Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Najib must undo his father’s mistake
- Election fever: Khairy jabs Pakatan
- Labuan is not for PAS, says DAP
- 'DAP man pushed me at function'
- Gold miner sues news portals
- Lajim still a good bet for opposition
- Bernama: Picture not ‘doctored’
- ‘Rulers were against Islamic state’
- Malaysians lose fight for 1948 'massacre' inquiry
- One in seven shops in UK vacant
- ‘Why don’t you stand, Ambiga?’
- Police detain student suspected of trampling picture of PM
- London luxury home market risks price crash
- Malaysian gold strike
- Sacked DAP man eyes Pandamaran
- Lajim’s defection is not Umno’s loss
- DAP urged to act against Karpal on anti-hudud views
- Anwar invite irks Sultan
- DAP chief seeks end to feud with PKR
- Najib hints at November polls
- 'New flag' stunt raises ire
- Musa on radar of Swiss money-laundering probe
- S’gor DAP branches reject Ganapathirau
- PM: Pakatan being disrespectful of the Sultan is not surprising
- PR has lost direction, says Noh Omar
- Seat distribution in Pakatan almost complete
- Karpal: DAP to push for anti-hopping law
- Najib to offer oil royalty hike?
- MCA opposes Islam; what about DAP?
- I’m not returning to Barisan, says Lajim
- Get real, pundit tells Young Power
- Umno MP denies jumping ship rumour
- Show some respect, DAP tells PKR
- PKR blames Najib, Umno for bus attack
| Najib must undo his father’s mistake Posted: 04 Sep 2012 06:23 PM PDT Jeffrey Kitingan claims that former premier Tun Razak Hussein had acted unconstitutionally when he signed away Sabah's oil to Petronas. Luke Rintod, FMT KOTA KINABALU: Maverick politician Jeffrey Kitingan said Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak must undo the "greatest injustice" his late father Razak Hussein did in "signing away" Sabah's oil and gas resources to Petronas in 1975. "How can (then) prime minister Razak give away something that does not belong to him as prime minister?" Jeffrey asked during a press conference here today where he also showed reporters copies of documents on the issue. "Najib must undo his late father's greatest injustice against Sabah and reverse the vesting of Sabah's oil and gas resources back to Sabah from Petronas. "The real issue is not whether the then prime minister had the authority to sign away Sabah's oil and gas resources to Petronas, but why should he sign away Sabah's oil and gas without consultation with or approval from Sabah when the oil and gas belonged to Sabah," he said. Jeffrey, who is also Sabah chairman of the Sarawak-based State Reform Party (STAR), said Razak had on March 26, 1975 signed away Sabah's oil and gas to Petronas by executing the "vesting order" under Section 2(2) of the Petroleum Development Act 1974. He said the "vesting order" granted in perpetuity and conveyed to and vested in Petronas the ownership in and the exclusive rights, powers, liberties and privileges of exploring, exploiting, winning and obtaining petroleum whether lying onshore or offshore of Malaysia. "The grant, conveyance and vesting was to be irrevocable and shall endure for the benefit of Petronas and its successor. "But under Section 24(1) of the Land Ordinance (Sabah Cap. 68), oil and gas in Sabah are, and deemed always to have been, reserved to the state government, together with the right to enter lands and to search for, win, carry away and dispose of the same," he said. Jeffrey also argued that "under Section 24(2) of the Land Ordinance, the minister (in charge of such resources) is authorised to grant licences to search for, win, carry away and dispose of the oil and gas and to grant leases of the same. "Under the same section, the state is also entitled to impose payment of royalties on the oil and gas produced. "Furthermore, land and natural resources come directly under the State List under the Inter-Governmental Commission (IGC) Report and the Federal Constitution. "This action by Razak may well be unconstitutional. "How could Razak give away something that does not belong to him as prime minister? "By signing away Sabah's oil and gas to Petronas, Razak has committed the greatest injustice to Sabah," said the Harvard scholar. He argued that it is only right that Najib, who was here on a two-day visit recently, undo the injustice by getting Petronas to reverse the vesting and restore ownership of Sabah's oil and gas to the state. "It is never a better time for Najib to show his sincerity in resolving Sabah's oil issue by giving back the oil and gas resources to Sabah, which will also by a stroke of the pen wipe out Sabah's poverty problems. "It is also time for the Chief Minister to show that he is truly a Sabahan at heart by not only seeking a review of the 'oil royalties' but also to ask the federal government to give back the oil and gas resources to Sabah, since he has said that the current state-federal relationship is very good," he added.
|
| Election fever: Khairy jabs Pakatan Posted: 04 Sep 2012 06:11 PM PDT If Pakatan Rakyat is so concerned about a fixed election date, the Umno Youth chief says, the opposition coalition should reveal when it will dissolve its state assemblies. RK Anand, FMT Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has come under fire for keeping the nation on its toes with regard to the next general election date. However, Barisan Nasional Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin threw the ball back into the opposition's court. "Why don't we also blame the Pakatan-held states?" he asked. "If they are so concerned about a fixed election date, tell them to announce when they would dissolve their respective state assemblies," he told FMT. Among other concerns, the prime minister was said to be worried that if he called for the polls before the term expired in next April, the four states under Pakatan might opt not to dissolve their assemblies for simultaneous state elections. Pakatan controlled the states of Selangor, Penang, Kedah and Kelantan. Since taking over the reins in 2009, Najib had set his sights on re-taking these states, especially the resource-rich Selangor. Commenting on the speculations concerning the election date, Khairy said this was common even in the past. However, the Umno Youth chief pointed out that it was others, and not the prime minister or the government who were speculating about the date. "The election date is the prerogative of the PM and he has the freedom to choose when he wants to ask the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to dissolve Parliament," he said. Following Najib's recent speech in Sandakan where he had repeatedly mentioned his favourite number – 11, speculation had been rife that the polls would be held in November. However, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Abdul Aziz accused the pundits who read between the lines of the speech of making a "stupid" prediction. According to him, the election could not be held in November as the Budget 2013 would need to be debated and passed first. Earlier this week, Bersih co-chairperson S Ambiga also took Najib to task for putting the nation on election mode by dropping hints.
|
| Labuan is not for PAS, says DAP Posted: 04 Sep 2012 03:18 PM PDT (FMT) - LABUAN: Is a tussle brewing within Pakatan Rakyat partners in Labuan? Barely 48 hours after PAS declared that it will field a candidate in Labuan, DAP has gunned down its partner by saying that the seat is "yet to be finalised". Labuan DAP chief Lau Seng Kiat said the coalition is "still in the process of negotiation". "I have been advised by Pakatan leaders that allocation of seats for Sabah and Labuan have yet to be finalised. "We are still in the process of negotiation to determine the contesting parties in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan," he said. Lau was commenting on a PAS statement that the coalition had decided to go with a PAS candidate for Labuan. Federal Territories PAS commissioner Mohamad Noor Mohamad said this was decided during the coalition's meeting on Aug 18. "The agreement was made on Aug 18 and an agreement letter had been issued regarding the seat distribution. "So it is clear that PAS will stand here in Labuan. "PAS will also contest in Putrajaya and in Titiwangsa in Kuala Lumpur," Mohamad reportedly said on Monday. Lau however countered that the letter Mohamad had referred to was only a proposal. "The letter was not an agreement…it was only a proposal. "But whichever party is selected to represent Pakatan in Labuan, DAP will extend it whole support to that party candidate," he said. Labuan is currently a contentious seat with BN having a less than favourable performance record despite having successfully retained the seat in 2004 and 2008 polls. Labuan incumbent is Umno's Yussof Mahal, who has been declared a bankrupt by the court. Mahal has said that he is in the midst of sorting out his issues. Thus far neither Umno, Barisan Nasional nor the state legislature have stated their stand on Mahal's status despite calls to do so by the opposition and former Labuan Umno assemblyman Suhaili Abdul Rahman.
|
| 'DAP man pushed me at function' Posted: 04 Sep 2012 03:07 PM PDT
(NST) - A DAP state assemblyman has suffered a concussion after a fracas at a party dinner function here attended by DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng on Monday night. Gwee Tiong Hiang vomited several times after he fell down at the entrance of a Chinese restaurant in Sungai Abong, here, where the function was held.
