Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- In Friday sermon, Jakim warns Muslims against selling out to ‘others’
- ABU dilancarkan besar-besaran, desak rakyat tolak Umno
- Musa: Haris denied entry ‘for security reasons’
- DAP’s internal squabbles ‘poetic justice’
- No candidates, Kita beats a retreat
- NGOs want Indian as Malacca CM
- Groups protest against homosexual lifestyle
- CM: We had reason to bar Haris
- No need for expensive presents and fancy emcees, says Sultan
- MACC pledges fair probe
- EU bank capital hole deepens to €115b
- Wall St falls on dashed euro zone hopes
- Najib: Appreciate history of Umno's struggle
- Don’t be scared by doomsday predictions
- KLCC threatens flashmob organisers with injunction
- ‘We have proof that MB lied’
- PRM has not confirmed on creating Third Force with NGOs, says President
- DAP winning over Malay voters
- Political branding just rhetoric
- ‘Umno agent in PAS’ gets a drubbing
- Paranoid Musa afraid of being exposed
- Malaysian Civil Liberty’s Movement chief barred from entering Sabah
- Pas and DAP not in sync over casino
- PKR-DAP showdown over seat
- Include hudud in manifesto, PAS dared
- Civil servants to get up to 13% pay rise from Jan 1
- ‘Apologise or hell will break loose’
- Air crash more than historical event
- Bill to redevelop Kampung Baru tabled in Dewan Negara
- MCLM chief barred from entering Sabah
- Respect elders, ‘newcomer’ Rama told
- Indelible ink: Scholars reject call for new fatwa
- Hospitals in Malacca out of medicine
- Pudu project must go to bumiputras
- Cleaning up not only about removing the dead, EC told
- EC, the ‘democracy killer’
- KL property investment ranking slips in new survey
- Act fast on Alstom bribery scandal probe, TI-M tells MACC
- With Selangor award, Utusan paints Hasan as PAS-Umno matchmaker
- New Causeway toll likely fodder for Pakatan in Johor
- Malaysia backsliding in graft war, says Kit Siang
- RCI for Sabah now, not after polls
- Heat over satellite dish crackdown in Sabah
- Court sets Dec 12 and 13 for sodomy trial submissions
- Export slump may hit Malaysia growth in 2012, says ADB
- 'CCM being abused to prop up Isa'
- Zaid Ibrahim’s KITA opts out of polls, to back Pakatan
- ‘We won’t surrender an inch’
- Nurul Izzah: ‘Balai Polis Kerinchi’ a voter in Lembah Pantai
- PM: Asia has fastest growing defence expenditure
| In Friday sermon, Jakim warns Muslims against selling out to ‘others’ Posted: 08 Dec 2011 07:23 PM PST The sermon appeared to suggest that Muslims who associate with non-Muslims or stand up for non-Muslim causes were betraying their faith. (The Malaysian Insider) - The government's official sermon delivered today suggested that the position of Islam and the royal institution was being questioned because Muslims were selling out the religion to "certain quarters" which it did not name. The sermon appeared to suggest that Muslims who associate with non-Muslims or stand up for non-Muslim causes were betraying their faith, and echoed a few racially divisive views espoused at the recent Umno general assembly. It was delivered at all mosques today and was prepared by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim). A copy of today's sermon — sighted by The Malaysian Insider — appeared to hit out at Muslims who "conspire with certain groups in questioning Islam as the official religion in this country on the excuse of defending the fundamental rights of others" for personal gain. It described those Muslims as "deviating from the teachings" of Prophet Muhammad, as well as "committing a big sin, oppressing Muslims and threatening national harmony" in the sermon that was to mark the end of Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin's five year reign as Yang Di-Pertuan Agong. "Remember, if Muslims lose their integrity, their pride and are manipulated by others, in the end, Islam in this country will suffer the same fate that has befallen other nations where their people were insulted and driven from the country of their birth," it said. The sermon did not directly refer to any one person in particular but appears to echo the political rhetoric heard at the Umno general assembly last week. According to the Jakim sermon, purported attempts to convert Muslims also fall foul of Islam's exclusive rights under the country's Constitution. It urged all Muslims to unite and uphold the constitutional monarchy system, reminding them that without a ruler, the administration of religion would be chaotic and would cause animosity. "Avoid involvement in any action that could potentially threaten or pollute the royal institution and disputes what is contained in the Constitution, including that which pertains to Islam as the country's religion," it added.
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| ABU dilancarkan besar-besaran, desak rakyat tolak Umno Posted: 08 Dec 2011 06:56 PM PST
Ia menggesa rakyat menyatakan rasa jijik dan meluat terhadap penyelewengan dan rasuah yang dilakukan Umno/BN. (Free Malaysia Today) - Satu gerakan rakyat yang dikenali sebagai Asalkan Bukan Umno/BN (ABU) akan dilancarkan secara besar-besaran pada 15 Disember ini di Markas Tarbiyah PAS,Taman Melewar,Gombak. Ia menggesa rakyat menyatakan rasa jijik dan meluat terhadap penyelewengan dan rasuah yang dilakukan Umno/BN. Pengerusi Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM), Badrul Hisham Shaharin berkata, gerakan dibuat di seluruh negara ekoran kemusnahan sistem negara yang dilakukan oleh Umno. Beliau yang turut dikenali sebagai Chegu Bard berkata, gerakan di Sabah dan Sarawak akan dibuat secara senyap-senyap. "Sumber dalaman kami memberitahu bahawa kempen ini tidak boleh dibuat di Sabah dan Sarawak atas alasan keselamatan. "Sasaran adalah kemusnahan yang diciptakan Umno. Malaysia akan menjadi lebih bersiap sedia tanpa Umno. Malaysia lebih dinamik dan berdaya saing. Rakyat lebih berkaliber dan cerdik jika tidak diperbodohkan Umno. "ABU yang digerak dan dipacu oleh rakyat. Kami gambarkan ia gerakan rakyat," katanya dalam sidang media di Dewan Perhimpunan Cina Selangor/Kuala Lumpur hari ini. Kempen rakyat Chegu Bard menjelaskan bahawa kempen ini didokong sepenuhnya oleh rakyat tanpa penglibatan mana-mana parti politik. "Ia gerakan rakyat. Ini bukan urusan parti politik ,tapi hal rakyat yang dimunculkan oleh Umno. Ia bukan sekadar program tapi satu gerakan," jelas beliau. Sementara itu, Presiden Pergerakan Hak-hak Sivil Malaysia (MCLM) Haris Ibrahim pula berkata, ABU membawa kebenaran kepada rakyat agar mereka sedar apa yang dilakukan oleh Umno selama 40 tahun memerintah.
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| Musa: Haris denied entry ‘for security reasons’ Posted: 08 Dec 2011 03:20 PM PST Sabah and Sarawak chief ministers share the dubious honour of banning civil rights activists and embracing illegals and alleged illicit activities. (Free Malaysia Today) - Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman has refused to explain why his government barred human rights activist Haris Ibrahim from entering the state this week. Haris was, on arrival at the Kota Kinabalu airport on Wednesday, served with a Notice of Dismissal of Entry to Sabah by an immigration officer and immediately put on the next flight back to Kuala Lumpur. The letter dated Dec 7 was signed by one 'Syamilin" on behalf of the Sabah Immigration director Mohammad Matek. Musa and the state government have come under heavy criticism for barring Haris, who is a lawyer and president of the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM), whilst allowing thousands of illegal immigrants into the state. Yesterday Musa told reporters the decision to deny Haris entry into Sabah was because of 'security reasons". Declining to elaborate, Musa when pressed by the media, merely said: "the incident is related to security issues" and that the authorities "had strong reasons … that is all I want to say." According to Haris the reason given in the notice specified that it was in accordance with the Immigration Act 1959/63 that stipulated that the state authority has the power to bar him from entry, Haris said. All entry points monitored The Sabah government's ban on the outspoken lawyer mimics the action of the Sarawak government under Chief Minister Taib Mahmud which had also barred Haris from entering the state in September. They had flexed the same law. Meanwhile, Sabah Immigration Department director Mohammad Mentek revealed that apart from Haris, another Malaysian citizen was also barred from entering the state but declined to disclose his name. He said the department had received an order from the state government not to issue a visit pass to the man who is a member of an NGO in the country, according to local media reports. "So far only two persons have been barred from entering Sabah," he was quoted as saying. Apart from Haris, the second, whose identity Mohammad said he could not reveal, is from Kuala Lumpur "and is involved in spreading issues related to deviationist teachings". Mohammad said the department would monitor all entry points in Sabah to prevent that person's entry into the state.
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| DAP’s internal squabbles ‘poetic justice’ Posted: 08 Dec 2011 03:18 PM PST Everyone embroiled in the present dispute are 'paying back' for the empty promises they made to Kampung Buah Pala villagers in 2008, says residents association chief. (Free Malaysia Today) - The past is coming back to haunt Penang DAP Indian leaders here following the recent outburst between factions linked to its chairman Karpal Singh and Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy, said Kampung Buah Pala residents association chairman M Sugumaran. "I believe God is punishing them and this is the consequence," Sugumaran said in response to the recent open-ended spat between Seri Delima assemblyman RSN Rayer and Ramasamy. This is also followed by reports quoting local DAP veterans as saying that Ramasamy's alleged remark of "godfathers" in the party as uncalled for. Sugumaran, who continues to battle on for the village although it is no longer in existence and that 24 out of the 33 families affected were peacefully resettled, said everyone embroiled in the present dispute made alleged "empty"" promises to the villagers in 2008. "I'm not stirring up things for the sake of antagonising anyone or exploiting the faultline between Penang DAP Indian leaders. This is a perception from some sections of the Indian community in Penang, which is that DAP had failed the community. "It is not just the nine Buah Pala families who refused to take up the offer of relocation who feel this way about DAP, it is sections of the Indian community here, who felt that the controversy could have been handled in a better way," said Sugumaran. And it is not just on Buah Pala, it is a host of other issues which the community are aggrieved about, such as affordable housing and the lack of attention given to constituency issues, he added. Sugumaran said the facts of the Buah Pala issue remained unchanged despite that the traditional village, said to be over 100 years old, have long been demolished to make way for a condominum. In 2005, the villagers were battling against the Barisan Nasional-led state government over the eviction order issued to them and in 2008, the likes of Karpal, Rayer and Ramasamy made promises that the opposition would fight against the order. Subsequently, Sugumaran said the village supported DAP in the 2008 general election based on the promise but when the pressure was piled on by the developer, the state could not find a win-win solution. Even Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim made a similar promise when he visited the village, said Sugumaran. He insisted that he remains as the now-defunct Buah Pala village residents association chairman as it is a registered body. "We are still pursuing legal avenues as we have obtained documents from the National Archives Department to illustrate that the demolition of the the village may be illegal." 'DAP's Indian leaders inexperienced' Sugumaran said Penang DAP Indian leaders are ill-equipped to see to the needs of the community, and one example is how the Buah Pala issue dragged on for several months before it was demolished. "If you ask me, it is the question of experience. I think the Penang DAP Indian leaders are now quarelling among themselves because they are inexperience and they are beholden to the DAP top leadership. "If the issue of 33 villagers here cannot be resolved, how can the people expect DAP to govern the entire country?" asked Sugumaran.
