Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Bar Council: Give us more evidence
- A-G’s Chambers freezes AES summons cases for now
- More than one in three Malaysians to get cash handouts on January 15
- Kapar MP’s aide murdered
- Ariffin’s remarks inaccurate, says PSC
- Zainuddin article on Habibie improper and unethical, says Indonesian president
- No tussle in Sungai Siput, says PSM
- Bumburing and Jeffrey in face-off
- Indonesia-Malaysia Border Spat Lingers
- Explain Umno leaders’ claims, DCM Yee told
- China leads in illicit outflows, M’sia 2nd
- DAP on damage control
- Kelantan PAS turning on its non-Muslim supporters
- Supporters Congress is PAS’ third bid to reach out to non-Muslims
- Putrajaya mulls freezing AES to avoid duplicating police speed traps
- Outcome of general election will have impact on economy, says expert
- Malaysian Psephology: Lembah Pantai
| Bar Council: Give us more evidence Posted: 18 Dec 2012 04:23 AM PST
Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee has urged anyone with more facts and proof to come forward in regard to the 'Tan Sri lawyer' and son who have been accused of helping draft the SD2. Teoh El Sen, FMT The Bar Council has expressed its concern over new developments that revealed that a senior lawyer and his son were allegedly behind the drafting of the second statutory declaration (SD2) by private investigator P Balasubramaniam. (The SD2 reversed the first statutory declaration which implicated Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak in the murder of the Mongolioan national Altantuya Shaariibuu.) However, the Bar Council stopped short of declaring that it will immediately launch an investigation, saying that more facts and evidence are needed before the disciplinary board can act. "The Bar Council views these circumstances seriously and invites those who have the facts and evidence to come forward openly and officially and, if there is compelling evidence of any professional misconduct, to lodge such evidence together with a complaint immediately with the disciplinary board," its president Lim Chee Wee said. The disciplinary board is an independent body statutorily established and tasked with the responsibility of investigating professional conduct and disciplining of advocates and solicitors. Lim said that while investigation, if there is any, will be rightfully conducted by the disciplinary board, the Bar Council "[will] work together" with the board. "As it stands now, the facts are not clear. We look at what Deepak Jaikishan and Balasubramaniam have said: have they ever alleged that the lawyer represented the private investigator? We have to go through this with a forensic eye," he said Lim said that while the Bar is closely monitoring the situation, he lamented that until today, the identities of the said lawyer (s) have not been established, as a video recording of an interview with Deepak bleeped out the names. Unnecessary speculation "We have also received yesterday a letter from [lawyer-activist] Haris Ibrahim requesting the Bar Council to launch an investigation to identify the lawyer (s) concerned, when it appears to us that Haris may know the identity of these lawyers." "This has caused unnecessary speculation and confusion," he added. Lim also said that the most important person in a complaint against a legal practitioner should be the victim himself, but the apparent "victim" has yet to come forward. "Who is the victim here? Has the victim Balasubramaniam raised concerns about anything at this point? We need more facts, either from the victim or somebody else." "People must come forward with the facts. I'm not going on a fishing expedition… knocking on people's office or doors for facts. This is not a case of clients money disappearing. "This information is revealed by someone whose own background is cause for concern," said Lim, referring to Deepak. Asked if the Bar Council is reluctant to act, he said: "We cannot say we are not doing anything. Those with more facts, come forward. We will do what is necessary. Even at this time, we will look into this further if necessary," he said. Lim said the disciplinary board's job is to determine if there is cause for investigation, but this process will not be disclosed to the public and statements will only come from the Bar Council on the matter.
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| A-G’s Chambers freezes AES summons cases for now Posted: 17 Dec 2012 10:20 PM PST
(The Malaysian Insider) - The Attorney-General's Chambers (A-GC) has ordered a halt to all court proceedings related to summonses issued under the Automated Enforcement System (AES) to study legal issues that have been raised, it said today.
