Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- A-G must still prosecute Tajuddin, says Mat Zain
- Nazri says Tajuddin intervention could save Putrajaya billions
- Bersih twist to church raid saga
- Senator Ezam threatens to 'burn down' news portals
- ‘No approval to operate as a church’
- DAP: Nazri abusing his power
- Use new laws to stop merger, govt urged
- Putrajaya ditches FBC Media as image experts after exposé
- Explain Tajuddin Ramli ‘bailout’, TI-M chief tells Putrajaya
- Tajuddin Ramli’s cases pushed to Sept 29, Umno lawyer stays mum
- Jeyakumar: Detention was horrible
- Putrajaya directs GLCs, Danaharta to drop all claims against Tajuddin Ramli
- Questions raised over RM388m govt complex
- Workers to ‘sweat’ to reduce govt power bills
- Mat Zain claims A-G interfered with forensic experts
- As economic crisis hits, election to be delayed - Dzulkefly
- It’s time for us to stop the rot
- ‘Mystery’ shrouded deal to save AirAsia?
- Living costs soaring globally, but Najib vows help to Malaysians
- ‘Sodomy II attacks increased after Sept 16 coup bid’
- Government working hard to address cost of living problem
- Cabinet member, Najib’s aides are ‘non-heterosexual’, says leaked US cable
- Jais alleges bid to convert Muslims at dinner
- Islam does not need crutches - Asri
- Zaid: Raid is against Federal Constitution
- Bursa bloodbath gives Najib pause on polls
- Malaysian student injured in London riots
| A-G must still prosecute Tajuddin, says Mat Zain Posted: 11 Aug 2011 07:12 PM PDT By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 12 — A former senior cop has called for charges to be brought against Tan Sri Tajuddin Ramli saying the withdrawal of civil suits against the former Malaysian Airline (MAS) chairman does not indemnify him against criminal culpability.Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim told The Malaysian Insider today that Putrajaya's decision to settle with Tajuddin out of court and directive to government-linked corporations to drop their cases against the latter did not mean that two police reports and another made to anti-graft enforcers were nullified. "Even if MAS and other GLCs were to drop all civil claims against Tajuddin, they have no or power to indemnify Tajuddin from criminal liabilities. For that matter, no minister or even the Attorney-General has the authority. "In fact, police have recommended that several criminal charges be preferred against Tajuddin and few others," the former Kuala Lumpur criminal investigation chief said. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz told The Malaysian Insideryesterday that he had written to GLCs earlier this month seeking for them to withdraw their suits, worth at least RM2 billion, to buy time for all concerned parties to reach a "win-win" agreement and put an end to the prolonged financial saga involving Tajuddin. He said the matter was referred to Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Husni Hanadzlah, who then directed him to pen the letter, noting that Tajuddin's case was scheduled for case management in court yesterday. "Since it involved the law and I am the minister in charge of law, Husni told me, why don't you look into this. It is not a cloak-and-dagger move... we knew this would come out somehow and there is nothing to hide. I wrote that letter using my letterhead," said Nazri. Mat Zain added today that MAS has lodged at least three reports against Tajuddin and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has "made it known to public that their investigation on Tajuddin is still ongoing." "It is also within public knowledge that sometime in March 2007, the former Director of Commercial Crime Investigation Department Datuk Ramli Yusuf had briefed then prime minister Tun Abdullah Badawi on police investigations based on MAS's reports. "The billion ringgit question is why our Attorney-General is still reluctant. I am sure Tan Sri Gani Patail is fully aware that he cannot indemnify Tajuddin's criminal liabilities despite the fact that they are in some ways connected," he said. Mat Zain, who led the police probe into former deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's black eye incident in 1998, said that as only the A-G could initiate criminal proceedings, it was up to Datuk Seri Najib Razak to step in and inquire into Gani's conduct. He has repeatedly attacked Gani for his failure to prosecute several high profile cases and called for the prime minister to axe the A-G.
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| Nazri says Tajuddin intervention could save Putrajaya billions Posted: 11 Aug 2011 06:57 PM PDT
Nazri said that to defend himself, Tajuddin, who is facing millions in legal claims for allegedly causing MAS to suffer losses in excess of RM8 billion during his tenure, had made a whopping RM13 billion counter-claim. (The Malaysian Insider) - Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz has rebuked those who have questioned his authority in intervening in the Tan Sri Tajuddin Ramli's civil cases, insisting today that the move could save the government billions in legal claims. The minister in the Prime Minister's Department disagreed that he had overstepped boundaries with a letter earlier this month telling all government-linked companies to withdraw their suits against the former Malaysia Airlines (MAS) chairman, claiming he had done so in his role as a "facilitator" for the government. Nazri also told detractors to check their facts before spewing insult against him, saying, "I know what I am doing." He accused DAP publicity chief Tony Pua of practising double standards for saying the minister should be placed under the Emergency Ordinance for issuing the letter, asking the leader why he had not urged the same when other Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders attempted to intrude on government affairs. "I want to ask him (Pua): When (PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul) Hadi Awang asked the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) and Jais (Selangor Islamic Religious Department) to see him and explain the recent church raid, why did he not rebuke Hadi? "Because what power does Hadi have in doing so? He is not the mentri besar of Selangor and neither is he the minister for religious affairs. So why the double standards, Tony?" Nazri told The Malaysian Insider. Similarly in the controversy over the Kedah government's ban on entertainment outlets during Ramadan, Nazri said DAP chairman Karpal Singh had no business ordering the businesses to stay open. "On my part, I spoke to the second finance minister and he told me why don't I explore this issue and that I may be the facilitator to urge these GLCs to sit down with Tajuddin to come up with an amicable solution. So what power did I abuse?" he asked. Nazri said that to defend himself, Tajuddin, who is facing millions in legal claims for allegedly causing MAS to suffer losses in excess of RM8 billion during his tenure, had made a whopping RM13 billion counter-claim.
