Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Assange looking at a year in embassy, says father
- Opposition denial does not hold water – PBS
- Don’t kiss up to politicians, says Clint Eastwood
- PAS assures Hindraf better life for Indians
- The Last Frontier
- State DAP HQ, service centres splashed with red paint
- With 13m voters now, urgent call to clean up electoral roll
- PKR tour bus again comes under paint attack
- Egyptians clash with police barring way to US embassy
- LGE’s priorities warped, says Boo Chang
- Parti Cinta spews hate on ‘hooligan’ DAP
- Chinese vote, US backing not enough to propel Pakatan to Putrajaya, says don
- May 13 witness defends Kit Siang in flagpole incident
- Reveal palm oil AP holders, says PKR
- Conflict of interest in Langat 2 dam deal
- 'Innocence of Muslims' producer's identity in question; actors say they were duped, overdubbed
- ‘Beaten every day for 60 days’
- Govt endorses guide on how to spot gays
- EC: Code of conduct for caretaker govt ready
- DAP men back Karpal against Islamic state
- ‘Make a stand on real issues in Sabah’
- Baffled Mukhriz rejects debate dare
- Barisan leaders: Opposition lacks confidence
- Australian court told of 'secret deals' in Bank Negara's polymer notes printing
- Money laundering through casinos
- NFCorp: Rafizi is lying again
- Talam debate: No Khalid, only commotion
- U.S. ambassador to Libya killed in attack - Libya official
- Anti-Islam film sparks Libya, Egypt protests
- Chua Tee Yong lodges police report over ‘hell’ note
- Chua Jr gets hell notes too
- PAS steers clear of row with Karpal
- Selangor: We can reject building plans
- Anwar withdraws defamation suit against ex-aide Saiful
- Opposition-friendly tag unfair, say experts
- Jayakumar to contest in Sungai Siput again….. but this time under PSM banner
- Young doctor to take on 'Old Lion' Karpal in Bukit Gelugor
- Karpal going ahead with suit against Nasharudin
- Allies scramble to mend Najib-Muhyiddin cracks
- Perak’s ‘defected 4′ keen on contesting
- Indigenous Malaysians Miss School, Agency Finds
- Koon Swan case ‘a mistake'
- Police receive video of Anwar’s bodyguard allegedly pointing a gun
- ‘I was blindfolded, handcuffed, beaten’
- Suaram slams ‘premature’ accusations
- Ex-NFCorp consultant allegedly given RM1.7m to pay off cops
- Anonymous letter warns Najib of Indian ‘gang threat’
- Keep out, PKR rep tells CM's aide
- Pakatan bars leaders from PSM function
- Tian Chua, Mat Sabu, Hishamuddin quized on rally
| Assange looking at a year in embassy, says father Posted: 14 Sep 2012 06:07 PM PDT
(AFP) -- WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's father said Saturday that his son thought he could spend as long as a year holed up in Ecuador's embassy in London, but was prepared for his "long meditation". John Shipton, Assange's biological father, said he spoke frequently with the 41-year-old who won asylum from Ecuador to escape extradition from Britain to Sweden, where he faces sexual assault allegations. "He's in a small room... and in that he has a treadmill and a sunlamp," he told AFP in Sydney's Redfern where he had accepted an Aboriginal Nations passport, for use when travelling within Australia, on behalf of his son. "But he faces his future with equanimity. He says he may have to spend 12 months in this situation. I think that he's prepared himself for his long meditation." Shipton, 68, said his son was still pressing ahead with his plans to run for the Australian Senate in the national election due next year, and had asked his father to write the constitution for his yet-to-be founded political party. Sydney-based Shipton said he felt Australians were "genuinely concerned and moved" by the plight of Assange and the work of WikiLeaks, which has published hundreds of thousands of documents online, including confidential United States State Department emails. He said he had spoken to Assange about the Aboriginal Nationals passport -- used for travel through Aboriginal lands in the country. "This occasion is a further opportunity to generate support for Julian's situation," he said. "The irony is it's a great help to bring to notice to people that the situation is well, very questionable, morally very questionable. "The (Australian) foreign minister could do a little more. Although he says he has done a lot, he won't speak to me." Shipton, who said he had always kept in touch with Assange's mother but had little contact with his son from when he was three until his twenties, spoke of his pride in Assange, a former computer hacker. "I am astounded, absolutely astounded. And each day more impressed," he said. "He seems as though he handles himself at those rarefied atmospheres really quite well. "It must have taken a great deal of suffering to have learned so quickly how to move amongst those people... and not display fear when the whole American empire wishes to crush you." But Shipton won't be watching a new movie about Assange's earlier life called "Underground: The Julian Assange Story" which is set to screen on Australian television early next month. He doesn't have a television.
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| Opposition denial does not hold water – PBS Posted: 14 Sep 2012 04:21 PM PDT
(The Borneo Post) - Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) has rejected the opposition denial of their link to the Suara Pakatan Rakyat and urged the police to investigate the seditious blog. PBS secretary general Datuk Henrynus Amin, in welcoming the statement by the Chief Minister who joined the chorus of voices against the opposition blogger who is critical of the Sumazau dance, said he had no doubt about the close link between Suara Pakatan Rakyat and the opposition front – PKR, DAP and PAS – which collectively styled themselves as Pakatan Rakyat. He said as the name implies, Suara Pakatan Rakyat is an opposition propaganda, a voice for Pakatan Rakyat, whose contents are fiercely anti-BN and their political orientation closely identical to or rather seemed to represent the opposition agenda. "The opposition denial of any link with Suara Pakatan Rakyat does not hold water as there is no secret about the intention, affiliation and political allegiance of the blogger," he said. Henrynus also totally rejected insinuation that Umno is behind the blog. He said the Suara Pakatan Rakyat blog had existed for a long time and its contents highly critical of Umno and the BN. "How do you reconcile the fact that the administration of the blog is firmly in the hands of those highly critical of Umno and the BN?" He said the fact of the matter is that the opposition tried to discredit the Prime Minister by associating him with the Sumazau which they erroneously branded as a Pagan religious ritual of the Kadazandusun and Murut community. The opposition, as a matter of strategy, was trying to emulate the success of the BN propaganda associating Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah with the Christian cross displayed on a Kadazandusun headgear he wore during a political function in the 1990 general election, said Henrynus. "So this was a case of political strategy gone awfully wrong for which they will have to bear the consequences of their foolishness." The blogger thinks naively the Kadazandusun and Murut community are passive insignificant people whom they can conveniently use as a scapegoat and the perfect political punching bag to pursue their selfish political goals. "The opposition may be forgiven for their dislike or at best ignorance of the indigenous culture of Sabah, but for them to think they can gain political mileage by demonizing the culture of the Kadazandusun and Murut community, they are yet to find out in the coming general election the price they have to pay for their disrespect." "Contrary to their expectation, by demonizing the Sumazau dance, the people of Sabah, the Kadazandusun and Murut community in particular, is even more united in the defence of their cultural heritage. "The Kadazandusun and Murut community are proud of their cultural heritage, and history has shown as exemplified by the famous Kampung Karanaan gathering in 1982 in response to Berjaya's disrespect of the Kaamatan Festival, that they as a community will fight anyone, and including the opposition front, who may be tempted to humiliate them as a community." He said PBS decision as a Kadazandusun and Murut based multiracial political party to make a police report was therefore timely and truly justified. "PBS fully agrees with the Chief Minister of Sabah, 'For those who have no respect for our cultural values are not welcome here in Sabah.' "Sabahans, the Kadazandusun and Murut community in particular, should not support or rather should not have anything to do with those who have no respect for the people of Sabah and their culture," added Henrynus.
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| Don’t kiss up to politicians, says Clint Eastwood Posted: 14 Sep 2012 03:50 PM PDT
(Reuters) - Clint Eastwood said on Friday that the aim of his widely publicised speech to the Republican National Convention was to urge Americans to stop idolising politicians - of any party. Speaking at a news conference promoting his upcoming movie drama "Trouble with the Curve," the Oscar-winning actor and director said Americans should look at the records of politicians and make their own judgments. "My only message was that I just want people to take the idolising factor out of every contestant out there and just look at the work, look at the background and make a judgment on that," he told reporters who asked him to reflect on the rambling 'empty chair' speech last month. The Aug 30 speech puzzled observers and quickly become the brunt of jokes. "I was just trying to say that, and I did it in kind of a roundabout way which took up a lot more time I suppose than they would have liked," the "Dirty Harry" star said. "People don't have to kiss it up with politicians, no matter what party they're in," he added. "You should evaluate their work and make your judgments accordingly. That's the way you do in life in every other subject. But sometimes in America we get gaga, you know, we look at the wrong values." Eastwood, 82, last week told the local paper in the Carmel, California town where he was mayor in the 1980s that he decided only minutes before going on stage to cast an empty chair as an invisible President Barack Obama. Eastwood was speaking to a television audience of millions minutes before Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney made a keynote address. Eastwood last week termed his unscripted speech "unorthodox" and said he had been largely unaware of the headlines his performance had caused. Eastwood, who won directing Oscars for "Unforgiven" and "Million Dollar Baby", plays an aging baseball scout with a fractured relationship with his daughter (Amy Adams) in the movie "Trouble with the Curve." The film opens in US theatres on Sept 21.
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| PAS assures Hindraf better life for Indians Posted: 14 Sep 2012 03:41 PM PDT Waythamoorthy has a fruitful meeting with spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat and it could pave way for strong electoral ties between Pakatan and Hindraf Athi Shankar, FMT PAS has assured Hindraf Makkal Sakti that marginalised ethnic Malaysian Indians would have a better future if Pakatan Rakyat captures Putrajaya in the next election. PAS spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat assured that "things would be different under Pakatan" to Hindraf supremo P Waythamoorthy during a meeting on Thursday morning. Hindraf national coordinator W Sambulingam said Waythamoorthy had explained to Nik Aziz of the human rights violations against the Indian community under Umno's misrule. He said Waythamoorthy told the PAS leader how most working class Indians have been excluded and isolated from the country's mainstream development since independence. "Tuan Guru Nik Aziz listened attentively on the plight of marginalised Indians raised by Waythamoorthy. "The Menteri Besar was symphatetic and assured us that under Pakatan rule things would be different," said Sambulingam. The private meeting between Nik Aziz and Waythamoorthy was held at the Kelantan Menteri Besar's home. As Nik Aziz was not feeling well, the meeting, originally scheduled at the Menteri Besar's office, was moved to the PAS leader's home. Waythamoorthy also held a separate meeting with PAS vice president and Kelantan executive councillor Husam Musa in his Kota Bahru office the same day. PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu was present. Sambulingam said Waythamoorthy and the PAS leaders held discussions on forging electoral ties between Hindraf and Pakatan to face Barisan Nasional. Waythamoorthy also assured Husam and Mat Sabu that Hindraf was willing to deploy its members as elections volunteers for Pakatan in Selangor, Perak, Kedah and Negeri Sembilan. "Waythamoorthy reiterated Hindraf's commitment to help Pakatan on the understanding that there should be a strategic win-win partnership between the parties," said Sambulingam. Waythamoorthy has also briefed both leaders on the displacement of about 800,000 estate workers since the 70s due to the country's unscrupulous urbanisation programme. Sambulingam said Waythamoorthy told them that these estate workers were systematically excluded from the government's mainstream socio-economic master plan for decades. He added that the PAS leaders were enlightened on how estate workers were denied land, house and cash compensations and even job opportunities.
