Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Powerful leaders attempting to oust Karpal
- Why the frenzy over DAP polls
- Deepak’s claims: Say something, Rosmah
- Uganda: All Is Not Rosy in Malaysia
- Cops and robbers
- The decline of quality
- Malaysia is world champion in corruption
- Growing Chinese clout may cause new May 13, says Ibrahim Ali
- Cut a long story short
- ‘Manikavasagam is unprofessional’
- Sabotage claims, again: Xavier claims ex-DAP member 'paid off' to sabotage Selangor
- Utusan to pay RM50,000 to Karpal Singh over defamatory article
- Kelantan issues may hurt Pakatan’s chances, admits Mustafa Ali
- PAS tunduk pada DAP, sanggup kaji semula undang-undang yang dilaksana
- Justice for Altantuya: PM, AG must respond
| Powerful leaders attempting to oust Karpal Posted: 13 Dec 2012 10:43 PM PST
A DAP branch leader urges party delegates to return the veteran leader to power with a bigger majority. G Vinod, FMT A DAP leader today claimed that there are several party leaders who would be attempting to oust party chairman Karpal Singh at the party election tomorrow. Speaking at a press conference today, Taman Chi Liung Indah DAP chairman K Yogasigamany even claimed that one of the leader hails from Selangor. "A top leader from DAP Selangor had met party members from Klang and canvassed support for Lim Kit Siang (DAP adviser), Lim Guan Eng (secretary-general), for the leader and other unknown individuals, but not for Karpal," alleged Yogasigamany. Yesterday, former Selangor DAP auditor Tan Tuan Tat alleged that there are moves in the party to use the party's central executive committee (CEC) election tomorrow to oust Karpal. Tan claimed that Karpal's vocal stand against PAS' Islamic state agenda and his "one man-one seat" calls had ruffled the feathers of some powerful leaders in the party. Yogasigamany said that the attempt was becoming obvious in the last one month when these leaders were proposing names for the party leadership posts, but left out Karpal's name. "When I enquired about it, they just dismissed me by saying let the members decide," he claimed, Asked to name the leaders attempting to oust Karpal, Yogasigamany refused to divulge details saying, "I think you can guess." The DAP grassroots leader said that many members were unhappy with the situation and they made their grouses known during the Selangor DAP convention held on Dec 4. "Out of about 1,000 delegates, only about 300 tuned up for the event. Out of that, a substantial number left after registering their names," he claimed. People's choice Yogasigamany, who is a businessman, defended Karpal's "one man-one seat" formula, saying DAP has a lot of capable leaders. He also said that the "one man-one seat" proposal would also curtail certain leaders' greed who want to monopolise everything for themselves. "These leaders are not only holding both parliamentary and state seats, but they also hold positions as state excos and in the state government linked companies. Left unchecked, they may even attempt to hold councillor positions and others. "If you want monetary gains, leave politics and venture into business," he said. He also cited an FMT's online poll on Karpal's proposal, saying that nearly 80% voted in favour of the "one man-one seat" formula.
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| Posted: 13 Dec 2012 10:21 PM PST
Several reasons make this weekend's congress the most exciting in recent history. Leven Woon, FMT Tomorrow's election of DAP's central executive committee (CEC) will be the most keenly watched in recent memory for the twin reasons that the 13th general election is impending and that the party, as part of Pakatan Rakyat, has never been better poised to defeat Barisan Nasional. Adding to the excitement of the occasion is the unprecedented frenzy of the competition. Observers agree that this can be attributed to two factors: the huge number of delegates who will be voting and the vacancy of a vice chairman's seat reserved for a Malay candidate, caused by the resignation of Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim from the party. Sixty-eight candidates are vying for 20 positions. Although the number of contenders is smaller than in previous elections, the competition is far more intense because the winners will have a good chance of being fielded in the 13th GE. Under the DAP system, delegates to the congress elect the 20 CEC members, who will then choose among themselves the key office bearers, who in turn will add 10 to 15 more members to the committee by appointment. DAP witnessed a surge in membership after the 2008 election, in which it won 28 parliament seats and 83 state seats. Party branches have been mushrooming across the nation, resulting in a sharp increase in the number of members entitled to attend the annual congress. There will be 2,576 delegates at this weekend's congress, compared to 1,750 during the last party polls. The hundreds of new delegates might produce a surprise by not following the traditional voting pattern favoured by party advisor Lim Kit Siang and secretary-general Lim Guan Eng. A first-time delegate told FMT that he expected some senior leaders to be dropped in favour of younger personalities. He speculated that the delegates would probably vote in 10 veterans and give the other seats to young blood. In the current CEC, 13 members would fit the description of veterans. Among them are figures who have served either as MPs or state legislators for more than 15 years. Some of them might be replaced by first-term MPs or state representatives who have gained popularity since the 2008 election. These include Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng and Selangor exco Ean Yong Hian Wah. There have been reports that rival factions within Perak DAP might extend their fight to the CEC election. One faction is led by cousins Ngeh Koo Ham and Nga Kor Ming and the other by M Kulasegaran, who is currently a vice chairman at the national level. The Ngeh-Nga faction is backing former Perak state assembly speaker V Sivakumar against Kulasegaran. Media speculation has indicated that the Ngeh-Nga team will also vote against party chairman Karpal Singh, who is aligned to Kulasegaran.