The A-GC statement came today after an outcry over the AES which has issued nearly 300,000 summonses since it began last September 23. "In view of the concerns made by certain quarters on the law and other technicalities, the AGC has decided to look into this matter and directed that all proceedings are to be withheld until the concerns have been addressed. "A decision will be made within the next few days on the above-mentioned issues," the AGC said in a statement today. The statement, however, added that the AES summonses issued by the Road Transport Department were still valid. "In respect of the four AES summons cases that have been discharged not amounting to an acquittal, the AGC will re-study them and will be re-registered if they warrant any prosecution," it added. The Malaysian Insider had reported this morning that Putrajaya was considering holding off the implementation of the system as it appeared to duplicate police speed traps along the highways. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/a-gs-chambers-freezes-aes-summons-cases-for-now/ |
| More than one in three Malaysians to get cash handouts on January 15 Posted: 17 Dec 2012 10:17 PM PST
(The Malaysian Insider) - About 12 million Malaysians, or more than one in three citizens, will receive cash handouts from the government on January 15, in a major boost for barisan Nasional (BN) ahead of elections expected soon after that. Sin Chew Daily reported today that the estimated 12 million people will receive the cash through the Bantuan Rakyat 1 Malaysia (BR1M) and student aid schemes. BR1M recipients will get handouts of RM500, while RM100 will be given to students from Standard One to Form Five. Handouts worth RM250 will also be given out to those 21-year-old-and-above who are single and who earn less than RM2000 a month. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/more-than-one-in-three-malaysians-to-get-cash-handouts-on-january-15/ |
| Posted: 17 Dec 2012 04:00 PM PST
Police say C Nachimuthu, 53, was involved in a quarrel with the man who killed him but a motive has yet to be established Teoh El Sen and K Pragalath, FMT An aide to Kapar MP S Manikavasagam was bludgeoned to death today about a kilometre from his home. C Nachimuthu, 53, was riding his motorcycle this morning when the suspect hit him on the head with a gardening tool. Bleeding from his wounds, he died on the spot. The suspect was arrested soon after. Nachimuthu had been Manikavasagam's personal assistant and driver for the past two years. He lived in Puncak Alam, Shah Alam and was also the Sri Kayangan Resident Association's chairman. He is married with four children. According to Manikavasagam (photo), there were previous reports lodged by Nachimuthu against the suspect. "Nachimuthu had lodged about four police reports but they did not take any action. I want the suspect charged under section 302 of the Penal Code for murder," said the PKR leader. Motive yet to extablished Nachimuthu's body is currently at the Klang general hospital, said Manikavasagam. A post mortem is expected to be done today. Meanwhile, a police source close to the investigations told FMT that the suspect was a 43-year-old gardener and was arrested in the area within half an hour. He said that initial investigations revealed that the two men were involved in a quarrel earlier this morning. "Insults and vulgarities were apparently hurled. But we're still trying to ascertain the cause of the fight," said the source, who did not rule out a possible political motive. Police said the suspect has confessed to the crime.
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| Ariffin’s remarks inaccurate, says PSC Posted: 17 Dec 2012 03:11 PM PST
(The Star) - The Public Service Commission (PSC) has chided newly appointed DAP vice-chairman Dr Ariffin S.M. Omar for allegedly saying that corruption could be wiped out from the public service if it was not monopolised by one race. News portal AntaraPos.com quoted Dr Ariffin as proposing a massive reshuffle in the police and civil service if Pakatan Rakyat took control of Putrajaya in the coming general election. He was reported to have said at the recent party congress that corruption could be eradicated more effectively if the two sectors were not dominated by the Malays. PSC chairman Tan Sri Mahmood Adam brushed off Dr Ariffin's re-marks as "inaccurate". "Don't just look at the surface, this is a war of perception we have to fight," Mahmood said at the PSC office here yesterday. He said the commission had embarked on a campaign to encourage more non-Malays to join the civil service and the police force. "For about seven months, we have worked with various non-governmental organisations, as well as Chinese and Indian associations, and we have seen changes. "There has been an increase in the number of non-Malays (interested in the civil sector) this year, probably more than five times (the previous trend)," Mahmood said, adding that he would unveil the figures next week. He said the Malays made up the dominant group in the civil service because out of 1.2 million job applications received each year, 80% were from them.