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| Posted: 14 Sep 2012 12:24 PM PDT
(Al Jazeera) - Alleged corruption, rights violations and environmental degradation plague Malaysia's controversial Bakun project. Watch video at: http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/101east/2012/09/2012913111958210349.html Thousands are set to lose their homes, as a controversial hydro power scheme gets underway. In the Malaysian state of Sarawak, the Bakun Dam has already flooded an area the size of Singapore. Some of those displaced say they've never received the full compensation they were promised. The state government, working with Australian company Hydro Tasmania, is embarking on an ambitious plan to build a further 12 dams - flooding vast tracts of river valley land - and displacing tens of thousands of indigenous people. Hydro Tasmania, an Australian state-owned energy company is involved with dam construction projects in Sarawak by the Sarawak Energy Board while Malaysian timber giant Ta Ann has received major timber harvesting contracts in Tasmania. Both businesses are linked through Hamed Sepawi, who is the chairman of Sarawak Energy Board and Ta Ann. He is also a cousin and close business associate of the state's Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud. Clare Rewcastle Brown, the sister-in-law of former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, say there is a lack of accountability and transparency over the hydropower projects. Environmentalists and political activists in Malaysia and Australia are calling for the 'unhealthy' business ties between Tasmania and Sarawak to be investigated and audited by an independent body. The Malaysian government says the 20gigawatt project capacity can change the economic face of Sarawak and says its links with Hydro Tasmania are legitimate, while the companies involved deny any wrongdoing.
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| State DAP HQ, service centres splashed with red paint Posted: 14 Sep 2012 12:19 PM PDT
(Free Malaysia Today) - The new RM3 million state DAP headquarters, Wisma DAP and service centres of Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and three other party assemblymen were found splashed with red paint this morning. Video footage from CCTV cameras at Wisma DAP in Jalan Rangoon here revealed that two men wearing crash helmets have thrown at least six packets of red paint on the roller shutter and floor of the building at 1.15am. The packets were found at the site. The service centres of Lim in Jalan Air Itam, Jagdeep Singh Deo in Jalan Datuk Keramat, Ng Wei Aik in Lorong Seratus Tahun and Koay Teng Hai in Pulau Tikus were also splashed with red paint. A car parked near Ng's centre was also smeared with red paint. Packets of red paint were also found at the service centres. A police report has been lodged at the Jalan Patani police station. At a press conference at Wisma DAP, Lim said he was shocked with the attack, adding that it was first time the service centre of a state chief minister was vandalised Calling on DAP and Pakatan Rakyat members to remain calm, he said such attacks would not hamper the coalition spirits. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/09/14/penang-dap-hq-service-centres-splashed-with-red-paint/ |
| With 13m voters now, urgent call to clean up electoral roll Posted: 14 Sep 2012 12:15 PM PDT  File photo of people checking their status at a polling booth in Kuching in last year's Sarawak state elections. (The Malaysian insider) - With 13 million registered voters to date, the Election Commission (EC) now faces increasing pressure to clean up the electoral roll and conduct separate polls for areas under both Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Rakyat (PR). The Selangor PR government has openly declared it will not hold state elections when the federal BN calls them unless the EC is able to show the gazetted electoral roll to be used in GE13 has been cleared of dubious entries. In its latest electoral statistics gazetted last August 16 made available to The Malaysian Insider, the EC recorded the number of registered voters as 13,052,374 people, out of whom 12,778,127 fall into the category of ordinary voters while 274,247 are recorded as absent voters. The latter group encompasses the armed forces, the police and overseas voters. Selangor recorded the largest number of overseas voters, currently standing at 579 people, while the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur has the highest number of absent voters with 40,543 people. This is followed by Perak with 38,367 voters and Johor a distant third with 25,058 voters. Kuala Lumpur FT also has the highest number of absent voters from within the ranks of the armed forces, totalling 24,979 people, while Selangor has the largest number of absent voters from within the police force, with 16,525 people. The electoral law provides for absent voters to cast their ballots through the post even if the person is stationed within the voting constituency. This lack of transparency in the voting process has led to various allegations of gerrymandering and tampering with the ballot papers.  DAP Youth chief Anthony Loke has urged the EC to speed up cleaning its voter registry. DAP Youth chief Anthony Loke has urged the EC to speed up cleaning its voter registry, saying the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on electoral reform had stated that it would only take four months to do so. "It has been four months since the report was out but we are still receiving complaints, that's why we want the EC to speed up the cleaning process. "We urge the EC to show commitment in this cleaning process, and will continue to press them to update the data or explain this issue," said Loke, who is both a federal and state lawmaker in Negri Sembilan. He said cleaning the electoral roll was still being carried out and the Malaysian Microelectronic System Institute (MIMOS) had found dubious voter names in the roll. "In the parliamentary report, MIMOS found there were 324 addresses registered with more than 100 voters, and 938 addresses with more than 51 to 100 voters. "The overall voters were more than 100,000," he said. However, the deputy chairman of the EC, Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar, has made it known that he disagrees with Selangor's suggestion of separate poll dates for the state election. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/with-13m-voters-now-urgent-call-to-clean-up-electoral-roll/ |
| PKR tour bus again comes under paint attack Posted: 14 Sep 2012 03:09 AM PDT
(Bernama) - A bus carrying opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and 18 members of his delegation was hit by red paint hurled by two youths on a motorcycle when it stopped near the Masjid Jamek Bandar Tangkak at Jalan Hasan, here this afternoon. The two youths suddenly stopped their machine and splashed the paint on the ride side of the bus, which carried Anwar's photograph, before fleeing. This was the third time that the bus carrying the delegation for the "Jelajah Merdeka Rakyat" programme had been splashed with paint by unknown attacked. The bus driver, Faizal Abdul Kadir, said the incident occurred at about 1.45pm when the opposition leader's delegation had just completed performing the Friday Prayer at the mosque. "The bus carried 19 passengers including Anwar, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, Johor PAS commissioner Datuk Dr Mahfodz Mohamed, Johor PKR head Datuk Chua Jui Meng," he said. Meanwhile, Ledang District police chief Supt Harun Idris, when contacted, confirmed receiving a report on the incident at about 3.05pm. He said police were identifying the two youths concerned and based on initial investigation, the registration number on the motorcycle used was false.
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| Egyptians clash with police barring way to US embassy Posted: 13 Sep 2012 08:13 PM PDT
(Reuters) - Egyptians angry at a film they said was blasphemous to Islam today hurled stones at a line of police in Cairo blocking the route to the US embassy, where demonstrators climbed the walls and tore down the American flag earlier this week. "God is greatest" and "There is no god but God", one group near the front of the clashes chanted, as police in riot gear fired tear gas and threw stones back in a street leading from Tahrir Square to the embassy nearby. About 300 people had gathered to protest, some waving flags with religious slogans. State media reported that 224 people had been injured since Wednesday night. The initial protest, in which the embassy walls were scaled, took place on Tuesday. The Muslim Brotherhood, the group that propelled President Mohamed Mursi to power, had called for a peaceful nationwide protest against the film today after it sparked demonstrations across the region. Many Muslims regard any depiction of the Prophet Mohammad as blasphemous. Gunmen killed the US ambassador in Libya on Tuesday and protesters attacked the US mission in Yemen yesterday. Mursi, Egypt's first freely elected president, has to strike a delicate balance, fulfilling a pledge to protect the embassy of a major aid donor while also being seen by his Islamist backers to take a strong line against the film. Mursi said yesterday he had spoken to US President Barack Obama and had asked him to act against those seeking to harm relations. His Cabinet said Washington was not to blame for the film but urged legal action against those insulting religion. "Before the police, we were attacked by Obama, and his government, and the Coptic Christians living abroad," shouted one protester, wearing a traditional robe and long beard favoured by some ultra-orthodox Muslims, as he pointed to the police cordon. Egypt's Coptic Orthodox church has condemned what it said were Copts abroad who had financed the film. "No longer an ally" In the middle of the street lay an overturned and burnt out car. Behind the police line, the authorities had erected a wall of large concrete blocks barring access to the fortress-like embassy, which is close to Tahrir, the centre of protests against ousted former President Hosni Mubarak and the scene of many demonstrations since. The United States, a close ally of Egypt under Mubarak, has long been wary of Islamists, only formally opening contacts with the Muslim Brotherhood last year, several months after Mubarak's 30-year rule was ended by a popular uprising. Al-Masry Al-Youm highlighted comments Obama made to a Spanish-language network saying Egypt was neither an enemy nor an ally. "America: Egypt is no longer an ally," the daily newspaper wrote in a front-page headline. The United States has a large embassy in Cairo, partly because of a vast aid programme that began after Egypt signed a peace deal with Israel in 1979. Washington gives US$1.3 billion (RM3.95 billion) in aid each year to the army plus additional funds to Egypt. Though some demonstrators wore clothes favoured by ultra-orthodox Islamists, many were young men in jeans and T-shirts. Some perched on barriers along the street watching the ebb-and-flow, as demonstrators pushed forward to hurl stones, and then ran back towards Tahrir under a volley of tear gas. "I came here to have a look at the people, to see what they are saying and see if what they say is right," said Mohamed Ahmed, sitting with friends as teargas wafted through the air. Some Egyptians have been angered by the violence. One picture circulating on Facebook showed a burnt out car accompanied by the words: "People go to defend the Prophet with petrol bombs and religious insults to the police. They don't pray at noon or in the afternoon. Who are they?" Police had tried to clear the street leading to the embassy and Tahrir around dawn today with clouds of teargas after a second night of violence. But protesters returned soon afterwards. One banner held aloft by demonstrators read: "It is the duty of all Muslims and Christians to kill Morris Sadek and Sam Bacile and everyone who participated in the film." The two people named are both linked to the film. Sadek, a Copt living in the United States, told Reuters this week he promoted the film to highlight discrimination against Christians who make up about 10 per cent of Egypt's 83 million people.
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| LGE’s priorities warped, says Boo Chang Posted: 13 Sep 2012 04:30 PM PDT 'Penang needs improved social conditions more than mega projects.' Hawkeye, FMT GEORGE TOWN: A veteran politician today lashed out at Pakatan Rakyat for what he said was its warped sense of priorities in governing Penang. Lim Boo Chang, who quit PKR last year and is now a social activist not affiliated with any political party, said Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's administration appeared to be more interested in implementing mega projects than fighting poverty or improving social conditions in the state. "The priority should be about eradicating all forms of poverty and improving the quality of life here instead of engaging in grandiose projects such as an underground tunnel and a major convention hall," he said after presenting food hampers to poor families in Kampung Makam. Kampung Makam, which lies off Datuk Keramat Road, is a community of about 70 poor families living in decaying conditions, which observers say are due to the rapid physical development in surrounding areas. The drainage system is faulty and flash floods are frequent. Although Lim Boo Chang has a tainted reputation as a politician, having quit Gerakan to join MCA and quitting that party to join PKR, his remarks appeared to resonate with some members of the public. Businessman Ismail Ali and his brother Hamdan said the state administration seemed to be on "auto-pilot". They agreed with the maverick politician that Guan Eng was spending too much time trying to deflect criticism and too little addressing such issues as living costs, spiralling property prices, traffic jams, environmental degradation and the lack of good jobs for wage earners. They acknowledged, however, that there had been some positive outcomes of Pakatan's takeover of the state in 2008, citing improved service by local authorities, a more transparent administration and a much cleaner environment. "The problem is that Penang residents want more than this," said Ismail. "They want good jobs and quality living, where road traffic is better managed, for example." Hamdan said Lim's government seemed unaware that the public was more interested in supporting better administrators than better politicians.
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| Parti Cinta spews hate on ‘hooligan’ DAP Posted: 13 Sep 2012 04:18 PM PDT PCM vice-president Huan Cheng Guan says a recent incident in Perak proves that DAP is capable of uncivilised politics and therefore must be rejected by voters. Athi Shankar, FMT GEORGE TOWN: DAP often accuses its rivals of practicing uncivilised and uncouth politics but Parti Cinta Malaysia (PCM) vice-president Huan Cheng Guan said the former does the same. He cited a recent incident in Ipoh's Taman Kaya as an example. "With this type of nonsense, they want to rule Putrajaya?" he said, calling on voters to punish the arrogant DAP for behaving like a "tokong". He was referring to an article and video posting in the Perak-based media portal – Media Perak – that showed DAP Ipoh Garden East branch chairman Lee Chee Seng and his wife Irene Yow, with a group of residents, blocking a car from leaving Taman Kaya. Media Perak claimed that its two reporters and a social activist were held like hostages in the car for nearly two hours. It claimed that the trio were also abused with racist slurs such as "Indian Pariah", "Indian Pariah Lawyer" and "Malay Kui." Media Perak claimed that the residents were DAP members and Lee's branch came under DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang's Ipoh Timur parliamentary constituency. The article claimed that during the incident, the trio contacted in vain the area's elected representative, Canning assemblyman Wong Kah Woh, for help. But the assemblyman only returned the call to one reporter the next day merely to tell that he cannot possibly attend to their needs because Lee and the other residents were his voters. Huan said the video clearly showed DAP leaders and members being aggressive and intimidating against independent journalists. He said DAP leaders should learn to walk the talk on freedom of press and expression, human and democratic rights. "The party often calls its rivals hooligans when it is no better. It's like the pot calling the kettle black. The video showed [DAP) was blacker," slammed Huan.
