Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- ‘Ambiga should be arrested, not granted royal audience’
- Permit condition in bad faith, says Ambiga
- Dr M ‘sad’ when Malays talk about Ketuanan Melayu
- Is Putrajaya joking about Bersih?
- NEWS FLASH: Protestors in pro-Bersih clothes will be arrested, warns Deputy IGP
- NEWS FLASH: Perkasa to hold rally on 9 July at Stadium Merdeka
- Home minister: Bersih still illegal
- NEWS FLASH: Stadium Merdeka rejects Bersih's booking
- NEWS FLASH: Perkasa not allowed to meet Agong at Istana Negara
- Bersih to hand Memorandum to Agong during rally
- Ahmad Sarbaini's death: CCTV recordings tampered with, court hears
- Handling demos: Two-day course for cops
- Yellow Malaysians vs Umno-BN
- Bersih 2.0 wants Stadium Merdeka
- DAP asks police to cooperate over Bersih rally
- ‘Opposition hijacked Bersih’
- Anwar fails again to disqualify sodomy judge
- Nik Aziz promises King no chaos in any government change
- EC produces booklet to explain issues related to elections
- Selangor CPO explains Wednesday morning roadblocks
- We’ll deal with the police, says DAP
- Stop pre-rally clampdown, Kit Siang tells Hishammuddin
- Bersih wants supporters freed, RCI on election practices
| ‘Ambiga should be arrested, not granted royal audience’ Posted: 05 Jul 2011 11:03 PM PDT
Perkasa will also submit a letter seeking an audience with the King before July 9 (Free Malaysia Today) - Bersih chairman S Ambiga should be arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA) instead of being invited to the palace, Perkasa said today. "We were shocked that Ambiga was granted an audience," Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali told a press conference here. "His Majesty should not be receiving people like that. We know Ambiga represents an illegal organisation." "She should be arrested under the ISA or the Emergency Ordinance (EO) and not being invited to the palace," he said. Nevertheless, Ibrahim said Perkasa respected the decision of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin to grant Ambiga a royal audience. He added that the move reflected a benevolent King who cared for his country and people. "The King's willingness shows his concern for the safety of his people." Perkasa will also submit a letter requesting an audience with the King before this Saturday to voice its intentions for holding its own rally to counter the Bersih gathering. The Malay right-wing group was reported to have been turned away by the palace when it attempted to submit the letter this morning. Ibrahim, however, denied this allegation. "We hope that we will also be received in the same manner that the King received the organiser of an illegal rally," he said. "If the people can extend favourable treatment to an illegal organisation that is already causing chaos in the country, then they should also extend the same treatment to us." A disgruntled Ibrahim then took potshots at Ambiga, beginning with her demand for the immediate release of the six Parti Socialis Malaysia (PSM) members detained under the EO. "Who does she think she is?" he asked. "Ambiga is behaving like she is the police chief. Like this is her father's country. She's not even running in the next general election so why is she poking her nose into the electoral system with all these demands?"
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| Permit condition in bad faith, says Ambiga Posted: 05 Jul 2011 10:20 PM PDT
By Yow Hong Chieh, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, July 6 — Bersih chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan has accused the authorities of "lacking good faith" for demanding that the group apply for a permit to hold its planned stadium rally this weekend. She said the latest hurdle to the July 9 rally for free and fair elections was "wholly inconsistent" with Datuk Seri Najib Razak's earlier assurance that Bersih 2.0 could be held in a stadium, as well as the King's wishes. "Why are you asking us to apply for a permit when the prime minister has already okayed it? "We don't understand it," she told the Foreign Correspondents' Club (FCC) here. Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar earlier today reminded Bersih to apply for a permit for Saturday's rally, warning that failure to do so would still make the event an illegal gathering. He said Bersih had yet to inform or notify the police of their plans for the rally but gave assurance that the group's permit application process would be expedited in view of the urgency of the situation. Khalid further warned that those found wearing Bersih T-shirts or possessing pro-Bersih materials would still be arrested by the police as the organisation was still considered illegal. Malay rights group Perkasa has said it too will hold a stadium rally in the capital on July 9 to counter Bersih 2.0.
