Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Pas berated by Guan Eng
- ‘Pakatan will shut down Lynas’
- ‘Do not belittle intelligence of Indians’
- Kit Siang: ‘Need to win 70% of new voters’
- Ku Li warns of ‘prostitution’ among professionals
- Non-muslims nabbed for 'khalwat' in Kelantan
- Kelantan slammed over ‘khalwat’ for non-Muslims
- 200 stage protest over altar demolition
- Ex-top cop questions Musa’s credibility
- We'll take you on, Selangor PAS Youth warns UMNO 'thugs'
- ‘AG Chambers aiding human traffickers’
- Mahathir to Campaign for Najib in Shift From 2008 Malaysia Vote
- Selangor Sultan: I am above politics, let’s be clear about this
- Pakatan signals power as campaign fodder, says to cut IPP payments
- Musa: I was upset by Sin Chew reporter’s detention
- ‘PM, Home Minister ignored my complaints’
- Star will work with ‘any’ coalition that wins
- Former IGP: Political violence should not occur in a democracy
- Sepang shrine wrecking: Xavier cries ‘sabotage’
- Blogger to reveal more PKR ‘dirt’ in January
- No conspiracy against Anwar, says Musa again
- Deepak exposé: Perkasa screams slander
- Perak BN and MIC on collision course
- Man stabbed at Gombak political rally
- PKR leaders deny masterminding exposé
- FDIs not flowing as freely into Malaysia, says Tengku Razaleigh
- Wee: Abdul Rahman an extremist
- ‘Video proves Anwar is behind Deepak’
| Posted: 08 Dec 2012 03:46 PM PST
UNACCEPTABLE: DAP leader takes issue with Pakatan Rakyat ally over 'khalwat' summonses (NST) - PAS has come under fire from all quarters including its ally, DAP, following a report that municipal enforcement officers in Pas-ruled Kelantan had issued summonses for khalwat (close proximity) to four non-Muslims. In a statement yesterday, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng urged Pas leaders to take action against the officers who allegedly issued the summonses to the non-Muslims. "If the Kelantan Pas-led government fails to act against errant municipal council saboteurs who issue summonses against non-Muslim for indecent behaviour, this will adversely undermine Pakatan Rakyat's message of respect for freedom of religion and damage existing cooperation within PR." Lim, who is also the Penang chief minister, said he had also directed Bukit Bendera member of parliament Liew Chin Tong to speak to the Pas leadership to get an immediate resolution on issues relating to the allegations of non-Muslims being subjected to Islamic laws. In Kota Baru, political parties and non-Muslim organisations had criticised local authorities in Kelantan for taking such action against the non-Muslims. Gerakan Youth vice-chairman Ong Khang Woon said the action was unthinkable and a gross misuse of power. "I have asked my Muslim friends and they told me that there is not a verse in the Quran which allows action to be taken against non-Muslims for khalwat," said Ong, who is also Kelantan Gerakan Youth information chief. Ong said action should be taken instead against the municipal enforcement officers who issued the summonses as they might have other motives. Kelantan Siamese Association chairman Eh Chot Cha Chan said the Malaysian Constitution guaranteed that Islamic laws would not be imposed on non-Muslims. "When such an incident happens, there will surely be questions raised by the people. "All parties including government agencies and local government authorities in the country must respect the Constitution. "The peace and harmony among the various races and religions must be maintained." Kelantan Federation of Ting Hwa Associations chairman Oie Poh Choon also voiced concern over the action of the enforcement officers. "Such action disrupts the life of non-Muslims. It is unfair for Islamic laws to be imposed on us. I don't agree to this." Meanwhile, the Pas leadership has denied the contents of the report and is threatening to take legal action against English daily, The Star, which published it. Party's secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali said contrary to the newspaper's front-page report yesterday, no summonses for khalwat against the non-Muslims had in fact been issued. "I have checked with the authorities in Kelantan and found that no such incidents had occurred. "As such, we have decided to take action against The Star for their misleading report," he said when contacted yesterday.
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| ‘Pakatan will shut down Lynas’ Posted: 08 Dec 2012 03:37 PM PST
Lynas' admission that it will not ship out rare earth waste is an opportunity for the BN government to cancel the plant in Gebeng, says Lim Guan Eng. By Lim Guan Eng, FMT The DAP demands that Barisan Nasional should stop the operation of Lynas Advanced Materials Plant (Lamp) now or four Ministers should resign to take full responsibility for failing to fulfill their own promise that the rare earth waste will not remain but be exported out of Malaysia. BN's insincerity and lack of commitment to make public health and safety the utmost priority follows a recent admission by Lynas' Managing Director, Mashal Ahmad that no residues from Lamp would be exported out from Malaysia. The admission by Mashal contradicts the seven-paragraph joint ministerial statement on Feb 22, 2012 by four ministers whose portfolios are directly associated with Lynas' application to set up and operate the plant. The four ministers, namely International Trade and Industry Minister Mustapa Mohamad; Science and Technology Minister Maximus Johnity Ongkili; Natural Resources and Environment Minister Douglas Unggah Embas; and Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai, said as follows: "Prior to the issuance of the Temporary Operating License (TOL), Lynas shall submit a letter of undertaking that it will accept a return of any residue generated by its factory in Gebeng to its original source." Lynas' admission that rare earth waste will remain and not exported out of Malaysia presents a rare opportunity for the Malaysian government to cancel the Kuantan rare earth facility for breach of compliance without needing to pay compensation. Mashal had confirmed that Lynas have no plans to export the rare earth wastes because Lamp needed to abide by international conventions which prohibit the export of toxic wastes to overseas countries. Earlier, the Australian government has repeated that they will not take back the radioactive waste. Clearly Lynas' managing director has shown that this is an empty BN promise and another example of "Janji Tak Ditepati". Condition unfulfilled
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| ‘Do not belittle intelligence of Indians’ Posted: 08 Dec 2012 03:25 PM PST
Najib asks the Indian community not to fall for the lies of Pakatan Rakyat. S Retnanathan, FMT Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak launched a stinging attack against the opposition today, saying that the opposition pact, made up of DAP, PKR and PAS, was trying to cheat the people, especially the Malaysian Indian community. "They say that there are 300,000 Indians in the country who do not have any documents… 300,000 stateless Indians they say. This is a lie. There are only 9,000 Indians who do not have documents. "Out of this 9,000 people, we have sorted out 4,500 applications for documents. Another 2,000 applications are still being processed. The registration is open. If there are any Indians without documents, they can walk in and apply to get their citizenship. "With all this going on, they (the opposition) can cheat that some 300,000 Indians are stateless. This is belittling the intelligence of Indians in the country. You can fool some people some time, but not all the people all the time," he told some 3,500 people at the opening of 66th MIC annual general assembly here. He said the opposition had promised that the 300,000 stateless people would be given citizenship within one month after Pakatan Rakyat takes power of the federal government. "This means, they will process, 10,000 applications in a day and grant citizenship to 10,000 so called stateless Indians daily for a month. This is really belittling the intelligence of Malaysian Indians… can this be achieved…this is another lie," Najib added. Pakatan demolished seven temples
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| Kit Siang: ‘Need to win 70% of new voters’ Posted: 07 Dec 2012 06:02 PM PST
DAP veteran says the opposition pact must attempt to win four million unaffiliated voters and an additional 3% of the swing voters to reach Putrajaya. Leven Woon, FMT DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang has asked Pakatan Rakyat's coalition partners to focus on winning over the four million unaffiliated voters in order to takeover Putrajaya after general election (GE). In a statement yesterday, Lim pointed out that there are three million new voters who registered after the last GE, 60% of whom are under the age of 30. He said the new voters would make up 25% of the 13 million electorates in the next general election. Lim said it would not be sufficient for Pakatan to solely rely on the new voters' support, as the opposition pact could only win 109 out of 222 parliamentary seats even if 70% of three million voters chose them. "To get to Putrajaya, Pakatan must also convince a larger percentage of the 2008 voters to switch their vote to us. "Only if Pakatan manages to win 70% of nett new voters and an additional 3% of GE 2008 voters can Pakatan reach Putrajaya with a comfortable majority of seven parliament seats, which is 119 seats," he said. Hudud issue "PAS passing the hudud legislation in the Terengganu state legislature in 2001 did not stop BN from regaining this state by winning 28 out of 32 state seats and 7 out of 8 parliament seats in Terengganu in the 2004 general election. "The hudud issue led to the dismantling of the Barisan Alternative and it took the historic 2008 general election to bring together the three parties again," he said. The Ipoh Timur member of parliament said the focus should be on the ongoing corruption and abuse of power within the BN rather than to push the Islamic state agenda. "(The Islamic agenda) does nothing to win over the middle ground and swing voters," he pointed out. Lim said new voters and swing voters are inclined to compare BN and Pakatan on their capability to reduce corruption, to strengthen national unity, uphold social justice, reduc e poverty in Sabah and Sarawak and user in a governance of democracy. "Pakatan Rakyat should not let itself be distracted by narrow issues but focus on the larger picture to win these swing voters and to capture the middle ground to win the battle for Putrajaya in the 13GE," he added.
