Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Philippines detains "militants" trying to flee Malaysia
- Ex-army general slams govt's handling, demands apology
- CM takes police to task over remarks on threats
- Azizah: Divine Will made Saiful's father come to his senses
- 'Anwar gave okay for DAP to contest Bentong'
- Face to Face with Dzulkefly Ahmad: PAS will stand by its principles
- Sabah: Malaysia blocks Philippines access to clan members
- Lahad Datu: Jamalul Kiram Rules Out Disengagement From Sabah
- Sabah – the question that won’t go away
- Review of Malaysian musical reveals shocking anti-LGBT propaganda
- WikiLeaks reveals MNLF wants to regain Sabah
- PKR: Anwar may be arrested over Lahad Datu
- Is 'Tanda Putera' another GE propaganda?
- Time to end the party
- Sugumar issue: ‘Stop lying, Surendran’
- Lahad Datu terrorist intrusion a wake-up call for Malaysia: Najib
- 'Altantuya doesn't want me to die yet'
- Entry denied to avoid misreporting, says Zahid
- Sabah stand-off: Philippine armed intruders shoot dead Malaysian soldier
- EC confident 13th GE can be held simultaneously nationwide
- Musa Hitam: Do not insult the electorate
- Rafizi: Cops watched as Umno supporters attacked PKR Hq
- Wong Tack to contest Bentong on DAP ticket
- CM: Pakatan willing to lose votes over RM6.3b project
- NGO starts signature campaign against Pulau Tikus project
- PI Bala to take a break after heart attack
- Cousins out to oust Kula from Ipoh seat
- Spotlight on alleged abuses of Filipinos as Sulu incursion continues
- Engineer lodges police report on PKR flag
- Whose tool is Fareez?
- GE13: Who Will Be Selangor MB If Barisan Nasional Wins?
- Kamalanathan: Pakatan rule is no different from BN
- Battle over 'souls' of the people
- No certain votes for BN despite uniform pay hike, say analysts
- Recovering Queen signs Commonwealth charter
- ‘Even women, children targeted in Sabah’
- Sulu envoy to talk peace with Malaysia?
- PI Bala: I wasn’t promised RM700,000
- ‘Prepare for future security threats’
- ‘Anwar promised RM700,000 to PI Bala’
- Saiful’s dad joins PKR
- Saiful, father’s Sodomy II tiff won’t alter GE13 results, say analysts
- Pakatan capable of forming Perak govt
- Kiram daughter slams Aquino anew
- ‘We’re treated like animals’
- Serb-Croatian Kiss Is The Bravest Thing Ever (PHOTO)
| Philippines detains "militants" trying to flee Malaysia Posted: 13 Mar 2013 08:04 AM PDT
Filipino evacuees fleeing the Malaysian state of Sabah arrive on a Philippine Navy boat in Bongao town, Tawi-Tawi province, southern Philippines yesterday. (AFP) - The Philippines Navy said it had detained 35 suspected Filipino militants on Wednesday as they sought to sail home from a military offensive against them in the Malaysian state of Sabah. They are believed to be remnants of a band of up to 300 followers of a self-proclaimed Filipino sultan who entered Sabah a month ago to stake a territorial claim to the area, regional military chief Rey Ardo said. "They were coming back (home)... they are armed," Lieutenant-General Ardo said on ABS-CBN television, confirming less detailed reports of their arrest by the Philippine Navy. The self-proclaimed Sultan of Sulu, whose ancestors ruled over parts of the what is now the southern Philippines and Sabah centuries ago, vowed his men would not leave until Malaysia recognised their territorial claims. However after a stand-off that lasted more than two weeks, Malaysian security forces launched a major operation against the gunmen. Malaysian authorities have reported that 64 people have been killed, mostly militants, and 97 followers of the sultan have been arrested in Sabah. Security operations are continuing. The 35 people seized on Wednesday were on two small boats that were intercepted by two navy patrol vessels on the Philippine side of the sea border with Malaysia, navy spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Gregory Fabic told AFP. They were sailing to a Philippine island about 60 kilometres (35 miles) from the area of Sabah at the heart of the security offensive, according to Ardo, the regional military commander. Fabic and Ardo said there were 34 men and one woman aboard the boats, both of which carried guns. Ardo said one of the men was wounded, possibly from the Sabah clashes.
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| Ex-army general slams govt's handling, demands apology Posted: 13 Mar 2013 04:58 AM PDT
(Harakah Daily) - Failure of Malaysia's military intelligence is the main reason behind the current conflict in Lahad Datu which has so far claimed the lives of 10 Malaysian security personnel including two soldiers, said retired army deputy chief Lt-Gen (Rtd) Abdul Ghafir Abdul Hamid (pic). Ghafir told a forum yesterday that this happened because the military had been used for political purposes and thus lost its focus.
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| CM takes police to task over remarks on threats Posted: 13 Mar 2013 04:56 AM PDT
(The Star) - Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng is not satisfied with police reaction to threats made against him. Commenting on the latest protest against him last Friday, Lim said he was disappointed with the remarks made by police on the matter. He said the state government could not accept police explanation that security at the Komtar building was solely the management's responsibility. It was reported that the protesters had hurled abuses at Lim and banged on the locked glass doors on Komtar Level 3. The group from the Penang Muslim Network staged a demonstration over the Allah issue and had wanted to present Lim with a wall clock. They dispersed 20 minutes later, leaving the clock at the door. George Town OCPD Asst Comm Gan Kong Meng was subsequently reported as saying that the incident was being investigated under Section 9 (1) of the Peaceful Assembly Act and that a few of the protesters would be called up for questioning. ACP Gan said police were there to maintain public order and had advised the protesters to disperse peacefully. He also said the security at the Komtar building was solely the management's responsibility. Lim claimed that there was no attempt by the police present to stop the protesters whom he claimed were trying to destroy public property. ACP Gan declined to comment on Lim's statement.
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| Azizah: Divine Will made Saiful's father come to his senses Posted: 13 Mar 2013 04:53 AM PDT
(Harakah Daily) - Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, wife of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, said it was Divine will which has made the father of sodomy accuser Saiful Bukhari Azlan to now say that his son's accusation is baseless. The PKR president, saying the statement last week by Azlan Mohd Lazim had vindicated her husband, said it was meaningful although the admission came a little late. "I am grateful to God, I never expected this... On Allah can move a man's heart," she was quoted as saying by PKR organ Keadilandaily.
The High Court acquitted Anwar of the charge early last year, but the attorney general's chambers has appealed against the verdict with the case fixed for hearing in July.
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| 'Anwar gave okay for DAP to contest Bentong' Posted: 13 Mar 2013 04:42 AM PDT
by Pathma Subramaniam, fz.com DAP says its announcement of Himpunan Hijau chairperson Wong Tack as the party's candidate for the Bentong parliamentary constituency was made with the blessings of PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. DAP secretary general Lim Guan Eng had made the announcement at a press conference yesterday, saying Wong will contest under the DAP banner. This is despite the fact that PKR had contested the seat in the 2008 polls. Contacted today, DAP organising secretary Anthony Loke, who is privy to talks on seats negotiation among Pakatan Rakyat parties, insisted that DAP only called for the press conference after confirming the matter with Anwar, who is also the Opposition Leader. The announcement has caused discord among Pahang Pakatan leaders, with state PKR chief Datuk Fauzi Abdul Rahman claiming that he was not aware of the decision. He told fz.com that "as far as Pahang PKR is concerned, we will put up our own candidate." Loke, however, said this could be because the decision had probably not been relayed to the state PKR yet. "When Wong had expressed his interest, they (PKR) found out about it and insisted that Wong contest under PKR's ticket. But we had already made the offer earlier," he told fz.com. Pahang DAP chief Leong Ngah Ngah, meanwhile, pointed out that the Bentong seat - currently represented by Health Minister and MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai - had traditionally been contested by the DAP prior to the 2008 election. In 2008, Pakatan fielded candidates in all 14 parliamentary constituencies in the state, with PKR contesting six seats and winning two - Indera Mahkota and Kuantan. The DAP contested in the Cameron Highlands and Raub parliamentary constituencies but lost in both. It just managed to win two - Traing and Tras - of the seven state seats it contested. Although DAP had traditionally contested in Bentong and Raub, it gave up Bentong and went for Cameron Highlands in 2008. Leong refused to comment on the switch, saying these are "internal party matters". The DAP veteran also refused to divulge if the party would give up a seat now that it is contesting in Bentong again. "Nevertheless, I don't think there will be a three-cornered fight for the (Bentong) seat. It will be one against another," he said. PKR deputy president Azmin Ali told fz.com that Bentong is among the seats still being discussed by a Pakatan committee which oversees seats negotiations. He noted that PKR's G Ponusamy had lost there in 2008 and DAP was keen to contest there this time. "I can't share what was discussed at our last meeting on Feb 27 but if they are now gunning for Bentong, what are the seats they are willing to swap with us?," he said. He added that in principle Pakatan partners only discussed about areas where their contenders had previously lost, and the choice of candidates is solely the prerogative of the respective parties.
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| Face to Face with Dzulkefly Ahmad: PAS will stand by its principles Posted: 13 Mar 2013 04:35 AM PDT
by Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani, fz.com PAS must remain consistent and not flip flop on issues that may hurt its electoral support among the Malay community, says Kuala Selangor MP and PAS central committee member Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said his party. "When we argue, we argue from the Quran and what it says. We argue from the tradition of the Prophet and what it says. It is not whether we are going to be winning or losing votes... It is making it clear first principally, where does it (the argument) stand," he said during an interview on fz.com's Face to Face programme today. During the 40-minute session, Dzulkefly answered questions and offered his views about PAS' direction, the party's image and its relationship within Pakatan Rakyat. He spoke at length on the party's stand on the use of the word of "Allah" and also admitted that there was still confusion between the concept of Malay-Islam and Islam-Islam. Dzulkefly stressed that the party has moved on from its aim to establish an Islamic state but now is bringing the agenda of a "benevolent state". "If anything, it is an evolution and progression... I am not quite sure what the people mean by an Islamic state but I think if a truly democratic functional state is in place, you have as well in that situation Islam being the Islamic state," he said. On Islamic law, he said PAS would not force it unto non-Muslims and emphasised that the party will only implement syariah laws if given mandate through the ballot box. "We are truly a bona fide Islamist political party and we will not have any of our policies implemented through the back door," he said. When asked if PAS will support PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister should Pakatan comes to power despite party conservatives who are not in favour of the former DPM, he didn't see any reason not to. "It is the opinion of some. You have to respect the opinion of some section. Isn't that freedom? To be able express your liking and disliking... you must be allowed to express your opinion. If you pin them down the minute they express (their opinion) ... people would not be brave enough to express their opinion," he said. "In a democracy, you don't have 100 per cent support in anything. In democracy, it's about managing differences," he added.
