Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Malaysia Faces Capital Flight, Falling Trade Surplus
- Waiter claims GOF personnel helped gangsters beat him up
- Former Political Secretary Wants Wan Azizah To Stop Harassing Him
- Anwar announces Kit Siang to contest in Gelang Patah parliamentary seat
- Police suggest setting up crime prevention bodies in Tamil schools
- Shahrizat says no reason to apologise to Malaysians
- Ahmad Maslan: Ex-civil servants joining Pakatan for easy polls shot
- DCNS lawyer found dead, believed to be suicide
- Guan Eng Wants Ngeh And Kula To Cool It
- BN to win a minimum of 28 seats in S’gor?
- Uthaya wants to be a PAS candidate
- Najib set to break tradition
- Manila not giving up claim on Sabah
- GE13: Pakatan to decentralise power if it wins polls, says Lim
- Jabidah and Merdeka: The inside story
- We didn’t start it: Dr M
- Photographs a hot topic in cyberspace
- Philippines' Aquino calls for talks on Sabah
- Help us win S’gor, Najib tells Indians
| Malaysia Faces Capital Flight, Falling Trade Surplus Posted: 17 Mar 2013 11:32 PM PDT
(Asia Sentinel) - This may seem a surprise to outsiders who are rightly impressed with the strength of the nation's external position - RM139 billion (US$44.36 billion) in foreign exchange reserves and a record of huge annual current account surpluses dating back to 1998. Monetary policy is restrained and inflation is low. More things for voters to worry about As the Malaysian election draw near, two worrying aspects of the country's economy are very much in evidence. They are just pointers but significant ones to a bumpy future. Read more at: http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5259&Itemid=229
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| Waiter claims GOF personnel helped gangsters beat him up Posted: 17 Mar 2013 11:22 PM PDT
(fz.com) - A coffee shop waiter who claimed he was assaulted by gangsters in the presence of a policeman will hand over the CCTV recording of the episode today. The 29-minute long video clip, recorded at a Batu Kawa coffeeshop depicts a tall man, alleged to be a General Operation Force personnel, slapping the victim – a man of a smaller physique. The clip also showed that when two other men punched the victim, the alleged GOF personnel was also present. "They also took six handphones and asked us to pay RM500 for each handphone and an angpow in order to get our handphones back," the 21-year-old victim Andrewson Ngalai Tandang told a press conference today. The incident took place last Thursday when Tandang and a few colleagues went to a karaoke pub near the coffeeshop where they worked. Tandang said two men stopped him outside the outlet at around 4am when he was on his way home. After the said ordeal, Tandang received four stitches and suffered severe head injuries. "I don't know why (it happened). One of them held my hands at my back while the other man hit me with an iron bar. Tandang said he escaped and rushed back to the hostel with his friends. However, his cousin Johnical, who came to his rescue, was left behind. "The gangsters followed us to our hostels but we refused to open the gate. Then, a man claimed he was a policeman and asked us to open the door. "All seven of us in the house followed him to the coffee shop," Tandang said, adding that the man flashed his police badge. Tandang said he could not recall his name other than that he spoke with a heavy Sabahan accent. At the coffee shop, Tandang said he and his cousin were slapped and assaulted.
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| Former Political Secretary Wants Wan Azizah To Stop Harassing Him Posted: 17 Mar 2013 11:19 PM PDT
(Malaysian Digest) - Former Political Secretary of Ampang MP has threatened to expose the truth if Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) President Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail continues to disturb his life. "Do not underestimate me, if this pressure continues, I will not hesitate to divulge the truth behind why she (Dr Wan Azizah) is jealous of me," he said. In a report from online newsportal Free Malaysia Today, Fareez Kamal Intidzam (pic) alleges that until today, he is still being harassed by certain quarters believed to be PKR supporters and Wan Azizah's henchmen. Fareez also claims that his family too is being harassed. In a statement today, Fareez said that his revelation will make the public see how obsessed the party president is to stay in power. The former political secretary claims that Wan Azizah's jealousy stems from his ties with PKR General Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Following that, Fareez wishes for the harassment to stop as well as to cease embroiling his family in the mess. "I urge those who are involved who I believe are party supporters and possibly Wan Azizah's henchmen to stop these harassment and threats immediately," he said. At the same time, Fareez urged Wan Azizah to quit her post as party president. "I am confident that many party leaders and grassroot members agree with me on this. "However they are scared to voice their feelings out for fear they will get shoved aside and threatened, just like me now, despite realizing that is the truth the party has to accept," he added.
