Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- RM1.05 bil suit against S'gor govt set for hearing Jan 11
- Petronas Carigali discovers more oil reserves in Bertam, says PM
- No Love Lost Between Indonesia and Malaysia
- Selangor orders halt to Batu Caves condo, sets up independent task force
- BN members still fighting over SAPP seats
- ‘Upko debated ditching BN’
- Karpal offers to help stop condo project
- Rafizi was too loud, Nazri tells Parliament
- MACC report over ‘failed’ Kedah project
- Masing: We’ll wallop our opponents
- 'BN has Pakatan's dirty laundry list'
- Kamalanathan wants apology from Ronnie Liu for alleging link to Batu Caves condo project approval
- I did not get RM3m from Chia but the car…’
- EC to blame for BN’s loss of Chinese support
- Kayveas: We want seats lost by BN parties
- ‘RM40m scandal may see BN lose Sabah’
- ‘Hudud is not the issue…’
- BN’s targets PAS, PKR seats in S’gor
- Asia language plan 'central' to Australian reforms: PM
- Liow: Change will lead to instability
- Khaled: Do not sell given land
- Despite Pakatan push, BN expects to win more than 140 seats
- Lembah Pantai tough for BN due to split Malay vote, Nong Chik says
- Merger of 5 PKNS assets approved by Federal Treasury, says Khalid
- Soi Lek: Jamil needs to do homework on hudud first
- Soi Lek disagrees with Umno ally over hudud
- Karpal gets flak over seat call
- Pros and cons in early naming of election candidates
- Former Ops Lalang detainees happy that ISA has been repealed
- Anwar: Khalid will defend his parliamentary seat
- Is ex-Sabah DCM Tham making comeback?
- Liu shows proof it was all BN’s work
- S'gor MB challenged to explain proposed sale of PKNS assets
- Local councils a law unto themselves
- DAP’s ‘gesture of goodwill’ to SAPP
- MACC report against Palani’s aide
- Genneva gold storm poses political risks ahead of polls
- Karpal renews pressure on one man-one seat policy
- Let Federal Court decide status of M’sia
- Not just a Malay problem: dirty money cost China US$3.8 trillion 2000-2011
- Assange says to stay in embassy until US backs off: CNN
- Only 300 turn up for Bt Caves protest
- Launched: Book on polls irregularities
| RM1.05 bil suit against S'gor govt set for hearing Jan 11 Posted: 29 Oct 2012 05:44 PM PDT
(Bernama) - The High Court here has set Jan 11 for the hearing of Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor's (Syabas) RM1.05 billion compensation suit against the Selangor government over a water tariff dispute. Initially, Justice Datuk Mary Lim was scheduled to hear the matter today following the Court of Appeal's decision on Oct 8, which allowed the state government's application to set aside the judge's decision in allowing the plaintiff to amend its statement of claim. However, counsel Datuk Harpal Singh Grewal who acted for Syabas, told the court that although the parties were ready to go on with the trial, the plaintiff (Syabas) had already obtained leave to appeal from the Federal Court on Oct 23 to appeal against the Court of Appeal's decision. Harpal also informed the court that the Apex Court had indicated the matter would be heard soon since it was a case of public interest. Justice Lim set Dec 17 for case management of the case for the parties to inform the court on the outcome of the plaintiff's appeal at the Federal Court. The plaintiff in its initial statement of claim had stated that the compensation should be based on RM1.89 per cubic metre, but later sought the High Court's permission to amend the quantum, to either RM1.82 or RM1.80 per cubic metre as stated in the water concession agreement. In the suit filed on Nov 10 last year, Syabas is seeking the Selangor government to pay RM1.05 billion in water tariff adjustment. Syabas claimed that based on the concession agreement, dated Dec 15, 2004, signed by the Malaysian government, the Selangor government and the company, it was given a 30-year concession to buy treated water from water treatment operators and to supply the treated water to the distribution areas in accordance with the terms spelt out in the agreement. Syabas said that through a letter dated March 31, 2008, it sent a document to the Selangor government to support its application to increase the gazetted tariff of RM1.39 per cubic metre to a new agreed tariff of RM1.89 per cubic metre for the third operations period from Jan 1, 2009 to Dec 31, 2011. It claimed that the defendant had failed to inform the company whether it had agreed to increase the gazetted tariff to the agreed tariff. Syabas also claimed that it had sent several letters to the defendant to claim compensation in line with the concession agreement but failed to get any satisfactory reply from the defendant. In the affidavit-in-reply, the Selangor government, through the State Secretary at that time, Datuk Ramli Mahmud, said the suit by Syabas was an abuse of court process, arguing that the water industry was undergoing restructuring as required under the Water Services Industry Act 2006 and the National Water Services Commission Act. At today's proceedings, the Selangor government was represented by Malik Imtiaz Sarwar and Fahda Nur Ahmad Kamar.
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| Petronas Carigali discovers more oil reserves in Bertam, says PM Posted: 29 Oct 2012 05:08 PM PDT
(Bernama) - Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today announced that Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd and Lundin Oil have jointly discovered additional oil reserves, under a production-sharing contract (PSC), at Block PM 307 of the Bertam oilfield. He said the oil field, located 160 kilometres offshore Peninsula Malaysia, is opposite the state of Pahang at the depth of 76 metres. PM 307 PSC is operated by Lundin Malaysia which holds a 75 per cent interest and Petronas holds the remaining equity. "This is very significant because we never discovered oil in commercial quantity at Penyu Basin and this is a major breakthrough. "Based on the findings of commercial and technical feasibility studies, crude oil production will begin at the oil field in the third quarter of 2014 with a projected output of between 17,500 and 20,000 barrels per day," Najib (picture) told reporters after chairing the Biotechnology Implementation Council meeting here today. The prime minister said with the additional discovery, the Bertam oilfield is estimated to have oil reserves of 64 million barrels. Najib, who also is Finance Minister, said Pahang was expected to receive a special payment of RM100 million a year, once production begins in the third quarter of 2014. "This discovery proved there is oil and gas at the Southern region of the Malay Basin towards the Penyu Basin. "The oilfield is located on the continent shelf which is under the jurisdiction of the Federal government. "This is our policy to distribute oil wealth with five per cent cash payment to Pahang," he added. Meanwhile, Ramlan A Malek, Vice-President, Petronas Nasional Bhd, Exploration & Production Business, Petroleum Management said the commercial and technical feasibility studies were expected to be completed in the second quarter of next year. He also said this was the first oil discovery in the Pahang state. |
| No Love Lost Between Indonesia and Malaysia Posted: 29 Oct 2012 05:01 PM PDT
(The Jakarta Globe) - Most analysts trace the deterioration in ties back to the emergence of Prime Minister Mahathir Muhammad in 1981 and subsequently to the 1997-1998 financial crisis which unleashed a flood of illegal Indonesian migrant workers into Malaysia.
Petrol stations in Indonesia owned by Shell, Petronas and Total are having a hard time because they do not have access to the subsidized premium fuel sold at stations supplied by the country's state-run Pertamina Oil Company. Read more at: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/opinion/no-love-lost-between-indonesia-and-malaysia/553208 |
| Selangor orders halt to Batu Caves condo, sets up independent task force Posted: 29 Oct 2012 04:58 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - Selangor has ordered a temporary halt to the construction of the 29-storey condominium near Batu Caves pending the findings of an independent state-level task force to be set up tomorrow, Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said today. He, however, offered the state's assurance that the matter would be resolved as soon as possible, admitting that the stop-work order would cost the developers financial losses.
The Bandar Tun Razak MP said members of the proposed independent task force will be selected during the Selangor state executive council meeting tomorrow. He said the task force would comprise members without any interest in the issue and will include professionals from the relevant industries such as town planners, lawyers and former judges. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/selangor-orders-halt-to-batu-caves-condo-sets-up-independent-task-force
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| BN members still fighting over SAPP seats Posted: 29 Oct 2012 04:48 PM PDT
The Sepanggar parliamentary seat which BN component parties are tussling over will be an easy win as there are 3,000 registered postal voters. Joseph Bingkasan, FMT KOTA KINABALU: Barisan Nasional coalition members are scrambling to claim constituencies won by their former colleague Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) in the last general election. Leaders of Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), United Pasok Mompogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko), Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS), Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and BN's backbone Umno have all thrown their hats in the ring for their members to contest the MP seats of Sepanggar, Tawau and the state seats of Likas and Luyang. SAPP, now in the opposition holds the two parliamentary seats through party deputy president Eric Majimbun (Sepanggar) and vice president Chua Soon Bui (Tawau) while Liew Teck Chan and Melanie Chia are the state assembly representatives for Likas and Luyang. All four had won the seats on BN ticket but the party led by former chief minister Yong Teck Lee quit the coalition on Sept 7, 2008. PBS president Deputy Chief Minister Joseph Pairin Kitingan has announced that his party has applied to BN chairman, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, to register the mixed constituency of Sepanggar seat under PBS. Pairin is basing the party's claim ahead of other BN coalition aspirants on the shaky premise that PBS enjoys huge support in the constituency. SAPP proved their contention a fallacy in the Nov 9, 1999 election. The constituency was then known as Gaya. Yong defeated PBS candidate Johnny Goh Chin Lok, now the Inanam assemblyman, 15,315 votes to 11,198 votes. Third candidate Hamzah Abdullah of PAS only managed 729 votes. However, PBS is this time also in a skirmish with Upko head Bernard Dompok, Pairin's archival for the Kadazandusun political crown. Dompok who is the Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister announced the party's claim to the Sepanggar also on the basis of enjoying huge support in the constituency. The last time Upko's strength was tested was in the March, 1999 election where its candidate Christine Van Houten, a former civil servant, was defeated in the state constituency of Inanam. The constituency together with Karambunai is within the Sepanggar parliamentary constituency. BN minnows, PBRS, headed by Joseph Kurup and LDP whose president Liew Vui Kiong is Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department have also established bases in Sepanggar but unlike PBS, Upko and Umno, they are not active in the area. Easier seat for BN Umno, the main party in the the Sabah BN coalition, can be said to have the upper hand in any tussle among coalition members to contest Sepanggar. Its divisional head Jumat Idris, is seen as a close aide of Chief Minister Musa Aman, the Sabah BN chief. Idris is also the BN chairman for the constituency. Incumbent Majimbun is rumoured to be all set to move into state politics by contesting in his home constituency of Inanam. Majimbun, who is SAPP deputy president, however also disclosed that his party would nevertheless field a candidate to defend Sepanggar.
