Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- PKR wants Faekah sacked
- French lawyer: No Scorpene trial in France
- Singaporean turfed for racist rant against Malays
- ‘BN govt does not care for Sabah’
- Penang PKR wrapping up ‘cocky and arrogant Lim’ case
- DAP’s Karpal chides ‘presumptuous’ PKR deputy president
- Nazri: EC to implement most PSC recommendations in GE13
- Musa’s ‘monopoly’ of Sabah may lead to BN’s downfall, says ex-Umno man
- Ex-DAP man’s criticism has Kok fuming
- Britain's brutal rule in Kenya on the docks
- Assaulted DAP man receives ‘threat’ calls
- Mustafa hits back at PKR deputy president over Selangor MB remark
- Talam under MACC probe
- Zahid: AG confirms legitimacy of Scorpene purchase
- Putrajaya tightens screws on SUARAM, probing alleged civil service snitch
- 6 NGOs lodge reports against Anwar, 3 MPs
- It’s a threesome now as Faekah Husin joins in feud!
- Malaysia Week kicks off in London
- Faekah comes under fire from PKR
- Pakatan’s floor wage may cause RM7.2b outflow
- Son's wedding was 'cheap to organise'
- Seeking the Right to Be Female in Malaysia
- LGE accused of ignoring gangsterism in DAP
- Probe JMM allegations, urges Cuepacs
- Johor to overtake Selangor as richest state
- Politicians and gangsters
- A Rapid white elephant in the making?
- Khalid dismisses speculation on federal move if Pakatan wins
- Suaram denies bribing government officials
- Pakatan's Nov 3 rally is 'tip of iceberg', say analysts
- 'We did not misinterpret Azmin's statement on Selangor MB' - Sinar Harian
- Protests reflect vibrant democracy: PM
- Top defence firms rank low in anti-graft measures
- Ling’s defence witness to be impeached
- SMEs against Pakatan's budget promise
- Bersih 2.0 not involved in Pakatan rally
- PKR claims S’gor rejected petrochemical plant
- Dong Zong gets a lashing
- PKR deputy president Azmin Ali's call for new Selangor MB rocks Pakatan’s boat
- Minister defends ex-Chief Secretary’s son-in-law over solar deal
- RM6.7m for a KR1M store?
- Squabbling in Penang PKR may get worse
- PKR MP promoting MIC leader?
- Pakatan to hold demo on poll reforms
- Suaram: subpoena finally served on Scorpene witness
- ‘Only RM10 paid to settle Talam debts’
- Azmin: Khalid to get minister’s job if Pakatan takes Putrajaya
- Record-setting wedding of Ali Rustam’s son paid for by sponsors
- Hisham says would appeal court decision on news portal’s print permit
- In Malaysia, Court Backs Right to Print a Newspaper
| Posted: 07 Oct 2012 11:02 PM PDT
(The Sun Daily) - A Selangor PKR state leader has called for the sacking of Selangor Mentri Besar's political secretary Faekah Husin for allegedly overstepping her role by voicing out against PKR deputy president Azmin Ali. Selangor PKR election director Borhan Aman Shah, in calling for her removal from her current post, said Faekah has not toed the party line in voicing her criticism against Azmin. "She is reminded that her current role was given to her with support from PKR. On what capacity is Faekah criticising Azmin openly as an ordinary member of the party with no political position?" he said at a press conference in Selangor PKR headquarters today. He was referring to a report by Sinar Harian which quoted Azmin as saying Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim may be given a federal minister's post if Pakatan Rakyat takes over Putrajaya, implying that Selangor may have a new Mentri Besar. Faekah, who serves as political secretary to Abdul Khalid, then reportedly questioned Azmin's jurisdiction as deputy president in making the statement, saying the power to appoint a Mentri Besar lies solely with the Sultan of Selangor, according to news portal Malaysian Digest. Borhan also said Faekah should refer to the party before making statements that could cause misunderstandings between party leaders. "It would be good for her to understand the organisational structure of the party or communicate with us before proceeding to make statements," he said. He added that the council will leave the matter to Khalid as he is the Selangor MB, which gives him full authority to sack Faekah. Meanwhile, Faekah reportedly said that she will no longer comment on the issue after she was told not to make any statements by top PKR leaders. "I have also been advised by former PKR deputy president Dr Syed Husin Ali not to make any statements unless necessary, so I will no longer address this issue," she told Sinar Harian two days ago.
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| French lawyer: No Scorpene trial in France Posted: 07 Oct 2012 06:52 PM PDT
The lawyer said two 'independent judges' started investigating after a complaint filed by Suaram. (Bernama) - A prominent French government prosecutor has denied reports circulating among some Malaysian online news portals of an ongoing trial in France, on allegations of corruption by a French company over the purchase of two French-made Scorpene submarines by Malaysia in 2002. Yves Charpenel said the media in Malaysia should be able to distinguish between rumours and facts, and between investigations and a trial. "I am aware about all the fuss kicked up by certain media (organisations) in Malaysia over this matter but what I can say is that this is nothing more than a trial by the media," he told Bernama here today. Charpenel, who was a former head of prosecution in France and now a state prosecutor and an executive member of the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (IAACA), was here to attend the four-day IAACA conference and general meeting which ended yesterday. Following a complaint filed in 2009 by Suaram, a Malaysian human rights non-governmental organisation (NGO), that a French company had allegedly paid bribes to a Malaysian firm for the submarine deal, he revealed that two independent "investigating judges" started their investigations earlier this year. Charpenel said that in France, as in other countries practising the rule of law, all investigations were done in absolute secret. He said, it was anybody's right to file a complaint and due to the secret nature of the investigations, some resorted to complaining to the media. He explained that for specific cases in France, the Justice Ministry would ask an independent judge, called an "investigating judge", to investigate. "He is just an investigator. This is an old system that started from the Napolean era. If the investigating judge wants someone to come to Malaysia, he has to ask from your government because we have what is called the Treaty of Mutual Legal Assistance. And the Malaysian government can say 'yes' or 'no'. It has to be decided by the Malaysian authorities. "A French investigating judge cannot take his luggage, take a plane and go to Malaysia and ask someone to answer his questions. It is impossible, it is against the French law and it is also against international law," stressed Charpenel. In April this year, local opposition politicians here had even called for Malaysian officials to testify in Paris or risk being ostracised in the European Union. "A trial is a trial with all the rules. Investigation is another thing," said Charpenel of the misinformation generated by certain news portals over allegations that a trial was already underway. Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi also said over the weekend that the Auditor-General had declared the Scorpene deal was done in accordance with legal procedures.
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| Singaporean turfed for racist rant against Malays Posted: 07 Oct 2012 05:57 PM PDT
(The Standard) - Singapore's state-linked labor movement sacked a senior executive after she posted expletive-laden and racially charged comments on Facebook that triggered outrage. Amy Cheong, an ethnic Chinese assistant director of membership at the National Trades Union Congress, was sacked a day after posting remarks on the social networking site about the country's Malay minority, AFP reports. NTUC Secretary-General Lim Swee Say (picture), who holds the rank of minister in the office of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, announced the sacking on the organization's Facebook page, which was bombarded with complaints about Cheong. "We will not accept and have zero tolerance towards any words used or actions taken by our staff that are racially offensive,'' Lim said. "We are sorry that this has happened.'' Cheong's Facebook page could not be accessed today after her remarks caused a furor in Singapore's internet community, but an apology she wrote on microblogging site Twitter was still visible after she was fired. "I am truly sorry for making that stupid comment. I really didn't mean it that way. I am truly sorry,'' she said. In her Facebook rant, Cheong commented on the length of Malay wedding celebrations and derided the community's divorce rates. Multi-ethnic Singapore, which suffered racial riots in the 1960s and is surrounded by larger Muslim neighbours Indonesia and Malaysia, takes a hard line against acts stoking racial and religious hatred. Singapore's population is 74 percent ethnic Chinese, 13 percent Muslim Malay and nine per cent Indian, with the rest made up of other immigrant groups. Seditious acts including fostering racial hatred are punishable by a fine of up to S$5,000 or imprisonment of up to three years, or both. Last year a member of the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) was forced to quit after describing local Muslim children photographed in a school bus as terrorists in training.
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| ‘BN govt does not care for Sabah’ Posted: 07 Oct 2012 05:46 PM PDT
Former deputy minister Lajim Ukin told Parliament of the failures of the BN government to Sabah voters. Syed Jaymal Zahiid, FMT Former Umno deputy minister Lajim Ukin told parliament that the Barisan Nasional government has no time for Sabah. He said this was despite the state's loyalty to the federal government all these years. Lajim, who is Beaufort MP, also indicated his support for the opposition after he had remained quiet over his political leanings after he quit the government, applauding Pakatan Rakyat's promise to raise oil royalty payments to 20%. Sabah is rich in oil and contributes some RM22 billion of oil revenue annually but enjoys a mere 5% return in royalty while government allocations to the state, one of the poorest in the country, is said to be comparatively low. Lajim's insinuation of support for Pakatan could see BN taking on a united opposition in the Sabah. In his speech during the 2013 Budget debate in parliament, Lajim said the ruling coalition had failed to bring development in the state. Compared to the 85% rate of completed paved roads in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah has only 35%. Connectivity is a key issue in the state which is why Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak had announced increased allocations for road projects there. But the former deputy minister, who was among the few other Sabah leaders who recently defected following disillusionment with the Najib administration's failure to address the problems in Sabah, said none of the promises have been fulfilled so far. "For 55 years BN have ruled and Sabah had contributed so much to the Malaysian economy since then but still it is one of the poorest state in the country. "This shows that Sabah and Sarawak are never the government's priority despite us being the fixed deposit for the ruling coalition. The Sabahan people have been sidelined," he said. Other Sabah BN leaders had also admitted recently that more must be done to improve the socio-economic situation in the state but so far none of them have been upfront about who is to be blamed for Sabah's underdevelopment. A Merdeka Center survey released on Friday showed that 57% were dissatisfied with the state's economic performance and only 56% of Sabah voters were satisfied with the state government, a 6% drop from 62% in November 2009. The report also showed a significant drop in the state's chief minister Musa Aman's rating. From 60% in November 2009, it dropped to to 45% in September. The decline was most marked among Muslim-Bumiputera voters who are the backbone of the state's Umno support, with a drop from 72% in November 2009 to 51% last month. Analysts believe the recent defections in the state will alter the state's and the national political landscape there, suggesting BN will face some hurdles in its stronghold in the upcoming polls.