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| Sabah: Malaysia blocks Philippines access to clan members Posted: 12 Mar 2013 09:07 PM PDT
(AP) - Kiram told The Associated Press in Manila on Wednesday that personally meeting his younger brother, who is leading the Filipinos in Sabah, would be crucial in ending the standoff without further casualties. "It will be difficult if we can't get Malaysia's cooperation," Kiram said in response to Anifah's comments. Malaysian authorities will not let armed members of a Filipino royal clan who are being hunted in Borneo meet with Philippine officials or family members who might seek to negotiate their safety, the foreign minister said Wednesday. Clashes sparked by the clansmen's intrusion into Malaysia's Sabah state have killed 56 Filipinos and nine Malaysian police and army personnel this month, according to Malaysian government estimates. The clan wants to reassert a decades-old territorial claim to the eastern Borneo state, which is a short boat ride from the southern Philippines. One of the clan's Philippine-based leaders, Esmail Kiram II, said earlier this week that a group of Filipinos could try entering the area to meet the clansmen and discuss how to resolve the crisis if a cease-fire is declared. Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said Wednesday that authorities could not guarantee the safety of any negotiators. "This is not the right time, this is not the right place for any outsiders apart from the security personnel to be in the area," Anifah told reporters after briefing more than 80 foreign diplomats about the crisis. Anifah reiterated Malaysia's stance that the Filipino gunmen must surrender unconditionally and face prosecution. Kiram told The Associated Press in Manila on Wednesday that personally meeting his younger brother, who is leading the Filipinos in Sabah, would be crucial in ending the standoff without further casualties. "It will be difficult if we can't get Malaysia's cooperation," Kiram said in response to Anifah's comments. Malaysian and Philippine authorities had tried to convince the clansmen to leave peacefully after they began occupying a remote village on Sabah's eastern seaboard last month. The crisis turned violent when the Filipinos killed two policemen March 1, leading to military airstrikes and mortar attacks last week that drove the clansmen out of the village into hiding in palm oil plantations nearby. Anifah said Malaysian authorities would also not grant legal access for now to dozens of Filipinos detained in Sabah on suspicion of providing help or information to the clansmen. They are being held under a national security law that allows detention without trial for up to 28 days before they must be freed or brought to court. Kiram's younger brother, Agbimuddin, has said he would rather die than surrender his Philippine sultanate's rights to Sabah, which he said has belonged to his clan and its followers for centuries. Sabah, which is rich in timber and oil, has been part of Malaysia since 1963. On Wednesday, two Philippine navy gunboats intercepted 35 suspected followers of Agbimuddin who apparently fled Sabah aboard two motor boats and were traveling back to the southern Philippines, regional military commander Lt. Gen. Rey Ardo said. The men were carrying 11 firearms and at least one was wounded and treated on a Philippine navy ship off Tawi Tawi, the country's southernmost province, he said. Navy officials said the men would be turned over to local police for investigation. Philippine navy vessels patrolling the sea border with Malaysia have also intercepted Filipino settlers who were leaving following the violence amid concerns about a Malaysian crackdown on Filipino suspects. |
| Lahad Datu: Jamalul Kiram Rules Out Disengagement From Sabah Posted: 12 Mar 2013 09:02 PM PDT
(Malaysian Digest) - "The truth is I don't like him to talk to anybody. If possible, I told him to stay with me," Kiram said. "There is no (negotiation on disengagement). I don't like that. It's like playing baseball. I'm already on the third base, why would I leave? Why would I go out? Sultan Jamalul Kiram III today ruled out the possibility of his armed followers leaving Sabah soon, saying he did not authorize his younger brother to negotiate with the government about the "disengagement" of the sultanate's "royal army" from the east Malaysian state the sultanate claims to own. Speaking to reporters at his residence in Taguig City, Kiram maintained that while he allowed his brother, Sultan Bantilan Esmail Kiram II, to meet with Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, he did not give the green light to negotiate on behalf of the sultanate.
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| Sabah – the question that won’t go away Posted: 12 Mar 2013 08:55 PM PDT
All stakeholders including the various heirs of the Sultan of Sulu, the Malaysian Government and the Republic of the Philippines will have to sit down and resolve the claim once and for all. They cannot simply sweep the Sabah incursion under the rug and forget about it. Failing to settle the Sabah issue will create a mirage of peace and security that is waiting to be shattered. New Mandala In 1967, Operation Merdeka was initiated by the late President Ferdinand Marcos. The main objective was to annex Sabah for the Philippines. The legal basis of the operation was the claim of the Sultan of Sulu and his heirs to Sabah. The Sultan's heirs insist that the resource-rich land still belonged to them. They believe that it was simply leased (pajak) to the British East India Company in 1878 and was illegally transferred by the British in 1963, when it became part of the Federation of Malaysia (watch this video to get one view of the complexities). The heirs of the Sultan of Sulu, being citizens of the Philippines, gave then President Marcos the mandate to reclaim Sabah as part of the country. The standing policy of the Philippines on Sabah is articulated in the Republic Act 5546 of 1968, which provides in Section 2: "The definition of the baselines of the territorial sea of the Philippine Archipelago as provided in this Act is without prejudice to the delineation of the baselines of the territorial sea around the territory of Sabah, situated in North Borneo, over which the Republic of the Philippines has acquired dominion and sovereignty." To achieve the objective of the Operation Merdeka, Tausug (Suluk among Malaysians and Tausug among Filipinos, literally meaning 'People of the Current') and Sama Muslims (Moros) were recruited and trained by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in Corregidor Island for specialised training in covert operations. The number of recruits differs ranging from 60, according to the Government of Philippines to more than 200 according to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Their order was to sabotage military installations and key infrastructures in Sabah for the subsequent invasion by the Philippines. At first, the recruits were unaware of their true mission. When they realised that their order was to infiltrate Sabah and fight fellow Muslims, they become mutinous. This prompted their military handlers to execute all of them and cover up the entire operation. Against all odds one of the recruit, Jibin Arula, survived to recount what happened. As fate would have it, the late Philippine senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. (husband to the late President Corazon Aquino, and the father of the current President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III) exposed Operation Merdeka and the killing of the recruits. Although, the late senator condemned the massacre he never denounce the historical claim of the Sultanate of Sulu on Sabah. The incident generally referred to as theJabidah Massacre has wide ranging implications. Now President Benigno Aquino III is condemning the armed incursion of the followers of the Sultan of Sulu. On the Malaysian side three things happened: first it created the impression that Malaysia can count on Moros in case of a military conflict with the Philippines as the Moros were willing to disobey orders and risk being killed just to avoid fighting in Malaysia. Second, the Malaysia realised that their best lines of defence against the Philippine annexation of Sabah were the Moros. Thus, training and equipping them to fight for a separate homeland became an implied state policy. In 1969, Tun Mustapha, a Tausug descent and the chief minister of Sabah at that time, facilitated the military training of Moros. With the help of Libya, who provided the financial assistance and military equipment, 90 Moros were trained in Pulau Pangkor, Malaysia. These Malaysian trained Moros called the Top 90 later become the core of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). Third, the annexation of Sabah was only a distant possibility as long as the Moros will not cooperate with the Philippine Government. This thinking is reflected in the deployment of military bases within Malaysia. Most military personnel and bases are stationed in peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak with almost negligible numbers stationed in Sabah, reflecting the lack of threat coming from the area. These beliefs also created a porous border between Sabah and northern islands of the Philippines such as Tawi-Tawi and Sulu. On the Philippine side, it crystallised the long simmering discontent among the Muslims in Mindanao (or Moros as they call themselves) into a secessionist movement. The Muslim Independence Movement (MIM) was organised in 1968 by Datu Udtog Matalam demanding the outright secession of Mindanao, Sulu and Palawan regions from Philippine control. Leaders of MIM subsequently formed the Moro National Liberation Front in 1969 – the military wing of the secessionist movement headed by Nur Misuari. Then in 1977 due to ideological difference, the late Hashim Salamat formed the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) a break-away group from the MNLF. The ensuing conflict between the secessionist groups and the Philippine Government cost the lives of more than 100,000 people and massive destruction to the economy and development outcomes, not only in the conflict areas but in the whole Mindanao region as well. It also tied the meagre resources of the Philippines into fighting the secessionist groups. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) were unable to modernise (among several reasons) as most of the military budget were used in containing and fighting the secessionist threat. As a result, the military superiority of the AFP of the late 1960s over the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) is no longer the case these days. By far, the MAF is more advanced and modern than the AFP. In a way, Malaysia managed to achieve its entire objective of neutralising the threat of Sabah annexation and ensure that the AFP is weakened, and that the AFP will not pose considerable threat in the event of future conflict – all of it by simply supporting the Moro secessionist movements from 1968 to 1972. However, the cozy relationship between Malaysia and the Moros was shaken on 12 February 2013, when a group numbering around 300 claiming to be the Royal Sulu Sultanate Army lands in Lahad Datu village in Sabah, declaring they will not leave Sabah because it is their own homeland. What had changed in the last 46 years? What pushed the self-proclaimed Sultan of Sulu to launch an armed incursion into Sabah? Who and what is working behind the scenes? And what is the ultimate implication of the Sabah incursion? Read more at: http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2013/03/13/sabah-the-question-that-wont-go-away/
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| Review of Malaysian musical reveals shocking anti-LGBT propaganda Posted: 12 Mar 2013 08:28 PM PDT
(Gay Star News) - Asmara Songsang (Abnormal Desire) is 'as narrow-minded and bigoted a view as one could get' A review of an anti-LGBT propaganda musical shown in Kuala Lumpur earlier this month has revealed the shockingly stereotyped and homophobic aspects of a piece of Malaysian government-funded theatre. Last month Gay Star News reported that a musical called Asmara Songsang (Abnormal Desire) would be staged at the national theatre in Kuala Lumpurand then tour the country, with tickets available for free. The show was at Kuala Lumpur's Palace of Culture (Istana Budaya) from 28 February to 2 March. Blogger Alia Ali saw the show and wrote a detailed review. The plot centers on three friends who lead a gang of 'queer delinquents', wrote Ali. The gang arouse the wrath of local religious leaders for loud parties featuring drug abuse and casual sex. At the end, the gang is all struck by lightening, apart from the three friends who see the error of their ways. If that all wasn't ridiculous enough, the play ends with a spontaneous display of patriotism. 'After a brief lecture on the hideous wrongs of not being heterosexual, everybody joins them on stage with Malaysian flags, singing a rousing rendition of a song dedicated to 1Malaysia,' surmises Ali, who said the audience were mostly teenagers. 'The part that gets to me the most is that according to the playwright, all non-heterosexuals seem to belong to a club,' wrote Ali. Read more at: http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/review-malaysian-musical-reveals-shocking-anti-lgbt-propaganda130313 |
| WikiLeaks reveals MNLF wants to regain Sabah Posted: 12 Mar 2013 06:15 PM PDT
The cable noted that the Malaysian government at the time, under the leadership of then Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, was wary of the close relationship between Misuari and Anwar. (NST) - Anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks had revealed in 2007 that Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) chairman Nur Misuari harboured a strong desire to "regain" Sabah and that he had close ties with opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. According to a secret cable from the United States' Embassy in Manila to the office of US Secretary of State in Washington titled 07MANILA1534, MNLF attorney Ombra Jainal had described Misuari as "a strong advocate for the recovery of Sabah". Jainal was also quoted as saying that Misuari detested the Malaysian government for arresting and turning him over to the Philippine authorities in 2002. WikiLeaks had published the confidential cable dated May 11 2007 on its website after it obtained the document from the US Embassy in Manila. Article Six of the classified cable also disclosed information that Misuari's forces could invade and occupy Sabah within a span of just two hours. "Misuari once commented to (Philippine Major General) Ben Dolorfino that when the timing was right, the MNLF could invade Sabah at 5am and control it by 7am. "Dolorfino commented that Malaysia is not only concerned about Misuari's intentions towards Sabah, where he apparently still has hundreds of followers, but also about his recent contacts with Malaysian opposition figure Anwar Ibrahim," the cable mentioned. The cable noted that the Malaysian government at the time, under the leadership of then Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, was wary of the close relationship between Misuari and Anwar. "Anwar is described as an "old friend" of Misuari's… Over the past several months, Malaysian officials have held at least three meetings with Misuari and his wives," the cable surmised, based on statements collected from both Jainal and Dolorfino. Dolorfino was described by the cable as the Armed Forces of the Philipines (AFP) National Capital Regional Commander and the most senior AFP muslim officer as well as the chief of the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group with the MNLF. It is understood that a special envoy from the Malaysian government told Misuari, during an April 10. 2007 meeting, not to meddle in Malaysia's domestic politics. The meeting supposedly ended with Misuari giving an assurance to the Malaysian officials that he would not get involved with the country's internal affairs. "(However), Malaysia would likely seek stronger assurances that Misuari would not pursue the Sabah claim," the cable concluded. The full contents of the cable can be viewed at http://wikileaks.org/cable/2007/05/07MANILA1534.html. Last week, President Benigno Aquino III had said that there are signs of a conspiracy that led to the bloody intrusion of Sulu terrorists in Lahad Datu, Sabah. Two Filipino news organisations, Inquirer News and The Manila Times, recently published articles quoting unnamed Philippine intelligence sources claiming that the intrusion by the terrorists, calling themselves the Royal Sulu Sultanate Army, was instigated by a leader from the Malaysian opposition. On March 5, Philippine paper Manila Bulletin quoted an MNLF official as saying that thousands of its fighters would be heading to Sabah to reinforce the Sultanate of Sulu's forces currently battling the Malaysian Armed Forces. The standoff, which is in its fourth week, has so far left 10 Malaysian security personnel and at least 60 of the Sulu gunmen dead. |
| PKR: Anwar may be arrested over Lahad Datu Posted: 12 Mar 2013 02:24 PM PDT
PKR deputy president Azmin Ali said that the opposition leader may be arrested soon to divert public attention from the government's failure in handling the intrusion into Lahad Datu. G Vinod, FMT It is highly probable that Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim may be arrested soon for supposedly being involved in the Lahad Datu intrusion, said PKR deputy president Azmin Ali. He said this was the government's way of trying to divert public attention from its mistakes in handling the Lahad Datu issue. "For the past 15 years, they [government] have tried blaming Anwar for everything wrong in the country. "But to link him to the Lahad Datu incident is highly preposterous," said the Gombak MP. Lately, pro-Umno dailies have played up a report by Filipino media, the Philippines Daily Inquirer, which claimed that a politician linked to Anwar had invited the Sulu intruders to Sabah. Despite denials by Anwar and Sulu leader, Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, many have lodged police reports against the former deputy prime minister. Yesterday, online media, Malaysia Chronicles, quoted PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli as saying that there were speculations that Anwar would be arrested soon over the alleged "invitation".
