Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Bourdon's detention 'puts Malaysia back in limelight'
- Najib thanks Rosmah for 'sacrificing' Italian vacation
- French lawyer to be deported tonight
- Wikileaks: US envoy says Umno abused security laws, institutions
- Malaysia to deport French lawyer for rights group
- MB’s aide explains why Umno is crass
- Ex-Umno minister implies elections not fair
- Footage confirms police caused Mat Sabu's injury?
- ‘Under pressure’ Najib cancels family vacation
- Ku Li’s Amanah likely to lead third force
- M’sian said to be owner of world’s most expensive luxury vessel – at RM14.5bil
- Najib says Bersih a bid to topple his government
- Respect Islam and we will respect you, Najib tells Christians
- French Scorpene lawyer detained at KLIA
- Scorpene scandal: ‘Truth to surface soon’
- WIKILEAKS: ‘Umno clueless about its folly’
| Bourdon's detention 'puts Malaysia back in limelight' Posted: 22 Jul 2011 12:13 AM PDT
The arrest and imminent deportation of French rights lawyer William Bourdon today drew strong reaction from PAS's Kuala Selangor member of parliament Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, who said the news put the country back into international limelight following the coverage of Bersih's massive rally on July 9. "Right after his return (from overseas), Najib (Razak) continues his bad attitude. Sure enough, this will put us back into the international limelight again," he told Harakahdaily in response to Bourdon's arrest at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport by Immigration officials who entered the aircraft he was in. Dzulkefly (above) said had Bourdon been allowed to attend the events planned for him, there would not be much media publicity.
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| Najib thanks Rosmah for 'sacrificing' Italian vacation Posted: 22 Jul 2011 12:10 AM PDT
(Harakah Daily) - Prime minister Najib Razak has publicly thanked his wife Rosmah Mansor for agreeing to cancel his family's overseas holiday "for the sake of Malaysians back home". Addressing a large crowd of UMNO members who turned up to welcome him at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Najib, who just returned from his official trip to Britain, the Vatican and Turkmenistan, said his wife agreed with his plea to cancel their holiday. "I told my family I felt that I should return to Malaysia and that I was prepared to forgo the holiday for the sake of Malaysians back home," he was quoted as saying by government-owned Bernama news agency. According to the report, Najib was to spend a week holidaying in Italy. It was revealed in the parliament earlier that the government spent more than RM17 million for trips made by the couple since 2008, with one-third of the amount being spent in the first six months of this year alone. The parliament was also told that RM134,317.76 was spent to cover Rosmah's expenses during her trip to Saudi Arabia, Oman and Bangladesh, following criticism that she had spent RM140,000 for an overnight stay at Dubai's luxury hotel Atlantis. The revelation was followed by another news about the alleged purchase of a designer diamond ring at a whopping price of RM70 million ringgit, with a blog publishing a screenshot of a customs declaration. PKR-linked Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) led by Badrul Hisham Shaharin had lodged a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on the alleged purchase. Najib and wife had left the country days after the massive Bersih protest in the capital, which saw more than 1,600 people detained. Some 50,000 people thronged city streets after police the traffic and virtually locked out Kuala Lumpur in the hope of thwarting the rally for electoral reforms on July 9. However, the Bersih protests hounded Najib and his entourage in London, with dozens of Malaysians and rights activists turning up wearing the yellow Bersih t-shirts shouting slogans against the government's handling of the rally.
