Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Student activist arrested under Sedition Act
- Yong wants Zahid to disclose names of opposition politicians in LD intrusion
- Candlelight vigil for arrested student activist
- Anwar: I may be arrested
- NGOs: Najib and Anwar reconciliation is futile
- Hindraf is the Indian version of Perkasa
- No permit needed for Ceramah – Karpal
- There is no need for senate, says Karpal
- Penang Government and cops headed for showdown
- No compromise with opposition on street protests, says Zahid
- Headache for Najib; PRS rejects cabinet posts
- Discontent in BN parties over Cabinet posts
- ‘Opposition chaos agenda’ claim
- Ahmad Zahid: My statement in Utusan not racist, just practical
- GST implementation to add up to RM27b to Malaysia’s income
| Student activist arrested under Sedition Act Posted: 17 May 2013 08:45 PM PDT
Boo Su-Lyn, TMI Student activist Adam Adli Abdul Halim was arrested this afternoon under the Sedition Act that his lawyer believes is due to his remarks at a forum on May 13. Adam Adli, 24 (picture), had apparently told a forum at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall this week that Malaysians "cannot wait for five years to overthrow Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN)". "It looks like it's a crackdown," Adam Adli's lawyer Latheefa Koya told The Malaysian Insider today. She said that Adam Adli was being brought to IPD Jinjang, which is a remand centre, adding that she feared the police would detain him until tomorrow. Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was reported by Umno-owned daily Utusan Malaysia today as saying that the government would take stern action against those who intended to foment chaos on the streets. Adam Adli's friend Mandeep Singh told The Malaysian Insider today that the former was arrested outside his home in Bangsar here."As soon as he came out from the building, he was arrested immediately," said Mandeep, 27. At the May 13 forum, Adam Adli reportedly called for street demonstrations, saying: "Elections won't overthrow the government; the people's power will". Anything But Umno (ABU) movement leader Haris Ibrahim said at the same forum that the BN government would be toppled through a street rally. Several authoritarian regimes in the Middle East have been overthrown through mass demonstrations in the Arab Spring revolution. Pakatan Rakyat (PR), however, has distanced itself from calls for street protests to overturn the results of Election 2013 that was tainted with widespread reports of electoral fraud. Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said last Wednesday that the federal opposition pact would stick to indoor rallies to "voice their disgust" at alleged vote-rigging in the May 5 general polls.
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| Yong wants Zahid to disclose names of opposition politicians in LD intrusion Posted: 17 May 2013 08:40 PM PDT
(Borneo Insider) - SAPP president Datuk Yong Teck Lee has called on the Home Affairs Minister, Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to disclose the names of the three opposition leaders, one of whom is from Sabah, whom Zahid had alleged to have been involved in the Philippine Sulu incursion at Lahad Datu. Yong stressed that this is only fair to all Malaysians and to anybody who has been cast in a negative light by the damaging "disclosures" of the defence minister in the midst of an election campaign. "Instead of making even more irresponsible statements like asking Malaysians to leave the country if they do not like Malaysia's political system, the new Home Affairs Minister, Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, should without any further delay fulfil his promise to disclose the names of the three opposition leaders, one of whom is in Sabah, whom Zahid had alleged to have been involved in the Philippine Sulu incursion at Lahad Datu," he said. Yong reminded that Zahid, who was the Defence Minister in the last cabinet before the May 5 elections, had on April 27 said that the defence ministry had identified the culprits behind the armed intrusion by Sulu terrorists in Lahad Datu. He claimed that two of the three suspects are from the opposition parties based in the Peninsula while the other one is in Sabah. Zahid has said that actions would be taken against the three opposition leaders after the general elections. Yong who lost in the last elections, had at a ceramah at Foh Sang in Kota Kinabalu on May 1 challenged Zahid to name the "suspects" immediately as he (Yong) was actually hauled up by the police from Bukit Aman (Police Headquarters) for questioning in connection with allegations that Yong had met the leaders of the Sulu intrusion at a five-star hotel in Kota KInabalu last October. Noting that the alleged involvement is a treason against the country and waging war against the Agong and is punishable by death, Yong said Zahid's claim has cast a heavy psychological burden on all possible suspects, including him who was hauled up for question by the police. Yong also recalled that Zahid's startling "disclosures" coincidently came after he (Yong) had during the campaign, spoken extensively on the Philippine Sulu claim on Sabah and displayed Philippine maps with Sabah (North Borneo) being visible. Yong had vehemently denied the allegation of his involvement and has called on the authorities to clear his name.