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| Ku Li warns of ‘prostitution’ among professionals Posted: 07 Dec 2012 06:00 PM PST
The Umno veteran lashes out at professionals for kowtowing to their political masters Anisah Shukry, FMT Professionalism is at its lowest point in history, said Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, citing "prostitution" in the law, police force and education, among others. "There can be prostitutes in each and every professional practise… people who are motivated by power, lust and greed for which they are willing to sacrifice the sacred trust that society has placed in them," said Razaleigh. In a strongly-worded speech at a dinner last night, Razaleigh, popularly refered to as Ku Li, said that unprofessional conduct was "most blatantly evident" in the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). "Although established in the midst of much fanfare as part of the government's reform programme, sad to say, the hopes of the people were dashed soon after it was formed," declared the Gua Musang MP. "The people were disappointed when the agency appeared to show interest in petty matters while failing to address more urgent and important cases of corruption." The death of two witnesses in the anti-graft agency's headquarters, he said, had further stirred speculation about the professionalism and integrity of the officials there. "We are not unjustified in wondering if the agency is really serious about fighting graft, or merely finishing off political 'enemies'," said Razaleigh. He also levelled criticism at civil servants in general for "constantly pandering to political masters". He cited their "deafening silence" in cases such as the alleged destruction of the Selangor state government's records five years ago, after BN lost the state to the opposition coalition. "Not a whimper was heard from the custodians of public records in this country, despite the fact that they are believed to have their own code of professional ethics," said Razaleigh. He said the trend continues to this day, referring to a case in which a former Directive of the Archives in Sabah made a political statement over the 20-Point point document signed prior to the formation of Malaysia. "The constant pandering to political masters on their own free will calls into question the extent of their professionalism," said Razaleigh. He also slammed the judiciary, maintaining that it had declined in professionalism in"epidemic proportions" since the removal of Tun Salleh Abbas as Lord President in 1988. Salleh's dismissal had been sparked by a fallout between Razaleigh and Mahathir Mohamed following a narrow Umno presidential election which the two contested in. Mahathir grew unhappy with the judiciary when Razaleigh's supporters filed a suit in the High Court to obtain a court order for new elections, after Mahathir defeated Razaleigh with 761 votes to Razaleigh's 718. This eventually lead to a tribunal against Salleh, which found him guilty of, among others, "undermining public confidence in the government's administration". "Since then, the impartiality, independence and basic honesty of the judiciary has been called into question time and time again," said Razaleigh. "Since then, the Attorney-General's Chambers has become the object of public odium, being perceived as a willing tool of the executive." Brain drain and racial polarisation Even the education system was not spared; Razaleigh claimed that it was in "tatters" and placed the blame squarely on the BN-led government's shoulders for creating the "rot". "The drastic drop in educational standards is such that many parents shudder to think of putting their children through the Malaysian school system… "We may not like to hear it, but the sad truth is that the rot in our education system started with the executive interferences linked to the New Economy Policy," he said.
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| Non-muslims nabbed for 'khalwat' in Kelantan Posted: 07 Dec 2012 02:12 PM PST
(The Star) - Four non-Muslims two men on a plane spotting outing and a couple in a park have been issued with summonses for khalwat, a first in the country. The summonses were for "indecent behaviour" but the four have denied any wrongdoing, claiming instead that the municipal council's enforcement officers "were merely abusing their position". State MCA Youth chief Gan Han Chuan said the officers "have gone crazy", trying to enforce hudud laws on non-Muslims. "This is a first in history where non-Muslims have been issued summonses for khalwat," he said. "It is unbelievable! What they do with their by-laws is now affecting the lives of even the non-Muslims," Gan said of the two cases which occurred recently. The incidents came in the wake of a nationwide uproar over the fines imposed on salon operators who allowed their stylists to cut the hair of a customer of a different gender regardless of whether they were Muslims or not. Most, if not all, of the salons affected were owned by non-Muslims. In the latest incident, the two men in their 30s were in a car parked beside the Sultan Ismail Petra Airport, watching aeroplanes land in the night, when they were issued with the summonses. The duo claimed that they were not doing anything indecent. The other two were a 17-year-old male and a 15-year-old girl. They were at the Tengku Anis park in the town centre in the middle of the day when enforcement officers approached them and issued them with summonses for indecent behaviour. The two incidents have riled up even the National PAS Supporters Congress chairman Hu Pang Chaw. Hu said the male victims had complained to him that the officers had even sought RM500 from the duo "to settle the matter". "As far as I know, the council has no right to issue summonses to non-Muslims for close contact with their girlfriends in the dark or out in the open," he said. "I believe this by-law only applies to Muslims. And, I cannot understand why the four were issued the summonses," Hu said, adding that the council cannot impose "khalwat" laws on non-Muslims. The men have written a letter to council president Fauzi Mat. Hu said: "This is a serious allegations that needs immediate attention."
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| Kelantan slammed over ‘khalwat’ for non-Muslims Posted: 07 Dec 2012 02:09 PM PST
(The Star) - Local authorities in Kelantan have been criticised for taking action against four people for what has been viewed as khalwat (close proximity) cases involving non-Muslims. MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said that if PAS could subject non-Muslims to such laws in Kelantan, it could do so nationwide if Pakatan Rakyat came to power. "This should also serve as a wake-up call to the Chinese because it shows that DAP is no political superman, as it is a toothless tiger before PAS," he said. Dr Chua said this in response to dissatisfaction voiced by National PAS Supporters Congress chairman Hu Pang Chaw against the local authorities for issuing summonses for indecent behaviour to two non-Muslim men who were caught in a car parked by the roadside near the Kota Baru Airport. The other case involved a non-Muslim teenage boy and his non-Muslim girlfriend who were found together in a parked car in Tengku Anis Park recently. The four have denied any wrongdoing. Dr Chua said it appeared that PAS was slowly pushing for Syariah laws and ultimately its brand of hudud. "PAS is so sure of coming to power that it has ignored fundamental rights of non-Muslims enshrined in the Constitution," he said. Dr Chua pointed out that PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat had made it very clear that pushing their Islamic agenda was a religious obligation. "DAP is willing to go along because it is confident of securing Chinese votes. Let's hope the Chinese wake up before it is too late. "As a developing country, we should not be bickering about what is clearly written in the Constitution," he said, adding that PAS appeared to be fixated on moral policing. He also said the PAS Supporters Congress should have the political integrity to acknowledge that it did not have a standing in PAS, as it could not even vote in the party. PPP president Datuk Seri M. Kayveas said the people must use their votes to tell PAS off. "The people must realise that by supporting DAP and PKR, they are also empowering PAS," he said. Kedah Gerakan Youth chief Tan Keng Liang said if the claims were true, it would be beyond comprehension, as non-Muslim were not subjected to Islamic laws. "It is unacceptable if they want to expand khalwat laws to non-Muslims. "If PAS intends to amend the Constitution to subject non-Muslims to Islamic laws, then it should say so," he said.
