Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Bawani gets MCA, PAS youth wings support
- Student bodies rally behind Bawani
- ‘We gave Muslim foreigners IDs to vote’
- ‘Go to India’, Umno woman tells Bawani
- ‘Halal’ lifts to avoid cross-contamination
- DAP: Koay had better be sorry
- After ‘Listen, listen, listen’ video, speaker loses paid gig
- Teach PAS a lesson for behaving like Umno
- SAPP: Tell us what’s our worth, Anwar
- Patrick Teoh in hot water over Facebook post
- Pahang non-Muslims can't use 'Allah' word
- Harris: Projek IC a false story
- Sabah people advised to be wary of quarters spreading lies
- Sharifah Zohra not with us, was hard to control, says KIMMA president
- Viral video reveals varsity ‘brainwash’ tactics, says student
- ‘Jeffrey desperate because STAR falling apart’
- Wife: Koay forgot to pray to the ‘tokong’
- Star apologises to lawyer Rosli Dahlan
- ‘Don’t politicise illegals issue’
- Swiss MPs: Freeze Taib assets from ‘criminal origins’
- Immunity for Deepak: PKR promises justice
- Law student becomes overnight sensation (VIDEO INSIDE)
- As varsity video goes viral, Umno leaders move to head off storm
- Rep turns ‘independent’
- Action against Bank Islam chief economist on the cards?
- Video of forum speaker insulting student goes viral
- Nik Aziz makes u-turn over word "Allah"
- DAP slams PAS over Kedah CNY guidelines
- Anwar, Chandra told to settle out of court
- KDEB explains Selangor gov't stake in Syabas
- Where were the Indians during Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat?
- Himpunan rally: Taib’s men ‘shocked’ and divided
- Constitution gives no licence to expand syariah jurisdiction, says ex-CJ
- Shadow Budget doesn’t add up
- PAS-led government takes the bang out of CNY stage performances
- PAS Syura Council: Prevent translation of ‘Allah’ by non-Muslims
- People’s rally in Sabah a ‘fiasco’
- PBS founder-president Pairin to retire?
- In which direction is Proton driving?
- Guidelines for CNY celebration in Kedah threaten rights of non-Muslims - Chua
| Bawani gets MCA, PAS youth wings support Posted: 16 Jan 2013 12:33 AM PST
(fz.com) - The MCA Youth Education Bureau says it is "astounded" at the "uncouth behaviour" displayed by Suara Wanita 1Malaysia president Sharifah Zohra Jabeen Syed Shah Miskin against UUM law student KS Bawani at a forum held at the university. "As much as Sharifah may have disagreed with Bawani's views, as a moderator, she should have displayed maturity and allowed the student to complete her views and then offer a differing view in a diplomatic and constructive manner," bureau chairman Chong Sin Woon said in a statement today. Sharifah berated Bawani, who is a Parti Sosialis Malaysia member, after the latter disagreed with the forum's pro-government slant, especially with regards to Bersih. Bawani had also questioned why Malaysia is unable to provide free tertiary education. Although the incident took place on Dec 8, it is only making news now after a video clip of the exchange of words between Sharifah and Bawani went viral on YouTube last week. Chong, in his statement, applauded Bawani for urging the public not to make sexual innuendoes against Sharifah, saying it showed the student's magnanimity, maturity and concern for the security of all women. "Sharifah with the degree she proudly extols should be able to learn a thing or two from the undergraduate whose education background she belittled. "Sharifah's behaviour of assuming that public condescension, and getting the audience to support her to shut and obliterate different views belongs to a bygone era," he added. Meanwhile, PAS Youth has congratulated Bawani "for her courage in stating her stand", according to PAS organ Harakahdaily. A PAS Youth delegation, led by executive council member Mohd Hakim Mohd Nor, visited Bawani at her house in Kampar, Perak to express the movement's support for the "plucky" student. Bawani was quoted as saying that she was touched by the support she has been receiving from various people, and that it had strengthened her to keep fighting for students' rights. PAS Youth vice leader Dr Raja Ahmad Iskandar, in a statement, said the incident at UUM showed that students were no longer afraid of stating their stand. "The courage shown by Bawani will serve as an example to be emulated by the youth in rising up to speak the truth wherever they are without being fearful of action against them," he said. Ameerah Malaysia, a youth group which forms part of PAS's Muslimat wing, added to the calls for Sharifah to apologise to Bawani. "We urge Sharifah Zohra to apologise to Bawani publicly, in the same way she had humiliated Bawani (publicly)," the group's chief Fareedah Samad told Harakahdaily.
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| Student bodies rally behind Bawani Posted: 16 Jan 2013 12:31 AM PST
Stephanie Sta Maria, fz.com Within a day of a video clip of her public humiliation going viral, K S Bawani has been deluged by messages of support from outraged university student bodies. The University Utara Malaysia (UUM) student became an overnight sensation after the 24-minute clip showed her being berated by a panellist at a UUM forum entitled "Are University Students In Line With Politics?". The panelist, Sharifah Zohra Jabeen Syed Shah Miskin, let loose a barrage of insults at Bawani for speaking out against forum organisers for what she believed was their wrongful presentation of Bersih and its leaders. Bawani had also questioned why Malaysia was unable to offer free tertiary education unlike other countries. Sharifah Zohra Jabeen however mocked Bawani's opinions and belittle her intellect before launching into a startling monologue on problems faced by animals. Internet users have had a field day in showcasing their scorn towards Sharifah Zohra through memes, songs, criticism on her Facebook page and a mock Facebook page for animal complaints. In the midst of that however, another Facebook page entitled "We Are All Bawani" was set up and was almost immediately swamped by messages from indignant Malaysians. The page has garnered more than 24,500 "Likes" so far. Many university student body representatives posted official statements on the Facebook page with a good number of them demanding that Sharifah issue a public apology to Bawani. The previously unknown Suara Wanita 1 Malaysia (SW1M), of which Sharifah Zohra Jabeen is president, yesterday said that there was no reason for her to apologise as Bawani should "learn to respect others". But according to forum participant, Faiz Razali, Bawani had not been provocative and had in fact even asked Sharifah Zohra Jabeen for permission to speak beforehand. "It was instead the forum itself that was provocative in raising politically sensitive issues that caused discomfort among some of us," Faiz wrote on Facebook. "I was very disappointed at the forum's content." Vice-president 1 of the Student Representative Council at the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM) Ahmad Fathi Salleh pointed out that tertiary education is meant to mold students into individuals who uphold the ideas of intellectualism, critical thinking and refined manners. But to their dismay, he said Bawani's opinions were met with a "hostile disposition" that did not portray the culture of tolerance and open-mindedness. "Instead it reflected the shallow judgment of a supposedly respectful figure," Ahmad stated. "We firmly stand with Bawani and it's for the speaker to apologise to university students for degrading our rationale and intellect." Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's Student Society vice-president 1 Nur Afifah Abdull Rahim, meanwhile, noted the irony in Bawani being humiliated for voicing an opinion that was in line with the forum's theme. Izham Ismail from Universiti Malaya's (UM) Student Representative Committee called Sharifah's behaviour "unacceptable" and contradictory to what students are championing. "As students, our rights must be defended, our voices must be nurtured and our hearts, dignity and stand must be prioritized," he said. "Sadly, Sharifah doesn't understand that." "If Sharifah wants to open our eyes then she should also learn to open her eyes to respecting us. I believe that if animals could talk, they would ask her to do the same." UM also challenged Sharifah Zohra Jabeen to hold a forum on its campus and invited her to join them if UUM does not stand up for her. UUM's International Affairs Society Committee had already issued a statement condemning Sharifah's Zohra Jabeen behaviour. "Any rebuttal should be delivered professionally and not through an analogy of animals that had no connection whatsoever to the facts that Bawani had put forth," it said. Both the committee and the UUM Student Progressive Front have called on Sharifah Zohra Jabeen to issue a public apology to Bawani. Even political parties leapt at the opportunity to support her with Pas Youth vice-chief Raja Ahmad Al Hiss congratulating Bawani for showing that students are now brave enough to voice their political views. "They are an intellectual group and have the maturity to grasp political issues," he said. "They are not a group to be taken lightly."
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| ‘We gave Muslim foreigners IDs to vote’ Posted: 15 Jan 2013 07:16 PM PST
Sabah NRD director tells the RCI that he was personally instructed by Megat Junid Megat Ayub to recruit new voters. (FMT) - KOTA KINABALU: A former National Registration Department (NRD) officer told an inquiry here that he took part in a project to give foreigners here identity cards so that they could vote in an election in the 1990s. Mohd Nasir Sugip, who was detained under the now repealed Internal Security Act (ISA), told the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) he was part of a top secret operation dubbed 'Ops Durian Buruk' (Operation Rotten Durian) on the instruction of his bosses in the department. He claimed the operation ran from 1992 to 1995 and said the instruction to furnish the foreigners with identity cards so that they could vote came from the state Election Commission (EC). "At that time, Sabah SPR director Wan Ahmad handed over a list of 16,000 names to be made into 'bumiputera Islam' voters. "My boss, Sabah NRD director Ramli Kamarudin, then verbally told me to execute this project," he said. Mohd Nasir said three other individuals were present when the instruction was issued but their names could not be immediately ascertained. He said he followed the instructions given to him and recruited other officers at the district level for the operation. Based on a list of names provided by the EC, foreigners were issued with new identity card numbers that contained their date of birth, photographs and names and all were mostly from Sandakan, Tawau, Sempoerna and other parts of the state, he said. "The list consisted of Filipinos and Indonesians who were Muslim and aged above 21 years," Mohd Nasir told the inquiry. 'We planted voters' These individuals were then planted as voters in various constituencies around Sabah with the objective of boosting the number of Muslim voters in the state. "An example is in the state assembly seat of Sugut and the parliamentary seat of Kinabatangan. We planted about 800 voters in Sugut and in the next general election. the result was in favour of BN. The candidate won by 79 votes," he said.
