Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Glenmarie shooting was murder, says lawyer
- Eight police reports against Bersih 2.0 rally
- MACC investigates Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud
- Najib stuck in a time capsule, says Sabu
- Hisham's denial over brother's deal 'unconvincing'
- Najib: Honesty is vital
- Three ‘executed’ while kneeling before cops, says lawyer
- Kit Siang: Cops, MACC must answer RPK claims about dead Customs man
- Inquest will answer RPK’s claims, says MACC chief
- Poor English skills: ‘Rot started in the 70s’
- Khir Toyo paid landscape artist over RM6 million, court told
| Glenmarie shooting was murder, says lawyer Posted: 08 Jun 2011 07:42 PM PDT
According to the post-mortem report, at least one of the three youths was kneeling when police shot him, N Surendran tells reporters. (Free Malaysia Today) - It was murder in cold blood, according to a lawyer for the families of three youths whom police shot dead in Glenmarie last year. Addressing a press conference at the PKR headquarters here, N Surendran produced a report of the post-mortem examinations on two of the youths, Syamil Hafiz Shafie, 15, and Mohd Khairul Nizam Tuah, 20. Police shot them at close range, he said. "The report also indicates that Syamil was shot on the forehead at a 45-degree angle," he added. "That can only happen if the boy was kneeling when he was gunned down," said Surendran. The shooting happened last November. Police said they shot Syamil, Khairul and Mohd Hanafi Omar, 22, from a distance. They alleged that the three were members of a criminal gang called Geng Minyak and that the shooting occurred after they had robbed a petrol station. The police said they shot the youths after they had tried to attack them with a parang. Surendran rejected the police version. "Syamil had gunshot residues on his shirt," he said. "Residue can only be transferred if shots were fired at a close range." He said Hairul was shot on the left side of his head. "The police version of what transpired is not consistent with the post-mortem report, unless the police have bullets that can curve through the air."
Surendran challenged the police to prove him wrong. "The police are also unable to show the parang the youths allegedly used against them," he said.
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| Eight police reports against Bersih 2.0 rally Posted: 08 Jun 2011 07:16 PM PDT
It will inconvenience city folk and disrupt businesses in the area, says Umno Youth. (Free Malaysia Today) - Umno Youth lodged a report against the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (Bersih 2.0) rally organisers at the Dang Wangi district police station today. Several other organisations followed suit and also filed reports of their own. They were the Bukit Bintang Umno Youth, KL Umno Youth, Umno's Urban Affairs Secretariat (SHEB), Tunku Abdul Rahman Traders Association, Perkasa Youth, Angkatan Belia Islam Kepong and Gertak. The Bersih 2.0 rally themed "Walk for Democracy" is to be held on July 9. One of the gathering points of the rally is the Sogo shopping complex area. Bersih, made up of several opposition parties and various civil society groups, want six demands met, including putting an end to misuse of government machinery during elections. Bersih is led by former Bar Council chief S Ambiga. Earlier this month, PAS, which is a Bersih coalition member, pledged that 100,000 of its party members would join the rally. Umno Youth executive council member Tengku Azman Tengku Zainol Abidin said: "The police reports are lodged as an early measure to stop the rally as it will affect city dwellers and the business community. "July 9 is a Saturday, a busy day that attracts scores of people to the area; in addition, the night market would be held at Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman." Overly emotional Azman said that there were many other ways for Bersih to air its grouses instead of taking to the streets. "Bersih can raise its concerns in Parliament through its elected representatives," said Azman who is also Bukit Bintang Umno Youth chief and SHEB chairman.
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| MACC investigates Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud Posted: 08 Jun 2011 06:54 PM PDT
(Bernama) - The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has confirmed that it is currently investigating Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud over allegation of timber corruption. Its commissioner, Datuk Seri Abu Kassim Mohamed said the commission was in the process of gathering more information regarding the matter. "As I said earlier, we are investigating Taib Mahmud and whatever our action is, we cannot reveal at this moment," he told reporters at Sime Darby Bhd's signing and handing over corporate integrity pledge to the MACC, here today. Abu Kassim was responding to a question on whether the MACC was looking at carrying out a similar action by the Swiss Anti Corruption Agency, which recently froze the assets of Taib Mahmud over the allegation of timber corruption. According to a foreign news report, the Swiss Federation president Micheline Calmy-Rey was reported to be aware of the allegations and had forwarded the information about Taib's assets in Switzerland to its regulatory body FINMA (the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority) for investigation. On monitoring mega projects, Abu Kassim said the MACC would continuously monitor these projects from time to time. "Our responsibility is to monitor whatever project from time to time. I cannot say which project but it is our job to monitor and prevent corruption in the government," he said when asked whether the MACC had identified other mega projects. So far, MACC is expected to monitor three mega projects namely the 100-storey Warisan Merdeka Tower which will cost RM5 billion; the RM36 billion mass rapid transit (MRT) system and Bukit Bintang City Centre (BBCC) project to cost RM6.7 billion.