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| Penang PKR wrapping up ‘cocky and arrogant Lim’ case Posted: 07 Oct 2012 02:34 PM PDT
(The Star) - Penang PKR is expected to make an announcement on the outcome of its investigation into the alleged leaked recording of Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Mansor Othman branding his superior Lim Guan Eng as an arrogant and cocky leader. State PKR vice-chairman Datuk Abdul Halim Hussein said the issue was largely an internal matter where an element of an unethical practice (leakage of the recording) occurred. "We should stop speculating about it until we make an announcement. Just wait for it," he said in reference to the guessing game on who was the culprit behind the leakage. Mansor is alleged to have uttered the words "cocky" and "arrogant" earlier this year when describing Lim, who is the Chief Minister, during a conversation with fellow PKR leaders here. Two state executive councillors here have played down the significance of the alleged leaked recording. State Youth and Sports, Women, Family and Community Development Committee chairman Lydia Ong said even the weekly state exco meetings could not be fortified. "Sometimes, before we even announce decisions from our exco meetings, the information was already made known (elsewhere). We have nothing to hide," Ong said after flagging off a cycling event at Gurney Paragon. Penang Domestic Trade, Consumer Affairs and Religious Affairs Committee chairman Datuk Abdul Malik Kassim, who was also present, said he was not worried about the alleged recording, as "there will always be black sheep who are out to sabotage others". Separately, Gerakan president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said this incident exemplified one of the many weaknesses in Pakatan Rakyat.
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| DAP’s Karpal chides ‘presumptuous’ PKR deputy president Posted: 07 Oct 2012 02:28 PM PDT
(The Star) - The feud between Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and his party boss Azmin Ali has worsened with more Pakatan Rakyat leaders joining in the fray to chide the PKR deputy president. The latest Pakatan leader to do so is DAP chairman Karpal Singh who reminded Azmin that he was not in any position to unilaterally announce anything affecting the coalition, including on who should be the Selangor mentri besar if the coalition retained power in the state. "Azmin has exceeded the bounds of opinion, because this matter is beyond PKR. It involves the Pakatan Rakyat leadership," Karpal said yesterday. Karpal was asked to comment on Azmin's recent statement in a Malay daily that implied that Khalid would not be re-appointed as Mentri Besar should Pakatan retain power in Selangor. Azmin had said that Khalid's services were needed at the federal level if Pakatan succeeded in capturing Putrajaya. Karpal said it was not proper for Azmin to express such an opinion because the decision was not in the hands of PKR alone. PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali also affirmed that the matter was never discussed at the Pakatan Rakyat leadership council meetings. He had described Azmin as "over ambitious" for making such a statement. PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's former private secretary, Annuar Shaari also said the feud between Azmin and Khalid had always been an "open secret" within the party circle. "Azmin had wanted the mentri besar's post in 2008, but he kept silent after Anwar convinced him they could take over Putrajaya in 2009," he said. He said it was also known that PKR president Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail was not in favour of Azmin, while her husband Anwar favoured him. Khalid's political secretary Faekah Husin said Azmin had prematurely dropped the bomb. She said Khalid had laughed off the matter because he did not mind whether he was fielded or dropped from the list of candidates in the next elections. In an unrelated development, Khalid admitted that some PKR members still found fault with the party and doubted the viability of Pakatan. "This is happening because the members are more concerned about their own interests. This is not right. We should show more maturity towards attaining the party's goals," he said at the opening of the party's Kuala Selangor division's annual general meeting in Ijok yesterday.
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| Nazri: EC to implement most PSC recommendations in GE13 Posted: 07 Oct 2012 02:19 PM PDT
Hafidz Baharom, The Malaysian Insider Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz told Parliament today that the Election Commission (EC) will implement most of the recommendations made by a select committee on electoral reforms in April, in the next general election. Out of the 32 recommendations made by the parliamentary select committee (PSC), only six could not be implemented because of existing laws and the extra cost involved, the minister in the prime minister's department said in response to a question from Tanjong MP Chow Kon Yeow. Electoral reform group Bersih's rally on July 9 last year had forced Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's government to accept the need for reforms. The government moved quickly to enact the Peaceful Assembly Act after the event and formed a parliamentary select committee for electoral reforms. In April, the PSC report was released and Parliament approved the report with no debate between the opposition and ruling parties. An opposition minority report was not included in the final report. Bersih maintained that reforms were inadequate and subsequently announced the April 28 Bersih 3.0 rally. The first rally, held in 2007, was partly credited for Barisan Nasional's worst electoral performance during Election 2008, when it lost its traditional parliamentary supermajority and five states to the fledgling Pakatan Rakyat pact. "As we know, the Dewan Rakyat passed ten recommendations in December last year and 22 more in April this year. "The EC has informed us that most of the recommendations have been or will be implemented. "From the 32, only six could not be implemented due to factors regarding laws and large costs," Nazri said today. However, Nazri said that this did not mean the EC would not implement the remaining recommendations in the future. Among the recommendations that would be implemented in the 13th general election is the use of indelible ink, continuous review of the electoral roll, allowing postal voting for media personnel and the improvement of polling stations to ensure that votes remain secret.
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| Musa’s ‘monopoly’ of Sabah may lead to BN’s downfall, says ex-Umno man Posted: 07 Oct 2012 02:15 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman's iron-clad control of the state, which led to a monopoly of government that brooks no dissent was the last stroke for Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin, the Beaufort MP told Sinar Harian in an interview published today. The veteran lawmaker's decision to quit his powerful Umno supreme council position last July is seen to have strengthened the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) pact's foothold in Malaysia's easternmost state in the run-up to the 13th general elections, despite it being long regarded as a reliable vote bank for the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition. "Sabah Umno has already been controlled by its own state Umno liaison chairman Datuk Seri Musa Aman. "Whatever he does is a monopoly and no one else can criticise," Lajim told the Malay daily, nearly three months after he quit. He acknowledged that there was tension between him and the chief minister, but attributed it to Musa's personal feelings. "I respect him as state Umno liaison chief but in personal matters, perhaps he took what I said to heart because I am too vocal in voicing the rakyat's problems and the question of party unity," he told the paper. He also suggested that Musa had been behind an attempt to remove him from a position of power in 2008, when Beaufort Umno Wanita chief Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun had challenged him for the party division chief position. "If he felt a grave responsibility, he should have advised the Women's chief not to contest," he was quoted saying. Lajim told the paper that he had tried to raise the problems within Sabah Umno with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is also party president previously, but said no action was taken to resolve them despite his reports. "The prime minister asked me to be patient, but I had a good reason to give him. "I met the prime minister on December 20 last year and I resigned on July 29 this year. "Meaning, I had been patient for eight months," the man who had once-proclaimed himself to be a "winnable candidate" told Sinar Harian. Lajim predicted that many other Sabah BN leaders will quit the coalition once Parliament is dissolved to pave the way for national elections and once the lawmakers find out they have not been nominated to run despite being "winnable candidates". He told the paper he also believes that PR's policies can help resolve the state's economic and social woes within three years if elected to power, giving as example hiking the state's oil royalties to 20 per cent from the current five per cent it is given by the federal government. He added that the income from the oil money will help boost wages and state infrastructure, saying Sabah will have a state budget of RM10 billion. He also said he is confident the opposition bloc will win at least 35 state seats in the general elections that must be called by April next year when the BN's mandate expires.
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| Ex-DAP man’s criticism has Kok fuming Posted: 07 Oct 2012 01:41 PM PDT
DAP's Teresa Kok lashes out at sacked party man Tan Tuan Tat, who accused the former of being a weak and incompetent politician. Athi Shankar, FMT Seputeh MP Teresa Kok has taken an ex-DAP man to task for labelling her as a weak leader. She said Tan Tuan Tat hardly knew anything about what she had done and performed since he was not in the Selangor DAP committee and Pakatan Rakyat state government. Apart from weak, Tan claimed that Kok was an "incompetent politician lacking the capability to head Selangor DAP." Kok said ever since she helmed Selangor DAP, she had forged close working ties with all state committee members and elected representatives. The state executive councillor said they would all be updated on meetings and issues pertaining to the state government, Pakatan and DAP. "Tan has never been informed of these meetings and decisions because he is not a wakil rakyat, a councillor or a DAP state committee member. "So on what grounds did he make such an accusation against me?" asked the Kinrara state representative, in a text message. To prove his point, Tan, the former DAP Taman Seri Sungai Pelek branch chairman, said that Kok did not receive a strong grassroots' mandate during the 2010 state party convention. He recalled that Kok, despite being an exco in the Selangor government, could only secure 437 of the 803 delegates' votes to finish at 11th in a list of 15 elected members. In the subsequent state committee meeting, Kok managed to defeat state legislative assembly speaker Teng Chang Kim by 8-7 vote margin to become the Selangor DAP chairman. Tan said she managed to head Selangor DAP despite weak support from the members because "she was a loyalist to the Lim Dynasty and blue-eyed girl of Lim Kit Siang." Lim Dynasty was a political odium coined by DAP grassroots members and critics to portray the powerful internal faction headed by Ipoh Timur MP Kit Siang and his son, Penang Chief Minister and DAP secretary general Guan Eng. 'Playing second fiddle'
Despite her elevation to state party chief, Tan said he sympathised with Kok for having to always play second fiddle to DAP's Pandamaran assemblyman Ronnie Liu. Tan recalled that Liu, a state executive councillor, once mocked the party protocol to amend the state leadership-approved list of councillor appointees. He said Liu replaced certain state-endorsed nominees with his own people and got them approved by Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim, all without Kok's knowledge. When she knew about it, Tan claimed that Kok shouted at Liu right in front of Khalid. "But Liu went unscathed because he was the Lim Dynasty's main admiral. No disciplinary action was taken against him and Kok was powerless to do anything. "She only ended up embarrassing herself," he said. To this, Kok questioned whether Tan knew what she had done after Liu amended the councillor list. But she did not deliberate further. Tan also accused Kok of negligence in resolving the grouses and issues raised by party members. Since Kok helmed the state party leadership, Tan said factionalism had also crept into Selangor DAP, breaking into three main divisions headed by herself, Liu and Teng. "The main factions have also split into sub-factions. She is the main cause for many disgruntled grassroots leaders and members to leave the party," he claimed.
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| Britain's brutal rule in Kenya on the docks Posted: 07 Oct 2012 12:10 PM PDT
(Al Jazeera) - Also closely following McCombe's decision were Indians, Malaysians, Cypriots, and Guyanese - others who lived and suffered under British rule. Cases have been filed across the former British empire's vast expanse seeking reparations for colonial-era abuses. The British colonial officers ordered the Kenyans off the crowded bus, hunting for insurgents who had brazenly challenged the empire's rule.
