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Find mystery lawyer behind Bala’s second SD first, Bar Council told
Anti-Lynas gathering fails to draw crowd
Portal claims hunger strikers seen eating
In final leg before polls, Bersih to train Malaysians to spot GE13 fraud
BR1M will likely boost BN’s chances in the next election
'Allah' belongs only to Muslims and Islam: Jakim
Be realistic with seat demands, Anwar urges SAPP
‘Endorse our blueprint if you want our support’
‘Hisham’s liaison officer more powerful than IGP’
Sabah DAP will bury hatchet with SAPP if…
Don’t politicise ‘Allah’ issue, says PKR chief
Penang Malay Congress wants Guan Eng to withdraw statement over the word ‘Allah’
PKR smells a rat in carpet man’s deal
SAPP tells Sabah DAP leader to grow up
PKR to block Deepak’s land deal through S’gor govt
18,000 get PTPTN loans changed to scholarships
‘I am priceless, I cannot be bought’
DAP-SAPP spat over seats rages
‘DAP strongman’s firm behind deforestation in Sungai Relai’
Penang Muslim Network takes to the streets over ‘Allah’ issue
Ngeh denies firm’s involvement in logging on Kelantan land
Sabah immigration dishing-out MyKads?
Allah debate: Let court decide
‘Wake up to the ways of PAS’
DAP's Anthony Loke proposes ban on "sexy performers"
Stop demanding religious equality, says ex-Fatwa Council chief
Utusan justified to carry comment by Hasan Ali
Deepak withdraws case against Wanita Umno leader

Find mystery lawyer behind Bala’s second SD first, Bar Council told

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 07:48 PM PST

Lawyer Americk Singh Sidhu has lashed out at the Bar Council for allegedly dragging its feet over the identity of the mystery lawyer.

Debra Chong, The Malaysian Insider

The Bar Council was today chided for dragging its feet over the identity of the mystery lawyer behind P. Balasubramaniam's controversial second sworn statement into the 2006 murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu, despite the number of clues at its disposal.

Lawyer Americk Singh Sidhu, who is acting for the former private detective, told The Malaysian Insider the Bar Council should speed up its investigation on the high-profile case that had previously been linked to several high-ranking government officials and resurfaced recently in the run-up to the 13th general elections.

"I'm suggesting the Bar Council was a little hesitant in investigating this matter," he said when contacted today.

The Bar Council, a statutory body regulating the professional conduct of some 14,000 legal practitioners in the country, has said it is investigating the possibility of misconduct in the drafting of Balasubramaniam's second statutory declaration (SD), which contradicts his previous sworn statement made just a day earlier over the death of the Mongolian translator hired to assist in the government's acquisition of two French submarines several years ago.

"They can pass the matter to the disciplinary board for action," Americk said, adding that the Bar Council could of its own volition push for an inquiry panel to be set up.

A cloud of mystery has been hanging over the identity of the lawyer who had drawn up Balasubramaniam's second SD, dated a day after his first on July 3, 2008, regarding Altantuya's 2006 murder, for which two elite police commandos have been convicted and are facing death sentences.

In an open letter published earlier today, Americk said M. Arunampalam's role as the lawyer who had drafted Balasubramaniam's second SD had been dispelled by well-connected businessman Deepak Jaikishan who is also in the centre of the controversy surrounding Balasubramaniam's two SDs.

He said the clues were all assembled before the Bar Council to act and advised the body to check out lawyers who had previously worked for the politicians named in Balasubramaniam's SD to question them in an inquiry.

He pointed that only a handful of lawyers would have access to a prominent personality that had been named in Balasubramaniam's SDs out of the 14,000 members of the Malaysian Bar.

Americk pointed out that Deepak had cleared Arunampalam - whom the carpet dealer had engaged to handle his property transactions previously - as a likely candidate for drafting the second SD.

"We have now narrowed down the range of potential participants. This should assist the Bar Council in its endeavours to trace the culprit(s) who unilaterally and without instructions, drafted a false statutory declaration for my client to sign under circumstances in which the question of voluntariness remains highly suspect," he had said in his open letter today.

Americk had previously called on the Malaysian Bar president Lim Chee Wee to "organise a simple email to be sent to all members of the Malaysian Bar requesting that the member(s) responsible for drafting that 2nd SD do the right thing and make themselves known, as it appears innocent parties may be publicly falling victim to the blame game and finger pointing which has emerged since Deepak's revelations, to which I certainly do not subscribe".

In a harried press conference on July 4, 2008, Balasubramaniam, accompanied by M. Arulampalam, came out to withdraw his first SD, where he negated the contents of the first statement, claiming it had been signed under duress.

He then produced a second statement, which he claimed later in 2009 had been prepared by another lawyer, whom he did not meet with and who did not consult him when drafting the document.

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 05:10 PM PST

(Bernama) -- A peaceful gathering organised by the Himpunan Hijau anti-Lynas group in front of the Gebeng industrial area here last night failed to draw the anticipated participation when only 500 people turned up.

The gathering was held in conjunction with the 2013 New Year celebration.

A check by Bernama found that most of the people turned up with umbrellas due to a drizzle which started in the evening.

They lighted candles and shouted slogans and held up banners against the Lynas rare earth plant.

Just before midnight, activist and national laureate Datuk A. Samad Said recited a poem 'Tanah Yang Terdera' (The Tortured Land).

The participants dispersed after the countdown to midnight, under the watchful eyes of several policemen.

Portal claims hunger strikers seen eating

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 03:23 PM PST

(The Star) - Anti-Lynas protesters on a 100-hour hunger strike at Dataran Merdeka have allegedly been caught on camera sneaking out to eat.

Pictures showing people clad in the trademark fluorescent green anti-Lynas T-shirts eating in hotels, restaurants and on the streets were circulated on the Internet hours before the end of the hunger strike at midnight last night.

Portals Mynewshub and stopthelies.my were among those that had uploaded the photographs, which attracted sarcastic comments from readers.

The protesters were allegedly caught red-handed after a Mynewshub photographer suspected something was amiss when participants appeared to take turns to leave quietly.

However, the organisers claimed that those caught eating were not protesters.

Malaysian Youths Against Public Hazard spokesman Tan Woen Tian claimed that those caught eating were members of the organising committee.

"We were not caught red-handed as claimed by our detractors. Even I went out to eat.

"The organising team members are allowed to eat as we need the energy to take care of the 19 protesters who are on hunger strike," said Tan.

The 100-hour hunger strike, which was to last from 8pm on Thursday until the eve of New Year, was aimed at building the momentum for the Himpunan Hijau's Green Drive from Kuala Lumpur to Gebeng in protest of Lynas.

It is part of a 100-day campaign initiated by environmental pressure groups against Lynas.

A series of protests were held following the failure of the Save Malaysia Stop Lynas group to get the Court of Appeal to reverse the Kuantan High Court's decision on Nov 8 to allow a temporary operating licence for Lynas.

The protesters, added Tan, had been in Dataran Merdeka for five nights, sleeping in sleeping bags and drinking only water.

"We initially have 22 people on hunger strike when we first started on Thursday.

"But the number was reduced to 19 as three had to pull out upon the advice of the medical team," he said.

Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) chief Badrul Hisham Shaharin, popularly known as Chegubard, said the objective of the campaign was to raise awareness against Lynas.

"It is not about whether people were willing to go hungry for 100 hours.

"It is about using every means they can to raise awareness against issues that should be of concern to the public," he said.

In final leg before polls, Bersih to train Malaysians to spot GE13 fraud

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 02:51 PM PST

Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider

Fraudsters will have to tread carefully during the 13th general election as thousands of extra pairs of trained eyes will be helping the Election Commission (EC) and the police spot electoral fraud and political violence when polling day arrives.

Apart from the polling and counting agents appointed by each electoral candidate inside every polling station, a new breed of observers will be trolling the EC camps outside and in the nearby areas while voters decide who should rule Putrajaya next.

These are Bersih 2.0's "citizen observers" — ordinary members of the public out to cast their own ballots on that crucial day, but armed with special training from local election experts on how to spot possible fraud and what to do with that information.

