Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Talam debate: No Khalid, only commotion
- U.S. ambassador to Libya killed in attack - Libya official
- Anti-Islam film sparks Libya, Egypt protests
- Chua Tee Yong lodges police report over ‘hell’ note
- Chua Jr gets hell notes too
- PAS steers clear of row with Karpal
- Selangor: We can reject building plans
- Anwar withdraws defamation suit against ex-aide Saiful
- Opposition-friendly tag unfair, say experts
- Jayakumar to contest in Sungai Siput again….. but this time under PSM banner
- Young doctor to take on 'Old Lion' Karpal in Bukit Gelugor
- Karpal going ahead with suit against Nasharudin
- Allies scramble to mend Najib-Muhyiddin cracks
- Perak’s ‘defected 4′ keen on contesting
- Indigenous Malaysians Miss School, Agency Finds
- Koon Swan case ‘a mistake'
- Police receive video of Anwar’s bodyguard allegedly pointing a gun
- ‘I was blindfolded, handcuffed, beaten’
- Suaram slams ‘premature’ accusations
- Ex-NFCorp consultant allegedly given RM1.7m to pay off cops
- Anonymous letter warns Najib of Indian ‘gang threat’
- Keep out, PKR rep tells CM's aide
- Pakatan bars leaders from PSM function
- Tian Chua, Mat Sabu, Hishamuddin quized on rally
- Blogger: Anwar's bodyguard held gun to my face
- Chamber to explain RM180mil aid facility for Indians
- Pussy Riot burned picture of Putin
- Nasha to stay, issue was not discussed at PAS' Syura Council
- Karpal: There’s nothing between the lines
- RPK applies for passport to return home
- Negri PAS under fire for segregating sexes at Raya open house
- Explain Unisel debt, Khalid told
- Ahmad Maslan Asks People To Reject Six Types Of Political Practices
- Suaram-funding NGO link to Soros probed
- Up to police to investigate gun incident, says Anwar
- PAS Syura Council not likely to fire Nasha
- DAP worried of BN rage if defeated at polls
- RM400, 000 for a dinner that was attended by Anwar Ibrahim and rich tycoons
- DAP: Punishing teens will torch BN’s non-Malay support
- UN rep: OK for NGOs to get foreign funding
- Suaram firm to face 5 CCM charges, says minister
- Time to re-define development
- Soliciting money: ‘Wipe out this scam’
- ‘Clones’ likely ruined Malaysia’s Twitter record bid, says research house
| Talam debate: No Khalid, only commotion Posted: 12 Sep 2012 04:10 AM PDT Pakatan Rakyat reps were not allowed to debate with MCA's Chua Tee Yong over the Talam matter, and walked out. Patrick Lee, FMT BANDAR TUN RAZAK: A public debate between MCA and the Selangor state government over the Talam matter failed to materialise after opposition leaders were stopped from participating. Originally intended for an 8:30pm launch at the International Youth Centre, it was supposed to see MCA-Labis MP Chua Tee Yong go toe-to-toe with Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim. With Khalid out of the country however, four were appointed to represent him in his stead, including three Pakatan MPs and his political secretary, Faekah Husin. The three MPs were DAP-Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua, PKR-Selayang MP William Leong and PAS-Kuala Selangor MP Dzulkefly Ahmad. With Khalid absent, the debate's organiser MCA allegedly told the four that they could not represent the menteri besar. This led them, and their hundred-plus supporters, to leave the hall, but not before they were booed by the 400-strong MCA crowd. Some even carried banners that said: "Where are you, Khalid?" A small commotion broke out between the two, but was quickly defused. Later, four people were arrested by police officers present, after a random check revealed that they had been carrying retractable batons. They were taken to the Cheras police station. Political excuse In a later press conference, the Pakatan reps expressed dismay with the alleged refusal. Said Pua: "We were not allowed to debate tonight, so we didn't feel that it was necessary to be at the hall… It shows that MCA and Chua just want to use the debate as a political excuse." He added that it was not right for Khalid to debate with Chua, as the MCA leader was not on equal footing with the MB. "I will not debate [Prime Minister] Najib. Only [Opposition Leader] Anwar can debate Najib…We must find our level," he said. Faekah said that if she was allowed to debate tonight, she would have revealed the contents of KPMG's recently-drafted audit report on the Talam affair. "I came with the audit report from KPMG to read [the points] one by one. I was going to read on each and every account and proof of procedure," she said. She added that MCA had yet to prove that the Selangor state government bailed Talam Corporation out with RM1 billion of state funds. "What makes you think that we will give benefits to the MCA crony (and Talam Corporation boss) Chan Ah Chye?" she growled. Asked later on Khalid whereabouts, she said that Khalid was on a "RM5 billion trade mission investment" in Bangkok, and was there since this morning. He would be coming back tomorrow.
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| U.S. ambassador to Libya killed in attack - Libya official Posted: 11 Sep 2012 11:00 PM PDT John Christopher Stevens, US ambassador to Libya, shakes hands with Libyan National Transitional Council (NTC) chairman Mustafa Abdel Jalil (R) after presenting his credentials during a meeting in Tripoli, June 7, 2012.(AFP Photo / Mahmud Turkia) BEIRUT (Reuters) - The U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other embassy staff were killed in a rocket attack on Tuesday night that targeted his car in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi, a Libyan official said on Wednesday. "The American ambassador and three staff members were killed when gunmen fired rockets at them," the official in Benghazi told Reuters. Asked about the deaths, a U.S. Embassy employee in Tripoli said: "We have no information regarding this." The employee said the embassy could confirm the death of one person. The Libyan official said the U.S. ambassador had been on his way to a safer venue after protesters attacked the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi and opened fire, killing a staff member, in protest at a U.S. film that they deemed blasphemous to the Prophet Mohammad. The official said the ambassador and three other staff were killed when gunmen fired rockets at his car. He said the U.S. Embassy had sent a military plane to transport the bodies to Tripoli to fly them to the United States. Gunmen assaulted the Benghazi compound on Tuesday evening, clashing with Libyan security forces, who withdrew under heavy fire. The attackers fired at the buildings while others threw handmade bombs into the compound, setting off small explosions. Small fires were burning around the compound. The assault followed a protest in neighbouring Egypt where demonstrators scaled the walls of the U.S. embassy, tore down the American flag and burned it during a protest over the same film which they said insulted the Prophet Mohammad.
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| Anti-Islam film sparks Libya, Egypt protests Posted: 11 Sep 2012 10:45 PM PDT
(AP) - CAIRO: A movie attacking Islam's prophet Muhammad sparked assaults on U.S. diplomatic missions in Libya and Egypt on Tuesday. A Libyan security official reported an American was shot to death as protesters burned the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, and in Cairo, protesters scaled the walls of the U.S. embassy walls and replaced an American flag with an Islamic banner. It was the first such assaults on U.S. diplomatic facilities in either country, at a time when both Libya and Egypt are struggling to overcome the turmoil following the ouster of their longtime leaders, Moammar Gadhafi and Hosni Mubarak in uprisings last year. The protests in both countries were sparked by outrage over a film ridiculing Muhammad produced by an American in California and being promoted by an extreme anti-Muslim Egyptian Christian campaigner in the United States. In the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi, a large mob stormed the U.S. Consulate, with gunmen firing their weapons, said Wanis al-Sharef, an Interior Ministry official in Benghazi. A witness said attackers fired automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades at the consulate as they clashed with Libyans hired to guard the facility. Outnumbered by the crowd, Libyan security forces did little to stop them, al-Sharef said. The crowd overwhelmed the facility and set fire to it, burning most of it and looting the contents, witnesses said. One American was shot to death and a second was wounded in the hand, al-Sharef said. He did not give further details, and there was no immediate U.S. confirmation of the death. Hours before the Benghazi attack, hundreds of mainly ultraconservative Islamist protesters in Egypt marched to the U.S. Embassy in downtown Cairo, gathering outside its walls and chanting against the movie and the U.S. Most of the embassy staff had left the compound earlier because of warnings of the upcoming demonstration. "Say it, don't fear: Their ambassador must leave," the crowd chanted. Dozens of protesters then scaled the embassy walls, and several went into the courtyard and took down the American flag from a pole. They brought it back to the crowd outside, which tried to burn it, but failing that tore it apart. The protesters on the wall then raised on the flagpole a black flag with a Muslim declaration of faith, "There is no god but God and Muhammad is his prophet." The flag, similar to the banner used by al-Qaida, is commonly used by ultraconservatives around the region. The crowd grew throughout the evening with thousands standing outside the embassy. Dozens of riot police lined up along the embassy walls but did not stop protesters as they continued to climb and stand on the wall - though it appeared no more went into the compound. The crowd chanted, "Islamic, Islamic. The right of our prophet will not die." Some shouted, "We are all Osama," referring to al-Qaida leader bin Laden. Young men, some in masks, sprayed graffiti on the walls. Some grumbled that Islamist President Mohammed Morsi had not spoken out about the movie. A group of women in black veils and robes that left only their eyes exposed chanted, "Worshippers of the Cross, leave the Prophet Muhammad alone." By midnight, the crowd had dwindled. The U.S. Embassy said on its Twitter account that there will be no visa services on Wednesday because of the protests. A senior Egyptian security official at the embassy area said authorities allowed the protest because it was "peaceful." When they started climbing the walls, he said he called for more troops, denying that the protesters stormed the embassy. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters. The Cairo embassy is in a diplomatic area in Garden City, where the British and Italian embassies are located, only a few blocks away from Tahrir Square, the center of last year's uprising that led to the ouster of Hosni Mubarak. The U.S. Embassy is built like a fortress, with a wall several meters (yards) high. But security has been scaled back in recent months, with several roadblocks leading to the facility removed after legal court cases by residents. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry promised in a statement to provide the necessary security for diplomatic missions and embassies and warned that "such incidents will negatively impact the image of stability in Egypt, which will have consequences on the life of its citizens." One protester, Hossam Ahmed, said he was among those who entered the embassy compound and replaced the American flag with the black one. He said the group has now removed the black flag from the pole and laid it instead on a ladder on top of the wall. "This is a very simple reaction to harming our prophet," said another, bearded young protester, Abdel-Hamid Ibrahim. In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Egyptian police had removed the demonstrators who entered the embassy grounds. Speaking before reports of the slain American emerged, she condemned the attack on the consulate in Libya "in the strongest terms." Muslims find it offensive to depict Muhammad in any fashion, much less in an insulting way. The 2005 publication of 12 caricatures of the prophet Muhammad in a Danish newspaper triggered riots in many Muslim countries. A 14-minute trailer of the movie that sparked the protests, posted on the website YouTube in an original English version and another dubbed into Egyptian Arabic, depicts Muhammad as a fraud, a womanizer and a madman in an overtly ridiculing way, showing him having sex and calling for massacres. A YouTube spokesman said the website would not take down the video at this point. The spokesman said the website's policy is to remove videos that include a threat of violence, but not those only expressing opinions. "We take great care when we enforce our policies and try to allow as much content as possible while ensuring that our Community Guidelines are followed," the YouTube representative said. "Flagged content that does not violate our Guidelines will remain on the site." Sam Bacile, an American citizen who said he produced, directed and wrote the two-hour film, said he had not anticipated such a furious reaction. "I feel sorry for the embassy. I am mad," Bacile said. Speaking from a telephone with a California number, Bacile said he is Jewish and familiar with the region. Bacile said the film was produced in English and he doesn't know who dubbed it in Arabic. The full film has not been shown yet, he said, and he said he has declined distribution offers for now. "My plan is to make a series of 200 hours" about the same subject, he said. Morris Sadek, an Egyptian-born Christian in the U.S. known for his anti-Islam views, told The Associated Press from Washington that he was promoting the video on his website and on certain TV stations, which he did not identify. Both depicted the film as showing how Coptic Christians are oppressed in Egypt, though it goes well beyond that to ridicule Muhammad - a reflection of their contention that Islam as a religion is inherently oppressive. "The main problem is I am the first one to put on the screen someone who is (portraying) Muhammad. It makes them mad," Bacile said. "But we have to open the door. After 9/11 everybody should be in front of the judge, even Jesus, even Muhammad." For several days, Egyptian media have been reporting on the video, playing some excerpts from it and blaming Sadek for it, with ultraconservative clerics going on air to denounce it. Medhat Klada, a representative of Coptic Christian organizations in Europe, said Sadek's views are not representative of expatriate Copts. "He is an extremist ... We don't go down this road. He has incited the people (in Egypt) against Copts," he said, speaking from Switzerland. "We refuse any attacks on religions because of a moral position." But he said he was concerned about the backlash from angry Islamists, saying their protest only promotes the movie. "They don't know dialogue and they think that Islam will be offended from a movie."  |
| Chua Tee Yong lodges police report over ‘hell’ note Posted: 11 Sep 2012 10:39 PM PDT (Bernama) - Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Chua Tee Yong has lodged a police report after receiving a letter containing four "hell" notes and a Chinese newspaper cutting. The MCA Young Professionals Bureau chief said the newspaper cutting, among others, touched on his challenge to debate with Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim on the Talam Corporation Bhd (Talam) debt restructuring. Chua (picture) believed the "hell" notes, each supposedly worth "eight billion", were a warning to him not to pursue the debate, he told reporters after lodging a report at the Putrajaya police headquarters here today. Earlier, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek had also received two "hell" notes with a newspaper cutting.
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| Posted: 11 Sep 2012 06:01 PM PDT After his father, MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek was sent one last week, deputy minister and Labis MP Chua Tee Yong receives a 'hell note' threat as well. Teoh El Sen, FMT Chua Tee Yong yesterday received Chinese hell bank notes in what appears to be a warning against debating Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim over the Talam issue. The letter contained a newspaper clipping of Chinese paper report about Chua's challenge to Khalid to debate tonight on the issue, as well as four pieces of hell notes worth "32 billion". Hell bank notes are burnt by the Chinese as offerings to the dead. The deputy agriculture and agro-based industry minister, who's also Labis MP and MCA's Young Professionals Bureau chief, lodged a police report this afternoon in Putrajaya. "I don't know what is the intention but from the newspaper clipping, the sender probably hopes that I do not debate Khalid, but I will not be cowed. I will not back down," he said. Asked if could guess the origin of the mail, Chua said he received it by air mail at the MCA headquarters, and going by postage stamp on it, it was sent from Kota Kinabalu. Chua said he only opened the letter late last night at his home in Sungai Buloh. "They tore them down, splashed red paint and wrote words like 'tipu' on the banners, " said Chua's special officer Lim Khai Shin.
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| PAS steers clear of row with Karpal Posted: 11 Sep 2012 02:33 PM PDT
(The Star) - PAS leaders have refused to enter into a fresh round of bickering with veteran DAP leader Karpal Singh, who has joined in the chorus of criticism against gender segregation at the party's Negri Sembilan Hari Raya open house. PAS denied gender segregation was imposed at the party's open house, but said it was a norm at PAS functions for men and women to sit separately. Karpal had objected to the controversial move to segregate men and women at the open house at Dataran Senawang on Saturday, but DAP's Rasah MP Anthony Loke had defended the move by attending the function. PAS central committee member Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud said the Islamist party had always prepared separate dining areas for men and women. "We even prepared separate tents for males and females during the PAS Hari Raya open house in Kampung Baru last Sunday," she said yesterday. However, she said the party did not force its guests to follow the separate seating arrangements. Dr Mariah, however, said that women in PAS generally preferred to be seated away from the men. She praised the younger generation of DAP leaders like Loke who she said "has no problems attending functions where males and females are segregated". "Younger DAP leaders do not even mind if we do not shake hands. "They understand and respect our way of life," she added. PAS information chief Idris Ahmad refused to be brought into the debate. "We do not know what Karpal said, but Loke, who was at the event, did not say anything about it," he said. PAS central committee member Khalid Samad said it was not wrong for men and women to eat at the same table. "However, separate seating arrangements are made for the convenience of the womenfolk. But we do not force people to follow suit. Perhaps Karpal is not aware of that," he said.
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| Selangor: We can reject building plans Posted: 11 Sep 2012 02:31 PM PDT
(The Star) - The Selangor Government will not interfere in the tender process of the Langat 2 water treatment plant, but has reminded the Federal Government and potential contractors that it holds the right to approve or reject developments under the Land Code. Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said the state government's jurisdiction includes granting permission to enter a site and planning approval. "The move by the Federal Government (to start the tender process) falls under its purview. But we would like to remind those submitting their tenders and the Federal Government that the state has some powers under the Land Code and we will exercise them responsibly," he told reporters after chairing the state exco meeting yesterday. He said the state legal adviser had been asked to consult several lawyers before drafting a public statement on the powers of the state government on the matter. Pengurusan Aset Air Bhd (PAAB) will start the development of the controversial RM3bil Langat 2 water treatment plant by issuing its first tender document today for the building of the plant. The biggest package in the tender will be the estimated RM1.2bil 1,130MLD (million litres per day) Langat 2 water treatment plant. On the move by 711 residents to file a lawsuit against the state government and water concessionaire Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas) and Khalid for not giving them free water, Khalid said it would be a test case. "We won't block (the lawsuit). It is a test case that will provide the opinion of the court on public welfare," he said.
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| Anwar withdraws defamation suit against ex-aide Saiful Posted: 11 Sep 2012 02:26 PM PDT
(The Sar) - Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has withdrawn his defamation suit against his former personal aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan at the High Court. Justice Su Geok Yiam fixed Oct 9 on the issue of costs. Anwar's lawyer Ranjit Singh said that the Opposition leader withdrew the suit on the basis that his reputation had been vindicated by his acquittal over his sodomy charge. Anwar was acquitted by the High Court on Jan 9 for allegedly sodomising Mohd Saiful at a condominium in Bukit Damansara on June 26, 2008.
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| Opposition-friendly tag unfair, say experts Posted: 11 Sep 2012 02:12 PM PDT Media observers say it is unfair for the ruling Barisan Nasional government to label the online media as opposition-friendly. Patrick Lee, FMT Media observer groups disagreed with the sentiment that online news portals are aligned to or owned by Pakatan Rakyat. They felt that these portals – also known as the alternative media – do not deserve this moniker. "By design or choice, the online media raises a lot more diverse issues than the mainstream media, such as governance, accountability and so on," said Media Defence South East Asia executive director HR Dipendra. "By raising all of these, the current government feels that they are under attack by the online media." He said the ruling government's view of online news portals as opposition-friendly might have stemmed from their coverage of Pakatan; which most traditional newspapers appear to leave out. Even so, he added, online portals tend to be "a bit economical" about the truth, so much so that it gave the idea that they were leaning towards the opposition. Dipendra however felt that the online media would carry on its role of questioning the government, even with a Pakatan leadership in place. "If the government was reversed tomorrow, the online media would apply the same sort of pressure on the goverment in power. They would be compelled to question Pakatan, just as they questioned Barisan Nasional," he said. New era National Union of Journalists (NUJ) general-secretary V Anbalagan had similar opinions, adding that online portals allowed for different viewpoints on issues. "The public has the opportunity to see two sides of the coin. They can see the news in both the traditional and new media," he told FMT. He added that the online media had another advantage over the print media: public participation in the form of comments. Though adding that Barisan Nasional had every right to scrutinise these portals, Anbalagan said that it was not right to slap them with the anti-government tag. "These people (politicians) may be feeling the pinch… and unpopular or insecure, but this is a new era and everybody has to live with it, whether they are politicians or trade unions. "When you make a statement in public, you must be prepared to be judged. You can't run away," he said. At the same time, he noted that Malaysians might prefer online portals over newspapers because of government restrictions slapped on the latter.