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| 200 stage protest over altar demolition Posted: 07 Dec 2012 02:04 PM PST  Pathma Subramaniam, fz.com About 200 MIC members and activists staged a protest outside the Selangor State Secretariat today over the demolition by the Sepang Municipal Council (MPSp) of a Hindu altar within the gated compound of a house. Led by MIC Youth chief T Mohan, the group marched from the nearby Dataran Shah Alam at 11.15am and gathered there for about an hour under the scorching sun. Security personnel prevented them from entering the building to meet Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim. After several rounds of negotiations with the police, Mohan handed over a memorandum to state executive councillor Dr Xavier Jeyakumar's aide, Abdul Razak Ismail. MPSP enforcement officials demolished the altar located in the compound of M Gobikumar's house at Taman Seroja in Bandar Salak Tinggi on Nov 20, according to news reports. The family had earlier received a notice from the council to tear down the structure for alleged violation of council by-laws, followed by another letter warning them that they could be fined RM250 a day if they did not demolish it. News reports quoted Gobikumar as saying that the council enforcement staff demolished the altar even while he was negotiating with the council. At today's protest, the participants blamed the Pakatan Rakyat state government for the high-handed action, with Xavier in particular coming under strong attack. Many of the protesters were seen hoisting up banners and placards calling for Xavier's resignation over his alleged remarks that local governments had the right to take action against illegal structures built inside or outside a house and that the state government could not meddle in such matters. However, in a statement yesterday, Xavier said the state government had in 2008 instructed all local councils and the land office not to destroy any place of worship. Xavier added that the altar demolishment was carried out by certain MPSP officials without the knowledge of the state government and the MPSP president, and that there was reason to suspect that their action "bordered on sabotage." Mohan, however, claimed that Pakatan representatives were present when the demolishment took place. "At the time of the incident, a PAS councillor representing the Sepang Municipal Council was also there together with the constituency's coordinator from DAP," he said. "Is it a crime now to build an altar to worship in our homes? Why must we apply for permits when it is within our compound?" asked Mohan, demanding that the councillor and the enforcement officers involved be sacked immediately. He also demanded that the menteri besar issue an open apology to the Indian community. Mohan said the Barisan Nasional lost power in Selangor in the 2008 general election after the BN-led state government demolished a Hindu temple in Shah Alam a few months earlier, which led to the Indian community taking part in a massive protest rally in Kuala Lumpur. "We did it before and paid for it in kind, but we learnt our lesson. I can assure you that BN will never do this if we make a comeback in the next general election," he said. "Don't take this issue lightly. Resolve it once and for all for all our good," he said. 
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| Ex-top cop questions Musa’s credibility Posted: 07 Dec 2012 01:57 PM PST
Ramli Yusuff, the former CCID director embroiled in the copgate affair, cites three instances in which he says Musa Hassan was dishonest. Anisah Shukry, FMT Ex Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Musa Hassan is not a credible person and this is proven throughout his time in the police force, said his former colleague Ramli Yusuff. In the last few weeks, Musa has attracted attention for accusing Cabinet ministers and politicians of interfering with police investigations and arrests, naming home minister Hishammuddin Hussein in particular. But his motives for 'coming out' have come into question due to the timing of it all; while he served as IGP for four years, no word was mentioned to the public of the allegedly meddling ministers. Instead, the startling announcement was made on the eve of the Umno General Assembly's opening, leading the home minister to maintain that it was just an attempt to sidetrack the public from issues discussed during the gathering. To add further fuel to the fire, retired Commercial Crimes Investigation Department (CCID) Ramli, who is perhaps most known for his investigative role in the 'Copgate' affair, has cast aspersions on Musa's character by dredging up old issues implicating the ex IGP. "Musa served under me for almost six years. I was partly responsible for his promotion in 1995 from the post of junior superintendent to become my assistant, and in the end, he fixed me up," said Ramli. "So do you think his character is credible? I liken him to 'melepaskan anjing tersepit'," he said, referring to a Malay idiom which means helping someone who is ungrateful. Ramli was alluding to the five charges he faced in 2007 and 2009 in which he was eventually acquitted for – charges which he claimed were masterminded by Musa along with Attorney General Abdul Gani Patail and former Anti-Corruption Agency director of prosecution Nordin Hassan in an attempt to discredit him. The charges include allegedly failing to declare his assets, for violating laws prohibiting civil servants from being involved in private business, and for abusing power after allegedly using a Royal Malaysian Police Cessna Caravan aircraft to fly him to see plots of land in Ulu Tungku and Lahad Datu. Ramli claimed he was framed due to his role in the Copgate affair, in which he and his team took action against an underworld figure who allegedly had Musa's backing – only for that figure to be released four months later. Musa was subsequently investigated and cleared by Abdul Gani and the ACA, and his contract renewed until his retirement in 2010, according to Malaysiakini. Ramli told FMT today that he had originally pushed for Musa's promotion from junior superintendent to his assistant circa 1995 because the latter was supposed to be laterally transferred to Perlis. "Musa came crying to me, telling me about his predicament…children schooling, very unhappy. So I recommended him [for the promotion] because he served under me in 1987 as one of my officers in the police college in Kuala Kubu Baru. "So at that time, he was a good guy, and I trusted him," said Ramli, adding that he had a tough time convincing the former director of the CID to promote Musa on account of his lack of academic credentials. Even judge said Musa is unreliable Zeroing in on the abuse of power trial which ended in 2009, Ramli said the session court judge's comments on Musa – who was a witness for the prosecution - further reflected the then IGP's dubious character. "During my trial in Sabah, a sessions court judge in her judgement commented that Musa is an 'incredible' witness because he contradicted the evidence of his own officers," said Ramli. "And the judge believed the evidence of Musa's junior offences rather than him. And he was then still serving as IGP. Malu (shameful)," added Ramli. The abuse of power trial involving the alleged use of a police aircraft for his own personal interest, in which his lawyer Rosli Dahlan defended him. According to Rosli, Judge Supang Lian told the court at the closing of the 59-day hearing that Musa's evidence was unreliable and to be disregarded. Rosli told FMT she repeated the word "discredit" twice in her assessment of Musa'sevidence, who, as the 75th witness, was allegedly called last in order to refute testimonies of those who came before him. Among the witnesses were Ramli's pilots, whom Rosli said had flatly denied having flown Ramli to Ulu Tungku and Lahad Datu, in which his real estate company Kinsajaya Sdn Bhd had an interest. Supang Lian ruled that the prosecution failed to prove a prima facie case and Ramli deserved to be acquitted and discharged. A year later, the High Court dismissed an appeal by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) against the Session Court's decision to acquit Ramli.
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| We'll take you on, Selangor PAS Youth warns UMNO 'thugs' Posted: 06 Dec 2012 06:22 PM PST
(Harakah Daily) - Selangor PAS Youth has warned the state UMNO Youth to rein in thuggery among its members so that they could get involved in politics as 'gentlemen'. "The Selangor PAS Youth is ready to take on any challenge by UMNO Youth should they continue with provocations in future," said Selangor PAS Youth leader Hasbullah Mohd Ridzwan (pic).