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| Dr M ‘sad’ when Malays talk about Ketuanan Melayu Posted: 05 Jul 2011 10:15 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he is saddened when he hears Malays talk about Ketuanan Melayu as he wanted the race to depend on its capabilities and not privileges. The former prime minister also appeared to suggest that he had some reservations about linking the NEP with Article 153 of the Constitution and said that certain aspects of the NEP should be phased out, when responding to a question on Article 153 following his speech at the National Professors' Congress here today. "With regard to 153, if it's related to Bahasa, Agama and all that, it is fine, but we have extended it to include the NEP. And certain aspects of the NEP should be phased out as soon as the people who benefit from the NEP have shown their capabilities," he said. "I feel very sad when I hear Malays talk about Ketuanan Melayu," he added. "Apparently, there is Malay reserve land because we are Tuan. But to have to live in a Malay reserve is an insult because that means I'm so weak that I'm to be protected in my own country. It is not something to be proud of." Dr Mahathir also said that the Malays should upgrade their capabilities so that they will not have to depend on special privileges. "Some feel they have privileges because they are superior and Tuan but if you work as a driver for somebody, the man behind you will say 'Tuan please take me here and there,'" he said. The topic of race-based privileges and affirmative action has long been a controversial topic in Malaysia with its proponents pointing to Article 153 of the Constitution, which touches on the special position of Malays, and the more recent concept of "Ketuanan Melayu", or Malay supremacy, to justify economic privileges. Critics, however, say that the whole system of privileges has been abused, and is driving a wedge between the races — on top of eroding the country's competitiveness. Dr Mahathir himself has often appeared to contradict himself by fast-tracking Malay businessmen into big business and tolerating race-based quotas for initiatives like import licenses during his administration but at the same time, criticising Malays for not being more enterprising and hardworking.
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| Is Putrajaya joking about Bersih? Posted: 05 Jul 2011 10:14 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - The circumstances surrounding the July 9 Bersih rally have been changing since the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin issued a rare edict and met both the prime minister and Bersih leaders. Somethings haven't changed. Bersih is still outlawed. Wearing their yellow T-shirt with the word Bersih will land you in the lock-up. Government agencies like Stadium Merdeka are waiting for the Cabinet to direct them whether to accept Bersih's application. The police are waiting for Bersih's application which must state the venue. And now Datuk Seri Najib Razak is saying he didn't promise to see Bersih over the rally and that it's up to the police to decide whether the rally can proceed. Is this a joke? Can the government of the day stop stonewalling Bersih or waffling about where the electoral reform movement can have their rally? All this drama has made a mountain out of a molehill and makes the royal audience yesterday just a scene from a farce. Last anyone checked, Najib is the prime minister and Malaysia is not a police state. That means he can order the police to issue a permit for a rally and tell the stadium authorities to host the event. Take a large deposit. Impose conditions but don't keep throwing up roadblocks to frustrate the rally. Enough has been done to snuff it out but it keeps getting bigger to the extent that it can actually realise Barisan Nasional's nightmare of being booted out of Putrajaya in a free and fair election or actually, even in the next elections. The government's action today reveals that it might be having second thoughts or is getting cold feet about the Bersih rally. It also shows how insecure the Najib administration is over a coalition that just wants free and fair elections. This insecurity and waffling have made them the butt of jokes and a source of anguish over the kind of leadership that exists in the country. The King interceded and Bersih has acted in good faith to accept conditions put forward by Najib. It's his turn to reciprocate and do the right thing. Or confirm that this is a police state and let the citizens decide whether it should remain so in the next general elections. The Najib administration can influence that decision by not treating Bersih as a joke. For the joke might be on the government later.
