Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- M’sia-Qatar agree on RM6 billion investment fund
- Police ready to face national polls
- Najib: Malay future at risk under Pakatan
- Wikileaks: Anwar said he would be PM or jailed
- Register and vote or don’t complain, says MCCBCHST
- Perkasa wants MCA to retract hudud ‘slur’ or face polls wrath
- Umno leader linked to Alstom bribery scandal, says Singapore daily
- Karpal hits out at DAP warlords
- Usno links up with Jeffrey’s UBF
- Pakatan banks on NFC, corruption index to counter Umno attacks
- Bar Council, Suhakam say A-G glossed over street protest ban
- PAS, DAP answer UMNO's stooge allegation
- Put loyalty pledge on paper, says Mukhriz
- Ex-IGP Musa may take legal action against bloggers for slander
- Radar on Middle Rocks
- ‘Pas’ hudud too narrow and destructive’
| M’sia-Qatar agree on RM6 billion investment fund Posted: 04 Dec 2011 07:02 PM PST (Bernama) - PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia and Qatar today agreed to work together to set up a RM6.3 billion Malaysia-Qatar fund, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak said. He said both countries agreed that the fund would help increase bilateral cooperation and investment. "We both agreed that each country would set aside US$1 billion to begin with and look for investment opportunities in Malaysia, Qatar and also within the whole region," he said at a joint press conference with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad Jassim Jabr Al Thani here today. Sheikh Hamad is on a three-day working visit to Malaysia, starting today. Najib said both countries would be working out the details on the fund, including other general areas. He also said both countries were confident the volume of total trade and the range of products sold would be further increased. "Total trade between Malaysia and Qatar increased by almost 200 percent reaching RM3.3 billion for the first nine months of this year," he said. Najib said Sheikh Hamad has responded positively to a request made by Petronas to buy natural gas from Qatar. On when Malaysia would buy gas from Qatar, he said, the country was looking at Petronas' requirement and would disclose details later. "As you know, we are in the midst of building the offshore gas terminal that will be ready in July next year. So, once the terminal is ready, there will be a requirement for more import of natural gas," he said. Najib said they also discussed the involvement of Qataris in the development of Sungai Besi land, where the masterplan was being work out by 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB). He said investment opportunities in the Iskandar region in Johor was also discussed. - Bernama |
| Police ready to face national polls Posted: 04 Dec 2011 07:00 PM PST (Bernama) - KUALA LUMPUR: The federal police logistics department is all geared up to face the 13th general election which is expected to be held in the near future. The Bukit Aman director of logistics department Zulkifli Abdullah said the department was discussing with the Home Ministry to determine the equipment and adequate funds required to face the election. "The Logistics Department and the other departments have also discussed among themselves the requirements for the general election. We have always been ready and waiting for the right signal when it (general election) will be held," he said. He said this after the Logistics Department Assembly and Presentation of Excellent Service Awards 2010 to 110 police officers and other ranks as well as civilian staff at Bukit Aman, here, today. When asked on the distribution of the budget allocated to the Police Logistics Department in the 2012 Budget tabled in Parliament by the Prime Minister, he declined comment except to say that new equipment would be obtained in June next year at the latest. He said the department received RM2.8 million from the 2012 development allocation to provide a store for the Narcotics Department. Earlier, Zulkifli said five reslutions had been acepted by the department at the conference of police chiefs recently. "The five resolutions that must be understood by every member of the Logistics Department are the management of acquisitions for the modernisation of the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) and strengthening of investigations; to ensure that basic 'Head to Toe' equipment were provided based on the quality and time specified; diligent spending by emphasising value for money and avoiding wastage. "In addition, we must ensure standard acquisition based on the best practice and adherence to all regulations and financial procedures and to determine the logistical requirements to face the 13th general election," he added. -Bernama |
| Najib: Malay future at risk under Pakatan Posted: 04 Dec 2011 06:57 PM PST By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider
SHAH ALAM, Dec 5 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak warned today the future of Malays would be in doubt if his ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) does not remain in power after a general election expected soon. After presiding over an Umno general assembly last weekend that saw delegates and leaders accusing Pakatan Rakyat (PR) of being anti-Malay and Islam, the prime minister today told a Malay NGO that claims a membership of over two million that their "responsibility is to defend the current government." "The alternative choice, are they better than what is already in place? Can they guarantee our power is not dissolved or our position eroded? What about the dignity of Islam and Malays? "We will not allow our people to be insulted. We will not back down by even an inch. We are warriors," he said to cheers at Pertubuhan Kebajikan dan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia's (Pekida) gathering here before leading cries of "Hidup Melayu (long live the Malays)!" Umno had sounded the alarm last weekend, warning that only BN will ensure that Islam remains an important aspect within the government administration. Party delegates had cited events such as claimed proselytisation of Muslims since Election 2008, when PR took power in five states, as proof that the faith among Malays would be in jeopardy. Najib said today if the Umno-led BN lost power, "all our ambitions will be buried and our future will be full of darkness." "What will happen to Muslims if the government changes? What will happen to Islam if we lose our strength?