|
| Posted: 04 Sep 2012 02:44 PM PDT
(The Star) - Raub Australian Gold Mining Sdn Bhd (RAGM) has filed defamation suits against MToday News Sdn Bhd and MKini Dotcom Sdn Bhd over certain articles published by them in their news portals. RAGM said its decision to take legal proceedings in the High Court of Kuala Lumpur was based on articles published by MToday and Aneesa Alphonsus of MToday, which runs news portal Free Malaysia Today (FMT), as well as MKini (publisher of online news portal Malaysiakini), Lee Weng Keat, Wong Tech Chi and Victor TM Tan of MKini Dotcom Sdn Bhd. "The articles published by the defendants are alleged to be prima facie defamatory of RAGM in its trade and business," it said in a statement. RAGM denied any allegation that the residents of Bukit Koman, Raub, had fallen ill due to the use of sodium cyanide at its plant. "From the start of its business, the company has taken all reasonable steps and precautions as provided by the law to ensure the health and safety of its workers and residents generally," it said. It added that it was concerned that the "unsubstantiated and baseless allegations" had led to much confusion to people in and outside Bukit Koman. "The plant has operated using sodium cynanide in its extractions process for over three years. "There have been no reports adduced by medical experts or specialists to state that the alleged skin disease akin to those referred to by the defendants in their articles are solely due to the use of sodium cynanide by RAGM," it said. RAGM said it complied with all relevant laws and reiterated its commitment to ensure that necessary safeguards are in place. On Sept 2, it was reported that Health Ministry deputy director-general (public health) Datuk Dr Lokman Hakim Sulaiman said cyanide was not the cause of the skin ailments suffered by residents near Kampung Bukit Koman. He said the first case affecting a resident was reported in March 2009 but follow-up checks showed no sign that it was linked to cyanide. In RAUB, police recorded statements from three people as part of investigations into violations of two conditions imposed on the organiser of the Himpunan Hijau Raub. The three were rally organising chairman Wong Kin Hoong, Tengku Shahadan Tengku Jaafar and M Raju. Raub OCPD Supt Wan Mohd Samsudin Wan Osman confirmed that the three were called in to assist investigations under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012. It is learnt that police are looking for two other individuals.
|
| Lajim still a good bet for opposition Posted: 04 Sep 2012 02:30 PM PDT Neither disparaging remarks nor allegations spun by his detractors are likely to affect Lajim Ukin's ability to win in the general election. Luke Rintod, FMT KOTA KINABALU: Irrespective of what blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin (RPK) writes and Barisan Nasional leaders reveal, Sabah MP Lajim Ukin is still a good investment for Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim. Among his constituents and ardent local political observers, the currently much-talked about Beaufort MP may still win big in the coming polls. They opined that the former federal deputy minister of housing and local government, who jumped from ruling Umno to the opposition side recently, would win in least two parliamentary and three state assembly seats. Malik Unar, 74, a Sabah political writer, is one of those who believes so, saying Lajim would win easily in his former state seat of Klias and retain even his Beaufort seat if he decides to go for both. "He will win there easily… He or his men or associates will take Kuala Penyu and Lumadan state seats and the Sipitang parliamentary seat," claimed the veteran writer who hailed from Membakut in Beaufort. Malik has written several political books during his prolific years including while Lajim was still with PBS (1984-1994). "Lajim served his constituents very well… people identify with him easily. He will win no matter what others say about him," he claimed when asked for his opinion at a meeting in Kota Kinabalu recently. Even though Lajim has become a subject of ridicule in RPK's blogsite Malaysia Today, many here still believe it would not harm his reputation, at least among his own "Bisaya folks" in Beaufort vicinity. Lajim served people A local political analyst, who wished to be known only as Taufik, told FMT that "it is all about services that Lajim rendered" that matter to the voters in the area. "Other Yang Berhormats may not be able to pull [off] what Lajim could do. They jump and they lose, but in Lajim's case he would still win because he had been good to the rakyat ever since he was PBS assemblyman in the 1980s…" Taufik said. In the last general election in 2008, Lajim won Beaufort with a thumping majority, gaining 14,780 votes against his sole rival Lajim Mohd Yusof of PKR who obtained 3,866 votes. Lajim was subsequently appointed federal deputy transport minister before moving to his last portfolio in 2009. In July he renounced his position in Umno to align himself with Pakatan Rakyat without quitting Umno membership and his ministerial post. That forced Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to sack him and revoke his federal post. Since then he has been based in Beaufort campaigning almost daily for the looming election that many believe will be a do-or-die battle for Umno-led Barisan Nasional. It is also rumoured here that Lajim is in talks with several Umno senior leaders in Sabah. It is expected at least one or two people's representatives would ditch BN ahead of the polls.
|
| Bernama: Picture not ‘doctored’ Posted: 04 Sep 2012 02:28 PM PDT (Bernama) - Suggestions by some quarters that Bernama had "doctored" a picture taken at the 2012 Aidilfitri open house of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak in Putrajaya are utterly absurd, says its editor-in-chief, Yong Soo Heong. "Time is of the essence for a professional and responsible news organisation like Bernama and we do not have the time to indulge in irrational endeavours," he said, adding that the photo unit of the national news agency had just been equipped with state-of-the-art cameras and lenses this year. Yong said the original picture in question, which showed a large and enthusiastic crowd at the prime minister's open house, can be viewed by anyone at Bernama's headquarters here. He said mammoth crowds at the prime minister's Aidilfitri open house had been the norm since Dr Mahathir Mohamad was the prime minister three decades ago, starting with the old Seri Perdana in Damansara and the current Seri Perdana in Putrajaya. On Sept 1, an opposition senator had issued a statement claiming that the picture which had appeared in a number of newspapers had been "doctored" by an amateur graphic artist and that open house pictures should have depicted the young, old and the disabled in wheelchairs. Yong said the photographer, Harry Salzman Abu Bakar, who had taken pictures of United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon, British Prime Minister David Cameron and US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton in the past without any problems, had used his creativity to depict the large crowd of well-wishers, especially the young, who had come to the open house to meet the prime minister. Other than that picture, which showed the enthusiastic crowd, Harry Salzman had also taken other pictures of the function, including some showing the prime minister waving to those present. "One cannot deny that Najib is a crowd-puller, not just at his own Aidilfitri open house but at other public events as well, because pictures and video footages from other news organisations can also testify to that," Yong said.
|
| ‘Rulers were against Islamic state’ Posted: 04 Sep 2012 02:22 PM PDT Hindraf chief Waythamoorthy says their unanimous stand was discovered when he scrutinised documents on Malaya's pre-independence talks in the London archives. Athi Shankar, FMT Malay rulers were against any move to turn the country into an Islamic state from the very beginning of the then Malaya independence talks, said Hindraf Makkal Sakti. Hindraf supremo P Waythamoorthy said the Malay rulers backed an establishment of a secular state to safeguard rights and interests of all Malaysians. He said documents on pre-independence talks revealed that the Malay rulers wanted Islamic religious matters to be under their jurisdiction. He said Malaysians must know that during pre-independence days, all states in Malaya were identified and recognised as separate countries. He said respective rulers wanted control over Islamic religious affairs and maintain a secular state in their respective "countries." He said the rulers made a collective representation on this to the Reid Commission through their Queen's Counsel, Neil Lawson, who was a member of British Communist Party. The Reid Commission was formed to receive recommendations and draft the Constitution for the imminent independent Federation of Malaya. "The rulers unanimously agreed and accepted only the proposition and implication of parliamentary democracy and civil law to reign supreme over everything else. "They never wanted an Islamic state," Waythamoorthy revealed, pointing out that the system of constitutional monarch was a fundamental foundation of an independent Malaya. Karpal was right to oppose hudud He was responding to the political furore caused by PAS' desire to turn Malaysia into an Islamic state and introduce hudud as the supreme legislation. He said DAP national chairman and senior parliamentarian Karpal Singh was absolutely right to oppose PAS' Islamic agenda as unconstitutional. He said that the Islamisation process of administration started by former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad was unconstitutional and against the spirit of country's independence. He said Umno had committed so much unconstitutional misconduct, intimidation and bullying via religious extremism and racism under its 55 years of misrule in the country. He chided other Barisan Nasional component parties for having been impotent to stop Umno hegemony for half century. Since pre-independence days, he said the rulers opposed Islamisation of administration and federal government interference or involvement in religious affairs. Hence, he said an Islamic agenda would be unconstitutional and against the very spirit of independence and wishes of rulers to be just and fair to all Malaysians. "This was well documented in Malaya's pre-independence talks," said Waythamoorthy. Malay-Muslims not the only citizens He said the rulers' unanimous stand against an Islamic state was discovered when he scrutinised documents on Malaya's pre-independence talks in the London archives. He extracted about 40,000 documents on Malaya's pre-independence talks to facilitate Hindraf's multi-million ringgit class action suit against the UK government.