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| Chinese vote, US backing not enough to propel Pakatan to Putrajaya, says don Posted: 13 Sep 2012 03:15 PM PDT
Amin Iskandar, The Malaysian Insider Pakatan Rakyat (PR) will not capture Putrajaya with only the support from the minority Chinese voters and international recognition from the United States, an analyst specialising in Malaysian politics said in the run-up to Malaysia's tightest electoral race. According to Prof William Case, acting head of department for Asian and International Studies at the City University of Hong Kong, the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition will not fall to PR without the majority support from the Bumiputera voters even if the opposition pact wins strong support from the Chinese community. He added that the BN will still win the 13th general election but with a reduced majority compared to Election 2008 due to more urban middle-class Malay voters swinging towards PR. "Whatever the Chinese sentiment, at a figure of 26 per cent of the population their numbers are not big enough to defeat BN. "Unless the Chinese consolidate with a majority of Bumiputera voters it will not happen. "We must observe too the number of Chinese voters who returned to support Najib," he told The Malaysian Insider in a recent email interview, referring to the BN coalition led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. Case feels that the US leans more towards a PR victory at the polls because of Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's image as a moderate Muslim the world superpower is able to deal with. "Washington is certainly continuing its support to democracy. "However, Washington is not so opposed to Najib as those who look down on Abdullah or are sceptical towards Mahathir," the academic said, referring to Najib's two predecessors, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad respectively. Abdullah had taken over the leadership of BN from Dr Mahathir after the latter resigned as prime minister in October 2003, and led the 13-member coalition to its biggest win only to lose its customary two-thirds control of Parliament and four states in Election 2008. "In fact, some may feel a little respect for Najib as a visionary manager in a difficult and imbalanced situation. "Whatever Washington's views, it will only have a little impact to the votes in Malaysia," the professor said. Case is not a foreign name in Malaysian politics and administration, having written much about the country and who is now making a study on the state of federalism here. He has predicted that BN will still win the 13th general election but with a reduced majority compared to Election 2008.
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| May 13 witness defends Kit Siang in flagpole incident Posted: 13 Sep 2012 03:08 PM PDT
Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider A 64-year-old man claiming he was in the vicinity of the former Selangor mentri besar's home during the May 1969 racial riots came out today to refute allegations that DAP's Lim Kit Siang had urinated on a flagpole inside the residential compound and perpetrated the bloody incident. Ahmad Habib, who made a surprise appearance at a press conference with Lim this morning, told reporters that based on his memory of the residence's layout, it would have been "impossible" for the politician to have survived committing the offensive act. "On any normal day, I believe no unauthorised person would have been able to enter the compound, let alone do some funny business like urinating on a flagpole. It would be practically impossible. "If a person tries to do this, I do not think he would have gotten away scot-free... he would have been arrested, hurt or even killed," the father of two told the press conference.  Witness Ahmad Habib made a surprise appearance. — Picture by Choo Choy May The issue was raised earlier this year following reports that the controversial movie "Tanda Putera", to be released this November, on the re-telling of the May 1969 incident features a scene depicting Lim as having urinated on a flagpole of the then Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Harun Idris's residence. Ahmad explained that he happened to be within the vicinity of the Selangor mentri besar's residence on May 13 "by accident", and had taken refuge for some 10 hours in an unknown individual's house for some 10 hours when the bloody clashes erupted. He said that after the police declared that it was safe to return to the streets in the early hours of May 14, he had walked some 200 metres from Lorong Raja Uda 1 to Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz where the mentri besar's house was located. "There were a lot of people there. It was a huge compound. From inside, we saw the setting of the house. It was fully fenced and there was a guardhouse there. So I presume that with the guardhouse, there would definitely be someone manning this place," he said. Ahmad said the distance from the gate of the mentri besar's home to the flagpole was some 20 metres, repeating that it would not have been possible for Lim to have traversed the distance just to urinate on the flagpole.
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| Reveal palm oil AP holders, says PKR Posted: 13 Sep 2012 03:01 PM PDT PKR claims that at least half of the AP holders are not genuine palm oil players and the government is losing about RM4 billion in tax revenue due to the APs. G Vinod, FMT Reveal the names of companies benefiting from the palm oil approved permits (AP), said PKR's chairman of investment and trade bureau Wong Chen. Speaking at the press conference held at the party headquarters today, Wong claimed that palm oil industry players were surprised when told that the names were protected under the Official Secrets Act (OSA). "In a palm oil forum held a few days back, a prominent palm oil analyst asked for the names of the AP holders but one of the panellists dismissed him saying the list is under the OSA," he said. However, he said that the panellist was not a government official. The government introduced the palm oil AP system in 2000 to selected companies due to declining crude palm oil (CPO) prices and stock surpluses. It was also introduced to help local companies who wanted to send CPO to their refineries established in foreign countries. Under the system, the AP holders would not be imposed the 23% duty fee which was usually imposed on palm oil players who bypassed local refineries. In August, The Star quoted an industry source saying that palm oil refiners wanted transparency in the allocation and distribution of the quota to the beneficiaries dubbed "kings of palm oil APs". The source was also quoted as saying that industry players believed that at least half of the 50 companies enjoying the APs were not genuine palm oil industry players On the AP system, Wong said the government was losing about RM4 billion in tax revenue for this year alone due to the system introduced over a decade ago. "The government allows AP for 5.6 million metric tonne of CPO. Maybank estimated the average price per metric tonne for CPO this year at RM3,150. "So when you times those numbers with 23% tax rebate the companies are enjoying, we are losing RM4.0572 this year in tax revenue," he added. The PKR leader urged the government to relook the system, saying continuing such a policy would tantamount to nothing short but a fiscal irresponsibility. "By just giving the APs to genuine palm oil players, we can at least save about RM2 billion. That sum is half of what Pakatan Rakyat needs to provide free education to all Malaysians," he said.
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| Conflict of interest in Langat 2 dam deal Posted: 13 Sep 2012 09:54 AM PDT
(Free Malaysia Today) - Two companies that conducted a study in 2000, speculating water shortage, have been given engineering design contracts. Klang MP Charles Santiago has raised concerns over a case of conflicting interest in the Langat 2 dam construction. "In 2000, the government commissioned a study on water shortage to three companies – SMHB Sdn Bhd, Ranhill Consulting Sdn Bhd and Zaba Sdn Bhd," said the DAP leader. Pengurusan Aset Air Bhd's (PAAB) CEO and director Ahmad Faizal Rahman announced that three companies had been appointed to undertake the engineering design of the Langat 2 plant. The three were SMHB Sdn Bhd, Ranhill Consulting Sdn Bhd and KTA Tenaga Sdn Bhd. "This is a clear case of conflict of interest because the contracts have been given to the people who conducted the study," said Santiago, who is also the coordinator of the Coalition Against Water Privatisation (CAWP). He also accused the companies of creating an environment to secure more contracts and urged the government to re-evaluate the study done in 2000. "Did they write the report to secure contracts?" he asked. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/09/14/conflict-of-interest-in-langat-2-dam-deal/
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| 'Innocence of Muslims' producer's identity in question; actors say they were duped, overdubbed Posted: 13 Sep 2012 09:39 AM PDT  (Fox News) - Most of the dialogue that relates to Islam or religion in the trailer looks like it was overdubbed in post-production, with many suggesting that the dialogue was translated with words something completely different to lines delivered. |
| ‘Beaten every day for 60 days’ Posted: 12 Sep 2012 07:20 PM PDT
(Free Malaysia Today) - When you are beaten for 60 days straight, your innocence no longer matters to you, says an ex-ISA detainee. A former detainee under the Internal Security Act (ISA), Fadzullah Razak, recalls with bitterness the day the prime minister announced the repeal of the act exactly one year ago. "When we found out the 'amazing' news through NST and Utusan – the only newspapers detainees are provided with – everyone was shocked and in disbelief, even the detention staff," Fadzullah told a press conference here today. "My fellow detainees were so happy; some were jumping with joy, others rolled around on the floor. You'd find people celebrating in all sorts of manner. "But I told them: 'Don't believe it, as the government has never been sincere about it'," said Fadzullah. His scepticism on that day is apparently not unfounded – although exactly one year has passed since Najib Tun Razak's much-anticipated announcement, 30 detainees remain in the Kamunting detention centre under a now-defunct act that allows for detention without trial. After a new bill was tabled to replace the ISA this year, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein had ignored calls for the detainees' immediate release and instead said he would personally look through each case to determine their fate. Fadzullah himself was only released last month, along with 11 other detainees, after spending two years there for allegedly having links with terrorist group Jemaah Islamiah – links that had never been proven in court. "The situation in the centre was extremely stressful – imagine knowing the ISA had been abolished, but you're still stuck there as political hostages," said Fadzullah. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/09/13/beaten-every-day-for-60-days/
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| Govt endorses guide on how to spot gays Posted: 12 Sep 2012 07:17 PM PDT
(Free Malaysia Today) - A government-endorsed parenting guide that describes symptoms of homosexuality has kicked up a storm on the Internet, with human rights and sexuality activists expressing shock and disgust. Sin Chew Daily today reported that the Education Ministry had endorsed the guide as helpful to parents and teachers. It was launched during a seminar in Penang yesterday. The event, billed as "Parenting in addressing the issue of LGBTs (lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders)", was officiated by Deputy Education Minister Mohd Puad Zarkashi. The guide listed four symptoms each for gays and lesbians: For gays:
For lesbians:
Teaching hate When asked to comment, activist and Seksualiti Merdeka co-founder Pang Khee Teik initially said: "I don't even know how to respond." However, he proceeded to flay the Education Ministry for being "only interested in teaching hate, promoting inequality and playing politics". "The Ministry of Education is now officially a bully," he said. "I never presumed to be in the position to teach the meaning of education to the people running the Ministry of Education. But it has come to that." Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/09/13/govt-endorses-guide-on-how-to-spot-gays/ |
| EC: Code of conduct for caretaker govt ready Posted: 12 Sep 2012 04:52 PM PDT The draft must be brought to the federal government for further deliberation, says Election Commision deputy chairman Wan Ahmad Wan Omar. G Vinod, FMT The Election Commission (EC) has prepared a code of conduct for a caretaker government, possibly to be used for the 13th general election "The draft is ready but we need to present it to the federal government for further deliberation," said EC deputy chairman Wan Ahmad Wan Omar today. The code of conduct is one of the 22 recommendations made by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reforms (PSC) in order to improve the electoral process in the country. The 13th general election must be called before April 2013 but Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak had hinted on several occasions that he might dissolve the parliament by the end of this year. Wan Ahmad said the code was prepared after the EC studied conventions in other Commonwealth countries, namely Australia and New Zealand. On the need to consult the federal government, Wan Ahmad said it was important as the government of the day would become the caretaker government by default once parliament was dissolved. "That's the convention. Our constitution, in its current form, makes no mention on the role of a caretaker government," he said. Wan Ahmad added that Pakatan Rakyat would also be consulted on the code of conduct as the opposition pact was in control of several state governments. "But then we are talking about the general election. So we will be consulting the federal government first before going to the state governments," he said. Overseas voters On allowing overseas Malaysians to vote at their respective high commissions, Wan Ahmad said that the EC had also decided to follow other Commonwealth countries' model, where the voters need to come back at least once in three years to be allowed to vote. The EC official also said that the matter would require several amendments to the law and the Attorney-General's Chambers was already looking into it. Wan Ahmad, however, urged Malaysian voters abroad to return to vote in the event the amendments were not made in time for the next general election.