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| ‘AG Chambers aiding human traffickers’ Posted: 06 Dec 2012 06:02 PM PST
A labour activist claims that the AG Chambers is working hand in glove with the Bangladeshi High Commission to aid human traffickers. Teoh El Sen, FMT Labour activist Abdul Aziz Ismail has accused the Attorney-General's Chambers of colluding with the Bangladeshi High Commission to aid human traffickers. In an open letter to the government, the Selangor Anti-Human Trafficking Council member said he came to such a conclusion after his appointment as a workers welfare adviser under the Bangladeshi High Commission here was suddenly revoked. "The sudden cancellation of my appointment by the commission under the instructions of the AG Chambers is beyond their boundaries and perimeter and it was done in bad faith," he wrote. He said he suspected that the AG Chambers and the Bangladesh High Commission had, willingly or unwittingly, become the tools of human trafficking syndicates, by protecting them. In 2007, Aziz said he was officially appointed to assist or represent Bangladesh migrant workers on matters concerning their welfare by the commission. He was then empowered to assist them to obtain temporary stay visas, lodging police reports and accompanying them during legal proceedings as a translator. He said in the years of voluntarism in this manner, he succesfully secured about more than RM700,000 of unpaid wages for exploited foreign workers. He said that his work had began somewhere between 2006 and 2009, when most of the Bangladesh migrant workers were brought into Malaysia and issued fraudulent "calling visa" by the Immigration Department approved by the Home Ministry to bogus employers or outsourcing companies. He alleged that those workers were later sold to a third party by their bogus employers or outsource companies, and abandoned. "These traffic victims were later detained and arrested as undocumented, illegal entry, over-staying and violating employment pass," he said. Aziz said he was much involved during that period and represented victims of unpaid wages, unlawful dismissal, unlawful detention and all other suppression by agents, employers or the authorities. All these he did without being paid a single sen by the commission or by the victims. He said that the current 6P amnesty programme was akin to a "Re-Trafficking Programme" that caused hundreds of thousands of foreigners to be cheated and victimised by enforcement agencies.
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| Mahathir to Campaign for Najib in Shift From 2008 Malaysia Vote Posted: 06 Dec 2012 03:30 PM PST
Barry Porter and Chong Pooi Koon, Bloomberg News Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysia's longest- serving leader, will hit the campaign trail to help Prime Minister Najib Razak's ruling coalition win a 13th straight general election after sitting out during the 2008 vote. "I have promised that I will campaign," Mahathir, 87, said in a Dec. 5 interview in Putrajaya, Malaysia's administrative center near Kuala Lumpur. "I don't know whether I have enough influence or not, but I think people still remember me." Mahathir led calls for Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to resign after the National Front coalition won the last election by its narrowest margin since independence in 1957. Najib, who took over as leader in 2009, told a party congress last week that he aims to restore the alliance's two-thirds majority in parliament during the next election, which must be held within 60 days of an April 28 deadline to dissolve parliament. Najib's ruling United Malays Nasional Organisation is seeking to stave off a challenge from the opposition alliance led by Anwar Ibrahim, a former finance minister who Mahathir fired in 1998 during an Asia-wide financial crisis. The party is more aware of the opposition's strength than in 2008 and has moved to win back support with budget handouts and political reforms, according to Ooi Kee Beng, deputy director of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore. 'Payback Period'"It's Najib's to lose," Ooi said by phone from Singapore, referring to the next election. "He does have a certain advantage of incumbency. Just like 2008, a lot will depend on the nominations and campaigning. Things can shift very quickly." Mahathir, while predicting a win for Najib's coalition, questioned whether it was possible to regain the two-thirds majority in the 222-member parliament, which allows legislation to be passed easily. Mahathir led the National Front to five consecutive victories as prime minister before retiring in 2003. "This is payback period for me," Mahathir said. "I must admit, I didn't support during the last election." Anwar's three-party People's Alliance opposition coalition made gains in the 2008 election, winning control of five of Malaysia's 13 states. The National Front, also known as Barisan Nasional, later won back Perak state when several lawmakers defected. In 1998, soon after Mahathir ousted him, Anwar was arrested and imprisoned for almost six years on corruption and sodomy charges, which he said were politically motivated. Malaysia's Federal Court quashed the sodomy conviction in 2004, while upholding the corruption charge. He denies wrongdoing. 'Go Quietly'Najib's ruling coalition will transfer power peacefully to Anwar if it loses the next election, Mahathir said. The police, military and civil servants are professionals who would back any elected government, he said. "It will go quietly," Mahathir said, referring to the National Front. "I have been preaching to people about democracy, even to the Arabs. I tell them if you want to have democracy you must be prepared to lose." Najib, 59, cut income taxes, boosted pay for government workers and extended cash handouts for the poor in his 2013 budget announced in September. While the global economy has slowed, Malaysia has maintained gross domestic product growth above 5 percent for the past five quarters and its benchmark stock index closed at a record in October. Unrest ConcernsThe FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI Index was little changed at 12:30 p.m. in Kuala Lumpur today. It has risen 5.6 percent this year, Southeast Asia's worst performing leading benchmark gauge. A disputed vote could trigger civil unrest that would involve the intervention of the king and a group of royals that have constitutional powers to appoint elected leaders, according to James Chin, a professor of political science at the Malaysian campus of Australia's Monash University. Much depends on the margin of victory, he said by phone. "There will be problems if it is razor thin and it is disputed," he said, referring to the election outcome. "We don't really know what will happen because we've never had a change of government in Malaysia." The National Front held a clear two-thirds majority for four decades until 2008. The last time it lost two-thirds control of parliament was in the 1969 election, which was followed by race riots. Asked if there could be civil or religious unrest should the National Front fall, Mahathir said: "There will be some, but not the kind of violent unrest like demonstrating every day. If every time you lose you want to hold strikes and demonstrations, that means you don't understand democracy. You have to accept losing." Mahathir said he has traveled the country to urge UMNO party members against sabotaging the vote if they are not selected as candidates to stand in the election, echoing Najib's warning last week. "I told them that this is committing suicide," Mahathir said. "You don't do that."
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| Selangor Sultan: I am above politics, let’s be clear about this Posted: 06 Dec 2012 03:01 PM PST
Wong Chun Wai and Loong Meng Yee, The Star Selangor will be one of the hardest fought states in the coming general election. As polling day nears, the Sultan finds himself a victim of attempts to drag his name into politics. Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah said he was sad that he had become the target of groups and individuals who deliberately twisted his words and actions to imply that he was partial towards Umno. "Why should I? I have nothing to gain from siding with Umno, PKR or any party," he said. "What has Umno given me? "Those that brand me as an Umno man, prove it. Show me when was I inclined to be with Umno. Do not blindly accuse me of things I am not guilty of. I have no political agenda. "As head of the state, I am above politics. Let's be clear about this," the outspoken Ruler said.  Speaking his mind: The Sultan of Selangor gesturing during the exclusive interview with The Star. Sultan Sharafuddin said he had now adopted a cautious mode when making speeches; but said he would speak up on issues affecting Islam and the welfare and harmony of the people. In a candid interview with The Star, the Sultan said he would remain consistent against allowing mosques to be used for politics in Selangor, saying: "Politics and religion should not mix." He said politics was out of place in a mosque. "These are sacred places to find spiritual solace and not to sow hatred among one's brethren." The Sultan also revealed that there were attempts by certain politicians to change the landscape of Shah Alam, the capital of Selangor. "There was a move by a senior elected representative to name Shah Alam as the Islamic City of Selangor. Then, there were other politicians who tried to ban cinemas at shopping malls because they were immoral, forgetting that we live in a multi-racial country. "Then, there were other elected representatives who suggested that an arch be built over Little India in Klang. "I don't like such an idea to re-brand Shah Alam. Next, someone may want to have Petaling Jaya declared as the China Town of Selangor. "Kuala Lumpur was part of Selangor and we already have a China Town in Petaling Street and Little India in Brickfields; these are enough. "What next? Create a little Bangladesh when another person suggests it? I don't like the rakyat being separated into groupings." Sultan Sharafuddin said he had to step in in cases where certain politicians' interferences affected the people's harmony. Shah Alam is named after the Tuanku's grandfather Sultan Alam Shah. The name was chosen by the late Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, the present Sultan's father. Sultan Sharafuddin said Shah Alam's demographics had changed drastically as development moved away from Kuala Lumpur. "My primary duty is to care for my rakyat," he said. "I don't cross the line and I don't wish for my name to be misused." The Sultan said he always welcomed feedback from the rakyat, but this should be channelled appropriately. "My rakyat can write to me through the palace," the Sultan said. "Don't use blogs to spread hatred against me. If I have done wrong, tell me, but use the proper channel." The Sultan's interview was held in conjunction with his 11th year on the throne, and his 67th birthday celebration on Dec 11.