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| Anwar announces Kit Siang to contest in Gelang Patah parliamentary seat Posted: 17 Mar 2013 11:13 PM PDT
(fz.com) - PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has announced that DAP leader Lim Kit Siang will be contesting in Johor's Gelang Patah parliamentary seat in the 13th general election. The current MP is Tan Ah Eng, who is Johor's Wanita MCA chairperson. More to follow at: http://fz.com/content/anwar-announces-kit-siang-contest-gelang-patah-parliamentary-seat
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| Police suggest setting up crime prevention bodies in Tamil schools Posted: 17 Mar 2013 11:10 PM PDT
(Bernama) - Police have suggested setting up crime prevention associations in Tamil primary schools in the state to enhance student awareness of crime prevention methods. Selangor police deputy chief Datuk A. Thaiveegan (pix) said the move could educate students against breaking the law, as well as instilling discipline among them. "Focus should be given to Year Five and Year Six pupils as they are preparing to enter secondary schools," he added. Thaiveegan was speaking to reporters Monday after officiating a patriotic quiz contest among Tamil primary school pupils organised by the Malaysian Indian Visionary Association at a school in Kapar, near here. |
| Shahrizat says no reason to apologise to Malaysians Posted: 17 Mar 2013 11:06 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - "I have to apologise to Malaysians for what?" said Shahrizat at the High Court here today. Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil questioned at the High Court here today the need for her to apologise to Malaysians over the National Feedlot Centre (NFC) scandal. Rafizi Ramli's lawyer, Ranjit Singh, said the PKR strategy director had in a press statement dated November 28, 2011 called on the former Cabinet minister to apologise to the rakyat as the alleged abuse of public funds in the cattle farming project had roused public anger. "I have to apologise to Malaysians for what?" said Shahrizat at the High Court here today. "Do you ask a certain wife to explain what the husband does in a condo? Do you ask a certain wife to explain what a certain husband does in a condo or several condos?" she added, gesturing angrily. Shahrizat also disagreed with Rafizi's statement in which he said the question arose of whether public funds were siphoned out after the National Feedlot Corporation (NFCorp) loaned RM81 million to the National Meat Livestock Corporation (NMLC) to purchase two luxury condominium units in Bangsar. "The question did not arise until your client tried to mislead the whole nation," said Shahrizat. "This is defamation and accusations," she added, gesturing again.Shahrizat also said that she did not know if NFCorp's RM81 million loan to NMLC came from the RM250 million government loan to the former firm. The Wanita Umno chief admitted, however, that the use of NFCorp funds to purchase the condominium units was a departure from the purpose of the government loan. "The money meant for programmes for NFC was stalled because the abattoir was not built, so they invested in property. That's why it's a departure from the loan," explained Shahrizat. She maintained she was the only target in Rafizi and PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail's joint press statement dated November 10, 2011, which had named her along with others such as Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Minister of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Datuk Seri Noh Omar, and Deputy Prime Minister and Noh's ministerial predecessor, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, as parties in the NFC issue. "They were gunning for me... I was the only one (targeted)," said Shahrizat. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/shahrizat-says-no-reason-to-apologise-to-malaysians/ |
| Ahmad Maslan: Ex-civil servants joining Pakatan for easy polls shot Posted: 17 Mar 2013 11:04 PM PDT
(Bernama) - The move taken by certain individuals, including former top public officers, to pledge their support for Pakatan Rakyat (PR) was probably aimed at getting a shortcut to become the opposition's candidates in the 13th general election, Umno Information chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan said. He said they also seemed desperate to cut the long queue of opposition leaders who had waited for their chance for so long. "Some of the opposition leaders and members had waited for 10 or 20 years in the their parties, but cannot do anything with the presence of these 'queue-cutting' leaders," he told reporters after meeting with Perak Umno information machinery here today. Ahmad (picture) said this in response to the move taken by several former top public officers, including from the Armed Forces, in supporting the opposition. "They think if they join the opposition, they stand the chance to become a candidate in the next general election," he said. However, Ahmad stressed that these individuals would not affect the Barisan Nasional as they only made up a minority group.