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| NEWS FLASH: Protestors in pro-Bersih clothes will be arrested, warns Deputy IGP Posted: 05 Jul 2011 07:56 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - Despite being allowed to hold a stadium rally this Saturday, protestors found with pro-Bersih 2.0 materials will still be arrested, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar said today. This, he said, was because the coalition was still deemed an unlawful organisation and any item, whether "songkoks or T-shirts" are still disallowed. "On clothing or items with Bersih motifs on them, as far as we are concerned, Bersih 2.0 has been gazetted as illegal so anything to do with Bersih 2.0 will be wrong, will be disallowed and we will take action," he told a press conference at the Bukit Aman police headquarters this afternoon. As such, Khalid warned protestors against the use of any pro-Bersih paraphernalia at the planned gathering this Saturday or in the days leading up to it. He agreed that even if the coalition were granted a permit for the rally, anyone found with materials in support of the outlawed group would be hauled in. "Yes. It is an offence. Bersih is an illegal society so we advise them not to use materials supporting it. Anything showing support of Bersih is illegal," he said. Police have continued with its pre-rally clampdown on Bersih 2.0 supporters despite the apparent truce between the government and the coalition. Bersih 2.0 is made up of over 62 non-governmental organisations and is holding a rally this Saturday to push for electoral reform.
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| NEWS FLASH: Perkasa to hold rally on 9 July at Stadium Merdeka Posted: 05 Jul 2011 07:39 PM PDT
Perkasa will hold a rally on July 9 and claims that it submitted its application for Stadium Merdeka first. (Free Malaysia Today) - Perkasa has confirmed that its rally will go on as scheduled this Saturday and that it too has submitted an application to gather in Stadium Merdeka. The right-wing Malay group president, Ibrahim Ali, told a press conference today that he had already made it clear that regardless of whether Bersih's rally is illegal or not, Perkasa would still maintain its stand to hold a counter rally. "We are slightly relieved that Bersih has decided to hold its rally in a stadium," he said. "And I understand that they too have chosen Stadium Merdeka. But we submitted our application first to use that venue and I hope that is taken under consideration." Bersih's application, however, was rejected by the stadium's management earlier today. If Perkasa is also denied use of the Stadium Merdeka, then Ibrahim said they would turn to Stadium Titiwangsa. "We are helpless because we have no venue of our own," he said. "We can't use any stadiums in Selangor because the state government will definitely not approve our applications. And Stadium Bukit Jalil is too large and too far." "So we have chosen Stadium Titiwangsa behind Istana Budaya. And we hope that we will be able to use it for free because as an NGO, Perkasa is not flush with cash."
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| Home minister: Bersih still illegal Posted: 05 Jul 2011 06:31 PM PDT
(Yahoo News) - The Bersih 2.0 movement is still illegal and subject to legal action, said Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein. He said that although the Agong had granted an audience to Bersih 2.0's leaders yesterday, the government's position has not changed. "They are banned. They are still banned. Nobody can put themselves over the law... just because Tuanku met them doesn't mean they are no longer illegal," he told a press conference in Putrajaya today. Hishammuddin, exercising his powers as home minister, had declared Bersih 2.0 illegal on July 1. He dodged a barrage of questions related to Bersih 2.0's legality and whether or not it has a guarantee of being granted access to a stadium for its rally - he repeatedly said the rally organisers must deal with the police. However, Hishammuddin shot down Bersih 2.0 chief S Ambiga's claim that the coalition is not required to apply for a permit, stressing that Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Ismail Omar has clearly set this as a pre-condition. 'The IGP was very clear (in his statement yesterday). We are all governed by the laws of the land, (and) the IGP's statement yesterday also stated Section 27 (of the Police Act), which states you have to apply for a permit." Asked several times whether or not the government can guarantee that the planned indoor rally on Saturday will be allowed to take place, Hishammuddin was again evasive, only saying this depends on the organisers' application for a permit. "Let them apply. Then the process is for the police to consider. The quicker they apply, the quicker they can process as far as the police are concerned ... the permission to have (the) gathering will depends on their application," he said. Hishammuddin said the rally will get the green light if the organisers apply for a permit and meet all the conditions set, although he was sparse on the details. "We will have to wait for their application first. That (conditions) will be discussed when they do make the application, between them and the police."