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| No candidates, Kita beats a retreat Posted: 08 Dec 2011 12:11 PM PST Party insiders believe this predicament is the reason for Zaid's decision to field candidates for selected seats. (Free Malaysia Today) - Kita chief, Zaid Ibrahim, may have unwittingly offered a glimpse of more possible turmoil within his party with his latest decision on Kita's involvement in the upcoming general election. On Tuesday, Kita announced that it would refrain from fielding candidates if doing so meant jeopardising Pakatan Rakyat's chances of victory. Zaid said his decision to offer "unconditional" support to the opposition stemmed from the racist statements made by Umno leaders during the party's recent general assembly. Kedah state chief, Zamil Ibrahim, further clarified yesterday that Kita would steer clear of Pakatan strongholds like Permatang Pauh and Bagan, and would only field candidates for seats where Pakatan faced a 50-50 chance of winning. He also hinted that Zaid may not be running for the Petaling Jaya Selatan seat as previously reported but could be eyeing a seat in Kedah. "Kita will definitely be contesting because we have already launched our party manifesto," he told FMT. "And it is impossible for Zaid as party chief to not contest. It's just a matter of which seat he chooses." "As of now, I myself have identified six parliamentary and 12 states seats for Kita to contest in Kedah. All that is left is to select the right candidates from the list of hopefuls." And this is where Kita may be facing an excruciating predicament. According to a party insider, the list has since crumbled as almost all those on it have retracted their interest to be fielded as Kita candidates. Pandering to BN The insider said that Zaid's apology to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak for misjudging his political will to abolish the Internal Security Act was the first of many moves that spooked potential candidates. Furthermore, Kita's supposed neutrality has come under a cloud with Zaid seen as cosying up to Najib and compounded by Kita's apparent pandering to Barisan Nasional (BN). All this was enough to convince them that they would lose their deposits if they contested. The insider speculated that Najib probably gave Zaid the cold shoulder and, left with a nearly dried up pool of candidates, the latter was forced to announce that Kita would only be contesting in selected seats. One candidate who will be contesting whether under the Kita banner or as an independent is Penang state chief and Nibong Tebal MP, Tan Tee Beng. "I have no fear contesting as an individual because Penangites are more familiar with me than they are with Kita," he told FMT. "Kita doesn't have a significant image in Penang." "Many people still confuse it with Parti Cinta. So maybe novice candidates would need Kita's image to support them but not me." "Whatever the party's decision I respect it, but as an incumbent and a politician I must also have my own back-up plan," he added. When asked about candidate selection in Penang, Tan's reply corroborated the party insider's earlier account of potential candidates withdrawing their names.
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| NGOs want Indian as Malacca CM Posted: 08 Dec 2011 11:51 AM PST A coalition of 36 Indian NGOs feel that the time has come for the country to show its appreciation for the contributions of the Indian community. (Free Malaysia Today) - A coalition of 36 Indian NGOs have urged both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat to consider appointing an Indian as chief minister of Malacca after the next general election. On its part, the People's Welfare and Rights Coalition (Power) president S Gobi Krishnan said the coalition would submit memorandums to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim stating their claim. "We find this request timely and most suitable as an appreciation to the Indian community in Malaysia," he said, adding that to date no states had been helmed by an Indian chief minister. He also said appointment of an Indian chief minister would also be a way for the two political parties to show their gratitude and fairness to the 1.8 million Indians in the country. Gobi pointed out that Malacca had a rich heritage and history related to Indians evident from the many Indian settlements in this state. "For example, the Sri Subramaniam Thuropathai Amman temple is one of the oldest in the country which dates back to about 200 years and the presence of the Indian Chitty sub-race," he added. Indians make up 10% out of the 788,706 population in the state. It has the highest concentration of Indians in terms of percentage compared to any other state in the country. He said the idea of appointing an Indian chief minister in Malacca is not new as it was mooted by former MIC president John Thivy in the 1950s. However, the request was not successful then, taking into account various considerations. "We believe the time is right for such an appointment now. We have gained independence for over 54 years, as such this is possible at this moment," said Gobi. As Malacca is part of the Straits Settlement in Malaysia, other than Penang, this appointment is in line with the state constitution and can be done legally, he argued. Recognising the Indians Meanwhile, the Human Rights Party (HRP) said the request by the NGOs has some merit especially with the prime minister's 1Malaysia slogan. Central executive committee member S Thiagarajan said that the proposal is a long standing one but "Umno is still deaf to the issue." According to him, in 1956 the Penang Tamil Representative Council proposed to the Reid Commission for election of a Resident Commissioner in Penang and Malacca respectively. The council then also proposed that the chief minister's post in these two states be on a rotational system between Malays, Chinese and Indians. "However, Umno has been reluctant to practise such a system," he added. "I can daringly say that the Indian community is a major contributor for the nation's development."
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| Groups protest against homosexual lifestyle Posted: 08 Dec 2011 08:51 AM PST (New Straits Times) - Five non-governmental organisations from Bangsar here held a peaceful demonstration against homosexuality yesterday. The demonstration saw the participation of some 100 supporters, comprising members of Jaringan Melayu Malaysia (JMM), Lembah Pantai 4B Youth Movement, Hindu Youth Organisation, Young Malaysians Movement, Federation of Peninsula Malay Students and parent-teacher associations from several schools in the area. |
| CM: We had reason to bar Haris Posted: 08 Dec 2011 08:18 AM PST (The Star) - Sabah barred lawyer-activist Haris Ibrahim from the state for valid reasons, Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman said. "The authorities have valid reasons for not allowing him to enter Sabah," Musa told reporters yesterday after launching the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's open day for civil servants to eradicate corruption. However, Musa did not disclose the reasons for the persona non grata order against Haris who was put on a flight back to Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday by Immigration officers. Haris, who is Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement president, had come to Sabah to carry out the movement's roadshow with local NGOs and political parties.
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| No need for expensive presents and fancy emcees, says Sultan Posted: 08 Dec 2011 08:18 AM PST (The Star) - The Sultan of Selangor doesn't want anything lavish for any function he attends, and has asked organisers to stop giving him mementoes. Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah asked the state government and the public not to make any elaborate preparation to honour his presence which he said would be a waste of money. "There is no need to spend RM60,000 to engage a singer to entertain me, or hire a well-known emcee for the event. What purpose does that serve? I am fine with an emcee provided by the state information department," he said. He advised organisers to give him books instead, saying he could pass them on to the public library after he had read them.
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| Posted: 08 Dec 2011 08:15 AM PST (The Star) - The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has pledged to carry out investigations into the corruption allegation involving French engineering firm Alstom without fear or favour. "This is in line with Section 29(4) of the MACC Act 2009," the commission said in a statement yesterday. The MACC said it was liaising with the relevant authorities, both locally and abroad, to conduct the investigation. However, the Commission declined to reveal details of the ongoing probe. Swiss authorities had last month ordered Alstom to pay 31 million euros (RM130mil) in fines for failing to stop bribery by some employees over contracts in Latvia, Malaysia and Tunisia. The Swiss Attorney-General's Office cited the company for "corporate negligence" but not criminal wrongdoing. Alstom Malaysia had said in a statement that investigations confirmed that there was no systematic bribery and that sufficient controls were in place. Swiss prosecutors recently removed from its website an unendorsed document linking two Malaysians to the Alstom scandal.
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| EU bank capital hole deepens to €115b Posted: 08 Dec 2011 07:49 AM PST (Reuters) - Europe's banks must find €114.7 billion (RM482 billion) of extra capital, more than predicted two months ago, to make them strong enough to withstand the euro zone debt crisis and restore investor confidence. Europe's banking watchdog, confirming a Reuters exclusive earlier yesterday, said the capital shortfall across 71 banks was almost 8 per cent higher than the €106.4 billion estimated in October, telling banks in Germany, Italy, Austria and Belgium to find more cash. Banks will look to fill any shortfall through rights issues, shrinking loans to customers, selling assets or cutting dividends or pay for staff. National governments may have to bail out any lender unable to find the cash. German banks need to find €13.1 billion, more than double the €5.2 billion estimated in October, the European Banking Authority (EBA) said. Commerzbank needs €5.3 billion and Deutsche Bank needs €3.2 billion. Spanish banks need to find an unchanged €26.2 billion, including €15.3 billion at Santander and €6.3 billion at BBVA. The average core capital of EU banks, excluding those in Greece, was just over 9 per cent at the end of September, not far from the average for their top US peers. But Europe has been criticised for less effectively stress testing its banks than the United States did in 2009. That is mainly because European governments have not forced weaker banks to capitalise, lacking the power of the Federal Reserve, which immediately provided the funds to shore up US lenders to revive investor confidence. European governments now face the prospect of having to plough more money into lenders struggling to balance a weaker economic backdrop against tougher regulation. Germany's Commerzbank stood by its commitment to avoid taking more help from Berlin, which would tip it nearer to full nationalisation. "We stand by our intention not to make use of additional public funds," Eric Strutz, finance director, said in a statement. German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said he expected banks to meet their commitments by mid-2012. "In arranging the recapitalization everything possible is being done to avoid giving the wrong incentives to reduce business," he said. "In particular there are no grounds for trying to improve capital ratios by selling sovereign bonds." In all, some 31 of the 71 banks tested need extra capital. They have until January 20 to present their plans and need to fulfil the capital requirements by end-June, the EBA said. Several banks have taken action to improve capital since the end of September. The EBA's recapitalisation plan is part of a three-pronged approach that also deals with sovereign debt exposures and improving access to funding. The aim is to restore confidence without crimping lending in a fragile economy. The European Central Bank said yesterday it would start offering banks liquidity funding for 3 years for the first time ever, to try to head off a credit crunch. EU leaders are meeting yesterday night at a high-stakes summit aimed at agreeing a plan to defuse the crisis, with France and Germany pushing for rule changes to enforce stricter budget discipline in the bloc. The EBA said banks should have core Tier 1 capital of at least 9 per cent of risk-weighted assets, which exceeds the 7 per cent minimum world leaders have agreed to phase in from 2013. Europe's banks may need to tap shareholders for less than €30 billion to plug the hole, analysts have estimated. Greek banks have been told they need an extra €30 billion of capital, but this should be covered by an existing programme of aid, while €9 billion of the shortfall in Spain will be met by debt that converts into equity. BNP Paribas, Societe Generale, UniCredit, Commerzbank and other banks are reducing loans, an alternative to raising equity, which is costly at present due to depressed share prices. That has sparked fears of tighter credit hurting economic recovery. Europe's banks could "deleverage" by up to €3 trillion in the next two years, or by €4.5 trillion over the next 5-6 years, analysts at Morgan Stanley estimate. The EBA said it will limit deleveraging banks can do to meet targets, saying national regulators could exclude it from the calculation. Banks should first try to raise funds, retain earnings, reduce bonus payments and other liability management measures. Banks in France will need €7.3 billion, down from €8.8 billion in October and banks in Italy will need €15.4 billion up from €14.8 billion. Austrian banks need €3.9 billion up from €2.9 billion and Belgian banks need €6.3 billion up from €4.1 billion. British banks, as previously, do not need any extra capital.