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| Najib stuck in a time capsule, says Sabu Posted: 08 Jun 2011 06:32 PM PDT
PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu said the prime minister's comments on the Islamic party's objective of a welfare state only showed he was outdated. Najib Razak, during his visit to Kazakhstan which has been mired by rumour about the marriage of his daughter to the son of a Kazakh leader, had been quoted as saying that the presidential speech at the just concluded PAS Muktamar themed "Building a Benevolent Nation" was an "election stunt". |
| Hisham's denial over brother's deal 'unconvincing' Posted: 08 Jun 2011 06:27 PM PDT
Prime Minister Najib Razak and Home minister Hishamuddin Hussein (ABOVE) have been told to come clean over the controversy involving currency maker Securency, which was allegedly involved in corruption by hiring Malaysian firm Liberal Technology, once owned by Hishamuddin's brother Haris Onn Hussein (BELOW), to obtain polymer banknote supply contracts.
In a statement to Harakahdaily, Bukit Bendera member of parliament Liew Chin Tong said the Australian police investigation into the controversy had raised questions about Liberal Technology's influence via its biggest shareholder, Haris Onn Hussein. The Onns are also cousins to Najib.
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| Posted: 08 Jun 2011 06:13 PM PDT (THE STAR) - Openness, honesty and transparency are vital if the people are to have faith that their government is working for them and not for itself. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said these guiding principles would also show that leaders and politicians were striving to lift the whole economy and not to "line their own pockets". Good governance, he added, was not the only answer to the many complex challenges faced. "As political leaders and statesmen, it is up to us to show the resolve, dedication, commitment and political will required to do what is right, to right what is wrong and to prevent corruption from becoming a norm in our societies," he said.  United we stand: (From left) WIEF chairman Tun Musa Hitam, Indonesia vice-president Prof Dr Boediono, Najib, Nazarbayev, Djibouti president Ismail Omar Guelleh, Tajikistan prime minister Oqil Oqilov and Islamic Development Bank president Dr Ahmed Mohamed Ali Al-Madani at the opening of the 7th World Islamic Economic Forum in Kazakhstan yesterday. "We should be prepared to walk the talk and practise what we preach. And governments should have no fear of criticism from the people that they serve," he said in his keynote address at the opening of the 7th World Islamic Economic Forum here yesterday. Najib said good governance should come "naturally" to Muslim nations as it had been their nature for more than 1,500 years. He cited the fourth Caliph Ali Abi Talib, the fourth son-in-law of Prophet Mohammad, who told Egyptian governor Maalik as-Ashtar that "his administration would only succeed if he governs with concern for justice, equality, probity and the prosperity of all", including women. However, he added that good governance was "easier said than done" in a world that has been characterised by factors such as political influence, unequal competition and opportunities, strong family ties, unlimited greed, inadequate rules and regulations and poor enforcement. Later in wrapping his visit, Najib described the development of Central Asia and Kazakhstan as an eye-opener. "The country is more open to encouraging foreign companies to invest here in many areas," he told the Malaysian media. He added that he emphasised in additional meetings with Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev and Prime Minister Karim Massimov that Malaysia had expertise in construction. "They also hope we can increase our investments in certain areas," he added.
