Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Johor cop jailed, fined RM1.7m for money laundering
- ‘Suspend all who attended meeting’
- Police disallow Janji Democracy
- Senator Syed Husin Ali sued over alleged defamation in book
- DAP says has always been against defections
- ‘Free water policy unwise’
- Anwar urged to resolve dispute over allocation of seats
- DAP recruits political analyst
- Guan Eng denies DAP at war with PAS
- Guan Eng continues to push for anti-hopping law
- Why re-negotiate oil deal in private?
- ‘Musa making same mistake as Harris’
- Merdeka ‘no relevance’ to Sabah, Sarawak
- British paper fires pro-Israel columnist over undisclosed Malaysia news fixing
| Johor cop jailed, fined RM1.7m for money laundering Posted: 27 Aug 2012 04:15 AM PDT
(Bernama) - A police superintendent was today sentenced to two years jail for each of the four counts of money laundering by the Sessions Court here. Azmi Osman, 55, was also fined RM1.75 million for the offences committed between 2002 and 2005. Johor Baru Sessions Court Judge Salawati Djambari ordered the sentence on Azmi to run concurrently after finding him guilty under the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001. Salawati later allowed Azmi to be freed on RM900,000 bail in two sureties and a stay of execution pending an appeal on the decision. In November last year, Johor Baru High Court Judge Datuk Abdul Halim Aman had set aside the decision of the Sessions Court and directed the case to be transferred back to the Sessions Court in which Salawati had acquitted Azmi following the failure of the prosecution to prove a prima facie against the accused. Azmi, who is currently suspended from duty, was alleged to have committed the four offences of money laundering totalling RM3.8 million between 2002 and 2005 when he was an officer of the Secret Societies, Gambling and Vice Division in Johor. For the first and second charges, the accused was alleged to have received RM2.08 million and RM679,850 proceeds from money laundering through his Maybank current account in Mentakab, Pahang between February 6 and December 20, 2002 as well as January 15 and October 2 in 2003. For the third and fourth charges, he was alleged to have received RM941,930 and RM250,000 for the same activity through another Maybank current account at the City Square Shopping Centre, Johor Baru on January 13, 2004 and April 5 in 2005, respectively. Prosecution was conducted by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission deputy public prosecutors Hazril Harun and Mohd Farez Abd Rahman while the accused was represented by Adam Yap and CN Sritharan.
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| ‘Suspend all who attended meeting’ Posted: 26 Aug 2012 09:23 PM PDT The recent leak of a closed-door meeting involving Penang DCM Mansor Othman was a 'clear act of sabotage', claims PKR. Athi Shankar, FMT GEORGE TOWN: PKR's top brass must immediately suspend those who attended the now leaked closed-door unofficial meeting with state chairman Mansor Othman, pending a probe on their alleged internal misconduct. State PKR information chief Johari Kassim insisted that the leadership should not hesitate to sack any of them if found guilty as charged in the internal investigation. He said the leak was a clear act of sabotage on the party that the central leadership cannot ignore and step aside. He said it was obvious that one or more among them could have leaked out the information to serve own selfish interests and the party disciplinary committee must act fast to punish them. "Obviously the culprits who leaked the meeting details did not hold dear the party's best interests. "All those who attended the meeting should be hauled up to the dock and suspended immediately pending investigation. "If anyone is found guilty, sack instantly to teach others a lesson. It's the best way to deal with it or else it will happen again," warned Johari. Lim 'cocky and arrogant' The meeting was held in May in Mansor's DCM office in Komtar. In the leaked details, Mansor had allegedly described Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng as "cocky and arrogant". However, last Friday, Mansor denied describing Lim as "cocky and arrogant" but admitted saying that Lim was being revered like a "tokong" (deity) by Chinese voters in Penang. In its postings in June 16, 18 and 19, the blog revealed that PKR's state deputy chief and Batu Kawan division chief Law Choo Kiang; Bukit Bendera division deputy chief Felix Ooi; Bayan Baru deputy chairman Tan Seng Keat; 2004 candidate for Bayan Baru parliament seat Raymond Ong; Tanjung Youth chief Ng Chek Siang; Batu Uban branch chief Cheah Peng Guan and Mansor's assistant John Ooi attended the meeting. Party insiders and political observers view the controversy as part of a conspiracy by certain PKR local reps to kick out Mansor from state PKR altogether.