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| Deepak’s claims: Say something, Rosmah Posted: 13 Dec 2012 10:08 PM PST
The opposition pact urges the 'First Lady of Malaysia' to answer claims she was involved in changing a statutory declaration implicating her husband in the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu. Anisah Shukry, FMT The prime minister's wife, Rosmah Mansor, must answer claims that she told carpet dealer Deepak Jaikishan to look for P Balasubramanian after the private investigator's statutory declaration (SD) was made public, said Pakatan Rakyat. On Wednesday, Deepak revealed the identity of his "female friend" who allegedly called up many people for favours on the day Balasubramaniam disclosed his first SD linking Najib to the murder of Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu. Since then, the female friend, Rosmah, has kept silent, but her detractors in the opposition coalition decry her move as being unfair to the contending parties as well as to the public. When asked to comment, PAS lawmaker Dzulkefly Ahmad pointed out that since Rosmah was the "First Lady of Malaysia", these were grave allegations and could demolish all that was left of her credibility as well as her husband's, the Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. "We are coming this close to an election that is the most critical by the way of a possibility of regime change," the Kuala Selangor MP told FMT. "So I think it's only fair for all players that she immediately come out to challenge Deepak if she truly and honestly thinks that all these are a pack of lies concocted by him and whoever else contriving to bring her and her husband down. "This is serious because it involves the prime minister, the first lady of Malaysia, the brother of the PM and whatnot." Dzulkefly was referring to Deepak's claims that the latter had met with Nazim Tun Razak, who was representing Najib, and Balasubramaniam at a shopping mall after Rosmah had asked the carpet dealer for help. According to Deepak, Nazim asked the private investigator what he wanted in return for making the second SD, which retracts all references of Najib's purported link with Altantuya made in the first SD. The deal was eventually closed and Nazim allegedly called Najib to arrange for a lawyer to draft the second SD at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur. Deafening silence "It will only get worse by way of the revelation of the exposé coming this way," Dzulkefly said.
He further declared that all the prime minister's talk of transformation, his apologies and emphasis on Islam would "go out the window" and "was finished" should the duo continue to keep up the silence. "Stop this deafening silence, because, in this case, it is definitely not golden," he stressed. He said neither Najib nor Rosmah would be able to sweep the issue under the carpet as Malaysians were a discerning, thinking lot. "You can't avoid the perception of the rakyat, especially the discerning, thinking rakyat on which this election stands on." He suggested that instead of ignoring the issue, she should pursue a legal case against Deepak to prove such allegations were untrue. "This is killing them softly, so if she truly feels this is downright lies, come out and say something to challenge Deepak… perhaps a legal suit," said Dzulkefely. 'Stop destroying your husband's image' Meanwhile, PKR Wanita chief Zuraida Kamaruddin called on Rosmah to fulfil her duty as a wife by clearing both her name and, just as importantly, her husband's name. "Rosmah needs to stop destroying her husband's image," the Ampang MP told FMT. "She has been destroying the prime minister's reputation with her past actions, and now it will be further destroyed with these serious allegations by Deepak." Zuraida said that, as the prime minister's wife, Rosmah should be building up her husband's image, but was instead smearing it. "We have not heard anything from Rosmah; no attempts to straighten the facts out, to respond on the matter. "It is a very serious allegation because it involves the murder of Altantuya, so Rosmah and the PM should come out with a statement."