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| Jayakumar to contest in Sungai Siput again….. but this time under PSM banner Posted: 10 Sep 2012 04:05 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Times) - Sungai Siput MP Dr Micheal Jayakumar says that he would contest for the Sungai Siput seat in the coming 13th General Election (GE). "I will be contesting again for the seat in Sungai Siput under the PSM banner," said Jayakumar to The Malaysian Times (TMT) today. The Sungai Siput constituency in Kuala Kangsar, Perak, had been under the helm of Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu since 1974. It however, fell to Jayakumar of the Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) in the 2008 election. This was Jayakumar's third attempt in regaining the seat from BN, with the first being in 1999 and the second in 2004. The largest percentage of voters in the constituent is the Chinese community with 41 percent followed by the Malay community with 31 percent, Indian with 21 percent and seven percent Orang Asli voters. With a total number of voters being 47,424, Jayakumar had managed to garner 16,458 votes while Samy Vellu received 14,637 votes. He (Jayakumar) won the election with a majority of 1,821 votes. In speaking about the election in 2008, it was believed that Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu had lost the seat in Sungai Siput due to the lack of Malays voters. In confirming this, Jayakumar had said that Samy Vellu had not only loose the support of the Malays voters, but also the Chinese and Indian voters alike. This was due to the Hindraf issue which was aflame at that time. Looking into who would be the possible candidate to go against Jayakumar, iIt is rumoured that MIC Secretary-General, Datuk S Murugesan may be contesting in Sungai Siput under the Barisan Nasional (BN) banner. The voters in Sungai Siput may see a fight between two capable Indian leaders should Murugesan and Jayakumar indeed contest in Sungai Siput. This may also turn Sungai Siput into a 'hot seat' during the coming election. It is said that the odds of him (Murugesan) winning the seat against Jayakumar was 50-50. This was based on the current support that the PSM leader had gained during his term at the constituency. When asked on how PSM was faring in Sungai Siput, Jayakumar said that the party is doing fairly well and is well supported by the people there. However despite his dedication in wanting to serve the constituents, Jayakumar lacked the funds to address the woes. "The only downfall is that PSM is not able to provide monetary goodies for the people as BN can. We have instead helped the people in getting housing loans and looking into the people's Social Security Organization (SOCSO) woes. We are also providing counseling for those who are facing family problems," said Jayakumar. Asked on whether PSM will be able to retain its seat there, Jayakumar said, "We have a fighting chance. We have and are serving the people. They recognize our services." Jayakumar on June 25, 2011, was among the 24 people who were picked up in Penang during the widespread pre-Bersih clampdown. They were later slapped with accusations that they had attempted to revive communism and wage a war against the King. He and five others – PSM deputy chairman M. Sarasvathy, central committee members Choo Chon Kai and M. Sugumaran, Sungai Siput branch secretary A. Letchumanan and Youth chief R. Saratbabu were however released on July 29, 2011.
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| Young doctor to take on 'Old Lion' Karpal in Bukit Gelugor Posted: 10 Sep 2012 04:00 PM PDT
(The Malay Mail) - The Parti Cinta Malaysia (PCM) is planning to field a medical candidate in the Bukit Gelugor parliamentary seat to challenge DAP chairman and veteran politician Karpal Singh in the coming general election. This is to fulfill the wish of Malaysians for young MPs to replace older ones, said PCM vice-president Huan Cheng Guan. In a statement yesterday, he said it was time for the constituents to decide whether they wanted to retain a 72-year-old DAP stalwart or to let a 27-year-old doctor, whom he did not name, to serve them. "The party is unfazed that Karpal has announced that his candidacy for the seat. We recognise the veteran politician's contributions to the constituents but we strongly feel he should retire and give way to younger politicians," Huan said. "The DAP and Karpal are at loggerheads over PAS' hudud issue, and DAP leaders feel if one is not involved in crime, they need not worry about the implementation of hudud." Huan said Karpal believed hudud was inconsistent with the Federal Constitution. He said Karpal was no longer welcomed in DAP and should retire with dignity and allow his two sons to serve the party. He also said the unnamed PCM candidate had learned the constituents were looking for a young candidate to serve them better, and more efficiently and effectively.
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| Karpal going ahead with suit against Nasharudin Posted: 10 Sep 2012 03:01 PM PDT
HUDUD ROW: Pas says matter is resolved, Karpal stands his ground (NST) - DAP chairman Karpal Singh is proceeding with his defamation suit against Pas former deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa despite the latter being apparently cleared of any wrongdoing by his party. "As far as I am concerned, I will go on with the suit," said Karpal. The hudud spat between the two veteran politicians started when Nasharudin accused Karpal of being "anti-Islam" for rejecting hudud to be implemented in the country. He also said that Pas should review its position in the opposition coalition over DAP's outright objection to hudud. Nasharudin had also incurred the wrath of his party after a photograph of him and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak meeting Saudi Arabian ulama in Mecca made the headlines recently. This prompted a meeting by the syura council -- the highest policy-making body in the party -- as confirmed by its president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang in news reports last month. However, the highly-anticipated meeting, which was held last Sunday night, did not discuss Nasharudin's fate in the party. "Nasharudin remains a syura council member... the issue was not discussed," Hadi was quoted as saying after the meeting. Speaking to New Straits Times yesterday, syura council member Datuk Dr Mahfodz Mohamed said the matter involving Nasharudin was considered "solved" by the party. "It was not such a big deal. For me, the matter has been resolved and he remains a member of syura council," he said. He added that the meeting did not even touch on matters surrounding Nasharudin. "Besides, if we wanted to discuss the action to be taken against someone, that someone has to be brought to a disciplinary committee and not the syura council as it only discusses party policies," he said. |
| Allies scramble to mend Najib-Muhyiddin cracks Posted: 10 Sep 2012 02:41 PM PDT The friction between Umno's top two leaders not only threatens Najib's position but the entire party with regard to the general election. Syed Jaymal Zahiid, FMT Umno is on high alert as the friction between the party's top two leaders has reached a "worrying level" and allies close to both president Najib Tun Razak and his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin are now scrambling to "manage" the fray, party sources said. Umno sources told FMT that the recent distribution of posters calling for Muhyiddin to succeed Najib as prime minister in the latter's home state of Johor indicated "disturbing developments" on a feud that could threaten the party's preparations for what may be the ruling coalition's toughest election yet. The party's Johor chapter has denied publishing the posters which read "we want Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as PM before the 13th general election" and has lodged a police report. But while FMT's source said the poster could be an attempt by the opposition to drive a deeper wedge between the Umno president and his deputy, it cannot hide the friction between them. "The fight is not only detrimental to Najib but the party as a whole… but it is now being managed," said one party source familiar with the subject. One of the key figures in the move to patch the cracks is Najib's close confidant and "golf buddy", Mohamed Al-Amin Abdul Majid, the current chairman of SME Corporation who is also a business partner of Muhyiddin's son Adlan Berhan. Links to both the leaders will give him access to unite Najib and Muhyiddin and avoid any bloodletting that could harm Umno's chances at the polls. Muhyiddin's impatience Whether or not Mohamed Al-Amin can manage the rift is uncertain, said the same source but what is clear is Muhyiddin's growing "impatience" on what may be seen as Najib's weakness in tackling the opposition's surging influence. "He [Muhyiddin] is growing impatient," said the Umno official but stopped short of explaining.
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| Perak’s ‘defected 4′ keen on contesting Posted: 10 Sep 2012 02:18 PM PDT The four Pakatan reps who contributed to BN's political coup in the state are hoping for another shot in the coming national polls. Humayan Kabir, FMT The four former Pakatan Rakyat state assemblypersons who contributed to the fall of the Pakatan state government in Perak in 2009 are now planning for a new lease of political life in the coming general election. The four BN-friendly independents are Hee Yit Foong (Jelapang), Mohd Osman Mohd Jailu (Changkat Jering), Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi (Behrang) and Keshvinder Singh (Malim Nawar). The first three played a vital role in destabilising the elected Pakatan state government into falling into the hands of BN while Keshvinder left after the fall due to political differences. While there was much speculation that the four had jumped ship due to monetary gains, they however denied this. The four claimed they shifted alliance to BN because they were unhappy with their respective parties' administration. FMT spoke to them recently about their intention to remain active in politics. "Yes! I shall definitely stand again in Jelapang for the third time on a BN ticket," exclaimed an excited Hee, who is also the state assembly deputy speaker. Hee had contested and won the Jelapang seat twice under the DAP banner in three-cornered fights in 2004 and 2008. When told that Jelapang was a MCA area which may not be given to her and the alternative may be for her to stand as an independent candidate, she said: "Our BN leadership wants a performing, likeable and winnable candidate which qualifies me for the seat." "Anyway a four-cornered or five-cornered fight (in Jelapang) does not scare me as I have already faced two three-cornered fights before," she added. Asked about the alleged monetary gains for jumping ship, Hee retorted: "You think I am money gila [crazy] like them?" "I left because I was unhappy with the party leadership of the two cousin brothers (DAP state chief Ngeh Koo Ham and secretary Nga Kor Ming)," she added. She also said that her relationship with the Jelapang voters remained good despite DAP's political propaganda to tarnish her name after her defection. "You must remember that the two PKR assemblymen (Osman and Jamaluddin) had left earlier and BN had the majority in the state assembly before I resigned from DAP. "My relationship with the Jelapang voters is good as I am constantly attending to their problems and needs," she explained.
