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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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• One in seven shops in UK vacant
• ‘Why don’t you stand, Ambiga?’
• Police detain student suspected of trampling picture of PM
• London luxury home market risks price crash
• Malaysian gold strike
• Sacked DAP man eyes Pandamaran
• Lajim’s defection is not Umno’s loss
• DAP urged to act against Karpal on anti-hudud views
• Anwar invite irks Sultan
• DAP chief seeks end to feud with PKR
• Najib hints at November polls
• 'New flag' stunt raises ire
• Musa on radar of Swiss money-laundering probe
• S’gor DAP branches reject Ganapathirau
• PM: Pakatan being disrespectful of the Sultan is not surprising
• PR has lost direction, says Noh Omar
• Seat distribution in Pakatan almost complete
• Karpal: DAP to push for anti-hopping law
• Najib to offer oil royalty hike?
• MCA opposes Islam; what about DAP?
• I’m not returning to Barisan, says Lajim
• Get real, pundit tells Young Power
• Umno MP denies jumping ship rumour
• Show some respect, DAP tells PKR
• PKR blames Najib, Umno for bus attack
• New York priest says child often seducer in sex abuse cases
• End hudud tiff, PAS told
• Nasharuddin not among PAS candidates
• Hadi: DAP cannot stop us
• Pahang PKR warns DAP about seat allocation
• Pakatan now aiming for more support from women
• China editor's suicide sparks web debate
• Stop fanning rumours, DAP man tells PR
• 'Exodus if PBRS has to give up MP seat'
• PKR disagrees with Lajim
• Najib: Six Umno divisions can spearhead recapture of Kedah
• Rafizi’s ‘NOW’ centre to make whistleblowing Malaysian culture
• Government has fulfilled all promises through NEP
• Malaysia’s New Internet Law
• Courts sending out mixed signals over statutory rape

One in seven shops in UK vacant Posted: 03 Sep 2012 03:53 PM PDT (Reuters) - Nearly one in seven British shops remained vacant at the end of June as retailers struggled in a double-dip recession, a report from Local Data Company (LDC) said on Tuesday. The consultancy reported that there had been no improvement in the second quarter from March's UK shop vacancy rate of 14.6 percent, the highest level since June 2008, and that it did not expect the situation to ease any time soon. Vacancies increased in all regions apart from London over the past 12 months. The rate in the capital fell from 10.7 percent to 10.1 percent. Retailers have closed poorly performing outlets, while some have gone out of business, hit by the combination of constrained consumer spending, muted wage growth and government austerity measures. Video games retailer Game went into administration in March, and last week struggling sports goods retailer JJB Sports warned investors that their shares may be worthless. "Normal service is unlikely to be resumed any time soon as far as retailers are concerned," LDC said. "For the high street, and especially for secondary shopping centres, it is clear that the current high levels of vacancy are likely to remain."

‘Why don’t you stand, Ambiga?’ Posted: 03 Sep 2012 03:04 PM PDT Two groups are calling for the Bersih co-chairperson to contest in the next general election, saying she can raise the standard of Parliament.  RK Anand, FMT She is one of the most adored and abhorred personalities, depending on political vantage points. But even her detractors possess a grudging respect for her courage. In a nation which struggles with the bane of racial polarisation, she had managed to bridge the divide and her appeal transcended colour and creed. And despite her poor grasp of the Tamil language, she had also become the sweetheart of the Indian community of all classes, causing concern for the lovelorn MIC. But S Ambiga refuses to enter the political ring. And after the 13th general election, the mother of two said she would relinquish her post in Bersih as well in order to allow the next echelon to spearhead the electoral watchdog. The former Bar Council president said she would focus on other issues as well as concentrate on her legal practice. Politics is a noble pursuit However, the Malaysian Indian Business Association (Miba) was adamant that Ambiga should not fade into oblivion or reduce her role. According to its president, S Sivakumar, she should contest in the next general election as an independent candidate. Ambiga, he added, would make an excellent politician and leader as well as serve as an inspiration to others to join in the fight at the frontline. Commenting on her recent interview with FMT, in which Ambiga had urged voters to reject incompetent candidates, he asked: "Why doesn't she stand?" "Instead of telling us 'don't vote for this and that candidate' and stress on the importance of competent candidates, she should stand and Malaysians of all races will vote for her. "Politics is a noble pursuit but unfortunately it lacks noble people because these people don't want to get involved. So the door is left open to unscrupulous politicians," he said. Sivakumar pointed out that Bersih and other civil society groups comprised numerous respected individuals who could raise the standard of Parliament if elected into the August House. The current political climate, he said, made it possible to bring in more independent voices to raise the bar in Parliament. "The civil society should capitalise on this call for change, where the political landscape is gravitating away from the traditional practice of party politics. "The civil society should look into fielding distinguished Malaysians with a track record of serving the nation, people who are non-partisan," he added. He said since these individuals were not members of any political parties, they would receive the support of those who do not subscribe to both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat. Furthermore, he added, their views would be constructive for good governance. READ MORE HERE

Police detain student suspected of trampling picture of PM Posted: 03 Sep 2012 02:54 PM PDT (The Star) - Police have detained one suspect believed to have been involved in trampling on pictures of the prime minister during the Janji Demokrasi gathering on Merdeka Eve. Federal CID principal assistant director SAC Datuk Abdul Jalil Hassan said that police have arrested a 19-year-old college student who would be brought to the Dang Wangi police station for further investigations. "We received a public tip-off on his whereabouts before locating him at his college. The police also spoke to two other witnesses who were there during the event," he told reporters after detaining the student on Tuesday. It was reported Monday that police had set up three task forces to investigate three reports involving incidents at Dataran Merdeka, an attack on the People's Independence Tour bus and on the contravention of the Peaceful Gathering Act 2011 by Himpunan Janji Demokrasi organisers.

London luxury home market risks price crash Posted: 03 Sep 2012 02:46 PM PDT (Reuters) - Developers rushing to build top-quality London homes to cash in on strong overseas demand are in danger of being stung by a price crash as they flood the market, property consultancy EC Harris said. Over 15,000 homes in developments worth more than £38 billion (RM187.81 billion) are due for completion in London's most expensive neighbourhoods in the next 10 years, a 70% jump on last year, an EC Harris report said Monday. The total floor area covers almost 20 million sq ft — equivalent to the size of the London Olympic park — and includes properties in upmarket Mayfair, the City of London financial district and the south bank of the river Thames. "Developers are racing to get first to site because they don't want to miss out on the boom that's happening," said Mark Farmer, head of residential at EC Harris. "There is a danger that if all these schemes happen that you'll have a massive oversupply." Prices for luxury homes have surged in recent years after economic turmoil in Europe and political uprisings across North Africa drove investors to the relative safety of central London property. Signs of a slowdown appeared after the UK government said in March it would clamp down on tax avoidance by overseas buyers of homes costing more than £2 million. Prices for the best central London homes rose 1.8% in the three months to August, the weakest quarterly growth since November 2010, property consultant Knight Frank said Monday. About 4,000 high-end homes are scheduled to be built in 2016 alone, an eight-fold increase on the average number built in London each year. The risk of over-building may be tempered by a tight supply in development finance, Farmer said. Recent entrants to the market include offices and shops developer British Land, which said in July it would redevelop a block in Mayfair into luxury flats, and Malaysian developers SP Setia and Sime Darby, which plan to build over 3,000 homes at Battersea Power Station. Such developers have been described as "late to the party" by some residential players. A May report from Development Securities warned that London luxury home prices could halve if the eurozone broke up. Other risks include further devaluation of the euro, which would make London property look more expensive, and changes to the UK planning system that make it easier to convert offices to homes and add to the pipeline, EC Harris said. "The reality is that no one knows what the conditions will be in five or 10 years," he said.

Malaysian gold strike Posted: 02 Sep 2012 09:13 PM PDT Nik Ibrahim is LionGold executive chairman and group CEO. A Malaysian-backed, SGX-listed gold miner hits RM2.5bil market cap KUALA LUMPUR: Recently, an article in the Sydney Morning Herald highlighted the maverick moves of a US-based fund manager, Andres Weiss, of making a killing by merely following the aggressive acquisitions of gold mining companies by one Singapore Exchange (SGX) listed company called LionGold Corp Ltd. Since last October, Weiss Asset Management has bought into LionGold takeover targets Signature Metals Ltd and Castlemaine Gold Ltd, both listed on the Australian stock exchange (ASX) in classic arbitrage plays, the paper reported. (Arbitrage plays refer to situations where investors take positions in target companies in takeovers, betting that the announced deal will come to fruition, thereby gaining from the small premium of the takeover price versus the market price.) What made that article even more interesting is that LionGold was described as a Malaysian-backed company. Checks with LionGold revealed that its executive chairman and group CEO is Tan Sri Nik Ibrahim Kamil, who is famed for his tenure at the helm of KFC Holdings Bhd for a period of around two years from 2006 and also as the former managing director of the NSTP group. Golden opportunity: An aerial view of Castlemaine's Ballarat gold mine, one of LionGold's acquired assets. The other Malaysian element of LionGold is that its single largest shareholder, with a 10% stake, is SGX-listed Asiasons Capital Group Ltd, a private equity fund founded by Malaysians Datuk Jared Lim, Datuk Mohammed Azlan Hashim and chartered accountant Ng Teck Wah back in 2007. LionGold's growth story is an impressive one. It now boasts a market capitalisation of around S$1bil (RM2.5bil) and is touted by some as being among the fastest growing gold mining companies in the world. It has also attracted the likes of Nomura Holdings Inc, Macquarie Bank Ltd and the Market Vectors Junior Gold Miners Exchange Trade Fund (ETF) to emerge as substantial shareholders. (The ETF belongs to New York-based asset manager Van Eck Global which had launched the ETF in 2009 aimed at giving investors there exposure to small and mid-cap gold mining companies.) Through its aggressive M&A strategy, LionGold now has control over three producing gold mines and a few more mines that are close to the production stage. In an interview with StarBiz, Nik Ibrahim said that LionGold "is touching production figures of nearly 6,000 ounces (of gold) per month, and growing." He added: "We control directly or indirectly nearly 15 million ounces of JORC compliant gold resources." (JORC is the established code for the reporting of exploration results, prepared by the Joint Ore Reserves Committee or JORC of Australia.) LionGold's modus operandi, it seems, it to take advantage of cash-strapped, small and mid-sized listed gold miners, that are trading at a fraction of their true value, in markets such as ASX. "We saw this aberration in the market. While the price of gold was high, the equity prices of a number of gold mining companies were falling," he said, adding that LionGold then did a close study of such companies, many of which had spent millions in exploration and drilling and which already had proven JORC compliant resources and reserves. But due to the fall out from the Lehman's crisis and the subsequent bearish markets in the Western world, these companies ended up cash-strapped as investors shunned them and ended up trading at a fraction of their net worth. Asiasons' Lim added: "We positioned LionGold in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Asiasons steered LionGold into an "aggregator" and "accelerator" model and leveraged on our corporate finance expertise to identify undervalued mines, with significant potential, to acquire. We have financial strength to provide the necessary capital to the mines, an attractive and liquid platform to be able to attract shareholders to swap shares with LionGold and the operational acumen to be able to accelerate the production of the acquired mines." LionGold's modus operandi in many of its recent M&As has been to acquire a placement of new shares from the target company, thereby ensuring a fresh injection of capital into these companies. After being satisfied with the value of these companies, LionGold would then proceed to make an offer to buy out the rest of the shareholders in the target company, paying them mostly in LionGold shares. Lim: 'We positioned LionGold in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity". "Our pitch was that we are a "consolidater" of junior miners and we have a plant to inject capital, new management and technologies into the target companies. Just as important, is the fact that the SGX-listed LionGold is highly liquid stock and its share price has been appreciating. The ASX-listed targets though, were just the opposite. So the appeal to investors (of target companies) is immense," said Nik Ibrahim. This model had been used to acquire 76% in Signature Metals (which in turn owns a 70% interest in the Konogo Gold project in Ghana) and 98% of Castlemaine (that owns the state-of-the-art Ballarat Mine in Central Victoria, Australia). LionGold has also taken a 10% stake in ASX-listed Citigold Corp, that has 11 million ounces of JORC compliant gold resources and its mine in Queensland, Australia, is touted as Australia's "highest grade gold field". Through other M&As involving ASX-listed entities, LionGold has secured control over gold mines in Tasmania and Bolivia and recently started the process to acquire 60% of the Papua New Guinea operations of another ASX-listed gold miner. No wonder then that LionGold has been getting more media attention in Australia than Malaysia or even Singapore. The Aussies and fund managers like Weiss are likely to be watching LionGold even closer now. Nik Ibrahim said LionGold was still in its acquisitive phase. "But the time will come soon when LionGold's M&As will slow down in order to focus on rationalising the assets we've already consumed," he said.

