| A move in PKR to oust Anwar’s dynasty? Posted: 06 Mar 2013 01:40 PM PST 
A former aide of PKR women chief Zuraida Kamaruddin had allegedly written a letter to the PAS president, urging the latter to pressure PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to step down. G Vinod, FMT A handwritten letter published on Malaysia Today website yesterday suggests that there is a move in PKR to oust its supremo Anwar Ibrahim's family before the general election. Claiming to be PKR women chief Zuraida Kamaruddin's former political secretary, Mohd Fareez Kamal Intidzam, 24, urged PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang to save the opposition pact from PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and its vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar. Fareez alleged that Wan Azizah and Nurul wanted to destroy his career as he was "close" to Anwar. He also claimed to be working for Anwar as his private secretary for international affairs since 2008. "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," he said. He also said that Wan Azizah's departure would not make much difference because the former Permatang Pauh MP cannot contest for a parliamentary seat in the coming election anyway. "What's the point being a party president when you can't contest for a parliamentary seat? This is an embarassment to Pakatan Rakyat," said Fareez. The former aide to Zuraida also heaped praises on PKR deputy president Azmin Ali and called him a man of calibre. Being a capable leader, Fareez said that Azmin would ensure Pakatan's victory in the general election. "He's a wholesome leader, unlike Wan Azizah who is just a proxy and pretends to not know anything happening around her," he said. A copy of the letter was sent to DAP chairman Karpal Singh. 'Tired of accusations' Meanwhile, a source close to Zuraida confirmed that Fareez used to work for the MP but quit before 2008. However, the source could not recall when Fareez left his post. "I only know him professionally. In terms of work, Fareez can deliver as instructed," said the source. READ MORE HERE |
| PR Manifesto Mentions all Races except Indians Posted: 06 Mar 2013 12:20 PM PST 
The Indian community has been conspicuously totally disregarded in most aspects of the PR manifesto under the pretext of open non discriminatory society. In fact any implementation of policies needs to consider the discriminated and marginalized society first to bring it with the rest of Malaysian society. Paraman Subramaniam PKR director of strategy Rafizi Ramli is unapologetic that the PR manifesto makes no specific mention of Indian Malaysians, despite the brickbats from the community. However, being a key member of the manifesto committee, he is silent about the fact that virtually all races in Malaysia are mentioned in the manifesto except the Indians. Even though PR prides in the fact that its policies are mainly on needs basis, it however fails to justify the introduction of specific programs that are pointed and targeted to particular racial groups. The abolishment of PTPTN loans will effectively wipe out billions of hard earned tax payers money that have been used over the years for Malay students predominantly. Though it may save them money for the future, it is silent about the existing loans that have not been paid up yet by some of these Malay students. Other policies like doubling the Tabung Haji Fund, more allocations for Islamic religious departments, Justice for Felda settlers, adding value to wakaf land and GLC's to be tuned to produce more viable Bumiputra entrepreneurs are all catered for predominantly the Malay race. Extra allocation of funds is also proposed for specific civil servant government sections that consist predominantly of Malays only. The manifesto has also crafted policies that are pointed and targeted for all races in Sabah and Sarawak.
1) Raising oil royalty from 5% to 20%.
2) Appointment of Sabahans and Sarawakians to lead and hold office in the government.
3) Cleaning up citizenship registry list.
4) Recognition of customary land rights.
5) Raising the level of infrastructure development in Sabah and Sarawak. The Chinese community stands to benefit by the recognition of the certificate for Combined Chinese Secondary Schools for the purpose of furthering academic admissions to higher education institutions. This primarily strengthens all Chinese Secondary schools existence in this country. The manifesto does not fail to mention the Orang Asli community. It proposes:
1) Preserving Orang Asli customary land rights and welfare.
2) 141,000 hectares of land to be reserved.
3) Water and electricity to be supplied to Orang Asli settlements.
4) 5000 educational scholarships for Orang Asli students, which is baffling as it is also mentioned elsewhere in the manifesto that education will be free for all. The Indian community has been conspicuously totally disregarded in most aspects of the PR manifesto under the pretext of open non discriminatory society. In fact any implementation of policies needs to consider the discriminated and marginalized society first to bring it with the rest of Malaysian society. If at all the manifesto hopes the Indian community to gain through trickledown economics at the most. This has in the past, time and time again been proven to be a failure. What is most surprising is that PR prides in itself of having many Indian representatives but the glaring omission of the Indian community's critical needs like statelessness and fully aided Tamil schools to say the least, in their manifesto has exposed their lack of tooth within the corridors of power of the PR leadership. A clear line of demarcation between Indian representatives versus Indian representation is visible for all to see now. Could self preservation of their positions and future seat allocation be a reason for this? HINDRAF has expressed its total disappointment with PR for not including critical Indian needs into their manifesto as what they had done for all other races. Considerable pressure has been mounted and PR has scrambled to do damage control by having a meeting recently to reluctantly include some Indian issues into their manifesto. In any case it will be seen as an afterthought and PR's image among the poorer section of Indian voters has taken a severe beating. More so HINDRAF's blueprint has been totally ignored thereby giving the impression that PR is only interested in the Indian votes but not their representation making it not very much different from UMNO. |
| The death of duty Posted: 06 Mar 2013 12:17 PM PST 
Is it far-fetched to assume that officials who neglected their sworn duty helped spawn the current mess in Sabah? A. Kathirasen, NST DUTY has become a dirty word. There was a time, not too long ago, when duty reigned supreme. A father, for instance, had a duty towards his son; and a son towards his father. Both had a duty towards society, just as society had a duty towards them as individuals. Today, right has kicked duty off the pedestal. Right is the in-word, the cool word. It is my right to choose who I wish to marry, regardless of what anyone else thinks. It is my right as a teacher to seek a higher salary or give tuition. It is my right as a taxpayer to park at road junctions. It is my group's right to be accorded pole position. It is my right as your child to be given an iPhone. This shift is seen in the family, in politics and public life, in the way people and institutions --- such as banks and monopolistic firms -- do business. I'm afraid we are descending into a "what's in it for me" society. Take parenting, for instance. On March 1, police revealed that the number of child abuse cases had gone up by 17.8 per cent from 242 in 2011 to 285 last year. Naturally, we expect love for the child to be the prime motivator in parenting. In its absence, there is such an obligation as duty or responsibility: it is the duty of a parent or guardian to care for his or her child. Has that sense of duty dissipated? The incidence of babies being dumped, and foetuses being killed, is on the rise too. There were 79 cases in 2009, increasing to 91 in 2010 and 98 in 2011. If young people have a right to savour sex and seek satiation by, as Shakespeare puts it, "making the beast with two backs", they also, surely, have a duty to the consequence of their act? And the number of parents being sent to welfare homes or left abandoned in hospitals is rising. Between 2008 and 2011, according to the Welfare Department, there was an increase of one per cent per year in the number of old folk admitted to its nine Rumah Seri Kenangan homes. In 2011, according to Hospital Kuala Lumpur's medical social work department, 205 patients aged 60 and above were abandoned at the hospital. Indubitably, it is the right of the adult children to have a good life. But don't they have a duty towards the two people who birthed and nurtured them, too? Talking about hospitals, a friend was admitted to a private hospital three weeks ago with a heart problem. The hospital promptly placed two stents in his arteries, and a bill for RM60,000 in his hands. His insurance, unfortunately, covered only half the amount and now he is trying desperately to raise the balance. Does it really cost that much? Sometime last year, I had an accident and was hospitalised for six days. The bill came to RM11,000, excluding follow-up, although no surgery was done. Fortunately my insurance covered 90 per cent of the bill. Does it really cost that much? My bill would have gone up considerably higher if I had listened to the advice of the plastic and reconstructive surgeon who wanted to do a skin graft on my knee. I preferred to let nature heal it but he felt strongly that a skin graft was needed and seemed in some haste to get it done. I sought the advice of a couple of doctor friends who agreed with me, after I described the size of my wound. I then told the surgeon to let it be, as the Beatles would say. Sure doctors and hospitals have a right to charge patients. But don't they also have a duty to society and the sacred Hippocratic Oath that they take upon commencement of their vocation? Civil servants have almost always been slammed for dereliction of duty but, I must say, some of them have improved in their service to those whose tax money goes to pay their salaries. The wonderful people at the Employees Provident Fund, for instance, serve the public with smile, sympathy, speed, and scruples. The EPF is worthy of emulation by officials in other government departments and agencies, such as the Immigration Department and the National Registration Department. The ongoing Royal Commission of Inquiry into the illegal immigrant issue in Sabah, for instance, continues to reveal the blatant dereliction of duty, disregard for rules and a lack of scruples on the part of some officials in these departments, and others yet to be named. Add to that the unfolding drama in Lahad Datu, Sabah, where more than 27 people, including eight policemen, have so far been killed in fighting between our policemen and armed Filipino intruders and their local sympathisers. Is it far-fetched to assume that officials who neglected their sworn duty helped spawn the current mess in Sabah? The concept of duty seems foreign to more than a few politicians, too. If they have struggled hard to become division leaders, for instance, they think it is their right to reap the fruits -- even if such fruits are not above board. Supporters are no different. There are quite a few who think it is their inalienable right to receive largesse for loyalty. And if the leader does not provide patronage and pelf, they take their loyalty elsewhere. This has contributed to the sorry state of our politics today. Don't get me wrong. I am not against individual rights. I think it is very important that individual rights are respected, and fought for. What I would like to see is a happy blend of rights and duty. "Performance of duty is not for reward: Does the world recompense the rain cloud?" -- Thirukkural |
| Malaysia flare-up illustrates volatility Posted: 06 Mar 2013 12:06 PM PST 
(Today Online) - Stand-off might also point to dangers of other, perhaps larger flashpoints in region: Analysts Malaysia's move to launch air strikes and send in ground troops to flush out an armed Filipino Muslim clan from a coastal village in the eastern state of Sabah illustrates how border tensions across Asia can flare up in unpredictable ways. Such conflicts threaten the stability that has helped underpin decades of economic growth, potentially complicating the United States' bid to step up its military and diplomatic influence in a region where China exerts growing sway. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak ordered Tuesday's dawn assault after some 200 Filipinos claiming to be descendants of the defunct sultanate of Sulu dumbfounded Malaysia by sailing from the nearby southern Philippines to revive a 350-year-old claim on Sabah. At least 27 people have been killed in clashes between the armed intruders and Malaysian security forces. "Operations are still ongoing," Malaysia's armed forces chief, General Zulkifeli Zin, told reporters yesterday. "It's not going to be easy because we have a big area to cover. Nevertheless, we are able to contain them so far in an area of approximately four square kilometres." Mr Najib struck an uncompromising tone as the operation got under way earlier in the day. "For our sovereignty and stability, we will not allow even an inch of Malaysian territory to be threatened or taken by anyone," he said. The nearly month-long stand-off is disrupting palm oil exports from Sabah, which produces 30 per cent of Malaysia's output. Further violence could unnerve foreign investment in the state as well as damage Mr Najib's chances in a general election due to be held by June. The Filipinos appear to be standing firm on their claim. Abraham Idjirani, a spokesman for self-declared Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, told reporters the group would continue to fight for Sabah, which they say was granted to Mr Kiram's family by the Sultan of Brunei in the 17th century. Philippine officials have urged the group to return home. "We've done everything we could to prevent this, but in the end, Mr Kiram's people chose this path," government spokesman Ricky Carandang said. Some analysts say the stand-off should not have come as a surprise given the region's historical ties, and that it might also point to the dangers of other, perhaps larger flashpoints elsewhere in the region. Ms Glenda Gloria, a Manila-based author and historian, noted that residents of the Philippines' Muslim provinces frequently travelled back and forth between Malaysia and Indonesia, trading and speaking a similar language before European and American colonisers introduced national boundaries. Many Muslim Filipinos sought sanctuary in Sabah in the '70s and '80s while fighting a separatist war against late dictator Ferdinand Marcos' government. "Sabah was always part of their real—and imagined—community," Ms Gloria said, pointing out that migrants from the southern Philippines now living in modern-day Sabah often refer to themselves as Suluks rather than Filipinos. There are similar problems in other parts of South-east Asia. In 2008 and 2011, Thailand and Cambodia fought brief border wars that claimed scores of lives and strained relations between the two countries. The cause: A dispute over which country should control a Buddhist temple after France decades ago demarked the border between the countries. Papuan separatists in eastern Indonesia, meanwhile, are fighting to break away from central rule in Jakarta, while an ethnic-Malay Muslim insurgency in southern Thailand has killed more than 5,000 people since 2004 as guerrillas rebel against the annexation of the old Pattani sultanate by what was then Siam in 1902. Dr Farish Noor, a professor at Nanyang Technological University, argued that in many instances, these conflicts are caused by old customs butting up against arbitrary modern national boundaries. "We South-east Asians are caught between a fluid region and a hard state," he said. Read more at: http://www.todayonline.com/world/asia/malaysia-flare-illustrates-volatility |
| End blasphemy laws threatening minorities: U.N. faith expert Posted: 06 Mar 2013 12:03 PM PST  Security officials surrounding Rimsha Masih, (C, green scarf) a Christian girl accused of blasphemy, move her to a helicopter after her release from Adyala jail in Rawalpindi September 8, 2012.