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| ‘Go to India’, Umno woman tells Bawani Posted: 15 Jan 2013 07:11 PM PST
Norhayati Saiddin claims that Indians are demanding too much even though they did not know the existence of toilets while living in the estates. K Pragalath, FMT The critical comments of a Wanita Umno member regarding law student KS Bawani is causing a stir. In her Facebook posting, Norhayati Saiddin wrote: "Deii Bawani.. kalau mau pendidikan percuma tanggechi pergi ler belajar sana India… you mother land.. sana tanggechi boleh dapat pree… ammakk!!" (Bawani… if you want free education, go and study in India, your motherland. There you can get free…) "Untung lorrr… dulu India banyak duduk estet… itu jamban pun lu orang tarak tau… sekarang India org banyak mahu sebab itu BN ada perintah ini negeri." (It's a privilege.. before Indians mostly lived in estates. They didn't even know toilets. Now Indians have a lot of demands that is why BN rules this country.)
Norhayati's Facebook also had a photograph of her posing with three other Wanita Umno members at a function. Some people who found her comments offensive took a screen capture of the statement and Facebook and tagged her to the photo. One Facebook user Tajol Ariffin Omar questioned the need for Indians to vote for Umno candidates following such offensive comments. "It is Umno members' mentality. Indian voters do you still want to vote for Umno?" Tajol wrote and posted a photo which read: "Umno then, now and forever racist" The photo was also shared in various Facebook group pages such as "1,000,000 Chinese don't want MCA to represent the Chinese." Bawani had become an overnight sensation went a video of her being reprimanded by a pro-government NGO leader went viral on the Internet.
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| ‘Halal’ lifts to avoid cross-contamination Posted: 15 Jan 2013 04:30 PM PST
The controversial signboards, explains MAH, are there as a preventive measure. Jared Pereira, FMT The controversial signboards at the Crystal Crown Hotel here are not meant to discriminate but were put up to ensure that the guidelines pertaining to "non-halal" food are adhered to, said Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) head Reginald Pereira. He said that the steps were taken to avoid "incidental cross contamination" of food but clarified that no such incidents had happened to date. According to Pereira, it was more of a preventive measure. "This is why Crystal Crown had to put up the signboards…which only serves to make sure that suppliers are in the know," he added, referring to the signboards next to elevators in the hotel which stated that only "halal" goods could be transported in them. Pereira said hotels which still had valid halal certificates and were not up for renewal could still operate based on the Malaysian Islamic Development Department's (Jakim) previous standard operating procedure. However, he said that once these licenses expired, the hotels would have to comply with the strict guidelines set by Jakim in order to renew their licenses. "There is a certain set of regulations and requirements set by the religious authorities based on the Malaysian standard of halal certification," he told FMT. He was referring to the government encouraging hotels to apply for or renew their halal certification, only if they complied with Jakim's guidelines. "This whole application and renewal issue for hotels that serve pork is under review through focus group discussions and hopefully a solution will be met soon," he said. He also explained that MAH and Jakim decided to clarify the current procedures and to rationalise matters that MAH members must practice to attain their "halal" certification.
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| Posted: 15 Jan 2013 04:20 PM PST
(The Star) - A day after suspended DAP assemblyman Koay Teng Hai's declaration that he would serve his constituents as an independent, the party's powerful disciplinary committee has hit back by accusing him of being unapologetic after he missed a crucial Penang state assembly meeting. The Pulau Tikus assemblyman was also blamed for giving a flimsy excuse of not being formally told of the assembly meeting, in which the state government tabled the constitutional amendment to bar party-hopping. DAP's disciplinary committee chief and party deputy chairman Tan Kok Wai said Koay had chosen to ignore the interests of the party for his own personal interests and put the entire Penang Pakatan Rakyat government at risk. "We are very surprised that you are not apologetic at all after committing such a huge mistake," said Tan in the suspension letter dated Jan 14, which was made available to The Star. It was also stated in the letter that Koay's reason for missing the sitting was not because of a personal holiday in the United States as previously reported, but because he was there to attend a programme on an invitation of the US embassy here. Tan said Koay decided to go to the United States even after Penang Chief Minister and party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng rejected his leave application twice. He said the absence of another representative, who had to skip the meeting due to a family emergency, left other Pakatan colleagues with the bare minimum of exactly 27 representatives needed for a two-thirds majority to amend the state constitution. On Monday, Koay who has been suspended for six months, folded the DAP flag at a press conference and said he would remove all party logos from his service centre. While the Penang Pakatan Rakyat backbenchers club chairman called for calm among his supporters, his wife Lee Su Li created a bit of a stir with her posting on his Facebook account implying that he was in trouble because he did not pray to the "tokong" (deity). Some netizens have linked her post to Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Mansor Othman's alleged claim that the Chief Minister was regarded as a "tokong" by the people in Penang. Meanwhile, Penang DAP chairman Chow Kon Yeow said it was wrong for Koay to describe himself as an "independent" assemblyman. "He has to follow rules. It is not that when you are under suspension, you can disregard the party's constitution and rules," he said at a press conference at Wisma DAP in Rangoon Road yesterday.
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| After ‘Listen, listen, listen’ video, speaker loses paid gig Posted: 15 Jan 2013 04:17 PM PST
(The Malaysian Insider) - Sharifah Zohra Jabeen Syed Shah Miskin's tirade on YouTube may have cost the controversial speaker a paid engagement, after organisers of an entrepreneurial seminar scheduled for next week said today they are calling off the event over security concerns. The activist who is seen as pro-Barisan Nasional had sparked a firestorm this week after a varsity video exposing her verbal assault on a student went viral, leading Internet users to dub her the "'Listen, listen, listen' woman" over her repeated use of the word while interrupting a student. "The committee discussed the pros and cons, and decided that it would be best to cancel it," organiser Lina Ahmad was reported saying by The Star Online. The police had advised the organiser to call off the talk following news of a planned public protest against Sharifah Zohra on that day, the news portal reported Lina adding. Sharifah Zohra was set to appear on January 26 at the DoubleTree Hotel, part of the Hilton group, in the national capital for a talk titled, "How to make your first million" with two other speakers, retired diplomat Datuk Pahamin A. Rajab and Zafri Zakaria Merican, that charged participants RM200 per person. A former member of the Indian Muslim Congress of Malaysia (KIMMA), Sharifah Zohra had been blackmailed over the now-viral video showing her bullying a Universiti Utara Malaysia student and has now gone into hiding to ensure her safety and that of her children, a representative of the little-known organisation Suara Wanita 1 Malaysia (SW1M) had told The Malaysian Insider yesterday. The spokesman, who wanted to be known only as Emalee, is also the chief administrator of the SW1M Facebook page. "I ask her to go somewhere safe because she has children. Someone try to blackmail her, this issue has become quite serious," said the SW1M supreme council member, who uses the moniker "Ratu Naga" on the NGO's fanpage.
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| Teach PAS a lesson for behaving like Umno Posted: 15 Jan 2013 04:06 PM PST
YOURSAY 'Unless and until we have a credible alternative coalition, I have no choice but to just spoil my vote for this coming GE.' Malaysiakini It is no loss if DAP wishes to break rank with PAS and allow PKR to contest in all PAS seats wherever possible. Not My Real Name: I am Chinese and I say that those "stage performances" should be banned. These stage performances are no longer traditional Chinese operas. These days, they are just a cheap pop concert with bad singing and terrible performers.
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| SAPP: Tell us what’s our worth, Anwar Posted: 15 Jan 2013 02:50 PM PST
The capability of local Sabah party SAPP, which has been in seat negotiations with Pakatan Rakyat Sabah since 2009, has suddenly come under question. (FMT) - KOTA KINABALU: Opposition Sabah Progressive People's Party (SAPP) has thrown the ball back at Pakatan Rakyat over its demand for seats and wants to know what the coalition thinks the party is worth. "If [Opposition Leader] Anwar Ibrahim said SAPP is contesting too many seats, and questions its strength, it is very simple: just tell me how many we should contest in state and or parliament? "If they [Pakatan] think it is not agreeable to them… tell us how many they think we should contest in state and Parliament. "I believe people expect Anwar [to give an answer]," said SAPP president Yong Teck Lee. Considering SAPP, a Chinese majority pary, has been in negotiation with Pakatan since 2009, Anwar's sudden U-turn has irked Yong. With a likelihood of a March general election, it is odd that Anwar should at this late hour wonder as to whether or not SAPP is as "formidable" a party as it professes. Recalling the meeting in June 2009, Yong said current PKR deputy president Azmin Ali, who was then PKR Sabah liaison chief, had met with SAPP's deputy president Eric Majimbun and the perimeters of discussions were set. "They spoke about the principle involved in seat distribution which is autonomy. "Under the principle of autonomy as a state party, it means SAPP will contest in more state seats and Pakatan in more parliamentary seats. "It was on that basis that we used Sandakan as the starting point of discussion. SAPP would defend Tanjung Papat and Elopura while Pakatan took the parliamentary seats including state Karamunting. "We also said SAPP will contest in one other Bumupitera majority seat in Sandakan. This was an acceptable formula accepted by many people and the basis of further discussions," said Yong. Lajim and Bumburing Yong said at no point in the discussions then and subsequently was the issue of party "strength" raised. "If we talk about which party is strong or not, everybody will have a subjective opinion. So the principle we use is autonomy, " he said, adding that Sabah Pakatan at that time only comprised PKR, DAP and PAS. Yong was commenting on Anwar's sudden turn-around over negotiations with SAPP. Anwar told reporters when launching former Umno MP Lajim's Ukin's new Pakatan-friendly platform Pertubuhan Pakatan Perubahan Sabah (PPPS) here last month that it is "difficult" to continue negotiations with SAPP and questioned the party's belief that it was a "formidable" entity in Sabah. "If SAPP refuses to budge from its demand, then it is difficult for us to continue with negotiations that are being done in the spirit of cooperation. "Each party should not demand too much… we have to be realistic as to the strength of each party. If SAPP, for example, wants half of the seats, it has to be a strong formidable party," Anwar said. Anwar's "new found" uncertainty over SAPP is anchored in his faith in new recruits Lajim and Tuaran MP Wilfred Bumburing. Both have established their respective "independent" platforms. Lajim helms PPPS while Bumburing has set up Angakatan Perubahan Sabah (APS). Each has been assigned to look into the Muslims and KadazanDusunMurut (KDM) seats respectively. Both these former BN leaders are assured of winning their respective parliamentary seats – Beaufort and Tuaran. They have each also rumoured to have pledged to Anwar several state seats.