Sacked DAP man eyes Pandamaran Posted: 02 Sep 2012 08:56 PM PDT Tee Boon Hock says Ronnie Liu has failed his constituents. Athi Shankar, FMT KLANG: Sacked DAP grassroots leader Tee Boon Hock plans to contest in Pandamaran as an independent candidate if the party fields incumbent Ronnie Liu Tian Khiew for that state constituency. He referred to the Selangor executive councillor as an "opportunist" and "tainted candidate" who had failed to deliver anything worthwhile to his constituents since he was elected in 2008. If the DAP were to nominate such a person as its candidate for Pandamaran, he told FMT, "it will ignite my morale and determination" to contest for the seat. He alleged that Liu had been unable to uphold DAP's socialist ideals. Tee, who joined DAP in 1984, was sacked in July 2010 for allegedly misusing Liu's official letterhead to secure contracts for his cronies, an accusation he rejects. He also lost his seat in the Klang Municipal Council. He sought election in Pandamaran in 1999 and 2004 and lost on both occasions. He made way for Liu in the 2008 election. They were then close friends. "Since I was the one who proposed him for Pandamaran, I admit and take full responsibility for the mistake," he said. "I sincerely apologise to the people of Pandamaran for his shortcomings and failures." Tee said he hoped that the DAP leadership would, for the coming polls, field candidates with "credibility, high integrity, dignity and honesty" and who were team players able to work closely with grassroots leaders to serve the public. He said elected representatives must be familiar with issues affecting their constituents and have the ability to solve problems at the grassroots. "A representative should work with, by and for his voters." He said DAP leaders had deviated from the party's principles and that its CAT (competency, accountability and transparency) governance had become an empty boast. He accused them of having distanced themselves from the public and working only for their own materialistic gains. He described the running of the Selangor government as a "comedy of errors" and said the Shah Alam administration was infested with abuse of power, graft, cronyism and nepotism. "The CAT has become a sham and a gimmick and DAP has lost its credibility," he said.

Lajim’s defection is not Umno’s loss Posted: 02 Sep 2012 03:25 PM PDT A scandal allegedly involving former Umno leader Lajim Ukin was the reason why Umno was happy to see the Sabah politician defect to Pakatan Rakyat. (FMT) - The real reason why Sabah veteran politician Lajim Ukin resigned from all his posts in Umno and threw his support behind Anwar Ibrahim's Pakatan Rakyat was because of a scandal that is about to explode, popular blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin said today. He said that Lajim had realised that he had no future in Umno and that he would not be selected as a Barisan Nasional candidate for the coming general election. "Lajim is carrying too much baggage. And this baggage is going to be revealed immediately after nomination day of GE13," Raja Petra said in his Malaysia-Today portal today. Raja Petra added that Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman knew about the scandal and that Lajim was to be dropped as a candidate in the coming general election as a result of the scandal. "Realising that his future is no longer bright, Lajim woke up one morning and decided to join the opposition to fight for reforms." Islamic college project The scandal, according to Raja Petra, allegedly involved Lajim promising his financial backer – named only as Mr W – a RM50 million contract to build an Islamic college in Beaufort in 2007. Raja Petra said Lajim wanted Mr W – a Bruneian who had migrated to Sabah – to pay his commission upfront, supposedly as election funds for the 12th general election. "Over the last five years since 2007, Mr W has paid Lajim a total of RM8 million. However, Mr W never got the project. "What Mr W received instead was 55 undated cheques totalling RM3 million. But all these cheques are worthless and Mr W is hopping mad and now realises he is not going to get the project, nor his money back," said Raja Petra, who also posted photographs of the cheques in his blog. Raja Petra also claimed that the so-called RM50 million Islamic college does not exist, calling it a scam. He added that Mr W, who had been Lajim's financial backer for a long time, no longer wants to fund Lajim and wants his money back. "If he does not get it, he is going to go public on this. And because of that Umno can no longer retain Lajim in the coming general election. "And because of that, also, Lajim has suddenly woken up and is joining the opposition to fight for reforms – justice, transparency, accountability, good governance, an end to corruption and abuse of power, and all that shit," said Raja Petra. Pakatan will get whacked Raja Petra warned that tainted candidates like Lajim would result in Pakatan "getting whacked in East Malaysia". He said that Anwar was making a mistake in hoping that the road to Putrajaya would become clearer with politicians like Lajim with him. "Having Lajim and those of his ilk as your partners will only ensure that Barisan Nasional will remain in power. "I know you [Anwar] want to become prime minister. But this type of thing is only going to make your dream become our nightmare. "As the Malays would say: why would we want to reject 'penyamum' and vote for 'lanun'? We said we want change, meaning change for the better, not change for the worse," he added. Raja Petra also revealed that Lajim was asking too much from Anwar – apart from cash, he also allegedly wanted to become one of the three deputy prime ministers if/when Pakatan marches into Putrajaya. And if he can't become one of the three deputy prime ministers, then he wants at least the post of Sabah chief minister, said Raja Petra. "But Lajim can't be made the chief minister of Sabah – and certainly not one of the three deputy prime ministers. And this is not because those posts have been promised to others, although that is one reason, but because he is carrying too much baggage," said Raja Petra.

DAP urged to act against Karpal on anti-hudud views Posted: 02 Sep 2012 02:17 PM PDT (The Star) - Several PAS leaders want DAP to take action against its chairman Karpal Singh for fanning sentiments against hudud law as propagated by PAS. However, they dare not say it openly for fear of repercussions as they are obligated to maintain a good rapport with their Pakatan Rakyat partners. "Sooner or later, this matter is bound to explode because no action is taken against DAP leaders who made the statements that are detrimental to Pakatan," said a PAS leader. The leaders were responding to mounting pressure from certain quarters to take stern action against former PAS deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa for suggesting that PAS should review its position in Pakatan in view of Karpal's strong objection against hudud. Another PAS leader noted that while pressure was mounting against Nasharudin for merely airing his view, DAP had remained silent over Karpal's statements which had hurt PAS. "And it is even sadder that the parasites' within PAS are working against the party's interests," said another leader. Meanwhile, the party's deputy spiritual leader Datuk Dr Harun Din (picture) cautioned members against the munafikul (hypocrite) faction who could weaken the party from within. He added that the existence of such destructive pressure group would not come as a surprise as their influence had been felt over the years in the course of the party's struggle. "Such groups may exist, or may not exist now. But if they do exist, it is not something peculiar as even during the era of Prophet Muhammad, the munafikul faction had attacked from within to weaken Islam," he said. Dr Harun also said the party's Syura council would decide on Sept 9 if action should be taken against Nasharudin. "I do not know the exact words used by Nasharudin. But urging PAS to review its position in Pakatan does not mean asking PAS to withdraw from the coalition. "Reviewing one's position could also mean looking at the benefits and shortcomings and rectifying problems," said Dr Harun.

Anwar invite irks Sultan Posted: 02 Sep 2012 02:10 PM PDT (The Star) - SULTAN Sharafuddin Idris Shah has questioned why the Selangor Government chose to make Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim the state's guest of honour at its 55th Merdeka celebration. The Sultan found it strange that he, as Ruler of the state, was not given the honour that was accorded to Anwar when the Opposition Leader was not even among the ranks of the state leadership, reported Sinar Harian. The paper, quoting the Sultan's private secretary Datuk Mohamad Munir Bani, said Anwar also did not hold any official portfolio other than being a state-appointed economic adviser. "Usually, if Tuanku cannot attend a formal state function, the Mentri Besar acts on his behalf to speak and carry out related official duties. "So, why was Anwar invited to attend and speak when this is an official state event and not a political function?" he asked regarding the celebration at Dataran Kemerdekaan in Shah Alam on Thursday. Mohamad Munir said the Ruler was not informed of the event and only received an invitation to grace a tahlil and Yassin recital programme at the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Mosque on Friday. Asked to comment on the matter at a function at Galeri Shah Alam on Saturday, Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim passed the buck to state secretary Datuk Mohamed Khursrin Munawi. "The state secretariat has always been in charge of the National Day celebrations, while the Mentri Besar's office only has a representative in the organising committee," he said. Khalid said he would clarify the situation with the Sultan during his weekly audience with the Ruler on Wednesday.

DAP chief seeks end to feud with PKR Posted: 02 Sep 2012 01:56 PM PDT (The Star) - KUANTAN: Pahang DAP chief Leong Ngah Ngah has told his members to stop quarrelling with PKR over the issue of seat allocation for the general election. "It is better to put a stop to this squabble over seat allocation," he said when asked to comment on the continuing feud between the two parties regarding the issue. Leong, who is Triang assemblyman, said he had ordered state party leaders to stop issuing any more comments on the matter. On Tuesday, Pahang PKR chairman Datuk Fauzi Abdul Rahman ticked off the state DAP by saying that it had to "exercise discipline" in requesting for seats to contest. Fauzi said that although it was not wrong for DAP to ask for additional seats, it should be done through the proper channels and with mutual consent. He was responding to reports that DAP intended to contest in several more seats in Pahang claiming to have a better chance of winning these than its allies. In the 42-seat Pahang state assembly, PKR currently does not have any seat while DAP and PAS have two each. The rest are held by Barisan Nasional. Leong said the parties in the state Pakatan Rakyat were still on good terms with each other and would sit down to discuss the issue. "Actually, it is not wrong for us to request for more seats as PKR and PAS also do the same," he said, adding that the coalition's central leadership should meet on the matter and all should abide by any decision made. State DAP secretary and Tras assemblyman Choong Siew Onn downplayed the issue, saying that seat allocation was not Pakatan's main agenda. "What is important is to go to the ground, work hard and serve the people," he said. However, state DAP vice-chairman J. Apalasamy continued to taunt PKR, saying its representatives were more prone to defection. "PKR leaders should show more respect to DAP, the senior partner in Pakatan," he said. Apalasamy reportedly told a news portal that it was the DAP which had allocated seats to PKR in the last general election, adding that Fauzi should remember which was the more senior party of the two. "As such, he should learn to show some respect," he said, claiming that DAP had allowed PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to be the Opposition Leader despite PKR having fewer seats in Parliament.