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| Wikileaks: Anwar said he would be PM or jailed Posted: 04 Dec 2011 04:12 PM PST (The Malay Mail) - Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had two options when faced with sodomy charges three years ago, according to diplomatic transcripts revealed by whistleblower site Wikileaks on Saturday. He would either become "prime minister or end up in jail" in face of government attempts to use the charges to derail his political challenge when speaking to 40 diplomats assembled at the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) headquarters on July 22, 2008, according to transcripts of US ambassador to Malaysia James R. Keith. However, the cables quoted him as saying: "This time I'm not going to jail." Anwar claimed he had new information that revealed his accuser, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan's, extensive contacts with senior police officers prior to the alleged sodomy incident, as well as a medical report that found no evidence of sodomy on the accuser's body. Nevertheless, Anwar and his lawyer anticipated prosecutors would soon file formal charges. "I would quickly announce my decision to run in by-election so as to become a member of Parliament by September. My entry into Parliament was 'critical' as a condition for those MPs who have agreed to defect to the Opposition," he said. Anwar singled out the US for its concern and looked to the European Union (EU) to take a similar stand while urging other countries to at least raise privately their human rights concerns with Malaysian leaders. In the 90-minute presentation, Anwar laid out a general proposition that, given political conditions in Malaysia, he would either become Prime Minister or go to jail. He went through in detail the sodomy allegations and claimed political manipulation, drawing ready comparisons with his earlier prosecution for corruption and sodomy in 1998. He also told the foreign diplomats of his accuser's links to the top leadership and the police, and made accusations of evidential tampering, hence, explaining his reluctance to provide DNA samples. Anwar said he had forgiven those who acted against him in the 1998 corruption and sodomy cases. On foreign affairs, Anwar said he would seek to maintain strong relations with the US and EU, while also pursuing close ties to all countries, including "Iran and Sudan". He expressed his strong objection to the US "occupation of Iraq'', while recognising the atrocities of Saddam Hussein. The cable concludes: "It does seem that Anwar has put on a brave, defiant face on the current situation for his first gathering before diplomats since he returned to active political life in late 2006. "However, there are only two possible outcomes, under current circumstances, it is far more likely that Anwar finds himself behind bars rather than sitting in the Prime Minister's office."
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| Register and vote or don’t complain, says MCCBCHST Posted: 04 Dec 2011 03:44 PM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - If you do not register and vote in the election, you have "no right" to complain about unfavourable government decisions, the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) said today. The non-Muslim inter-faith body added a person's failure to participate in the election was tantamount to saying he or she does not care about how the country is run. "If you don't care, what gives you the right to complain when something happens that you don't like?" MCCBCHST president Daozhang Tan Hoe Chieow said today in a press conference. He said in Election 2008, of the 15 million eligible voters in Malaysia, only eight million turned up to cast their voters. A total of 11 million were registered voters. "Seven million (voters) were missing in action," he said. Tan said the council plans to embark on a nationwide voter registration drive on Sunday, December 11, at places of worship in 11 states and one Federal Territory. "Just from the statistics, we know there are 4.384 million eligible voters who are not registered. "We hope we can choose a government that is clean and transparent and people-centric, a government that can continue this prosperity, stability and harmony," he said. Tan denied the council's registration drive was politically-driven, saying that as a non-governmental organisation it was duty-bound to ensure voters are registered. "This is non-political. It is more about awareness," he said.
