Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- No evidence ‘Male Y’ DNA came from sperm cells, sodomy trial told
- Kedah Pakatan deadlocked in seats talks
- Zaid’s apple-polishing act upsets Kita
- Sodomy II: Wrong conclusion in chemist's report, DNA expert testifies
- Ex-MAS chairman negotiating for settlement in suit against news portal
- Pakatan Sarawak eyeing all 31 MP seats
- Putrajaya has admitted to a ‘prima facie case’ against A-G
- BN confident of recapturing Selangor in next GE
| No evidence ‘Male Y’ DNA came from sperm cells, sodomy trial told Posted: 18 Sep 2011 07:10 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - An Australian DNA expert said today there is no evidence to show that DNA profiles obtained from "Male Y" in Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy trial came from sperm cells. Dr Brian McDonald, a defence witness in the high-profile trial, went so far to suggest that the prosecution had no proof whatsoever to the type of cells the DNA profiles were taken from. He also challenged laboratory findings done by government chemists Dr Seah Lay Hong and Dr Nor Aidora Saedon, and pointed out the possibility of contamination in the samples taken and tested by chemists, which he claimed had been ignored by them. "There is no evidence presented which allows the prosecution to draw that conclusion," said Dr McDonald when asked by defence lawyer Ramkarpal Singh whether the prosecution had proven that DNA profiles taken from Male Y came from sperm cells. "We don't know what cell types the samples were taken from," he said. Dr McDonald said previously that DNA profiles in three sperm samples taken from the complainant Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan's rectum showed "no evidence of degradation". He had told the High Court that the DNA profile in one high rectal sample was pre-dominantly from "Male Y", another was pre-dominantly Saiful's, and the third — from the low rectal area — was inconclusive. Dr Nor Aidora testified last February that the "Male Y" DNA profile matched those found on a "Good Morning" towel given to Anwar during his overnight detention in a lock-up three years ago, when he was arrested for allegedly sodomising Saiful. The focus today was on the B9 cotton swab from the high rectal area retrieved from Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan's rectum and the white towel retrieved from Anwar's cell when he was detained overnight. Dr McDonald also said that Dr Seah and Dr Nor Aidora had ignored findings that suggested the presence of a third DNA sample.
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| Kedah Pakatan deadlocked in seats talks Posted: 18 Sep 2011 05:10 PM PDT The uncompromising attitude of the top guns forces opposition supremo Anwar Ibrahim to announce that the national leadership council would now deliberate on the allocation of seats. (Free Malaysia Today) - Things are looking bleak for Kedah Pakatan Rakyat after discussions on the 36 seats allocation among its three partners for the next general election reached a deadlock. Rocked by the ill-health of Menteri Besar Azizan Abdul Razak, which led to speculations of a stand-in leader, the alliance is now treading on thin ice because of uncompromising leaders. Although the power of incumbency would likely give Pakatan an advantage over Barisan Nasional if the PAS-led state government agrees to dissolve the State Legislative Assembly and call for a state election, several Kedah leaders, it seems, are not on the same page. Even the presence of Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim yesterday failed to dissuade state Pakatan leaders to strike a compromise. An insider privy to the discussions said: "We have yet to touch on the sensitive aspects of who would be our candidates and we are stuck about which party should contest where. "We must move away from these protracted disagreements since an election is looming," the insider added, who preferred to remain anonymous. He also said that Anwar was visibly upset when he was informed about the lack of progress in the state-level discussions. "Kedah Pakatan must get its act together as there are many cliques around Azizan who is seen to be more of a polarising figure rather than an accommodative one," said the insider. Anwar, who later held a press conference, said that Pakatan's national leadership council would now deliberate seats allocation in Kedah since its leaders cannot reach an outcome. It is learnt that the main contentious issue is the demand by DAP for more seats while PAS is unwilling to sacrifice some of its seats to PKR as it regards itself as the dominant party here. "Both parties (PKR and DAP) gave their reasons for wanting the seats," Anwar said, before his surprising announcement that the final decision on seats allocation would only be formally announced once the general election is called for. DAP pushing for more seats Among the several contentious issues in the state is the question of whether PAS would endorse Azizan as the man to lead Pakatan since there are concerns about his failing health. There is also the trust factor among the three parties after four PKR leaders defected and also consolidating its territories in Kedah's southern part (Kulim and Sungai Petani), where there is resentment towards Pakatan due to a lack of macro-economic activities there. There is also the lack of a two-thirds majority in Kedah, as out of the 36 state seats here, Pakatan only has 20, BN 14 and there are two Independents in Lunas and Bakar Arang state seats respectively.