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| Indigenous Malaysians Miss School, Agency Finds Posted: 10 Sep 2012 09:17 AM PDT
(New York Times) - Human rights advocates have raised concerns that thousands of indigenous children in Malaysia are not attending school, which they say exposes them to greater risk of living in poverty in adulthood. A report released last week by the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia, a government agency, showed that 7,000 indigenous children aged 5 to 18 who live on the Malaysian Peninsula were not attending school in 2007, based on government figures. Among those aged 7 to 12, the number not attending school rose to more than 2,700 in 2010, up from 1,962 in 2007. The commission was unable to obtain more recent figures for other age groups but said the overall number of indigenous children not in school could have increased because of population growth. Muhammad Sha'ani Abdullah, a human rights commissioner, said many indigenous people on the Malaysian Peninsula, called orang asli in Malay, lived in remote areas. "Based on our observations and our visits to the orang asli villages, still there are issues of no schools in the villages or the schools are very far away," he said by telephone. While the report focused only on the Malaysian Peninsula, some rights advocates say the number of indigenous children not attending school is likely to be higher in Borneo Island states like Sabah and Sarawak, which are home to the majority of the indigenous population. In Malaysia, there are about four million indigenous people from a total population of 28 million, according to the Center for Orang Asli Concerns, a private group. About 190,000 indigenous people live on the Malaysian Peninsula. The commission's report, based on interviews with students, parents and teachers, found that the distance to the closest school was a major concern. Colin Nicholas, coordinator of the Center for Orang Asli Concerns, cited as an example two indigenous villages in Pahang State, where the nearest school is 30 kilometers, or 20 miles, away. "The kids there don't go to school," he said. "They say it's too far and they don't have transport." While there was a student hostel at the school, many parents did not want to leave their young children there. Mr. Nicholas added that some students felt discriminated against by teachers and parents worried about their safety. Mr. Sha'ani said that while the government was supposed to provide students with transport to schools, often the vehicles did not show up and could not reach the children in bad weather, raising questions over how often the children attended. Read more at: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/10/world/asia/10iht-educmalay10.html
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| Posted: 10 Sep 2012 08:56 AM PDT
(The Star) - Former Singapore prosecutor Glenn Knight has apologised to ex-MCA president Tan Koon Swan for wrongly prosecuting him in the Pan-El crisis in the mid-1980s. "It was extremely painful for me to suddenly discover that the Singapore courts had got it wrong," Knight wrote in his recently published book, Glenn Knight: The Prosecutor. Tan, who is in China for a business trip, said he was not prepared to comment as he had yet to read the book. In 1985, Knight, the first director of the Singapore Commercial Affairs Department (CAD), prosecuted Tan, who faced 15 charges including criminal breach of trust (CBT) and share manipulation after the collapse of Pan-El Industries which termporarily halted the Malaysia and Singapore stock exchanges. Tan, who had a stake in Pan-El, pleaded guilty and was jailed two years and fined S$1mil. He quit as MCA president after his sentencing. In his book, Knight wrote that one of the most important cases of his life involved Pan-El, as the Pan-Electric group of companies was known. "It was a highly significant case that led to enforceable regulations being introduced into Singapore's stockbroking industry," he said. He wrote in a chapter titled "The Pan-El Debacle" that "as Koon Swan was the head of the MCA, I put up a paper on his involvement in the Pan-El saga but left it to my superiors to decide his fate as he was out of (Singapore) and in Malaysia". "In the end, the government decided that the CAD could prosecute Koon Swan." In 1996, in a similar CBT case, Singapore's Chief Justice Yong Pung How concluded that Knight was wrong to have charged Koon Swan for the offence. "Chief Justice Yong was of the opinion that the section I had charged Koon Swan with was wrong in law for we could not charge a person for stealing from a company because as a director, it was not a breach of the law in that sense," he wrote. "Chief Justice Yong concluded that it was wrong to convict anyone for stealing money if the wrong charge had been used to begin with. The judgment shattered my belief in our legal system." Knight wrote that many people asked if Chief Justice Yong's judgment could be used to set aside the conviction in Koon Swan's case. "In the United Kingdom, such a landmark judgment would have set aside Koon Swan's conviction but our jurisprudence does not allow for this though technically, Koon Swan could still have been granted a pardon," he said. Knight wrote that in 2010 he met Tan at a conference in Singapore and told him about Chief Justice Yong's judgment, which meant that Tan was technically an innocent man". "He received the news with great excitement," he recalled, adding that he (Knight) had also apologised. |
| Police receive video of Anwar’s bodyguard allegedly pointing a gun Posted: 10 Sep 2012 04:40 AM PDT (Bernama) - Melaka police today received a video recording believed to be that of a bodyguard of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim threatening a member of the public with a gun. It was surrendered to the Jasin Police Headquarters here at 6pm. The four-minute video, belonging to a local cyber media officer, was recorded at a function organised by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) in Kampung Baru Rim on Saturday. The 29-year-old man, who was met at the IPD, said the recording was handed to police to help investigations related to the incident. "This is because the action of pointing a gun at someone is a threat to the crowd at the scene of the incident," he said. Meanwhile, Melaka police chief Datuk Chuah Ghee Lye when contacted confirmed receiving the tape and said police would study the tape. He said police might call the opposition leader to help in investigation on the case if necessary. "Anwar was in the bus during the incident and it is not known if he had seen the incident. But it is up to the investigation officer to decide whether to call him or not," he said.
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| ‘I was blindfolded, handcuffed, beaten’ Posted: 09 Sep 2012 11:38 PM PDT A security manager claims the nightmare started when he lodged a report with the police about a burglary. Anisah Shukry, FMT When Tesco security manager S Selvaraja lodged a police report last week over a robbery at the store's Taman Wahyu Selayang branch, little did he know that the act would leave him maimed at the hands of the police. According to Selvaraja, after he made the report and provided the police with CCTV footage of the robbery, the police promptly remanded him and several others to aid in their investigations – and that was when the nightmare began. "The police took me to their Kepong station, along with two other of my staff. "They blindfolded me and handcuffed me from behind, then started beating my legs and feet with a black rubber cable for 40 to 50 minutes," he told reporters here. Meanwhile, he said, his colleague P Nuniandy was shoved under a table, while the other, Nanda Kumar, was forced into a corner to prevent the two from witnessing the beatings. "They beat me, they used vulgar words on me… Now I cannot walk without help," Selvaraja said, indicating his visibly swollen feet, while his wife sobbed silently behind him. According to Selvaraja, once the beatings ended, he was brought to the Jinjang police lock-up, where he was refused food and medical treatment for the rest of the day. But he said the ordeal finally ended the following day, after he was brought before the magistrate's court to have his remand extended. "At that point, I was unable to stand anymore. So I spoke straight to the judge and asked, 'What is happening? Why do they need me? Why are they beating me?'" Selvaraja said. "The judge said it was because of a separate robbery case in Batu Caves that the police were investigating. "But I was in custody at the time of the second robbery; the remand was not granted." He said he was immediately brought to a hospital for treatment, and he later lodged a police report over the incident. "The hospital says the tissue is torn, and it will take a very long time to heal," he said, adding that for the time being, he has been granted medical leave as he is unable to walk unaided. He is also expected to identify the perpetrators later this evening – an almost impossible task as he was reportedly blindfolded throughout the ordeal. 'Why so brutal?' Meanwhile, DAP's A Sivanesan, who was representing Selvaraja, lashed out at the police for their alleged brutality and disregard for standard operating procedures (SOP).
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| Suaram slams ‘premature’ accusations Posted: 09 Sep 2012 11:23 PM PDT
(The Sun Daily) - Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) slammed Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob for jumping the gun by saying that the organisation would be prosecuted even though investigations into its accounts are still ongoing. In a statement today, Suaram executive director Nalini Elumalai said Suaram also condemns Sabri's alleged statement that its accounts are "highly suspicious" despite the ongoing probe. "Suaram has all along complied fully with the Companies Act in our dealings, and our accounts are fully audited every year," said Nalini. "This can only be seen as a political setup to frame Suaram because of our complaint to the French court to investigate suspected corruption in the Scorpene deal," she added. It was reported on Saturday that Suara Inisiatif Sdn Bhd, the company linked to Suaram, would be charged in the next two weeks for breaching provisions under the Companies Act, and it would also be investigated for four other possible offences linked to its highly suspicious accounts. It was also reported that the company has been receiving funding from foreign countries such as Germany, and has been linked to currency speculator George Soros. The Foreign Affairs Ministry said Malaysia is deeply disappointed to learn that the German embassy had funded Suaram as it can be misconstrued and be seen as interference in the domestic affairs of the country. According to the ministry's statement, the ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Malaysia Dr Guenther Georg Gruber told the ministry's deputy secretary- general (bilateral relations) the funds were for a project that is "close to German values – the protection and promotion of human rights". According to the statement, the funds were used to organise a workshop which was held in Kuala Lumpur in November 2010 which was attended by 21 non-governmental organisations.