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| Zainuddin article on Habibie improper and unethical, says Indonesian president Posted: 17 Dec 2012 02:24 PM PST
(Bernama) - Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said the article written by former Malaysian Information Minister Tan Sri Zainuddin Maidin on Indonesia's third President BJ Habibie was improper and unethical. The article, he said, could jeopardise the good ties between Indonesia and Malaysia. "We have worked it out, the foreign minister will take diplomatic notes both here and in Kuala Lumpur," Yudhoyono (picture) was quoted by Antara news agency as published by English daily the Jakarta Post today. Yudhoyono, who is leaving today for Malaysia to attend the annual consultation, the highest forum in Malaysia-Indonesia in bilateral ties, said Indonesia would raise the issues of mutual respect and tolerance during the meeting so that similar incidents would not recur to obstruct friendship between both countries. Zainuddin's article is considered by many in Indonesia as offensive towards Habibie. Meanwhile, presidential spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said the president would also raise priority issues including protection for Indonesians working in Malaysia, the boundary, trade and investment at the meeting. Yudhoyono will have a private, face-to-face meeting with Najib before leading the Indonesian delegation at the ninth annual consultation. Universiti Utara Malaysia is scheduled to confer the president with an honorary Doctor of Philosophy in Leadership of Peace.
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| No tussle in Sungai Siput, says PSM Posted: 17 Dec 2012 02:06 PM PST
But the clenched fist logo stays, says secretary general Arutchelvan K Pragalath, FMT Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) has denied that it is tussling with PKR over the Sungai Siput parliament seat. Responding to a news report that a three-corner fight was in the making in the constituency, PSM secretary general S Arutchelvan released a press statement today saying there was no friction between said his party and PKR. The report, which FMT published yesterday, quoted a PKR insider as saying his party might field its own candidate for the seat because PSM was insisting on using its own logo in the campaign for the coming election. "On the ground, there is no real tussle," Arutchelvan said. "People want to see change and PSM is committed to that agenda." He added that PSM would support Pakatan Rakyat candidates in all seats except the four that it is contesting—Sungai Siput and the state constituencies of Jelapang in Perak and Kota Damansara and Semenyih in Selangor. "We hope that PR will not force three-corner fights for these seats," he said, adding that negotiations to avoid this were ongoing. The current MP for Sungai Siput is PSM's Dr D Michael Jeyakumar. He contested as a PKR candidate in 2008 and beat then MIC president S Samy Vellu. The PKR insider said yesterday that PSM's logo, which features a clenched left fist, would put off Malay voters. Arutchelvan rejected claims that voters would reject PSM because of its left-leaning ideology and defended the party's use of its logo in campaigning. He said PSM had been promoting the logo since its inception in 1998 even though it was registered only in 2008. "The fist is now a hit among the young people," he added. "PSM will agree to use a common Pakatan logo if there is one. If there is none, it should be only fair for PSM to use its own logo."
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| Bumburing and Jeffrey in face-off Posted: 17 Dec 2012 12:44 PM PST
(Free Malaysia Today) - STAR is being accused of splitting the Kadazan, Dusun, Murul (KDM) communities' votes in Sabah and handing BN a measure of confidence that it can prolong its hold. Two Kadazandusun opposition leaders here are going toe-to-toe over who has the more credible solution to what they claim is the great rip-off of Sabah and its people. Maverick Sabah politician Jeffrey Kitingan has taken a hard line on 'Malayan' parties and has accused opposition leaders of being turncoats no better than the all-dominating Barisan Nasional ruling coalition they are castigating for rejecting his Borneo agenda that focuses exclusively on the rights of Sabah and Sarawak. On the other side is Wilfred Bumburing, a MP who has turned independent and is leading Angkatan Perubahan Sabah (APS), a opposition-friendly grouping that sees Jeffrey's brand of Borneo-centric politics as out of touch with reality. APS has not taken Jeffrey's State Reform Party (STAR) all-or-nothing, Sabah for Sabahans and accusations of pandering to 'Malayan' parties lightly in its battle to unite voters in the state under one opposition grouping. Using Jeffrey's own words against him, the APS publicity machine went to work to show how Sabah has always been ruled by the doctrine of divide and rule used