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| NEWS FLASH: Stadium Merdeka rejects Bersih's booking Posted: 05 Jul 2011 06:22 PM PDT
(Malaysian Digest) - Stadium Merdeka's management of has refused to allow the Bersih 2.0 to use its facility for the rally on Saturday. A statement posted on the Bersih 2.0 Facebook page said the booking officer had made several "excuses" to refuse the booking. "Among the unclear reasons provided by (the) officer were (about) an 'internal management sports event' and 'renovations'," reads the statement."(This is) despite the fact that until very recently, there were plans to hold 'Konsert Raksaksa 2' on July 9 at Stadium Merdeka." Konsert Raksaksa 2, featuring rock outfits Sweet Charity and Blues Gang, has been postponed to Oct 1 due to security concerns.
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| NEWS FLASH: Perkasa not allowed to meet Agong at Istana Negara Posted: 05 Jul 2011 05:55 PM PDT
(Malaysian Digest) - Perkasa presiden Datuk Ibrahim Ali today cancelled his scheduled meet with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to submit a letter to seek audience with His Majesty. According to sources, the meeting was cancelled due to the Istana not allowing the group to meet with him. Perkasa was expected with the Agong today at 10.00am to submit a letter to seek audience with His Majesty before 9 July. More to come...MEANTIME PLAY THE VIDEO BELOW PFN_xuwiDW0
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| Bersih to hand Memorandum to Agong during rally Posted: 05 Jul 2011 05:48 PM PDT
(Malaysian Digest) - Bersih 2.0 president Datuk S Ambiga who has accepted the government's offer to hold its planned rally in a stadium said that 10 representatives from the NGO will be handing the memorandum of its eight demands to the King, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin this Saturday. In a press conference held in MCPA Hall today, Ambiga also suggested for a Royal Commission of Investigation (RCI) to be created as an initiative for an upgrading of the electoral system in Malaysia. She also urges the government to release all the individuals who were detained under the Emergency Ordinance (EO) immediately as well as to stop pressuring Bersih 2.0 and its supporters.
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| Ahmad Sarbaini's death: CCTV recordings tampered with, court hears Posted: 05 Jul 2011 04:05 PM PDT
(The Star) - The CCTV recordings at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) building had been tampered with around the time of Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed's death, the Coroner's court was told Wednesday. Audio-video analyst ASP Fauziah Che Mat, who is with the police forensic lab in Cheras, told the court that she believed that the "CCTV recordings had been tampered with by someone who was skilled". In her analysis of three hard drives taken from the MACC building, two containing recordings of inside the building had two interruptions, one of which was a 22-hour gap. The recordings from DVR1 simply skipped from 2.47pm (on April 5, 2011) to 1.24pm (on April 6, 2011). Recordings from DVR2, instead, skipped from 2.37pm (on April 5) to 1.36pm (on April 6). When questioned by DPP Mohamad Abazafree Mohd Abbas, she explained that the recordings continued after Ahmad Sarbaini's death occured. ASP Fauziah said DVR3, which contained footage from cameras placed outside the building, was working normally. She added she believed that "interruptions" were made at the MACC building itself. Another witness, Kuala Lumpur MACC director Mohamad Yusoff Akope, when questioned by lawyer Datuk Seri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah instead, told the court that he was informed that the discrepancies in the CCTV recordings had been "human error". "One of the security guards (Ismail Sedek) had wanted to rewind, but he didn't realise he had turned it off. "A second security guard (Romizi) turned it on again," he said. Ahmad Sarbaini, 56, who was attached to the Port Klang Customs office, was found dead at the badminton court on the first floor of the MACC building on April 6. He was reported to have gone to the commission's office to meet the investigation officer assigned to corruption cases involving 62 customs officers. The inquest continues in the afternoon.