|
| Malaysians lose fight for 1948 'massacre' inquiry Posted: 04 Sep 2012 08:37 AM PDT
The campaigners say the 24 people killed were innocent villagers (BBC News) - Campaigners seeking an inquiry into the killing of 24 male villagers in Malaya in 1948 by British troops have lost their fight at London's High Court. Judges upheld a government decision not to hold a public hearing into the alleged massacre in the former colony. They said it would be "very difficult" to establish now whether the actions of the Scots Guards had been "deliberate". Relatives of the victims plan to appeal, and said evidence in the case proved those shot were not insurgents. Missing documentsThe killings occurred at Batang Kali in the Malayan state of Selangor in December 1948, at a time when the country was part of the British Empire. The so-called Malayan Emergency, which lasted until the late 1950s, saw British troops put down a communist-inspired revolt.  Chong Koon Ying's father was killed at Batang Kali in 1948 At the time the British government said the villagers had been suspected insurgents killed trying to escape. A later claim that the killings were premeditated was subject to a police investigation in the 1960s, but this was dropped because of a lack of "sufficient evidence". The government rejected a call in 2009 for a public inquiry, saying two previous investigations had found insufficient evidence to pursue prosecution and that without new evidence, it would take no further action. In his ruling Sir John Thomas, president of the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court, sitting with Mr Justice Treacy, said: "In our judgment, the decisions of the secretaries of state were ones that took into account the relevant considerations and were not unreasonable. "There are no grounds for disturbing their conclusion. In our judgment, they had regard to the relevant factors and weighed them carefully and reached a conclusion which it was plainly open to them to reach." Sir John added: "The first matter in relation to the purpose of inquiry is to consider whether it can establish the facts. "There are obviously enormous difficulties in conducting an inquiry into a matter that happened over 63 years ago. Most of the contemporary documents are missing and most of those who were engaged are dead. "All in all, it would appear to be very difficult at this point in time to establish definitively whether the men were shot trying to escape or whether these were deliberate executions. "Nor, in our view, would it be any easier to determine whether the use of force was reasonable or proportionate." 'Deeply regrettable'At a hearing in May, the High Court heard there was no dispute that 24 people were killed by the Scots Guards in Batang Kali, but the question was how and under what circumstances. The court was told police and the Attorney General of the Federation of Malaya - a British colony - investigated the killings at the time and concluded that those who were killed were suspected insurgents shot while trying to escape. Malaysia gained its independence in 1957, and in 1970 the director of public prosecutions asked the Metropolitan Police to investigate Batang Kali after revelations in The People newspaper suggesting the 24 had been deliberately executed and a massacre covered up. The newspaper interviewed four of the Guardsmen, who said those who died had not been trying to escape but were killed on the orders of the two sergeants. The sergeants were also interviewed by the paper but stuck by their original statements from 1948. Further probes into the killings were made in the 1990s, but in their ruling the judges noted that it was "difficult to escape the conclusion" that John Major's Conservative government decided to "progress any inquiries with as much delay as possible". In 1992 a BBC documentary, In Cold Blood, sparked another blaze of publicity but the Crown Prosecution Service considered there should not be a prosecution. And a fresh investigation by the Royal Malaysia Police between 1993 and 1997 "obtained virtually no assistance" and was met with an "uncooperative attitude" from the UK, the judges said. After Tuesday's ruling, a government spokesman said: "This was clearly a deeply regrettable incident and we extend our sympathy to the families and survivors for the loss of life and suffering. "We have always said that a public inquiry would not be able to reach any credible conclusions given the length of time passed. "Furthermore, we did not feel that the interests of justice would have been served by spending significant sums on further investigations for which there have been a number of previous inquiries." 'You have to ask why'But Chong Koon Ying, whose father was killed, said in a statement: "I am disappointed with the finding that no inquiry is required. The truth has not been fully revealed." John Halford, a solicitor representing the relatives, said they would be asking the Supreme Court to overturn the High Court decision. But he called on the government to "do the right thing" and "end the ongoing injustices at the heart of this case". He said the judges' ruling backed the families' long held contention that the victims had been unarmed and in civilian clothing at the time. It also stated the government legally had "command and control over the Scots Guards" at the time, and Mr Halford pointed out that this was something ministers had always disputed. Mr Halford added: "The ruling makes it clear that the British government decided to be uncooperative to the Malaysian police... "The Malaysian police investigation was scuppered by British civil servants, and you have to ask why that was."
|
| One in seven shops in UK vacant Posted: 03 Sep 2012 03:53 PM PDT
(Reuters) - Nearly one in seven British shops remained vacant at the end of June as retailers struggled in a double-dip recession, a report from Local Data Company (LDC) said on Tuesday. The consultancy reported that there had been no improvement in the second quarter from March's UK shop vacancy rate of 14.6 percent, the highest level since June 2008, and that it did not expect the situation to ease any time soon. Vacancies increased in all regions apart from London over the past 12 months. The rate in the capital fell from 10.7 percent to 10.1 percent. Retailers have closed poorly performing outlets, while some have gone out of business, hit by the combination of constrained consumer spending, muted wage growth and government austerity measures. Video games retailer Game went into administration in March, and last week struggling sports goods retailer JJB Sports warned investors that their shares may be worthless. "Normal service is unlikely to be resumed any time soon as far as retailers are concerned," LDC said. "For the high street, and especially for secondary shopping centres, it is clear that the current high levels of vacancy are likely to remain." |
| ‘Why don’t you stand, Ambiga?’ Posted: 03 Sep 2012 03:04 PM PDT Two groups are calling for the Bersih co-chairperson to contest in the next general election, saying she can raise the standard of Parliament. RK Anand, FMT She is one of the most adored and abhorred personalities, depending on political vantage points. But even her detractors possess a grudging respect for her courage. In a nation which struggles with the bane of racial polarisation, she had managed to bridge the divide and her appeal transcended colour and creed. And despite her poor grasp of the Tamil language, she had also become the sweetheart of the Indian community of all classes, causing concern for the lovelorn MIC. But S Ambiga refuses to enter the political ring. And after the 13th general election, the mother of two said she would relinquish her post in Bersih as well in order to allow the next echelon to spearhead the electoral watchdog. The former Bar Council president said she would focus on other issues as well as concentrate on her legal practice. Politics is a noble pursuit However, the Malaysian Indian Business Association (Miba) was adamant that Ambiga should not fade into oblivion or reduce her role. According to its president, S Sivakumar, she should contest in the next general election as an independent candidate. Ambiga, he added, would make an excellent politician and leader as well as serve as an inspiration to others to join in the fight at the frontline. Commenting on her recent interview with FMT, in which Ambiga had urged voters to reject incompetent candidates, he asked: "Why doesn't she stand?" "Instead of telling us 'don't vote for this and that candidate' and stress on the importance of competent candidates, she should stand and Malaysians of all races will vote for her. "Politics is a noble pursuit but unfortunately it lacks noble people because these people don't want to get involved. So the door is left open to unscrupulous politicians," he said. Sivakumar pointed out that Bersih and other civil society groups comprised numerous respected individuals who could raise the standard of Parliament if elected into the August House. The current political climate, he said, made it possible to bring in more independent voices to raise the bar in Parliament. "The civil society should capitalise on this call for change, where the political landscape is gravitating away from the traditional practice of party politics. "The civil society should look into fielding distinguished Malaysians with a track record of serving the nation, people who are non-partisan," he added. He said since these individuals were not members of any political parties, they would receive the support of those who do not subscribe to both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat. Furthermore, he added, their views would be constructive for good governance.
|
| Police detain student suspected of trampling picture of PM Posted: 03 Sep 2012 02:54 PM PDT
(The Star) - Police have detained one suspect believed to have been involved in trampling on pictures of the prime minister during the Janji Demokrasi gathering on Merdeka Eve. Federal CID principal assistant director SAC Datuk Abdul Jalil Hassan said that police have arrested a 19-year-old college student who would be brought to the Dang Wangi police station for further investigations. "We received a public tip-off on his whereabouts before locating him at his college. The police also spoke to two other witnesses who were there during the event," he told reporters after detaining the student on Tuesday. It was reported Monday that police had set up three task forces to investigate three reports involving incidents at Dataran Merdeka, an attack on the People's Independence Tour bus and on the contravention of the Peaceful Gathering Act 2011 by Himpunan Janji Demokrasi organisers.
|
| London luxury home market risks price crash Posted: 03 Sep 2012 02:46 PM PDT
(Reuters) - Developers rushing to build top-quality London homes to cash in on strong overseas demand are in danger of being stung by a price crash as they flood the market, property consultancy EC Harris said. Over 15,000 homes in developments worth more than £38 billion (RM187.81 billion) are due for completion in London's most expensive neighbourhoods in the next 10 years, a 70% jump on last year, an EC Harris report said Monday. The total floor area covers almost 20 million sq ft — equivalent to the size of the London Olympic park — and includes properties in upmarket Mayfair, the City of London financial district and the south bank of the river Thames. "Developers are racing to get first to site because they don't want to miss out on the boom that's happening," said Mark Farmer, head of residential at EC Harris. "There is a danger that if all these schemes happen that you'll have a massive oversupply." Prices for luxury homes have surged in recent years after economic turmoil in Europe and political uprisings across North Africa drove investors to the relative safety of central London property. Signs of a slowdown appeared after the UK government said in March it would clamp down on tax avoidance by overseas buyers of homes costing more than £2 million. Prices for the best central London homes rose 1.8% in the three months to August, the weakest quarterly growth since November 2010, property consultant Knight Frank said Monday. About 4,000 high-end homes are scheduled to be built in 2016 alone, an eight-fold increase on the average number built in London each year. The risk of over-building may be tempered by a tight supply in development finance, Farmer said. Recent entrants to the market include offices and shops developer British Land, which said in July it would redevelop a block in Mayfair into luxury flats, and Malaysian developers SP Setia and Sime Darby, which plan to build over 3,000 homes at Battersea Power Station. Such developers have been described as "late to the party" by some residential players. A May report from Development Securities warned that London luxury home prices could halve if the eurozone broke up. Other risks include further devaluation of the euro, which would make London property look more expensive, and changes to the UK planning system that make it easier to convert offices to homes and add to the pipeline, EC Harris said. "The reality is that no one knows what the conditions will be in five or 10 years," he said.