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| Posted: 29 Oct 2012 04:37 PM PDT
Former Upko deputy president Wilfred Bumburing revealed details of secret meetings held with party president Bernard Dompok over Upko's status in BN. Joseph Bingkasan, FMT KOTA KINABALU: Senior leaders of United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko) met early this year to discuss pulling out from Barisan Nasional, a former top party leader said today. Wilfred Mojilip Bumburing, the party's former deputy president who resigned recently, disclosed that party leaders discussed the possibility of consenting to the `silent' wishes of the party's grassroots members for Upko to leave the ruling coalition government. Bumburing, who resigned from Upko and as BN head for Tuaran on July 29 and now heads the opposition-friendly Angkatan Perubahan Sabah (APS), said he had met with Upko president Bernard Dompok at least eight times to discuss the matter. The Tuaran MP revealed the secret meetings to clear up allegations by certain BN leaders especially those from Upko that he quit the party because he was not going to be fielded to defend his seat in the coming general elections was not true. "There is no truth in these allegations. In fact prior to July 29, I and a few other Upko leaders officially declared our decision to leave BN," he said. He said Dompok, a Minister in Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's federal cabinet, was well aware of the widespread dissatisfaction in the party over its position as a prop for the Umno-led coalition government. "On at least on three of the (eight) occasions, Bernard (Dompok) insisted I stay put in Upko and personally asked me to stand and defend the Tuaran parliamentary seat for BN," Bumburing said in a statement posted in APS's facebook page. "However, by then I have already made the decision to leave Upko and BN," he pointed out, adding that another allegation making the rounds that he quit because he lost the divisional chairman post in the election of Upko Tuaran divisional committee members was also BN slander. He disclosed that prior to the divisional meeting in 2011, he was told by the nomination committee that he had won the chairman's post uncontested but he rejected the nomination and asked the committee to conduct another nomination exercise. He said he also refused to be nominated as BN candidate for Tuaran constituency. "The whole issue of me and my colleagues in quitting BN is the failure by the BN federal government to resolve the issues of illegal immigrants and the extraordinary population increase in Sabah over the last two decades," he said.
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| Karpal offers to help stop condo project Posted: 29 Oct 2012 04:28 PM PDT
DAP national chairman offers pro bono legal services to the Batu Caves temple committee in its efforts to stop the condo project near the area. K Pragalath, FMT DAP national chairman Karpal Singh has offered to help the Batu Caves temple committee stop the construction of a condo project adjacent to the temple. "In the event the matter is taken to court, I will offer my services pro bono to ensure a successful judicial pronouncement in favour of the temple committee," said Karpal. Last week, the Sri Mahamariamman Devasthanam chairman R Nadarajah raised concerns over the proposed 29-storey project to built adjacent to the temple. The Sri Maha Mariamman Devasthanam manages the running of Sri Subramaniar Swamy temple in Batu Caves which has the tallest Lord Murugan statue in the world. Nadarajah said the matter may be referred to the courts if there was no sign of a permanent stop work order against the developer, Dolomite Properties Sdn Bhd. He also urged the Selangor government to scrap the project. 'Stop the blame game' Karpal said: "The state government cannot afford to ignore the manifestations of protests against the project. "There is no scarcity of land in the land bank to provide an alternative site for the project. In fact there is no reason for the developer not to accept an alternative site," he added. Karpal who is also Jelutong MP, urged BN and Pakatan Rakyat to stop the blame game over which party was responsible for approving the project. Selangor exco Ronnie Liu had blamed the previous BN administration in the Selayang municipal council in approving the project in 2007.
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| Rafizi was too loud, Nazri tells Parliament Posted: 29 Oct 2012 04:25 PM PDT
The de facto law minister explains why the PKR man is in legal trouble over his exposes. K Pragalath, FMT Justice may be blind, but it has ears sharp enough to tell the difference between the squeal of a whistle and the roar of a trumpet. That appeared to be de facto law minister Nazri Aziz's message to Parliament today when he was trying to explain why PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli could not use the Whistle Blowers Act 2010 as a shield against prosecution over his exposes of the NFCorp scandal. Rafizi and former bank employee Johari Mohamad are facing charges under the Banking and Financial Institution Act (Bafia) over their exposure of bank documents related to the accounts held by the National Feedlot Corporation. "They are trumpet blowers, not whistle blowers," Nazri said in response to a question from Khalid Ibrahim (PKR-Bandar Tun Razak). He said the Whistle Blowers Act was not meant to protect law breakers. "You blow the trumpet to the whole world. So what protection do you need? "This act cannot protect those who commit a wrongdoing. It protects whistle blowers. We can't protect him if he breached Bafia." Responding to Bung Mokhtar Radin (BN-Kinabatangan), who asked for a further explanation, Nazri said the Official Secrets Act and Bafia both described the kind of information that could not be divulged to the public.
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| MACC report over ‘failed’ Kedah project Posted: 29 Oct 2012 04:08 PM PDT
Gerakan wants anti-graft body to probe Kedah Corporation Berhad's failed logging and plantation projects in Papua New Guinea. Teoh El Sen, FMT The MACC has been urged to look into possible corruption offences in the failed logging and plantation projects in Papua New Guinea brought about by state-owned Kedah Corporation Berhad. Kedah Gerakan Youth today lodged a report asking the MACC to start investigations into the project which the 2011 Auditor-General's report said brought millions in losses to the state. "We estimate it be about RM14 million, and want the MACC to investigate," Kedah Gerakan Youth chief Tan Keng Liang told reporters outside the MACC headquarters here. The AG's report also revealed that a goodwill payment was made to a third party (vendor) for the purpose of "lobbying to minister" for the project. Tan said he was puzzled as to which minister the report was referring to, and why such lobbying was necessary. "There were no feasibility studies, no due diligence done on the company. It does not justify the RM1.21 million paid to this third party vendor," he said. Tan said the worse part was that the Kedah state government was trying to wash its hand of the mater and shift the blame to other parties. "With power comes responsibility and accountability," said Tan, who lodged a police report last week over the same matter. Tan said it was up to the authorities to see if there were criminal elements, including criminal breach of trust (CBT) or corruption, involved in the case. KCB, a subsidiary of Menteri Besar Incorporated, had bought a 70% stake in MAS Incorporated Ltd (a company registered in Papua New Guinea) for RM31.21 million. This was for the development of two areas totalling 114,429 hectares in Papua New Guinea. 'Goodwill payment' The project, however, was terminated by the KCB board of directors on March 1 last year on the grounds that it was not feasible and contained many irregularities. The failed investment, according to the AG's report, caused KCB to incur losses amounting to RM13.49 million. The incurred losses of this 'high risk investment' reached the extent where the company concerned had to take a RM135 million offshore bank loan.
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| Masing: We’ll wallop our opponents Posted: 29 Oct 2012 04:02 PM PDT
(Borneo Post) - We will beat the heck out of them. That's what PRS president Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing said when asked what he had in mind for the Opposition during the impending general election. He said PRS was in battle-ready mode and would go full throttle when Parliament is dissolved. "I am not worried about them (Oppostion), and I am very confident that we will beat the 'heck' out of them," said Masing, who is also Minister of Land Development, yesterday. On the recent endorsement of lawyer Abun Sui by PKR Hulu Rajang to stand in Hulu Rajang in the polls, Masing told The Borneo Post that this was their (PKR) business. "They can decide whoever they want, but we will fight them. We have been fighting our opponents all these years." PKR Hulu Rajang chairman Frankie Bedindang Manjoh was quoted last week after its annual general meeting (AGM) that Abun was the ideal candidate as he had earned his reputation as a staunch defender of NCR land. PRS's parliamentary seats are Sri Aman, Lubok Antu, Julau, Selangau, Kanowit and Hulu Rajang. Besides PKR, Sarawak Workers Party (SWP) is also eyeing seats belonging to PRS. Ever since its formation several months ago, SWP publicly announced that it would challenge PRS in all its six constituencies. During PRS's Supreme Council Meeting last Saturday, Masing said PRS 30 (comprising of members aged 30 and below) would play a significant role in helping the party retain all their six seats. He said the party would basically utilise PRS 30 to touch base with youths. The group would also use the social media such as Facebook and Twitter to gel with youths, he said. |
| 'BN has Pakatan's dirty laundry list' Posted: 29 Oct 2012 03:50 PM PDT
(NST) - Barisan Nasional is in possession of every minute detail relating to Pakatan Rakyat's dirty laundry in the form of piled up documents as evidence. "What are they trying to say? We have details right up to their candidacy list for the upcoming 13th general election," BN secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said. Tengku Adnan said that PR had taken the trading of barbs to an immature level. "But we do not blow our horns, we only break the news today (yesterday)." Tengku Adnan attributed the reaction to DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng's move, claiming to have obtained secret documents about BN's election preparations. Tengku Adnan also said that people have to bear in mind that Guan Eng's claim could also be merely a political gimmick as always. "The document they claim to be in possession of is not damaging to BN. It is merely a document regarding the state of readiness in the coalition. However, it was never proven that Guan Eng had truly managed to lay his hands on it. "Nevertheless we need to take precautions. We will identify the leak if there's any and I have written to all 13 BN component party presidents to remind them to treat party-related documents with utmost care and secrecy." Tengku Adnan said this after receiving 5,000 copies of 100 Wira Negara books by Mubarak Malaysia, which will be distributed to delegates at the Umno general assembly next month. The book, on 100 celebrated and distinguished national heroes, is a good reference for youngsters, especially those who were born post independence, said Tengku Mansor. "Sometimes, we forget the uphill battle our predecessors fought for our independence and building Malaysia to be what we are today. "Who we are today and in the future depends on who we were in the past. That's why its important to remember and uphold our history."
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| Kamalanathan wants apology from Ronnie Liu for alleging link to Batu Caves condo project approval Posted: 28 Oct 2012 08:36 PM PDT
(The Star) - A Barisan Nasional MP has asked Selangor exco member Ronnie Liu to apologise for linking him to approving the 29-storey condominium project near Batu Caves. Calling it "defamation of the first class", P. Kamalanathan (BN - Hulu Selangor) said he will consider taking legal action against Liu if he failed to apologise "as soon as possible". "I was a Selayang municipal councillor from 2004 to 2006. I had no power in 2007 when the project was approved," said the Putera MIC coordinator during a press conference at the Parliament lobby Monday. Kamalanathan claimed that Liu had the intention to tarnish his good name by making his statement. He also questioned why the Pakatan Rakyat-led Selangor government did not do anything to stop the project even though it had been in power since 2008. In a news report, Liu had said the project was approved on Sept 27, 2007, when the state was ruled by Barisan Nasional. He claimed that Kamalanathan and Selangor Gerakan chief A. Kohilan Pillai were Selayang municipal councillors when the project was given the green light. Kamalanathan, via his officers, had lodged a police report to investigate Liu for allegedly slandering him on Oct 24. It was reported that Batu Caves would face the risk of caving in if the condominium project went ahead. Selangor Malaysian Nature Society committee member Lim Teck Wyn said the project would expedite the limestone massif's natural erosion process, causing it to possibly cave in sooner.