Naomi Kimweli did not think, as she lay for weeks in King George hospital in Nairobi, that the men who tortured her and her husband would ever be held accountable. In Nairobi, elderly Kenyans - many the victims of torture under British rule - waited anxiously at the Kenya Human Rights Commission for the verdict. George Morara, the commission's officer in charge of the case, received the call from London. Naomi Kimweli sits at a table on the south bank of the River Thames leafing through an Olympics pamphlet. It is just after 5pm and Londoners are gathering for a glass of Pimms and some rare sunshine. Naomi and three other elderly Kenyan torture victims spent two weeks at the Royal Courts of Justice in July 2012. For six hours a day they watched men and women in powdered wigs read aloud evidence of their rapes and castrations in a language they could not understand. In 2003, Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki lifted the 40-year-old ban on the Mau Mau, ending their political marginalisation. About the same time, historians researching the Mau Mau uprising gained access to secret colonial archives detailing the extent to which the colonial authorities systematically used torture to suppress the rebel movement. The old horror stories of the Kimwelis and thousands of other Kenyans found new legal footing. Thus began the legal battle that would challenge the impunity of empire. "We are not talking about phantoms," said Morara of the Kenyan Human Rights Commission. "We are talking about real men and women who exist and still bear scars." During the second hearing last July, the Foreign Office faced growing piles of evidence - oral testimony, medical records, and diplomatic wires from London. In their opening statements, lawyers representing the British government admitted torture had occurred. Read more at: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2012/10/201210610143126968.html | |||
| Assaulted DAP man receives ‘threat’ calls Posted: 06 Oct 2012 04:13 PM PDT
Taman Murni DAP branch chairman, A Thirumalvalavan received two calls that threaten to injure him. K Pragalath, FMT A DAP member who alleged that he was assaulted by gangsters in a party meet last week has received calls from unknown people who want to assault him. "I received the first phone call at 10.23pm from an unknown Indian man. The caller wanted to kick, beat and chop me up. "I also received another threatening call, this time from a private number about 26 minutes later," said Taman Murni DAP branch chairman, A Thirumalvalavan in his police report. The police report was lodged a short while later at Sepang district police headquarters in Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi. He claimed that the threatening calls were made as a result of his allegations that DAP has gangsters within the party fold. "The man threatened me because I spoke to the media on Friday," said Thirumalvalavan. On Friday, he and another party member R Selvan alleged that they were assaulted by gangsters when they attempted to give a memorandum that also included allegations of gangsterism within the party. Both Thirumalvalavan and Selvan along with Pantai Putra Sepang branch secretary Rashid Md Gani also questioned the DAP secretary-general, Lim Guan Eng and Selangor DAP chief, Teresa Kok for ignoring the issue even though both Lim and Kok had witnessed the incident on Monday.
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| Mustafa hits back at PKR deputy president over Selangor MB remark Posted: 06 Oct 2012 02:36 PM PDT
(The Star) - PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali has hit back at Azmin Ali, who has stirred controversy with his Selangor Mentri Besar remark, by calling the PKR deputy president as being "too ambitious". "I don't have to make any comment but as an old man, I understand the feelings and ambitions of a young leader. Let him be," he wrote via an SMS to Utusan Malaysia. This is the second time in a week that Mustafa had locked horns with Azmin. The first was when he warned Azmin against making statements on matters that had never come up for discussion at the Pakatan Rakyat leadership council. Azmin had earlier reacted to Mustafa's warning by tweeting: "The age factor has made him confused and shoot his mouth." The Gombak MP had told a Malay daily that Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim might be made a Federal Minister if Pakatan won Putrajaya in the general election, implying that the state would have a new mentri besar. His statement had come under fire from his own party members, with PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar describing it as "just an opinion" and Khalid's aide Faekah Husin expressing her disappointment. Meanwhile, Selangor Barisan Nasional coordinator Datuk Seri Mohd Zin Mohamed said he expected the infighting in Pakatan to continue, adding that Azmin was keen on displacing Khalid as Mentri Besar. The infighting, he added, was an "open secret", with many in PKR wanting Azmin to be Mentri Besar, although this move was objected to by DAP and PAS. With Barisan's strong revival in Selangor, Mohd Zin said there were those in PKR who felt that Khalid was politically not strong enough to defend the state. Meanwhile, Selangor PKR deputy chief Zuraida Kamaruddin had criticised Faekah for describing Azmin's statement as "not politically smart". "She should concentrate on improving the political relationship between the MB and party leaders and not cause instability by unnecessarily jumping the gun," said Zuraida, claiming that Azmin had often voiced his support for Khalid's leadership as MB.
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| Posted: 06 Oct 2012 02:46 AM PDT
(Bernama) - The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has conducted preliminary investigations into allegations of questionable deals worth over RM1 billion between the Selangor government and Talam Corp, MACC deputy chief commissioner (operation) Mohd Shukri Abdull said today. "We investigate without fear or favour all information that we receive. If there is a sufficient basis that offences have been committed under the MACC Act, we will proceed with further investigations," he told Bernama here today. Shukri, however, refused to eloborate. He was commenting on a statement by MCA Young Professionals Bureau chief Chua Tee Yong that the Selangor government had bailed out financially distressed Talam and had acquired the company's assets in a debt restructuring exercise at a much higher price than officially valued. Chua had challenged the state government to explain how its exercise to recover a RM382 million debt from Talam ended in questionsble deals worth over RM1 billion.
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| Zahid: AG confirms legitimacy of Scorpene purchase Posted: 06 Oct 2012 02:40 AM PDT
(Bernama) - Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the Auditor-General has already explained that the purchase of Scorpene submarines was made according to legal procedures and his official report must be accepted by all quarters. In response to the opposition's plan to bring in a French lawyer, William Bourdon, to brief the Malaysian lawmakers on court proceedings in France on the purchase of the submarines, Ahmad Zahid (picture) hopes no quarters would twist the existing facts on the matter. He was also of the opinion that the lawyer was invited to Malaysia by the opposition merely with political motive and not so much for legal business. Ahmad Zahid said this to reporters after opening the Sekolah Agama Rakyat Al-Ulum Al Tarbiah's Sports Day in Kampung Tanah Lalang here today. The purchase of the submarines should be seen from the aspects of an offset programme, training, and performance assurance for certain period of time, he said, adding that it was really an old issue brought up to create public anger and confusion. On the request for the government to pay a monthly allowance of RM500 to army veteran who served during the emergency era, Ahmad Zahid said it was up to the prime minister to decide according to the government's financial ability. "It is quite difficult for the government to meet the request, but we have to be grateful that during the tabling of the 2013 budget the government had announced the one-off payment of RM1,000 for the army veterans as a token of appreciation for their contribution during the emergency era," he added.
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| Putrajaya tightens screws on SUARAM, probing alleged civil service snitch Posted: 05 Oct 2012 03:50 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) — Putrajaya will investigate claims that a civil servant has received bribes from Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) in return for national secrets, the latest move against the human rights group, which is already under probe for having "misleading accounts". SUARAM has been at the forefront of exposing alleged corruption in the multibillion ringgit Scorpene submarine deal this past year but has in turn been the subject of investigation into its funding, along with several other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and news portal Malaysiakini. "I cannot confirm or deny the allegations but we will monitor sensitive matters pertaining to national interest be it information, funds or outsiders," Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein told reporters after launching a Women's Safety Campaign at a school here yesterday. The minister was commenting on Thursday's newspaper statement by Jaringan Melayu Malaysia (JMM) president Azwanddin Hamzah, who claimed that RM100 million in foreign funds were believed to have been brought into the country since the human rights group was set up. Azwanddin had claimed several government servants were also believed to have been bribed with the funds to make decisions in favour of SUARAM associates and for government information and secrets. SUARAM has denied the statement that it bribed government officials to cover up information on its foreign funding and to gather information related to national security and government secrets from the Prime Minister's Department, Finance Ministry and the Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM). It has also asked JMM to substantiate its allegations, and demanded an immediate apology and retraction of the allegations. Several groups and Putrajaya have focused on SUARAM after it revealed that former political aide Abdul Razak Baginda had sold Malaysian naval secrets to France. In April this year, the Tribunal de Grand Instance in Paris began its inquiry into SUARAM's claim that French naval firm DCNS had paid some RM452 million as a bribe to Malaysian officials to obtain a contract for two submarines. SUARAM had filed the complaint with the French courts in 2009. In a May 30 press conference in Bangkok, French lawyer Joseph Breham had revealed that a classified government document on the Malaysian navy's evaluation of the Scorpene submarines it was then planning to buy had been sold by Terasasi (Hong Kong) Ltd to DCNS for RM142 million. Abdul Razak, a former think-tank head who was at the centre of the 2006 investigation into the murder of former Mongolian model and translator Altantuya Shaariibuu, is listed as a director of Terasasi with his father, Abdul Malim Baginda. Weeks after the revelation, SUARAM came under close scrutiny of the CCM over its foreign funding sources, and the government agency said last week that it plans to charge the activist group for its "misleading accounts". Yesterday, the Young Journalists Club lodged a police report against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers Chua Tian Chang, Datuk Mahfuz Omar and R. Sivarasa for bringing three foreign lawyers to Parliament to discuss the Scorpene submarine issue, and demanded to know SUARAM's link to the case. Club president Dzulkarnain Taib said the organisation did not want foreign interference in the country's affairs. "What is the opposition's right to bring foreign lawyers to give a briefing in Parliament? "What is SUARAM's locus standi in the case?" Dzulkarnain said after lodging a report at the Dang Wangi police station here. The former Suara Keadilan editor identified the three lawyers as William Bourdon, the French lawyer who was deported from Malaysia earlier this year, Breham and Oliver Netzer. The journalist also asked about the ties between the opposition and SUARAM as well as the funds to bring the three lawyers here.