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| French lawyer to be deported tonight Posted: 21 Jul 2011 06:44 PM PDT  By Stephanie Sta Maria and Tashny Sukumaran, FMT PETALING JAYA: Prominent French human rights lawyer William Bourdon will be deported tonight after being detained for more than four hours by immigration and police officials at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). Bourdon has been served the deportation order and he will be leaving Kuala Lumpur at 11.30pm along with his fiancee Lea Forestier to Paris. Bourdon, in a brief statement, said that the Malaysian police had ordered him to leave the country as soon as possible. He said when he explained that his return ticket to Paris was only on Sunday, he was told that he would be detained until then. "We have decided to find the earliest return flight possible at our own costs. I don't understand this decision as no explanation has been given to me so far," he added in his hand-written note (photo, below). "I hereby declare that I have acted as the lawyer for Suaram in full respect of my duties and rules and in perfect compliance with national and international laws. "I consider that this deportation decision is a breach in the right to freely exercise my profession as a lawyer," he said. Bourdon had arrived here from Penang, where he spoke at an event organised by rights group Suaram regarding the controversial Scorpene submarine deal. He was scheduled to give another speech tonight in Petaling Jaya on the submarine scandal, followed by another in Ipoh tomorrow. But when his Malaysia Airlines flight landed at 11.40am, three immigration officials came on board to escort him off the aircraft. Bourdon was taken to the holding centre where he was questioned for four hours. Suaram executive director, Cynthia Gabriel, who is at the KLIA, told FMT that she managed to speak to Bourdon and that he was being held in the Immigration Enforcement Division. "The officials asked him to sign deportation papers in Bahasa Malaysia and of course he refused," she said. "The French Embassy officials are currently in negotiations with the immigration officials. But the Bourdons are definitely going back to France tonight." Meanwhile Fadiah Nadwa Fikri from Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) said that Forestier was released earlier and that she was on her way to the division where Bourdon is being held. "He has been denied access to lawyers which is ridiculously absurd. And none of the officials have issued any statement on the grounds for his detention." According to Fadiah, Forestier was "very shocked and upset over the arbitrariness of situation." "Only other experience of William and I denied entry was Tunisia under BenAli… there was a banana republic!," Forestier was reported to have said, according to tweets from local activists. The authorities also failed to acknowledge the fact that Bourdon was Suaram's lawyer on the submarine case and that his deporation would be a breach of his right to perform his duty as a lawyer. Subang MP Sivarasa Rasiah, and Batu MP Tian Chua, are also at KLIA but their attempts to meet with Bourdon have been denied. The local activists and parliamentarians are now waiting for Bourdon to be released to see the deportation order. The submarine deal In June 2002, the Malaysian government signed an agreement with French DCNS and Spainish Navantia for the procurement of two Scorpene class submarines.
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| Wikileaks: US envoy says Umno abused security laws, institutions Posted: 21 Jul 2011 06:37 PM PDT The leaked cable said that "in good times Umno can maintain control by distributing power and money to get what it wants (but) in bad times, it uses the stick." By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, July 22 — The United States ambassador here told Washington in 2008 that Malaysia was facing a "political crisis" caused by Umno's control and abuse of security institutions and national security laws to remain in power. US ambassador James R. Keith said in a leaked cable, released by whistleblower site WikiLeaks through the Malaysia Today news portal that "in good times Umno can maintain control by distributing power and money to get what it wants (but) in bad times, it uses the stick, and for now that means intimidation." The document, signed by the US ambassador at the time, charged that Umno "controlled" security institutions like the military and the police by appointing "party stalwarts" to head these institutions. The cable said that while the army would remain "loyal" to legitimate leadership, the police, on the other hand, took direct orders from Umno. "Umno leaders, united behind but also in a sense using Prime Minister (Tun) Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, have made it clear that they are willing to blacken Malaysia's reputation to ensure the end to opposition leader (Datuk Seri) Anwar Ibrahim's political challenge," said the cable in reference to the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leader's on-going sodomy trial where he was charged with sodomising an ex-aide on June 26, 2008. "The ruling elite maintains control over the security apparatus through party stalwarts who run the security institutions, mainly the police but also the military. We believe the military will remain loyal to legitimate leadership and is not a likely tool to overturn an elected, royally-approved and Malay-led government from either the ruling or opposition side. The police, on the other hand, follow orders from the ruling party. "The "commando-style" arrest of Anwar last week, the roadblocks and security checks throughout the city of Kuala Lumpur, the recent arrest of blogger Raja Petra (Kamaruddin), intimidation of Sabah politicians, and the authorities' strident rhetoric are all part of a broad message to the Malaysian people that they had better not stand in Umno's path. In today's Malaysia, one can get along by going along (and of course one can go farther as a Malay rather than a Chinese or Indian), but it is also true that one can be run over," said the US cable.The cable added that Umno defined national security as a means to protect the party's "superiority" and to ensure that the opposition cannot take over the reins of federal power. "Now the criminal law is laid bare as a political tool, just as useful to the ruling party as the national security law.
