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• Battle to win over the fence sitters
• DAP’s ‘secular’ stand not anti-Islam, says Kit Siang
• Expand democratic space to get young involved, says Saifuddin
• Up to A-G’s Chambers whether to prosecute Suaram, says Zahid
• PAS has gained from partnership with DAP, says Hadi
• 'Many guards not paid RM700'
• Soi Lek slams Pakatan’s Budget 2013
• Khairy slams ruling on dress code
• Najib: Political donation was proper
• Suaram decries ‘police extortionists’
• PKR won’t be taking action against Faekah
• Teng slams ex-DAP men
• Anwar gets into PAS’ bad books
• Absent Datuk forces businesswoman to part with RM700,000 bail
• SWP hit by ‘financial’ setbacks?
• Bersih leaders stopped on police order
• UN: Third of world’s population has Internet
• Ex-Pakatan man revives ‘Christian Malaysia’ report, shows ‘proof’ in Parliament
• NGOs say Suaram misrepresented itself as plaintiff in Scorpene inquiry
• Raja Nazrin: Desecrating flag an attack on nation’s sovereignty
• Umno MP to go to jail after court upholds conviction
• CCM resubmits investigation paper on Suaram-linked firm to A-G
• MCA, DAP to face off in hudud debate
• MACC clears Musa Aman; RM40m was for Sabah Umno
• Rise in child marriages worrying
• ‘Stop harassing Ambiga, Bersih leaders’
• DAP duo to lodge report against Nasharuddin
• Anwar, PKR under fire
• Nasha plotting with Umno to destroy Pakatan, PAS leaders say
• No room for dissent in DAP
• DAP slams ‘malicious’ PAS leader
• Mat Sabu comes to DAP’s defence
• Karpal v Nasha feud: leave it to the duo, says PAS
• Uthayakumar’s lieutenant joins PKR
• PKR wants Lajim to contest both seats
• Chamil openly apologises to Seputeh MP
• Prove claims, Anwar told
• Offensive against Pak Lah a ‘distraction’
• ‘Judges still probing Scorpene deal’

Battle to win over the fence sitters Posted: 12 Oct 2012 06:04 PM PDT Umno youth believes 50% of Penangites have yet to decide which way they will vote in the general election Hawkeye, FMT Penang Umno Youth believes that 50% of about one million registered voters in the state have yet to make up their minds on who they will support in the next general election. The battle for the hearts and minds of voters is between incumbents, Pakatan Rakyat, led by DAP and BN, with a handful of alternative political voices trying to create an upset. State Umno Youth head, Sheikh Hussein Mydin, said the feedback from certain quarters showed that over 50% of the voters here remained as fence sitters. "We believed that out of the remaining 50%, about 25% are Pakatan loyalists while the remainder are BN supporters or members." Sheikh Hussein said in view of the high number of fence sitters, DAP cannot claim that it has consummated all support from the Chinese. "Likewise, Umno also cannot claim that it has the undivided support of the Malay voters," said Sheikh Hussein. "We hope that Pakatan can shed the arrogance plaguing their administration. Be humble as voters here can swing either way. The pendulum theory works well in Penang." After the 1990 general election, DAP had denied BN its customary two-thirds in the state legislative assembly, causing a surprise when DAP strongman Lim Kit Siang defeated the then Chief Minister, the late Lim Chong Eu in the Padang Kota state seat. When the 1995 election emerged, DAP was poised to either repeat its electoral performance or capture Penang but it didn't materialise. History may repeat itself Instead, the voters handed DAP a crushing defeat with pundits placing the blame on Kit Siang's overly aggressive campaign of using the "Robocop" posters to intimidate voters. History may repeat itself, as Kit Siang's son Lim Guan Eng, the present CM is said to be waging an aggressive campaign of his own, bordering on arrogance, Sheikh Hussein claimed. Nonetheless, BN has adjusted well to its role of opposition, Sheikh Hussein said, adding that the only drawback is that Guan Eng and his leaders apparently cannot stomach criticism. READ MORE HERE

DAP’s ‘secular’ stand not anti-Islam, says Kit Siang Posted: 12 Oct 2012 05:53 PM PDT Ida Lim, The Malaysian Insider The DAP's secular stand does not mean that it is anti-Islam or anti-God, its parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang said today as the party comes under renewed attack by certain religious conservatives accusing it of plotting to turn mainly Muslim Malaysia into a Christian state. The DAP's stand that Malaysia is a secular nation is shared by the country's first three prime ministers, Lim (picture) said in a statement. "All throughout the DAP's 46-year history, the DAP has been constant and consistent in the stand, which is also that of the first three Prime Ministers, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak and Tun Hussein, that Malaysia is a democratic, multi-racial, secular and multi-religious nation with Islam as the official religion but Malaysia is not an Islamic State," Lim said. The Ipoh-Timor MP also said that DAP's secular stand is not "anti-Islam" or "anti-religion", saying that the party actually defends and enhances Malaysia's multi-religious nature. "By 'secular', we do not mean anti-religion, anti-God, anti-Islam, anti-Christianity, anti-Buddhism, anti-Hinduism or anti-Sikhism but a state polity which is morality-based and pro-Islam, pro-Christianity, pro-Buddhism, pro-Hinduism and pro-Sikhism in defending and enhancing the multi-religious characteristics and diversity of the Malaysian nation." Two lawmakers – former PKR MP who turned independent and pledged allegiance to the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition Zulkifli Noordin and renegade PAS leader Nasharuddin Mat Isa – had again raised the allegations, which top Pakatan Rakyat (PR) opposition leaders have attacked as a move to scare away Muslim voters from voting for the opposition pact in the 13th general elections. READ MORE HERE