In an interview with The Malaysian Insider recently, Bersih 2.0 co-chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan (picture) said the "citizen observers" initiative, a campaign called "Jom Pantau" that will be re-launched along with "Jom 100" some time this month, was part of the group's last-ditched attempt to make sure that the 13th general election is conducted fairly.

Ambiga, who has now gained international recognition for her work with the polls reform group, said the reason was simple — despite the raft of reforms and repeated assurances from the EC and the government, Bersih 2.0 still believes the coming polls will be the dirtiest in Malaysian history.

She said that this was because those in power now have too much at stake when polls are called, and with the heightened sense of public responsibility felt by voters today, those who intend to cheat would have to pull out all the stops to ensure their will is done.

"We have political violence going on even now. But the cops are not arresting anybody. It looks as if some people can behave with impunity.

"On polling day, political violence is when you frighten people away from stations, when there are threats and some people get emotional on that day... don't forget, much of this comes from members of political parties because they have invested so much in the polls.

"But what people are alarmed about is how everyone gets away with it... Now the cops are partisan, they are getting orders telling them not to take action," she said.

"I think only cowards do it. Those who are losers... who think they are gonna lose, who are losers anyway, also those who are scared of losing, are the ones who indulge in this. Otherwise, there should be no fear at all."

Ambiga recounted Bersih's many struggles over the past few years, from its first mass rally before the 2008 general election, to the July 9 gathering on 2011 and last year's April 28 sit-in protest, and said that despite all its hard work, the government's polls reforms have been pitiful, half-baked and insincere at best.

"There is nothing genuine about their intention to reform. Nothing," she lamented.

But she said that Bersih 2.0, the polls watchdog group that became the catalyst to the burgeoning of Malaysia's civil society movement, had decided not to accept defeat lying down.

The group may not have convinced the authorities that a total reform to current polls processes are needed, such as wiping out the thousands of irregularities spotted in current voter registries or putting an end to political violence, but Ambiga said that Bersih 2.0 has chalked up an even greater achievement.

"We have raised awareness," she declared.

"So this is why this January, we are going to step up our two campaigns to get more and more Malaysians out on the streets during polling day — to vote, and to help us keep a lookout for fraud."

Ambiga said Bersih 2.0, with the help of Pusat Komunikasi Masyarakat (Komas) and Malaysians for Free and Fair Elections (Mafrel), will be working the ground feverishly to attract more "citizen observers" into its fold by using social media tools and working the phone lines.

Another NGO, Tindak Malaysia, has already been training polling and counting agents or "PACABAs" — individuals appointed by every candidate to observe the polls proceedings inside the polling station itself.

Speaking to The Malaysian Insider recently, Komas programme officer Arul Prakash offered a brief preview of the group's training session planned for the "Jom Pantau" programme.

He explained that among the most common offences that take place before and during an election are money politics and the abuse of government machinery, both state and federal, during the campaign period.

"There are big, lavish dinners, handing out of goodies by using a party's name or government department.

"These are common things that we want people to observe," he said.

"Also, we want to have people keeping watch on the ground. So that those who plan on committing fraud, they will think twice... you are being watched... you better be careful," he said.

Arul said the key objective of "Jom Pantau" is to make sure that fraudsters are outnumbered by Bersih 2.0's citizen observers and are frightened off from committing any offence during polling day.

He said Komas currently has some 300 observers already registered under the "Jom Pantau" campaign but Bersih 2.0 hopes to attract at least thousands more to ensure that every constituency would have a sizeable group keeping close watch over the polling process.

To register for training as a citizen observer, individuals are urged to visit Jom Pantau's site at pru13.info.

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 02:45 PM PST

Zurairi AR, The Malaysian Insider

As the federal government prepares to hand out cash aid to millions of Malaysian households in the next few weeks, the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition is set to be a major beneficiary in terms of votes in this year's general election, political analysts and even opposition lawmakers have conceded.

They expect the 1 Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) handout to be a swing factor, particularly in rural areas.

"BR1M will provide a huge multiplier effect, not only economically, but to draw votes towards the ruling government," said Asri Salleh from Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Terengganu.

"The recipients will mostly be the hardcore poor and urban poor, so it will definitely swing votes."

This view was echoed by the DAP.

"They'll have a big impact. Especially in "protecting" their traditional votes in the rural areas ... That's the reason why (the prime minister) keeps postponing polls," DAP's Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua said.

Pua, who is also the DAP Selangor deputy chief, said that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak (picture) had missed his chance to call the polls after the first BR1M aid was handed out last year.

"He now knows that he has to call elections within three months of BR1M 2.0 so that the positive effect will not disappear, as people (tend to) forget after three months," said Pua.

Unlike BN, Pua explained that PR do not have the same financial muscle, especially in states not ruled by them, like Johor, Pahang and Perak, so it will be difficult for them to counter the feel-good effect of BR1M in the rural areas.

A major sum of RM3 billion will be allocated for BR1M 2.0, a more than 40 per cent increase from the RM2.1 billion allocated for the first BR1M.

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 12:07 AM PST

(Bernama) - The Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) today repeated its stand that the word 'Allah' is a holy word that belongs only to Muslims and Islam and cannot apply to non-Muslims and other religions.

Its director-general, Datuk Othman Mustapha, said the matter had been finalised at the 82nd meeting of the Fatwa Committee of the National Council for Islamic Affairs on May 5 to 7, 2008.

"Therefore, it is compulsory for all Muslims to protect it to the best of their ability. Any attempts to insult or abuse the word must be prevented according to the provisions stipulated under the Federal Constitution," he said in a statement here today.

He said statements made by certain quarters to create racial and religious disharmony just for the sake of gaining political mileage were very disappointing.

Hence, he said Jakim would like to urge all quarters to return to the rule of law to ensure that racial and religious harmony was well preserved and protected under the Federal Constitution.

Be realistic with seat demands, Anwar urges SAPP

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 02:09 PM PST

Ida Lim, The Malaysian Insider

Hard-nosed Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) negotiators may jeopardise Pakatan Rakyat's (PR) bid to make inroads into the east Malaysian state considered a key Barisan Nasional (BN) vote bank, Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has said.

With the 13th general election fast approaching, Anwar urged SAPP leaders to cut down on their demands for seats, saying that it would be hard to continue talks otherwise, the Sin Chew Daily reported today.

The opposition front in Sabah currently includes DAP, PAS, PKR and two newly-formed PR-friendly parties – Angkatan Perubahan Sabah (APS), Pakatan Perubahan Sabah (PPS) – working together with SAPP and the State Reform Party (STAR) against BN.

"Besides Sabah Pakatan Rakyat's five member parties, we still want to negotiate with SAPP; if SAPP continues making demands that are too high, it'll be hard for us to continue negotiations," Anwar was quoted as saying by Sin Chew Daily today.

But Anwar reportedly denied that PR was issuing an ultimatum to SAPP, saying that he only wanted to let the party know that the pact was in its final stages of seat negotiations.

The Borneo Post yesterday reported Anwar as saying that SAPP has to be a strong party to justify its desire for half the seats up for grabs in the coming election.

"As far as the three parties are concerned, it is very good, but then there is very little progress with SAPP; (that) is the report I have. We have to convey this to SAPP because we must have some formula of compromise.

"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 formidable party.

"For now we will not stop discussions but we will have to convey our position on behalf of the three parties which include APS and PPPS," the PKR de facto leader said.

According to the Borneo Post, Anwar said that the parties involved in seat negotiations should not carry out attacks during talks.

"We are negotiating and therefore it is not wise to go on attacking, like this spat between SAPP and DAP," he said, likely referring to reported tension between the two parties.

SAPP had in September declared that the party was eyeing the parliamentary seats of Sepanggar, Penampang and Kota Kinabalu in Sabah – the same seats that DAP wishes to contest.

On December 20, Anwar reportedly rejected claims that PR's seat negotiations with SAPP were faltering.

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 02:02 PM PST

Hindraf is not prepared to give any political block free lunch as it did in 2008 general election.

Athi Shankar, FMT

Hindraf Makkal Sakti will only support a political coalition that gives written pre-election agreement to implement the movement's five-year blueprint for ethnic Indian community.