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| Is 'Tanda Putera' another GE propaganda? Posted: 12 Mar 2013 10:43 AM PDT
(fz.com) - A few days ago it was reported the film was screened for "invited" and "selected" students of the university. And the powers that be made it compulsory for undergraduates who are members of the varsity's police volunteer corp and air force reserve officers training unit to attend. Now why would they do that? WHAT Datuk Seri Rais Yatim said yesterday about the selective screening of the Tanda Putera film which many accuse "smacks of racism" is interesting. The information, communications and culture minister was reported to have said he was not made known of the selective screening of the film and the organisers (of the screenings) may have contravened cabinet directive. As we know, last November the cabinet decided the Suhaimi Baba film, funded by Finas (read public fund) was not appropriate for public screening, at least after GE 13. This followed allegations that the film which portrayed the May 13 riots "contained racial elements". And the government, by virtue of being the funder of the film, was accused of using it as an election propaganda tool. But we also know of late, the film has been screened behind closed doors to specially selected audiences - which Rais was asked about by the media. Hence he said what he said and went on to say this: "We (his ministry) have been adhering to the cabinet decision and are not involved with any official or unofficial screening by those who possess their own means and methods as well as their own agenda". Now that's the interesting part. Interesting because one of the two selective screenings thus far were held for some 3,000 Felda settlers upon "instruction" of the prime minister. Well, that's what a deputy minister in the PM's Department said anyway. Datuk Ahmad Maslan who is in charge of Felda affairs (he is also Umno information chief) was quoted by news portal Malaysiakini as saying "the film is not in cinemas but this historical film is important, I have been told by PM. The PM asked it to be screened for Felda settlers." Ahmad Maslan and the PM until now have not denied that. Meaning that statement stands. So the film was screened for the Felda settlers during an event in PWTC, Kuala Lumpur. Also present was former PM Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. This was in mid-February this year. As the film has always been seen as one with racial undertones and BN propaganda, is PM Najib, advocator of 1Malaysia, dabbling in racial politics? And "resurrecting the ghosts of the May 13 riots" to win election? Read more at: http://fz.com/content/tanda-putera-another-ge-propaganda
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| Posted: 12 Mar 2013 10:08 AM PDT
(Sin Chew Daily) - You get everything you ask for, so long as you throw your unreserved support behind the strongman. "When is Malaysia's party going to end?" a friend living overseas texted me. "Not before the general election," I replied. "Then get the election over soon before the country is bankrupted," he returned. I understand what he means. Party is supposed to bring on fun, but if the party goes on and on, we would be drained of energy soon. This is how a party is like in a democratic country. To fish for electoral votes, we have to make sure everyone has a lot of fun and is fully contented. The BN government keeps delivering generous goodies. After the 1Malaysia assistance fund 1.0, we now have the 2.0 version; and if the election is won, a 3.0 version with doubled handout amounts is in the pipeline. Malaysians are enormously thrilled. Even the ah kong, ah mah, pakcik and makcik who can hardly read A-B-C are so well versed with the BR1M acronym. Of course, according to studies, the political fallout is remarkable; the BN sees its support rate climbing. Not to be outdone, Pakatan Rakyat came out with its own manifesto, pledging at least RM4,000 for every household, minimal monthly wage tagged at RM1,100, free tertiary education, toll-free highways and marked-down utility tariffs, if the opposition pact were to take Putrajaya. The government was quick to respond with a RM2bn pledge to raise the wages and perks for the country's 1.42 million-strong civil servants. PAS retaliated within several hours, "We'll give what BN will give, and more!" I SUDDENLY think of the just deceased Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez. Despite mounting challenges he faced during the past four elections, Chavez managed to thump his rivals each time and get elected. He had the support of majority of voters, particularly those in middle to lower tiers of society. He would continue to win big mandates to lead his country if not because of his premature death from cancer. Chavez had his way of winning the people's hearts. His unwavering stand against the US and Western capitalism won him countless of fans, at home and abroad. But that was not the point. What catapulted him to prominence was his ability to please his people. In oil-rich Venezuela, Chavez was quick to approve any request for cheaper petrol. So, a litre of petrol goes for only six Malaysian cents, and you won't need anything more than RM3 to fill your petrol tank to the brim. Only in this Latin American country, not the Arab states, would you find petrol cheaper than water. Fuel consumption has gone unchecked. Driving around has become the biggest national pastime, creating endless traffic snarls and choking air pollution. Excess petroleum could have gone into the lucrative export markets but has been squandered indiscriminately, thanks to dirt cheap fuel costs. Chavez still worried he didn't please his followers enough, so he dished out free tertiary education, free medical care, generous housing and food subsidies, and kept a large army of civil servants on government payroll. You get everything you ask for, so long as you throw your unreserved support behind the strongman. Venezuela has lost its productivity, its corporate competitiveness waning, but don't worry, Chavez would acquire bad companies and transfer their liabilities to the government. Fiscal deficits are expanding by the year, public debts skyrocketing, local currency plummeting by some 90% and inflation rates rising to alarming levels. The country could have gone bankrupt before Greece if not for oil. What is happening in Venezuela should serve as a a valuable lesson for Malaysia's politicians.
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| Sugumar issue: ‘Stop lying, Surendran’ Posted: 12 Mar 2013 10:06 AM PDT
MIC says the Form 61, which PKR claims is needed for a second post-mortem to be conducted on C Sugumar, is not necessary. B Nantha Kumar, FMT MIC has accused PKR and its vice-president N Surendran of deliberately delaying the second post-mortem of deceased security guard C Sugumar for its political mileage. MIC Youth chief T Mohan claimed today that Surendran, who is also Sugumar's family lawyer, had lied about the importance of Form 61 in relation to the second post-mortem and the ban on Thailand pathologist Dr Porntip Rojanasunan. Speaking to FMT, Mohan said Form 61 was not a necessity for conducting a second post-mortem in any government hospitals. According to him, Form 61 is only used if one is seeking to secure a cost-free post-mortem. "We can still carry out the second post-mortem in any government hospitals by paying them," he said, citing the case of A Kugan who died in police custody. Mohan said Kugan's family had conducted the second post-mortem without the so-called Form 61. "I'm very sure about this because MIC was the one which bore the cost of the second post-mortem of Kugan. "Thus it is clear that Surendran is deliberately delaying the second post-mortem by giving lame excuses," Mohan said. He was responding to Surendran's statement yesterday that Sugumar's family was waiting for the government to issue the Form 61 to enable them to carry out a second post-mortem. Sugumar was allegedly chased, handcuffed and beaten to death on Jan 23, by policemen and several members of the public. But the first post-mortem from Serdang General Hospital showed that Sugumar died instead of a heart attack. On Feb 8, Surendran claimed that the authorities were sabotaging the attempt to conduct a second post-mortem to determine Sugumar's cause of death. He also said the Health Ministry was requesting for an authorisation letter from the police. However, MIC revealed a letter from the Kajang district police headquarters on Feb 1 which authorised the family to conduct a second post-mortem. Later, Surendran said the letter issued by the Kajang police was not an authorisation letter but a "no-objection" note which was useless to the family for purposes of a second post-mortem. Surendran also said that government hospitals would only conduct a post-mortem if there was a written order from the police through Form 61. Surendran also urged the federal government to lift the ban on Porntip to make way for her to conduct the post-mortem. Porntip not banned? But Mohan claimed that Porntip was not banned from coming to Malaysia and conducting the second post-mortem. "It is already one month. But, Surendran has failed to produce the evidence on Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's involvement in the Porntip debacle," said Mohan.
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| Lahad Datu terrorist intrusion a wake-up call for Malaysia: Najib Posted: 12 Mar 2013 10:02 AM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - "That (attack on Lahad Datu and Semporna) is an external threat and we must deal with it. So, when we decide to spend on defence and security, people should not question it." Datuk Seri Najib Razak has described the intrusion by Sulu terrorists in Lahad Datu as a wake-up call not only for the government but also for the people especially in Sabah on the need to be better prepared to face external threats. Saying that the government would not take security for granted, the prime minister (picture) said no effort would be spared to ensure that the security forces were well-trained, well-equipped and prepared to deal with incidents of this nature. "I think we've gone through a long phase of peace and stability in Malaysia. The communist (terrorists) laid down their arms in 1989 and since then it has been a long period of peace and stability in Malaysia. "That (attack on Lahad Datu and Semporna) is an external threat and we must deal with it. So, when we decide to spend on defence and security, people should not question it. "They should see it as protecting our security, sovereignty and territorial integrity," Najib said on the "Conversation with the PM" programme aired on TV3 tonight. Stressing that the government would not compromise when it came to Malaysia's security, sovereignty and territorial integrity, Najib said: "We must do whatever we can to ensure that Malaysians anywhere, in any part of Malaysia, feel secure, safe and their future safeguarded by the government." Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/lahad-datu-terrorist-intrusion-a-wake-up-call-for-malaysia-najib/
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| 'Altantuya doesn't want me to die yet' Posted: 12 Mar 2013 09:32 AM PDT
Hazlan Zakaria, Malaysiakini Divine intervention and a guardian spirit saved him from a close brush with death. So believes former private investigator P Balasubramaniam, who was on March 3 warded in the cardiac unit of a private hospital in Selangor after being diagnosed with clogged coronary vessels. Balasubramaniam believes he could have died from a heart attack at any time after leaving India to return home last month to campaign for opposition coalition Pakatan Rakyat, or during the many speaking engagements scheduled for him. "Then we will know who is guilty, who is not guilty. If the government is not going to be changed, we won't see the truth," Bala argued.