Expand democratic space to get young involved, says Saifuddin Posted: 12 Oct 2012 05:25 PM PDT (Bernama) - The national democratic process and structure must be broadened and deepened for direct involvement of the young generation in the decision-making process. Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said the young generation tend to be sceptical about politics, but have confidence in the democratic practice. "To get their confidence, democracy must be improved. In many ways, transform the process and the structure, the institution of democracy, which will place democracy in its rightful place," he said at a Youth and Local Democracy Forum at the Penang Institute here last night.   The forum, organised by Akademi Pak Sako director Dr Afif Baharudin, had Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar and a young activist from Diskopi Group, Teo Lee Ken, as panel members. Saifuddin said the young had a very important position and they should be placed as a component of society which moved together with the federal government, state governments and local governments, in formulating policies. "There were times the voice of the young were heard and interpreted as policy. For example, if we follow the chronology, it started with students asking for Bahasa Malaysia be used as an intermediate language in Universiti Malaya. "Students were among those demanding for the setting up of a university using the national language, resulting in the birth of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Students, were among the most vocal in asking for the setting up of an Islamic university and an Islamic Bank which were subsequently set up," he said. He said normally the young generation had three demands which must be met, namely, they wanted their voice to be heard, their roles recognised and their issues settled appropriately. Teo suggested the authorities create an official network to involve the young directly in administrative matters and the formulation of policies at state government and federal level. "If one notices, the young are being given selective treatment. Their involvement is more prominent in culture and entertainment but they are sidelined economically, socially and politically," he said. He said democracy requires the total involvement of the you

Up to A-G’s Chambers whether to prosecute Suaram, says Zahid Posted: 12 Oct 2012 05:20 PM PDT (Bernama) - The government will leave it to the Attorney-General's Chambers to decide whether to take legal action against Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) for harping on the purchase of Scorpene submarines. Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said despite his explanation in Parliament and news conferences over the purchase, Suaram was undaunted in its campaign over alleged irregularities in the procurement of two French Scorpene submarines by the government.  "I think they have to stop harping on this issue as I have clarified that the purchase adhered to the guidelines stipulated by the Finance Ministry.  "It seems that they (Suaram) are playing a part in advancing a political agenda for other people. They should be more responsible and file reports based on facts," he told reporters after a walkabout here today.  A prominent French government prosecutor has denied reports circulating among some Malaysian online news portals of an ongoing trial in France, on allegations of corruption by a French company over the purchase of two French-made Scorpene submarines by Malaysia in 2002.  Yves Charpenel said the media in Malaysia should be able to distinguish between rumours and facts, and between investigations and a trial.  Suaram applied for a judicial review in the French courts in November 2009 over suspected commissions involved in the submarine purchase.

PAS has gained from partnership with DAP, says Hadi Posted: 12 Oct 2012 05:16 PM PDT (Bernama) - PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang today reiterated that the party had gained a lot through its partnership with the DAP. He said the co-operation with the DAP had helped PAS gain support from non-Malays which resulted in the party getting to administer two states in the federation. "Through our close co-operation with the DAP, we also got to administer Perak (before the opposition pact lost the state to the Barisan Nasional (BN)). In fact, we also had gained when we were co-operating with the BN before we pulled out of the ruling coalition (at the Federal level) in 1978," he told reporters after delivering a talk at Maahad Tahfiz Tok Jiring in Kampung Tok Jiring here.  Yesterday, PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat had said PAS needed the DAP to secure support among non-Malays in the upcoming 13th general election.  Asked to comment on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's statement yesterday that the opposition's shadow Cabinet was just a ploy to confuse the people for political gain, Abdul Hadi said PAS did not need this (shadow Cabinet) to increase its political strength.

'Many guards not paid RM700' Posted: 12 Oct 2012 02:12 PM PDT (NST) - Some private security companies in Peninsular Malaysia have allegedly failed to adhere to the minimum wage of RM700 for security guards, said the National Peninsular Malaysia Security Guard Union. Its general-secretary, M. Subramaniam, had called on the government to look into such errant companies. Under the new wage scheme, which took effect at the end of January, a security guard's salary should amount to RM1,200, including overtime. At present, their salaries are between RM450 and RM750, depending on their work locations. "Many companies are only paying RM550 as basic salary for their security guards, while the balance of RM150 is given as allowance." He said the companies which did not adhere to the new wage scheme were mostly those not registered with the Home Ministry, or with guards association. "Worse, most of the guards employed by these companies are foreigners." Subramaniam added that despite warnings from the Labour Department, there was no improvement. The Labour Department could not be reached for comment.