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| 6 NGOs lodge reports against Anwar, 3 MPs Posted: 05 Oct 2012 03:38 PM PDT
(Clockwise, from top left) Datuk Mahfuz Omar, Tian Chua, William Bourdon and R. Sivarasa (NST) - Six organisations, including five non-governmental organisations (NGOs), lodged police reports against opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and three members of parliament at the Dang Wangi police headquarters yesterday urging the home minister to investigate Anwar, Pokok Sena MP Datuk Mahfuz Omar, Subang MP R. Sivarasa and Batu MP Tian Chua for planning to bring three lawyers, including two from France, to represent Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) in briefing the Parliament on the Scorpene issue. The group's representative, Young Malaysian Journalists Club (YMJC) president Dzulkarnain Taib, said the three MPs had announced this during a press conference at the Parliament lobby on Wednesday. They said Anwar had given a written invitation to the lawyers to talk about the judicial inquiry on the purchase of Scorpene submarines. "The Scorpene issue is an internal matter. What is the opposition's plan in bringing in foreigners to talk about our country's matter?" One of the lawyers invited was Frenchman William Bourdon, who was arrested and deported in July last year for a visa violation. "We believe the opposition leaders attention was an attempt to mock and ridicule our Federal Constitution and our King." He said Anwar and the three MPs should also be questioned by the Parliament's disciplinary board. "This is a matter of principle. Outsiders should not interfere in our country's internal matter. Let the government handle it." He said YMJC and five other NGOs -- Jaringan Melayu Malaysia, Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa, Lembaga Kesedaran Pencegah Jenayah, Lembaga Pelindung Kebajikan Pengguna Malaysia and Muslim Consumer Association -- believed the move by the opposition leader could also disrupt harmony in the country. | |||
| It’s a threesome now as Faekah Husin joins in feud! Posted: 05 Oct 2012 03:32 PM PDT
(mynewshub) - The Azmin Ali-Khalid Ibrahim fued has grown more exciting! The plot has thicken! The Mentri Besar's ever so loyal political secretary Faekah Husin has joined in the fray by hammering the PKR number two, describing him as not so politically smart. "Politically, that is not a smart move. That alone can cause instability in the state administration," she was reported as saying. Instability in the state administration – these are powerful words. That's insubordination for sure. Actually, Faekah is telling Azmin to go and fly kite. But we know what emotions can do. Azmin was simply speaking up his mind. He wanted Khalid out of Selangor. It is an open secret he wants to replace Khalid. Well, good for Faekah. She better speaks up and defends her boss because if Azmin takes over as MB, she will be kicked out of Shah Alam too. She shouldn't be traveling so much in a private jet with Tian Chua and the other PR leaders. Better worry about your own seat in Shah Alam, stop jet setting to Sabah and Sarawak. The fight for the MB has started because Pakatan Rakyat seems cock sure of retaining Selangor. The jockeying for positions have started and knives have been sharpened as the various factions ensure only their men gets in. It's the same old story like how the warlords in Umno tries to sabotage their enemies during the polls. We can expect to see more of the same in PKR. Watch this space for more updates on the bitter feud in PKR.
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| Malaysia Week kicks off in London Posted: 05 Oct 2012 03:28 PM PDT
(Bernama) - LONDON: Malaysia Week 2012 in London kicked off with Malaysia Night, an event to showcase the vibrant culture and traditions of Malaysia to Britons, especially tourists visiting London, yesterday. Hosted by Malaysia Kitchen, it was held for the third time at Trafalgar Square, the prestigious landmark in London, from 12pm to 10pm and was opened by Chief Executive Officer of Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) Dr Wong Lai Sum. The event was held in collaboration with the five-day Malaysia Week celebration beginning today at South Bank, here. Also present was Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim. Others present were Malaysian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Datuk Seri Zakaria Sulong, famous Malaysian shoe designer Datuk Dr Jimmy Choo, Member of London Assembly, Greater London Authority, James Cleverly and United Kingdom Member of the European Parliament, Dr Syed Kamall. Besides providing Malaysian delicacies by 17 of London's leading Malaysian restaurants, visitors were also entertained to cultural performances, fashion shows and had the opportunity to buy textiles, crafts and art works. Dr Wong in her speech said organising such an event was to share the best of Malaysia, from its enchanting cuisine and quality products, to its mesmerising culture and tourism attractions. "For the past two years, the Malaysia Kitchen programme that has been run in London and various other parts of the United Kingdom has made a great leap and been a huge success in promoting and creating greater awareness about Malaysia," she said. She said the government had taken the opportunity to showcase Malaysia further and invite people to visit the country. "We want to introduce you the enchantment of Malaysia so that you can see for yourself and to get firsthand experience of this multi-ethnic and diverse culture and even while doing business in Malaysia," she said. She said Malaysia was a great place to do business in as well as a great place to do business with. "By the end of tonight, I hope you will have a better perspective of our country and you would want to visit Malaysia," she said. | |||
| Faekah comes under fire from PKR Posted: 05 Oct 2012 03:16 PM PDT
Selangor PKR says that the Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim's political secretary should not have commented on PKR deputy president Azmin Ali's statement recently. K Pragalath, FMT Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim's political secretary, Faekah Husin, has come under fire for defending her boss recently. "Selangor PKR leadership council is very disappointed with the unnecessary comments from Khalid 's political secretary which could have been made much more positively if she had taken the trouble to communicate with Azmin [Ali, the PKR deputy president] over the matter. "As far as Azmin is concerned, he has openly shown his full support in favour of Khalid," Selangor PKR deputy president Zuraida Kamaruddin said in a statement today. She was reacting to a statement by Faekah earlier this week that Azmin should not be deciding on the political fate of Khalid after the next general election. Azmin, PKR deputy president, had previously announced that Khalid would be offered a federal minister's post if Pakatan Rakyat were to form the next federal government after the 13th general election.
Zuraida, who is also Ampang MP and national PKR women's wing chief, said Faekah had "misunderstood" Azmin's statement. "Khalid's role at the federal level was unwisely misinterpreted by Faekah. If only Faekah held her breath for a second and finished reading the news report in good faith, she would understand the message that Khalid is a valuable asset to Pakatan," Zuraida added. She also advised Faekah to communicate with the state PKR leadership more frequently to avoid frictions within the party. "As an effective political secretary to the menteri besar, Faekah should concentrate on improving the political relationship between menteri besar and party leaders and not cause instability by unnecessarily jumping the gun," said Zuraida.
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| Pakatan’s floor wage may cause RM7.2b outflow Posted: 05 Oct 2012 03:10 PM PDT
Chua Tee Yong says the floor wage would benefit some three million foreign workers here, who send the money back to their countries of origin. Leven Woon, FMT MCA Young Professional Bureau chairman Chua Tee Yong has joined the fray over Pakatan Rakyat's RM1,100 floor wage proposal, claiming that it would cause RM7.2 billion capital outflow every year. Commenting on Pakatan's shadow budget 2013 in a statement today, Chua said the move to increase minimum wage from the current RM900 to RM1,100 would further add to the national debt burden. He pointed out that there are three million foreign workers in Malaysia, and a RM200 increase in salary would cost the market an extra RM600 million per month. "In one year, RM7.2 billion will be spent on these foreign workers. "The RM7.2 billion will be an outflow, as the money will be transferred out from the country to the respective countries of where the foreign workers reside," he said. Chua, who is also Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister, said the rakyat would eventually bear the consequences of this outflow. "The business owners will definitely pass all the incurred cost from the increase in the minimum wage to the rakyat and the rakyat will be the one to suffer from it. "The so-called facilitation fund from Pakatan [to help the employers], is only sufficient to last for less than two months. After that, the people will have to bear all the sufferings," he said. He noted that RM7.2 billion is equivalent to twice of the Barisan Nasional government's Bantuan Rakyat 1 Malaysia (BR1M) programmes, which only cost RM3 billion under the Budget 2013. Meanwhile, Chua also pointed out Pakatan's failure to include a mechanism to reduce oil price and highway tolls in its shadow budget. "How would they be able to reduce the petrol price? Where's the calculation?" he asked. Earlier this week, Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin also criticised Pakatan's proposed minimum wage of RM1,100, saying it would bankrupt the small and medium industries (SMIs) and destroy the economy. However, Pakatan MPs insisted that this was not true as their floor wage comes hand-in-hand with financial assistance to the employers and a policy to stop dependence on foreign, unskilled labour.
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| Son's wedding was 'cheap to organise' Posted: 05 Oct 2012 12:12 PM PDT
(Asia One) - A leaked document from the Malacca State Development Corporation (PKNM) allegedly shows that state agencies had sponsored the wedding ceremony. Did the catering for the wedding cost RM1.3 million (S$524,000), RM13 million or a mere RM600,000? Whatever the cost, the grandiose scale of the wedding of the eldest son of Malacca's chief minister has grabbed headlines in Malaysia. About 130,000 people are believed to have attended the wedding banquet of Mr Mohd Ridhwan and his wife Nur Azieha Mohd Ali, both 26. And the wedding entered the Malaysia Book of Records for the huge turnout, The Star reported. Opposition lawmakers have demanded that the chief minister, Mr Mohd Ali Rustam, reveal how much he spent on Sunday's wedding and where the funding came from. But Mr Mohd Ali, who is on a working trip to Indonesia, dismissed the talk about extravagance. "It was cheap to organise. The wedding just looked grand because of the number of people who attended," he said. The chief minister, who is also a Umno vice-president, told Malay Mail that he had hired 30 chefs who could whip up the wedding reception's nasi briyani campur dishes for 60,000 people, at RM10 per head. Each serving could feed three people, he said. It comes to RM600,000 for a wedding feast that could be served to about 180,000 guests, he said. He dismissed allegations that the reception, which lasted eight hours, cost millions of ringgit. Meanwhile, a leaked document from the Malacca State Development Corporation (PKNM) allegedly shows that state agencies had sponsored the wedding ceremony. Debating the federal budget in Parliament yesterday, Parti Islam Se-Malaysia lawmaker Mahfuz Omar said the document showed that a meeting hosted by PKNM was especially called to discuss the "logistics of the ceremony" on Sunday. "The CM's special officer admitted that the event was sponsored to the tune of RM10 per guest and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission must look into this (as) this is a personal event. "The meeting minutes mention the government departments involved and state that no bills should be claimed from the chief minister, everything is free." The minutes also allegedly stated that 100 tents were sponsored by four local councils and the armed forces could be approached for more tents. Read more at: http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Malaysia/Story/A1Story20121005-375724/2.html | |||
| Seeking the Right to Be Female in Malaysia Posted: 05 Oct 2012 12:04 PM PDT
Adam Shazrul Bin Mohammad Yusoff dressed in her room in Seremban, Malaysia. (The New York Times) - Nisha Ayub was jailed for three months after her first arrest for dressing as a woman 14 years ago. Ms. Nisha, who was 20 at the time, said prison wardens forced her to walk naked in front of the male inmates. "It's something I can't forget until today," she said. The feminine figure dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, makeup carefully applied, drew little attention from other customers at the fast-food restaurant in Seremban, a city about an hour's drive south of Kuala Lumpur. The 26-year-old began wearing women's clothing at age 13. Thanks to plastic surgery in neighboring Thailand, a daily dose of hormones and a feminine nickname, she is able to present herself as female to the outside world. But her official identification card — which Malaysians must produce in dealings like job interviews — declares that her name is Adam Shazrul Bin Mohammad Yusoff and that she is male. The discrepancy between her appearance and her officially recognized gender presents much more than just awkward moments in Malaysia, where Shariah, or Islamic law, bans Muslim men from dressing or posing as women. Penalties differ in individual states, but in Negri Sembilan, where the 26-year-old lives, convicted offenders may be sentenced to up to six months in prison, fined as much as 1,000 ringgit, about $325, or both. Tired of living in fear of prosecution, the 26-year-old — who has been arrested twice and was once fined 900 ringgit — and three other transgender people are challenging the law in the secular courts, arguing that it violates the Malaysian Constitution, which bans discrimination based on gender and protects freedom of expression. A verdict in their case — the first time anyone has sought to overturn the law — is expected next Thursday. "It's for freedom — to be like everybody else, to wear what we like," said the 26-year-old, explaining why she is taking part in the case. "This shouldn't happen. It's an unjust law. We are just human beings. We are not doing anything wrong." Read more at: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/06/world/asia/seeking-the-right-to-be-female-in-malaysia.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&_r=0
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| LGE accused of ignoring gangsterism in DAP Posted: 04 Oct 2012 07:26 PM PDT
Alleged victims say they were beaten up in the party chief's presence. K Pragalath, FMT Two men who claim they were physically assaulted in the presence of DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng have accused him of being indifferent to the issue of gangsterism in the party. A Thirumalvalavan (photo, left) and R Selvan (in white shirt), who are both branch-level officials in DAP, have lodged a police report about the attack, but they told reporters today that they were disappointed by Lim's silence over it. The incident allegedly happened last Monday during a meeting organised by Selangor DAP in Pekan Salak, Sepang. The two, together with Pantai Putra Sepang branch secretary Rashid Md Gani (photo, middle), were about to submit a memorandum to Lim when they were attacked, they said. Ironically, one of the points of the memorandum was gangsterism in the party. "Lim and (Selangor DAP chief) Teresa Kok were present when Thirumalvalavan and Selvan were dragged and bashed up by gangsters," Rashid told this morning's press conference. "Why didn't he stop the violence? "We are also very disappointed with Kok's leadership. She has also kept silent." The Monday meeting was a regular Selangor DAP parliamentary liaison session, but a discussion of election strategies was also on the agenda. "After delivering his speech, Lim had to leave the hall to attend a funeral," Rashid said. "We wanted to have dialogue session and hand over a memorandum to him." The memorandum complained that:
Thirumalvalavan, who leads DAP's Taman Murni branch, was in tears when he recalled Monday's incident. "I was dragged by gangsters who are not DAP members," he said. "They slapped and kicked me." Selvan, a member of the party's Pantai Sepang Putra committee, said he suffered the same treatment. The attackers snatched his DAP membership card and destroyed it, he added. Both displayed to reporters bruises on their shoulders and arms. Contacted after the press conference, Sivakumar denied that he used gangsters. He told FMT that everyone at the Monday meeting, including the alleged attackers, were DAP members. "The state committee ensured that only members would attend the meeting," he said, adding that Thirumalvalavan, Selvan and Rashid were there only to cause trouble. "Some party members had to stop them to protect Lim," he said.