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| Malaysia to deport French lawyer for rights group Posted: 21 Jul 2011 06:28 PM PDT (AP) - KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Malaysian authorities will deport a French lawyer representing a human rights group in a court case accusing shipbuilder DCNS of corruption in a $1.2 billion submarine deal with Malaysia, activists said Friday. William Bourdon was suddenly taken into custody Friday with no reasons given and was told he would be deported, said Cynthia Gabriel of the Malaysian rights group Suaram. She accused the government of "paranoia" in targeting Bourdon. Government officials couldn't be immediately reached for comment. Bourdon represents Suaram, which filed complaints with a French prosecutor in 2009 alleging corruption in a 114 million euro ($164 million) fee DCNS paid to Malaysian firm Perimekar Sdn. Bhd. to facilitate the submarine deal. Gabriel said Bourdon arrived in northern Penang state Thursday and spoke at a dinner about the case, which is set to go to trial in September. He flew to Kuala Lumpur Friday for another forum, and immigration officials boarded the plane to detain him right after his flight landed, she said. "Bourdon told us that he is going to be deported. He said he was made to sign a document in the Malay language. He said he wrote a statement in French to protest his deportation, as he didn't violate any laws," she told The Associated Press, after speaking to Bourdon on his mobile phone. Gabriel said Bourdon in his talk on Thursday gave an update about the status of the case, on the French judicial system and what to expect from the trial. "He didn't reveal anything damning. This is just an act of paranoia, another irrationality by the government. They are afraid of their own shadows," she said. Malaysia ordered two diesel-electric Scorpene attack submarines in 2002 as part of a naval upgrade. Prime Minister Najib Razak was defense minister at the time. Malaysian firm Perimekar is owned by the wife of Abdul Razak Baginda, a controversial figure who once was Najib's aide and a close friend. Najib has denied there was any corruption. Malaysian defense officials have said the fee was paid to Perimekar for coordination and support services. But critics argued that Perimekar was formed only a few months before the contract was inked, had no track record in submarine services and didn't have the financial ability to support the contract. Suaram has said it plans to take legal action against Perimekar and the Malaysian government if the French court rules there is corruption by DCNS. The case could embarrass Najib and hamper his ruling coalition's effort to bolster support ahead of general elections that many expect to be held next year. Malaysia has received both the submarines. Perimekar's connection with Abdul Razak is also controversial in other aspects. He was acquitted in 2008 of abetting in the murder of his ex-mistress, a Mongolian woman. Abdul Razak confessed to having an affair with her and said she was blackmailing him. The woman was shot and her body blown up with military-grade explosives in October 2006. Two policemen working in security were later convicted and sentenced to death for murdering the Mongolian, although prosecutors failed to show any motive. Suaram has said initial investigations by their French lawyers showed the Mongolian had worked as a translator for Abdul Razak in the submarine deal. |
| MB’s aide explains why Umno is crass Posted: 21 Jul 2011 06:09 PM PDT By Patrick Lee, FMT PETALING JAYA: The Selangor Menteri Besar's office today launched a blistering attack against Umno members objecting to a plan to build hostels for foreign workers. Faekah Husin, the Menteri Besar's political secretary, said Umno's "gutter politics" was the result of ignorance and a "low class" mentality. She was reacting to statements made on Wednesday during a protest against the plan. The demonstrators represented Umno Youth and MCA. Umno Youth's Arman Azha Abu Hanifah, who was among the protesters, said Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim had "prostituted himself" in deciding to set aside land in Petaling Jaya for foreigners when Malaysians were having a hard time finding affordable accommodation in the city. Faekah said Umno members had shown once again that "the party revels in dirty, gutter politics while being completely ignorant of the true issues".