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| Zaid’s apple-polishing act upsets Kita Posted: 18 Sep 2011 03:58 PM PDT Zaid's apology to Najib has been viewed within his own party as a big mistake and also questions the party's the third force stance. (Free Malaysia Today) - The public apology by Kita chief, Zaid Ibrahim, to Prime Minister, Najib Tun Razak, over the latter's decision to abolish of the Internal Security Act (ISA) has distressed the party's state leadership. On the eve of Malaysia Day, Najib announced that the ISA would be repealed, three emergency proclamations would be lifted and the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPA) would be reviewed. The next day Zaid apologised to Najib for the "gross mistake" of underestimating his will to abolish the ISA as well as hailed him as a "worthy prime minister". But Kita state chiefs were dismayed by what they viewed as an act of irrelevant apple-polishing that could call the party's allegiance and neutrality into question. Negri Sembilan state chief, R Sri Sanjeevan, bluntly said that Zaid's apology has stripped him of self-respect and dignity. "Zaid should have issued a supportive statement instead of an apology," he said. "Now not only has he lost his dignity but also displayed disrespect for the party." "We joined Kita because we were told that it wasn't inclined to either BN or Pakatan. Zaid's statement has thrown that into doubt and the grassroots have interpreted it as his attempt to get into Najib's good books for an ulterior motive." Penang state chief and Nibong Tebal MP, Tan Tee Beng, said that Zaid had never called for a meeting with the central and state leadership prior to making this statement which he believed should have been of a congratulatory nature rather than an apologetic one. "There is a very strong possibility that it will be misinterpreted," he said. "We are trying to portray a third force and the people could accuse Zaid of taking on a pro-BN role now."
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| Sodomy II: Wrong conclusion in chemist's report, DNA expert testifies Posted: 18 Sep 2011 02:33 PM PDT By Reena Raj, The Star KUALA LUMPUR: The report by chemist Nor Aidora Saedon wrongly concluded that it was a single profile DNA found on a towel she examined, Australian DNA expert Dr Brian McDonald told the sodomy trial of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim here. The fourth defence witness, who resumed his expert evidence Monday, said Nor Aidora and another chemist, Dr Seah Lay Hong, had contradicted the Chemistry Department guidelines as they did not report that there was a mixed profile DNA. Dr Seah examined all the swabs taken from complainant Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan and Nor Aidora tested a towel, toothbrush and mineral water bottle obtained when Anwar was detained. Anwar has claimed trial to sodomising Mohd Saiful at a condominium in Bukit Damansara here on June 26, 2008. More to come |
| Ex-MAS chairman negotiating for settlement in suit against news portal Posted: 18 Sep 2011 02:31 PM PDT By M Mageswari, The Star KUALA LUMPUR: Former Malaysia Airlines executive chairman Tan Sri Tajudin Ramli is negotiating with the publisher of online news portal The Malaysian Insider and two others for a possible settlement in his RM200mil defamation suit against them. The parties informed High Court judge Justice Harmindar Singh Dhaliwal in chambers here Monday over the possible out-of-court settlement. Lawyer Lim Kian Leong acted for Tajudin while lead counsel George Miranda represented the defendants. Speaking to reporters later, Miranda said that the parties were in negotiation to work out a settlement. "We will inform the judge on Sept 28 whether the parties have reached any out-of-the-court settlement," added Miranda. Lim also confirmed this to the media after the suit was called for case management for the first time. Tajudin had named The Malaysian Insider Sdn Bhd, its chief executive officer/editor Jahabar Sadiq and reporter Shazwan Mustafa Kamal as defendants in the suit filed on Aug 18. |
| Pakatan Sarawak eyeing all 31 MP seats Posted: 18 Sep 2011 02:24 PM PDT By Joseph Tawie, FMT KUCHING: Pakatan Rakyat Sarawak will contest all the 31 parliamentary seats in the 13th general election. The final list of seats to be contested by DAP, PKR and PAS – which are members of the Pakatan coalition – will be made known on Oct 2 when the three meet for the second time. "We can only tell you on Oct 2. By then we can tell you which party will contest in which constituency," Sarawak DAP chairman, Wong Ho Leng, said after chairing the first meeting on seat allocation yesterday. PAS was absent at the meeting as its leaders were away attending courses in Peninsular Malaysia. "We have very minimal overlapping of seats with PAS, so there should be no problem," added Wong. DAP is eyeing between 10 and 15 seats including some rural or semi-urban seats. Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian said the three parties are confident that the overlapping of seats will be solved soon. "The coming general election is very crucial for Pakatan and it is vital that we decide on seat overlapping claims. "We have agreed on certain seats, but there are a few that need further discussions," Bian said. Smoother negotiations Bian said that negotiations were moving fast and that talks on seat allocations for the general election were going smoother than for the state election. "The negotiations are going very well," he added. PKR has expressed interest in 12 to 15 seats subject to negotiations with the other Pakatan partners. "We too have minimal overlapping claims with PAS," he said. Earlier, Wong said that the three parties are quite certain that the general election is around the corner, especially after Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak had announced the repeal of the Internal Security Act and the amendments and reviews of other draconian laws. "The bell is ringing, and Pakatan must conclude negotiations in earnest… "We have for the first time sat in Kuching and have reached agreement on certain seats, but there are still some overlapping claims… "We will give you the full list on Oct 2 when we meet again.