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| DCNS lawyer found dead, believed to be suicide Posted: 17 Mar 2013 10:55 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - French lawyer Olivier Metzner, who had acted for shipbuilding giant DCNS in a French court inquiry initiated by a Malaysian human rights group last year, was found dead yesterday in an apparent suicide, Bloomberg reported. The business newswire reported Metzner's body was found floating off in the waters off an island he owned in Brittany's Bay of Morbihan, and that he had left behind a note, citing an unnamed official from the prosecutor's office in Vannes, Brittany. The autopsy results have yet to be announced. The 63-year-old was described by Bloomberg as a cigar-chomping, media-friendly lawyer who gained fame freeing clients on technicalities. Metzner's Malaysian link was through the French court, which set up a tribunal to investigate activist group Suara Rakyat Malaysia's (Suaram) complaint last April over the multi-billion ringgit sale of two Scorpene submarines by DCNS to Putrajaya. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/dcns-lawyer-found-dead-believed-to-be-suicide For more info: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/mar/17/french-lawyer-olivier-metzner-found-dead
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| Guan Eng Wants Ngeh And Kula To Cool It Posted: 17 Mar 2013 06:47 PM PDT
(The Malay Mail) - DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng has advised Perak DAP Chief Ngeh Koo Ham and DAP national vice-chairman M. Kulasegaran to resolve their disagreements internally and amicably within the party. Describing their row as 'a normal thing', Lim, who is also Penang chief minister said it could be achieved if they are loyal to the party. "They should realise the main enemy is Barisan Nasional and not between party members no matter what the issue is.
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| BN to win a minimum of 28 seats in S’gor? Posted: 17 Mar 2013 05:56 PM PDT
Utusan Malaysia predicts that Barisan Nasional will win at least half of the 56 state assembly seats in Selangor. K Pragalath, FMT Barisan Nasional would win at least half of the 56 state seats in Selangor based on the number of seats won by Pakatan Rakyat with a slim majority at the last general election, Utusan Malaysia reported today. In a news analysis entitled "50-50 or two thirds?", Utusan Malaysia put forth the above notion based on 11 state seats which it said was won by the opposition with a very slender majority. They are Sungai Air Tawar (123 vote majority), Sabak (117), Sekinchan (190) Kuala Kubu Baru (448) Permatang (608), Bukit Malawati (297), Kuang (517), Taman Templer (613) Paya Jaras (642) Teluk Datok (698), and Sri Serdang (45). The confidence was also based on the rise in the number of Malay voters. As such Utusan said that there was no need to worry about Chinese votes swaying in favour of Pakatan. The influence of Chinese voters, according to the Umno-owned newspaper, was limited to only nine state seats located within four parliament constituencies. The four are Kelana Jaya, Subang, Petaling Jaya Utara and Petaling Jaya Selatan. Among the major grouse for the people of Selangor was the state government's failure to bring in development projects, the paper said. Infighting in Perak Utusan Malaysia also highlighted on the infighting among Pakatan leaders in Perak. The newspaper said the announcement of PKR's Dr Muhammad Nur Manuty as Bagan Serai parliamentary candidate was not welcomed by Perak PAS youth because the incumbent MP Mohsin Fadzli Samsuri defected from PKR to be independent. Prior to that the seat was contested by PAS.