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| Candlelight vigil for arrested student activist Posted: 17 May 2013 08:34 PM PDT
An overnight candlelight vigil will be held tonight in front of the Jinjang police remand centre, in protest against the arrest of student activist Adam Adli Abd Halim earlier today. Adam, 24, was picked up by the police outside his Bangsar home at around 4pm and taken straight to Jinjang where he is being charged under the Sedition Act 1948.If found guilty, he could be jailed for up to three years, fined not more than RM5,000 or both. His arrest is believed to be linked to his remarks at a post-election forum organised by Suara Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) on May 13 where he told the audience that Malaysians "cannot wait for five years to overthrow Umno and BN". According to fellow activist Mandeep Singh, tonight's vigil is being organised by Adam's friends and supporters who will be camping overnight in front of the remand centre. "We call on those who are joining us in solidarity tonight to arrive at 8pm, wear black and bring a tent along," Mandeep said when contacted this evening. "We will know by tonight which court Adam will be taken to tomorrow for the remand process." Mandeep added that he was with Adam until the latter was taken into the lock-up, and that Adam was "strong, fine and smiling". Adam's lawyer Latheefa Koya meanwhile said the authorities had yet to take an official statement from Adam and were unlikely to do so tonight. "What concerns us is that he was picked up and taken straight to Jinjang which is a remand centre, instead of being questioned and having his statement taken," she told fz.com. Latheefa called Adam's arrest a "crackdown" but said she does not know if any of the other speakers at the forum would be picked up. Adam's arrest has ignited a string of protests on Twitter with prominent Opposition and civil society leaders expressing outrage over the incident. Bersih 2.0 co-chairperson S Ambiga tweeted "Arresting @AdamAdli, Home Minister? Seriously" and "This is rule BY law not rule OF law. You think this is the way to go? Shocking!!!" DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng tweeted that the incident marked a "new darkness in Malaysia". Lawyers for Liberty meanwhile questioned in its tweet whether it was the way how Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak plans to attract young and urban voters. The suspended Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) student made headlines last year when he was investigated for removing a flag bearing Najib's image outside the Umno headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.
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| Posted: 17 May 2013 05:04 PM PDT
The opposition leader tells a crowd of 20,000 at a Black 505 rally in Seremban that he may be branded a traitor Zefry Dahalan, FMT Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim last night told of about 20,000 at a Black 505 rally in Seremban last night that he may be arrested soon and charged. "I want to tell you…let (them) record this and hand it over to the Home Minister and the Prime Minister. Whatever your plan…to arrest me and to charge me because Anwar is a traitor to the… "I'm not at all bothered. I don't know what their plan is," he told his audience, most of them youths who braved a heavy downpour to hear him. "But I have one satisfaction that really touched me," said Anwar. "I'm happy that the future of the country is guaranteed with youths. "This is the spirit of the new Malaysia. Those present here tonight are the ones who have dignity, who love freedom and justice. They don't bother about BR1M. "We must throw the BN government out," he told the cheering crowd. Anwar has been on a nationwide tour holding rallies at major cities, wanting the BN government, to step down and allow Pakatan to assume power because of irregularities in the just concluded polls. Anwar also kept up his firing of salvos at Umno, the backbone of the ruling Barisan Nasional.