Najib hints at November polls Posted: 02 Sep 2012 09:20 AM PDT (The Star) - SANDAKAN: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has strengthened speculation that the next general election will be held in November. With the Prime Minister scheduled to unveil the National Education Blueprint on Sept 11 and Budget 2013 on Sept 28, talk in political circles is that the general election will likely be held in the second last month of the year. The Barisan Nasional chairman's "one-on-one" meetings with component party heads on Aug 28 to discuss their candidates' list have also given credence to talk that the polls will be held then. In his strongest hint yet, the Umno president brought his favourite number 11 into prominence during the joint opening of the party's Kinabatangan, Sandakan, Batu Sapi, Beluran and Libaran delegates meeting here. He said the double digits were "significant" this year because 2012 is the 66th year of Umno, with Malaysia marking the 55th year of Merdeka and Sabah Umno notching 22 years. "All these numbers could be multiplied by 11," he said. "Six times 11 equals 66, five times 11 equals 55 and 2 times 11 equals 22. The factor of 11 appears in all. It is unique and good." Earlier in his speech, Najib urged members of the state Umno and Barisan Nasional to defend Sabah as a "fixed deposit" of the coalition. He said Umno's strength in Sabah was good and believed the party would get "a resounding support" of the people in the state. Najib urged Umno members to work for the party and not look at ethnicity of candidates as this would divide and weaken the party. "We don't need selfish members who only want to fill their pockets and protect their positions. Such people can leave. "Najib is not strong, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman is not strong. Our strength is in Umno and Barisan Nasional," he pointed out. The Prime Minister asked Sabah voters to give Barisan another five years' mandate so that the coalition could carry out its projects in the state under the Government Transformation Programme. He said ties between the Federal Government and Sabah were good, adding that the state benefited much under Barisan.

'New flag' stunt raises ire Posted: 01 Sep 2012 03:09 PM PDT TREASONOUS ANTICS: Malaysians denounce Bersih supporters who want to replace Jalur Gemilang Bersih supporters showing a flag at Dataran Merdeka on Thursday night in the run-up to the Merdeka Day countdown. (Inset) A flier that was distributed on Thursday night calling for the Jalur Gemilang to be replaced with a new flag.  (NST) - MALAYSIANS from all walks of life have described the demands made by supporters of the Bersih movement for the Jalur Gemilang to be replaced with a different flag as "shameful" and "treasonous". They are also incensed over the actions of the same group, which insulted Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak by stomping on his picture during the countdown to the Merdeka Day celebrations at Dataran Merdeka here on Thursday. The supporters of Bersih, who claim to be championing for a better electoral system for the country, had displayed a flag they had created to replace the Jalur Gemilang and distributed flyers to the people to support their cause. Their actions can be seen in a video posted on YouTube. Principal of a childcare centre, Velda Ooi, 44, said this was a disgrace to the founding fathers of Malaysia as they had toiled hard to create an identity for the country, which was symbolised by the Jalur Gemilang. "I really can't believe the youngsters can do such a thing. So shameful... they don't even treasure our history, our pride and our identity. "Why are they doing this?" said Ooi, who said she felt very angry over the group's actions. Student Yogannath Thiruchelvan, 16, said Malaysians who did not appreciate the Jalur Gemilang were a disgrace to the country. "When the Union Jack flag was brought down 55 years ago, our flag was hoisted. It is sad that these people do not know the significance of our flag and can do such a thing," said Yogannath who wanted the offenders punished. Juice bar manager Muhammed Fitri Harun, 28, summed up the entire incident in one word: "Ridiculous!" "They should be punished as this is an act of treason to our nation as a whole. The flag represents us all, the citizens. How dare they do such a thing?" Meanwhile, attempts to get a response from Bersih co-chairman Datuk S. Ambiga were unsuccessful. She, however, yesterday tweeted her displeasure over an incident perpetrated by a Bersih supporter during the gathering. A photo of a rally participant on the Internet showed him "mooning" pictures of Najib and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor as well as Election Commission chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Yusof. Another man is seen applauding his action, while yet another showed a rude gesture. The organisers of the Bersih gathering, dubbed "Janji Demokrasi rally", did not respond to requests for comments. Businessman Datuk Mohd Mahyidin Mustakim said he was upset when he saw the videoof the act and demanded that the culprits be punished. "Memang kurang ajar (very insolent). What kind of values are they teaching the younger generation? This is not part of our culture. "We are very well known for our humble and well-mannered behaviour," said Mahyidin. Aizad Salleh, 27 who is a sales assistant in a shopping mall here said that it was a very disrespectful act. "What have they done for the country? Now we are flourishing because of our current prime minister and the ones before him. "If they can't be thankful, at least do not disrespect our leaders like this. They really should be brought to court and punished," said Aizad. Financial consultant Susan Lim, 30, also felt that those who committed the act should be punished and taught a lesson. "Who are they to behave like this? This is one of the most disrespectful things I have ever seen. "No matter who it is that you hate, just don't do this. It brings you down as a person as well," said Lim.

Musa on radar of Swiss money-laundering probe Posted: 01 Sep 2012 02:36 PM PDT Swiss bank UBS is being investigated in connection with its relationship with Musa Aman. (FMT) - KOTA KINABALU: A Swiss investigations into a money-laundering trail with its roots in the rainforests of Sabah is threatening to embarrass Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his Barisan Nasional coalition government. Najib who is on a two-day visit to Sabah to bring a fractious state Umno headed by Chief Minister Musa Aman into line ahead of general election, is faced with discomforting international exposure that his government is corrupt to the core. The timing of Swiss investigations into links between UBS, Switzerland's biggest bank, and the proceeds from illegal logging in Sabah couldn't be worse for the premier who is hoping to mollify the state which has increasingly shown signs that it is swinging over to the opposition. Najib and his entourage will be visiting the Kg Rampayan Laut in Kota Belud today for a carnival-like political event where he hopes to prop up shaky support for his Barisan Nasional coalition government. The premier who is also Umno president was in Sandakan on Saturday for a meeting with his state party officials. Talk of a shake-up in Sabah Umno has been quashed by party officials close to Musa and spun as a gambit by his rival, Shafie Apdal, the current Semporna MP who is a trusted man of Najib, and is said to being eyeing the post of Sabah chief minister. Umno insiders are warning of serious repercussions should Najib refuse to reinvigorate the BN. They claimed that party's interest must be put first and ahead of any personal agendas and failure to do so would be disastrous for the BN. Reuters news agency yesterday reported that Swiss prosecutors have opened a criminal money laundering probe into UBS after environmental campaign group, Bruno Manser Fund, filed a complaint accusing it of links to the proceeds of alleged illegal logging in Malaysia. The investigation could be a new embarrassment for the Swiss bank, fined for helping clients dodge US taxes in 2009 and facing similar accusations – which it denies – in Germany. It comes as Switzerland is trying to clean up its image as a haven for ill-gotten gains. A spokeswoman for federal prosecutors said they had opened a criminal investigation into allegations of money laundering. She confirmed that UBS was being investigated in connection with its relationship with Musa Aman. Musa was accused in the complaint brought by Switzerland's Bruno Manser Fund in May of links to illegal logging in Borneo. The chief minister has previously dismissed graft allegations as a political conspiracy. UBS has said it was cooperating with the investigation. "UBS complies with the rules and regulations in all the markets where it operates," a spokesman who noted the bank is obliged to report to authorities fighting money laundering if it finds evidence it is holding assets of criminal origin, was quoted as saying. In its complaint, the Bruno Manser Fund, which campaigns to save tropical rainforests in Borneo and the people who inhabit them, accused UBS of breaching its duty of care by accepting more than $90 million it said was earned from logging in Sabah. Citing documents it presented to Swiss prosecutors, it said the money was banked at UBS in Hong Kong and Zurich.

S’gor DAP branches reject Ganapathirau Posted: 01 Sep 2012 02:28 PM PDT Selangor DAP branches warn the party leadership that DAP would lose the Kota Alam Shah seat if Ganapathirau, a former ISA detainee, is fielded. Athi Shankar, FMT KLANG: Eight DAP branches here have called on the party leadership not to field V Ganapathirau (photo) as candidate in Kota Alam Shah state seat in the next general election. The branches, all from the state constituency, warned the party leadership that the DAP would lose the seat if Ganapathirau, a former detainee of now repealed Internal Security Act, was fielded. The DAP eight branches, with collectively some 500 members, openly opposed Ganapathirau are Taman Gembira, Klang, Teluk Pulai, Bayu Tinggi, Taman Chi Liung Indah, Southern Klang, Persiaran Raja Muda Musa and Ehsan. The group spokesman Ivan Ho said they were all against Ganapathirau because he was not a local familiar with the party grassroots leaders and members, or constituents in the area. Ho said Ganapathirau does not have close rapport with party grassroots in the constituency, a winning factor so crucial for a potential candidate. He urged the party leadership to respect grassroots sentiments and not to force in parachute candidates like Ganapathirau in Kota Alam Shah. "DAP members and constituents don't know him much. "The party should not push us to accept Ganapathirau. "We don't want him," Ho, the Taman Gembira branch head, told FMT. Kota Alam Shah incumbent assemblyman is M Manoharan, a protégé of DAP national chairman Karpal Singh. It's learnt Selangor DAP leadership under Teresa Kok planned to replace Manoharan, also a former ISA detainee, with Ganapathirau. Ganapathirau is a staunch confidant of deputy secretary general and Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy. Not an Indian hero Taman Chi Liung Indah head K Yogasigamany reminded the state party leadership that time had lapsed to promote the Ganapathirau as a former ISA detainee and his so-called involvement in Hindraf Makkal Sakti. He said DAP grassroots members and constituents know that Ganapathirau, who now leads NGO Malaysian Indian voice, was not a Hindraf leader. "Constituents have realised that Ganapathirau was never the Hindraf leader or Indian hero. "He is no more relevant for Indian community. "It will be futile and fatal for party leadership to field Ganapathirau in Kota Alam Shah. "The leadership should drop the idea altogether," Yogasigamany told FMT.