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| Wall St falls on dashed euro zone hopes Posted: 08 Dec 2011 07:46 AM PST (Reuters) - Wall Street fell yesterday after the European Central Bank dashed hopes that policy-makers were preparing a financial "bazooka" to contain the debt crisis, and Germany rejected some proposals to add power to the euro zone's bailout fund. US markets have been on edge all week in anticipation of a summit deal that would come to grips with the euro zone's growing debt crisis, and pave the way for greater action by the ECB to hold down bond yields. But actions from Europe — both early and late in the day — were a stark disappointment. Before the market's open, ECB President Mario Draghi discouraged expectations that the central bank would massively increase its purchases of government bonds after a crucial Brussels summit today. Shortly before the closing bell, Germany rejected some measures in draft conclusions from the summit, including giving the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) a banking license and issuing common euro-zone debt. US stocks and the euro fell sharply following the news. "It looks like it's (the opposition) coming from Germany. That just spells more trouble ahead in the days to come," said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Rockwell Global Capital in New York. More than 44,500 S&P E-Mini futures contracts traded between 3.40pm and 3.45pm, when the Germany headline appeared. This was the busiest five minutes of the day, other than the last five minutes of trading, which typically has the highest volume. The S&P financial sector index was the biggest loser, falling 3.7 per cent. That followed sharp losses in European banks' shares as sources told Reuters the European Banking Authority (EBA) sees the capital shortfall at European banks at €114.7 billion (RM482 billion). Shares of Morgan Stanley (MS.N), a barometer of risk aversion due to its perceived exposure to Europe's crisis, fell 8.4 per cent to US$15.88. The latest developments from Europe overshadowed a cut in the bloc's interest rate to a record low one per cent and extra liquidity provisions for banks. The Dow Jones industrial average tumbled 198.67 points, or 1.63 per cent, to end at 11,997.70. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index fell 26.66 points, or 2.11 per cent, to 1,234.35. The Nasdaq Composite Index lost 52.83 points, or 1.99 per cent, to close at 2,596.38. The decline comes after three days of gains for US stocks when the S&P 500 tried and failed to stay above its 200-day moving average, which has been a key level for investors to watch this year, and one that could prove tough to break. But yesterday's pullback, concentrated in economically sensitive areas, was a far cry from the wild swings of recent months when uncertainty over Europe has dominated headlines. That is being seen as a sign of resilience by many investors who are hoping for seasonal strength into the end of the year. Yields on European sovereign debt spiked. Ten-year Italian government bond yields rose 44 basis points to 6.51 per cent — the day's high. German Bund futures hit a session high of 136.89, up 109 ticks on the day. Earlier, data showed US jobless claims fell more than expected in the latest week, a sign the labor market recovery was gaining momentum. Claims slid to a nine-month low. About 7.55 billion shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange, NYSE Amex and Nasdaq, slightly below the daily average of 7.95 billion. Declining stocks outnumbered advancing ones on both the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq by a ratio of slightly more than 6 to 1.
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| Najib: Appreciate history of Umno's struggle Posted: 08 Dec 2011 07:29 AM PST (Bernama) - Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has urged the people to appreciate the history of Umno's struggle so that they would acknowledge its capability in helming the Barisan Nasional (BN) government. The prime minister said by looking back at history, the people would realise the immensity of Umno's struggle all these years. By appreciating history, the Malays would realise that they had no reason to forsake Umno, he said when opening Wisma Umno Langkawi in Kuah, here, today.
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| Don’t be scared by doomsday predictions Posted: 08 Dec 2011 07:25 AM PST (Global Times) - The yuan has gone through seven days of consecutive depreciation, sending confusing signals around the world. The doomsday prediction for China's economy has resurfaced again. It appears that uncertainty has become a popular tune in evaluating the country's economic future. Yet the rules may be unfit and the results inaccurate when measuring China's large scale economic growth by Western concepts. The economic components in the West are much simpler, while business activity and implication here in China are more complicated.
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| KLCC threatens flashmob organisers with injunction Posted: 07 Dec 2011 07:34 PM PST The organisers however say they will urge their friends to wear yellow and shop for yellow items at the KLCC this Saturday afternoon. (Free Malaysia Today) - The organisers of a protest campaign against the Peaceful Assembly Bill have been forced to change their activity from holding a flashmob to shopping for yellow items this Saturday after a legal threat from the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) management today. The organisers of the Free to Assembly campaign were issued legal notice via Facebook today by lawyers representing the KLCC management, stating that they will be applying for a court injunction to stop the flashmob from taking place this Saturday. KLCC management – which runs the Suria KLCC shopping complex and the KLCC Park – is claiming that the two previous protest gatherings by the opponents of the Peaceful Assembly Bill have disrupted business operations of the tenants ot KLCC. The lawyers for the KLCC management added that it has come to their knowledge that another gathering is to be held this Saturday at the KLCC shopping centre and that this had raised concerns among the tenants. The lawyers urged the organisers – seven of whom they had named in their legal letter – to immediately revoke their invitations to others to participate in the gathering. They added that they have noted that so far 3,555 people have been invited through the Facebook and have urged the organisers to similarly uninvite these people from gathering. The lawyers said that if the organisers failed to do so in 24 hours, they will then take all necessary action, including filing an application for an injunction to restrain the organisers from proceeding with the gathering on Saturday. Organisers unmoved, to buy yellow items They also said that the attempt by the KLCC management was perhaps the first time in Malaysia, if not also the world, "where a flashmob is seen as a major threat that warrants a court injunction". "We reject completely the KLCC's accusation that our gatherings in the KLCC could have had "eroded and impeded the regular shoppers and visitors and members of the public to the premises and thereby disrupted the business operations of [the KLCC's] tenants". "None of the tenants operate in the KLCC Park. Rather than disrupting their businesses, our friends who attended have supported them by spending in the mall," they said in a statement today. The organisers said that they will not stop inviting their friends to gather public places, adding that they will not respond to the 24-hour notice by the KLCC.
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| Posted: 07 Dec 2011 07:32 PM PST A logging company wants the police to investigate Pahang Menteri Besar Adnan Yaakob and Umno secretary Rahim Abas for alleged cheating. (Free Malaysia Today) - A police report has been lodged against two Pahang Umno leaders, including Menteri Besar Adnan Yaakob, for allegedly cheating a logging company over the ownership of a plot of land in Pekan, Pahang. Seruan Gemilang Makmur Sdn Bhd (SGM) shareholder Lee Sin, who filed the report today, alleged that Adnan and Rahim Abas, the Pahang Umno secretary, committed a criminal offence when they previously claimed that the 10,000 acre land belonged to the party. Lee claimed that he had obtained several documents from Umno members during the party's recent annual assembly that proved that Adnan and Rahim had "lied" and cheated SGM. He said one of the documents, which was shown to the media, indicated that Umno had failed to pay premium for the plot of logging land. This, according to Lee, meant that Umno never owned property as the state land authority would have reclaimed it. The letter dated Dec 28, 2002 sent from the land office to the Pahang Umno office was the approval for a final time extension to pay up RM4.8 million in premium for the land. "We want the police to investigate and ascertain the rightful owner of the land and take action against the two leaders if it is found that they committed a crime," said Lee, adding that his personal investigations revealed that Pahang Umno never owned any land in the state. Did MB act on his own? Lee said it should also be investigated if Adnan, who is also Pahang Umno chairman, had acted on his own or received a resolution from the Umno board of trustees. "If he had acted on his own, wouldn't it be against the regulations of the Registrar of Societies for Pahang Umno to issue a court action against our company?" he asked.
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| PRM has not confirmed on creating Third Force with NGOs, says President Posted: 07 Dec 2011 03:59 PM PST (Malaysian Digest) - Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM) President Dr Rohana Ariffin today said that the party has not confirmed any move to join forces with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to offer itself as the 'third force' for the next general election. Referring to a statement made by PRM's vice-president Koh Swe Yong in the Sun Daily yesterday, Dr Rohana said it was a statement made in his own capacity, and not a statement by PRM's central administration. "Not a statement made by the party... it's a statement made by Koh's own capacity."The authenticity of PRM comes from statements made by the party's three leaders – president, deputy president and the secretary-general," she said when contacted by Malaysian Digest today. She said, as far as the party is concerned, the decision to work with other groups is still in the process of discussion. She added that the same goes for the decision on the three parliamentary seats in Balik Pulau, Selayang and Petaling Jaya Selatan as to whether it is just a suggestion or an open negotiation because the party wishes to avoid three-cornered fights. "We are still in the process of negotiation and have not confirmed anything yet... We are still working it out," she said when asked to comment on the possibility of the party working together with NGOs and contesting in the three parliamentary seats. Nevertheless, Dr Rohana said other parties should not misconstrue the party's suggestion to contest in the general election. However, she said for now PRM is planning to reestablish the party again by reactivating the branches in few states of the country. "But for now our main focus is to rebuild the party by activating its branches in various states including Kedah, Penang, Pahang and Johor," she said. Yesterday, the Sun Daily reported a statement from Koh that PRM is planning to join forces with more than 10 NGOs to offer themselves as the third force in the next general election. However, according to a report in China Press on Dec 5, the third force's (parties not under Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat) candidates will be contesting under the PRM banner, and the party has identified three parliamentary seats in the Klang Valley to contest in.
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| Posted: 07 Dec 2011 03:52 PM PST Seen as a Chinese-based party, DAP is making slow but steady inroads into the Bumiputera community, according to party leaders. (Free Malaysia Today) - DAP appears to be gaining ground in seemingly uncharted territory: the Malays. Despite having been around since the mid-60s, the party has been perceived as a predominantly Chinese-based party, causing many Malays to shy away from it. This perception, however, according to DAP members, is changing, albeit slowly but surely. Party member Zairil Khir Johari said that the DAP was only recently able to tap into the Malay grassroots after the 2008 general election. "Before 2008, the Malay support for DAP was almost non-existent," he said, adding that the alternative political choice was usually the Islamic-based PAS. "If you joined the opposition, if you had problems with the government, the natural appeal would be PAS. They have (access to) the suraus and the mosques, which DAP does not have. "Umno would have its ketua kampung (village chief), while PAS has the religious (advantage), but if the DAP wanted to open a branch in a village, it would be so artificial," said Zairil, who is also DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng's political secretary. DAP's lack of a large Malay support base for the past 40 years, Zairil claimed, was partially because it was an "urban-based" party; it was more attractive to the city-living Chinese. The government's control of the mainstream media did not help the party either. According to Zairil, the Umno-linked Malay-based media groups such as Utusan Malaysia blacks out anything DAP-related, unless it was negative. These factors, according to Zairil, made sure that even urban Malays were kept unaware of the DAP's handiwork. However, the party's entry into the Pakatan Rakyat coalition, coupled with access to the alternative media, appears to have helped its position, Zairil claimed. He said that the party has been able to open a few Malay branches in Penang, with forays into Perlis as well. Though acknowledging that its Pakatan allies – PKR and PAS – were there to attract Malay voters, DAP president Karpal Singh said that the party needed to make its own effort in reaching out to the Malays. "PKR and PAS are there, but we shouldn't rely on them. We have to go ahead with our own Malay support. Recently, there have been some Malays who have joined us." "They're not shying away from the DAP… but they're not coming in at the extent that we'd want," he said. Karpal said that the DAP had seen some Malay representation over the years, such as through former Bayan Baru MP Ahmad Nor and current Senator Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim. Even so, he said these efforts into the Malay heartland were not enough.