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| I did not get RM3m from Chia but the car…’ Posted: 28 Oct 2012 05:12 PM PDT
Nazri Abdul Aziz denies receiving RM3 million from a timber tycoon 'friend' but is unsure if the latter lent his car to his son. Patrick Lee, FMT Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Abdul Aziz has denied receiving any money from timber tycoon Michael Chia over a purported RM40 million scandal involving Sabah Umno. He was responding to Malaysia Today blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin (also known as RPK) who claimed that Nazri and his son Mohamad Nedim received RM3 million and a sports car respectively from Chia. "Oh no, it's not true, it's not true. Chia is a friend. I don't know if he lent the car to my son. You have to ask my son," he told FMT in his office this afternoon. Although he did not directly criticise Raja Petra over the claim, Nazri said that he had no problem with this matter being raised. "RPK is a social person. He mixes a lot with people, so he probably gets information from them. Then by (Petra) writing this, it gives me the opportunity to give my side of the story," he said. Nazri also stressed that he had no influence over the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) or the judiciary, adding that if he had, Chia's case would have been dropped. In a Malaysia Today report, Raja Petra claimed that Chia personally came to Parliament to hand RM3 million over to Nazri, after the latter allegedly resolved a matter relating to the RM40 million scandal. He also claimed that Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein and Attorney-General Abdul Gani-Patail were similarly involved.
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| EC to blame for BN’s loss of Chinese support Posted: 28 Oct 2012 04:40 PM PDT
Sabah's Chinese-based Liberal Democratic Party wants the ruling national alliance to provide for more Chinese representation in government. Queville To, FMT PENAMPANG: A Sabah-based Barisan Nasional partner is blaming the loss of Chinese support on the Election Commission's (EC) gerrymandering. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) said the manipulation of election boundaries by the EC had caused the Chinese community in the state to lose their voice despite their large number. Speaking at a party event on Sunday, its secretary-general-cum-Tanjung Aru division chief Teo Chee Kang said the party hopes the coalition will nominate Chinese candidates especially in those mixed constituencies which have a large Chinese population. He noted that currently out of the 60 state constituencies, only 12 of them are the Chinese constituencies, as the result of gerrymandering by the EC. He cited Lahad Datu, Keningau and Tenom which have a sizeable number of Chinese voters do not have Chinese representatives to look after their interests. "Lahad Datu which has more than 8,000 Chinese voters has been divided by Lahad Datu and Tunku constituencies. Keningau which has more than 7,000 Chinese voters has been split by Liawan and Bingkor constituencies, while Tenom with more than 6,000 Chinese voters is being divided by Kemabong and Melalap constituencies," he said. He claimed that a recent survey conducted by several state BN Chinese component parties throughout the state had revealed that the absence of Chinese representatives in these constituencies has caused great dissatisfaction among the Chinese community there, which had inevitably affected their support for BN. Teo said his party hopes the BN leaderships should pay attention to this when fielding the candidates in the coming general election. "This is important as, if there's a Chinese representative, it would better facilitate the government solving of the various issues affecting the Chinese community in these areas," he said.
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| Kayveas: We want seats lost by BN parties Posted: 28 Oct 2012 04:35 PM PDT
The PPP chief also warns Gerakan and MIC of a backlash if they attempt to sabotage his party's chances as he claims they did in 2008. Humayun Kabir, FMT TAIPING: The People's Progressive Party (PPP) wants to field its winnable candidates in areas that other BN component parties lost in the 2008 general election. Party chief M Kayveas said: "We want to contest in BN areas that were lost to the opposition in the last general election as our chances of winning these seats are bright." Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's said he wants winnable candidates liked by voters and has warned component parties that there was no guarantee they will get the traditional seats. PPP has been assured of a two parliamentary and two state seats but it has proposed another two parliamentary seats and four other state seats for Najib's consideration. Kayveas said this to FMT after a recent visit to his Taiping PPP office but declined to name the seats as he fears possible sabotage by other BN component parties. He claimed that Gerakan and MIC had stabbed him in the back when he stood in the Taiping parliamentary seat in the 2008, causing him to lose the seat to DAP's Nga Kor Ming. Kayveas warned them of a backlash if they again tried to sabotage PPP's chances in the polls as PPP has a membership of 600,000 in the 3,000 its branches nationwide. PPP was badly mauled when it lost both the parliamentary and state seats allocated to it in the last general election. To strengthen its chances in the polls, PPP has launched the 'Mission 510′ voters which requires each branch recruiting 510 people as assured voters for BN. More seats sought Meanwhile, party insiders say that PPP wants the parliamentary seats of Gerik in Perak, Batu or Bandar Tun Razak, both in the Federal Territories. The party is also eyeing the Pasir Bedamar state seat in Perak and Kota Laksamana in Malacca. PPP has appealed to Najib for more seats in Pahang, Penang, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan.
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| ‘RM40m scandal may see BN lose Sabah’ Posted: 28 Oct 2012 04:06 PM PDT
Raja Petra also claims that more are involved in the RM40 million scandal - including the home minister, attorney-general and a Cabinet minister. Leven Woon, FMT Timber scandals in Sabah, particularly the recent one involving a RM40 million "donation", may cost Barisan Nasional the state, claimed Raja Petra Kamarudin today. The editor of the Malaysia Today blog, in his latest posting "The timber mafia is larger than you suspect", also claimed that there were more people involved in the "untold story" of timber commissions scandal and it was not just limited to businessman Michael Chia and Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman. "The likelihood of half the parliamentary seats in Sabah falling to the opposition is not an impossible scenario. And if that happens then the state can fall as well. That is how serious this matter has become," he said. He said that BN could lose at least 10 of the 25 Parliamentary seats in Sabah to the opposition, while three other seats — Kota Belud, Ranau and Papar — would be "close fights and could go either way". The10 seats he mentioned were: Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, Tawau, Sipanggar, Penampang, Beaufort, Keningau, Pensiangan, Tuaran and Kota Marudu. "If Pakatan Rakyat is clever and if they know the correct way in playing up this issue, Sabah may fall and they might even win enough parliamentary seats to march into Putrajaya. My concern is that Pakatan will instead fight amongst themselves over seat allocations, which will allow BN to retain Sabah, " he said. Will Musa be replaced? Raja Petra predicted that with the scandal still brewing hot, the current chief minister's position has become unstable and Umno may have to replace Musa as the Sabah Umno chief to appease voters. He said that his website had published articles about the timber scandals involving Musa and others since 2004, but many are still unaware of the extent of the alleged corruption.
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| Posted: 28 Oct 2012 03:59 PM PDT
There is 'little chance' for hudud to be implemented, claim the KL Chinese Assembly Hall and Johor Chamber of Commerce. Leven Woon, FMT While MCA and its political opponents in Pakatan Rakyat engage in yet another round of heated exchange on hudud, several other Chinese groups have made their stand known and raised concerns over the ongoing Islamisation process, particularly of the civil service. The groups were against PAS' proposal to impose hudud once the Islamic party comes into power. And they also noted that the process of Islamisation in Malaysia had begun much earlier. They were also of the opinion that the chance for hudud being implemented was low. KL and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall chief executive officer Tang Ah Chai said the Chinese were generally against hudud because the country was founded on the principles of a secular state. "We were never a religious state. So as a non-Muslim, we cannot accept an Islamic state but only Islam as the official religion," he told FMT. He said that given the current socio-political background, it would be hard for PAS to push forward its hudud agenda. "So rather than spending so much time discussing something which is only a possibility, why don't we look at the Islamisation process in our country which has been there for 30 years?" he asked. Tang said under the leadership of former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the country witnessed a wide-ranging Islamisation process that saw more prominence being given to Islamic syariah laws, and Islamic values were infused into the civil service. On the bright side, he said Islamisation also brought in the concept of Islamic banking system. He also noted that there were not many intellectual discussions among the Chinese on the issue of hudud, hence the community only held vague impression that hudud meant arm-chopping. "In-depth discussions were found lacking on topics such as the Islamic judiciary system, the evidence act and under what circumstances would someone's hand be chopped," he said. Issue exploited for political mileage The Johor Chinese Chamber of Commerce president Lim Beh felt that the hudud issue was played up by "certain political parties" to suit their political agendas. "I feel this is an outdated question. If you chant about it in the 70s, maybe the people would get frightened. But now people are just bored of it," he told FMT.
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| BN’s targets PAS, PKR seats in S’gor Posted: 28 Oct 2012 01:26 PM PDT
(Free Malaysia Today) - According to a Selangor assemblyman, DAP seats are "not the battleground" in the coming election. Barisan Nasional is aiming to gun down PAS and PKR in Selangor in the coming general election.
And death is imminent if the Election Commission (EC) does not clean-up the rolls of the almost 110,000 "untraceable" new registered voters, claims state exco Ronnie Liu from DAP. Liu, who is the Pandamaran state assemblyman, said PAS and PKR – two component parties within Pakatan Rakyat – will almost be certain to be wiped-out from the state assembly if the EC fails to clean up the rolls. He said out of the total 610,000 new registered voters, only about 500,000 voters were located by Pakatan representatives who recently carried out a survey in the state to confirm the names and addresses voters provided by the EC. "Even if we take into consideration the error rate in our survey, the 110,000 voters is a very high number. Most of them were registered mainly at the state constituencies won by PAS and PKR with close margin of votes (in the 2008 election)," Liu told FMT. For the record, in the 2008 election, BN only secured 20 seats – 18 seats won by Umno and two more by MCA – out of the 56 seats in the Selangor state legislative assembly. Pakatan – PKR, DAP and PAS – won 15, 13 and eight seats respectively. Liu said it will be almost impossible for Selangor Pakatan leaders to take on BN without "cleaning up" the electoral roll. He said the minimum requirement under the Election Offences Act was for voters to either reside or at least work at their respective constituencies. "But here in Selangor we have more than half million people registered as new voters and this trend was not recorded in other states. "The onus is on the National Registration Department (NRD) to verify all the particulars provided by the applicants who are requesting to update their addresses for the purpose of voting," he added. He said this will ensure that a single address is not being used by 20 to 30 voters. "The EC is just providing lip service whenever we approach them on discrepancies and is not showing any signs that they will act on this issue," lamented Liu. PKR, PAS seats targeted He said state Pakatan leaders will not oppose to dissolving the state assembly any time soon as long EC comes out with a better explanation on the 110,000 "uncounted for voters". "These 110,000 voters are either Umno or MCA members of other states who have been systematically registered here in Selangor with the clear intention to deny Pakatan from ruling the state for second time," he added. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/10/29/bns-targets-pas-pkr-seats-in-sgor/
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| Asia language plan 'central' to Australian reforms: PM Posted: 28 Oct 2012 01:16 PM PDT
(The Sun Daily) - Australian students would have "priority" access throughout their schooling to Mandarin, Hindi, Indonesian and Japanese languages, with Gillard vowing to link every school with an Asian partner for online classes by 2025.