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| Entry denied to avoid misreporting, says Zahid Posted: 11 Mar 2013 11:37 PM PDT
(The Sun Daily) - "We do not want them to report something (that is) different from what (actually) happened or spin the story and strain relations between our two governments." Journalists from the Philippines are being denied entry into Sabah to prevent "misreporting" of the Lahad Datu incident. Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said in a press conference at Wisma Pertahanan today, "We do not want them to report something (that is) different from what (actually) happened or spin the story and strain relations between our two governments." According to Zahid, Malaysian security forces are only acting in reaction to the intrusion by the armed men. "The Philippine government is officially with us in fighting the intruders, as they too would do the same if the intrusion happened in the Philippines," he said. Zahid said he hoped that the Philippine media will report on the incident without prejudice, as the Malaysian armed forces do not blindly shoot to kill. "We do not commit inhumane acts on the bodies of slain Sulu intruders, like they did to our fallen policemen. "All 22 bodies of the intruders are at the Lahad Datu Hospital for post-mortem and will be handled properly, although they were enemies of our country," Zahid said. Meanwhile, Zahid expressed disappointment with some netizens who ridiculed the Malaysian armed forces in handling the situation in Lahad Datu, adding that these people should be at the front lines to experience the situation themselves.
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| Sabah stand-off: Philippine armed intruders shoot dead Malaysian soldier Posted: 11 Mar 2013 11:35 PM PDT
(The Straits Times) - Philippine armed intruders shot dead a Malaysian soldier on Tuesday, the first military fatality since security forces launched an assault one week ago to crush the Islamist gunmen. Three gunmen also died in the shootout in the eastern state of Sabah on the island of Borneo, armed forces chief Zulkifeli Zin said, which underlined the continued deadly threat posed by the invaders in Malaysia's biggest security crisis in years. Authorities did not provide an overall death toll from the month-long drama, but reports and government statements had indicated an earlier count of 63 killed prior to Tuesday's clash - mostly intruders. The gunmen, who claim to be the "royal army" of a self-styled Philippine sultan, landed in Sabah last month to assert a long-dormant claim on the region, stunning Malaysia and injecting tension into ties between the two neighbours. After a three-week standoff in a sleepy farming village surrounded by palm oil plantations, a violent shootout triggered a Malaysian armed forces attack March 5 that sent the gunmen into hiding in surrounding farmland and a nearby village. Police also said on Tuesday they had confirmed that a militant killed earlier was one of the group's top leaders, identified by Malaysian media as Haji Musa, a former commander with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). The MNLF had waged a rebellion against the Philippine government in the country's Muslim south until signing a peace deal in 1996. Eight police officers were killed in earlier shootouts, and security forces also shot dead a teenager over the weekend. It has not been made clear whether the boy was a local or linked to the militants. Authorities have also arrested at least 97 people throughout the state and are investigating if they have links to the incursion. They have not revealed any further details. Supporters of Manila-based Jamalul Kiram III, whose supporters claim he is heir to the defunct southern Philippine sultanate of Sulu, have said about 235 people took part in the mission. Manila has come under pressure to prevent the deaths of the Philippine nationals, while Malaysian public sentiment has strongly backed the tough army action.
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| EC confident 13th GE can be held simultaneously nationwide Posted: 11 Mar 2013 11:33 PM PDT
(Bernama) - KOTA KINABALU: Election Commission (EC) chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said he is confident that the upcoming 13th general election (13th GE) can be held simultaneously nationwide, including in Lahad Datu in Sabah, which was invaded by the Sulu terrorists recently. He said the reason being that the situation in Kampung Tanduo, Lahad Datu, was improving and believed would be back to normal soon. Abdul Aziz said there would be two polling centres in the area declared as the Red Zone following the intrusion by the Sulu terrorists last February, namely at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Tanjung Labian and SK Tunku. The Red Zone encompasses areas in the Tunku state constituency, currently represented by Barisan Nasional's (BN) Datuk Mohd Suhaili Said. Tunku is among the three state seats in the Silam parliamentary constituency. The other two are Lahad Datu and Kunak. "I am confident that with the presence of our security forces there, the situation will return to normal and it is because of that I believe we can hold the general election simultaneously nationwide," he told reporters after holding a briefing on election preparations for election officers and election campaign enforcement teams, here today. When asked whether the Electoral Roll which was gazetted on Feb 22 this year would be applicable if Parliament was to be dissolved at the end of the month, Abdul Aziz said it would be used for the 13th GE. However, he said the process of updating the roll would continue until the dissolution of Parliament. Abdul Aziz said there were 982,644 registered voters in Sabah, while Labuan had 24,497 registered voters. He said the EC had allocated RM50 million for the general election in Sabah and would involve 17,615 election workers. The workers would include the returning officers, comprising 26 people, including for Labuan, and 124 assistant returning officers, three of them for Labuan. There are 26 parliamentary seats, including Labuan, in Sabah, and 60 state seats. On the use of helicopters for the election, especially in the remotes areas, Abdul Aziz said helicopters would be used at 86 polling centres and also to send and fetch EC staff from their work places. As for boat service, he said it would be required at 55 polling centres. Abdul Aziz advised political parties contesting in the coming general election to abide by regulations and not to raise sensitive issues, including on the intrusion in Sabah. "We do not want any party to raise issues which can hurt the feelings of other people or races," he added. He expressed confidence that the security team was capable of maintaining peace and public order during the election campaign and on polling. He also advised voters in Sabah, especially in Lahad Datu, to exercise their rights by going out to vote in the coming general election. Earlier in his speech, Abdul Aziz advised election workers to carry out their duties fairly and without fear or favour. He hoped this coming general election would be the cleanest in the country's election history.
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| Musa Hitam: Do not insult the electorate Posted: 11 Mar 2013 11:30 PM PDT
(fz.com) - Former deputy prime minister and Sime Darby chairman Tun Musa Hitam said that it would be foolish for anyone to state that the country would be destroyed should the opposition comes to power. "Do not insult the intelligence of the electorate. "Saying that the country would be destroyed if the opposition takes over is (merely) a political statement. The opposition would not be that stupid (to destroy the country). It is also the opposition's good that everything is for the betterment of the country – if not, why should they stand for election? "The other side (opposition) would not knowingly allow the economy to collapse," said Musa, who insisted that he is still very much an Umno member. He was speaking to reporters after a talk on the survival of the Malay economy organised by Malay daily Sinar Harian and Astro Awani here today. During his talk, Musa also lambasted politicians who resort to racism to gain votes. "Those who use racism for politics, are bankrupt politician(s). There are so many more issues to be highlighted and there are so many successful government projects that can be highlighted. There is no need for the Malays to be frightened into submission," said Musa.
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| Rafizi: Cops watched as Umno supporters attacked PKR Hq Posted: 11 Mar 2013 11:27 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - Suspected Umno members have again been implicated in a violent attack against the opposition, including a threat to torch PKR's headquarters here yesterday, just days after the party's leadership alleged assault by government supporters in Malacca. Yesterday, hardline group GMM, a known pro-Umno outfit, had gathered in front of the PKR building in a protest against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim who the group alleged is the instigator of the Sulu militants' incursion of Sabah. About 50 of them, wearing white tees printed with anti-Anwar motifs, took turns to pelt the building with rocks, eggs, sticks and traffic cones. The group also torched the party's flag. Party strategy director Rafizi Ramli(picture) claimed the police from the Tropicana station, just two doors from the PKR headquarters, merely stood and watch. "The violence is premeditated because they brought eggs, sticks and traffic cones specifically for (yesterday's) event. Apart from behaving violently, these Umno followers had also threatened to torch our building which is a criminal offence. "During the incident, not one police officer intervened to stop the violent conduct which is against the law. It is most embarrassing that the Tropicana police station is just two doors away," he told reporters here. Rafizi noted that the police responded in a similar manner when Anwar was attacked in Malacca and the party's vice-president Chua Tian Chang received death threats following his alleged controversial remark on the Lahad Datu armed conflict. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/rafizi-cops-watched-as-umno-supporters-attacked-pkr-hq/
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| Wong Tack to contest Bentong on DAP ticket Posted: 11 Mar 2013 06:56 PM PDT
DAP has endorsed Himpinan Hijau chairman Wong Tack's quest to contest in Bentong. Anisah Shukry, FMT Himpunan Hijau chairman Wong Tack will be contesting under the DAP ticket for the Bentong parliamentary constituency in Pahang. In announcing this, DAP said today that the move would strengthen the opposition pact's chances in toppling the Barisan Nasional-stronghold, which is currently under Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai. "We are up against a giant in Bentong, so we cannot field in just any candidate, but a whole organisation: Himpunan Hijau," DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said at a press conference today. "If Pakatan Rakyat can win over Bentong, then BN will certainly fall in Putrajaya," he said. Wong said that if he were to become the MP for Bentong, he would ensure that the controversial rare earth plant in Kuantan would be closed down. But he added that if Australian mining company Lynas Corp were able to comply with local procedures in setting up the plant, he would welcome it, echoing Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's stance.
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| CM: Pakatan willing to lose votes over RM6.3b project Posted: 11 Mar 2013 05:44 PM PDT
Opalyn Mpk, TMI The Pakatan Rakyat-led Penang state government is willing to lose votes over the RM6.3 billion mega infrastructure project that had attracted criticisms from non-governmental organisations (NGO). Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng is adamant that the project, consisting of an undersea tunnel connecting the island to the mainland and three highways, be implemented despite criticisms and protests by NGOs and Penang Barisan Nasional. "We are willing to lose votes and support by implementing this project because we do not want to be a "do nothing" government," he said in a press conference at his office today. He said the state government had exhausted all means to implement an effective public transportation system in the state, but were unable to do so as public transport is under the purview of the federal government. "We have proposed for the councils to buy its own fleet of buses to provide public transport but we are unable to get the approval and relevant permits from the federal government so we could not do it," he said. The state government had also previously proposed to pay RM10 million to RapidPenang for the company to provide free public transport during peak hours but the proposal was not officially approved as RapidPenang is under the purview of the Finance Ministry. "Since we can't do anything about the public transport, we can't just sit back and do nothing, that's why we have to implement this project to disperse traffic," the DAP secretary-general said. The project, which was first announced in 2011 when the tender was called, consists of a 6.5 km underwater tunnel connecting Gurney Drive to Bagan Ajam, a 12km dual carriageway between Tanjung Bungah and Teluk Bahang, a 4.2km bypass connecting Gurney Drive to Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway and a 4.6km bypass connecting the same expressway to Bandar Baru Air Itam. The state government had awarded the tender to Consortium Zenith BUCG, a special purpose vehicle company set p by a joint venture between local company Construction Zenith, China Railway Construction Corporation Ltd (CRCC) along with Beijing Urban Construction Group, Sri Tinggi Sdn Bhd and Juteras Sdn Bhd. The NGOs, particularly Penang Forum, had opposed the project saying that it could cause more traffic to come to the island and create even more congestion. They were also concerned over the environmental impact of the project. Penang BN had said the undersea tunnel was an outdated proposal under the former state administration that was shelved when it became unviable. Penang BN had also demanded to know why the tunnel was not mentioned in the state government's Penang Master Transport Plan (PMTP) and yet it will be implemented. To this, Lim refuted their claims by showing the PMTP report that had clearly included the tunnel which is slated to be built between 2025 and 2030.