by the Barisan Nasional and that the STAR leader's Borneo agenda was like minded. Making the case against Jeffrey, who on Sunday walloped rival Sabah opposition leaders as traitors, was APS information chief Lesaya Lopog Sorudim. Sorudim told FMT today that Kitingan was only making matters worse by not making common cause with the Malayan-based opposition to oust the Umno-led BN coalition. He said that by going its own route, STAR is disregarding the fact that it is also splitting the crucial votes of the Kadazan, Dusun, Murut (KDM) communities of Sabah and handing the BN a measure of confidence that it can prolong its hold on power through the coming general election. He said that contrary to what the STAR leader was saying, Bumburing's movement was established with the aim of restoring the dignity, sovereignty and independence of Sabah as a state within the Federation of Malaysia. "So when Bumburing held that the natives, especially the KDM community should reject STAR's strategy he was basing his opinion on facts," Sorudim said. Last week STAR deputy chairman Daniel John Jambun had lashed out at Bumburing for saying that the natives of Sabah should not pin their hopes on his party, calling it "patently mischievous, misconceived and misleading". Jambun added that "it should be condemned in no uncertain terms by all right-thinking Sabahans, deplored and exposed as the mother of all lies by a political has-been who shamelessly continues to be a stooge of the local proxies of the peninsular masters." Sorudim pointed out that there was nothing 'mischievous, misconceived or misleading' when Bumburing made the statement which he said was reflective of the sentiment of the majority of the natives. "Who would pin their hopes on an organisation that is bent on splitting the Sabah into five regions and moving the state capital from Kota Kinabalu to Keningau should they come to power," Sorudim said of a controversial statement made by Jeffrey which the later claimed was taken out of context. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/12/18/bumburing-and-jeffrey-in-face-off/ |
| Indonesia-Malaysia Border Spat Lingers Posted: 17 Dec 2012 12:42 PM PST
(Jakarta Globe) - If the Malaysian claim prevailed, that would result in Indonesia losing 4,800 hectares of land. Balikpapan, East Kalimantan. A senior military officer in East Kalimantan revealed on Sunday that the Indonesian and Malaysian governments were still haggling over the exact location of their shared border along five points between Nunukan district and Sabah state. Brig. Gen. Wiyarto, chief of staff at the Mulawarman Military Command, which oversees military operations across East and South Kalimantan, said that the points of contention included the location of the border across the Sinapad and Sumantipal rivers, as well as across Sebatik Island.Wiyarto said the issue with the Sinapad was that a small section of the river, which flows from west to east, dipped south. Malaysian authorities, he said, deemed the entire river to fall within their territory, whereas Indonesian authorities argued that the southern section crossed over into Indonesian territory. He added that if the Malaysian claim prevailed, that would result in Indonesia losing 4,800 hectares of land. "This issue still hasn't been resolved, but we have strong grounds for our claims based on GPS data," he said. The standoff over the Sumantipal River is similar in nature, with Wiyarto saying that Malaysia wanted to declare the entire river as falling within its territory. He said that this would result in the commonly agreed-on border being pushed south, farther into Indonesian territory. On Sebatik island, where the border is simply marked by a series of concrete blocks and there are no border posts set up by either country, the border issue has been around for almost a century. Wiyarto said that the currently recognized border, drawn up in 1913 by the Netherlands and Britain — the respective colonial powers in Indonesia and Malaysia at the time — was no longer applicable because of the spread of communities from both countries throughout the island. "We're in constant communication with the Malaysian authorities on resolving all these border questions," he said. "Our hope is that we can find a mutually agreeable solution to end all the bickering. In the meantime, we will continue to guard the border region for illegal logging, fishing and drug and human trafficking." |
| Explain Umno leaders’ claims, DCM Yee told Posted: 17 Dec 2012 12:40 PM PST