Every Australian school will be partnered online with one in Asia by 2025 as regional languages become "central" to education reform plans, Prime Minister Julia Gillard said Monday. Boosting so-called "Asia literacy" is central to an ambitious plan to rocket Australia into the world's top 10 wealthiest economies in the next 13 years by broadening links with fast-growing China and its neighbours. A policy paper, "Australia in the Asian Century", was unveiled Sunday and contains a number of lofty goals for 2025 focused on education and business with key Asian partners China, South Korea, Japan, Indonesia and India. Australian students would have "priority" access throughout their schooling to Mandarin, Hindi, Indonesian and Japanese languages, with Gillard vowing to link every school with an Asian partner for online classes by 2025. "I'm going to put access to Asian languages at the centre of (our) national school improvement plan," she told ABC radio Monday, promising a "far broader and far more systematic" approach to Asian language learning. Gillard said it was essential to send "the right message to our kids about how important it is for their future and the careers that they will choose for them to have Asia language capability and general Asian literacy". The prime minister said Australia's national broadband network (NBN) -- a huge project working to connect 93 percent of homes to superfast Internet by 2017 -- would be key to connecting with Asian classrooms and teachers. "We live in an age of different learning possibilities and choices," she said. "The exchange on the NBN... can truly be two-way, where the language teacher is interacting with every child, and we want those children interacting with kids in a school in Asia." Gillard said she had already seen one such programme in action, with an Australian and South Korean school holding joint online sessions and students continuing their friendship outside of lessons on social media networks. "Kids (are)... actually genuinely getting to know each other and something about each other's lifestyles," she said. "And I think if you can do that then you can help inspire the passion of children." According to the latest population census, conducted last year, 76.8 percent of Australians only speak English at home. Mandarin is the most common language after English, spoken in 1.6 percent of homes, followed by Italian (1.4 percent), Arabic (1.3 percent), Cantonese and Greek (both 1.2 percent). |
| Liow: Change will lead to instability Posted: 28 Oct 2012 01:11 PM PDT
(The Star) - This general election will determine if Malaysia will continue using secular laws or be an Islamic nation as propagated by the Opposition, said MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai. He said Malaysia, as a multi-racial country, was developed based on equality and the rights of every citizen. "The country has developed well under the current system. If we change this, it can lead to instability," said Liow, adding that Malaysia could not practise two systems simultaneously. "All of us, including the Muslims, agree that we should respect each other's religious rights," he told reporters after launching Malaysia's Chinese Calligraphy Stone Gallery at the Nirvana Memorial Park here yesterday. Liow was commenting on a statement by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz that Malaysia was never declared a secular state by its past leaders. Last Monday, DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang said the country's first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, had declared that Malaysia was a secular nation with Islam as its official religion. Earlier, Liow, who is also Health Minister, launched the stone gallery which features over 150 calligraphic stele. The stone slabs, carved with ancient writing, recorded historical events and ceremonial recitals across the different Chinese dynasties. Liow said the gallery marked an important milestone in preserving and expanding Chinese culture. NV Multi Asia Group founder and managing director/CEO Datuk Kong Hon Kong said the gallery would serve as a good platform to expose youths to Chinese history. Group chairman Datuk Fu Ah Kiow said the company planned to have calligraphy competitions and talks so the public could appreciate the age-old art form. |
| Khaled: Do not sell given land Posted: 28 Oct 2012 01:09 PM PDT
(The Star) - Squatters given land titles should not take advantage of the situation by selling their plots. Pasir Gudang MP Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the squatters should be thankful to the Government for allowing them to own the land that they have been squatting on and should not sell it to a third party even if they are offered high prices. "They were allowed to own the land as most of them are poor and have nowhere else to go. They shouldn't take advantage of the generosity of the Government," he said. He was speaking to reporters after handing out quit rent notices to residents in Kampung Masai Baru here on Saturday. Mohamed Khaled said squatters should instead build proper houses for their families. "Although the land now belongs to them, they should think of all the trouble others have gone through to provide them with the titles," he said. Mohamed Khaled, who is also Higher Education Minister, added that the Government would continue to help former squatters here and address issues that affect them. "So far, the 5A Notices have been issued for residents in three settlements, namely Kampung Pasir Gudang Baru, Kampung Melayu Makmur and Kampung Masai Baru," he said. He added that residents in Kampung Melayu Pandan would also receive the notices soon. "It is, however, quite challenging for us to get the titles for the land sorted out as a large portion of it is not fully owned by the Government," he said. He added that another way to solve the matter would be to offer the former squatters houses worth RM200,000 each in a different location. |
| Despite Pakatan push, BN expects to win more than 140 seats Posted: 28 Oct 2012 09:30 AM PDT
Jahabar Sadiq, The Malaysian Insider The ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) expects to win more than the 140 federal seats it took in Election 2008 despite the onslaught and talk by Pakatan Rakyat (PR) that it can capture Putrajaya in the next general election which must be called by the end of April 2013, say government sources. But BN politicians concede that as many as seven parliamentary seats in Sarawak and six in Sabah are vulnerable to PR but maintain that their stronghold on rural areas remain strong. There are 222 parliamentary constituencies and 505 state seats up for grabs in the coming 13th general election. "The worst-case scenario is winning just over 120 seats but we're confident of getting as much as we did in 2008 if not more," a senior BN official told The Malaysian Insider, saying that their calculations do not take into account the impact of another Bantuan Rakyat 1 Malaysia (BR1M) payout next January where households earning less than RM3,000 a month will get a one-off RM500 cash aid. The Malaysian Insider learnt that BN secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor expressed confidence that the ruling coalition will do as well as in 2008 during a recent talk with the Foreign Correspondents Club of Malaysia despite uneasiness over risky seats in the coalition's "fixed deposit" states of Sabah and Sarawak. It is understood that BN is expecting to lose some of the seats held by four Sabah MPs who left the coalition while the urban Chinese sentiment in Sarawak could see those seats going to PR. In Election 2008, the DAP was the sole PR component party to win a federal seat each in Sabah and Sarawak. However, the opposition has questioned BN's confidence as the ruling coalition expects to lose more seats in Sabah and Sarawak in the coming elections than before. "How is BN going to make up for losses in the fixed deposit states?" asked an opposition lawmaker when contacted by The Malaysian Insider. "BN knows it can lose up to six in Sabah and seven in Sarawak but it hopes to make it up elsewhere, especially in the peninsula where sentiment is swinging back to the government," one Umno leader told The Malaysian Insider, saying programmes like BR1M have a positive effect on voters. The BR1M began earlier this year and some RM2 billion was spent for over four million households. The BR1M 2.0 also includes a one-off RM250 for unmarried people between 21 and 30 who earn up to RM2,000. Analysts say the expanded coverage would include most of the 2.2 million first-time voters expected to cast their ballots in the next elections. There are now just over 13 million voters in the country of 28 million people. BN politicians also point out that they are expected to get back support from the Indian community, who number 1.7 million, as the coalition has been fulfilling their requests and also extended more aid to them.
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| Lembah Pantai tough for BN due to split Malay vote, Nong Chik says Posted: 27 Oct 2012 07:41 PM PDT
Md Izwan, The Malaysian Insider The Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition will have a tough time winning back the Lembah Pantai parliamentary seat, Umno's Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin said today while blaming it on attempts by "certain" political parties to divide the Malay-Muslim vote. The Malay-Muslim community forms roughly 60 per cent of Malaysia's population and is split three-ways between the country's biggest Malay party, Umno, Islamist opposition party PAS, and PKR, seen as an urban liberal party. Political parties have sparred over issues such as the implementation of hudud laws — the Islamic penal code — in an attempt to gain support from the Malay community ahead of the 13th general election. "[It] cannot be denied the Umno-BN machinery will face fierce competition in the general election here. But I feel there is a bright chance to win. "[The] barrier (halangan) to [a BN victory] arises from certain parties in the country that try to split the Muslims in the country," Raja Nong Chik said after attending a Hari Raya Aidiladha celebration at Pantai Baru this morning. Raja Nong Chik, who is seen as a likely candidate from Umno for the parliamentary seat, said that preparations have already been made and the party machinery is impatiently waiting for the prime minister's green light. In Election 2008, Umno Wanita chief Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil failed to defend the Lembah Pantai hot seat, suffering a surprise defeat to Nurul Izzah Anwar, the daughter of Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Nurul Izzah won the seat with 21,728 votes while Shahrizat and an independent candidate received 18,833 votes and 489 votes, respectively. Earlier this month, Shahrizat had openly declared her support for Raja Nong Chik to be the Umno candidate for the Lembah Pantai seat in the coming election. Shahrizat had said that none was more qualified than Raja Nong Chik, who is also an Umno Supreme Council member, saying that he had worked hard in the Lembah Pantai area. "Actually, I've supported Datuk Raja Nong Chik since three years ago but only today I'm declaring it," said the former minister whose family has been linked to the National Feedlot Centre (NFC) scandal.
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| Merger of 5 PKNS assets approved by Federal Treasury, says Khalid Posted: 27 Oct 2012 07:36 PM PDT
(Bernama) - The merger of five assets belonging to the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS) into a single group asset transferred to a wholly-owned subsidiary of PKNS had received the approval of the Federal Treasury. Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said thus there was no necessity for him to reply on the issue which was raised by several parties because the PKNS deputy general manager (corporate) Datin Paduka Norazlina Zakaria had already given a reply on the matter. He was commenting on the call by Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Noh Omar that Abdul Khalid, who is also the PKNS chairman, give a full explanation on the claim that the PKNS board of directors had approved the sale of the five PKNS assets worth RM321mil. Noh said the five assets were Menara PKNS Petaling Jaya worth RM90mil, Shah Alam Convention Centre (RM97mil), Shah Alam PKNS Complex (RM85mil), Bangi PKNS Kompleks (RM42mil) and Wisma Yakin Kuala Lumpur (RM7mil). Noh, who is also the Selangor Barisan Nasional deputy chairman, made the call at a function, here on Sunday.