(Reuters) - Countries should repeal all laws punishing blasphemy and people who leave a faith, the United Nations' top expert on freedom of religion said on Wednesday, thrusting himself into a debate between many in the Muslim world and the West. Legislation outlawing apostasy - the act of changing religious affiliation - and insults against religious figures could be used to violate the rights of minorities, Heiner Bielefeld said in a report to the U.N. Human Rights Council. The comments from the United Nations' special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief came amid heightened focus on faith-based laws in countries like Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, where blasphemy carries the death penalty. "States should repeal any criminal law provisions that penalize apostasy, blasphemy and proselytism, as they may prevent persons belonging to religious or belief minorities from fully enjoying their freedom of religion or belief," he said in the report. Rights campaigners say the blasphemy law in Pakistan is widely used against religious minorities, including Christians, Ahmadis and more recently Shiah Muslims, usually on flimsy pretexts. The posting of an amateurish U.S.-made video mocking the Prophet Mohammad, and the publication of caricatures of him in France last year led to violent protests and renewed calls from the Muslim world for a global law against blasphemy. Read more at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/06/us-un-religion-rights-idUSBRE9251LV20130306 |
| Why ethics matter in reporting Posted: 06 Mar 2013 11:57 AM PST 
The girls came from lower-income households and lived in a red-light district where rent was cheap. The day after they were interviewed, the papers published their photograph. The article that accompanied the photograph described the girls as the offspring of drug users and sex workers. They were humiliated by their schoolmates and teachers as a result. Petra Gimbad, The Sun Daily SOMETIMES, journalists and columnists who connect with people face the moral dilemma of whether or not to write a story. A dear friend, one of the most ethical journalists I know, once spoke of lost career opportunities because of his decisions not to file stories or write from perspectives that would harm or humiliate his subjects. I have held him as my barometer: as any writer would tell you, it is difficult to throw away a story when you have invested so much into it. This is not limited to persons working with the press. In working with children from red-light districts and refugees, I have been fortunate to meet journalists who prioritised their welfare and rights over publishing a sensationalised story. This is not easy. Given that we live in an age that pays more attention to Angelina Jolie's personal life than the Syrian crisis, it is unsurprising that sensation sells papers. The fault lies not only with the journalist, but also with us readers who support sensationalised journalism. I have had uncomfortable interviews and observed how journalists – if they are so deserving of the term – write what they think readers want to hear, knowing that they can get away with it. This is a practice that is encouraged by unethical editors, local and international. Such editors are not representative of all editors. However, we need more editors who are able to mentor journalists in journalistic ethics. Readers must support such editors if we are serious about creating a media that truly serves the public good. At the height of the Malaysia Solution a few years ago, journalists from regional and international media came to Malaysia to interview refugees. This was for the purpose of understanding how they felt about the refugee swap agreement between Australia and Malaysia. At an interview, I spoke frankly of how a group of refugee girls were molested on the way to their community school. The journalist asked if he could interview them. He would not take no for an answer. I explained that my colleagues were unable to seek psychological support for the girls. Also, such an interview would retraumatise them. Frustrated, I pointed out his ability to leave Malaysia following the interview. It was my colleagues who would have to pick up the pieces. Left unsaid was the fact that these girls will live with the memories for life. Not long after, I was informed by another group of children whom I worked with – Malaysians, of mixed Malaysian and Indonesian descent – that they were ostracised at school by schoolmates and teachers. The girls came from lower-income households and lived in a red-light district where rent was cheap. The day after they were interviewed, the papers published their photograph. The article that accompanied the photograph described the girls as the offspring of drug users and sex workers. They were humiliated by their schoolmates and teachers as a result. Shamed, they came to the centre where my colleagues and I worked to weep. I recalled the incident months later when I spoke to the mother of one of the girls. "I am not rich. I work hard. I may be Indonesian. But my neighbours call me a prostitute." Over the telephone, she cried and cried. Often, in order to garner sympathy or raise support, many journalists and readers regard sensationalism as necessary. This intention differs from the financial motivation to sell newspapers and tabloids. Rather than encouraging thoughtful analysis and depth, we encourage the same cheap tactics repeatedly. Even as readers, we accept such tactics until they hit too close to home when someone dear or a member of one's community is humiliated – even though such harm is unintentional. By then, it is too late. From experience, I know firsthand – with deadlines to meet and pressure – it is difficult to balance compelling storytelling with ethical reporting. In refusing to compromise on a media standard that is analytical, considerate and respectful, we may better understand the issues that afflict our nation and come closer to solutions. We will be better off for it. The writer is a bookworm and occasional runner. She has worked with vulnerable children from marginalised backgrounds. |
| Securing our borders Posted: 06 Mar 2013 11:53 AM PST 
Historically, Singapore and Malaysia can boast even closer ties, but once the countries separated, Singapore at least ensures its borders are very well policed. No matter how regular a visitor you are (or perhaps you even work there), you don't ever get a free pass. N. Shashi Kala, fz.com YEARS ago my parents lived in Rompin, Pahang, a small mining town that was pretty much self-contained, complete with a club house, airstrip and the all-important Cold Storage. Anyway, everyone knew everyone, and people used to go out without locking their doors. There were no safety issues. Years later, when they moved to Johor Baru, they stayed in a new housing estate in the suburbs. Back then, they used to keep the front door open, and the outside gate was unlocked. It was true of most of the houses there. Your neighbours watched out for you, and you did the same. But as more and more unfamiliar faces started moving into the neighbourhood, particularly during the recession period of the mid-80s, people started to become more wary. Break-ins – usually accompanied by violence – was not uncommon, and homeowners had to be more vigilant. Gates were kept locked, and the front door, firmly closed. To prevent break-ins through the roof, contractors were hired to place timber planks over the beams. Home burglary alarm systems – both the professionally installed versions and the DIY ones – were also put it. Hell, the folks even went out on Rukun Tetangga patrols. The long and short of it is this: people took precautions to ensure that their homes were protected. They were responsible for their family's safety. Fast forward to this decade, and public perception of the crime rate had become so negative that the government was forced to take action by ordering more police patrols, and redesignating staff so that there was greater police presence on the streets. They took these measures because they are responsible for our safety. Daily incursions Likewise, when Sabah joined up to form Malaysia, there were certain things the federal government became responsible for, including guarding our now common borders. And this it has plainly failed to do, as evidenced by the armed intruders from Sulu who not only managed to slip into Sabah undetected, but continued to camp out at Kampung Tanduo in Lahad Datu for three weeks before our authorities took firm action. How could this have been allowed to happen? The answer being fed to an over-compliant media eager for any scrap of information is that the area is impossible to patrol due to its size. Frankly, Sabahans will tell you that for too long the powers that be turned a blind eye against the daily incursions from our neighbours. The authorities have also pointed to the "historical links" between Sabah and Sulu, adding that the movement of people between the two areas have been going on for years. Sure, there may be historical links between the parties but that doesn't mean we should not monitor and even regulate their comings and goings. Historically, Singapore and Malaysia can boast even closer ties, but once the countries separated, Singapore at least ensures its borders are very well policed. No matter how regular a visitor you are (or perhaps you even work there), you don't ever get a free pass. And as for trying to cross the Johor Straits surreptitiously... let's just say trespassers are severely dealt with. Documenting the illegals No doubt Singapore being small has an easier time patrolling its borders. Perhaps the over 3,000km long US-Mexican border would be a better comparison. Let's see: there's fencing that stretches for over 700km, with 20,000 border patrol agents, not to mention vigilante groups patrolling with shotguns and dogs. Yes, thousands probably make it across every year, but they do so fearing for their lives as the chances of getting caught are high. And even once they cross the border, without documentation they continue to live in fear of being deported. Contrast this with Sabah. Thanks to testimony from the RCI we now know that during Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's administration, illegals were freely offered citizenship. |
| LAHAD DATU: Jamalul Kiram III is a fake Sulu sultan, says family insider Posted: 06 Mar 2013 11:47 AM PST 
(Bernama) - Jamalul Kiram III, who is masquerading as the sultan of Sulu and whose followers have intruded into Sabah and killed Malaysian police personnel, cannot lay claim to the defunct title, according to a source familiar with the goings-on in the family. It is, therefore, wrong for him to assert to be the heir to the last sultan of Sulu, Jamalul Kiram II, who died in 1936. Jamalul Kiram III was never a legitimate descendant of the nine "rightful heirs" of Jamalul Kiram II that was drawn up in the 1939 'Macaskie Judgement' to be eligible to receive cession payments, following the ceding of Sabah, then known as North Borneo, to the British North Borneo Company (BNBC). The source, who has indepth knowledge of the Sulu "sultanate" household and its history, stressed that according to the family tree, although Jamalul Kiram III was a member of the household, he was never a descendent of the nine principal heirs who had the right to the cession payments. "When Jamalul Kiram II died in 1936, he left no direct heir, and BNBC also stopped the cession payments. So, the nine had gone to court as a group to recognise their right to receive the annual payment," the source said. In 1939, the Chief Justice of the High Court of North Borneo, Justice Macaskie, ruled in the heirs' favour and the annual payment resumed. The Malaysian Government has continued with the payment, following the formation of the federation. In 2011, descendants of the nine principal heirs to Jamalul Kiram II obtained an order from a Sulu court to recognise them as the legitimate direct descendents to the nine principal heirs. This second generation of the heirs are Dayang Dayang Piandao Taj-Mahal Kiram-Tarsum Nuqui, Putli Nurhima Kiram-Forman, Siti Ayesha K.H Sampang, Sulatan Fuad A. Kiram, Dayang-Dayang Sheramar T. Kiram, Princess Permaisuri Kiram Guerson and Sitti Jenny K.A Sampang. "As such, he (Jamalul Kiram III) cannot claim to be an heir or descendent of any of the nine principal heirs," the source contended. |
| Police Arrest Dozens of “MyKad” Sulu to Gather Info Posted: 06 Mar 2013 11:42 AM PST 
(Borneo Insider) - Among those hauled up for questioning and interrogation is the son of Rajah Mudah Abjimuddin Kiram, the leader of the Sulu Raiders who held security forces to a three-week stand-off at Tanduo, before fleeing to safer ground. Others include the information chief of a local political party as well as uniformed personnel. 13 bodies of Tanduo raiders recovered, mop-up exercise on-going; fighting in Labian; Four arrests in Semporna; one intruder killed in Labian; Lok Kawi camp fired at; Abjimuddin said to have escaped and very alive By THE BORNEO INSIDER TEAM  A Malaysian army helicopter flies in Cenderawasih near the area where the stand-off with Filipino gunmen and Malaysian security forces was taking place in Tanduo village on Tuesday. Malaysian security forces launched an assault on supporters of the Sultanate of Sulu engaged in a three-week incursion that has left 27 people dead. TANDUO, FELDA SAHABAT, LAHAD DATU: Relatives of the Sulu Sultan's family are said to be among dozens of people who have been hauled up by the police over the last two weeks on suspicion that they are sympathisers of the so called Sulu Royal Army. Among those hauled up for questioning and interrogation is the son of Rajah Mudah Abjimuddin Kiram, the leader of the Sulu Raiders who held security forces to a three-week stand-off at Tanduo, before fleeing to safer ground. Others include the information chief of a local political party as well as uniformed personnel – though earlier the IGP had denied that security people had been detained for allegedly providing the "other side" with classified information. Police remain tight-lipped about the arrests but at least four men have been transferred to police headquarters in Kepayan to be interrogated. The photo of a policeman was also posted by unidentified sources on Facebook, branding him a traitor. On Tuesday night, villagers near Kembarabudi in Felda Sahabat area said police also detained eight people in a blue van as they were driving out of the Tanjung Labian area which was about 5kms away along the coastline to Tanduo village which was bombed earlier in the day. The villagers claimed that among those detained could be a son of Abjimuddin, and a woman who could also be related to the Kirams.  Residents leave their village in Tanjung Labian near Tanduo, where Malaysian forces launched an assault on Filipino gunmen, bombing the village followed by a ground assault by troops. Tanduo villagers, who fled upon the first landing of the Sulu group on Feb 9, have said that Abjimuddin and his top lieutenant known as "Musa'' a former Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) commander, were related to local village leaders through marriage. Abjimuddin, a soft-spoken person was also once the former assistant district officer of Kudat in the early 1970s – though he used a different name then – and his family has a long list of relatives living mainly in Lahad Datu, Semporna and Sandakan Read more at: http://borneoinsidermirror.wordpress.com/2013/03/06/breaking-news-fresh-shooting-in-labian/ |
| Anwar: Lynas plant can operate if safe Posted: 06 Mar 2013 05:54 AM PST 
(The Sydney Morning Herald) - Malaysia's opposition leader promises that if he wins power he'll put the the controversial Australian-owned Lynas plant in Kuantan on hold but allow it to reopen after a favourable review. Malaysia's Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim has pledged to back Australian miner Lynas operating a controversial rare earths processing plant, if a new public inquiry proves it to be safe. Earlier he had demanded the plant's closure. Dr Anwar confirmed that if he won power, he would fast-track the inquiry but until then he would move quickly to shut the plant near the coastal town of Kuantan, 194 kilometres north-east of Kuala Lumpur. "I am not prepared to risk the safety of people in and around Kuantan," he said, adding he was not anti-development. Analysts say that in elections due to be called within weeks Dr Anwar's three-party opposition alliance has a chance of toppling the Barisan Nasional coalition government that has ruled Malaysia since the country gained independence from Britain 55 years ago. The government has backed the $US800 million ($A782 million) plant, built to process rare earths from Lynas' Mount Weld mine in Western Australia, saying it complies with Malaysian and international laws and standards. But the plant has faced strong opposition from activists in a group called Save Malaysia Stop Lynas (SMSL), which has drawn nationwide support through internet and social media campaigns and street protests. The clash is set to be a key issue in the most closely fought election in Malaysia's history. Dr Anwar said in an interview he has "reason to believe" the concerns of many people about environmental consequences of the plant, built in a swampy area next to a tidal river, about three kilometres from the South China Sea. He said he did not trust government agencies that approved the plant because of reported birth defects and leukaemia among residents near a rare earths refinery built by Japan's Mitsubishi in Malaysia's Perak state 1982, which has since closed. But a spokesman for Sydney-based Lynas said the Perak plant used waste from tin mining as its raw material, which contained high levels of thorium, the source of high levels of radiation. The Lynas process was different. "By all international standards, the Lynas raw material is classified as safe, non-toxic and non-hazardous," he said. Dr Anwar said he would offer the company and others the opportunity to testify before any inquiry. He would also seek to involve world experts on rare earths that are used to make high-tech products such as smartphones, iPods, flat-screen televisions, hybrid cars and missiles. "If Lynas can come out with a convincing argument there is no risk to people's safety and security I will be the first to champion the plant there," Dr Anwar said. Asked about Dr Anwar's pledge to set up an inquiry, the Lynas spokesman said the plant had already been subjected to numerous independent reviews, including by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the world's pre-eminent authority on radiation safety. "Lynas is dedicated to zero harm. Care and wellbeing of our people and the communities in which we operate is at our core," the spokesman said. In Kuantan, a seaside town popular with holidaymakers, anti-Lynas activists claim about 80 per cent of residents oppose the plant but no polling has been done. A four-metre-high fence surrounds the 100-hectare Lynas site at the edge of an 8600-hectare petro-chemical industrial park. Construction of the plant was completed last year. Waste water from the plant runs into mangroves where Syed Salikin, 47, goes fishing for crabs almost every day. "We don't know much about Lynas but I fear it will be dangerous for us," Mr Syed said, holding one of his day's catch. "I am afraid the river will be contaminated. I am not so worried about myself but I am worried this will affect my children and grandchildren." Rumours swirl around the town about problems at the plant, fuelled in part by a report last month by Germany's Oeko-Institute, commissioned by the Save Malaysia Stop Lynas organisation. It said the plant's design has several deficiencies, including with storage facilities that could allow radioactive and toxic wastes to leak into the ground and ground water. But Lynas said the institute did not contact the company during its preparation of the report and it was not given an opportunity to review it before its release. The well-funded SMSL group has been embroiled in legal action aimed at blocking Lynas' temporary operating licence while Lynas is suing seven SMSL directors for defamation. An appeal to seek leave before the Malaysian Federal Court is pending, frustrating efforts by Lynas to see off a final legal challenge. Bastian Vendargon, a barrister for SMSL, said the directors being sued were mostly retired teachers and public servants who faced losing their houses and savings if Lynas won the case. "They are obviously very worried about their future," he said. Andan Sura Rabu, a candidate for Kuantan in state elections for an Islamic party in Dr Anwar's alliance, said he was campaigning on the promise the plant would be shut and opened only "if the public can be convinced it is safe''. "Why bring this dangerous material all the way from Australia to be processed here .. . why not process it in your desert?" he said. |
| Umno Incorporated (part 4) Posted: 06 Mar 2013 12:00 AM PST 
In Realmild's accounts, the money appeared as a loan to the company from the shareholders of the company. Then the 'loan' was wiped out or written off in exchange for another company called Radicare Sdn Bhd. But then in the books it shows that Radicare was sold for merely RM2 and not RM200 million or whatever amount of 'shareholders' advances' that still reflected in the books at that time. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin 
The Daim-Anwar team In 1992, Anwar Ibrahim, who had just taken over the Finance Minister's job from Tun Daim Zainuddin, made his move to control the mainstream media in preparation to challenge Tun Ghafar Baba (picture below) at the end of 1993 for the post of Deputy President of Umno and hence for the post of Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia as well. 
Anwar's first move was to use Realmild (M) Sdn Bhd as the vehicle to acquire the media conglomerate, NSTP, and the Umno-owned TV station, TV3. Anwar's four nominees or 'fronts' for this exercise were Abdul Kadir Jasin, Mohd Noor Mutalib, Ahmad Nazri Abdullah and Khalid Ahmad. And they did this through a management buyout or MBO costing RM800 million, the largest MBO ever in Malaysian corporate history. However, Realmild was too small to 'swallow' a media conglomerate to the tune of RM800 million so they had to beef up the company's balance sheet. And they did this by injecting cash of about RM200 million into the company. But then who owns this RM200 million and where did the money come from? Did the RM200 million belong to Abdul Kadir Jasin, Mohd Noor Mutalib, Ahmad Nazri Abdullah and Khalid Ahmad and if so how did they acquire this money when their tax returns do not show that they had earned that much money? That is the first mystery. RM200 million appeared from nowhere and with no tangible evidence to account for it. But the even bigger mystery, however, is what happened to that money later and how did it just disappear as mysteriously as it had appeared? In Realmild's accounts, the money appeared as a loan to the company from the shareholders of the company. Then the 'loan' was wiped out or written off in exchange for another company called Radicare Sdn Bhd. But then in the books it shows that Radicare was sold for merely RM2 and not RM200 million or whatever amount of 'shareholders' advances' that still reflected in the books at that time. That is the second mystery. And to camouflage this whole thing they signed a Settlement Agreement on 3rd August 1999, which the public or auditors were not told about. Basically, this Settlement Agreement was the camouflage to wipe the books clean and to not have to explain where the RM200 million came from and where it went to later. I suppose this is what they mean by telling a lie to cover another lie. 
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| Is Azmin Ali making his move or is this Sodomy 3? Posted: 05 Mar 2013 08:53 PM PST 
Is Azmin Ali making his move to finish off Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and Nurul Izzah or is this Sodomy 3 looming on the horizon, engineered by Azmin and gang to finish off Anwar Ibrahim instead? Anyway, this letter appears to be an attempt to bring down the entire Anwar clan -- father, mother and daughter. Let us see, however, what develops over the next few hours before we come to any conclusions. 