(Free Malaysia Today) - Allegations of a group enticing voters in Sepanggar to switch their voting address to Kota Kinabalu have been linked to Sabah DCM Dr Yee Moh Chai. The Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) wants Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Dr Yee Moh Chai to explain allegations by two Umno politicians that Sepanggar residents are being enticed to register as voters in the Kota Kinabalu parliamentary constituency where he is the elected representative at state level. The opposition party said it was strange that Yee who is also State Resource Development and Information Technology Minister, had remained silent about something that was said to be happening in his own constituency. "The latest allegations of a voter relocation scheme are serious ones. They were made by senior Umno leaders who have publicly called for the police to investigate the matter. "As deputy chief minister of Sabah and a state cabinet minister, it is only appropriate that Dr Yee come forward to clear himself," said Wong Yit Ming, the party's point man in the city. He was commenting on renewed allegations that the political operatives who appeared to be linked to Yee were offering RM500 cash to Malay voters in Sepangar parliamentary constituency to change their voting address to neighbouring Kota Kinabalu parliamentary constituency. Sepanggar Umno chief Jumat Idris and Karambunai state assembly representative Jainab Ahmad, who is Yee's deputy in the ministry, claimed that many Malay voters in Telipok Ria, Kampung Warisan, Likas and Inanam had reported that a group of Chinese were going round making the offers of RM500 as well as such goodies like bags of rice, water tanks and even laptops, to entice the voters to change their address. Jumat said he was told that the group has an operation base in Likas Square and an NGO office. It is understood that Likas Square is managed and owned by businessmen linked to both Chief Minister Musa Aman and Yee. The property is also the location of the state government's secretive online media office that runs the Insight Sabah website, dedicated mainly to parsing the government especially Musa. The fresh allegations of impropriety matched a SAPP youth wing report in early October that a voter registration drive was being conducted at Likas Square and would-be voters who had gathered there claimed that they were being given cash to register as voters in Kota Kinabalu. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/12/18/explain-umno-leaders-claims-dcm-yee-told/ |
| China leads in illicit outflows, M’sia 2nd Posted: 17 Dec 2012 11:47 AM PST |
| Posted: 17 Dec 2012 11:38 AM PST
(NST) - UPSET: Thrashing suffered by Malay candidates leaves Guan Eng red-faced GEORGE TOWN: RATTLED by criticisms of not living up to its self-proclaimed multiracial image, DAP went on the offensive yesterday with its secretary-general, Lim Guan Eng, denying his party was anti-Malay. He said DAP could not be labelled as such just because no Malay candidate had been elected to its central executive committee (CEC). Guan Eng spent almost an hour refuting such criticisms following the disastrous showing by Malay candidates at the party polls over the weekend. It was reported that all eight Malay candidates who contested lost and the party later appointed two of them, Senator Dr Ariffin S.M. Omar and Zairil Khir Johari, to the CEC. Guan Eng said the DAP could not be faulted for the outcome of the polls as the party could not control who the delegates choose. "We accept the results, but in terms of projecting DAP's multiracial image, an ideal situation would be to allow a few Malay candidates to be elected," he said. His father, party stalwart Lim Kit Siang, was also present but seemed more composed than his son, who was visibly upset throughout the press conference at the party headquarters here. The media was also not spared by Guan Eng, with national news agency Bernama bearing the brunt of his ire, mainly on its report that Johor DAP vice-chairman Ahmad Ton had not been given appreciation for his services to the party. On DAP loyalist Zulkefli Mohd Noor's comment that the losses suffered by the Malay candidates indicated that the party was not living up to its Malaysian Malaysia struggle, Guan Eng said he would let the former explain that statement himself. Zulkefli was one of the candidates who lost in the party polls. Kit Siang insisted that the DAP was a party for all Malaysians. "Of course, we admit we have our weaknesses and setbacks. "And for not a single Malay leader being elected, it is a setback. That was my immediate reaction, yesterday (Sunday), and it reflects my views and the views of the entire DAP leadership," he said. In Kuala Lumpur, Pas deputy president Mohamad Sabu said the party would not interfere with DAP's internal matters. He said Kit Siang had talked about making the party multiracial and Pas would respect "their decisions". Mohamad said the decision to appoint Malay representatives in the CEC had shown DAP's ability to perform as a multiracial party. Parti Keadilan Rakyat vice-president N. Surendran expressed confidence that DAP Malay leaders would continue to support the party and its leadership despite not being elected into the CEC. "While some were disappointed with the results, they were still committed to the party's struggle," he said.