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| Handling demos: Two-day course for cops Posted: 05 Jul 2011 03:44 PM PDT By S Rutra, FMT KUALA LUMPUR: The police are pushing ahead with their two-day refresher course for 1,200 personnel despite the Bersih 2.0 rally being moved indoors. The course, which involves officers as well as rank-and-file personnel from all state contingent headquarters, is being conducted at the police training centre in Cheras. It focuses on how to handle demonstrations and partcipants are briefed on the laws and limitations of the police in exercising their powers under such circumstances. FMT learnt that briefings will be carried out by the police's internal security and public order department as well as deputy public prosecutors from the Attorney-General's Office. The latter will coach the participants on evidence gathering in order to ensure successful prosecutions when the demonstrators are arrested and produced in court. Lack of evidence A senior police officer, who declined to be named, told FMT that in the past, many of those detained walked free due to lack of evidence. "This time we want more visuals and photographs to ensure those participating in illegal rallies are convicted and sentenced," he said.
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| Posted: 05 Jul 2011 03:37 PM PDT (FMT) - The events in the next few days would give us an idea as to how the police would treat the "yellow Malaysians" who would gather for the indoor rally. It's now confirmed that the Bersih 2.0 rally, which calls for free and fair elections, would be held at a stadium. But the rally organisers have their demands – to hold the rally at Stadium Merdeka, set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on the electoral process and release all detainees, including those arrested under the Emergency Ordinance (EO) But yellow T-shirts are still deemed illegal and Bersih stays an unlawful organisation. How would Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak negotiate with an unlawful organisation? Beats me. Sometimes, government leaders cannot get it right. In Malaysia, we have been seeing this over the last two weeks. Najib and Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein plus the whole Barisan Nasional (BN) government are clearly jittery. Thanks to the inefficiency of the government, we are moving backwards as a nation. Clamping down on legitimate dissent, jailing activists, nabbing people for wearing yellow T-shirts, getting panicky over street protests – these are not the marks of a progressive nation. All the weaknesses of BN's shoddy administration which gave the opposition its historic win in 2008 are also present as I write this – discontent among the urban and rural folks, soaring prices, repression of democratic rights, arbitrary arrests… the list could go on. But instead of looking into issues that affect Malaysians, the government is again using its police goons and manipulating the law to repress people. I am playing a guessing game here – the other possible developments in the next few days could include the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) suspending or closing down blogs; Internet-based papers being jammed as what happened during the Sarawak election and your faithful mobile phone operators doing a number on their clients. I am yet to exhaust my list. One has to only read the headline news yesterday to play my guessing game. The whole "weapons being found ahead of rally" drama is plain stupid. I would think the police would have better brains – didn't we all see the Molotov cocktails? The bottles were so clean and the "parring" glittering. If the police do not stop barging in on private meetings held by Bersih 2.0 organisers and eyeing everyone with suspicion, we could conclude they would flex their muscles come Saturday. So no yellow T-shirts, shoes, ties, hair bands, plastic flowers. This morning – despite Bersih agreeing to move its rally to a stadium – the police erected roadblocks along major roads in the Klang Valley including Shah Alam and Klang, causing massive peak-hour traffic congestions. I understand three more people were arrested this morning for wearing the yellow Bersih T-shirts. All signs point to a major clampdown in the next few days. We know that domestic politics has a strong impact on foreign investment. The latest report by Global Investment Trend Monitor, a publication of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, shows the 2010 FDI figure for Malaysia at US$ 7 billion (RM21 billion). In comparison, Indonesia received US$12.8 billion while Hong Kong and Singapore's FDI stands at US$62.6 billion and US$37.4 billion respectively. Thailand, with its political upheaval, received US$6.8 billion. Clearly someone has to tell the government that it needs to buck up for the revival of the economy.
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| Bersih 2.0 wants Stadium Merdeka Posted: 05 Jul 2011 03:37 PM PDT (Free Malaysia Today) - Bersih 2.0 wants to hold its July 9 rally at the iconic Stadium Merdeka here, where the nation's idependence was proclaimed more than five decades ago. Speaking at a press conference here, the movement's chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan said: "We have decided it would be in Stadium Merdeka from 2pm-4pm." "A delegation of not more than 10 members of the Bersih 2.0 steering committee would then go to Istana Negara to hand over a memorandum," she added. Bersih 2.0 has also called for the release of all those detained in connection with the rally, and demanded that a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) be set up to look into electoral reforms. "The RCI was raised during our meeting with the King (yesterday)," said Ambiga.