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| Police disallow Janji Democracy Posted: 26 Aug 2012 09:20 PM PDT It will violate Peaceful Assembly Act, says top Dan Wangi cop. Teoh El Sen, FMT Police today declared as illegal the Bersih-linked Promise of Democracy (Janji Democracy) gathering to be held at Dataran Merdeka on the eve of Merdeka Day. Dang Wangi district police chief ACP Zainuddin Ahmad has told the organisers to cancel it and warned the public against participating in it. Speaking to FMT, Zainuddin said the statements made this afternoon by Maria Chin Abdullah, a representative of the Coalition of Promises (Gabungan Janji), were inaccurate. Chin's statements came after the group had a dialogue with the police chief. "I did not give them the green light actually, if that was the impression given [in her press conference]," he said. "In fact, the first words that came out of my mouth were that they had already violated the law." He said that under Section 9(1) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, the organisers should have submitted an official notification to the police of their gathering 10 days before the event. "Since that was not done, it is illegal under the law, and I did not allow it. But if they said they would go ahead anyway, which I had advised against, then I may have to take action based on public safety and order," he said. Asked if anyone would be charged with the violation, he replied: "We shall see. If they The law provides for a maximum fine of RM10,000. Asked if police would make arrests, Zainuddin said it was possible under the law. "We will monitor it," he said. "We have the right to detain or take action against those who break the rules." He added that under Section 83 and 84 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which deals with unlawful assemblies, the police were empowered to order the dispersal of such assemblies and use reasonable force if such orders were ignored. He said that so far no police station in the Dang Wangi district had received any complaint against the gathering. Asked if he accepted the group's argument that the gathering was simply to celebrate Merdeka, Zainuddin said the group was obviously promoting Bersih, which "has done all sorts of things". Referring to plans by the Preservation of Jalan Sultan Committee (PJSC), Zainuddin said the group was celebrating their community and heritage and he did not see any problems arising from them having a gathering. However, he said this group too would be breaching Section 9(1).
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| Senator Syed Husin Ali sued over alleged defamation in book Posted: 26 Aug 2012 09:14 PM PDT
(NST) - Kulim-Bandar Baru member of parliament Datuk Zulkifli Noordin has sued Senator Dr Syed Husin Ali over alleged defamation contained in the latter's Malay language book entitled 'Memoir Perjuangan Politik Syed Husin Ali'. Zulkifli, who filed the suit through Messrs Kamarul Hisham and Hasnal Rezua on Friday, alleged in his statement of claim that the book implied that he had agreed to resign as Kulim Bandar Baru MP in order to allow Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to contest in a by-election. He further alleged that the words in the book implied that he had asked Parti Keadilan Rakyat for RM60,000 to vacate the seat and that he had conspired with Umno to gain politically and financially by smearing PKR and Anwar. Zulkifli added that the allegations were not true and had damaged his reputation. He is claiming for general, exemplary and aggravated damages and an injunction to stop the defendant from re-producing the said words. Zulkifli's lawyer Hasnal Rezua told reporters yesterday that this suit emanated from the defamation suit filed by Syed Husin against Zulkifli and two others earlier this year. In that suit, Syed Husin alleged that Utusan Melayu (Malaysia) Bhd and its editor in chief Datuk Abdul Aziz Izhak had, with malicious intent, published words defamatory to him in an article dated Nov 20, 2011 headlined, "Zul Noordin nafi dakwaan Syed Husin" (Zul Noordin denies allegation by Syed Husin). Syed Husin had also claimed that Zulkifli had posted the same article in his personal website although under a different heading, "Anjing-anjing Pencen" (Retired Dogs). Yesterday, Hasnal and Syed Husin's lawyer N. Surendran, met High Court judge Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera in chambers for case management. The suit by Syed Husin against Zulkifli, Utusan Malaysia and Abdul Aziz is fixed for trial on Thursday. |
| DAP says has always been against defections Posted: 26 Aug 2012 04:53 PM PDT
Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider Lim Guan Eng today deflected criticisms of hypocrisy against the DAP's plan to enact anti-hopping laws in Penang, insisting that the party has always been against defections as a means to gain political power. The DAP secretary-general acknowledged that in Pakatan Rakyat's (PR) September 16 takeover attempt in 2008, Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had pre-empted Barisan Nasional's (BN) fall in Putrajaya through mass defections into PR, but said that even then, the DAP had been against the idea of using crossovers to wrest federal power. "This was suggested by Anwar, when he mentioned the disillusionment of some MPs but DAP's position is clear. "Anyone can jump parties but it is important that there should be a fresh mandate," Lim said today. The September 16 affair led by Anwar has continued to haunt the federal opposition, and was raised again recently when Lim's DAP-led administration in Penang proposed an anti-hopping law to prevent such crossovers. Lim repeated today that