years. I could see their game-plan [over water issues], their strategies and that's why they are bringing up irrelevant matters just to block what the federal government is trying to do," he told Bernama in an interview. In addition, George claimed the state government was also bringing in issues between it and Puncak Niaga Holdings Bhd into the picture, whereas they should be resolved in a different platform. He said this unnecessary time-wasting should have been spent on resolving the impending water crisis in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya. "So, why is the state government doing all these? Don't mix these up and place it in one basket. This is not right. This is for our future, not just for the people of Selangor but for our neighbours [in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya], as well, because it [water crisis] would have serious implications," he added. On the Langat 2 treatment plant which the state government was opposed to, the Cassa president said, all studies by experts showed the project had to be implemented without further delay due to a serious shortfall in treated water production, as the existing 34 plants in Selangor were operating at maximum capacity. Here again, he said, the state government confused consumers by stating that the reservoirs were full of water, and that there was no crisis even in the future, although the argument was about adequate supply of treated water. What the federal government was concerned about, he noted, was with long-term planning addressing an impending water crisis, given the rapid population growth and the needs of industries. "The plans are for 10, 15 or 20 years ahead, and when you talk about water, there's definitely going to be problems. It is a global issue now, and every country is facing it, coupled with weather, environmental and pollution problems setting in," he said. Cassa snubbed George said projects like the Langat 2 plant could not be implemented overnight and further delays fuelled by politicking, could push the cost of the project higher by as much as 70%. In the first place, he said, there was no need to politicise the issue as it was a human rights issue, and in facing an issue such as consumer rights, all sides must remain level-headed and focus on the core issue. George revealed that Cassa had offered to mediate in the federal-state conflict over the issue but the Selangor government had snubbed the offer, although the federal government gave positive response. "We have sent many letters to them (Selangor government), giving them the feedback from consumers and they didn't respond even once. So, we know that they don't want Cassa to intervene but that's their choice. "We accept it but don't say that we don't know the ground feeling. We have gone to the ground, talking to various groups of society and everyone agrees that a water crisis is just round the corner," he said. He also took to task the National Water Services Commission (Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Air Negara or SPAN), for its relatively muted silence over water issues in Selangor, and this added to the confusion, as well. "Cassa is very disappointed with the stand taken by SPAN and public perception of SPAN is rather negative, as if it doesn't exist. Many times, we have inivited them to debates on water issues, but they didn't attend. "If they continue to be disinterested in playing a role, then it defeats the purpose of setting up SPAN. "SPAN, with all its powers, should be in the forefront in trying to resolve such issues and the confusion arising from them. So far, they have failed to do this," claimed George.
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| Dr M: Hudud law will create injustice Posted: 22 Sep 2012 06:17 PM PDT
The former prime minister says hudud with its shortcomings cannot fit into multi-racial countries like Malaysia. Leven Woon, FMT Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad made his strongest ever objections on hudud law today, saying that its implementation will create an unjust judiciary system in Malaysia. Speaking at the Islam and Women's Health forum today, he said hudud with its shortcomings cannot fit into multi-racial countries like Malaysia, as it only punishes the Muslims. "In hudud, if you steal, you can have your hand chopped off. But they want to chop off only Muslims' hand, not the non-Muslim who steal same amount of money. Surely it's not justice," he told the audience during the question-and-answer session. He also took a swipe at the hudud's condition on rape offence, whereby four witnesses are required to convict a perpetrator. "Today we have the modern equivalent tool of DNA. You can collect evidence of rape through collecting DNA samples and compare them with the offender. "Surely, we can accept circumstantial evidence even if there are no four witnesses. "In Islam, the most important thing is justice. When you judge, you must make sure justice has been served. If you judge knowing clearly that this is unjust, then I think it is un-Islamic," he said. Mahathir' comment came amid repeated statements by PAS lately to implement the stringent law should it come into federal power. Earlier, the longest-serving prime minister said that the hudud debate came about because certain individuals wanted to be stringent to show they are more "Islamic". "There is no mention in the Quran about stoning to death, or shooting with M16 gun, but this is regarded as the most appropriate [by some individuals]. "This shows we prefer the most extreme interpretation of Quran as against the norm of the day," he said. "In Islam, certain things are compulsory and certain [things] are optional; if we don't accept the optional ones, that is not wrong for us," he said.
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| Dr M: Soros wants to install puppet PM Posted: 22 Sep 2012 06:15 PM PDT
(FMT) - American tycoon George Soros is funding several NGOs and companies in Malaysia to influence local politics and gear the country towards a regime change, claimed former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad. "He tries to control our politics, and select his people to be the prime minister," Mahathir told reporters here after a forum on "Islam and Women's Health" He was commenting on the recent reports by Umno-controlled newspapers that the US-based National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is funding local NGOs and online news portal Malaysiakini. TV3 aired a similar report on Thursday suggesting that the foreign funding, such as Soros' Open Society Foundation, uses the NGOs to topple governments around the world and replace them with Soros' proxies. Mahathir said such a move was always done in the name of "promotion of democracy and freedom". "So apparently we don't have freedom here. Soros wants a puppet prime minister, that's why he wants to see a regime change in Malaysia," he said. NGOs such as human rights pressure group Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) have been bearing the brunt of criticism over its funding and organisational structure. The government has accused it of being funded by foreign powers to "destabilise the peace of the country". On Tuesday, Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that six government agencies are taking action against Suara Inisiatif Sdn Bhd, the operating entity of Suaram, for breaching five sections of the Companies Act 1965. Suaram has consistently denied any wrongdoings, while Pakatan Rakyat leaders such as Lim Guan Eng labelled the authorities' action on Suaram as "clear act of political revenge". Suaram is instrumental behind the Scorpene corruption trial in France, a deal which allegedly implicated Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. The case also involved Altantuya Shaariibuu, a Mongolian interpreter and model who was murdered near Kuala Lumpur in 2006.