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| Conspiracy Theories Surround Violence in Sabah Posted: 05 Mar 2013 06:53 PM PST 
Mong Palation, The Diplomat Philippine President Benigno Aquino and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak smell conspiracy behind the decision by some 200 armed followers of Jamalul Kiram, the self-proclaimed Sultan of Sulu, to occupy parts of Lahad Datu in Sabah. Although Sabah is part of the Malaysian Federation, the Sulu Sultanate in the southern Philippines has claimed the state as its own. There are an estimated 800,000 documented and undocumented Filipinos residing in Sabah. Kiram's armed followers arrived in Lahad Datu on February 9 and vowed not to leave until the sultanate's claim is settled. After waiting three weeks for the private soldiers to surrender voluntarily, the Malaysian armed forces launched ground and air strikes yesterday. According to reports, as many as 8 Malaysians and 19 Filipinos have been killed in the fighting over the past week. The death of Filipinos in Sabah may have forced Aquino to appear on national television to defend the Philippine government's refusal to support the "hopeless cause" of Kiram's followers. Aquino also hinted that his government is building a case against certain "persons of interest" who might have provoked the Sultan of Sulu to order his men to occupy Lahad Datu. In a press conference on March 4, Aquino said: "We are aware that there are those who conspired to bring us to this situation – a situation that has no immediate solutions. Some of their identities are clear to us, while others continue to skulk in the shadows. The family of Sultan Jamalul Kiram could not possibly have settled on this course of action alone." Aquino added that the government is verifying reports suggesting the involvement of people connected to the administration of former President Gloria Arroyo. He warned, "To the people who are behind this, even now, I tell you: you will not succeed. All those who have wronged our country will be held accountable." Meanwhile, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak is suspicious about the timing of the Sabah incursion, which took place just as Malaysian political parties are preparing for general elections due in June. Some opposition figures have been accused of instigating the crisis by encouraging Kiram to take drastic action in Sabah in exchange for autonomy once the opposition coalition grabs power this year. The opposition rejected the charge and turned the tables back on Najib and the ruling party. The opposition accused Najib's government of launching a full-scale attack against the so-called Royal Sulu Army to divert attention from the army's failure to protect the country's borders. They also accused the ruling coalition of exploiting the issue to win the support of Malaysian voters – especially in Sabah where the opposition is slowly making inroads. The timing of the violence in Sabah – during election season in both Malaysia and the Philippines – has created an atmosphere in which everything that political actors involved in the drama say or do can be reduced to an election stunt. In normal circumstances, conspiracy theories can be readily dismissed. The picture is blurred, however, when the sources of such theories are no less than the president and prime minister of two neighboring countries. There may well be conspirators and traitors in the two countries and arrests might soon take place. But the Sabah dilemma won't easily go away. Conspiracy or not, the lesson is that it's no longer acceptable for Malaysian and Filipino politicians to deliberately avoid tackling the issue of Sabah ownership. Perhaps the time has come to settle this debate once and for all. The escalating violence in Lahad Datu should embolden the leaders of both countries to work out a lasting solution to this persistent problem. Should they fail to do so, there appears to be no lack of those who would continue to ignite the dispute in Sabah to advance their own interests. |
| Anwar: PAS can pursue Islamic laws for Muslims Posted: 05 Mar 2013 06:04 PM PST 
The opposition leader says this in an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald but insists that no one will be compelled to pursue any belief or religion. In an interview with the Australian newspaper's Southeast Asia correspondent Lindsay Murdoch, Anwar said that under Pakatan Rakyat's rule, PAS would be allowed to pursue the Syariah system for Muslims, which was a sensitive issue in Malaysia. G Vinod, FMT Critics have always accused Anwar Ibrahim of being inconsistent with his stand on Islamic issues, especially pertaining to PAS' aspirations. While the opposition leader gives the impression to some that he is committed to Malaysia being a secular state, he however told the Sydney Morning Herald otherwise. In an interview with the Australian newspaper's Southeast Asia correspondent Lindsay Murdoch, Anwar said that under Pakatan Rakyat's rule, PAS would be allowed to pursue the Syariah system for Muslims, which was a sensitive issue in Malaysia. On the same note, he also said that a government helmed by him would allow freedom of expression and religion. The move, he said, would allow Muslims to enforce the Syariah-based legal system. "I have very strong Islamic traditions. I think we should carefully consider and promote these positive values," said Anwar. But he added that Pakatan has agreed that no one would be compelled to pursue any religion and no one would be stopped from expressing their views or religious convictions. However, the video recording of the interview did not show Anwar mentioning Syariah or PAS' Islamic state agenda. Last year, Anwar courted backlash from many quarters, including his ally DAP, for saying he supported the implementation of Hudud laws in principle. Later, Pakatan leaders unanimously agreed that the Islamic penal code would not be implemented if the opposition pact wins the general election as it is not part of their Common Policy Framework. Tweaking the NEP Anwar, a former deputy prime minister, also told the Australian press that he would dismantle discriminative economic policies and replace them with ideas that would propel the Malaysian economy to greater heights. "We would maintain the affirmative action policy but tweak it to become a need-based policy," he said. READ MORE HERE |
| Malaysian-Trained MNLF Fighters Join Kiram Forces Posted: 05 Mar 2013 05:28 PM PST 
Bayam said he was confident the Malaysian authorities were not able to find the hidden MNLF firearms because they were kept very well by the MNLF commanders who stayed behind in Sabah. Edd K. Usman, Manila Bulletin Malaysian security forces are now facing battle-tested, Malaysian-trained commanders of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), who know Sabah like the palm of their hands. Hadji Acmad Bayam, former chief propagandist of the MNLF, revealed this yesterday to the Manila Bulletin, adding that these MNLF forces may have at their disposal a huge arsenal, which they hid deep in Sabah's rugged terrain when they returned to the Philippines after their rigid training. Among the firearms are Belgian-made G1 and FAL, which the late Libya leader Colonel Moammar Khadafy supplied through Malaysia. Bayam said he was confident the Malaysian authorities were not able to find the hidden MNLF firearms because they were kept very well by the MNLF commanders who stayed behind in Sabah. During that training, Malaysian military trainors even joked about the firearms at the MNLF training camp on Jampiras Island, off Sabah, as they turned over Khadafy's weapons' supply. "We are not even sure if the firearms we are giving you will not be turned against," the Malaysian trainors had said in a jest. "Well, speaking of self-fulfilling prophecy," Bayam said, recalling the jokes of the Malaysian trainors. Now, Filipinos in Sabah, who are not part of the forces of the Sultanate of Sulu, have already joined the fighting in reaction to what they perceived as Malaysian "atrocities" for killing Imam Maas and his four sons at 7:50 p.m. Saturday. He recalled that Malaysia's leadership had even suspected the then chief minister of Sabah, Tun Mustapha, a Tausug from Sulu, of "conspiring" with MNLF Chairman Nur Misuari to secede the oil-rich island. "You know, if Mindanao is to Manila, Sabah is to Kuala Lumpur," said Bayam, explaining that Mindanao and Sabah are the "milking cows" of the Philippines and Malaysia, respectively, for their rich natural resources. Bayam, who yielded to then President Fidel V. Ramos, stayed in Sabah, Malaysia, for nine years before the peace talks with the Ramos administration in 1993. Bayam stayed in Sabah on-and-off, in 1976-79, in 1980-1986, among other dates. Further, he said many of the seasoned rebel commanders and rank-and-file members chose to remain on Sabah island to live there. Majority of them are from Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Zamboanga Peninsula, but there are also Maguindanaons, Iranons, and probably Maranaos, he said. A few days ago, he said one of the MNLF foreign-trained commanders belonging to the Top 90 Batch, told him that he was enlisting Tausug warriors and others for reinforcement to the Royal Security Force (RSF) of the Sultanate of Sulu. "I was trying to contact him yesterday but his phone cannot be reached anymore. I guess he was able to penetrate the Malaysian and Philippine sea-borne blockades in their respective borders. Bayam described the commander "as soft-spoken but firm and true leader-fighter in actual shooting war." However, he requested that the commander's name be not made public. Last Sunday, Abraham J. Idjirani, spokesman of Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, said 40 people from Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, and Zamboanga Peninsula breached the blockades and reached Lahad Datu, Sabah, scene of the standoff that erupted into a firefight. He said there are many others who are now trying to go to Sabah and help the sultan's followers led by Rajah Muda Agbimuddin Kiram. Bayam said that with the way the situation in Sabah is going on, he sees no turning back. On the other hand, he said this gives the United States an opportunity to correct its "historical error" it committed against the Moro people. He said this was even acknowledged by the administration of then President George Bush in response to a letter from the late Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Chairman Ustadhz Salamat Hashim. Cooler heads should put themselves at work and resolve the issue on Sabah claim. "This is the best time and opportunity," Bayam said. "They should seize the fleeting opportunity or lost it forever." "As the only leader of the free world, the only guardian of human rights, freedom and democracy, the American government has the opportunity to correct the historical error against the Moro people," Bayam said. Feeling Abandoned Meanwhile, Sultan Jamalul Kiram III who still feeling abandoned by the Philippines yesterday said they are now relying on the United Nations, United States, and United Kingdom for help. He said they are no longer waiting for any help from the administration of President Benigno S. Aquino III because none is coming anyway. Kiram aired his sentiments on DZMM radio early Monday morning. "We are not waiting anymore. No more. There is no help (from the Philippines)," he said in Filipino. He said now they will rely on the UN, US, and UK. On the appeal of the President to preserve the lives of the Sultanate of Sulu's followers in Lahad Datu, Sabah, the sultan struck a defiant mood. "No more. There is no more preservation... it's in the hands of Almighty Allah," the sultan said. As this developed, former congressman Satur Ocampo, Dr. Carol Araullo, both Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, and Vice President Rafaelita Gonio of the Philippine Constitution Association (Philconsa), paid a visit yesterday at Astanah Kiram in Maharlika Village, Taguig City. Ocampo and Araullo expressed support to the cause of the Kirams in trying to claim Sabah from Malaysia. Ocampo said that the President should review the government's stand because the new developments. Gonio said her support is a personal one because Philconsa has not yet made its position on the issue. At about 12:20 p.m. also yesterday, another militant, independent senatorial candidate Teddy Casino also arrived to visit the sultan. Early Sunday evening, former secretary of Department of National Defense (DND) Norberto Gonzales made a surprised visit at Astanah Kiram, as he belied allegations he had a hand in the Sabah standoff. He said he saw the sultan on television and felt sad for his condition. On Malacañang's allegations he was allegedly one of the "instigators" of the Sabah standoff, he said he did not know about it. Whether he is a "collaborator" in the now bloody standoff, he had an answer. "If being a friend (makes you) a collaborator, then I am a collaborator," said Gonzales, the former former National Security Adviser of then President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. |
| So what is our foreign policy? Posted: 05 Mar 2013 04:45 PM PST 
Israel did not create itself. Israel was created by the colonial powers that also engineered the destruction of the Ottoman Empire. And the Sykes–Picot Agreement plus the Balfour Declaration were what made Israel possible. And these countries not only created Israel but they propped it up as well and are still doing so. So why are we still friends with them when they are the culprits behind the problem we are facing called Israel? NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin 'Did PM know US consultants are Israel supporters?' (Malaysiakini) - Is Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's administration aware that the US consultants it hired to attack political rival Anwar Ibrahim are ardent supporters of the Israeli regime, asks PKR. PKR communications director Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said Najib must answer many questions pertaining to the engagement of former United States president George W Bush's speechwriter Joshua Trevino and other American bloggers, through Apco Worldwide and FBC Media, at the expense of taxpayers. FBC Media and Apco are agencies hired by the Malaysian government to spruce up its image internationally. "Is the government aware that many of the consultants hired are staunch and avid supporters of Israel, to the detriment of the Palestinians?" were among the questions Nik Nazmi posed in a statement today. The same right-wing writers hired by the BN-led government, said Nik Nazmi, are also anti-Islam and have been criticising the Muslim Brotherhood and Muslims in the US. He also wants the PM to explain why and how much more of the rakyat's money has been spent for propaganda, who else have been hired and who did the recruiting and coordination of the campaign, which are mainly slander attacks against opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim. He claimed that Trevino was behind the site Malaysiamatters.com, which carried articles aimed at discrediting Anwar to international audiences. Pakatan had intended to ask the question in Parliament, said the PKR leader, though as it was clear that there will be no Parliament sitting convened, he said the onus is on Najib. "We hope the PM will answer," said Nik Nazmi during a press conference in Petaling Jaya today. ***************************************** Some background to the Israel issue On 16th May 1916, Britain and France concluded the Sykes–Picot Agreement, which proposed to divide the Middle East between them into spheres of influence, with "Palestine" as an international enclave. The Sykes-Picot Agreement did not call for Arab sovereignty, but for the "suzerainty of an Arab chief" and "an international administration, the form of which is to be decided upon after consultation with Russia, and subsequently in consultation with the other allies, and the representatives of the Sherif of Mecca." Under the terms of that agreement, the Zionist Organisation needed to secure an agreement along the lines of the Faisal-Weizmann Agreement with the Sherif of Mecca. On 2nd November 1917, the Balfour Declaration, a letter from British Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour to Lord Rothschild, made public the British support of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. The Balfour Declaration led the League of Nations to entrust the United Kingdom with the Palestine Mandate in 1922. In that letter, Balfour promised British support for the Zionist programme of establishing a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine. This pledge of support was made without consulting the indigenous Christian and Muslim inhabitants of Palestine, the Palestinian people. And it was made before British troops had even conquered the land. Balfour, on behalf of Britain, promised Palestine – over which Britain had no legal right – to a people who did not even live there (of the very small community of Palestinian Jews in Palestine in 1917, very few were Zionists). And he did so with the worst of intentions: to discourage Jewish immigration to Britain. Lord Montagu, the only Jewish member of the Cabinet, opposed the declaration. And yet, just two years earlier, Britain had committed herself to assisting the Arab nations in achieving their independence from the Ottoman Empire. Arab fighters all over the region, including thousands of Palestinians, fought for their freedom, allowing Britain to establish her mandate in Palestine. From that moment, Palestine became the victim of colonial conspiracies. The Balfour Declaration helped to encourage Zionist immigration into Palestine and away from America and Western Europe. Simultaneously, Britain suppressed Palestinian nationalism, which was exemplified by its crushing of the Arab revolt of 1936-1939 and the denial of the right of the Palestinian people to express their will through their own representation. In fact, Britain suppressed Palestinian political