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| DAP men back Karpal against Islamic state Posted: 12 Sep 2012 04:49 PM PDT Grassroots leaders say Chua Soi Lek is harping on a non-issue. Athi Shankar, FMT At least three DAP grassroots leaders have thrown their weight behind party chairman Karpal Singh in his stand against PAS's yearning to establish an Islamic state and enforce hudud. The show of support by DAP's Pahang vice-chairman J Apalasamy, Teluk Intan MP M Manogaran and former Taman Seri Sungai Pelek branch head Tan Tuan Tat came in the wake of MCA chief Dr Chua Soi Lek's claim that Karpal was a lone battler against the alleged PAS agenda. Apalasamy said Karpal's statements on the issue reflected sentiments in the DAP grassroots. "When Karpal speaks, the party speaks; he is the party supremo," he said. "Why is Chua harping on a non-issue?" He returned fire at Chua, asking whether the MCA president was suggesting that his own public statements reflected only his personal views and not his party's stand. "Is Chua saying that his public statements are not reflective of MCA's grassroots sentiments and official stand? If that is so, Chua is not a party supremo. He is a loner." Manogaran meanwhile criticised Negeri Sembilan PAS for segregating men from women at its Hari Raya open house last weekend, saying the act undermined efforts towards racial integration. He said the main purpose of holding open houses was to foster unity and harmony among different ethnic groups and separating "husbands from wives and brothers from sisters" would not help achieve this objective. Manogaran urged PAS to work within Pakatan Rakyat to tackle "bigger tasks" ahead, like taking over the government from Umno and Barisan Nasional to give Malaysians their due freedoms and rights. Tan said PAS's Islamist agenda was unconstitutional and went against the aspiration of Malaysia's founding fathers to set up a secular state. "Karpal's stand against PAS's Islamist agenda has been constant and consistent," he said. "I fully support him." He urged PAS to abandon the agenda, saying an Islamic state was not feasible in the context of rapid globalisation. He called on PAS to work with others to uphold a rule of law that is universally acceptable. "An Islamic state and hudud law will not suit Malaysia's cosmopolitan society," he said. "PAS must respect the rights, interests and sensitivities of non-Muslims too."
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| ‘Make a stand on real issues in Sabah’ Posted: 12 Sep 2012 04:45 PM PDT They must take the opportunity to highlight the "real issues" of land grab and corruption that has lead to desforestation in Sabah, says a UK-based NGO. Teoh El Sen, FMT Even as Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton prepare to embark from Kuala Lumpur to Sabah for a two-day tour starting tomorrow evening, the British royal couple have been urged to "examine the real cause of destruction" of the Malaysian Borneo rain forests. An International NGO, Global Witness, said that while the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's official purpose of the visit is to highlight the conservation activities of the Royal Society, they ought to also take the opportunity to highlight the "real issues" of land grab and corruption that has lead to desforestation. Global Witness is a UK-based organisation which "investigates and campaigns to prevent natural resource-related conflict and corruption and associated environmental and human rights abuses". It said that the young royal couple should not "play into public relation objectives" of those directly involved in the destruction of the forests in Sabah and Sarawak. The systemic causes of rainforest destruction in Borneo — which has left Sabah with less than 4% of intact forest — was caused by "high level corruption and the relentless process of industrial-scale logging and conversion of forests to oil palm plantations", it said. "This new generation of the royal family has an opportunity to highlight the real issues such as land grabbing and corruption that directly result in poverty, deforestation and human rights abuses, rather than inadvertently providing diplomatic cover – even kudos – for some of the most destructive activities on the planet", said Tom Picken, Campaign Leader, Forests at Global Witness. This was especially since the couple's tour tomrrow will involve an audience with Sabah Chief Minister, Musa Aman. "Musa is currently the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation by Swiss authorities for the laundering of USD 90 million(RM277 million) through the Swiss bank UBS, allegedly amassed by soliciting bribes from loggers in exchange for timber licenses," said Picken. Picken reminded the couple that high level corruption in Sabah and Sarawak "has resulted in some of the highest rates of deforestation anywhere in the world and appalling human rights abuses for the forest communities standing in the way". Diplomatic row Earlier this week, British tabloid Daily Mail reported that Prince William and his wife's stopover at Sabah could propel them into the "first diplomatic row" of their new royal careers. The paper highlighted the fact that Musa was being probed by Swiss prosecutors over claims that Swiss banking giant UBS allegedly helped him to launder money. A demonstration was held outside St James Palace last week during in which the royal couple was reportedly urged to snub Musa, who is believed to have helped arrange the visit and will be host on Friday. "Their primary reason for wishing to visit Sabah owes itself to the Duke's interest in conservation," a St James Palace spokesperson had told Daily Mail. The British Foreign Office also told Daily Mail that the government would not pass judgment on the money laundering allegation against Musa until it has been fully investigated. This Saturday, William and Kate will visit Danum Valley, which would be seen as a "stamp of approval" for conservation efforts in Lahad Datu. Danum Valley is managed by Yayasan Sabah for conservation, research and education purposes. The UK Royal Society is one of the key sponsors. The visit to one of Borneo's last virgin rainforests would be the highlight of their official Royal Tour of the Commonwealth in celebration of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee, marking her 60th year on the throne.
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| Baffled Mukhriz rejects debate dare Posted: 12 Sep 2012 04:36 PM PDT How is a Pakatan-led government going to handle car prices by auctioning Approved Permits, the deputy minister asks. Patrick Lee, FMT PKR's plan to reduce car prices, as far as the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (Miti) is concerned, is baffling. Deputy Minister Mukhriz Mahathir said this in response to PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli, who suggested that car Approved Permits (AP) go through an open tender. "His logic really baffles me. On the one hand, he says he wants to bring down car prices. On the other, he says we should auction APs. "He hasn't explained how to bring car prices down when [it is priced at] RM50,000 to RM60,000 per AP. So what does a [Toyota] Camry cost by the time he's done with that?" he told reporters. Previously Rafizi had said that Malaysia risked losing RM3 billion every year when the government charged a set price of RM10,000 per AP. Instead of this, he said that it would be better for an open tender on these APs, which would result in revenue. He argued that these funds would help to remove the high excise duties on cars today. Mukhriz, however, ridiculed this notion, saying that the RM10,000 AP price tag was a boon for the automotive industry. "The RM10,000 is not a fee. It's something that goes into a fund that helps the industry because we need people who are in the car dealership business to divest into other parts of the automotive industry. "That's the whole intent. We're not just collecting duties for the sake of increasing revenue for the government," he said. At the same time, he said that Rafizi's AP plan contradicted Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's own plan; a gradual tax reduction scheme. He added that he did not wish to attend or take part in a Pakatan Rakyat forum on the matter tonight, though Mukhriz seemed interested in what the opposition had to say. Malaysians often have to pay large amounts of duties and taxes before they can own a car, making prices here some of the highest in the region. It is not uncommon to see Proton – Malaysia's national car – models more expensive here than they would be in countries such as Australia.
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| Barisan leaders: Opposition lacks confidence Posted: 12 Sep 2012 02:25 PM PDT
(The Star) - Barisan Nasional leaders criticised Pakatan Rakyat's intention to hold separate polls for Selangor, saying it was a sign that the Opposition parties lacked confidence in defending the state. Selangor Barisan coordinator Datuk Seri Mohd Zin Mohamed said Pakatan was "doing what it can to remain in power". He said holding separate elections would incur high costs and was not in the best interest of the people, especially when the five-year term of the state assembly was nearing its end. Mohd Zin said Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim should stop inconveniencing the people of Selangor. "But, if Anwar wants to call for separate state elections, we are ready. If his objective is to derail our preparations, then he better think twice," he said. Pakatan's intention to hold the state polls separately showed that it had no confidence in holding on to the state government, he said. "The general election can be held any time now, and we are confident of wresting Selangor back. The people have seen no improvement in Selangor, whether in welfare or economically, during the four years of Pakatan rule," he added. Barisan Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin said Pakatan's refusal to hold state and parliamentary elections simultaneously would create political uncertainty in the country. "This is ridiculous; don't waste the rakyat's money," he said. "The difference between any separate state and parliamentary elections will just be several months from this point onwards, so they should just agree to have the elections concurrently," said the Rembau MP. Asked if Pakatan's decision was to draw sympathy votes in the event that they did badly in the Parliamentary elections, Khairy said it pointed to Opposition's lack of confidence in facing the electorate. Stating that millions of ringgit would be wasted by holding separate polls, Selangor MCA Public Complaints Bureau chief Datuk Theng Book said: "The move is Anwar's strategy to win sympa- thy votes. "If they can't take over the Federal Government, then they can ask people to give them a chance to rule the state instead." On Anwar's claim that the electoral roll was still tainted, Theng said: "This is just an excuse. It is as though everybody is dirty except him." Sabah Barisan secretary and Kota Belud MP Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan said Pakatan had four years to tell the people of Selangor their policies. "It shows that they are not confident of retaining Selangor," he said. "They have spent their term ridiculing Barisan." MIC secretary-general Datuk S. Murugesan said Pakatan's stand clearly showed that the Opposition had little confidence in their ability to hold on to power.
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| Australian court told of 'secret deals' in Bank Negara's polymer notes printing Posted: 12 Sep 2012 02:02 PM PDT
(The Sun) - A Malaysian middleman who secured the contract for the printing of polymer notes for Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) received payments of more than A$1.35 million (about RM4.36 million) in two tranches in a single day. These were part of the more than A$3 million (RM9.68 million) paid over four years by two companies owned by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) that had supplied the notes. As the committal hearing of eight former employees of RBA-related companies progressed in a Melbourne court on charges of bribery and corruption, more startling revelations emerged on the secret deals made between them and Malaysian middlemen and agents.
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| Money laundering through casinos Posted: 12 Sep 2012 01:43 PM PDT A special task force has uncovered a new method of money laundering, and is working with casino operators to nail the culprits. S Rutra, FMT A special task force on money-laundering and tax-dodgers has discoverd the latest modus-operandi of certain "professional money-launderers". These money-launderers abused the account facilities provided by casinos to carry out their "fishy" transactions. A probe on the transactions revealed that certain account holders had frequented the casinos at Genting Highlands and withdrew cash as much as RM1 million from their accounts before converting the money into gambling chips. "After playing for some time, these accounts holders would return to the counters to change their chips by requesting cheques to be issued on the balance," a source told FMT. He said once the cheque was issued, they would deposit it into their normal accounts. "These transactions were carried out as a safeguard from any queries from enforcement agencies including the Inland Revenue Department (IRD)," he revealed. "They use all kinds of methods in 'parking' their ill-gotten money to the extent of losing some money in the process," he added. The task force comprised officers from the Attorney-General's Chambers, Bank Negara, IRD, police, Customs Department, Securities Commission (SC) and several other enforcement agencies. The task force officers, when contacted, declined to reveal any information on their operation. It is learnt that the task force was working closely with the casino operator in tracking down account holders who abused the facilities provided to them. In a related development, several officers of the complience unit of local banks confirmed to FMT that the limit of raising the red-flag to Bank Negara on suspected transactions was as low as RM50,000. They said that under the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001, all reporting institutions like banks, insurance companies, remmitance service providers are required to comply with the requirement. "Even lawyers and accountants are required to report to the central bank on any suspected illegal transactions," added the officers.