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| Pakistan minister places bounty on anti-Islam filmmaker Posted: 22 Sep 2012 02:18 PM PDT
(AFP) - A Pakistani official on Saturday placed a US$100,000 bounty on the head of the maker of an anti-Islam film that has sparked a wave of violence and anger, as Muslims mounted fresh protests worlwide. Railways Minister Ghulam Ahmed Bilour also called on the Taliban and Al-Qaeda to join the hunt and help accomplish the "noble deed." Bilour spoke to reporters in the northwestern city of Peshawar a day after violent nationwide demonstrations against the "Innocence of Muslims" film left 21 people dead and more than 200 injured. "I announce today that this blasphemer who has abused the holy prophet, if somebody will kill him, I will give that person a prize of $100,000," Bilour said, urging others to shower the killer with cash and gold. "I also invite Taliban and Al-Qaeda brothers to be partners in this noble deed," he added. "I also announce that if the government hands this person over to me, my heart says I will finish him with my own hands and then they can hang me." Protests against the low-budget film, which mocks Islam, have erupted across the Muslim world, leading to more than 50 deaths since the first demonstrations on September 11. A French satirical magazine's publication this week of cartoons mocking the Prophet Mohammed has further stoked anger. The producer of the film, Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, is reportedly a Los Angeles-based 55-year-old Egyptian Copt and convicted fraudster, currently out on parole. US media reports say Nakoula wrote and produced the film, using the pseudonym Sam Bacile before being identified. Police questioned him before he went into hiding with his family. Thousands of Islamist activists in Pakistan staged demonstrations again Saturday but there was no repeat of the previous day's widespread violence. More than 5,000 protesters, including hundreds of women, marched towards the parliament in Islamabad chanting "We love our Holy Prophet" and "Punishment for those who humiliated our Prophet". Some 1,500 people from the hardline Islamist Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Sunni religious groups rallied in front of the US consulate in the eastern city of Lahore, chanting "The US deserves only one remedy — jihad, jihad" Smaller protests took place in the southwestern city of Quetta, as well as in Peshawar, where six people died in Friday's protests, and in the southern port city of Karachi, where 15 people were killed Friday. Witnesses estimated that more than 45,000 people joined Friday's nationwide rallies, mainly members of right-wing religious parties and supporters of banned terror groups. Those numbers, however, were still considered small in a country of 180 million. Four more people died overnight from wounds they received during the protests, taking toll of those killed across Pakistan on Friday to 21, health officials said. The combined total of wounded in Karachi, Peshawar and the capital Islamabad was 229. In Nigeria, meanwhile, tens of thousands of people protested in the second city of Kano, burning images of US President Barack Obama and stomping on the American flag. The procession of men, veiled women and children stretched for several kilometres (miles) through the city, the largest in Nigeria's mainly Muslim north. They shouted "death to America, death to Israel and death to the enemies of Islam". There were no reports of violence. The demonstration was organised by the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, a pro-Iranian group that adheres to the Shiite branch of Islam. In Lebanon, thousands of supporters of the Shiite Hezbollah movement took to the streets in the southern town of Bint Jbeil. Women in black chadors carried colourful Islamist flags alongside young children holding the Koran, the Muslim holy book. Hezbollah parliamentary representative Nawaf al-Moussawi told the crowd the film was "... not merely a trivial creation carried out by a group, but American politics intended to be disseminated to the Western world." He also warned against reprisal attacks on the Christian community. In east Jerusalem about 500 Palestinians, accompanied by a marching band, protested against both the film and the cartoons in the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo. In Germany, 1,500 people staged a peaceful protest in the western city of Dortmund, a day after similar demonstrations in other German cities. A German far-right group's threat to screen the video has prompted heated debate over whether or not the authorities should ban the film on security grounds. In neighboring Austria, about 500 people protested outside the US embassy in the capital Vienna. In France, riot police were out in force in several parts of Paris to enforce a ban on protests, a week after an unauthorised demonstration against the film led to 150 arrests. Social networks had been awash with appeals for French Muslims to defy the ban and hold fresh protests. French police have arrested a man in the western city of La Rochelle for having allegedly called on a jihadi website for Stephane Charbonnier, chief of satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, to be decapitated. |
| Liverpool, United add respect to rivalry Posted: 22 Sep 2012 02:15 PM PDT
(AFP) - Matches between Liverpool and Manchester United have always contained incredible history and rivalry, on and off the pitch. But when the two sides meet at Anfield on today, there will be a huge amount of respect on show at the end of what has been an emotional fortnight for Liverpool. The match is the first at their home ground since the release of a damning report into the Hillsborough disaster, in which 96 Liverpool fans were crushed to death before an FA Cup tie on April 15, 1989. The report absolved the fans of any blame, slamming the police and politicians for overseeing a cover-up of the facts. Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said his side were ready to cope with all that comes with the day. "I'm very much looking forward to it," he said. "It's a game I've grown up watching all of my life," he said. "Two massive clubs and it's a great opportunity to be involved in such a game. "But, first and foremost, it's a great opportunity for us as a club to commemorate and to pay tribute to the families and the people involved with Hillsborough, and show and pay our respects to the families at the game. "Hopefully we can then go on and get three points, which would set off what would hopefully be a great day for us." United manager Sir Alex Ferguson took the unprecedented step of writing a letter to his fans, urging them to show their respect by not singing the kind of offensive chants a minority of their supporters have indulged in, in the past. "Our rivalry with Liverpool is based on a determination to come out on top – a wish to see us crowned the best against a team that held that honour for so long," he said. "It cannot and should never be based on personal hatred. Just ten days ago, we heard the terrible, damning truth about the deaths of 96 fans who went to watch their team try and reach the FA Cup final and never came back. "What happened to them should wake the conscience of everyone connected with the game. Our great club stands with our great neighbours Liverpool today to remember that loss and pay tribute to their campaign for justice." When the two sides met last year, there was a huge moment of controversy when Liverpool's Luis Suarez was alleged to have racially abused United full back Patrice Evra. Suarez was later banned for eight matches and when the two sides met again at Old Trafford, they refused to take part in the pre-match handshake. This time, the two teams have promised to shake hands while former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler has suggested they go even further. "It would be nice for Luis Suarez to put some flowers at the United end regarding (the) Munich (air disaster, when seven United players were among 21 people killed), and for Patrice Evra to do so at the Kop," Fowler said. "The two clubs do have a rivalry, but some things are far more important than football and this is one of them." Six players have been sent off in the past 11 matches between the two and Ferguson said it was crucial his side behave well. "There's a great atmosphere, fantastic, and the kind of atmosphere you want to be involved in," he said. "It does get emotive, but you just have to handle that".
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| Karpal: You don’t have be a Penangite to be CM Posted: 22 Sep 2012 02:10 PM PDT
(The Star) - DAP chairman Karpal Singh has fended off criticisms that Lim Guan Eng should not be the Chief Minister because he is not a Penangite. He said election laws were clear on this issue, adding that an election candidate only needed to be a resident and a Malaysian citizen to stand in any state. "To stand as a candidate in any state in Malaysia, one just has to be a resident that is the qualification and, of course, a citizen of the country. "The Lim family has a residence in Penang. No doubt, (Penang Chief Minister) Lim (Guan Eng) was born in Batu Pahat but his connection with Penang is sufficient for him to be the right choice for the post of Chief Minister," he said here yesterday. Karpal was responding to a statement by former DAP vice-chairman Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim that the Penang Chief Minister should be a local instead of Lim, who is from Batu Pahat. In a recent ceramah, Tunku Abdul Aziz, who quit DAP in May, had called on Penangites to ensure that their Chief Minister come from among the crop of local leaders instead of someone "parachuted" in from other states. Tunku Abdul Aziz had said that Chow Kon Yeow, who is the state DAP chairman, should have been the Chief Minister, adding that he was a "nice man" and "not arrogant". When contacted, Chow said it was up to the people to "choose the party the Chief Minister is from". Asked about the meeting between DAP leaders at the Red Rock Hotel after the party took over the state, during which Lim had allegedly nominated himself for the top post, Chow said this was the consensus reached among them. Penang Barisan Nasional chairman Teng Chang Yeow, who was born in Batu Pahat, said everybody had the freedom to express their views and opinions on the matter. "Let the voters decide on who they think is right," said Teng. Penang Chinese Town Hall chairman Datuk Lam Wu Chong said there was no such rule that the Chief Minister must be a local-born Penangite. However, a Penang-born engineer, who only wanted to be known as James, said he would prefer to have a local as a Chief Minister. "It would be better if we are led by a Penangite as the person shares a similar sentiment about the state and can easily meet our expectations," said the 31-year-old.