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| Pakatan signals power as campaign fodder, says to cut IPP payments Posted: 06 Dec 2012 01:59 PM PST
(The Malaysian Insider) - PKR said today it can save consumers paying exorbitant electricity bills monthly by cutting a new deal that will shave RM3.47 billion off Tenaga Nasional Bhd's (TNB) annual payment to independent power producers (IPPs). The opposition party believes it can renegotiate to lower the return of investments (ROI) for the IPPs, which average 19 per cent now, by 9 percentage points, to 10 per cent, which it said was typical by global standards. "This high profit will be able to reduce TNB's debt... and, most importantly, with this high profit TNB no longer needs to raise electricity tariffs which will burden consumers," PKR's investment bureau chief Wong Chen told a news conference at the party's headquarters here. He explained that by lowering the ROI to 10 per cent, TNB will enjoy annual savings of RM2.6 billion from its capacity payments to the IPPs. He said an ROI of 10 per cent would still mean excellent business for the IPPS as it translates to large sums of money over a long-term period in an industry that has little operational risks. Bond repayments and finance costs would be included in calculating the ROI and the financial and bond markets were unlikely to be affected by the 10 per cent cut. Wong said the party will also tighten the reserve margin policy to keep it at 20 per cent instead of at 38 per cent currently. He said that a sum of RM483 million is lost as unneeded or stranded investment for every 1 per cent of reserve margin, adding that an 18 per cent cut will mean stranded investment savings of RM8.7 billion. Coupled with RM2.6 billion savings through the 10 per cent cut in the ROI a year and the RM870 million savings in stranded investments, TNB would be able to save a total of RM3.47 billion a year, he said. Wong also promised that if the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) pact is elected to Putrajaya, it will consider selling off the 10 per cent share in TNB now held by state investment firm Khazanah Nasional to the power company's 30,000 workers. "This is part of our 'management buy-out' economic policy to create a middle class of manager-owners and also reduce the government's involvement in the private sector," he said. TNB was yesterday forced to deny that energy consumption had been hiked through the replacement of analogue power meters for digital devices to increase the utility's profits. The power company said that contracts for the installation of new meters that were given to four vendors followed the utility's procurement guidelines. On Tuesday, PKR linked the family of former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to a company that supplies the controversial digital electricity meters to TNB and alleged that that this had hiked up energy consumption bills and gained the national utility company billions of ringgit in profit. In its statement yesterday, the national power company did not name the vendors awarded the meter installation contract or deny that any one of them was linked to the former PM's family. It said, however, that, figures cited by PKR were inaccurate and misleading.
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| Musa: I was upset by Sin Chew reporter’s detention Posted: 06 Dec 2012 01:51 PM PST
The ex-IGP claims Syed Hamid Albar ordered the ISA arrest. Teoh El Sen, FMT Former Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan claims that he was against the controversial 2008 arrest of Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng under the Internal Security Act. He told FMT he was in hospital at the time and police made the arrest in obedience to the then home minister Syed Hamid Albar. He said he scolded his deputy – current Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar – over the arrest and the latter wept and offered to resign. Tan's arrest in September 2008 came after the publication of her report on a speech made by the then Bukit Bendera Umno chief, Ahmad Ismail, in which he said the Chinese were squatters in the country and not deserving of equal rights. Reacting to public outrage, Syed Hamid said Tan was arrested for her own protection. He said police were acting on information that her life was under threat. The statement drew ridicule from the public. "The explanation sounded absurd to me," Musa told FMT. "At that time, I was in hospital, in IJN (National Heart Institute), having a bypass." He said he told Ismail, who was acting IGP, to investigate the case under the Sedition Act and not to use the ISA to arrest anyone. He said he was upset at the turn of events and demanded an explanation from Ismail when he visited him at IJN. "Then he started crying, saying that the minister gave the instructions. He told me he wanted to resign, saying things like 'I want to resign, I don't want to work anymore.' "I said to him, 'You shouldn't be allowing yourself to be dictated to. I am in the hospital now, and you are Acting IGP.' I told him 'It's stupid of you, wanting to resign. Next time, just don't do it.'" Asked if he tried to confront Syed Hamid, Musa said he could not because he was bedridden. "But of course the girl was later released. But it was wrong. Using ISA didn't make sense to me. If you think any seditious statement was made, then you have the law to investigate, right?" During the controversy, Syed Hamid told the press the arrest was a police decision and that he had not interfered. More recently, during the Umno annual general assembly, Syed Hamid denied Musa's allegation that home ministers were among the politicians who regularly attempted to interfere with police investigations. Asked to comment on this, Musa told FMT: "Well he can deny it, but Ismail told me at that time that he was directed." Drug raid Giving another example of politicians throwing their weight around, Musa spoke of a drug said at a club in Johor in 2003, when he was serving in the state. "A Johor ADUN [state assemblyman] shouted at my officers asking them to get out," he said. "And then he called me, asking why the officers raided this place. "He told me, 'Do you know I am wakil rakyat so and so?' I answered 'So what? Why are you angry? Is it your place?' He then said he was a frequent customer and asked why we were embarrassing people who wanted to enjoy themselves. "I replied, 'Okay, you can enjoy, but we are looking for drugs. So don't disturb my officers.' "The next day he came to my office, scolding me. I said, 'You shouldn't do this, you should respect the police.'"
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| ‘PM, Home Minister ignored my complaints’ Posted: 06 Dec 2012 01:45 PM PST
Ex-IGP Musa Hassan says he had previously informed the Prime Minister and Home Minister about his complaints, but were ignored. Teoh El Sen, FMT Many wonder why Musa Hassan has suddenly become such a vocal man, but the former Inspector-General of Police said that it was not something that happened overnight. He said that his complaints of political interference, of criminal elements which had infiltrated the police force, were not new. When he was in service, these issues were already raised through the "proper channels" to the Prime Minister and Home Minister before, but to no effect. "I have a number of times personally informed even the prime minister and home minister, when I was Johor CPO, when I was director of CID, and also as the IGP. It seems that they do not want to change. "Many times I have raised this, not just now that I am retired," he explained. Musa claimed that the top leaders of the country did not seem interested in addressing these issues. However, he declined to say if it was because they themselves were also involved in these claims. "The prime minister and home minister were not interested. I want to make sure the country is safe. If you do all these things, protecting kingpins and all that, the country's security will go down the drain and people will be complaining," he said. Musa said that various allegations had been levelled against him but he had kept quiet all the while. But now he was being deemed as anti-government for speaking out. "They attack me like mad when I'm not against anyone," said Musa, who served as IGP for four years from 2006 to 2010.