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| Bersih twist to church raid saga Posted: 11 Aug 2011 06:20 PM PDT
An email is circulating claiming that the controversial JAIS raid could be more about politics than religion. (Free Malaysia Today) - Amidst the simmering tension over the controversial raid on a church by Islamic authorities, a conspiracy theory has surfaced linking the incident to the Bersih 2.0 rally. An email being circulated alleged collusion between Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein and Selangor exco for religious affairs Hasan Ali, one of those in PAS supportive of a unity government with Umno. The email claimed that the minister wanted to teach the Christian community a lesson for backing the July 9 street protest, which dealt a massive blow to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's administration. Last Wednesay, the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS) together with the police raided the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) after receiving complaints that Muslims were present at a dinner event there. JAIS later clarified that it was not a raid but an inspection done to check if there was proselytizing of Muslims by Christians. The matter is being investigated under Section 4 of the Non-Islamic Religious Enactment 1988. Organisers of the dinner had denied the allegation, stating that the event was to raise funds for a HIV/AIDS campaign. While Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim had expressed regret over the incident, his exco Hasan defended JAIS and the latter was backed by PAS Youth. 'MCA and Umno leaders told in advance' However, the email claimed that the raid had little to do with attempts to convert Muslims to Christianity but "had everything to do with Bersih 2.0." It alleged that DUMC's pastor Daniel Ho hosted Bersih 2.0 chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan and members of the polls watchdog's committee the week before. "Since last week Hishammuddin has been in touch with Hasan through their proxies on finding a way to teach Ho and the Christian community a lesson for supporting Bersih… "Hishammuddin wanted to show that he was not afraid to take anyone on. That is why the police could not produce a warrant or JAIS produce a copy of the complaint. "Hishammuddin has always thought of himself as above the law and is the law," read the email. It also claimed that Umno and MCA leaders were informed in advance of the raid and advised to prepare statements to condemn Pakatan Rakyat over the matter. "This is an effort to conceal the link between Hishammuddin and Hasan," stated the email, adding that the home minister and Umno considered Bersih 2.0 as the biggest threat to their political future. "Any support for Bersih 2.0 therefore must be nipped in the bud. The accusation of attempts to proselytize Muslims by the DUMC church is just a distraction from the actual truth," it added.
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| Senator Ezam threatens to 'burn down' news portals Posted: 11 Aug 2011 06:16 PM PDT
(Malaysiakini) - Umno Senator Mohd Ezam Mohd Noor said today he will wage war in defence of Islam, including burning two online news portals, which he claimed to be agents against Islam.
Zulkifli, also a former ally of Anwar, echoed Ezam's warning, calling on Muslims working in the news portals to "repent". "You are being barua (running dogs) of propagandist and enemy of Islam. Don't be running dogs of kafirs (infidels) that go against us," he said. Ezam has 'big' problems with non-Muslims Several of the protesters donned masks of state exco leaders while displaying placards, one of which read "(Selangor Menteri Besar) Khalid Ibrahim is head priest".
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| ‘No approval to operate as a church’ Posted: 11 Aug 2011 06:10 PM PDT
The land occupied by DUMC in Section 13 is gazetted for industrial use and not for religious purposes, says MBPJ. (Free Malaysia Today) - The Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) does not have an approval to operate at Dream Centre in Section 13, a Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) official said. "When DUMC submitted an application for an approval for the building premises, it stated that its purpose was for the use of a community hall," said MBPJ's Zainun Zakaria. "You need to be specfic as to its activities," she added. She said that the land that the church stands on now was gazetted for industrial use and not for religious purposes. Zainun also dismissed a SMS circulating yesterday that the MBPJ was about to seal off the premises, saying it was false. The SMS was circulated to the media yesterday. A pro-Umno blogger claimed today that he received it from a source in MBPJ. MBPJ deputy mayor Puasa Mohd Taib also yesterday denied there was such an operation being planned. When contacted, a church spokesman said that many accusations have been levelled at the church and the current one had "half truths". Derek Fernandez, a lawyer and MBPJ councillor, however, said that while a church does not require an operational permit, it nevertheless needs to be registered as one. "An approval from MBPJ is needed. It is vetted by the sustainable development committee under the planning department. It also has to go through the state executive committee," said Fernandez. He added that the sustainable development committee is chaired by the mayor and consists of councillors, technical departments and also external agencies. Fernandez said that all buildings need a certificate of fitness, proper zoning, land title, besides paying the quit rent. "But if it is operating as a church, and the letter of approval says, 'community hall', it has flouted the Town and Country Planning Act and could be fined. Strictly speaking, the premises could even be sealed off. "An approval is needed if you want to operate a church in a place zoned as a commercial area," said Fernandez. "However, MBPJ has no problem with churches in shoplots as the state recognises the difficulty in finding a place of worship for non-Muslims. They're usually approved," he added. Fellow councillor Mak Khuin Weng said that the local authority usually does not enforce land usage rules strictly. "Where DUMC is located now, the land titles in that area are for industrial use, meaning for factories only. Having said that, the government has never enforced these land usage rules strictly. "If we were to be strict, not only will the church suffer but also the commercial areas around Section 14 and Section 19. "There are food courts and even a college operating on land for industrial use. So, you can't say you want to take action against DUMC but not against others," he said. Mak said that even the numerous bridal studios in SS2 operating from residential houses would also have to be shut down. The number of places of worship springing up in shoplots and factory areas can be attributed to a larger problem, and one that has been going on since the state was under the BN government.
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| Posted: 11 Aug 2011 03:03 PM PDT
Nazri has no power to order GLCs to stop suing ex-MAS boss Tajuddin Ramli, the DAP said. (Free Malaysia Today) - The DAP has attacked Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Abdul Aziz for ordering government-linked companies (GLCs) to cease suing a former Malaysia Airlines (MAS) executive chairman Tajuddin Ramli. PJ Utara MP Tony Pua ticked off Nazri for using his influence as a minister to let Tajuddin off the hook. "Such an instruction from a minister's office, especially one with no authority of the various GLCs including MAS, Telekom and Prokhas (formerly Danaharta) is… highly improper and at worst an illegal and corrupt practice," he said in a press statement. He said that this move allowed Tajuddin to get away with billions of ringgit in debt, withou having to suffer any consequences. According to a Malaysian Insider report, Nazri said that he had issued a directive for all GLCs aggrieved by Tajuddin to withdraw their suits earlier this month. Denying that it was a bailout, the minister said that the move was an attempt to reach a "win-win" situation between Tajuddin and the various GLCs. Quoting Nazri, Pua said: "…the finance ministry has agreed to settle all civil claims against Tan Sri Tajuddin Ramli and others to be withdrawn immediately in view of the fact that the government and the finance ministry have agreed that the said cases will be settled out of court." Complete mockery This reasoning did not sit well with Pua. GLCs, he said, had their own board of directors to deal with problems, adding that Nazri had no right to be giving instructions to them. "His directive to these GLCs made a complete mockery of corporate governance in these companies, and will only turn away local and foreign investors," Pua said. He said that Nazri could be investigated under Section 2(1) of the Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance.