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| Uthaya wants to be a PAS candidate Posted: 17 Mar 2013 05:54 PM PDT
HRP secretary-general P Uthayakumar says he is willing to stand as a PAS candidate in the general election. Alyaa Azhar, FMT Human Rights Party Malaysia leader P Uthayakumar wants to contest in the Kota Raja parliament seat under the PAS banner but all his attempts to meet PAS leaders so far have been futile. Uthayakumar, who is HRP's pro-tem secretary-general, is basing his hope on a meeting with PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang early last year. "Early last year, we met Abdul Hadi Awang at the PAS headquarters with six other MPs in attendance. "They said that they will field non-Muslims to stand as PAS candidates in the general election. As such, I am prepared to stand as a PAS candidate," said Uthayakumar. According to Uthayakumar, unless he is told to back out, he would still want to contest under PAS. "If they don't want me to contest under their ticket, they have to explain to me why I don't deserve to stand as their candidate," he said. He however admitted that all attempts to meet with PAS representatives have been futile. "We want to meet up but whether it is about meeting to ask for seats or to talk about the Indian poor, we have met a stone wall. "If they do not want to meet up then I would be forced to contest as an independent," he said. Relying on Indian voters When asked as to why he wanted to contest in Kota Raja, he said the decision went hand in hand with his party's focus on Indian issues. "The Kota Raja constituency has the highest number of Indian voters, at 29%. "The constituency is very unique as the Indian community is the majority in the area and there are no army camps and orang asli voters, and we know that the army and orang asli folk are the bulk voters for the BN. "Therefore, I believe that all these factors will work in my favour," he said.
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| Posted: 17 Mar 2013 05:51 PM PDT
Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak may break away from tradition by allowing the Johor state assembly to be automatically dissolved first before dissolving Parliament. G Vinod, FMT It appears that for the first time since Malaysia's Independence, the prime minister is going to allow a state assembly to be automatically dissolved before Parliament. The Johor state government's mandate expires tomorrow, paving the way for an automatic dissolution of its state assembly. The next state assembly on the line to be automatically dissolved this month is Negeri Sembilan, with the mandate expiring on March 26. Pundits have described that the 13th general election would be the toughest electoral battle Barisan Nasional would endure, forcing the government to break away from traditions. Most state assemblies would be automatically dissolved next month, with Terengganu (April 7), Selangor (April 22), Perak (April 24), Malacca (April 26), Perlis and Kelantan (April 28), and Sabah (April 29). Penang and Kedah would be automatically dissolved on May 2 while Terengganu's mandate would expire on May 5. However, all signs show that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak would not wait till April to dissolve Parliament as speculations are rife that he might do it this week. Last Thurday, Najib held a closed-door meeting with BN component party presidents for about seven hours in order to finalise candidates for the general election. He is also widely speculated to have a second meeting with component party leaders this week to iron out other details. Mammoth gatherings Najib, who is seeking his own mandate for the first time, had also attended huge gatherings of three major races in the last four days, in a final bid to shore up support for the ruling coalition. Last Friday, the prime minister attended a mammoth gathering in Kelantan, attended by a predominantly Malay crowd, and criticised Pakatan Rakyat for committing "seven sins". Chief among the sins, according to Najib, was that Pakatan had allowed non-Muslims to use the word Allah to refer to God in their holy books. After that, Najib attended a gathering attended by nearly 30,000 people, organised by the Negeri Sembilan Federation of Chinese Association in Seremban. In the event, Najib said he was grateful for the support the Chinese had given him. In return the association praised Najib for being able to bring economic progress despite a bleak global economic outlook.