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| Karpal gets support for anti-hopping bill Posted: 22 Sep 2012 01:57 PM PDT
The DAP national chairman will table a private member's bill to stop party-hopping and he has got an unlikely ally in an independent MP. Athi Shankar, FMT GEORGE TOWN: DAP national chairman Karpal Singh will table a private members' bill to stop party hopping in Parliament next week and he has got an unlikely ally in independent MP Tan Tee Beng. Tan, the Nibong Tebal MP, has declared his support for Karpal's initiatives to amend Articles 10 and 48 of the Federal Constitution to pave way for the anti-hopping legislation to stop party-hopping. Tan said he would back Karpal because he does not believe in political coup d'etat to form governments by defections. "I am against turning around the government and country through this bad tactic. It's an unethical practice and a dangerous trend. "The government should only be formed through legitimate elections," he told FMT. Karpal said that he would table a private member's bill during the budget sitting of the final parliamentary session of the year that would start next week to amend both constitutional provisions. Both provisions are considered as stumbling blocks against legislating anti-hopping law to prevent elected representatives from defecting from one party to another. Tan won Nibong Tebal seat under PKR ticket in 2008 general election but left the party in March 2010 to become an independent MP. Tan said he was always against part-hopping and he insisted that he only left PKR due to political differences with party supremo Anwar Ibrahim. He said he had never declared himself as a BN-friendly independent unlike other defecting MPs. "It's my critics and media who claimed that I'm BN-friendly. I have never said it," he said. Fall-out with Anwar
He pointed out that his fall-out with Anwar was over the unwarranted "916 episode" where the PKR supremo leader wanted to capture Putrajaya via defections of 30 Barisan Nasional MPs, mostly from Sabah and Sarawak. "I never agreed with Anwar on Sept 16 date. I told him that I would rather prefer to be opposition MP than take over the government by default," said Tan. He said this can be clarified with PKR MPs – Ampang's Zuraida Kamaruddin, Balik Pulau's Yusmadi Yusoff, Indera Makhota's Azan Ismail, Kelana Jaya's Loh Gwo Burne and Telok Kemang's Kamarul Bahrin Abas – as they were witnesses over his argument with Anwar in the opposition leader's Segambut home.
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| Ex-DAP Tunku Aziz: Lim Guan Eng appointed himself CM Posted: 21 Sep 2012 09:55 PM PDT  Athi Shankar, WikiSabah GEORGE TOWN: In the never ending attempts to belittle Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng ,the latest query is whether Lim is the legitimate leader of the state. This time it comes from former DAP national vice-chairman Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim. Tunku Aziz says Lim appointed himself as the chief executive of the newly formed Pakatan Rakyat government by virtue of being the party's secretary general.By convention, he noted that long serving Penang DAP chairman and Padang Kota assemblyman Chow Kon Yeow should have been the chief minister, not a parachute candidate like Lim. But, Tunku Aziz alleged Lim declared himself as the chief minister during a meeting among DAP elected representatives held in Red Rock Hotel immediately after the 2008 election results were announced. During the closed door meeting, Abdul Aziz claimed that when a question was raised on who would be the new chief minister, Lim, the Bagan MP and Air Putih assemblyman, immediately jumped up and said "I am the chief minister because I am the party secretary general." He said Lim pre-empted any internal political conventional process to take place to choose the chief minister. "No one nominated or chose him … he chose himself. He bypassed the party's central executive and state committees to bulldoze his way through to grab the post. "I think many know the story on how he became the CM," Tunku Aziz told FMT before speaking at an indoor rally here last night. Tunku Aziz noted that Lim had been committing administrative blunders since 2008 because he does not understand the local needs, demands and sentiments. He cited unscrupulous sales of state land to rich developers to build posh houses at the expense of affordable homes for the poor was a perfect example of Lim's mismanagement due to lack of knowledge, maturity and experience. Rich developers He said Lim was now surrounded by rich developers. "Ordinary Penang people can't afford to buy homes in their own birth place. It's violation of their rights. Penangites wanted a chief minister, not a land broker," said Abdul Aziz. As the secretary general, he said Lim should sit at the national secretariat and focus to reorganise, restructure and strengthen the DAP to face the next election. He said DAP now was in disarray due to overwhelming power play by the dominant Lim dynasty which had frustrated many grassroots leaders and members. He said some leaders and members either were sacked or had left the party for good as "they were fed up with the Lim dynasty dominance." "Lim thinks he can handle everything so he wears many hats, sparing only positions of councillors and JKKK head to others. "His monopoly of power is a sign of insecurity and distrust of others," said Tunku Aziz.  Family business Later when speaking on the same subject at the rally, he said the Lim dynasty had turned DAP into a family business, practicing double standard and selective prosecution. He also slammed these leaders as hypocrites for not voicing out their opposition against the hudud law, even though they supported their national chairman Karpal Singh's firm stand against it. "They fear losing the Malay votes," Tunku Aziz told a crowded Leong See Kah Miew hall in Jalan Perak. Other speakers at the rally themed "The days when we were in DAP" were former DAP members Tan Tuan Tat, a former Selangor DAP publicity secretary; Yap Kon Min and Tony Tan Chee Chong, a former personal assistant to Selangor DAP chief Teresa Kok Suh Sim. On Pakatan, Tunku Aziz described the coalition as a mere "marriage of convenience" in which all allies – DAP, PKR and PAS, could agree on many issues to clinch a common agenda. He noted that Pakatan can't reach consensus on a shadow cabinet and predicted intense internal squabbles for positions of prime minister and cabinet ministers if the coalition capture the federal government.
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| Ex-mufti: Pakatan should rebuke its own for anti-Islam remarks Posted: 21 Sep 2012 09:28 PM PDT
Ida Lim, The Malaysian Insider Former Perlis Mufti Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin today advised Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders to practise moderation when criticising others and not shy away from rebuking party colleagues if they breach religious boundaries. The Muslim cleric, who was commenting on the row over DAP lawmaker Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham's remark on Twitter, said politicians on both sides of the aisle should not only attack their opponents while keeping silent when their allies make mistakes. "For Pakatan, I hope they will be more balanced in politicking. Don't just pick on the faults of your opponents, but keep quiet when your ally makes a mistake. This is unhealthy politics. "I also hope that Umno will be the same, practise a healthy political culture," he told The Malaysian Insider. Asri's comments came after Ngeh apologised for asking recently over microblogging site Twitter if the protests against the anti-Islam clip "Innocence of Muslims" were a waste of "time and energy." Ngeh, the chairman of DAP's Perak chapter, came under fire for the remark but his party colleagues had also earned the ire of Barisan Nasional (BN) politicians when they did not openly rebuke the leader for his tweet. "I accept Ngeh Koo Ham's statement of apology, only next time, hopefully he will be careful with his comments," Asri said. Earlier today, Ngeh said that he felt his apology should sufficiently calm Muslim anger over his remarks and urged his critics to move on from the matter to other more important issues. He had on Thursday said that he had not meant to hurt Muslim sensitivities or belittle Islam with the offending message on Twitter. But prime minister yesterday questioned Ngeh's sincerity, reportedly saying: "If it is that easy, we can also pass remarks, insult and ridicule other religions and later apologise." De facto law minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz had yesterday called for the police to probe Ngeh over his remarks on the microblogging site. Yesterday, DAP's Lim Guan Eng said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak should not be "uncharitable and small-minded" over Ngeh's apology. He pointed out that Ngeh's apology and retraction yesterday proved that Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders were more gracious and willing to admit to their mistakes or shortcomings, unlike the politicians in Najib's Barisan Nasional (BN). Lim also told Najib to look at his own members in BN before passing any judgment against Ngeh, pointing out that many in the ruling coalition who made offensive statements in the past had not found it necessary to apologise later.