PM: Pakatan being disrespectful of the Sultan is not surprising Posted: 01 Sep 2012 01:53 AM PDT (The Star) - It is hardly a surprise for the Pakatan Rakyat-led Selangor government to be disrespectful of the state Sultan, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. "They would rather show more respect to the state's economic adviser, who has no locus standi, than the Sultan, the symbol of sovereignty in the country," he said. Selangor's economic adviser is Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also PKR leader. Najib was responding to reports that Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim had not issued an invitation to the Sultan to attend state-level Merdeka eve celebration in Shah Alam. The Sultan's private secretary Datuk Mohamad Munir Bani had claimed that it was a norm to invite the Sultan to the event, adding that it had been a common practice of the previous Selangor government. "It is also weird that they want to do things like change the flag," Najib said, referring to reports of individuals waving "alternative flags" to the Jalur Gemilang during the Janji Demokrasi gathering at Dataran Merdeka on Aug 30. Firing more salvos at Pakatan, Najib said winds of change were also blowing in Selangor with more people responding positively to Barisan Nasional. Speaking at the Selangor Barisan Hari Raya open house at the Rubber Research Institute here Saturday, he said this year's crowd, estimated at 100,000, was a lot more than last year's attendance. "And it is definitely more than the state government's Merdeka eve celebration. This proves that the people of Selangor are ready to make that change so that the state's administration will return to Barisan," he said. Najib said while the state government had not fulfilled its promises to the people, the Federal Government had gone above and beyond that was promised in its manifesto with various aid programmes for the people. Meanwhile, in SHAH ALAM, Khalid defended the state-level National Day celebration against criticisms that the Sultan of Selangor was not invited. He said the celebration was held according to all common practices and guidelines put into place by the previous state government. "There was nothing surprising in the way the celebration was held. I did not see anything wrong in the way the function was planned and executed. "Planning for the event was undertaken by a special task force under the purview of the Selangor state secretary (Datuk Mohd Khusrin Mohd) and it has been doing it this way before 2008," he said at the Shah Alam Gallery here. Khalid said that although he would meet the Sultan every Wednesday to discuss various issues, they never talked about the celebration. "There was no need to discuss the matter as the planning for the celebration was under the state secretary. Besides, there are many other important issues that need attention," he said. On Saturday, members of the Selangor Perkasa, including its president Abu Bakar Yahya, lodged a report at the Shah Alam police headquarters on the matter.

PR has lost direction, says Noh Omar Posted: 01 Sep 2012 01:43 AM PDT Mohd Farhan Darwis, The Malaysian Insider Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Noh Omar today took a swipe at Pakatan Rakyat (PR), saying the opposition bloc has started to lose its direction in wanting to replace the national flag, the Jalur Gemilang. The Selangor Barisan Nasional (BN) deputy chairman also said it was impossible to do so as the flag is enshrined in the Federal Constitution. "They have started to lose direction... until they even want to change the flag. I want to remind them that we cannot change matters enshrined in our Constitution such as the flag; whoever rules it is still our symbol. And the national anthem 'Negaraku', it is the song of whoever is in power.  "They are not yet ruling (but) already want to do extraordinary things," Noh told reporters at the Selangor BN open house at the Rubber Research Institute of Malaysia (RRIM) in Sungai Buloh here. The Tanjung Karang MP also expressed sorrow at the way PR celebrated National Day. "I feel very sad at the attitude and the way they celebrate Merdeka Day, we should raise flags, but they make other flags," he said, in apparent reference to a group of individuals who were spotted waving flags sporting alternative designs to the Jalur Gemilang during the massive public countdown to the country's 55th National Day in Kuala Lumpur last Thursday. "They are rude, not yet in power but they are already power crazy, their supporters and followers don't respect our rules." The individuals were spotted carrying flags sporting the familiar crescent moon and 14-pointed star against a red-and-white striped background — similar to the national flags of neighbouring Singapore and Indonesia — which were alleged to be the alternative to the Jalur Gemilang. Some of the street party-goers were also reported to have stepped on or tore posters bearing the images of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, his wife and the Election Commission chairman that night. However, the organisers of the Janji Demokrasi rally — which took place at the same venue at Dataran Merdeka — has distanced themselves from the individuals who had allegedly demanded the national flag be replaced. Noh also commented on Selangor PR ignoring the Sultan of Selangor in its National Day celebrations, saying that it shows that the federal opposition bloc did not uphold the Rukun Negara principle of "Loyalty to King and country". "Before BN carried out today's programme, the organiser informed the Sultan of Selangor that the prime minister will come to celebrate with the people. "Not like the opposition, their state-level Merdeka Day celebrations ignored the Sultan and turned this celebration into a political arena," Noh said, adding "we practise the Rukun Negara principle of loyalty to King and country." Noh said: "In this life there are two things, morals and laws. Morally, they have to respect our culture, other people's functions, but they try to take advantage to carry out politicking activities including in the programme on Merdeka Day eve".

Seat distribution in Pakatan almost complete Posted: 31 Aug 2012 08:46 PM PDT (Bernama) - Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim said today allocation of seats to be contested by parties in the opposition coalition for the upcoming 13th general election was about completed. He said they would negotiate based on consensus should there be additional suggestions. "We will discuss if there are new suggestions. In Kelantan it is complete, while Penang is almost done," he told reporters after speaking at a programme here today. On the implementation of Hudud law, Anwar said implementation at the national-level depended on amendments to the Federal Constitution. In another development, DAP will submit a private members bill in pushing for an anti-hopping law when Parliament reconvenes on Sept 25. Party chairman Karpal Singh said this was necessary as Article 10 (1)(c) of the Federal Constitution would have to be amended first to enable an anti-hopping law to be enacted. "To bring in the anti-hopping law, you have to amend Article 10 (1)(c) which says there is right of association including the right to join or leave a party," he told a press conference in Penang today. He said the Penang government was looking at enacting an anti-hopping law in November but it would be unconstitutional unless there was a change in the Federal Constitution. To make the (anti-hopping) law constitutional, he said there must be either a change to Article 10 (1)(c) or bring up to the Federal Court to review its 1992 decision whereby it decided that an anti-hopping law enactment passed by the Kelantan state assembly was unconstitutional.

Karpal: DAP to push for anti-hopping law Posted: 31 Aug 2012 07:57 PM PDT (Bernama) - The DAP will submit a private members bill to push for an anti-hopping law when Parliament reconvenes on Sept 25, said its chairman Karpal Singh. He said this was necessary as Article 10 (1)(c) of the federal constitution would have to be amended first to enable an anti-hopping law to be enacted. "To bring in the anti-hopping law, you have to amend Article 10 (1)(c) which says there is right of association including the right to join or leave a party," he told a press conference here on Saturday. He said the Penang government was looking at enacting an anti-hopping law in November but it would be unconstitutional unless there was a change in the federal constitution. To make the (anti-hopping) law constitutional, he said, there must be either a change to Article 10 (1)(c) or it must be brought up to the Federal Court to review its 1992 decision where it decided that an anti-hopping law enactment passed by the Kelantan state assembly was unconstitutional.

Najib to offer oil royalty hike? Posted: 31 Aug 2012 04:43 PM PDT Fearing for his future, that of his party and ruling alliance, the PM has come to Sabah bearing gifts, according to Umno insiders.  (FMT) - KOTA KINABALU: Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, fearing for his future, that of his party and ruling alliance, has come to Sabah bearing gifts, according to Umno insiders. One of them is an offer of an increase in the 5% oil royalty the state presently gets which the opposition Pakatan Rakyat has pledged to raise substantially if it takes over Putrajaya in the next general election. According to the grapevine, Najib will announce the increased oil payments the state would receive for outflow of its resources. However, while no figure was forthcoming, speculation is that the premier would offer "more than 10%" oil royalty to the must-win state for Barisan Nasional and Umno. Sabah BN coalition partner United Pasokmomogun KadazanDusun Murut Organisation (Upko) said as much recently. According to party president Bernard Dompok, under the Petronas agreement the royalty payment was set at 10% but was to be split between Sabah and Kuala Lumpur. "I think the immediate doable figure, to my mind, is 10%. For a start, we can almost have another 5%. This is my thinking. Beyond that there will have to be some negotiation with the oil companies" he was quoted as saying last week. However, those critical of the move warned that all the offer, counter-offer and wheeling and dealing being made is a sell-off of national assets for political expediency. "If it is true (raising the oil royalty) then it is a shameless buyout … like a bribe that is not his to give but already belongs to the state," said a political analyst who added that the rumour of such an offer being made was known for some time. "They know that people are fed up with this government. Fifty years is a long time and people are thinking its time… change the government, they are saying, and Najib and BN know this and are trying to buy more time with the country's resources. "But it's up to the people… will they buy this? The BN federal government is giving to the BN state … from one pocket to the other pocket … apa macam (what do you think)? "It will definitely come as a shock that federal is toying with Sabah… its wealth. Now coming begging for another chance. Now is the time for Sabahans … their leaders to twist the dagger," the person said. The gift comes even as Sabahans debate the federal government's role in surrendering Sabah's oil-rich territories to Brunei as well as their small share in their own resources. STAR chief Jeffrey Kitingan has urged state government leaders to study the oil agreement carefully as he believes many of them do not understand the underlying commitments of the deal and would be simply going to the negotiating table with the federal government without much thought of the future repercussions of renegotiating Sabah's oil resources. READ MORE HERE

MCA opposes Islam; what about DAP? Posted: 31 Aug 2012 04:10 PM PDT (The Star) - MCA Youth has challenged the DAP to state its stand on the hudud issue instead of misleading the public by remaining silent. As the PAS leadership is clearly not backing down on its plan to implement hudud if Pakatan Rakyat takes over Putrajaya in the coming general election, DAP leaders must state their stand, said its chief Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong. "We feel Pakatan Rakyat should be honest about what they are going to do and the implications of their actions to the community," he told a press conference after the wing's 23rd central committee meeting here yesterday. Dr Wee was commenting on a recent interview published in a Chinese daily which quoted PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu as saying that the party would propose constitutional amendments in Parliament to implement the Islamic law if it formed the Federal Govern­ment. He later denied making the statement to Sin Chew Daily. Following that, several PAS senior leaders had stated that hudud remained on the party's agenda. They said that it was no longer a question of whether hudud should be implemented but how it was to be enforced. PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang said on Thursday that the party would not give up its struggle to uphold Islamic laws, adding that the Malacca sultanate centuries ago had imposed syariah laws on Muslims and customary laws on non-Muslims. He also said the DAP had no authority to compel PAS to forgo its hudud agenda. Dr Wee said PAS had never lied about its intention to implement hudud and questioned why the DAP had remained quiet. "We don't want the Chinese community to be misled on this issue," he said. On another matter, Dr Wee thanked the Cabinet and the Higher Education Ministry for offering some 600 STPM and Matriculation high-achiever scholarships for further studies in local private universities. "The Government wants to retain these talents so they can contribute to the development of the country," he said. He added that the youth wing would be holding its general assembly on Sept 20.

I’m not returning to Barisan, says Lajim Posted: 31 Aug 2012 04:03 PM PDT (The Star) - KOTA KINABALU: Beaufort MP Datuk Lajim Ukin has denied talk that he is returning to Barisan Nasional. "I have not met any Barisan leaders either at the state or Federal level to talk about returning to Barisan," he told reporters here on Thursday. Several bloggers have claimed that he was returning to Barisan because he was not given any "incentives" promised by the Opposition and that he failed to deliver more crossovers. He believed such bloggers were trying to discredit him and make people lose faith in him. He reiterated that his July 28 move to align himself with Pakatan Rakyat was done without any "incentives". "Let me make it clear that I joined the Opposition not because of monetary gains. That is not how the Opposition works, they do not buy anyone," he added. Lajim, who has formed non-governmental organisation Coalition for Change in Sabah, claimed that there would be more Barisan members leaving at the "right time".