representation through a policy of systematic denial of Palestinian political rights. ***************************************** Okay, from the Malaysiakini report above, it appears like Pakatan Rakyat's -- or at least PKR's -- foreign policy is that anyone who is pro-Israel or is opposed to the 'Palestinian cause' must be treated as an enemy of Malaysia. What happens if I were to publicly express an anti-Hamas or a pro-Israel stance? Would that also make me an enemy of the country? Israel is a 100-year old story. Sabah became part of Malaysia in 1963. So it is a 50-year old story. If the Muslims from the Philippines do not have any legal right in claiming Sabah as their territory because it is an 'old story', what legal right do Muslims from the Middle East have in claiming Israel (or the occupied lands) as their territory when it is an even older story? (And remember, the British created Sabah just like they did Israel). Malaysia supports the Muslim claim over Israel because Malaysia is a Muslim country and Muslims are 'officially' anti-Jews. Hence we take the Muslim side against the Jews. Okay, say Dr Jeffrey Gapari Kitingan's 'Christian' STAR were to kick out the 'Muslim' Umno government in the coming general election, would we now take the side of the Muslims from the Philippines regarding their claim over Sabah? For the sake of Islam we take the Muslim side against the Jews. For the sake of Islam will we also take the Muslim side (although from the Philippines) against the Christians (although from Malaysia)? In the Middle East we are 'guided' by religion. Will we also be guided by religion if the Umno 'Muslim' government of Sabah gets kicked out? We, especially the opposition, must be very careful when we express our foreign policy. Just because some Americans happen to be Jews (and Jews who support Israel) we cannot use that as the justification to declare them the enemy of Malaysia. That can also be interpreted as taking a pro-Hamas stance. And that would mean we do not regard Hamas as a terrorist group even though women and children are blown up with bombs. We now call the Muslim 'intruders' from the Philippines terrorists and criminals. This is what Malaysia and the Philippines announced today. Are those Muslims who are fighting the Palestinian cause also terrorists and criminals? In that case what business does the government and opposition have in dealing with them? Aren't we dealing with terrorists and criminals? It is not wrong, of course, in taking a stand, even in an issue involving foreign policy. But we need to be clear and consistent in the reasons why we take such a stand. And those justifications must apply in all cases, not apply in one case but not in another. If it is wrong for the Malaysian government to deal with Jews from America known to be pro-Israel, then it is also wrong to deal with others who are pro-Israel as well. Israel did not create itself. Israel was created by the colonial powers that also engineered the destruction of the Ottoman Empire. And the Sykes–Picot Agreement plus the Balfour Declaration were what made Israel possible. And these countries not only created Israel but they propped it up as well and are still doing so. So why are we still friends with them when they are the culprits behind the problem we are facing called Israel? It is strange how we choose our friends and enemies. We apply certain reasons as to why someone is our enemy and then sidestep that same reason in those we want as our friends. So let me get this straight. Anyone who is pro-Israel is our enemy, even those American citizens -- some who happen to be Jews. I suppose then almost every country in Europe must now become our enemy and Malaysians should be asked to leave the UK, France, etc., immediately. |
| Manila trip ‘not linked to Sabah invasion’ Posted: 05 Mar 2013 03:32 PM PST Anisah Shukry, FMT PKR MPs Tian Chua and R Sivarasa's Feb 7 trip to Manila was unrelated to the Royal Sulu Sultanate army's intrusion into Sabah, Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim said today. He stressed that the two MPs had visited Manila to obtain information on Manuel Amalilo, whose deportation to the Philippines was blocked by Malaysian authorities on Jan 25. Amalilo is wanted in the Philippines for allegedly scamming 15,000 Filipinos of RM859 million under a company known as Aman Futures Group. "Their visit was about Amalilo, the relative of Sabah Chief Minister [Musa Aman] and Foreign Minister [Anifah Aman], who has been labelled by President Benigno Aquino as a criminal," Anwar told reporters in response to a question. "The Philippine government wants Malaysia to send Amililo back so that it can continue [its] investigations…Why are we giving him protection? "So when this issue emerged, Sivarasa and Tian Chua went to Manila to get information, in order to avoid any slander. It was to get clear information and confirmation of Amalilo's scam." Upon their return to Malaysia, Sivarasa and Tian Cua had told a press conference on Feb 19 that the prime minister must deport Amalilio as soon as possible. Sivarasa said that, based on his checks with the Philippines, Amalilio was holding a genuine Filipino passport as well as a Malaysian passport, hence proving the latter held a dual citizenship. "Article 24 of the Federal Constitution stipulates that if a person conducts in an act to obtain another citizenship, he or she will lose their Malaysian citizenship automatically," the Subang MP had said. But pro-Umno bloggers have speculated that the two visited Manila to meet an agent of the self-styled Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram, who is behind the armed incursion in Sabah. The rumours come in the wake of unnamed Philippine intelligence sources reportedly saying that a leader from the Malaysian opposition had encouraged the Royal Sulu Sultanate army to attack Sabah, prompting Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to initiate investigations into the claims. But both Anwar and Jamalul have repeatedly denied links to one another, and the former has initiated legal action against Utusan Malaysia and TV3, which carried the reports. |
| What role did the Scorpene subs play? Posted: 05 Mar 2013 03:25 PM PST 
Suaram director Kua Kia Soong questions the strategy used against the Sulu intruders in Lahad Datu. K Pragalath, FMT Suaram director Kua Kia Soong has questioned the strategy used by the armed forces in Lahad Datu. "What role did the Scorpene submarines play in the Lahad Datu crisis? "Is it wise to use jet fighters like the Hornets against a motley group of 250 Sulu men in a 4km radius? Shouldn't we be using helicopters such as the Apache instead? "Where was the Navy to prevent the invaders from coming in?" he asked during the launch of Malaysian civil society's 20-point demands for the 13th general election at the Kuala Lumpur Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall this morning. The armed conflict in Lahad Datu began last month when a large group of Sulu men claiming to be soldiers of the Sulu sultan invaded a village in Lahad Datu. Last week, several policemen who were deployed to Lahad Datu died as a result of mortar attacks by the Sulu men who are from the modern day Philippines. Yesterday, the Royal Malaysian Air Force conducted air bombardment in the area where the Sulu were believed to be holding up using Hornet jet fighter planes. Kua also questioned why the policemen deployed there were not equipped with bulletproof vests and safety helmets. He said this while presenting one of the 20-point demand in light of the upcoming 13th general election The demand pertaining to the defence sector called for defence cuts and promotion of peace and disarmament. The demand also called for defence budgets to be below 1% of the Gross Domestic Product, a parliamentary defence committee led by an opposition lawmaker and an independent Ombudsman to oversee the defence budget. It also called for National Volunteer Corp's (RELA) power to arrest, detain and carry firearms to be abolished since the police are empowered to do that. On another note, A Jayanath of Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia (SABM) elaborated on the demand to eradicate institutionalised racism. He called for education and economic policies to be based on need not race with priority to indigenous, marginalised, and poor communities. "The New Economic Policy (NEP) must be abolished since it has already ended in 1990. Abolishing something that has ended is not lofty," he said when asked by the press. The NEP was tabled in 1971 as a result of the May 13, 1969 clashes with dual prong objectives to end poverty and abolish income inequality. "Poverty and income inequality are getting worse," Jayanath said. READ MORE HERE |
| More police reports against Tian Chua’s statement Posted: 05 Mar 2013 02:54 PM PST 
Demonstrations were also held against the PKR vice-president for allegedly policising the Lahad Datu tragedy. (Bernama) - Numerous police reports have been lodged by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and political parties against PKR vice-president Tian Chua for allegedly politicising the intrusion tragedy in Lahad Datu, Sabah. In PERLIS, Kangar police received 19 reports against Tian Chua lodged by various NGOs and political parties yesterday. About 150 members of the political parties and the NGOs also staged peaceful demonstration in front of the police headquarters condemning Tian Chua with their placards and banners. In PENANG, seven NGOs, including Malay rights group Perkasa, Federation of Peninsula Malay Students (GPMS), Malaysian Missionary and Welfare Association (Pekida), as well as Malaysian Silat Federation (Pesaka) also lodged police reports against Tian Chua at the Timur Laut police headquarters. Three other NGOs, namely Barat Daya Ex-Servicemen Association, Balik Pulau Single Mothers Association and Balik Pulau Umno Youth and Wanita, on the other hand, called on the police to carry out thorough investigation on the PKR leader. In KELANTAN, over 100 contractors from Tumpat branch of the Association of Malay Contractors of Malaysia staged a peaceful demonstration in front of Tumpat Unity Complex, condemning the statement made by Tian Chua. In MALACCA, about 150 residents in Alor Gajah, including members of several NGOs, also gathered peacefully for about 30 minutes at Dataran Keris, urging Tian Chua to make a public apology for his statement. They also carried banners and placards with the words "Jangan Hina Wira Negara" (Don't Insult National Heroes) and "Tian Chua Biadap, Nyah Kamu dari Malaysia' (Tian Chua is Rude, Get out of Malaysia). Tian Chua's statement in the KeadilanDaily portal alleged that the gunfire in Kampung Tanduo, Lahad Datu was an Umno conspiracy to divert the attention of the people and frighten them. |
| MNLF chief warns of ‘chaos’ if Sulu Sultan arrested Posted: 05 Mar 2013 02:05 PM PST 
Clara Chooi, TMI President Benigno Aquino III will not be forgiven for standing back while Malaysia rained bombs on Filipino citizens in Sabah, rebel leader Nur Misuari has said, warning of chaos if the self-proclaimed Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III is arrested or his men apprehended. Misuari, who leads the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), a political-turned-rebel Muslim group he founded in 1969, said Aquino should be more decisive and stop Malaysia's attack on Jamalul's men in Sabah instead of siding with his southern neighbour. "What he has done is very bad," the leader was quoted as saying in the Philippine Daily Inquirer. "It is unbecoming of a head of state, to be siding with the enemy of his own people." "And for what reason is he (Aquino) aligning this country with Malaysia, a colonial power occupying the land of our people? I am against that, totally against that with all my soul. I hope the president will be properly advised. I hope he will recant. Otherwise we won't forgive him," he added during a press conference yesterday at Jamalul's residence in Taguig City, Philippines. "And there is an attempt even to arrest the sultan, I understand. Let them do that. The country will be in total chaos if they do, I promise you." Misuary also claimed he had warned Malaysia's Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak that fighting the Sulu gunmen in Sabah "would be tantamount to war". He reportedly added that he was willing to send his grandnephew who lives in Malaysia, and whom he claims is Najib's relative, to speak with the prime minister on a possible peaceful end to the standoff. Government officials from the Philippines have repeatedly sought to ward off criticism against the Aquino administration for failing to protect the lives of its own countrymen, whom many Filipinos believe were merely staking a claim over land that was rightfully theirs. The Inquirer's report said Misuari had also agreed with the Sulu Sultanate's assertion that Sabah "is our homeland", but denied that he had inspired their Sabah landing, or that his men in the MNLF, many of whom were reportedly trained in Malaysia, were joining the conflict in east Malaysia. According to several reports in the Philippine media, Misuari described it as "madness" to assume he had a hand in the matter. "For anyone to speculate that I had anything to do with (Sabah standoff) is a kind of madness," he was reported as saying, according to a Twitter posting by Philippines media network ABS-CBN. "Misuari also denies financing Kiram's group in Sabah. 'That's not my way of doing things.'" the network quoted, using the handle @ANCALERTS. Malaysia's Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi appeared to concur with Misuari's remarks during a press conference yesterday, when he said there was no evidence that the Malaysia-trained MNLF fighters were joining their fellow Filipino Muslim militants in the fight to reclaim Sabah. "We have to distinguish between Sulu terrorists and the Sulu people in Sabah," Ahmad Zahid told a press conference here. "We are focusing only on Sulu terrorists. I hope that our Sulu friends in Sabah will be with the government. We as a government have been taking care of them," he added. READ MORE HERE |
| A review of Pakatan Rakyat’s manifesto Posted: 05 Mar 2013 01:46 PM PST FMT LETTER: From Joshua Phua Pei Xing, via e-mail Pakatan Rakyat's promise of a comprehensive package is an oxymoron because their "comprehensive package" is vague as they promise one million new job opportunities but do not tell which sectors are going to have the increase in demand. Moreover, the most fundamental flaw in this promise of one million new job opportunities is that Pakatan Rakyat promised to slash Malaysia's civil service workforce by more than half, immediately putting a million civil servants out of job. Equitable productivity sharing through Minimum Wage Raising minimum wage to RM1,100 is a populist move and is not feasible as it will be tough to be implemented in all small and medium enterprises because not all businesses have sufficient revenue to cover the immediate jump in overhead costs. More critically, if implemented, the butterfly effect of this will increase the production costs of goods and also services, directly contributing to overall price increase of goods and also services. This will result in skyrocketing inflation rates and the middle-wage earners in the economy will be directly affected because their wages are not impacted positively by the implementation of the minimum wage. Small Medium Enterprises will be affected and those which cannot sustain will be forced to close down. This minimum wage policy also will not be extended to include foreign workers and will force local employers to fire and stop hiring local workers and go for foreign workers. This will cause massive unemployment among local workers and will push production cost to a new peak. Foreign Direct Investments will decrease drastically because foreign investors will shy away from Malaysia when labour and production costs skyrocket, taking away Malaysia's competiveness among her counterparts. Education Despite all that have been promised in the Pakatan Rakyat manifesto to enable better education, they have overlooked Chinese and Tamil vernacular education by not having a single allocation for them in this manifesto or the one in 2008. Not only that, all those schools and promise of free education have yet to be implemented in their five years of rule in the four states governed by them, no wonder they have surplus in Penang as they fail to use the money to benefit the Rakyat. Pakatan Rakyat's promise of free education for all will cost the rakyat RM45 billion per annum and will fund everyone including underserving students. It is unfair to taxpayers that such a huge amount will have to be used to fund not only the deserving students but also the underserving, mediocre and downright lazy students. This will encourage students to do badly as free things will often be taken for granted. A country's education policy has to be in tandem with the country's economic development stage. At early stages of development, if parental human capital levels are low, free access to basic education may provide the only chance to leave poverty. In contrast, at advanced stages of development, if parental human capital is high, the availability of free public education crowds out private educational investments, increases fertility and may be detrimental for growth. We must ask ourselves, at which stage of development do we want Malaysia to be in? Malaysia being a developing nation, in order to become a developed nation must never go back to using economic models fit for third world countries. In a developing nation like Malaysia, once the necessarily high level of our society's human capital is achieved, an appropriate public education policy should substitute away from free public education regime and concentrate on improvements in the productivity of private educational investments. The failure of which will result in a society that is dependent on free education and a certain bankruptcy of the country's finances.