Zuraida added that Rosmah should not use the soon-to-be released biography as an excuse to keep silent, as the allegations had been around for far too long. According to Bernama, the 164-page book will be priced at RM150 and distributed next month. It is expected to negate the "unfounded allegations" against her. Meanwhile, DAP lawmaker Tony Pua also implored the duo to come out in the open, adding that they could not keep silent forever in the face of Deepak's unending exposé. "They must answer. They cannot keep silent, there have been too many allegations on the matter. "Tell us the truth," urged Pua. He said that while he had not been following the case completely, any allegations that could tarnish the prime minister's reputation as well as that of his direct associates must be dealt with immediately.
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| Uganda: All Is Not Rosy in Malaysia Posted: 13 Dec 2012 08:01 PM PST
(The Observer, Kampala) - "There is a tendency for people to think that they are the most troubled, forgetting that life could be harder at the other side of the fence," said Paul Jjingo, a senior member of the group, imploring people to be grateful for the little things they have. Uganda's seminal theatre group, The Ebonies, will tomorrow seal what has been an outstanding year, with the premiere of their latest production, Malaysia, at Theatre La Bonita. Word has it that the play about life's challenges and inequality is inspired by the group's recent tour of Europe and Asia where they were trained in acting. The group returned with state-of-the-art theatre equipment which they will put to use tomorrow. "There is a tendency for people to think that they are the most troubled, forgetting that life could be harder at the other side of the fence," said Paul Jjingo, a senior member of the group, imploring people to be grateful for the little things they have. Malaysia, which Jjingo says is a collection of real-life vignettes, echoes themes of exploitation, hypocrisy, corruption and love, among others.
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| Posted: 13 Dec 2012 07:47 PM PST
The police and Home Ministry have devised methods for the public to rate the efficiency of the police services, but has an internal audit been conducted to gauge what policemen think of their senior officers? Mariam Mokhtar, Free Malaysia Today The PDRM is a force in crisis; when three suspects, two Colombians and a Zambian escaped en-route to the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court last week, suspicion fell on the police. This is in addition to the police being implicated in deaths in custody and the indiscriminate shooting of teenagers. The public complains that the police respond immediately to Umno politicians and their cronies, but are slow to come to the aid of the rakyat. Former IGP Musa Hassan has made accusations of meddling in the running of the PDRM and the improper conduct of its senior officers, but has anyone stopped to ask what the rank-and-file members of the police think? The police and Home Ministry have devised methods for the public to rate the efficiency of the police services, but has an internal audit been conducted to gauge what policemen think of their senior officers? Do they think their top cops are able leaders, with integrity? Do they feel that the PDRM has been politicised? Would policemen feel confident of receiving an efficient service, if they were to seek police help, as members of the public? Although the Malaysian public has experienced high levels of serious crimes and many have remained unresolved, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein soured relations between the rakyat and the police by stating that this was merely the rakyat's perception. The current IGP Ismail Omar attracted ridicule when he claimed that only 1% of policemen were corrupt. Musa alleged that gang leaders had a say in police transfers and promotions. He also alleged that senior politicians used to issue orders to junior police officers and bypass senior policemen. He poured scorn on his successor and called him ineffective. Despite the apprehensions of the rakyat, Hishammuddin claimed that the recently launched Short Messaging Service (SMS) rating system, whereby the public could leave feedback on the quality of police service, had been "overwhelmingly successful" and that in the first 10 months of 2012, over 90% of people who used the service were "very satisfied". Perhaps Hishammuddin and Ismail could conduct a similar survey for their own policemen. Open to abuse The picture painted by the Home Ministry differs from the experience of the public. In a recently conducted trial, which was reported in another online newspaper, Inspector Luther Nurjib of the Dang Wangi police station is alleged to have used the cover of his undercover work to sell drugs. He had also been implicated in the theft of a Rolex watch from a suspect in another crime. It was evident from the trial, that procedures for dealing with police informants were flawed and open to abuse. Entrapment appeared to be commonplace. Corruption seemed to be more widespread than the IGP had previously admitted. Musa's allegations are of an equally serious nature. He alleged that the attorney-general and the former Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) (now renamed the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC)) were complicit in framing the former Commercial Crimes Investigation Department director Ramli Yusuff and six other police officers. If the AG's name cropped up, why has the law minister, the home minister and Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak not ordered an investigation into these allegations and either quash them or bring those who responsible for perverting the course of justice to book? The same should be done to investigate the MACC, but no one appears to want to make the first move. Musa also alleged that gang leaders would "advise" him on which policemen to promote or have transferred and that the Internal Security Ministry was also complicit in the awkward decision making process. Are Najib and Hishammuddin not aware of these activities? This is disturbing; so, who runs the Malaysian police force? Do criminal syndicates call the shots? Does the PDRM have joint bosses – the politicians and criminal masterminds? Is the PDRM running along the lines of the Sicilian mafia? Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2012/12/14/cops-and-robbers/ |