Soi Lek slams Pakatan’s Budget 2013 Posted: 12 Oct 2012 01:46 PM PDT (The Star) - The small and medium enterprises (SMEs) will suffer the most if Pakatan Rakyat implements its version of Budget 2013. Pakatan's proposal for a minimum wage of RM1,100 would hurt SMEs, leading to many of them going bust, said MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek. "A jump from RM800 to RM900 is still acceptable," he pointed out. "But it will affect many of these companies if they have to endure a 30% increase from RM800 to RM1,100. "And when these companies go bankrupt, many will lose their jobs," he said after opening the Huat Tian Keong Temple's 59th anniversary dinner on Thursday. Dr Chua said Pakatan's populist Budget 2013 was designed to fish for votes. Dr Chua also said the possibility of PAS amending the Federal Constitution to implement hudud laws was "very likely" should they take over Putrajaya. He cited Terengganu as an example when PAS took over the state government in 1999 and then amended the state constitution. He stressed that even now, PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu had declared the party's intention to do the same if Pakatan came into power. On an unrelated matter, Dr Chua said he had met with Perak Wanita MCA chief Datuk Heng Seai Kie and explained the lobbying carried out by a deputy minister to contest the Gopeng parliamentary seat. "I consider that issue to be resolved," he said. It was reported on Sept 18 that Heng hoped to meet Dr Chua to gain a better understanding on the issue after denying she was the deputy minister concerned. Dr Chua had warned a deputy minister to stop lobbying via another Barisan Nasional component party in contesting for that seat.

Khairy slams ruling on dress code Posted: 12 Oct 2012 01:43 PM PDT (The Star) - PAS is encroaching upon the rights of non-Muslims with the latest ruling by Alor Setar City Council requiring them to be "decently attired" on billboards, says Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaludin. He questioned the council's need to impose more conditions when the existing ruling for models on billboards would surely have stipulated similar requirements. "I'm sure that in other parts of Malaysia, models need to be appropriately dressed for billboard advertisements. "Why does the council need to have more rulings? "This shows that PAS is encroaching upon the rights of non-Muslims and it is alarming," he said here yesterday. The council has come under fire for following Kelantan in implementing a ruling that requires non-Muslim models to be "decently attired" on billboards. A newspaper quoted mayor Datuk Mat Noh Ahmad as saying that those who flouted the rule would be slapped with a RM300 fine and have their billboards removed. Khairy said the ruling was also "vague" as it did not state what it considered to be "decently attired". MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said PAS-led state government policies were starting to affect the non-Muslims. "They say the Chinese should only be worried about how they do business. So, look at this policy which has already affected Chinese businesses. "Every time they create policies like these, the first to be affected are the Chinese," he said in Wisma MCA, adding that decent attire was a "subjective matter". "For example, boys these days have spiky hair but my hair points downwards. Spiky hair may seem indecent to certain people. "The government should not be involved in this kind of business. It is totally wrong," he said. In ALOR SETAR, the city council denied coming up with the ruling. Clarifying that he had never stated that those flouting the ruling would be fined RM300 and have their billboards removed, Mat Noh said: "I only advised the advertisers to have female Muslim models wear the tudung. "For non-Muslim models, their attire displayed on billboards should be appropriate." He said "appropriate" meant that the clothes should not be revealing.

Najib: Political donation was proper Posted: 12 Oct 2012 01:38 PM PDT (The Star) - The RM40mil given to Sabah Umno was a political donation, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. "Every political party has a right to receive political donations," he said, adding that the political donation was done in a proper and acceptable manner. Najib declined to reveal the source and added that the Opposition also received political donations. "The Opposition also receives donations and they don't disclose," Najib said after chairing the Barisan Nasional supreme council meeting. A timber trader Michael Chia was detained in Hong Kong in 2008 with RM40mil reportedly meant for Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman. The MACC began investigating the case soon after. However, on Thursday, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz had disclosed in Parliament that Musa and Chia had been cleared of corruption allegations. "The funds were actually contributions made to Sabah Umno and not for the personal use of the Chief Minister," Nazri had said. On another matter, Najib said he had met currency speculator George Soros two years ago. "I met Soros upon his request after he had met Tun Mahathir. It was merely a courtesy call. "There was nothing untoward, nothing sinister and nothing to worry about," said Najib. The Prime Minister said nothing much was discussed and reiterated that it was merely a social call. He said the crux of the matter should be what was discussed at the meeting and not that he had met Soros. "We did not discuss how to topple the government or to get funding," said Najib. Earlier at a press conference Najib said the Opposition often confused the people by giving opposing messages among themselves. He cited the shadow Cabinet as an example and said there were so many contradictory statements about it. Najib explained that under the Westminster democracy system, the Opposition must form a shadow Cabinet. He added that one of the purposes of forming a shadow Cabinet is to show the people if the Opposition team was capable or not.