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| NGOs: Najib and Anwar reconciliation is futile Posted: 17 May 2013 03:35 PM PDT
Sean Augustin, fz.com Efforts by Indonesia to negotiate a political truce between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been described as "futile" and a "waste of time". Non-governmental organisation Muafakat said such efforts were ridiculous as it is generally known that Indonesia's former vice president Jusuf Kalla - who wants to play peacemaker - was a close ally of the PKR de-facto leader. Muafakat president Ismail Mina Ahmad believes that the peace talks Jusuf wanted to initiate has been mooted by Anwar himself, as the nation is talking about Umno-PAS unity. "This means PKR is left out of the picture as it is evident that it cannot represent the Malays and Islam as well, and no one cared about uniting with PKR," he was quoted saying in Utusan Malaysia today. PKR, he added, felt marginalised and looked to Jusuf for help. Ismail Mina said since such efforts were fruitless, it would be better for Najib to focus on the country's development. "It is more important to intensify efforts to unite Umno and PAS rather than calling for a truce between Najib and Anwar. We are all for the former," he added. Utusan reported yesterday that Jusuf has stated that he had met with both leaders and stressed that a compromise was needed to ensure stability and continuous development in the country. Meanwhile, Mubarak president Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Rahman said Anwar was so obsessed with power till the point he could not accept the opposition's defeat in the 13th general election (GE13). Because of this, he said, any effort to come to a truce would be a dead end. "Cooperation among any political parties can take place in the name of national unity. "It is a pragmatic effort to lessen the politicking that would only widen the gap between the people and result in conflicts," he said. Meanwhile, the PKR candidate for the Sabak Bernam parliamentary seat said he lost in the GE13 to Barisan Nasional (BN) because certain quarters twisted the Sungai Air Tawar land issue. Dr Abdul Aziz Bari claimed voters had been duped by "lies and provocation", adding the land in question had been "stolen" by three individuals from the "other side". The former International Islamic University Malaysia law lecturer was defeated by former Sabak Bernam district assistant education officer Mohd Fasiah Mohd Fakeh. Sinar Harian today reported Abdul Aziz saying Pakatan had resolved the land issue but the impression given was that Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim had "overlooked" the matter and rejected the applications. "Our rivals used this as political ammunition against us. It is sad that many believed the lies and did not make the effort to get the real picture," he said. Abdul Aziz said manipulating the issue only proved that there were those who were feeling more threatened by the opposition coalition. "I believe, come the 14th general election, Pakatan will win this seat," he was quoted saying.
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| Hindraf is the Indian version of Perkasa Posted: 17 May 2013 03:19 PM PDT
(Asia News Network) - Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has criticised the new Cabinet line-up, questioning the decision to pick Hindraf chairman P. Waythamoorthy as Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department. "Waythamoorthy has previously rejected some of the core points of the country's Constitution and his party is basically the Indian version of Perkasa," the Opposition Leader said, pointing out that both Perkasa and Hindraf were "extremist parties". Anwar said that instead of Waythamoorthy, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak should have appointed "a Bangladeshi deputy minister instead" in reference to claims by the Opposition that groups of Bangladeshis and other foreigners were brought in to vote for Barisan Nasional during the general election. Anwar was speaking to a crowd who had gathered for the Blackout 505 rally at Puteri Wangsa here on Wednesday night. At the rally, Anwar urged the Election Commission to declare that Pakatan Rakyat was the rightful winner of GE13. "I have had a meeting with the Pakatan coalition leaders and we have decided to claim our rights and protest the elections results," he said, adding that the Opposition had evidence to prove there were discrepancies involved. "We will not give Barisan five more years," he said. DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang, who also spoke at the event, said he felt sorry for Umno Youth chief and Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin who was appointed Youth and Sports Minister. "I am no friend of Khairy's but it is unfair to him that he is put in charge of one of the most minor posts in the Cabinet," he said, adding that Khairy was an Oxford University graduate and deserved better. Lim also labelled the new Cabinet line-up as "the most unimpressive in history", expressing disappointment that some non-perfoming ministers were retained. He urged Najib and the Election Commission to provide answers to alleged irregularities during the polls and urged for a Royal Commission of Inquiry to be set up to address the concerns raised.