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| Kelantan PAS turning on its non-Muslim supporters Posted: 17 Dec 2012 11:36 AM PST
(The Star) - Kelantan PAS is turning on its non-Muslim supporters, accusing them of undermining the party's Islamic stand with their criticisms of the recent action against non-Muslims. But the National Pas Supporters Congress insisted that it was only looking out for the rights of non-Muslims, especially over the "khalwat" controversy. PAS assistant secretary-general and state executive councillor Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan accused congress chairman Hu Pang Chaw of having "bad intentions" for bringing to the media cases of action taken against non-Muslims for alleged indecent behaviour. Hu had also criticised the issuing of summonses to non-Muslim salon workers cutting the hair of non-Muslim customers of the opposite sex. During a visit to his Bunut Payong constituency here, Takiyuddin disputed Hu on the "khalwat" issue. "He told the press that the municipal council had no power to issue summonses because the officer was not an enforcement officer but an administrative assistant. "It is clear that he made the statement without checking his facts. The council officer has an authority card. If he (Hu) does not believe me, just sue the council. "I would like it if he sues the council for having officers unauthorised to enforce the law. I am willing to defend the council myself," said Takiyuddin, a lawyer. Takiyuddin, who is the state Local Government, Culture and Tourism Committee chairman, had said the congress should play its role as part of the party. It was earlier reported that the council had issued summonses to two non-Muslim men for allegedly embracing each other in a car parked near the Sultan Ismail Petra Airport at midnight on Oct 31. The two said they were watching planes land. The other summons was issued to a 17-year-old teenager for giving a piggy-back ride to his 15-year-old girlfriend at Taman Tunku Anis at about 5.30pm on Oct 20. Hu said that anything said and done by the congress was in the interest of non-Muslims. "I stand by my statement that non-Muslims have the right to voice their grouses when their livelihood or social rights are affected. I will not back out from airing such grouses under principles enshrined in the democratic process," he said. "I want to remind the state government that the party president (Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang) during the recent PAS Muktamar assured non-Muslims that Islamic laws would not affect them," he said. Hu said he was preparing a memorandum to be presented to the Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat soon to clarify the situation.
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| Supporters Congress is PAS’ third bid to reach out to non-Muslims Posted: 17 Dec 2012 11:34 AM PST
(The Star) - The PAS Supporters Congress is the party's third attempt in as many decades to establish a mechanism to woo non-Muslims. Prior to the establishment of the Congress, PAS in the 1980s established a Chinese Consultative Council, followed by an Inter-Racial Department in the late 1990s. Both attempts failed to stir the interest of many non-Muslims, leading PAS decided to set up a supporters club instead. Party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang announced on the eve of the 2004 general election the establishment of the PAS Supporters Club. With the slogan "PAS for all", the club started by conducting dialogue sessions with non-Muslims and focused on reaching out to the Chinese, Indian and Siamese communities. In the 2008 general election, PAS fielded its first non-Muslim candidate drawn from the club, R. Kumutha. Contesting the Tiram State Assembly seat in Johor Baru, Kumutha lost to Barisan Nasional's Maulizan Bujang. In 2010, the club expanded into a Congress through an amendment to the party constitution and was renamed the PAS Supporters Congress. The move was supposed to be given the Congress equal standing to the party's three other wings, namely its Youth, Muslimat (Women's) and Ulama movements. However, although the Congress was empowered to send delegates to represent it at the PAS annual meeting or muktamar, its members are not allowed to vote in party elections, unlike those belonging to the other three wings. The party has since said that it would consider fielding more non-Muslim candidates in the next general election.
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| Putrajaya mulls freezing AES to avoid duplicating police speed traps Posted: 17 Dec 2012 11:30 AM PST
(The Malaysian Insider) - Putrajaya is considering holding back the implementation of the controversial Automated Enforcement System (AES) to avoid duplicating the police summons system that can double the hardship to motorists, sources say. The privatised RM700 million project began in September with a pilot phase of 14 cameras but the Road Transport Department (RTD) has pledged to roll out a total of 831 cameras by end-2013 to catch speeding motorists and prevent more road deaths. The police, who enforce the speeding laws, have said they will continue enforcement and put up mobile speed traps near the AES cameras, raising the prospect of dual fines for errant motorists.