|
| Posted: 02 Sep 2012 09:13 PM PDT  Nik Ibrahim is LionGold executive chairman and group CEO. A Malaysian-backed, SGX-listed gold miner hits RM2.5bil market cap KUALA LUMPUR: Recently, an article in the Sydney Morning Herald highlighted the maverick moves of a US-based fund manager, Andres Weiss, of making a killing by merely following the aggressive acquisitions of gold mining companies by one Singapore Exchange (SGX) listed company called LionGold Corp Ltd. Since last October, Weiss Asset Management has bought into LionGold takeover targets Signature Metals Ltd and Castlemaine Gold Ltd, both listed on the Australian stock exchange (ASX) in classic arbitrage plays, the paper reported. (Arbitrage plays refer to situations where investors take positions in target companies in takeovers, betting that the announced deal will come to fruition, thereby gaining from the small premium of the takeover price versus the market price.) What made that article even more interesting is that LionGold was described as a Malaysian-backed company. Checks with LionGold revealed that its executive chairman and group CEO is Tan Sri Nik Ibrahim Kamil, who is famed for his tenure at the helm of KFC Holdings Bhd for a period of around two years from 2006 and also as the former managing director of the NSTP group.  Golden opportunity: An aerial view of Castlemaine's Ballarat gold mine, one of LionGold's acquired assets. The other Malaysian element of LionGold is that its single largest shareholder, with a 10% stake, is SGX-listed Asiasons Capital Group Ltd, a private equity fund founded by Malaysians Datuk Jared Lim, Datuk Mohammed Azlan Hashim and chartered accountant Ng Teck Wah back in 2007. LionGold's growth story is an impressive one. It now boasts a market capitalisation of around S$1bil (RM2.5bil) and is touted by some as being among the fastest growing gold mining companies in the world. It has also attracted the likes of Nomura Holdings Inc, Macquarie Bank Ltd and the Market Vectors Junior Gold Miners Exchange Trade Fund (ETF) to emerge as substantial shareholders. (The ETF belongs to New York-based asset manager Van Eck Global which had launched the ETF in 2009 aimed at giving investors there exposure to small and mid-cap gold mining companies.) Through its aggressive M&A strategy, LionGold now has control over three producing gold mines and a few more mines that are close to the production stage. In an interview with StarBiz, Nik Ibrahim said that LionGold "is touching production figures of nearly 6,000 ounces (of gold) per month, and growing." He added: "We control directly or indirectly nearly 15 million ounces of JORC compliant gold resources." (JORC is the established code for the reporting of exploration results, prepared by the Joint Ore Reserves Committee or JORC of Australia.) LionGold's modus operandi, it seems, it to take advantage of cash-strapped, small and mid-sized listed gold miners, that are trading at a fraction of their true value, in markets such as ASX. "We saw this aberration in the market. While the price of gold was high, the equity prices of a number of gold mining companies were falling," he said, adding that LionGold then did a close study of such companies, many of which had spent millions in exploration and drilling and which already had proven JORC compliant resources and reserves. But due to the fall out from the Lehman's crisis and the subsequent bearish markets in the Western world, these companies ended up cash-strapped as investors shunned them and ended up trading at a fraction of their net worth. Asiasons' Lim added: "We positioned LionGold in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Asiasons steered LionGold into an "aggregator" and "accelerator" model and leveraged on our corporate finance expertise to identify undervalued mines, with significant potential, to acquire. We have financial strength to provide the necessary capital to the mines, an attractive and liquid platform to be able to attract shareholders to swap shares with LionGold and the operational acumen to be able to accelerate the production of the acquired mines." LionGold's modus operandi in many of its recent M&As has been to acquire a placement of new shares from the target company, thereby ensuring a fresh injection of capital into these companies. After being satisfied with the value of these companies, LionGold would then proceed to make an offer to buy out the rest of the shareholders in the target company, paying them mostly in LionGold shares.  Lim: 'We positioned LionGold in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity". "Our pitch was that we are a "consolidater" of junior miners and we have a plant to inject capital, new management and technologies into the target companies. Just as important, is the fact that the SGX-listed LionGold is highly liquid stock and its share price has been appreciating. The ASX-listed targets though, were just the opposite. So the appeal to investors (of target companies) is immense," said Nik Ibrahim. This model had been used to acquire 76% in Signature Metals (which in turn owns a 70% interest in the Konogo Gold project in Ghana) and 98% of Castlemaine (that owns the state-of-the-art Ballarat Mine in Central Victoria, Australia). LionGold has also taken a 10% stake in ASX-listed Citigold Corp, that has 11 million ounces of JORC compliant gold resources and its mine in Queensland, Australia, is touted as Australia's "highest grade gold field". Through other M&As involving ASX-listed entities, LionGold has secured control over gold mines in Tasmania and Bolivia and recently started the process to acquire 60% of the Papua New Guinea operations of another ASX-listed gold miner. No wonder then that LionGold has been getting more media attention in Australia than Malaysia or even Singapore. The Aussies and fund managers like Weiss are likely to be watching LionGold even closer now. Nik Ibrahim said LionGold was still in its acquisitive phase. "But the time will come soon when LionGold's M&As will slow down in order to focus on rationalising the assets we've already consumed," he said.
|
| Sacked DAP man eyes Pandamaran Posted: 02 Sep 2012 08:56 PM PDT Tee Boon Hock says Ronnie Liu has failed his constituents. Athi Shankar, FMT KLANG: Sacked DAP grassroots leader Tee Boon Hock plans to contest in Pandamaran as an independent candidate if the party fields incumbent Ronnie Liu Tian Khiew for that state constituency. He referred to the Selangor executive councillor as an "opportunist" and "tainted candidate" who had failed to deliver anything worthwhile to his constituents since he was elected in 2008. If the DAP were to nominate such a person as its candidate for Pandamaran, he told FMT, "it will ignite my morale and determination" to contest for the seat. He alleged that Liu had been unable to uphold DAP's socialist ideals. Tee, who joined DAP in 1984, was sacked in July 2010 for allegedly misusing Liu's official letterhead to secure contracts for his cronies, an accusation he rejects. He also lost his seat in the Klang Municipal Council. He sought election in Pandamaran in 1999 and 2004 and lost on both occasions. He made way for Liu in the 2008 election. They were then close friends. "Since I was the one who proposed him for Pandamaran, I admit and take full responsibility for the mistake," he said. "I sincerely apologise to the people of Pandamaran for his shortcomings and failures." Tee said he hoped that the DAP leadership would, for the coming polls, field candidates with "credibility, high integrity, dignity and honesty" and who were team players able to work closely with grassroots leaders to serve the public. He said elected representatives must be familiar with issues affecting their constituents and have the ability to solve problems at the grassroots. "A representative should work with, by and for his voters." He said DAP leaders had deviated from the party's principles and that its CAT (competency, accountability and transparency) governance had become an empty boast. He accused them of having distanced themselves from the public and working only for their own materialistic gains. He described the running of the Selangor government as a "comedy of errors" and said the Shah Alam administration was infested with abuse of power, graft, cronyism and nepotism. "The CAT has become a sham and a gimmick and DAP has lost its credibility," he said.