Either Pakatan Rakyat or Barisan Nasional must pen down written assurances on Hindraf blueprint agreement that they would implement its demands if they come to power in the forthcoming general election.

"That's the condition if either political block wants our backing to canvass Indian votes," Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy made it clear at a gathering here last night.

He stressed that the civil rights movement was not prepared to give any political block free lunch as it did in 2008 general election.

"We will throw our support to any party that gives written endorsement that if they come to power they will implement our blueprint for the betterment of much marginalised working class Indians.

"We will not compromise on this," insisted the Hindraf supremo.

Those present in the Juru community hall raised their arms to give unanimous support to Hindraf's stand.

They also displayed banners and placards in support of Hindraf and its blueprint, and calling PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim and Pakatan to endorse it.

They also give unanimous endorsement to Hindraf's decision to contest in the next election.

Speculations already rife that Waythamoorthy was contemplating to take on MIC president G Palanivel in the next polls, probably in Cameron Highlands parliamentary constituency.

He declined comment when asked about it.

Hindraf's blueprint was launched last month to mark 5th anniversary of the movement's mammoth rally held in KLCC on Nov 25, 2007.

It generally demands for comprehensive and constructive Felda-type socio-economic programmes, such as community re-settlement, quality housing and equal education opportunities, for displaced ethnic Indian plantation workers and their families.

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 01:54 PM PST

MyWatch is claiming that the Home Minister's special liaison officer has powers to bypass the Inspector-General of Police himself.

Teoh El Sen, FMT

Anti-crime watchdog MyWatch alleged today that a police officer with a rank of deputy commissioner [DCP] appointed by Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein as his special liaison officer is 'more powerful' than the Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar himself.

The NGO's chairman R Sri Sanjeevan claimed that this was because the officer was able to bypass the IGP to give instructions to top officers of the Royal Malaysian Police [PDRM], including state police chiefs, state CID chiefs and district police heads.

Sanjeevan said that never in the history of the police force has a liaison officer held such a high rank of DCP, which is even higher ranked than the prime minister's aide-de-camp who is only ranked an Assistant Commissioner of Police [ACP].

The home minister's current liaison officer is identified as DCP Wan Ahmad Najmuddin Mohamad.

"MyWatch urges the home minister to explain why does he need a PDRM liaison officer in his office with the rank of DCP which is equivalent to state CPO position when all the while it was only a Superintendent [Supt] position."

Sanjeevan claimed that this "clearly shows that home minister is indeed meddling into PDRM matters without relaying orders directly to the IGP himself".

"Since the officer advises the home minister, then I think the IGP would have to listen to him as well, right?" he added.

"MyWatch strongly believes that the home minister is having a DCP as PDRM liaison officer… is only because he can give instructions and orders directly to CPOs [state police chiefs], OCCI [state CID chiefs], and OCPD [district police chief]. This is also another form of waste of police resources and shows non-productivity," he said in a press statement.

Sanjeevan also lamented that complaints to Hishammuddin sent to his Twitter account @HishammuddinH2O were only simply forwarded to Wan Ahmad Najmuddin's account @tok_we, which he claimed was a "dormant account" that was hardly used.

Transferred for refusing to follow instructions

FMT understands that the liaison officer was previously a position where a Supt was placed at Bukit Aman to coordinate communications between the two agencies, and assist the Home Ministry in monitoring case files and statistics.

A police source said that the previous officer, ranked Supt, was apparently transferred out when he refused to follow instructions from the home minister. Najmuddin, according to the source, was promoted very fast when he replaced his predecessor.

Previously, MyWatch or The Malaysian Crime Watch Task Force, had claimed that it has in its possession evidence that top police officers were involved in criminal activities, including officers that were involved in money laundering, illegal gambling, prostitution, football bookies and have direct links with underworld figures and kingpins.

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 01:49 PM PST

Sabah DAP totally agrees with Anwar's comment that each party should not demand too much during seat negotiations.

Queville To, FMT

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah DAP has urged Sabah opposition parties, Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) in particular, to respect Pakatan Rakyat leader Anwar Ibrahim's advise to stop attacking each other in the midst of seat negotiation efforts.

"Sabah DAP could not agree more with the advise of Anwar, that it is a matter of principle that all parties must not attack in the midst of negotiations. Therefore, we respect the call by Anwar to stop the spat between DAP and SAPP," said its publicity secretary Chan Foong Hin.

But Chan, while advising SAPP to respect Anwar's advise and to stop attacking DAP, did not let up on his criticism of the Sabah opposition party.

"It is most regrettable that if SAPP continues to repeat their allegations towards DAP such as that we are 'prepared to form the government with Umno', 'attempts to sabotage the PR – SAPP negotiations' etc. It is high time also for SAPP cyber troopers to stop their labelling DAP Sabah as "biaDAP" and "Malayan Party". The first rule of seat negotiations is respecting each other.

"Let us all go back to the negotiation table. Sabah DAP respects Anwar's advise to stop the spat between us and SAPP. This statement is the concluding remarks of all the unhappiness and uneasiness created by the spat in the year of 2012. We look forward for a better year of 2013, when all the oppositions can stay united to work for a change of government by upholding the principle of equality and respect to each other. Any party attempt(ing) to dominate the seats is beyond compromised," he said.

He maintained that SAPP's demand for half of the state seats is the root cause of "little progress" achieved in the seat negotiations among the opposition parties.

Chan demanded SAPP put aside all their political rhetoric such as "state party must control half of the state seats in order to uphold state autonomy" if they really want to continue with seat negotiations to achieve the ultimate goal of 'one to one fight' between the opposition and the Barisan Nasional.

He was responding to Anwar's recent statement that "little progress had been made" in the Pakatan-SAPP seat negotiations.

"Anwar's statement totally contradicted SAPP's statement the day before, which said that Pakatan- SAPP negotiations were almost completed," he said.

"Furthermore, it is evident that Pakatan never agreed with the suggestion by SAPP that "local parties contest the majority of the state seats while Pakatan focuses on parliamentary seats," Chan noted.

Nonetheless, he stressed that Sabah DAP totally agrees with Anwar's comment that each party should not demand too much during seat negotiations.

Chan said such comment was in line with Sabah DAP's principle of equality adopted in seat negotiations, that no single party should be bigger than anyone.

Don’t politicise ‘Allah’ issue, says PKR chief

Posted: 29 Dec 2012 01:25 PM PST

(The Borneo Post) - KUCHING: The basis for arguing whether or not non-Muslims can use the word 'Allah' to refer to God must rest on its context, etymology and the relevant laws surrounding it.

Pointing this out yesterday was PKR Sarawak chief Baru Bian, who said political expediency should not and must not dominate the debate.

"Too much is at stake for it touches on the very heart, soul, and spirit of one's belief and faith regardless of what one believes.

"I, therefore, urge those with differing viewpoints to exercise restraint, tolerance and goodwill. We must be reminded that we are indeed treading on Holy ground," he told a news conference here recently.

Baru, who is also Ba Kelalan assemblyman, also called on both ruling and opposition coalitions to not use the issue as political posturing for the forthcoming 13th general election.

"This is not to suggest that we must avoid discussing it at the appropriate forum."

He said that 10 per cent or more than two million of the population in Malaysia are Christians, and of this, about two thirds are non-Malay Bumiputera Christians mainly in Sabah and Sarawak.

"They rely on the Malay language or Indonesian Bible known as the Alkitab, which uses the word 'Allah' to refer to God.

"The word is of Arabic origin, which predates Islam. Christians of other ethnic communities like the Ibans in Sarawak refer to God as 'Allah Taala' or God Most High in their Bible known as the Bup Kudus."

He, however, said not all Christians used the word 'Allah' to refer to God.

"The context of the Malay-speaking world using the word 'Allah' to refer to God rests on its etymology or the historical development of it.

"The first portion of Christian Scriptures translated into Malay was done in Indonesia for the Gospel of Matthew in 1612, which is 400 years ago.

"This was one year after the authorised version of the Bible was translated into English known as the King James Version (KJV). The Malay translation was also the first non-European language translation of the Bible. Surely, we can treasure this rare heritage as Malaysians."

Baru stressed that East Malaysian Christians had been using 'Allah' to refer to God for generations, and had never caused confusion among Muslims before or after the formation of Malaysia in 1963.