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| Perkasa wants MCA to retract hudud ‘slur’ or face polls wrath Posted: 04 Dec 2011 03:41 PM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - Perkasa will "teach MCA a lesson" in the general election if the party does not retract its remarks on hudud, Syed Hassan Syed Ali has said. The Perkasa secretary-general charged that MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek was rude and clueless about hudud when he claimed that implementing it would bring about destruction of the country's economy.
In response, Syed Hassan said Umno needed to advise the MCA president to "watch his mouth." "Soi Lek also said it is hard to attract investors because of Malaysia's poor human rights records and of cruel punishments, this will also make investors flee," the Perkasa leader said in a statement.
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| Umno leader linked to Alstom bribery scandal, says Singapore daily Posted: 04 Dec 2011 03:36 PM PST Already on the backfoot over a national cattle farming scandal, Umno is now rocked by allegations that a former leader took kickbacks from French engineering giant Alstom for a power plant project in Perlis.
Singapore's Straits Times (ST) reported today that Malaysia's Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officials raided last week the offices of Teknologi Tenaga Perlis Consortium (TTPC), which is partly controlled by former Dewan Negara president and ex-Perlis Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Pawanteh (picture). The newspaper said the Umno veteran was directly implicated in Alstom's indictment for bribery in securing foreign contracts. Abdul Hamid is said to have been paid 7.5 million Swiss francs (RM25.5 million) to help Alstom secure a contract to build a power plant in Perlis in the late 1990s. He was the state's mentri besar from 1986 to 1995. The Singapore daily said both Abdul Hamid and his former business partner, Ti Chee Liang, were singled out in the criminal summons against Alstom. According to ST, Alstom was fined €31 million (RM130 million) by the Swiss Attorney-General two weeks ago for failing to implement proper controls to prevent bribery by company executives in Malaysia, Latvia and Tunisia, an offence under Swiss law. Alstom is a major player in Malaysia in the power business, and is credited with supplying key equipment for nearly 7.5 gigawatts of the country's installed power generation capacity, the paper added. Citing government sources familiar with the investigations, ST reported that the MACC will be questioning local Alstom executives in the days ahead. Last month, Alstom's Malaysian office denied it was aware of local investigation regarding the RM133 million fine by Swiss authorities involving contracts awarded to the company here. "There is no probe ongoing in Malaysia that we are aware of and Alstom have co-operated fully in Switzerland. The fine is for corporate negligence in the past and not for bribery," Alstom Malaysia president, Saji Raghavan, said in a statement. "In fact, investigation confirms there is no systematic bribery and sufficient controls are in place," he pointed out.
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| Karpal hits out at DAP warlords Posted: 04 Dec 2011 03:26 PM PST It's the CEC, the party supreme decision-making body, which decides on candidates and seats, says the DAP national chairman. (Free Malaysia Today) - DAP national chairman Karpal Singh today warned certain party leaders against becoming political warlords by circumventing the leadership to promise and announce seats for their cronies on their own accord. He said that no party leader or even member has the right to bypass the party top decision-making body, the central executive committee (CEC), to allot seats for their cronies. "No one has the authority to choose or announce candidates and seats. "Only the top leadership has the rightful privilege to do so," Karpal, the Bukit Gelugor MP, told FMT here today. Firing a broadside against Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy, Karpal stressed that the party would not hesitate to take stern disciplinary action against the "warlords". "There is no room for warlords in DAP. "The party never had warlords and will never entertain it in future," he said. He was commenting on a recent vernacular newspaper article quoting Ramasamy, a CEC member, as saying that the party had decided to field three Indian women – D Kamachi, Kasturi (daughter of the late DAP stalwart P Patto) , and an unknown lawyer from Penang, Mangleswari. Ramasamy was also quoted as saying that parliamentarians M Kulasegaran (Ipoh Barat), Charles Santiago (Klang) and M Manogaran, and assemblyman A Sivanesan (Sungkai) were virtually certain of contesting in the coming general election. According to the article, Ramasamy, the Penang DAP deputy chief, has also claimed that he would re-contest both his Prai state and Batu Kawan federal seats. This has irked Karpal who has repeatedly said that the DAP would field one candidate for one seat in the next polls, albeit minor exemptions to the rule. Dismissing Ramasamy's claim that the party had given him the green light to contest both seats, Karpal said the CEC was yet to decide on party candidates and their seats for the next general election. He also pointed out that current incumbent elected representatives do not even have the luxury to choose their seat in next polls. He said the incumbents would even be dropped altogether if found to be incompetent. He added that it was for the CEC to decide on candidates and their seats based on performance and winning credentials.