| Posted: 13 Dec 2012 07:40 PM PST
According to the study, Malaysia had encountered the greatest drop among the 59 countries in 2011. Averagely, Malaysian students scored 474 points in mathematics in 2007 but 440 points in 2011, falling from the ranking of 26th to 20th. As for science, Malaysian students scored 471 in 2007 and 426 in 2011, falling from 21st to 32nd. Lim Sue Goan, Sin Chew Daily Politicians have been busy confronting with each other and all they care now is just votes. I believe that they have neglected the latest Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) results. According to the study, Malaysia had encountered the greatest drop among the 59 countries in 2011. Averagely, Malaysian students scored 474 points in mathematics in 2007 but 440 points in 2011, falling from the ranking of 26th to 20th. As for science, Malaysian students scored 471 in 2007 and 426 in 2011, falling from 21st to 32nd. Although the scores and rankings attract more attention, I am more concerned about the decline of quality among students and the younger generation. Deputy Prime Minister and Education Ministry Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin pointed out last month that the Ministry targeted 60% of new Science stream students nationwide, but achieved only less than 20%. Therefore, the government would take various measures to increase the number of Science stream students, including considering tax breaks for parents. The TIMSS results reflected the factors behind the sharp decline in the number of Science stream students. Students are unable to master Mathematics and Science when they lack the ability to think logically. How would they dare to choose Science stream if they are not good in the subjects? According to the National Education Blueprint preliminary report, out of 74 countries participating in PISA 2009+, Malaysia performed in the bottom third for Reading, Mathematics, and Science. The results of PISA and the TIMSS have consistently proven that the ability of in-depth thinking among Malaysian students are still at a low level. The lack of in-depth thinking ability will cause people unable to solve problems with knowledge. It could even lead to the lack of analytical skills. These have explained why there are so many problems in the country. Politics is chaotic as politicians lack the ability to think. As a result, they make incoherent statements. The rare earth refinery issue has exposed the brutal facts. A recent report pointed out that many people, including artists and dignitaries, believe that spiritualists and shamans can cure them and as a result, many were cheated and some women were even raped. According to the police, a total of 243 people were cheated in the first 10 months of this year and Chinese alone accounted for 93 people. The total amount of losses involved is as high as RM12,499,665. If fake spiritualists can turn believers into billionaires overnight, why do they still need to work? Who to blame if we are fooled because we cannot think logically? Meanwhile, the popularity of the Internet has also weakened the people's ability to think as nowadays, everyone just browses the Internet and resulted in the fall of concentration and interpretation ability. Therefore, they just parrot what others say. The results of the annual government examinations, including the UPSR, PMR, SPM and the STPM have been getting better year by year and more and more people have scored straight As. Is it because the authority has lowered the standards or the examination candidates have precisely spotted the questions, causing the government not aware of the decline of quality? The quality of the people must be above "average" to successfully transform the economy and turn the country into a high-income state. Politicians should stop the war of words and pay more attention to education as the top priority now is to enhance the people's quality.
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| Malaysia is world champion in corruption Posted: 13 Dec 2012 07:33 PM PST
(Hindustan Times) - Despite Malaysia's high-profile anti-corruption crusade, half of the corporate executives surveyed by a global corruption watchdog believe that competitors have obtained business in the country through bribery. It asked nearly 3,000 executives from 30 countries whether they had lost a contract in the past year because competitors paid a bribe, and in Malaysia, 50% of them said 'yes'. Second on the dubious honor roll was Mexico, which was at 48%. According to the Wall Street Journal, Japan was ranked as the world's least-corrupt place to do business, with just 2% of respondents saying they had lost out due to bribery. Malaysia's neighbour Singapore was second-cleanest, which was at 9%. Even Indonesia, with a long-standing reputation for corruption, fared better than more-developed Malaysia. By comparison, 27% of respondents in China said they thought bribes had cost them business, the report said. "It shows the attitude of private companies in Malaysia, indicating that bribery in the public sector could be systemic and in a sense institutionalized," Paul Low, president of the Malaysian chapter of Transparency International, said.