"Why should this cause confusion now after half a century?"

He noted that Rukunegara uses 'Tuhan' and not 'Allah' to refer to God just like the Indonesian Pancasila.

"In terms of common usage, this is a reasonable expression. However, in the Biblical context, the world 'Tuhan' refers to Lord and not God or Allah.

"It is therefore not acceptable to ask Christians to switch the two words and take them to mean what they do not mean in their liturgy and worship.

"One cannot force someone of another religion to change words in their Holy Scriptures simply to satisfy believers of another religion. This is wholly untenable."

He recalled the Kuala Lumpur High Court, on Dec 31, 2009 ruled in favour of the Titular Roman Catholic Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur, who is the publisher of the Herald, that even though Islam is the religion of the Federation, this does not empower the government to prohibit the use of the word 'Allah' in the Malay edition of the Herald.

"It also found that the word Allah was not exclusive to Muslims."

Hence, it must be noted that the said high court verdict was a decision made in the light of Malaysians' religious rights enshrined in the Federal Constitution, he asserted.

"The government has appealed against the decision and the Court of Appeal is yet to rule on the matter.

"But for now, the high court has spoken clearly on the issue and in the circumstances, we should respect our legal system and allow the law to take its course."

Among those present at the news conference were PKR Sarawak vice-chairman See Chee How, who is also Batu Lintang assemblyman, and Wanita PKR vice-chief Voon Shiak Ni.

Penang Malay Congress wants Guan Eng to withdraw statement over the word ‘Allah’

Posted: 28 Dec 2012 07:10 PM PST

(Bernama) - The Penang Malay Congress (KMPP) today urged Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to withdraw his call for the federal government to allow the use of the word "Allah" in the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Christian Bible, and to apologise to all Muslims in the country.

Its president, Rahmad Isahak, said Lim's statement had caused anger among Muslims and discomfort among non-Muslims, who cherished religious harmony in the country.

"Do not deride the word Allah with the aim of gaining sympathy in the political sense," he said in a statement.

Rahmad said the statement by Lim, who is the DAP secretary-general, violated what was enshrined in the rules of the Penang Islamic Religious Council (MAINPP).

"At the level of the state government, the public knows that the State Islamic Religious Council had concluded that 40 words, including Allah, cannot be used by other religions, when the Pakatan Rakyat came to power and it was agreed to by the chief minister himself. Why must he violate something that had been agreed to?" he said.

Rahmad urged State Islamic Religious Affairs Committee chairman Abdul Malik Abul Kassim and DAP vice-chairman Senator Dr Ariffin S.M. Omar to respond to Lim's statement.

PKR smells a rat in carpet man’s deal

Posted: 28 Dec 2012 03:23 PM PST

PKR's Rafizi Ramli says it is no coincidence that a government investment firm has purchased Deepak Jaikishan's company.

Teoh El Sen, FMT

The buying of "carpet man" Deepak Jaikishan's firm Astacanggih Sdn Bhd which coincided with the withdrawal of his lawsuit against a Wanita Umno leader's company over a Defence Ministry land deal yesterday, points towards abuse of power by the government, said an opposition leader.

PKR's strategy director Rafizi Ramli was commenting on the purchase by a unit of a government investment company Boustead Holdings Bhd, which acquired an 80% stake in Astacanggih for RM30 million.

He claimed that it was "no coincidence" and that this pointed towards an "abuse of power" by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and Defence Minister Zahid Hamidi, adding that he was "shocked at the audacity by Najib and Zahid" to make such a move in full view of the public.

"This is clearly the worse investment decision ever taken up by Boustead, and we need some answers from Najib, who has a long history when he was defence minister with majority shareholders Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera [LTAT], which is something owned by the public, especially the servicemen and is something like EPF. We also want to hear from the current minister. To me, it is outright abuse of power," he told FMT.

"This is the point that I think has turned the Deepak issue from sensationalised rumour mongering to clearly an issue of public accountability that needs to be pursued. PKR will start the ball rolling here, I think this is more serious that the NFC [National Feedlot Corporation] scandal, let's see if it snowballs into something bigger," said Rafizi, who would be holding a press conference tomorrow on the matter.

Rafizi also said that his checks so far found that Astacanggih did not have any track record in terms of financial information or balance sheet being filed.

"The whole deal is shielded in secrecy and we found out that the only thing the company has is a RM98 million loan owing to Kuwait Finance House. I can tell you that RM30 million is defintely above premium.

"In normal investment circumstances, nobody would buy a company like this, one that is entangled with a land deal that did not go through," he said, referring to the court case involving Deepak's company and Selangor Wanita Umno chief Senator Raja Ropiaah Abdullah, who was a director in Awan Megah (M) Sdn Bhd.

Rafizi said that the only asset in connection to Awam Megah, which was also purchased by Boustead, for RM130 million, was a land that was still under dispute and the land title was still uncertain.

"I can only conclude that no sane financier or accountant or developer would enter into this unless it is for something else. This is where circumstances are too suspicious, plus it is on the very same day that Deepak actually dropped a legal suit against the federal government," he added.

Rafizi said that PKR and Pakatan Rakyat planned to go to town with how Najib had sacrificed the servicemen's interest just to silence Deepak.

Case withdrawn

Yesterday, FMT reported that Deepak dropped the lawsuit against Awan Megah, a vehicle for Raja Ropiaah, without clear reasons given.

On the same day, Bernama reported that a unit of Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera investment vehicle Boustead Holdings Bhd acquired an 80% stake in Astacanggih Sdn Bhd for RM30 million.

In a filing with Bursa Malaysia, Boustead's wholly-owned unit, Bakti Wira Development Sdn Bhd, acquired the shares from Prestige Dimension Sdn Bhd and other minority shareholders of Astacanggih on Dec 20.

Bakti Wira Development and Astacanggih also signed an agreement with Awan Megah yesterday to acquire 80.94ha of freehold land in Klang, Selangor, for RM130 million.

Boustead said the share purchase and land acquisition would be funded via bank borrowings and internally-generated funds. Boustead explained the acquisition would present an opportunity for the group to expand its land bank.

Previously, Deepak, through Astacanggih, had filed the legal suit with the Kuala Lumpur High Court naming the Malaysian government, Syarikat Tanah Harta Sdn Bhd, Awan Megah and Cebur Megah Development Sdn Bhd, in which he is also a director, as defendants for breach of agreement over the 233.33 acres of land.

Awan Megah had filed a counter-claim in response.

READ MORE HERE

SAPP tells Sabah DAP leader to grow up

Posted: 28 Dec 2012 03:19 PM PST

SAPP has accused DAP of trying to sabotage its bid to work with the Pakatan Rakyat coalition.

Queville To, FMT

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) has accused DAP of trying to sabotage its bid to work with the Pakatan Rakyat coalition to ensure the opposition succeeds in toppling the Barisan Nasional government.

A day after DAP Youth leader and the party's central committee member Junz Wong launched a scathing attack on the local opposition party and accused it of splitting the opposition vote, SAPP's information chief Chong Pit Fah declared that they would not be side-tracked by those bent on playing coalition politics.

Chong stressed that negotiations with Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim would continue despite DAP attempting to undermine the negotiations to let local parties contest a majority of the state seats "while we will render our full cooperation and support to ensure that Pakatan goes to Putrajaya".

"For the sake of the political future of Sabah, we are willing to work on a formula to ensure a one-to-one contest to enhance every opposition candidate's chances of victory over BN candidates," he added.

Wong's statement that was carried on the front page under the title "DAP-SAPP spat over seats rages" by the mainstream media which usually buries opposition stories in their inner pages or does not carry it at all caught many by surprise.

SAPP leaders were curious if the DAP Youth leader's statement that SAPP had "evil intentions" and was out to split the opposition vote represented the coalition's feelings, and that of DAP or merely his own opinion.

Wong justified his attack by claiming that Sabah DAP had been under constant attack by SAPP ever since his party had announced that it would be contesting the Sandakan parliamentary seat and the Elopura, Tanjung Papat and Karamunting state seats in the coming general election.