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| IGP: Police studying police reports against Ngeh Posted: 21 Sep 2012 07:04 PM PDT
(Bernama) - The police are evaluating reports made against Perak DAP chairman Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham to determine the nature of the offence when he questioned Muslim reaction to an anti-Islam film, the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar said today. "If there is justification, we will conduct the investigation in accordance with procedure," he told a news conference after launching a campus community policing programme at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), here.
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| Karpal denies DAP getting foreign funds Posted: 21 Sep 2012 07:00 PM PDT
(Bernama) - DAP national chairman Karpal Singh said the allegation that the party is getting foreign funds from George Soros was uncalled for. "Where is the evidence that the DAP is getting foreign funds?" he said when asked about several Malaysian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) including Suaram having obtained foreign funds to destabilize the government.
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| Israel won't force Google to block anti-Muslim video Posted: 21 Sep 2012 05:01 PM PDT
Court rejects MK Talab el-Sana's petition to prevent the controversial film from being available to people in Israel via the Internet • Court: Those who may be offended by it should not look for it on the Internet. (Israel Hayom) - The Jerusalem District Court rejected a petition by MK Talab el-Sana (Ra'am-Ta'al) on Thursday requesting that the controversial film, "Innocence of Muslims," produced in the U.S., be made inaccessible to people in Israel through the Internet. Judge Miriam Mizrahi decided to refrain from issuing an order to restrict access to the film through the YouTube website. El-Sana, together with other Israeli-Arab political and religious leaders, requested that the YouTube page featuring the film be shut down, or, alternatively, that the page be blocked from access throughout the country. Although the petitioners asked for an urgent hearing on the matter so that the court could issue a temporary order to prevent the film from being accessible on the Internet, Mizrahi said in her ruling that those who thought they would be offended by viewing the film should not search for it on the Internet. "Whoever does not look for the film will not find it, so the public who would be offended by the film can avoid seeing it," Mizrahi said. The court is scheduled to continue to discuss the matter on Oct. 15, after both sides submit their detailed legal explanations. The petitioners, through attorney Kais Nasser, claimed, "The movie is extremely offensive, desecrates the image of the Prophet Muhammad in a racist manner, tramples his sanctity and name, and offends the honor and faith of more than a billion Muslims throughout the world and more than a million Muslims who are citizens of Israel." According to the petition, publication of the film violates the penal code by offending the feelings of Muslims, incites racism and constitutes slander. Attorney Hagit Bleiberg, who represented Google (owner of YouTube) in the case, pointed out that "No one in the world, and in Israel in particular, has recognized the Google search engine as a publisher. The film's creator is its publisher. It is he who uploaded the content. YouTube did not upload the film and neither did Google. It's a fact that the court did not find them responsible for it." At the end of the session, El-Sana warned that violent protests may take place in Israel if access to the film is not blocked. On Sept. 11, the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other embassy staffers were killed in an attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi by protesters angry over the film which they said ridiculed the Prophet Muhammad. After that incident, a wave of violent protests swept through Arab countries in light of the film's publication and repercussions from the film's anti-Muslim message have yet to abate in the Arab world. Cindy Lee Garcia, an actress from Bakersfield, California, who had a small role in the anti-Islam film, told the Gawker website on Sept. 12 that Nakoula Basseley Nakoula (aka "Sam Bacile"), the film's producer, initially said he was an Israeli real estate mogul but told her on set that he was actually Egyptian and spoke Arabic. Garcia said that after protests broke out in Libya and Egypt, she called Bacile up to express her outrage. When she asked why he made the film, she said he told her, "I'm tired of radical Islamists killing each other." Garcia has since sued Nakoula and demanded that the film be removed from YouTube. She accused the producer of fraud, slander and violation of her privacy, and said her life was in danger due to her role in the film. A Los Angeles judge rejected her petition on Thursday, but Garcia, via her attorney, vowed to continue to pursue the matter. Meanwhile, the chief editor of the satirical French weekly paper Charlie Hebdo was unapologetic and defiant on Sept. 19 over his decision to publish drawings considered offensive to Muslims. Charlie Hebdo editor Stephane Charbonnier, who publishes under the pen name "Charb," has been under police protection for the past year. "Muhammad isn't sacred to me. I don't blame Muslims for not laughing at our drawings. I live under French law. I don't live under Quranic law," Charbonnier told The Associated Press. He said he had no regrets and felt no responsibility for any violence. "I'm not the one going into the streets with stones and Kalashnikovs," he said. "We've had 1,000 issues and only three problems, all after front pages about radical Islam." On Nov. 2, 2011 a fire caused serious damage at the headquarters of the newspaper which had "invited" the Prophet Muhammad as a guest editor throughout the week. A police official said the fire broke out at the offices of Charlie Hebdo, and the cause remains unclear. No injuries were reported in the incident.
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| Let authorities probe Suaram foreign funding, says Najib Posted: 21 Sep 2012 03:56 PM PDT
(Bernama) - Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today he would leave it to the authorities to investigate allegations that non-governmental organisation Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) receives foreign funding. "Let the Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM) and the relevant authorities investigate (the matter)," he told reporters after launching the Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) at Pudu Sentral, here. Preliminary investigation by CCM had revealed the existence of fund transactions between Suaram and its parent company, Suara Inisiatif Sdn Bhd. Suaram, which claims to be a non-governmental organisation, was also found to have not registered with the Registrar of Societies (RoS). On the Saudi Arabian government's rejection of a Malaysian application to increase its annual quota of pilgrims to the Holy Land, Najib said the decision rested with the Saudi Arabian government. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom said yesterday that Malaysia was among 40 countries which were denied an additional quota of Haj pilgrims for this year by the Saudi Arabian government. Malaysia had asked for the annual quota of 28,000 to be raised by 10,000 this year in view of the 982,000 people on the Haj pilgrimage waiting list. Najib expressed pride over the success of the 1 Malaysia English Channel Solidarity Swimming Expedition team yesterday. He said the team's success was a major achievement for Malaysia as well as for the Malaysian Armed Forces. "I am very proud that they were able to swim across the English Channel, a feat most difficult to accomplish, what with the many obstacles. I am also proud of the fact there are people who are resilient and bold and carry the spirit of Malaysia Boleh," he said. Two teams from the armed forces, one comprising a solo swimmer and the other a relay team, completed the feat yesterday after the event was postponed due to strong winds and rough sea. Solo swimmer Estino Taniyu, a Royal Malaysia Navy (RMN) personnel from Semporna, Sabah, became the second Malaysian to conquer the channel without the use of a shark cage, after Lennard Lee who accomplished the feat in 2004. Estino completed his swim in 13 hours, 45 minutes and 45 seconds. The relay team of six swimmers, comprising Mohd Roslan Mohd Zawawi, Mohd Khairul Faizal Mazli, Mohd Salleh Mahmor, Buranurdin Sali, Sharizal Omar and Mohd Zulfadhli Mahamad, completed their swim in 14 hours and 30 minutes. The expedition was sponsored by the Malaysian 7 Continents Exploration Club under the patronage of the prime minister.