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| Probe JMM allegations, urges Cuepacs Posted: 04 Oct 2012 07:20 PM PDT
(Bernama) -- The Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) has asked the authorities to investigate allegations that Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) had bribed civil servants to cover up information on its foreign funding and to gather information related to national security and government secrets. Its president, Datuk Omar Osman, said any civil servant found to have been involved should be given the appropriate punishment. "It is up to the authorities (to take action). Civil servants should not be accepting bribes. We have ethics which we must adhere to," he told Bernama. Omar was commenting on a statement by Azwanddin Hamzah, president of the non-governmental organisation Jaringan Melayu Malaysia (JMM), yesterday that Suaram had received more than US$100 million (about RM305.35 million) to organise street protests and that it had also bribed government officers. Suaram has categorically denied the allegations that it had bribed government officers to cover up information on its foreign funding and to gather information related to national security and government secrets. It also challenged JMM to substantiate its allegations and demanded an immediate apology and retraction of the allegations should JMM fail to do so. Omar said he was not sure why JMM had hurled the allegations at civil servants. "Nevertheless, we advise civil servants to distance themselves from bribery to maintain the integrity of the civil service and secure their own future," he said.
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| Johor to overtake Selangor as richest state Posted: 04 Oct 2012 07:15 PM PDT
(Bernama) -- Johor is to emerge as the richest state in Malaysia by 2025, overtaking Selangor, if the current trend of development pace and investment inflows continues, an analyst with an investment bank said today. Dr Nazri Khan, Affin Investment Bank Vice-President and Retail Research Head, said the projection was not something impossible to achieve with Iskandar Malaysia, one of the five economic corridors in Malaysia, having attracted more than one-fourth of the RM383 billion total investment target by 2025. He said the economic growth brought to Johor by Khazanah Nasional Bhd, the government's investment arm, is seen as among concerted initiatives by the government to establish an economic hub in Johor outside the Klang Valley. "We will see Johor transform into an Orlando in Florida and become Asia's Theme Park Hub with the presence of at least four theme parks in the state. "They include Legoland Malaysia which opened recently, Puteri Harbour Family Entertainment Centre and Austin Heights Water Theme Park is due to open its doors soon. All these parks will provide ample jobs to our youths," he said. The 2012/2013 Economic Report issued by the Finance Ministry on Sept 28 said job opportunities in Johor are expected to double when some projects come on stream in the next five years such as Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios, MSC Cyberport City and Urban and Resort Wellness. At the same time, Nazri said efforts to attract cash-rich Middle Eastern investors, who have the capital to invest, must be pursued to maintain the development momentum in Johor. He said the massive oil and gas project in Pengerang is being initiated at a timely juncture when the world demand for oil and gas was spiralling. "Moreover, Pengerang's demographic location in the middle of the international shipping route to Indonesia and Singapore provided an added advantage to us than to our neighbours," he added. Meanwhile, a restaurateur in Skudai, Mohd Kassim Ali, 52, readily acknowledged that he could feel the spinoffs emanating from Iskandar Malaysia development. "When I first started this restaurant business 10 years ago, there were not many customers then, but now I can sense the change over the last one year as a result of the development impact brought about by the government. "My income has also increased by about 30 per cent now, more so after Legoland Malaysia was opened. I think the development pace in this city will accelerate further when more development projects planned by the government get off the ground such as the Puteri Harbour," he said. He said the number of Singaporean customers has also increased since Legoland Malaysia, the country's first theme park of its kind, was opened to the people on Sept 1. The feverish pace of development in this state will provide more job opportunities for Johoreans, he added. A Johorean, Mohd Salleh Ali, 46, said at one time, the youths, including from Johor, have to move to Kuala Lumpur to find jobs but now that trend is slowly and surely changing. With the oil and gas project in Pengerang and with various other development projects in the drawing board under the Iskandar Malaysia economic corridor, Johor has become the latest trade focus in Malaysia, he said. "Johor has become the focal point now as people from throughout the country are flocking to the state in search of high-paying jobs," he said. Development projects implemented by the state government with the support of the federal government have given an "assurance" to Johor-born school leavers of ample job prospects and a decent income, he added.
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| Posted: 04 Oct 2012 04:31 PM PDT
An anonymous letter implicates a minister, Umno and MIC Youth chiefs of having links with gangsters. Anisah Shukry, FMT A PKR-linked NGO has lodged a police report today over an anonymous letter claiming that three prominent Barisan Nasional politicians have links to an Indian gang. The People Welfare and Rights Organisation (Power) wanted the police to verify whether the unsigned letter, purportedly from a member of Selayang Baru Umno, was genuine, and for the police to probe into the politicians' alleged links with the Indian gang "36". "The letter, which was left in my office yesterday in Sentul, mentions the name Human Resource Minister S Subramaniam, Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and MIC Youth chief T Mohan," Power president S Gobi Krishnan told reporters after lodging the report at the Travers police station here. "It is addressed to the prime minister and says that on Dec 3, 2011, MIC held an event which was attended by [the three politicians] as well as 7,000 youths who represent an Indian gang," he said. According to the letter, which is dated April 20, 2012, Subramaniam, Khairy and Mohan were also given gifts bearing the gang's logo at the event last year. The anonymous writer wrote: "That event gave a bad impression, especially the Indian community towards BN party. The event also clearly shows an attempt by Gang 36 to fortify its positions through politics." Matter of national security Gobi stressed today that even though the letter was unsigned, the accusation was serious and its contents must be verified as it involved two members of parliament as well as a minister.
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| A Rapid white elephant in the making? Posted: 04 Oct 2012 03:35 PM PDT
The RM60-billion oil refinery is meant to cater for China and India's market, but PKR warns that such a stratergy can prove to be a costly gamble. Leven Woon, FMT PKR warns that the RM60 billion Petronas Refinery and Petrochemical Integrated Development (Rapid) in Pengerang, Johor, may be a white elephant once it becomes operational in 2016. Party trade and investment bureau head Wong Chen said this was because the refinery was export-driven and largely dependent on China and India's demands. Quoting Petronas downstream business vice-president Wan Zulkiflee's statement in December 2011, Wong said the state-owned oil corporation had acknowledged difficulty in downstream-related businesses but was optimistic towards Rapid due to the robust growth in China and India. However, he said poor economic sentiments had since emerged in the two countries, and an International Monetary Fund (IMF) report had cited a possible global economic crisis that might last for 10 years. In addition, he said China and India had also embarked on their massive oil refineries and downstream projects. "In tougher times, they will always favour domestic producers and boost utilisation of their own downstream facilities. "In the meantime, Petronas' Rapid will just be one of several regional players vying to supply these markets," he told a press conference here today. "If Petronas proceeds with its plans for Rapid, come 2016 when it becomes operational, the project may prove to be a gigantic white elephant," he added. The corporate lawyer (photo below) noted that the downstream oil business, which included oil refinery and value-added industry, had become a tight-margined one due to soaring oil prices since 2002. He questioned why Petronas was betting RM60 billion to invest in such a sector while major international oil companies such as Shell and Exxon adopted a wait-and-see approach.
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| Khalid dismisses speculation on federal move if Pakatan wins Posted: 04 Oct 2012 03:07 PM PDT
(The Star) - Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim has dismissed speculation that he will vacate his post and move to a federal ministerial position if Pakatan Rakyat takes over Putrajaya in the coming general election. He stressed that the speculation arose following a personal view expressed by PKR deputy president Azmin Ali a few days ago. He said there was no misunderstanding between him and Azmin, who had implied that Pakatan would appoint a new Mentri Besar if it retained Selangor in the elections. Azmin was reported by a Malay daily to have said that Khalid would be given a ministerial post should Pakatan take over Putrajaya. "He (Azmin) does not have to apologise over his statement, which I believe is his personal view," Khalid said at the Parliament lobby yesterday. He also defended Azmin, saying that the comments showed that the party leadership trusted his ability to perform well at both state and federal levels. "It shows that he trusts my leadership in whatever position the party decides to put me in," he said.