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| Patrick Teoh in hot water over Facebook post Posted: 15 Jan 2013 02:34 PM PST
Actor and famous radio presenter Patrick Teoh lands himself in hot soup after a Facebook posting insensitive to Muslims. Alyaa Azhar, FMT Actor and famous radio presenter Patrick Teoh landed himself in hot water today after a Facebook posting which has infuriated Muslims. Teoh, who is also a blogger known for his crude language, posted the comment while reacting to the PAS-led Kedah state government's statement on Jan 9 that officials and singers for the 1Malaysia Chinese New Year celebration, scheduled in Alor Setar on Feb 15, must be properly attired and were encouraged to perform motivational songs. The state government also said it would shut down the programme if there was "extreme singing and dancing". Below is his Facebook posting posted yesterday: "The 3rd most laughable statement discovered today… The January 9 guidelines to the organisers of the 1 Malaysia Chinese New Year Celebration 2013 (by the PAS Kedah state government)… included, among other things, the appropriate attire for officials and singers. It also stated that performers are encouraged to sing motivational songs and that if extreme singing and dancing activities were to take place, the state government has the right to shut down the programme. Encouraged to sing motivational songs!!! What kind of f**king motivation they want? Give up individuality and be sheep? Pray 5 times a day? Cover up all women? What???!!! And while they are at it, please tell us what the f**k extreme singing and dancing is? Quran-thumping mother f**kers!!!" This comment has raised heckles among Muslims with many posting nasty replies. However, about an hour ago Teoh apologised for the earlier comment. His apology states: 'Whoa!!!… whoa… whoa… I now realise what I did that was wrong and why it generated so much hate-mail. I had thought that the criticism came from my use of the phrase, "Quran-thumping m***** F*****…" I was wrong. It came from my reference to "Give up individuality and be sheep? Pray 5 times a day? Cover up all women?" which was totally out of line. It didn't convey what I was trying to say in the post and came out like a bigoted selfish statement. For that I apologise sincerely to all Muslims. Minta maaf (Sorry). But I do not apologise for calling that person a…well you know what I mean. I hope."
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| Pahang non-Muslims can't use 'Allah' word Posted: 15 Jan 2013 10:51 AM PST
(Bernama) - Non-Muslims in Pahang are prohibited from misusing the word of 'Allah' and 34 other words associated with Islam, said its mufti, Datuk Abdul Rahman Osman. He said this was enshrined under the Administration of Islam and Malay Customs of Pahang Enactment 1989 which carries a fine up to RM5,000 or imprisonment up to two years or both upon conviction. Non-Muslims are barred from using the word in statements, speeches, publications or broadcast for it could mislead and affect the faith of Muslims, he told reporters here today. He was commenting on the hullabaloo over the use of the word 'Allah' which erupted after DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, in his Christmas message, urged the federal government to allow Christians to use 'Allah' in the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Bible. Abdul Rahman said the issue should be resolved by enforcing the enactment and abiding by the edict passed by the Muzakarah (Conference) of the Fatwa Committee of the National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs to avoid disputes, disunity among ummah, and confusion in the society.
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| Harris: Projek IC a false story Posted: 15 Jan 2013 10:47 AM PST
(The Star) - A former chief minister has rubbished claims of an organised effort to issue Malaysian identification documents to immigrants in Sabah under an alleged operation called "Projek IC". Describing such claims as false, Tan Sri Harris Salleh (pic) told the Royal Commission of Inquiry on Sabah's immigrant problem that he had no authority to order Malaysian agencies to give out identification documents when he was chief minister between 1976 and 1985. He was being questioned by conducting officer Munoj Kurup about such claims. Harris said he had never heard of Projek IC and that the Federal Government was the sole authority for the issuance of identity cards and other documents. He said he did not bother reading any publications about such claims as "I can't be bothered to read cerita palsu (false stories)". Harris said that Federal agencies may have tried to hasten the processing of documents for immigrants such as the IMM13 for those granted refugee status due to the large numbers of applicants. He said that as far as he was aware, those holding the IMM13 documents would eventually be eligible to apply for permanent resident status in the country and could subsequently seek Malaysian citizenship. To a question by Manoj, Harris said "the Federal Government never reported to the state" the number of immigrants who were given citizenship while he was chief minister. He said his Parti Berjaya-led state government was pressed to resolve the refugee problem when it came to power in 1976 as many of them had set up squatter settlements along Kota Kinabalu's seafront causing an eyesore.
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| Sabah people advised to be wary of quarters spreading lies Posted: 15 Jan 2013 10:42 AM PST
Listen to me instead (Bernama) - "In this world of globalisation, there are irresponsible quarters spreading lies in the Internet that our young people are being influenced by them," she said in her speech at the presentation of school aid at SMK Bandaraya near here yesterday. The people of Sabah were today reminded to be aware of certain quarters spreading lies and tarnishing the government's image, especially on social websites, for their political interests. Sabah Assistant Minister of Resource Development and Information Technology, Datuk Jainab Ahmad, said not all information or materials posted and shared in cyberspace were true. "Therefore, I urge the people in the state, especially the young generation, to read the right information. "In this world of globalisation, there are irresponsible quarters spreading lies in the Internet that our young people are being influenced by them," she said in her speech at the presentation of school aid at SMK Bandaraya near here yesterday. Jainab said many of the young people were confused and did not realise that many things posted in cyberspace were "purposely sensationalised even though they are not true" to attract readers. "This situation can lead to uneasiness and create split among the people. "If not contained, it can create problems in our country," she added.
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| Sharifah Zohra not with us, was hard to control, says KIMMA president Posted: 15 Jan 2013 10:40 AM PST
(The Malaysian Insider) - Controversial speaker Sharifah Zohra Jabeen, who openly attacked a student at a forum last year, is no longer a member of the Malaysian Indian Muslim Congress (KIMMA), said its president Senator Datuk Syed Ibrahim Kader, who also accused the former National KIMMA Women's Head of having a "hard to control" behaviour. Sharifah Zohra is president of little-known organisation Suara Wanita 1 Malaysia (SW1M) that is seen to be aligned to the ruling BN, was caught on video berating the student — who had stood up to voice her views on the Bersih electoral rally and free education — with remarks such as "when this is our programme, we allow you to speak" and "when I speak, you listen". "Many phone calls to me have asked the same question. "So, I wish to affirm that she is no longer with KIMMA. Whatever she has done and said now does not involve us or our stand," said Syed Ibrahim, not specifying whether she was kicked out of the party or had resigned. Syed Ibrahim confessed to knowing of Sharifah Zohra's vocal and aggressive behaviour when she was in KIMMA and of receiving many negative reports about her. "Yes, we do know about her (Sharifah Zohra's) wild and aggressive behaviour and it is hard to control her," he added. "However, she is no longer in our party." Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/sharifah-zohra-not-with-us-was-hard-to-control-says-kimma-president/
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| Viral video reveals varsity ‘brainwash’ tactics, says student Posted: 15 Jan 2013 10:39 AM PST
The undergraduates were told in the forum not to emulate opposition leaders such as Nurul Izzah Anwar. — File pic (The Malaysian Insider) - The university student shown being berated for her views on a viral YouTube clip has said it revealed to the public how state-funded universities use student forums to "brainwash" undergraduates. Second-year law student Bawani KS also expressed surprise that she was now an overnight sensation for questioning panellist Sharifah Zohra Jabeen at the Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) student forum held last December 8. "Now the public will know what's happening in public universities and how they could organise a 'students in politics' forum and yet use it to 'brainwash' the students by telling them that street rallies are wrong while showing pictures of Opposition leaders like Nurul Izzah (Anwar) and telling us not to emulate them," Bawani told The Malaysian Insider. The 27-year-old social activist was glad that the incident went viral as it may get more people to join in her cause to fight for free education for all Malaysians.