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| Usno links up with Jeffrey’s UBF Posted: 04 Dec 2011 03:23 PM PST Jeffrey meanwhile advised the crowd not to be misled again by the sweet talk of the so-called leaders of BN and to use their vote wisely. (Free Malaysia Today) - Leaders of the once all-powerful United Sabah National Organization or Usno which disbanded in 1990 have joined up with the United Borneo Front (UBF) in its fight to restore Sabah's rights. Usno protem vice-president, Abdullah Sani Salleh and protem secretary-general, Arifin Abdul Salam told supporters at a recent joint-gathering with UBF at the birthplace of Usno in Kampung Tanjung Kapur, near here, that the Barisan Nasional coalition government had betrayed Sabahans. Abdullah Sani told the large crowd of Bajau, Suluk, Sungai, Dusun, Rungus, Kagayan and other sub-ethnic groups that the state government leaders and Umno in particular have failed to safeguard and protect the rights of Sabah and Sabahans. "Usno leaders support UBF and Jeffrey Kitingan who is fighting for Sabah. Usno supporters should support the UBF and Jeffrey to restore the rights of Sabah," Abdullah Sani told villagers in Jeffrey's presence. "Usno will work towards the unity of all races in Sabah regardless of whether they are Bajau, Suluk, KDM, Rungus, Brunei or others to reclaim the rights of Sabah and Sabahans in Malaysia," he added. Abdullah Sani said that land-related problems are just some of the many examples of the state government failing the people and that the ruling party and its "wakil rakyat" have victimized the villagers by alienating the land to outsiders. "Since the state government has done little to help, Sabahans should unite to change the state government," he said. After reminding residents that Kampung Tanjung Kapur was the birthplace of Usno in 1961 and that Usno would defend their land rights, Abdullah Sani said that Usno founder, the late Tun Mustapha Harun had never betrayed Sabah. He said Mustapha had never alienated taken an inch of the land of villagers other than the land for his own house which still stands today.
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| Pakatan banks on NFC, corruption index to counter Umno attacks Posted: 04 Dec 2011 10:02 AM PST By Yow Hong Chieh, The Malaysian Insider
Under attack from Umno at its annual congress, Pakatan Rakyat (PR) last night fell back on its administrative track record in four states to hammer home its claim that the ruling party has failed to improve the lot of Malaysians. Making full use of the alleged financial irregularities in a national cattle farming scheme and this year's dip in Malaysia's corruption score, PR leaders hit back at Umno in a concerted show of force after enduring five days of attacks during last week's Umno general assembly.Pulling no punches, a fiery Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim pointed out that Umno has doubly wronged the people by first misusing public funds meant for the National Feedlot Centre (NFC) and then defending Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil. The Wanita Umno chief, who is also the women, family and community minister, has been dogged by controversy over her family's role in the NFC ever since the Auditor-General labelled the project in November as a "mess" for failing to meet production targets. PKR has alleged that Shahrizat's husband, Datuk Mohamed Salleh Ismail, who runs the NFC, used a multi-million ringgit federal loan to pursue unrelated ventures — including a RM13.8 million condominium buy — as well as to fund personal expenses. "Only those with no morals can hurl abuse (at Pakatan), can steal RM250 million... and then defend themselves. "Their first wrong was to misuse funds, and their second was to defend their actions," Anwar told over 2,000 supporters who had gathered in the car park next to Malawati Stadium here despite the drizzle. The PKR de facto leader was joined by other top opposition leaders, including Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, Lim Kit Siang, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and Azmin Ali. Also present was national laureate Datuk A. Samad Said, who emerged as a fierce critic of the Najib administration earlier this year during the Bersih 2.0 rally for electoral reform. PAS president Abdul Hadi similarly made reference to the NFC scandal in refuting Umno's charge that the Islamist party was the DAP's stooge and the MCA's claim that the DAP was under the thumb of PAS. "PAS diperkudakan oleh DAP. DAP diperkudakan oleh PAS... Umno diperlembukan (PAS is being ridden like a horse by DAP. DAP is being ridden by PAS... Umno is made to look the cow)," he said to raucous laughter from the partisan crowd. "Lebih baik diperkuda daripada diperlembukan kerana kuda untuk perjuangan, lembu untuk disembelih (It's better to be ridden like a horse than to be made to look the cow as horses are for fighting, cows are for slaughter)." PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz had earlier turned Barisan Nasional's (BN) accusations on its head, claiming instead that Umno had abandoned true Islamic principles on the MCA's account. "Umno is forced to reject Islam because it wants to please MCA," he said. READ MORE HERE.