Get real, pundit tells Young Power Posted: 31 Aug 2012 03:51 PM PDT It's unlikely for Pakatan to accept an Indian-based party, says analyst A Thiruvengadam. B Nantha Kumar, FMT A prominent analyst of Malaysian Indian politics has poured cold water on the idea of an Indian-based party within Pakatan Rakyat. A Thiruvengadam, who writes a column for a Tamil daily, said today that the proposal was unrealistic in the light of Pakatan's stand against race-based politics. He was commenting on a proposal by a group calling itself Young Power and claiming to represent Indian youths. One member, G Krishnan, told FMT on Wednesday that the group was disappointed that neither Barisan Nasional nor any party in Pakatan was doing enough to address issues of concern to Indians. Krishnan also said Young Power had raised the proposal with several Indian leaders in Pakatan by text message and had received positive responses. "It's a mission impossible," said Thiruvengadam, noting that Pakatan leaders have often spoken against raced-based politics and that it is not easy to get registered as a political party in Malaysia, especially one that aligns itself with the parliamentary opposition. Furthermore, he added, it was doubtful that any Indian currently holding a leadership position in any of the Pakatan parties would resign to join the new party. Thiruvengadam is a former PKR member and former municipal councillor for Petaling Jaya. His advice to Young Power was that it should instead support a two-party system for the country. "Indians can benefit more via the two-party system since they are the third largest community in the country, which makes them an important deciding factor in the polls," he said. However, Young Power's proposal has the support of P Jenapala, the pro-tem president of the Indian Justice Party. Sambal belacan Jenapala, a former PKR deputy secretary, said he saw nothing wrong in Pakatan accepting an Indian-based party since the bloc includes PAS, which he described as a "one hundred percent Malay-dominated party". He rejected the Pakatan claim that it is a coalition for all races. "PAS will say, 'Let's go towards a better Malaysia as long as Muslims are supreme.' DAP will say, 'Malaysia for Malaysians as long as the Chinese are supreme.' And PKR is a Pakatan version of Umno upholding Malay supremacy." READ MORE HERE

Umno MP denies jumping ship rumour Posted: 31 Aug 2012 03:42 PM PDT Salleh Kalbi quashes the rumour, saying even if he is not nominated to defend his Silam seat in the next polls, he will remain loyal to Umno. Thomas Pi, FMT LAHAD DATU: Silam MP Salleh Kalbi has denied allegations that he is prepared to move to the opposition if he is not nominated as the Barisan Nasional candidate in the coming general election. He also denied having met with any opposition leaders recently to discuss the matter. He believed that such speculations by Silam Umno members was aimed at reducing his chances of being re-nominated as a candidate. "I had told Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman that I will not cross over to the opposition after such allegations surfaced recently. "No matter what happens, I will remain with BN and Umno," he stressed. As the guest of honour in a fund raising activity organised by San Long Dian temple here, Salleh made it a point to tell the media present that lies were being spread about him and those doing so had an agenda against him. The speculation surfaced after Salleh failed to secure any post within the Silam Umno division recently. With the crossover of two other BN leaders to the opposition last month, word spread that Salleh had secret discussions with PKR here. It is understood that some PKR members here held an open survey of Salleh's popularity should he represent the opposition in the coming general election. A close aid to Umno Silam division chairman Nasrun Mansur said the party had received such information and would leave it to the top leadership to decide on this matter.

Show some respect, DAP tells PKR Posted: 31 Aug 2012 03:38 PM PDT Pahang DAP takes its PKR counterpart to task over the latter's remarks with regard to DAP wanting extra seats.  Athi Shankar, FMT CAMERON HIGHLANDS: Pahang PKR's leadership should learn to respect DAP as a senior partner in Pakatan Rakyat. State DAP vice-chairman J Apalasamy also reminded PKR state chairman Fauzi Abdul Rahman that it was his party that gave seats to PKR to contest in Pahang in the 2008 general election. "He should not forget that when lashing out against DAP in the media. He should remember DAP is a much more senior party than PKR in Malaysian politics. He should learn to show some respect to senior partners in Pakatan, especially to DAP," he told FMT. Apalasamy was irked by Fauzi's media outburst against DAP for requesting extra seats in Pahang – one parliament and two state from PKR for the next general election. DAP was keen to contest the Damak and Teruntum state seats as well as the Bentong federal constituency. PKR contested those seats in 2008. Fauzi had criticised DAP for lacking discipline in asking the seats. He said that although it was not wrong for DAP to request for additional seats, it must be done through the proper channels and with mutual consent. Apalasamy returned fire, reminding Fauzi that DAP proved to be more discipline as the party allowed unelected PKR supremo and Permatang Pauh MP Anwar Ibrahim to be the Opposition Leader despite having 29 MPs which was more than PKR's 26. "Moreover PKR is prevalent with defections than DAP," he said. In 2008, DAP contested two federal – Cameron Highlands and Raub – and seven state seats, winning only the Triang and Tras state constituencies. PKR contested six federal and 13 state seats, winning only the Indera Mahkota and Kuantan parliamentary constituencies. Apalasamy argued that DAP had better candidates to win those seats it was requesting. Moreover, he reminded Fauzi that the results of the Sarawak election last year and a series of by-elections since 2008 have shown that DAP performed better than other Pakatan partners. "So Fauzi should show some respect to us and be more disciplined," he added.

PKR blames Najib, Umno for bus attack Posted: 31 Aug 2012 03:36 PM PDT The bus which is being used for the party's "Jelajah Rakyat Merdeka" campaign was splashed with red paint and its windscreen cracked. K Pragalath, FMT PKR deputy president Azmin Ali has blamed Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and Umno over an attack on the party's bus that is being used for the party's "Jelajah Rakyat Merdeka" campaign. "The culture of gangsterism and threats has been the practice and main weapon of enemies, especially Umno to curb PKR and Pakatan Rakyat's march forward. "Najib's silence clearly approves these actions. It is a culture brought by Najib," he said. "Even former prime ministers Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Abdullah Ahmad Badawi never protected gangsters," he told a press conference at the PKR headquarters this morning. The "Jelajah Rakyat Merdeka" campaign is a PKR initiative led by Opposition Leader and PKR advisor Anwar Ibrahim to garner support from the masses. In the 4.30am incident that took place in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, the bus was splashed with red paint and its windscreen cracked. The attackers threw bricks towards the front left corner of the bus, specifically aiming at the bus driver. A police report on the attack was lodged at 5.15am. The bus is currently on the way to Grik which marks Anwar's campaign in Perak.

New York priest says child often seducer in sex abuse cases Posted: 30 Aug 2012 05:35 PM PDT (Reuters) - A Roman Catholic priest in New York expressed sympathy this week for some clergy who sexually abuse children, saying that it was often the "youngster" who was the seducer, then later apologised for his remarks. Comments by the Rev. Benedict Groeschel, 79, co-founder of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in Westchester County outside New York City, in which he expressed sympathy for convicted child rapist Jerry Sandusky, drew strong criticism from the Archdiocese of New York and the support group Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. "Suppose you have a man having a nervous breakdown, and a youngster comes after him. A lot of the cases, the youngster — 14, 16, 18 — is the seducer," Groeschel said when asked by an interviewer from the National Catholic Register, the nation's oldest Catholic newspaper, about his work with priests who abuse children. Groeschel, who has published numerous books and hosted shows on the Eternal Word Television Network, suggested that children might seduce priests because they lacked a father figure, adding, "They won't be planning to get into heavy-duty sex, but almost romantic, embracing, kissing, perhaps sleeping, but not having intercourse or anything like that." Yesterday evening, Groeschel apologised, claiming his mind and ways of expressing himself "are not as clear as they used to be". "I apologise for my comments. I did not intend to blame the victim. A priest (or anyone else) who abuses a minor is always wrong and is always responsible," he said in a statement. " I deeply regret any harm I have caused to anyone." The Catholic Church has been rocked in recent decades by accusations that it tried to cover up the sexual abuse of children by priests and has paid out billions in settlements to abuse victims, bankrupting several US dioceses. Similar scandals have shaken the lucrative world of college sports, most notably the conviction of Sandusky, a former Penn State assistant football coach, for sexually abusing 10 boys over 15 years, most of them in the campus football showers. Groeschel referred to Sandusky as "this poor guy". Pondering how Sandusky's attacks could have gone on for so long, Groeschel added, "Well, you know, until recent years, people did not register in their minds that it was a crime". The interview was published on Monday but was removed from the National Catholic Register's website by yesterday. It was replaced with a note from Jeanette De Melo, the Register's editor in chief, apologising for what she called an "editorial mistake", saying the publication should have attempted to clarify or challenge his comments. "Child sexual abuse is never excusable," she wrote. The Archdiocese of New York said Groeschel's comments were "simply wrong" and could not go unchallenged, although it does not have direct authority over Groeschel, who retired from teaching in the archdiocese's seminary last year. 'Said something like grandpa would say' Colleagues of Groeschel suggested yesterday that he was recovering from a fall and was mentally frail. The Rev. Glenn Sudano, a spokesman for the Franciscan Friars, likened him to an elderly relative. "He said something like grandpa would say and it's like 'Grandpa, why would you say that?'" Sudano told Reuters in a telephone interview. "Obviously we don't agree with what he said. Obviously it's terribly disappointing that people are hurt or upset," Sudano said. "We feel very bad about it." Sudano said he did not know if Groeschel would face any consequences for his remarks. Barbara Blaine, president of Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests, called the remarks "callous". "A teenager does not have the power to seduce anyone. The adult is in the position of power and authority," Blaine said. "He should be removed from speaking as a Catholic leader." Archdiocese spokesman Joseph Zwilling said, "The harm that was done by these remarks was compounded by the assertion that the victim of abuse is responsible for the abuse, or somehow caused the abuse to occur. "This is not only terribly wrong," he said in a statement, "it is also extremely painful for victims."

End hudud tiff, PAS told Posted: 30 Aug 2012 03:06 PM PDT DZULKEFLY: Hudud issue will only hamper party's performance in election Spat with DAP will hamper election results, say party leaders  Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani, The Malay Mail PAS leaders have called for the party to stop the hudud tiff with DAP and avoid creating unnecessary distractions, stressing the need to solely focus on the general election. Political analysts, however, have disregarded the political quarrel between the two Pakatan Rakyat (PR) parties as a "gimmick" to strengthen their political base. PAS central working committee member and Kuala Selangor MP Dzulkefly Ahmad said the hudud issue would not help but only hamper the party's performance in the elections. "I want the hudud polemic to stop as we would like the electorate to clearly focus on the 'defining issues' of the general election and how both divides advocate solutions and what both have done in the course of the 12th parliamentary session," he said. "Besides, it will allow PAS-PR to mount a campaign against the Umno-BN government. Dzulkefly, the PAS Research Centre director, told The Malay Mail the party needs to be realistic in its struggle for hudud and stressed that any amendments should be done democratically. He said the party has established its commitment in implementing the Islamic Penal Code. He said the biggest obstacle for the penal code to get a federal mandate is the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 which reduces all punitive laws of Islam to RM3,000 fine, fives years detention and strokes of the rotan. "PAS and other political parties and NGOs and academics must work together to get hudud explained and supported. They should also ensure it is implemented democratically," he said. PAS Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad agreed that the party needs to get its act together, saying its leaders needed to be more understanding. KHALID: PAS needs to get act together, leaders should be more understanding "Unfortunately some of the party youth leaders are not sensitive to understanding the current situation. The hudud issue is like a double-edged sword. Maybe in Terengganu, PAS can get more support from the Malays by championing hudud but the party might lose votes from non-Malays in other states like Selangor. "The party must be wise in handling the issue. The public knows the party's Islamic agenda. Even though we don't talk about it, it doesn't mean that they don't know it," he said. Universiti Utara Malaysia School of International Studies Dean Dr Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani, however, said the war of words between DAP and PAS was only a "political gimmick." "I think this is a political gimmick before the election. They want to maintain their core support but they also do not want to scare away the Chinese voters because PAS was able to win several seats due to Chinese support. "That is why they have their top leaders reassuring that hudud will not be implemented but their grassroots are saying the opposite," he said. Independent political analyst Khoo Kay Peng also said the hudud debate was a "political necessity" for both parties. "I don't think there will be an all out war but it is a political necessity. Their sole purpose is to defeat Barisan Nasional (BN) at the polls. Hudud will not become an issue for both parties and will be set aside when election takes place," he said.