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| Growing Chinese clout may cause new May 13, says Ibrahim Ali Posted: 13 Dec 2012 07:30 PM PST
(The Malaysian Insider) - The Chinese community will become a national security threat if it grow more powerful politically and economically, Datuk Ibrahim Ali has said, even warning that this could result in another bloody racial clash like the May 13 tragedy. The Perkasa chief said in a Sinar Harian interview today that the Chinese have been playing up political sentiments of late and accused the country's second-largest ethnic group of having forgotten how living in Malaysia is "like heaven". "What if there is chaos? Like during the May 13 incident, they could not proceed with their trade. "We, too, do not want that to happen," the outspoken Pasir Mas federal lawmaker was quoted as saying in the article. "Today, the Chinese are okay...but it's not enough... they want more. Now, they control 40 per cent of the country's economy, and now, they want political power as well," Ibrahim continued. "But what will happen in 25 years from now? Today is okay, but tomorrow, when their power spreads, then it will threaten national security and the May 13 incident will return," he warned. Ibrahim, or "Tok Him" as he is often called, has positioned himself as the firebrand for the Malay agenda and the face of Perkasa, the Malay right-wing group he founded just after the 12th general election in 2008. But his fiery rhetoric and often racially-charged remarks have regularly put him on a collision course with non-Muslim politicians across the political divide, despite claims from the opposition that he has the backing of the ruling Umno. Despite this, Ibrahim insisted in the Sinar Harian interview that none of what he has done or said in the past should qualify him for the "racist" label, even boasting that not a single police report has been lodged against him for being "racist" throughout his tenure at the head of the four-year-old Perkasa. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/growing-chinese-clout-may-cause-new-may-13-says-ibrahim-ali/
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| Posted: 13 Dec 2012 03:59 PM PST
What your lame brain cannot figure out is that whatever all these people are saying today I have already said in the past. These people are just repeating almost word-for-word what I had already said before. However, in the beginning, when I said all this, they said I was lying. Now, they have done a U-turn and are repeating what I said in the past. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin Have you been following the interviews, press statements, news reports, videos, allegations, counter-allegations, denials, threats of civil suits, etc., that have been all over the news and the Internet the last few weeks or so? Carpetman cum bagman Deepak Jaikishan, ex-private investigator cum ex-police hit squad member P. Balasubramaniam, ex-IGP cum underworld boss Musa Hassan, ex-CCID chief cum lawyer Ramli Yusuff, whistleblower cum PKR leader Rafizi Ramli, Sabah Chief Minister cum Umno Sabah chief Musa Aman, philanthropist Robert Phang, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, Opposition Leader cum Prime Minister-forever-in-waiting Anwar Ibrahim, etc., have all come out to sing like canaries. And they are all also accusing each other of lying. Actually, for most of you who are recipients of a Malaysian and/or a mother-tongue education, I am sure all those 'facts' are just too much for your feeble minds to follow. I mean you can't even understand the difference between the word 'reiterate' and 'withdraw'. When I said in my mainstream media interview that I reiterate what I signed in my June 2008 Statutory Declaration, many of you insist that 'reiterate' means to do a U-turn. Even Anwar Ibrahim who is supposed to have written a great book called The Asian Renaissance can't understand what 'reiterate' means. And he wants to lead the country as the next Prime Minister? Pleeeezzzz. Anyway, let's cut a long story short. Never mind what all these people are saying. Whatever long grandfather's story or cock-and-bull story they are telling us, all that can be summarised into just one short and simple sentence. And that short and simple sentence is: whatever Raja Petra Kamarudin has been saying over the last five years plus since 2007 is correct, he was not wrong, he did not lie. What your lame brain cannot figure out is that whatever all these people are saying today I have already said in the past. These people are just repeating almost word-for-word what I had already said before. However, in the beginning, when I said all this, they said I was lying. Now, they have done a U-turn and are repeating what I said in the past. Hence, instead of repeating everything I have already said and confuse people by making it appear like this is a new revelation, just make it simple. Cut a long story short and say: whatever Raja Petra Kamarudin said in the past is true and I would just like to confirm that he told the truth and did not lie. Kan ke senang macam tu? By the way, a certain prominent lawyer met up with an ex-IGP in Australia this week (not Musa Hassan though) to discuss many issues. However, just to punish you for being stupid, I am not going to reveal the names of these people or what they discussed. Wow, I just love being able to do that. |