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| Three ‘executed’ while kneeling before cops, says lawyer Posted: 08 Jun 2011 06:08 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - Post-mortem reports on three youths showed they were kneeling when they were shot by policemen last year, a legal rights group said today. Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) claimed today that the three were executed. Human rights lawyer and LFL co-ordinator N. Surendran (picture) told reporters at the PKR headquarters here that according to the reports received two days ago, the police did not fatally shoot the three victims in self-defence as claimed. "Based on scientific findings, the police version is false. The police have lied. "The police version says that they were rushed with parangs and therefore they were shot," he said. Muhammad Hanafi Omar, 22, Muhammad Shamil Hafiz Shapiei, 15, and Hairul Nizam Tuah, 20, were gunned down by the police after a high-speed car chase in the early morning of November 13 last year in Glenmarie, Shah Alam. The police claimed they had shot the suspects in self-defence when they charged at the officers with machetes at the end of a pre-dawn car chase. Selangor acting police chief Datuk A. Thaiveegan had reportedly defended his officers' actions by describing the three dead as "seasoned criminals" who were allegedly involved in at least three armed robberies in Selangor the week prior to their shooting. According to the forensic report on Shamil, he had two wounds consistent with gunshot wounds, the first injury mark on the forehead, and the second, on the right side of the chest. "Both gunshot wounds entered 45 degrees into the back and right side of the body. There were no signs of self-defence," the report said, adding that there was gunpowder residue on the chest wound. According to the chemist report, there was also gunpowder residue on the victim's jacket. As for Hairul, the cause of death was gunshot injuries to the head and chest.
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| Kit Siang: Cops, MACC must answer RPK claims about dead Customs man Posted: 08 Jun 2011 03:58 PM PDT
Both the police and the national anti-graft agency must respond to claims by blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin that police found no proof of unusual wealth in the assets of deceased Customs officer Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed, Lim Kit Siang said today. The DAP parliamentary leader said the authorities should not wait for an inquest or a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) to confirm or deny the allegations, especially as this was the second mysterious death under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's (MACC) watch. Raja Petra, in a post on his Malaysia Today website yesterday, claimed the police had conducted a thorough check on Sarbaini's assets and found no unusual or extraordinary wealth. "He (Sarbaini) had only three modest cars — a Perodua Kancil, a second-hand Honda CRV and a Proton Persona — and a Modenas Kriss bike, which he rode to the MACC office on that unfortunate morning of 6th April, the day of his death," Raja Petra said yesterday. "He owned an apartment in Bukit Tinggi, Klang (RM65,872), an apartment in Puncak Alam (RM68,988), a semi-D cluster house in Saujana Impian in Sungai Buloh (RM230,000) and RM35,000 in savings in Amanah Saham Bumiputera... All these were duly accounted for." Raja Petra has also accused MACC of trying to tarnish Sarbaini's name following his death. Lim (picture) also said today that the Inspector-General of Police and Attorney-General should reveal the police probe findings to Sarbaini's family, who believe there is an attempt to cover-up circumstances surrounding Sarbaini's death. "Let the Sarbaini family decide whether they want an inquest or a royal commission of inquiry," Lim said in a statement. Sarbaini, 56, was found dead on the badminton court of the MACC building in Jalan Cochrane here on April 6 at about 10.20am, barely two hours after walking in. His death, which occurred while the Teoh Beng Hock RCI was still ongoing, came as a huge blow to the anti-graft body's already battered credibility. Teoh, a DAP aide, fell to his death at the then-Selangor MACC office on July 16, 2009. An 18-month inquest returned an open verdict, ruling out both suicide and homicide in Teoh's death. The police have recommended an inquest be held for Sarbaini and the A-G has agreed but Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers have criticised the idea, citing Teoh's case as reason to back their doubts.
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| Inquest will answer RPK’s claims, says MACC chief Posted: 08 Jun 2011 03:44 PM PDT
By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani, The Malaysian Insider Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Datuk Seri Abu Kassim Mohamed refused to comment today on claims by blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin and reiterated that an inquest will answer allegations into the death of Customs officer Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed. "There is going to be an inquest then everything will come out in the inquest. Everything will be answered in the inquest," he told The Malaysian Insider. Raja Petra, in a post on his Malaysia Today website yesterday, claimed the police had conducted a thorough check on Sarbaini's assets and found no unusual or extraordinary wealth. Raja Petra (picture) has also accused MACC of trying to tarnish Sarbaini's name following his death. "He (Sarbaini) had only three modest cars — a Perodua Kancil, a second-hand Honda CRV and a Proton Persona — and a Modenas Kriss bike, which he rode to the MACC office on that unfortunate morning of 6th April, the day of his death," Raja Petra said yesterday. "He owned an apartment in Bukit Tinggi, Klang (RM65,872), an apartment in Puncak Alam (RM68,988), a semi-D cluster house in Saujana Impian in Sungai Buloh (RM230,000) and RM35,000 in savings in Amanah Saham Bumiputera... All these were duly accounted for," Raja Petra posted in Malaysia Today. Sarbaini, 56, was found dead on the badminton court of the MACC building in Jalan Cochrane here on April 6 at about 10.20am, barely two hours after walking in. His death, which occurred while the Teoh Beng Hock RCI was still ongoing, came as a huge blow to the anti-graft body's already battered credibility. Teoh, a DAP aide, fell to his death at the then-Selangor MACC office on July 16, 2009. An 18-month inquest returned an open verdict, ruling out both suicide and homicide in Teoh's death. The police have recommended an inquest be held for Sarbaini and the Attorney-General has agreed but Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers have criticised the idea, citing Teoh's case as reason to back their doubts. Police filed an application for an inquest at the Jalan Duta court complex on June 3.