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| 237 reports made against Ngeh’s controversial Tweet Posted: 21 Sep 2012 03:19 PM PDT
(Bernama) - A total of 237 police reports have been lodged in the state against Perak DAP chairman Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham for his controversial tweet questioning the moves taken by Muslims in protesting the anti-Islamic 'Innocence of Muslims' film. Perak police chief Datuk Mohd Shukri Dahalan said police would look into the reports and take into consideration all aspects before making any decisions on the matter. "So far, we have collected the reports lodged statewide and my officers will study them.
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| End the siege on religions, urges NGO Posted: 21 Sep 2012 02:58 PM PDT
(The Star) - The unrelenting siege on all religions and their prophets must cease, said a Muslim non-governmental organisation. Society must also be courageous to condemn abominations against theism, said the Muslim Professionals Forum yesterday. In issuing its statement over the controversial film Innocence of Muslims and the subsequent violent protests across the Muslim world, the organisation said that "the perpetrators have guised behind the cloak of freedom of speech while claiming to be works of literature or the arts". The beliefs of Christianity, Judaism and Hinduism have similarly not been spared. "Specific individuals and interest groups are unashamedly abusing our noble values of freedom of speech and expression to tarnish the image of authentic religions, demonising it and demeaning their prophets with trails of untruths and unfounded claims," said the organisation's board of directors. The Muslim Professionals Forum also labelled the irrational and emotional reactions by some Muslims and the violence unleashed with its consequent deaths, injuries and damages to property as "most un-Islamic" and "distant from the Islamic teachings of peace, justice and fair-play". "Governments, civil society, religious leaders and icons in the literary and film industry must be courageous to condemn and prohibit the publication and showing of films and literary works of a similar nature." Umno had also condemned the production and airing of the movie as well as the caricatures of Prophet Muhammad in bad light in a French magazine. "Fellow Muslims need to understand that Islam doesn't need us to defend it; it only needs us to represent it faithfully and authentically."
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| Tunku Abdul Aziz: No political clout in Pakatan Rakyat to form the next federal government Posted: 21 Sep 2012 02:55 PM PDT
(The Star) - Pakatan Rakyat does not have the political clout to form the next federal government because they cannot agree on many fundamental issues, said former DAP vice-president Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim. "Among themselves (DAP, PAS and PKR), they have not agreed with each other. This is what people are describing as a marriage of convenience. They will surely divorce," he said here on Friday night during a ceramah at the Leong See Kah Miew community hall. "But (for now), they are scared to do so because they share a common goal, which is to capture Putrajaya." He was speaking in Penang for the first time, since he quit DAP in May. The former Transparency International board of directors' vice-chairman also touched on the political situation in Penang. He added that even if Pakatan won, it would be a useless outcome because they would only decide on the ministerial posts when they reached Putrajaya and it would be too late. "Now, they cannot decide among themselves about forming a shadow cabinet," he said. On Penang, he said while the state had progressed in the last four years, it was developed because it had a history of more than 200 years and not because of Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng. "Rather it is your (local) ancestors, who are the ones who built it up," he said. According to Tunku Abdul Aziz, Lim was a politician who parachuted into Penang because he was not capable in Malacca.
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| France bans protests over Prophet Mohammad cartoons Posted: 21 Sep 2012 02:52 PM PDT
(Reuters) - PARIS: France banned protests yesterday against cartoons published by a satirical weekly denigrating Islam's Prophet Mohammad as part of a security clamp-down while prayers took place across the Muslim world. The country's Muslim population, drawn largely from ex-colonies in North and West Africa, shrugged off the controversy as imams in mosques denounced the pictures but urged their followers to remain calm. The drawings have stoked a furor over an anti-Islam film made in California that has provoked sometimes violent protests in several Muslim countries, including attacks on US and other Western embassies, the killing of the US envoy to Libya and a suicide bombing in Afghanistan. Interior Minister Manuel Valls said prefects had orders to prohibit any protest and to crack down if the ban was challenged. "There will be strictly no exceptions. Demonstrations will be banned and broken up," he told a news conference in the southern port city of Marseille. The main body representing Muslims in France appealed for calm as the weekly Charlie Hebdo put a new print run of the cartoons featuring a naked Prophet Mohammad on the news stands. Mohammed Moussaoui, head of the French Muslim Council, described both the film and the cartoons as "acts of aggression" but urged French Muslims not to protest in the streets. "I repeat the council's call not to protest. Any protest could be hijacked and counterproductive," he told radio RFI. An estimated 8,000 Muslims gathered peacefully for Friday prayers at a temporary prayer hall in northern Paris set up in a former fire department depot. So many turned out that hundreds had to pray in the rain in the adjacent parking lot. "This demonstrates that the vast majority of the Muslim community is not made up of extremists," said Abderahmane Dahmane, spokesman for the local association that runs the prayer hall, one of the largest in the Paris region. "The majority will not play the game of the hotheads." At prayers in the northeast Paris suburb of La Courneuve, delivery driver Hakim Ardjou, 42, also rejected violence. "We just want our message to be heard: this sort of insult is a disgrace, but we will keep calm." Public approves protest ban French embassies, schools and cultural centers in some 20 Muslim countries were closed yesterday, the Muslim day of prayer, in a precaution ordered by the French government. French media showed footage of an embassy protected by soldiers and barbed wire in former French colony Tunisia, where the Islamist-led government has also banned protests over the cartoons. Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said there had been anti-French demonstrations in Afghanistan, Egypt and Indonesia, but there were no incidents against French nationals. "In a certain number of countries, the measures (closures) will be kept in place as a precaution on Saturday and Sunday," Fabius told journalists. Police were on alert in the French capital after protests planned by some Muslim groups were banned. Charlie Hebdo, an anti-establishment weekly whose Paris offices are under police protection, defied critics to rush out another run of the publication that sold out on Wednesday. It says the cartoons are designed simply to poke fun at the uproar over the film and on Friday hit back at critics accusing it of deliberately stirring controversy to sell newspapers. "If Charlie Hebdo wanted to make a quick buck, it would not produce Charlie Hebdo," it said on its Twitter feed. The publication has a print run of around 70,000 but its Mohammad cartoons have made front-page news in a country which has both the largest Muslim and Jewish populations in Europe – an estimated five million Muslims and 600,000 Jews. President Francois Hollande's government has sought to balance a cherished tradition of freedom of expression with security concerns, denouncing Charlie Hebdo as irresponsible. "When you are free, in a country like ours, you always have to measure the impact of your words," French European Affairs Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said. A survey by TNS Sofres for i-Tele news channel showed 58 percent thought freedom of expression was a fundamental right, and that "freedom to caricature" was part of that. Yet an even higher 71 percent of the roughly 1,000 people interviewed on Thursday approved of the ban on protests against the cartoons. France has a proud tradition of street protest.