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| Manila not giving up claim on Sabah Posted: 17 Mar 2013 03:12 PM PDT
President Benigno Aquino says both countries should go back to the negotiation table on the Sabah issue. (FMT) - MANILA: In a clear indication that Manila has not given up its claim to Sabah, President Benigno Aquiino said Philippines is open to negotiating with Malaysia. He said the two countries should embark on a rules-based approach to resolve the Sabah claim similar to the case filed by Manila against Beijing to address the territorial dispute over the Spratley Islands. Speaking before the graduating class of the Philippine Military Academy, Aquino said regardless of whether the claims of the followers of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III were legitimate, an armed incursion into Sabah was not the way to resolve the dispute. "Let us look at the situation in the West Philippine Sea as an example. Is it not true that, like in the issue of Sabah, we continue to hold firm to principles founded on a rules-based approach, towards a peaceful resolution of the dispute over the islands. "If we were to resort to saber-rattling and violence, the problem would only grow bigger, and in all likelihood, would only carry over to the next generations," the president said. "We all know that for every action, there is a resultant reaction, and that there are problems that cannot be solved hastily—problems that will only beget more problems if we try to solve them through force or recklessness. "What is needed here is a careful and truthful evaluation of the facts, and a subsequent negotiation along those lines, to produce the right solution," he added. According to the Philippine Standard, the president acknowledged that while he will not give up the country's claim on Sabah, neither will Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. "We already know how complicated this issue is: could any Malaysian Prime Minister so easily agree to let go of a land that, for so long, has been subject to their laws? Is there a Philippine President who would, without a second thought, give up our claim?" Aquino even cited the Bangsamoro framework agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front as example of how "earnest dialogue is more effective, more productive, and more beneficial to all." "Forbearance and reason are not equivalent to cowardice—on the contrary, these are the measures of true courage and resolve, because through these we are able to consider the well-being of not only those living in the here and now, but especially those in the years to come," the president said. Unnamed masterminds Aquino repeated allegations that there were collaborators and financiers who helped the Kirams send a 235-member contingent to Sabah. Without citing specifics or offering evidence, the president said the collaborators "gathered the funds needed to rent boats, to buy gasoline and food, guns and bullets" for the group led by the sultan's brother, Raja Muda Agbimuddin Kiram. Aquino accused the still unnamed "masterminds" and collaborators of selfishly goading the Kirams into going to Sabah. The sultanate of Sulu said Sunday they would ask the US government to arbitrate with the Malaysians to help resolve the Sabah issue. "We are asking President Barack Obama to mediate in the peaceful resolution of our claim in Sabah with Malaysia," Sultanate of Sulu Spokesman Abraham Idjirani said.
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| GE13: Pakatan to decentralise power if it wins polls, says Lim Posted: 17 Mar 2013 12:43 PM PDT
(The Star) - Pakatan Rakyat will decentralise the power to return the spirit of Malaysia's Constitution if it wins the next general election, says DAP leader Lim Kit Siang. In the latest entry in his blog atlimkitsiang.com, he said Pakatan would reverse the powers of the Executive, which he claimed has turned Parliament into an institution beholden to the Barisan Nasional-led government. He added that the supremacy and independence of Parliament are accepted concepts adopted and practised by all parliamentary democracies. He said Pakatan would appoint an independent Dewan Rakyat Speaker who is not beholden to the Executive and would revise the current Standing Orders for the House to enable a level playing field for both Government and Opposition MPs. There would also be no more provisions to empower ministers in keeping with the concept of separation of powers. The Ipoh Timur MP also said Bills would be handed out two weeks ahead of their tabling to enable the lawmakers more time to study and get public feedback on the proposed laws. Lim also promised to replace the contentious Official Secrets Act with a Freedom of Information Act, which had already been passed as law in Selangor, to create a transparent and accountable government system. A Constitutional Court would also be formed to settle disputes that conflict with the country's laws, he added. The main institutions under the Malaysian Federal Constitution are the Legislature (Parliament), the Executive (Federal Government) and the Judiciary (Courts).