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| Poor English skills: ‘Rot started in the 70s’ Posted: 08 Jun 2011 02:30 PM PDT (Free Malaysia Today) - The lack of proficiency in the English language among the current crop of Malaysians does not come as a surprise at all to academicians. They say the rot started when the medium of instruction was switched from English to Malay in the 1970s. Malaysia was ranked third after Singapore and the Philippines in an English level assessment test conducted by online recruitment company Jobstreet.com. Thailand and Indonesia came in fourth and fifth respectively. "There has been a clear decline of English language proficiency over the past 20 years," said an English lecturer with over 37 years of experience. The lecturer, who wished to remain anonymous, said that the rot set in since the 1970s, when the medium of instruction was switched from English to BM. "From then on, our children were less exposed to the language. Another reason is the lack of emphasis on English as it now not a compulsory subject to pass," he said. The lecturer said that many, especially those in the rural areas, did not realise the importance of English until they started working, especially in the private sector. "Singaporeans, having a much more business-oriented economy, know they cannot survive in life without the language, but Malaysians have become aware of it much later in life," he said. The lecturer also lamented the standard of English teachers, saying that steps should be taken by the government to get more qualified teachers. "Politically, we cannot reverse certain things. It's now time to focus on getting high quality teachers, not just getting foreigners, which I feel is merely a short-term measure," he said. He added that the "flip-flop" decision by the government over the teaching of science and mathematics in English is not helping in arresting the decline. Going downhill Universiti Malaya English Language Department head Tam Shu Sim agreed that English proficiency has been "going downhill" since the switch in the medium of instruction.
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| Khir Toyo paid landscape artist over RM6 million, court told Posted: 08 Jun 2011 02:19 PM PDT By Shazwan Mustafa KamaL, The Malaysian Insider A landscape artist told the High Court today that he was paid more than RM6 million to design Dr Mohd Khir Toyo's Balinese-style mansion. Nasir Ismail, who is the prosecution's third witness in the corruption trial of the former Selangor mentri besar testified that the payments were in several instalments — five from Datuk Shamsuddin Hayroni, and eight from Dr Khir. Each instalment amounted to RM500,000, said Nasir. "I received payment of RM500,000 in cash from Datuk Shamsuddin (Hayroni) four to five times," Nasir told the court today. "I said I needed payment and he said he would report it to Datuk Seri (Khir)." The landscape artist said that Dr Khir had appointed Shamsuddin, who is Ditamas Sdn Bhd director, to handle all issues regarding the renovation of the mansion, because he (Dr Khir) "did not have the time" to handle it personally. "I went to see Datuk Seri (Dr Khir) at his official residence for the rest of the fees," Nasir said. "I received RM500,000 in payments in instalments for seven, eight times." Nasir said he received all the payments in cash because he was declared a bankrupt in 1998 and that there were no receipts for payments as Dr Khir wanted it that way. "The master of the house did not want to make any documents," said the 55-year old landscape artist in reference to the Sungai Panjang assemblyman. Nasir said his first impression upon seeing the house was that it belonged to Dr Khir because he had met the former MB in March 2006 to discuss the designing of the mansion. But Nasir explained that when he saw the renovation plan, it stated Ditamas Sdn Bhd as the owner of the mansion at the time.
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Liew (left) meanwhile said the BN had yet to shun its cronyism culture, "which is tantamount to the political elite 'fat cats' robbing their poorer cousins to feed their own ilk."
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