Nasharuddin not among PAS candidates Posted: 30 Aug 2012 02:52 PM PDT (The Star) - Nasharuddin Mat Isa's chances of defending the Bachok parliamentary seat are as good as gone. The controversial former PAS deputy president's name is not in the list of contenders for the seat, said Kelantan PAS deputy commissioner II Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah. "I have received information that Nasharuddin's name is not in the list of those nominated for the seat," he said at a Hari Raya gathering here. He added that it had also come to his attention that Nasharuddin's name had not been mentioned at the grassroots level in Bachok. He added, however, that the PAS central committee would decide on Nasharuddin's fate. The MP's fallout with PAS and spiritual adviser Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat started after the 2004 general election when then prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi led the Barisan Nasional to a landslide win. Nasharuddin, at that time, was accused of trying to engineer a "unity government" with Umno. In the 2008 general election, he defeated Barisan's Datuk Awang Adek Husin to take the seat. Matters got to head a year later when Nik Aziz, who is Kelantan mentri besar, demanded that Nasharuddin quit as Bachok MP and join Umno if he persisted on the unity government agenda. Nasharuddin's political mettle was again tested when he was accused of being in the "good books" of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak when they met in Medina. A meeting by the Syura council on Sept 9 will either make or break the deadlock that is crucial to Nasharuddin's future in the party. However, PAS Ulama chief Datuk Harun Taib said the syura council would unlikely give in to pressure from certain quarters to kick Nasharuddin out of the party. "Whether Nasharuddin would still be fielded as a candidate in the next election is immaterial. "The party needs his energy and ideas," he said. Harun said the list of candidates had not been officially confirmed. "Even if Nasharuddin is not fielded in the next general election, he is still a potential candidate for following elections," he said.

Hadi: DAP cannot stop us Posted: 30 Aug 2012 02:46 PM PDT (The Star) - PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang has strongly upheld his party's hudud agenda in the face of opposition from a Pakatan Rakyat partner. He said DAP had no authority to compel PAS to forgo its hudud agenda. "DAP has no power to stop PAS from expressing its right just as PAS cannot stop DAP from objecting to hudud," he added in a statement yesterday. Hadi said PAS had stood by its principles when DAP aired its views during open dialogues. "PAS can collaborate on matters of common interest without imposing its views on others. "We can give and take on some matters, but will not budge on others," Hadi said. He said PAS would not give up its struggle to uphold Islamic laws, adding that the Malacca sultanate centuries ago had imposed syariah laws on Muslims and customary laws on non-Muslims. Stressing that hudud would not be forced on non-Muslims, Hadi said it was clearly a "seasonal issue" that popped up in the run-up to elections. DAP newcomer Datuk Aspan Alias, a former Umno leader, said DAP had not officially objected to hudud. "DAP respects the aim of PAS to implement hudud," he added in his blog. Aspan said hudud should not be a barrier to collaboration among Pakatan parties. He added that DAP chairman Karpal Singh could object to hudud because he was not a Muslim. Meanwhile, MCA Publicity Bureau deputy chairman Loh Seng Kok called on Pakatan leaders to issue a joint statement declaring their decision on hudud law once and for all and "stop confusing the Chinese community". He noted that Hadi had stated that implementing hudud was the responsibility of all Muslims while DAP had told the Chinese community that the Islamic law issue was merely being stirred up by MCA. Loh said DAP members should stop deceiving themselves and hiding behind the Pakatan common policy framework Buku Jingga on the issue of hudud.

Pahang PKR warns DAP about seat allocation Posted: 30 Aug 2012 02:41 PM PDT (The Star) - Pahang PKR fired the first salvo against its coalition partner, reminding the DAP to exercise discipline in the allocation of seats. State PKR chairman Datuk Fauzi Abdul Rahman said although it was not wrong for the DAP to request for additional seats, it must be done through the proper channels and with "mutual consent". Recently, the DAP hinted that the party hoped to contest in Damak, a seat alloted to the PKR, in the coming general election. In retaliation, Fauzi said: "We would also want to contest in seats allocated to the DAP but out of respect for one another, we must adhere to the decision of the central leadership. "The DAP can request for a swap in seats such as giving up its Tanah Rata seat in exchange for Damak. "We are willing to swap but not give up any of our allocated seats." Fauzi, a former deputy minister and ex-Kuantan MP, said Pakatan Rakyat was not an individual party or belonged to certain leaders such as (Datuk Seri) Anwar Ibrahim or (Penang Chief Minister) Lim Guan Eng. He said as such, any important decisions, including the allocation of seats, must be agreed upon by all leaders of the coalition during its central meeting. In the 2008 elections, PKR contested six parliamentary seats and 13 state seats while the DAP stood in two parliament and seven state seats. Fauzi said PKR had already finalised potential candidates in all the seats allocated to the party. On the lack of professionals joining the party as compared to their DAP counterparts, Fauzi brushed it aside, claiming the party had at least five lawyers and three engineers but not enough seats to contest. On the senior Opposition man who was arrested for suspicion of committing incest, Fauzi said the suspect was not from the party. "He is not a PKR leader and neither do we have any dealings with him. "Although he had met me before to discuss seat allocations, nothing was concluded as his party was not part of Pakatan," he said.

Pakatan now aiming for more support from women Posted: 30 Aug 2012 02:34 PM PDT Hafidz Baharom and Joan Lau, The Malaysian Insider Pakatan Rakyat (PR) is ramping up its efforts to win over women voters with the formation of an initiative called Agenda Wanita Malaysia (Malaysian Women's Agenda) this September 13. This comes on the back of political observers and analysts saying that both the youth and women are the swing voters who will determine who takes Putrajaya, as the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) and PR are locked in an almost even tussle for support. As women make up half of the country's electorate, the fight for women voters is something the federal opposition is taking very seriously. While reluctant to go into the details of the initiative ahead of the launch, Wanita PKR information chief Ramlah Bee Asiahoo said: "The agenda will focus on the enforcement of law, increasing quality of life, providing opportunity for women to involve themselves in the economy, revamping the educational policy, social harmony and the empowerment of young women." Although this sounds very much like political rhetoric, the initiative seems to be more than just talk.  Srikandi PKR chief Siti Aishah Shaik Ismail said they would also head to the ground and host forums as well as ceramahs. "Once Agenda Wanita Malaysia is launched, we will head to the ground starting with rural areas, and then suburban areas and finally target the young working professionals in the cities. Wong said apart from welfare, Pakatan will concentrate more on policies. "This is because those in the rural areas require more exposure than those in the suburban areas and cities," she said. PR leaders are going to focus on bread-and-butter issues like safety and economy as it is believed that women vote principally on issues and established experience. PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail recently began an initiative for mothers against crime, a growing issue especially among women in urban areas. Another issue taking centre-stage the past week is the apparently lenient sentence for two men convicted of statutory rape, which both BN and PR have protested. PAS Muslimat information chief Aiman Athirah Al-Jundi said the party's women's division would go door-to-door, a method that worked very well previously for Wanita Umno as well. In recent years though, this personal touch has been replaced by mass gatherings where cash handouts are given to underprivileged families but now Agenda Wanita Malaysia is picking up where they dropped off. "Giving aid is good, but it is very piecemeal and not enough. So apart from welfare, we must concentrate more on policies," said PKR central committee member Elizabeth Wong. These policies have to be explained and this is where door-to-door visits can help to drill down the nuts and bolts of these proposed policies. "We need to step into their houses, sit down and spend some time explaining what we have to offer," said Aiman. In the race to win the next general election, it looks like the opposition is willing to do something a little retro — go down to the ground and meet potential voters face to face.

China editor's suicide sparks web debate Posted: 30 Aug 2012 11:32 AM PDT   People's Daily newspaper is the mouthpiece of the ruling Communist Party (BBC) - "My pain is I dare to think, but I don't dare to speak out; if I dare to speak out, I don't dare to write it down, and if I dare to write it down, there is no place to publish.  The suicide of a senior editor working for China's Communist Party newspaper has sparked strong reaction from Chinese cultural and media circles and on the internet. Xu Huaiqian, 44, was editor-in-chief for the Dadi (Earth) supplement of the People's Daily. According to its official microblog, he jumped to his death on 22 August. The official People's Daily microblog said he had taken time off because of depression and had sought medical help. Xu Huaiqian was born in 1968 and graduated from the prestigious Peking University in 1989. After a year of work experience in a steel plant, he started working for People's Daily, where he stayed until his death. 'Can't leave system' Zhu Tieszhi, deputy chief editor of Seeking Truth journal, said he could not believe that Mr Xu had chosen this route. Many people praised his excellent writing, and quotes from his interviews and publications have become instant hits. In an interview he gave before his death, Xu Huaiqian was quoted as saying: "My pain is I dare to think, but I don't dare to speak out; if I dare to speak out, I don't dare to write it down, and if I dare to write it down, there is no place to publish. "I admire those freelance writers, but I can't leave the system because if I do that my family will suffer." In an article entitled "Let Death Be the Witness", he also wrote: "Death is a heavy word, but in China, in many cases, without deaths society will not sit up and pay attention, and problems won't be resolved." These quotes were widely circulated on the internet and resonated with netizens who expressed shock and anger as they asked why a talented journalist ended up taking his own life. 'Unpublished script' A reader posted in Tencent Weibo (one of China's Twitter equivalents): "I am only starting my career as a journalist and I have encountered such difficulties in my work already, and I feel that I can't fight them." A reader asked on Sina Weibo: "Did Xu Huaiqian die to serve as a witness? Was it personal depression or the depression of an era? What kind of country is this?" Another netizen commented that Mr Xu experienced the 1989 student movement as a young man but he had to live in lies, which caused his illness. Some netizens mentioned the fact Mr Xu's suicide happened just days after the Burmese government said it was lifting its censorship, and lamented the sad state of affairs for Chinese intellectuals and journalists. An eulogy posted on QQ Weibo by Gao Shixian summed up like this: "People are the editors of a country; People only have their lives to publish; Their life is their article, and their death is the payment; Your sad end to life is like an unpublished script."

Stop fanning rumours, DAP man tells PR Posted: 29 Aug 2012 10:38 PM PDT (The Sun) - Penang DAP chairman Chow Kon Yeow has urged Pakatan Rakyat leaders to nip rumours in the bud to prevent uneasiness fermenting among the grassroots. Chow said instead of adding to such controversies, leaders instead should disseminate the right information to party members. "If something does not happen (not true), kill it and not fuel it," the Tanjung MP told theSun. Chow was commenting on the recent controversy involving Penang PKR chairman Datuk Mansor Othman after it was reported that he had described Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng as "arrogant and cocky" as well as seen a "tokong" (temple or deity). The deputy chief minister I was alleged to make the remarks in a PKR meeting over seat negotiations with DAP. The remarks were contained in the minutes of the meeting which was leaked to a blog. Mansor has denied describing Lim as arrogant but defended using the word "tokong" as it was made in reference to the esteem and respect of the people had towards the DAP secretary-general. Chow said the issues raised during the PKR meeting would not have repercussions with the DAP as he was of the opinion that the matter were were just the concerns of a particular group in the party (PKR). "The views of these groups in the party does not necessarily reflect the reality on the ground," he added.