| ‘Manikavasagam is unprofessional’ Posted: 13 Dec 2012 03:19 PM PST
State exco Dr Xavier Jayakumar says that the onus is on Kapar MP S Manikavasagam to clear the air over the allegation. K Pragalath, FMT Selangor executive councillor Dr Xavier Jayakumar said today that it was unprofessional of Kapar MP S Manikavasagam to call him a "bastard" and an "idiot". "It is unprofessional of a parliamentarian to make such a statement. The onus is on him [Manikavasagam] and the media to clarify the matter," he said. He added that he has notified the party leadership on Manikavasagam's unprofessional conduct. Jayakumar was commenting on MIC's exposé of two video clips where Manikavasagam had uttered the words "bastard" and "idiot" when referring to the former. In the first video, Manikavasagam criticised Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim, urging the latter to resign over the demolition of a shrine in Sepang. Answering a question on whether the demolition of the shrine was correct, the Kapar MP replied: "Wrong! Cannot accept this! I'm telling you. MB must resign." In the second clip, he said: "I'm telling you, I already talk… Xavier is another bastard. First, he protected the Majlis [Sepang Muncipal Council], after that when we pressure him, and then he twist. I also don't agree to touch 'kuil' [temple], how many… already seven [referring to the number of demolished temples under the Pakatan Rakyat government]." He also claimed that three notices had been served to demolish a temple in his constituency. Manikavasagam added that Jayakumar was an "idiot" who was adamant in demolishing the temples and did not listen to the former. On Wednesday, Manikavasagam had joined a rally in Putrajaya led by PKR to protest the plight of stateless Indian Malaysians. Today, the first-term MP claimed that the video clips were doctored and denied using the deragoratory terms on Jayakumar. Manikavasagam has also lodged a police report against the MIC based on the FMT's report.
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| Sabotage claims, again: Xavier claims ex-DAP member 'paid off' to sabotage Selangor Posted: 13 Dec 2012 03:03 PM PST
(Malaysian Digest) - Selangor exco member Dr Xavier Jayakumar (pic) has accused former DAP member Tan Tuan Tat of "being paid" by certain quarters to sabotage the state Pakatan Rakyat administration, regarding the latter's claim that the Selangor government is set to demolish yet another temple soon. Xavier said Tan's statement had "malicious intent". "This is malicious thinking from someone whom I believe was paid to spread false news," Antarapos quoted Xavier as saying. He was asked to comment on Tan's claims that a 150-year-old Hindu temple is the Selangor government's next target for demolition.
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| Utusan to pay RM50,000 to Karpal Singh over defamatory article Posted: 13 Dec 2012 02:35 PM PST
(The Star) - DAP national chairman Karpal Singh won RM50,000 in damages over a defamatory article published in Utusan Malaysia. Judicial Commissioner Justice Nik Hasmat Nik Mohamad ruled that the article published on Aug 25, 2008 was defamatory of Karpal. "It is reasonable for the court to conclude that the words are defamatory of the plaintiff and clearly relates to him," she said on Friday. Justice Nik Hasmat awarded RM50,000 in general damages saying that it was sufficient to compensate Karpal. She disallowed exemplary and aggravated damages. She said the reckless publication in the mainstream media on the eve of the Permatang Pauh by-election was mischievous. She said the court, however, considered that there was no economic loss to Karpal as the Pakatan Rakyat coalition went on to win the by-election despite the publication of the said article. Justice Nik Hasmat said the publication could lead to a certain degree of public ridicule and contempt against Karpal in view of the publication in Malaysia which is a Muslim populated nation. She said it should not be "reckless journalism" with no regard to the truth, adding that journalist Zulkifli Jalil had written the article entitled "DAP diingat jangan bakar perasan orang Melayu" without verify the truth of its content. In his RM10mil suit filed in 2008, Karpal, who is Bukit Gelugor MP, said the article had implied that he rejected Islam as the official religion of the country. Justice Nik Hasmat said that the court considered that there was a genuine apology and retraction on the next day of the publication. "The defendant unqualified and unconditionally made the apology and retraction. The defendant in their defence have said that it was a mistake," she said. Zulkifli, 42, had testified that it was his honest mistake for implying that Karpal rejected Islam as an official religion of the country. In the statement of claim, Karpal said the words in the article were highly malicious as he had not uttered such words in his welcoming address at the 15th DAP national congress on Aug 24, 2008.