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| Star will work with ‘any’ coalition that wins Posted: 06 Dec 2012 01:35 PM PST
Jeffrey Kitingan has threatened legal action against those spreading rumours that his party Star is being financed by Umno to split the opposition vote. Luke Rintod, FMT KOTA KINABALU: If politicians and supporters are holding out for a pre-election pact between the State Reform Party (Star) and the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), they best forget it. Both parties' words and actions point to it being a lost cause. But leaders on either side are nonetheless keeping alive the 'line' that they are working on a deal which opposition supporters in the state and are hopeful of hammering it out in time. They have been maneuvering for this since the beginning of the year and if nothing else, their periodic shout outs for a deal has proved they are no closer to it since they first indicated they wanted one. It is an indecisiveness that has allowed non-local parties to inject themselves into state politics since 1963 and determine the state's direction. SAPP can only win seats if it allies itself with another party or group of politicians, which explains it's need to reach out to DAP, PKR and Sabah Star. On its own, SAPP would find itself in a difficult position if it also had to fight on two fronts. Star may be in a favourable position if supporting crowds can be translated into real votes. Based on their sources they believe they could win in poverty-stricken Kadazandusun areas. The numbers put forward is up to 10 of the 60 state seats and more than five of 25 parliamentary seats in Sabah and one Labuan. Realistically, observers say, Star and SAPP must work together with remnant supporters of Usno under the United Borneo Alliance (UBF) concept of Borneo leaders taking charge of their political destiny. SAPP can say they are close to hammering out a deal with the Pakatan Rakyat coalition, but Star Sabah is looking at these dealings with discomfort and a hint of alarm. SAPP for all intents and purposes is already within Pakatan while Star is adamant that it is independent of both the opposition and the ruling Barisan Nasional coalitions. Star had said it would only ally itself with state-based political parties before the election. But talk is also beginning to surface that Star is being financed by Umno to split the opposition vote and that Jeffrey has been given RM100 million. For his part, the Star chairman has denounced the rumour and has threatened legal action to stop it. "I requests Sabah Star members, should you hear of any such talks, to jot down the name of the person saying that, the date, time and place so that we can sue the individual in court. "To be sponsored by BN is akin to the coalition saying "here take this knife and kill me with it … isn't that stupid?" asked Jeffrey. "We are here to topple BN-Umno so it does not make sense that Sabah Star is sponsored by the coalition," he said after officiating Sabah Star's Wiranita (Women) Wing convention here on Wednesday. Jeffrey also accused fellow opposition parties of spreading the rumours to stop Star's rising popularity. Party officials claim its membership has risen to about 200,000 members since its inception here 10 months ago and is the envy of other parties. "They are scared that their members will join Star which is growing in strength and gathering force as time passes. This shows that Star is strong and they are scared of the party. "It also reflects their desperation because when an individual starts to bad mouth a friend, it shows that the person either has a problem or is desperate. In this case, it is the opposition parties that are desperate to reduce the support and influence of Sabah Star," said Jeffrey. No truth in rumours Speaking to reporters after officiating the conference, Jeffrey in brushing away the party's alleged Umno link, also said the another rumour was also going around. "It said Star was paid RM20 billion – RM1 billion for each of the 20 Points of the special powers it is fighting to have restored to Sabah," said Jeffrey. Making it known that he does not trust SAPP, he called on its party leaders to declare if it would be working with the peninsular-based opposition parties or with local parties like Star. "SAPP needs to make a decision whether they want to be with Borneo Alliance or PR (Pakatan) so that the issue of a straight fight against BN can be resolved. "By making public its allegiance, the issue of seats allocation between Star and SAPP can be resolved," said Jeffrey.
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| Former IGP: Political violence should not occur in a democracy Posted: 05 Dec 2012 06:14 PM PST
The Malaysian Insider Political violence should not happen in a genuine democracy and the authorities must take stern action to curb such incidents, former Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said today amid more reports of violent clashes between Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) supporters ahead of elections expected next year. He told a public forum organised by the Sinar Harian newspaper today that he hoped BN would reform and stop the culture of violence if it won the next polls. And if PR were to take power, the former top police officer said he hoped PR would not become "political thugs". Rough house tactics have become a feature of Malaysian politics, and went up a notch yesterday with the first stabbing at a political rally ahead of the 13th general elections. A group of people alleged to be Umno Youth members yesterday attacked a PKR rally in Gombak that left a few opposition volunteers injured, leading to swift condemnation from PR leaders. In the attack, a PKR supporter is believed to have been stabbed with a sharp weapon on his left shoulder, the party's paper Keadilan Daily reported. This is not the first attack on a PR rally, with a similar incident happening in Lembah Pantai earlier this year where a crowd at a rally held by Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was attacked. The PKR bus used by Anwar and party leaders for its nationwide pre-election campaign tour, Jelajah Merdeka Rakyat , has also been splashed with paint and attacked with rocks several times. "Political violence does not happen in a democratic country. In a democratic country the election of a government does not see matters that endanger security," said Musa today. He took a swipe, however, at the opposition for supporting street protests and demonstrations. "According to one book it is said that if a leader is not suitable there must be 'reformasi' on the streets. This is now a reference for the young. "Previous general elections were like festivals (but) in Malaysia the politics has been endless. Five years on and there is still politics and the endless blaming of each other." Without naming anyone, he said accused political leaders of failing to control supporters, which he blamed for the rise in the political temperature in recent years. He said election campaigns were no longer like festivals because it was now dominated by "politics of hatred." Musa said that while the authorities must act to curb political violence, he pointed out that the job had become more challenging because of new laws which had introduced more freedoms. "The police must be fair. Previously one had to apply for a permit to organise a ceramah. But with new laws there are now problems and the police have to be prepared better. "In the past the police did not have to station much personnel at rallies but now speakers are challenging the authority of the police," he said.
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| Sepang shrine wrecking: Xavier cries ‘sabotage’ Posted: 05 Dec 2012 06:02 PM PST
Municipal officers acted without authorisation, says the Selangor exco. K Pragalath, FMT Municipal officers acted without their boss' permission when they demolished a Hindu shrine in Sepang last month, Selangor state exco Xavier Jayakumar said today. "The action taken by certain officers was unilateral," he said in a press statement. "There is reason to suspect this action is bordering on sabotage." On Nov 20, 30 enforcement officers of the Sepang Municipal Council (MPS) trespassed into the home of one S Gobi Kumar and demolished a Hindu shrine located within the compound of the residence. A week later, Jayakumar defended the council's action, prompting MIC Youth to demand that he make a public apology. Jayakumar said MPS officials yesterday gave a briefing on the incident to him, Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim and state excos Teresa Kok and Ronnie Liu. "From the briefing, it was quite apparent that the Sepang council president was neither consulted nor informed prior to the action of breaking the structure," he said. "The Selangor Non-Muslim Affairs Council, co-chaired by excos Liu, Kok and myself, was also never informed of these actions."
He added that the state government had called for an investigation and demanded that the findings be submitted to it within two weeks. The demolition apparently violates an order issued by the Non-Muslim Affairs Council that forbids the breaking of religious structures. "From 2008, we have given instruction to all local councils and land offices not to break any place of worship that existed prior to 2008," Jayakumar said
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| Blogger to reveal more PKR ‘dirt’ in January Posted: 05 Dec 2012 02:51 PM PST
A pro-Umno blogger says he will expose more details on the alleged PKR's involvement in masterminding attacks against the prime minister's family using Deepak Jaikishan. G Vinod, FMT Pro-Umno blogger, Papagomo threatens to expose more dirt on the alleged involvement of PKR leaders in masterminding carpet dealer Deepak Jaikishan's attacks on the prime minister's family. He said this in a post at his blog today. "Januari nanti anda Surendran dan sekutu Pakatan Haram yang lain akan dibogelkan satu persatu sampai lumat (In January, N Surendran (PKR vice president) and all allies of the illegitimate opposition pact will be exposed one by one)," said Papagomo. On Tuesday, the blogger posted a two minute clip on his website purpotedly showing "Deepak" saying that Subang MP R Sivarasa had coerced him to attack Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor, at the behest of Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim. However, "Deepak" said he refused to do so, thus, making Sivarasa angry. "Deepak" also mentioned the names of PKR vice presidents Surendran and Nurul Izzah Anwar in the footage. However, Sivarasa and Surendran had denied claims that they coerced Deepak into doing anything and were only representing the businessman in a court case involving a land deal. Pagagomo, however, was not impressed by Surendran's explanation. "Surendran lu boleh cakap apa lu nak cakap tapi sebelum lu pergi lebih jauh elok lu siap sedia dengan gelombang amukkan para Blogger Pro UMNO selepas ini. (Surendran, you may say what you want but before you go any further, be ready to face the wrath of pro-Umno bloggers)
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| No conspiracy against Anwar, says Musa again Posted: 05 Dec 2012 12:45 PM PST
The ex-IGP attempts to clear the air over lingering suspicion that he was involved in a government conspiracy to set-up Anwar Ibrahim in both Sodomy I and II. Teoh El Sen, FMT Former inspector-general of police Musa Hassan has reiterated that the Sodomy I and II cases were not part of a political conspiracy to bring down Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim. Musa, who was the investigating officer of the 1998 case and was serving as the IGP when the more recent 2008 allegation by Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan surfaced, told FMT that both were "straight forward cases." Responding to claims that he was a party to fabrication of evidence in the first sodomy case, Musa stressed:"There was no fabrication of evidence. He [Anwar] was charged in court." "And then I sued Anwar in court [on his allegation of fabrication] and he wanted me to settle with him. So what fabrication was there? The case was dropped because he wanted us to settle it out of court. So there is nothing more." Asked why he agreed to a settlement when he claims to be right, Musa replied: "Because to me [if] that person feels that there is no point to [continue with it] then [it shows] that I am not involved. Perhaps he has realised that I am not involved that's why he wants so settle [out of court]." Musa was referring to his recent decision to drop a defamation suit against Anwar, who lodged a report against Musa in 2008 accusing him and Attorney-General Abdul Gani Pattail of fabricating evidence in the 1998 'black eye' incident and the Sodomy I trial. PKR, who had since then insisted that there was no out-of-court settlement and that it was Musa who initiated a withdrawal, had said that Musa's action was "proof" that there was a government plot to fabricate evidence over the Sodomy I charges. Musa's lawyers had cited a "misunderstanding" over the ex-IGP's role in the 1998 "black eye" incident where Anwar was assaulted by the then IGP Abdul Rahim Noor while in police custody. On his role in Sodomy II, Musa also rubbished claims that he was a "main actor in the script". "Why do they say I am doing the script when it is Saiful who lodged the report, not me. I didn't want to see Saiful even then. He [Saiful] even said in court that I scolded him [when he tried to contact me], that [I told him] if you have a problem, you lodge a police report. So I'm not involved in any conspiracy here. What are they talking about?" he said. FMT: Do you know any of any of these 'script writers' who were involved in the Sodomy II then? Musa: It is a straight up case. [A police report was] lodged by the complainant. Wouldn't you say there were political reasons behind it? That you have to ask them because I don't know the facts about who he [Saiful] saw.