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| No permit needed for Ceramah – Karpal Posted: 17 May 2013 03:11 PM PDT
(The Star) - DAP national chairman Karpal Singh said the state's 'thanksgiving mega ceramah' on Saturday night did not need a permit as it is a state function. "It is a gathering to introduce the new exco lineup. That is the purpose of the assembly. "I have had a word with chief minister Lim Guan Eng who wrote a letter this morning informing the police of the purpose of the gathering. "I hope the police will not be trigger-happy and try to interfere with the gathering," he told a press conference in Air Itam Saturday. The Bukit Gelugor MP added that the state has every right, particularly now after the victory of Pakatan Rakyat in the state, to introduce everyone in the line-up to the public. "The state government has the right to organise a rally like this at the Penang Esplanade which is under the jurisdiction of the Penang Municipal Council. "It is a government function which does not require a permit," he said.
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| There is no need for senate, says Karpal Posted: 17 May 2013 03:08 PM PDT
(Bernama) - The DAP chairman, Karpal Singh today said the federal constitution should be amended to abolish the senate. "There is no need for the senate. It is an unnecessary expense required to be borne by the people. It does not serve a useful purpose. "It only encourages those who have been rejected by the people or others to be brought into Parliament through the back door via the senate as in law Parliament also includes the senate," he told a press conference, here. He said a unicameral house with a single legislative chamber, as is the position in Singapore, would be best suited in the public interest. Karpal, who is also the Bukit Gelugor Member of Parliament, said the inclusion of Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar, Datuk Idris Jala, Datuk Paul Low Seng Kuan, Datuk Dr J. Loga Bala Mohan, Datuk Ahmad Bashar Md Hanipah and Watha Moorthy in the cabinet was a mockery. He said such personalities, who do not hold a single seat either in the Dewan Rakyat or in any of the state assemblies, should be shown the door and not allowed entry through the back door via the senate. "Any cabinet worth its name must, of necessity, include personalities of integrity and high public standing and that assessment can only be through direct election by the people and not by appointment," he added.
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| Penang Government and cops headed for showdown Posted: 17 May 2013 02:31 PM PDT
(The Star) - GEORGE TOWN: The police and the state government are heading for a showdown as the state is planning to proceed with its "thanksgiving mega ceramah" in the Esplanade tonight although the police have not approved the permit application for the gathering. Deputy Chief Minister I Mohd Rashid Hasnon said the state notified the police yesterday that the event was an official state function and was not being organised by Pakatan Rakyat. Furthermore, he said the venue for the gathering was not at any of the places stipulated under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 as prohibited areas, such as the airport, dams, hospital or places used for religious ceremonies. The police said the permit application was rejected because the organiser failed to comply with certain requirements, including giving a 10-day notice prior to the event. George Town OCPD Asst Comm Gan Kong Meng said the proposed location for the gathering was also unsuitable due to concerns over public safety as the Esplanade was a popular spot for tourists especially on weekends. Mohd Rashid told a press conference here yesterday that even if the police continued to refuse to issue a permit for the gathering, the state would proceed as planned. State Tourism Development and Culture Committee chairman Danny Law Heng Kiang, who was also present at the press conference, clarified that he had on Wednesday applied for a police permit under the name of Pakatan. He said police had approved the permit, provided it was moved to the City Stadium. "We felt it was too small to accommodate the expected crowd of 60,000 and would cause a massive traffic jam. "To make it easier, we felt that the event was best organised under the state."