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| Kelantan issues may hurt Pakatan’s chances, admits Mustafa Ali Posted: 13 Dec 2012 02:30 PM PST
Md Izwan and Amin Iskandar, The Malaysian Insider The "indecent behaviour" summonses on non-Muslim couples by Kelantan administrators are likely to hurt Pakatan Rakyat's (PR) chances in the next general election, says Datuk Mustafa Ali. The PAS secretary-general admitted that the spillover effect from the incident will be felt by PR during the coming general election as it has worried other component parties and their supporters. "I cannot say for certain that this will not impact non-Muslim voters. "But it may affect us (the parties)," Mustafa (picture) told The Malaysian Insider in an interview this week. PAS, the DAP and PKR scored historic wins in Election 2008, capturing four more states and winning 82 federal seats to deny the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition of its traditional two-thirds majority in the 222-seat Parliament. The 2008 victory has fuelled confidence in PR to go all out to win in the next polls and form the federal government but a series of issues have kept them on the defensive. Mustafa also blamed the MCA for exaggerating the issue and giving a bad perception of PR, criticising its English-language daily The Star as having bad intentions towards the party. "It may have caused a less-than-favourable perception towards PR to emerge. MCA's move is one of bad tactics," he said. The Star reported last week that Kelantan enforcement officers had fined two non-Muslim couples for khalwat, a crime under syariah law, but PAS had quickly pointed out the summonses were for indecent behaviour. The MCA has condemned the actions took by the state enforcers and accused the PAS government of imposing hudud law on non-Muslims. PAS allies such as DAP national chairman Karpal Singh, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and PAS Supporter Assembly chief Hu Pang Chaw have weighed in on the issue, and have called for the state government to explain the summonses. Non-Muslim hairdressers in Kelantan were also recently reported to have also been slapped with fines for having customers of the opposite gender, breaching a local council by-law that bars women hairstylists from working on men and vice-versa — sparking a storm over the position of Islamic laws. But the Kelantan government suspended the regulations relating to hairdressers two days ago after the uproar. In the run-up to the 13th general election, BN has increasingly tried to discourage non-Muslim voters from voting for PR by saying that PAS would implement the Islamic penal code, hudud, and create an Islamic state. While non-Muslims are exempt from syariah laws, Malaysia's dual-track court system has resulted in overlapping gray areas that have impinged on their constitutional rights.
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| PAS tunduk pada DAP, sanggup kaji semula undang-undang yang dilaksana Posted: 13 Dec 2012 02:23 PM PST
(Bernama) - Satu lagi bukti terserlah, bagaimana PAS akan berbuat apa sahaja untuk akur dengan rakan pakatannya DAP, apabila kerajaan negeri menangguhkan serta merta penguatkuasaan syarat pelesenan kedai gunting di sini. Setelah lebih 20 tahun melaksana dan mempertahan peraturan pengasingan jantina di kedai gunting rambut, kerajaan PAS Kelantan akhirnya mengalah terhadap desakan rakan pakatan pembangkang atas alasan mengambil kira pandangan semua pihak dan faktor pilihan raya umum yang semakin hampir.
Pada Rabu, Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Kerajaan Tempatan, Kebudayaan dan Pelancongan Negeri, Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan, dilaporkan berkata keputusan dibuat untuk menangguhkan serta merta penguatkuasaan syarat pelesenan di bawah undang-undang kecil Majlis Perbandaran Kota Bharu-Bandaraya Islam (MPKB-BRI) yang melibatkan kedai gunting rambut milik orang bukan Islam. Ia diputuskan dalam mesyuarat mingguan Exco kerajaan negeri dan penangguhan itu sehingga kajian mengenainya selesai dijalankan. Ini belum lagi pelaksanaan hukum hudud yang diperjuangkan PAS, dan secara terang-terangan ditentang DAP, pelaksanaan undang-undang kecil begini pun PAS tidak dapat bertahan. Dengan penangguhan itu bermakna semua kedai gunting rambut milik orang bukan Islam dibenarkan beroperasi seperti biasa dan tidak terikat dengan syarat di bawah undang-undang kecil pihak berkuasa kerajaan tempatan. Isu kedai gunting rambut ini menarik perhatian umum terutama masyarakat Cina apabila akhbar baru-baru ini melaporkan seorang pengurus kedai gunting rambut di sini, Ong Lee Ting, mendakwa beliau disaman 11 kali oleh pihak berkuasa tempatan kerana pekerja wanita bukan Islam di premisnya menggunting rambut pelanggan lelaki bukan Islam sejak 2010. Akibatnya, dia didenda RM200 hingga RM350 dan mendakwa ramai lagi pemilik kedai gunting turut menghadapi perkara sama.