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| Use new laws to stop merger, govt urged Posted: 11 Aug 2011 02:04 PM PDT By Joseph Tawie, FMT KUCHING: The government must intervene and stop the merger between Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and AirAsia because such a deal would not benefit the people and would only lead to a monopoly in the air transport industry, Sarawak DAP said. Party secretary Chong Chieng Jen said "ultimately the consumers will lose out". "The government must stop the merger. We have the Anti-Trust Act or the Competition Act which will take effect on Jan 1, 2012. "The Act will protect consumers against market abuse from cartel activities and monopolies or from unscrupulous trading practices of cartel and monopoly business. "The government can use the Competition Act to prohibit the monopoly. As a shareholder in MAS, the government has every right to stop the merger, and yet the government is not stopping it," he said. Chong, who is Bandar Kuching MP, said the whole merger exercise "is wrong". According to him, if the Barisan Nasional allows this deal to go through, it simply means that it "is not serious in protecting the right of the consumers". Chong also urged the people not to believe claims by Transport Minister Kong Cho Ha that the merger may not result in an increase in airfares. "Even though he has told us not to worry, his promise will amount to nothing. In the end, the airfares will be increased and we the consumers will be at the losing end. 'Not a merger' "I urge the government not to proceed with the merger in the interest of consumers," said Chong, who is also Kota Sentosa asemblyman. Asked whether Sarawak government should support his call as Sarawakians will suffer most, Chong said: "All governments that have the interest of the people at heart should oppose monopoly in the air transport industry." |
| Putrajaya ditches FBC Media as image experts after exposé Posted: 11 Aug 2011 11:01 AM PDT By Jahabar Sadiq, The Malaysian Insider Putrajaya has now ended its contract with British publicity firm FBC Media after an embarrassing exposé last week revealed Malaysian leaders routinely appeared in paid-for interviews on global television programmes. The Malaysian Insider understands that the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) terminated FBC Media's contract in the past week, just months after another public relations firm, APCO Worldwide from the United States, met an ignominious end for alleged links to Israel. "The contract with FBC Media is over. PMO has enough people to handle publicity locally and abroad," a source told The Malaysian Insider.FBC Media's dealings with the Malaysian government came to light after supplementary supply Bills showed vast payments made for a "Global Strategic Communications Campaign". The records showed that between 2008 and 2009, RM57.7 million was paid by the Prime Minister's Office to FBC Media for the campaign. Despite FBC Media's contract, veteran newspaper editor Datuk A. Kadir Jasin's also revealed that Putrajaya has some 11 press aides working for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak against the three who served Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in his 22 years in power. FBC Media has also been linked to Najib's predecessor Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, who apparently paid US$5 million (RM15 million) for public relations services that included television programmes and professional bloggers to burnish his image before the April 16 state polls. Global broadcasters have been scrambling to contain potential damage after the allegations of impropriety surfaced following the expose by whistleblower Sarawak Report, which linked the interviews and other programmes produced by FBC Media as having been paid millions of ringgit by the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition to shine its international image. US-based broadcaster CNN denied last week it was paid to interview Najib during his visit to London last month but questions remain about the role played by its anchor John Defterios after the latter's FBC Media programme "World Business" was axed early this month by rival network CNBC. The spotlight is on the relationship between FBC Media — the British publicity firm led by media giant Alan Friedman with Defterios still listed as its group president — and broadcasters like CNBC, CNN and the BBC. As a result of the allegations, the BBC has also said it will suspend programmes produced by FBC Media and investigate the company. Influential Washington-based news website Politico.com said FBC Media is listed in lobbying reports as having paid tens of thousands of dollars to Washington-based lobbying firm APCO in recent years to lobby on behalf of the Malaysian government. CNN's denial comes on the heels of rival CNBC's decision to drop its flagship show "World Business", which has similarly been alleged to have been paid to feature Najib in its prime-time news slots last month after his administration cracked down on a civil rally pushing for cleaner and more honest elections. Both interviews were conducted by Defterios which has raised eyebrows over his appearance on the rival channels as well as questions over a conflict of interest to his unclear ties with FBC Media.
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| Explain Tajuddin Ramli ‘bailout’, TI-M chief tells Putrajaya Posted: 11 Aug 2011 01:57 AM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - Transparency-International Malaysia (TI-M) president Datuk Paul Low questioned the Najib administration's decision to settle all out-of-court suits between government-linked-companies (GLCs) and Tan Sri Tajuddin Ramli, saying today Putrajaya has a duty to protect the public's interest. He was responding to The Malaysian Insider's report earlier today, citing de facto law minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz's directive to all GLCs, including Danaharta and Malaysian Airlines (MAS), to drop all claims against Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's poster boy for Bumiputera entrepreneurs as the Ministry of Finance (MOF) has agreed to settle the payment. "When they say settle something, exactly what does it mean? Nobody knows how it's to be settled or how much, on what basis and justification? Is the government paying on behalf of the GLCs? Is it a bailout? Who are parties involved? "Who instructed Nazri? Was it the Finance Ministry, the Cabinet or the prime minister? We don't know," Low told The Malaysian Insider when contacted. He reminded the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) federal government that it was accountable for spending taxpayers' money. He said the government could not simply step into a legal dispute that involved a public-listed company, even if it had government ties; and added the government must show how the country and the public benefitted from such a decision. "This arrangement does not reflect well on the government. In good governance, the buck stops at the CEO, or the board of directors. The government has to answer," he added. The head of the local anti-graft watchdog urged Putrajaya to come clean on the decision, noting that it was a "test of good governance" for the ruling political coalition.