his government's proposal would not curb an individual's right to free association under Article 10 of the Federal Constitution as it does not forbid the individual from joining another party. What is most important, he said, was to uphold the democratic right of voters by allowing the electorate to re-elect their representative if a parliamentarian or assemblyman decides to switch political camps. The Bagan MP questioned BN's rejection of the DAP's anti-hopping law proposal, suggesting that this meant the ruling pact was still keen on trading elected representatives to help them gain political power when needed. Lim again cited the case of Perak, which saw a shift in government in 2009 from PR to BN when two PKR and one DAP assemblymen left their respective parties to become BN-friendly independents. "Why does BN refuse to have this anti-hopping law? Do they still want to trade in defections?" he asked. The DAP's proposal in Penang has been met with harsh criticism from several BN leaders, with MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek sniping at the party for maintaining silence when PR welcomed defectors from BN into its fold. The most recent case was the crossover of two senior Sabah BN MPs — Datuk Seri Wilfred Mojilip Bumburing and Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin — who left their posts in BN to form PR-friendly political movements in the east Malaysian state. But Lim pointed out today that the DAP has not made any direct statements regarding the duo's twin defections, insisting again that the party was still opposed to crossovers that do not result in re-elections. "We have not commented on their decisions. We have only said that there should be an anti-hopping law. "By leaving BN, it just shows that they have lost confidence in the prime minister and the Sabah chief minister... but what we add is this — let us have an anti-hopping law," he said. Asked if the DAP planned on raising the issue in the PR leadership council to push for similar laws to be enacted in all PR-led state governments, Lim said: "Let us start with Penang first. Let this be the first step." He said the DAP's proposal in Penang will soon be formalised during the next state executive council meeting.
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| Posted: 26 Aug 2012 04:39 PM PDT
(Bernama) - The Selangor Government's policy of giving free water over the last four years is unwise and non-sustainable, says an academic. Prof Dr Suhaimi Abdul Talib said the policy had resulted in shrinking revenue for the state that would have been useful for improving infrastructure facilities. "Although free water looks good as a short-term gain, from the long-term view we are not educating the people to value water," he said in an interview. Dr Suhaimi, who is assistant vice-chancellor for Development, Facilities Management and ICT of Universiti Teknologi Mara, warned that "we don't have the luxury of infinite supply of water. We have to realise that our sources of water are depleting simply on account of a sharp increase in demand." He said the state would also come to a stage where it could no longer draw raw water from outside sources and new sources of water would have to come from how it could manage its own internal sources best. Dr Suhaimi said he was against a free water policy because the question of affordability was not an issue. "If we have to pay our water bill at RM40 per month, what is RM40? Your kids spend more than RM40 on their (handphone) prepaid (bills). So it's not a question of affordability. We should be paying for our water." Dr Suhaimi said the people of Selangor must be made to change their perception on water by appreciating the true value of water and this could not be done as long as they get free water. "The people of Selangor must use water wisely so that each resident can reduce consumption by 20%. This means the capacity at our reservoirs can increase accordingly by 20%. This is something that we have overlooked." Dr Suhaimi explained that if a water tariff increase was inevitable, it had to be justified and with the agreement of the government. He said water, being a basic necessity for everyone, should not be given free because it would mean that the precious commodity did not have a value.
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| Anwar urged to resolve dispute over allocation of seats Posted: 26 Aug 2012 04:11 PM PDT
(The Star) - Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim should step in and resolve the alleged dispute between PKR and DAP over seat allocation in Penang for the coming general election, said Penang Malay Congress president Rahmad Isahak. "It has become clear that segments in PKR do not like the overbearing style of Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng based on the transcript of a conversation among PKR leaders. "This is not some NGO or Barisan Nasional making callous remarks. It came supposedly from within the Pakatan Rakyat ranks - allegedly from Penang PKR chairman Datuk Mansor Othman," he said. Rahmad was referring to the news reports which quoted Mansor as describing Lim as "cocky, arrogant and tokong (deity)", in what was apparently a leaked citation from a conversation with other Chinese PKR leaders here. He said the congress was not bothered by the name-calling or the alleged criticism of Lim, as it was part of politics. "What's important is that Anwar must be aware that there is a declining interest within PKR over the need to field more Malay candidates." The congress is said to be an impartial civil movement entity, but Rahmad stressed that it was formed to uphold the Malay political rights in Penang which he claimed had eroded.