|
| Lajim’s defection is not Umno’s loss Posted: 02 Sep 2012 03:25 PM PDT A scandal allegedly involving former Umno leader Lajim Ukin was the reason why Umno was happy to see the Sabah politician defect to Pakatan Rakyat. (FMT) - The real reason why Sabah veteran politician Lajim Ukin resigned from all his posts in Umno and threw his support behind Anwar Ibrahim's Pakatan Rakyat was because of a scandal that is about to explode, popular blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin said today. He said that Lajim had realised that he had no future in Umno and that he would not be selected as a Barisan Nasional candidate for the coming general election. "Lajim is carrying too much baggage. And this baggage is going to be revealed immediately after nomination day of GE13," Raja Petra said in his Malaysia-Today portal today. Raja Petra added that Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman knew about the scandal and that Lajim was to be dropped as a candidate in the coming general election as a result of the scandal. "Realising that his future is no longer bright, Lajim woke up one morning and decided to join the opposition to fight for reforms." Islamic college project The scandal, according to Raja Petra, allegedly involved Lajim promising his financial backer – named only as Mr W – a RM50 million contract to build an Islamic college in Beaufort in 2007. Raja Petra said Lajim wanted Mr W – a Bruneian who had migrated to Sabah – to pay his commission upfront, supposedly as election funds for the 12th general election. "Over the last five years since 2007, Mr W has paid Lajim a total of RM8 million. However, Mr W never got the project. "What Mr W received instead was 55 undated cheques totalling RM3 million. But all these cheques are worthless and Mr W is hopping mad and now realises he is not going to get the project, nor his money back," said Raja Petra, who also posted photographs of the cheques in his blog. Raja Petra also claimed that the so-called RM50 million Islamic college does not exist, calling it a scam. He added that Mr W, who had been Lajim's financial backer for a long time, no longer wants to fund Lajim and wants his money back. "If he does not get it, he is going to go public on this. And because of that Umno can no longer retain Lajim in the coming general election. "And because of that, also, Lajim has suddenly woken up and is joining the opposition to fight for reforms – justice, transparency, accountability, good governance, an end to corruption and abuse of power, and all that shit," said Raja Petra. Pakatan will get whacked Raja Petra warned that tainted candidates like Lajim would result in Pakatan "getting whacked in East Malaysia". He said that Anwar was making a mistake in hoping that the road to Putrajaya would become clearer with politicians like Lajim with him. "Having Lajim and those of his ilk as your partners will only ensure that Barisan Nasional will remain in power. "I know you [Anwar] want to become prime minister. But this type of thing is only going to make your dream become our nightmare. "As the Malays would say: why would we want to reject 'penyamum' and vote for 'lanun'? We said we want change, meaning change for the better, not change for the worse," he added. Raja Petra also revealed that Lajim was asking too much from Anwar – apart from cash, he also allegedly wanted to become one of the three deputy prime ministers if/when Pakatan marches into Putrajaya. And if he can't become one of the three deputy prime ministers, then he wants at least the post of Sabah chief minister, said Raja Petra. "But Lajim can't be made the chief minister of Sabah – and certainly not one of the three deputy prime ministers. And this is not because those posts have been promised to others, although that is one reason, but because he is carrying too much baggage," said Raja Petra.
|
| DAP urged to act against Karpal on anti-hudud views Posted: 02 Sep 2012 02:17 PM PDT
(The Star) - Several PAS leaders want DAP to take action against its chairman Karpal Singh for fanning sentiments against hudud law as propagated by PAS. However, they dare not say it openly for fear of repercussions as they are obligated to maintain a good rapport with their Pakatan Rakyat partners. "Sooner or later, this matter is bound to explode because no action is taken against DAP leaders who made the statements that are detrimental to Pakatan," said a PAS leader. The leaders were responding to mounting pressure from certain quarters to take stern action against former PAS deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa for suggesting that PAS should review its position in Pakatan in view of Karpal's strong objection against hudud. Another PAS leader noted that while pressure was mounting against Nasharudin for merely airing his view, DAP had remained silent over Karpal's statements which had hurt PAS. "And it is even sadder that the parasites' within PAS are working against the party's interests," said another leader. Meanwhile, the party's deputy spiritual leader Datuk Dr Harun Din (picture) cautioned members against the munafikul (hypocrite) faction who could weaken the party from within. He added that the existence of such destructive pressure group would not come as a surprise as their influence had been felt over the years in the course of the party's struggle. "Such groups may exist, or may not exist now. But if they do exist, it is not something peculiar as even during the era of Prophet Muhammad, the munafikul faction had attacked from within to weaken Islam," he said. Dr Harun also said the party's Syura council would decide on Sept 9 if action should be taken against Nasharudin. "I do not know the exact words used by Nasharudin. But urging PAS to review its position in Pakatan does not mean asking PAS to withdraw from the coalition. "Reviewing one's position could also mean looking at the benefits and shortcomings and rectifying problems," said Dr Harun.
|
| Posted: 02 Sep 2012 02:10 PM PDT
(The Star) - SULTAN Sharafuddin Idris Shah has questioned why the Selangor Government chose to make Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim the state's guest of honour at its 55th Merdeka celebration. The Sultan found it strange that he, as Ruler of the state, was not given the honour that was accorded to Anwar when the Opposition Leader was not even among the ranks of the state leadership, reported Sinar Harian. The paper, quoting the Sultan's private secretary Datuk Mohamad Munir Bani, said Anwar also did not hold any official portfolio other than being a state-appointed economic adviser. "Usually, if Tuanku cannot attend a formal state function, the Mentri Besar acts on his behalf to speak and carry out related official duties. "So, why was Anwar invited to attend and speak when this is an official state event and not a political function?" he asked regarding the celebration at Dataran Kemerdekaan in Shah Alam on Thursday. Mohamad Munir said the Ruler was not informed of the event and only received an invitation to grace a tahlil and Yassin recital programme at the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Mosque on Friday. Asked to comment on the matter at a function at Galeri Shah Alam on Saturday, Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim passed the buck to state secretary Datuk Mohamed Khursrin Munawi. "The state secretariat has always been in charge of the National Day celebrations, while the Mentri Besar's office only has a representative in the organising committee," he said. Khalid said he would clarify the situation with the Sultan during his weekly audience with the Ruler on Wednesday.
|
| DAP chief seeks end to feud with PKR Posted: 02 Sep 2012 01:56 PM PDT
(The Star) - KUANTAN: Pahang DAP chief Leong Ngah Ngah has told his members to stop quarrelling with PKR over the issue of seat allocation for the general election. "It is better to put a stop to this squabble over seat allocation," he said when asked to comment on the continuing feud between the two parties regarding the issue. Leong, who is Triang assemblyman, said he had ordered state party leaders to stop issuing any more comments on the matter. On Tuesday, Pahang PKR chairman Datuk Fauzi Abdul Rahman ticked off the state DAP by saying that it had to "exercise discipline" in requesting for seats to contest. Fauzi said that although it was not wrong for DAP to ask for additional seats, it should be done through the proper channels and with mutual consent. He was responding to reports that DAP intended to contest in several more seats in Pahang claiming to have a better chance of winning these than its allies. In the 42-seat Pahang state assembly, PKR currently does not have any seat while DAP and PAS have two each. The rest are held by Barisan Nasional. Leong said the parties in the state Pakatan Rakyat were still on good terms with each other and would sit down to discuss the issue. "Actually, it is not wrong for us to request for more seats as PKR and PAS also do the same," he said, adding that the coalition's central leadership should meet on the matter and all should abide by any decision made. State DAP secretary and Tras assemblyman Choong Siew Onn downplayed the issue, saying that seat allocation was not Pakatan's main agenda. "What is important is to go to the ground, work hard and serve the people," he said. However, state DAP vice-chairman J. Apalasamy continued to taunt PKR, saying its representatives were more prone to defection. "PKR leaders should show more respect to DAP, the senior partner in Pakatan," he said. Apalasamy reportedly told a news portal that it was the DAP which had allocated seats to PKR in the last general election, adding that Fauzi should remember which was the more senior party of the two. "As such, he should learn to show some respect," he said, claiming that DAP had allowed PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to be the Opposition Leader despite PKR having fewer seats in Parliament.
|
| Posted: 02 Sep 2012 09:20 AM PDT
(The Star) - SANDAKAN: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has strengthened speculation that the next general election will be held in November. With the Prime Minister scheduled to unveil the National Education Blueprint on Sept 11 and Budget 2013 on Sept 28, talk in political circles is that the general election will likely be held in the second last month of the year. The Barisan Nasional chairman's "one-on-one" meetings with component party heads on Aug 28 to discuss their candidates' list have also given credence to talk that the polls will be held then. In his strongest hint yet, the Umno president brought his favourite number 11 into prominence during the joint opening of the party's Kinabatangan, Sandakan, Batu Sapi, Beluran and Libaran delegates meeting here. He said the double digits were "significant" this year because 2012 is the 66th year of Umno, with Malaysia marking the 55th year of Merdeka and Sabah Umno notching 22 years. "All these numbers could be multiplied by 11," he said. "Six times 11 equals 66, five times 11 equals 55 and 2 times 11 equals 22. The factor of 11 appears in all. It is unique and good." Earlier in his speech, Najib urged members of the state Umno and Barisan Nasional to defend Sabah as a "fixed deposit" of the coalition. He said Umno's strength in Sabah was good and believed the party would get "a resounding support" of the people in the state. Najib urged Umno members to work for the party and not look at ethnicity of candidates as this would divide and weaken the party. "We don't need selfish members who only want to fill their pockets and protect their positions. Such people can leave. "Najib is not strong, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman is not strong. Our strength is in Umno and Barisan Nasional," he pointed out. The Prime Minister asked Sabah voters to give Barisan another five years' mandate so that the coalition could carry out its projects in the state under the Government Transformation Programme. He said ties between the Federal Government and Sabah were good, adding that the state benefited much under Barisan.