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| Soi Lek: Jamil needs to do homework on hudud first Posted: 27 Oct 2012 04:49 PM PDT
(The Star) - Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek says Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom has not done his homework when he said PAS' brand of hudud would have no effect on non-Muslims. "Maybe he did not do his homework. I am disappointed with what he said," the MCA president said. On Wednesday, Jamil Khir told Nibong Tebal MP Tan Tee Beng in the Dewan Rakyat that hudud would not affect non-Muslims. Tan had asked him if it would ever be implemented in Malaysia. Speaking to reporters after chairing the Batu Pahat MCA committee meeting on Friday, Dr Chua invited Jamil Khir to a debate on how hudud would affect all Malaysians, pointing out that it involved amending the Federal Constitution. He also pointed out that a political party should not be equated to religion. "PAS is a political party while Islam is the official religion. "The MCA is upholding the constitution which states the country's official religion is Islam while Malaysians are free to embrace their own," he said. Asked if his comments about Jamil Khir would affect Barisan Nasional, Dr Chua said the MCA, as a political party, had the right to express its views. Dr Chua added that he would not apologise to a group of PAS Youth members who had held a protest at Wisma MCA over his statement on hudud. "Why should we be scared? We are merely stressing our views and the people have the right to choose," he said. On another matter, Dr Chua said the DAP had been championing PAS as this was obvious when Rasah MP and DAP Youth leader Anthony Loke slammed the table in Parliament against the MCA in defence of PAS spiritual adviser Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat. "When Penang PKR chief Datuk Mansor Othman remarked that Penangites viewed Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng as tokong (deity), why did Loke not slam the table in Parliament? "Does this mean that to Loke, Nik Aziz is more important than Lim?" he asked, claiming that this showed that the DAP was a "political eunuch" to PAS. Dr Chua also said that Batu Pahat MCA would hold a mega dinner at Sea View Restaurant on Nov 3 and the money raised would be channelled to six Chinese primary schools and a Chinese independent school in the area. "From next year onwards, 25 poor students from each of the Chinese primary schools will be given RM600 in aid per year while those from the independent school will receive RM1,000 every year," he said.
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| Soi Lek disagrees with Umno ally over hudud Posted: 27 Oct 2012 04:43 PM PDT
Ida Lim, The Malaysian Insider Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek has openly disagreed with his Umno colleague in the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) that introducing hudud, the strict Islamic penal code, here will not impact non-Muslims, adding to the protracted debate over religious rights in multicultural Malaysia. "Maybe he did not do his homework. I am disappointed with what he said," the MCA president was reported as saying today by English-language paper The Sunday Star. Dr Chua was referring to Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom, who had earlier this week said hudud could only apply to Muslims as they come under the jurisdiction of the Syariah courts. "Therefore, hudud law will not impact non-Muslims," Jamil Khir, the minister for Islamic affairs, told Parliament in a written reply. He had based his reply on the Federal Constitution, where Islamic law falls under the jurisdiction of each state and is only applicable to Muslims. "Therefore, if hudud is to be implemented in Malaysia, then the Syariah Court would only have jurisdiction over those who practise Islam in accordance with the Federal Constitution," Jamil Khir had said. Malaysia's dual-track court system has resulted in an blurring of lines in an increasing number of legal disputes between Muslims and non-Muslims over their constitutional rights. Dr Chua had last week said many Chinese voters are "also aware that the DAP has been lying when it said that hudud will not affect the non-Muslims". MCA has been using the hudud issue to warn non-Muslims, especially the Chinese community, away from voting for Pakatan Rakyat (PR) in the coming polls, insisting that the pact's "dominant" partner PAS would insist on its implementation despite its ties with secular DAP and PKR. Hudud has remained a sensitive touch point in Southeast Asia's third-largest economy, which has a 60 per cent Muslim population, with political parties continuing to spar over the subject in the run-up to the 13th general election. The idea of an Islamic criminal code has been used to either scare the minority Chinese voters, or shore up support among the majority Malay-Muslim community. The Malay community is seen today as split three-ways among the ruling BN's mainstay and the country's biggest Malay party, Umno, the opposition's Islamist PAS, and PKR, which is seen as an urban liberal party. MCA had also previously warned that Muslim MPs would unite to amend the Federal Constitution in favour of hudud and the Islamic state if PR takes over, but DAP's Lim Kit Siang had dismissed it as a "lie" to stop the Chinese community from voting for the opposition. Lim had said that there were only 130 Muslim MPs in the country, while 148 MPs are needed to make up the two-thirds majority for a constitutional amendment.
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| Karpal gets flak over seat call Posted: 27 Oct 2012 04:20 PM PDT  The CEC has discussed this issue before. It all depends on the party's strategy in each constituency and state. - TERESA KOK (The Star) - DAP national chairman Karpal Singh has come under fire from party leaders for his "one candidate, one seat" proposal, with a senior leader describing it as an "old story" and another saying it was unwise to raise it in the media. Others, mainly those holding both parliamentary and state seats, chose to keep mum. National organising secretary Teresa Kok, who is the Seputeh MP and Kinrara assemblyman, brushed off Karpal's call as an "old story." "The party's candidature committee will deal with this and the central executive committee (CEC) has discussed this issue before. "It all depends on the party's strategy in each constituency and state," Kok said. Selangor Speaker Datuk Teng Chang Khim, a four-term DAP assemblyman, said the party should have discussed the issue before the media was involved. "It is not wise to raise (this matter) in the media. It creates unnecessary disputes and problems,'' he said. Perak DAP secretary Nga Kor Ming, who is Taiping MP and Pantai Remis assemblyman, declined to comment while state party chief Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham, the Beruas MP and Sitiawan assemblyman, could not be reached for comment. DAP Socialist Youth chief Anthony Loke Siew Fook, who is Rasah MP and Lobak assemblyman, had little to say except that the party leadership should decide.  Penang DAP chief Chow Kon Yeow, who is Tanjung MP and Padang Kota assemblyman, said the party would make a decision "when the time comes", with party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, who is Bagan MP and Air Putih assemblyman, saying the matter would be brought to the CEC for discussion. On Friday, Karpal urged DAP leaders who held both parliamentary and state seats to publicly express a willingness to give up one. He said that while there would be "extraordinary exceptions" to his "one candidate, one seat" proposal, all should be willing to vie only for a single constituency. The Bukit Gelugor MP said Guan Eng, who is also Penang Chief Minister, should be among the "exceptions". Penang, the only state where the DAP holds the majority within the state government, has three DAP dual-seat representatives Lim, Chow and Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P. Ramasamy, who is Batu Kawan MP and Prai assemblyman. All three are in the state executive council line-up and receive additional basic salaries for these positions. It is learnt that each of the three representatives could lose over RM13,000 a month should they give up their parliament or state seat. An assemblyman-cum-state executive councillor in Selangor can earn up to RM16,000 a month including allowances, besides getting an official car and driver. If one is also an MP, the monthly remuneration would be almost double as a parliamentarian is paid about RM15,000 each month.
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| Pros and cons in early naming of election candidates Posted: 27 Oct 2012 04:14 PM PDT
(The Star) - Barisan Nasional leaders have discussed with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak the possibility of announcing the list of general election candidates early. Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said there were pros and cons in an early announcement and that no final decision had been made on the matter. The MCA president said an early announcement would give a candidate more time to prepare besides introducing himself or herself to the people. Nevertheless, he also noted that those who were not in favour of the candidate would also have more time to sabotage him or her. Speaking to reporters after chairing the state liaison committee meeting here yesterday, Dr Chua, who is also Johor MCA chairman, said in the past, candidates would only be made known just days before nomination day. On Friday, Barisan secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor hinted that the names of Barisan candidates could be announced earlier. On another matter, Dr Chua challenged DAP general election hopefuls to stay and serve in Johor if they wished to contest in the state. "Locals are angry when they are forced to accept parachute candidates from Kuala Lumpur," he said, adding that some said they wanted to contest in Johor because they were born in the state. "I have served in the state for the past 26 years and I am still serving here despite not knowing if I will be a candidate in the coming elections." On the MCA's mega dinners, he said there would be between 20 and 30 mega dinners nationwide in the next two months following the good response from the nine dinners this month. "The dinners will be used to explain the country's situation to the rakyat so that they will not be continuously misled by the Opposition. "The Opposition, especially DAP, is good at talking but poor in delivery. DAP brands itself as a multi-racial party but does not dare contest in a non-Chinese majority seat," he said, challenging the DAP to contest in a Malay majority seat. Dr Chua also said that, of the RM500,000 proceeds from the mega dinner here, the MCA donated RM300,000 to Kulai's Foon Yew High School while the balance went to Southern College. He said about 15,000 people attended the dinner last night.
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| Former Ops Lalang detainees happy that ISA has been repealed Posted: 27 Oct 2012 04:09 PM PDT  Former detainee: Muzaffar (The Star) - Former Ops Lalang detainees are glad the Internal Security Act (ISA) will no longer be used to detain people without trial. In conjunction with the 25th anniversary of the crackdown yesterday, ex-detainees said arrests under the ISA were no longer relevant with current times. International Movement for Just World (JUST) president Dr Chandra Muzaffar said the abolition of the ISA was a milestone for Malaysians who had struggled to protect and enhance human dignity. He praised the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act for having a "remarkable" feature which stripped authorities of absolute power over security offences. Dr Chandra, who was Aliran president then and was detained for 52 days, said similar swoops should not be allowed to happen again.  Former detainee: Kerk "I don't think we should resort to mass arrests to defuse tension. "There are other ways to find out the cause of problems," he said. On Oct 27, 1987, 106 Opposition and Barisan Nasional politicians, academics and social activists were detained under the ISA. The licences of three newspapers The Star, Sin Chew Jit Poh and Watan (which has ceased publication) were also withdrawn. The Star only resumed publication in March the following year. Most of those detained were released within 60 days, but 40, including veteran DAP leader Lim Kit Siang and his son Guan Eng, several PAS leaders and activists were held for two years.  Former detainee: Karpal In September last year, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak rescinded the Emergency ordinances, repealed the Restricted Residence and Banishment Acts and instituted new laws, such as the Security Offences (Special Measures) and National Harmony Acts to replace the Internal Security and Sedition Acts respectively. Today, newspapers and other publications are no longer required to renew their printing press licences and publication permits annually, in line with the amendments to the Printing Presses and Publications Act. Former DAP secretary-general Kerk Kim Hock said such mass arrests should not be allowed to happen again. "The history of ISA is a record of misuse. "Ops Lalang marked a dark chapter in the nation's history. No such crackdown must ever happen again," he stressed. Kerk was only 31 when he was held for 60 days under ISA.  Former detainee: Wee He was not shocked over his detention although it came a year after he was elected as Durian Daun assemblyman. DAP chairman Karpal Singh, who was 47 and Jelutong MP when he was arrested, said he has always been against laws that allow detention without trial. MCA treasurer Tan Sri Tan Chai Ho, who was the party's Federal Territory Youth vice-chief when he was detained for 57 days, believed such crackdowns would not happen again as society was now more liberal, while Wangsa Maju MP Wee Choo Keong, who was also detained, said the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act was good to nip racial tensions in the bud. "We cannot afford any tension that can lead the country into chaos.  Former detainee: Tan "I believe no Malaysian wants to see a repeat of May 13," he said. The Star group chief editor Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai said he was glad the ISA was repealed. "What the Prime Minister has done is to remove many of these laws which gave him plenty of power. "We must recognise this point," he said. Wong, who was then a reporter in Penang, recalled how staff had to go through Christmas and Chinese New Year without their salaries when The Star was suspended. He was also glad there was no longer a need to renew the printing permit annually but stressed that it was not enough.  Former detainee: Meenakshi "The printing permit must go. The sooner it goes, the better it is for press freedom," he said, adding that he has been consistent in his call to repeal the requirement. He also recalled that a Special Branch officer had asked to meet him on the morning of the suspension. "The air was tense and the press was worried that reporters would be rounded up too. "I remember talking to people like Dr Chandra and (CAP legal adviser) Meenakshi Raman who were arrested the very next minute! "I don't think journalists should go through this again. "There must be no more Ops Lalang," he said.