Confusing opposition supporters

Chong described Wong's statement as politically immature as well as "arrogant and presumptuous" and had confused opposition supporters especially as negotiations were on-going.

SAPP's intention to contest the Sandakan constituencies such as Tanjung Papat and Elopura which was lost to Gerakan after a series of defections has been well known and Chong said the DAP leader was being disingenuous by bringing it up to drive a wedge between SAPP and the coalition.

Wong's outburst also cast doubt on whether its local leaders would toe the line if Pakatan leaders particularly Anwar and senior DAP leaders came to an agreement with SAPP on seat sharing.

The DAP leader categorically stated that whatever Anwar, who is also Pakatan component PKR leader, and SAPP agreed to was strictly between them and had nothing to do with the other coalition members.

"SAPP is not part of Pakatan. SAPP has clarified that they will work with Anwar for possible seat negotiation, which means they will negotiate for seats agreed upon for PKR only, not PAS and certainly not DAP," Wong said in his statement.

"If SAPP thinks (party president) Yong Teck Lee can deal with Pakatan the way SAPP used to deal with BN, then Yong is so wrong! Pakatan is not BN!" he said.

Posted: 28 Dec 2012 03:17 PM PST

PKR strategic director Rafizi Ramli says as long as Pakatan Rakyat is holding Selangor, it will not allow the RM130 million land deal to go through.

Leven Woon, FMT

PKR, through the Selangor government, will block the RM130 million land deal between Lembaga Angakatan Tentera (LTAT)-linked company Bakti Wira Development Sdn Bhd and a Wanita Umno leader's company

PKR strategic director Rafizi Ramli said the deal that involved some 200 acres of land in Bukit Raja, Selangor, came under final purview of state government as it required transferring of titles.

In a filing to Bursa Malaysia two days ago, Bakti Wira, a wholly-owned unit of Boustead Holdings Berhad, signed an agreement with Awan Megah, a vehicle company of Selangor Wanita Umno chief Raja Roppiaah Abdullah to acquire the freehold land at the said price.

This followed after carpet businessman Deepak Jaikishan's company Astacanggih Sdn Bhd dropped a lawsuit against Awan Megah without clear reasons given.

Boustead subsequently agreed to purchase 80% stake in Astacanggih for RM30 million from the businessman who recently made a series of exposes on Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's family.

Posted: 28 Dec 2012 10:15 AM PST

(The Star) - Over 18,000 graduates have had their National Higher Education Corporation (PTPTN) loans converted to scholarships.

The loan conversion is made available to those who obtained first-class honours.

PTPTN chairman Datuk Ismail Mohamed Said said on Friday that a total of 18,098 graduates had their loans, amounting to RM503.34mil, converted to scholarships as at Nov 30 this year.

The loan conversion was previously only available to students who graduated after 2010 but is now available to all eligible graduates.

Graduates who obtained first class honours before Jan 1, 2010, must apply for the loan conversion by June 30, 2013.

Ismail also said many graduates had also made use of the 20% discount offered to those who settled their loans in full.

"Between Oct 1 and Dec 15, 13,900 PTPTN loan beneficia- ries settled their loans in full and a total of RM38.6mil was received as repayment while the discounts offered were worth RM9.59mil.

"Of the 13,900, 629 had pre-viously been blacklisted," he said.

When tabling Budget 2013, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razakhad announced the 20% discount for those who settled their outstanding amounts in full by Sept 30 next year.

Those who fail to meet the deadline but had diligently paid their loans on time for the 12-month period are entitled to a 10% discount.

‘I am priceless, I cannot be bought’

Posted: 27 Dec 2012 07:25 PM PST

He vows to continue on his mission to expose more dirt, especially against the Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor.

Teoh El Sen, FMT

Deepak Jaikishan has declared himself as someone who cannot be bought over or silenced in response to his sudden decision to withdraw a multi-million ringgit legal suit against a Wanita Umno leader yesterday.

"I cannot be bought. I am not for sale. I am priceless," Deepak told FMT today.

Apart from the withdrawal of his suit againt Selangor Umno Wanita chief Senator Raja Ropiaah Abdullah, yesterday also saw a government investment company puchasing a 80% stake in a company in which he is a director, prompting many to believe Deepak has been bought over by the powers-that-be for his silence.

The carpet dealer claimed that he was forced to sell his company, Astacanggih Sdn Bhd for RM30 million to Boustead Holdings Bhd, saying that "very harsh conditions were imposed on me to keep quiet."

But when asked, he did not reveal details of these conditions, and simply explained that he was given a "very nice love letter from the government" that threatened him with an "ultimatum" and very direct warnings.

He vowed that he would continue on his mission to expose more dirt, especially against Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor.

He said that he would be holding a press conference on Jan 1 in which he would launch his booklet "Black Rose" and documents to prove "you know who" gave payments to private investigator P Balasubramaniam.

Deepak said that the deal of RM30 million had only covered the money he had invested into the land deal gone sour with Awan Megah Sdn Bhd, linked to Raja Ropiaah, to which the court case was withdrawn.

"It is true that my shareholders and me have sold our shares in Astacanggih for RM30 million which is our actual cost price of RM13 million for Raja Ropiaah, RM8 million in political contributions, RM7 million of financial costs and RM2 million in legal and miscellaneous costs.

"This was an ultimatum that was forced upon us," he said in an SMS message to the media today.

Deepak complained that the irony was that Raja Ropiaah, whom he claimed "stole" the land from his company, had gotten much more from the land deal.

"Why would I let it go at only RM30 million? I go home with the money I have actually invested. I am paid what I paid. Money given back to me. Raja Ropiaah, on the other hand, get's RM130 million, what the %*&^… guess that is real power isn't it," he said, explaining that the market price for the 200 plus-acre-land is now RM400 million.

Defence Ministry the losers

He added that another irony was that the defence ministry was buying "their own land that they sold to Raja Ropiaah in the first place."

"LTAT bought their own land which they sold to Raja Ropiaah for RM72.5 million at RM130 million, giving her a profit of RM57.5 million plus RM13 million from us and RM18 million from Guppyunip totalling RM88 million and 20 acres of land worth RM40 million.

"The losers are the defence minister and army officers who get cheated by Umno and cheating again by having to buy back the military land at double the price they sold it," said Deepak in another SMS.

"Add all that up, and Raja Ropiaah is a very rich lady, maybe as rich as Shahrizat," he said, adding that despite all that, the government seems to be listening to her and not the truth.

"Just because she is Umno. I guess very soon they will make statues of these people and ask us to pray to them like Gods. Because they have become above the law, they have become like immortals. Let's work together and get these bastards."

READ MORE HERE

DAP-SAPP spat over seats rages

Posted: 27 Dec 2012 07:05 PM PST

Nancy Lai, The Borneo Post

KOTA KINABALU: Trouble seems to be brewing in the opposition front as DAP Sabah and Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) take potshots at each other on several issues, including the seats they are eyeing.

With the 13th general election expected to be held anytime soon and no end in sight to the acrimony between the two opposition parties, the chances of Pakatan Rakyat pulling off a strong alliance against Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) appear increasingly remote.

Continuing the war of words yesterday, DAP Sabah assistant secretary cum National DAPSY Central Committee member Junz Wong issued a strongly worded statement in which he accused SAPP of harbouring "evil intentions" to split the opposition votes in Sabah.

Junz claimed that DAP Sabah has been under attack by SAPP ever since DAP announced that it would be contesting the Sandakan parliamentary seat and the Elopura, Tanjung Papat and Karamunting state seats.

He said SAPP has even claimed that DAP was secretly assisting UMNO to win in the coming election.

"Firstly, DAP demands that (Datuk) Wong Yi Ming apologize for accusing DAP of helping UMNO! DAP has worked for a free and democratic Malaysia for as long as DAP has existed, led by credible leaders such as Lim Kit Siang and Karpal Singh.

"DAP had gone through difficult times when BN was much stronger, fighting BN head-to-head (while SAPP was colluding with BN)," Junz said.

"Even then, DAP did not join BN when invited to join the coalition. There was even one time in Malaysia's history where there was only a lone national opposition representation in Parliament, and that was DAP.