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| Ex-Umno minister implies elections not fair Posted: 21 Jul 2011 06:05 PM PDT
By Syed Jeymal Zahiid, FMT KUALA LUMPUR: In an unprecedented move, a former Umno minister implicitly stated that the electoral process here is not free and fair, and that Bersih 2.0′s demands are fundamental. Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir's bold remark was in stark contradiction with that of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's statement this morning that Barisan Nasional never cheated in the polls. "The government knows whether elections are clean or not. The people know whether the elections are clean or not," Kadir said, leaving his audience to read between the lines. He also pointed out that voters now were more educated and aware of the ruling party's attempt to cling on to power by putting a "yes man" in charge of the Election Commission. "Cannot lah like this," he said, drawing laughter from those present. Kadir, who was tourism minister during the Mahathir administration, was speaking at the launch of the Angkatan Amanah Rakyat (Amanah) here today. Reminding the government that it was duty-bound to uphold free and fair elections, the former MP suggested that the powers-that-be engage Bersih 2.0, which had been declared illegal. "A free and fair election is very fundamental.Why can't we engage them (Bersih 2.0)?" added the deputy president of Amanah. Harsh response ignites anger Kadir said the founding fathers had ensured that elections in this country were free and fair, with former premiers like Tunku Abdul Rahman and Najib's father, Tun Abdul Razak, "making sure that a level playing field was given to all contesting."
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| Footage confirms police caused Mat Sabu's injury? Posted: 21 Jul 2011 05:47 PM PDT  (Harakah Daily) - Far from proving that the police had nothing to do with the injury suffered by PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu on July 9, a video footage shown to members of the press yesterday showed how his motorcycle was rudely cornered by a police 4WD vehicle causing him to hit another police vehicle behind him and fall to the ground. Salleh Mat Rashid, who was recently promoted to head the Internal Security and Public Order, dedicated a whole topic during the police presentation to rebut Mat Sabu's claim that police caused his injury which required a surgery on a torn ligament last week. Mat Sabu, who earlier said he was taken by police to a clinic in Jinjang following his arrest, had since sought further treatment at the Selangor Medical Centre in Shah Alam, confirming that his injury was worse than previously thought. The hospital carried out a procedure drilling a 2.5-inch screw into the back of his knee to keep it in place.
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| ‘Under pressure’ Najib cancels family vacation Posted: 21 Jul 2011 04:55 PM PDT
The premier cancels a family vacation because he wants to spend more time with Malaysians, signalling that all may not be well in Putrajaya. (Free Malaysia Today) - The Malaysian political landscape is experiencing a series of tremors and with numerous conspiracy theories and speculations being churned out, some predict that an earthquake is imminent. As for Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, things started to roll downhill since July 9, when tens of thousands of Malaysians took to the streets to push for free and fair elections. Observers claimed that the nation's sixth premier, who had vowed to recapture Barisan Nasional's glory following its 2008 electoral bruising, is now under tremendous pressure, and it is not coming from the opposition alone. Speculation is rife that the daggers are out for Najib in Umno itself, and adding to the woes is the party veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah's newly launched outfit, Angkatan Amanah Rakyat, whose true objectives remain vague. The iron-fist response towards the Bersih 2.0 rally soiled Najib's image both here and abroad, and under this cloud of political gloom, the premier returned home this morning following a working visit to three countries, which also saw him visiting the Vatican. When he touched down at KLIA, Najib added more coal to the burning speculation that all was not well in Putrajaya when he revealed that he had cancelled a family holiday to be with the people. "I told my family I felt that I should return to Malaysia and that I was prepared to forgo the holiday for the sake of Malaysians back home," he was quoted as saying by Bernama. According to the national news agency, Najib was greeted by some 3,000 people, including his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin and his cousin, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein. There was also a banner unfurled at the airport bearing the signatures of "1.2 million Malaysians" backing his leadership. The campaign was initiated by the Malaysian Indian Muslim Congress (Kimma), an associate member of Umno.