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| Who will be the Sabah opposition CM? Posted: 21 Sep 2012 02:40 PM PDT
Sabah BN secretary Abdul Rahman Dahlan has given the opposition one month to announce who their chief minister will be. (FMT) - KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Barisan Nasional has thrown the opposition,namely Pakatan Rakyat, a challenge – "announce your shadow cabinet within a month". Aware that this will be a singularly impossible immediate feat for Sabah Pakatan which is grappling with seething resentment over newcomers – defectors from BN – flexing their muscles, Sabah BN secretary Abdul Rahman Dahlan said that Sabahans had the right to know who will be the state's chief minister if the opposition came into power. "We're giving them a month, ample time for their members to meet and discuss who should be made chief minister. "We're fair, we don't expect them to come up with the shadow cabinet line-up tomorrow or the day after," he said. Abdul Rahman added that announcing their shadow cabinet would also reflect on the opposition's sincerity in supporting a two-party system. "In the west under the two-party concept, opposition parties must announce their shadow cabinet before the election so voters would be able to judge their experience, credibility and effectiveness in the cabinet. "Such act is also in line with the democratic process as the people will be able to know the candidates' backgrounds, track record and experience. "The people would then be able to judge for themselves the leaders' abilities and experiences," said Abdul Rahman He was speaking to reporters during a joint press conference here yesterday. Also present were Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) secretary-general Dr Henrynus Amin, United Pasok Momogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko) secretary-general Wilfred Madius Tangau; Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) secretary-general Dr Johnson Tee, Liberal Democratic Party secretary-general Teo Chee Kang, Parti Gerakan Sabah liaison secretary Wong Choon Seng, MCA Sabah liaison secretary Goh Wak Kheng and MIC Sabah liaison secretary Gannes Nandy. According to Abdul Rahman, the current conflicting statements from opposition leaders about candidates for ministerial posts were confusing Sabahans.
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| Report: M’sia high on religious intolerance Posted: 21 Sep 2012 02:38 PM PDT
A US-based report suggests that while Malaysia's government was more relaxed on religious restrictions, it still had a long way to go. Patrick Lee, FMT At first glance, Malaysia may be enjoying more religious freedom today, according to the US-based think tank, the Pew Research Center. In a report entitled "Rising Tide of Restrictions on Religion" surveying 197 regions, Malaysia's government seemed to be more relaxed over religion, scoring 6.4 in mid-2010, compared to 8.1 in mid-2009. However, the decrease in government-applied restriction -collated under the report's Government Restriction Index- still puts it at 0.2 points below the "Very High" marker. As a result, the country now shares a "High" placement with nations such as Pakistan, Bangladesh and Iraq. At the same time, Malaysia seemed to have higher social hostility where religion was concerned. In mid-2009, the group's Social Hostility Index (SHI) marked Malaysia with a score of 1.3. In mid-2010, this figure increased to 2.2. As such, Malaysia is termed as a "Moderate" country SHI-wise, sharing the category with the US, Zimbabwe, Cambodia, Haiti and Australia. According to the report, the GRI's score was determined by various questions including:
The SHI on the other hand, was determined by questions such as:
The report did not delve into Malaysia's individual score. Meanwhile, the report said that more than 5 billion people in the world today (75%) lived in a country where their government restricted them from practicing their faith.
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| Next Parliament session may be last before polls Posted: 20 Sep 2012 08:42 PM PDT
(Bernama) - With the Dewan Rakyat convening on Monday for the budget meeting, questions have arisen as to whether it would be the last or penultimate meeting before the government's mandate runs out on April 28 next year. Pundits speculate that the 13th general election could be called at the end of November, after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak quipped during a visit to Machang, Kelantan, early this month that he was longing to call the general election. If that happens, then the Budget meeting of the Dewan Rakyat, the third meeting of the fifth session of the 12th parliament, which ends on November 27, could be the last meeting of the 12th parliament. If the general election does not take place in November as speculated, then it is likely that the government may go the full term on its mandate, meaning the election would be held early next year. Election Commission (EC) Deputy Chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar said parliament would dissolve automatically if the Yang di-Pertuan Agong did not dissolve it before April 28 next year. "After that, the EC will have 60 days to hold the general election. The same rule applies for the state legislative assemblies, except Sarawak's," he told Bernama. (Sarawak held its state elections only last year.) The Dewan Rakyat meeting opening on Monday will go on for 34 days up to November 27 and the speculation of a general election will prompt greater focus on Budget 2013 to be tabled by Najib, who is also the finance minister, on Friday. The people, in general, will be awaiting "good news", especially from the aspect of the prices of goods. Not to be left out are the 1.4 million civil servants who are eagerly waiting for an announcement on the improvement to the Malaysian Remuneration System. Last May, Najib said that Budget 2013 would focus on balanced and quality growth as well as the people's welfare. Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Datuk Ronald Kiandee, when contacted by Bernama, said the coming meeting of the Dewan Rakyat would be more lively than usual. MPs convinced that this meeting would be the last before the dissolution of parliament would make full use of the opportunity to raise issues, he said. "The Speaker will be often prompted to given them more time for debate," he added. Also at the coming meeting, there will be a slight change in the seating of MPs, with Beaufort MP Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin, 57, and Tuaran MP Datuk Seri Wilfred Bumburing moving from the Barisan Nasional (BN) segment to occupy seats next to the independent MPs. Last July, Lajim announced that he was resigning from all positions in Umno and the BN and pledged support for the opposition. He did not resign from the party, but the government revoked his post of deputy minister of housing and local government. Bumburing quit as deputy president of the United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko), a BN component party. It is learnt that Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia would determine the seating arrangement of the two MPs after considering their political affiliation.
