Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Anwar says Pakatan has identified successor
- Good for Pakatan Rakyat if Anwar goes to jail
- ‘Don’t play hide and seek, Lajim’
- Hisham agrees to Jan 9 rally if…
- New vigor in Sabah politics
- Will Jeffrey take Azmin’s hand?
- Nga to face DAP disciplinary committee
- Kulim liquor ban: MCA turns the screw
| Anwar says Pakatan has identified successor Posted: 03 Jan 2012 08:52 PM PST (The Star) - Pakatan Rakyat has identified Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's successor, should he be found guilty of sodomy and jailed, the PKR adviser told Bloomberg Wednesday. However, Anwar did not reveal the name of his potential successor. On Tuesday, Anwar told a press conference that the Pakatan Rakyat leaders have discussed the worst-case scenario in the event he was imprisoned. "If I am jailed, involved in accident or shot, we are prepared, discussed various possibilities, scenario one, two, three," Anwar had told reporters. On Monday, the High Court is expected to deliver its verdict on whether Anwar is guilty of sodomising a former aide.
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| Good for Pakatan Rakyat if Anwar goes to jail Posted: 03 Jan 2012 08:46 PM PST (Reuters) - Malaysia's opposition leader believes his party could be strengthened if a court rules against him in a sodomy trial on Monday, with an economic showdown already threatening to damage the ruling coalition with polls expected this year. Malaysia is bracing for possible unrest after the two-year trial ends, with supporters of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim hoping to draw 100,000 to a rally outside the courthouse where the verdict in the trial is due to be read on Monday. The trial has polarised opinion in conservative, majority Muslim Malaysia. The High Court decision could deepen political divisions further as Prime Minister Najib Razak, branded a hardliner by the opposition, weighs whether to call elections this year. Police have warned people not to gather outside the court. Mass protests could cast doubt on Malaysia's political stability and spook investors, who are vital to achieving Malaysia's target of attracting $444 billion of investment by 2020. Anwar, a former finance minister, told Reuters in an interview that Najib's ruling coalition "has to decide, Anwar in prison, is it better for them or not?" "I'm not sure whether it's better for them. We've done a lot to explain to the masses. (The opposition) may emerge slightly stronger," said. Once the rising star of Malaysian politics and a former deputy premier, Anwar's political fortunes have since been marked by long-running legal battles over charges of sodomy - sex between males is illegal in Malaysia - after he was sacked by former Malaysian premier Mahathir Mohamad in 1998. Anwar, 64, is charged with sodomising a 26-year-old male former aide and faces up to 20 years in prison if found guilty. It is the second time he has faced what he says are politically motivated charges aimed at wrecking his political career and ending his challenge to the government. In 1998, at the height of the Asian financial crisis, Anwar, then deputy prime minister and heir apparent to Mahathir, was accused of sodomy and corruption, sacked, tried and eventually sentenced to a total of 14 years in jail. The cases have been marked by lurid details, including a semen-stained mattress produced in evidence, that have mesmerised Malaysians. A conviction that exposes weaknesses in Malaysia's judiciary to wider scrutiny could once again put the Southeast Asian nation under the international spotlight. Although elections are not due until 2013, there is widespread expectation Najib will call a snap poll this year. Anwar said he expected elections "sooner rather than later", adding that his Pakatan party should be able to secure a simple majority in parliament. "Our concern is how do we ensure fair elections?" he said. "This is a major problem for the opposition because, although there have been some announcements and some easing, but not (in) media control, not the judicial process, not in terms of any excesses, abuse and corruption and the electoral process," he said. Anwar said support for the opposition among native Malays increased substantially after his 1998 conviction. He was freed in 2004 after the sodomy conviction was overturned. "But in 1998, we failed to garner enough support of the Chinese and Indians," he said, referring to two other major Malaysian ethnic groups. "Society will say: 'Okay, you may disagree with Anwar but you don't need to beat him up or continue to put him in prison.' This is my third, fourth time, they know it's political," Anwar said of the electorate. Najib, who took office in with a strong majority after elections in 2009, has seen his approval ratings fall in the past year, in part