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| Ku Li’s Amanah likely to lead third force Posted: 21 Jul 2011 04:52 PM PDT
Umno veteran says his group aims to be in the forefront of the fight against the country's "continuous disintegration". (Free Malaysia Today) - Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah hinted today that his new group, Angkatan Amanah Merdeka (Amanah), could possibly be the catalyst to a rising third force. The Kelantan prince, in an inspiring speech at the launch of his new group, called on the silent majority to voice their discontent against "rife corruption, cronyism and racial crisis". Razaleigh said Amanah aims to be the platform for Malaysians to fight against what he sees as the country's "continuous disintegration", hinting at the group's bid to be a non-partisan pressure group. "I believe at the end of the road that we are taking in these early steps, we will be called upon to make several important decisions for the future of our nation – choices that we must take regardless of the problems, challenges and obstacle that we face," he said. "This morning could be another normal social event or it could be the beginning of a journey towards something that has never taken place before, that may change the current of our country's future," he said. The setting up of Amanah has triggered speculation that Razaleigh, who has been highly critical of his own party's leadership, no longer believes he could reform Umno from within. Defection to the opposition could also see his reputation as an independent statesman tarnished. In a country without a strong third force, Razaleigh's weight among the moderates and especially among the idealistic younger voters could be appealing. Amanah's ideology could also be a charm factor. Studies have shown that younger Malaysian voters tend to vote for the opposition given the lack of a credible middle choice, not due to partisan politics. Amanah aims to rekindle the multi-racial spirit that was fought for by the country's founding fathers. Their goal is to bring everyone who believe in Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra's vision of a truly united Malaysia together. Middle and moderate voice The group, boasting multi-racial political veterans membership like former Sarawak deputy chief Minister Daniel Tajem, former tourism minister Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir and those still active like former MCA president Ong Tee Keat, could well fill in this gap. While Razaleigh continued to pound the government, indirectly blaming them for worsening racism and dismal economic performance, he dropped more hints of Amanah's possible third force role throughout his speech: "We want to represent the middle and moderate voice that try to avoid confrontation with the authorities because we want to continue with our daily lives normally.
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| M’sian said to be owner of world’s most expensive luxury vessel – at RM14.5bil Posted: 21 Jul 2011 04:24 PM PDT
Seafaring bling-bling: History Supreme making history as the world's most expensive luxury yacht. (The Star) - While newspapers in Britain were abuzz with reports that the owner of the world's most expensive luxury yacht is a Malaysian, no one can confirm it. British daily The Sun reported that the 31m History Supreme is owned by a Malaysian businessman who paid 3bil (RM14.5bil) for it. To put things in perspective, this figure is close to the estimated cost of the country's first mass rapid transit (MRT) system, which has a price tag of RM20bil. Comparatively, the world's biggest private yacht, the 164m Eclipse owned by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich costs only RM3.65bil. The Sun also reported that the History Supreme is made out of 100 tonnes of gold and platinum, which cover more than half its surface, and the base of the vessel is wrapped in gold. The daily said the yacht's features, including the deck, dining area, rails and anchor, are all made from precious metals. Below deck, things become even more exotic, featuring meteoric stone and a T-Rex dinosaur bone in the sleeping quarters. The boat was built in Italy but was completed in Malaysia two weeks ago. According to the newspaper, the businessman had approached Liverpool jeweller Stuart Hughes for this unique project. The businessman had even asked Hughes if he could customise an aeroplane. Hughes, who is famous for creating exclusive, gold-plated and jewel-encrusted luxury items ranging from mobile phones to aquariums, took three years to build the yacht. "It was pretty much a case of can you make this gold, can you make that gold? We just did what we were told and are delighted with the results," Hughes was quoted as saying. The yacht is believed to be based on Italian yacht-maker Baia's latest One Hundred model, which costs at least RM30mil.
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| Najib says Bersih a bid to topple his government Posted: 21 Jul 2011 03:57 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - Datuk Seri Najib Razak today accused the Bersih group of trying to seize power through mass rallies, while dismissing the electoral reform group's allegations of poll fraud. Speaking on arrival at KLIA after his eight-day trip abroad, the prime minister also maintained elections in Malaysia had always been clean. "We have never cheated in an election in Malaysia," he told some 200 Barisan Nasional (BN) supporters at Kompleks Bunga Raya in KLIA. Najib also brushed aside Bersih claims that BN had an unfair advantage when it came to campaigning owing to the ruling coalition's stranglehold on the media and restrictions on freedom to assemble. "We say it's fair, they (Pakatan Rakyat) say it's not fair. Isn't it fair enough that they're campaigning every day? Every day a ceramah here and there . . . that's still not fair?" he said. Najib added that there needed to be a balance between freedom of expression and public order, but stressed that there was "room for dissent" in Malaysia. He pointed out that Bersih had rejected the government's offer to have their rally in a stadium and claimed this was because the election watchdog was more keen on having a procession and provoking the police than stating their demands. "It's not so much about electoral reform. They want to show us as though we're like the Arab Spring governments in the Middle East," he said. "That's why they tried to paint us as an autocratic government . . . but actually, they wish to seize power from we who were chosen by the people." Bersih estimates that 50,000 people showed up at the July 9 rally for free and fair elections despite efforts to prevent it from taking place while police have said there were only 6,000. The protest turned chaotic when police fired tear gas and water cannon at thousands of demonstrators, resulting in nearly 1,700 arrests, scores injured, and the death of former military man Baharuddin Ahmad, 59. The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) has said it will hold a public inquiry into police conduct during the rally following reports that they used excessive force to disperse protesters. Police yesterday cleared themselves of wrongdoing following an internal probe into alleged police brutality and have instead laid blame on Bersih protesters for provoking the police.