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| Political branding just rhetoric Posted: 07 Dec 2011 03:49 PM PST Political observers believe that the rakyat are now able to see past political rhetoric and are demanding 'responsible' candidates. Stephanie Sta Maria, Free Malaysia Today An impending and critical 13th general election has spurred the country's two political coalitions to start branding of candidates. Barisan Nasional (BN) has hammered the word "winnable" over the heads of its future candidates with Umno president, Najib Tun Razak, defining them as those accepted by the new generation. Pakatan Rakyat, having recovered from a series of blows, has promised to field "principled" candidates whom PKR president, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, described as those who hold true to the principle of struggle and are not tempted by wealth. But neither terminology has impressed political observers who unhesitatingly stripped both brandings down to their rhetorical basics . Associate Professor of the Political Science School in Singapore Management University, Bridget Welsh, called it nothing more than politicking as well as an indication of the different broad orientations of both coalitions. "One is driven to win at all costs and hold on to power while the other is trying to portray itself as the political high ground," she noted. "The focus of both sides should not be on terminology but on efforts to select and groom strong candidates." "Malaysian voters are sceptical of both sides and are less interested in the talk than they are in the evidence and delivery of strong viable candidates who can improve governance and represent people well." Political analyst, Khoo Kay Peng, said should such candidates be found and fielded, they would be better pitched as "responsible" or "effective" rather than "winnable" or "principled". "Politics is not about winning but serving," he said. "Right now, political parties are hard-pressed to come up with something new and convincing enough to garner solid public vote and support."
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| ‘Umno agent in PAS’ gets a drubbing Posted: 07 Dec 2011 03:45 PM PST A PAS-linked blogger launches a vitriolic attack on a veteran party leader following an article in Utusan Malaysia which praised the latter. (Free Malaysia Today) - A PAS-linked blogger did not mince his words when he labelled a veteran party leader as an Umno agent within Pakatan Rakyat. According to the blogger, who uses the monicker Tulang Besi, it is an open secret that Selangor exco for religious affairs Hasan Ali works for the other side. In a posting on his blog Malaysia Waves, Tulang Besi commented on an article in the Umno mouthpiece Utusan Malaysia which praised the PAS leader. Among others, the daily described Hasan as a fighter, who is not afraid of losing his position in order to safeguard Islam and Malay unity. "Since Umno's defeat in several states (in the last general election), when has Utusan praised any Pakatan leader?" asked Tulang Besi. "The praise heaped by Utusan (on Hasan) is akin to the devil commending someone for his religious devotion," he added. Continuing his attack on Hasan, the blogger pointed out that it is the PAS leader who lobbied the party president to join hands with Umno. "Hasan also spreads Umno's cheap propaganda amongst PAS members. He is a 'munafik' (hypocrite) of the highest order and may Allah punish him for this," he said. Tulang Besi also accused Hasan of attempting to sabotage Pakatan on numerous occasions and that his people were involved in the conspiracy to engineer the downfall of Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim.
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| Paranoid Musa afraid of being exposed Posted: 07 Dec 2011 11:05 AM PST Umno-led Sabah Barisan Nasional has come under attack for its 'stupid' act of denying civil activist Haris Ibrahim entry into Sabah. (Free Malaysia Today) - The Sabah Umno-led Barisan Nasional leadership came under heavy condemnation for barring civil activist-cum-lawyer Haris Ibrahim from entering Sabah but did nothing to stem the flow of hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants into the state. Political activist Daniel John Jambun, who was among those at the airport to receive Haris, was fuming that the state government had barred Haris instead of illegal immigrants and criminals from the state. "Why BN did not use this power to deny entry to those illegal immigrants? Haris came here to promote good governance and civil society." "He is a lawyer with the people's interest at heart." "(Chief Minister) Musa (Aman), please explain yourself," he demanded. Sabah lawyer Peter Marajin said the incident proved that the leadership in Sabah is 'paranoid and afraid of being exposed' and being examined by civil society movements like MCLM. "Umno is scared of its own shadow..," said Marajin who is also a supreme council member of Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP). He said the the state government had clearly failed in its priorities when exercising its immigration powers. Haris, who is also the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) president, was denied entry into Sabah as soon as he landed from Kuala Lumpur at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport here at 3.15pm yesterday. Haris, who had been to the state recently to help stage the anti-Peaceful Assembly Bill protest here, was met by immigration officers at the airport and handed a letter that stated he was refused entry into the state on the instruction of Chief Minister Musa Aman who is in charge of all immigration matters in the state. Barring Haris is 'unacceptable "Let me tell Musa, the message that we wanted to send to the people here would reach them." "Though I am physically barred from entering Sabah, today's technology will do this for us," he said Civil activists in the state in unison censured the Umno-led coalition for denying entry to Haris.
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| Malaysian Civil Liberty’s Movement chief barred from entering Sabah Posted: 07 Dec 2011 08:30 AM PST (Borneo Post) - Malaysian Civil Liberty's Movement (MCLM) chairman Harris Fadilah Mohd Ibrahim received an 'unwelcome' treatment from the state government upon his arrival at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) Terminal 2 here yesterday. Harris, a Malaysian blogger and believed to be a close friend of Malaysian blogger Raja Petra, was prevented from entering Sabah upon his arrival on AirAsia flight AK 5106 at 3.10pm at the KKIA Terminal 2. It was learnt that upon arrival, Harris was immediately taken to the airport Immigration office by an immigration officer and was served with a notice. Speaking to reporters through a handphone of one of Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) members, Harris said the notice was addressed to him, dated December 7, on behalf of the Sabah Immigration director. "I have just been handed a notice of refusal of entry into the state of Sabah, dated today and address to me on behalf of the Immigration Sabah director. "The notice says that the reason that I have been barred is that pursuant to Section 65 (1) (a) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, the state authority has directed that no pass be issued to me to enter the state of Sabah as such part required under Section 66 for me to enter the state. "The reason for my refusal to enter Sabah today is because the state authority has directed that no pass be issued to me," he said through the handphone. According to Harris, the officer who spoke and handed the notice to him claimed that the instruction came from the Immigration Department and they do not know the reason why he was refused a pass to enter. "They also did not explain to me what the section is about, only that I have been refused to enter the state of Sabah," he added. In a disappointed voice, Harris asked why he, as a Malaysian was barred and prevented from entering another state in Malaysia? "Why a Malaysian cannot enter Malaysia?" "Why is the Sabah government afraid of? Why are they afraid of one person from Peninsular Malaysia that they have to refuse me from entering Sabah?" he asked. It was learnt that Harris was invited by SAPP members to exchange and learn about the struggle of MCLM. Harris also said that this was the first time he had been barred from entering Sabah and twice being barred from entering Sarawak, during the Sarawak state election. "The reason I flew into Sabah is to deliver a message to the people of Sabah and now we will show the Sabah government that with technology, we can deliver our message to the people without me being physically present," he said. Harris was then deported back to Kuala Lumpur on the next flight at 4.20pm the same day. Meanwhile, SAPP deputy president and Likas assemblyman Datuk Liew Teck Chan with about 15 SAPP members were earlier, at the KKIA Terminal 2 to great and welcome Harris. After learning that Harris was prevented from entering the state, SAPP members then staged a five-minute peaceful protest in front of the arrival hall at Terminal 2 before they dispersed peacefully. According to Liew, the party had invited Harris to gain more understanding of the MCLM's movement in regards to politics and economy. "He, Harris, has been in the United Kingdom for some time, so we want to learn from him as he is well knowledgeable," said Liew. |
| Pas and DAP not in sync over casino Posted: 07 Dec 2011 08:17 AM PST (New Straits Times) - Inconsistent answers from Pas and DAP assemblymen on the fate of the casino in Genting Highlands drew flak from the backbenchers who claimed that the opposition was afraid to lose votes if they had a common stand on the issue. Pas assemblymen Syed Hamid Syed Mohamad (Kuala Semantan) and Syed Mohammed Tuan Lonnik (Beserah) said that the party could not tolerate gambling and would close the casino if the opposition took over the state. "Tell me which religion allows gambling? We (Pas) can never compromise on gambling and that is why we want to stop such activities (in Genting Highlands)," said Syed Hamid. However, Leong Ngah Ngah (DAP-Triang) said the matter should be discussed further while Choong Siew Onn (DAP-Tras) said any decision on the issue should only be made after the opposition won the state in the next general election. They were responding to a question raised by Datuk Chuah Boon Seong (BN-Mentakab) when debating on next year's budget in the state assembly yesterday. |
| Posted: 07 Dec 2011 08:15 AM PST TUSSLE: Opposition coalition parties say their candidate would be best suited to win Johor Jaya constituency (New Straits Times) - A tussle seems to be brewing between Johor DAP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) on who should contest the Johor Jaya state seat in the next general election. State PKR chief Datuk Chua Jui Meng said that their candidate was more suitable because the seat was contested by Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM) in the last general election. "Since PRM had merged into what is now PKR, that seat should be contested by us," said Chua while admitting that the relationship between PKR and DAP "could be much better". His statement is in contrast with what Johor DAP chairman Dr Boo Cheng Hau said on Monday that they wanted to field more candidates in Johor, including in seats contested by PKR in 2008. This, Dr Boo, said included the Johor Jaya state seat which was supposedly allocated to PKR. He had said that Johor DAP would not give way to any other party within the coalition because in 2008, the PRM candidate was beaten with a huge majority of over 10,000 votes. In 2008, MCA's Tan Cher Puk defeated PRM's Md Nashir Wahab. Chinese voters make up 48 per cent of the voters there, the others being Malays (44 per cent), Indians (7.5 per cent) and others (0.5 per cent). Meanwhile, on the internal revolt faced by Dr Boo from a segment of DAP members in Johor, Chua said that PKR was concerned about it. Chua, who is also PKR supreme council member, expressed his hope that Dr Boo would manage to overcome his "difficulties". "I understand what he is going through but the problem is between Dr Boo and DAP and we (PKR) don't want to add to his burden. "I know he (Dr Boo) is currently under a lot of pressure and I hope he will manage to overcome it," said Chua when met at the Johor Baru Chinese Press Club on Tuesday night. On Sunday, about 20 members of the Bakri DAP division gathered at the car park of the Wetex shopping mall in Muar to protest against Dr Boo. They were carrying several banners accusing Dr Boo of being autocratic and wanted state DAP secretary Tan Chen Choon to become the party's candidate for the Bentayan state constituency in the coming general election. The seat is now held by DAP's Gwee Tiong Hiang but his membership was recently suspended for allegedly misusing party funds to buy a vehicle for his own company. The members also called on DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng to interfere and take action against Dr Boo. Chua insisted that he would assist Dr Boo in his time of crisis and that PKR and DAP would always work together. "Sink or swim, we (PKR and DAP) must be together in the same boat." Chua said he had requested for all Johor PKR members to refrain from making statements on the current situation faced by Dr Boo and Johor DAP. He also stressed that all quarters within the loose alliance of DAP, PKR and Pas must abide by the agreement not to issue any statement on distribution of electoral seats for the coming general election. Meanwhile, DAP deputy election director Anthony Loke said DAP, Pas and PKR had set up a three-member panel to discuss seat allocations for the general election. The three are Cheras member of parliament, Tan Kok Wai; PKR deputy president Azmin Ali and Pas secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali. "Currently, discussions are ongoing I will not say anything more," said Loke. However, PKR vice-president Tian Chua said the party had already finalised the seat allocations before November as they had anticipated the 13th general election to be called at the end of this year. "All I can say is some new faces will be fielded," he said when contacted on Tuesday. Pas election director Dr Mohd Hatta Ramli said discussions were under way. "I do not want to reveal whatever has been discussed as it is an internal matter." On Monday, Bayan Baru member of parliament Datuk Seri Zahrain Mohamed Hashim had revealed that some independent members might not seek re-election in the next general election. He said the matter was discussed during a recent meeting of the independent caucus.