"We strongly reject such intentional, irresponsible and baseless accusations against DAP. SAPP wants Malaysians to be misled so that votes would be split in the coming PRU13. These attempts were made with most evil intentions!," he said.

"Secondly, to contest the Sandakan seats has always been made known within Pakatan component parties. SAPP is NOT part of Pakatan. SAPP has clarified that they will work with Datuk Seri Anwar (Ibrahim) for possible seat negotiation, which means they will negotiate for seats agreed upon for PKR only, not PAS, and certainly NOT DAP.

"If SAPP thinks (Datuk) Yong Teck Lee can deal with Pakatan the way SAPP used to deal with BN, then Yong is so WRONG! Pakatan is NOT BN! BN decisions would be made by (Tun) Dr Mahathir or Pak Lah or Najib, so SAPP just have to deal with the Prime Minister," he asserted.

Junz said that in the spirit of Pakatan Rakyat, consensus among the three parties' top leadership will make the decision, not one single leader.

"SAPP's Yong thinks he can by-pass DAP or PAS by going straight to Anwar to negotiate for DAP seats? By continuously slandering DAP and throwing baseless accusations against DAP has worsened the good faith," he claimed, adding that by not negotiating with DAP on seat allocations, SAPP can only get seats which have been agreed for PKR. (That is if PKR is willing to let go).

Junz said SAPP likes to play the role of 'Mr Know Everything'.

"Its publicity chief Chong Pit Fah has claimed that PKR would stand in Sandakan. SAPP is not part of Pakatan and neither has SAPP ever sat in on any of Pakatan seat negotiation meetings. How would he (Chong) know and make an announcement for PKR-Pakatan? He is giving a price for a car that doesn't belong to him," he claimed.

"Thirdly, SAPP's intentions are obvious and evil. On the one hand SAPP is slandering Pakatan, citing Pakatan is a Malaya party while on the other hand, it keeps fishing for opposition votes by claiming they are working with Pakatan.

"This has caused much confusion as to where SAPP actually stands. Even STAR and PKR has openly asked SAPP to make a clear stand on whether SAPP is joining PR or not!

"Observing the movements of SAPP throughout the years has helped us come to one conclusion.

"SAPP's uncertain position as a 'spoiler' is so apparent. We hope that if SAPP is really sincere in wanting to work together for the sake of the people of Sabah and Malaysia, then SAPP must join Pakatan Rakyat now! Then we can immediately sit down on seats negotiation seriously once and for all. DAP door is always open waiting for SAPP to come knocking."

"Fourthly, Why does SAPP has to 'hentam' (criticize) DAP for wanting to contest in the four Sandakan seats? Hasn't SAPP already shown their arrogance in their continuous call to contest 40 seats?

"DAP has three principles to ensure a straight fight against BN, and DAP reiterates its stand that for a 1-to-1 fight against BN, it must work on the basis of the principles that no party must be larger than the other component parties to ensure a form of check and balance because power corrupts politicians, and this is also against the spirit of social democracy; secondly, to show its sincerity to Malaysians by joining Pakatan Rakyat Sabah secretariat because there is no point of only talking about working with PR as this will only be perceived as attempts to confuse voters, especially Pakatan voters," Junz said.

"The third principle is that there must be respect for Pakatan component parties as a national coalition. Stop slandering PR and misleading voters by branding PR a Malayan coalition," he said.

"DAP has made its stand clear from the very beginning that we want to achieve a one-to-one fight based on these principles. This stand will not be moved. We would also like to remind SAPP that PKR has never promised to let go of all PKR seats, PKR only agrees to give some seats to SAPP. Likewise for DAP.

"DAP will embrace SAPP with open arms and negotiate when SAPP joins PR in agreement to those principles stated above. For now, we would think that the chance is slim as SAPP appears to focus on geographical and demographical politics rather than working for the good of all Malaysians," he said.

"For DAP, we think the damage is done, it's time to do repairs and rectify the situation before it is too late. We hope SAPP can come to its sense that what it has been doing won't help get them anywhere nor would SAPP be doing Malaysian voters any favour ahead of this crucial GE13. In fact, SAPP is indirectly helping BN as their actions would seemingly cause votes to be split.

"We hope in the next 100 days, SAPP will make the right decision to join PR otherwise a three cornered fight becomes inevitable," he said.

‘DAP strongman’s firm behind deforestation in Sungai Relai’

Posted: 27 Dec 2012 06:04 PM PST

(The Star) - MUCH of the 4,000ha Sungai Relai forest reserve is now barren and a DAP strongman has been accused of being involved in the deforestation.

Berita Harian alleged that the land clearing near Gua Musang, Kelantan, was believed to be linked to a plantation company controlled by a senior DAP leader.

Efforts to clear the area was said to have started in April to make way for oil palm cultivation but the daily, which visited the area on Wednesday, said the land remained empty.

It also reported that that the deforestation has caused contamination in Sungai Relai.

Water from the river has become undrinkable, forcing residents to source for water in other villages, the paper said.

The revelation came following a blog posting which alleged that certain DAP leaders were offered land in Kelantan as an inducement to allow PAS assemblyman Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin to assume the position of the Perak Mentri Besar after the 2008 elections.

Both the senior DAP leader and Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, who is also the PAS spiritual leader, have since lodged police reports over the accusations.

Penang Muslim Network takes to the streets over ‘Allah’ issue

Posted: 27 Dec 2012 05:59 PM PST

Penang Muslim Network members demonstrate over the "Allah" issue at Masjid Simpang Enam near Komtar. — Picture by K.E. Ooi

Opalyn Mok, The Malaysian Insider

Penang Muslim Network (JMPP) members marched 500 metres from a mosque in Macalister Road to Komtar after Friday prayers today to demand an apology from DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng over his call for the federal government to allow the use of the word "Allah" in Malay-language bibles.

The group comprising about 50 members, led by JMPP coordinator Mohd Hafiz Mohd Nordin, carried banners demanding that "Father Joseph Lim Guan Eng" apologise and retract his statement as they started the march at about 2pm.

Two Federal Reserve Unit trucks and several police patrol units were already waiting for the demonstrators at the Komtar underpass where the demonstrators stopped and shouted through loud hailers.

Earlier, a scuffle almost broke out when the police tried to stop the demonstrators from marching to Komtar after they gathered in front of the mosque.

However, after a brief negotiation between the members of the group and the police, they were allowed to march through the busy Penang Road, effectively closing off the whole road and bringing traffic to a standstill.

At the Komtar underpass, the group recited a prayer and shouted for Lim, who is also Penang chief minister, to retract his statement and also for Muslims in Penang not to trust Pakatan Rakyat (PR).

"Even in delivering a Christmas message, he had to include such religious sentiments against the Muslims, this showed how insensitive and discriminatory the PR and DAP are," claimed Mohd Hafiz.

He also said Lim's statement is not only an insult to all Muslims in the country but also an insult to the King.

On Monday, Lim issued a Christmas message where he urged the federal government to allow the use of the word "Allah" in the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Christian Bible for east Malaysia, the Alkitab.

This created a huge uproar with even PAS joining in to insist that Christians should not use "Allah" in the Alkitab as it does not reflect the actual meaning of "God" in the original text.

The Internet is also rife with Muslim blogs criticising Lim over his statement and demanding that he issue a retraction and apologise.

Today, DAP national chairman Karpal Singh called for calm over this issue while pointing out that many non-Muslims in the country use the word too.

Posted: 27 Dec 2012 05:54 PM PST

Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider

Perak DAP chief Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham today denied a news report claiming that Upayapadu Plantation Sdn Bhd has been logging for timber on a piece of land in Kelantan, which Barisan Nasional (BN) lawmakers recently alleged had been corruptly awarded to the firm.

The Beruas MP clarified in a statement here that the firm was instead involved in a reforestation project that was previously encouraged and supported by both the Kelantan state and federal governments.

"I would like to emphasise that Upayapadu Plantation Sdn Bhd has not taken out any single log from the land it has undertaken to do reforestation since some investors and I took over the company in April this year," he said.

Ngeh insisted that the news report, carried by a Malay daily yesterday, was a lie, and alleged that the pictures published in the newspaper showing timber being carted out of the land had likely been taken from elsewhere.