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| Ex-NFCorp consultant allegedly given RM1.7m to pay off cops Posted: 09 Sep 2012 11:09 PM PDT
(NST) - Former National Feedlot Corporation Sdn Bhd (NFCorp) consultant Datuk Shamsubahrin Ismail was allegedly given RM1.7 million to pay off police officers investigating the 'NFC case' late last year, the Sessions Court heard yesterday. The first witness in Shamsubahrin's cheating trial, ASP Mohd Nor Hasnimaizam Othman said he obtained this information while questioning an official of NFCorp in relation to another case he was investigating. Mohd Nor told the court that when he was questioning Hasimah Ahmad, a finance manager with NFCorp late last year, she told him that Shamsubahrin was paid RM1.7 million. "Later she called me and asked if I received any money from him. I denied it," Mohd Nor testified when questioned by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission head of prosecution Datuk Abdul Razak Musa. Mohd Nor, an investigating officer with the Bukit Aman commercial crime department, was at that time investigating a sales manager from one of the subsidiary companies who was accused of misappropriation. The witness said Hasimah contacted him again later and this time, allowed him to listen to a conversation she was having with Shamsubahrin at her office. Unknown to Shamsubahrin, Hasimah had dialled Mohd Nor's number and left the phone on her desk, enabling the police officer to listen in to the conversation. "I heard him (Shamsubahrin) say he had given the money to 'ASP Maizam (Mohd Nor), Superintendent Ravindar (Ravindar Singh) and ASP Nordin (Nordin Md Nor)'. I also heard him say he has not yet given the IGP, deputy IGP and Datuk Tajudin (Commercial Crime Investigation Department deputy director Datuk Tajudin Md Isa)," the witness said. Mohd Nor added he contacted Ravindar and Nordin and they denied receiving any money. "I then told Datuk Tajudin and he advised me to lodge a police report," he said, adding Shamsubahrin was arrested that same day. Mohd Nor was testifying in the trial of Shamsubahrin, who is charged with cheating NFCorp director Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Salleh Ismail of RM1.755 million. Shamsubahrin, is also facing 17 counts of money laundering, involving the same amount. The second witness to take the stand yesterday was Tajudin, who told the court he was in charge of the three simultaneous investigations involving the NFC. They were the main case involving allegations of misappropriation of RM250 million, a report lodged by NFCorp when certain confidential documents were published on the Internet and the misappropriation report against the sales manager of a NFCorp subsidiary which Mohd Nor was investigating. When questioned by defence lawyer Datuk Salehuddin Saidin, Tajudin agreed that Salleh was the main suspect in the RM250 million misappropriation case. He, however, denied that Shamsubahrin was arrested to divert attention from the main case which was heavily publicised in the media. Lawyer Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin then questioned the witness why Shamsubahrin was arrested when the officers mentioned earlier had denied accepting any money from the accused. Tajudin: For cheating. Kamarul: Cheating who? Tajudin: Cheating NFCorp. Kamarul: A police report was lodged against Shamsubahrin in the morning and in the evening he was arrested. So when did formal investigations into the report begin? Tajudin: After he was arrested. Kamarul: So before he was arrested, there was no investigations yet? Tajudin: Correct. Hearing continues today. |
| Anonymous letter warns Najib of Indian ‘gang threat’ Posted: 09 Sep 2012 03:56 PM PDT An 'Umno member' warns the prime minister of the rise of Indian gangs in the country which may cause another Hindraf-like political tsunami if not addressed urgently. Teoh El Sen, FMT Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has apparently been warned of an alleged threat of gangsterism among the Indian community which would, if left unchecked, indirectly cause the Barisan Nasional government to lose votes in the next general election. An anonymous letter purportedly written by a "concerned Umno member" and sent to Najib on April 20, urged the Umno president to treat the matter seriously or risk another "political tsunami" akin to 2008, which the Hindraf movement had contributed to. In the letter, seen by FMT, the "Umno member from Selayang Baru" implicated the MIC and the police for being complicit in allowing "Gang 36″ to gain more influence and power. The author claimed that on Dec 3, 2011, MIC organised a Deepavali event at The Mines, Sri Kembangan, where about 7,000 Indian youths who attended were made up of "almost 99%" of Gang 36 members. Several prominent politicians from BN officiated at the event, with the author naming three of them in the letter. They included two members of parliaments and a minister. Repeated attempts to contact the three national leaders for comments were unsuccessful. "Close to 99% of the Indian youths who attended were from Gang 36. The behaviour, character and clothing of these youths were very embarrassing. Their actions not only taint the image of MIC but also BN," wrote the "Umno member". The writer claimed that a number of these youths even wore the "Geng 36″ T-shirts and waved the "Gang 36″ flag openly. They were also displaying the Sanskrit Aum symbol(picture below) which is said to be used as the gang's logo. "That event gave a bad impression, especially the Indian community towards BN party. The event also clearly shows an attempt by Gang 36 to fortify its positions through politics." The writer also said the event has become the talk of the town among the Indian community, and defeated MIC's attempt to portray a new image after their alleged "failure" under former MIC president S Samy Vellu. The writer said that it was his opinion that the leader of the gang, who he claimed is involved in drug trafficking and other crimes, is trying to use politics to clear the gang's criminal records and reign supreme in the country. 'Conspiracy brewing' "The attempt of Gang 36 to enter politics to fortify its position should be stopped so that the opposition does not use this issue to deny [BN] the votes of the Indians. "Yang Amat Berhormat [prime minister], don't treat this issue as merely an Indian one. Hindraf, which was considered a small matter, created such a big impact in 2008 and four states fell to the opposition's hands. "A conspiracy is brewing to accuse the government, particularly Umno, of ethnic cleansing of the Indian community by taking a lax attitude towards gangsterism in Malaysia. The police all over the country have been bribed in the millions by Gang 36."
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| Keep out, PKR rep tells CM's aide Posted: 09 Sep 2012 03:30 PM PDT
(NST) - BAYAN LEPAS: A Parti Keadilan Rakyat assemblyman has hit out at Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's political secretary for "encroaching" into his turf and causing unnecessary problems among his constituents. Batu Uban assemblyman S. Raveentharan said Ng Wei Aik, who is also the DAP assemblyman for Komtar, owed him an explanation. The rebuke comes in the wake of leaked minutes of a PKR meeting in which those present had discussed issues concerning how DAP was trying to muscle their way into getting more seats in the coming general election. It was reported that Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Mansor Othman, who is also state PKR chief, had during the meeting advised PKR's Chinese representatives, who were present, to prepare for contingency plans if such a scenario presented itself in the next polls. Yesterday, Raveentharan said Ng had stirred a hornet's nest among his constituents over a plan to build a Chinese temple at a former sewage treatment plant site in Taman Lip Sin here. Raveentharan said Ng's action had led to residents protesting against it. "I was informed by the residents' association that a Chinese temple committee had contacted Ng for help and he had taken it upon himself to encroach into my constituency and hold discussions with certain people over the past three months. "He did all this without even having the courtesy to contact me first." Raveentharan said Ng's action had caused unnecessary problems for him and he had to face his fuming constituents. "He owes me an explanation. I have to reveal all this as if I don't, my voters will think that I am subservient to him." Raveentharan said residents were angry that the Kew Ong Tai Tay (Tow Boe Keong) Devotees Association, which usually held their Taoist nine-day prayers at the Taman Lip Sin field, was planning to have their permanent prayer grounds at the 0.15ha former sewerage treatment facility. |
| Pakatan bars leaders from PSM function Posted: 09 Sep 2012 03:24 PM PDT
(NST) - IPOH: THE Jelapang state constituency in Perak is set to drive a wedge between Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) and fellow Pakatan Rakyat (PR) members with PR upping the ante by barring its leaders from attending functions organised by PSM. Sources told the New Straits Times that Perak PR had, during a meeting on Friday, decided that its leaders would not attend a ceramah tomorrow which is organised by PSM at Taman Pertama. Pas deputy president Mohamad Sabu, better known as Mat Sabu, was to be the main speaker. "Former Perak menteri besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin had been tasked to talk to Mat Sabu to persuade him not to attend the ceramah," said the source. This is not the first time Perak DAP had tried to frustrate programmes organised by PSM. Previously, state DAP chairman Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham had sent a blanket text message to all party representatives, barring them from attending a similar ceramah organised by PSM in Jelapang on July 13. PSM and DAP are locked in a tussle over the Jelapang seat, which is being held by Barisan Nasional-friendly independent, Datuk Hee Yit Foong. PSM had previously said it would not back down from contesting in the constituency against Barisan Nasional. PSM secretary-general S. Arutchelvan (photo above) labelled PR as childish for the move. "I can assure you that the stand made by PR is not shared by its counterpart from other states, as we just jointly organised a Hari Raya open house at Kota Damansara." Arutchelvan reminded DAP that negotiation for the Jelapang seat was still ongoing and nothing had finalised yet. "Ngeh should not be jumping to conclusions," he added, warning DAP to stop antagonising PSM. Perak PKR vice-chairman Chang Lih Kang declined to comment on the meeting, while Nizar and Ngeh could not be reached. During the 2008 general election, Jelapang saw a three-cornered fight between BN, DAP and PSM. PSM's national deputy chairman M. Saraswathy received 1,275 votes against BN's Loh Koi Pin (5,512 votes) and Hee, who won by a landslide of 12,219 votes.