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| Posted: 12 Sep 2012 01:39 PM PDT Company rebuffs PKR strategy director's allegations that it could be guilty of money laundering. Teoh El Sen, FMT "Rafizi Ramli is a liar," said the National Feedlot Corporation Sdn Bhd (NFCorp) today in response to allegations that it may have flouted anti-money laundering regulations. Ghazalie Abdullah, chief communications consultant for NFCorp, said the PKR strategy director's latest allegations are "again", "distortions and misrepresentations". "Rafizi has never disclosed the full and accurate picture of NFCorp, and at best offers lies, insinuations, fabrications, distortions and misrepresentations," he said. Rafizi accused NFCorp of transfering money illegally using a "middle man company totally unrelated" to NFC to buy 1,275 heads of cattle from Australian company, South East Asian Livestock Services Pty Ltd (SEALS). The "middle man company", Singapore-based Global Biofuture Pte Ltd, is owned and controlled by the family of former minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil. However, Ghazalie said that the company, controlled by NFCorp directors, to purchase cattle was actually established by NFCorp. "In meeting objectives of its core business and to ensure efficiencies, NFCorp established a group of companies specialised in their respective fields. "In acquiring the cattle from Australia, NFCorp had set up Global Biofuture Pte Ltd to undertake import logistics, purchase of livestock cattle, and delivery to NFCorp," he said. 'Bank Negara must investigate' Ghazalie stressed that the funds used to purchase of livestock cattle were from a government loan borrowed from the Ministry of Finance. "The funds, in which a loan agreement was signed on Dec 6, 2007, from the government are clean, and not illegal or illicit in nature," he said. "Rafizi has always been on an unwarranted attack on NFCorp, a company only in its second year of operations in a 30-year contract with the government. "He lied on the Auditor General's 2010 Report, the KL Eco City bank loans, the 5,000 acres of land in Gemas, the number of cattle in NFC Gemas and many others. "Rafizi continues to offer distortions and misrepresentations through insinuations, fabrications and lies. He is not to be believed," said Ghazalie. NFCorp was established with the objective of meeting the Malaysian government's National Meat Policy (Ruminant Sector) 2006. It's core business was to build a centre for production of beef and beef products for the country. It had been leasing 1,500 acres in the National Feedlot Centre for cattle rearing, livestock supplies, feed production and management, fertiliser production and other related activities. Other activities include sales and marketing of its beef products aimed at making the country self-sufficient in beef production as well as encouraging a demand for Malaysian halal beef.
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| Talam debate: No Khalid, only commotion Posted: 12 Sep 2012 04:10 AM PDT Pakatan Rakyat reps were not allowed to debate with MCA's Chua Tee Yong over the Talam matter, and walked out. Patrick Lee, FMT BANDAR TUN RAZAK: A public debate between MCA and the Selangor state government over the Talam matter failed to materialise after opposition leaders were stopped from participating. Originally intended for an 8:30pm launch at the International Youth Centre, it was supposed to see MCA-Labis MP Chua Tee Yong go toe-to-toe with Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim. With Khalid out of the country however, four were appointed to represent him in his stead, including three Pakatan MPs and his political secretary, Faekah Husin. The three MPs were DAP-Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua, PKR-Selayang MP William Leong and PAS-Kuala Selangor MP Dzulkefly Ahmad. With Khalid absent, the debate's organiser MCA allegedly told the four that they could not represent the menteri besar. This led them, and their hundred-plus supporters, to leave the hall, but not before they were booed by the 400-strong MCA crowd. Some even carried banners that said: "Where are you, Khalid?" A small commotion broke out between the two, but was quickly defused. Later, four people were arrested by police officers present, after a random check revealed that they had been carrying retractable batons. They were taken to the Cheras police station. Political excuse In a later press conference, the Pakatan reps expressed dismay with the alleged refusal. Said Pua: "We were not allowed to debate tonight, so we didn't feel that it was necessary to be at the hall… It shows that MCA and Chua just want to use the debate as a political excuse." He added that it was not right for Khalid to debate with Chua, as the MCA leader was not on equal footing with the MB. "I will not debate [Prime Minister] Najib. Only [Opposition Leader] Anwar can debate Najib…We must find our level," he said. Faekah said that if she was allowed to debate tonight, she would have revealed the contents of KPMG's recently-drafted audit report on the Talam affair. "I came with the audit report from KPMG to read [the points] one by one. I was going to read on each and every account and proof of procedure," she said. She added that MCA had yet to prove that the Selangor state government bailed Talam Corporation out with RM1 billion of state funds. "What makes you think that we will give benefits to the MCA crony (and Talam Corporation boss) Chan Ah Chye?" she growled. Asked later on Khalid whereabouts, she said that Khalid was on a "RM5 billion trade mission investment" in Bangkok, and was there since this morning. He would be coming back tomorrow.
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| U.S. ambassador to Libya killed in attack - Libya official Posted: 11 Sep 2012 11:00 PM PDT John Christopher Stevens, US ambassador to Libya, shakes hands with Libyan National Transitional Council (NTC) chairman Mustafa Abdel Jalil (R) after presenting his credentials during a meeting in Tripoli, June 7, 2012.(AFP Photo / Mahmud Turkia) BEIRUT (Reuters) - The U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other embassy staff were killed in a rocket attack on Tuesday night that targeted his car in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi, a Libyan official said on Wednesday. "The American ambassador and three staff members were killed when gunmen fired rockets at them," the official in Benghazi told Reuters. Asked about the deaths, a U.S. Embassy employee in Tripoli said: "We have no information regarding this." The employee said the embassy could confirm the death of one person. The Libyan official said the U.S. ambassador had been on his way to a safer venue after protesters attacked the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi and opened fire, killing a staff member, in protest at a U.S. film that they deemed blasphemous to the Prophet Mohammad. The official said the ambassador and three other staff were killed when gunmen fired rockets at his car. He said the U.S. Embassy had sent a military plane to transport the bodies to Tripoli to fly them to the United States. Gunmen assaulted the Benghazi compound on Tuesday evening, clashing with Libyan security forces, who withdrew under heavy fire. The attackers fired at the buildings while others threw handmade bombs into the compound, setting off small explosions. Small fires were burning around the compound. The assault followed a protest in neighbouring Egypt where demonstrators scaled the walls of the U.S. embassy, tore down the American flag and burned it during a protest over the same film which they said insulted the Prophet Mohammad.
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| Anti-Islam film sparks Libya, Egypt protests Posted: 11 Sep 2012 10:45 PM PDT
(AP) - CAIRO: A movie attacking Islam's prophet Muhammad sparked assaults on U.S. diplomatic missions in Libya and Egypt on Tuesday. A Libyan security official reported an American was shot to death as protesters burned the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, and in Cairo, protesters scaled the walls of the U.S. embassy walls and replaced an American flag with an Islamic banner. It was the first such assaults on U.S. diplomatic facilities in either country, at a time when both Libya and Egypt are struggling to overcome the turmoil following the ouster of their longtime leaders, Moammar Gadhafi and Hosni Mubarak in uprisings last year. The protests in both countries were sparked by outrage over a film ridiculing Muhammad produced by an American in California and being promoted by an extreme anti-Muslim Egyptian Christian campaigner in the United States. In the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi, a large mob stormed the U.S. Consulate, with gunmen firing their weapons, said Wanis al-Sharef, an Interior Ministry official in Benghazi. A witness said attackers fired automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades at the consulate as they clashed with Libyans hired to guard the facility. Outnumbered by the crowd, Libyan security forces did little to stop them, al-Sharef said. The crowd overwhelmed the facility and set fire to it, burning most of it and looting the contents, witnesses said. One American was shot to death and a second was wounded in the hand, al-Sharef said. He did not give further details, and there was no immediate U.S. confirmation of the death. Hours before the Benghazi attack, hundreds of mainly ultraconservative Islamist protesters in Egypt marched to the U.S. Embassy in downtown Cairo, gathering outside its walls and chanting against the movie and the U.S. Most of the embassy staff had left the compound earlier because of warnings of the upcoming demonstration. "Say it, don't fear: Their ambassador must leave," the crowd chanted. Dozens of protesters then scaled the embassy walls, and several went into the courtyard and took down the American flag from a pole. They brought it back to the crowd outside, which tried to burn it, but failing that tore it apart. The protesters on the wall then raised on the flagpole a black flag with a Muslim declaration of faith, "There is no god but God and Muhammad is his prophet." The flag, similar to the banner used by al-Qaida, is commonly used by ultraconservatives around the region. The crowd grew throughout the evening with thousands standing outside the embassy. Dozens of riot police lined up along the embassy walls but did not stop protesters as they continued to climb and stand on the wall - though it appeared no more went into the compound. The crowd chanted, "Islamic, Islamic. The right of our prophet will not die." Some shouted, "We are all Osama," referring to al-Qaida leader bin Laden. Young men, some in masks, sprayed graffiti on the walls. Some grumbled that Islamist President Mohammed Morsi had not spoken out about the movie. A group of women in black veils and robes that left only their eyes exposed chanted, "Worshippers of the Cross, leave the Prophet Muhammad alone." By midnight, the crowd had dwindled. The U.S. Embassy said on its Twitter account that there will be no visa services on Wednesday because of the protests. A senior Egyptian security official at the embassy area said authorities allowed the protest because it was "peaceful." When they started climbing the walls, he said he called for more troops, denying that the protesters stormed the embassy. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters. The Cairo embassy is in a diplomatic area in Garden City, where the British and Italian embassies are located, only a few blocks away from Tahrir Square, the center of last year's uprising that led to the ouster of Hosni Mubarak. The U.S. Embassy is built like a fortress, with a wall several meters (yards) high. But security has been scaled back in recent months, with several roadblocks leading to the facility removed after legal court cases by residents. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry promised in a statement to provide the necessary security for diplomatic missions and embassies and warned that "such incidents will negatively impact the image of stability in Egypt, which will have consequences on the life of its citizens." One protester, Hossam Ahmed, said he was among those who entered the embassy compound and replaced the American flag with the black one. He said the group has now removed the black flag from the pole and laid it instead on a ladder on top of the wall. "This is a very simple reaction to harming our prophet," said another, bearded young protester, Abdel-Hamid Ibrahim. In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Egyptian police had removed the demonstrators who entered the embassy grounds. Speaking before reports of the slain American emerged, she condemned the attack on the consulate in Libya "in the strongest terms." Muslims find it offensive to depict Muhammad in any fashion, much less in an insulting way. The 2005 publication of 12 caricatures of the prophet Muhammad in a Danish newspaper triggered riots in many Muslim countries. A 14-minute trailer of the movie that sparked the protests, posted on the website YouTube in an original English version and another dubbed into Egyptian Arabic, depicts Muhammad as a fraud, a womanizer and a madman in an overtly ridiculing way, showing him having sex and calling for massacres. A YouTube spokesman said the website would not take down the video at this point. The spokesman said the website's policy is to remove videos that include a threat of violence, but not those only expressing opinions. "We take great care when we enforce our policies and try to allow as much content as possible while ensuring that our Community Guidelines are followed," the YouTube representative said. "Flagged content that does not violate our Guidelines will remain on the site." Sam Bacile, an American citizen who said he produced, directed and wrote the two-hour film, said he had not anticipated such a furious reaction. "I feel sorry for the embassy. I am mad," Bacile said. Speaking from a telephone with a California number, Bacile said he is Jewish and familiar with the region. Bacile said the film was produced in English and he doesn't know who dubbed it in Arabic. The full film has not been shown yet, he said, and he said he has declined distribution offers for now. "My plan is to make a series of 200 hours" about the same subject, he said. Morris Sadek, an Egyptian-born Christian in the U.S. known for his anti-Islam views, told The Associated Press from Washington that he was promoting the video on his website and on certain TV stations, which he did not identify. Both depicted the film as showing how Coptic Christians are oppressed in Egypt, though it goes well beyond that to ridicule Muhammad - a reflection of their contention that Islam as a religion is inherently oppressive. "The main problem is I am the first one to put on the screen someone who is (portraying) Muhammad. It makes them mad," Bacile said. "But we have to open the door. After 9/11 everybody should be in front of the judge, even Jesus, even Muhammad." For several days, Egyptian media have been reporting on the video, playing some excerpts from it and blaming Sadek for it, with ultraconservative clerics going on air to denounce it. Medhat Klada, a representative of Coptic Christian organizations in Europe, said Sadek's views are not representative of expatriate Copts. "He is an extremist ... We don't go down this road. He has incited the people (in Egypt) against Copts," he said, speaking from Switzerland. "We refuse any attacks on religions because of a moral position." But he said he was concerned about the backlash from angry Islamists, saying their protest only promotes the movie. "They don't know dialogue and they think that Islam will be offended from a movie."  |
| Chua Tee Yong lodges police report over ‘hell’ note Posted: 11 Sep 2012 10:39 PM PDT (Bernama) - Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Chua Tee Yong has lodged a police report after receiving a letter containing four "hell" notes and a Chinese newspaper cutting. The MCA Young Professionals Bureau chief said the newspaper cutting, among others, touched on his challenge to debate with Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim on the Talam Corporation Bhd (Talam) debt restructuring. Chua (picture) believed the "hell" notes, each supposedly worth "eight billion", were a warning to him not to pursue the debate, he told reporters after lodging a report at the Putrajaya police headquarters here today. Earlier, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek had also received two "hell" notes with a newspaper cutting.