Suaram decries ‘police extortionists’ Posted: 11 Oct 2012 07:30 PM PDT The NGO criticises the police force for their alleged practice of seeking cash in exchange for information or other favours from family members of those detained. Teoh El Sen, FMT Suaram lambasted the police over what appears to be a prevailing culture of their officers requesting bribes from family members in exchange for information on the whereabouts of their detained loved ones. The latest allegation involves the wife of death in custody victim, P Chandran, who said she was asked to pay RM300 for information on her husband just before he died in detention. N Selvi said she attempted to check with the police on the whereabouts of her husband so that she could pass him medication for hypertension problem. "Suaram is gravely concerned at the steady repetition of corrupt practices by the police," said Suaram coordinator R Thevarajan. He said that this was not the first time such allegations have been brought to Suaram's attention. In one instance, said Thevarajan, police had requested RM13,000 as "release fee" from parents of teenagers detained under the Emergency Ordinance in 2011. He also said that according to Suaram's records, police have, throughout the years, never claimed any responsibility for the death of detainees. "Suaram is perturbed at the cause of death and recounts that every death-in-custody was either attributed to the victim's health or passed off as a case of accident," he said. Thuggish attitude Suaram wants the officer-in-charge of the Dang Wangi lock-up, where Chandran was detained, to produce his daily journal for "scrutiny and an independent inquest". READ MORE HERE

PKR won’t be taking action against Faekah Posted: 11 Oct 2012 02:26 PM PDT (The Star) - PKR is not taking any action against the Selangor Mentri Besar's political aide Faekah Husin despite calls for her to be sacked following her criticisms against party deputy president Azmin Ali. PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution said the matter involving Faekah was not even discussed at its political bureau meeting on Wednesday. "We are not referring her to the disciplinary committee," he said, adding that the party certainly won't be taking any disciplinary action against Faekah for now. Saifuddin was commenting on calls by some party leaders for Faekah to be sacked for criticising Azmin, who had implied that her boss Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim would not be retained as Selangor Mentri Besar. Selangor PKR election director Borhan Aman Shah had said Faekah should be sacked immediately for publicly criticising state chief Azmin. The MB's deputy Zuraida Kamaruddin had also hit back at Faekah for saying that Azmin was not a smart politician. Saifuddin said the political bureau had discussed the divisions' AGM reports during the meeting. "We also discussed the latest status of our election preparations and other current issues," he added. Many observers had viewed the Khalid-Faekah-Azmin feud with interest as the aide was known to have the support of PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail while Azmin had the backing of party leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. "As Faekah is working under Khalid, Khalid is seen indirectly as having Wan Azizah's backing," said a party insider.

Teng slams ex-DAP men Posted: 11 Oct 2012 02:10 PM PDT (The Star) - Selangor Speaker Datuk Teng Chang Khim has hit out at four DAP former members for demonstrating near the state assembly building, saying their action insulted the House. He said the group should have brought their grouses to the attention of the relevant authorities instead of staging the demonstration. The four former members were unhappy that their complaints to the Selangor Special Select Committee on Competency, Accountability and Transparency (Selcat) against several DAP leaders who they claimed were involved in corrupt practices were not investigated. They held a peaceful demonstration at the building yesterday. Former Serdang DAP member Yap Kon Min, who represented the group made up of members from the recently dissolved Sungai Pelek branch, told reporters he had brought three alleged corruption cases to Selcat since May but nothing had been done. The cases involved four DAP leaders and officials Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching's personal assistant, Chan Hung Guan, Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng, DAP member Tiew Way Keng and Kajang councillor Lee Kee Hiong. Teng said Selcat did not investigate crime and corruption cases as its power was only confined to issues relating to the state administration. "Bringing such issues and demonstrating near the state assembly was kind of insulting the House," he said. Yap made several allegations against Chan relating to Teo's service centre and a MPPJ contrac "Is Selcat going to investigate these matters? Or is it a kangaroo court that supports only DAP representatives? We do not want the committee to sweep these (matters) under the rug," he said. Lim said he had filed a defamation suit against Yap for his allegations. He, however, refused to elaborate, saying the issue was now a court matter. Teo, Tiew and Lee, could not be reached for comments.

Anwar gets into PAS’ bad books Posted: 11 Oct 2012 02:01 PM PDT (The Star) - PAS Youth has joined the fray in denouncing a book launched by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim that suggests Islam is not a good basis to set up a nation. Its chief Nasrudin Hassan said the wing fully supported the statement by the party's deputy spiritual leader Datuk Dr Haron Din, who criticised the book and the Opposition leader for associating himself with the book's author, former Indian MP Mubasyar Jawid Akbar. Mubasyar in the book Tinder Box: The Past and The Future of Pakistan suggests that Islam is only a basis to form a brotherhood and not a basis to form a country. Nasrudin said the wing supported Haron's statement that the development of an Islamic nation should centre around Islamic principles and teachings. He was responding to Haron's recent criticism against Anwar for launching Mubasyar's book at the Royal Lake Club in Kuala Lumpur. The book launch was also attended by Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim. Haron expressed regret that PKR had given Mubasyar the opportunity to present his liberal views in Malaysia. Denouncing Mubasyar's book, Nasrudin said Islam should not be limited as a basis to forge ties between the ummah. PAS rejected such liberal Islamic doctrines, said Nasrudin, stressing that Islam could even be used as a guide to resolve national woes. "Islam complements all aspects of life including the establishment and administration of a nation." Islam emphasised a trustworthy administration that was free from graft and leakage, and on the welfare of the rakyat, he said.