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| Bar Council, Suhakam say A-G glossed over street protest ban Posted: 04 Dec 2011 09:59 AM PST By Debra Chong, The Malaysian Insider
The two statutory bodies disclosed too that Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail had sought their views over the controversial Peaceful Assembly Bill but failed to provide them with written copies of the draft before its tabling in Parliament last November 22. "The Bar Council was not given a copy of the Peaceful Assembly Bill during the consultation stage," its president Lim Chee Wee told The Malaysian Insider when contacted over the weekend. "It was read out to us, and even then there were differences between the two versions, during consultation and what was tabled in Parliament. Notably, during consultation we were told assemblies in motion were allowed," he said. Assemblies in motion, better known as street demonstrations, are barred under the new law to replace section 27 of the Police Act. It is one of the most controversial aspects of the new law, which was hastened after Datuk Seri Najib Razak's government was globally panned for its harsh treatment of thousands of demonstrators in the Bersih 2.0 street rally seeking to pressure the prime minister for cleaner and more honest elections. Lawyer Syahredzan Johan, who also attended the consultation meeting, clarified that the A-G had "glossed over" some aspects in explaining the new law. The A-G, who prohibited street protests but told the Bar Council he was referring to "riots", created a more positive impression of the new law, said Syahredzan. "A riot is not a peaceful assembly, so we could understand why it was prohibited," said Syahredzan, who helms the Bar's constitutional law committee. He added his Bar Council colleagues did not push the government for a black-and-white because they were given the impression there would be further meetings held to "fine tune" the draft. "We didn't think it would be tabled so soon. The meeting was two to three weeks; definitely less than one month before the tabling," he said. The Bar Council, which represents some 12,000 practising lawyers in the private sector, was taken aback at the government's haste in pushing the Bill through in the Dewan Rakyat on November 29, just a week after it was tabled. Lim, who led a lawyers' march to protest the Bill on the day it was tabled, has urged the government against bulldozing through the plan and urged the Najib administration to set up a parliamentary panel to seek further public consultation. READ MORE HERE. |
| PAS, DAP answer UMNO's stooge allegation Posted: 04 Dec 2011 09:46 AM PST (Harakah Daily) - PAS and DAP leaders have dismissed accusations by UMNO of their parties being undermined and acting as stooge for each other, with PAS president Tuan Guru Abdul Hadi Awang telling a gathering last night that it was better to ignore the taunts. "It's time to change, just ignore the taunting of 'PAS being used as a horse' or 'DAP being exploited by PAS. That is still better than UMNO which is like a cow awaiting slaughter," Hadi said to applause from some 10,000 people converged at the 'Rapat Rakyat' programme in Stadium Melawati, Shah Alam. Hadi said that PAS, together with Pakatan Rakyat partners PKR and DAP, has a common objective to achieve justice and erase racism. "We stay together to build a stronger racial relationship which has failed under UMNO-BN's 50 yearsrule. This has been due to UMNO culture of prioritising Malays and sidelining Islam. Their struggle is to safeguard their leaders by fanning racial sentiments, not to save the country," said Hadi. DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang meanwhile pointed out that UMNO and MCA were adjusting their racist agenda for their respective audience. This includes UMNO telling Malay that PAS was being exploited by DAP, and MCA, namely its president Chua Soi Lek, accusing the DAP of being a PAS stooge. "Who has lied? Najib and Muhyiddin or Chua Soi Lek?" Lim asked in a statement, and said that Chua, UMNO president Najib Razak and his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin had all lied. No 'Big Brother' in PR Lim stressed that Pakatan Rakyat was a coalition of equal political parties based on mutual respect and political consensus founded on common policy programmes. "In Pakatan Rakyat, no political party plays the role of Big Brother like UMNO in Barisan Nasional – which means that Najib, Muhyiddin and Chua have all been perpetuating lies in their struggle to keep their political parties alive in the next general election," he added. On the now familiar allegation that Malays would lose power should Pakatan Rakyat wins the next general election, Lim countered by saying, "Those who will really lose power will be UMNO and UMNO-putras." |