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| Jabidah and Merdeka: The inside story Posted: 17 Mar 2013 12:36 PM PDT
(Rappler Editor's note: On March 18, 1968 -- exactly 45 years ago today -- at least 23 Muslim trainees were shot to death on Corregidor Island in what has since been known as the Jabidah massacre. Below is a summary of "In the name of honor?," the chapter on the Philippine government's clandestine operation to invade Sabah written by Marites Dañguilan Vitug and Glenda M. Gloria in their book "Under the Crescent Moon: Rebellion in Mindanao," which was first published in 2000.) MANILA, Philippines - As it was a special government operation, details of Oplan Merdeka were known only to a few people. But the general concept was explained to the officers who were involved in it. The Philippines was to train a special commando unit -- named Jabidah -- that would create havoc in Sabah. The situation would force the Philippine government to either take full control of the island or the residents would by themselves decide to secede from Malaysia. Many Filipinos from Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, and parts of Mindanao had migrated to Sabah. Oplan Merdeka was banking on this large community to turn the tide in favor of secession. About 17 men, mostly recruits from Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, entered Sabah as forest rangers, mailmen, police. The Filipino agents blended into Sabah's communities. Their main task was to use psychological warfare to indoctrinate and convince the large number of Filipinos residing in Sabah to secede from Malaysia and be part of the Philippines. Part of their job was to organize communities which would support secession and be their allies when the invasion took place. They also needed to reconnoiter the area and study possible landing points for airplanes and docking sites for boats. The project did not exactly start from ground zero. Even before then Army Maj Eduardo Martelino sent his men to Sabah, Philippine armed forces intelligence was already eavesdropping on the island. In the early 1960s, there was concern over the possibility that a Pan-Islamic movement financed by Libya's Muammar Qadaffi would reach the southern Philippines. Martelino himself went to Sabah 3 times on secret missions as head of the Jabidah forces, he would reveal in a newspaper interview on Aug 1, 1968. The landing points he used were Tambisan Point, Lahad Datu, and Semporna. Some of his men traveled on one of the 50 or more fast-moving fishing boats owned by big-time smuggler Lino Bocalan. They frequently travelled from Cavite to Sabah, where they loaded thousands of cases of "blue-seal" cigarettes. At that time, imported cigarettes were not allowed into the Philippines. Bocalan, only 31 then, was already a millionaire. In his coastal home in Cavite in 1998, Bocalan admitted: "Marcos told me he needed help for Sabah. My duty was to finance the operation. I spent millions (of pesos)… I fed the Filipino trainees in Sabah, paid their salaries. I sent my brother and my people to Tawi-Tawi and Corregidor to give food and money (to the recruits.)." Malaysia seemed an easy and vulnerable target at that time. The Federation was still new and fragile, having come into being only in 1963. Ferdinand Marcos cast his covetous eyes on a country that was still on its way to political cohesion. On the ground, though, trade relations between Mindanao and Sabah picked up. Traders made regular clandestine visits and their business was classified as "smuggling." Feeling the need to reduce smuggling in that zone, the government looked for a special operations officer to map out an anti-smuggling campaign plan. Thus, all 3 factors converged and became the context as well as backdrop for Oplan Merdeka: the fear of a Pan-Islamic movement creeping into Mindanao, a vulnerable Federation of Malaysia, and an anti-smuggling operation.
Simunul training The training of recruits from Sulu and Tawi-Tawi was done in Simunul, a picturesque island-town of Tawi-Tawi (Read: Jabidah recruits plotted Sabah standoff). From August to December 1967, Martelino, assisted by then Lt Eduardo Batalla, set up camp and trained close to 200 men -- Tausugs and Sama (the dominant ethnic tribe in Tawi-Tawi) aged 18 to about 30. A number of them had had experience in smuggling and sailing the kumpit, a wooden boat commonly used in the area. What enticed the young men to Martelino's escapade was the promise of being part of an elite unit in the Armed Forces. It was not just an ordinary job. It gave them legitimate reason to carry guns -- carbines and Thompson submachine guns. It gave them a sense of power. Camp Sophia, named after Martelino's second wife, a young, naive, and pretty Muslim, was inside a coconut plantation, fenced by barbed wire. A hut housed a powerful transceiver and served as a radio room. Bunks were made of ipil-ipil and makeshift twigs. A watchtower stood tall in the perimeter, facing the sea. It was a world of their own making, with the trainees wearing distinct badges showing crossbones and a black skull with a drip of blood on the forehead. Their rings were engraved with skull and crossbones. Today, no trace remains of a military camp in Simunul, not a single marker. What was once Camp Sophia now looks deserted, planted to palm and coconut trees with wild grass. Read more at: http://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/24025-jabidah-massacre-merdeka-sabah
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| Posted: 17 Mar 2013 11:12 AM PDT
Radzi Razak, The Sun Daily Malaysia did not take the offensive in dealing with the Philippine terrorists but retaliated and attacked only after security forces were killed. Former prime minister Tun Mahathir Mohamad said people from the Philippines such as the Bajau and Suluk had made Sabah their home for years and were treated well by the government and even granted citizenship. "We have people from the same descendants who are loyal to the country. They support the Malaysian security forces and do not support what the terrorists did," he told the media after visiting a temporary army camp in Felda Sahabat today. Mahathir spent about an hour at the camp and was warmly greeted by the soldiers. He also said he wanted to thank the soldiers and policemen who had made sacrifices for the safety and sovereignty of the people in the country. "I am indebted to them and I think many people wanted to thank them for saving their lives as well. I found them (the soldiers) happy, spirited and I am convinced they can do the job," he said. Mahathir suggested that the security forces could do with more suitable equipment for operating in treacherous terrain. "I think they need more suitable equipment in view of the swampy area shallow water. It's difficult for the army boats to operate under such conditions." He was confident the government will deal with this problem urgently. Earlier, in Papar, Mahathir said the government had never issued any directive to any quarter to issue identity cards (IC) or citizenship to unqualified immigrants in Sabah. He said Sabahans could not blame the government during his administration for fraud committed by certain parties for self-interest.