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| NGO starts signature campaign against Pulau Tikus project Posted: 11 Mar 2013 05:41 PM PDT
Opalyn Mok, TMI Citizen Chant, a group that had staged a protest against a 27-storey commercial project in Pulau Tikus, has started a signature campaign against the project. The non-governmental organisation coordinator Yan Lee said they have started the campaign online and also by going from house to house in the Pulau Tikus area to gather public support for their cause. "We want the council to review the project and if possible to stop it," he said. He said some of the residents and nearby market traders had complained against the project which was located on an open land that used to be an open-air car park for those who patronises the market. "The car park is gone and this had cut down business for the market traders," he said. Lee told The Malaysian Insider that they hoped to collect 500 signatures, both online and on paper, within these two weeks. He said the council should seriously consider stopping the project as it is detrimental to the quiet residential area. "If they are unable to stop it, they should review the car park requirements of the project and ensure that the developer hand over the promised public parking to the council to manage," he said. Amidst complains by the NGO and traders that the project had taken away parking space, the developer had called a press conference to explain that it will allocate 90 lots of car park for the public. Lee also demanded that the council review the height of the project, which at 27-storey is higher than any surrounding buildings. "Other nearby buildings are only at eight or nine storeys high so they should reduce the height of this project, " he said. He also wanted the developer to build a service road for the project so that traffic around that area will be smoother. The project is a small office home office development that consists of both residential and commercial units in a block of 27-storeys. It is one of the development projects, amongst others, that local NGOs have raised objections against.
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| PI Bala to take a break after heart attack Posted: 11 Mar 2013 05:31 PM PDT
The private investigator will resume his ceramah and campaign after concentrating on his health for at least a month. Anisah Shukry, FMT Private investigator P Balasubramaniam said today he would rest for at least a month following last week's mild heart attack, putting the breaks on the opposition's plans for his nationwide ceramah before the 13th general election. Balasubramaniam told FMT he has been warded at the Sime Darby Medical Centre, Subang Jaya, since March 5, and will be discharged today. However, he said he may still have to undergo major heart surgery. "It was a sudden, mild attack, and the doctors told me that three of my vessels are blocked, so I may have to go for a major operation. This Friday the doctors will redo the tests on me and decide whether I have to undergo heart operation or just a stenting," Balasubramaniam said today. (A stenting is a procedure whereby a tiny tube is placed into an artery to hold it open.) "Now they are allowing me to go back, do some exercise, they have given me some medicine. So for the time being, I am going to concentrate on my health, for at least a month. After that I will go back for ceramah." Balasubramaniam hit the headlines in 2008 when he made a statutory declaration (SD) linking Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and wife Rosmah Mansor to Altantuya Shaariibu's murder, only to retract the SD a day later. After fleeing the country, he claimed the retraction was made under duress and that he stood by his first SD. Balasubramaniam returned to Malaysia late last month pledging to campaign for the opposition as well as give nationwide ceramah on Najib and Rosmah's alleged role in Altantantuya's murder – a move that could put a serious dent on the current Barisn Nasional administration. But with the general election expected to be called during mid-April, it is now unlikely that Balasubramaniam will be able to continue on his ceramah circuit until after the polls are over. Badrul Hisham Shaharin, the president of pro-PKR group Solidarity Anak Muda Malaysia, which is organising Balasubramaniam's series of ceramah, had not ruled out the possibility that the private investigator was a victim of black magic.
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| Cousins out to oust Kula from Ipoh seat Posted: 11 Mar 2013 12:57 PM PDT
(NST) - IPOH: There is no love lost between DAP vice-chairman M. Kulasegaran and his arch-rivals, Perak DAP chairman Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham and its secretary, Nga Kor Ming, as the former is convinced that the duo are trying to oust him from his Ipoh Barat constituency. A DAP insider revealed that Kulasegaran's recent tirade against Ngeh and Nga on social microblogging site Twitter stemmed from alleged attempts by the cousins to replace him with their supporter. "Kulasegaran views the cousins' act of not inviting him to a dinner they had organised in his constituency as a way to embarrass him among party members. He also believes that their intention to discredit him is to kick him out in preference for compliant personalities aligned to their camp." The source, who is closely acquainted with Kulasegaran, said Nga, who is Pantai Remis assemblyman, harboured dreams of contesting the Kepayang state seat in the coming polls, which was one of three state seats within the Ipoh Barat parliamentary constituency. Last year, incumbent Kepayang assemblyman Loke Chee Yan had announced that he would not be seeking reelection. "Apparently, Kepayang is ideal for Nga, who resides in Ipoh. His potential successor in Pantai Remis state seat is a 35-year-old woman, who is a member of the DAP Pantai Remis branch and Nga's henchman." The source, who described Nga as the "architect of DAP's destruction", said Kulasegaran was not favoured by Ngeh and Nga as the duo felt Kulasegaran was the reason for their poor popularity within the Indian community. "It is said that the state DAP leaders are not worried about losing Kulasegaran and they are confident of winning all 18 state seats which the party won in March 2008. "Their impression is that winning the Ipoh Barat parliamentary seat will come easily and guaranteed regardless of the candidate fielded." It is learnt that Kulasegaran, Ngeh and Nga were only on talking terms in public, but did not make any attempt to mend the rift. Kulasegaran recently took to tweeting his frustrations about being sidelined by Ngeh and Nga, and went as far as tagging them in the March 8 postings, which were still on his Twitter account. |
| Spotlight on alleged abuses of Filipinos as Sulu incursion continues Posted: 11 Mar 2013 12:26 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - The ongoing armed conflict in Sabah appears to have opened a can of worms for Malaysia as hundreds of Filipino immigrants, now back in their homeland, are recounting horror tales of torture and sexual abuses inflicted for years on their community here. Bantilan Esmail II, a brother of Sulu "Sultan" Jamalul Kiram III, said the stories did not even surprise him as Malaysian authorities have allegedly been abusing Filipinos in Sabah long before the Sulu incursion began. Esmail, who is in talks with the Philippine government over a possible pullout of the Sulu "army" in Sabah, said that while the alleged abuses were "un-Islamic", they were common knowledge in the Philippines. "They have been treating the Filipinos there not as human beings. What they are doing is un-Islamic and are acts of non-believers of Islam," he said in a report in The Philippine Daily Inquirer today. Malaysian security forces and a group of armed followers of the Kiram clan have been locked in gunbattles since March 1 in the coastal district of Sabah's Lahad Datu, where the Sulu Sultanate's army had landed to lay claim over the east Malaysian state. The fierce gunfights have so far claimed the lives of 63 individuals, including 54 Sulu gunmen, eight Malaysian policemen and one teenage boy, and spurred thousands of Filipinos living in Sabah to flee back to their homeland out of fear of capture. According to the media in the Philippines, more than 1,000 Filipinos have already left their homes in Sabah, many of whom are MyKad holders, carrying with them horror tales of abuse and arbitrary killings during raids by Malaysian authorities to hunt down Sulu sympathisers. The Inquirer carried an interview last weekend with a 32-year-old Filipino named Amira Taradji who alleged that her brother had been killed at the hands of the Malaysian police during their rounding-up of suspected supporters. "They dragged all the males outside the house, kicked and hit them," she told the daily in a phone call from Patikul, Sulu, shortly after she arrived in the Philippines last Friday night along with some 200 other refugees. Taradji claimed that Malaysian security forces stormed villages in the coastal constituency of Sandakan where she was staying on Monday night, and in the ordeal, her brother Jumadil was allegedly gunned down after he was forced by the police to run as fast as he could. Like Esmail, Taradji's abuse claim was similarly described as old news and just the "tip of the iceberg", the Manila Bulletin reported today, quoting an official of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). The source said Filipinos in Sabah, particularly those who were undocumented migrants, have always been complaining of abuse but no attention has ever been paid to their claims. "Finally, the sufferings of Filipinos in Sabah drew notice from Malacañang. We got similar, if not harsher, complaints directly from victims and made appropriate reports to higher authorities to no avail years ago," the official reportedly said. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/spotlight-on-alleged-abuses-of-filipinos-as-sulu-incursion-continues/
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| Engineer lodges police report on PKR flag Posted: 11 Mar 2013 12:01 PM PDT
(Bernama) - A Malaysian engineer who worked for 11 years in the United States and has since returned home, yesterday lodged a police report on Parti Keadilan Rakyat's (PKR) flag claiming it bore similarities to the currency of a foreign country.
Mohamad Ridhwan Batumalai Abdullah, 41, lodged the report at the Ipoh police headquarters at 10.30am.
"I ask Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (the de facto leader of PKR) to explain the meaning of the blue, red and white colours in the flag and reveal who designed the party's flag and logo." he told reporters after fining the report. He added that he would be calling a press conference on the matter if no answers were forthcoming from Anwar. He also urged Muslims in the country not to vote for opposition because they were causing disunity in the country.
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| Posted: 11 Mar 2013 11:21 AM PDT
(Free Malaysia Today) - The timing of Fareez's letter and his attack on both Wan Azizah and Nurul Izzah hardly lend any credibility to his so-called concern for PKR's well-being. An opposition party loyalist is learning it the hard way that it takes guts to face the aftermath of his actions – but youngster Mohd Fareez Kamal Intidzam sorely lacks conviction when he attempted to turn the tables on PKR chief Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail. Fareez, 24, had authored a letter calling for the removal of Wan Azizah in which he alleged that she and her eldest daughter Nurul Izzah Anwar were out to destroy his career as he was "close" to Anwar Ibrahim, the opposition adviser and husband and father of Wan Azizah and Nurul Izzah respectively. Claiming to be working for Anwar as his private secretary for international affairs since 2008, Fareez is now a worried man, fearful that his letter has unleashed the wrath of Wan Azizah and Nurul Izzah's supporters. Besides his no-confidence vote in Wan Azizah, in his letter, too, Fareez urged PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang to save the opposition pact from the mother-daughter duo. Now that the letter has gone public after controversial blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin posted it on his Malaysia Today website on March 6, its writer claims his life is in danger and wants police protection. Fareez, the former parliamentary secretary of PKR women chief Zuraida Kamaruddin, says he is being "hunted down" by the party and its leaders after the letter's contents became accessible to the rakyat. In penning his letter, Fareez clearly threw caution to the wind, relying instead on his false conviction that he, like the Barisan Nasional front, was doing the country a favour by eliminating it of "unwanted" personalities. "The duo wants to eliminate anyone close to Anwar as they are jealous. As PAS president, only you [Hadi] can pressure Wan Azizah to quit her post before the 13th general election," Fareez wrote, among others, in his letter. Fareez had also copied the letter to DAP chairman Karpal Singh. Fareez and his hidden agenda The letter's timing and Fareez's attack on both Wan Azizah and Nurul Izzah hardly lend any credibility to his so-called concern for the party's well-being. In fact, the letter has only revealed the insecurity and apathy assaulting Fareez. Is Fareez aiming for a higher political standing or is it an attempt to tear PKR apart by attacking its roots? There seems no doubt that this youngster is pursuing an agenda of his own using Anwar as his crutch – the letter an obvious hint of a move within PKR to oust Anwar and family before the 13th general election takes place. Would one be wrong to assume that those working at ousting Anwar, Wan Azizah and Nurul Izzah are agents provocateurs of BN? Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2013/03/12/whose-tool-is-fareez/ |
| GE13: Who Will Be Selangor MB If Barisan Nasional Wins? Posted: 11 Mar 2013 11:20 AM PDT
(Malaysian Digest) - Considering the fact that Selangor is a state rich in various resources, BN at this point may need to prepare a list of candidates who possess a strong corporate background, just like Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR)'s Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, the current MB. Who will be the Selangor Menteri Besar if Barisan Nasional (BN) regains power in the state in the coming general election? This lingering question not only remains in the minds of politicians but the rakyat as well.