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| Suaram denies bribing government officials Posted: 04 Oct 2012 02:52 PM PDT
HE SAYS, SHE SAYS: Nalini (left) wants JMM to substantiate its allegations while Azwanddin claimed that he received a tip-off. (NST) - Suuara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) has categorically denied allegations that it had bribed government officials to cover up information on its foreign funding and to gather information related to national security and government secrets from the Prime Minister's Department, Finance Ministry and the Company Commission of Malaysia (CCM). In a statement signed by executive director Nalini Elumalai, Suaram wants non-governmental organisation Jaringan Melayu Malaysia, who made the claims, to substantiate its allegations. Suaram also is demanding an immediate apology and retraction of the allegations.
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| Pakatan's Nov 3 rally is 'tip of iceberg', say analysts Posted: 04 Oct 2012 02:48 PM PDT
(Malaysian Digest) - The planned mass gathering to be staged by Pakatan Rakyat on Nov 3 in is just one of many public assemblies in store in the run up to the 13th General Election, analysts believe. Pakatan on Wednesday announced that it will be holding the gathering to push for electoral reforms and are expecting a 500,000 turnout at Bukit Jalil National Stadium. PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu had told reporters that the government has yet to meet the eight core demands made by coalition for clean and fair elections Bersih, "especially on the need to clean up the electoral roll and media fairness".
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| 'We did not misinterpret Azmin's statement on Selangor MB' - Sinar Harian Posted: 04 Oct 2012 02:43 PM PDT
(Malaysian Digest) - Malay daily Sinar Harian has refuted PKR deputy president Azmin Ali's claim that the newspaper had misinterpreted his statement on the leadership of Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim. Azmin, also Gombak MP, was responding to his comrades who had wanted him to clarify the statement he made.
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| Protests reflect vibrant democracy: PM Posted: 04 Oct 2012 09:31 AM PDT
(The Sun) - The protests in recent months, namely the anti-Lynas protest and Bersih 3.0, reflect a vibrant democracy in the country, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak. He said demonstrations are not unusual and happen in other countries as well but the government has promised political transformation and is moving towards a more mature and vibrant democracy by abolishing the Internal Security Act and introducing the Peaceful Assembly Act. "It is your fundamental right to protest, we will not prevent that, but do it in a peaceful manner. I think this is healthy … When people protest, listen to them and what is it they're protesting about. Is it reasonable? If it is reasonable, address it," he said. Najib was speaking during The CNBC Conversation, a half-hour interview hosted by CNBC anchor Martin Soong as part of The CNBC Summit: Malaysia, a dialogue series that highlights the nation's current economic climate, yesterday. He said an example of a "reasonable" protest is the Lynas issue which had huge concerns about safety and the government had gone the extra mile to ensure that Gebeng, Kuantan, where the plant is being set up, is safe although "quite a bit" of the protest "was not based on facts". "We've never done as much as we've done for this Lynas issue. As the government, we are satisfied, the experts are satisfied and the markets are satisfied. We made sure Lynas is safe but unfortunately there is the other side of the democracy, we have an opposition which likes to spin it in a different way but that's democracy. I don't blame them for it because that's the name of the game," he said. He said while there are parties who may be unhappy, the government has a solid plan for transformation. "Believe in us, we have an excellent track record in terms of being able to deliver real progress and change in Malaysia. You can see it for yourself … in Malaysia, things are happening. The facts are there but we have to convince the people," he said.
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| Top defence firms rank low in anti-graft measures Posted: 04 Oct 2012 09:28 AM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - Two top Malaysian defence companies, Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd and the Sapura Group, received low scores in the 2012 Defence Companies Anti-Corruption Index by Transparency International UK. They scored 2.94 and 13.24 respectively, out of 100. The index measured worldwide a total of 129 defence companies' vulnerability to corruption in 34 categories. For each category, two scores were given, one based on publicly available information and the other on self-reported details.  A new generation patrol vessel built by Boustead Naval Shipyard. — Picture courtesy of Boustead Naval Shipyard The purchase was criticised by the opposition, especially the DAP's Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua, who asked how the price tag had jumped up from RM6 billion. DCNS S.A., the French naval defence company linked with the RM9 billion TLDM contract, scored 30.88 on the index. The Ministry of Defence (Mindef) awarded a unit of the Sapura Group a RM2 billion contract last year for Network Centric Operations (NCO). PKR vice-presidents Nurul Izzah Anwar and Chua Tian Chang have both questioned the project's lack of a roadmap. The Sapura Group has been embroiled in a family feud early this year after a legal challenge were filed in the High Court. Patriarch Tan Sri Shamsuddin Kadir is demanding that his two sons return shares and properties valued up to RM450 million. Scores were awarded in the Transparency International UK index across five sections, with marks awarded for evidence of anti-corruption in leadership, personnel, policies, training and risk management. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/top-defence-firms-rank-low-in-anti-graft-measures/ | |||
| Ling’s defence witness to be impeached Posted: 03 Oct 2012 11:20 PM PDT
(The Sun Daily) - The prosecution in the cheating trial of former transport minister Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik has notified the High Court that it intends to impeach a witness, who is a former minister. Lead prosecutor Datuk Tun Majid Tun Hamzah yesterday told Justice Datuk Ahmadi Asnawi that the prosecution would impeach former tourism, culture and arts minister Tan Sri Abdul Kadir Syeikh Fadzir (pic) when hearing resumes tomorrow. However, he did not offer a reason. Abdul Kadir, 74, who was the third defence witness in Ling's trial, had served as a minister from 1999 to 2006. During cross-examination, Abdul Kadir was repeatedly questioned on several documents regarding the price of the 1,000-acre Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) land in Pulau Indah, including the valuation report by the Valuation and Property Services Department (JPPH). Asked if he thought the land price of RM25 psf was inclusive of 6% interest, Abdul Kadir said it did not, based on his understanding of the report. However, during examination-in-chief by defence counsel Wong Kian Kheong, Abdul Kadir admitted that he remembered nothing of the case (the PKFZ project). "I told the police very honestly that I do not remember this case at all," he said. He also said he could not remember a cabinet note dated Oct 23, 2002, or when it was presented to the cabinet. "When this was presented, I don't remember. It was so technical and it had nothing to do with my ministry, so I didn't pay attention," he said. Abdul Kadir said he had known Ling for almost 30 years and found him to be a humble man who performed his duties with integrity. "He was a leader for the Chinese community but I was close to him because he was a true Malaysian," he added. Abdul Kadir also said he never knew of any wrongdoing by Ling throughout the time he (Ling) was minister. Ling, 69, is charged under Section 417 and 418 of the Penal Code for deceiving the cabinet by withholding details of the terms and conditions agreed between KDSB and the Port Klang Authority. Ling is charged with deliberately concealing the actual price of the land, which was valued at RM21 psf by JPPH, and for failing to reveal an interest of 7.5% per year over and above the price of the land at RM25 psf. The hearing continues.
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| SMEs against Pakatan's budget promise Posted: 03 Oct 2012 06:46 PM PDT
Teh: Says PR's minimum wage promise will create new problem for Malaysia (The Malay Mail) - A group of businessmen from small and medium enterprises have objected to the Pakatan Rakyat minimum wage promise, made in its 2013 shadow budget unveiled last week. SMI Association of Malaysia president Teh Kee Sin said the opposition coalition's promise to increase the minimum wage to RM1,100 a month compared to the government's RM900 a month would adversely affect small and medium business along with the country's economy.
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| Bersih 2.0 not involved in Pakatan rally Posted: 03 Oct 2012 06:41 PM PDT
It will, however, support any party in favour of electoral reforms. K Pragalath, FMT Electoral reform watchdog, Bersih 2.0 today announced that it has no role in the upcoming rally organised by Pakatan Rakyat on Nov 3 at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium. "We have nothing to do with that. It is entirely organised by a political party," said Bersih 2.0 co-chairman S Ambiga at a press conference held in Kuala Lumpur Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH). Yesterday, PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu announced that Pakatan Rakyat is organising a rally on Nov 3 in Bukit Jalil stadium as a result of government's failure to implement electoral reforms. However Ambiga said that Bersih would support the calls for electoral reforms. "All political parties should also do (rallies) because all that we want are free and fair elections," she said. Ambiga also revealed that Bersih steering committee received an invitation to attend the rally. "Individually, we can go. We (the committee) haven't met (to discuss) on the role that Bersih should play in this rally," she said. In a related development, Ambiga, who is a former Bar Council president, also questioned whether the Election Commission (EC) has began implementing the recommendations made by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reforms (PSC). "We'd like to know whether the EC has began implementing the recommendations," she said. The PSC had released its report on recommendations on electoral reforms in April.
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| PKR claims S’gor rejected petrochemical plant Posted: 03 Oct 2012 04:06 PM PDT
Chua Jui Meng clams that the same Taiwanese petrochemical firms approached the Selangor government last year before to build the plant in Pulau Indah. Laven Woon, FMT The Selangor government had once rejected proposals by Taiwanese investors to set up a petrochemical plant in the state before the latter turned to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to build the plant in Pengerang, Johor. At a press conference here today, PKR Johor chairman Chua Jui Meng claimed that Taiwan state-owned oil refiner China Petroleum Corporation and Chemical Corp (CPC) and its subsidiary Kuokuang Petrochemical Co (Kuokuang) had approached the Selangor government through its representative company Everwish Sdn Bhd last year. He said the multi-billion investors had proposed to build the petrochemical complex in Pulau Indah, an island off the west coast of Selangor, with total investments worth billions of ringgit. "But after a detailed study done on the project, all agencies in Selangor opted against the project, and the Selangor menteri besar rejected their proposal in February 2011," he said. Despite the absence of documentary evidence, Chua claimed that Selangor's rejection was due to severe ecological and environmental impact the project would pose to the area. He said the menteri besar's decision was consistent with the one of Taiwan president Ma Ying-Jeou, who had turned down CPC and Kuokuang's proposal due to public protests in that country. He said the two companies then turned to Petronas and Johor Menter Besar Abdul Ghani Othman for the project to be sited in Pengerang, which the latter welcomed with open arms. "On May 13, 2011, within such a short span, their proposal was accepted by Najib and Ghani without considering the Environmental Impact Assessment reports done in Taiwan and Selangor. "And Najib shows how grateful he is by giving a 10-year tax holiday to the companies," he said. Chua also criticised Najib and Ghani for "grabbing what Taiwan and Selangor rejected" and added that "Johor was chosen as a dumping ground". However, a check by FMT found that Najib only announced on May 13 this year that an undisclosed Taiwan-based petrochemicals firm has agreed to invest RM35 billion to build a new integrated complex in Pengerang. Meanwhile, Selangor exco for investment, industry and trade Teresa Kok confirmed that the Taiwanese companies did approach the state government. However, she said it was the two companies which did not pursue the proposals. "We did have some concerns internally on the environmental impacts it might pose, because our Selangor Halal Food Hub is situated there. But it was more like the two companies who did not follow up," she added.