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| No compromise with opposition on street protests, says Zahid Posted: 17 May 2013 02:21 PM PDT
Boo Su-Lyn, TMI Putrajaya will not compromise but will take stern action against Pakatan Rakyat (PR) if it foments chaos on the streets, says Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. Umno-owned daily Utusan Malaysia reported Ahmad Zahid today as saying that prevention was better than cure, after tens of thousands of Malaysians thronged six PR rallies across the country to protest against alleged vote-rigging in Election 2013. "I will not give warning, but just wait for stern action," Ahmad Zahid (picture) was quoted as saying by the Malay-language daily. The Malay broadsheet's front page today was headlined "KDN: Tiada kompromi (KDN: No compromise)" and the newly-minted home minister was quoted as saying: "Prevention is better than cure, and the price of early prevention is cheaper than solving problems after." More than 100 people were arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA) in 1987 in an operation dubbed Ops Lalang that was carried out amid rising political tensions, the second-largest ISA swoop in Malaysian history since the May 13, 1969 race riots. But the ISA, which allows for detention without trial, was abolished in 2012 and replaced with the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (SOSMA) that removes the government's option to detain without trial. Human rights activists, however, have criticised the new law for giving the government broad powers to deem any form of opposition a threat and to prosecute them. Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has rallied against the legitimacy of the Barisan Nasional (BN) government, saying that the May 5 general election was tainted with electoral fraud. BN won just 133 federal seats, ceding an additional seven seats to PR, and lost the popular vote for the first time since 1969 when it contested as the Alliance party then. Ahmad Zahid wrote in Utusan Malaysia last Thursday that Malaysians who were unhappy with the country's first-past-the-post voting system should migrate to other countries that had different voting systems.
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| Headache for Najib; PRS rejects cabinet posts Posted: 17 May 2013 02:10 PM PDT
PRS and SPDP remind Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak that the rural vote bank is with them and if not taken care of, 'somebody will come by and withdraw it'. Joseph Tawie, FMT KUCHING: Bitter Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) supreme council members today unanimously agreed to reject all ministerial posts in Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's cabinet. This means that Joseph Entulu who was appointed Minister in the Prime Minister's Department and Joseph Salang Gandum, a deputy minister, will not accept their posts. A miffed Salang had in fact already earlier rejected the position. Parti president James Masing said majority of the party's supreme council members had agreed to reject Najib's offer and felt that they were "sidelined" and "deserved to be treated better." PRS had delivered six parliamentary seats to Barisan Nasional's 133 seat tally. They did better than some BN parties in peninsular who were suitably rewarded. Without mincing his words Masing warned Najib not to toy with PRS and Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) which had been totally ignored despite delivering four parliamentary seats. "Don't try to sideline us because we have the support of the rural people. It is not a warning. "It is a fact, in case they don't understand that we have six seats and four from Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP). "PRS and SPDP which are rural-based parties are not properly treated by the present government. "The rural areas in Sarawak are Barisan Nasional 'fixed deposit'. If you don't take care of it, somebody will come by and withdraw it," warned Masing. 'Give us appropriate portfolio' "Joseph Entulu who was offered a post of Minister in the Prime Minister's Department sought the advice of the meeting which agreed that the president would discuss with the Prime Minister where Entulu should be. "All the members of the supreme council are not happy that Entulu is a mere Minister in the Prime Minister's Department. "We want the Prime Minister to give us an appropriate portfolio, the one that could be of assistance to the rural people, portfolios such as Infrastructure and Agriculture," he said. He said the council felt the same way about Salang's new position which was deputy minister of tourism. "Such post is not of any assistance to the rural people. We just want a portfolio that is of assistance to the rural people, and not just any position" said Masing. Masing revealed that the party was initially offered two deputy ministers' posts which they felt was an insult because the party had delivered on its pledge to BN. But it wasn't until Masing informed Najib that PRS felt they were being sidelined and would not attend the swearing in ceremony that the PM tweaked his list before announcing it on Wednesday. In the new list, he named Entulu a full minister. But even this move by Najib has not appeased the party.