Absent Datuk forces businesswoman to part with RM700,000 bail Posted: 11 Oct 2012 01:57 PM PDT (The Star) - A Datuk, convicted of cheating and using forged documents involving almost RM12mil, had his appeal struck out as he was absent in court. The failure of his bailor to appear and produce him in court also caused her RM700,000 bail to be forfeited. High Court judge Justice Amelia Tee Hong Geok Abdullah struck out the appeal filed by Datuk Paiman Shakimon against his jail term and conviction. "The appeal is struck out as the appellant (Paiman) has no interest (to continue his appeal)," Justice Tee ruled. Justice Tee forfeited the bail, saying that the bailor, businesswoman Dr Norma Ahmad, 55, had been given a last chance to produce Paiman in court. (Justice Tee had on Sept 21 heard a show-cause proceeding, where Dr Norma was asked to explain why her RM700,000 house used as a collateral for Paiman's bail should not be forfeited and she was given a last chance to produce Paiman in court yesterday. (Dr Norma had said that she had gone to Paiman's house three times but was unable to meet him. DPP Syed Faisal had also said police had gone to Paiman's house in Country Heights, Kajang, three times but could not execute the July 20 arrest warrant issued against him.) Paiman, 53, was sentenced by the Sessions Court here to 13 years jail on two counts of cheating and two counts of using forged documents involving almost RM12mil. Justice Tee also issued a warrant to commit Paiman to jail. Sessions judge Jagjit Singh ruled in April last year that Paiman's defence was a mere denial and that he did not find him credible. Syed Faisal told the judge that Paiman had failed to appear in court although he had previously contacted his former lawyer Gobind Singh Deo to file a petition of appeal. "Gobind Singh discharged himself from acting for him at the last proceedings," Syed Faisal added. Paiman had pleaded not guilty on Sept 28, 2007, to cheating businessman Datuk Rosidi Kamaruddin, 60, into paying him RM3.8mil after inducing him to believe that a roll-over programme investment scheme was approved by Bank Negara and was profitable. He had also claimed trial to duping lawyer Datuk Liew Teck Keong, 57, into paying him RM8mil after convincing him the same scheme was valid. Paiman faced two other charges of using 28 forged documents in his dealings with both Rosidi and Liew.

SWP hit by ‘financial’ setbacks? Posted: 11 Oct 2012 01:43 PM PDT Sarawak Workers Party which trumpeted its plans to contest in six constituencies held by rival Parti Rakyat Sarawak may end the polls with a whimper. Joseph Tawie, FMT KUCHING: Has the five-month old Sarawak Workers Party (SWP) hit a financial snag? The party which seemed to have made a good start in the beginning in Selangau parliamentary constituency is now suffering from a serious setbacks. Some 700 SWP members in the Kakus constituency have reportedly resigned from the party. No reason has been given for their resignations, but it is believed it had something to do with 'broken promises' of financial rewards. SWP's de facto leader Sng Chee Hua who is tipped to contest in the constituency has been campaigning hard against Joseph Entulu, who is deputy Minister of Regional and Rural Development. Entulu is also deputy president of Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS). A source close to the Sng said it is a 'major blow' for the SWP de facto leader. SWP is led by Sng's son Larry (photo), who is former Pelagus assemblyman. "The resignations of the members have surprised Sng. Even the service centre of SWP in Tatau has been dismantled by the owner of the shop allegedly for non-payment of rental. "This is a major blow to Sng, who is trying to make a political comeback," said the source who declined to be named. Sng in his early 60s was a one-term member of parliament of Julau from 1995. Besides Selangau, SWP has expressed its intention to contest against PRS in five other seats namely Julau, Kanowit, Ulu Rajang, Lubok Antu and Sri Aman. The source said that three members of the party's supreme council have threatened to resign if the promises made to them are not going to be fulfilled. Losing interest According to the source, SWP leaders who are potential candidates have been promised a monthly allowance of RM10,000. As a result of this promise, two of them resigned their posts, one from a government-linked company and the other from a private university. "For the past three months, all six potential candidates have been directed to go to the ground and to use their money first after which they would be reimbursed. "Up to last week they have not been reimbursed and have not received the allowance of RM10,000 otherwise they would resign from the party," said the source. READ MORE HERE