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| Posted: 03 Oct 2012 02:24 PM PDT
(The Star) - A BLOGGER has called supporters of the United Chinese School Committees Association of Malaysia (Dong Zong) "racists" who will ultimately "destroy our Chinese culture". A copy of the posting was carried by The Mole online portal. In his blog post on Monday, Shen Yee Aun said he disagreed with Dong Zong on several issues, namely the organisation's preference for Chinese teachers. Shen questioned the need for Dong Zong to ask for more teachers, saying that "those who are not qualified and do not have the quality would destroy our Chinese education and language even further". He also said a true Chinese education fighter would have agreed to "open up the teaching posts at Chinese schools to all races and not restrict them to certain races". "Dong Zong's narrow-minded views would result in the Malaysian Chinese community being left behind economically, politically and socially," he added. Shen was quoted as saying that Dong Zong is being racially-motivated in its aims for Chinese education. This is because it had restricted other races from learning the Chinese language but "the Malays encourage our Malaysian Chinese to learn their own language". Shen also cited that Dong Zong was always critical of Barisan Nasional, especially MCA, more than against Pakatan Rakyat. "Pakatan has not given a single sen, promise, policy, manifesto, demands, schools and basically nothing for the Chinese community and Chinese education, so why is Dong Zong questioning Barisan's sincerity?" he asked. Shen reminded Dong Zong that during the Budget 2013 announcement, the Government had allocated RM100mil to the country's Chinese schools compared with Pakatan, whom he claimed had given nothing. Shen said he went to a national school during his school years, saying that Chinese groups who refuse to mingle with the other races in the country would "sooner or later find themselves living in their own world, separate from the rest of the society". He faulted these groups for pushing some segments of the Malays to label the Chinese as racists. Shen advised the groups to open up their hearts and minds to the other races. "Treat them like how you treat your own race. They will treat you as part of their community even though you are born a Chinese," he added.
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| PKR deputy president Azmin Ali's call for new Selangor MB rocks Pakatan’s boat Posted: 03 Oct 2012 02:18 PM PDT
(The Star) - PKR deputy president Azmin Ali's statement calling for a new Mentri Besar should Pakatan Rakyat retain Selangor in the general election is threatening to cause cracks within the party. Calling the statement a "result of hubris" in light of Azmin's hope for electoral victory, party vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar said this was merely "just an opinion". "I believe in his exuberance and hubris for electoral victory, voicing his personal opinion on all possibilities of leadership is just that - his personal opinion," she said. Nurul Izzah, who is the daughter of Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, was responding to a statement by Azmin in a Malay daily which implied that Pakatan would appoint a new Mentri Besar should it retain Selangor in the polls. The Lembah Pantai MP said it would have been more prudent for Azmin to first bring up his opinion with all the stakeholders. Faekah Husin, who is Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim's political secretary, expressed her disappointment that both PKR and Azmin had not discussed the matter first with their office. "The law states that the Sultan has the final say on who the MB is although the party can put forward its candidate. PKR has never discussed this with us on the potential line-up or who will be MB," she said. However, PKR vice-president N. Surendran defended Azmin, saying that Khalid should look at the statement "as a compliment". "Those who claim this to be an insult to the Sultan don't understand Parliamentary democracy and the position of a monarch within it," he claimed. Fellow vice-president Tian Chua said Faekah was "not supposed to be commenting on political issues". In SHAH ALAM, Khalid said Azmin's statement was merely his "personal opinion and did not represent Pakatan as a whole". "Decisions on who is to be fielded, where and why will only be announced if necessary," he said, adding that a special state assembly meeting would be called soon to discuss three main issues, including a White Paper report on Talam debt recovery exercise. PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali said such matters had never been discussed at Pakatan's leadership council meetings. "Leaders should stop making statements based on personal views because decisions should be collectively made by the top leadership," he said. Mustafa also blasted Selangor PKR information chief Shuhaimi Shafiei for saying that 20 PKR leaders would be appointed to the Cabinet should Pakatan attain power. "Announcements should not be based on personal views as they will only confuse the public," he stressed.
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| Minister defends ex-Chief Secretary’s son-in-law over solar deal Posted: 03 Oct 2012 02:07 PM PDT
Ida Lim, The Malaysian Insider A minister today defended the lucrative solar power contracts by companies linked to Todd Morath, the son-in-law of the former Chief Secretary to the Government, saying that the deals were awarded through a "fair bidding process". In July, the DAP's Tony Pua and PKR's Nurul Izzah Anwar had pointed out that Morath, his wife Suzi Suliana Mohd Sidek, and two business partners control 12 out of 32 companies that had won the "lion's share" or 32.4 per cent of the nation's solar energy quota. Suzi's father, Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan, was appointed the new Petronas chairman after his retirement in June from his post as Chief Secretary to the Government. "But I want to underline the companies owned by Mr Todd, he used the method of bidding online, not he wants to see me, (not) me who gave him... he did online bidding like other people and other companies," Datuk Seri Peter Chin, the minister of energy, green technology and water, said in Parliament. "Because of that, how can I blame him because he is the son-in-law of the former KSN (Chief Secretary)? Cannot," the Miri MP said. "This is a fair bidding process, because it's fair, he won, he got it. I didn't interfere. CEO of SEDA (Sustainable Energy Development Authority) didn't interfere," he said. "Don't accuse with facts that are not true..." he added. Chin was replying to a supplementary question by Fuziah Salleh (PKR-Kuantan) during Question Time in Parliament.
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| Posted: 03 Oct 2012 01:47 PM PDT
Under Budget 2013, the allocation to set up a 1Malaysia grocery store in Sabah and Sarawak will cost RM6.7 million. Athi Shankar, FMT Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng is curious on why it costs RM6.7 million to set up a 1Malaysia grocery store (KR1M) in Sabah and Sarawak when it only costs RM470,000 per store in the Peninsular. Last year, he recalled that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak set aside RM40 million to set up 85 KR1Ms, or RM470,000 per store, across the Peninsular. But Budget 2013, he noted had allocated RM386 million to set up 57 KR1Ms, or RM6.7 million per store, in Sabah and Sarawak. "It's 15 times costlier," said the DAP secretary-general. He called on Barisan Nasional federal government to justify the RM6.7 million spending to set up a KR1M just to sell basic necessities like sugar, rice and salt. "Or are the KR1Ms also selling luxury goods like designer handbags, gold and diamond jewellery?" he asked in a blog posting. The KR1M stores are run by Mydin Wholesale Hypermarket. The Bagan MP claimed that the allocation would benefit those awarded contracts to operate the stores and drive local retailers in Sabah and Sarawak out of business. Power tariffs The Pakatan Rakyat leader also criticised Budget 2013′s failure to announce the inevitable increase of electricity tariffs. He said it proved again BN's 3Ds record of deficits, debts and deception compared with Pakatan state government's 3S achievement of surplus, sustainable debt reduction and stern action against corruption. He said the budget was clearly an exercise in deception as Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Peter Chin Fah Kui admitted that a future tariff increase was inevitable due to growing international fuel price. In an interview with a vernacular newspaper, Peter Chin did not reveal the time and quantum of the electricity tariff hike. But he pointed out that higher electricity prices would encourage the public to save energy and switch to products with green technology. Lim reproached Peter Chin's admission as "shocking", asking on why then this was not announced in the budget tabled by Najib on Sept 28. "Any responsible government would have included it in the budget," he said. Continuing deficit
He said BN's budget of RM252 billion cannot mask a persistent record of deficits for the 16th year estimated at RM40 billion. He recalled that the last time the country had a budget surplus was in 1997 when Anwar Ibrahim was still the Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister.
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| Squabbling in Penang PKR may get worse Posted: 02 Oct 2012 05:44 PM PDT
LEAKED RECORDING: Two leaders at meeting named in report | |||
| Posted: 02 Oct 2012 05:05 PM PDT
BN leader accuses incumbent S Manickavasagam of promoting MIC CWC memebr A Sakthivel for the Kapar seat. G Vinod, FMT PKR's Kapar MP S Manickavasagam is working in cahoots with MIC central working committte member A Sakthivel, promoting the latter for his parliamentary seat, claimed a Barisan Nasional man. The senior BN leader, claiming anonymity, said this was proven when incumbent Manickavasagam promoted Sakthivel at a function on Monday at the Hoe Tian Keong Temple. "Manickavasagam said that he would like to see Sakthivel contesting for the Kapar seat in a speech at the function attended by about 1,600 people, and they all heard it," claimed the leader. Disappointed, the BN leader accused Sakthivel of using Manickavasagam to promote his own political agenda. "Manickavasagam was promoting Sakthivel because both are friends, but the latter must understand that seats allocation for the general election is decided by the BN leadership. "I don't know how Pakatan Rakyat works, but in BN we must abide by party decisions. People may get confused by Manickavasagam's announcement," said the leader. I was being sarcastic, says Manicka Manickavasagam, however, dismissed the BN leader's accusation, saying he was just being sarcastic with his remark. He said that many aspirants for the seat came to the function, including Kapar MIC division chief P Ganesan and Pemandu committee member D Ravindran. "These people just showed up. Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Deputy Minister Chua Tee Yong and Kapar MCA division chairman Song Kee Chai also attended the function. "All I said was that Ganesan and Sakthivel should pray hard so that their party leadership will choose either one of them to contest in Kapar. I was being sarcastic," said Manickavasagam. He also said that most of his speech on the day was about Pakatan's leadership in the state and its achievements. Meanwhile, Sakthivel also dismissed the BN leader's accusation, saying Manickavasagam was not promoting him for Kapar. "He didn't mean it that way. He was merely addressing the people there. As for me, I just had my meal and left the function soon after," he said.
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| Pakatan to hold demo on poll reforms Posted: 02 Oct 2012 05:02 PM PDT
Its top leadership said the decision was made following the government's failure to meet growing calls for electoral reforms. Syed Jaymal Zahiid, FMT Pakatan Rakyat today announced its plan to hold a mass gathering on Nov 3 following the government's failure to meet demands for poll reforms, mainly the calls to clean up the electoral roll and media fairness. PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu told reporters in Parliament building here that Pakatan is expecting a crowd as big as 500,000 while the venue chosen for the event is the Bukit Jalil National Stadium. "The government has yet to meet the eight core demands made by Bersih, especially on the need to clean up the electoral roll and media fairness. "Because Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak had suggested that if we want to hold any gatherings we should do it at Bukit Jalil, so we have decided to choose that place to hold our gathering," he said. Bersih and opposition leaders have repeatedly accused the Election Commission (EC) of deliberate inaction over allegations of discrepancies in the voters' roll, calling it a conspiracy to help the present government restore its two-thirds mandate in the upcoming polls. EC officials denied the allegations, saying its move to adopt the recommendations made by the parliamentary select committee (PSC) on polls reforms proved it was sincere in ensuring a clean and fair election. The PSC was set up by Najib after several protests held by Bersih and backed by the opposition threatened to shake his government, but he maintained that elections in Malaysia had always been fair. A national threat Just recently a Sabah daily published a report on the admission by a foreigner that he had purchased a Malaysian identity card for only RM1,000 and he was also a registered voter. Opposition election monitoring group Jingga 13 said today this strengthens allegations of bias against the EC and there is a continuous joint effort between the EC and the BN to ensure the ruling coalition retain power. "This is a very serious case. It is a national threat and swift action must be taken," Fariz Musa, the group's chief coordinator, told the same press conference. PKR vice-president Tian Chua said the rally was not only to voice opposition demands but the "aspirations" of all Malaysians who want clean and fair elections. The gathering will be themed "People's Uprising" and Pakatan said it will adopt yellow as the event's main colour. Yellow was also the official colour of the Bersih movement.