because of a widening religious divide that has alienated minority non-Muslims. Stubbornly high inflation and the slow pace of promised political reforms have also been sources of frustration. "There is greater awareness of the abuse of power, of endemic corruption," Anwar said when asked what had changed public sentiment since 2009. A weaker economy could also work in the opposition's favour. Malaysia's economy grew at a stronger-than-expected 5.8 percent in the third quarter, but a slowdown in global trade will likely crimp growth in the coming quarters. Malaysia is also vulnerable to sudden capital flight. Foreign ownership of stocks and bonds is larger than the country's foreign exchange reserves. Portfolio outflows jumped to RM23.4 billion in the third quarter, a sharp reversal from the second quarter's 48.1 billion in inflows. |
| ‘Don’t play hide and seek, Lajim’ Posted: 03 Jan 2012 08:32 PM PST SAPP chief Yong Teck Lee has opened his doors to Umno Sabah strongman Lajim Ukin. (Free Malaysia Today) - Former Sabah chief minister Yong Teck Lee is hoping to form a political alliance with his former comrade in arms, Lajim Ukin, to help oust the Umno-led Barisan Nasional (BN) government from power. The two were members of Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) before the party was ousted from power in 1994. Yong went on to form his own Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) and Lajim defected to Umno. Both are now battling to remain politically relevant in the state. Yong, in reaching out to the Umno Sabah strongman, has couched his offer of alliance under the ABU (Asal Bukan Umno or Anyone But Umno) concept to face Umno and BN in the impending 13th general election. But for it to work, the SAPP president said today, the Beaufort MP must leave the ruling coalition now in order to be well prepared. "Don't hide it anymore … everybody now knows that Lajim Ukin wants to leave the BN. Although it is a bit late, but biarlah lambat asal Sabah selamat (so long as Sabah is safe)," he said. Speaking at the SAPP Beaufort CLC annual general meeting recently, Yong said SAPP wanted to cooperate with Lajim in the coming election after news of him wanting to ditch the BN surfaced. Lajim has not denied the news reports. "Hopefully, Lajim no longer needs to play hide and seek. Just come out. Look at SAPP we were also in the BN once but now we are out for three and a half years," he said.
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| Hisham agrees to Jan 9 rally if… Posted: 03 Jan 2012 08:29 PM PST In the spirit of the newly-passed Peaceful Assembly Act 2011, organisers must guarantee order, says the Home Minister. (Free Malaysia Today) - Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said Pakatan Rakyat leaders must convince the authorities that the planned Jan 9 mass rally in support of Anwar Ibrahim will not cause public disorder. Far from the usual zero-tolerance tone given by the government in dealing with street gatherings, the minister did not say today if the rally, planned by PKR for the Sodomy II verdict, would be disallowed. Instead he said in the spirit of the newly-passed Peaceful Assembly Act 2011, organisers must guarantee order if they were to proceed with the planned mammoth rally that intends to gather as many as 100,000 participants. "The organisers have to convince the police that their plans will not destroy public peace and safety, and if they want to gather, the spirit of the Act states that it must be done peacefully," he told a press conference here. Yesterday PKR deputy president Azmin Ali said the party and its allies in Pakatan Rakyat intended to mobilise the numbers and gather at the Duta Court compound in support of Opposition Leader Anwar. Anwar will hear the verdict on his sodomy charges this Monday in an outcome that will determine the PKR de facto leader's political future and cause a deep impact in Malaysia's political landscape. The 64-year-old is charged with sodomising former male aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan in June 2008, an allegation he has repeatedly denied, and accusing prime minister Najib Tun Razak and wife Rosmah Mansor of masterminding the "trumped up" charges. Hishammuddin said no application has been made for the gathering yet but pointed to the several police reports lodged against the rally, a major concern the authorities must take into consideration when dealing with the Jan 9 event. Police are ready "The organisers must be responsible and be aware of the rights of those who are opposed to the rally. "I recommend that they go and speak to the police first, rather than making statements about the gathering," he said. Numerous pro-government NGOs like right wing group Perkasa had lodged several police reports against the rally and demanded that its organisers be arrested to prevent the rally from taking place.