| Put loyalty pledge on paper, says Mukhriz Posted: 04 Dec 2011 09:17 AM PST (The Star) - JITRA: All Umno members should be made to sign a letter swearing that they will remain loyal to the party and work hard to ensure the party's candidates win in the next general election, Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir said. The Kedah Umno deputy liaision committee chairman said he was proposing the idea following the loyalty oath by Umno delegates during the party's general assembly which ended on Saturday. "Making the oath verbally is not enough. We need to put it on paper so that it will be legally binding. Action can be taken against them if they break the oath. "The letter will ensure that there's no backstabbing or sabotage of party candidates," he said after opening a 1Malaysia Shop in Padang Serai here. Asked about winnable candidates for the next election, Mukhriz, who is also Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister, said the party should not focus only on young faces as there were still senior politicians who were much loved by young voters. "Our candidates must include professionals with a good education background and they must be willing to give their best to the people. "There is no point having professional candidates who are not willing to work hard and be on the ground with the people," he added. Information, Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said winnable candidates should be those well accepted by the rakyat. "What if a candidate is young but not acceptable to the people? "It is important for members to close ranks at all levels and focus on achieving victory for the party," he told reporters after opening the RTM Sports Festival in Merlimau, Malacca, yesterday. Bernama quoted International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed as saying that leaders, especially Barisan Nasional ones, should search within themselves to see if they were still acceptable to the people. If they felt that the people had rejected them, they should allow the leadership to choose new candidates to replace them, he told reporters after opening the Kubang Kerian Agrobank branch and the handing over of tithe to Kelantan Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council in Kota Baru yesterday. Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said in Bagan Datoh that about half of the candidates' winning ability would be determined by their skills in solving problems faced by their constituents. He said the party's three vice-presidents had been tasked with monitoring constituencies facing problems and working on solving them ahead of the next election. |
| Ex-IGP Musa may take legal action against bloggers for slander Posted: 04 Dec 2011 09:11 AM PST By Sira Habibu, The Star PETALING JAYA: Former Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan is thinking of taking legal action against bloggers for reports slandering him that he married an artiste in a hush-hush RM15mil wedding. Musa, who retired last year, said he did not have that much money to splurge. "Every time the rumour-mongers make wild accusations, it will backfire on them when the allegations are proven baseless. "The (then called) Anti-Corruption Agency investigated me over allegations of a RM2mil bribe from the underworld and I was cleared," he said yesterday. He added that his wife Puan Sri Juriah Ahmad was not shocked by the marriage rumours because she knew they were not true. "She knows I did not go anywhere to marry anyone because I was with her. I have only one wife, four children and six grandchildren. "And if I ever marry again, I will certainly not keep it a secret as a wedding is a sacred affair. It is not like committing adultery," he added. Allegations about the "lavish wedding" between Musa and local artiste Syella Kamaruddin surfaced in the blogsphere recently with claims that the ceremony cost RM15mil, with bridal gifts that included a RM5mil bungalow and an RM800,000 Audi R8. Syella, who did not want to reveal the identity of her husband, had reportedly said her husband did not look like Musa, adding that he was younger and sturdier. Photographs of Syella cutting a multi-layered cake with the groom are being circulated in the blogs and were published by the Chinese media. Musa said he taught at the Centre for Media Warfare at Universiti Teknologi Mara. He said he had turned down several other offers, including a diplomatic posting and teaching at the Anti-Terrorism Academy in Langkawi. "I am content with my current post as a lecturer," he said. |