When told she has been dubbed "Little Ambiga", ostensibly after Bersih co-chair Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, Bawani (left) laughed it off and went on to say how important it is for people to know that they should continue to fight for their rights. She said Sharifah Zohra did not owe her an apology but that one was due to all of the students in the forum. "She had belittled all of the students and underestimated all of us," said the undergraduate, who is a member of Parti Socialis Malaysia and its organisation, Jaringan Rakyat Tertindas. While not upset at being told off openly, Bawani is still very worked up over how the whole forum was organised to turn university students against Bersih and street rallies held to highlight the people's rights. "In most parts of the forum, they showed video clips of rallies and pictures of women involved in rallies and then tell the students that this is not how women should act or behave and that those actions are wrong," she recounted when contacted in her hometown in Kampar where she is having a short break from the university. She also expressed surprise that Higher Education Deputy Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah contacted her over the incident. "He told me he is supportive of me and I replied that NGO leaders like Sharifah (Zohra) should not be allowed to organise such one-sided forums in public universities," she said. Bawani said it would be fairer to have a forum where both sides of the political divide are present to openly debate their different views on issues. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/viral-video-reveals-varsity-brainwash-tactics-says-student/
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| ‘Jeffrey desperate because STAR falling apart’ Posted: 14 Jan 2013 04:36 PM PST
Angkatan Perubahan Sabah chief Wilfred Bumburing has reminded STAR's Jeffrey Kitingan of his own "cari makan politics" past. Joseph Bingkasan, FMT KOTA KINABALU: Tuaran MP Wilfred Bumburing believes that State Reform Party (STAR) chief Jeffrey Kitingan's incessant attacks on him is because of Angkatan Perubahan Sabah's (APS) increasing presence in KadazanDusunMurut areas. Bumburing said it was now obvious that Jeffrey, who's been claiming absolute strength in KDM areas, was "desperate" because "STAR is falling apart since the formation of APS". He said the dissolution of the STAR Papar division last month with the exit of well-known activist Patrick Sindu and more than 1,000 members was an indication of the beginning. All of them joined PKR. "My political history is well recorded and I need not have to elaborate. "In contrast, the people in general especially Sabahans are well versed with the political record of Jeffrey Kitingan," Bumburing said. He also hit out at Jeffrey for accusing him of practicing "cari makan politics". "If l were to practise politics of "cari makan" then the best platform would be to remain in BN. "Wouldn't you find it very ironic for someone who left the comfort of a ruling party like BN to join the opposition camp and thereafter be labelled as practising 'politics cari makan,"? he asked alluding to Jeffrey's comments last weekend. Bumburing reminded Jeffrey that he too had practiced the 'cari makan' politics and the latter's own history of moving from party to party reflected this and his one deep desire to become the Chief Minister of Sabah. "But with Jeffrey just 'cari makan' is not enough for him. He must 'makan besar'. "Jeffrey Kitingan mentioned about certain people who are prepared to sell their soul to secure position. "Let me remind Jeffrey, lest he has forgotten about his own record. "Did he not (once) join the federal government as a deputy minister? Can he also explain to the people about his application twice to become an Umno member? asked Bumburing.
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| Wife: Koay forgot to pray to the ‘tokong’ Posted: 14 Jan 2013 03:44 PM PST
(The Star) - A Facebook posting by the wife of Pulau Tikus DAP assemblyman Koay Teng Hai has become a talking point as she implied that Koay was in his current situation as he did not pray to the "tokong" (deity). Nanyang Siang Pau and China Press reported that Lee Su Li posted on Koay's Facebook: "Teng Hai, Teng Hai! You pray in almost all the temples in Penang but you forget to pray to The One' ...." (this is a direct translation from the posting in Mandarin). Lee's posting was in reply to Koay's message to his supporters where he apologised for being suspended from the party for six months. Even though Lee did not directly state who she was referring to, some people had linked the posting to the incident where Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Mansor Othman had allegedly said that Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng was regarded as a "tokong" by the people in Penang. The remarks came public in a leaked recording, which was later reproduced in an online news report and a news broadcast. Lee's reply had received "Like" from some Netizens. Koay was suspended from the party for missing a crucial Penang state assembly meeting. His action almost resulted in Pakatan Rakyat missing the necessary two-thirds majority vote to amend the state constitution. When asked by the Nanyang reporter whether he would contest as an independent candidate, Koay said he would only comment at the appropriate time. Koay said he had received a lot of messages from his supporters and thanked them for their support.
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| Star apologises to lawyer Rosli Dahlan Posted: 14 Jan 2013 03:33 PM PST
In October 2007 we had published two news articles about the arrest and prosecution of lawyer Rosli Dahlan with the titles "ACA arrests Singapore lawyer" and "Lawyer charged with hiding information on his assets" respectively. We acknowledge that the words used in the articles refer to lawyer Rosli and they were untrue and should be clarified as follows: > That he is not a Singapore lawyer and is in fact a Malaysian lawyer; > That he does not hold a PR Status and in truth is a Malaysian citizen; > That he is not and has never been a nominee for the senior police officer under investigation nor for that matter any other police officer; > That he had not failed to file a declaration required by the Anti-Corruption Agency and in truth and in fact had filed a statutory declaration dated 20.09.2007, within the period stipulated by the notice served on him, under section 32(l) (c) of the Anti-Corruption Act 1997 declaring that he does not hold any assets for any police officer; > That he was never issued with any order to declare his spouse's assets nor was his spouse asked to make any declaration of her assets; and > That he is not connected to, nor did he hide any assets, nor was he charged for hiding any assets of the senior police officer who was then under investigation by the ACA. Our said news articles have conveyed the meaning that Rosli was a foreign lawyer who had acted in manner contrary to the proper behaviour and ethics of an advocate and solicitor. We wish to clarify that we did not intend to cast any such negative imputation against the character or reputation of Rosli and any such imputation is greatly regretted. If such imputation was conveyed in the article, we hereby unreservedly and unconditionally apologise to Rosli for any distress or embarrassment that he may have suffered as a result of the publication.
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| ‘Don’t politicise illegals issue’ Posted: 14 Jan 2013 02:52 PM PST
The first hearing of the Sabah RCI was told that the Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) had in 1985 ordered the ceasing of the registration of Filipino immigrants. Free Malaysia Today KOTA KINABALU: The first sitting of the much anticipated Sabah Royal Commission of Inquiry into illegal immigrants in the state which began yesterday heard a suggestion for the matter not to be politicised. Historian Ramlah Adam said the illegal immigrants issue in Sabah should be viewed as a national issue and not as a political one. She said viewing this issue in any other way would only mean that the commission was not sincere in resolving the problem. "Any party that looks at it as a political issue is not sincere in wanting to resolve it," said Ramlah, a former lecturer at Universiti Malaya who had written numerous books and conducted research on history. She was responding to a question by conducting officer Manoj Kurup. Earlier she said the Filipinos came to Sabah because of various factors, among them, genealogical and religious similarities, for employment and also because they shared the same ocean. "I believe this unwritten and unexpressed relationship existed in the name of religion, brotherhood and ancestry," she said. Ramlah was testifying at the hearing to investigate the decades-long allegations that the government had helped thousands of illegal immigrants gain citizenship in return for votes to the ruling coalition. (Umno entered Sabah in 1991 and has since been accused of legalising the tens and thousands of illegal immigrants to ensure it stays in power in Sabah.) Also at yesterday's hearing, Prof Emeritus Dr Ranjit Singh said that the state had seen a sudden "jump" in population in the 1991 consenses. Exponential increase in 1991 But in 1991 the population consensus indicated that there were 1.7 million people in Sabah, of which about 423,000 were non-citizens. He said this was not because of "a natural population increase but due to non-citizens." He said the census did not mention "who" these non-citizens were. Ranjit also disagreed with RCI panel member Herman Luping that the non-citizens recorded in the 1991 census were "transient people" "With due respect, to my understanding transient people are those coming in and out using boats and ships. As far as I am concerned when a government takes a census, it is the people who are residing at the place. "I think they were residing in Sabah but without citizenship," added Ranjit, who has written four books and 50 articles said the history of Sabah. His book "The Making of Sabah" (1865-1991) third edition, which offered a detailed rundown of the demographic development of Sabah's population, was tendered as an exhibit. According to the book, the first official consensus in Sabah was taken in 1891 and that time the total population in Sabah was 67,000. The Dusun tribe formed the majority with 34,000 people. The rest comprised Bajaus (11,000), Chinese (7,000), Suluks (3,700) and Brunei (3,700). Other indigenous communities were lumped together at 6,000 while the numbers of the Orang Sungai tribe was unknown.
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| Swiss MPs: Freeze Taib assets from ‘criminal origins’ Posted: 14 Jan 2013 02:45 PM PST
Taib Mahmud's estranged daughter-in-law Shanaz Majid's sworn testimony is evidence for a 'criminal complaint' filed by MPs in the Swiss Parliament. Free Malaysia Today Twenty-two MPs have tabled a motion in the Swiss Parliament seeking to freeze Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud's assets in Switzerland following the shocking disclosure by his estranged daughter-in-law Shanaz Majid in a Malaysian court during her divorce proceedings. The MPs also asked that these "assets" be held in trust and eventually passed on to the Sarawak people. The motion was filed yesterday. In the motion, the MPs described Taib as "having abused his public office in a spectacular way" and referred to Shanaz's sworn testimony Shanaz was once married to Taib's eldest son Mahmud Abu Bekir. In her testimony Shanaz listed out Mahmud's wealth which included personal accounts in Canada, US, Carribean, France, Monaco, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Malaysia and Hong Kong. Shanaz also said Mahmud was worth "in excess of RM1 billion" and held two personal accounts with US$25 million in Edmond de Rothschild in Luxembourg and another US$31 million in the bank's two other accounts in Switzerland. She further added that Mahmud had: "Two HSBC accounts in Jersey which have deposits of US$34 million, while an HSBC account in Hong Kong holds deposits of US$9.6 million in Mahmud's name. All these accounts have a combined value of US$100 million." "He has five bank accounts at the Pictet and Cie bank in Bahamas, the Caribbean, with deposits of US$18 million, and another account at the Safra bank in Bahamas with deposits of US$2 million. "Eight personal accounts are under my husband's name at the Safra Bank in Monaco with deposits amounting to US$38.3 million. "Besides this, he also has seven bank accounts under the Union Bank Switzerland with deposits of US$27 million, and another account under HSBC Bank in Jersey which he may have withdrawn." In her testimony, Shanaz had also confirmed that Taib was the richest man in Malaysia and possibly South East Asia. 'Criminal organisation' Yesterday's motion was accompanied by a letter to the Attorney General of the Swiss Confederation Michael Lauber. In the letter, Geneva MP Carlos Sommaruga described Taib, his family and "entourage" as having formed or being part of a "criminal organisation" as defined by article 260 of the Swiss Penal Code. He also demanded that the government confisticate all assets "at the power of this criminal organisation" that had been deposited in Switzerland as defined by article 72 of the Swiss Criminal Code. Meanwhile, Swiss daily Sonntagszeitung reported that Taib had been the "largest beneficiary" of the oil palm plantations in Sarawak. "In power since 1981, the granting of logging concessions and the establishment of industrial monopolies have made him the richest man in Malaysia. "According to the Bruno Manser Fund, the Taib clan has amassed US$20 billion. Part of these funds are likely to be held in Switzerland," noted the report.