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| Include hudud in manifesto, PAS dared Posted: 07 Dec 2011 08:03 AM PST (The Star) - MCA has continued with its call that PAS must include its intention to implement its own brand of hudud law in its manifesto for the next general election. The Islamic party must be fair to voters so they could be fully informed about their choices before making their decision, said MCA Young Professionals Bureau chairman Datuk Seri Chua Tee Yong. "Voters deserve the right to know what kind of Government they are voting in," he told reporters after launching the Malaysia Youth 4 Ecogreen Initiative here yesterday. He said PAS must also listen to its own member, PAS Supporters Congress chairman Hu Pang Chaw, who had emphasised that if the party wanted to implement hudud law, it must hold more forums and seminars to allow the public to better understand the issue. Chua also refuted PAS' claim that MCA did not invite the party to its public forum on hudud on Sunday. "MCA did send the invitation," he said. Kelantan MCA secretary Tan Ken Ten said both DAP and PKR could not stop the implementation of hudud in the state, as shown by the case of a coffeeshop owner who was fined by the Kota Baru Municipal Council when her employee unintentionally uncovered her arms while serving a customer. "This is not only unfair but also proves that the implementation of hudud law will affect non-Muslims," he said, adding that the reasons given by the enforcement officers were ridiculous because staff would have to fold up their sleeves when they work. "Previously, Pakatan Rakyat also declared that the implementation of hudud law was not possible. How are PAS and PKR going to explain this?" "They choose not to respond to these type of issues to keep their marriage of convenience alive," he said. Johor MCA vice-chairman Jason Teoh Sew Hock said DAP's absence at the hudud forum was mainly due to its ambiguous stand. "(DAP secretary-general) Lim (Guan Eng) and his colleagues chose to become political deserters as, apparently, they are unable to change PAS' intention to implement hudud law. "Probably his absence was because he was not brave enough to face the challenge given by MCA, which requested Pakatan Rakyat to list hudud law in their Buku Jingga or Orange Book," he said.
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| Civil servants to get up to 13% pay rise from Jan 1 Posted: 07 Dec 2011 08:00 AM PST (The Star) - A new civil service remuneration scheme has been unveiled giving government employees a pay rise of 7% to 13% effective Jan 1. Public Service director-general Tan Sri Abu Bakar Abdullah said the increments for the civil servants would be based on four principles: hierarchy: talent and experience; their position and subject matter expertise; and their performance. He said the increments would be performance-based, which also means that if the top civil servants do not do enough to merit bonuses, there would be no pay rise for them either. The performance of the top-level civil servants will be evaluated through their Key Performance Indicators. Citing an example of how a top management officer would be paid, he said a doctor with a salary range of between RM4,431 and RM6,439 is now eligible for a salary of between RM4,520 and RM8,840. However, the doctor will not immediately move to the new maximum rate if he is currently earning RM6,439. He will instead earn a similar salary and continue to enjoy increments of up to RM8,840 (37% higher than the previous ceiling) even before he is promoted to the next grade. Giving an example for the lower category staff, he said: "If a driver earns between RM1,222.51 and RM1,882 under the current scheme, he can earn between RM1,245 and RM2,965 under the new scheme."
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| ‘Apologise or hell will break loose’ Posted: 07 Dec 2011 07:25 AM PST A DAP leader has called on P Ramasamy to apologise to Karpal Singh with immediate effect. (Free Malaysia Today) - Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy must apologise for labelling Karpal Singh as a party godfather. Or else all hell would break loose during the party's state convention this Sunday, warned Seri Delima DAP assemblyman and Karpal's protégé RS Nethaji Rayer. Rayer also chided Ramasamy for being ignorant of Karpal's immense contributions over the past 45 years. "Withdraw your remarks and apologise to Karpal publicly," he told the academic-turned-politician If he fails to do so, Rayer insisted that the party consider taking disciplinary action against Ramasamy. "Karpal is the party national chairman. "Ramasamy should not hit out in the press that the party does not need godfathers. "He should retract his statement and stop behaving like a warlord. "If he can't show respect, he is not fit to be the DCM," he told reporters here. 'Don't forget the past' Rayer also accused Ramasamy of being absent- minded, conveniently forgetting that if it was not for Karpal's intervention, he would not have been appointed as DCM. Rayer said he was present at the Penang General Hospital when Ramasamy visited Karpal there after the 2008 general election. He claimed that Ramasamy practically begged Karpal to get him appointed as DCM. He said Ramasamy was appointed as DCM only after Karpal spoke to Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng. "Don't forget that Prof Rama. Don't be kacang lupakan kulit," he said. Rayer said veterans like Bukit Gelugor MP Karpal and Ipoh Timur MP Lim Kit Siang were godfathers due to their sacrifices and contributions. He said Karpal and Lim underwent various tribulations including being detained under the Internal Security Act, charged with sedition and other cooked up allegations. On the contrary, he said Ramasamy had no such battle scars. Unprecedented announcement Rayer noted that the current controversy was caused by Ramasamy's unprecedented announcement regarding his choice of candidates for the next election. On Nov 28, Tamil newspaper Makkal Osai published Ramasamy's "announcement" that the party will field three Indian women – D Kamachi, P Kasturi (daughter of the late DAP stalwart P Patto) and an unknown lawyer from Penang, K Mangaleswari. Ramasamy was also quoted as saying that parliamentarians M Kulasegaran (Ipoh Barat), Gobind Singh Deo (Puchong), Charles Santiago (Klang) and M Manogaran, and assemblymen A Sivanesan (Sungkai), A Sivasubramaniam (Buntong), V Sivakumar (Tronoh) and P Gunasekaren (Senawang) were certain of contesting in the coming general election.
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| Air crash more than historical event Posted: 06 Dec 2011 07:31 PM PST (WikiSabah) - United Borneo Front (UBF) chairman Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan told the court that the air crash on June 6, 1976 that killed former Chief Minister Tun Fuad Stephens and all 10 others on board a Nomad aircraft is more than a historical event. Jeffrey, 63, said it was a tragedy of huge proportions not only affecting the families of the crash victims but also affecting the State and the future of its people.
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| Bill to redevelop Kampung Baru tabled in Dewan Negara Posted: 06 Dec 2011 06:58 PM PST (Bernama) -- The Kampung Baru Development Corporation Bill 2011 will explain in detail the functions and roles of the corporation in the redevelopment of Kampung Baru in the capital, said Federal Territories and Urban Well-being Minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin. He said the bill would encourage, stimulate, increase, facilitate and coordinate the redevelopment of Kampung Baru and provide relevant provisions associated with it. The government is transparent and open in drafting the bill by taking into accounts complaints, views and counter proposals made by landowners and heirs to the land in Kampung Baru, he said when tabling the bill for second reading at the Dewan Negara today. "The land ownership will not be compromised in the redevelopment of Kampung Baru as it would be a symbol of the Malay success and prosperity in the middle of Kuala Lumpur metropolitan," he said. Raja Nong Chik said the redevelopment of Kampung Baru would benefit all quarters while generating the Malays' economic prosperity in the capital, particularly among landowners and heirs to the land. The 92.2ha Kampung Baru, which was opened 110 years ago, has a population of 35,000.
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| MCLM chief barred from entering Sabah Posted: 06 Dec 2011 06:20 PM PST Haris Ibrahim has been barred from entering the state and was sent back to KL on the next available flight. (Free Malaysia Today) - Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) president Haris Ibrahim has been barred from entering Sabah and was sent back to Kuala Lumpur on the next available flight. Contacted by FMT prior to his departure, the lawyer said he had landed at the Kota Kinabalu airport at about 3.15pm. "I have just been told that 'atas arahan atasan' (orders from a higher authority), I have been denied entry. I am still at the immigration awaiting details," he said. He later added that the formal notice stated that he was detained under Section 65 (1) of the Immigration Act 1959/1963 and that he had been denied entry on the direction of state authority. Asked if he was there for MCLM-related activities, Haris said that the movement had some work with political parties and NGOs in Sabah. "I presume the order (to prevent entry to Sabah) is related (to the political activities in Sabah)," he added. Haris, who was previously attached to election watchdog Bersih 2.0, was also denied entry into Sarawak twice — in April during the state election and September this year. It is believed that he was stopped from entering Sarawak under the similar law. Under the Malaysia Agreement, Sarawak and Sabah have the power to bar anyone from entering the states, including persons from Peninsular Malaysia.
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| Respect elders, ‘newcomer’ Rama told Posted: 06 Dec 2011 02:43 PM PST A DAP division in Penang is peeved with the deputy chief minister for branding party veterans as godfathers and demands a clarification. (Free Malaysia Today) - The Bagan DAP division has launched a broadside against Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy for describing party elders as "godfathers". According to the division, this is a mark of disrespect and called on the academic-turned-politician to clarify who he was referring to. The division also urged the leadership to take stern disciplinary action against the "newcomer". "Never before has a DAP elected representative criticised party elders as godfathers. Its 'un-DAP-like'," said division deputy chairman and Bagan Dalam assemblyman A Tanasekharan. He said party elders, like national chairman Karpal Singh and Ipoh Timur MP Lim Kit Siang, have been the pillars of strength for DAP over the years. "They have sacrificed so much and been the backbone of the party, we must respect them. As a newcomer, Ramasamy should not be disrespectful towards the party veterans. He should not act like a warlord," Tanasekharan told FMT in the presence of the division's liaison committee members. Ramasamy, the Penang DAP deputy chairman, told an online media that DAP should get rid of not only warlords but godfathers as well. He was responding to Karpal's warning to certain party leaders against becoming political warlords by circumventing the leadership to promise and announce seats for their cronies. Karpal also cautioned against using the term godfathers to describe veteran leaders, stating that the latter are also needed for the party's progress. The row was caused by Ramasamy's announcement in Tamil newspaper Makkal Osai on Nov 28 that the party will field three Indian women – D Kamachi, P Kasturi (daughter of the late DAP stalwart P Patto), and an unknown lawyer from Penang, K Mangaleswari. Ramasamy was also quoted as saying that parliamentarians M Kulasegaran (Ipoh Barat), Gobind Singh Deo (Puchong), Charles Santiago (Klang) and M Manogaran, and assemblymen A Sivanesan (Sungkai), A Sivasubramaniam (Buntong), V Sivakumar (Tronoh) and P Gunasekaren (Senawang) were certain of contesting in the coming general election. According to the article, Ramasamy also announced that he will re-contest both his Prai state and Batu Kawan federal seats, which is against the imminent party's "one man – one seat" policy. Although he denied stating it, the Makkal Osai article, sub-titled the report as Ramasamy's announcement. Why deny it now? Tanasekharan said the majority of division leaders and members backed Karpal on this matter. He also questioned why Ramasamy denied making such an announcement only after Karpal's outburst. "Instead of accusing the reporters and media of twisting (his remarks), he should have denied the report a week ago," he added. Bagan division head and Penang DAP vice-chairman Lim Hock Seng clarified that the CEC is the party's highest decision-making body to finalise and announce the candidatures.