|
| Posted: 01 Sep 2012 03:09 PM PDT
TREASONOUS ANTICS: Malaysians denounce Bersih supporters who want to replace Jalur Gemilang Bersih supporters showing a flag at Dataran Merdeka on Thursday night in the run-up to the Merdeka Day countdown. (Inset) A flier that was distributed on Thursday night calling for the Jalur Gemilang to be replaced with a new flag. (NST) - MALAYSIANS from all walks of life have described the demands made by supporters of the Bersih movement for the Jalur Gemilang to be replaced with a different flag as "shameful" and "treasonous". They are also incensed over the actions of the same group, which insulted Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak by stomping on his picture during the countdown to the Merdeka Day celebrations at Dataran Merdeka here on Thursday. The supporters of Bersih, who claim to be championing for a better electoral system for the country, had displayed a flag they had created to replace the Jalur Gemilang and distributed flyers to the people to support their cause. Their actions can be seen in a video posted on YouTube. Principal of a childcare centre, Velda Ooi, 44, said this was a disgrace to the founding fathers of Malaysia as they had toiled hard to create an identity for the country, which was symbolised by the Jalur Gemilang. "I really can't believe the youngsters can do such a thing. So shameful... they don't even treasure our history, our pride and our identity. "Why are they doing this?" said Ooi, who said she felt very angry over the group's actions. Student Yogannath Thiruchelvan, 16, said Malaysians who did not appreciate the Jalur Gemilang were a disgrace to the country. "When the Union Jack flag was brought down 55 years ago, our flag was hoisted. It is sad that these people do not know the significance of our flag and can do such a thing," said Yogannath who wanted the offenders punished. Juice bar manager Muhammed Fitri Harun, 28, summed up the entire incident in one word: "Ridiculous!" "They should be punished as this is an act of treason to our nation as a whole. The flag represents us all, the citizens. How dare they do such a thing?" Meanwhile, attempts to get a response from Bersih co-chairman Datuk S. Ambiga were unsuccessful. She, however, yesterday tweeted her displeasure over an incident perpetrated by a Bersih supporter during the gathering. A photo of a rally participant on the Internet showed him "mooning" pictures of Najib and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor as well as Election Commission chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Yusof. Another man is seen applauding his action, while yet another showed a rude gesture. The organisers of the Bersih gathering, dubbed "Janji Demokrasi rally", did not respond to requests for comments. Businessman Datuk Mohd Mahyidin Mustakim said he was upset when he saw the videoof the act and demanded that the culprits be punished. "Memang kurang ajar (very insolent). What kind of values are they teaching the younger generation? This is not part of our culture. "We are very well known for our humble and well-mannered behaviour," said Mahyidin. Aizad Salleh, 27 who is a sales assistant in a shopping mall here said that it was a very disrespectful act. "What have they done for the country? Now we are flourishing because of our current prime minister and the ones before him. "If they can't be thankful, at least do not disrespect our leaders like this. They really should be brought to court and punished," said Aizad. Financial consultant Susan Lim, 30, also felt that those who committed the act should be punished and taught a lesson. "Who are they to behave like this? This is one of the most disrespectful things I have ever seen. "No matter who it is that you hate, just don't do this. It brings you down as a person as well," said Lim. |
| Musa on radar of Swiss money-laundering probe Posted: 01 Sep 2012 02:36 PM PDT Swiss bank UBS is being investigated in connection with its relationship with Musa Aman. (FMT) - KOTA KINABALU: A Swiss investigations into a money-laundering trail with its roots in the rainforests of Sabah is threatening to embarrass Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his Barisan Nasional coalition government. Najib who is on a two-day visit to Sabah to bring a fractious state Umno headed by Chief Minister Musa Aman into line ahead of general election, is faced with discomforting international exposure that his government is corrupt to the core. The timing of Swiss investigations into links between UBS, Switzerland's biggest bank, and the proceeds from illegal logging in Sabah couldn't be worse for the premier who is hoping to mollify the state which has increasingly shown signs that it is swinging over to the opposition. Najib and his entourage will be visiting the Kg Rampayan Laut in Kota Belud today for a carnival-like political event where he hopes to prop up shaky support for his Barisan Nasional coalition government. The premier who is also Umno president was in Sandakan on Saturday for a meeting with his state party officials. Talk of a shake-up in Sabah Umno has been quashed by party officials close to Musa and spun as a gambit by his rival, Shafie Apdal, the current Semporna MP who is a trusted man of Najib, and is said to being eyeing the post of Sabah chief minister. Umno insiders are warning of serious repercussions should Najib refuse to reinvigorate the BN. They claimed that party's interest must be put first and ahead of any personal agendas and failure to do so would be disastrous for the BN. Reuters news agency yesterday reported that Swiss prosecutors have opened a criminal money laundering probe into UBS after environmental campaign group, Bruno Manser Fund, filed a complaint accusing it of links to the proceeds of alleged illegal logging in Malaysia. The investigation could be a new embarrassment for the Swiss bank, fined for helping clients dodge US taxes in 2009 and facing similar accusations – which it denies – in Germany. It comes as Switzerland is trying to clean up its image as a haven for ill-gotten gains. A spokeswoman for federal prosecutors said they had opened a criminal investigation into allegations of money laundering. She confirmed that UBS was being investigated in connection with its relationship with Musa Aman. Musa was accused in the complaint brought by Switzerland's Bruno Manser Fund in May of links to illegal logging in Borneo. The chief minister has previously dismissed graft allegations as a political conspiracy. UBS has said it was cooperating with the investigation. "UBS complies with the rules and regulations in all the markets where it operates," a spokesman who noted the bank is obliged to report to authorities fighting money laundering if it finds evidence it is holding assets of criminal origin, was quoted as saying. In its complaint, the Bruno Manser Fund, which campaigns to save tropical rainforests in Borneo and the people who inhabit them, accused UBS of breaching its duty of care by accepting more than $90 million it said was earned from logging in Sabah. Citing documents it presented to Swiss prosecutors, it said the money was banked at UBS in Hong Kong and Zurich.
|
| S’gor DAP branches reject Ganapathirau Posted: 01 Sep 2012 02:28 PM PDT Selangor DAP branches warn the party leadership that DAP would lose the Kota Alam Shah seat if Ganapathirau, a former ISA detainee, is fielded. Athi Shankar, FMT KLANG: Eight DAP branches here have called on the party leadership not to field V Ganapathirau (photo) as candidate in Kota Alam Shah state seat in the next general election. The branches, all from the state constituency, warned the party leadership that the DAP would lose the seat if Ganapathirau, a former detainee of now repealed Internal Security Act, was fielded. The DAP eight branches, with collectively some 500 members, openly opposed Ganapathirau are Taman Gembira, Klang, Teluk Pulai, Bayu Tinggi, Taman Chi Liung Indah, Southern Klang, Persiaran Raja Muda Musa and Ehsan. The group spokesman Ivan Ho said they were all against Ganapathirau because he was not a local familiar with the party grassroots leaders and members, or constituents in the area. Ho said Ganapathirau does not have close rapport with party grassroots in the constituency, a winning factor so crucial for a potential candidate. He urged the party leadership to respect grassroots sentiments and not to force in parachute candidates like Ganapathirau in Kota Alam Shah. "DAP members and constituents don't know him much. "The party should not push us to accept Ganapathirau. "We don't want him," Ho, the Taman Gembira branch head, told FMT. Kota Alam Shah incumbent assemblyman is M Manoharan, a protégé of DAP national chairman Karpal Singh. It's learnt Selangor DAP leadership under Teresa Kok planned to replace Manoharan, also a former ISA detainee, with Ganapathirau. Ganapathirau is a staunch confidant of deputy secretary general and Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy. Not an Indian hero Taman Chi Liung Indah head K Yogasigamany reminded the state party leadership that time had lapsed to promote the Ganapathirau as a former ISA detainee and his so-called involvement in Hindraf Makkal Sakti. He said DAP grassroots members and constituents know that Ganapathirau, who now leads NGO Malaysian Indian voice, was not a Hindraf leader. "Constituents have realised that Ganapathirau was never the Hindraf leader or Indian hero. "He is no more relevant for Indian community. "It will be futile and fatal for party leadership to field Ganapathirau in Kota Alam Shah. "The leadership should drop the idea altogether," Yogasigamany told FMT.