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| Posted: 03 Jan 2012 02:00 PM PST The launch of the autonomous Sabah Star political chapter brings into reality the birth of the Third Force under Jeffrey Kitingan. (Free Malaysia Today) - Friday will officially signify the birth of the Sabah chapter of the Sarawak Reform Party (Star), the 'comeback' of political gadfly Jeffrey Kitingan and more importantly the formalization of the 'Third Force' to face Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat in the upcoming 13th general election. Kitingan, who's politics has both awed and exasperated his supporters, has been consistently working the ground since December 2009, pushing his Borneo Agenda which calls for the reinstatement of Sabah and Sarawak's rights in accordance with the terms of their respective 20 and 18-points Malaysia Agreement signed in 1963. He has been exceptionally focused on his cause and has even called on both BN and Pakatan allies to quit their federal masters and support his call for Borneonisation and self-determination within the context of the 1963 agreement. According to the organising chairman of the Jan 6 launch, Awang Ahmad, Kitingan will have a 'free hand' and the Sabah chapter will be 'fully autonomous' allowing Kitingan to bring to the table hope and renewed excitement. Speaking to FMT last night, Awang Ahmad Sah said: "This will be a historical and groundbreaking milestone in the political landscape of Sabah and Sarawak as well in Malaysia. "I don't want to exaggerate over the response. We know it as we have been working for the past seven or eight months. "The response is overwhelming. Even some PKR members are joining us. You have to go to the ground to see the mood of the people, and the mood will tell you something," said Awang Ahmad. 'Fully autonomous' He said there will be no 'interference' from external parties in the operations and decision making process of the Sabah chapter. "Sabah Star will be fully autonomous. It is free to make its own decisions including the selection of candidates and to issue a letter of authority to its candidates to use its symbol for the coming general election," said Awang Ahmad. He said the party will be 'working closely' with Sabah Progressive Peoples Party (SAPP) and Usno. "As far as we are working together, it is already in the plate. We will be working closely with other political parties including SAPP and Usno, " he said. Usno is the acronym for United Sabah Native Organisation. It was once the backbone of the state government in the early days of Sabah's independence but was dissolved to pave the way for the coming of Umno into Sabah. Usno was recently revived but it is feared that its registration may not be ready in time for the coming general election. "It is possible that Usno may use our symbol in this coming election, if the party is not registered in time and if they don't have any other option," Awang Ahmad said. The launch of the Sabah Chapter of Star will be done jointly by party president Dr Dripin Sakoi, and Kitingan. It will be held at the Hongkod Koisaan, KDCA, in Penampang. The event is expected to see some 5,000 spectators filling the hall.
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| Will Jeffrey take Azmin’s hand? Posted: 03 Jan 2012 01:57 PM PST PKR deputy president Azmin Ali is open to working with Jeffrey Kitingan as long as he accepts Pakatan Rakyat's terms. (Free Malaysia Today) - Pakatan Rakyat has 'not discounted' the possibility of working with United Borneo Front (UBF), a Sabah based NGO, pushing for a Borneo Agenda in the 13th general election. PKR vice-president Azmin Ali said the coalition is ready to work with any party as long as it is not aligned to BN. "We have not discounted the possibility (of working with UBF). But they should be able to accept Pakatan's common policy framework and they should not be aligned to BN," said Azmin yesterday on the sidelines of a Pakatan Rakyat meeting. UBF is led by former PKR vice-president Jeffrey Kitingan. Kitingan set up UBF in 2009 right after he resigned from the party following a fallout with the PKR leadership in Kuala Lumpur. Many attributed the 'fallout' to Azmin's interference. Since then PKR has not been able to effectively 'revive' itself on the Sabah front. Bearing in mind Kitingan's history with PKR, it is left to be seen how UBF will view Azmin's statement. Last month Kitingan announced the formation of a Borneo Alliance as a Third Force to rival both Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Rakyat. He openly invited members of BN and Pakatan coalitions to 'quit' their parties and join Borneo Alliance to fight for the restoration of Sabah and Sarawak rights as per their respective 20 and 18-point Malaysia Agreement 1963. Also last month it was reported that the Kitingan's Third Force will support either the ruling BN or Pakatan, when the necessity arises, to form the federal government. Pakatan seats Meanwhile on seat-allocations in Sabah and Sarawak in preparation for the general election, Azmin said the coalition was still in negotiation. "Seat-allocations in Sabah and Sarawak have not been settled yet but we are in the final stages of negotiations. "We need to spend some time when it comes to Sabah and Sarawak due to results of the previous Sarawak polls. "We have not aligned ourselves with any local parties there yet but we are closely monitoring the situation on the ground," he said alluding to the opposition's historic performance in Sarawak last April. In the Sarawak polls, Pakatan partners DAP and PKR won a total 15 seats. DAP won 12 seats while PKR won three. The historic win also saw a shocking decline in voter support for the Taib Mahmud-led state BN coalition.