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| Indelible ink: Scholars reject call for new fatwa Posted: 06 Dec 2011 02:33 PM PST The EC may be looking for an excuse to delay its decision, according former mufti Mohd Asri. (Free Malaysia Today) - Several Islamic scholars have rejected the call for another fatwa on the use of indelible ink to mark those who vote in an election. They said the fatwa that the National Fatwa Council issued in 2007 made another one unnecessary. They were commenting on Election Commission (EC) secretary Kamaruddin Ahmad Baria's statement last Friday that the commission was awaiting approval from the National Fatwa Council. Kamaruddin was speaking to DAP representatives last Friday. Former Perlis Mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin said that the EC should not use Islam as an excuse to dilly dally over its decision on whether to impose the use of indelible ink as a measure against cheating in the coming general election. "Actually, I am amazed," Asri told FMT. "It is very interesting that the EC is now mentioning religion even when there is already a fatwa on this. "Don't use Islam as an excuse and an obstacle to implementing actions that will bring justice. That's a very bad attitude." The issue of whether the ink would be allowed in Islam was raised recently by Pasir Mas MP Ibrahim Ali. He said in Parliament that the ink might make ablutions invalid. The National Fatwa Council said in 2007 that the ink had been chemically tested and found to be free of substances considered impure in Islam, medically safe and porous enough to make ablutions valid. "The use of indelible ink is allowed," said Asri. "Otherwise in principle we can't use ordinary pens as well because the ink sticks everywhere. "The spirit of Islam is to seek justice. For me, where justice is concerned, even if there is no fatwa on the matter, Islam would accommodate it. "You have mechanics who deal with oils which cannot be washed off thoroughly or a policeman who has to work with dogs. If there are no other options and you absolutely have to work with it, then you may do so. "To me this is a simple issue which even a village religious teacher can answer. It is about justice."
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| Hospitals in Malacca out of medicine Posted: 06 Dec 2011 02:25 PM PST (The Star) - The state government has promised fresh supply of medicine at public hospitals following a shortage which caused misery to patients for nearly a month. State Health, Project Rehabilitation, Suburban Development and NGO committee chairman Datuk Seet Har Cheow assured the patients that the problem would be resolved by tomorrow. "The shortage of medicine has placed patients in a limbo. The state is addressing the situation," he said, adding that new supplies had been dispatched. "We expect things to normalise in a day or two." Seet blamed the shortage on "several inevitable factors" but said the state was in constant touch with the Health Ministry. "I can't divulge these factors. But I strongly dismiss allegations that medical personnel were hoarding the drugs and secretly supplying these to private pharmacies," he said, adding that the ministry was putting in place measures to prevent a recurrence. Asked if the quality of the medicine would be compromised in the rush to stock up, Seet said: "Health isn't something we gamble with." In Putrajaya, Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the shortage should be dealt with immediately by the respective administrators. He, however, was not aware of the situation in Malacca. "It was not reported to me, but it shouldn't have happened," he said, adding that he had reminded all hospital and clinic administrative staff members to ensure there was enough stock. "Although hospitals and clinics can sometimes run out of medicine at the end of the year, they should have a plan to prevent it from happening," he said. Malacca Pensioner Associations chairman J. Ram said its 2,000 members, who relied heavily on public hospital medicine, had been left in the lurch. "Even pharmaceutical products to treat high-blood pressure patients were unavailable for almost a month," he said. "Many of us are elderly patients who cannot afford to get supplies from private pharmacies."
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| Pudu project must go to bumiputras Posted: 06 Dec 2011 01:42 PM PST By Andrew Nayagam, The Malay Mail KUALA LUMPUR: The government's bumiputra agenda must be followed at all cost — even if it means taxpayers do not get the best deal from development projects. This seems to be the conclusion to the testy Pudu Jail redevelopment issue as project owner, government linked company UDA Holdings Berhad (UDA), has been forced to return to the drawing board to select a bumiputra contractor. The Finance Ministry had mandated UDA to focus solely on bumiputra investors, inciting the ire of UDA chairman Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohammed. Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Dr Awang Adek Hussin said the ministry and government want UDA to drop a foreign contractor hired for the project through a legitimate tender in favour of bumiputra companies. "This is where UDA's role is critical and the government's mandate must be followed," he said. "The government hopes for more bumiputras to be involved in redeveloping the city and we want to help them. Pudu Jail is one of the projects we are looking at. The bumiputra involvement in construction projects in the city is small. We want them to have more of an impact in this area," he said after launching UDA's 40 Years Corporate Stamp and opening the Ancasa Express Hotel in Pudu Sentral here, yesterday. Nur Jazlan told The Malay Mail UDA had been told to make a U-turn and look for bumiputra companies or individuals to breathe new life into the abandoned Pudu Jail and transform it into a commercial and transport hub. "This is despite receiving surefire profit-making proposal by four foreign companies," he said, taking a swipe at the ministry for rejecting an "excellent proposal" presented by a China-based company, Everbright Ltd, which had offered RM2.9 billion in building costs with projected annual returns of at least RM300 million to RM400 million. "Despite Everbright being backed by the Chinese government and with reserves of US$1.3b (RM4b), the offer was rejected and UDA was directed to look for bumiputra investors," he said. Nur Jazlan said bumiputra companies did not have the financial means of foreign companies. "Not many bumiputra companies are as big as UDA. There's a high chance those companies will be bailed out halfway," he said, adding UDA posted profits of RM40m this year with RM1b in assets. When asked if he felt his power as chairman had been undermined by the ministry, Nur Jazlan said: "My hands are tied. I cannot do anything about it. I'm forced to follow." It was learnt 15 companies had bid for the project on the 19.7 acre site. Of the five shortlisted, the sole bumiputra company was a construction company linked to an Umno politician. |
| Cleaning up not only about removing the dead, EC told Posted: 06 Dec 2011 01:38 PM PST (Harakah Daily) - PAS's vocal Youth wing has reminded the Election Commission that electoral reforms were not limited to only removing names of deceased voters in the electoral rolls. The wing's head Nasrudin Hassan Tantawi stressed that a clean, fair and transparent election could only take place when there was a high sense of commitment from the ruling government for electoral reforms, including allowing the opposition and dissenting views airtime over national television."It starts with the freedom for political parties to campaign without being restricted by mind-boggling laws against the spirit of democracy such as being practised by UMNO," Nasrudin said in a statement to Harakahdaily, and cited the existence of draconian laws such as the newly passed Peaceful Assembly bill, Official Secret Acts, Universities and University Colleges Act and the Internal Security Act. Yesterday, EC deputy chief Wan Ahmad Wan Omar (left) said the Commission was working with the National Registration Department to remove from the rolls the names of people who have died. In response to Wan Ahmad's guarantee that Malaysia would see the 'most up-to-date electoral rolls' for the 13th general election, Nasrudin called for more effort to clean up the electoral rolls besides working with the NRD. According to Nasrudin, the EC must also clean up overlapping voters with identical and suspicious names, as well as those with identical Mykad numbers, and other instances revealed by PAS Youth this year. "EC must also give guarantee that they will also clean up the election process so that it will not create doubts and suspicion to ensure transparency and fairness in election. Among others, the use of indelible ink and the abolishment of postal voting," he added. |
| Posted: 06 Dec 2011 01:33 PM PST By Selena Tay, FMT Our vote is very important and there's no measure of its worth. To illustrate this point further, here is how in 1969 MCA's late Tan Siew Sin campaigned for votes in the parliamentary seat of Bangsar by saying that there was no point whatsoever in voting for the Opposition (DAP's Goh Hock Guan). "The ordinary voter should remember that while a bigger opposition is all right in theory, in practice it means that those voters represented by opposition members will suffer, and suffer hideously, merely to enjoy the luxury of having someone there in Parliament scolding the government on their behalf," he said. The above quotation is taken from the bestseller by Dr Kua Kia Soong entitled "May 13" which was published in 2007. Knowing how precious each vote is, it is therefore not surprising that in order to win every general election, Barisan Nasional goes about soliciting votes by fair means or foul. Thus, it is of utmost importance to ensure that all the 10 recommendations proposed by the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) for electoral reform are implemented before the 13th general election takes place. Otherwise, the PSC is just a sham to con the public. However, these 10 proposals do not quite resemble Bersih 2.0′s demands except for the proposal to use indelible ink and the proposal to clean up the electoral rolls. As for the postal ballot, now it will be called "Advance Voting" but the essence is still the same, it is only the terminology that differs. Listed below are Bersih 2.0′s eight demands:
BN's greatest weapon What is more important is that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is silent on whether the polls will be held before the electoral reforms are implemented. This means that the polls can be called before the reforms take place. The prime minister is known to have lied before and he must not be allowed to dupe the public as he has so often done so in the past. The prime minister is one slippery character and those members of the public who have wised up to his tricks must watch him like a hawk to ensure that he does not employ any dubious tricks to pull the wool over the eyes of those who are gullible. DAP's Rasah MP Anthony Loke has highlighted cases of army voters in Negri Sembilan who have the same name and date of birth but using two different forms of identification (MyKad as well as the army registration number) in the voter roll. This will enable the said army man to vote twice in two different polling centres and thus he has two votes. Those undetected cases could be massive and this blatant abuse of the voting process by the armed forces personnel is tantamount to the destruction of democracy. Another suspicious account of hanky-panky in the Election Commission (EC) is in Lembah Pantai, the parliamentary seat of PKR's Nurul Izzah. On Sept 26, 2011, there were 149 registered postal voters but on Nov 2, 2011, the figure shot up to 2,180 postal voters (an increase of 1,363%)! Not only that but in Kampung Haji Abdullah Hukum where all the residents have moved out and the kampung is no longer in existence, the number of voters have increased from 3,204 to 3,300. Amazing indeed! There are many names in Nurul's constituency without address and these no doubt are phantom voters. Who is creating the names and MyKad numbers out of the blue? What is going on? In addition, there are unconfirmed reports that at least 200,000 dubious voters have been added to the voter rolls (at least 70,000 in Selangor and more than 50,000 in Penang)! If so, then not only will Pakatan Rakyat lose badly, Pakatan will be wiped out for sure!