|
| PM: Pakatan being disrespectful of the Sultan is not surprising Posted: 01 Sep 2012 01:53 AM PDT
(The Star) - It is hardly a surprise for the Pakatan Rakyat-led Selangor government to be disrespectful of the state Sultan, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. "They would rather show more respect to the state's economic adviser, who has no locus standi, than the Sultan, the symbol of sovereignty in the country," he said. Selangor's economic adviser is Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also PKR leader. Najib was responding to reports that Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim had not issued an invitation to the Sultan to attend state-level Merdeka eve celebration in Shah Alam. The Sultan's private secretary Datuk Mohamad Munir Bani had claimed that it was a norm to invite the Sultan to the event, adding that it had been a common practice of the previous Selangor government. "It is also weird that they want to do things like change the flag," Najib said, referring to reports of individuals waving "alternative flags" to the Jalur Gemilang during the Janji Demokrasi gathering at Dataran Merdeka on Aug 30. Firing more salvos at Pakatan, Najib said winds of change were also blowing in Selangor with more people responding positively to Barisan Nasional. Speaking at the Selangor Barisan Hari Raya open house at the Rubber Research Institute here Saturday, he said this year's crowd, estimated at 100,000, was a lot more than last year's attendance. "And it is definitely more than the state government's Merdeka eve celebration. This proves that the people of Selangor are ready to make that change so that the state's administration will return to Barisan," he said. Najib said while the state government had not fulfilled its promises to the people, the Federal Government had gone above and beyond that was promised in its manifesto with various aid programmes for the people. Meanwhile, in SHAH ALAM, Khalid defended the state-level National Day celebration against criticisms that the Sultan of Selangor was not invited. He said the celebration was held according to all common practices and guidelines put into place by the previous state government. "There was nothing surprising in the way the celebration was held. I did not see anything wrong in the way the function was planned and executed. "Planning for the event was undertaken by a special task force under the purview of the Selangor state secretary (Datuk Mohd Khusrin Mohd) and it has been doing it this way before 2008," he said at the Shah Alam Gallery here. Khalid said that although he would meet the Sultan every Wednesday to discuss various issues, they never talked about the celebration. "There was no need to discuss the matter as the planning for the celebration was under the state secretary. Besides, there are many other important issues that need attention," he said. On Saturday, members of the Selangor Perkasa, including its president Abu Bakar Yahya, lodged a report at the Shah Alam police headquarters on the matter.
|
| PR has lost direction, says Noh Omar Posted: 01 Sep 2012 01:43 AM PDT
Mohd Farhan Darwis, The Malaysian Insider Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Noh Omar today took a swipe at Pakatan Rakyat (PR), saying the opposition bloc has started to lose its direction in wanting to replace the national flag, the Jalur Gemilang. The Selangor Barisan Nasional (BN) deputy chairman also said it was impossible to do so as the flag is enshrined in the Federal Constitution. "They have started to lose direction... until they even want to change the flag. I want to remind them that we cannot change matters enshrined in our Constitution such as the flag; whoever rules it is still our symbol. And the national anthem 'Negaraku', it is the song of whoever is in power. "They are not yet ruling (but) already want to do extraordinary things," Noh told reporters at the Selangor BN open house at the Rubber Research Institute of Malaysia (RRIM) in Sungai Buloh here. The Tanjung Karang MP also expressed sorrow at the way PR celebrated National Day. "I feel very sad at the attitude and the way they celebrate Merdeka Day, we should raise flags, but they make other flags," he said, in apparent reference to a group of individuals who were spotted waving flags sporting alternative designs to the Jalur Gemilang during the massive public countdown to the country's 55th National Day in Kuala Lumpur last Thursday. "They are rude, not yet in power but they are already power crazy, their supporters and followers don't respect our rules." The individuals were spotted carrying flags sporting the familiar crescent moon and 14-pointed star against a red-and-white striped background — similar to the national flags of neighbouring Singapore and Indonesia — which were alleged to be the alternative to the Jalur Gemilang. Some of the street party-goers were also reported to have stepped on or tore posters bearing the images of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, his wife and the Election Commission chairman that night. However, the organisers of the Janji Demokrasi rally — which took place at the same venue at Dataran Merdeka — has distanced themselves from the individuals who had allegedly demanded the national flag be replaced. Noh also commented on Selangor PR ignoring the Sultan of Selangor in its National Day celebrations, saying that it shows that the federal opposition bloc did not uphold the Rukun Negara principle of "Loyalty to King and country". "Before BN carried out today's programme, the organiser informed the Sultan of Selangor that the prime minister will come to celebrate with the people. "Not like the opposition, their state-level Merdeka Day celebrations ignored the Sultan and turned this celebration into a political arena," Noh said, adding "we practise the Rukun Negara principle of loyalty to King and country." Noh said: "In this life there are two things, morals and laws. Morally, they have to respect our culture, other people's functions, but they try to take advantage to carry out politicking activities including in the programme on Merdeka Day eve".
|
| Seat distribution in Pakatan almost complete Posted: 31 Aug 2012 08:46 PM PDT
(Bernama) - Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim said today allocation of seats to be contested by parties in the opposition coalition for the upcoming 13th general election was about completed. He said they would negotiate based on consensus should there be additional suggestions. "We will discuss if there are new suggestions. In Kelantan it is complete, while Penang is almost done," he told reporters after speaking at a programme here today. On the implementation of Hudud law, Anwar said implementation at the national-level depended on amendments to the Federal Constitution. In another development, DAP will submit a private members bill in pushing for an anti-hopping law when Parliament reconvenes on Sept 25. Party chairman Karpal Singh said this was necessary as Article 10 (1)(c) of the Federal Constitution would have to be amended first to enable an anti-hopping law to be enacted. "To bring in the anti-hopping law, you have to amend Article 10 (1)(c) which says there is right of association including the right to join or leave a party," he told a press conference in Penang today. He said the Penang government was looking at enacting an anti-hopping law in November but it would be unconstitutional unless there was a change in the Federal Constitution. To make the (anti-hopping) law constitutional, he said there must be either a change to Article 10 (1)(c) or bring up to the Federal Court to review its 1992 decision whereby it decided that an anti-hopping law enactment passed by the Kelantan state assembly was unconstitutional.
|
| Karpal: DAP to push for anti-hopping law Posted: 31 Aug 2012 07:57 PM PDT
(Bernama) - The DAP will submit a private members bill to push for an anti-hopping law when Parliament reconvenes on Sept 25, said its chairman Karpal Singh. He said this was necessary as Article 10 (1)(c) of the federal constitution would have to be amended first to enable an anti-hopping law to be enacted. "To bring in the anti-hopping law, you have to amend Article 10 (1)(c) which says there is right of association including the right to join or leave a party," he told a press conference here on Saturday. He said the Penang government was looking at enacting an anti-hopping law in November but it would be unconstitutional unless there was a change in the federal constitution. To make the (anti-hopping) law constitutional, he said, there must be either a change to Article 10 (1)(c) or it must be brought up to the Federal Court to review its 1992 decision where it decided that an anti-hopping law enactment passed by the Kelantan state assembly was unconstitutional.
|
| Najib to offer oil royalty hike? Posted: 31 Aug 2012 04:43 PM PDT Fearing for his future, that of his party and ruling alliance, the PM has come to Sabah bearing gifts, according to Umno insiders. (FMT) - KOTA KINABALU: Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, fearing for his future, that of his party and ruling alliance, has come to Sabah bearing gifts, according to Umno insiders. One of them is an offer of an increase in the 5% oil royalty the state presently gets which the opposition Pakatan Rakyat has pledged to raise substantially if it takes over Putrajaya in the next general election. According to the grapevine, Najib will announce the increased oil payments the state would receive for outflow of its resources. However, while no figure was forthcoming, speculation is that the premier would offer "more than 10%" oil royalty to the must-win state for Barisan Nasional and Umno. Sabah BN coalition partner United Pasokmomogun KadazanDusun Murut Organisation (Upko) said as much recently. According to party president Bernard Dompok, under the Petronas agreement the royalty payment was set at 10% but was to be split between Sabah and Kuala Lumpur. "I think the immediate doable figure, to my mind, is 10%. For a start, we can almost have another 5%. This is my thinking. Beyond that there will have to be some negotiation with the oil companies" he was quoted as saying last week. However, those critical of the move warned that all the offer, counter-offer and wheeling and dealing being made is a sell-off of national assets for political expediency. "If it is true (raising the oil royalty) then it is a shameless buyout … like a bribe that is not his to give but already belongs to the state," said a political analyst who added that the rumour of such an offer being made was known for some time. "They know that people are fed up with this government. Fifty years is a long time and people are thinking its time… change the government, they are saying, and Najib and BN know this and are trying to buy more time with the country's resources. "But it's up to the people… will they buy this? The BN federal government is giving to the BN state … from one pocket to the other pocket … apa macam (what do you think)? "It will definitely come as a shock that federal is toying with Sabah… its wealth. Now coming begging for another chance. Now is the time for Sabahans … their leaders to twist the dagger," the person said. The gift comes even as Sabahans debate the federal government's role in surrendering Sabah's oil-rich territories to Brunei as well as their small share in their own resources. STAR chief Jeffrey Kitingan has urged state government leaders to study the oil agreement carefully as he believes many of them do not understand the underlying commitments of the deal and would be simply going to the negotiating table with the federal government without much thought of the future repercussions of renegotiating Sabah's oil resources.