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| Posted: 11 Sep 2012 06:01 PM PDT After his father, MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek was sent one last week, deputy minister and Labis MP Chua Tee Yong receives a 'hell note' threat as well. Teoh El Sen, FMT Chua Tee Yong yesterday received Chinese hell bank notes in what appears to be a warning against debating Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim over the Talam issue. The letter contained a newspaper clipping of Chinese paper report about Chua's challenge to Khalid to debate tonight on the issue, as well as four pieces of hell notes worth "32 billion". Hell bank notes are burnt by the Chinese as offerings to the dead. The deputy agriculture and agro-based industry minister, who's also Labis MP and MCA's Young Professionals Bureau chief, lodged a police report this afternoon in Putrajaya. "I don't know what is the intention but from the newspaper clipping, the sender probably hopes that I do not debate Khalid, but I will not be cowed. I will not back down," he said. Asked if could guess the origin of the mail, Chua said he received it by air mail at the MCA headquarters, and going by postage stamp on it, it was sent from Kota Kinabalu. Chua said he only opened the letter late last night at his home in Sungai Buloh. "They tore them down, splashed red paint and wrote words like 'tipu' on the banners, " said Chua's special officer Lim Khai Shin.
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| PAS steers clear of row with Karpal Posted: 11 Sep 2012 02:33 PM PDT
(The Star) - PAS leaders have refused to enter into a fresh round of bickering with veteran DAP leader Karpal Singh, who has joined in the chorus of criticism against gender segregation at the party's Negri Sembilan Hari Raya open house. PAS denied gender segregation was imposed at the party's open house, but said it was a norm at PAS functions for men and women to sit separately. Karpal had objected to the controversial move to segregate men and women at the open house at Dataran Senawang on Saturday, but DAP's Rasah MP Anthony Loke had defended the move by attending the function. PAS central committee member Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud said the Islamist party had always prepared separate dining areas for men and women. "We even prepared separate tents for males and females during the PAS Hari Raya open house in Kampung Baru last Sunday," she said yesterday. However, she said the party did not force its guests to follow the separate seating arrangements. Dr Mariah, however, said that women in PAS generally preferred to be seated away from the men. She praised the younger generation of DAP leaders like Loke who she said "has no problems attending functions where males and females are segregated". "Younger DAP leaders do not even mind if we do not shake hands. "They understand and respect our way of life," she added. PAS information chief Idris Ahmad refused to be brought into the debate. "We do not know what Karpal said, but Loke, who was at the event, did not say anything about it," he said. PAS central committee member Khalid Samad said it was not wrong for men and women to eat at the same table. "However, separate seating arrangements are made for the convenience of the womenfolk. But we do not force people to follow suit. Perhaps Karpal is not aware of that," he said.
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| Selangor: We can reject building plans Posted: 11 Sep 2012 02:31 PM PDT
(The Star) - The Selangor Government will not interfere in the tender process of the Langat 2 water treatment plant, but has reminded the Federal Government and potential contractors that it holds the right to approve or reject developments under the Land Code. Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said the state government's jurisdiction includes granting permission to enter a site and planning approval. "The move by the Federal Government (to start the tender process) falls under its purview. But we would like to remind those submitting their tenders and the Federal Government that the state has some powers under the Land Code and we will exercise them responsibly," he told reporters after chairing the state exco meeting yesterday. He said the state legal adviser had been asked to consult several lawyers before drafting a public statement on the powers of the state government on the matter. Pengurusan Aset Air Bhd (PAAB) will start the development of the controversial RM3bil Langat 2 water treatment plant by issuing its first tender document today for the building of the plant. The biggest package in the tender will be the estimated RM1.2bil 1,130MLD (million litres per day) Langat 2 water treatment plant. On the move by 711 residents to file a lawsuit against the state government and water concessionaire Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas) and Khalid for not giving them free water, Khalid said it would be a test case. "We won't block (the lawsuit). It is a test case that will provide the opinion of the court on public welfare," he said.
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| Anwar withdraws defamation suit against ex-aide Saiful Posted: 11 Sep 2012 02:26 PM PDT
(The Sar) - Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has withdrawn his defamation suit against his former personal aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan at the High Court. Justice Su Geok Yiam fixed Oct 9 on the issue of costs. Anwar's lawyer Ranjit Singh said that the Opposition leader withdrew the suit on the basis that his reputation had been vindicated by his acquittal over his sodomy charge. Anwar was acquitted by the High Court on Jan 9 for allegedly sodomising Mohd Saiful at a condominium in Bukit Damansara on June 26, 2008.
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| Opposition-friendly tag unfair, say experts Posted: 11 Sep 2012 02:12 PM PDT Media observers say it is unfair for the ruling Barisan Nasional government to label the online media as opposition-friendly. Patrick Lee, FMT Media observer groups disagreed with the sentiment that online news portals are aligned to or owned by Pakatan Rakyat. They felt that these portals – also known as the alternative media – do not deserve this moniker. "By design or choice, the online media raises a lot more diverse issues than the mainstream media, such as governance, accountability and so on," said Media Defence South East Asia executive director HR Dipendra. "By raising all of these, the current government feels that they are under attack by the online media." He said the ruling government's view of online news portals as opposition-friendly might have stemmed from their coverage of Pakatan; which most traditional newspapers appear to leave out. Even so, he added, online portals tend to be "a bit economical" about the truth, so much so that it gave the idea that they were leaning towards the opposition. Dipendra however felt that the online media would carry on its role of questioning the government, even with a Pakatan leadership in place. "If the government was reversed tomorrow, the online media would apply the same sort of pressure on the goverment in power. They would be compelled to question Pakatan, just as they questioned Barisan Nasional," he said. New era National Union of Journalists (NUJ) general-secretary V Anbalagan had similar opinions, adding that online portals allowed for different viewpoints on issues. "The public has the opportunity to see two sides of the coin. They can see the news in both the traditional and new media," he told FMT. He added that the online media had another advantage over the print media: public participation in the form of comments. Though adding that Barisan Nasional had every right to scrutinise these portals, Anbalagan said that it was not right to slap them with the anti-government tag. "These people (politicians) may be feeling the pinch… and unpopular or insecure, but this is a new era and everybody has to live with it, whether they are politicians or trade unions. "When you make a statement in public, you must be prepared to be judged. You can't run away," he said. At the same time, he noted that Malaysians might prefer online portals over newspapers because of government restrictions slapped on the latter.
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| Jayakumar to contest in Sungai Siput again….. but this time under PSM banner Posted: 10 Sep 2012 04:05 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Times) - Sungai Siput MP Dr Micheal Jayakumar says that he would contest for the Sungai Siput seat in the coming 13th General Election (GE). "I will be contesting again for the seat in Sungai Siput under the PSM banner," said Jayakumar to The Malaysian Times (TMT) today. The Sungai Siput constituency in Kuala Kangsar, Perak, had been under the helm of Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu since 1974. It however, fell to Jayakumar of the Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) in the 2008 election. This was Jayakumar's third attempt in regaining the seat from BN, with the first being in 1999 and the second in 2004. The largest percentage of voters in the constituent is the Chinese community with 41 percent followed by the Malay community with 31 percent, Indian with 21 percent and seven percent Orang Asli voters. With a total number of voters being 47,424, Jayakumar had managed to garner 16,458 votes while Samy Vellu received 14,637 votes. He (Jayakumar) won the election with a majority of 1,821 votes. In speaking about the election in 2008, it was believed that Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu had lost the seat in Sungai Siput due to the lack of Malays voters. In confirming this, Jayakumar had said that Samy Vellu had not only loose the support of the Malays voters, but also the Chinese and Indian voters alike. This was due to the Hindraf issue which was aflame at that time. Looking into who would be the possible candidate to go against Jayakumar, iIt is rumoured that MIC Secretary-General, Datuk S Murugesan may be contesting in Sungai Siput under the Barisan Nasional (BN) banner. The voters in Sungai Siput may see a fight between two capable Indian leaders should Murugesan and Jayakumar indeed contest in Sungai Siput. This may also turn Sungai Siput into a 'hot seat' during the coming election. It is said that the odds of him (Murugesan) winning the seat against Jayakumar was 50-50. This was based on the current support that the PSM leader had gained during his term at the constituency. When asked on how PSM was faring in Sungai Siput, Jayakumar said that the party is doing fairly well and is well supported by the people there. However despite his dedication in wanting to serve the constituents, Jayakumar lacked the funds to address the woes. "The only downfall is that PSM is not able to provide monetary goodies for the people as BN can. We have instead helped the people in getting housing loans and looking into the people's Social Security Organization (SOCSO) woes. We are also providing counseling for those who are facing family problems," said Jayakumar. Asked on whether PSM will be able to retain its seat there, Jayakumar said, "We have a fighting chance. We have and are serving the people. They recognize our services." Jayakumar on June 25, 2011, was among the 24 people who were picked up in Penang during the widespread pre-Bersih clampdown. They were later slapped with accusations that they had attempted to revive communism and wage a war against the King. He and five others – PSM deputy chairman M. Sarasvathy, central committee members Choo Chon Kai and M. Sugumaran, Sungai Siput branch secretary A. Letchumanan and Youth chief R. Saratbabu were however released on July 29, 2011.
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| Young doctor to take on 'Old Lion' Karpal in Bukit Gelugor Posted: 10 Sep 2012 04:00 PM PDT
(The Malay Mail) - The Parti Cinta Malaysia (PCM) is planning to field a medical candidate in the Bukit Gelugor parliamentary seat to challenge DAP chairman and veteran politician Karpal Singh in the coming general election. This is to fulfill the wish of Malaysians for young MPs to replace older ones, said PCM vice-president Huan Cheng Guan. In a statement yesterday, he said it was time for the constituents to decide whether they wanted to retain a 72-year-old DAP stalwart or to let a 27-year-old doctor, whom he did not name, to serve them. "The party is unfazed that Karpal has announced that his candidacy for the seat. We recognise the veteran politician's contributions to the constituents but we strongly feel he should retire and give way to younger politicians," Huan said. "The DAP and Karpal are at loggerheads over PAS' hudud issue, and DAP leaders feel if one is not involved in crime, they need not worry about the implementation of hudud." Huan said Karpal believed hudud was inconsistent with the Federal Constitution. He said Karpal was no longer welcomed in DAP and should retire with dignity and allow his two sons to serve the party. He also said the unnamed PCM candidate had learned the constituents were looking for a young candidate to serve them better, and more efficiently and effectively.