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| Kamalanathan: Pakatan rule is no different from BN Posted: 11 Mar 2013 11:04 AM PDT
(fz.com) - CONTRARY to claims that it would be more inclusive in its administration, the Pakatan Rakyat practises the same things it accuses the Barisan Nasional of doing, according to Hulu Selangor member of parliament P Kamalanathan. This clearly shows that when a federal opposition party takes over a state, it is no different from the ruling power in its actions, he said. In addition, the electorate in the vast Hulu Selangor parliamentary constituency, located at the northern edge of the country's richest state, are distressed from having to constantly endure the politicising of their problems, Kamalanathan claimed. Most voters in this semi-rural constituency are employed in the manufacturing sector. The locals earn between RM600 and RM2,500 monthly, and are generally sheltered from the increasing inflation that affects people in the urban centres. Prices of food items remain affordable and rent is relatively low due to a plateau in property values. However, the one thing that would vex the populace, which includes more than 84,200 voters, is the patchy infrastructure maintenance and gaps in public works and services. Kamalanathan said the problem starts with the councillors appointed to the Hulu Selangor Municipal Council (MDHS). "The officers are very helpful and nice but unfortunately they have to follow instructions from the councillors, who are very difficult. "Letters written by BN representatives or machinery are unheeded. For example, if we write in saying the roads were not properly paved or about potholes that were not properly treated, nothing is done," he complained. "Street lights in many areas here don't work. When I check with Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), they say the lights are okay but the municipal council has not paid the bill," exclaimed the first-term MP. According to him, the council owes TNB a few hundred thousand ringgit. MDHS was not immediately available for comment. Kamalanathan estimates that the Pakatan Rakyat-led state has used less than 60% of the federal allocation meant for road maintenance in Selangor under the Malaysian Road Records Information System (Marris). "Where has the other 40% gone? In Hulu Selangor, several roads have yet to be resurfaced because there is not enough money from the state government. "If these monies where properly channelled to the state's councils then all these problems would have been solved," he said. Despite repeated demands for clarification, said Kamalanathan, the state did not respond to the allegation. He pointed out a spot where soil erosion caused by heavy rainfall last year at the road corner opposite his service centre in Bukit Beruntung has yet to be attended to. The site of the erosion and its surroundings, have since become a dumping ground for business operators in the area. "It's been more than a year and it's still there. They are not being inclusive, they are not even willing to have a meeting with me. They are not walking the talk. It's the same culture they claim was practiced by BN," he said, referring to the lack of cooperation from the councillors. "I don't have enough to provide for people who come asking me to help repair roads in their housing areas."
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| Battle over 'souls' of the people Posted: 11 Mar 2013 11:00 AM PDT
(The Sun Daily) - Will PAS's magic triumph again in the upcoming 13th general election which has been shaping up into a fierce "mother of all elections"? In 2004, it came close to losing it and the BN is sparing no efforts to capture it. FOR much of its post-Merdeka history, Kelantan has been ruled by Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS), so much so that it is not difficult for most people to fall in line with the quip, now being promoted as a battle cry, that Kelantan and PAS are synonymous. It has been more so after the state leadership of the party passed to the religious ultra conservatives led by the charismatic Mentri Besar, Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat. Everywhere in the state are posters of him supplicating to God to take care of his "people", the Kelantanese. The overall message of the battle cry and the supplication of Nik Aziz is "we don't want outsiders." It is only in Kelantan that an orang luar (outsider) son-in-law is not fully accepted but merely tolerated. But the orang luar often meant here is Umno. The PAS-Umno rivalry has been intense and became more so after PAS formed the government in 1959. It was only in the elections following several months of federal emergency rule that PAS lost Kelantan in 1978. But an Umno breakaway group, calling itself Parti Semangat 46 and led by the man who helped Umno capture the state, joined forces with PAS to edge out the federal ruling party in 1990. When Semangat 46 left in 1996, PAS remained the dominant party in Kelantan until today and with the wily ulama at the helm. Will PAS's magic triumph again in the upcoming 13th general election which has been shaping up into a fierce "mother of all elections"? In 2004, it came close to losing it and the BN is sparing no efforts to capture it. Umno, at the head of the BN coalition, is trying to win over voters to its side by promising to bring more infrastructure to Kelantan while PAS wants to preserve values which it thinks are good for the people of the state. PAS too wants infrastructure for its people but lacks the means. But it is capitalising on such Islamic issues as the use of the term "Allah" in Malay language Bible and the implementation of thehudud. To edge out PAS, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak has pledged, among other things, seven major projects for Kelantan. These include: the building of the Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) urban campus for 5,000 students; - 3,000 public housing and affordable homes; - an iconic mosque costing RM50 million; - a solution to Kelantan's water woes; - a modern public transport system for Kota Baru; and - a state-of-the-art stadium for the state capital. Kelantan has been raining projects. With the completion of the dual-lane bridge over Kelantan river linking Kota Baru to Pasir Mas, the prime minister now promised to build the much talked about but little done Kota Baru-Kuala Krai highway. Construction of the 73km highway was planned during the Fifth Malaysia Plan at the end of the 1980s to alleviate heavy traffic during festive season. However, the project was cancelled after BN lost the state in 1990. The project was later revived by the fifth prime minister, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, as one of the projects under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, but was cancelled again after the BN's disastrous outing in 2008. Meanwhile, the PAS state government, taking advantage of the federal government's inability or unwillingness to build the highway, decided to embark on a populist scheme to construct the highway through public donations under the slogan of "if they don't want to do it for us, we will do it ourselves." The project was inaugurated by Nik Aziz on May 28, 2012. It is also seen as PAS's way of mocking the BN government for its failure to keep its word. It is also a significant campaign weapon in its armoury to defend the state and to frustrate the BN's efforts. This time, the mother of all weapons is the petrol royalty issue. After much public debate, PAS expects the voters to know the issue and decide. To PAS, Kelantan would be more grateful for the RM12 billion oil royalty due rather than the seven promises made by the prime minister. Kelantan is one of the five oil-producing states in Malaysia. In an agreement signed in 1975, Petronas agreed to a cash payment of 5% of the value of petroleum from the state. However, the state government has been locked in a legal battle with Petronas for direct payment of oil royalties. Currently, Kelantan's share is funnelled to the state via different federal development projects. Kelantan has seen a rather chequered history and much of it is caused by the tussle between PAS and Umno over the "souls" of the people of Kelantan. It will be interesting to see whether finally the Kota Baru-Kuala Krai highway gets to be built.
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| No certain votes for BN despite uniform pay hike, say analysts Posted: 11 Mar 2013 10:50 AM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - Putrajaya's move to increase the pay of the police and the armed forces personnel close to Election 2013 may not necessarily mean strengthened support for the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, say analysts. The Najib administration agreed to streamline the salaries of uniformed voters to be on par with other civil servants, announcing yesterday an extra allocation of RM1.5 billion to boost the wages of those without increment last year in a move seen to be shoring up support for BN in the upcoming polls. The common perception was that such announcements mean stronger support from the security forces as the army and police are seen as BN's key traditional votebank. But with freer information through the Internet, a crucial campaigning platform for the opposition, analysts say that conventional belief may now be challenged. "Traditionally, they are known to support the government but to say that they will not be able to make an informed decision with the free flow of information now is an overstatement," Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia lecturer Agus Yusof told The Malaysian Insider. Before the announcement, PAS moved to pre-empt Najib's last minute push to woo civil servants by promising to match and improve on any promise by the prime minister to raise salaries and allowances under a Pakatan Rakyat (PR) government. The move illustrated the race to court civil servants, who form a key demographic among the 13.3 million voters eligible to cast their ballots in this year's general election. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/no-certain-votes-for-bn-despite-uniform-pay-hike-say-analysts/
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| Recovering Queen signs Commonwealth charter Posted: 11 Mar 2013 10:45 AM PDT
(BBC) - The Commonwealth, which accounts for 30% of the world's population, has for the first time drawn up a charter that details 16 core beliefs, which was adopted by all 54 member states in December. The Queen has signed a charter setting out the Commonwealth's values and commitment to equal rights. She made her first official public appearance in more than a week at the Marlborough House reception in London. Earlier, the Queen was forced to pull out of the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey, for only the second time since becoming monarch. Buckingham Palace said she was still recovering from the symptoms of gastroenteritis. The Commonwealth, which accounts for 30% of the world's population, has for the first time drawn up a charter that details 16 core beliefs, which was adopted by all 54 member states in December. These include upholding democracy and opposing "all forms of discrimination" although it does not explicitly include discrimination against gay people. In some Commonwealth countries, homosexual acts are illegal. The charter states: "We are implacably opposed to all forms of discrimination, whether rooted in gender, race, colour, creed, political belief or other grounds." Guests at Marlborough House including Commonwealth high commissioners heard the Queen say the charter "represents a significant milestone as the Commonwealth continues its journey of development and renewal". She told them: "We have now, for the first time, a single document that captures the core values and aspirations of the Commonwealth and all its members." Read more at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21737817
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| ‘Even women, children targeted in Sabah’ Posted: 10 Mar 2013 09:52 PM PDT
(Phil Star) - Tawi-Tawi has been overwhelmed by refugees who have fled Sabah amid horror stories of Malaysian forces targeting even pregnant women and children in a security crackdown. Small boats have been docking in Tawi-Tawi, loaded with refugees fleeing the crackdown. A worker who asked not to be named said even pregnant women and children who were long-time residents of Sabah have been hunted down and killed as the Malaysians fire mortars and embark on a house-to-house search to flush out supporters of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III. Residents have fled on any boat available, even on traditional wooden lepa, used by Badjaos in the Sabah town of Semporna, the worker said. The increasing flood of refugees from Sabah is turning into a humanitarian crisis in Tawi-Tawi. The provincial government has appealed for help from the national government to provide food, medicine and other needs for the refugees. Malacanang said the alleged human rights violations perpetrated by the Malaysian police and military on non-combatants caught in the crossfire in Sabah are "unacceptable." The worker, who is among the refugees, told The STAR that Malaysian forces were targeting members of the Tausug tribe. Members of the Sulu sultanate are mainly Tausugs. "They have been rounding up Tausugs. Either they kill them or they imprison them," the worker said. Malaysian forces reportedly dragged the men out of their homes in Sabah, then kicked and beat them. Jumadil Taradji was told to make a run for it, and when he did so, he was shot dead, according to his sister Amira. "This kind of treatment on our Filipino citizens or Filipino nationals is unacceptable," deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte told radio station dzRB. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) expressed "grave concern" over the reports of human rights violations. "The department urges the Malaysian government to take steps to clarify these alleged incidents. The allegations are alarming and should be properly and immediately addressed by concerned authorities," the DFA said. It is still waiting for the Malaysian government to give Philippine embassy officials and Filipino humanitarian teams in Lahad Datu and nearby areas full access to the Filipinos being held in several locations in Sabah but outside the zone of armed conflict. Valte said "notes verbale" were sent to the Malaysian government precisely to seek humane treatment for the sultan's supporters. She said reports of extrajudicial killings of Filipinos "will have to be validated," adding that the treatment of Filipinos "certainly will be the subject of the discussion of the DFA and their Malaysian counterparts." Thousands of Filipinos have fled Sabah after clashes escalated following a three-week standoff between the followers of the sultanate and Malaysian forces. Tawi-Tawi Vice Gov. Ruby Sahali called on the national government to help the evacuees. She pointed out that even Tawi-Tawi residents are running out of rice. Over 1,000 evacuees have so far arrived, in separate batches, at the country's nearest entry points from Sabah. The latest batch of 512 evacuees reportedly arrived on Turtle Island, also called Taganak, on Saturday night. Sahali said there were more refugees than residents on the island and the food supply was good only until breakfast yesterday. Tawi-Tawi residents purchase rice and other food supplies in Sabah. Taganak Mayor Mibaral Tang said the 512 included 254 men, 122 women including pregnant and lactating mothers, and 136 children. Tang said some children were sick due to exposure to the elements during their sea travel. The evacuees from Sandakan, Lahad Datu, Sempornah and Tawau in Sabah are also flooding into the Tawi-Tawi islands of Sibutu and Simunul. Read more at: http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2013/03/11/918191/even-women-children-targeted-sabah
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| Sulu envoy to talk peace with Malaysia? Posted: 10 Mar 2013 09:50 PM PDT
(Rappler) - An envoy of the Sulu sultan said on Monday, March 11 he is waiting for the Malaysian government to allow him to travel to Kota Kinabalu to discuss the resolution of the conflict in Sabah. After a first proposed meeting in Brunei did not push through, Esmail Kiram II hopes this time he will be able to talk to the Malaysians. "I am appealing to my brother Malaysians and the Association of Sultans— let's together resolve this issue (…) as soon as possible," said Kiram, brother of self-proclaimed Sultan Jamalul Kiram III andstandoff leader Raja Muda Kiram. The Kirams proposed for the meeting to be held in another country, but the Malaysian government insisted on Kota Kinabalu. "What we are focusing [is] to let our government know our sincere help from the government side in connection with that statement from the Malaysian government [that the Kirams do not negotiate with authorities]," Esmail Kiram II said in a press conference in Makati after meeting Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas in Camp Crame, Quezon City. After the encounter, they refused to divulge specifics of their discussion, saying the details will first have to be reported to President Benigno Aquino III, although Roxas confirmed that the government is open to more talks with the sultan's brother, who has a "direct line" with Malaysia.