Sustainable economy In this section, Pakatan Rakyat promises to halt operations of the Lynas rare earth processing plant in Gebeng, Pahang but they seem to be ignorant of the actual reason why Lynas decided to set-up its processing plant here. The fact is this, the reason Lynas decided to have its processing plant here is the same reason why Apple products are manufactured in China – for Economic reasons. Besides, the latest update is that Lynas has publicly declared that they will send the waste/by-products of their plant elsewhere if there are no viable places to dispose of them in Malaysia. Lynas is the only rare earth processing plant out of China. China has more than 95% of the world's rare earth's processing plants apart, with only the United States of America and Australia as the other partakers in this lucrative business. The Lynas processing plant in Gebeng is the first of its kind outside of China because USA and Australia realise that China has been having an iron-grip on the world market's prices of microchips due to the aforementioned phenomena and therefore Lynas is their first attempt to break China's monopoly on rare earth processing plants. The economic viability of Lynas far outweighs the cons as the waste from the plant will be transported out as agreed in the terms of the Temporary Operating Licence. Not only that, Pakatan Rakyat is being a hypocrite as the Penang state government recently approved of the BOSCH solar panel plant in the island state. The said solar panel plant has more dangerous toxic wastes as compared to the Lynas plant. Besides that, scaring away foreign investors like Lynas in which plants like these will be the forerunners of the technology-age will only result in Malaysia being less competitive in the world economy. Pakatan Rakyat "promises" to reform all existing legislation related to logging and will regulate logging activities but they themselves are being hypocrites because of DAP's Ngeh Koo Ham scandal where he obtained 10,000 acres of logging land from the Kelantan government in exchange for the Menteri Besar's post for PAS. READ MORE HERE |
| Lahad Datu: Is there a solution? Posted: 05 Mar 2013 01:26 PM PST 
By bringing the battles right to the heart of our towns, they have nothing to lose; but not us, our terrified civilians will become refugees and our developments devastated. Vidal Yuden Weil, FMT This is a requested sequel to my previous article titled "To whom does Sabah belong?" which attracted a high number of responses and shares in cyber space and triggering a unique volume of debate among netizens. In the current piece, I will unmask the mindset of most Malaysian commentators before imparting more of my findings about the Lahad Datu debacle. Firstly: To the families of policemen who died in the line of duty, my condolences here are as heartfelt and deep as those of mine for the families of innocent citizens who died in police custody including those inside motor vehicles as a result of police shootings. Secondly: To the families of deceased Tausug warriors who had to assert their right to sovereignty with their lives, my profoundest sympathy that it has to come to such a stage as a result of the failings of my government and possibly that of yours as well. I condemn my government for our casualties and I leave it to you to rebuke yours if yours so deserve it. By and large, not all homo sapiens are born intelligent, and the high tendency of them ending up as nincompoops rests on how he or she is brought up at home and of course that also includes the way they are educated. Many countries in the world control the thinking of their citizens; for example, I was reliably told only a few weeks ago that the National University of Singapore does not have the subject called "Jurisprudence" for their law students; if this is true, my personal opinion is that it must have been deliberately done to prevent them from becoming lawyers who can think better. On the other hand, Malaysians are indoctrinated from a young age with politically convenient half-truths which are spiced up with fabricated history about events that are authored by so-called historians who were never there in the first place; such brainwashing was authorised by an irresponsible government with a vicious tenacity to keep the citizens daft and executed right from primary schools up to tertiary levels. For instance, all Malaysians read from government authorised history books believing that Sabah and Sarawak are of the same status with the remaining 11 states in West Malaysia – they are wrong! Tunku Abdul Rahman uttered the following historical statements: "The granting of self-government too would enable Sabah to stand on its own feet as equal with Malaya, Sarawak and Singapore." (Sabah Times, Jesselton, Aug 30, 1963.) Serial racists As a result of the miserable education system, many Malaysians grew up to become full-blown serial racists and religious bigots who not only think that they are superior to other people, but also are unable to respond out of the box because they were only taught "what to think" instead of "how to think" for themselves; and worst, many Malaysians are not even aware of their own pathetic predicament much like when a shrink asks a mental patient "are you mad?" and the lunatic will always answer in the negative. Like an orphaned lamb which grew up with a pack of wolf pups, the former mistakenly thought that it is strong and formidable like the latter when it was actually physically and psychologically compromised; such is my description of the general Malaysian public today. It is not entirely the fault of Malaysians when many of them cannot understand basic, decent, and logical elucidation because the education system that churned them out is wanting; but if they continue to elect a bunch of clowns that is corrupted to the core to run the government which only knows how to fiddle with propaganda and figures to look good, the worst will get even worse. While Malaysians per se are somewhat reasonable, many could not accept fact and truth particularly when they think their interests are in jeopardy; in short, they are unable to behave impartial. For introducing the naked truth about the sovereignty of the Philippines over Sabah, a layman wrote that there is a difference between stealing something movable and stealing land – how much more preposterous can Malaysians be? Netizens can find all the ridiculous arguments by Malaysians in the comments section of my immediate previous article in FMT; while not all Malaysians are warped in their thinking, I am sad to say more than 90% of the Malaysian comments therein are such. Now back to the Lahad Datu skirmishes. I still maintain that the whole episode is a sandiwara with pre-planned collateral damages thrown in. Is Najib Tun Razak planning to declare emergency, suspend the Federal Constitution, and impose martial law to delay elections which the Barisan Nasional will lose? Will this incident make the BN look more like a hero when our troops finally sweep in? With the large number of soldiers from Peninsular Malaysia being deployed to Sabah at this time, how many tens of thousands more additional postal votes are we talking about now to bolster the chances of the BN in Sabah? What about the feelings of the 900,000 Tausug people in Sabah, how will it affect their votes? Alternatively, has the parade now got out of control with the Sulu warriors no longer following the script? Ridiculous suggestion It was recorded that the Tausug people of Sulu were never colonised by any foreign powers; their warriors are war-hardened and fear nothing. A few decades ago, they were funded by Libya to fight the government of the Philippines. Was our government the one that trained, armed, and gave them safe haven? Was the same also true of the Acheh rebels in Indonesia and the Pattani separatists in Thailand? I am unable to gauge the capabilities of our present troops to dislodge the so-called intruders, but I do worry for them and the civilians; the Tausug people never surrender and they never forgive. If their warriors are here to die fighting, they will be dead sure that many of our soldiers and civilians will follow them. Let me now assume for a moment that the whole thing is not a conspiracy and the Malaysian government does not know how to solve it peacefully and diplomatically; should it not resign en bloc and let the people choose a new government to deal with it? The BN government does not have the authority from the rakyat to risk the lives of our troops, innocent civilians, and foreigners included. There is another ridiculous suggestion a few days ago: when the nation was peaceful, non-Malays were sidelined or capped with a glass ceiling for promotion and rank in the police and armed forces; all of a sudden in war, Kadir Jasin said that non-Malays should now die for the country…! What kind of logic is that…? If the Lahad Datu fiasco is real by any imagination, the federation has failed us disastrously; our comfort was all along artificial and looking back, the discredited formation of Malaysia in 1963 is now ludicrously confirmed as not only hugely insignificant but a complete flop and fatally flawed. Malaya is enslaving Sabah and its politicians, who are not troubled by conscience, are subjugating us with foreign nationals by issuing citizenships to them and plundering our rich natural resources. Our presence as the poorest of the poor in Malaysia is a clear indication that Sabah's economy is not only on the retreat, but heading for world-record collapse at a speed few of us can comprehend. Malaya's ambition is boundless; it seizes every opportunity meant for Sabah and what did our impoverished people get – terror in the end. Just look at our infrastructure: a few new roads, a few magnificent government buildings, expensive homes for the elite; but our people are still as poor as ever on a colossal scale working day and night for a pittance. Compared with colonialism, this is much more oppressive and widespread than anything our former British colonial government was ever accused of. Why must our government run on bribery and by notoriously corrupt pariah politicians while the police force on brutality? There is a real sense of anxiety among a lot of Sabah people that citizens do not have any real protection that we should have; fundamentally, we are now under siege, not only from Sulu gunmen but from Malaya. Why can we not have our own final say on our rights? Why must the people of Malaya insist on how we should live our lives? We are not a colony of anyone! The people of Sabah are astonishing human beings with a limitless capacity for self-sacrifice; but today, I say: enough is enough. All Malaya politicians are hypocritical and disgraceful – well below the standards expected of decent leaders; the greatest justice for Sabah will triumph on the historic day all the Malaya-based political parties and their local running dogs are humiliatingly voted out by bold Sabahans in the 13th general election, effectively ending their dangerous and hate-driven abusive meddling in the affairs of Sabah, making us physically and financially ill. READ MORE HERE |
| Taking a bullet for 1Malaysia Posted: 05 Mar 2013 01:22 PM PST 
Malaysians, regardless of colour and creed, love Malaysia. This is home and on its walls, are etched the memories of our lives and that of our loved ones. RK Anand, FMT The soldiers huddled in the trenches as the mortar shells exploded all around them, uprooting trees and sending chunks of earth into the air, which fell back to the ground like droplets of rain. In one trench, three frightened men embraced each other, wondering if this heralded the end. Then came the order to advance, the three were stunned. It was suicidal. Seconds later, an argument erupted. Wong and Muthu wanted Abu to make the first dash, hoping that it would distract the enemy troops, giving them a better chance of making it to the next trench alive. When Abu insisted that all three move together, Wong and Muthu argued that since he was a Bumiputera, he was entitled to the lion's share of the action compared to the other two. Macabre humour aside. What transpired in Lahad Datu is not an item for burlesque. The bloodbath has claimed the lives of numerous brave men who heeded the call to defend the nation against armed intruders. Husbands and fathers perished, their valour must be honoured. But amid the lethal exchange, several questions arose as to whether the confrontation is part of a script and if so, who authored it? Were lives pawned in a political chess game? With the election so close and with the stakes so high, some felt that certain quarters with vested interests would consider all to be fair in love and war. Conspiracy theories aside. What is also disheartening is that even during the height of conflict, the national disease, to quote the description of a learned friend, poured forth from the pen of a seasoned newsman. He lamented about how the Malays and Bumiputeras had sacrificed their lives to protect Malaysia and suggested that more Chinese and Indians be recruited to die for 1Malaysia as well.
Unsound wisdom His unsound wisdom once again proved that the greater threat to this country is not external but internal. It is not bullets but bigots that threaten to riddle this nation with holes. Before putting forth this question, the seasoned newsman should have also pondered on the reason behind these ingrates' reluctance to make a beeline to join the police and armed forces to defend their motherland. It is after all a promising career, where promotions are based on merit and not race or religion. And which other profession provides the satisfaction of clobbering and gassing fellow citizens who make absurd demands like clean and fair elections, beating detainees to death for investigation purposes and conducting summary executions of suspected criminals. Upon retirement, these ex-servicemen could also join the exclusive club which specialises in posterior warfare outside the residences of "pendatang" women. Just because we are not treated as equals when alive, it does not mean that we should miss the chance of being treated as equals in death. There are no quotas when it comes to bullets. Malaysians, regardless of colour and creed, love Malaysia. This is home and on its walls, are etched the memories of our lives and that of our loved ones. But some are adamant on driving home the message that the non-Malays are tenants, to whom the landlord has been gracious enough to rent rooms. Their economic, sporting, social and political contributions are immaterial. To some, these people are mere squatters and in the event of the slightest transgression, must be reminded of their precarious position with the calls of "Balik India" and "Balik Cina". Even the prime minister, whose clarion call is 1Malaysia, remains silent when movements like Perkasa and those suffering from an identity crisis like Ridhuan Tee Abdullah bombard his citizens with racist salvos and threats to torch bibles. READ MORE HERE |
| No justification in invasion Posted: 05 Mar 2013 01:14 PM PST 
Despite the emotional calls of the invaders that they are simply taking what is theirs, what they have done is deeply wrong and unlawful. In international law there is no justification for the use of arms except in self-defence. ___________________________________
THINGS are moving so quickly in Sabah, that I dare not make any comment on the current situation, since what is "current" seems to change by the hour.
From the start, let me say that it is sad and regrettable that there has been so much loss of life. Our thoughts ought to go to the dead, but perhaps more importantly to those they leave behind.
I am still befuddled as to why this has happened at all.
The claims made by the invaders that Sabah belongs to the Sultanate of Sulu and therefore they are justified in taking it, is very doubtful.
Historically, it is true that Sabah fell under the jurisdiction of Sulu, but this was handed to the British via a treaty.
It follows that when Sabah joined Sarawak, Singapore and Malaya to create Malaysia and in this process gain independence from the British, the arrangement between the British and the Sulu Sultanate then simply transferred to the new federation.
Of course the treaty itself can be re-examined. Or the manner in which the Sultan of Sulu agreed to the agreement can be questioned; perhaps he was coerced or tricked.
But even if this was to be done, it has to be done peacefully and not by force of arms.
In international law there is no justification for the use of arms except in self-defence.
There is no element of self-defence here, it was an invasion.
And here again, another legal conundrum arises for the Sultanate of Sulu does not exist as an international legal entity. It is not a sovereign state.
The Philippines is a sovereign state and they clearly did not order this attack.
So, in effect, this crisis is the result of private individuals and thus outside the ambit of international law.
Be that as it may, the effect is still the same as one army attacking another; violence and the people of Sabah living in fear.
I believe that despite the emotional calls of the invaders that they are simply taking what is theirs, what they have done is deeply wrong and unlawful.
All that remains is to hope that this episode can end soon without further loss of life.
I have no doubt the Malaysian armed forces will be victorious; it is just a matter of how soon and with how many casualties.
What we don't need at this time is the politicking of the situation. READ MORE HERE |
| Gov't will defend use of word 'Allah', says Najib Posted: 05 Mar 2013 08:35 AM PST 
(Bernama) - "We are unwavering in the matter of the word 'Allah'. The government of today will defend the use of the word," he said at a gathering of Muslims, including Islamic scholars and leaders, at the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil, here. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today the government would defend the use of the word "Allah" in accordance with Syariah principles. He said the Syariah principles encompassed five points - preserving and caring for religion, life, intellect, lineage and property - which were pursued by the government. A study showed that Malaysia occupied a prominent place among Islamic countries in terms of compliance to and championing the objectives of Syariah principles, he said. "In terms of religion, we defend the faith, the sanctity of Islam and the word ' Allah', as advocated by the Quran. We do not play politics in this matter, by agreeing with others in one instance and reversing the decision later. "We are unwavering in the matter of the word ' Allah'. The government of today will defend the use of the word," he said at a gathering of Muslims, including Islamic scholars and leaders, at the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil, here. |
| Philippine intrigue could be behind Sulu incursion, say sources Posted: 05 Mar 2013 08:34 AM PST 
(The Malaysian Insider) - A bid to undermine Philippine President Benigno Aquino in the republic's midterm elections in May and control the bicameral legislature is said to be a reason for the Sulu Sultanate's incursion of Sabah, say sources. The Malaysian Insider understands Philippine politicians want to put pressure on Aquino ahead of the 2016 presidential elections to get a pardon for his predecessor, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who is under house arrest for electoral sabotage. Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, who ordered the armed incursion to claim Sabah last month, ran as a senator as part of Arroyo's Team Unity in the country's 2007 elections. He lost by some 800 votes. "Some want to undermine Aquino in the midterm legislative elections to enable them to control of the Senate and the House before the 2016 presidential election. "This will ensure that Arroyo will get pardoned later," a diplomatic corps source told The Malaysian Insider. Several political commentators have already taken Aquino to task over Malacanang Palace's handling of the situation, saying the first-term president was not backing the sultanate's claim to their ancestral lands. "This is just pure politics and the Sulu claim is also politics," said a source based in the Philippines. Aquino has said Manila will look into the claim for Sabah, but said the Sulu sultan and his followers should respect Malaysian law and not carry out the incursion. He also said the Philippines did not allow private armies, ensuring the so-called Royal Sulu Sultanate Army was illegal. Coincidentally, Putrajaya had also blamed Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim of being in contact with the Sulu royalty before Jamalul Kiram's brother, Agbimuddin Kiram, landed in Lahad Datu with armed followers on February 9. But the Filipino militants have denied any links with the opposition in Malaysia, where a general election is due to be held before end June. Malaysian security forces moved in yesterday to end the standoff with Agbimuddin Kiram's group holed up in Kampung Tanduo, Lahad Datu. Fighter jets screamed through the air as artillery pounded the village before soldiers moved in to flush out the militants. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/philippine-intrigue-could-be-behind-sulu-incursion-say-sources/ |
| Lahad Datu: A Wag The Dog Operation? Posted: 05 Mar 2013 08:32 AM PST 
No one from UMNO dares to deny the close relationship that they had (or still have) with the Sulu sultanate people. Tulang Besi We have to support our troops 100%. They are being professional and just following orders.
However, the people giving those orders are the ones that we have to question.
Especially in light of so many facts proving close ties between UMNO leaders and the Sulu Sultanate whom are based in Manila.
We now have in our hands several pictures of current and former leaders of UMNO with the current Sultan of Sulu, of which his brother is still at large and operating in Lahad Datu Sabah and the leader of the incursion.
We have pictures of: Now, UMNO is trying to argue that the Sultan operating out of Manila is not a legal entity. Yet, why is the Government of Malaysia paying secession money to the same person that they have labelled to be illegal? In there words, the people that the Malaysian government is fighting in Lahad Datu are the same people that Malaysia is paying cession money to on annual basis (click here, here and here)
Also, we have all come to know about the IC project given to illegal immigrants of which the majority of them are Malays from the South of Phillipines. The same race and religion of the Sulu Sultanate. That explains the picture of Aziz Samsuddin and the Sultan of Sulu. Thick as thieves they are.
In short, no one from UMNO dares to deny the close relationship that they had (or still have) with the Sulu sultanate people.
That explains why the first thing UMNO did was to accuse Anwar as being the mastermind behind the Sulu incursion. The entire might of the UMNO media machine was used to slander Anwar Ibrahim up to the point when Anwar declared that he is starting a RM100m suit against TV3 and Utusan.
I cannot shake the nagging feeling that this is just another drama ala "wag the dog" to spruce up sympathy in preparation for the upcoming elections. (Remember the saying "if you can't get the dog to wag his tail, then wag the dog") |
| Malaysian universities not in the Times list of World’s top 400 universities Posted: 05 Mar 2013 08:29 AM PST 
Second time in a row for Malaysia to not make it into the Times List of the World's top 400 universitiesTwo Singaporean institutions made it in the top 100Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) ranked 98th in Top 100 Universities under 50 category Not a single university in Malaysia appeared in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings this year. Except for Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) which managed to place 98th in the Top 100 Universities under 50 category. Two Singapore institutions are among the top 100. The National University of Singapore (NUS) ranked 29th and Nanyang Technological University at 86th. The top ten are seven US-based and three UK-based universities, with the California Institute of Technology stealing the show at 95.5 points. NUS got 77.5 points whereas Nanyang 59.4 points. Thailand's King Mongkut's University of Technology is the only other Southeast Asian University in the list, at 351st place. According to Times Higher Education website, the universities were judged according to 13 performance indicators from five areas – teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook. Moreover, universities were judged according to disciplinary mix, citation counts and research. Read more at: http://afterschool.my/malaysian-universities-not-in-the-times-list-of-worlds-top-400-universities/ |
| Umno Incorporated (part 3) Posted: 05 Mar 2013 12:00 AM PST On 3rd August 1999, a 'Settlement Agreement' was signed between Nazri Abdullah and Mohd Noor Mutalib, the majority shareholders of Realmild at the time, and the company, Realmild (M) Sdn Bhd. The purpose of the Agreement was to 'write-off' the RM148 million 'shareholders' advances' -- which was shown as RM182 million in the 1997 Annual Report but got reduced a year later. Hence RM34 million had somehow 'disappeared' over that one-year or so. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin 
When Munir Majid (picture above) approved the injection of Realmild (M) Sdn Bhd into MRCB it was based on projected profits of RM70 million expected from projects in-hand and RM42 million from projects yet to be secured. It was the first time ever that the watchdog Securities Commission gave an approval based on the mere speculation that MRCB would most likely secure projects in the future. More importantly, the 'injection' actually ended up as a reverse takeover. The whole exercise was touted as a management buyout (MBO) and the four people involved -- known Umno cum Anwar Ibrahim cronies (just like Munir Majid himself) -- were Abdul Kadir Jasin, Mohd Noor Mutalib, Ahmad Nazri Abdullah and Khalid Ahmad (picture below). 