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| Karpal going ahead with suit against Nasharudin Posted: 10 Sep 2012 03:01 PM PDT
HUDUD ROW: Pas says matter is resolved, Karpal stands his ground (NST) - DAP chairman Karpal Singh is proceeding with his defamation suit against Pas former deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa despite the latter being apparently cleared of any wrongdoing by his party. "As far as I am concerned, I will go on with the suit," said Karpal. The hudud spat between the two veteran politicians started when Nasharudin accused Karpal of being "anti-Islam" for rejecting hudud to be implemented in the country. He also said that Pas should review its position in the opposition coalition over DAP's outright objection to hudud. Nasharudin had also incurred the wrath of his party after a photograph of him and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak meeting Saudi Arabian ulama in Mecca made the headlines recently. This prompted a meeting by the syura council -- the highest policy-making body in the party -- as confirmed by its president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang in news reports last month. However, the highly-anticipated meeting, which was held last Sunday night, did not discuss Nasharudin's fate in the party. "Nasharudin remains a syura council member... the issue was not discussed," Hadi was quoted as saying after the meeting. Speaking to New Straits Times yesterday, syura council member Datuk Dr Mahfodz Mohamed said the matter involving Nasharudin was considered "solved" by the party. "It was not such a big deal. For me, the matter has been resolved and he remains a member of syura council," he said. He added that the meeting did not even touch on matters surrounding Nasharudin. "Besides, if we wanted to discuss the action to be taken against someone, that someone has to be brought to a disciplinary committee and not the syura council as it only discusses party policies," he said. |
| Allies scramble to mend Najib-Muhyiddin cracks Posted: 10 Sep 2012 02:41 PM PDT The friction between Umno's top two leaders not only threatens Najib's position but the entire party with regard to the general election. Syed Jaymal Zahiid, FMT Umno is on high alert as the friction between the party's top two leaders has reached a "worrying level" and allies close to both president Najib Tun Razak and his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin are now scrambling to "manage" the fray, party sources said. Umno sources told FMT that the recent distribution of posters calling for Muhyiddin to succeed Najib as prime minister in the latter's home state of Johor indicated "disturbing developments" on a feud that could threaten the party's preparations for what may be the ruling coalition's toughest election yet. The party's Johor chapter has denied publishing the posters which read "we want Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as PM before the 13th general election" and has lodged a police report. But while FMT's source said the poster could be an attempt by the opposition to drive a deeper wedge between the Umno president and his deputy, it cannot hide the friction between them. "The fight is not only detrimental to Najib but the party as a whole… but it is now being managed," said one party source familiar with the subject. One of the key figures in the move to patch the cracks is Najib's close confidant and "golf buddy", Mohamed Al-Amin Abdul Majid, the current chairman of SME Corporation who is also a business partner of Muhyiddin's son Adlan Berhan. Links to both the leaders will give him access to unite Najib and Muhyiddin and avoid any bloodletting that could harm Umno's chances at the polls. Muhyiddin's impatience Whether or not Mohamed Al-Amin can manage the rift is uncertain, said the same source but what is clear is Muhyiddin's growing "impatience" on what may be seen as Najib's weakness in tackling the opposition's surging influence. "He [Muhyiddin] is growing impatient," said the Umno official but stopped short of explaining.
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| Perak’s ‘defected 4′ keen on contesting Posted: 10 Sep 2012 02:18 PM PDT The four Pakatan reps who contributed to BN's political coup in the state are hoping for another shot in the coming national polls. Humayan Kabir, FMT The four former Pakatan Rakyat state assemblypersons who contributed to the fall of the Pakatan state government in Perak in 2009 are now planning for a new lease of political life in the coming general election. The four BN-friendly independents are Hee Yit Foong (Jelapang), Mohd Osman Mohd Jailu (Changkat Jering), Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi (Behrang) and Keshvinder Singh (Malim Nawar). The first three played a vital role in destabilising the elected Pakatan state government into falling into the hands of BN while Keshvinder left after the fall due to political differences. While there was much speculation that the four had jumped ship due to monetary gains, they however denied this. The four claimed they shifted alliance to BN because they were unhappy with their respective parties' administration. FMT spoke to them recently about their intention to remain active in politics. "Yes! I shall definitely stand again in Jelapang for the third time on a BN ticket," exclaimed an excited Hee, who is also the state assembly deputy speaker. Hee had contested and won the Jelapang seat twice under the DAP banner in three-cornered fights in 2004 and 2008. When told that Jelapang was a MCA area which may not be given to her and the alternative may be for her to stand as an independent candidate, she said: "Our BN leadership wants a performing, likeable and winnable candidate which qualifies me for the seat." "Anyway a four-cornered or five-cornered fight (in Jelapang) does not scare me as I have already faced two three-cornered fights before," she added. Asked about the alleged monetary gains for jumping ship, Hee retorted: "You think I am money gila [crazy] like them?" "I left because I was unhappy with the party leadership of the two cousin brothers (DAP state chief Ngeh Koo Ham and secretary Nga Kor Ming)," she added. She also said that her relationship with the Jelapang voters remained good despite DAP's political propaganda to tarnish her name after her defection. "You must remember that the two PKR assemblymen (Osman and Jamaluddin) had left earlier and BN had the majority in the state assembly before I resigned from DAP. "My relationship with the Jelapang voters is good as I am constantly attending to their problems and needs," she explained.
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| Indigenous Malaysians Miss School, Agency Finds Posted: 10 Sep 2012 09:17 AM PDT
(New York Times) - Human rights advocates have raised concerns that thousands of indigenous children in Malaysia are not attending school, which they say exposes them to greater risk of living in poverty in adulthood. A report released last week by the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia, a government agency, showed that 7,000 indigenous children aged 5 to 18 who live on the Malaysian Peninsula were not attending school in 2007, based on government figures. Among those aged 7 to 12, the number not attending school rose to more than 2,700 in 2010, up from 1,962 in 2007. The commission was unable to obtain more recent figures for other age groups but said the overall number of indigenous children not in school could have increased because of population growth. Muhammad Sha'ani Abdullah, a human rights commissioner, said many indigenous people on the Malaysian Peninsula, called orang asli in Malay, lived in remote areas. "Based on our observations and our visits to the orang asli villages, still there are issues of no schools in the villages or the schools are very far away," he said by telephone. While the report focused only on the Malaysian Peninsula, some rights advocates say the number of indigenous children not attending school is likely to be higher in Borneo Island states like Sabah and Sarawak, which are home to the majority of the indigenous population. In Malaysia, there are about four million indigenous people from a total population of 28 million, according to the Center for Orang Asli Concerns, a private group. About 190,000 indigenous people live on the Malaysian Peninsula. The commission's report, based on interviews with students, parents and teachers, found that the distance to the closest school was a major concern. Colin Nicholas, coordinator of the Center for Orang Asli Concerns, cited as an example two indigenous villages in Pahang State, where the nearest school is 30 kilometers, or 20 miles, away. "The kids there don't go to school," he said. "They say it's too far and they don't have transport." While there was a student hostel at the school, many parents did not want to leave their young children there. Mr. Nicholas added that some students felt discriminated against by teachers and parents worried about their safety. Mr. Sha'ani said that while the government was supposed to provide students with transport to schools, often the vehicles did not show up and could not reach the children in bad weather, raising questions over how often the children attended. Read more at: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/10/world/asia/10iht-educmalay10.html
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| Posted: 10 Sep 2012 08:56 AM PDT
(The Star) - Former Singapore prosecutor Glenn Knight has apologised to ex-MCA president Tan Koon Swan for wrongly prosecuting him in the Pan-El crisis in the mid-1980s. "It was extremely painful for me to suddenly discover that the Singapore courts had got it wrong," Knight wrote in his recently published book, Glenn Knight: The Prosecutor. Tan, who is in China for a business trip, said he was not prepared to comment as he had yet to read the book. In 1985, Knight, the first director of the Singapore Commercial Affairs Department (CAD), prosecuted Tan, who faced 15 charges including criminal breach of trust (CBT) and share manipulation after the collapse of Pan-El Industries which termporarily halted the Malaysia and Singapore stock exchanges. Tan, who had a stake in Pan-El, pleaded guilty and was jailed two years and fined S$1mil. He quit as MCA president after his sentencing. In his book, Knight wrote that one of the most important cases of his life involved Pan-El, as the Pan-Electric group of companies was known. "It was a highly significant case that led to enforceable regulations being introduced into Singapore's stockbroking industry," he said. He wrote in a chapter titled "The Pan-El Debacle" that "as Koon Swan was the head of the MCA, I put up a paper on his involvement in the Pan-El saga but left it to my superiors to decide his fate as he was out of (Singapore) and in Malaysia". "In the end, the government decided that the CAD could prosecute Koon Swan." In 1996, in a similar CBT case, Singapore's Chief Justice Yong Pung How concluded that Knight was wrong to have charged Koon Swan for the offence. "Chief Justice Yong was of the opinion that the section I had charged Koon Swan with was wrong in law for we could not charge a person for stealing from a company because as a director, it was not a breach of the law in that sense," he wrote. "Chief Justice Yong concluded that it was wrong to convict anyone for stealing money if the wrong charge had been used to begin with. The judgment shattered my belief in our legal system." Knight wrote that many people asked if Chief Justice Yong's judgment could be used to set aside the conviction in Koon Swan's case. "In the United Kingdom, such a landmark judgment would have set aside Koon Swan's conviction but our jurisprudence does not allow for this though technically, Koon Swan could still have been granted a pardon," he said. Knight wrote that in 2010 he met Tan at a conference in Singapore and told him about Chief Justice Yong's judgment, which meant that Tan was technically an innocent man". "He received the news with great excitement," he recalled, adding that he (Knight) had also apologised. |
| Police receive video of Anwar’s bodyguard allegedly pointing a gun Posted: 10 Sep 2012 04:40 AM PDT (Bernama) - Melaka police today received a video recording believed to be that of a bodyguard of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim threatening a member of the public with a gun. It was surrendered to the Jasin Police Headquarters here at 6pm. The four-minute video, belonging to a local cyber media officer, was recorded at a function organised by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) in Kampung Baru Rim on Saturday. The 29-year-old man, who was met at the IPD, said the recording was handed to police to help investigations related to the incident. "This is because the action of pointing a gun at someone is a threat to the crowd at the scene of the incident," he said. Meanwhile, Melaka police chief Datuk Chuah Ghee Lye when contacted confirmed receiving the tape and said police would study the tape. He said police might call the opposition leader to help in investigation on the case if necessary. "Anwar was in the bus during the incident and it is not known if he had seen the incident. But it is up to the investigation officer to decide whether to call him or not," he said.
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| ‘I was blindfolded, handcuffed, beaten’ Posted: 09 Sep 2012 11:38 PM PDT A security manager claims the nightmare started when he lodged a report with the police about a burglary. Anisah Shukry, FMT When Tesco security manager S Selvaraja lodged a police report last week over a robbery at the store's Taman Wahyu Selayang branch, little did he know that the act would leave him maimed at the hands of the police. According to Selvaraja, after he made the report and provided the police with CCTV footage of the robbery, the police promptly remanded him and several others to aid in their investigations – and that was when the nightmare began. "The police took me to their Kepong station, along with two other of my staff. "They blindfolded me and handcuffed me from behind, then started beating my legs and feet with a black rubber cable for 40 to 50 minutes," he told reporters here. Meanwhile, he said, his colleague P Nuniandy was shoved under a table, while the other, Nanda Kumar, was forced into a corner to prevent the two from witnessing the beatings. "They beat me, they used vulgar words on me… Now I cannot walk without help," Selvaraja said, indicating his visibly swollen feet, while his wife sobbed silently behind him. According to Selvaraja, once the beatings ended, he was brought to the Jinjang police lock-up, where he was refused food and medical treatment for the rest of the day. But he said the ordeal finally ended the following day, after he was brought before the magistrate's court to have his remand extended. "At that point, I was unable to stand anymore. So I spoke straight to the judge and asked, 'What is happening? Why do they need me? Why are they beating me?'" Selvaraja said. "The judge said it was because of a separate robbery case in Batu Caves that the police were investigating. "But I was in custody at the time of the second robbery; the remand was not granted." He said he was immediately brought to a hospital for treatment, and he later lodged a police report over the incident. "The hospital says the tissue is torn, and it will take a very long time to heal," he said, adding that for the time being, he has been granted medical leave as he is unable to walk unaided. He is also expected to identify the perpetrators later this evening – an almost impossible task as he was reportedly blindfolded throughout the ordeal. 'Why so brutal?' Meanwhile, DAP's A Sivanesan, who was representing Selvaraja, lashed out at the police for their alleged brutality and disregard for standard operating procedures (SOP).