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| DAP asks police to cooperate over Bersih rally Posted: 05 Jul 2011 03:34 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - KUALA LUMPUR, July 6 — The DAP has asked the police to cooperate with Bersih to ensure this Saturday's rally for free and fair elections goes without a hitch, saying this morning's road blocks across the capital city is "a direct affront" to the King and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. Police mounted a number of road blocks across the Klang Valley during rush hour this morning ahead of the July 9 rally, which has now been moved to a stadium pending approvals from the authorities. Motorists fumed as police checked for anyone wearing yellow with the words Bersih, which has been outlawed as an organisation since July 1. "Given that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak has proposed and agreed to the Bersih rally being held in the stadium, with the consent of the King, the actions of the police, including blockading the city since the early hours of this morning is a direct affront to both the Prime Minister and the King," DAP national publicity secretary Tony Pua said in a statement. He added that "police to instead cooperate with Bersih to ensure that the gathering on 9 July will proceed smoothly with hindrance and minimal inconvenience to the general public, and uphold our constitution which grants Malaysians the freedom of assembly and expression". |
| Posted: 05 Jul 2011 03:31 PM PDT PBS has denied that it is being two-faced on calls for electoral reforms. (Free Malaysia Today) - Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Umno's key partner in the state Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, is fully supportive of Berish 2.0′s call for electoral reforms but will not take part in the rally only because it has been hijacked by the opposition. Party secretary-general Henrynus Amin said PBS agreed with Bersih's call for fair and free elections. "We support Bersih's stated objectives but we will not participate in the illegal rally. "The fact is, the planned illegal rally is already hijacked by opposition political parties to promote doubtful causes. "PBS' view is that the opposition groups are using NGOs to regain their momentum for the forthcoming general election after a series of losses in various by-elections," he said. He said now that the planned rally had been hijacked by the opposition, it was no more about seeking electoral reforms but instead would be a replay of the 2007 assembly which saw opposition parties chalk up huge gains in the 2008 polls. Referring to allegations that PBS was being two-faced about its stand on reforms, he said the party's decision should not be misconstrued. "PBS is very clear and has consistently addressed the issue of tainted electoral roll by actively studying the matter and making objections; we have even gone to court to make a case. "PBS is against the use of illegal street demonstration to make political statements," he added. Henrynus also expressed concern over the manner in which "unsuspecting" young people were being recruited over the Internet to "deliberately break the law and create chaos". He said that in view of this, PBS fully supported the preventive action by the police. Indoor rally Yesterday Bersih 2.0 chairman S Ambiga announced that the rally will be shifted to a stadium. This followed her audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin. She was accompanied by Bersih committee member Zaid Kamaruddin and national laureate A Samad Said. Speaking to reporters after her audience, Ambiga said: "A rally in the street will not happen." "We are grateful for the King's audience. We are accepting the suggestion of the government of holding the rally in a stadium," she said.
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| Anwar fails again to disqualify sodomy judge Posted: 05 Jul 2011 03:18 PM PDT By Tashny Sukumaran, FMT PUTRAJAYA: Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim has again failed to have judge Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah replaced in his sodomy trial. The Court of Appeal today rejected his attempt to reverse Zabidin's refusal to recuse himself for allegedly pre-judging the case when he said he found complainant Saiful Bukhari Azlan to be a truthful witness. "There is no reason to overturn the decision," appeal judge Hasan Lah said after hearing submissions from Anwar's lawyer Karpal Singh and prosecutor Nordin Hassan. After hearing the decision, Karpal said the defence would file its appeal to the Federal Court tomorrow and called for a stay of the sodomy hearing until the higher court decides. "It will be a waste of time and effort for all persons involved to proceed with the hearing," he said. But the appeal court rejected the application.