This was clearly not just a simple 'Ali Baba' exercise but a case of Ali Baba and his forty thieves. After the RM800 million Realmild MBO (see part 2 of this series), they injected the whole thing into MRCB and ended up getting a company worth more than a billion for nothing. That is the beauty of selling a bigger company with large liabilities to a smaller company. You clear your liabilities (the buyer takes over your liabilities) and you end up getting shares in the enlarged group free-of-charge. One year after Anwar Ibrahim fell out of favour and ended up behind the walls of the Sungai Buloh prison, Realmild changed hands. Anwar was now out so his nominees -- Dato' Ahmad Nazri Bin Abdullah and Mohd Noor Bin Mutalib -- were forced to sell off their interests in the company to another Umno nominee. And this is where it begins to get even more interesting. 
The former head of the Penang Malay Chamber of Commerce, Abdul Rahman Maidin (picture above), alleged that he lost RM40 million on the 7.101 million Realmild (M) Sdn Bhd shares he purchased, which were said to actually belong to Umno and not to the people he bought the shares from. What happened thereafter appears to be very hazy. On 3rd August 1999, a 'Settlement Agreement' was signed between Nazri Abdullah and Mohd Noor Mutalib, the majority shareholders of Realmild at the time, and the company, Realmild (M) Sdn Bhd. The purpose of the Agreement was to 'write-off' the RM148 million 'shareholders' advances' -- which was shown as RM182 million in the 1997 Annual Report but got reduced a year later. Hence RM34 million had somehow 'disappeared' over that one-year or so. But where did this RM182 million (or RM148 million) come from and whose money is it? And where did this RM182 million (or RM148 million: less the RM34 million 'discount') go after that? Furthermore, what do they mean by 'shareholders' advances'? 
Apparently, this money was siphoned out to pay off Rahman Maidin's debts of RM84 million. Hence did he really lose RM40 million as he claims or did he, in fact, make RM148 million (or RM182 million according to the 1997 accounts) as what the accounts and the Settlement Agreement show? In return for this write-off, the outgoing shareholders of Realmild would receive 49% equity in Radicare Sdn Bhd, a company that was given the government concession to equip and commission hospitals and provide hospital support services that included clinical waste management, cleansing services, linen and laundry services, facilities engineering maintenance, and biomedical engineering maintenance. Now, in the hearing more than two years ago, this Settlement Agreement was not declared. And it was not declared mainly because this was a cover-up for a fraudulent exercise to siphon out money. It was meant to camouflage an illegal transfer of funds. And you can read below the details of the Agreement, which definitely requires further explanation. More puzzling is the statement in Realmild's June 1999-2000 accounts where it states in Note 27: "Subsequent to year end the company disposed its entire equity interest in an associated company Radicare (M) Sdn Bhd, for a consideration sum of RM2." This means Realmild's interest in Radicare was sold for only RM2. But the Settlement Agreement states a figure of RM147,970,621.40. So, is it RM2 or RM147,970,621.40? This can only mean that RM147,970,621.40 was paid but only RM2 went to the company. The balance must have gone into someone's pocket -- in this case that would be Rahman Maidin since he denies that he was Umno's nominee or that the interest he held in the company actually belongs to Umno. Something is terribly not kosher here and it looks like everything has not been fully declared in the court hearing of 2010. Rahman says one thing but the accounts show something else. And there are too many unexplained issues that have remained unexplained. Was the Settlement Agreement, therefore, kept from public knowledge because it was a cover-up for some missing money and hence leading to something illegal? 
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| SEE WHAT WE ARE UP AGAINST Posted: 04 Mar 2013 10:10 PM PST |
| Twenty bodies of gunmen recovered after large-scale operations in Sabah: Sources Posted: 04 Mar 2013 06:48 PM PST 
Ambulances drive towards an area where the stand-off with Filipino Sulu gunmen and Malaysian security forces was taking place in Tanduo village on Tuesday, March 5, 2013. Twenty bodies of the Sulu gunmen have been recovered in a remote coastal village in Sabah after large-scale operations by the Malaysian security forces on Tuesday to flush out the militants holed up there for weeks, according to local media. -- PHOTO: AFP (ST) - Twenty bodies of the Sulu gunmen have been recovered in a remote coastal village in Sabah after large-scale operations by the Malaysian security forces on Tuesday to flush out the militants holed up there for weeks, according to local media. News portal Malaysiakini and Utusan Malaysia daily both quoted sources as saying that the bodies were found during the army's mop-up operations after the airstrike and mortar strike Tuesday morning. The authorities have yet to confirm it. Police chief Ismail Omar said at a press briefing in the afternoon that the house-to-house checks were still going on, and it was not known if some of the gunmen had fled to other villages. "The movement of the operations is being done with great caution, taking the terrain into account," he said. There have been conflicting reporters on whether the leader Raja Muda Azzumudie is among the dead. The New Straits Times also reported that fresh rounds of explosions have been heard around Kampung Sinakut, which is about 6km from Kampung Tanduo where fighting took place Tuesday morning. Malaysia had sent seven army battalions to eastern Sabah to flush out the militants after a gunfight over the weekend killed at least 26 people, including eight Malaysian policemen. The battle came after a long stand-off with the group of over 100 armed Filipinos who had landed in Sabah on Feb 9, to "reclaim" their ancestral land as followers of an heir to the Sulu Sultanate of southern Philippines. Sulu had controlled parts of Sabah hundreds of years ago. Malaysian forces began moving in last week after failing to persuade them to leave. |
| 10,000 Tausugs to sail to Sabah Posted: 04 Mar 2013 06:43 PM PST 
(Agencies) - ZAMBOANGA CITY: Thousands of Tausug from Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi have sailed to Sabah to reinforce members of the so-called royal army of the sultanate of Sulu who are fighting it out with Malaysian security forces, a Moro National Liberation Front official said Tuesday. "We can no longer prevent our people. We are hurt and many of our people, even the non-combatants, are going to Sabah to help the sultanate," Habib Hashim Mudjahab, chair of the MNLF's Islamic Council Committee, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer by phone. Mudjahab said at least 10,000 Tausug from Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Zamboanga on Monday night started to reinforce the followers of Sultan Jamalul Kiram III now holed up in a coastal village in Sabah via the Philippines' so-called "southern backdoor," a route regular traders are familiar with. He said the reinforcements "sailed in small numbers so they can easily penetrate Sabah unnoticed." 'It is about pride and honor, and our people are ready to sacrifice.' "The naval blockade is of no use; our military should have known that. We did that before at the height of Marcos regime. We can easily go to Sabah and blend with the people there," he added. He was referring to a naval blockade thrown up by the Philippine Navy and Coast Guard to ensure armed sympathizers do not joined the beleaguered men in Sabah as reinforcements. Days ago, Mudjahab said, he advised several MNLF commanders against going to Sabah to help a group of about 200 men who landed in a coastal village in Lahad Datu on Feb 9 to assert the sultanate's claim to Sabah. "I told them to hold on to their ranks and avoid getting emotionally affected with the situation. But our President Noynoy (President Benigno Aquino III) kept issuing statements favoring the Malaysians, which made our people agitated. The President must realize that for the Tausugs, being pushed to the wall, fighting for a cause, is dying with victory," he said. He said with three old heirs of the Sultanate, "who have no history of rebellion, living quietly on their own, now leading the cause in Sabah, is something great for the Tausugs." "It is about pride and honor, and our people are ready to sacrifice," Mudjahab said. Ajil Jaffar, 50, an oil palm plantation worker in Kota Kinabalu and who was among those repatriated to the country on Sunday, said he wanted to return to Sabah. "I want to help them. It's our honor to be with the sultan so that this deportation and abuses will stop," he said. A retired educator in Tawi-Tawi, who asked not to be identified by name, said the sultanate of Sulu represents an extension of their rich heritage. "They are the first Filipinos. The sultanate of Sulu was already there even before Philippines existed," he said. Amirah Lidasan of the non governmental group Suara Bangsamoro said the status of the sultanate of Sulu was unfinished business that "keeps on nagging us." "We have a bloody history of Moro people getting killed while defending the homeland. It also speaks of the Philippine government's giving in to the interest of foreigners instead of its citizens," Lidasan said. |
| Kenyataan akhbar Ruslan Kasim desak Anwar saman media Filipina Posted: 04 Mar 2013 05:01 PM PST 
KENYATAAN MEDIA 1. Kita cabar Anwar Ibrahim saman akhbar Inquirer News, The Manila Times, Al Jacinto, agensi berita Reuters dan Badan Perisikan Tentera Filipina sebab mereka buat laporan mengatakan Anwar Ibrahim antara 3 dalang dibelakang percerobohan Lahad Datu. 2. Kita juga cabar Anwar Ibrahim saman Presiden Benigno Aquino sebab beliau mengesahkan bahawa ada 3 kumpulan yang menjadi dalang atau tali barut dalam konpirasi serangan di Sabah. Antara 3 konspirator ini satu adalah pihak dari Malaysia yang sanggup jadi tali barut untuk menghacur negara sendiri. 3. Anwar Ibrahim perlu hentikan 'sendiwara saman' sebagai taktik lapuk untuk tutup mulut orang ramai. Anwar Ibrahim sepatutnya memakai rambut palsu jika tidak mahu Badan Perisik Filipina mengecam beliau semasa pertemuan dengan Nur Misuari. 4. Kita meminta Anwar Ibrahim perjelaskan siapakah yang membiayai semua kos untuk membuat serangan di Sabah. Sudah pasti operasi saperti ini memerlukan perbelanjaan yang amat besar. 5.Selama ini pun kita memang mengenali Anwar seorang manusia yang pakar di dalam mempergunakan orang lain. Dia juga jenis suka guna taktik baling batu sembunyi tangan. Ini amat jelas apabila belum apa-apa lagi orang kanan Anwar, Tian Chua telah menyalahkan pihak UMNO yang merancang sandiwara seperti yang berlaku di Lahad Datu tersebut. Terima kasih. RUSLAN KASIM Ketua Penerangan Perkasa |
| Najib umum RM600 juta bagi usahawan bumiputera Posted: 04 Mar 2013 03:15 PM PST 
(Bernama) - Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak berkata, kerajaan akan memperuntukkan RM600 juta dalam usahanya memperkasakan lagi usahawan-usahawan Bumiputera sekali gus melonjakkan penglibatan mereka ke arena global. Ketika mengumumkan dana tambahan itu, Perdana Menteri berkata, RM400 juta akan dikendalikan oleh Unit Perancang Ekonomi (EPU). "Sebanyak RM100 juta akan dikendalikan oleh Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) untuk pembangunan korporat bagi pertambahan ekuiti Bumiputera," kata beliau sebelum merasmikan Perhimpunan Usahawan Bumiputera 2013 di sini semalam. Sementara itu, kata beliau, RM100 juta akan diberi kepada Perbadanan Usahawan Nasional Berhad bagi membantu usahawan Bumiputera mendapat lokasi strategik di pusat beli-belah ternama bagi memasarkan jenama antarabangsa. Najib yang juga Menteri Kewangan turut mengumumkan kenaikan had pinjaman kepada usahawan di bawah kendalian Mara dan Tekun daripada RM50,000 kepada RM100,000. Selain itu, beliau turut menaikkan had pembiayaan di bawah kendalian Mara daripada RM500,000 kepada RM1 juta. Najib berkata, dana tambahan yang dikendalikan oleh EPU itu akan digunakan untuk program-program strategik seperti memperkasakan usahawan Bumiputera dengan pendekatan yang berinovasi agar usahawan-usahawan itu dapat memperluaskan pasaran serta menyediakan infrastruktur yang lengkap. Selain itu, Perdana Menteri berkata, kerajaan menggalakkan agar usahawan Bumiputera dapat meningkatkan prestasi dan kemahiran masing-masing supaya dapat terus berdaya saing dan tidak mengharapkan bantuan kerajaan semata-mata untuk berjaya. Sekiranya seseorang usahawan Bumiputera itu mempunyai kebolehan, tanpa tandatangan sesiapa pun mereka layak untuk bersaing mendapatkan kontrak, kata Najib. "Kita tidak mahu pengusaha-pengusaha sebegini sebab kalau kita beri (kontrak) berdasarkan mereka yang buat begini, maka kita tidak akan bangunkan satu budaya baharu dalam kalangan usahawan Bumiputera," kata Najib. Beliau turut memberi contoh kontrak Transit Aliran Ringan yang diberi baru-baru ini, sebanyak 45 peratus daripada jumlah nilai kontrak telah diperuntukkan kepada usahawan Bumiputera berdasarkan merit kerana mereka telah dikenal pasti sebagai layak dan berkebolehan dalam melaksanakan projek-projek yang diberikan. |
| Anwar mum over Sabah conspiracy allegations Posted: 04 Mar 2013 02:55 PM PST 
(Asia News Network) - Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has refused to clarify foreign news reports of his purported links to a Sabah opposition politician alleged to have a hand in the armed intrusion in Sabah, saying the matter is being dealt with by his lawyers. When told that media reports in the Philippines had implicated him, Anwar said: "There are many media in the Philippines. Which one are you referring to?"
Anwar was speaking at a press conference to specifically address the foreign armed intrusion of Sabah.
When told that the claim was made by the Philippines Daily Inquirer, Anwar said he had read the article and there was no mention of him being linked to the issue.
The Philippines Daily Inquirer, in a report last Friday, quoted Filipino army intelligence sources as saying that a Sabah politician allied to a Malaysian opposition leader had recently met with representatives of the Sultan of Sulu.
When asked whether a Royal Commission of Inquiry should be set up to clear his name, Anwar merely dismissed the claims as accusations made by Umno.
Anwar said he merely wanted to highlight its impact on the nation's security and sovereignty.
He accused the government of having failed to deal with the armed intrusion swiftly, including failing to provide accurate information resulting in rumour mongering and fear among the rakyat.
He called on the prime minister to convene roundtable talks with the opposition leadership, Home minister and Defence minister, followed by an emergency Parliament sitting to discuss the issue.
He also called on Malaysians to put aside their political affiliations and support the nation's security forces.
Meanwhile, a picture of Anwar holding a discussion with Moro National Liberation Front founding chairman Nur Misuari is being circulated in cyberspace.