'Exodus if PBRS has to give up MP seat' Posted: 29 Aug 2012 07:39 PM PDT (Daily Express) - Keningau: The public spat between Barisan Nasional components Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) and Umno in the Interior seats in the coming general election continued with PBRS Sook Youth Chief Kahirin Bador predicting that BN will lose thousands of members if PBRS loses one of its two seats here to Umno. Nevertheless, he said PBRS Sook Youth remained loyal to the BN and fully supported the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman. The incumbent for the Pensiangan parliamentary seat is Tan Sri Joseph Kurup, President of PBRS. The court ruled in favour of the Deputy Natural Resources and Environment Minister when his rival claimed that he was prevented from filing his nomination papers on time. Kurup also faced an angry mob at the nomination centre that day in 2008. According to Kahirin, PBRS has 26,630 members in Pensiangan with 13,850 in Sook and 9,780 in Nabawan. "This is the up-to-date figure as of June 2012 and not as stated by Umno Pensiangan Youth assistant secretary Khairil Abdullah who was referring to an outdated report that was based on the 2008 figure," he said. Kahirin advised Khairil to respect the power sharing concept of BN and respect whatever decision made by the leadership. He said Khairil should have not tabled the motion to ask for one of the three seats in Pensiangan during the Umno Pensiangan Youth annual general meeting. Kahirin praised Nabawan Upko Assemblyman Datuk Bobbey Suan and Upko members as always cooperating with PBRS leaders to resolve problems of the people in the constituency. "This is a true example of the BN concept, which is in line with the unity and peaceful spirit, not bully small parties like what Umno Pensiangan Youth is doing," he said. "I suggest Umno Pensiangan Youth stop discussing the seat distribution because it will only cause disunity among the BN parties," he said. "Respect whatever decision by the BN leadership as well as the statement by Umno Pensiangan Chief, Datuk Abdul Ghani Yassin, who promised to cooperate with whoever is the BN candidate in Pensiangan," he said. Meanwhile, Pensiangan Umno urged its members to unite and ensure BN wins and remains the government. Its chief, Ghani, said they should support all BN candidates irrespective of which party they represent. Pensiangan Umno deputy chief Ahuar Rasam said the Division had yet to receive any information on whether Umno will be contesting the parliamentary seat. Ahuar said anyone has the right to apply to contest in Pensiangan including Umno. Nevertheless, the decision rests with the BN leadership, he said. On his son joining the PKR, he said anyone has the right to choose whatever political avenue. However, he did not discount the possibility of his son supporting the BN in the future. Such scenario, he said, is not strange and cited PBS President Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan and his brother, Star Sabah Chairman, Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan. "My son's decision to join another party is his choice and has nothing to do with me," he said. Ahuar is an influential figure in Pensiangan. He was instrumental in relocating villagers from five settlements on the Kalimantan-Sabah border to Kg Salarom Taka near Sepulut Kalabakan. The villagers were given a longhouse as dwelling and also 74 houses to continue their livelihood. According to him, there are 15,464 Umno members in Pensiangan that include Sook and Nabawan. A former secretary of a BN component, James Jamil, 58, said PBRS President Tan Sri Joseph Kurup, as BN chairman for Pensiangan, should call for a meeting of all the component parties and discuss the issue. "This is the best way to resolve the crisis," he said, adding that any BN component has the right to request to stand in Pensiangan or Sook and Nabawan. However, he said it was better the matter not be debated in the media. "The opposition will gleefully take the opportunity if the crisis between the two component parties cannot be resolved," he said. According to him, during the formation of PBRS on March 15, 1994, he organised the party in Pensiangan, which at the time covered Tambunan, Bingkor and Pensiangan itself. "At that time the BN component parties were facing a very tough situation and the PBRS branches at that time had to be re-organised until 2004 the time when I retired. "However, I know more about Pensiangan especially its people," he said. In 2004, the electoral boundary re-delineation exercise saw Pensiangan separated from Keningau to cover the state seats of Sook and Nabawan with the incumbent being Datuk Ellron Alfred Angin (PBRS) and Datuk Bobbey Ahfang Suan (Upko), respectively. "I was made to understand that the BN government had in 1994 until today given the Pensiangan and Sook quota to PBRS until last year when Umno Pensiangan demanded Pensiangan to be represented by Umno," he said.

PKR disagrees with Lajim Posted: 29 Aug 2012 07:35 PM PDT (Daily Express) - Kota Kinabalu: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Sabah Chief Ahmad Thamrin Jaini said it is not true that all Muslim majority seats in Sabah are to be contested by Sabah Reform Alliance (PPS) as mentioned by its chief Datuk Lajim Ukin. Thamrin who attended Lajim's Hari Raya open house on Aug. 28 in Beaufort said, in fact, Lajim admitted that all Muslim majority seats were still currently being discussed among the PKR, PAS and PPS. Ahmad Thamrin said Lajim whose power base is mainly in Beaufort needs to continue to champion the cause of Pakatan Rakyat so that more Umno-BN members would join Pakatan Rakyat for the sake of justice for the people and the nation. He believed everyone has a right to voice his or her own opinion including Lajim, but that all final decisions are to be collective in nature among the parties in Pakatan Rakyat. "The strength of Pakatan Rakyat is that all decisions are decided by consensus and not by dominance like Umno-Barisan Nasional," he said. Ahmad Thamrin was confident that the on-going closed door seat negotiations and allocation among Pakatan Rakyat parties namely PKR, DAP and PAS and also with the newly formed PPS as well as Sabah Reform Movement (APS) headed by Datuk Seri Wilfred Bumburing would be concluded soon in preparation for the 13th General Election. On another note, he said the Pakatan Rakyat Malaysia Day National Celebration will be held from Sept 15-16 in both Sabah and Sarawak, respectively. The theme for 2012 is "Sebangsa, Senegara, Sejiwa" (One Race, Once Country, One Soul), which would be jointly-organised by all three parties from Pakatan Rakyat together with PPS and APS. Ahmad Thamrin welcomed PPS and APS into the Pakatan family. "Much space will be given to them to grow and to mature in the Pakatan family for the sole objective of bringing about a new and just government both in the federal level and also in Sabah," he said.

Najib: Six Umno divisions can spearhead recapture of Kedah Posted: 29 Aug 2012 03:09 PM PDT (The Star) - Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak wants the six Umno divisions in southern Kedah to be the catalyst for Barisan Nasional's victory in the general election. He said the divisions of Baling, Merbok, Sik, Sungai Petani, Padang Serai as well as Kulim-Bandar Baharu formed the backbone of the party in the state. "I chose to visit southern Kedah because this region has been our fort all this while. "As Baling had played an important role in our country's history, then let the voice of Baling be etched in the history of Umno and Barisan Nasional in our struggle to return Kedah back to Barisan," he said when opening the Umno delegates conference for the six divisions here on Thursday. He said other areas such as Alor Setar and Jerlun were equally important, stressing that the divisions should work together and fight hard to win back Kedah. He said party members should have resolved all internal problems that by now. "Enough is enough. It has been over four years since the last general election and they should stop pointing fingers at each other. "We, at the top leadership, have spoken about this issue countless times and now its time for the members to fulfill their pledges of loyalty to the party. "Let us not merely look at what the (Barisan) government had promised to do for us, but rather what we can do for the government," he said. The premier stressed that if all Umno members and fellow Barisan component party members voted for Barisan's candidates in Kedah, there was no reason why the party could not win in the state. He said party members should understand the meaning of unity and loyalty as well as put the party's interests above all else, including personal interests. "Umno is 66 years old while the nation will be celebrating 55 years of Independence. "People say we should be matured as a party by now, with a lifetime of experiences. "But, we need to further explore the knowledge of rational thinking to make wise and acceptable decisions. "That is what maturity should mean, where leaders know the true meaning of unity and loyalty, not merely by the party's age," he said. Najib advised Kedah Umno members to take the party's defeat in the last general election as a valuable lesson to do better this time. He said with an oath of loyalty that was earlier taken by Umno leaders from all six divisions in southern Kedah, led by Baling Umno division chief Datuk Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim earlier, he was confident southern Kedah would return to Barisan.

Rafizi’s ‘NOW’ centre to make whistleblowing Malaysian culture Posted: 29 Aug 2012 12:54 PM PDT Rafizi and NOW director Akmal Nasir (right) pose outside the centre's entrance during an interview with The Malaysian Insider. — Pictures by Saw Siow Feng (The Malaysian Insider) - KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 30 ― PKR's "exposé man" Rafizi Ramli will launch his latest pet project today ― the National Oversight and Whistleblowers Centre or "NOW" ― a non-profit outfit to encourage whistleblowers come forward at a time when public confidence in government agencies has reached an all-time low. Rafizi told The Malaysian Insider that NOW will be a "civil society alternative" to government authorities like the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and the police, whose reputations have been marred by numerous reports of custodial deaths as well as assault and intimidation by armed officers. "Malaysians have been spooked from coming forward, but whistleblowing should become a culture in Malaysia, and that is what we hope to create," he said in an exclusive interview. Rafizi explained that the centre will prepare a step-by-step process for whistleblowing, which will include offering advice to informants on the legal risks they may face with their disclosures should they agree to proceed. By providing a support structure for potential informants, the NOW centre aims to make whistleblowing a part of local culture. Each facet of the disclosures must be thoroughly vetted, he said, from the credibility of the whistleblower to the validity of the documents provided, as well as a deeper probe into the case to uncover sufficient evidence before anything is revealed in public. But the final step in the process ― publicly disclosing the scandal through the media ― is the stickiest of all, Rafizi admitted, as it would immediately open himself, the centre and the whistleblower to legal risks, if any law was broken in the process of investigation. The country's sole whistleblower law ― the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010 (WPA) ― only offers protection to whistleblowers if they make a "disclosure of improper conduct" to an authorised enforcement agency. As it does not accord protection to whistleblowers who go to the media, NOW's system will likely result in a mountain of lawsuits and prosecutions in court. "That is why we need some funds raised for legal fees. Most probably, we will be sued left, right [and] centre," Rafizi said. Rafizi is experiencing the lack of whistleblower protection firsthand. The PKR chief strategist himself currently faces two court charges for his exposés on the RM250 million National Feedlot Centre (NFC) cattle farming scandal, after he disclosed confidential financial documents to the media. "But we have to do it and take the risk. After all, the law is such that if you lodge a report with the MACC, for example, you have to submit all your evidence to them and you cannot speak to anyone else or go to anyone else. "If the MACC actually functions well, we would not need NOW. But does it?" he questioned. "So at this point, what we have are two choices: Either we live and work within the current framework of the WPA, which is used to suppress whistleblowing, or we prove to and convince the society that whistleblowing is actually good for the country. "We can show them that there is a support system from the non-governmental organisations and the civil society movement to hopefully increase pressure on the government to amend the Act," he said. Rafizi said another provision in the WPA renders the intention of the Act useless ― it stipulates that a whistleblower cannot break any other law when making his disclosure to the authorities. "So if the documents disclosed are confidential, even if you are revealing them to the authorities, you have no protection," he said. This is reflected in Rafizi's NFC court case, where he was charged for violating Section 97 of the Banking and Financial Institutions Act (Bafia) for exposing the confidential banking details of the National Feedlot Corporation (NFCorp), the firm that runs the NFC project. But the politician is determined to push forward with NOW, saying the centre must serve as a civil society movement to help spread awareness of the importance of whistleblowing as a "Malaysian culture" and increase pressure on the government to move legislative reforms. On this note, the politician said another primary objective of NOW was to be a legislative reform lobbyist and an "oversight" centre to make parliamentarians, governments and government-linked companies accountable for their actions. Whistleblowing, he said, was only 50 per cent of the centre's main work. "We need a centre like this now because if we rely on the government, we will continue to be stagnant. And the best way is to take the civil society route to it," he said. He pointed out that it was through decades of pressure from civil society movements that the government finally agreed to repeal the controversial British-enacted Internal Security Act 1960, which allows for detention without trial. "It has worked before. In this case, we want to change the way society views whistleblowing so that maybe five or six years down the road, there will be enough public pressure that no government can actually ignore it," he said. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/rafizis-now-centre-to-make-whistleblowing-malaysian-culture/