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| DAP recruits political analyst Posted: 26 Aug 2012 04:05 PM PDT
(The Star) - DAP has welcomed more new recruits to the party, including political analyst Dr Ong Kian Ming and oil and gas engineer Yeo Bee Yin. Both University of Cambridge graduates, Ong and Yeo are one of the few high-profile young professionals that the party has been aggressively recruiting. Ong in particular is famed for his political analysis published in Malaysiakini, apart from his day job as a lecturer at UCSI University. In announcing their entry, party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said Ong will be helping him in the party's election strategy while Yeo, will be assisting DAP in crafting social media strategies in their effort to woo young voters. Meanwhile, in the press conference here Monday, Lim said the party will be pressing on with its effort to legislate anti-party hopping laws in Penang. "We're not denying the basic human rights in their freedom of association. But we are talking about the democratic choice of the voters who have voted for the party," he said.
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| Guan Eng denies DAP at war with PAS Posted: 26 Aug 2012 03:33 PM PDT The DAP secretary-general was responding to the public spat between his party chairman Karpal Singh and PAS heavyweight Nasharuddin Mat Isa over hudud. Syed Jaymal Zahiid, FMT DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng today denied that his party is at war with its Islamic ally PAS over hudud. "No, its business as usual," said the Penang chief minister when asked by reporters if the public spat between DAP chairman Karpal Singh and former PAS No 2 Nasharuddin Mat Isa had driven a deeper wedge between the two parties. Karpal is mulling to sue Nasharuddin after he accused the DAP leader's staunch anti-hudud stand as being "anti-Islam". The hatchet over PAS' plan to implement the controversial Islamic penal law was again unearthed after Nasharuddin criticised the party for what he described as a subservient posture and said he would continue to speak out on the subject. Nasharuddin had first made the statement during a controversial meeting with Saudi Arabia's ulamas in the presence of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and repeated his criticism upon returning to Malaysia two weeks ago. The meeting drew accusations of disloyalty from within PAS since Nasharuddin had suggested that he was prepared to break ranks in pursuit of implementing hudud. Some claimed that the former PAS deputy president's statement was aimed at creating internal friction and was engineered by Umno. The federal opposition bloc had been forced to contain the damage over the long-standing hudud debate several times following PAS' insistence that the law would remain as part of its core agenda. The pact then agreed that hudud was no longer an issue after the Islamist party said it would respect the Common Policy Framework that excluded implementing the Islamic penal law. Lim said Karpal's plan to sue Nasharuddin was done on his own accord and had nothing to do with the party. "I think we should just leave what Karpal said to himself," he added.
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| Guan Eng continues to push for anti-hopping law Posted: 26 Aug 2012 03:27 PM PDT Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng says the anti-hopping law proposal will be formalised to include views from other fellow Pakatan Rakyat state reps. Syed Jaymal Zahiid, FMT KUALA LUMPUR: Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng will go ahead with his "anti-hopping" law enactment plan, even though it will go against Anwar Ibrahim's pursuit of more defections in Sabah. Lim said that he will bring his plan to the state's top-level meeting to formalise a proposal. Lim had announced the proposal last week, a move that drew flak from the ruling coalition who described the move as hypocritical when the opposition leader, his ally, is openly courting lawmakers in the key state of Sabah ahead of national polls. Two Barisan Nasional MPs, one of them a deputy minister, had recently resigned from the ruling coalition citing as reasons their disillusionment with Putrajaya's inability to deal with the state's longstanding illegal migrants issue. While Umno's Beaufort parliamentarian Lajim Ukin is vague about his political leaning, Upko's Tuaran representative Wilfred Bumburing said he will be campaigning for the federal opposition bloc Pakatan Rakyat. Anwar was believed to have engineered the defections. The PKR de facto leader also said that more "surprises" are expected in the near future. Lim was questioned on his position on the defections but avoided criticising it openly, saying the DAP's silence on the two defections is "self-explanatory". "Have we commented on that? I believe that is self-explanatory," the Bagan MP told a press conference at the party's headquarters here. Legal blockade Pakatan leaders had said that any proposals for new policies will have to observe its binding Common Policy Framework which adheres to only what is provided in the Federal Constitution. The anti-hopping law is not one of them. Lim's decision will only be proposed in Penang where his party controls two-thirds of the state's legislative assembly. He said there are no plans to raise this with Pakatan's top leadership.