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| Tajuddin Ramli’s cases pushed to Sept 29, Umno lawyer stays mum Posted: 10 Aug 2011 07:02 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - The slew of multi-million ringgit suits and counter-suits involving Tan Sri Tajuddin Ramli and government-linked companies (GLCs) has been postponed to September 29 following a controversial directive from Putrajaya for all parties to settle out of court. Umno lawyer Datuk Hafarizam Harun has declined to discuss the issue although the Putrajaya directive by de facto law minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz mentioned that the former will represent all the GLCs. "In meeting (Sibu). Let it fizzle down 1st before we talk ... Sorry. Tqvm," he replied via text message this morning. Hafarizam also declined to confirm or deny if his firm was involved in the federal government deal, but pointed out that the name of his firm was misspelled. "I'm only guided by what is written in The Malaysian Insider," Hafarizam said later, before adding: "For this, I've to remain non-committal. Hope you understand. Let the lawyers acting for the GLCS and Tajuddin Ramli sort it out first. Anything I say now will have an impact". The Malaysian Insider reported this morning that Putrajaya has directed all GLCs, including Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and the national debt restructuring company Danaharta, to cease all civil suits against Tajuddin (picture), the former chairman of the national carrier and protégé of Tun Daim Zainuddin. Nazri, a Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, said the Ministry of Finance (MOF) had agreed to settle all outstanding claims against Tajuddin, a poster boy of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's plan to groom Bumiputera entrepreneurs. "This is to inform you that the government of Malaysia and the Finance Ministry have agreed to settle all civil claims against Tan Sri Datuk Tajuddin Ramli and others to be withdrawn immediately in view of the fact that the government and the Finance Ministry have agreed that the said cases will be settled out of court. "For your information, the government has given me the mandate to act for the government in this matter," Nazri said in the letter sighted by The Malaysian Insider. But the minister made no mention of the terms of settlement with Tajuddin.
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| Jeyakumar: Detention was horrible Posted: 10 Aug 2011 04:19 PM PDT
The PSM leader recalls his 28-day ordeal and speaks about his party's plans for the next election and its relationship with Pakatan Rakyat. (Free Malaysia Today) - Despite the grassroots popularity that he and his party enjoy, Dr Michael D Jeyakumar does not want Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) to scramble for seats to contest in the coming general election. "It is important for the opposition to be united," he told FMT. "We do not want to split votes or cause three-cornered fights. We also don't want to be the cause of any fights within the opposition." He said PSM fully supported Pakatan Rakyat when it came to fighting Barisan Nasional (BN). But he added that this did not mean it agreed with all of the opposition alliance's policies. "For example, when it comes to trade agreements, some opposition parties are always enthusiastic, but PSM feels we should be more discerning." The Sungai Siput MP also spoke about his recent 28-day incarceration at the Batu Caves detention centre, describing it as "horrible". "Nobody beat us up," he clarified, "but being deprived of freedom, being unsure as to when they'd release us or allow us to see our families, not being allowed reading material, wondering who they'd arrest next… It was horrible." During the detention, the police allowed his family to visit him only three times, and each of those visits lasted only about 15 minutes. Jeyakumar was one of the six detainees who became known collectively as EO6. They were arrested on June 25 with 24 other PSM members and remanded for seven days, accused of trying to wage war against the King and to revive communism. Upon their release from remand on July 2, police rearrested the six under the Emergency Ordinance (EO), which allows for the detention of suspects for up to 60 days. The public quickly rallied around them, making heavy use of social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to voice disapproval of the government action. A shock Jeyakumar said he and his fellow detainees were interrogated daily during their incarceration and he found the process "frustrating" because the police were apparently not interested in finding out the truth. They seemed more interested in making the detention serve as a warning to anti-BN groups, he added. The six are now facing charges under the Internal Security Act and the Societies Act. They are accused of supporting an illegal society – Bersih 2.0 – and disseminating propaganda on its behalf. Jeyakumar called this turn of events "quite a shock" and said the bail set – RM8,000 – was punitive, considering PSM's lack of financial resources. He accused the government of trying to scare the people from voicing out dissenting opinions. "Making us a scapegoat just stemmed from wanting to repress the public," he said. "A sensible government would have engaged us instead of using scare tactics." During their detention, the EO6 were separated from each other. Jeyakumar said a normal day started with fingers of light creeping through a frosted glass window high above his head. "It was very warm," he said. Breakfast was a bun and teh-O. This was followed by a visit to the medical assistant, who would check his blood pressure and other vital signs. He would then be cuffed and blindfolded and interrogated about Bersih 2.0, PSM's funding and its alleged links to communist parties. "They didn't want to listen," said Jeyakumar. "They just wanted to try and make links." A brief lunch of rice, vegetables and meat would follow, after which questioning would usually begin again. He was interrogated for between three and six hours a day.
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| Putrajaya directs GLCs, Danaharta to drop all claims against Tajuddin Ramli Posted: 10 Aug 2011 03:34 PM PDT
By Leslie Lau, The Malaysian Insider Putrajaya has directed all government-linked companies, including Malaysia Airlines and the national debt restructuring company Danaharta, to cease all civil suits against Tan Sri Tajuddin Ramli, the former chairman of the national carrier and protege of Tun Daim Zainuddin, according to documents obtained by The Malaysian Insider. In a letter sent this month to the GLCs and Danaharta by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, the GLCs and Danaharta were informed that the Finance Ministry had agreed to settle all outstanding civil suits against Tajuddin, a poster boy of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's plan to groom Bumiputera entrepreneurs. "This is to inform you that the government of Malaysia and the Finance Ministry has agreed to settle all civil claims against Tan Sri Dato Tajuddin Ramli and others to be withdrawn immediately in view of the fact that the government and the Finance Ministry have agreed that the said cases will be settled out of court. "For your information the government has given me the mandate to act for the government in this matter," Nazri said in the letter sighted by The Malaysian Insider. At least one government agency is expected to withdraw its claims against Tajudin in court today. Nazri's letter also directs the lawyers acting for the GLCs and Danaharta to hand over their cases to the firm of Hasfarizam Wan and Aisha Mubarak, a known Umno lawyer. But the minister made no mention of the terms of settlement with Tajuddin. Tajuddin was a protege of Daim, the close friend of Dr Mahathir and ex-finance minister who was the architect of the now discredited policy of nurturing a class of Malay corporate captains on government largesse. Individuals such as Tajuddin, Tan Sri Halim Saad and others flew high in the 1990s but their true mettle was tested during the Asian financial crisis. Nearly all of them fared poorly. The Najib government's move to settle all outstanding claims against Tajuddin appears to be an attempt to wipe the slate clean in a financial saga that goes back decades to the height of Dr Mahathir's administration. First police report in 2002 MAS had first lodged a police report against Tajuddin in 2002 for allegedly causing the flag carrier to suffer losses in excess of RM8 billion. Tajuddin was the executive chairman of the airline from 1994 to 2001. According to a report to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), a major contributor to the record losses under Tajuddin was the relocation of MAS's cargo operation in Amsterdam and Frankfurt to a single hub in Hahn, Germany, where the airline was forced to enter into a disadvantageous aircraft lease contract with a company, which was later linked to Tajuddin's family. The new cargo hub operation had caused MAS to suffer losses of between RM10 million and RM16 million a month before the project was terminated after the government regained control of MAS in 2001. The termination resulted in a RM300 million arbitration claim against MAS by the company. MAS has had a turbulent past decade after the government bought back the airline from the former corporate high-flyer at RM8 per share or about double the market price at the time. The airline was at the time saddled with a debt reported to be RM9.5 billion.