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| Discontent in BN parties over Cabinet posts Posted: 17 May 2013 12:04 PM PDT
(TMI) - All is not well among Barisan Nasional (BN) parties over the distribution of Cabinet posts as Sarawak's PRS has decided to reject its appointments while SPDP is also upset its four federal wins did not get the party anything. Several senior Sabah Umno MPs are also grumbling that they were overlooked in the Cabinet appointments while other Umno lawmakers are disputing Hindraf's P. Waythamoorthy's selection despite him running down the government previously. Media reports say Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun will not take up his appointment as minister in the Prime Minister's Department and Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum has openly rejected being a deputy minister again. BN secretary-general Datuk Tengku Adnan Mansor told Utusan Malaysia today that the coalition has accepted Gandum's refusal of his deputy tourism minister post. PRS president James Masing said the majority of the party's supreme council members had agreed to reject Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's offer, saying they felt "sidelined" and "deserved to be treated better." PRS gained six federal seats and SPDP four to add to BN's 133-seat haul, doing better than BN parties in Sabah, Sarawak and even the peninsula that were better rewarded. MIC, which won four seats, got two ministerships and two deputy minister posts while SUPP and PBRS got full ministerships despite each winning only one federal seat. "PRS and SPDP, which are rural-based parties, are not properly treated by the present government. "The rural areas in Sarawak are Barisan Nasional 'fixed deposit'. If you don't take care of it, somebody will come by and withdraw it," Masing warned in a report by Free Malaysia Today. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/discontent-in-bn-parties-over-cabinet-posts/ |
| ‘Opposition chaos agenda’ claim Posted: 17 May 2013 12:02 PM PDT
(NST) - 'MALAYSIAN SPRING' PLANS: Former DAP senator reveals 2012 email between party HQ and its leaders PETALING JAYA: A FORMER DAP vice-chairman yesterday revealed that the opposition had long intended to initiate a "Malaysian spring" to overthrow the government through street rallies. Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim said the opposition had planned to create chaos since last year's Bersih rally and was now building up to nationwide protests, which were being organised to condemn a democratically elected government over so-called electoral fraud in the 13th General Election. The former senator said he had evidence to back his claim in the form of an email which was sent out by DAP's chief of staff Foo Yueh Chuan to all central executive council members on April 26, 2012. In the email, Foo informed the recipients that she was coordinating the party members and leaders to participate in Bersih's sit-in rally at Stadium Merdeka on April 28 last year. Tunku Aziz said he replied to the email making it clear that he was "in principle opposed to street demonstrations". However, he said, DAP founding member Dr Chen Man Hin replied the email, saying that he was in support of the idea. "Dr Chen said he would be 'delighted to participate in the sit-in (Bersih rally)'. He wrote that 'this may be the beginning of a Malaysia spring'," Tunku Aziz said reading out Dr Chen's response at a press conference held here yesterday. Tunku Aziz said the email response itself was proof that the opposition backed illegal street protests for an "Arab Spring" kind of uprising to take place in Malaysia. "Pakatan has been talking about Malaysian spring, they are not talking about flowers, but what the Syrians have been doing and the Egyptians or Libyans had done. "This is very serious. This is about toppling an elected government...this is being done even when we operate under a democratic system. If you want to bring it (the government) down, bring it down through the ballot box. But they did not succeed and now they are forced to resort to street rallies." Tunku Aziz, who was accompanied by former Selangor DAP publicity secretary Tan Tuan Tat, added that Anwar was quite open about his plan to organise and orchestrate large-scale, nationwide protests. "Anwar is well aware that he is playing with fire but he is determined to create a dangerous environment of unease, fear and insecurity that could easily get out of control with predictable consequences." Tunku Aziz urged the government to put a stop the rallies, as they posed a serious threat to national security and public order. "The government must apply the full force of the law to stop the rot from setting in. "Anwar's selfish act bordering on the criminal, has gone far enough.. Tunku Aziz was also not convinced when asked about Anwar's statement that the opposition would steer clear of any illegal street demonstrations to topple the government. "Of course he would say that their demonstration is going to be peaceful...we are used to his lies. "So whatever Anwar says, it has to be taken with a pinch of salt, for example his Sept 16 notion that didn't materialise."