He said that contrary to the report, he and other investors in Upayapadu were merely carrying out reforestation at the site, in order to help produce sufficient, sustainable timber supply for the future.

"Apart from the Kelantan government, the project undertaken by Upayapadu Plantation was supported by the then Plantation Industries and Commodities Industries minister Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui and the then deputy minister of Rural and Regional Development Datuk Awang Adek Hussin," he said.

Ngeh also denied that the reforestation project would affect the livelihood of the Orang Asli, claiming that none of the indigenous tribes live on the said land.

"I have been transparent and have explained all questions raised with regards to Upayapadu Plantation Sdn Bhd.

"I believe BN raised it to divert attention from the billions of ringgit worth of land scandals that I have raised," he said.

Ngeh and his cousin and Taiping MP Nga Kor Ming have been, in recent days, accused by BN lawmakers in the Perak legislative assembly of getting kickbacks from PAS in exchange for letting PAS take the mentri besar's position after the 12th general elections four years ago.

READ MORE HERE

Sabah immigration dishing-out MyKads?

Posted: 27 Dec 2012 04:43 PM PST

It apparently takes only two hours to process a new MyKad at the Immigration Department in Sabah's Federal Administrative Complex, claims DAP.

Queville To, FMT

KOTA KINABALU: Why is the Immigration Department in Sabah processing new MyKads and change of addresses? And when did the National Registration Department (NRD) appoint the Immigration Department to handle MyKads in Sabah?

Posing these question, Sabah DAP said it was tipped off by the members of the public that the process of changing to the new MyKads and address could be done at the Immigration Department in the Federal Administrative Complex here and that the procedure took only two hours.

"It is being done at the Immigration Department, which is suppose to only handle passport and work pass. Since when is the Immigration Department also doing the job of the National Registration Department?" the party's Tanjung Aru chief, David Chong Ket Sui asked.

Chong further claimed that he received information that most of those who were changing their MyKad and address were from Pulau Gaya, Telipok, Menggatal and Karambunai.

"Most of these people are from the Bajau Filipino community who are changing their address to Kota Kinabalu and Sembulan.

"We believe the move is facilitated by a group of people offering a sum of money ranging from RM100 to RM200 for them to change their address in their MyKad and in the process move their voting constituency," said Chong in a statement issued today.

He claimed that all the people had to do was to select areas such as Karamunsing, Kampung Air and Sinsuran as their new address, even though they are not residing in these places.

Chong believes that there is a plan by some in the Barisan Nasional to change the demographics of the Chinese majority constituencies such as Kota Kinabalu.

"The BN is moving voters from other constituencies to the Chinese-majority constituency to change the demography and give them a chance to win in the coming election," he claimed.

READ MORE HERE

Allah debate: Let court decide

Posted: 27 Dec 2012 04:31 PM PST

A Sarawak assemblyman says it is "unacceptable" to force "a religion to change words in their Holy Scriptures simply to satisfy believers of another religion."

Joseph Tawie, FMT

KUCHING: Both Barisan Nasional and opposition leaders have been urged to restrain from making comments on the use of the term "Allah" in reference to God and to allow the Court of Appeal to rule on the matter.

The government appealed a 2009 High Court decision favouring the church based on the the Federal Constitution.

In making this appeal, Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian said: "Political expediency should not and must not dominate the debate."

"The basis for arguing whether non-Muslims can use the word 'Allah' to refer to God must rest on its context, etymology, and the relevant laws surrounding it.

"Too much is at stake for it touches on the very heart, soul, and spirit of one's belief and faith regardless of what one believes.

"I, therefore, urge those with differing viewpoints to exercise restraint, tolerance and goodwill. We must be reminded that we are indeed treading on holy ground. This is not to suggest that we must avoid discussing it at the appropriate forum."

He further urged BN and the opposition to agree to a common moratorium not to use the Allah or Alkitab issue in the forthcoming general election.

Some 10 percent of Malaysia's population are Christians but they are the collective majority in East Malaysia's Sarawak and Sabah.

In both Sarawak and in Sabah, the Malay speaking bumiputera Christians rely mainly on the Indonesian Bible.

"Christians of other ethnic communities like the Ibans in Sarawak refer to God as 'Allah Taala' or God Most High in their Bible known as the Bup Kudus.

"They rely on the Malay language or Indonesian Bible known as the Alkitab, which uses the word 'Allah' to refer to God. The word is of Arabic origin, which predates Islam," he said.

Misplaced proposition

Bian who is Ba Kelalan assemblyman further explained that the first portion of Christian scriptures translated into Malay was done in Indonesia for the Gospel of Matthew in 1612, four hundred years ago.

"Some have suggested that this is an East Malaysian problem and therefore the word 'Allah' can be used there while over in the peninsula, the word should be 'Tuhan'.

"This proposition is misplaced as it suggests we have two 'Malaysias' instead of 1Malaysia. This is dangerous for national unity," Bian warned.

He also reminded peninsular leaders that tens of thousands of East Malaysian Christians were working in the peninsula and this did not include a sizeable Orang Asli community who were also Christians.

"Do we want to deny them their constitutional right to refer to God as Allah as they do back home?

"East Malaysian Christians have been using 'Allah' to refer to God for generations. This has never caused confusion among Muslims before or after the formation of Malaysia in 1963.

"Why should this cause confusion now after half a century?" he asked.

He pointed out that Rukunegara used 'Tuhan' and not 'Allah' to refer to God just like the Indonesian Pancasila.

"In terms of common usage, this is a reasonable expression. However, in the Biblical context, the word 'Tuhan' refers to Lord and not God or Allah.

"It is, therefore, not acceptable to ask Christians to switch the two words and take them to mean what they do not mean in their liturgy and worship.

"One cannot force someone of another religion to change words in their Holy Scriptures simply to satisfy believers of another religion. This is wholly untenable," he lamented.

READ MORE HERE

‘Wake up to the ways of PAS’

Posted: 27 Dec 2012 01:52 PM PST

(The Star) - Christians, especially the urban middle class, must wake up to the ways of PAS which has announced its objection to the use of the word "Allah" in churches and the absence of Christmas messages from the leaders of the Islamist party, MCA said.

MCA central committee member Loh Seng Kok said Christians should not allow themselves to be persuaded by DAP to support PAS in order to express their unhappiness against the Barisan Nasional.

"The DAP has tried to show that PAS has become liberal but the reality is that the Islamist party has consistently showed its intolerant ways towards other minorities," he said.

Loh, a Christian, was commenting on a statement by PAS information chief Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man that the word "Allah" was sacred to Muslims and its sanctity should be protected.

The PAS leader had said that the should not be used recklessly, like to refer or liken Allah to His creations or anything which resembled His servants.

Tuan Ibrahim was quoted as saying this in the PAS' official online portalHarakah Daily.

He was responding to a call by DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, in his Christmas Day message on Monday, that Christians should be allowed to use the word "Allah" in the Malay version of the Bible.

Loh said the statement by Tuan Ibrahim was a "wake up call" to Christians who still supported PAS and that it was time for them to reject the Islamist party.

He also took a snipe at Lim, saying there was no reason for the DAP leader to exploit religion during Christmas, saying it was a festive occasion to be celebrated by all Malaysians.

"It is distasteful for Lim to use his Christmas message to raise emotive religious issues and that reflects badly of him. This is the time to call on all to bring peace and not to score political points," he added.

Loh also pointed out the absence of Christmas messages from PAS leaders, saying it was very telling of the position of PAS on the celebration of Christmas.

Sabah MCA vice-chairman Chew Kok Woh said the word "Allah" was freely used by churches in Sabah and Sarawak and that it was accepted by the Barisan Nasional government.

He said there was no need for anyone to rekindle the controversy as even in the peninsula, the word "Allah" has been used by the orang asli and even the Baba in Malacca, adding that the DAP should stop dividing Malaysians.

In a rare breaking of ranks in the opposition coalition, Johor DAP deputychairman Norman Fernandez has hit out at the PAS leadership, saying they were a danger to all non-Muslims.

"While (Datuk Seri) Najib Tun Razak (who is a Muslim) sent SMS to all Christians, it is worth noting that no PAS leader has sent season's greeting to Christians. Apparently its highly sensitive for PAS Muslims to wish Christians "Merry Christmas" because it can effect their aqidah and make them apostates," he wrote in a blog on Christmas day.