However, it is not known when and where the picture was taken. |
| Government will defend use of ‘Allah’ word, says Najib Posted: 04 Mar 2013 02:39 PM PST 
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today the government will defend the use of the word "Allah" in accordance with syariah principles. He said syariah principles encompassed five points — preserving and caring for religion, life, intellect, lineage and property — which were pursued by the government. A study showed that Malaysia occupied a prominent place among Islamic countries in terms of compliance to and championing the objectives of syariah principles, Najib (picture) said. "In terms of religion, we defend the faith, the sanctity of Islam and the word 'Allah', as advocated by the Quran. We do not play politics in this matter, by agreeing with others in one instance and reversing the decision later. "We are unwavering in the matter of the word 'Allah'. The government of today will defend the use of the word," he said at a gathering of Muslims, including Islamic scholars and leaders, at the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil here. About 16,000 people attended the event, including the poor and needy, among them petty traders, taxi drivers and students getting "zakat" aid from the Federal Territory Islamic Affairs Council. Najib also said that through the National Key Result Areas (NKRA), the government had given emphasis to reducing the crime index since 2009. He said measures were taken to improve the quality of education, and this included the implementation of the National Education Blueprint 2013-2025. On the aspect of moral decadence, he said the government focused on inculcating noble cultural values and countering free sex, incest and lesbianism, gay sex, bisexuality and transgenderism. |
| Two time-bombs in Sabah Posted: 04 Mar 2013 01:53 PM PST 
Lim Mun Fah, Sinchew.com The deadly clashes in Sabah after the intrusion of a Sulu army took place at the most sensitive period when the country is counting down to the general election. Inevitably, it has triggered all kinds of speculation while showing us how some netizens simply comment and criticise in this Internet age. Many people do not know the history of Sabah and have no idea about the gunmen claiming to be the Royal Army of the Sulu Sultanate, let alone the army's historical grievances with the Brunei Sultanate, Spain and the British colonial government. They just simply commented and criticised. Of course, it is now a democratic era and no one can stop netizens from commenting on the issue. However, remarks made with a lack of basic historical knowledge and international perspective will easily tend to be superficial and turn out as a tool to vent emotions. Therefore, when the government negotiated with the Sulu army, some questioned why the government did not just open fire and annihilate them; and after an outbreak of clashes, some people wondered why the police force, not the military, was deployed. Some ridiculed when they heard that a few policemen were killed and some even related the issue to a conspiracy theory and questioned why we do not just give it back since it is other people's territory. Frankly speaking, not all netizens have commented pointlessly. Many people would like to know the answers to some questions and the government needs to clarify them as soon as possible. However, we should always remember a non-negotiable principle, that is, Sabah is part of Malaysia, and territory and sovereignty are sacred and inviolable. The Sulu Sultanate is a collapsed administration and is now only part of the Philippines. As for Sabah, it has joined Sarawak and Malaya, also Singapore at that time, to form Malaysia, with the recognition of the United Nations. The Philippines has also given up its territorial claim based on this unalterable fact. History is not a black-and-white picture. In fact, all countries today are result of historical agreements, despite some agreements being unfair. There are only about 200 countries in the world today; if countries are formed based on religion and language (there are about 8,000 languages in the world), it would be an unimaginable chaotic scene. Therefore, the problem to be resolved is not whether more independent countries should be built based on religion or language, but whether the existing countries can respect and be fair to every one of their citizens, regardless of race, religion and language. The Lahad Datu standoff is undoubtedly a great challenge to the government's crisis management capabilities. The quality of any decisions and actions of the government could bring impact to the next general election. Regardless of the election results, the Sabah state government and the federal government must face up to the Sulu Sultanate's threats in the future. How are they going to prevent the Sulu army from intruding Sabah again? How are they going to solve the bitter fruit of illegal immigrant issue (According to the Philippine media, at least 8,500 Filipinos are staying in Sabah.)? The people will continue to feel ill until the two time-bombs are dismantled! |
| Report: Total defeat for Sulu group in Sabah dawn attack Posted: 04 Mar 2013 01:49 PM PST 
(TMI) - The armed Sulu intruders who had been in Sabah for over three weeks suffered a total defeat in an attack by the Malaysian army early this morning, the Star Online reported today, citing police sources. "The Sulu armed group was totally routed by Malaysian security forces' overwhelming firepower unleashed at 7am Tuesday (today), police sources said," the news portal said. No Malaysians were killed in the attack but the numbers of those who had died or were wounded among the Filipino militants was unknown, the Inspector-General of Police said at a 11.30am media briefing today, the news portal reported. The Star Online also said that the situation in Sabah's east coast, where armed foreigners from the Philippines had clashed with Malaysian authorities, was reportedly under control. Malaysian security forces have been placed on high alert due to purported threats of retaliation by the armed men who claim to be the royal army of the Sultanate of Sulu, it said. A spokesman for the Sulu group, Abraham Idjirani, today reportedly said they are safe and are ready to fight back despite the bombs and gunfire that had rained on them this morning. The Malaysian army launched an attack on the Filipino intruders at Kampung Tanduo, Felda Sahabat in Lahad Datu at 7am today, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak confirmed in a statement today. The Star Online reported that fresh fighting began between the Sulu gunmen and security forces early this morning. Soldiers are already on the ground in the village, it added. Gunshots were heard and fighter jets were seen circling around the Felda Sahabat plantation. Explosions were heard for 40 minutes in Kampung Tanduo, the daily reported. READ MORE HERE |
| Protest against Tian Chua Posted: 04 Mar 2013 01:46 PM PST 
(The Star) - A group of retired policemen gathered at the National Monument to protest against PKR vice-president Tian Chua's remarks over the Lahad Datu standoff. About 100 of them also sang the national anthem at the 10am gathering. Chua allegedly said in KeadilanDaily.com that the shooting incident in Lahad Datu was a conspiracy by the Umno government to divert attention and frighten the people. Former Deputy Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Samshuri Arshad said the statement insulted and belittled the sacrifice of the policemen who were injured and killed. "The fact that he could think of their deaths as a farce for a political drama is simply unacceptable," he said. Former IGP Tan Sri Norian Mai and former CID director Tan Sri Mohd Zaman Khan also took part in the protest with retirees from the police VAT69 troop, Squad 69 and Special Branch. The group also carried placards that said: Tian Chua pengkhianat negara (Tian Chua is a national traitor), Tian Chua manusia tak berhati perut (Tian Chua is heartless), and Tian Chua perlu minta maaf (Tian Chua must apologise). They later lodged reports against him at the Dang Wangi police station. Meanwhile, Penang Wanita Umno has also lodged three police reports against Tian Chua. Its chief Zabariah Wahab said leaders from three divisions - Permatang Pauh, Bayan Baru and Bukit Gelugor - had lodged reports at their respective police stations. "Our heartfelt condolences to those who lost their loved ones in the gunfight," she told reporters at Menara Umno in Macalister Road yesterday. At the press conference, Zabariah and other leaders tore pictures of Tian Chua. |
| PKR to contest 90 seats Posted: 04 Mar 2013 01:40 PM PST 
(The Star) - PKR will get the lion's share among the three parties in the Opposition pact of the 222 seats in the Dewan Rakyat at the coming general election. PAS information chief Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man (picture) the matter had been decided by Pakatan Rakyat leadership council. He said his party would field candidates in about 80 seats while the DAP would be going for between 46 and 50 seats. PKR, however, would be going for 90 seats, he told The Mole news portal. A recent report from the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (Asli) stated that DAP would be the biggest winner in the Opposition coalition, as it had the chance to win between 35 and 40 Parliamentary seats, compared to the 28 it won in 2008. Tuan Ibrahim said that since the number of seats allocated to DAP was the least, there was no possibility of a leader from the party being appointed prime minister should Pakatan took over Putrajaya. He had previously stated there was no certainty that PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim would be appointed to the post. Urging PAS members to ensure victories for the party's candidates, Tuan Ibrahim said the party would discuss with its Opposition partners on who should take over as prime minister even if it won big in the general election. DAP and PKR both want Anwar as prime minister. |
| Aquino’s spokesman says all was done to avoid bloodshed in Sabah Posted: 04 Mar 2013 01:39 PM PST 
(The Star) - President Benigno Aquino III's spokesman said Tuesday the Philippines had done all it could to avoid a violent end to a stand-off in Sabah, as Malaysia launched an assault on Filipino gunmen there. A total of 27 people have been reported killed in clashes since the followers of Jamalul Kiram III, an heir to the Sultan of Sulu, landed there on February 12 by boat. "We've done everything we could to prevent this, but in the end, Kiram's people chose this path," Aquino spokesman Ricky Carandang said of the gunmen, who are claiming the state for a now defunct Filipino Muslim sultanate. Carandang said Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario remains in Kuala Lumpur for talks with his Malaysian counterpart on the security crisis. Meanwhile, a Manila spokesman for Kiram, the self-proclaimed Sultan of Sulu, said the leader of the gunmen reported to him by telephone that a firefight was underway in Sabah. "There is nothing to be done about that now," spokesman Abraham Idjirani said, stressing that the men's earlier announcement that they will fight to the end remains unchanged. "We are not intruders. They [Malaysians] are the ones occupying our ancestral land," he said. The Sulu sultanate's power faded about a century ago but it has continued to receive nominal Malaysian payments for Sabah under a lease deal inherited from European colonial powers. |
| Army begins mopping-up operation Posted: 04 Mar 2013 01:31 PM PST 
According to residents living close by, they heard the sound of jets just before the explosions. (FMT) - LAHAD DATU: Malaysian forces are reportedly conducting a mopping-up operation after they launched a dawn assault on the armed group of Filipinos who killed eight policemen over the weekend. The assault at Kampung Tanduo was preceded by the sound of bombs exploding and the sound of jets roaring overhead. Even as the offensive was going on, Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar told a news conference here today that the police and army have achieved their objective in the operation code-named "Ops Sulu". Also present was Chief of Defence Forces Jeneral Zulkifeli Mohd Zin. Ismail confirmed that the security forces launched the offensive against the intruders whom he referred to as terrorists and were met with return fire. He said there were no casualities. He said there was no civilians in the area of operation when the offensive was launched.
Government officials announced that the operation to retake Kampung Taduo, an area taken over by about 200 members of the Royal Army of Sulu claiming allegiance to Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, took place at 7am. According to residents living close by, they heard the sound of jets just before the explosions. Many of them are reported to be fleeing the area. Kampung Tanduo is bracketed by two other seaside villages a few kilometres away and most of the villagers residing there have abandoned their homes and can be seen on the highway between Kampung Tanduo and here. Artillery rounds were heard pounding the area before soldiers went in and the sound of shooting erupted. There has been no sound of fighting since 10am. The sea fronting Kampung Tanduo is reportedly clear of any vessels. Police units were seen rushing towards Tungku area at around 10am and troop movement was seen Cenderawasih in Sahabat 7. Unemployed MNLF insurgents? Felda Sahabat is said to about twice the size of Singapore. Plantation workers in the area have been told to stop work and move out as security forces spread out around the rows of oil palm trees in the plantations surrounding Kampung Tanduo. Some of the workers said they have been unable to get out of the vicinity because of the cordon that has been thrown around the area. READ MORE HERE |
| Malaysian-trained MNLF fighters join Sulu army Posted: 04 Mar 2013 01:27 PM PST 
A MNLF leader claims that their forces have a huge arsenal hidden in Sabah's rugged terrain. (Agencies) - MANILA: Malaysian security forces are now facing battle-tested, Malaysian-trained commanders of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), who know Sabah like the palm of their hands. Hadji Acmad Bayam, former chief propagandist of the MNLF, revealed this yesterday to the Manila Bulletin, adding that these MNLF forces may have at their disposal a huge arsenal, which they hid deep in Sabah's rugged terrain when they returned to the Philippines after their rigid training. Among the firearms are Belgian-made G1 and FAL, which the late Libya leader Colonel Moammar Gadaffi supplied through Malaysia. Bayam said he was confident the Malaysian authorities were not able to find the hidden MNLF firearms because they were kept very well by the MNLF commanders who stayed behind in Sabah. During that training, Malaysian military trainors even joked about the firearms at the MNLF training camp on Jampiras Island, off Sabah, as they turned over Gadaffi's weapons' supply. "We are not even sure if the firearms we are giving you will not be turned against," the Malaysian trainors had said in a jest. "Well, speaking of self-fulfilling prophecy," Bayam said, recalling the jokes of the Malaysian trainors. Now, Filipinos in Sabah, who are not part of the forces of the Sultanate of Sulu, have already joined the fighting in reaction to what they perceived as Malaysian "atrocities" for killing Imam Maas and his four sons at 7:50 p.m. Saturday. He recalled that Malaysia's leadership had even suspected the then chief minister of Sabah, Tun Mustapha, a Tausug from Sulu, of "conspiring" with MNLF Chairman Nur Misuari to secede the oil-rich island. "You know, if Mindanao is to Manila, Sabah is to Kuala Lumpur," said Bayam, explaining that Mindanao and Sabah are the "milking cows" of the Philippines and Malaysia, respectively, for their rich natural resources. Bayam, who yielded to then President Fidel V. Ramos, stayed in Sabah, Malaysia, for nine years before the peace talks with the Ramos administration in 1993. Bayam stayed in Sabah on-and-off, in 1976-79, in 1980-1986, among other dates. Breaching the blockades Further, he said many of the seasoned rebel commanders and rank-and-file members chose to remain on Sabah island to live there. Majority of them are from Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Zamboanga Peninsula, but there are also Maguindanaons, Iranons, and probably Maranaos, he said. A few days ago, he said one of the MNLF foreign-trained commanders belonging to the Top 90 Batch, told him that he was enlisting Tausug warriors and others for reinforcement to the Royal Security Force (RSF) of the Sultanate of Sulu. "I was trying to contact him yesterday but his phone cannot be reached anymore. I guess he was able to penetrate the Malaysian and Philippine sea-borne blockades in their respective borders. Bayam described the commander "as soft-spoken but firm and true leader-fighter in actual shooting war." However, he requested that the commander's name be not made public. Last Sunday, Abraham J Idjirani, spokesman of Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, said 40 people from Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, and Zamboanga Peninsula breached the blockades and reached Lahad Datu, Sabah, scene of the standoff that erupted into a firefight. He said there are many others who are now trying to go to Sabah and help the sultan's followers led by Rajah Muda Agbimuddin Kiram. Bayam said that with the way the situation in Sabah is going on, he sees no turning back. |
| Strike misses Kiram Posted: 04 Mar 2013 01:26 PM PST 
Kiram and his men are holed up in a place far from the airstrikes, according to Philippine website PhilSTAR.com. (FMT) - MANILA: The airstrike launched by Malaysian fighter jets in Lahad Datu todau missed the forces of Agbimuddin Kiram, the spokesman for the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo said. Spokesman Abraham Idjirani said Kiram called him about 7.30am and then again at 9.30am and reported that forces of the Malaysian military and police commandos attacked a position that they (armed group) had previously occupied. Idjirani also said Kiram reported that the fighter jets started circling Lahad Datu last night, the Philippine website PhilSTAR.com reported. "[He told] us that the Malaysian forces and the police commandos, about seven battalions, attacked the place suspected of being Kiram's camp," he said. Idjirani said the Malaysian jets bombed a position previously held by the forces of Kiram but has now been occupied by Malaysian forces. Idjirani said the incident could have been a case of "friendly fire". He said Kiram and his men are safe and are holed up in a place far from the airstrikes. As tension remains high in Lahad Datu, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F del Rosario met today with Malaysian government officials in Kuala Lumpur to discuss a peaceful resolution on the issue. A statement from the Department of Foreign Affairs said Del Rosario met with Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman and Defence Minister Ahmad Zamid Hamidi at midnight. Also present during the meeting were Philippine Ambassador J Eduardo Malaya, Malaysian Foreign Ministry secretary-general Mohd Radzi Abdul Rahman and other embassy officials. Del Rosario flew to Kuala Lumpur yesterday evening. |
| ‘Sabah uprising’ Posted: 04 Mar 2013 01:20 PM PST 