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| Why re-negotiate oil deal in private? Posted: 26 Aug 2012 03:13 PM PDT Why is Chief Minister Taib Mahmud, who has been silent about the 5% oil royalty for the past 30 years, keen to look at the issue again? Joseph Tawie, FMT KUCHING: Sarawak opposition has questioned the need for secrecy in the re-negotiations of the existing oil agreement with the federal government. "I am curious to know as to why Chief Minister [Taib Mahmud] should think royalty negotiations are better done in private. Why is that so?" asked Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian. Bian, who is a senior lawyer and Ba Kelalan assemblyman, said oil and gas issue was of public concern. "The oil and gas in Sarawak is not the property of the chief minister – it belongs to all the people of Sarawak, hence we have a right to know what is being discussed. "We want to know what the chief minister intends to do about it… we would like to remind him that he is a servant of the people and is accountable to them," Bian said. He pointed out that Sarawak has been lagging behind the Peninsula in every aspect including roads and infrastructure, education, healthcare, jobs, transport, industry and development. "One could say that Peninsular Malaysia and many individuals have prospered or benefited via Petronas at our expense. "Sarawakians now say kini masa balas budi to quote a line from the infamous Barisan Nasional Merdeka theme song 2012. "The former prime minister (Dr Mahathir Mohamad), in a Freudian slip, had referred to the current administration as the 'devil' and the opposition as the 'angel'. That in itself says it all. "I trust that the rakyat are astute enough to judge for themselves whether to choose more of the same or to give themselves the hope of a better and brighter future with the Pakatan Rakyat," he said. Why now Taib?
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| ‘Musa making same mistake as Harris’ Posted: 26 Aug 2012 02:44 PM PDT Neither Chief Ministers, Musa Aman nor Taib Mahmud, have any right to re-negotiate the states' oil rights; "only" the respective State Legislative Assemblies can do that. Joseph Bingkasan, FMT KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Barisan Nasional government will be making the same 'mistake' it did more than 30 years ago by agreeing to negotiate its oil rights with the federal government, a politician here has warned. Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Liawan vice-chairman Joseph Wilfred Lakai said today that there was no necessity to re-negotiation terms between the East Malaysian states and federal government on the Petroleum Agreement 1976 . "Why should Sabah and Sarawak renegotiate the Petroleum Agreement when even in the first agreement Malaya did not honour the terms?" He said that being the main producers of oil, Sabah and Sarawak should rightly be the sole beneficiary of the oil income. Lakai claimed that the terms of the agreement are not only lopsided but grossly unfair to the oil-producing states. He said records showed that in 1976 Sabah and Sarawak's right to their oilfields were signed away for just 5% "royalty" which seems not to be what it really is. "Malaya did not honour the agreement and all the other agreements including the 20 Points Malaysia Agreement for Sabah and 18 Points Malaysia Agreement for Sarawak. Malaya had repudiated the terms. "Sabah and Sarawak are not bound by these Agreement to the extent where they are entirely for the benefit of Malaya. If these agreements are voided then Sabah and Sarawak are free from all the legal lies with Malaya," he told FMT today. Lakai, a pilot, accused the Malaya-centric government of acting as a colonial master by annexing, Malayanising and looting Sabah and Sarawak since 1963 to fulfill its objective to create a "Greater Malaysia". "Today, both the Chief Minister of Sabah and Sarawak wants to re-negotiate…(but) the issue is that the petroleum belongs to the people not the leaders. "They have no right to re-negotiate on behalf of the people," Lakai said. He pointed out that only the State Legislative Assembly of both states have that power to re-negotiate on this matter. What about export tax? "Who collects the export tax? Why does Sabah and Sarawak have no say to the export tax? What about tax on petroleum products into Sabah and Sarawak? Why is Sabah and Sarawak not getting any of it," Lakai said. On the 5% royalty Sabah and Sarawak are now being paid by the federal government, Lakai said it was never a royalty but total sale based on FOB. "The global petroleum and gas price for the last two decades was excellent. Why does the amount paid to the state government remain constant," he said. Meanwhile, the SAPP leader agreed with Sabah State Reform Party (STAR) chief Jeffrey Kitingan that the 5% is a cash payment payable by Petronas under Section 4 of the Petroleum Development Act, 1974 and had nothing to do with royalties.