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| Suaram slams ‘premature’ accusations Posted: 09 Sep 2012 11:23 PM PDT
(The Sun Daily) - Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) slammed Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob for jumping the gun by saying that the organisation would be prosecuted even though investigations into its accounts are still ongoing. In a statement today, Suaram executive director Nalini Elumalai said Suaram also condemns Sabri's alleged statement that its accounts are "highly suspicious" despite the ongoing probe. "Suaram has all along complied fully with the Companies Act in our dealings, and our accounts are fully audited every year," said Nalini. "This can only be seen as a political setup to frame Suaram because of our complaint to the French court to investigate suspected corruption in the Scorpene deal," she added. It was reported on Saturday that Suara Inisiatif Sdn Bhd, the company linked to Suaram, would be charged in the next two weeks for breaching provisions under the Companies Act, and it would also be investigated for four other possible offences linked to its highly suspicious accounts. It was also reported that the company has been receiving funding from foreign countries such as Germany, and has been linked to currency speculator George Soros. The Foreign Affairs Ministry said Malaysia is deeply disappointed to learn that the German embassy had funded Suaram as it can be misconstrued and be seen as interference in the domestic affairs of the country. According to the ministry's statement, the ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Malaysia Dr Guenther Georg Gruber told the ministry's deputy secretary- general (bilateral relations) the funds were for a project that is "close to German values – the protection and promotion of human rights". According to the statement, the funds were used to organise a workshop which was held in Kuala Lumpur in November 2010 which was attended by 21 non-governmental organisations.
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| Ex-NFCorp consultant allegedly given RM1.7m to pay off cops Posted: 09 Sep 2012 11:09 PM PDT
(NST) - Former National Feedlot Corporation Sdn Bhd (NFCorp) consultant Datuk Shamsubahrin Ismail was allegedly given RM1.7 million to pay off police officers investigating the 'NFC case' late last year, the Sessions Court heard yesterday. The first witness in Shamsubahrin's cheating trial, ASP Mohd Nor Hasnimaizam Othman said he obtained this information while questioning an official of NFCorp in relation to another case he was investigating. Mohd Nor told the court that when he was questioning Hasimah Ahmad, a finance manager with NFCorp late last year, she told him that Shamsubahrin was paid RM1.7 million. "Later she called me and asked if I received any money from him. I denied it," Mohd Nor testified when questioned by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission head of prosecution Datuk Abdul Razak Musa. Mohd Nor, an investigating officer with the Bukit Aman commercial crime department, was at that time investigating a sales manager from one of the subsidiary companies who was accused of misappropriation. The witness said Hasimah contacted him again later and this time, allowed him to listen to a conversation she was having with Shamsubahrin at her office. Unknown to Shamsubahrin, Hasimah had dialled Mohd Nor's number and left the phone on her desk, enabling the police officer to listen in to the conversation. "I heard him (Shamsubahrin) say he had given the money to 'ASP Maizam (Mohd Nor), Superintendent Ravindar (Ravindar Singh) and ASP Nordin (Nordin Md Nor)'. I also heard him say he has not yet given the IGP, deputy IGP and Datuk Tajudin (Commercial Crime Investigation Department deputy director Datuk Tajudin Md Isa)," the witness said. Mohd Nor added he contacted Ravindar and Nordin and they denied receiving any money. "I then told Datuk Tajudin and he advised me to lodge a police report," he said, adding Shamsubahrin was arrested that same day. Mohd Nor was testifying in the trial of Shamsubahrin, who is charged with cheating NFCorp director Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Salleh Ismail of RM1.755 million. Shamsubahrin, is also facing 17 counts of money laundering, involving the same amount. The second witness to take the stand yesterday was Tajudin, who told the court he was in charge of the three simultaneous investigations involving the NFC. They were the main case involving allegations of misappropriation of RM250 million, a report lodged by NFCorp when certain confidential documents were published on the Internet and the misappropriation report against the sales manager of a NFCorp subsidiary which Mohd Nor was investigating. When questioned by defence lawyer Datuk Salehuddin Saidin, Tajudin agreed that Salleh was the main suspect in the RM250 million misappropriation case. He, however, denied that Shamsubahrin was arrested to divert attention from the main case which was heavily publicised in the media. Lawyer Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin then questioned the witness why Shamsubahrin was arrested when the officers mentioned earlier had denied accepting any money from the accused. Tajudin: For cheating. Kamarul: Cheating who? Tajudin: Cheating NFCorp. Kamarul: A police report was lodged against Shamsubahrin in the morning and in the evening he was arrested. So when did formal investigations into the report begin? Tajudin: After he was arrested. Kamarul: So before he was arrested, there was no investigations yet? Tajudin: Correct. Hearing continues today. |
| Anonymous letter warns Najib of Indian ‘gang threat’ Posted: 09 Sep 2012 03:56 PM PDT An 'Umno member' warns the prime minister of the rise of Indian gangs in the country which may cause another Hindraf-like political tsunami if not addressed urgently. Teoh El Sen, FMT Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has apparently been warned of an alleged threat of gangsterism among the Indian community which would, if left unchecked, indirectly cause the Barisan Nasional government to lose votes in the next general election. An anonymous letter purportedly written by a "concerned Umno member" and sent to Najib on April 20, urged the Umno president to treat the matter seriously or risk another "political tsunami" akin to 2008, which the Hindraf movement had contributed to. In the letter, seen by FMT, the "Umno member from Selayang Baru" implicated the MIC and the police for being complicit in allowing "Gang 36″ to gain more influence and power. The author claimed that on Dec 3, 2011, MIC organised a Deepavali event at The Mines, Sri Kembangan, where about 7,000 Indian youths who attended were made up of "almost 99%" of Gang 36 members. Several prominent politicians from BN officiated at the event, with the author naming three of them in the letter. They included two members of parliaments and a minister. Repeated attempts to contact the three national leaders for comments were unsuccessful. "Close to 99% of the Indian youths who attended were from Gang 36. The behaviour, character and clothing of these youths were very embarrassing. Their actions not only taint the image of MIC but also BN," wrote the "Umno member". The writer claimed that a number of these youths even wore the "Geng 36″ T-shirts and waved the "Gang 36″ flag openly. They were also displaying the Sanskrit Aum symbol(picture below) which is said to be used as the gang's logo. "That event gave a bad impression, especially the Indian community towards BN party. The event also clearly shows an attempt by Gang 36 to fortify its positions through politics." The writer also said the event has become the talk of the town among the Indian community, and defeated MIC's attempt to portray a new image after their alleged "failure" under former MIC president S Samy Vellu. The writer said that it was his opinion that the leader of the gang, who he claimed is involved in drug trafficking and other crimes, is trying to use politics to clear the gang's criminal records and reign supreme in the country. 'Conspiracy brewing' "The attempt of Gang 36 to enter politics to fortify its position should be stopped so that the opposition does not use this issue to deny [BN] the votes of the Indians. "Yang Amat Berhormat [prime minister], don't treat this issue as merely an Indian one. Hindraf, which was considered a small matter, created such a big impact in 2008 and four states fell to the opposition's hands. "A conspiracy is brewing to accuse the government, particularly Umno, of ethnic cleansing of the Indian community by taking a lax attitude towards gangsterism in Malaysia. The police all over the country have been bribed in the millions by Gang 36."
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| Keep out, PKR rep tells CM's aide Posted: 09 Sep 2012 03:30 PM PDT
(NST) - BAYAN LEPAS: A Parti Keadilan Rakyat assemblyman has hit out at Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's political secretary for "encroaching" into his turf and causing unnecessary problems among his constituents. Batu Uban assemblyman S. Raveentharan said Ng Wei Aik, who is also the DAP assemblyman for Komtar, owed him an explanation. The rebuke comes in the wake of leaked minutes of a PKR meeting in which those present had discussed issues concerning how DAP was trying to muscle their way into getting more seats in the coming general election. It was reported that Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Mansor Othman, who is also state PKR chief, had during the meeting advised PKR's Chinese representatives, who were present, to prepare for contingency plans if such a scenario presented itself in the next polls. Yesterday, Raveentharan said Ng had stirred a hornet's nest among his constituents over a plan to build a Chinese temple at a former sewage treatment plant site in Taman Lip Sin here. Raveentharan said Ng's action had led to residents protesting against it. "I was informed by the residents' association that a Chinese temple committee had contacted Ng for help and he had taken it upon himself to encroach into my constituency and hold discussions with certain people over the past three months. "He did all this without even having the courtesy to contact me first." Raveentharan said Ng's action had caused unnecessary problems for him and he had to face his fuming constituents. "He owes me an explanation. I have to reveal all this as if I don't, my voters will think that I am subservient to him." Raveentharan said residents were angry that the Kew Ong Tai Tay (Tow Boe Keong) Devotees Association, which usually held their Taoist nine-day prayers at the Taman Lip Sin field, was planning to have their permanent prayer grounds at the 0.15ha former sewerage treatment facility. |
| Pakatan bars leaders from PSM function Posted: 09 Sep 2012 03:24 PM PDT
(NST) - IPOH: THE Jelapang state constituency in Perak is set to drive a wedge between Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) and fellow Pakatan Rakyat (PR) members with PR upping the ante by barring its leaders from attending functions organised by PSM. Sources told the New Straits Times that Perak PR had, during a meeting on Friday, decided that its leaders would not attend a ceramah tomorrow which is organised by PSM at Taman Pertama. Pas deputy president Mohamad Sabu, better known as Mat Sabu, was to be the main speaker. "Former Perak menteri besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin had been tasked to talk to Mat Sabu to persuade him not to attend the ceramah," said the source. This is not the first time Perak DAP had tried to frustrate programmes organised by PSM. Previously, state DAP chairman Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham had sent a blanket text message to all party representatives, barring them from attending a similar ceramah organised by PSM in Jelapang on July 13. PSM and DAP are locked in a tussle over the Jelapang seat, which is being held by Barisan Nasional-friendly independent, Datuk Hee Yit Foong. PSM had previously said it would not back down from contesting in the constituency against Barisan Nasional. PSM secretary-general S. Arutchelvan (photo above) labelled PR as childish for the move. "I can assure you that the stand made by PR is not shared by its counterpart from other states, as we just jointly organised a Hari Raya open house at Kota Damansara." Arutchelvan reminded DAP that negotiation for the Jelapang seat was still ongoing and nothing had finalised yet. "Ngeh should not be jumping to conclusions," he added, warning DAP to stop antagonising PSM. Perak PKR vice-chairman Chang Lih Kang declined to comment on the meeting, while Nizar and Ngeh could not be reached. During the 2008 general election, Jelapang saw a three-cornered fight between BN, DAP and PSM. PSM's national deputy chairman M. Saraswathy received 1,275 votes against BN's Loh Koi Pin (5,512 votes) and Hee, who won by a landslide of 12,219 votes.
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| Tian Chua, Mat Sabu, Hishamuddin quized on rally Posted: 09 Sep 2012 03:04 PM PDT
(NST) - Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) vice-president Tian Chua, PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu and social activist Hishamuddin Rais turned up separately with their lawyers at the Dang Wangi police station here at around 4pm today over the "Janji Demokrasi" illegal assembly held in the city on Merdeka eve (Aug 30). Tian Chua, when approached by reporters afterwards, said he became aware that the police wanted to question him and the others about the rally through news reports and subsequently his lawyer arranged the meeting today. He said he had nothing to hide and answered the questions asked to the best of his ability. Mohamad Sabu, more popularly known as Mat Sabu, said he elected to remain silent. On Thursday, National Laureate Datuk A. Samad Said and the organiser of the rally Maria Chin Abdullah had given statements to the police concerning the assembly after being notified to do so under Section 111 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Meanwhile, City deputy CID chief (Legal Affairs) ACP Aziz Zakaria told Bernama that the trio (Tian Chua, Mat Sabu and Hishamuddin) were being investigated under Section 9 (5) of the Peaceful Assemblies Act 2012. He added that police also wanted to record statements from two more individuals regarding the rally, namely Stanley Yong and Kumpulan Aktivis Mahasiswa Independen (Kami) deputy president Khaled Ismeth. "We will be calling them to come forward to give their statements soon," he said. |
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