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| Anwar: Khalid will defend his parliamentary seat Posted: 27 Oct 2012 03:51 PM PDT
The Selangor Menteri Besar however says should he be elected again, the next term would be his last. Leven Woon, FMT Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim has been nominated by his party PKR to defend his parliamentary seat in Bandar Tun Razak, fuelling speculation that he would be shifted to hold a cabinet post should Pakatan Rakyat takes over federal leadership. PKR de factor leader Anwar Ibrahim said that the party would re-nominate Khalid to contest the seat during a visit to Pekan Sungai Besi this morning. Khalid was also present with Anwar. "During the last general election, we won all (localities) but the army camps. This time, God willing, we will even emerge triumphant in army camps," he told some 300-odd crowd during his Jelajah Merdeka speech. A former corporate figure, Khalid wrested the Bandar Tun Razak seat from a strong MCA incumbent Tan Chai Ho with a majority of 2,515 votes. He also won the Ijok state seat with 1,920 majority. In recent weeks, the political chatter had been that PKR would replace Khalid as the Selangor MB if Pakatan wins the state again in the next general election. It had been said that he would not be asked to contest for a state seat and instead to concentrate in his parliamentary seat.
Anwar's confirmation today – and the silence on the status of his state seat – would only add frenzy to the speculation. One more term only He said he would put in place a leadership succession plan should he be elected again in Bandar Tun Razak as he felt two-terms were enough for him. "It's not just me, but every parliamentarian should be giving a chance for other leaders to replace them," he said. When asked whether he would also re-nominated to defend his state seat, he answer was: "that hasn't been announced, they only announced me for Bandar Tun Razak". Asked again whether the plan was to shift him to become a cabinet minister, he said it was only "speculations".
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| Is ex-Sabah DCM Tham making comeback? Posted: 27 Oct 2012 03:45 PM PDT
Former SAPP co-founder Tham Nyip Shin was coy about talk that he would be a candidate in the 13th general election. Queville Toh, FMT KOTA KINABALU: Former deputy chief minister Tham Nyip Shin is said to be considering to contest in the coming general election. Tham, 53, who dropped out of politics eight years ago after he was not picked to defend his Elopura state seat, is said to have been wooed by parties on both sides of the political divide. Met at a private dinner function here on Friday, the former Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) co-founder was coy about talk that he would be a candidate in the 13th general election, expected to be called anytime. "In politics, anything is possible," said Tham. "I am weighing my options for now and perhaps in a few weeks' time if you ask me the same question, I may have a more definite answer." He admitted that he had met with representatives from both the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition as well as the opposition in the state capital, as well as in Kuala Lumpur during a business trip there recently. "I was approached. I told them I would consider their invite but made no promises. After eight years in the political wilderness, there are many things to consider first before I make a decision to come back or stay away from politics for good. "But don't ask me where I am going to stand or on which party ticket. It could very well be in a seat which is away from my traditional stronghold in Sandakan and the party I join could catch you all by surprise. "So let's just wait for the time being. Let me consider the matter seriously and in due course I will give you all my decision." Now a businessman with extensive local and regional business establishments, Tham made his political debut in 1985 as a Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) candidate at the age of 26, defeating his more senior Berjaya opponent Yap Pak Leong by 171 votes in the watershed state elections that brought the former opposition party to power in Sabah. Together with his former PBS colleague Yong Teck Lee, he helped form SAPP in 1994 and retained the Elopura seat by beating a PBS candidate and in 1996 he was appointed deputy chief minister, a position he held for seven years.
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| Liu shows proof it was all BN’s work Posted: 27 Oct 2012 04:04 AM PDT
Selangor state exco Ronnie Liu presents documented evidence showing BN's hand in approving the Batu Caves condominium project Leven Woon, FMT BATU CAVES: The Selangor state government today provided evidence showing Barisan Nasional's hand in approving the proposed condominium project near the Batu Caves Temple. Ronnie Liu, the Selangor executive councillor (exco) for local government today showed planning approvals issued on Nov 30, 2007 that details the height, size and type of the development slated on the land. "The approval, signed by the then Selayang Municipal Council president, Zainal Abidin Azim, was done with the full knowledge of the then BN councillors," he said. "The planning approvals state clearly that the whole development consists of two blocks of 29-storey service apartment, and another 25-storey apartment, with shophouses fronting it. "Hence, no one, including the Batu Caves temple committee chairman, should put the blame on the Pakatan government," said Liu at the site of the proposed development. Liu's revelation comes a day after a protest by about 300 people against the project, calling Pakatan state government to scrap the project. Deputy Foreign Minister, A Kohilan Pillay, who was a MPS councillor at that time, said that BN was only responsible for the issuance of the preliminary planning approval. He blamed Pakatan for the subsequent building approval and marketing proposals, paving the way for the project to take shape. Debunking the claims today, Liu said the state government could not do anything after a planning approval is issued. "Planning approval means an overall greenlight. Kohilan is trying to bullshit everyone by saying that we can give planning approval but not execution approval," he said. He explained that the building approval, which was issued in March 2008, was the work of the BN councillors. He said this was because the Pakatan Rakyat councillors were only sworn in, in July 2008, though they took over the state leadership in March after the general election. Not bothered by legal threat When asked about the marketing approval, Liu said it was under the purview of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government. "It has nothing to do with us. Nothing has been done by Pakatan to support the project," he said.
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| S'gor MB challenged to explain proposed sale of PKNS assets Posted: 26 Oct 2012 07:25 PM PDT
(Bernama) - Yet another Barisan Nasional (BN) leader has challenged Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim to explain the proposed sale of five assets of the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS) valued at RM321 million by the PKR-led state government. Puteri Umno chief Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin said today Abdul Khalid should explain the rationale for the proposed sale and its impact on bumiputera entrepreneurs operating businesses at those premises. The five assets are the Menara PKNS in Petaling Jaya, the Shah Alam Convention Centre (SACC) Mall in Shah Alam, the PKNS Complex in Shah Alam, the PKNS Complex in Bangi and Wisma Yakin in Jalan Masjid India here. "Can the Selangor government give an assurance that the potential owners of the five assets would ensure the welfare of the entrepreneurs?" she asked in a statement. Rosnah, who is deputy health minister, was commenting on the controversy over the proposed sale of the assets by the Selangor government which is feared would be a loss to the people of the state, particularly the bumiputeras. She said Abdul Khalid, as a former corporate figure, should be more mature and enhance development of the state without subjecting the people to injustice. "Tan Sri Abdul Khalid cannot assume that the Selangor state administration is a business which is concerned only with profit and development without considering the welfare of the people. "Is the sale of the five assets the best solution? Why was the decision (to sell) made now? Is PKNS facing a financial problem? These are questions demanding answers," she said. Rosnah said PKNS should be increasing its holdings and not reduce them through sale. Selangor Umno Liaison Committee deputy chairman Datuk Seri Noh Omar had also questioned the proposed sale of the PKNS assets.
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| Local councils a law unto themselves Posted: 26 Oct 2012 06:45 PM PDT
Lack of accountability and transparency in the Batu Caves condo project is the result of 50 years of Umno-BN rule, says DAP's S Ramakrishnan Athi Shankar, FMT The condominium project approved by the BN-led Selangor government in 2007 near Batu Caves has highlighted the lack of accountability and transparency in local councils, said DAP Senator S Ramakrishnan. He said the two 29-storey project, slated to be built adjacent to the Hindu temple showed that the over 50 years of BN federal rule had made local councils a lord unto themselves. He took the Selayang Municipal Council to task for approving the Dolomite Park Avenue condominium project on Sept 26, 2007 despite the federal declaration's of the 272ha Batu Caves Reserve as a national heritage site that same year. He hit out at the council for approving the project without an environmental impact study and called for a review and reevaluation of the project altogether. The beauty of the area was in the caves, hill structures, and the many varieties of unique and inimitable flora and fauna. He said that in 1930, the Batu Caves Hill was reserved as a site for public recreation (Federated Malay States Government Gazette Notification (GN) No 4712-30, part-revoked by GN 652-54; and the Selangor State Government Gazette GN 312-59), while in 1980 the state government agreed to stop quarrying at Batu Caves to protect the hills and caves. "The federal declaration affirmed the status of Batu Caves as a unique site of national interest. Yet the MPS approved the project," said Ramakrishnan. He said current Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim had called for local councils to be reformed. Local councils must be made accountable - However, Ramakrishnan said the dominant federal ruling party, Umno, had lost the moral authority and leadership to reform them. He called for a change of government to initiate reforms and accountability of local councils to rate payers. "Local councils must be made accountable for their decisions," he said. The Senator also commended the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) for monitoring and protecting the dark caves and lime stone structures within the Batu Caves.