"The government is considering putting on hold the implementation of the AES due to the duplication of the summons system. That will cause hardship," a source told The Malaysian Insider. He also noted that several lawmakers from the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) have also asked the government to stop the implementation until all views are considered. Another source said the government wants to ensure the AES will help ensure that motorists follow speed limits throughout their journey rather than just in the areas where the cameras are situated. "This system is to enforce speed limits and ensure road safety," he added. Some 10,000 motorists have paid up their summonses under the AES since it was implemented last September 23. The RTD said it has also issued nearly 300,000 summonses since then. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/putrajaya-mulls-freezing-aes-to-avoid-duplicating-police-speed-traps/ |
| Outcome of general election will have impact on economy, says expert Posted: 17 Dec 2012 11:18 AM PST
(The Star) - The outcome of the general election will determine the focus on reform and the intention of the government to pare down debt, and this will have an important impact on the Malaysian economy, said Nomura International (HK) Ltd chief Asia equity strategist Michael Kurtz. He said in that sense, the outcome of the general election would be crucial to the local equity market. "Malaysia is one of those markets where the shape of the government with the reform orientation and the fiscal intentions matter a lot to the economic performance. "So I think as a general answer, yes, the outcome is going to matter a lot for specific stocks or sector emphasis in the second half, but we are not going to go out on a limb to forecast the outcome of the general election," Kurtz said. He said a substantial amount of the country's economic growth in 2012 had been either a direct consequence of or a lateral effect of government investment or policy. Kurtz was relatively cautious on local equities for the first-half of the year based on the "worth" of the market, due to investor concerns about the outcome of the election. "This will keep the market on a backfoot," he said. Furthermore, an improving global environment would have a positive impact on Malaysia's growth, with a pick-up in global demand especially for soft commodities to play into the country's strengths. "We do think that weakness in the Malaysian equity space presents an opportunity to accumulate stocks in anticipation of a better outlook, post-election in the second half," Kurtz said. Specifically, he said the group favoured stocks that were perceived as defensive, in order to provide a downside insurance ahead of the election, like telecommunication stocks. "In the medium term beyond the election, we like a bit more cyclical stocks in the plantation, oil and gas and finance sector," Kurtz said. Recently, several other big names in the financial industry also highlighted the impact arising from the general election. JP Morgan Securities (M) Sdn Bhd executive director of equity research Mak Hoy Kit said the equities market and economic outlook next year would be positive if Barisan Nasional continued to remain in power. Eastspring Investments Bhd chief investment officer (Equities) Yvonne Tan Hong Yean cautioned that foreign funds might opt to stay out of Malaysia if there was a change in the government after the general election. |
| Malaysian Psephology: Lembah Pantai Posted: 17 Dec 2012 11:16 AM PST
(The Sun Daily) - The Lembah Pantai electorate has apparently increased to around 71,000 voters, compared with 56,650 in 2008. This would translate to a 25% increase in registered voters in the four years since 2008, in sharp contrast to the 9% growth over the previous 13 years. BETWEEN 1995 and 2008, the number of registered voters in Lembah Pantai had grown by about 9% from 52,108 to 56,650. Ethnic breakdown: In March 2008, Malays constituted 53.2%, Chinese 25.7%, Indians 20.1% and the rest around 1%. The percentage of voting had grown consistently over the 13 years (from 65% to 73%). Ballot papers issued increased by 21% to 41,289 in 2008 from 33,984 in 1995, indicating that an increasing number of the Lembah Pantai electorate were casting their votes. Support for Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, from Barisan Nasional, had declined by 20% between 1995 and 2008. Considering the growth of registered voters, the actual decline was around 23%. In 1999, Keadilan fought a close battle with BN, losing the seat by only 1,454 votes. This provided early indications that splits and differential perspectives were arising in the main ethnic group. Malay urban voters were becoming more discerning and considering a wider range of issues beyond basic ethnic priorities. In 2008, PKR wrested the seat with 52.62% of the votes versus 45.61% polled by BN. While the gap in votes polled is only 7%, this seat witnessed a major swing. From losing the seat by 10,542 votes in 2004, PKR worked the ground and connected adequately with at least an additional one-third of the electorate, besides retaining most of its own support base. In the final touchdown, the swing factor was over 15%. Despite the swing factor and breakthrough victory in 2008, incumbent Nurul Izzah Anwar said she is working even harder in 2012-13 to cover a substantial gap, allegedly caused by gerrymandering. The Lembah Pantai electorate has apparently increased to around 71,000 voters, compared with 56,650 in 2008. This would translate to a 25% increase in registered voters in the four years since 2008, in sharp contrast to the 9% growth over the previous 13 years. Nurul Izzah told theSun this was a major concern, along with lack of specific details regarding the identity of the new voters on the electoral roll. She was trying to work with the Election Commission on these issues. She described the constituency as a "microcosm of Malaysia". She has a trusted core team of 50 people plus a wider base of division heads and volunteers. Besides groundwork, the team is also analysing the historical voter turnout trends within the constituency to address any new challenge. Nurul Izzah will most likely face BN's Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin in Lembah Pantai in GE13. |
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