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| Nga to face DAP disciplinary committee Posted: 03 Jan 2012 01:55 PM PST DAP disciplinary committee is expected to convene a meeting 'within a fortnight'. (Free Malaysia Today) - The DAP disciplinary committee is set to hear a complaint against Perak state party secretary Nga Kor Ming in relation to the 'lounge suit' controversy. The committee is expected to convene a meeting 'within a fortnight', according to its chairman Tan Kok Wai. "A complaint was lodged by the Greentown branch in Ipoh against Nga over the lounge suit controversy. "We will initiate an investigation and hold a hearing within a fortnight," said Tan. The lounge suit controversy against Nga, who is also Taiping MP and Pantai Remis state rep, surfaced last month when blogger Ahmad Sofian Yahya, also known as Sekupang Dua, first published documents that implicated Nga in a lounge suit tailoring contract in 2008. Nga is alleged to have used his position as a state executive councillor to gain for Ethan & Elton a contract to tailor lounge suits in 2008, when Pakatan Rakyat ruled Perak. Nga's wife Wong Seow Ching is a director in the company. Nga however denied the allegations and filed a RM10 million defemation suit against Ahmad yesterday.
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| Kulim liquor ban: MCA turns the screw Posted: 03 Jan 2012 01:54 PM PST It was pathetic of state exco Lim Soo Nee to say that it was sabotage, says MCA's Wee Ka Siong. (Free Malaysia Today) - MCA today dismissed the Kedah government's plea of innocence in the Kulim liquor ban as a "pathetic excuse". Referring to Kedah executive councillor Lim Soo Nee's statement that the ban by the Kulim district office was an "act of sabotage", MCA youth chief Wee Ka Siong said this was not the first time that the PAS-led government had tried to impose Islamic laws on non-Muslims. "Previously, we had the state government instructing eateries in the state to close at 3pm during Ramadhan," Wee said in a media statement. "The state also imposed a blanket ban on 13 types of entertainment outlets from operating during the fasting month. The prohibition was later overturned after pressure from MCA." Lim, who is the state assemblyman for Kulim, spoke of his suspicion of a sabotage in an interview with a news portal yesterday. He said he informed Menteri Besar Azizan Abdul Razak about the ban immediately upon hearing of it on Monday and promised that the state executive council would discuss it. Azizan, speaking to the Star yesterday, said his administration had not ordered any such ban. "Any decision to impose such a regulation should be made during the state executive council meeting," he said. According to the Star's report, the Kulim district officer wrote last month to liquor shop owners in the district that it would automatically terminate their licences by June this year. The letter said this was in accordance with the Kulim Licensing and Excise Board decision in October to turn Kulim into a liquor-free district. However, according to a report in the Sun today. Kulim municipal councillor Mohamad Nabil Puteh denied that there had been such a decision. Kulim District Officer Dzohir Mat Zin could not be contacted for his comments. A member of his staff said he would be available tomorrow. Wee's statement today warned that the ban would disrupt the livelihoods of both Muslims and non-Muslims.
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