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| DAP’s ‘gesture of goodwill’ to SAPP Posted: 26 Oct 2012 02:37 PM PDT
Party opens door to Sabah Progressive Party to contest in three state seats within the Kota Kinabalu parliamentary constituency (FMT) - KOTA KINABALU: In a shrewd move to show it is willing to compromise to break the political deadlock in Sabah, the DAP said it will not be contesting all the Chinese majority seats in Sabah in the coming general election. A senior DAP official speaking on condition of anonymity said the party had agreed to open the door to the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) to contest in three state seats, all within the Kota Kinabalu parliamentary constituency as a "gesture of cooperation and goodwill". "But that is about it," he said yesterday. He was commenting on DAP Sabah chief, Jimmy Wong's announcement last Sunday that the DAP would be contesting in three parliamentary seats and seven state seats in the general election. According to the official, DAP would make way for SAPP in Api Api as they had heard that SAPP president Yong Teck Lee would be its candidate there, although there have been indications from the party that he might contest in his previous constituency of Likas. Political observers say the clash between Yong and his archrival, BN's Dr Yee Moh Chai, who is the incumbent state assemblyman for Api-Api, would be more worthy and satisfying for the former chief minister. Yee is a Deputy Chief Minister representing the Chinese community under a peculiar system in the state's Umno-led BN coalition government that breaks up existing power structures so as to prevent smaller power groups from linking up against Umno. He is also the state's Resource Development and Information Technology Minister and a deputy president of Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), a party that observers say has lost the goodwill of the Chinese community. If Yong were to contest in Likas, he would be taking over from his close aide Liew Teck Chan and be open to being accused of practicing nepotism by his critics. As for Luyang and Likas which also come under Kota Kinabalu, the senior DAP official said it was only fair that SAPP be given the chance to defend the seats as they were the incumbents. The DAP will defend its Kota Kinabalu parliamentary seat through incumbent MP Hiew King Cheu, an engineer, as well as field candidates in Sandakan and Penampang. "We are still wary about SAPP as they refuse to officially join Pakatan Rakyat and as such it would be a big risk to us if they were to be allowed to contest more seats," said the senior official, explaining the rationale in giving way to SAPP in three constituencies only. 'SAPP's strength is in Kota Kinabalu' The opposition coalition which is made up of peninsular-controlled parities is also standing its ground on not giving way to the local party in Sandakan as the incumbents are now in Gerakan, also a peninsular-controlled party. "Look, SAPP cannot even hold on to what they have and if they are given more and they win, we would never know until it's too late if they would cross over again," said the official. "It is better to be safe. Furthermore, SAPP does not have calibre candidates for the Sandakan seats, so it's no point contesting there. Their strength is in Kota Kinabalu so it is best they focus all their resources here." SAPP has claimed it has bases throughout the state and is capable of fielding candidates in a majority of the 60 state and 25 parliamentary constituencies. DAP wants to field veterinarian Dr Edwin Bosi in the Kadazandusun-majority district of Penampang where PKR's Darrel Leiking is also among the contenders. DAP is also eyeing the neighbouring constituency of Kepayan.
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| MACC report against Palani’s aide Posted: 26 Oct 2012 02:35 PM PDT
Several businessmen claim corrupt practices in the handing out of cooking oil packing contracts to Indian contractors. B Nantha Kumar, FTM Several businessmen have lodged a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) against a senior and most trusted aide of cabinet member and MIC president G Palanivel. The report is over alleged corrupt practices involved in the handing out of cooking oil packing contracts overseen by Palanivel in his capacity as the lead minister of Indian Affairs in the Prime Minister's Department. The report accused Dr S Vijendran, who until last week was the political secretary of Palanivel but has since been redesignated as private secretary to the minister, of manipulating the cooking oil packing contracts to favour one particular contractor. "We are frustrated with Dr Vijendran's involvement in the cooking oil packing contract which is supposed to be open for all deserving Indian entrepreneurs," said one of the complainants who wished to be unnamed for now. He said that the MACC should take immediate steps to look into the alleged corrupt practices as it was hampering the growth of genuine Indian entrepreneurs. The report was made yesterday despite it being a public holiday. "If there is no action taken soon, we will hold a rally against Palanivel for still relying on Vijendran on matters involving the Indian business community," he said. The distribution of the contract was handled by Suria Cooperative Society which is chaired by Palanivel, who had then left it in the hands of Vijendran to pick the deserving Indian businessmen to service the contract. Originally seven Indian companies had been identified for the contract but five of them were rejected for not holding a Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry (KPDNKK) licence. And from the two qualified companies, Vijendran allegedly decided to pick only one as the other did not apparently meet the requirements set by Suria Cooperative Society. At the same time, Vijendran also had allegedly turned away other companies who had obtained the KPDNKK licence. He is also accused of asking these new companies to become sub-contractors to one particular company. "Why is he giving special privilege to the particular company when the contract is meant to help the Indian business community? Why is Palanivel keeping quiet over this matter?" asked the complainant. He wants the MACC to investigate this. He also claimed that Vijendran's action had only resulted in the sole contract winner of making hefty profits. "By having more Indian companies on board, more people would enjoy the benefits instead of one or two connected individuals," he said.
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| Genneva gold storm poses political risks ahead of polls Posted: 26 Oct 2012 12:25 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - The action against Genneva has resulted in pressure on the Najib administration to resolve the controversy that has put 300,000 livelihoods at stake — according to Genneva contractors and customers who spoke to The Malaysian Insider — and which could impact the Barisan Nasional (BN) government's chances in the 13th general election that must be called by next April, less than six months away. While many Muslim Malaysians are kicking back at home with their extended family over a feast of roasted meats and laughter this long Aidiladha weekend, Genneva Malaysia gold trader Che Surin Jusoh is struggling to explain to her five-year-old son why they cannot return to Kedah for the holidays. "My son will ask 'Ma, kenapa tak bawa keluar? Lama tak jalan-jalan' (Ma, why haven't you taken me out? Long time since we've gone out)," the 32-year-old banker-turned-gold-seller told The Malaysian Insider earlier this week, as city dwellers began their annual rush home to celebrate the Muslim holiday. "I don't know what to say... I only have RM1,000 to RM2,000 in my bank account," the mother of two young children — her younger child, a girl, is two years old — and the sole breadwinner in the family added, her voice sounding thick as she fought to prevent a sob from escaping. Che Surin is among the 60,000-plus sellers and buyers who have been left nearly broke after Bank Negara raided the firm and seized 200kg of gold bullion estimated to be worth a whopping RM40 million from Genneva Malaysia's premises in Jalan Kuchai Lama here on October 1.  The gold bars stacked up in a Genneva Malaysia office awaiting distribution to paid customers before the October 1 Bank Negara raid. — Picture courtesy of Che Surin Jusoh It has been reported that the scheme operated by Genneva offered extremely high returns of up to 24 per cent per annum. How the scheme worked was the gold was priced at between 18 per cent and 20 per cent above market rate, and purchasers were paid guaranteed monthly returns of about three per cent. The physical gold was not passed to the buyer and the company would buy back the investment after the end of the contract period, according to a New Straits Times news report on October 5 highlighting several dissatisfied customers who lodged police reports against the company. This meant that the customer's return on investment appeared to have been funded by the principal capital put into the scheme which was above the market rate for gold. Bank Negara has also frozen Genneva Malaysia's accounts, cheques and other assets, on suspicion the company violated various banking and financial laws which include taking deposits without giving gold in return, money laundering, evading taxes, appointing agents without licence, failing to file statutory documents, and misrepresenting itself as an investment firm and giving false descriptions on its business after several people lodged complaints with the police. The central bank's actions sparked an immediate outcry from the 6,000 salesmen contracted to sell and buy back gold from Genneva Malaysia who have rallied to the company's defence and its 60,000 customers from all walks of life, including professionals from the banking industry like Che Surin, pensioners, students, and The Malaysian Insider understands politicians and various foundations that have been working to fund charities like orphanages. Bank Negara has yet to press charges against the company's directors.  Dr Mahathir launched Genneva Malaysia on December 15, 2010. — Picture courtesy of Shereen Lim The Malaysian Insider understands that Putrajaya is well aware of the potential political fallout but there is concern that a bailout of any kind would involve several billion ringgit and would be a moral hazard. For Che Surin who had worked for three banks before signing up with Genneva Malaysia in February last year, the company's unusual business operations had proved to be a godsend when she encountered financial woes two years ago which put her in what she called " my dark summer of 2010". "I could not pay my bills then," she said. The round-faced tudung-clad woman recounted that she was initially sceptical of Genneva Malaysia when her bank customers sung its praises to her. "When I joined, I was not 100 per cent convinced," she said, but related that she dabbled in trying out the buying-and-selling back the gold scheme over a five-month period before becoming confident that it could work. What truly sold her on the Genneva idea was the public endorsement campaigns headlined by dignitaries like Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Donald Lim and former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad who had encouraged Malaysians to buy gold instead of putting their faith in paper money during his speech at the syariah-compliant company's launch on December 15. Despite the action taken by authorities in Singapore and Malaysia, Che Surin and three other Genneva Malaysia contractors — what the company designates as its salesmen — told The Malaysian Insider that they strongly believe the company management had acted above board. They bristle with indignation that the company is a Ponzi scheme or a get-rich-quick scheme despite the exceptionally high returns which many government officials and critics have pointed out was too good to be true. "We are not investors. That's the misconception," said 54-year-old retiree Shereen Lim, who pointed out that Genneva Malaysia's management had published advertisements in all the mainstream dailies, including the vernacular newspapers, to educate the public on what it was last March, following Bank Negara's advice after its last audit and dialogue session with the company. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/genneva-gold-storm-poses-political-risks-ahead-of-polls/ |
| Karpal renews pressure on one man-one seat policy Posted: 25 Oct 2012 07:58 PM PDT
The DAP chairman wants the party's double-seat holders to publicly announce that they would contest to retain only one seat in the next general election. Athi Shankar, FMT The DAP's double-seat holders should publicly declare that they would contest only one seat in the next general election instead of waiting for the party leadership to decide for them. National chairman Karpal Singh said this would spare the party supreme decision-making body, central executive committee (CEC), the trouble of dumping them eventually from either the parliamentary or state seat. He insisted said that in their declaration, the current double-seat holders should only declare that they would opt for one seat the next time. He said they however, shall not declare which seat, federal or state, they would decline, as it would be the CEC prerogative to decide on that. He insisted that it was not in the public interest for DAP candidates to continue to be silent on their stance or insist to contest both federal and state seats in the next polls. He said they got to declare their one-seat stance in the larger interest of the party and Pakatan Rakyat. "They should make way for new candidates and young leaders," Karpal, the Bukit Gelugor MP, told a press conference in Bandar Baru Air Itam here today. He said the party had grown leaps and bounds over the last four years, thus not facing shortage of enthusiastic and energetic candidates. Nine double-hatters The most prominent double-seat holder is DAP secretary general and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng. He is Bagan MP and Air Putih assemblyman. Lim however, may be excused from making such public declaration. When the CEC reached a consensus and endorsed the one person – one seat formula some time back, Karpal said it was decided that there would be some exemptions to the general rule. But he insisted that the exceptional rule shall be used in its "fullest import." One exemption proposed by Karpal is to allow the chief minister candidate to contest both federal and state seats. "We need the chief minister to be an MP to air the state issues at federal level," said Karpal, recalling that former state chief minister Lim Chong Eu was once both MP and a state assemblyman (1969 – 1974) However, Karpal admitted that from 1974 general electon until 1990, Chong Eu opted only for the state seat to focus on his chief minister job. But he still insisted on DAP's chief minister candidate to be given double seats to enable a chief minister to handle directly state-federal issues. Another exemption would be to allow double-seat contestants in Sabah and Sarawak due to shortage of credible candidates there. Penang DAP chairman Chow Kon Yeow (Tanjung MP and Padang Kota assemblyman) and deputy chairman P Ramasamy (Batu Kawan MP and Prai assemblyman) are other two incumbents of both parliamentary and state seats in Penang. Others double-hat wearers in Peninsular are Beruas MP and Sitiawan assemblyman Ngeh Koo Ham and Taiping MP and Pantai Remis assemblyman Nga Kor Ming in Perak; Seputeh MP and Kinrara assemblyperson Teresa Kok Suh Sim in Selangor; and Rasah MP and Lobak assemblyman Anthony Loke Siew Fook in Negeri Sembilan. In Sarawak, double-hat politicians are Sibu MP and Bukit Assek assemblyman Wong Ho Leng and Bandar Kuching MP and Kota Sentosa assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen.