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| Nik Aziz promises King no chaos in any government change Posted: 05 Jul 2011 03:08 PM PDT By Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, July 6 — Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat has promised the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin in an open letter that there will not be any chaos if there is a change of government through free and fair elections. The PAS spiritual chief also offered his prayers and congratulations to the King for interceding in Bersih 2.0 rally debacle, saying the ruler had displayed "concern" for the people. "I would like to offer my view that any change in government through fair elections will not cause chaos like in other countries such as Japan and Thailand," said Nik Aziz through an open letter published in PAS organ Harakah and on his Facebook fan page today. The popular Kelantan Mentri Besar, who is presently on a pilgrimage to Mecca, sent the open letter last night. Nik Aziz was responding to the King's audience with Bersih 2.0 organisers yesterday afternoon which resulted in the coalition's agreement to accept the government's offer to hold its rally in a stadium. Bersih 2.0 sought audience with the constitutional monarch on Monday after he released a rare statement the day before seeking to diffuse tension ahead of Saturday's rally by calling on all parties to engage in consultation instead of confrontation. Shortly after the coalition was granted audience yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced that the government was willing to meet with Bersih 2.0 to discuss an appropriate rally venue. There is still no word about a venue although the police said the rally organisers will have to apply for a permit. Police had refused permit earlier for any rallies on July 9 and mounted roadblocks across Kuala Lumpur today in an apparent move to discourage Bersih supporters from entering the city. More than 200 people have also been arrested for wearing Bersih t-shirts with six Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) detained under the Emergency Ordinance (EO) for up to 60 days. PSM will file a habeas corpus to free the six, which includes Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj.
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| EC produces booklet to explain issues related to elections Posted: 05 Jul 2011 01:32 PM PDT (Bernama) - KUALA LUMPUR: The Election Commission (EC) has produced a booklet to clarify issues raised concerning elections in the country. Its chairman, Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said the commission opined that it was high time for an appropriate clarification be published to straighten things out following the allegations raised by certain quarters against the EC. "With the clarification, it is hoped that all quarters will understand clearly the policies and actions taken by the EC in holding elections in an independent, transparent and fair manner," he said in his message in the booklet entitled "Penjelasan Terhadap Isu-isu yang Dibangkitkan Mengenai Pilihan Raya" (Explanation on Issues Raised Concerning Elections) dated June 22. Abdul Aziz said of late certain quarters were questioning the capability and credibility of the EC in handling elections in the country. He said among the allegations made against the commission were that it was blocking voter registration, would not abolish postal voting which is alleged to have benefited the ruling party and would not allow all Malaysians abroad to be registered as postal voters. "Other allegations include the EC's reluctance to implement the use of indelible ink and its failure in combating bribery during elections," he said. The 19-page booklet explains, among others, the issues of automatic registration of voters, postal voting, registration of illegal immigrants as voters, phantom voters, relocation of voters and calls to lower the voting age from 21 to 18 years. Besides these, the issues of campaigning period, election bribery, expenditure control and fair access for the media to monitor elections are also clarified in the booklet. - Bernama |
| Selangor CPO explains Wednesday morning roadblocks Posted: 05 Jul 2011 01:31 PM PDT (The Star) - SHAH ALAM: Police roadblocks in the state on Wednesday morning was a preventive move - to stop undesirable elements from "smuggling" weapons into the city said State police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Tun Hisan Tun Hamzah. Tun Hisan while apologising for the inconvenience caused said the move was needed as police had over the past 48 hours seized Molotov cocktails, parang and firecrackers in Gombak and Kuala Lumpur which they believe was meant to be used during Saturday's rally. "Our action is preventive. We have a duty to protect the people and ensure public order and security remains peaceful at all times. "We hope the public will bear and assist us as we do not wish to cause or pose any problem to the public. It's just that we have a job to do and we have to do it," he said. DCP Tun Hisan said police would not let up in their investigations following the seizure of the weapons as they believe there could be groups out to cause trouble although the organisers of Bersih 2.0 had called off the street demonstrations. |
| We’ll deal with the police, says DAP Posted: 05 Jul 2011 01:29 PM PDT (FMT)- SIBU: Sarawak DAP is prepared to deal with the "101 reasons" the police will give to arrest its members when they assemble in Kuching to show solidarity for the Bersih 2.0 rally, which is calling for fair and free elections. State chairman Wong Ho Leng said all 12 assemblymen, who will wear yellow as a show of solidarity for Bersih 2.0, will assemble in the city but would ensure that their activities are lawful. "We won't give the police any reason to arrest us. We know that the police could be engineering 101 reasons to detain us. "But we will make sure that our activities are lawful and will not give the police any grounds to arrest us," he told reporters here yesterday. He said the party was prepared to face the consequences should anyone of its elected representatives is arrested. Wong declined to give details of where the representatives will assemble and whether other DAP supporters in the state will join them, citing security reasons. His statement follows a disclosure by Sibu police chief ACP Shafie Ismail who said that the police had received information that several Bersih rallies were planned for Kuching, Sibu, Bintulu and Miri. Shafie warned the public from participating in the rallies, saying these were illegal assemblies. He also urged the pubic to avoid wearing yellow on July 9 or they may be interrogated. Wong meanwhile confirmed that DAP will not participate in the rally in Kuala Lumpur.