Gov't did not ignore our claim - Kiram Asked about his meeting with Roxas, the sultan's brother commented: "We have discussed strategies and means to act on the statement given by the Malaysian government." Esmail Kiram II defended the Aquino administration from allegations it had ignored the family's claim over Sabah and said the President has his top men taking care of the issue. The government will also sponsor the trip to Kota Kinabalu once the Malaysian government gives the green light, he added. Read more at: http://www.rappler.com/nation/23571-sulu-envoy-peace-malaysia
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| PI Bala: I wasn’t promised RM700,000 Posted: 10 Mar 2013 06:02 PM PDT
Raja Petra Kamarudin is writing bullshit stories, says private investigator P Balasubramaniam. Anisah Shukry, FMT Private investigator P Balasubramaniam swears he was not promised payment for the 2008 statutory declaration (SD) linking Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to the murder of Altantuya Shaaribuu. Bala said this in response to claims by blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin that Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim had personally promised the private investigator RM700,000 if he agreed to come up with the first SD by July 1, 2008. Citing a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) source, Raja Petra had said Anwar wanted the SD to implicate Najib, who was then defence minister, so that his Sept 16 plan of becoming prime minister would succeed. "I swear on my mother, I do not know anything about this RM700,000. All these accusations against me are bullshit," Bala told FMT today. "In fact, I had only met Anwar twice: once in 1994, when I was on official duty, and the second was the day I signed my first SD during the [July 3, 2008] press conference. I never met him again afterwards, either." Bala stressed that the question of money never came up in his preparation of the first SD, denying even the RM100,000 he allegedly received from lawyer Puravelan. "My purpose has always been the truth, never money. What can I do with money? I can't bring it to my grave," he said. But Raja Petra had claimed that Bala had contacted businessman Deepak Jaikishan after he did not receive the full payment of the RM700,000 – an encounter that eventually led to the second SD, which reversed all claims made in the first one. Responding to this, Bala said: "Raja Petra has nothing to write about, so he comes up with bullshit. He's my friend, but I don't know how to advise him." He conceded that he had met with Deepak, but reiterated that the ensuing second SD was done out of duress. "I changed my statement out of duress, but then when Najib became prime minister in 2009, I openly said what happened to me, and my statement has been consistent since then." Bala also admitted to having received payment from Deepak after making the second SD, and said that the money had been used for travel, food expenses as well as the education of his children.
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| ‘Prepare for future security threats’ Posted: 10 Mar 2013 02:39 PM PDT
The on-going security crisis is a "slap in the face of Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein" who had earlier said the intruders were neither militants nor violent. Queville To, FMT KOTA KINABALU: With the east coast of Sabah being turned into a military command centre, Sabahans must brace themselves for the long haul in overcoming the security threats faced by Sabah, said former chief minister Yong Teck Lee. "Security operations of this nature can last up to 20 years, or one generation, because of the inherently delicate tasks of identifying who the real enemies are in this troubled region of East Asean, particularly in the Southern Philippines," he said. He cited how the Moros fought the Spanish conquerors for 300 years and then the Americans for 50 years and then Manila for another 50 years until the present day, without any sign of a long lasting solution in spite of peace agreements like the Tripoli accord of 1976 and with the Moro National Liberation Front in 1996 and with Moro Islamic Liberation Front in 2012. He told the reporters this when approached at the mobile service booth of Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) in Gaya Street here today, when asked to comment on the Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's announcement in Lahad Datu last Friday of the establishment of a special security area (SSA) in Sabah to safeguard the sovereignty and security of the state's east coast. Najib said the Sabah Special Security Area encompassed the districts of Kudat, Tawau, Kunak, Sandakan, Semporna and Lahad Datu. Yong who is also president of SAPP pointed out that the East Coast Security Area is an 'Eastern Command' that by its nature is meant for the long haul in the same way that the Sarawak Rajang Security Command (RASCOM) was established in the 1970s to combat communists and the Armed Forces Philippines Southern Command that was set up to combat separatists. He said the on-going security crisis is a "slap in the face of Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein" who had assured the people that the intruders are not militant and not violent. Yong also said he believes the armed intrusion by a group from the Southern Philippines has crossed the point of no return.
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| ‘Anwar promised RM700,000 to PI Bala’ Posted: 10 Mar 2013 02:32 PM PDT
However, Raja Petra says the money was not paid in full and this resulted in Balasubramaniam contacting Deepak Jaikishnan. (FMT) - In his latest posting, Raja Petra Kamarudin has revealed how private investigator P Balasubramaniam was allegedly conned of the RM700,000 promised to him by Anwar Ibrahim. Citing a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) source who quoted carpet businessman Deepak Jaikishnan's statement to the MACC, the Malaysia Today webmaster claimed that Balasubramaniam was promised the amount in return for his first statutory declaration to implicate Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor in the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu. In July 2008, Raja Petra said a prominent lawyer introduced Balasubramaniam to lawyers R Sivarasa and Americk Sidhu. "Sivarasa then arranged for Balasubramaniam to meet Anwar to discuss signing a SD to directly implicate Najib and Rosmah in Altantuya's murder. "Balasubramaniam met Anwar twice, the first time a few days before the SD was signed and the second time on the SD day itself wherein he sat beside Anwar and gave his press conference flanked by his lawyer," he added. The first time the prominent lawyer brought Balasubramaniam to meet Anwar, Raja Petra said he was promised RM700,000.00 if he agreed to come up with the SD by July 1, 2008. "Anwar had agreed to pay the RM700,000 through the lawyer and the payment was to be made in two stages – Part A, RM200,000, immediately and Part B, RM500,000, after the press conference. On July 1, 2008, Balasubramaniam made the SD and proceeded to conduct the press conference on July 3, 2008, organised by Anwar and his lawyers at the PKR headquarters. "Unfortunately for Balasubramaniam, after the press conference, the lawyer only paid him RM100,000 although he had received RM200,000 from Anwar. "The lawyer told Balasubramaniam that Anwar had instructed for the balance to be paid after a few days. The balance of RM500,000 – the lawyer pocketed all to himself without Balasubramaniam knowing," he added. 'Perfect timing' Raja Petra said a vexed Balasubramaniam then tried to contact Anwar through Americk and other people he knew in PKR such as Sivarasa. However, he added that Anwar never responded at all to him because the latter believed that Balasubramaniam was fully paid. At the same time, Raja Petra said Balasubramaniam started getting calls from the Brickfields police station and he became worried. "He started to panic as Anwar was not responding and the lawyer had just cheated him of his only income to enable him and his family to leave Malaysia. Balasubramaniam didn't know that the lawyer cheated him. "Balasubramaniam, the next day after waiting for Anwar or his lawyer to call him, realised that he had been cheated of his promised money. He then contacted Deepak [Jaikishan] through a mutual friend, Suresh, and asked to meet Deepak so that he could relate what had happened. Deepak informed Suresh that he would first discuss this matter with Rosmah and get back to him as soon as possible," he added. That afternoon, Raja Petra said, Rosmah called Deepak regarding the SD matter and the discussion got to Balasubramaniam.
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| Posted: 10 Mar 2013 02:21 PM PDT
Azlan Mohd Lazim said that he had supported PKR since 1998 and hopes that Pakatan Rakyat would win in the general election. G Vinod, FMT Saiful Bukhari Azlan's father, Azlan Mohd Lazim, announced that he will be joining PKR today. He submitted his application form to PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution at a press conference held at the party headquarters here today. Azlan was flanked by PKR MPs Abdullah Sani and Johari Abdul. Last week, Azlan, 60, dropped a bombshell when he said that Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim was innocent of the allegations in Sodomy II. He also said that his son, Saiful Bukhari, was a pawn in high-level political conspiracy to frame Anwar, masteminded by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's special officer, Khairil Annas Jusoh. However, Saiful denied his father's claims and insisted he was sodomised by Anwar. Azlan, a retiree, said that he had always supported PKR and Anwar since the Reformasi era. "I hope PKR and Pakatan Rakyat as a whole will win big in the 13th general election," he said. On Saiful standing firm on his accusations, Azlan refused to comment on the matter. However, Azlan said that he was heartened by Saiful's statement that he would always love his father. "I apologise to Saiful if my decisions had affected him. It's not my intention to betray my son. "I will always love my children. Just because I have joined PKR does not mean I'm going to ignore my blood," he said. During the question and answer session, Azlan dodged many queries posed to him, including on why he revealed on Anwar's innocence only five years later. " As a Malaysian, I can decide for myself. Besides, I have thought a lot about it and its implications," he said. He also dodged questions on why he did not stop his son from taking a religious oath on the sodomy case in 2009 if he had known Anwar was not guilty.