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| Let Federal Court decide status of M’sia Posted: 25 Oct 2012 04:04 PM PDT
The Yang Di-Pertuan Agong shoud command a full Federal Court bench to determine if Malaysia is a secular or an Islamic state, says Karpal Singh. Athi Shankar, FMT Senior parliamentarian Karpal Singh has urged the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong to command a full 12-man bench of the federal court to decide and declare on whether Malaysia is a secular or an Islamic nation. The DAP national chairman urged the king to invoke his power under Article 130 of the Federal Constitution to refer the contentious issue to the highest court for its opinion and "clear the air once for all." He believed it was crucial for the king's intervention for a judicial pronouncement as to the status of the country in view of recent controversy on the secular – Islamic state issue and its impact on the country. Article 130 permits the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong to refer to the Federal Court for its opinion on any question as to the effect of any provision of this constitution which has arisen or appears to him likely to arise, and the Federal Court shall pronounce in open court its opinion on any question so referred to it. Karpal was responding to Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz's parliamentary reply on Monday, declaring that based on legal provisions in the country, Malaysia has never been declared nor endorsed as a secular nation. Nazri said that the situation in Malaysia was different than in the United States, India and Turkey, which clearly specify that those countries were secular in their constitutions. But Karpal countered that the constitution neither had declared Malaysia as "an Islamic state" unlike countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh and Iran. He said notwithstanding specific provisions on Islam and the lack of the word "secular" in the Federal Constitution, Malaysia had been officially declared as a secular state, including in judicial pronouncement. He said that Mohd Nazri's parliamentary statement was also in conflict with a 1988 judicial decision. Judicially pronounced to be secular The Supreme Court was equivalent of the current Federal Court which replaced the Privy Council. Karpal said given the official declaration of the nation's highest judicial authority, Malaysia has been "judicially pronounced to be a secular state". "A country having secular laws could not be an Islamic state," argued Karpal, also a senior lawyer. He recalled that two former prime ministers, the late Tunku Abdul Rahman and Hussien Onn, had also stated on record that "Malaysia was not an Islamic state". He rubbished political declaration by another ex-premier Dr Mahathir Mohamed in September, 2001 at the Gerakan general assembly that Malaysia was an Islamic state. "It does not have the stamp of legitimacy," Karpal told newsmen in Bandar Baru Air Itam during his Bukit Gelugor parliamentary constituency visit here today.
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| Not just a Malay problem: dirty money cost China US$3.8 trillion 2000-2011 Posted: 25 Oct 2012 03:46 PM PDT
(Reuters) - China has lost US$3.79 trillion over the past decade in money smuggled out of the country, a massive amount that could weaken its economy and create instability, according to a new report. And the outflow - much of it from corruption, crime or tax evasion - is accelerating. China lost $472 billion in 2011, equivalent to 8.3 percent of its gross domestic product, up from $204.7 billion in 2000, Global Financial Integrity, a research and advocacy group that campaigns to limit illegal flows, said in a report on Thursday. "The magnitude of illicit money flowing out of China is astonishing," said GFI director Raymond Baker. "There is no other developing or emerging country that comes even close to suffering as much in illicit financial flows." The lost funds between 2000 and 2011 significantly exceeded the amount of money flowing into China as foreign direct investment. The International Monetary Fund calculated FDI inflows at roughly $310 billion between 1998 and 2011. Illicit capital flows rob a government of tax revenues and potential investment funds. Capital flight on this scale can be politically destabilizing by allowing the rich to get richer through tax evasion, GFI said. China has a low level of tax collection given the size of its economy, according to the IMF. Beijing has recognized that corruption and bribery is a significant problem, an issue brought into sharp focus recently by the Bo Xilai scandal. The country has announced a major crackdown as it prepares for its once in a decade leadership transition. GFI calculates how much money leaks out of a country unchecked by analyzing discrepancies in data filed with the IMF on import and export prices between trade partners and calculating discrepancies in a country's balance sheet. The developing world overall lost $903 billion in illicit outflows in 2009, with China, Mexico, Russia and Saudi Arabia in that order showing the largest losses, it said. Trade mispricing was the major method of smuggling money out of China, accounting for 86.2 percent of lost funds, the GFI report found. This scheme involves importers reporting inflated prices for goods or services purchased. The payments are transferred out and the excess amounts are deposited into overseas bank accounts. Trade mispricing is most common for nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and electrical equipment, the report said. The bulk of the money ends up in tax havens - on average, 52.4 percent between 2005 and 2011. Much of this money eventually makes its way back to China as foreign direct investment for a double hit to the economy. FDI benefits from special tax breaks and subsidies, essentially setting up an elaborate form of money laundering for Chinese businesses, GFI added.
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| Assange says to stay in embassy until US backs off: CNN Posted: 25 Oct 2012 02:52 PM PDT
(Reuters) - LONDON: Wikileaks' founder Julian Assange said yesterday the United States would have to give up its "immoral" investigation into his whistle blowing website before he considered leaving the confines of the Ecuadorean embassy in London. Assange has been sheltering in the embassy since June to avoid extradition to Sweden to face rape and sexual assault allegations. Britain says it is obliged to send him to Sweden and will not let him to go to Ecuador, which has given him asylum. His lawyers and the Ecuador government fear that travelling to Sweden could lead to the 41-year-old Australian's extradition to the United States, where he could face charges stemming from Wikileaks' publication of thousands of US diplomatic cables. Challenged in a CNN interview in the embassy that he could not stay there forever, Assange said: "I think we need the US government to drop its investigation … It's an immoral investigation. It breaches the First Amendment. It breaches all the principles that the United States government says that it stands for and it absolutely breaches the principles that the US founding fathers stood for and which most of the US people believe in." Ecuador wants Britain to give Assange written guarantees that he would not be extradited from Sweden to any third country. Assange fears he could face inhumane treatment in the United States. "There's an attempt to extradite me without charge and without evidence, allegedly for the purpose of questioning," he said. "All meanwhile, the FBI has been engaged in building this tremendous case." In the interview, Assange likened life in the embassy to "living on a space station". "There's no natural light," he said. "You have got to make all your own stuff. You can't go out to the shops." "But I've been in solitary confinement. I know what life is like for prisoners – it's a lot better than it is for prisoners." Earlier yesterday, Wikileaks began publishing what it said were more than 100 US Defense Department files detailing military detention policies in camps in Iraq and at Guantanamo Bay in the years after the September 11 attacks on US targets.
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| Only 300 turn up for Bt Caves protest Posted: 25 Oct 2012 02:39 PM PDT
Saying that a stop work order is not enough, they want the Selangor government to scrap the project permanently. Leven Woon, FMT BATU CAVES: Falling way below the organiser's 100,000 target, only some 300 people flocked to the Batu Caves temple to protest against a proposed high-rise development project. The two 29-storey condominium project, which was approved by the then Barisan Nasional-led government in 2007, was slated to be built adjacent to the Batu Caves temple. The temple committee said construction of the project would cause instability to the temple structures and also the world's tallest Lord Murugan statue. The protesters held up banners that read "Stop" against the backdrop of the Lord Murugan statue today. They also inked their support for a signature drive organised by the temple committee. "The project was approved in 2007 by the Selayang Municipal Council. "We must know, who sat in the council that time. Who approved this?" said temple committee chairman R Nadarajah in his speech.
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| Launched: Book on polls irregularities Posted: 25 Oct 2012 11:00 AM PDT
From far right: co-editors Soon Li Tsin, Wong Chin Huat and Pak Samad flanked by the panel speakers. (fz.com) - "We have so many inspirational stories when we look at the Malaysian electoral role. Grandparents rise from the death and vote without visiting their grandchildren, same-gender marriage is allowed the Malaysian armed forces," he said in jest, referring to numerous reported allegations of electoral irregularities. A book on irregularities that occurred during the 16 by-elections since the March 2008 general election has been launched. "Democracy at Stake?, Examining 16 by-elections in Malaysia, 2008-2011" is edited by political scientist and Bersih 2.0 steering committee member Wong Chin Huat and Soon Li Tsin. The short analysis pieces on the series of by-elections, written by journalists, activists and researchers, highlight instances where state resources of both the Barisan National and Pakatan Rakyat were misused for political gain, among other irregularities. Speaking during the book's launch at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall last night, co-editor Wong was quick to point out that the data presented was outdated as there have been allegations of new irregularity on a daily basis. He hopes the book would, however, serve as a reminder of the reality on the ground to both elites and the masses. "We have so many inspirational stories when we look at the Malaysian electoral role. Grandparents rise from the death and vote without visiting their grandchildren, same-gender marriage is allowed the Malaysian armed forces," he said in jest, referring to numerous reported allegations of electoral irregularities. Read more at: http://fz.com/content/launched-book-polls-irregularities |
"We must act very fast... because we don't want to create an unfair business decision. Delays lose money but we must also make sure that it must comply with all the regulations … that is what we are trying to do," Khalid (picture) told a press conference in Parliament.
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