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| Photographs a hot topic in cyberspace Posted: 17 Mar 2013 11:02 AM PDT
(The Star) - Photographs showing a man resembling an Opposition leader in compromising positions with another man have become a hit in cyberspace. With the matter becoming a hot topic of discussion in cyberspace, netizens are acting as judge and jury. While some condemned the politician concerned, another group is stoutly defending him. One blog uploaded 13 "teaser" black and white photographs, purportedly screen grabs of a video on Thursday. Among others, it showed the man resembling the leader kissing another man and smooching at the man's armpit. There is also a picture showing the back of a naked man walking in a room. Many other blogs have followed suit and uploaded the photographs with netizens giving their unreserved views via Twitter, Facebook and other social media. A netizen said such behaviour was not acceptable in Islam and described such individuals as not being fit to be leaders. Another wrote that people can "use their eyes and brains" to decide on the matter. One netizen felt that even if the video was to be screened, hardcore supporters of the leader would reject it. DAP national chairman Karpal Singh said the photographs were aimed at tarnishing the image of Pakatan Rakyat and create negative perceptions with an impending general election. Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has denied being the man in the photographs, describing it as a disgusting political gimmick executed by Umno. He said he would let his lawyers handle the matter.
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| Philippines' Aquino calls for talks on Sabah Posted: 17 Mar 2013 10:34 AM PDT
(AFP) - MANILA: President Benigno Aquino said on Sunday that negotiations were the only way to resolve a Philippine sultanate's claim to Sabah as he criticised an armed incursion into the Malaysian state. Aquino also lashed out at unidentified conspirators whom he accused of sending the sultanate's followers to Sabah last month, saying they had endangered some 800,000 Filipinos living and working in the area.
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| Help us win S’gor, Najib tells Indians Posted: 17 Mar 2013 10:30 AM PDT
The Selangor BN chief pledges to establish a Little India in Selangor and allow residential shrines. Leven Woon, FMT Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak today pledged to establish a 'Little India' in Klang and permit Hindu altars in private residentials should Indians help Barisan Nasional to recapture Selangor in the upcoming polls. Rolling out a string of goodies at a MIC-organised rally in Meru today, Najib also took a swipe at the Pakatan Rakyat-led state government for allegedly demolishing seven Hindu temples in their five-year rule. "The difference between Pakatan and BN is, we gave huge allocations to the Hindu houses of worship, whereas they had destructed seven temples, including an altar built in a private house in Sepang. "We would like to ask them, under what reason and authority do they have to demolish a private altar?" he asked, in reference to the demolition done by Sepang Municipal Council last November. Najib, who recently named himself as the Selangor BN chief, also pledged to turn Jalan Tengku Kelana into a Little India resembling Brickfields if BN wins back the state. Jalan Tengku Kelana is, as it is, unofficially known as Little India for its Indian businesses here. "I would also resolve the Bukit Jalil Estate issue," he said, referring to the land tussle between a federal agency and the former estate workers who had been occupying the land. The 41 families are demanding for compensations and a plot of land in exchange for them to vacate their houses, but the demands have not been heeded so far. Najib also announced that Indian students would be allowed to take a maximum 12 subjects, including Tamil language and Tamil literature, in Sijil Pelajaran Malaysian (SPM), as opposed to the previously announced 10. Najib's many promises to the Indian community today can be seen as a last ditch efforts to shore up Indian support for BN before a crucial general election which is imminent. 'We fulfill our promises'
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