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| Respect Islam and we will respect you, Najib tells Christians Posted: 21 Jul 2011 03:55 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - The government will engage with Christians groups here that love peace and respect the country's Islamic leadership, the prime minister said today. Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the Barisan Nasional (BN) government would work with Christians who wished to uphold world peace and harmony as it was committed to the "global movement of moderates". "We wish to tell our friends, the Malaysian Christians . . . if they respect us, we will also respect them," he told some 200 BN supporters at Kompleks Bunga Raya here. "This is our message. Islam is fair to all. Islam is beautiful, Islam is grand, Islam is pure, Islam is noble." Najib returned today from a 10-day trip to Europe that included a visit to the Pope at the Vatican, where he sealed formal ties with the city-state. He is only the second Malaysian prime minister to visit the head of the Catholic Church after Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad met Pope John Paul II in 2002. Putrajaya's relationship with Christians remains strained following the Home Ministry's decision to bar the Catholic Church here from using the word "Allah" in the Malay-language version of its newpaper, The Herald. The case is pending a Home Ministry appeal of the 2009 High Court ruling allowing the church to use the word, which some Muslims argue should be reserved for Islam. Several churches across the country were fire-bombed in January last year following the ruling. Matters were further brought to a head when 35,100 Malay-language bibles were seized by the Home Ministry, causing outrage among the Christian community. The bibles were later released after a flurry of negotiations between church leaders and Putrajaya ahead of the Sarawak state election, on the condition that they be marked with a cross and the words "Christian publication". Many Catholics, however, remain unconvinced by Najib's attempts to pacify the community, as evidenced by a widely circulated letter to the Pope accusing the prime minister of manipulating religious sentiment. Christians form close to 10 per cent of Malaysia's 28 million population.
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| French Scorpene lawyer detained at KLIA Posted: 21 Jul 2011 03:36 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - French lawyer Willian Bourdon has been detained at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport after attending a dinner in Penang last night where he briefed the audience on the progress of judicial investigations in France into the controversial RM7 billion Scorpene submarines that Malaysia bought. Suaram director Cynthia Gabriel, who has been escorting Bourdon during his visit, said immigration officers detained the lawyer in the plane on his landing from Penang just before noon today, and taken to a holding area. "Immigration officers came into the aircraft to detain him for questioning," she said in a text message to The Malaysian Insider. "He is now in a holding centre and his wife is separated from him." PKR leader and lawyer Latheefa Koya was on her way to the airport to represent Bourdon, and said that "we suspect it has to do with his speech last night", as Bourdon was yesterday allowed to enter the country with no problems. The purchase of two submarines from French defence company DCNS in 2004 and 2005 was made when Datuk Seri Najib Razak was still defence minister and a company run by Abdul Razak Baginda, said to be a close aide of the prime minister, was reported to have received a RM500 million commission from the deal. Human rights groups and opposition parties here also linked the episode to the 2006 murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shariibuu. Bourdon had arrived here from Penang, where he spoke at a fundraiser organised by rights group Suaram regarding the Scorpene submarine deal. He is scheduled to speak at a similar event tonight in Petaling Jaya. In December 2009, Suaram filed a complaint with the French courts asking for access to information regarding government contracts signed with Abdul Razak's Perimekar Sdn Bhd and other information classified as official secrets in Malaysia. The French courts accepted the request to investigate claims of graft in the RM500 million payment from DCNS to Perimekar.