| Posted: 04 Dec 2011 09:08 AM PST By Marhalim Abas, The Sun PETALING JAYA: Malaysia will build a permanent installation on Middle Rocks, which the International Court of Justice had four years ago ruled as belonging to the country. Sources said the RM70 million project will comprise two structures – a radar station and living quarters. The two structures will be linked by a bridge as the rocky outcrops located on the western edge of the South China Sea are 250m apart. The permanent installation, it is said, will be bigger and more prominent than the Horsburgh lighthouse on nearby Pulau Batu Putih (Pedra Branca) which the ICJ had ruled as belonging to Singapore. A jetty and a helipad are also planned for the rocky outcrops, which stand only one metre above sea level, about 15km southeast of Johor and 1.1km away from Batu Putih. Sources familiar with the matter told theSun that the National Security Council is the coordinating agency for the project and the Public Works Department will oversee the construction of the two structures. It is understood that three companies have been shortlisted for the construction project from the nine invited for the restricted tender exercise. Once completed, the station will be manned by Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) personnel. With the Middle Rocks station operational, MMEA will have 10 radars to monitor the country's sea borders. The new radar station is expected to enhance the surveillance of the waters of Tanjung Pengerang and the Singapore Straits. Pengerang is only 30 minutes boat ride from Batam. Currently, MMEA relies on the radar on its patrol boats for surveillance of the busy waterway. The MMEA is also working with Singapore's Maritime Security Task Force (MSTF) to monitor and carry out surveillance off the Pengerang waters, as Singapore also operates a radar station at the lighthouse on Batu Putih. Both Malaysia and Singapore had previously claimed Batu Putih, Middle Rocks and South Ledge as their territory. After long negotiations, both countries agreed to take the matter to the ICJ, which began hearings in 2007. In 2008, in a 15-to-one ruling, the ICJ awarded Middle Rocks to Malaysia, and Batu Putih or Pedra Branca to Singapore by a 12-to-four ruling. The status of South Ledge, however, remains unresolved. A team from the Mapping and Survey Department constructed a flag pole, five markers and a monument on Middle Rocks between June 4 and 12, 2008 shortly after the ICJ ruling. |
| ‘Pas’ hudud too narrow and destructive’ Posted: 04 Dec 2011 08:40 AM PST A narrow interpretation and non-Muslims will suffer (New Straits Times) - THE effects of hudud on non-Muslims is very real, said human rights activist Prof Dr Chandra Muzaffar yesterday. The president of the International Movement for a Just World said most countries which had adopted hudud had failed to protect their people and their rights. "Not a single hudud state can be an example to us. "Non-Muslims will suffer should Pas implement hudud laws," he said during a forum entitled "Hudud and the Legal Implications on non-Muslims". The forum was organised by the Institute of Strategic Analysis and Policy Research (Insap). Also present were Insap president Tan Sri Dr Fong Chan Onn and MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek. Dr Chandra also hit out at Pas for its narrow interpretation of hudud, which he said did not emphasise on forgiveness and reform as stated in the al-Quran. "The emphasis should not be on prohibitions and punishment, as Islam is about educating and enlightening. A narrow interpretation can destroy a nation." Another speaker, Ustaz Mohd Kamal Saidin, who is religious adviser to the Terengganu menteri besar, criticised Kelantan's hudud guidebook. He claimed the enactment did not follow the proper Islamic hudud guidelines, including on sodomy and rape. He also said it would be unfair to just implement hudud on Muslims but not on non-Muslims, as this would create confusion.
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Dr Chua (picture) had predicted investors would flee Malaysia if hudud was made federal law because hudud was not fair to all, in particular women, and also prescribed cruel punishments for crimes contrary to international convention.
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This trinity of the DAP's alleged antipathies sums up what Umno construes as its raison d'etat, although given what had happened as recently as two decades ago, Umno cannot really be said to be for the royals.
Left unspoken is the subterranean fear that in Lim Guan Eng (right in photo) at least, the DAP may have a leader that ordinary Malays would eventually acknowledge as worthy of support for reasons that help explain Umno's slumping popularity: he has run a frugal and clean government in Penang enabling the administration to adopt the welfare aspects of a social democracy that are bound to impact beneficently on poor Malays; and he is presiding over an impressive revival of the state's industry through increased FDIs.