|
| MCA opposes Islam; what about DAP? Posted: 31 Aug 2012 04:10 PM PDT
(The Star) - MCA Youth has challenged the DAP to state its stand on the hudud issue instead of misleading the public by remaining silent. As the PAS leadership is clearly not backing down on its plan to implement hudud if Pakatan Rakyat takes over Putrajaya in the coming general election, DAP leaders must state their stand, said its chief Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong. "We feel Pakatan Rakyat should be honest about what they are going to do and the implications of their actions to the community," he told a press conference after the wing's 23rd central committee meeting here yesterday. Dr Wee was commenting on a recent interview published in a Chinese daily which quoted PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu as saying that the party would propose constitutional amendments in Parliament to implement the Islamic law if it formed the Federal Government. He later denied making the statement to Sin Chew Daily. Following that, several PAS senior leaders had stated that hudud remained on the party's agenda. They said that it was no longer a question of whether hudud should be implemented but how it was to be enforced. PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang said on Thursday that the party would not give up its struggle to uphold Islamic laws, adding that the Malacca sultanate centuries ago had imposed syariah laws on Muslims and customary laws on non-Muslims. He also said the DAP had no authority to compel PAS to forgo its hudud agenda. Dr Wee said PAS had never lied about its intention to implement hudud and questioned why the DAP had remained quiet. "We don't want the Chinese community to be misled on this issue," he said. On another matter, Dr Wee thanked the Cabinet and the Higher Education Ministry for offering some 600 STPM and Matriculation high-achiever scholarships for further studies in local private universities. "The Government wants to retain these talents so they can contribute to the development of the country," he said. He added that the youth wing would be holding its general assembly on Sept 20.
|
| I’m not returning to Barisan, says Lajim Posted: 31 Aug 2012 04:03 PM PDT
(The Star) - KOTA KINABALU: Beaufort MP Datuk Lajim Ukin has denied talk that he is returning to Barisan Nasional. "I have not met any Barisan leaders either at the state or Federal level to talk about returning to Barisan," he told reporters here on Thursday. Several bloggers have claimed that he was returning to Barisan because he was not given any "incentives" promised by the Opposition and that he failed to deliver more crossovers. He believed such bloggers were trying to discredit him and make people lose faith in him. He reiterated that his July 28 move to align himself with Pakatan Rakyat was done without any "incentives". "Let me make it clear that I joined the Opposition not because of monetary gains. That is not how the Opposition works, they do not buy anyone," he added. Lajim, who has formed non-governmental organisation Coalition for Change in Sabah, claimed that there would be more Barisan members leaving at the "right time".
|
| Get real, pundit tells Young Power Posted: 31 Aug 2012 03:51 PM PDT It's unlikely for Pakatan to accept an Indian-based party, says analyst A Thiruvengadam. B Nantha Kumar, FMT A prominent analyst of Malaysian Indian politics has poured cold water on the idea of an Indian-based party within Pakatan Rakyat. A Thiruvengadam, who writes a column for a Tamil daily, said today that the proposal was unrealistic in the light of Pakatan's stand against race-based politics. He was commenting on a proposal by a group calling itself Young Power and claiming to represent Indian youths. One member, G Krishnan, told FMT on Wednesday that the group was disappointed that neither Barisan Nasional nor any party in Pakatan was doing enough to address issues of concern to Indians. Krishnan also said Young Power had raised the proposal with several Indian leaders in Pakatan by text message and had received positive responses. "It's a mission impossible," said Thiruvengadam, noting that Pakatan leaders have often spoken against raced-based politics and that it is not easy to get registered as a political party in Malaysia, especially one that aligns itself with the parliamentary opposition. Furthermore, he added, it was doubtful that any Indian currently holding a leadership position in any of the Pakatan parties would resign to join the new party. Thiruvengadam is a former PKR member and former municipal councillor for Petaling Jaya. His advice to Young Power was that it should instead support a two-party system for the country. "Indians can benefit more via the two-party system since they are the third largest community in the country, which makes them an important deciding factor in the polls," he said. However, Young Power's proposal has the support of P Jenapala, the pro-tem president of the Indian Justice Party. Sambal belacan He rejected the Pakatan claim that it is a coalition for all races. "PAS will say, 'Let's go towards a better Malaysia as long as Muslims are supreme.' DAP will say, 'Malaysia for Malaysians as long as the Chinese are supreme.' And PKR is a Pakatan version of Umno upholding Malay supremacy."
|
| Umno MP denies jumping ship rumour Posted: 31 Aug 2012 03:42 PM PDT Salleh Kalbi quashes the rumour, saying even if he is not nominated to defend his Silam seat in the next polls, he will remain loyal to Umno. Thomas Pi, FMT LAHAD DATU: Silam MP Salleh Kalbi has denied allegations that he is prepared to move to the opposition if he is not nominated as the Barisan Nasional candidate in the coming general election. He also denied having met with any opposition leaders recently to discuss the matter. He believed that such speculations by Silam Umno members was aimed at reducing his chances of being re-nominated as a candidate. "I had told Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman that I will not cross over to the opposition after such allegations surfaced recently. "No matter what happens, I will remain with BN and Umno," he stressed. As the guest of honour in a fund raising activity organised by San Long Dian temple here, Salleh made it a point to tell the media present that lies were being spread about him and those doing so had an agenda against him. The speculation surfaced after Salleh failed to secure any post within the Silam Umno division recently. With the crossover of two other BN leaders to the opposition last month, word spread that Salleh had secret discussions with PKR here. It is understood that some PKR members here held an open survey of Salleh's popularity should he represent the opposition in the coming general election. A close aid to Umno Silam division chairman Nasrun Mansur said the party had received such information and would leave it to the top leadership to decide on this matter.
|
| Show some respect, DAP tells PKR Posted: 31 Aug 2012 03:38 PM PDT Pahang DAP takes its PKR counterpart to task over the latter's remarks with regard to DAP wanting extra seats. Athi Shankar, FMT CAMERON HIGHLANDS: Pahang PKR's leadership should learn to respect DAP as a senior partner in Pakatan Rakyat. State DAP vice-chairman J Apalasamy also reminded PKR state chairman Fauzi Abdul Rahman that it was his party that gave seats to PKR to contest in Pahang in the 2008 general election. "He should not forget that when lashing out against DAP in the media. He should remember DAP is a much more senior party than PKR in Malaysian politics. He should learn to show some respect to senior partners in Pakatan, especially to DAP," he told FMT. Apalasamy was irked by Fauzi's media outburst against DAP for requesting extra seats in Pahang – one parliament and two state from PKR for the next general election. DAP was keen to contest the Damak and Teruntum state seats as well as the Bentong federal constituency. PKR contested those seats in 2008. Fauzi had criticised DAP for lacking discipline in asking the seats. He said that although it was not wrong for DAP to request for additional seats, it must be done through the proper channels and with mutual consent. Apalasamy returned fire, reminding Fauzi that DAP proved to be more discipline as the party allowed unelected PKR supremo and Permatang Pauh MP Anwar Ibrahim to be the Opposition Leader despite having 29 MPs which was more than PKR's 26. "Moreover PKR is prevalent with defections than DAP," he said. In 2008, DAP contested two federal – Cameron Highlands and Raub – and seven state seats, winning only the Triang and Tras state constituencies. PKR contested six federal and 13 state seats, winning only the Indera Mahkota and Kuantan parliamentary constituencies. Apalasamy argued that DAP had better candidates to win those seats it was requesting. Moreover, he reminded Fauzi that the results of the Sarawak election last year and a series of by-elections since 2008 have shown that DAP performed better than other Pakatan partners. "So Fauzi should show some respect to us and be more disciplined," he added.
|
| PKR blames Najib, Umno for bus attack Posted: 31 Aug 2012 03:36 PM PDT The bus which is being used for the party's "Jelajah Rakyat Merdeka" campaign was splashed with red paint and its windscreen cracked. K Pragalath, FMT PKR deputy president Azmin Ali has blamed Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and Umno over an attack on the party's bus that is being used for the party's "Jelajah Rakyat Merdeka" campaign. "The culture of gangsterism and threats has been the practice and main weapon of enemies, especially Umno to curb PKR and Pakatan Rakyat's march forward. "Najib's silence clearly approves these actions. It is a culture brought by Najib," he said. "Even former prime ministers Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Abdullah Ahmad Badawi never protected gangsters," he told a press conference at the PKR headquarters this morning. The "Jelajah Rakyat Merdeka" campaign is a PKR initiative led by Opposition Leader and PKR advisor Anwar Ibrahim to garner support from the masses. In the 4.30am incident that took place in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, the bus was splashed with red paint and its windscreen cracked. The attackers threw bricks towards the front left corner of the bus, specifically aiming at the bus driver. A police report on the attack was lodged at 5.15am. The bus is currently on the way to Grik which marks Anwar's campaign in Perak.
|
| You are subscribed to email updates from Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
0 ulasan:
Catat Ulasan