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| Immunity for Deepak: PKR promises justice Posted: 14 Jan 2013 02:42 PM PST
Pakatan cannot guarantee protection for Deepak Jaikishan, but it can promise that he will be dealt with justly. Anisah Shukry, FMT PKR has assured businessman Deepak Jaikishan that should Pakatan Rakyat come into power, a mechanism will be set up to guarantee justice for him and others who risk persecution to expose the truth. "We will provide enough procedure and protection for all citizens who are entitled for it and that applies to everybody, whether it is Deepak or (former inspector-general of police) Musa Hassan or (prime minister) Najib (Tun Razak)," PKR vice-president Tian Chua told FMT. "So it is not necessary for Deepak to try and strike a bargain with Pakatan because we will ensure justice prevails regardless," he added. The Batu MP said this when asked to comment on Deepak's request that Pakatan guarantee him protection as a state witness should the opposition pact win the next general election. In return, Deepak said he would expose the alleged wrongdoings of Najib and wife Rosmah Mansor during the mammoth People's Uprising Rally, which was held on Saturday. However, Pakatan remained mum on the issue throughout the assembly, and Deepak merely showed up at the rally as a participant. Tian Chua clarified that it was not up to Pakatan leaders to guarantee Deepak either immunity or protection under the Whistleblowers Act. Instead, he stressed, it was up to the "independent mechanism" that the opposition pact put into place to decide whether Deepak was entitled to it. "I believe that if Deepak's cause is genuine and if he needs protection in order to expose his wrongdoings, then he would surely be entitled to protection. "But that would be for the mechanism to decide, not us politician," he added. No blanket agreement now
Asked what kind of mechanism Pakatan would put into place, Tian Chua said it would be similar to that of a truth and reconciliation commission or an anti-corruption agency.
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| Law student becomes overnight sensation (VIDEO INSIDE) Posted: 14 Jan 2013 02:29 PM PST
There was an overwhelming support for student KS Bawani who spoke in favour of free education at a forum at Universiti Utara Malaysia. K Pragalath, FMT A second year law student became an overnight sensation when she stumped a NGO leader with her questions on free education. KS Bawani took on Suara Wanita 1Malaysia (SW1M) president, Sharifah Zohra Jabeen at a forum entitled 'Are University Students in Line with Politics' last month in UUM. The video of the forum was uploaded on Facebook and microblogging site, Twitter and it went viral. "I am happy with the support that I am receiving from the public. Overnight I received 2,000 friend requests on Facebook. "I also saw people supporting me by creating six to seven Facebook pages. This is aside from 600 to 700 Facebook tags. I have also received numerous calls," she said after the video showcasing Sharifah's rebuttal to her arguments made it rounds. In the video entitled 'Forum Suara Mahasiswa Part 4′, Sharifah was unable to counter Bawani's argument in favour of free education and went ballistic against Bawani. Sharifah insisted that Bawani listen to her explanation. She said 'listen' and 'let me speak' seven times. Bawani however noted that she had not faced any restriction from the university administration since the forum last month. She also credited Parti Sosialis Malaysia for raising her awareness on the issue of free education. Bawani is a PSM Youth activist and is also active with an NGO called Community Development Centre (CDC).
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| As varsity video goes viral, Umno leaders move to head off storm Posted: 14 Jan 2013 11:31 AM PST
(The Malaysian Insider) - A video of a pro-Barisan Nasional (BN) speaker publicly chewing out a university student at a forum that has gone viral is embarrassing the authorities and has forced both a deputy minister and the Umno Youth chief to engage in damage control to prevent its fallout from impacting the ruling coalition ahead of Election 2013. The speaker, identified as Sharifah Zohra Jabeen, president of little-known organisation Suara Wanita 1 Malaysia (SW1M) that is seen to be aligned to the ruling BN, was caught on video berating the student — who had stood up to voice her views on the Bersih electoral rally and free education — with remarks such as "when this is our programme, we allow you to speak" and "when I speak, you listen". Higher Education Deputy Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah took to Twitter last night and posted his personal mobile phone number with a message urging the student, identified only as Bawani K.S., to contact him after another Twitter user remarked that she had an account on the microblogging site. A few hours later, he tweeted: "Just spoken to Bawani on d phone. She is in high spirits." Bawani's feelings on the issue remain closed off. Her Twitter account, @Bawani_ks, was inaccessible as she had locked it to only her followers. However, the matter appeared far from over as other Twitter users plied the deputy minister with questions for his view on the lopsided exchange between the speaker and Bawani.
"Patutny benarkn Bawani habis brcakap,lps tu jawab dgn bijaksana [Should have let Bawani finish speaking, then reply wisely]," the media-savvy Saifuddin answered to the Twitter user, @Mr_Nurislam. His Umno party mate, Khairy Jamaluddin, also took to Twitter to distance the ruling coalition from Sharifah Zohra Jabeen after the video row sparked outrage from Netizens, some who have started several hashtag discussions on the microblogging site, including #SharifahZohra and #listen. "And on UUM issue. Please #listen to me: this Jabeen lady DOES NOT represent BN. Sekian," the Umno Youth chief tweeted several hours ago on his account, @Khairykj. He added, "Siapa2 pun boleh salah guna 1Msia. Takde siapa dlm BN yg kenal Sharipah Jabeen ni [Anyone can misuse 1Malaysia. Nobody in BN knows this Sharipah Jabeen]" in reply to a Twitter user who pointed out that the speaker had worn a button badge with the 1 Malaysia logo commonly identified with the BN coalition. Khairy's attempt at damage control, however, was greeeted with disdain by some Netizens, including one Don Iznan who remarked over Twitter: "By saying #SharifahZohra not representing BN, KJ actually means that sharifah is from Umno.See?Hahaha." Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/as-varsity-video-goes-viral-umno-leaders-move-to-head-off-storm/ |
| Posted: 14 Jan 2013 11:17 AM PST
(The Star) - Pulau Tikus assemblyman Koay Teng Hai, slapped with a six-month suspension by the DAP for missing a crucial state assembly meeting, said he will now serve his constituents as an "independent" representative. He is, however, adamant that he had not broken any party rules. "I did not break any party rules as I did not receive any official notification from the party on the date and state assembly agenda," he said. Despite his claim of innocence, Koay, who was chairman of the backbenchers club in the state assembly, said he would file an appeal soon and called on his supporters to "calm down and don't act out against the party". He said he will serve as an "independent" assemblyman unless his appeal against the suspension is accepted. Koay was absent from the state assembly when the House met on Nov 1 last year to pass the Penang Constitutional Enactment (Amendment) Bill 2012, aimed at preventing elected representatives from party-hopping. The DAP disciplinary committee issued a show-cause letter to Koay last month for allegedly skipping the sitting. He was given 14 days to appeal to the party's central executive committee. Koay had gone to the United States for a holiday despite having his leave rejected twice by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who is also DAP secretary-general. "I expect to receive the official suspension letter today and will respond accordingly," Koay said here yesterday. "I hope the CEC will take into account that I've been a loyal party member and DAP Socialist Youth leader for 13 years. "Furthermore, my leave was approved by the state legislative assembly Speaker and the Bill was successfully passed," he said. On the prospects of contesting in the general election, he said: "If the suspension stays, I will not be eligible to contest as a DAP candidate and I will not stand as an independent. He said all DAP logos would be removed from his service centre in line with the suspension ruling. "I am truly sorry to the party and my supporters," said Koay.
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| Action against Bank Islam chief economist on the cards? Posted: 13 Jan 2013 10:20 PM PST
(Harakah Daily) - A prediction about the outcome of the next general election has landed Bank Islam Malaysia's chief economist in trouble, with a possible disciplinary action on the cards. On January 11, Singapore's Straits Times reportedly quoted Bank Islam's Azrul Azwar Ahmad Tajuddin (pic) as telling a forum in the city-state that Barisan Nasional may win only between 97 and 107 seats in the coming polls, not enough to form the next government. Presenting his views at the Regional Outlook Forum, Azrul warned that Pakatan Rakyat's slim win could spell some "instability", and even said there was a possibility of "economic sabotage" by businesses aligned with BN. BIMB managing director Zukri Samat immediately wrote a disclaimer to the daily, saying it had nothing to do with Azrul's views. "The views expressed by Mr Azrul are entirely his personal view and should not be linked or attributed to Bank Islam whatsoever," he added. According to news portal The Malaysian Insider, the BIMB's management would meet over Azrul's statement. Deputy Finance minister Awang Adek Hussin meanwhile criticised Azrul for his views, saying he should not be talking about politics "in view of his influential position in a bank that is based on the Islamic concept in Malaysia". Awang also added that he would let BIMB decide on the "type of action" against Azrul. "True, Azrul Azwar expressed his personal view, but does that show his professionalism?" asked Awang as quoted by UMNO mouthpiece Utusan Malaysia. The right-wing paper has however claimed that Azrul had predicted a "narrow win" for BN.
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| Video of forum speaker insulting student goes viral Posted: 13 Jan 2013 10:11 PM PST
(Yahoo! News) - A video of a public university forum speaker insulting a student has gone viral on online forums and Facebook. (http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/letterssurat/53851-mahasiswa-standard-malaysia)
The 24-minute video showed the speaker - Sharifah Zohra Jabeen, president of little-known women's organisation called Suara Wanita 1Malaysia or SW1M - dismissing a student who stood up to highlight points on Bersih and free education with remarks including "when this is our programme, we allow you to speak' and 'when I speak, you listen".