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| Questions raised over RM388m govt complex Posted: 10 Aug 2011 03:14 PM PDT By Queville To, FMT KOTA KINABALU: The state government has been urged to explain the urgency and lack of transparency in awarding a RM388 million contract to build a Sabah State Administrative Centre (Phase 1) at Likas Bay. Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) information chief Chong Pit Fah said this was only appropriate since Sabah, which has been declared the poorest state in the country, has more pressing matters to solve. "What real benefit does it bring to the rakyat of Sabah? Certainly the funds of such magnitude could be put to better use to eradicate poverty and to improve the infrastructure in the state, rather than for a lavish office for the ministers," he said. The decision to go ahead with the mega project has raised questions over the true financial status of the state government given that it had issued a RM544 million bond in 2009 to raise capital for the Sabah Development Bank, a clear testimony that the government was cash-strapped. The state Umno-led Barisan Nasional coalition government under Chief Minister Musa Aman has however claimed it has RM2 billion in reserves. According to local Chinese vernacular newspapers, Assistant Local Government and Housing Minister, Edward Yong has also questioned the timing of the project. Chong agreed with the assistant minister's assessment. "Why now? Is it because this project is being used to channel political funds for the BN?" he asked in a statement issued here yesterday. He said the state government should be more prudent in spending public money. |
| Workers to ‘sweat’ to reduce govt power bills Posted: 10 Aug 2011 02:57 PM PDT By Syed Jaymal Zahiid, FMT PUTRAJAYA: The government is seeking to slash its hefty power bills by reducing the use air conditioners in all its buildings. It is also mulling to stretch the policy to the private sector. Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Peter Chin Fah Kui today said the move would see the government's utility costs slashed in an estimated four to seven percent for every degree of temperature reduced from the total amount spent on air-conditioning in federal buildings. Roughly about 40% of Putrajaya's electricity bill goes to air-conditioning, revealed Chin further. |
| Mat Zain claims A-G interfered with forensic experts Posted: 10 Aug 2011 02:00 PM PDT
By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim has continued his attacks on Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail, claiming today that the Attorney-General has caused the public to lose faith in government inquests and inquiries due to his alleged interference in testimony made by forensic experts.
The former city criminal investigation chief said today that Dr Abdul Rahman Yusof, the forensic expert in former deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's black-eye probe that Mat Zain had headed, "was willing to prepare three false reports according to orders by Gani Patail." "We cannot blame the public if they have lost confidence in government pathology and forensic experts... ridiculing and abusing their opinions in the Teoh Beng Hock inquest and royal commission of inquiry (RCI) and also the inquest of Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamad," he wrote in an open letter to the Inspector-General of Police. Doubts have been raised over testimony by experts from government hospitals and the Chemistry Department in the recent cases of Teoh and Ahmad Sarbaini, a former DAP aide and senior Customs officer respectively, who both plunged to their deaths at different Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) offices. Early this year, a coroner's inquest into Teoh's death had returned an open verdict ruling out both suicide and homicide some 18 months after his fatal fall at the Selangor MACC office. The Najib administration was forced to form an RCI, which also found that Teoh had committed suicide. Mat Zain said today that Dr Abdul Rahman had prepared three "expert reports", all of which contradicted one other "without making any physical examination on the patient." "This means Dr Abdul Rahman prepared those reports using his imagination and based on just photos and reports of other experts, without any discussing with them or the investigating officer of the case," he wrote. He claimed the first and second reports had been presented to the RCI on Anwar's assault, but that the first report later "disappeared" when the final report was presented to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. "Maybe Gani Patail or Dr Abdul Rahman themselves can explain this disappearance given that they both are interested parties in this report," he said. Mat Zain also called on police chief Tan Sri Ismail Omar to open investigations into this case since the police force has said it is investigating false reports of police brutality in the July 9 Bersih rally. He added that "various parties (including himself), the loudest being the Bar Council, are also pressing for authorities to take action against MACC officers who gave false testimony" in the Teoh Beng Hock RCI.
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| As economic crisis hits, election to be delayed - Dzulkefly Posted: 10 Aug 2011 01:52 PM PDT
(Harakah Daily) - Prime Minister Najib Razak will delay the 13th general election due to current global economic turmoil, according to PAS's Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad. "I find it hard to accept that Najib will be bold enough to hold snap elections in September. The global demand will shrink and the national growth will also be affected as a result. So, I am confident that prime minister will not call for general election this year," he said. |
| It’s time for us to stop the rot Posted: 10 Aug 2011 01:13 PM PDT (The Star) - Five push one equals four. Mix A with B, then disturb the solution. Don't get it? Replace "push" (tolak) with "subtract" and "disturb" (kacau) with "stir". That's how far English has deteriorated in schools. And that is just scratching the surface. Hence, the Deputy Prime Minister's recent call for solutions to the poor mastery of English among students despite 13 years of learning it in school is a cry after the hearts of many. It's been the perennial lament of parents, institutions of learning, employers – and teachers. We have all seen, heard and suffered the decline of English proficiency for years now, three decades to be precise – after the switching of the medium of instruction from Bahasa Malaysia to English. Countless proposals, blueprints and programmes, including flip-flop policies, have been implemented to rectify the problem but the malignancy seems to have spread far and wide. Is it too late to get our act together and put our money where our mouth is? Is the Government – and politicians – willing to put our children's English proficiency ahead of our insecurity about our national language Bahasa Malaysia and mother tongue? We must strive to keep politics out of the classroom, though we know it is easier said than done. We need proficient teachers to build the students' language foundation at primary level and develop it further at secondary level. Unfortunately, we have a huge cohort of English teachers who themselves need lessons, what more teach. Are they to blame? No, they are the products of our policy change and the adoption of the Communi-cative English syllabus which stresses that it's fine as long as the "meaning comes through". We need to keep and reward teachers who are skilled and can make the difference so that the vicious cycle doesn't keep repeating. The rot has to stop or our low proficiency students will continue to beget low proficiency teachers. Singapore, on the other hand, works to attract some of its best brains into the teaching profession by paying them competitive salaries and keeping them