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| Ahmad Zahid: My statement in Utusan not racist, just practical Posted: 17 May 2013 11:58 AM PDT
(The Star) - "I am not being racist... I am just being practical in saying such groups should go to countries where they can translate their political beliefs into reality" Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has defended his statement which called for groups which did not accept the country's political system to migrate to countries with systems that suit them. The Umno vice-president, who has been criticised for it, clarified that his statement was taken out of context by certain irresponsible parties. "I actually said those who are not confident of our political system to berhijrah to countries with political systems that suited them. "I am not being racist... I am just being practical in saying such groups should go to countries where they can translate their political beliefs into reality," he said yesterday. Dr Ahmad Zahid said people should not read the statement out of context, urging readers to read the full Utusan Malaysia article. He explained that Malaysia inherited the Commonwealth system and those who think that the system in the United States or other countries were more suitable could migrate there. Dr Ahmad Zahid also lambasted the Opposition for disputing the general election results but recognising the results for Selangor, Penang and Kelantan, where they won. "They are disputing the results very selectively," he said.
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| GST implementation to add up to RM27b to Malaysia’s income Posted: 17 May 2013 11:57 AM PDT
(Bernama) - Malaysia will be able to rake in an additional income of up to RM27 billion if the proposed goods and services tax (GST) is implemented at seven percent, similar to neighbouring Singapore. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Idris Jala said the new taxation mechanism can guarantee additional revenue of RM20 billion to RM27 billion, at maturity. "At maturity, is when, every Malaysians starts to contribute towards the GST. It must be implemented as soon as Malaysians are ready to accept the mechanism," he added. Speaking at the forum, 'GE13 – What it means for business?' here today, Jala said education on what the GST is all about and how it benefits the country's economy is very important, as well as for Malaysians to understand and accept the taxation mechanism moving forward. He also said the GST will provide extra funds for the government to spend on the well-being of Malaysians, according to what was promised in the Barisan Nasional's manifesto, before the 13th general election. "Even though a new tax is being introduced, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had committed to reducing corporate as well as personal income tax. "This shows that the government wants a balance in every move that it makes, whether economically or politically," said Jala, who also heads the Performance Management & Delivery Unit (Pemandu). Meanwhile, he denied claims that the pre-election promises made by the government, will increase the debt to gross domestic product (GDP) ratio, from the current 53%. He said the government is committed to maintaining its debt at well below the 55% debt to GDP ceiling that it had set before this. "At the World Economic Forum in Davos, when I proposed this Malaysian mechanism of keeping 55% as a ceiling for debt to GDP, many world economists and leaders said it was impossible. "This is because Malaysia is very unique for still having its debt below 55%," Jala said, adding, as examples countries such as Singapore (100% debt to GDP ratio), United Kingdom (80%) and France (81%). While claiming the 2020 high-income nation goal can be even achieved two years earlier, due to extensive government and private sector economic efforts, Jala said Malaysia is on track to report a budgetary surplus by 2020. He said for the past four years with Najib as premier, the country's budget deficit had shown significant decrease year-on-year, and gave an assurance that the track record would continue. "Last year, it was 4.5%, and this year we expect it to decrease to four percent. With all the efforts being taken, I am very sure the day will come when we can report the budget surplus." he added. On the government's role in business, Jala said it would gradually move out of more businesses this year and in the future. Through the Government's Role in Business (GRIB), he said the government had already pared down or even phased out its stake in 13 companies, from the 33 entities identified by Pemandu to do so. "We are having monthly meetings on this chaired by the prime minister and attended by all the related company chiefs. "The government intends to exit its role in business. But it can never be done in one day. There will still be businesses that the government has a role, due to the importance of it in the daily lives of Malaysians," Jala added. |
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