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| Tian Chua, Mat Sabu, Hishamuddin quized on rally Posted: 09 Sep 2012 03:04 PM PDT
(NST) - Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) vice-president Tian Chua, PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu and social activist Hishamuddin Rais turned up separately with their lawyers at the Dang Wangi police station here at around 4pm today over the "Janji Demokrasi" illegal assembly held in the city on Merdeka eve (Aug 30). Tian Chua, when approached by reporters afterwards, said he became aware that the police wanted to question him and the others about the rally through news reports and subsequently his lawyer arranged the meeting today. He said he had nothing to hide and answered the questions asked to the best of his ability. Mohamad Sabu, more popularly known as Mat Sabu, said he elected to remain silent. On Thursday, National Laureate Datuk A. Samad Said and the organiser of the rally Maria Chin Abdullah had given statements to the police concerning the assembly after being notified to do so under Section 111 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Meanwhile, City deputy CID chief (Legal Affairs) ACP Aziz Zakaria told Bernama that the trio (Tian Chua, Mat Sabu and Hishamuddin) were being investigated under Section 9 (5) of the Peaceful Assemblies Act 2012. He added that police also wanted to record statements from two more individuals regarding the rally, namely Stanley Yong and Kumpulan Aktivis Mahasiswa Independen (Kami) deputy president Khaled Ismeth. "We will be calling them to come forward to give their statements soon," he said. |
| Blogger: Anwar's bodyguard held gun to my face Posted: 09 Sep 2012 02:56 PM PDT
(The Star) - A blogger who had an automatic pistol pointed at his face by Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's bodyguard is still in trauma over the incident. Shahridhan Shaharan said the bodyguard was so brazen and came up to him, although he was with a group of people in Kampung Baru Rim on Saturday. He said he still shuddered whenever he thought about the incident as the bodyguard "looked very menacing, as if he really meant to pull the trigger". Shahridhan said he was among some people who were putting up banners along a road when a bus carrying Anwar and his party members on PKR's "Jelajah Merdeka Rakyat" roadshow passed by. "We decided to trail the vehicle," said the 29-year-old. "However, a dark coloured car suddenly stopped in front of us. A man came out and immediately pointed the gun at my face and told me to get into his car. "I was shaking, too in shock to react," he said, adding that the man, seeing this, went back into his car and left. Shahridhan later lodged a police report. The bodyguard was arrested by a plainclothes policeman who witnessed the incident that occurred between 3.30pm and 4pm. State CID chief Asst Comm Raja Sharom Raja Abdullah said police here had received six reports on the incident. The 37-year-old man from a private security firm, who has a licence to carry firearms, was released on police bail at about 9pm the same day after his statement was taken. ACP Raja Sharom said the man was being investigated under Section 427 of the Penal Code for mischief and Section 506 of the Penal Code for criminal intimidation. "The man said he was only doing his job as a personal bodyguard," he said. However, police would investigate further and look at the video recording and pictures taken by the public at the scene, he added. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam, who is on a working trip to Rome, urged police to revoke the firearm licence granted to the bodyguard. "This is a serious matter. The man's actions were unwarranted and excessive," he said by phone. "I don't think his boss' (Anwar) life was threatened." Separately, PKR Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin lodged a police report yesterday, alleging that two Umno members from Jasin had provoked the entire incident.
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| Chamber to explain RM180mil aid facility for Indians Posted: 09 Sep 2012 02:50 PM PDT
(The Star) - The Malaysian Associated Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MAICCI) will go on a nationwide campaign to explain the Government's special allocation to the community. Its president Datuk K.K. Eswaran said the campaign was necessary as some quarters had been trying to discredit the Government's genuine effort by calling it sandiwara (an act). "I can assure everyone that the Government is committed to assisting Indians and there is no hidden agenda," he said yesterday. Eswaran had earlier chaired a meeting of the state chambers as well as representatives of the Indian trade associations. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had earlier announced an allocation of RM180mil for Indian entrepreneurs. The Special Secretariat for Empowerment of Indian Entrepreneurs has been entrusted to assist the loan applicants to prepare a feasibility study as well as relevant documents to be submitted to the 16 banks selected.
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| Pussy Riot burned picture of Putin Posted: 09 Sep 2012 02:45 PM PDT
(Reuters) - Russian opposition punk band Pussy Riot have released a new video in which they set fire to a portrait of President Vladimir Putin in a stunt likely to anger the Kremlin. Three of the band's members – Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich – were last month given two-year jail sentences each after storming the altar of Moscow's main cathedral and staging a 'punk prayer', calling on the Virgin Mary to rid Russia of Putin.
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| Nasha to stay, issue was not discussed at PAS' Syura Council Posted: 09 Sep 2012 02:37 PM PDT
(Malaysian Digest) - His former deputy, Nasharudin Mat Isa, is still a member of the party's Ulama Syura Council, said PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang. Aaccording to a Malaysiakini report, Abdul Hadi told this to reporters at a press conference held after the council meeting on Sunday night. Abdul Hadi said Nasharudin's position in the party was not discussed in the meeting. The meeting primarily focused on party candidates for the upcoming general election (GE), he added. Sinar Harian reported that the remainder of the meeting was chaired by his deputy, Datuk Dr Haron Din.
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| Karpal: There’s nothing between the lines Posted: 09 Sep 2012 02:05 PM PDT The lawyer dismisses speculation of a rift in the defence team representing three PKR leaders with regard to the Bersih 3.0 rally. S Rutra, FMT There is nothing to read between the lines regarding the absence of former solicitor-general II Mohd Yusof Zainal Abiden at the Kuala Lumpur Session's Court last Monday during the case against PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim and five others related to the Bersih 3.0 gathering, said Karpal Singh. Dispelling speculations of a rift in the legal team, he said Mohd Yusof, who was acting for the third accused Rembau PKR chief Bardul Hisham Sharin, was still part of the defence team. "Whether he acts for Anwar or the others, it does not make any diffrence since this case is a joint trial," he added. Karpal told FMT that it was part of the defence strategy and Anwar had been briefed on the matter. "With this arrangement, Mohd Yusof has more oppurtunity to cross-examine the witnesses," he added. Asked why an application to refer a point of law to the High Court was only filed on behalf of Anwar and not a collective application, Karpal explained that the application was made at the eleventh hour and there was no time to consult other counsels in making similar applications. He said lawyer CV Prabhakaran, acting for PKR deputy president Azmin Ali, and Mohd Yusof acting for Badrul would be making their respective appplications before Sept 13. Last Monday, the Sessions Court set Sept 13 to hear the prosecution's objections against Karpal's application to refer a point of law to the High Court in relation to the three charges against Anwar. Anwar, Azmin and Badrul were jointly charged with other Bersih 3.0 supporters still at large, with inciting Tangam Raju, Rajesh Kumar Gejinder and Farhan Ibrahim to violate the magistrate's court order issued on April 26. Meanwhile, lawyer Sankara Nair said it was a defence strategy that Mohd Yusof and him represented Badrul. "Anwar and Azmin are represented by very senior lawyers and hence it was decided that Yusof, being a senior lawyer, and I lend our services to Badrul to add balance," he clarified. "This was a strategic decision and was done amicably and there was mutual consensus between all counsels and clients," added the senior lawyer.
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| RPK applies for passport to return home Posted: 09 Sep 2012 01:59 PM PDT He wants to return so that he can help Nurul Izzah in her election campaign. (FMT) - Raja Petra Kamarudin, the editor of Malaysia Today, is in contact with the Malaysian High Commission in London to inquire into the possibility of getting his Malaysian passport renewed. Raja Petra, who left Malaysia in February 2009 just six months before his passport expired, has been living in Manchester ever since. Raja Petra, popularly known as RPK, had been banned from leaving the country and to avoid getting detained at the immigration exit he left the country illegally without going through the proper channel. He then entered Thailand and from there went over to the UK. Raja Petra intends to return to Malaysia to join PKR vice-president and Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar's campaign team. Nurul Izzah is expected to face a tough fight against Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin, the Federal Territories and Urban Well-being Minister. Recently, Malaysia Today launched a fund-raising drive for Nurul with more than RM35,365.00 collected so far Since early 2011, Raja Petra has been very critical of Pakatan Rakyat, in particular PKR and Anwar Ibrahim. His move to join Nurul's campaign team is thus viewed as quite a surprise although Raja Petra has always expressed support for Nurul even when he was critical of her father, Anwar. In an immediate response, Immigration Department Director-General Alias Ahmad said there were no problems with Raja Petra's return, as long as the latter had the necessary travel documents. "As long as he has Malaysian travel documents, there are no problems for him to come back," he told FMT. He added that the blogger's passport could be renewed by the Malaysian High Commission in London.
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| Negri PAS under fire for segregating sexes at Raya open house Posted: 09 Sep 2012 09:38 AM PDT (The Star) - Negri Sembilan PAS has come under fire from several quarters here for segregating men and women at their Hari Raya open house held at Dataran Senawang on Saturday, who said that the move would only derail efforts to strengthen national unity. They felt that the rule imposed by the Islamist party was inconsistent with the open house spirit, which, among others, allowed Malaysians from all walks of life to mix and mingle freely. State MCA political and strategy bureau head Datuk Lee Yuen Fong said PAS' action only caused uneasiness among Malaysians. "Why do you need to segregate when it is an open house and held in an open area? This is a preview of what PAS will do if it ever gains power," he said. Lee said that in a multi-racial and multi-religious country like Malaysia, it was important for people to mix with one another as it would help promote understanding. "If you are not encouraged to mix at such events, then where are you supposed to know more about the people of other faiths who can be your neighbours or your colleagues?" he asked. PAS state commissioner Taufek Abdul Ghani said the move was to allow its guests, particularly women, to be comfortable. "I don't know why is this an issue as we have been doing this for years," he said, adding that the rule was similar to KTM Bhd's rule to have special coaches for women commuters. Taufek said the rule, which required men and women to sit and queue up separately for food, was not mandatory. Negri Sembilan Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism council chairman Edward Lim said that having such a rule would not help foster unity. "We can understand if the rule is introduced to ensure women, girls and children get their food as there is always a scramble at such events," he said. National MIC information chief Datuk V.S. Mogan described the segregation as ridiculous. "It mocks the open house concept and doesn't help in promoting unity," he said. Mogan, who is an exco member, said it was acceptable if PAS had implemented the rule at a closed-door event. Meanwhile, state opposition leader Anthony Loke defended PAS on the issue. "I was seated on the same table with Mohamed Sabu (PAS deputy president) and his wife and no one told me anything. "Our detractors should know that such things are common at PAS-organised events," he said.