DAP's Anthony Loke proposes ban on "sexy performers"

Posted: 27 Dec 2012 01:49 PM PST

(The Star) - The DAP has proposed banning "sexy singers" from all its party functions but this has earned it a rebuke from MCA, which says the former is bowing to Islamist party PAS, its partner in Pakatan Rakyat.

DAP national organising secretary Anthony Loke has proposed the ban, saying he would raise the matter at the next central executive committee meeting.

"When people come to our party functions, they come to listen to political speeches, not for indecent entertainment," he said.

He said guidelines should be drawn up and distributed to all party branches to prevent performers from dressing inappropriately.

The proposal came following a controversy in Telemong, Bentong last month when a performance was halted abruptly after "complaints" that the singer was dressed "too sexily".

The villagers who attended the event were upset over the cancellation, saying it was a slap in the face for the Chinese community as the DAP had bowed to pressure from PAS leaders.

MCA central committee member Datuk Ti Lian Ker slammed Loke's proposal saying it amounted to the DAP endorsing the policies of PAS as well as supporting the Islamist party's interpretation of decent dressing for non-Muslims.

He said sleeveless shirts and shorts were deemed inappropriate by PAS, questioning whether the DAP and PAS were now becoming "moral and fashion policemen".

Recently, MCA leaders have slammed Loke for being a PAS apologist in view of his constant defence of the Islamist party's policies.

They said he had "betrayed" non-Muslim voters when he concurred with PAS that gender segregation was all right at PAS events.

Yesterday, Loke, maintained that his proposal had nothing to do with pressure from PAS, and that no PAS leaders were present when the performance in Bentong was called off.

Last week, Bentong Dapsy chairman Chow Yu Hui was challenged by 15 village chiefs to slice off the head of a cockerel to prove that he did not cancel the performance.

Chow, however, did not turn up as he said there was "no point" in prolonging the issue. The act of cutting a cockerel's head at a temple is a Chinese tradition to prove one's innocence.

Stop demanding religious equality, says ex-Fatwa Council chief

Posted: 27 Dec 2012 01:28 PM PST

(The Malaysian Insider) - Non-Muslims should drop their demand to use "Allah" for their gods as the Arabic word is fundamental to Islamic belief and therefore exclusive to Muslims, National Fatwa Council former chairman Datuk Dr Ismail Ibrahim was reported saying in a Malay daily.

Ismail was weighing in on the latest debate over the Arabic word for god, in a row between Islamist opposition party PAS and its secular ally, DAP, which appears to be a hot-button topic in the run-up to national polls due soon.

"Enough is enough, enough with all the other policies, including the ones enshrined in the Constitution that has been claimed for equality, to be granted equal rights... therefore the right to recognise the concept of the divinity in this religion, don't grab, challenge and manipulate so. The name 'Allah' is still something basic and fundamental to Islam.

"The name 'Allah', from a philosophical point, its definition and concept is not equal with the name Tuhan, God, Lord and so on in the usage of other religions," he was quoted as saying by Sinar Harian in its front-page report today.

Ismail was further reported saying those insisting the word "Allah" be allowed for use in Malay bibles should desist due to linguistic and cultural differences.

He gave an example that Arabs could swear by the word "Wallahi" hundreds of times in their daily conversation but the oath was incomparable to that understood by Muslim Malaysians in the local language and that this difference between an ordinary oath and the Syariah term was explained in the Quran.

"The same, therefore, with the use of the name 'Allah' that is being attempted to be compared with other languages, especially Arabic, even though this comparison should be understood from a linguistic and cultural angle between Malay and Arabic," Ismail told the newspaper.

Without naming anyone, he urged the parties against looking for petty reasons to justify the usage of "Allah" for the Christian god.

Utusan justified to carry comment by Hasan Ali

Posted: 27 Dec 2012 01:13 PM PST

(NST) - KUALA LUMPUR: A Malay daily was justified to carry a comment by Datuk Hasan Ali in response to opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's interview with the BBC as the matter touched on public interest.

Lawyer Datuk Firoz Hussein Ahmad Jamaluddin told the High Court yesterday Utusan Malaysia (UM) and Hasan Ali, the then Selangor PAS Commissioner, must be given the right to freedom of speech.

"As a newspaper, UM has the duty to publish matters of public interest. What politicians utter is also of public interest," he said in his submission before judge Datuk V.T. Singham.

Firoz was submitting in a RM50 million defamation suit brought by Anwar against the defendants for publishing an article attributing to Hasan in reaction to his (Anwar) interview with BBC regarding Malaysia's laws on homosexuals.

Anwar, who had named the publisher Utusan Melayu (M) Bhd and its group editor Abdul Aziz Ishak as defendants, is also seeking aggravated and exemplary damages and other relief deemed fit by the court.

Feroz said a news report had a short life span and could become stale the following day.

He said newspapers were competing with broadcast and other social media and that was why it was urgent to break a news as soon possible.

Feroz said Anwar's statement attracted Hasan to respond in that he was not in agreement with the opposition leader's stand.

At this juncture Singham interjected and asked whether Anwar's statement meant he wanted to legalise homosexuality.

Feroz replied in the affirmative as Anwar had uttered in the BBC intereview that "we should not be seen as punitive".

Singham said the newspaper should have sought clarification from Anwar as in certain circumstances issues relating to race and religion were sensitive.

Counsel N. Surendran, who is representing Anwar, said the news report attributing to Hasan meant that his client was unfit to be a leader.

He said the media law, including the Defamation Act, only gave protection to responsible journalism.

Surendran said UM's report implied that Anwar encouraged homosexuality.

He said Anwar's reference to the word punitive only meant harshness of punishment, not promoting homosexuality.

"The publication in UM is therefore a false statement and the defendants' have no defence to rely on," he said, adding that the defendants' position that news had short life span tantamount to opening the door to publish false news.

"Newspapers must get verification before going to print," he said.

Singham will deliver his written judgment on Jan 21.

Deepak withdraws case against Wanita Umno leader

Posted: 27 Dec 2012 04:30 AM PST

A lawsuit against Awan Megah (M) Sdn Bhd, allegedly a vehicle for Selangor Umno Wanita chief Senator Raja Ropiaah Abdullah, was withdrawn without reasons.

Teoh El Sen, FMT

Controversial businessman Deepak Jaikishan today withdrew a lawsuit against a Wanita Umno leader's company over a Defence Ministry land deal which went sour.

The withdrawal was confirmed by Saseedharan Menon, the lawyer for the main defendant, Awan Megah (M) Sdn Bhd which belonged to Selangor Umno Wanita chief Senator Raja Ropiaah Abdullah.

"Yes, they have withdrawn [it] and the court has struck off the case," he told FMT. He said that reasons behind the sudden withdrawal today, which was fixed for oral submissions, were not given.

"We had no objections to the withdrawal and there were no orders as to costs," he said "This is no out-court-settlement."

Saseedharan said the withdrawal would vindicate Raja Roopiah, saying: "It has to vindicate my client as the withdrawal comes from the plaintiff himself"

Meanwhile, lawyer Latheefa Koya said that Deepak had changed his lawyers on short notice today.

"We are no longer his lawyers on record," she said, referring to lead counsel R Sivarasa and N Surendran.

She said that Deepak's matter, including the withdrawal, was handled by another firm, adding that no reason was given for the change of lawyers.

Deal to build defence research centre

Previously, Deepak, through the company Astacanggih Sdn Bhd, of which he is a director, had filed the legal suit in the Kuala Lumpur High Court naming the Malaysian government, Syarikat Tanah Harta Sdn Bhd, Awan Megah and Cebur Megah Development Sdn Bhd, in which he is also a director, as defendants for breach of agreement over the 233.33 acres of land.

Awan Megah had filed a counter-claim in response.

High Court judge Zabariah Mohd Yusof had earlier struck out the Malaysian government, Syarikat Tanah Harta and Cebur Megah as defendants in the suit, a decision later upheld by the Court of Appeal.

READ MORE HERE

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

Selasa, 1 Januari 2013

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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