Tindakan kerajaan negeri itu turut dikecam Pengerusi Kebangsaan DAP Karpal Singh (gambar fail) yang dilaporkan berkata mereka yang bukan Islam boleh membawa perkara itu ke mahkamah. Walaupun Karpal Singh menyambut baik keputusan penangguhan selepas itu, beliau sebenarnya mahu PAS meminda undang-undang kecil itu untuk menyediakan peruntukan yang tidak terpakai kepada orang bukan Islam. Penangguhan itu sebenarnya langkah sementara, dan tidak menghairankan nanti bahawa PAS berkemungkinan pula akan akur dengan cadangan pengerusi kebangsaan DAP itu untuk meminda undang-undang kecil berkenaan. Bekas Setiausaha Dewan Ulama PAS Kelantan, Wan Ismail Wan Ahmad, berkata akibat daripada "berkawan" dengan DAP, PAS telah menyimpang daripada perjuangan asalnya demi menjaga hati rakan pakatan. PAS sebenarnya sama-sama ghairah dengan pakatan pembangkang untuk menawan Putrajaya dan pemimpin parti itu tidak bersungguh-sungguh untuk melaksanakan hukum Islam sebagaimana yang dicanang selama ini khususnya hudud, kata Wan Ismail. Beliau menganggap "ulama politik" dalam PAS hanya melihat kepentingan politik lebih daripada kepentingan Islam. Bekas anggota Jawatankuasa Dewan Ulama PAS Pusat, Prof Madya Mohd Noor Deris, berkata keputusan terbaharu kerajaan PAS Kelantan itu menunjukkan mereka tidak berani untuk bertegas dalam melaksanakan sesuatu undang-undang. "Keputusan menangguh pelaksanaan dan mengkaji semula undang-undang sekecil ini, menjadi bukti kepada rakyat di dalam dan luar Kelantan bahawa apa yang dicanang oleh PAS untuk melaksanakan hukum Islam, hanya semangat politik sahaja. "Usahkan hukum hudud yang besar tidak dilaksanakan...undang-undang kecil boleh dimain-mainkan pemimpin PAS," katanya sambil menegaskan, rakyat boleh menilai keikhlasan perjuangan PAS pada masa kini. Mohd Noor berharap rakyat tidak terus terpengaruh dengan dakyah PAS yang kononnya berjuang untuk menegakkan Islam sedangkan ia boleh menukar pendirian jika apa yang diperjuang tidak menguntungkan parti.
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| Justice for Altantuya: PM, AG must respond Posted: 13 Dec 2012 02:01 PM PST
Isn't Najib, as head of the government, interested to know what actually happened, more so given the manner in which the murder was executed? asks DAP MP Gobind Singh. By Gobind Singh Deo Malaysia will forever remain in a dark cloud over the killing of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu because of the failure of our criminal justice system to secure complete justice for her. We have failed until now to explain why Altantuya was killed and more importantly who directed her killing. The recent claims by Deepak Jaikishan surrounding the making of a statutory declaration has added more fuel into a fire which just cannot seem to be put out. The Attorney-General, Abdul Gani Patail, should respond to the allegations made by Deepak that "justice has not yet been done " in the case involving Altantuya Deepak was earlier reported as saying: "Whoever actually killed her, who actually instructed her killing, should be responsible. They must take the responsibility." This question has been asked time and again. The AG should tell us, who ordered the killing and why? This is the most important aspect of the case which has not been answered. This angle ought to have been probed further during the trial of those who were charged with her murder. It is basic in all cases like this that motive is established. The prosecution owes the family of the deceased and the general public a duty here. The truth must prevail It is also surprising to note the prime minister's silence on this matter. The prime minister has in past cases involving suspicious deaths, recognised the need for full 'no stone unturned' inquiries so as to get to the truth and to find justice and closure for the deceased and the families of the deceased. Why is it different with Altantuya? Why are we not pressing for answers to these most important aspects of the case?
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