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| Explain Unisel debt, Khalid told Posted: 09 Sep 2012 09:36 AM PDT
(The Star) - Selangor Umno is calling on Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim to explain a RM54.8mil debt incurred by state-owned Universiti Selangor. Its deputy chief Datuk Seri Noh Omar said the loss was sustained after Pakatan Rakyat took over the state in 2008. Showing a copy of the university's 2010 audit report to the members of the media, Noh questioned why the information was not made public. "He (Khalid) and the state financial officer signed the report on Aug 27. "So, what is he waiting for? The people of Selangor need to know the truth," he told reporters after the opening of the Tanjung Karang Umno division' meeting yesterday. Noh said the report showed Unisel had sustained losses in the past three years with a deficit of RM1.63mil in 2008, RM13.55mil in 2009 and RM39.68mil in 2010. "The losses are after taxes were paid. Khalid should stop blaming the former state government and explain this," he said, adding that the university was running well when Selangor was under Barisan Nasional's administration. He also believed that the losses had been a contributing factor to the university's inability to settle its debts with its hostel management Syarikat Jana Niaga Sdn Bhd (JNSB). Khalid had previously announced that the audit report on Unisel would be made public by the end of last month. Unisel had recently made headlines for the wrong reasons and fingers were pointed at the Selangor Government for not managing the university properly. |
| Ahmad Maslan Asks People To Reject Six Types Of Political Practices Posted: 09 Sep 2012 09:31 AM PDT
(Bernama) - Umno Information Chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan today urged the people to reject what he termed as six types of political practices of the opposition. He said these were the politics of rudeness, politics of liberty, politics of libel, politics of punishment, politics of disunity and politics of violence. An example of the politics of rudeness was the stomping on pictures of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and the intention to change the national flag with another, he told a news conference after opening the Klang Umno Division delegates meeting, here. The politics of liberty referred to the support for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) activities which was contrary to Islamic teachings, he said. Ahmad said the politics of libel was evident from the slander hurled at Najib and his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor. |
| Suaram-funding NGO link to Soros probed Posted: 08 Sep 2012 06:39 PM PDT
(NST) - The Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry is investigating whether an American non-governmental organisation allegedly funding Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) is linked to currency speculator George Soros, Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today. He said the NGO was one of two based in the United States allegedly contributing a huge amount of funds to Suaram. The ministry was carrying out the investigation through the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM), he said after opening the Rasah Umno Division delegates meeting here. Ismail Sabri asked Bank Negara to investigate the matter under the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001. He also asked the Home Ministry and the Registrar of Societies to determine the status of Suaram. |
| Up to police to investigate gun incident, says Anwar Posted: 08 Sep 2012 03:31 PM PDT
Lisa J. Ariffin, The Malaysian Insider Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will leave it to the authorities to investigate claims that his bodyguard drew a firearm and pointed it at Barisan Nasional (BN) supporters in Kampung Baru Rim, Malacca yesterday. The opposition leader said today he will leave it to police to "establish whether the security behaved in self-defence and according to SOP (standard operating procedures)". "Whether he did it in self-defence or followed SOP that is for the police to investigate. They (the bodyguards) all have permits anyway," he told reporters today during Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar's Hari Raya open house here. Anwar had claimed that the bus, in which he was travelling for PKR's Jelajah Merdeka Rakyat programme, was attacked by a group he believed to be Umno Youth members. Plainclothes policemen detained the 37-year-old bodyguard at the scene when the incident took place at 3.15pm. Police and Special Branch officers were there to observe the event. Local media reports said the bus in which Anwar was travelling was stopped by some youth who wanted to prevent them from entering the venue for the programme. The bodyguard alighted from a car near the bus and pointed the firearm at the youth. Anwar said it was deplorable that none of the youth who attacked his bus were arrested. "The fact that none of the Umno fellas were arrested is shocking," he said. "This shows how incompetent and how irresponsible Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the Home Minister (Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein) are," he said. "These hooligans are supported by Najib and (Hishammuddin)," he claimed. Anwar then said he had video and photographic evidence of the group attacking his entourage. At least four police reports were lodged by members of Jasin Umno Youth and the Belia 4B movement over the incident. State police chief Datuk Chuah Ghee Lye said the bodyguard has been detained for questioning. "Let us investigate the matter first as it is still premature to determine if the man had actually pointed the weapon at the public, or he was just brandishing it as an act of protecting someone. He could have taken out the gun and accidentally showed it to the people gathered there," he was quoted as saying by the New Sunday Times.
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| PAS Syura Council not likely to fire Nasha Posted: 08 Sep 2012 02:29 PM PDT
(The Star) - Certain groups in PAS who are eager to see Bachok MP Nasharudin Mat Isa sacked are likely to be disappointed today. Chances of Nasharudin being sacked are slim as even the party's central committee would not put any pressure on the Syura Council to act against the PAS former deputy president. There have been calls within PAS for Nasharuddin to be sacked after suggesting that PAS should review its position in Pakatan Rakyat in view of an impasse over hudud. PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali confirmed yesterday that the central committee would not discuss the matter during its meeting this morning. "We will not discuss the matter at all. We will leave it entirely to the Syura Council as Nasharudin is a member of the council," said Mustafa, adding that the Syura Council meeting was scheduled to be held tonight. Mustafa said this when asked to comment on talks that the central committee would put pressure on the Syura Council to take stern action against Nasharudin for airing views against the interest of Pakatan Rakyat. Syura Council deputy chief Datuk Dr Harun Din also affirmed that there were no special agenda to discuss the issue. "However, we do not know what will transpire at the meeting," he said. The 15-member Syura Council headed by PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat is the highest body in the organisation that deliberates on policy matters. Ulama chief Datuk Harun Taib, who is also a Syura Council member, said the party needed intellectuals like Nasharudin.
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| DAP worried of BN rage if defeated at polls Posted: 08 Sep 2012 02:17 PM PDT If the voters choose Pakatan in the 13th GE, will BN make a public statement that it will respect the decision with peace and harmony through democracy, asks Lim Kit Siang. Azman Habu, FMT TAWAU: A general sense of unease is rising in the Pakatan Rakyat camp that the Umno-led Barisan Nasional coalition government will not easily vacate Putrajaya if Malaysians vote to change the government in the coming elections. Currently riding high on a wave of dissatisfaction over the performance of the national coalition government due to a series of scandals over the last 50 years of its rule, Pakatan believes this is no guarantee that the transition will be smooth. Pakatan leaders see the long drawn out indecision by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's government to set a date for general election that must be called by the first quarter of next year as indications of trepidation within the BN about going to the polls. DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang voiced the worry during the party's statewide public hearing on 'Janji Ditepati' (promises fulfilled) theme that the BN opted for as its Merdeka Day celebration mantra in a bid to stem criticism of wastefulness and inefficiency in its unbroken half century in power. The veteran opposition leader wants a guarantee from Najib and former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who still wields immense influence in the government, that there will be no disturbances if the opposition wins the 13th general election. Political pundits see the former prime minister to be steering his son Mukhriz towards the prime minister's job and in the process ensure his legacy remains untouched. BN government stalwarts have taken to deriding and intimidating the opposition and its supporters by using the legal system to carry out a campaign to smear and silence detractors. Generous budget handouts, the repeal of widely condemned laws limiting freedom of assembly and the press have been replaced by equally severe laws. Lim sees these government tactics as signs that a BN defeat at the polls will be met with resistance.
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| RM400, 000 for a dinner that was attended by Anwar Ibrahim and rich tycoons Posted: 08 Sep 2012 05:54 AM PDT
(Kuala Lumpur Post) - A whopping RM400,000 for a fund-raising gala dinner? According to blogger Yuseri Yusoff, that was the amount spent on Malam Gala Keadilan 2012, a PKR fund-raising dinner which was held in May. The blogger has also attached a formal letter sent by PKR's president Datuk Sri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to the event organising chairman Datuk Dr Tan Tee Kwong, seeking clarification and financial details. "RM400, 000 for a dinner that was attended by PKR top leadership and rich tycoons, is that not a big waste? "Its an irony as they (PKR) have always been accusing Barisan Nasional (BN) for being lavish and for wasting people's money, but now they are the ones doing it. Where did the money come from…from Anwar (PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim)'s salary of RM1 per month as Selangor's economic advisor? the blogger questioned. Meanwhile, Anwar, as reported in a pro-opposition blog Merah Tinta MSO, had praised the organisers for the event. The blogger said that Anwar, in his fiery opening speech, had slammed the BN-led federal government and federal institutions. He had also singled out the Royal Malaysian Police force for allegedly not handling the Bersih rallies accordingly. Another blog, Gelagat Anwar, pointed out that the fund-raising dinner was meant to raise sympathy from the people and also to boost up Anwar's declining popularity. PKR vice-president Tian Chua, when contacted, claimed that the fund raising dinner was successfull due to the high turn-out. Asked about the details of the expenditure, Tian Chua kept it short: "All the fund raised were from private firms and individuals. The difference nowadays is that many big corporate players are willing to support us". Other top PKR leaders refused to comment on the matter.