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| KL property investment ranking slips in new survey Posted: 06 Dec 2011 01:32 PM PST By Yow Hong Chieh, The Malaysian Insider Kuala Lumpur's property outlook will continue to slide in 2012 while Singapore remains the most attractive Asia Pacific city for real estate investors, according to an Urban Land Institute (ULI) report. Kuala Lumpur's investment prospects slipped one spot to 16th out of 21 Asian cities tracked going into next year while development prospects dropped three places, also to 16th, the "Emerging Trends in Real Estate Asia Pacific 2012" outlook released yesterday said. Singapore topped the list despite a less positive environment and falling yields this year, and was the only city besides Shanghai considered to have "generally good" development prospects. Buying sentiment was stronger in Kuala Lumpur for retail and industrial property than in Singapore while the reverse was true for office, apartment and hotel property. The largest group of experts polled for the report recommended a hold on all property sectors in Kuala Lumpur next year, while a "sizable minority" backed acquisitions in all areas. "Construction financing (for Kuala Lumpur) might remain more limited as global economic concerned continue to linger," the report added. "However, government plans are in place to improve infrastructure over the coming years — always a boost for commercial real estate." It also said that despite recent declines investors still saw Malaysia's capital as "an emerging city of interest", noting that properties in the city were valued at one-fifth that of comparable properties in Singapore. Investors also predicted bullish growth in Malaysia, with the report predicting that national GDP growth would remain at five per cent or above through to 2015.
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| Act fast on Alstom bribery scandal probe, TI-M tells MACC Posted: 06 Dec 2011 01:30 PM PST By Debra Chong, The Malaysian Insider Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) today urged national anti-graft officials to work with Swiss authorities and to act quickly in the latest bribery scandal to arrest Malaysia's corruption perception slide. In a statement today, TI-M president Datuk Paul Low raised the questionable business dealings of French engineering giant Alstom in the country and called on the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) "to leave no stone unturned" in investigating if there were such corrupt practices as alleged. It noted Alstom was fined €31 million (RM 130 million) by the Swiss Attorney General for failing to implement proper controls to prevent bribery in Malaysia, Latvia and Tunisia relating to payments to middlemen to secure government contracts to build power plants. "Given the continued slide in Malaysia's Corruption Perception Index ranking and score as shown in the 2011 results released last week, it is crucial that all efforts are made to address any allegations of corrupt practices immediately," Low said. He added that the commission must be allowed to conduct their investigations without fear or favour, and said any party that breached the MACC Act must be dealt with transparently in accordance with the law. Yesterday, scandal-hit Alstom denied it bribed an Umno veteran for a power plant project in Perlis as alleged. The French firm also declined comment when asked to confirm if its Malaysian executives were being investigated by national anti-graft officials over its connections to Tenaga Perlis Consortium (TTPC), a local company partly controlled by Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Pawanteh. In responding to The Malaysian Insider, Alstom maintained its stand that reported financial improprieties in its business dealings here were one of three isolated cases and were not the result of a "systematic bribery" endorsed by the company. "As underlined in the Swiss Attorney's conclusions, Malaysia is one of the cases where the company has been a victim of the misconduct of its employees," Beverly Ho, Alstom Malaysia's communications manager said in an email reply yesterday. It stressed that the company was fined by Swiss authorities for "corporate negligence in the past, not for having organised a corruption scheme". Abdul Hamid, a former Perlis mentri besar and Dewan Negara president who was reported to be directly implicated in Alstom's indictment for bribery in securing foreign contracts, also denied accepting monies. "I wish to categorically state that the allegations contained in the above report are totally baseless and malicious," Abdul Hamid said in a statement to The Malaysian Insider two days ago. He stressed that the company's board of directors, including Ti Chee Liang who was named in the Swiss court papers, did not receive "7.5 million Swiss francs (RM25.5 million) to help Alstom Malaysia secure a contract to build a power plant in Perlis in late 1995". The politician also disclosed that he was unaware of ongoing investigations into Alstom Malaysia by the Swiss authorities. "To date, I have not been notified or called by them to make any statements or provide any details. I am shocked that the Swiss authorities have accused Ti and me of wrongdoings, financial or otherwise.
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| With Selangor award, Utusan paints Hasan as PAS-Umno matchmaker Posted: 06 Dec 2011 01:28 PM PST By Melissa Chi, The Malaysian Insider Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia said today that former PAS state commissioner Datuk Dr Hasan Ali's "Datuk Paduka" title award in conjunction with the Sultan Selangor's birthday this weekend will play a role in "marrying" Umno and PAS. Assistant Chief Editor Datuk Zaini Hassan, writing in his weekly column, said he was informed the Sultan recognises Hasan's role and saw him as a unifying factor for the Malays in Selangor. "In Selangor, the Dr Hasan factor is very important. His followers in PAS (who share the same views) are large in numbers. His influence among Malay civil servants in Selangor is also significant. "Both factors had given Dr Hasan advantages to bring about changes. Dr Hasan is able to make that marriage happen in order to uphold the sanctity of Islam and the wholeness of the Malays in Selangor. Selangor needs to be saved," Zaini said. He also pointed out that Hasan is the only Selangor executive councillor to receive the state medal from the Sultan, claiming he will be given the "Datuk Paduka Mahkota Selangor" title. This comes on the heels of the Umno general assembly last week pronouncing that PAS cannot supplant Umno as the political guardians of the Malay community. Then, Umno also took to accusing DAP leaders of marginalising Malays in Pakatan Rakyat states and challenging the sanctity of Islam as the country's "official religion". Hasan, who is in charge of the state's Islamic affairs portfolio, previously defended a raid by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) on the Damansara Utama Methodist Church in August, claiming there was proselytisation of Muslims on the premises. Widely seen as a religious conservative, Hasan has been at odds with the ruling PR state government's seemingly liberal policies on several occasions, most notably his push for a beer sale ban in the country's most developed state earlier this year.
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| New Causeway toll likely fodder for Pakatan in Johor Posted: 06 Dec 2011 11:12 AM PST By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider A new toll for the Causeway next year making it six times as expensive for roundtrips between Johor Baru and Singapore is set to be a major election issue in the Umno bastion and birthplace of Johor. The Malaysian Insider understands project owner Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad (MRCB) has proposed a RM9.10 toll in each direction for passenger vehicles using its RM1 billion Eastern Dispersal Link (EDL) highway from the Causeway to the immigration post. However, the Umno-linked company is using an open toll system that charges the full fare at the new Custom, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) checkpoint regardless of where motorists exit or enter the highway — the latest facility for the ambitious Iskandar zone that celebrates its five-year anniversary this weekend. The rest of the 8.1km stretch leading to the Pandan interchange of the North-South Highway will be free to local motorists. With Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak set to call a general election soon, sources said Putrajaya may be forced to delay or subsidise the toll that could be up to six times the current charge for roundtrips across the one kilometre bridge spanning both countries. MRCB officials briefed the media and local stakeholders yesterday ahead of plans to launch the highway and tollbooths built at the CIQ complex in the first quarter of 2012. The Malaysian Insider also learnt that local business leaders were concerned that, with the new CIQ already taking Singaporean tourists away from downturn Johor Baru, the EDL will see them skip the more inland Tebrau area as well. Taxi drivers also called for an exemption as it would otherwise be unfeasible to ferry passengers across the Causeway. When contacted by The Malaysian Insider, an MRCB spokesman said "we cannot comment on the toll because that is up to the government." However, the spokesman confirmed that toll will be levied on vehicles heading in both directions across the Causeway but local motorists within Johor be able to use the EDL free of charge. "MRCB insists it won't be major election issue but they refuse to make any statement on pricing. It will be suicide for the government to introduce the toll before elections," a source close to the project told The Malaysian Insider. Over 50,000 vehicles cross the bridge daily, mostly Malaysians living in and around the state capital who commute to the island republic to work. Johor Baru's economy is also heavily reliant on Singaporeans who cross the Straits of Johor to enjoy cheaper prices there. Putrajaya set up the Iskandar zone five years ago to turn Johor Baru and its surrounding region into an economic growth area catering to the spillover from Singapore. Cars and lorries exiting Singapore and heading into Johor now pay RM2.90 and RM5.50 respectively to use the bridge while motorcycles, which make up more than half of traffic across the Causeway, are exempt from the toll. Singapore's Straits Times reported in 2008 that the toll charges for the EDL will range from RM6.20 for passenger vehicles to RM12.40 for lorries entering Malaysia. But with commuters being charged the combined fare in both directions, roundtrips on the 88-year-old bridge will cost five times more. The English-language daily reported that rates will be raised every three years of the 30-year concession and will peak at RM14.60 for passenger vehicles and RM29.20 for lorries.
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| Malaysia backsliding in graft war, says Kit Siang Posted: 06 Dec 2011 11:11 AM PST By Lisa J Ariffin, The Malaysian Insider Malaysia is losing ground in the fight against graft and risks slipping behind China, infamous for its endemic corruption, DAP's Lim Kit Siang warned today. Lim was responding to a report released by Transparency International (TI), in which Malaysia's Corruption Perception Index (CPI) dropped for the third year running — slipping to 4.3 this year — leaving it in 60th place out of 183 countries, compared with 37th when Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi took over as prime minister in 2003. "Other countries which had been down on the list of the TI CPI ranking are fast catching up while Malaysia is fast falling down," Lim said today in a statement, citing China in particular. "At the annual average rate of China's improvement and Malaysia's regression... China will not only catch up but will leave Malaysia behind... In the matter of four years," he added. Lim said the 1 Malaysia Government Transformation Plan Roadmap under the ruling government released in January 2010 admitted that the perception of corrupt practices in Malaysia had risen in recent years, adding that the target was to increase "our CPI score from 4.5 to 4.9" by 2010. "The anti-corruption NKRA target was another colossal failure... Malaysia's CPI score for three years from 2009 to 2011 was 4.5, 4.4, 4.3 — all three the lowest scores ever registered in Malaysia," he said. "This is most deplorable... There must be change of federal government in the next general elections as only a Pakatan Rakyat government in Putrajaya will have the political will to carry out a serious, committed and uncompromising anti-corruption programme," he added |
| RCI for Sabah now, not after polls Posted: 06 Dec 2011 11:08 AM PST By Queville To, FMT KOTA KINABALU: An opposition MP has warned Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak not to delay setting up the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to investigate claims that citizenship was given to foreigners in exchange for their votes. Sepanggar MP Eric Majimbun said Najib must resolve the long standing issue of the almost two million illegal immigrants in Sabah, their citizenship and Project IC scheme. The alleged scheme was set up to change the electoral composition of the state along communal lines. "Those culprits who are involved in Project IC should be brought to justice according to the existing laws, as these people are the traitors of the country and Sabah in particular," he said. He said to allow the next general election to be called without investigating the allegations would be perpetuating a fraud. "To go ahead and call for the 13th general election without investigating the issues would call into question the election itself,"added. Majimbun stressed that an impartial investigation was crucial to help clean the much-maligned electoral rolls, in line with Najib's pledge to push through electoral reforms. "If the government can allow the establishment of RCI to probe individual-related issues like that of Teoh Beng Hock's mysterious death and that of a lawyer like VK Linggam, why can't the same be done to resolve the perennial issue of the presence of hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants who have obtained the MyKad through dubious means like the Project IC, which is threatening the sovereignty of Sabah and affecting the well-being of its people?" he asked. Majimbun also challenged Umno and the Chief Minister Musa Aman as the chairman of Sabah Barisan Nasional and the State Security Council to take a stand on the call for the establishment of the RCI on the matter. Only Umno against RCI The outspoken MP denied Musa's allegations that the opposition were 'merely capitalizing' on the RCI to score political points. "We are not capitalizing on the RCI. This is not about scoring political points. Project IC is an irresponsible and unreasonable act. "It is the Umno leaders who are playing politics regardless of the outcome for Sabah and its people. "(Notice how) none of the Sabah delegates who spoke in the recent Umno annual general assembly had supported the calls for the setting up of the RCI. "Whereas almost all political parties in Sabah including several component parties of Barisan Nasional (except Umno) too have expressed their support demanding for the establishment of the RCI by the federal government, " said Majimbun who is also Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) deputy president.