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| Scorpene scandal: ‘Truth to surface soon’ Posted: 21 Jul 2011 03:23 PM PDT
French lawyer William Bourdon says corruption related to the submarine deal will be exposed when a judge is picked in September to hear the case. (Free Malaysia Today) - The French investigative judge who will hear the case into the Scorpene submarine scandal will be picked in September and the truth will be exposed, said prominent human rights lawyer William Bourdon. The Frenchman said he would then have smooth access to scrutinise all documents and interview major witnesses pertaining to the submarine deal between Malaysia and France. "I would be able to disclose more information on the case and identify those involved," he said after a speech at Suaram's fundraiser dubbed "Ops Scorpene" in Bayan Baru here last night. Suaram filed a case against French naval defence giant DCNS in 2009 over irregularities in the Scorpene deal between Malaysia and France. Bourdon, who has been providing pro bono services for Suaram in the case, said currently he had limited access to relevant information, documents and witnesses. Under the French justice system, an investigative judge has the power to perform both as a judge and investigating prosecutor. All relevant papers on the submarine deal between France and Malaysia are with the court now and only an investigative judge can allow the documents for public access. Bourdon said when the case goes to open trial, all documents and contracts will be made public and witnesses, including Malaysian officials, can be subpoenaed. The Scorpene scandal involves commissions amounting to 114.96 million euros (RM574.8 million) paid to Malaysian consulting company Perimekar Sdn Bhd. A French prosecution probe revealed another 30 million euros (RM150 million) paid to DCNS' commercial network Thales and another 2.5 million euros (RM7.5 million) paid to an unknown recipient. Perimekar is a subsidiary of KS Ombak Laut Sdn Bhd, of which the major shareholder is the wife of Abdul Razak Baginda, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's close confidante who was charged with and acquitted of the murder of translator Altantuya Shariibuu. Social responsibility Last night's dinner kick-started Suaram's "Ops Scorpene" fundraising events. "Ops Scorpene" is a awareness campaign to pursue the case in French courts as a matter of national interest. Bourdon and his team of lawyers at Sherpa, a non-profit organisation he founded in 2001, focus on improving legal tools to promote corporate social responsibility. Bourdon hinted that the "Ops Scorpene" investigation can take years depending on the access to information, documentation and cooperation to be extended by the Malaysian authorities.
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| WIKILEAKS: ‘Umno clueless about its folly’ Posted: 21 Jul 2011 03:16 PM PDT
WikiLeaks reveals that Sodomy II prompted the US envoy to warn Malaysian leaders against clumsy political manoeuvrings (Free Malaysia Today) - US diplomats warned Umno leaders in 2008 that continued attacks against Pakatan Rakyat, especially Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, would be detrimental to BN's political survival. According to a Wikileaks transcript released by Malaysia Today, US Ambassador to Malaysia James Keith told Washington that Umno leaders could not see past their actions. "Umno leaders may fail to grasp the consequences of upping the ante; they hear what we are saying, but do not understand sufficiently well how difficult it will be for them to overcome the shadows they are casting on the country," Keith wrote. He said Umno might have thought that accusing Anwar with sodomy was a better decision than jailing him under the Internal Security Act. However, he claimed, the decision would prove to be a folly, with few in and out of Malaysia buying into the Umno line. "Contrary to their intent, many in the international community will take this as escalation," he wrote in his confidential cable to the US State Department in Washington. "Barely one in ten Malaysians are buying into the party line, a survey tells us." In 2008, Anwar was accused of having sodomised his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, at a Bukit Damansara condominium on June 26 that year. Anwar has consistently denied the charge, claiming that it was concocted to destroy his political career. Keith said the accusation was not going to convince anyone that it was anything but a high-profile political conspiracy. "Whatever (Umno leaders) believe about the 'facts' of the sodomy case, at this point the ruling party has no chance of success in conveying to the Malaysian or the international audience that this is merely a case of one citizen's charge against another," he said.
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The 4WD then overtook Mat Sabu's motorbike and made a sharp left turn in a bid to stop his advance. Sandwiched between the back of the 4WD and the police car, Mat Sabu's motorbike fell to the ground, which the police claimed was due to a sudden U-turn it made to escape. The police also admitted that the motorbike did hit one police car at its front fender.
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