Bersih leaders stopped on police order Posted: 11 Oct 2012 01:32 PM PDT The names of Bersih leaders are on the police list, says the Immigration Department.  Teoh El Sen, FMT The Immigration Department was acting on the directive of the police when it stopped Bersih leaders at the airports as they were departing or re-entering the country. According to the department, the Bukit Aman police headquarters has a list of names of several Bersih leaders. "We're following SOP [Standard Operating Procedure]. If the name (given to us) is in our system, then we need to check the entry and exit of that person," the department's director-general Alias Ahmad told FMT. He said that in the case of Bersih 2.0 co-chairman S Ambiga, the department followed the police directive which stated that "every transaction of this person needs to be reported to the Special Branch officers attached to the airport". "So when we found her name on the list, we called the police, and they came and took over from us to interview her. That was it. We didn't arrest or detain her," he said. "To me this is not harassment," he said, alluding to Ambiga's allegation that she has been Bersih leaders who claimed they have been harassed at airports when they were stopped. Pressed for more details on the "police directive", Alias could not answer. He also could not verify the names of the Bersih leaders. "We do not know why their names are on the list. We are just the implementer, the gatekeepers. "It is the same with a bankrupt person… his name will show up on the computer too," he said. On Tuesday, Ambiga was stopped for about 10 minutes when she about to board a flight to Australia. The officers who detained her could not provide an answer as to why she was stopped. She then claimed she was being 'deliberately harassed' by the authorities. Ambiga was the fifth Bersih steering committee member to be stopped by immigration officers while travelling overseas. Last week, Bersih steering committee member Andrew Khoo was also stopped on his way to Bangkok. He was also stopped again when he returned. Steering committee members Maria Chin Abdullah, Yeo Yang Poh and Wong Chin Huat have also been subjected to similar treatment in September. An attempt to get an official response from the police failed as calls to Bukit Aman public relations head ACP Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf went unanswered.

UN: Third of world’s population has Internet Posted: 11 Oct 2012 01:20 PM PDT (AFP) - GENEVA: More than a third of the world's population is online while mobile phone uptake increased by more than 600 million in 2011 to around six billion, a UN agency said yesterday. But the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) highlighted huge disparities in the cost of services, with the poorer parts of the world tending to pay the most. "On the back of the increase in broadband services worldwide, the number of people using the Internet grew by 11 percent over the past year … ie, 2.3 billion people," the ITU said in its 2012 report on information and communication technologies (ICT). In terms of affordability, Macau, Norway and Singapore topped the list of 161 countries featured in the report. Madagascar came bottom, just behind Togo and Niger. In Africa, Internet connectivity prices were almost seven times higher than in the Americas, and 20 times higher than Europe in 2011. Mobile phones with broadband showed the sharpest growth of all ICT sectors between 2010 and 2011, the agency said, with almost 1.1 billion subscriptions by the end of 2011. Despite a surge in mobile phone broadband, "prices for ICT services remain very high in many low-income countries," said Brahima Sanou, director of the ITU's Telecommunication Development Bureau. Income from the telecommunication sector reached $1.5 trillion (1.2 trillion euros) in 2010, around 2.4 percent of the world's gross domestic product, the report said.

Ex-Pakatan man revives ‘Christian Malaysia’ report, shows ‘proof’ in Parliament Posted: 10 Oct 2012 10:29 PM PDT Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider An independent federal lawmaker today sought to revive last year's "Christian Malaysia" allegations against the DAP, revealing in Parliament what he claimed was photographic evidence of an alleged plot by party leaders and foreign clergymen to turn the country into a Christian state. Zulkifli Noordin (IND-Kulim Bandar Baharu) urged Putrajaya to investigate the matter, saying the Malay community, as the country's dominant ethnic group, have compromised too much over the years. "Imagine if it was revealed that imams and mosque authorities had helped Barisan Nasional (BN) to win the polls... what would have happened then? They (opposition) would not have kept silent," he told the House when debating Budget 2013 this evening. The former PKR lawmaker said he was in possession of photographic proof of a thanksgiving held in Penang last year on May 5, shortly after the Sarawak state election on April 16, where DAP leaders and a group of local and foreign clergymen had prayed to install a Christian Prime Minister and turn the country into a Christian state. Listing those in attendance, which he said included priests and pastors from United Kingdom and South Africa, Zulkifli said it was also admitted during the dinner that foreign churches were willing to channel funds to help the opposition's political struggle here. "The priest from South Africa said he was invited to observe the Sarawak polls, and that he was disappointed in how the Christians have been sidelined in Malaysia, especially on the AlKitab Malay language bibles issue. "He requested that something is done to help spread Christianity here and said that money is not a problem and that the churches in Africa are ready to help." The independent lawmaker had raised the matter when attempting to draw links with the latest claim by PAS MP Nasharuddin Mat Isa, who had alleged of a similar thanksgiving ceremony in Sarawak. Speaking at a press conference later, Zulkifli maintained that his remarks were based on actual proof of the dinner function, which he said he had obtained from "sources". "My main concern here is on the involvement of foreign clergymen in our country's politics. Not only are they involved in terms of their physical presence in our country, but they have also promised funds to the opposition. "This is direct interference and this is my concern." He, however, refused to release the photographs to the media, but denied that it was because he was afraid to be sued by the DAP. "Why don't you go back and ask your boss — is Zulkifli Noordin a coward? "Put it in that way you know... do not spin. I am never one who is afraid of anybody," he retorted to the reporter who asked for the photographs, adding later a challenge to DAP leaders to deny his remarks today. Zulkifli's revelation today was first exposed in May last year in a front-page article on Umno-owned daily Utusan Malaysia headlined "Malaysia negara Kristian? (Malaysia a Christian country?)". READ MORE HERE