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| Heat over satellite dish crackdown in Sabah Posted: 06 Dec 2011 11:06 AM PST By Azman Habu, FMT TAWAU: The seizure of 193 satellite dishes around Sabah by the Customs Department has drawn into the spotlight the federal government's continued bias towards KL-based satellite service provider Astro and its victimizing of Sabahans. Deputy Chief Minister Dr Yee Moh Chai as well as several senior opposition leaders, in voicing their shock, have also branded the seizures as "ridiculous". "After all we are subscribing to the Prime Minister's 'People First Performance Now' dictum," he said after making known his unhappiness with federal government's continued policy of not allowing people to use parabolic satellite dishes. The state Customs Department announced over the weekend it had launched crackdown on the use of unapproved satellite dishes last month under Customs Act 1967. Those caught in possession are liable to a fine of not less than 10 times the value of the seized items or imprisonment of up to three years or both. A total of 64 dishes were confiscated from residences in the districts of Beaufort, Papar, Kota Kinabalu, 76 in Keningau and Tambunan and 48 in Tawau, department deputy director Hamzah Sundang said on Saturday. Each dish costs between RM300 to RM500 making the total seizures worth about RM200,000. Yee, who is also Sabah Resource Development and Information Technology Minister, said it was absurd that the use of such dishes was still banned in a borderless world. "We should accept the fact that the world is getting smaller. For a runner, for example, they cannot be asked to use only one type of shoes. We cannot allow a monopoly," he told the reporters here. Astro monopoly criticized He said preventing people from using any satellite dishes apart from those supplied by Astro did not make sense and was also a monopolistic exercise condoned by the government. Yee said that the rational for not allowing the public to use such dishes in the past was because the federal government wanted to control information. "But now people can access information from anywhere," he said, adding that disallowing the use of satellite dishes "is like the ostrich burying its head in the sand … it is not tenable and against the interests of the nation." Sabah DAP leader Jimmy Wong also slammed the seizures as an affront to freedom of information. He said there was nothing wrong in people buying parabolic dishes as they are doing what the government wants them to tap on more information to gain more knowledge and achieve the government's vision of becoming a fully developed nation by 2020. "Parabolic dishes are cheap and can help people gather three to four times more information than is available. In China there are more than 100 stations. "The government should get rid of the policy prohibiting the people from using these dishes," he said. He also criticized the monopoly held by Astro. "At the moment we are only limited to Astro … there is no competition, a total monopoly. "If the government really means the words – 'People First' – the government should be open to other satellite channel providers, just like the many cellular phone companies.
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| Court sets Dec 12 and 13 for sodomy trial submissions Posted: 06 Dec 2011 09:31 AM PST (Bernama) -- The High Court here has set new dates, Dec 12 and 13, for submissions at the end of the defence case of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy trial. Justice Datuk Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah set the dates after meeting both the prosecution and defence teams in his chambers on Tuesday after Anwar's lead counsel Karpal Singh wrote to the court this morning requesting the matter be postponed to Monday.
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| Export slump may hit Malaysia growth in 2012, says ADB Posted: 06 Dec 2011 07:47 AM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has forecast growth of 4.7 per cent for Malaysia next year, down slightly from 4.8 per cent in 2011, due to a potential slump in exports to the advanced economies of US and Europe. The bank said in its report on Asia macroeconomic development released today that while US economic growth could strengthen somewhat, the euro zone will likely fall into either a brief recession or a more severe long-term downturn. In its assessment of country vulnerabilities, the bank noted that Malaysia's fiscal deficit of over five per cent of GDP last year was higher than several other regional economies such as Thailand (two per cent), Singapore (0.1 per cent) and Indonesia (0.7 per cent). Only Cambodia (six per cent), Brunei (eight per cent) and Vietnam (eight per cent) had higher fiscal deficit ratios. Malaysian government officials have maintained GDP growth projections of between five and six per cent for next year thanks partly to the implementation of projects identified in the Economic Transformation Programme and strong commodity prices which will boost spending in rural areas. Most research houses, however, expect Malaysia to grow between three and five per cent. The World Bank said last month that Malaysia's economy is expected to slow further in the remainder of 2011 and into early 2012 mainly due to a deterioration in the outlook for external demand and expects a growth of 4.9 per cent next year. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its September report had forecast a growth of 5.2 per cent this year and 5.1 per cent in 2012 for Malaysia. Malaysia's third quarter growth surpassed expectations to grow at 5.8 per cent thanks to robust domestic demand. A global economic slowdown may also hit oil prices, a commodity which Malaysia relies heavily on.
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| 'CCM being abused to prop up Isa' Posted: 05 Dec 2011 07:28 PM PST (Harakah Daily) - Felda Settlers' Children Association (ANAK) is claiming that the Federal government is involved in the manipulation of Felda's cooperative wing Koperasi Permodalan Felda (KPF), including in the controversial appointment of former Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar and current Felda chairman Isa Samad (right) to head KPF. ANAK chairman Mazlan Aliman said the government was also meddling in the affairs of the Cooperative Commission of Malaysia in its bid to ensure Felda Global Venture Holding's listing at the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange."It seems like the government is bent on manipulating all agencies including CCM to ensure Isa not only becomes member of KPF, but also its chairman to ensure the successful listing of Felda Global Venture Holding (FHVH) at Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange," Mazlan told Harakahdaily. He added that reliable information had been received about CCM's backing to Isa ahead of KPF's extraordinary annual meeting on January 5, 2012. ANAK, he said, would apply for a court injunction to stop the meeting from taking place. Mazlan, who is also PAS central committee member, said ANAK disagreed with CCM's approval of Isa as a KPF member citing he was not qualified. Last October 18, a report was lodged by Bangkit, another whistleblower group within Felda, against CCM over the appointment of Isa, a non-employee of Felda, as KPF chairman. It was understood that after Isa and his lawyers met with CCM, the commission made an about-turn and accepted Isa. "This is a cunning move by Isa Samad and it raises suspicions," said Mazlan (left). Isa's chairman status Mazlan also pointed out that Isa's status as Felda chairman was being disputed following a letter sent by CCM three days ago to Bangkit chairman Abdul Rahman Ramli which stated that Isa's appointment had yet to be confirmed. "However, a letter by the prime minister's private secretary implied that Isa has been confirmed as Felda chairman. We demand an explanation about Isa's status," he added. Last October, Isa, once suspended for money politics during UMNO party polls, created an uproar within the Felda community after he was said to have self-appointed himself based on a recommendation letter by prime minister Najib Razak. |
| Zaid Ibrahim’s KITA opts out of polls, to back Pakatan Posted: 05 Dec 2011 07:26 PM PST By Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider KITA, a party founded by former Umno-turned-PKR politician Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, announced today it will not be contesting in the coming polls and promised to offer its "unconditional support" to the federal opposition. In a statement posted on its website today, the party said it had decided to reverse its earlier decision to contest in the polls as it wanted to maintain solidarity with the opposition and not jeopardise its chances. "Whilst we disagree with some of the opposition's policies, we believe that despite these shortcomings the opposition will not destroy racial harmony in Malaysia ... unity demands that smaller parties, such as ourselves, give way to larger political parties to ensure optimum results in the election," it said. The party also came out in defence of Pakatan Rakyat (PR) amid the ongoing barrage of Umno-led attacks against DAP as a "racist" party. During the just-concluded Umno annual general meeting (AGM), delegates took turns to warn against DAP's purported dominance in PR, claiming if the pact claims Putrajaya, the Malays would lose power to the Chinese. Calling the accusations "dangerous and irresponsible", KITA said the statements would only widen current divisions in society. |
| Posted: 05 Dec 2011 04:25 PM PST Only BN can safeguard position of Malays and Islam, says PM |
| Nurul Izzah: ‘Balai Polis Kerinchi’ a voter in Lembah Pantai Posted: 05 Dec 2011 02:33 PM PST By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar claimed today that there were 97 discrepancies in the Lembah Pantai postal voters' list, including one voter with the name "Balai Polis Kerinchi". The MP for the constituency told reporters today that while the identity card number RF161872 corresponded to a Mohd Faizul Mohd Yusop on the Election Commission's (EC) online database, "Balai Polis Kerinchi is on the official electoral roll that will be used." "We don't know if it's Balai bin Polis Kerinchi or Balai Polis bin Kerinchi," she said. "This is the gazette for the third quarter. If elections are held tomorrow, this is the list we will use." She also claimed 96 other errors in the list of 2,180 postal voters such as ICs that were not on the EC's online database, voters who can cast their ballot in two constituencies and also two different places in Lembah Pantai itself. Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has repeatedly complained of errors in the electoral roll with DAP Youth chief Anthony Loke recently claiming that military ICs were used to register both a male and female postal voter each. Tens of thousands had poured into the streets of the capital to demand free and fair elections in the July 9 Bersih rally that resulted in a bipartisan parliamentary select committee to improve the electoral system. The panel made 10 interim recommendations last week including the use of indelible ink to prevent multiple voting, a royal commission on allegations of foreigners being given the right to vote in Sabah and allowing Malaysians residing overseas to vote.
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| PM: Asia has fastest growing defence expenditure Posted: 05 Dec 2011 02:31 PM PST (The Star) - LANGKAWI: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak opened the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2011 (LIMA '11), underscoring that defence and security are of paramount importance to regional and national strategic interests. The Prime Minister pointed out that defence and security ensured not only territorial integrity but also the sovereignty that all countries hold dear. He said that Asia today enjoyed the fastest-growing economy in the world, and defence expenditure was no exception. "Aerospace and maritime spending is surging, and is set to rise yet further as governments continue to tackle both traditional and non-traditional security threats," he said at the Mahsuri International Exhibition Centre (MIEC). More than 400 companies from 35 countries at taking part in the 11th edition of LIMA. Najib said the government would provide the best tools for the men and women in uniform as "there can be no doubting (their) bravery and heroism." "That means giving them the latest, safest, most cutting-edge equipment capable of meeting the challenges of modern warfare." He noted that LIMA was not just about the latest military technology as it was also about the commercial sectors of the maritime and aerospace industries which were exhibiting here for the first time. Over half of the world's top 100 maritime and aerospace suppliers are present for the show. According to LIMA organisers, on display are 65 aircraft as well as 14 warships from around the world. |
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