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| DAP: Punishing teens will torch BN’s non-Malay support Posted: 08 Sep 2012 05:50 AM PDT
Teenager Ong Sing Yee reacts after offering her apology for stepping on the pictures, during a press conference in Kuala Lumpur September 6, 2012.—Picture by Saw Siow Feng Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider Lim Guan Eng today suggested that Barisan Nasional's (BN) harsh treatment of those responsible for last week's Merdeka Day misadventures despite a failure to address similar transgressions by hardliners in Umno and Perkasa will alienate its non-Malay support. The DAP secretary-general said the action will also serve to highlight the government's apparent bias after having ignored unruly behaviour displayed previously by to Malay right wingers. Lim pointed out that unlike the political leaders, the youths who mooned over or trampled on photographs of the country's leaders and raised a pre-independence flag during last week's Merdeka Day celebrations had not committed the acts with malicious intent. "But this Perkasa... they are extremists. These youths, they just want to have fun, they do not know what they are doing. "But others, they have done this three, four times. Not only stepping and burning photographs but even performing Hindu funeral rites for me. This is not just an insult to the Hindus but also to the Muslims," he said in a press conference in Penang earlier today. The Bagan MP pointed out that unlike the young mischief makers, several of whom have apologised for their actions over the week, those from Perkasa and other pro-Umno supporters have yet to come forward to do the same. Despite this, Lim said the authorities appeared overly determined to throw the book at the youths, even opening a probe against them under the Sedition Act, a law that the government has promised it will repeal soon. He urged the government to have a "big heart" and accept the apologies offered by the two teenagers over the picture-stomping incident, saying it was punishment enough their actions were heavily publicised. In a separate statement here, DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang suggested the same, and urged a Cheras-based private college to reverse its decision to expel one of the teenagers, the 19-year old boy from Batu Pahat. "This incident just shows that Perkasa is Umno and Umno is Perkasa. Clearly, they do not need the non-Malay votes," Guan Eng said. "The way they behave... BN does not need the non-Malay votes, they do not want the non-Malay votes and I think this message has been passed throughout Malaysia." Other opposition politicians have railed against the authorities for the speed with which they have reprimanded the youths for the incident, noting a failure to do the same against pro-Umno, pro-BN and Perkasa activists who previously committed the comparable offences. Malay right wing group Perkasa had in May this year organised a mock funeral for Lim. The group's leaders, as well as other pro-Umno activists have also held numerous protests where the photographs of prominent Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders and civil society activists like Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan were trampled on or even torched. Shortly after the April 28 Bersih rally in the city, a group of army veterans had also performed butt exercises outside Ambiga's home.
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| UN rep: OK for NGOs to get foreign funding Posted: 07 Sep 2012 06:37 PM PDT Even the Malaysia government received foreign funding but nobody has accused it of being a 'foreign agent', argues United Nations Special Rapporteur, Maina Kiai. Teoh El Sen, FMT There is nothing wrong for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to receive foreign funding, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association, Maina Kiai, said today. The prominent human rights activist and lawyer from Kenya said that if governments and businesses can receive foreign funding, the same standards should also be applied to NGOs or associations. "If the work of an association demands funding, there should no restriction about funding, whether domestic or international," he said at a forum here about international standards and practices in exercising freedom of assembly and association. "Just the same way government receive funding… I know Malaysia received a lot of foreign funding in its early days, it should now be a provider of funding. Nobody accused the government of being a "The same standards that apply to the state, must also be extended to NGOs or businesses. I can bet you that more than half of these companies access foreign funding, that's the way the world works, that's what globalisation is about…" he said. Kiai said that people would not be able to exercise their fundamental right to freedom of associations without any funding. However, he also reminded that there was also the duty for civil society to be accountable. But, he added that such accountability must be independently done, and not forced upon in a manner that restricts or controls the society. "The demands to be accountable must be made by citizens, that's what the international law says," he said. The UN expert's views come in the wake of recent public scrutiny over the funding and organisational structure of a popular human rights body, Suaram, since July. Suaram's "independence" was questioned after some quarters revealed that it was consistently a recipient of annual allocations from the US-based National Endowment for Democracy (NED) organisation since 2006. Foreign powers Pro-establishment Malay rights groups demanded to know why Suaram was registered as a company, Suara Inisiatif Sdn Bhd, with a paid-up capital of RM2. Jaringan Melayu Malaysia (JMM) and Perkasa have accused the NGO of being funded by foreign powers to "destabilise the peace of the country".
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| Suaram firm to face 5 CCM charges, says minister Posted: 07 Sep 2012 06:35 PM PDT
(Bernama) - Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM) had identified five charges under the Companies Act 1965 to be made against Suara Inisiatif Sdn Bhd (Suara Inisiatif). The first charge would be made in court in about a week or two, he told reporters after opening the Pekan Umno Youth, Wanita and Puteri delegates meeting here today. He said the action taken against Suara Inisiatif was not politically motivated, but because of the offence it allegedly committed. Prior to this, the CCM was criticised by several quarters for failing to act against Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram), which confessed to receiving funds from foreign countries and individuals. This followed a report that claimed that Suaram was not a non-governmental organisation, but a company registered with the CCM.
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| Posted: 07 Sep 2012 05:08 PM PDT Development is reaching saturation level in many parts of the country, says PKR MP Yusmadi Yusoff. Hawkeye, FMT There is a need to re-define what development means to the average Malaysians given the rapid pace of modernisation, a PKR parliamentarian said. Balik Pulau MP Yusmadi Yusoff said development has reached saturation level in many parts of the country and hence, there is a need to re-define development. He said this is necessary in view of the rapid growth of infrastructure, industries, roadworks, housing and social amenities over the last 50 years. Citing Penang, Yusmadi said there is now a widespread sense of unhappiness over the level of development taking place here. Penang is said to be over-devloped to the extent that even hillslopes are not spared in the hectic race to modernisation. This has caused some adverse effects: environmental degradation, traffic congestion and the emergence of slums in midst of luxurious condominiums and landed bungalows. Pockets of squatters are also facing eviction as developers scurry around to ensure their projects get underway before the effects of global recession set in. Yusmadi said the country can no longer deal with development through half-baked solutions and an unholistic approach. The time has come to re-visit development in the proper context. Don't give in to greed "What does development mean to Malaysians? Is more wealth generated from it? Have we progressed in our own age of industralisation, or are we slowly but surely becoming the urban poor?" Yusmadi asked. "Do Malaysians want to see their green lungs disappear or do they want to salvage them?" He said he would raise this matter in Parlaiment when it convenes this month.
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| Soliciting money: ‘Wipe out this scam’ Posted: 07 Sep 2012 05:03 PM PDT Senior lawyer Karpal Singh wants the Attorney-General's Chambers to investigate a scam where lawyers allegedly solicit big bucks to secure release of criminal detainees. Athi Shankar, FMT The Attorney-General's Chambers must investigate an alleged scam where lawyers allegedly solicit big bucks to secure release of criminal detainees via the back door, senior lawyer and veteran MP Karpal Singh said today. Under the scam, lawyers signed agreement with those charged with criminal offences, especially major crimes, or their representatives promising to "somehow secure the accused release" with a big cash payout to the main players in the case. Karpal, whose client was directly affected by it, wants the AG's Chambers to get to bottom of this scam and wipe it out once and for all. He criticised lawyers who enter into such agreements, saying they are being unprofessional and unethical, and bringing the legal system into disrepute. "It gives the impression that prosecutors and witnesses can be bought over. Such agreements are shocking, which the AG must probe immediately. "With so many capital cases in the country, if it [this practice] is not stopped, we are heading for a lot of trouble," said Karpal. He claimed that his client, an Iraqi businessman Sayed Omeid facing extradition to Australia, was a victim of this scam. Omeid lodged a report at Dangi Wangi police station last Thursday accusing two lawyers of fleecing his family of US$50,000 by falsely promising to secure his release through their contacts in the Home Ministry. Omeid's family agreed to pay the lawyers US$100,000, with 27% to be paid upon signing the agreement and 23% within eight days of the first payment. The balance of 50% was to be kept in a joint account until Omeid was freed.
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| ‘Clones’ likely ruined Malaysia’s Twitter record bid, says research house Posted: 07 Sep 2012 10:34 AM PDT  A screen capture from the Politweet Facebook page showed a series of identical entries on Twitter that were registered during the National Day record attempt. Politweet.org pointed out in its report yesterday on the #Merdeka55 hashtag movement that despite Putrajaya's claim that Malaysians had breached the 3.6 million tweet mark in just one hour on August 31, no other third-party authority has since verified this declaration as true. "So assuming the figure is true, it is possible that the 3.6 million tweets are a world record," the research house wrote in its report. "However to date, Twitter has made no announcement on their blog about #Merdeka55. There is also no mention of the #Merdeka55 record online by other tracking websites," it pointed out. "Without a third party to verify the data, the 3.6 million tweets figure is doubtful," Politweet said.  A screen capture shows a Twitter post made during the record attempt. But Rais' record-beating claim was immediately met with disbelief by Malaysian Twitter users, many of whom have accused the organisers of rigging the contest by using "bots" to generate false publicity. "Bots doing retweeting 4 thousand times, then u proud of hvg mils of tweets?" Twitter user @Amir_Shari had written earlier this week, referring to computer programs designed to send out automated responses on the service. Another user, Cyril Dason, tweeted on his account @cyrildason that "#merdeka55 stats online: 1,500 tweets generated 493,610 impressions, reaching an audience of 185,482 followers within the past 24 hours", in an apparent rebuttal of the federal government's record-setting claim. Fuelling these users' claims in its report yesterday, Politweet said it had begun tracking mentions of #Merdeka55 on Twitter from August 28, the moment Rais had announced Putrajaya's aim to hit a one million-tweet mark for tweets sent within an hour from 8.15pm to 9.15pm on August 31. But during the targeted hour, Politweet said it had observed an "odd pattern" during the live stream — "large blocks of identical tweets were being sent at the same time". "Further investigation revealed that a small group of users were responsible for a large volume of tweets. "These users had similar characteristics, e.g. account creation date, profile photos, location and follower/following relationships. All of their duplicate tweets were sent using Tweetdeck," Politweet wrote, calling these duplicate tweets as "clones". Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/clones-likely-ruined-malaysias-twitter-record-bid-says-research-house/ |
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