through incentives like fast track promotions, leadership allowances, performance-based bonus and work attachments. As for our exam-oriented society, our students need to be challenged. Make it compulsory to pass English to obtain the SPM certificate – as is the case for Bahasa Malaysia – and they'll flock to tuition centres for extra classes. It works with Bahasa, it'll work with English. Students in rural schools who do not see the economic value of English in securing jobs or fear using the language need to be tackled differently. Unfortunately, the Government has largely adopted a one size fits all policy, which holds back the high achievers to prevent the gap from growing too wide between them and the laggards. The PPSMI is a case in point. Give autonomy to schools to teach the subjects in English if their teachers are proficient and the students capable. Why make everyone learn Maths and Science in Bahasa to keep the rural schools on the same page? Be innovative, allow bilingualism for as long as it takes for schools to find their respective levels. There is no need to rush the weak, but instead, let the proficient move forward, not backwards. Perhaps, the Government should consider holding a referendum on whether we should bring back English-medium schools – a place where unity thrived. Let parents and other stakeholders have a bigger say in their children's education. Be less prescriptive, allow schools to decide if there should be more contact time or teaching periods for English in the timetable. Send the best teachers to schools where they are sorely needed, instead of assigning three Guru Cemerlang for English to a premier school! There are many factors that contribute to our low proficiency but we should stop using piecemeal measures. It's time to get down to the serious business of making our schoolchildren masters of the English language. |
| ‘Mystery’ shrouded deal to save AirAsia? Posted: 10 Aug 2011 12:58 PM PDT By Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz, FMT The boss of Khazanah Nasional says that the MAS-AirAsia deal is, among other things, "not a bail-out" of MAS. Well, we have questions for him. Firstly, why was this deal worked out in the first place? Why AirAsia? Isn't AirAsia operating at some 40 times its price earning (PE) ratio? Looking at its numbers and the fundamentals, the high PE could mean that AirAsia stocks are overpriced. That may mean some boys are cooking up the numbers to set up the market and make killings. Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said MAS "can learn" from AirAsia on ways to cut costs. Does that mean all those damned exercise carried out by former MAS chief Idris Jala wasn't enough? Why don't we learn from Singapore Airlines or Qatar Airlines? Oh… we want to learn from our home-grown talent will be the likely answer. Commissions, commissions So what can we learn from AirAsia? Let's look at the home-grown talent's (AirAsia) records. As of the first quarter of 2011, AirAsia debts amounted to RM7.7 billion with cash balances amounting to RM1.7 billion. This part doesn't require teaching for MAS. Its executives are renowned masters. Let's see further. In August 2010, AirAsia announced a deferment of its proposed aircraft purchases but sometime in June 2011 it reversed its decision and proceeded to place an order for an additional 200 new aircraft at the Paris Air Show. No big deal, we can order as many as we want. Possibly the commissions earned from the purchases dwarfed the one earned from the Scorpene submarines. As of March 31, 2011 (first quarter report), AirAsia's capital commitments stood at RM19 billion. With the latest announcement, an additional RM54 billion will be added as capital commitments. The proposed capital commitments of about RM74 billion will be spread over a 15-year period ending 2026. In other words, AirAsia has to increase its earnings to an average of RM5 billion per annum to meet its future dues. From 2006 to 2010, AirAsia's revenue grew by ten-fold from RM110 million to roughly RM1.1 billion. This is an average growth of RM 200 million per annum. Now how will it reach RM5 billion? This, we will see in the coming months when AirAsia rationalises all its routes and what not. AirAsia's cash reserves rose six-fold from approximately RM300 million to RM1.7 billion. But its debts skyrocketed from RM1.05 billion in 2006 to RM7.7 billion in 2010, an increase of 700%. Surely this looks like a debt burden that is spiralling out of control. Scheming Fernandes This AirAsia-MAS deal is signed, sealed and delivered at an onerous and ominous time. The world economy, including Asia's, will be heading into another maelstrom and air travel will invariably be hit. So what can be done? One, AirAsia can cancel orders but contract penalties will be onerous. AirAsia wouldn't want to pay penalties, would it? The debt with Malaysia Airports Bhd (MAB) too, it dragged on for what seemed to be forever. That option is no go. But then why would anyone want to forfeit commissions (from the purchase of new planes)? Also, AirAsia chief Tony Fernandes is probably thinking along what economist John Keynes said: "When you are a big borrower, the banks are scared of you." So as a big borrower, Fernandes feels that size does matter after all! He thinks it will shield him from foreclosure as banks will be wary of bearing heavy losses! But also, a sizeable chunk of those loans are being held by Malaysian banks and in the worst-case scenario, the government and the taxpayers will have to pick the tab to avert a financial meltdown cascading down the AirAsia slope. Now let's take a look at MAS, currently the whipping boy but which is instrumental to further the game being played by Khazanah boss Azman Mokhtar and gang. MAS has a paid-up capital of RM3.384 billion and has a fixed asset value of RM8.4 billion. Its net asset is at RM 6.962 billion, where cash constitutes RM 2.086 billion. Compare that to the position of AirAsia, which we have pointed out above. AirAsia has borrowings of up to RM7.7 billion and its cash position is RM1.7 billion. In an earlier article, we pointed out that AirAsia has a record of being a bad debtor. It once owed MAB over RM65 million and whenever actions were taken against them, AirAsia would run to their chief counsel, former premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. |
| Living costs soaring globally, but Najib vows help to Malaysians Posted: 10 Aug 2011 12:49 PM PDT
By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider Datuk Seri Najib Razak has told Malaysians to "face the fact" that rising cost of living is a global trend as the country continues to grapple with surging inflation. Although the prime minister promised to help ease the burden of rising prices on the public, he said "Malaysians must face the fact that world prices are unlikely to return to the levels of five years ago." "We are not the only ones faced with this problem, and we are certainly not the worst affected. We will devise the best strategies to ease the rakyat's burden while managing the country's economic development," he wrote on his blog in the 1 Malaysia website. Promising to continue subsidies which are already among the highest in the world, Najib said that Budget 2012, to be tabled in October, would focus on managing inflation as per the administration's new National Key Results Area on cost of living. "The government will continue to provide subsidies for daily travel, meals and health bills," he wrote. Public concern over price hikes has been heightened further as Putrajaya raised the price of fuel, sugar and electricity in June, a move it said was necessary to avoid the subsidy bill from doubling to RM21 billion. The Najib administration has committed itself to trim 2009's two-decade high budget deficit of 7 per cent but is under pressure to contain inflation which hit a two-year peak in March of 3 per cent before continuing to rise to 3.5 per cent in June.