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| NST report: ‘Ridiculous and rubbish’ Posted: 20 Sep 2012 06:39 PM PDT
The NGOs mentioned in an alleged plot to destabilise the government lash out at New Straits Times for its alleged smear campaign. Anisah Shukry, FMT Suaram denied today that it is a tool for foreign hands to destabilise the Malaysian government as alleged by New Straits Times (NST) daily today, adding that the US-based National Endowment for Democracy (NED) has no say in its direction or projects. NST claimed today that the Washington-based NED is seeking to destabilise the government by channelling up to RM20 million in funds to Malaysian non-governmental organisations (NGO) such as Suaram, Lawyers for Liberty (LFL), the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) as well as news portal Malaysiakini. But the front page report "Plot to destabilise govt" did not specify how the organisations planned to overthrow the Barisan Nasional-led government with the donated funds. It also failed to substantiate its claim that the NED wished to destabilise the government, beyond citing "investigators" and "sources", and a Berita Harian interview with Aliran founder Professor Dr Chandra Muzzafar yesterday. When asked to comment on the report, Suaram chairperson K Arumugam said that it was no secret that NED provided funds to Suaram, but added that that was the full extent of NED's role in the human rights group. "We make it clear in our annual human rights report that NED provides us with funds so that we are able to monitor the violation of civil and political rights in Malaysia. It's not some top secret thing," Arumugam told FMT. "But NED doesn't decide what we do in Malaysia. We decide what we plan to do, then we apply for funding for those projects. They don't dictate nor direct anything." He said that there were many agencies online that were willing to donate to human rights organisations, and that Suaram's link with the NED had began via a simple Google search for funds. "So the idea that the NED wants to destabilise the government through Suaram is completely nonsense, pure rubbish," Arumugam said. "How are we supposed to even do that? We are such a small group of people. Is the government so unstable?" He further pointed out that if such allegations were true, then the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) would not have presented Suaram with a human rights award last year. "So we are recognised for our human rights by a statutory body formed by the government itself. It's highly unlikely they would award it to a group that intends to overthrow the government," he said. 'Practise journalism ethics, NST' Arumugam also slammed NST for not calling up Suaram or any of the other NGOs mentioned in the article before publishing it. "NST should have called Suaram to create a balanced reporting. Instead of allowing us to respond to the allegations, it merely discredited Suaram," he said. "While it is their freedom of expression to publish it, we would have appreciated some balanced reporting," he added. His view was echoed by CIJ executive officer Masjaliza Hamzah, who poured scorn on the article for lacking neutrality and evidence. "NST should practise journalism ethics. One, they did not call us for any quotes. Two, they should have provided evidence," she told FMT. "If anyone is accused of destabilising the government, this is a serious charge and they cannot make such a serious charge and not provide evidence." Masjaliza said that such an article should have been relegated to a blog rather than the front page due to its lack of substantiated facts and sources. "Show proof. They need to name what activities CIJ has done that points to it being part of a larger plot to destabilise the government," she challenged. Like Arumugam, LFL co-founder and advisor Eric Paulsen found the article to be "quite ridiculous" and an obvious attack against NGOs that challenge the government's credibility. "LFL has been vocal, without fear of favour, on issues such as abuse of power, detention without trial, police shootings," Paulsen told FMT. "These are all issues that affect the government's credibility. So, presumably, that is why NST has written such an article." He also said that the article was clearly linked to Suaram as the latter has been in the highlight after initiating a French inquiry probing Malaysia's multibillion ringgit purchase of two Scorpene submarines. "Suaram exposed the hundreds of millions that the government paid for commissions for submarines that we don't even need, and this has caused huge embarrassment to the government. "Suaram's is a credible human rights organisation, so clearly the decision to persecute it, as well as to publish such a sensational front page article, is linked to the Scorpene scandal," he said.
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| EC waiting for AG's nod over postal voting for overseas Malaysians Posted: 20 Sep 2012 04:58 PM PDT
(The Star) - The Election Commission is waiting for the green light from the Attorney-General's Chambers to proceed with plans for overseas Malaysians to become postal voters in the coming general election. Its chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said the AG is now studying the proposal to determine whether it will require amendments to the Federal Constitution or laws governing national polls, or just some "tweaking" of existing regulations. "The EC is waiting for the AG for final advice on how to proceed. I cannot say (when a decision will be made), but it will be very soon," he told a press conference. Currently, only full-time Malaysian students and their spouses and civil servants and their spouses are eligible as postal voters. This has led to complaints by those who are not within the category, such as private sector employees working overseas. A Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reforms in its report in April, among others, recommended that postal voting be expanded to all Malaysians overseas.
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| Najib slams fake letter to IIUM as a 'desperate act' Posted: 20 Sep 2012 04:30 PM PDT
(NST) - UMNO president Datuk Seri Najib Razak has strongly criticised irresponsible quarters who had vilified him with a false letter addressed to the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) rector Datuk Dr Zaleha Kamaruddin. The letter, which was sent using the Umno letterhead and Najib's purported signature, referred to the appointment of Datuk Dr Mizan Hitam as IIUM deputy rector of student affairs, replacing Dr Nik Ahmad Kamal Nik Mahmood. The letter allegedly stated that Mizan's appointment was intended to bring success and glory to "Pro Aspirasi" in order to empower the nation based on Umno's constitution. Najib said this was an act by a desperate group who would go all out to invoke hatred towards the government. "I vehemently deny any involvement in this, and have never issued any party letter on the appointment of university officials," Najib said after the Umno supreme council meeting yesterday. He said this could be verified by the university and also the Higher Education Ministry.Earlier, at a press conference, IIUM Student Affairs & Development Division dean Dr Akmal Khuzairy Abdul Rahman refuted the attempt to link the prime minister and Umno to the letter. "The university categorically denies that we received the letter from the prime minister," he said. The letter was addressed to UIA Rector Prof Datuk Seri Dr Zaleha Kamaruddin on Aug 7.
Datuk Seri Najib Razak with the fake letter, using an Umno letterhead and purportedly signed by him, that has been circulating on social media sites and the International Islamic University campus notice boards. The letter allegedly indicated Mizan's appointment had been approved by the Umno supreme council and that it was to facilitate the initiation of the "Ops 2020" project in conjunction with IIUM's campus elections on Sept 25. |
| Karpal denounces insults against Prophet Posted: 20 Sep 2012 04:18 PM PDT
The DAP leader says it will take a long time for the feelings of Muslims to be assuaged. (FMT) - National DAP chairman Karpal Singh has denounced the American movie Innocence of Muslims and cartoons published by the French magazine Charlie Hebdo that insult the Prophet Muhammad. "On behalf of the DAP, with all the force at my command, I condemn the insults to Prophet Muhammad as evidenced in the movie Innocence of Muslims and the French satirical magazine," he said in a press statement today. "The irresponsibility and the wanton disregard for the feelings of Muslims have certainly left an indelible scar on their psyche and it will take a long time for the feelings of Muslims to be assuaged." The movie portrays the Prophet as a womaniser and a fool, and Charlie Hebdo has published offensive cartoons such as one showing him as a bearded figure bending over to display his buttocks. Had the movie and cartoons originated in Malaysia, Karpal added, the offenders would be liable to prosecution under Section 298 of the Penal Code. The section provides for the imprisonment and fine of any individual who utters words with the intention of injuring the religious feelings of any person. Karpal urged Muslims to exercise restraint in opposing both the movie and the magazine. "It is hoped Muslims will exercise restraint in the face of the justified grave provocation brought about as a result of the irresponsibility of those who have thought it fit to insult Islam's prophet," he said. "The innocent should not be subject to any harm to their person or property." Karpal's statement also referred to a controversial Twitter message by Perak DAP chairman Ngeh Koo Ham, saying he hoped Muslims would accept his apology. Ngeh apologised yesterday for questioning the rationale for demonstrations by Muslims against the United States and France.
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| ‘Reopen probe against Mahathir’ Posted: 20 Sep 2012 01:33 PM PDT
In an open letter to IGP Ismail Omar, the former KL CID chief said the case was never closed as indicated by former IGP Musa Hassan and AG Abdul Gani Patail in 2008. G Vinod, FMT The police should reopen investigations on former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad on alleged abuse of power, said former Kuala Lumpur Criminal Investigations Department CID) chief Mat Zain Ibrahim today. In an open letter to Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Ismail Omar, Mat Zain said he was referring to then Anti-Corruption Agency's (ACA) probe on Mahathir under the instruction of its then director-general, Shafee Yahya. "Former IGP Musa Hassan and Attorney-General (AG) Abdul Gani Patail told the media in April 2008 that the probe against Mahathir was closed by former AG Mohtar Abdullah in February 2000. "But I tell you that the case is still open," said Mat Zain. Mat Zain said that the case could not have been closed in February 2000 as the police reports were only made against Mahathir in June that year. He also said a businessman lodged a subsequent report against Mahathir on July 22, 2000. "The investigation papers were only produced to AG Chambers in November 2000. Even then, the KL police delayed further probe pending new statements from others, including Shafee," said Mat Zain. Training his guns against Musa and Gani, Mat Zain said that it was obvious that the duo were attempting to deceive the rakyat by saying the the case against Mahathir was closed. "What's worse is that they passed the buck to a dead person (Mohtar) to save their own necks," said Mat Zain.