(*All quotes are verbatim) The forum entitled "Seiringkah mahasiswa dan politik?' (Are graduates and politics aligned?) was held at Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) in Sintok, Kedah on Dec 8. The video began with students taking an oath to go against 'deviant culture', 'destroyers of peace', 'street demonstrations' and support 'peace and harmony among multi-racial Malaysians without the interference of third parties'. It then cuts to the student, Bawani KS, who stood up to highlight a court ruling about Bersih and question why Malaysia was not able to offer free education like other countries. Halfway through, Sharifah cuts her off by incessantly repeating "Listen, listen, listen, listen..." before thanking her for 'having the guts'. She then asked the crowd: "Students in the hall, 2,300 students everywhere. Did I give her respect? Did I give her respect? I came up to her, shook hands with her and gave her respect as another woman? Do you think I need to answer her question with this attitude?" Accusing Bersih leader Ambiga Sreenevasan of being an 'anarchist', Sharifah slammed the student for highlighting the need for free education in the country as is done in other nations. She told the student that "if you equate Malaysia to other countries, what are you doing in Malaysia?". "Go to Cuba, go to Argentina, go to Libya, go everywhere. Because all the students in this hall are happy with whatever the government does for them," she said. She then berated the student for having the 'very least of education'. "Today each person here has education and today, I'm very sorry that simultaneously, you have proven that you have a very least of pendidikan (education). You know what pendidikan you need? Respect the adults. Always have a differentiation gap between age. That's why you have a mother, grandmother,daughter, child, babies." "Do you think humans have problems? Animals have problems too," she stressed, citing an example of cats that do not get leftovers in restaurants, along with dogs, cows and fish. 'The difference between you and me is a degree and a O'Level. That's all.
"Whatever you say, you are still in UUM. If you are not happy, you are very much suitable to go to another university," she said. Another panelist stood up to interject and she cut him off saying "You know what Peter, I think all these people are tired. Who wants a Galaxy Note (Prizes had been up for grabs at the forum)?" she said. Angry Netizens began sharing links to a Facebook page said to belong to Sharifah while SW1M's fan page was flooded with angry comments from the public. Some of them are as follows: Khai Hokage: I think ur president Sharifah should change her field coz she talk about animal better then she talk about democracy. hahaha.. Mohd Syukri Sulaiman: You got degree meh?when you die you also become dust lorh,for God sake,respect other people please? Jo Ven Teh: Listen listen listen..lights,tv,lifts,leaves and air cond all have problem 2... Listen listen listen .. SyedAdie Al-idrus: aku rasa esok tutup page nih! (I think it is best to close this page) hahahaha! James Gan: After watching your speech in the forum suara Mahasiswa, other than the fact that you are older than me, I am not sure what else is worth respecting. Darren Sim Chee Hui: Hey you racist !!! You better make apologize to the Indian girl...!!! Give you an advice: If you don't respect all races, we won't respect you either !!!! Akram Ahmar: Presiden paling banggang.... shame on U...u want a respect??? respect others first!!! Shakir Ameer: and you wonder why your page has very little 'likes' despite the publicity. Shame on you people. Sunil Rendawa: If this Sharifah Zohra Jabeen character is the head of Suara 1 wanita, You people have a very sad organisation indeed. Headed by an idiot, where do you lot think you are going ? Abd Hanif Rahmat: sharifah zohra jabeen listen.. listen.. listen.. u degree i no have pmr.. i dont know speak english, but i want u apologise to bavani infront all student uum and must take a video for the apologise.. tell them u wrong that time.. u follow perasaan bila bercakap.. and tak mo listen bavani speak.. take note.. :) Nicholas Cheng Yee Shen: Dear Shafirah, For an individual who is supposed to have possessed a degree and university education, your command of English is rather poor to begin with. I've seen high school students with better command of English than you. If you believe that you are entitled to respect from me, think again. May I remind you, it is because of people like you that this country, this great country of Malaysia, is going downhill. Precisely that. What do you think of Sharifah's comments towards Bawani? Post your thoughts in the comments section below.
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| Nik Aziz makes u-turn over word "Allah" Posted: 13 Jan 2013 07:58 PM PST
(Bernama) - Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, who previously agreed that "Allah" could be used in Bibles, has made a U-turn in his stand by clarifying why the word cannot be used by non-Muslims. The PAS Syura Council last night decided that non-Muslims should not use the word in translation of their religious texts, but are free to use it orally following outcry from the Muslim community over Nik Abdul Aziz and PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang's stand. Nik Abdul Aziz, who attended the council's meeting, said the council's decision was made out of fear that if "Allah" was used in Bibles, the meaning would run contrary to the actual meaning understood by Muslims. "There is only one God. The Almighty. If other religions have one or more God, that's ridiculous. If they want to use it, it is wrong," he told reporters on his return from Kuala Lumpur at the Sultan Ismail Petra Airport, Pengkalan Chepa here, today. The controversy erupted after DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, in his Christmas message, urged the federal government to allow Christians to use 'Allah' in the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Bible. PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang drew the flak when he said Islam did not restrict non-Muslims from using the word "Allah" as long they did not misuse it to the extent of confusing Muslims. Nik Abdul Aziz, who is PAS spiritual leader, said the Christians, who believed in the Trinity, could not use the word at all for it was against the actual meaning. In its decision, the PAS Syura Council said the Arabic word cannot be translated into or translated from other languages for it is a specific word used to refer the Muslims' God.
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| DAP slams PAS over Kedah CNY guidelines Posted: 13 Jan 2013 07:47 PM PST
Syed Jaymal Zahiid, The Malaysian Insider The DAP has lashed out against its allies PAS over the controversial guidelines issued by the Kedah government, calling its ban on adult females from appearing for Chinese New Year stage performances as ridiculous, unacceptable and unwise. "Not only does the guideline not respect the right of non-Muslims, but it also discriminates against women. The PAS-led Kedah State Government must immediately review and abolish this guideline," its assistant national public secretary Teo Nie Ching said in a statement. The PAS-led Kedah administration again saw itself mired in controversy when it recently issued guidelines for the organisers of the 1 Malaysia Chinese New Year Celebration 2013 scheduled for February 15 at the Star Walk Alor Setar in Kedah. The guidelines included, among other things, the appropriate attire for officers and singers involved. It also stated that performers are encouraged to sing motivational songs and that if extreme singing and dancing activities were to take place, the state government has the right to shut down the programme. In the past, the Kedah government under Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak (picture) has faced severe criticism, including from fellow Pakatan Rakyat leaders, who deemed his conservative policies as insensitive to non-Muslim rights. Some had described his administration as a liability to the bloc's polls preparation while a few had admitted that the controversies could see PR facing an uphill task in defending the rice-bowl state at the 13th general elections. Teo raised this prospect again, saying that the Kedah PAS government was alienating supporters just months before the bloc takes on its rivals in what will be the keenest polls to date. "As a matter of fact, it is not the first time that the PR Kedah Government has found itself in this type of controversy. "It has not only resulted in PR coming under heavy criticism from BN component parties, therefore weakening PR's chances during GE13, but moves such as these distance the rakyat further away from the administration," she said.
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| Anwar, Chandra told to settle out of court Posted: 13 Jan 2013 05:13 PM PST
(NST) - The High Court today advised parties in the RM10 million defamation suit by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim against academician Dr Chandra Muzaffar (above) to settle the matter out of court. Counsel Datuk Firoz Hussein Ahmad Jamaluddin who acted for Chandra told the Press that judge Datuk Nik Hasmat Nik Mohamad set April 3 for mediation. "If the parties fail to mediate, the suit will go for trial on the same day," he said. Yesterday, Nik Hasmat also allowed Anwar's application to amend his statement of claim. Anwar was represented by lawyers N. Surendran and Latheefa Koya. Anwar is suing Chandra over his alleged defamatory statements made at a forum at Menara Star in Petaling Jaya on March 3, 2008, which were subsequently published in newspapers. He claimed that Chandra spoke the offending words to disparage him in both his private and official capacities. In his statement of defence, Chandra denied uttering maliciously and falsely any defamatory comment concerning Anwar. Alternatively, he claimed that if the words were defamatory, which he denied, then they were published on an occasion of qualified privilege without malice. |
| KDEB explains Selangor gov't stake in Syabas Posted: 13 Jan 2013 04:34 PM PST
(Bernama) -- Kumpulan Darul Ehsan Berhad (KDEB), the investment arm of the Selangor government, said today the Selangor government only had a minority share limited to board representation in Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas). Its president, Suhaimi Kamaralzaman, said the state government only owned 30 per cent equity and had two directors in Syabas. He said Syabas was still the key player in handling the operations and maintenance of water facilities. "The day-to-day operations and maintenance of the water facilities are carried out by the management of Syabas who are appointed by the majority shareholder of Puncak Niaga Holdings Berhad," he said in a statement to Bernama. Suhaimi was referring to comments made by Universiti Utara Malaysia academician and senior lecturer Dr Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri on Saturday. Ahmad Zaharudin Sani had said that under the Selangor water concessionaire agreement, river cleaning and water catchment, giving approval to operators of water treatment or supply for construction of new pump stations and upgrading plants and pump stations were under the jurisdiction of the state government. Suhaimi said the State Water Monitoring Committee (SWMC), chaired by the Selangor state secretary, had been monitoring Syabas, particularly its action and recovery plans, on a daily basis. "KDEB representatives, who are also members of the SWMC, are responsible for constant liaison with the Syabas management to ensure that all action plans are implemented expeditiously and efficiently," he said.
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| Where were the Indians during Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat? Posted: 13 Jan 2013 03:30 PM PST
Deepak Jaikishan keeping the Indian flag flying (Malaysian Digest) - The Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat (HKR112) assembly on Saturday may have been considered a success, questions have been raised regarding the low turnout by the Indian community. The minimal involvement of the Indian community in HKR112 could be due to the perception that the event is skewed more towards PAS members and does not encompass all races, Universiti Sains Malaysia's deputy dean of the Social Sciences Faculty, Prof Dr Sivamurugan Pandian said.