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| Saiful, father’s Sodomy II tiff won’t alter GE13 results, say analysts Posted: 10 Mar 2013 02:12 PM PDT
Zurairi AR, TMI The political conspiracy claims by Saiful Bukhari Azlan's father about his son's sodomy complaint against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will have little impact on the general election and will be eclipsed by other issues, say analysts. Questions also have been raised over the timing of Azlan Mohd Lazim's revelation on Friday describing an "evil conspiracy" behind the opposition leader's second sodomy charge, and his subsequent apology to Anwar's family. "I suppose it's all related to the election, even Saiful's father is willing to come out and speak up," Merdeka Center for Opinion Research director Ibrahim Suffian told The Malaysian Insider. "It (happened) before the elections, so that there will be more time (for the issue) to be discussed prior to the campaigning period." Ibrahim expressed dismay that the ugly issue has once again reared its head, which will further sensationalise the political scene in the country.
He suggested that PKR had the most to gain, as Azlan's (picture) revelation appeared to implicate the country's leadership, by linking the Prime Minister's Office and Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail in the conspiracy. "Anwar has been accused in the past, but the statement by Saiful's father changes how the storyline goes so far," said Ibrahim, who run's the widely respected polling agency. "It further points to the impression that Anwar is innocent," he added. Anwar's acquittal last year has also factored in support for his Pakatan Rakyat (PR) pact and that most Malaysians generally viewed the prosecution with some scepticism. PAS spiritual adviser Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat had also said over the weekend that Anwar's reputation was getting cleaner by the day following the latest revelations. "Lies will one day be revealed ... It's impossible for Anwar to pay Saiful's father off, especially when Cabinet ministers earn much more than Anwar," Nik Aziz was quoted in the Saturday editon of the Malay-language daily Sinar Harian. UiTM political science lecturer Asri Salleh conceded that the issue could be played up by both Barisan Nasional (BN) and PR, as both sides could potentially lose or gain ground from the issue. "This issue will not last long. Kejap je panas (It's a hot issue for just a short time)," Asri told The Malaysian Insider.
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| Pakatan capable of forming Perak govt Posted: 10 Mar 2013 01:38 PM PDT
A DAP leader feels that Pakatan can capture at least 42 state seats to form the next state government. Athi Shankar, FMT IPOH: Pakatan Rakyat can win 38 to 42 state seats to form the next Perak government, declared DAP's Tronoh assemblyman V Sivakumar. The former Perak State Legislative Assembly Speaker said based on reliable intelligence information, Pakatan was on the verge forming the state government with a two-thirds majoriy in the state's 59-seat legislature. Pakatan allies – DAP, PAS and PKR – mustered only 31 state seats against Barisan Nasional's 28 seats in the 2008 general election. The narrow Pakatan win, he said, had enabled BN to stage a coup via defections to capture the state government in early 2009. Pakatan lost the state government when PKR assemblymen Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi of Behrang and Mohd Osman Mohd Jailu of Changkat Jering, and DAP Jelapang representative Hee Yit Foong defected and declared themselves as BN-friendly independents. A year later, DAP's Malim Nawar assemblyman Keshvinder Singh followed suit. Sivakumar said people in Perak were still bitter with how BN's took over the state. He said issues like corruption and abuses of power would be the main reason behind the forecasted massive vote swing towards Pakatan. "If we win with two-thirds, then we will see what BN is going to do," he told a fund-raising dinner themed "Matram Nite – Dine With V Sivakumar" held here. DAP's Taiping MP and Pantai Remis assemblyman Nga Kor Min, Beruas MP and Sitiawan assemblyman Ngeh Koo Ham, and Buntong assemblyman A Siva Subramaniam, and PAS leaders Nizar Jamaluddin and Husam Musa were all present. Sivakumar said Pakatan was confident that it could garner some 85% of ethnic Chinese voters, not less than 60% Indian votes and some 40% Malays not only in Perak, but across the Peninsula.
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| Kiram daughter slams Aquino anew Posted: 10 Mar 2013 12:00 PM PDT
(Global Nation) - Jacel Kiram, 32, said that if there was any conspiracy, it was between President Aquino's government and the political party of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, the United Malays National Organization (UMNO). MANILA, Philippines—The daughter of Sultan Jamalul Kiram III maintained Saturday that no conspiracy was involved in the decision of her family and their followers to reclaim Sabah and slammed the Aquino administration for pursuing this angle to discredit the Sultanate of Sulu. "The conspiracy theory is an insult to the Filipino people and to the Sultanate of Sulu, more so to the Rajah Mudah and his people," Princess Jacel Kiram said in a press conference.
Jacel Kiram, 32, said that if there was any conspiracy, it was between President Aquino's government and the political party of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, the United Malays National Organization (UMNO).
"(It is) purely for political exigency and popularity. This issue (about Sabah) to them is not important, especially at election time in Malaysia. To gain points instead of adhering to the call of the United Nations to a peaceful resolution, Razak did the opposite. He sent seven battalions supported by the Naval, Army, and Air Force to pulverize the Royal Army, disregarding life," Jacel Kiram said.
She said the conspiracy theory of the government was also meant to divert the public's attention from what she described as Malacañang's "mishandling" of the Sabah standoff that began a month ago.
She also accused Malacañang of acting as a "spokesperson against the interest of our own people in order to pacify the role of Malaysia in facilitating the peace process."
"Question: How can PNoy allow the Filipinos in Sabah to be the sacrificial lamb in order to protect the political ambition of Razak at the same time propping up (his) declining credibility in crisis management?" Jacel Kiram said.
"I call on the Filipino people to be more circumspect and not to allow disinformation to formulate their beliefs," she said. Read more at: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/68035/kiram-daughter-slams-aquino-anew
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| Posted: 10 Mar 2013 11:46 AM PDT
SLOW BOAT TO FREEDOM AND SAFETY A police sweep of the Filipino community in Sandakan drove its residents into "extreme fear" forcing them to escape into the night boarding whatever available boat that would take them. An initial wave of 400 evacuees from Sabah arrived in Sulu on Friday. A thousand more are expected in the next few days. KARLOS MANLUPIG/INQUIRER MINDANAO (Philippine Inquirer) - "Soldiers and policemen stormed their houses and even those with legitimate working papers like passports and IC papers were not spared. These documents were allegedly torn before their eyes. Men were told to run and were shot if they did. Those who refused were beaten black and blue. Filipinos in jail were executed" "They dragged all the men outside the houses, kicked and hit them," 32-year-old Amira Taradji said on Friday as she recounted her family's ordeal in Sandakan, which started when Malaysian security forces launched a crackdown on suspected supporters of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III in Sabah.
Taradji said Malaysian policemen ordered Filipino men to run as fast as they could and shot them.
Among those killed on Monday night during the police sweep of a Filipino community in Sandakan was her brother, Jumadil, she said.
Taradji, who was originally from Calinan in Davao City, was among some 400 Filipinos who fled Lahad Datu, Semporna, Tawau and Kunak in Sabah for Sulu as the violence sparked by the intrusion of the followers of Jamalul into the eastern Malaysian state spread at the start of the week.
In other Philippine areas near Sabah, hundreds more have arrived since the police crackdown started and many more Filipinos are expected to return home anytime soon, according to government officials.
Speaking to the INQUIRER by phone through the help of a Sulu local official shortly after arriving in Patikul town by a commercial vessel from Sabah late Friday, Taradji said the police sweeps had become dreadful for both Filipinos and Sabahans known as Orang Suluk (people who originated from Sulu).
Taradji reported the arrest of Filipino men in Tawau and Kunak.
Some of the arrested men, who showed immigration papers, were shot dead, she said, recounting reports by other Filipinos who fled Sabah with her.
"Some of those arrested did not see jail because they were shot and killed," Taradji said.
She said those who had been locked up were also unlucky, as the Malaysian authorities were not feeding them.
Extreme fear Taradji had lived in Sandakan since she was 6 years old and she was a holder of MyKad, the identification card issued to Malaysian citizens and permanent residents.
She said that despite her and her family's being holders of MyKad, they hastily abandoned their home when the police sweeps started Monday night.
She said that from a distance, she saw how those caught during the raid suffered in the hands of Malaysian policemen.
"We sailed from Sandakan to nearby islands. From one island to another, until we reached a small island where we took [an outrigger] for the Philippines. We begged hard so they would allow us into one of the [their boats]," she said.
Carla Manlaw, 47, said the extreme fear of Malaysian policemen, with stories of abuses and killings, prompted her and other Filipinos to leave for Bongao in Tawi-Tawi.
Manlaw and 99 others, including children and elderly people, reached Philippine waters in two motorboats after sailing for about two hours from Sandakan. They were intercepted and escorted by a Philippine Navy ship to Bongao late Friday.
"My employer had no problem with having a Filipino worker. But what bothered me was the police," she said. Manlaw said the other Filipinos in her boat fled because of fear. "What will they do to us?" she said, quoting her fellow refugees.
She said that when she heard that a vessel was leaving for Bongao from Sandakan, she immediately grabbed her things and went for it.
Investigate now Mayor Hussin Amin of Jolo, Sulu, said the accounts of Filipinos fleeing police abuse in Sabah were "alarming and disturbing" and the Philippine government should look into it.
He said he had spoken with many refugees and their stories were the same: Malaysian soldiers and policemen do not distinguish between illegal immigrants and MyKad holders.
"Soldiers and policemen stormed their houses and even those with legitimate working papers like passports and IC papers were not spared. These documents were allegedly torn before their eyes. Men were told to run and were shot if they did. Those who refused were beaten black and blue. Filipinos in jail were executed," Amin said by phone late Friday.
What's really happening? "We are asking our government to investigate now. Refugees from Sandakan and Sabah had spoken to us about their ordeals. If indeed what they have been telling us is true, then Malaysian authorities are not just targeting the Kirams in Lahad Datu," Amin said. Read more at: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/67981/were-treated-like-animals
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| Serb-Croatian Kiss Is The Bravest Thing Ever (PHOTO) Posted: 10 Mar 2013 11:29 AM PDT
(Huffington Post) - When asked why she was walking next to a Serb, a Croatian girl responded by kissing him. The moment took place during a parade in Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina. Students from the United World College, Mostar, were walking through the town with flags for a cultural parade. "My Serbian friend was walking hand in hand with his Croatian girlfriend," Reddit user EvolvedBacteria explained. "When an old lady asked her how she could dare to walk next to a Serb, she kissed him." Story continues after photo The user said more than 40 different nationalities are represented in the student body of the United World College, making it a symbol of unity in a city that for some, remains divided by war. Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/10/croatian-girl-kisses-serb_n_2839945.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003
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His packed ceramah sessions over the past few weeks showcased his involvement in two contradictory statutory declarations (SD) and the alleged involvement of Najib Abdul Razak and those close to the prime minister in the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu and an alleged subsequent cover-up.
Two officers from the UTK, an elite police force, were accused, tried and convicted of the murder of Altantuya (left) and were sentenced to death. They have appealed and the matter is still pending.
"Yes, he's got the same story. But I am a changed man since 2009. Deepak (right) is a changed man only when something is not (right with his business).
Bala also dismissed allegations that he had been promised RM700,000 by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim if he campaigns for Pakatan.
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