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| Deepak exposé: Perkasa screams slander Posted: 04 Dec 2012 04:33 PM PST
PKR is using the businessman against Najib and Rosmah, says the Malay rights group. G Vinod, FMT Perkasa today accused PKR of slandering Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor through businessman Deepak Jaikishen. "Since the beginning I didn't trust this Deepak character," said Perkasa secretary-general Syed Hassan Syed Ali. "People who get involved with an immoral leader are immoral themselves." Yesterday, pro-Umno blogger Papagomo posted a poorly lighted video featuring a man who looks and sounds like Deepak speaking of the circumstances surrounding the businessman's recent press interviews, which resurrected allegations that Najib and Rosmah were involved in the bribery of private investigator P Balasubramaniam. Papagomo's posting alleged that Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim was behind Deepak's exposés. The man in the video named several other PKR leaders, including vice president N Surendran and Subang MP R Sivarasa. Both Sivarasa and Surendran have dismissed claims that PKR was involved in the exposes, saying they were only representing Deepak for a court case involving a land deal that went sour. Syed Hassan alleged that PKR was losing support and had resorted to slander to regain it. "They have no choice but to resort to such attacks as their supporters are leaving in droves," he said.
Kinabatangan MP Bung Mokhtar echoed Syed Hassan's sentiments, saying Deepak had no credibility with him because he was always changing his mind. "As far as I know, Najib is very good person and a great leader," he said. "I don't care about what Deepak is saying." Sekijang MP Baharum Mohamad said Pakatan Rakyat had gone too far in its accusations against Najib and his family. "They have gone overboard on this," he said. "I believe that such slander against a person should not exist in a modern society like ours. "If there is a report lodged, the police should investigate it without fear or favour." MIC secretary-general S Murugesan agreed. "If the content of the video is proven to be true," he said, "it will show how bad Malaysian politics has become. Politicians are using proxies to attack their opponents. It's definitely not healthy for our democracy."
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| Perak BN and MIC on collision course Posted: 04 Dec 2012 04:24 PM PST
The row is over the selection of candidates and allocation of seats for the coming general election. B Nantha Kumar, FMT The Perak Barisan Nasional leadership is said to be on a direct collision course with MIC president G Palanivel over candidates and seat allocations in the state for the largest Indian-based party in the country. Sources revealed that while Palanivel is adamant on retaining several party veterans as candidates for the upcoming general election, the state BN leadership led by Menteri Besar Zambry Abdul Kadir wants MIC to put forth new and winnable candidates, especially young leaders. Zambry is unhappy that Palanivel, who is also Perak MIC chief, had insisted that several "expired" leaders be given state seats to contest at the 13th general election, due in the next four months, sources revealed. A party leader, who did not want to be named, told FMT that Palanivel's "stubbornness" may ruin MIC's chances of winning seats in the state. "I will not be surprised if Perak MIC repeat its dismal performance as in the 2008 election," he said. At the last election MIC lost all four state seats – Hutan Melintang, Behrang, Pasir Panjang and Sungkai – contested under the BN banner. "This time around, speculation is that MIC would swap two seats with other BN component parties. MIC will give up the Behrang and Pasir Panjang seats and instead take up Buntong and Trong state constituencies," said the source. The party insider claimed that Palanivel was willing to take up any seat offered by the state BN, but was adamant that the candidates must be chosen by him. The MIC chief's stand to retain some veteran leaders as candidates has irked not only state BN leaders but also party grassroots members. "Palanivel insisted on fielding veterans like State Legislative Assembly speaker R Ganesan and party veteran KR Naidu. This has not gone down well with Zambry and the state BN leadership," said the source. The source said while these two leaders were famous and popular, they did not command support of voters in the state.
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| Man stabbed at Gombak political rally Posted: 04 Dec 2012 01:23 PM PST
Md Izwan, The Malaysian Insider Rough house tactics, which have been a feature of Malaysian politics, went up a notch with the first stabbing at a political rally ahead of the 13th general elections. A group of people alleged to be Umno Youth members yesterday attacked a PKR rally in Gombak that left a few PKR volunteers injured, leading to swift condemnation from PKR leaders. In the attack, a PKR supporter is believed to have been stabbed with a sharp weapon on his left shoulder, the party's paper Keadilan Daily reported. Another victim, Md Haidir Samsuddin, 48, was injured in the head when hit by a stone that was hurled by the thugs. "I was then at the side of the road, controlling the situation when the Umno thugs started the kecoh (unrest). "Suddenly a big stone from across the road fell on my head," said Haidir, whose head was bleeding. PKR deputy president Azmin Ali (picture) slammed Gombak Umno Youth chief Datuk Megat Zulkarnain Omardin for allegedly leading a group of thugs to attack the Jelajah Merdeka Rakyat rally at Gombak last night. Azmin, who is also the Gombak MP, saw his speech last night interrupted by the hurling of stones at the crowd, which then led to a scuffle breaking out at around 10pm. "I am very disappointed with this rude behaviour of Umno, and there were even those who were injured because of this samseng (gangster) attitude," Azmin told The Malaysian Insider when met after the tension between Pakatan Rakyat (PR) and Barisan Nasional (BN) supporters died had down last night. Azmin claimed that Megat, who is the son of silat master Tan Sri Omar Din Mauju, had deliberately planned the provocation during the rally. He accused Megat and the group he led of using harsh language and throwing objects in the direction of the crowd gathered at the rally. "They (Umno) used silat practitioners to trigger provocation. "Megat himself led the group that triggered provocation and quarreled with the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) volunteers here," Azmin added. Following the commotion, a group of Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) officers that were on the scene quickly moved in to control the situation and formed a human shield to separate the two groups of supporters. Gombak's deputy police chief Rosly Hassan said the police had not received any reports from those who were injured and said the situation was under control. "No police report until now and the situation is under control," Rosly said when met by The Malaysian Insider at the scene of the incident. This is not the first attack on a PR rally, with a similar incident happening in Lembah Pantai where a crowd at a rally held by Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was attacked. The PKR bus used by Anwar and party leaders for its nationwide pre-election campaign tour, Jelajah Merdeka Rakyat , was also splashed with paint and attacked with rocks several times. In yesterday's rally, Anwar, Tamrin Ghafar and Batu Caves state assemblyman Amirudin Shari were also present. PKR had previously called for a stop to the political violence directed at them.