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| Himpunan rally: Taib’s men ‘shocked’ and divided Posted: 13 Jan 2013 03:22 PM PST
A federal-leaning Sarawak MP has warned Pakatan Rakyat that it is playing with fire with such rallies. Joseph Tawie, FMT KUCHING: Chef Minister Taib Mahmud's Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) party is divided in its view of the mammoth Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat rally in Kuala Lumpur last Saturday. Whilst some see the rally as the people rising to demand change, others have condemned it outright. The divided views are perhaps indicative of aging Taib's personal struggles to keep in check his federal-leaning party leaders. PBB deputy information chief Peter Minos, when contacted, described the rally as a "wakeup call". "It is a wake-up call for us. Do not underestimate the strength of the opposition. "We should be wary of the threat from the opposition Pakatan Rakyat pact in the coming general election. "I was surprised the organisers could draw a big crowd which I could see from a distance, and they are mostly Pakatan supporters." Minos went on to add that the rally turnout showed that the opposition alliance was a force to be reckoned with. Another PBB insider, who declined to be named, said peninsular-based Umno and BN reports had in the past given the impression that the "situation was under control". "But I am shocked at the crowd. The blogs are full of ground reports and they all cannot be lying. "Umno intelligence have been downplaying the opposition's strength. Najib (Tun Razak) must take note of this," the insider said. Pakatan playing with fire PBB secretary-general Stephen Rundi said street demonstrations did not augur well for the country's prevailing peace, political stability and economic prosperity. "I don't agree with the trend of politics as we have law and order as well as proven system to safeguard the nation and its sovereignty. "We have full confidence in the system which also protects the opposition. "Hence, going to the street and staging demonstrations will only cause chaos and disorder or even worse, ruin our harmony and the future of our beloved country, especially our economy, deterring foreign investors from coming," he said.
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| Constitution gives no licence to expand syariah jurisdiction, says ex-CJ Posted: 13 Jan 2013 03:18 PM PST
Debra Chong, The Malaysian Insider An amendment to Article 121 of the Federal Constitution does not empower syariah courts to take over the jurisdiction of civil courts, former Chief Justice Tun Abdul Hamid Mohamad said today, giving heft to the protracted conflict arising from Malaysia's dual-track judicial system. He said the amendment was "not a licence to expand the jurisdiction of Shari'ah Courts and to oust the jurisdiction of the civil courts." The Muslim-dominant country, which provides for syariah courts to run alongside civil courts, has created several grey areas due to an overlap of powers. The retired top judge noted that many people, especially syarie law experts, have been mistaken in the belief that clause (1A) in Article 121, which lays out the extent of judicial power, absolutely excludes civil courts from trying disputes that touch on Muslim rights. Abdul Hamid (picture) said that many arguments have been put forward in legal conflicts that if an offence is within the jurisdiction of the syariah court, it is no longer to be tried in a civil court any more by virtue of Article 121(1A). "What about cases in which one party is a Muslim and the other is not?" he asked in his speech at a law conference in the city. "Secondly, the amendment is not a licence to expand the jurisdiction of Shari'ah Courts and to oust the jurisdiction of the civil courts," he said. Abdul Hamid, who was chief justice between 2007 and 2008, recounted that the question had cropped up before the Court of Appeal nearly a decade ago in a sodomy conviction, saying that the courts had failed to address the issue of constitutionality of section 25 of the Syariah Criminal Offences (Federal Territories) Act 1997. "To me, that section is unconstitutional and void," he said today. Disputes of jurisdiction between the Islamic courts and the civil courts have been increasing of late especially in matters dealing with religious conversion and child custody as well as the latest ongoing storm over the right of non-Muslims to call their gods "Allah", a word conservative Islamic scholars insist be reserved for their god. Civil liberty activists and lawyers have noticed a trend that the judiciary has been putting Islamic law above all other laws in Malaysia, signalling an erosion of the Federal Constitution.
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| Posted: 13 Jan 2013 02:35 PM PST
(The Star) - The Opposition's shadow Budget failed to consider that Petronas' profits are shared with, among others, the petroleum service contractors, says International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed. He said a certain amount of profit should be apportioned to petroleum companies as agreed upon earlier. "The Pakatan Rakyat's Budget aims to increase oil royalties to the states from 5% to 20%. This means that less profits will be shared between Petronas and the petroleum service contractors like Shell and Esso. "Hence, Petronas will give lower annual dividends to the Government," he said at his ministry's office in Jalan Duta here. Mustapa said if the Opposition were to form the Federal Government and went ahead with its own Budget, it would not have enough funds to fulfil their general election pledges. "They will lack funds to make foreign investments and yet, Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim says he wants to offer free education to the people," he said, adding that the shadow Budget was "reckless, irresponsible and foolish". Mustapa said the National Higher Education Loan Fund (PTPTN) had disbursed RM46.8bil in loans, of which RM25.7bil was borrowed from various finance agencies. "If the Opposition wants to offer free education, how are they going to pay off these loans? The Pakatan Budget also includes its pledge to abolish tolls, which would require an expenditure of RM6bil to compensate concessionaires," he said. "We are saddened by such populist moves. The Opposition is hiding facts while the people are tricked into believing that it is workable." Mustapa claimed that "not a single sen" was incorporated into the Pakatan Budget to fulfil their promises to the public and likened it to "cheating people in broad daylight". Pakatan also claimed that it could reduce the country's deficit from 4.0% to 3.5%. However, Barisan Nasional leaders have countered this, alleging that the Opposition Budget would cause the country to have a deficit of 7.2%.
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| PAS-led government takes the bang out of CNY stage performances Posted: 13 Jan 2013 02:32 PM PST  Dr Chua showing a copy of the directive to reporters. With him are MCA secretary-general Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha (left) and MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai. (The Star) - In yet another controversial decision, the PAS-led Kedah government has enforced new rulings for stage performances during Chinese New Year. The state government will stop Chinese New Year stage performances on the spot if they failed to meet the guidelines. The state has banned professional female singers in shopping malls and other open public places. Only male performers are now permitted to sing and dance in shows held in such places. As for female performers, only secondary schoolgirls will be allowed to do so. But with bands providing live music also barred from open entertainment events, performers can only use recorded music accompaniment or minus-one recordings (pre-recorded music). Malls and shopping centres have been told that only songs with religious themes or those with positive messages will be allowed to be performed, effectively excluding pop songs. Besides submitting lists of performers and songs, the organisers must ensure the artistes are not carried away or do not go overboard. Kedah Health, Youth and Sports, Culture, Art, Heritage and Biotechnology Committee chairman Datuk Dr Hamdan Mohamed Khalib issued the directive to Kota Setar district officer Datuk Haji Bakar Din on Jan 9. First in the four-point guidelines list is a rule that artistes as well as those in charge of the shows must be dressed conservatively and not menjolok mata (indecently). A copy of the directive was given to MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek in Sungei Petani on Friday. He showed it to reporters after the Perak MCA anniversary celebrations here yesterday. Dr Chua said the guidelines violated the rights and freedom of non-Muslims. He said the DAP, as part of Pakatan Rakyat and being an ally of PAS, owed non-Muslims an answer to this latest violation. "This is because DAP helped PAS take over Kedah. Is the DAP saying again that this is a small matter?" he asked. He said non-Muslims had their rights and freedom over food, attire, music, entertainment and leisure. MCA vice-president Datuk Seri Chor Chee Heung said non-Muslims could lose their identity under such policies. "If non-Muslims continue to accept these, then all things Chinese and Indian, including their culture, could be lost if Pakatan continues to run the state," said the Alor Setar MP. Chor said an agreement to such regulations would spell the end of a pluralistic society. He added that such guidelines were never imposed in Kedah until the Pakatan government took over. Gerakan also slammed the Kedah government for its "restrictive" policy on Chinese New Year entertainment activities. State party chairman Dr Cheah Soon Hai said the directive eroded the rights and interests of non-Muslims, adding that the state government was insensitive and disrespectful to the Chinese community. "Female artistes are being discriminated against as singing and dancing are their sources of income. The guidelines will have far-reaching effects on celebrations like Chap Goh Meh, the Hungry Ghost Festival, the Lantern Festival and Deepavali," he said.
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| PAS Syura Council: Prevent translation of ‘Allah’ by non-Muslims Posted: 13 Jan 2013 02:14 PM PST  PAS leaders said the word 'Allah' is a universal word and can be spoken by those who are not Muslims. – File pic Ida Lim, The Malaysian Insider The PAS Syura Council yesterday decided that non-Muslims should prevent the use of the word "Allah" in translations of their religious texts, but are free to use it orally. Following weeks of controversy over the usage of the word "Allah" by non-Muslims, the party's religious council said that the Arabic word cannot be translated into or translated from other languages. The council explained that the word "Allah" is a specific and holy word used to refer to the Muslims' god. "Therefore, translating the word God or Lord from any non-Muslim kitab agama (religious texts) to the word Allah tidak dibolehkan (cannot be allowed) because it is wrong from the aspect of meaning and wrong usage, does not fulfill the actual purpose and can bring about an obvious confusion. "Therefore, it has to be prevented," PAS' spiritual adviser Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat and his deputy Datuk Dr Haron Din wrote in a statement yesterday. But the PAS leaders said that the word "Allah" is a universal word and can be spoken by those who are not Muslims. They said that this statement clarifies the meaning of the statement by the PAS spiritual adviser, the party's president and the whole party leadership. Political allies PAS and DAP had recently appeared to send mixed messages over the use of the word "Allah" by Christians in their Bahasa Malaysia bible, before the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leadership made their stand clear last week. Last Tuesday, PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang explained PR's position, saying that non-Muslim communities should not abuse the word to spread confusion among Muslims, but said that this did not mean they were not allowed to use the word. "Islam does not stop those of other faiths from using kallimah 'Allah' in their practice, although [in the usage of the word by non-Muslims] it does not refer to the original meaning of the word as according to the al-Quran," he read from a statement.