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| Pakatan promises affordable housing, after cheaper cars, free education Posted: 20 Sep 2012 12:22 PM PDT
Rafizi said PR's budget proposals will be backed up by background costing. (The Malaysian Insider) - Pakatan Rakyat's (PR) budget proposals next week will highlight affordable housing, a touchy subject that urbanites and unionists have asked the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) to act on as house prices are rising faster than income levels. The federal opposition coalition had earlier promised to slash vehicles prices and offer free tertiary education, and the move on housing prices is seen as a sweetener to win more support to capture Putrajaya in the next general election which must be held by middle 2013. PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli said the PR budget proposals, to be unveiled on September 24 by Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, will address the two issues which are driving housing prices up. "The first reason is speculation. There is no denying that Barisan Nasional has been trying to counter this by controlling credit for housing but this textbook style in dealing with the issue is too late," he told The Malaysian Insider, saying credit restrictions were not working as speculators no longer approached banks for funds and instead pooled their resources. Rafizi said there was also a need to regulate developers who hand out rebates and discounts after setting prices. "They (developers) give so many rebates and discounts and deducting all this, suddenly you find that the house is only RM900,000. "But because the initial value was a million, it pushes up the base line for housing prices," he added. He said there were a lot of "nitty gritty items" needing review, adding that BN's handling of the crisis was not detailed and thorough enough to curb speculation. "The government has also abdicated the role of providing housing to private contractors, so now we in PR have to look at different ways to balance the supply for affordable housing," Rafizi said, adding that there was no drive for contractors to build affordable houses. He said that instead of Putrajaya's move to guarantee aid to first-time homeowners through the My First Home Scheme announced in Budget 2012, PR would look into increasing the supply of affordable housing but added that the issue would not be resolved overnight. "We won't see any effects until the third year because this problem cannot be solved quickly, even in one or two years," said the trained accountant, adding it was a matter of cost and cashflow. "BN would never admit to this, but whenever we come out with a policy, we will always give a proper cashflow along with it. So I can assure everyone that the plan is sound," Rafizi said. He added that proposals in the PR budget will be backed up by background costing and would not be including the earlier policies promised by the opposition pact. "The onus is on us to prove that our plans are viable, as we have done with our car policy and even with our PTPTN policy; the figures and cashflow we provide will tally," Rafizi said. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/pakatan-promises-affordable-housing-after-cheaper-cars-free-education/
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| Malaysian role vexes Thai conflict Posted: 20 Sep 2012 12:14 PM PDT
(Asia Times) -- PATTANI - When Malay Muslim insurgents recently staked Malaysian flags along roads, pedestrian bridges and on electricity poles across Thailand's predominantly Muslim southernmost provinces, the symbolic acts of rebellion highlighted Malaysia's often overlooked cross-border role in the deadly conflict. Although Thai officials have consistently characterized the situation as homegrown, that interpretation is stretched by the fact that many Malay Muslim Thai nationals share an ethnic and religious affinity with Malaysia's ethnic majority. Malaysia has long served as a source of sanctuary for ethnic Malay separatists who launch attacks in Thailand and flee to safety across the border. Read more at: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/NI21Ae01.html
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| Malaysia wants to prevent homosexuality from spreading Posted: 20 Sep 2012 12:11 PM PDT
(Business Standard) - Malaysia's education ministry today said it viewed the phenomenon of homosexuality seriously and wants to make sure it does not spread in schools, days after it distanced itself from 'guidelines' issued by a seminar on how to identify gay tendencies in children. Deputy Education minister, Mohd Puad Zarkashi said various measures had and would be taken, including appointing counsellors in schools to help parents understand the issue and the dangers it posed. "However, the ministry does not intend to issue set guidelines to curb the LGBT phenomenon although we realise that it is increasingly evident in this country," he told a parenting seminar on tackling the LGBT issue. Mohd Puad said the question of set guidelines did not arise, but many people might have thought that the ministry was directly involved in fighting the LGBT menace by issuing such guidelines. "Actually, we want to educate parents and expose them to the LGBT threat but the parents themselves, through the consultative council, expressed their worry over the LGBT phenomenon," he was quoted by national news agency Bernama as saying. Mohd Puad said the ministry was of the opinion that the LGBT symptoms be honestly made known to parents and teachers so that the problem involving the young, especially those still schooling, could be checked. "The time has come for the LGBT issue be discussed openly and not treat it as a taboo subject, just like when we introduced sex education in schools where we undertook various measures including naming the subject health and reproductive education," he said. Meanwhile, Shahlan Ismail, chairman of the parent teachers consultative council said that so far 11 seminars nationwide had been organised by the Council on the LGBT issue, to discuss with parents the "symptoms" and "preventive measures" as well as the dangers posed by the phenomenon. "These seminars are not aimed at encouraging the public to get rid of LGBTs as claimed by some quarters, or to use violence against them or to arrest them," Bernama quoted him as saying. |
| Dr M: Leaders can be reproached and challenged Posted: 20 Sep 2012 12:06 PM PDT
(Bernama) - "During my time (as prime minister), I was reproached by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and Musa Hitam and there were also scores of people who were angry with me," he said. Leaders can be reproached and challenged if it is felt they have strayed from the struggle to develop society and the nation, says former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. "(We do it) when we have the opportunity to do so, but not in an angry or insulting manner. We give opinions that can be taken into consideration by the leaders," he said. Speaking to reporters after a discussion on leadership at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), here yesterday, he said the leaders too must be open to challenge and reprovals. "During my time (as prime minister), I was reproached by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and Musa Hitam and there were also scores of people who were angry with me," he said. Dr Mahathir said leaders must also not overstay in power and "go when it is time for them to go, although they are popular among the people". Asked how a leader would know if it is time to step down, he said: "A leader must be able to read the people's mind and there would be indications or signals for him to go." However, he said, it would be bad if the time given to a leader to lead was too short that he could not learn his job, formulate some policies and implement them. "Five years? Ten years? Some countries limit it (term) to five years. That is not good. "People need to give time to a leader unless of course if he is very bad, filling his own pocket, giving priority to his family and something like that. If he is not like that, then you allow him to stay on at least for another term". On the 13th general election, Dr Mahathir said the problem that he saw in Barisan Nasional at the moment was that there were too many people who considered themselves as the best candidates. "When not elected as candidates, these people will go all out to prevent the elected candidates from winning." He said another thing that would hinder BN from winning two-thirds majority comfortably in the elections was that the people were easily influenced by the feeling of hatred being stirred up against the government by the opposition. |
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