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| PKR leaders deny masterminding exposé Posted: 04 Dec 2012 01:17 PM PST
Subang MP R Sivarasa and party vice president N Surendran say they decided to take up the carpet businessman's case in their capacity as lawyers. G Vinod, FMT PKR leaders mentioned in the video shown by pro-Umno blogger Papagomo have denied that the party is behind the recent exposé by carpet businessman Deepak Jaikishen. In a text message to FMT, Subang MP R Sivarasa said that PKR vice-president N Surendran and himself were appointed by Deepak to represent the latter in his suit against Selangor Wanita Umno chief Raja Roopiah Abdullah 's company, Awan Megah, regarding a land deal. He also denied plotting any conspiracy against Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor. "In Deepak's evidence in court under oath, he himself stated that Najib and Rosmah were involved in approving the sale of a 223 acre land in Bukit Rajah by her company (Awan Megah) to Deepak's company, which originaly belonged to the Defence Ministry." said Sivarasa. Yesterday, Papagomo posted a video on his website, alleging that Deepak's recent expose on Najib and Rosmah was enginereed by PKR's de facto leader, Anwar Ibrahim. The two-minute clip also showed a man, purportedly Deepak, mentioning names of key PKR leaders such as PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar, apart from Sivarasa and Surendran. Sivarasa said that Deepak himself had told in an interview with an online portal that the latter had made substantial payments to "a member of Najib's family" for certain favours received. "The nature of the transaction in Deepak's suit was clearly of public interest because the value of the land mentioned is now worth about RM400 million or more. "Najib and Rosmah need to answer this serious allegation instead of using scurrilous Umno bloggers to allege a conspiracy," he said. Sivarasa said that he had approched Anwar before taking up the case due its political implications. "But I made the decision to take up Deepak's case, just as I act for all my other clients. There is no way I coached him on anything. "Deepak gave oral sworn evidence in an open court without the benefit of a written witness statement. He has also proceeded, on his own accord, to publicly disclose more serious matters unrelated to the specific issues in the court case I am handling. Those are his personal actions. "So allegations that I am angry with him are simply nonsensical. I am actually quite impressed that Deepak is prepared to risk an aggressive response from Najib and Rosmah," he added.
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| FDIs not flowing as freely into Malaysia, says Tengku Razaleigh Posted: 04 Dec 2012 01:09 PM PST
Eva Yeong, The Sun Daily Malaysia is no longer attracting foreign direct investments (FDIs) as freely as it used to, said former finance minister Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, adding that the country is not investing enough to meet its aspirations. "Private investment now makes up a smaller portion of the country's gross domestic product (GDP). Although we continue to maintain a relatively high national savings rate, some of those savings have gone overseas," the Gua Musang member of parliament said in his keynote address on "Pragmatism in the Face of Present Economic Outlook" at the MIER National Economic Outlook Conference 2013/2014 here yesterday. "Malaysia has become a premature exporter of capital, a characteristic that is unbecoming of a growing, high potential economy. "There is also this silent issue of capital flight, whether it is in the form of over-invoicing by corporates or personal wealth leakages," he added. On the domestic production front, he said the nation depends on a relatively narrow spectrum of growth drivers, while the government's revenue base is just as limited and the issue of fuel subsidies has to be addressed quickly. Tengku Razaleigh said the removal of petrol subsidies is imperative as it is a drag on government finances and an impediment to proper resource allocation. "In order to protect the average consumer, perhaps we can begin by applying an implicit subsidy cut on large engine capacity vehicle owners via a higher road tax," he said. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop said private investment is expected to account for 30% of the country's total investments next year. "Private investment, which grew marginally by 2.5% during 2005 to 2009 period, registered a double digit growth of 15.5% in 2010 and 12.2% in 2011. "Even more encouraging, it grew on an annualised basis of 22.2% in the first half of this year," he said at the opening of the event. Meanwhile, RAM Holdings Bhd senior general manager and group chief economist Dr Yeah Kim Leng. said domestic-based sectors and services need to grow at a faster pace in order to have a sustainable domestic-driven growth. "Domestic demand has actually helped the Malaysian economy offset the global demand over the last decade and more importantly, in the post global financial crisis year of 2010 and 2011, domestic demand has actually been offsetting the negative growth from exports," he told reporters on the sidelines of the conference. "Domestic demand can help smoothen Malaysia's output fluctuations. "Use domestic demand to enhance resilience because Malaysia is such an open economy with exports contributing more than 100% of GDP. We are actually subject to a lot of these external demand shocks," he added. Yeah said next year's GDP growth will remain above 5% with RAM Ratings maintaining its forecast of 5.3% for 2013. He said the two major risks are the continuing Eurozone debt crisis that could potentially result in double dip for the global economy and the fiscal cliff. "If these two don't happen, Asia, with improving indicators from China and other emerging countries, will be in a strong position to capitalise on the regional growth and demand. "Combined with our resilient domestic demand, there won't be any major shock to our investor confidence and consumer spending," he added.
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| Wee: Abdul Rahman an extremist Posted: 04 Dec 2012 01:00 PM PST
(The Star) - Abdul Rahman Maidin who recently joined PAS is an extremist, said MCA Youth chief Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong. In a Dec 4 blog post, Dr Wee had described Abdul Rahman, who is the former Malay Chamber of Commerce Malaysia deputy president, as someone with extreme racial thinking. He added that he had met Abdul Rahman at the Second National Economic Council meeting from 1999 to 2000, where he was also a participant. Dr Wee said he had never met anyone in his life that held such extremist racial views. Abdul Rahman had handed his membership form to PAS party president Abdul Hadi Awang during a Pakatan rally in Batu Pahat, Johor, last Saturday.
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| ‘Video proves Anwar is behind Deepak’ Posted: 04 Dec 2012 12:19 PM PST
A two-minute video clip of 'Deepak Jaikishan' has surfaced in pro-government blogs which points to a PKR plot to defame the prime minister and his wife Teoh El Sen, FMT Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim had met carpet trader Deepak Jaikishan to hatch a plot to defame the Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor, according to pro-government blogs. Posting links to a "secretly recorded" video footage, blogger Papa Gomo said it proved that Deepak's recent explosive media interviews were the result of a plan engineered by several key PKR players. In the two-minute-long clip, a man who appears to be Deepak was speaking to a few people off camera. Aside from Anwar, he mentions several prominent PKR leader's names, including Subang MP R Sivarasa as well as vice-presidents N Surendran and Nurul Izzah. "So he [Anwar] said I give you the place, whatever you want to do I help you, but you have to help me lah, of course it is understood lah," said the man in the video. The video, according to Papa Gomo, was proof that Deepak had met with Anwar before he began his attacks against Najib and his wife Rosmah Mansor on Nov 27. "In the video we hear Deepak saying that Nurul was the first person to contact him to see but for some reason he did not meet her," wrote the blogger. He alleged that Anwar had asked to meet Deepak several times in 2010 but he had ignored the PKR de facto leader until he was pressured by a bank debt that totalled RM170 million. "Deepak's real target is Senator Raja Ropiaah [Abdullah], the Selangor Wanita Umno chief who was together with Deepak previously in the real estate business," said Papa Gomo. He said that Anwar then apparently promised to provide Deepak with a lawyer (Sivarasa) for his case against Raja Ropiaah. "Sivarasa actually instructed Deepak to mention the names of Najib and Rosmah in the Raja Ropiaah trial," he added. However, "Deepak" in the video said he did not do that and "Sivarasa" was angry with him.
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