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| Merdeka ‘no relevance’ to Sabah, Sarawak Posted: 26 Aug 2012 02:24 PM PDT The true 'National Day is Sept 16, according to Sabah opposition STAR as that was when Sabah, Sarawak and Malaya committed themselves to a 'common identity. Michael Kaung, FMT RANAU: The federal government should stop duping Sabah and Sarawak into celebrating Merdeka Day when the 55th anniversary had "no relevance" to the two states, STAR Sabah chairman Jeffrey Kitingan said. "How can these leaders continue to twist history to suit their political interests without considering our feelings and the truth? "How could they [federal government] insist we must celebrate Malayan independence which has no relevance to Sabah and Sarawak?" asked Kitingan when launching STAR's Kundasang zone in Pinampadan near here. He said what was important and relevant to Sabah and Sarawak is their own independence – July 22, 1963 for Sarawak and Aug 31, 1963 for Sabah – and that of Malaysia Day or the formation of Malaysia on Sept 16, 1963. "This date – Sept 16, 1963 – is the true 'National Day' that gives all three territories of Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak, a common identity as Malaysians", said Jeffrey. He said that by continuing to impose Malaya's version of history on Sabahans and Sarawakians, "the government is alienating the two territories". "By insisting that Malaysia is 55 years old now and not 49, the federal government is sending the wrong message to the people. "Firstly, what the government is doing is teaching the people how to lie and manipulate the facts of history. "Secondly, the Peninsula-controlled federal government is now telling Sabahans and Sarawakians [intentionally or not] that Malaysia was nothing more than a 'takeover' project for Malaya and that Sabah and Sarawak are now Malayan states/territories so they [Sabah and Sarawak] must now adopt Malayan historical independence," he said.
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| British paper fires pro-Israel columnist over undisclosed Malaysia news fixing Posted: 26 Aug 2012 01:18 PM PDT
Trevino reportedly called a Gaza flotilla a 'Nazi convoy'. — Picture courtesy of globalpost.com British newspaper The Guardian has terminated the services of conservative American columnist Joshua Trevino as its United States correspondent over his alleged relationship with a company implicated in a news-fixing campaign financed by the Malaysian government and for running a website that attacked Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and other opposition interests here. In a short statement issued over the weekend, the newspaper said it had recent learned that Trevino "was a consultant for an agency that had Malaysian business interests and that he ran a website called Malaysia Matters. In keeping with the Guardian's editorial code this should have been disclosed." Trevino had recently been hired by The Guardian to be its conservative columnist in the United States. His appointment drew a firestorm of protests from liberal activists after it emerged he had urged Israel to shoot at the humanitarian flotilla in 2011 that was seeking to break its naval blockade of Gaza. When boats carrying unarmed civilian activists attempted in June 2011 to break the blockade of Gaza, Treviño tweeted out a message to the Israeli army: "Dear IDF: If you end up shooting any Americans on the new Gaza flotilla — well, most Americans are cool with that. Including me." Trevino also reportedly called the flotilla a "Nazi convoy." The Guardian made no mention of the criticisms, but instead pointed to Trevino's previous ties with an "agency" it did not name but is alleged to be FBC Media, the now-defunct company at the centre of the Malaysia news-fixing scandal involving broadcasters BBC and CNBC last year. "Under our guidelines, the relationship between Joshua and the agency should have been disclosed before the piece was published in order to give full clarity to our readers," said Janine Gibson, editor-in-chief, Guardian US. In response Trevino said: "I vigorously affirm that nothing unethical was done and I have been open with the Guardian in this matter. Nevertheless, the Guardian's guidelines are necessarily broad, and I agree that they must be respected as such." Trevino is a well-known conservative commentator and a former speechwriter in the President George W. Bush administration. He has reported extensively in the past few years on Anwar's Sodomy II trial on his Malaysia Matters website, which is now defunct. Trevino had also frequently criticised Anwar in his other columns in other publications such as the Huffington Post. FBC Media, the company alleged to have been referred to by The Guardian, made eight programmes for the BBC about Malaysia while failing to declare it was paid £17 million (RM85 million) by the Malaysian government for "global strategic communications" which included positive coverage of Malaysia's controversial palm oil industry. The BBC also used FBC to make a documentary about the spring uprising in Egypt without knowing the firm was paid to do PR work for the regime of former dictator Hosni Mubarak. The BBC was forced to make a public apology over the matter. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/british-paper-fires-pro-israel-columnist-over-ties-with-malaysia/
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