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| Suaram: subpoena finally served on Scorpene witness Posted: 02 Oct 2012 04:45 PM PDT
(Malaysian Digest) - Suaram revealed that a subpoena has finally been served on one of the witnesses proposed by the human rights group to assist in the French judicial probe on alleged corruption in Malaysia's purchase of two Scorpene submarines from French naval defence company DCNS. "The inquiry is progressing and we've been allowed to tell you that the first subpoena has reached the first witness. However, Cynthia confirmed that the subpoena was served on one of the seven witnesses which it had proposed to the French courts probing the Scorpene deal. The other six proposed witnesses were Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, private investigator P Balasubramaniam, Najib's confidante Abdul Razak Baginda and the latter's spouse and father - Mazlinda Makhzan and Abdul Malim Baginda. Another speaker at the forum, Tenaganita executive director Irene Fernandez said the Companies Commission Malaysia's (CCM) harassment of Suaram was exactly what happened to Tenaganita - which, like Suaram, is registered as a company - when it exposed deaths of migrant workers in an immigration detention camp in 1996. This modus operandi in the past, like now, she said, was to portray that Tenaganita was supposedly providing false financial information and having improper accounts. Cynthia and Suaram founding member R Sivarasa, who is now Subang parliamentarian, are both expected to give their statement to the Registrar of Societies (ROS) later today after the regulator roped in the police to compel the duo's cooperation under the Criminal Procedure Code. "We stressed that Suaram is not and was not doing anything wrong. The transition from a business to a company was only for expansion and better accountability.
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| ‘Only RM10 paid to settle Talam debts’ Posted: 02 Oct 2012 04:33 PM PDT
Chua Tee Yong cites 2009 documents regarding Talam's debts to Unisel and PNSB. Patrick Lee, FMT Two Selangor state-owned companies, according to the MCA, only received RM10 each from the Talam debt settlement exercise, despite being owed millions of ringgit. Pointing to 2009 documents, MCA Young Professionals Bureau Chua Tee Yong said that both Universiti Selangor (Unisel) and Permodalan Negeri Selangor Bhd (PNSB) were given these amounts. This, he alleged, was despite Unisel being owed RM248 million and PNSB RM28 million. "Assignment of Debt Agreement" documents dated Nov 3, 2009 read: "Now therefore this agreement witnesses… the sum of RM10 now paid by the assignee to the assignor." With this, Chua claimed that Unisel's financial condition had worsened, and that PNSB was made to service a RM230 million loan with an RM86 million interest. Asked if he knew of the current payment status to these two companies, he said: "You have to ask the Selangor government." The Labis MP also came up with new figures to the Talam matter, in a claim that the Selangor government over-valuated the Talam land. He said that assets acquired through the debt settlement came up to RM676 million. Also, he included the total interest cost borne by PNSB (RM86 million) and a discount given to Talam by the state government (RM36 million). Altogether, he estimated the cost of the Talam deal to be RM798 million. In July, Chua started on several exposé against the Selangor government, claiming that the administration had used RM1 billion to bail out Talam Corporation Bhd. He claimed that Selangor had done so via a RM392 million supplementary budget passed in the State's Legislative Assembly in 2009. Chua added that the state bought an additional RM676 million worth of assets from Talam. Both Pakatan and the state vehemently denied these claims, and have since appointed independent audit firms to check the Talam matter in a show of transparency.
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| Azmin: Khalid to get minister’s job if Pakatan takes Putrajaya Posted: 02 Oct 2012 04:06 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim is likely to be made a Cabinet minister if Pakatan Rakyat (PR) wins the general election, PKR deputy president Azmin Ali has said. He told Malay daily Sinar Harian that this would mean Khalid would vacate the Selangor mentri besar's position even if PR retains the state in the next general election. Azmin's remarks are likely to trigger speculation about whether he is eyeing a tilt at becoming Selangor MB, but he did not comment about his own plans. Azmin, who is Gombak MP, was reported saying that Khalid's corporate expertise would be better utilised at the federal level, rather than being limited to just one state, should PR take Putrajaya. Key to the suggestion to promote Khalid was the former corporate captain's success in leading Selangor, which saw the industrialised state contribute 23 per cent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP), Azmin told the Malay daily. "The decision about the possibility is made by combining the various expertise and capabilities to ensure the country's administration runs smoothly," Azmin, who is both a federal and state lawmaker, told Sinar Harian. But he said PR had yet to make a decision on the idea. "Nobody can predict his position today until the results of GE13 are announced," he was quoted as saying. Khalid is seen to be a political novice but a seasoned corporate leader. He was a member of the National Productivity Council and has broad experience in the corporate industry; he was chief executive of the state-run investment fund Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) from 1979 to 194 and was also CEO of plantations giant now known as Kumpulan Guthrie Berhad from 1995 to 2003. He had joined PKR and ran in Election 2008 where he took the Ijok state seat, beating Umno's Satuk Moamed Sayuti Said by a majority of 1,920 votes. The victory catapulted him into the pole position of Malaysia's wealthiest state. Khalid is also Bandar Tun Razak MP.
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| Record-setting wedding of Ali Rustam’s son paid for by sponsors Posted: 02 Oct 2012 04:02 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam's office was forced to reveal yesterday that many of the caterers and other businesses sponsored the lavish wedding dinner of the Malacca chief minister's son that drew over 130,000 guests during the weekend. The wedding has come under intense public scrutiny after national news agency Bernama reported on Sunday that 26-year-old Mohd Ridhwan's marriage to Nur Azieha Mohd Ali, also 26, lasted eight hours, with the number of guests earning a place in the Malaysia Book of Records. An official with the Malaysia Book of Records was also present to present a certificate to the chief minister. Mohd Ali's special secretary Datuk MS Mahadevan was reported by The Star today as saying much of the wedding's cost was paid for through sponsors. But he did not reveal the total cost. Mohd Ali also did not say how much the wedding cost him, but dismissed suggestions that the wedding attended by more than 130,000 people was a lavish affair. "No one was forced to attend the event, including state government employees," said Mahadevan yesterday. "This is the first wedding ceremony for the chief minister's family and every Malaccan wanted to take part. Even estate workers wearing slippers stood in line to shake hands with the bride and bridegroom. "Not a single sen was paid to these volunteers." Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers have questioned how the wedding was funded, and the revelation of sponsors will spark more questions about the appropriateness of accepting money from businesses to pay for the wedding. PR lawmakers said that even at RM10 a head, the wedding banquet would cost RM1.3 million for food and beverages alone, far more than the long-serving chief minister's salary. DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang used his Twitter account to speculate further on the cost of the wedding, saying the banquet appeared to cost RM100 a person or potentially RM13 million just for the food. But Malacca Umno executive secretary Datuk Akbar Ali responded to the DAP leaders' tweets by saying they should not assume the wedding banquet was similar to a Chinese wedding dinner. "Awak ingat ini jamuan makan malam 9 jenis seperti masyarakat Cina dengan sup sirip ikan yu. Ini cara kamu wujudkan fitnah. Ini orang yang sakit (You think this is like a nine-course Chinese dinner with shark's fin soup. This is how you create lies. This is someone sick.)" Akbar wrote on his Twitter account.)"
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| Hisham says would appeal court decision on news portal’s print permit Posted: 02 Oct 2012 03:55 PM PDT
Ida Lim, The Malaysian Insider The home minister today said he would "like to see" an appeal of the High Court's decision allowing a news portal to seek a review of the ministry's rejection of its newspaper permit application. On Monday, the High Court here quashed the Home Ministry's decision to reject a newspaper permit application by Mkini Dotcom Sdn Bhd, the owner of news portal Malaysiakini. "Definitely, KDN (Home Ministry) will engage with the Attorney-General and, on a personal basis of course, I would like to see the matter appealed," said Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein. "But, at the end of the day, it is not for me to decide, and if there is any info that the AG requires from KDN I believe that we are working quite closely..." When asked about the basis for the Home Ministry's denial of a print permit for the news portal company, he said: "I don't know, I was not around at that time."
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| In Malaysia, Court Backs Right to Print a Newspaper Posted: 02 Oct 2012 12:49 PM PDT
(The New York Times) - KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Obtaining permission to publish a newspaper in Malaysia, where the print media are dominated by government-linked publications, is likely to become easier after a court ruled that the right to freedom of expression includes the right to publish and is a fundamental liberty, a lawyer said on Tuesday. A Malaysian court ruled on Monday that the government should not have rejected an application for a print publishing license by Malaysiakini, a popular independent news Web site, said Shanmuga Kanesalingam, a lawyer who represented Malaysiakini. Under Malaysian law, a newspaper must obtain a permit from the government before it can publish. Free-speech advocates hailed the decision as a victory. "Recognition that the right to publish a newspaper is a fundamental right is very, very significant," Mr. Shanmuga said. "It's the first time we've had this said by a judge." Masjaliza Hamzah, executive officer of the Center for Independent Journalism in Kuala Lumpur, described the decision as "a very progressive judgment for freedom of expression, for freedom of the press in Malaysia." "It's very significant," she said, because few new permits for print newspapers have been granted in recent years. "The permits that have been given out are mostly for small-scale publications, but not for the kind of publication that could garner a national audience, which Malaysiakini could," Ms. Masjaliza said. The government has not yet decided whether to appeal the decision, said Noor Hisham bin Ismail, a senior federal counsel involved in the case. It has a month to file. Although the Internet has remained relatively free in Malaysia, most large newspapers are either owned by the government or linked to it. Mr. Shanmuga said the court had ruled that the home minister, who grants publishing permits, must reconsider Malaysiakini's application in accordance with the law. He said the ruling would make it more difficult for the government to refuse an application for a printing license, because it requires officials to show that the proposed publication would be a threat to public order or to national security, or would be immoral. Read more at: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/03/world/asia/malaysian-court-rules-that-publishing-a-newspaper-is-a-basic-right.html?_r=0 |
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