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| ‘Sodomy II attacks increased after Sept 16 coup bid’ Posted: 09 Aug 2011 08:59 PM PDT
The US expects another dirty round of judicial exploitation by the ruling coalition to kill off Anwar Ibrahim. (Free Malaysia Today) - Washington believed the intense attack on Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim while facing his Sodomy II trial escalated out of fear over his Sept 16 attempt to wrest federal power through mass defections. A leak diplomatic cable by whistleblower site WikiLeaks – published in Malaysia Today today – also showed that the US expected another dirty round of judicial exploitation by the ruling coalition to kill off the PKR leader's political career as Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak would want his nemesis wiped out. "Senior Malaysian authorities were very aggressive in handling the present case during the initial period of June-September 2008, but, coinciding with the passing of Anwar's deadline to bring down the government through parliamentary cross-overs, have since taken a more measured 'rule-of-law' approach in public. "The authorities have not taken all the legal and extra-legal measures available to them, for example, to challenge Anwar's bail provisions or resolve an earlier impasse regarding the court venue," political counsellor with the Malaysian US Embassy, Mark D Clark, was quoted as saying. Anwar is currently in the docks for the second time in 10 years for allegedly sodomising his aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan in 2008 just months after the opposition scored significant gains in the March 8 polls the same year. He claimed openly that the charges were trumped up and were engineered by Najib, who was deputy prime minister at the time, and wife Rosmah Mansor – an allegation they denied. Anwar's defence lawyers have asked the court to grant them rights to interview the two but both said they will not do it unless subpoenaed. Clark said in the cable that the court would likely favour Najib and Rosmah and not force them to face Anwar's lawyers. 'Conviction is the desired outcome' The leaked cable further stated that it concurred with the view that conviction would see Anwar, now in his mid-60s, "killed off" while Najib would make it pass as a "normal law enforcement matter". It also said that indications of political interference and manipulation in the present case (Sodomy II) are compelling.
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| Government working hard to address cost of living problem Posted: 09 Aug 2011 08:47 PM PDT
A lesson learned from the UK riots (Bernama) -- The government will work hard to ensure that the problem faced by the people with regard to the cost of living could be tackled in the wake of the challenging global condition, said Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. The Prime Minister said it was the responsibility of the government to do whatever was best in tackling the rising costs and find ways of reducing its effects on the people.
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| Cabinet member, Najib’s aides are ‘non-heterosexual’, says leaked US cable Posted: 09 Aug 2011 05:32 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - A recent Cabinet member and some of Datuk Seri Najib Razak's senior aides would have found themselves under investigation for homosexual "behaviour" if the government were on a morals campaign, according to a leaked United States diplomatic cable. The cable to Washington from the US embassy here cited the "non-heterosexual behaviour" of an unnamed Cabinet member and Najib aides in its primer for State Department officials to understand the alleged political act of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's Sodomy II prosecution. "Anwar's prosecution is not part of a morals campaign. The GOM does not aggressively target non-heterosexual behaviour; if it did so, a recent cabinet minister, senior staff associated with PM Najib and other prominent citizens linked to the government also would find themselves under investigation," US Ambassador James R Keith said in the diplomatic note to Washington that was leaked by whistleblower site Wikileaks through the Malaysia Today website. The cable did not name the Cabinet minister or Najib's aides. But Ambassador Keith pointed out that the facts of the case against Anwar made it clear that the prosecution was foremost a political act against the Opposition Leader. "The Malaysian government does not aggressively prosecute cases of sodomy; we find record of some 55 cases since 1991, or an average of 3 per year. The vast majority of such cases involve adults assaulting minors," Keith wrote. Keith also reiterated a long held view of the US government that Anwar's original Sodomy prosecution 1999 had been grossly manipulated by former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. He also pointed out that "keeping in mind Najib and Anwar remain bitter enemies, it is striking that Najib met personally with the complainant Saiful prior to the police report." The US ambassador also noted the involvement of senior politicians in the case as well as the leakage of information. "From the very early stages, the senior-most officials in the government, including then PM Abdullah, current PM Najib, cabinet ministers, the AGO and national police chief (the latter two having played important roles in Anwar's 1998-1999 flawed trials) and officials of the ruling Umno party have been intimately involved in decisions regarding the case, according to Embassy contacts and publicly available sources. "Senior government leaders provided law enforcement information on the case to leaders of Anwar's coalition partner, the Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS), in an unsuccessful attempt to split PAS from the opposition. A recent internet report claims that the government has provided some government-directed press editors with a 'sneak preview' of evidence against Anwar." The cable appears to have been written in 2009 just before Anwar's trial started. Anwar is currently facing sodomy charges for the second time in his life. He was charged with sodomy and corruption in 1998 after he was sacked from the Cabinet, and was later convicted and jailed for both offences. He was freed in September 2004 and later resurrected his political career by winning back his Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat in a by-election in 2008, which had been held in the interim by his wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail. He later led the loose pact of PKR, the DAP and PAS to a historic sweep of five states and 82 parliamentary seats in Election 2008.
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| Jais alleges bid to convert Muslims at dinner Posted: 09 Aug 2011 05:11 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) is investigating the organisers of a thanksgiving dinner held on church premises last week for attempting to convert Muslims. Lim Heng Seng, lawyer for 10 of the 12 Muslims present at the "1Malaysia Muhibbah Fundraising Dinner" at Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC), said the department confirmed this in a letter sent today. "Jais informed that they are investigating a case involving the offence of persuading, influencing or inciting a Muslim to change his faith under section 4 of the Non-Islamic Religions Enactment 1988," he said in a statement today, clarifying his client's absence from turning up at the Jais office. Section 4 of the enactment makes it an offence for a person to "persuade, influence or incite" a Muslim to be inclined to any non-Islamic religion, become a follower or member of a non-Islamic religion or forsake or disfavour Islam. Those found guilty of the offence face a jail term not more than one year or a fine of RM10,000 or both. Jais had been responding to a letter from Lim enquiring into the legal provision under which his clients were being asked to report to the state religious authority for "pre-counselling sessions". Jais enforcement officers raided the fundraising dinner last Wednesday night without a warrant after receiving an unspecified complaint, bringing with them a team of policemen.