NGOs say Suaram misrepresented itself as plaintiff in Scorpene inquiry Posted: 10 Oct 2012 06:48 PM PDT (From left) Dzulkarnain, Mohd Mustaffa Hamzah (Muslims Consumers Association of Malaysia), Sharifuddin Abdul Hamid (Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia) and Shahbudin Embun (Malays Consultative Council) at the press conference in Kuala Lumpur October 11, 2012. — Picture by Choo Choy May  Ida Lim, The Malaysian Insider Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) had misrepresented itself as a plaintiff to a French inquiry of the multi-billion Scorpene submarine deal, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) alleged today. "We view the claim that SUARAM has been accepted or recognised as 'civil party' (plaintiff) as a biggest lie in the country's political history..." Dzulkarnain Taib, president of the Young Journalists Club, said at a press conference today. "This means that the case by Suaram in relation to Scorpene has been thrown out by the French court since March 2012," he claimed. Dzulkarnain pointed to a court document dated March 13 this year, signed by the French judiciary, purportedly rejecting SUARAM as plaintiff for the Scorpene inquiry as proof. He claimed that SUARAM's lawyers had applied for the human rights watchdog to be made a "joint civil party" (joint plaintiff) together with the International Federation for Human Rights, based on a court document dated March 16 this year. But Dzulkarnain said the French judiciary have yet to decide on whether to allow SUARAM to be a joint plaintiff over the inquiry into the Scorpene deal. He declined to show the two court documents to reporters, saying that it will be revealed at an "opportune time". He gave the court reference number for the documents instead, with the first being "No du Parquet:1115196025 and No Instruction: 2292/12/4" and the second being "No Parquet: 1115106025 and No Instruction: 20F/11/52". Other NGOs present at the press conference include the Muslims Consumers Association of Malaysia, Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia and Malays Consultative Council.

Raja Nazrin: Desecrating flag an attack on nation’s sovereignty Posted: 10 Oct 2012 06:40 PM PDT (Bernama) - The Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Dr Nazrin Shah today likened the act of desecrating the national flag, Jalur Gemilang, which is one of the national symbols, as an attack on the nation's sovereignty. "Whatever our political or ideological differences, our national symbols belong to all citizens. By allowing these symbols to be trashed, we are opening ourselves up to a host of consequences, including the possibility of inflaming passions, inviting tit-for-tat retaliation and so forth. "Hate and anger are some of the most powerful human emotions. When they take hold of society, they are difficult, and oftentimes impossible, to control. "Our national symbols should therefore be placed above the political fray," he said at the launching of the "Brand Transformer" and Malaysia Brand Forum 2012, here, today. Raja Nazrin said the act of desecrating a flag was more than one individual's statement of disrespect and criticism. "The act is deliberately designed to insult what many others treasure and consider a source of pride and joy. Whatever one may think of the rights of individuals to express themselves, the larger consequences of their actions cannot and should not be ignored." Raja Nazrin said some countries had enacted specific laws to protect their national symbols, such as Austria, France, Germany and Switzerland which had imposed specific penalties for the desecration of their national flags. "Other countries protect their national symbols under existing general laws aimed at ensuring law and order, preventing subversion and hate crimes." Raja Nazrin also expressed concern over the tendency of some quarters to discredit and undermine the national symbols that play such an important role in Malaysian national life. "I am also concerned about the extent to which some are pushing against the institutional pillars that are holding up this nation." He said there were at least two reasons why this might be the case. One, is a fundamental misunderstanding of how individual rights and freedoms are to be exercised within the context of a nation. The other is the impact of generational change in eroding the significance, meanings and value of nation building and its symbols. Raja Nazrin said human beings had always craved for freedom, however, "if boundaries are disregarded in the exercise of individual freedoms, we will end up weakening rather than strengthening the bonds that bind us as a nation". "We need to instil in our young a sense of responsibility and community". As with generational change, he said: "With each passing generation, people become less familiar with the circumstances around which this country was formed and built. "That is why I cannot over-emphasise enough the need for both well-thought and well-taught history in our schools. "In this way, our students can better appreciate and respect the national institutions and symbols around us. This appreciation and respect are clearly missing when national symbols are deliberately desecrated." Raja Nazrin said as a mutlicultural and multireligious country, Malaysia's national symbols such the Jalur Gemilang, National Coat of Arms or Jata Negara, the royal institution, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the nine Malay Rulers, were important as more than just cultural artefacts and reminders of historical traditions. "The national symbols we have constructed with such care and invested with such great social meaning play a much larger and critical function to this nation. "That function is to serve as an anchor for us to hold on to, and a guidepost to give us direction, whenever we face challenges and crises as a nation. "They therefore do not just belong to the past but are relevant — even essential — to our nation's present and future. They are, if you like, the 'Template of the Nation'." Raja Nazrin also said that good nation-building was all about political, economic and social inclusiveness, and the national symbols that had been devised were specifically designed to promote this inclusiveness. "They must therefore be cherished, respected and protected, as their aim is to unify rather than keep apart, to integrate rather than to segregate," he added.