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| People’s rally in Sabah a ‘fiasco’ Posted: 13 Jan 2013 02:00 PM PST
A political pressure group in Sabah has taken to task local oposition leaders' misplaced priorities. Queville To, FMT KOTA KINABALU: While more than a 100,000 are said to have attended the Himpunan Kebagkitan Rakyat rally in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday (photo), the affair in Sabah proved to be a flop. Just a couple of hundred youths turned up for the event at the Chong Thien Vun Park here on Saturday. The blame was placed on the organisers and the lack of charismatic leaders to motivate would-be attendees in the run-up to the event. Blogger and activist Ronnie Klassen described the rally as a fiasco with an estimated 300 participants at the park. Klassen believes that the event here was poorly organised and reflected the discord and disunity among the organisers comprising youths aligned to the various opposition parties such as Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), DAP, PKR and PAS. "Instead of showing solidarity among themselves, these youths were literally elbowing each other in order to steal the limelight. But, I don't blame them; I blame their so-called leaders for they themselves were fighting with each other most of the time. "With such an attitude, they (the opposition) must be dreaming or hallucinating if they really think they can defeat the BN in the coming general election. Anyway, I wish them good luck," he said. The confusion was demonstrated at the press conference held at the end of the rally with speakers merely shouting slogans such as "Jatuhkan Umno/BN" and "Tenggelam BN". Klassen, who is also the deputy chairman of Demokrasi Sabah (Desah), a Sabah-based political pressure group who are pushing for a 'one-to-one' fight between the opposition and BN, also pointed to the conspicuous absence of state opposition leaders at Saturday's rally here.
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| PBS founder-president Pairin to retire? Posted: 13 Jan 2013 01:51 PM PST
Rumours of leaders aiming to retire is affecting morale in an embattled Parti Bersatu sabah (PBS). Luke Rintod, FMT KOTA KINABALU: Deputy Sabah Chief Minister-cum president of Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Joseph Pairin Kitingan may be having seconds thoughts about contesting in the coming elections. PBS insiders said Pairin, 73, is finally "convinced" of the opposition's strength in his Keningau and Tambunan constituencies and is worried about the growing threat. Pairin has been Tambunan assemblyman uninterruptedly for almost four decades, since 1976. He has been Keningau MP for almost 30 years from 1986. He first won Tambunan at the age of 36 under Berjaya, the party he ousted from power in 1985 after a prolonged skirmish with Berjaya president Harris Salleh. Pairin, who is PBS founder president, is also the only chief the party has seen since its inception in 1985 (28 years ago). Pairin is the Huguan Siou or Paramount Chief of the Kadazandusuns in Sabah. But that too may soon be history. According to a senior PBS leader who spoke to FMT, Pairin is aware of his own precarious position in Keningau and Tambunan. Requesting anonymity, the PBS leader said: "Pairin may not even contest at all at the coming poll because it would be humiliating if he is defeated. "But I think he will still win in Tambunan if he decides to go for only one seat.." Not healthy The leader, who is a PBS supreme council member and has helped Pairin in previous elections, hastened to add that Pairin could decide to stay away from the 13th GE. "(But) Pairin not contesting at all cannot be ruled out from now onwards…" said the leader. Pairin, who is far from healthy, has taken pains to calm growing worry among his PBS members upset by rumours that he was leaving the scene. At the party general meeting last year, he repeatedly reassured them that he was ready to be renominated and was in fact prepared to defend his Tambunan and Keningau seats. According to the leader, Pairin's choice of words – "prepared", "ready" – lacked the affirmative "wanting" or "wanted". "Even then he only spoke about it as a reaction when it is no longer tenable to keep silent amid rumours and whispers," observed the leader. According to the PBS leader, there is a strong likelihood that other PBS assemblymen too would refuse renomination if Pairin is to leave politics altogether at this election, contributing to more worries and intrigues that would choke and plague PBS in the end. "Even deputy president Dr Maximus Ongkili has been texting his friends that he foresees the coming election could be his last term in active politics. "Other PBS leaders including its assemblymen, in return had started whispering to friends what would become of PBS without a strong presence of the once charismatic Pairin," the leader said.
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| In which direction is Proton driving? Posted: 13 Jan 2013 12:33 PM PST
(Free Malaysia Today) - Proton has only one viable engine in production, and another unproven design bought from Petronas recently. It has dubious research and development capabilities and proven unreliability in quality control. Proton wants to play a starring role in Southeast Asia, but there are many road bumps ahead. With the flurry of news and rumours surrounding Proton Holdings Bhd and its owner DRB-Hicom Bhd last week, Malaysians had a reason to revisit their love-hate relationship with the national car company, contemplate its chequered past and ponder its future. On Wednesday, we were told that DRB-Hicom was to spearhead the development of an "Asean" car in which Proton would be playing a starring role, and that DRB-Hicom may be taken private for as much as RM4 per share, besides listing what used to be Proton and DRB-Hicom distribution outfits. Last Thursday, the DRB-Hicom management denied the delisting part, which burst the balloon that sent its shares to a 10-month high of RM2.78, to as low as RM2.65. After a long silence about Proton since Syed Mokhtar AlBukhary-controlled DRB-Hicom bought its controlling stake from Khazanah Nasional Bhd more than a year ago, the sudden news flap is interesting. If you believe that there's no smoke without fire, Syed Mokhtar's financial advisers must be talking about something more substantial than the weather around the water cooler. But that is the trouble with trying to fathom anything about Proton, because literally anything can happen at the last minute, like the collaboration with Volkswagen AG (VW) that was called off the night before it was supposed to be signed. Frayed analysts, after seeing countless analyses on Proton disproved by what seemed to be random acts, have kept their sanity remembering one important thing: Proton is not so much of a car company as the centrepiece of government policy, and therefore normal commercial considerations may not apply. People of a certain age (that is, older people) will remember the day in 1985 when the Proton Saga was unveiled to great expectations. Though boxy, and decidedly dated because it was based on the 1983 Mitsubishi Lancer, the Saga caught our imagination and carried our hopes for a while. Since then, due to many unfortunate issues with quality control and the fact that to make the Proton cheaper by comparison, the government raised taxes on other cars to make them more expensive. Malaysians love to hate the Proton – whether deservedly or not. To us, it is a national icon, but to somebody else, let's say a foreign car company of immense size with aspirations of world dominance, Proton is not a viable car company and should be brought under the wing of the said car company with world domination in mind. Dubious R&D capabilities
It is also not selling enough cars and being overtaken at home by foreign-backed rivals even at competitive pricing. However, it has two things going for it. Its underutilised production capacity and its favoured position in Malaysia, which is an important member of Asean. DRB-Hicom, being an automotive and property development conglomerate, has several partners that can make full use of these assets. Chief among them are Honda Motor Co and Volkswagen AG (VW) of Germany. While Honda has stated that it wants Malaysia to be the regional production hub for its hybrid cars, only VW has designs on being No 1 in the world with a target to sell 10 million cars a year by 2018. That VW is really keen on owning Proton, or at least its assets, is obvious because it fits into its global design to tap into a major slice of Southeast Asia's appetite for two million cars a year. Also any Malaysian-produced car, if local content is at 40% or more, would enjoy duty-free status to all Asean member-countries under the Asean Free Trade Agreement. This is a huge a leg-up on rivals such as Toyota and other Japanese pretenders. Furthermore, Malaysian-made VWs could also be exported to other markets where they drive on the left side of the road, like India for example. The Wolfsburg, Germany-based company had previously made an offer to tie up with the then public-listed Proton in 2007 but discussions eventually foundered because of opposition from parties that wanted the company to remain Malaysian-owned. Crucial market In July last year, VW was also reported to have considered making a bid for Proton's share that Khazanah Nasional was divesting, which a German magazine said might include a full-scale acquisition in the long run. The German carmaker wants a foothold in Southeast Asia after its surpassed Toyota in 2011 as the world's second-largest manufacturer behind General Motors because it is a crucial market for increased sales as part of its ambition to become No 1. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/top-news/2013/01/14/in-which-direction-is-proton-driving/ |
| Guidelines for CNY celebration in Kedah threaten rights of non-Muslims - Chua Posted: 13 Jan 2013 12:22 PM PST
He said the guidelines, issued by the Kedah state executive council on Jan 9, involved among others, the aspects of attire, singing and dancing. (Bernama) - MCA President Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek has described the guidelines issued by the PAS-led Kedah government to organisers of Chinese New Year celebrations in Kedah as threatening and eroding the rights of the non-Muslims which are provided for in the Federal Constitution. He said the guidelines, issued by the Kedah state executive council on Jan 9, involved among others, the aspects of attire, singing and dancing. Dr Chua said MCA was of the opinion that the issue was not a petty one because it involved respect for matters clearly stated in the Federal Constitution and the rights of the non-Muslims. "The DAP will say that this is just a petty issue...when we say it's a political eunuch and it's right and apt, they (DAP) will keep quiet and will raise other issues to confuse the people," he told reporters after opening the 64th anniversary of Perak MCA, here today. He was commenting on the guidelines for the organising of the 1Malaysia Chinese New Year Celebration 2013 scheduled to be held at the Star Walk Alor Setar, Kedah on Feb 15. The guidelines prescribed, among others, appropriate attire for officers and singers involved and that the singers are encouraged to sing motivational songs and that if extreme singing and dancing activities were to take place, the state government has the right to put an immediate stop to the programme. Dr Chua also expressed hope that the Chinese community would not give their support to the DAP as the party had repeatedly caused them to fight among themselves and influenced them to vote for PAS and support the guidelines that denied the rights of the non-Muslims. He said the opposition pact did not have any future as they were willing to use the people just to achieve their own political agenda and that they did not have any strategy to further develop the country besides raising issues and organising demonstrations. "If we vote for Barisan Nasional (BN), we have the assurance that the Prime Minister is Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and we have the assurance of political, social, economic and religious stability. "We have the assurance of development every year, of satisfactory growth rate, of the fact that the country's heading towards becoming high-income nation and of our freedom intact," he said. Meanwhile, Dr Chua also reminded farmers in the state not to fall for the opposition's sweet talk to solve their land issues because only the ruling government could do so. "The opposition does not even understand the issues. We will help the 1,500 farmers to solve the issues," he said, adding that MCA had so far helped 1,150 farmers in the state to solve their land applications involving approximately 4,000 hectares of land. |
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