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| Islam does not need crutches - Asri Posted: 09 Aug 2011 05:02 PM PDT
(Harakah Daily) - Muslim scholar Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin said Islam was built upon reason and sound argument, and as such did not need to prove its truth through enforcement agencies. In further remarks following the Selangor Islamic Religious Department's presence at a church dinner function over complaints that there were attempts at propagating Christianity to Muslim guests there, Asri told news portal Malaysiakini that the truth of Islam can be shown using sound arguments and not through preventive enforcement actions to stop Muslims from being influenced by non-Muslims.
On the other hand, Muslims should naturally be able to exert their influence on adherents of other religions, he said.
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| Zaid: Raid is against Federal Constitution Posted: 09 Aug 2011 04:43 PM PDT
The Kita president defends the right of Muslims to religious freedom which he says is enshrined under Article 11. (Free Malaysia Today) - Kita president Zaid Ibrahim said the controversial church raid by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS) would not have taken place had Article 11 of the Federal Constitution been upheld. More than 30 police and JAIS officers stormed a thanksgiving dinner at the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) premises last Wednesday. The authorities claimed they had received a complaint that Christians were attempting to convert the 12 Muslims present at the dinner that night. Until today, no evidence or details of the complaint had been made public. Zaid however pointed out that the true essence of Article 11 forbade proselytising to Muslims but acknowledged a Muslim's right to religious freedom. "Kita believes that this freedom belongs to everyone – Muslims and non-Muslims – and is a fundamental right of every human being," he said in a statement today. "We believe it is cruel for anyone to be forced to accept a religious belief or faith that he or she in all good conscience has renounced or refuses to believe in." The lawyer-turned-politician warned of similar raids in other parts of the country and of more Muslims being punished for exercising their freedom to believe. "There will be more confusion and an escalating war of attrition among religious communities," he predicted. "State laws will continue empowering officers to make arrests and raid premises so that they can make sure Muslims are not in the company of evangelical Christians." Zaid rapped JAIS of being too duty-bound in preventing Muslims from exercising their right to convert instead of understanding what "lies inside the heart of Muslims". "JAIS is simply happy to punish and imprison someone like Kamariah Ali (a follower of Ayah Pin) and regard her as a deviant Muslim," he said. "It does not matter what her true beliefs are, just as it does not matter if she is happy with the faith." Silence from the Pakatan camp The former PKR supreme council member also said that the Pakatan Rakyat component parties would not support the true meaning of Article 11 for different reasons. PAS, he said, would not step up because of its belief that freedom of choice would give a "lesser" Muslim the opportunity to deviate from the faith. He added that PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim would not risk his chances of becoming prime minister while DAP would be concerned about losing votes and Penang. "That explains why the great defenders of freedom in Pakatan had to issue a gag order. Don't address sensitive issues, is what they seem to be saying… get to Putrajaya first," he said.
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| Bursa bloodbath gives Najib pause on polls Posted: 09 Aug 2011 08:59 AM PDT By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider With some RM91 billion slashed from the stock market in two days, Datuk Seri Najib Razak faces yet another global financial meltdown ahead of general elections — due in less than two years. Although the prime minister was said to be mulling snap polls as early as the end of the year, politicians and analysts say that economic factors are now firmly out of his hands, with him hanging on to his Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) projects only for a rebound next year. "These projects are his only defence against the storm clouds on the horizon," said Jupiter Securities research head Pong Teng Siew, stating that Najib will only go to the ballot boxes after the ETP bites. Among the projects that will kick off this year is the country's most expensive infrastructure project, the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) while Bandar Malaysia, the massive development at the Sungei Besi air base will start once the Royal Malaysian Air Force move out after November 30. Pong also said the forecast this year will remain at 4 per cent or lower unless these projects kick in, despite the economy rebounding with a 7.2 per cent growth last year after skidding to a recession when the economy dipped 1.1 per cent in 2009. But DAP's Tony Pua, one of the opposition's top economic spokespersons, said that Najib is "hamstrung" as he heads into the pre-election period. "In the last two years, he has been able to rely on high oil prices to bankroll public spending but that is not going to happen this time as the global slowdown will hit oil prices and our exports. "This is Najib's worst nightmare. The perfect storm is brewing and he can only hope to wait it out," the Petaling Jaya Utara MP said. Bursa Malaysia began bleeding on Friday after the United States debt rating was downgraded, causing stock exchanges to tumble globally as confidence faltered ahead of a potential double-dip recession. Putrajaya is also tightening its belt after the country's deficit hit a two-decade record of 7 per cent in 2009, forcing it to take a razor to fuel, electricity and sugar subsidies to prevent the subsidy bill from doubling to RM21 billion this year. But inflation has continued to rise after hitting a two-year high of 3 per cent in March with the consumer price index sitting at 3.5 per cent in June.
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| Malaysian student injured in London riots Posted: 09 Aug 2011 04:41 AM PDT
(Bernama) - A Mara-sponsored accountancy student was injured during riots in North London yesterday. Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, however, said the Selangor-born student, Asyraf Hazlan, in his 20s, only sustained jaw injury and was currently being treated at the Royal London Hospital. "The student was not involved in the riots, but was attacked by a group of rioters when trying to get out of a subway train. He was heading to North London to break fast with a friend when the incident occurred. "He was also beaten and robbed but was later taken to hospital where he would probably undergo a minor surgery," he told reporters after breaking fast with the ministry's staff at the Institute for Rural Advancement (Infra) here today. Mohd Shafie said Asyraf's family had also been informed about the incident. The minister said Mara had also taken precautionary measures to relocate its students from the high-risk areas to Leicester Square to ensure their safety. "They are also advised not to go out aimlessly except to run important errands. Mara Education Director and staff will also monitor the situation there with cooperation from the police," he said. During the event, Mohd Shafie also presented 'duit raya' and prayer items to 120 orphans and 40 Orang Asli children from Gombak, Selangor.
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"We are saying here that we will launch an all-out war to defend our faith if they (anti-Islam elements) do not stop (and) use their agents - Malaysiakini and Malaysian Insider - which were biadap (rude) towards the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (Jais).
Also present were Kulim Bandar Baru MP Zulkifli Nordin and Umno Youth exco member Lokman Noor Adam (right), who was clad in a red Patriot T-shirt.
"We have no problem with non-Muslims. But we have big problems with non-Muslims who are disrespectful to us and our religion, we have big problems with non-Muslims who proselytise among Muslims.
'Rethink Islamic education'
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