Sultan's followers kill, capture Malaysian cops (PhilStar.com) - MANILA, Philippines - Filipinos enraged by a Malaysian raid on a religious leader's house in Sabah retaliated Saturday night, attacking an army convoy and overrunning a district police headquarters, the sultanate of Sulu announced yesterday. Five Malaysian security officers were killed and four ranking Sabah officials were held captive by the Filipinos in Semporna, where the violence has spread from the coastal town of Lahad Datu, according to the Sulu sultanate. Kuala Lumpur confirmed only two police deaths. Sultanate spokesman Abraham Idjirani described the escalation of violence as an "unorganized, spontaneous uprising" by Filipinos residing in Sabah. Idjirani said that as of noon yesterday, armed followers of the sultanate were in control of Semporna. The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) said reinforcements from Mindanao also breached the Malaysian security cordon in Sandakan, another part of Sabah, and ambushed two truckloads of men belonging to the Malaysian Territorial Army Regiment. "The reinforcements were able to wipe them out," said Habib Mujahab Hashim, chairman of the MNLF'S Islamic Command Council. Hashim, who said he was authorized by the Sulu sultanate to speak on the situation in Sabah, said the reinforcements used improvised dynamite or timbak isda for the ambush. The dynamite is normally used for blast fishing. Both the MNLF and the Sulu sultanate said tension was building up even in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah's capital. Idjirani said the "uprising" was triggered by the raid at 7:30 p.m. Saturday by Malaysian paramilitary forces on the home of Imam Maas, who was suspected to be harboring Alepiuya Kiram, a brother of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III. When the militia, belonging to the Malaysian Police General Operations Force, failed to find Alepiuya, they allegedly fired on the house, killing the imam and his four sons and wounding another village elder called Imam Jul in another house. Idjirani said enraged residents then took to the streets, attacking the police and military headquarters in Semporna. The villagers captured a ranking police official, two military commanders and a civilian official of Sabah, Idjirani told a press conference at the sultan's home in Taguig City yesterday. Kiram reportedly told his brother, who is leading the uprising in Sabah, to "take care of the captives," who will be presented before an international body "to answer for the killing of innocent people." Up to 12 followers of the sultanate who holed up in Lahad Datu were killed by Malaysian security forces last week. The sultan's army also killed two Malaysian policemen. During yesterday's press conference, the sultanate showed photos of the Malaysian officers slain in Semporna. The sultanate said more reinforcements from Tawi-Tawi, Basilan and Sulu were arriving in Semporna, a district near Lahad Datu where from 100 to 300 followers of Kiram arrived on Feb. 9 to reiterate the sultanate's claim over Sabah. On Saturday, Malaysian forces started rounding up Filipinos in Sabah, heightening the tension. Authorities reportedly shut down the cell sites in Lahad Datu, cutting off the sultanate's contact with Kiram's brother Agbimuddin, described as the crown prince or raja muda. "The fighting for now, I will consider it an uprising," Hashim said, attributing it to the "harsh treatment" of Filipinos by Malaysian authorities. An estimated 800,000 Filipinos live in Sabah, which the sultanate of Brunei gave as a gift to the Sulu sultanate in the 17th century. In the 19th century, the Sulu sultan leased the land to the British North Borneo Company, although the British said the land was ceded. Malaysia continues to pay the Sulu sultanate 5,300 ringgits – about P70,000 – annually in what Kuala Lumpur describes as "cession fee" but is considered rental by the sultanate. MNLF members are with the sultan's group in Lahad Datu, but Hashim said his group was not participating in the attacks. |
| 'No surrender' in Sabah - Kiram Posted: 04 Mar 2013 12:07 PM PST  (Rappler) - The fight for Sabah is also for the "entire" Filipino people. MANILA, Philippines - No surrender. The Royal Sulu Army will not capitulate to the Malaysian forces, and vowed to fight until the end to highlight their claim to Sabah. Abraham Idjirani, spokesman of Jamalul Kiram III, said that the group, currently holed up in Kampong Tanduo in Lahad Datu, is willing to fight to the end, based on his conversation with Raja Muda Agmibuddin Kiram, the leader of the gunmen in Sabah. "Sabi niya if this is the last stand we could do, let it be. But as a guerilla fighter now, we will find our way to sneak out from all dangers in order to survive," said Idjirani, quoting Raja Muda.  Abraham Idjirani, spokesperson for Jamalul Kiram III. File photo by Jerald Uy
He said the assault, which started early Tuesday, March 5, is an "overkill," citing that over 10,000 Malaysian security forces are fighting around 200 fighters. Read more at: http://www.rappler.com/nation/23094-no-surrender-in-sabah |
| Tunnel vision in Penang highway agenda Posted: 04 Mar 2013 11:52 AM PST 
The state government claims its hands are tied over public transport, which they say comes under the federal government. But Pakatan leaders think they have a real chance of taking over Putrajaya, and public transport is in its manifesto. So why is the Penang government in a big hurry to tie itself down with a highway-based solution instead of promising better public transport if it captures Putrajaya? Anil Netto Yesterday, representatives of Penang Forum raised serious concerns with the Penang state government over the three highways and tunnel project. During a two-hour meeting with state government representatives, including the Chief Minister, and the press, the activists (including me) registered their serious concern and opposition. By building more highways and a road-based tunnel, the state government will be facilitating the movement of more cars instead of encouraging people to use public transport. The Pakatan's manifesto promises better public transport. But the state government plans to spend RM27bn in the coming years, according to Penang transport master plan estimates. Out of this, RM17bn will be for highways and only RM10bn for public transport. Surprisingly, the state government seemed unaware of these figures, which have not been disclosed to the public. It is a great pity that most of the money will be to create even more dependency on private motor vehicles. Building highways and a road-based tunnel is at best an expensive short-term solution – funded by toll collection from the public and luxury property development (watch what happens on the 110 acres of reclaimed land used as 'compensation' for the project). What happens when these get congested? We will be back to square one or even worse. The Jelutong Expressway itself is rapidly filling up – and that is even before the second Penang bridge is completed! Similarly, the Penang Bridge, with a new additional lane, is becoming increasingly congested. So too the highway on the mainland leading to the Sungai Dua toll booth. The state government says the highways and tunnel will only proceed if the EIA is approved. But how independent is the EIA process when consultants are appointed by developers and contractors? And we still don't have a state-wide hydrological study. The EIA process is likely to be a rubber stamp. The public has not yet been told who the local partners are in Zenith Consortium (apparently, there are five companies involved). Who are the real local players, the individuals, hiding behind the corporate veil? Amazingly, this information – an important part of the deal – has not yet been provided to the public. There were only two bidders for the tunnel package out of the four tenders received. Of these two, the successful bid was for RM6.3bn for all three highways and the tunnel. (The other was RM6.6bn.) Only two parties from the entire world bid for the tunnel? Why? And the winning bid from the five-company consortium is to be awarded a lucrative 30-year concession based on the Penang Bridge toll rate. Is the public aware that the Penang Bridge toll collection has raised many times the initial investment cost of the bridge? So this tunnel concession is a highly lucrative award that will reap a bonanza for the foreign and local partners. The state government claims that "the people want these projects". (Or is it the case that Big Business wants these projects?) But "the people" are not being presented with serious alternatives. They are being told these highways and tunnel are the solution to the congestion. Of course they will choose what they are being told is the solution. But they are not being given a real choice between sustainable public transport and more highways. In fact, the Penang Transport Masterplan consultants' own public survey showed that a large majority of the people want a public transport-based – not a highways-based – solution. Why is the state government ignoring this? Some believe these highways and tunnels are more in line with a vision of Big Business property development and construction contracts than of sustainable transport. (Look at the editorial inMalaysian Insider.) The state government seems to think that three highways and a tunnel (road-based rather than rail link) will take Penang into the 21st century. This is a fallacy. It will take Penang backwards to the 1970s, when highways were seen as symbols of progress. The reality of the 21st century is that climate change, fossil fuel depletion and higher fuel prices will become even more serious. Congestion will also ruin the environment – which has been the selling point for Penang. Under these circumstances, why is the state government putting in infrastructure to create even more dependency on private motor vehicles? At a time when cities in Europe are discouraging and making it more difficult for people to use private motor vehicles and are putting in infrastracture for sustainable transport solutions, the Penang state goverment wants to take us in the opposite direction! The state government claims its hands are tied over public transport, which they say comes under the federal government. But Pakatan leaders think they have a real chance of taking over Putrajaya, and public transport is in its manifesto. So why is the Penang government in a big hurry to tie itself down with a highway-based solution instead of promising better public transport if it captures Putrajaya? I find this incomprehensible. Why not campaign on a platform of promising public transport improvements instead of pledging highways and a tunnel? This way it can show there is a real difference between BN and Pakatan. Read more at: http://anilnetto.com/society/public-transport/highways-and-tunnel-vision-a-big-step-backwards/ |
| Surat Niat Kepada Konsortium Zenith Sdn. Bhd. Posted: 04 Mar 2013 11:48 AM PST 
Tidak Benar Sama Sekali Bahawa Projek RM6.3 Bilion Akan Dijalankan Oleh Syarikat RM2 Bila Sebenarnya Modal Berbayar Keseluruhan Adalah Sebanyak RM 4,549.2 Juta. Sebagai Pengerusi Lembaga Perolehan Negeri Pulau Pinang serta Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Teknikal dan Kewangan masing-masing, kami rasa kesal bahawa proses pemilihan tender yang dijalankan secara terbuka dan telus untuk 3 lebuhraya utama daripada Tanjung Bungah ke Teluk Bahang, Bandar Baru Air Itam ke Lebuhraya Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu (LCE) Persiaran Gurney ke Lebuhraya LCE dan sebuah terowong bawah dasar laut daripada Persiaran Gurney dan Bagan Ajam telahpun dipersoalkan oleh pihak tertentu. Kos projek ini dianggarkan oleh kerajaan sebanyak RM8 bilion. Akan tetapi selepas proses tender terbuka secara kompetitif dijalankan sejak 14.11.2011, surat niat telah dikeluarkan pada 6.2.2013 dengan harga lebih rendah iaitu sebanyak RM6.3 bilion, yang terendah di antara semua pembida yang diterima. Projek ini agak tersendiri dan unik kerana kos RM6.3 bilion dibiayai bukan dengan bayaran wang tunai tetapi menerusi "land swap" sebanyak 110 ekar di tanah tebus guna di Tanjung Pinang. Memandangkan bayaran dibuat menerusi "land swap" dan bukan secara bayaran wang tunai, maka adalah perlu kontraktor berpakaran bekerjasama dengan pemaju. Konsortium Zenith BUCG Sdn Bhd adalah sebuah special purpose vehicle (SPV) yang merupakan konsortium usahasama di antara syarikat kontraktor berpakaran dengan pemaju seperti berikut:- - Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd bersama China Railway Construction Corporation Ltd sebanyak 70% ekuiti dengan modal berbayar sebanyak RM 3.5 juta dan RM 4 bilion masing-masing;
- Beijing Urban Construction Group 10% ekuiti dengan modal berbayar sebanyak RM 541 juta;
- Sri Tinggi Sdn Bhd 10% ekuiti dengan modal berbayar sebanyak RM 3.7 juta; dan
- Juteras Sdn Bhd 10% ekuiti dengan modal berbayar sebanyak RM 1 juta.
Keseluruhan modal berbayar keempat-empat syarikat adalah RM4,549.2 juta yang memenuhi kriteria kerajaan negeri yang meletakkan modal berbayar minima RM381 juta. Konsortium Zenith BUCG Sdn Bhd mempunyai modal berbayar RM2 kerana ditubuhkan khas untuk ini (SPV). Sekiranya tidak berjaya dalam tender maka syarikat ini akan dibubarkan. Sebaliknya bila berjaya maka setiap rakan kongsi atau pemilik saham mestilah menandatangani surat penerimaan secara langsung dengan kerajaan negeri. Surat niat atau "letter of intent" dikeluarkan kepada Konsortium Zenith BUCG Sdn Bhd pada 6.2.2013 dan kesemua pemilik saham secara berasingan juga menandatangani surat penerimaan. Dengan kata lain bukan hanya sepucuk surat penerimaan tetapi terdapat 4 lagi (5 kesemuanya) surat penerimaan untuk memastikan ia dijalankan oleh syarikat induk masing-masing dan bukannya hanya dengan Konsortium Zenith BUCG Sdn Bhd. Oleh itu adalah tidak benar sama sekali bahawa projek RM6.3 bilion akan dijalankan oleh syarikat RM2, bila sebenarnya modal berbayar keseluruhan untuk keempat-empat syarikat yang jalankan projek ini adalah sebanyak RM4,549.2 juta. Apabila kontrak formal dimuktamadkan iaitu selepas perbincangan butiran lanjut pada beberapa bulan lagi, semua syarikat rakan kongsi diperlukan untuk menandatangani surat perjanjian untuk memastikan projek ini dijalankan oleh syarikat induk yang berprestij. Perlu ditegaskan bahawa China Railway Construction Corporation Ltd dan Beijing Urban Construction Group adalah syarikat pembinaan gergasi di Negara China yang telah menjalankan projek besar keretapi, terowong dan juga Stadium Olimpik"Bird Nest" di Beijing. Sebagai rumusan, proses penilaian teknikal dan pemilihan tender dijalankan secara profesional oleh jawatankuasa yang dipengerusikan masing-masing oleh Pegawai Kewangan Negeri dan Setiausaha Kerajaan Negeri tidak melibatkan YAB Ketua Menteri. EXCO negeri hanya merestui syor bahawa tender dikeluarkan kepada Konsortium Zenith BUCG Sdn Bhd yang dibuat semasa ia dibentangkan kepada mesyuarat EXCO pada 30.1.2013. Dato' Farizan bin Darus, Pengerusi Lembaga Perolehan Negeri Pulau Pinang Dato' Mokhtar bin Mohd Jait, Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Teknikal dan Kewangan |
| Wikipedia Page Edited To Describe Sabah As Sultanate’s Posted: 04 Mar 2013 11:44 AM PST 
(The Star) - Wikipedia was not spared from the cyber attacks that have sprung up following the standoff in Sabah. Details about "Sabah" was edited and the state was described as being "part of the Sultanate of Sulu". Results from a Google search on the word "Sabah" at press time yesterday revealed a preview to the Wikipedia page which states:"Sabah is illegitimately considered one of the 13 member states of Malaysia, and is said to be its easternmost state but in fact, it is part of the Sultanate of Sulu. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo." However, the full Wikipedia page on Sabah described the state as "one of the 13 member states of Malaysia, and is its easternmost state".A Google spokesperson said the preview, or Knowledge Panel results, came from its Knowledge Graph, which is an index of hundreds of millions of real-world entities including open sources like Wikipedia."When a user searches for a query, our algorithm takes information from the Knowledge Graph and presents it in the panel. "We want to make sure the information we provide is as accurate as possible, so we've included a link so you can tell us when we may have an inaccuracy in our information," the spokesperson said. Federal Commercial Crime Investigation Department director Comm Datuk Syed Ismail Syed Azizan said his department had been alerted. "I have instructed my Federal CyberSecurity and Multimedia Investigation Division to investigate," he said. The alteration on Wikipedia follows the cyber attacks that have raged between Malaysian and Filipino hackers over the weekend, mirroring the Lahad Datu standoff in Sabah.Apparently, the first online attacks were made by Malaysians, hours after a skirmish erupted between the police and Sulu gunmen on March 1. |
| KL sends ‘cavalry’ to Sabah; toll hits 27 Posted: 04 Mar 2013 11:32 AM PST 
(Global Nation, Inquirer) - It is Malaysia's worst security breach in years and Prime Minister Najib Razak has authorized an investigation into reports that the political opposition is involved. A similar investigation is going on in the Philippines, where the administration of President Aquino sees a conspiracy involving opponents of a peace process between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that is in the final stages after the signing of a preliminary agreement last October. Malaysia on Monday sent hundreds of military troops to Sabah to help police neutralize armed followers of the sultan of Sulu who have killed eight police officers in the country's bloodiest security crisis. Twenty-seven people have reportedly been killed since fighting between the followers of Sultan Jamalul Kiram III began in Tanduao village in Lahad Datu town on March 1. Of the dead, 19 were followers of the sultan who were killed in skirmishes with police that shocked Malaysians unaccustomed to such violence in their country. The main group of the sultan's followers comprising 200-odd men and women, including about 30 who are armed, is cornered by Malaysian security forces in a small area in Tanduao, where they landed on Feb. 9 after crossing by sea from Tawi-Tawi in southern Philippines to stake the sultanate's claim to Sabah. It is Malaysia's worst security breach in years and Prime Minister Najib Razak has authorized an investigation into reports that the political opposition is involved. A similar investigation is going on in the Philippines, where the administration of President Aquino sees a conspiracy involving opponents of a peace process between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that is in the final stages after the signing of a preliminary agreement last October. Najib, who has vowed to root out the intruders, authorized a "doubling" of police and armed forces deployed in Sabah. "An additional two Army battalions have been dispatched to Sabah," Najib was quoted as saying by state news agency Bernama. Public attention focused on Monday on how to minimize casualties while apprehending the Sulu sultan's followers surrounded by Malaysian security forces as well as an undetermined number of other armed Filipinos suspected to be in two other districts of Sabah within 300 kilometers of Lahad Datu. Sabah Police Commissioner Hamza Taib said Army reinforcements from other states in Malaysia would help bolster public confidence by patrolling various parts of the state's eastern seaboard. "The situation is under control now," Hamza said. "There will be cooperation" between the military and the police, he said. Hamza declined to elaborate on specific strategies or on a call by former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad for lethal action.  FILIPINO FATALITY Villagers in Kampung Simunul in Semporna look at the body of a man believed to be from Sulu who was killed during a shootout with Malaysian forces. MALAYSIA'S THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK "There is no way out other than launching a counterattack to eliminate" the intruders, Bernama quoted Mahathir as saying on Sunday. "Although many of them will be killed, this cannot be avoided because they had attacked Sabah, and not the other way around." Najib declared over the weekend that security forces were authorized to "take any action deemed necessary." The intruders, led by the Sulu sultan's brother Agbimuddin, have rebuffed calls for them to leave, saying ownership documents from the late 1800s prove the territory is theirs.
Mysterious group
It remains unclear whether the armed Filipinos who ambushed a police team in Semporna town on Saturday night are part of the Lahad Datu group. The clash in Semporna, where five Malaysian policemen and two intruders were killed, and a police claim that they were pursuing yet another group of armed men in a nearby town has sparked fears of further infiltration by Filipinos from Sulu. Read more at: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/66729/kl-sends-cavalry-to-sabah-toll-hits-27 |
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