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| Putrajaya has admitted to a ‘prima facie case’ against A-G Posted: 18 Sep 2011 02:20 PM PDT By Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 19 — A former senior police officer accused Putrajaya today of admitting last year to Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail's role in allegedly falsifying evidence when it backed an independent panel's findings on Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's "black-eye" case. The former top cop insisted today that with Putrajaya's endorsement, there was no longer a need to form a royal commission of inquiry or a tribunal to investigate Abdul Gani's involvement. "This is because there is already a prima facie case against Abdul Gani and those abetting him on falsifying evidence," said former KL CID chief Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim in an open letter to Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar today. He also claimed that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was aware of Abdul Gani's involvement as the former had been briefed and was provided "complete evidence" in October 2008, when he was still the country's deputy prime minister. Mat Zain said he had briefed Najib at the latter's Finance Ministry office in Putrajaya, adding that he had "assumed" the leader would take appropriate action once he took on the prime minister's post. "The excuse that there is lack of evidence should not be raised again. Saying further investigations are needed would also be irrelevant because the independent panel has already decided and the government has endorsed it," he pointed out. In July 2008, Anwar had filed a police report, accusing Abdul Gani, Mat Zain, former Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan and a Dr Abdul Rahman Yusof of falsifying a medical report on his black-eye case, which alleged that his injuries had been self-inflicted. Three independent panel members tasked to look into the evidence fabrication claims comprising Federal and Court of Appeal judges later cleared Abdul Gani and Musa of the allegations, but the status of Mat Zain and Dr Abdul Rahman remained uncertain.
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| BN confident of recapturing Selangor in next GE Posted: 18 Sep 2011 09:57 AM PDT By Kong See Hoh, The Sun PETALING JAYA (Sept 18, 2011): Selangor Barisan Nasional (BN) is quite confident of recapturing the Selangor state government in the next general election, Oriental Daily News reported today. A survey done by the coalition showed that there is a swing in support back to BN among Malay and Indian voters although the Chinese are still taking a wait-and-see attitude. A BN grassroots leader who spoke on condition of anonymity told the daily that the Selangor Barisan Nasional convention in Shah Alam on Saturday looked at BN's chances in the 56 state seats. It was revealed that the majority of seats still regarded as "black" (less than 50% chance of winning) are located in predominantly Chinese areas, and that of all seats traditionally given to MCA to contest, only one is categorised as "white" (no risk of losing), ie Sungai Pelek. "Even so, many leaders and even the prime minister in his speech (at the convention) believed that although the Chinese voters are taking the 'wait-and-see' stand, things are looking up for the BN. "They feel a further change in BN leaders' attitudes would help win back the Chinese votes," said the grassroots leader. Apart from the opening address by Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak (pix), who is Selangor BN chief, several other events took place behind closed doors, including a question and answer session, a winding-up by Najib; a meeting with the chiefs and deputy chiefs of the four state BN component parties. The main objective of the convention was to unite the component parties as the next general election draws near. Najib has emphasised that BN leaders should not clamour for party positions but focus their efforts towards wresting back the state from the Opposition. He said there must not be any internal bickering among and within component parties. "Everyone must be willing to accept and support candidates chosen by the party leadership. "Whoever the candidate, or whichever party he represents is not important. We must give our wholehearted support to ensure a Barisan win," he said. It is understood that the state BN leaders will meet soon, to come up with new strategies aimed at retaking Selangor in the upcoming general election. Meanwhile, Selangor MCA chief Datuk Donald Lim Siang Chai urged BN top leadership to identify as soon as possible its candidates for constituencies where the coalition only has a 50% chance of winning. This is to give them enough time to serve the people and to gain exposure. "If the candidates are only named three weeks before the polls, they may not have enough time to make preparations," Sin Chew Daily quoted him as saying. "The prime minister has already said we must field winnable candidates. But sometimes, the suitable candidates are not the division chiefs. This are among questions that have to be considered and resolved wisely." He said MCA's target in the next general election is to win half the number of seats it contests. Lim disclosed that MCA has proposed that both the federal and state governments build more Chinese primary schools in areas such as Puchong and Klang where there is a large concentration of Chinese. At the state BN convention, Lim urged BN's top leadership to take disciplinary action against leaders who make remarks that go against the BN spirit. He said Selangor MCA also urged the BN leadership to advise government-linked companies not to implement policies that will further burden the people. |
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