Government has fulfilled all promises through NEP Posted: 29 Aug 2012 12:50 PM PDT (Bernama) - The New Economic Policy (NEP) has managed to free Malays from the clutches of poverty and allowed them to be counted among the prominent entrepreneurs, professionals and corporate figures of the country. Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's (UKM) Professor Dr Kamaruddin M. Said pointed out that the NEP is a development and socio-economic restructuring programme, geared towards eradicating poverty among the Malays as well as the Bumiputera people of the Sabah and Sarawak. "It was also established to restructure the social economy of all Malaysians, by bridging the gap in their incomes, careers and standard of living during the last 20 years," he explained. He added that Article 153 of the Malaysian Constitution has ensured the success of the NEP during the Second Malaysia Plan of 1971 to 1975. In addition, Article 152, which declares Bahasa Melayu as the national language and Islam as the official religion, has also been implemented well. EFFECTIVE EDUCATION POLICY Under the aegis of the NEP, the government had set up additional public tertiary education institutions (IPTA) like Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) in addition to the already existent Universiti Malaya (UM) and the then Institut Teknologi Mara, which is now known as Universiti Teknologi Mara or UiTM. Bumiputera students also profited from the scholarships and privileges granted by the government during the NEP, which were in accordance with Section (2) of Article 153 laid down in the Constitution, Prof Kamaruddin stated. The policy also allowed the government to set up boarding schools for providing educational opportunities to Malay children, who had excellent academic results but were unable to afford a better education. Matriculation colleges and technology institutes were also established by the government under this policy, he noted. Interestingly, Prof Kamaruddin said he and his wife Prof Dr Solehah Ishak were also among those who have gained from the NEP. "I belong to a poor rural family. My parents were poor. After primary school, I got placed in a boarding school called Sekolah Alam Shah at Jalan Cheras in Kuala Lumpur, which was for underprivileged Malay children wanting to obtain a secondary education. Everything was provided for and the scholarship I got was more than enough to supplement my expenses," he stated. "I think that the majority of successful Malays grew up in boarding schools. Many have gone on to become academicians, scientists, professionals, entrepreneurs and corporate figures," he added. FAST-PACED DEVELOPMENT Prof Kamaruddin pointed out that Malaysia's development quickened during the prime ministerial term of Tun Abdul Razak from 1970 to 1976. Tun Razak, who is known as the 'Father of Development' set up the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) to develop the rural community, particularly that of the Malays. NEP measures were continued to be implemented by the country's third prime minister Tun Hussein Onn under the Third Malaysia Plan of 1976 to 1980 and development peaked during the tenure of the fourth Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. During his 22 year-reign as prime minister, Dr Mahathir developed Putrajaya in 1995, Multimedia Super Corridor in 1996 and Petronas Twin Towers in 1998 among others. He also left the legacy of Vision 2020 that was unveiled in 1991 and which, aims to make Malaysia a fully developed nation by the year 2020. Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi took over as prime minister after Dr Mahathir stepped down in 2003. He introduced the 'Islam Hadhari' approach that focuses on development and achievement in line with the global economic demands of the 21st century. Badawi also made efforts to lift the quality of human capital, particularly among Malays. RESTORING MALAYS' SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS Prof Kamaruddin said the creation of the NEP also aimed at restoring the position of Malays in terms of socio-economic aspects. Even though the NEP took a substantial amount of time to fructify, many Malays now enjoy a better socio-economic status because of this policy. He stated that because of the successful implementation of governmental development initiatives, Malays and their children are now ready to face future challenges, including those at an international level. The academician said this positive development has augured well for the concept of 1Malaysia and its spin-off programmes such as the Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia, Klinik 1Malaysia, Perumahan 1Malaysia and Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia. (1Malaysia People's Shop. 1Malaysia Clinic, 1Malaysia People's Housing and 1Malaysia People's Assistance). "These programmes are continuing to fulfill the pledges made by the government," Prof Kamaruddin noted. FOSTERING NATIONAL UNITY Malaysia's sixth prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak introduced the 1Malaysia concept of 'People First, Performance Now' after assuming power. This concept is geared towards fostering unity among Malaysians from various ethnic groups, religious beliefs and cultures. "The concept prioritises the people of this country and gives the foremost importance to their performance and achievement," said Prof Kamaruddin. He said the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) and the New Economic Model (NEM) are among the government's latest efforts to inculcate unity among all Malaysians. "Looking back at the past 55 years following the nation's independence, the government has truly fulfilled many of the pledges it made to the people," Prof Kamaruddin added.

Malaysia’s New Internet Law Posted: 29 Aug 2012 12:48 PM PDT (The Diplomat) - Malaysians are right to protest the recent amendments that the government made to the Evidence Act of 1950. Although they deal specifically with the internet, the amendments could have wider implications on media freedom, democracy, and human rights. Section 114A of the bill seeks "to provide for the presumption of fact in publication in order to facilitate the identification and proving of the identity of an anonymous person involved in publication through the internet." In other words, the section makes it easier for law enforcement authorities to trace the person who has uploaded or published material posted online. According to the amended law, however, the originators of the content are those who own, administer, and/or edit websites, blogs, and online forums. Also included in the amendment are persons who offer webhosting services or internet access. And lastly, the owner of the computer or mobile device used to publish content online is also covered under section 114A.  This means that a blogger or forum moderator who allows seditious comments on his or her site can be held liable under the law. An internet café manager is accountable if one of his or her customers sends illegal content online through the store's WiFi network. A mobile phone owner is the perpetrator if defamatory content is traced back to his or her electronic device.  Critics of the amendment contend that under section 114A, a person is considered guilty until proven innocent. Their fear is not entirely baseless. Indeed, the Thai government has used a similar law to prosecute a blog moderator for an allegedly seditious comment which she approved to be posted on her website.   The Malayisn government has rejected these criticisms with one cabinet member calling some of the objections "childish." The Centre for Independent Journalism was quick to denounce the provisions of the bill which went into effect at the end of last month. It warned that "internet users may resort to self-censorship to avoid false accusations made under Section 114A. Bloggers, for example, may excessively censor comments made by their readers.  As a result, Section 114A inadvertently stifles public discussion about pertinent political or social issues and protects public authorities, such as the State, from public scrutiny." Internet users signed a petition opposing the amendments and lectured the government about the importance of allowing online anonymity to protect the identities of human rights and democracy advocates. But the amendments, according to the petition, "reduce the opportunity to be anonymous online which is crucial in promoting a free and open Internet. Anonymity is also indispensable to protect whistleblowers from persecution by the authorities when they expose abuses of power." When the petition was ignored by the government, netizens and media groups organized an online blackout on August 14, which succeeded in mobilizing thousands of internet users. The global attention which the action generated was likely what convinced the Prime Minister to agree to have the cabinet review the controversial amendments. Although this announcement was initially welcomed by opponents of the amendments, the Cabinet ultimately upheld the amended law. The amendments are supposed to empower authorities to prosecute people publishing seditious, libelous, and harmful content on the internet. But it doesn't take a whole lot of imagination to envision how these same authorities could abuse the law to restrict media freedom, violate the privacy of individuals, and curtail the human rights of ordinary internet users.

Courts sending out mixed signals over statutory rape Posted: 29 Aug 2012 11:57 AM PDT (The Star) - NOW that their trials are over, former national youth squad bowler Noor Afizal Azizan can go on to fulfil the promise of his bright future and electrician Chuah Guan Jiu can focus on his fixed job and many years ahead. Through it all, no one spoke of the 13-year-old girl Noor Afizal took to a hotel to spend the night with, or the 12-year-old schoolgirl who was "coaxed" to go to her 21-year-old electrician boyfriend's flat instead of to school because he said he was too sick to take her. These were prepubescent girls who were deemed to have consented to sex with the older boys they were dating and Court of Appeal president Justice Raus Sharif wrote in his written judgment that Noor Afizal had not "tricked the girl into submitting to him". In the electrician's case, Sessions judge Sitarun Nisa Abdul Aziz also thought the "sexual act was consensual", even though DPP Lim Cheah Yit recounted how the girl had repeatedly asked Chuah to take her to school. If she did give consent, there was certainly trickery and fraud involved. The fact remains that the girls were 12 and 13, children barely out of primary school. They are not old enough to be able to legally buy cigarettes, or even obtain medical treatment if they had contracted sexual transmitted diseases. The law on statutory rape was meant to protect these very girls. Section 375(g) of the Penal Code states unequivocally that a man has committed statutory rape if he has sexual intercourse with a girl under 16 years of age, with or without her consent. It is rooted in the presumption that girls below 16 have not attained the mental maturity to consent to sex, and this law was enacted to protect children from abuse. It places the onus on those around her to not have sexual intercourse with her, even if she gives consent, because she is not deemed mature enough to give consent. In other words, the older guys should have known better. Noor Afizal and Chuah were found guilty of raping the underaged girls, but were not jailed. They were bound over for five years and three years respectively on a RM25,000 good behaviour bond. The public uproar has been over how these young men got away with a slap on the wrist, and how the emphasis has been on not blighting their future. Our teenagers are growing up inundated with overt sexual messages from the media and the Internet, without the benefit of a full-fledged sex education curriculum, or avenues to get answers. Clearly, our young people are having sex with each other but there is a line drawn by the law. And that is sex with girls below 16 – children – is off limits, even to their peers. By letting Noor Afizal and Chuah off lightly, are the courts sending out mixed signals? Are they saying these two girls – aged 12 and 13 – are capable of giving consent for sex, and are they saying future good behaviour is sufficient punishment for having sex with minors? What is the message that teenage boys and younger men are getting? At the root of it all, this is about protecting our children – boys and girls. A 12-year-old girl was lured by a man twice her age into his flat, and coaxed into having sex with him, and he got away with a promise to behave himself for the next three years. Where does that leave her? What about her worth? What are we doing for these two girls? How do we protect other naive young girls from being sweet-talked by an older teen into a sexual relationship if he knows he could be found guilty of statutory rape but walk away with a promise to behave? If we do not uphold unequivocally our intolerance of sex with underaged girls, what does that say about us?

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