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| Stop pre-rally clampdown, Kit Siang tells Hishammuddin Posted: 05 Jul 2011 01:25 PM PDT By Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, July 6 — With Bersih 2.0 and the government having reached a truce yesterday, DAP's Lim Kit Siang now wants the Home Ministry to cease its nationwide pre-rally clampdown exercise. Lim, a leader in the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) presidential council, said in a statement today that the police should end its "harassment" of Bersih 2.0 supporters, return all seized Bersih 2.0 paraphernalia and grant an unconditional release of all those detained in connection with the rally. He expressed disappointment that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had not made the order himself yesterday, when the latter was commenting on the latest developments surrounding the rally debacle. "The statement by the Prime Minister, passing the buck to the police to decide whether to proceed with its nation-wide pre-Bersih rally clampdown on supporters, is most irresponsible. "Najib should know that as Prime Minister, he must always be reminded of the injunction: 'The buck stops here!'," said Lim. In a brief press conference at his office in Putrajaya yesterday, shortly after Bersih 2.0 officials were granted audience with the King, Najib announced that the government was ready to meet with Bersih 2.0 officials to decide on a rally venue for this Saturday. The prime minister expressed relief that all three street demonstrations planned for July 9 had been called off but would not say if his administration would now consider Bersih 2.0 a lawful organisation and would stop arresting supporters in connection with the rally. With Najib having passed the buck to the police, Lim said Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein should give the ceasefire order to his men in the police force, adding that this would be in respect of the King's advice. He listed four requests on Hishammuddin — release all those detained in connection with the rally, release Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael Jeyakumar and five other Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) members detained under the Emergency Ordinance, return all seized Bersih 2.0 paraphernalia and appoint a senior police officer to liaise with Bersih 2.0 on its stadium rally this Saturday. Lim also cited the King's words on Sunday when the latter said, "When any problem arises, we as a civilised society must resolve it through consultations and not follow our emotions.
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| Bersih wants supporters freed, RCI on election practices Posted: 05 Jul 2011 01:24 PM PDT By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, July 6 — Bersih will demand that Datuk Seri Najib Razak establish a royal commission into election practices and free its arrested supporters, its chief Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan said today. She also added that Bersih is "horrified" that police are continuing with arrests and charges despite Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin's call for negotiations between the movement and the government. "It is only proper that they stand down and the topmost priority is to release all those arrested," Ambiga told a press conference today. The former Bar Council president also said that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong "heard us out" on the issues in yesterday's audience. "In the spirit of reconciliation, we accepted the offer of a stadium in good faith," Ambiga (picture) said, The prime minister said yesterday that he was willing to negotiate on a suitable venue with Bersih for their July 9 rally after the electoral reform movement accepted the government's offer to allow the gathering to take place in a stadium. The coalition of 62 NGOs agreed yesterday to move a street protest into a stadium and said today that it wants to hold it in the 50,000-seater Stadium Merdeka. MORE TO COME HERE. |
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