Umno MP to go to jail after court upholds conviction Posted: 10 Oct 2012 06:28 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - Umno's Sabak Bernam MP Datuk Abdul Rahman Bakri will have to serve his jail sentence after the Shah Alam High Court upheld today his conviction March for making false claims. Abdul Rahman and his aide Rosli Busro were sentenced by a Sessions Court in March to six years' jail and fined RM400,000 each for making false claims. But the court had then granted them a stay of execution pending appeal. Today, Shah Alam High Court judge Datuk Akhtar Tahir dismissed the appeal and also rejected an application for a stay of execution. The judge also ordered the sentence carried out immediately. In March the Sessions Court had found the two guilty on eight counts of making false claims totalling RM80,000 for events that never took place four years ago. The Barisan Nasional (BN) lawmaker was accused of committing the offences while a Sungai Air Tawar assemblyman before Election 2008. The 47-year-old was charged under Section 11(c) of the Anti-Corruption Act 1997 in November 2009 with falsely claiming RM10,000 each time between January 21 and February 4, 2008. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had said in March that Abdul Rahman had been stripped of his party divisional post, but remained an Umno MP. In making his ruling today, Akhtar dismissed arguments made by Abdul Rahman's lawyer to reject the testimony of two witnesses — Mohd Harmizar and Rizam ismail — because it was alleged that they were also accomplices in the criminal acts. "I have read the testimony of the two witnesses and I do not consider them accomplices," said the judge, who added that he considered the two men merely followed Abdul Rahman's instructions. He added that the accounts given by the two men were corroborated by other witnesses. Akhtar said it was clear that Abdul Rahman and Rosli had the intention to make the false claims, and this was proven when the money was used for their own purposes and not stated in their claims. Abdul Rahman, 47, had been found guilty of making claims from his allocation as state legislator for events and activities that did not take place. The claims were for the purchase of gifts, souvenirs and meals for events listed as Program Motivasi Pelajar Peringkat Dewan Undangan Negeri Sungai Air Tawar; Program Mesra Rakyat dan Hari Keluarga di Dewan Simpang 4 Bagan Nakhoda Omar (BNO); Program Forum Perdana Peringkat Mukim BNO; Program Mesra Rakyat dan Sambutan Maulud Nabi and Program Mesra Rakyat Hari Keluarga Guru Kemas.

CCM resubmits investigation paper on Suaram-linked firm to A-G Posted: 10 Oct 2012 06:04 PM PDT Ida Lim, The Malaysian Insider he Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM) has resubmitted the investigation paper on a company linked to Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) for misleading accounts to the Attorney-General's Chambers, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today. "CCM has submitted completed investigation paper to A-G last week. Now is up to A-G on his further action," the domestic trade, co-operative and consumerism minister told The Malaysian Insider when contacted. He confirmed that the investigation paper was still for "misleading accounts" by the human rights watchdog's company Suara Inisiatif Sdn Bhd. He said there was "nothing from A-G yet" when asked if the A-G's Chambers had decided to bring charges against Suara Inisiatif. Two weeks ago, Ismail reportedly said CCM was gathering the additional information required before resubmitting the investigation paper on Suara Inisiatif to the A-G's Chambers. It was previously reported that the A-G's Chambers had returned the investigation paper to CCM on September 19 as it could not draft charges based on the incomplete paper. Suaram has been at the forefront of exposing alleged corruption in the multibillion ringgit Scorpene submarine deal this past year but has in turn been the subject of investigation into its funding, along with several other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and news portal Malaysiakini.

MCA, DAP to face off in hudud debate Posted: 10 Oct 2012 05:11 PM PDT The Mandarin debate will be held in Wisma Teng Chin,Klang, at 8pm tonight.  Leven Woon, FMT In a rare move, leaders from both sides of the political divide will square off in a public debate tonight on the controversial hudud law. MCA Youth Publicity Bureau chief Kow Cheong Wei is taking on DAP's popular speaker Hew Kuan Yew in the debate titled "Hudud laws: Divert attention or potential threat?". The debate, which will be conducted in Mandarin, will begin at 8pm in Wisma Teng Chin, Jalan Langat, Klang. Organiser Radio Bangsar Utama presenter Teh Yee Keong said Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (Utar) lecturer Chin Chong Fah and PAS-linked scholar Kamal Koh will also be speaking at the forum. "Each of them will be given 15 minutes to elaborate on their their points, then a straight debate between Kow and Hew, followed by questions from the moderators and the audience," he said. The debate came in light of a survey done by Universiti Malaya's Center for Democracy and Elections last month which shows 42% of Malaysian Chinese agreed that hudud law can help eradicate crimes. Teh said it is good for leaders from DAP and MCA to engage in healthy discussion on the topic often seen as affecting only the Muslims. "MCA keeps saying that hudud law is a potential threat to the Chinese community, to which Pakatan has consistently denied and labelled it as a trick by Barisan Nasional government to divert public attention. "But the people want to know more about the real subject, and this kind of debate will encourage them to have healthy discussions," he said. Photo courtesy of We Fully Support DAP, PKR facebook page

MACC clears Musa Aman; RM40m was for Sabah Umno Posted: 10 Oct 2012 03:24 PM PDT Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has cleared Datuk Seri Musa Aman of graft and money laundering allegations after finding that the over S$16 million (RM40 million) allegedly channelled to the Sabah Chief Minister through corrupt means was meant for Sabah Umno's use. In a written reply released in Parliament today to a question by Chua Tian Chang (PKR-Batu) last week, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz said the Attorney-General's Chambers had shelved the matter after finding no element of corruption in the case, which was first raised by whistleblower site Sarawak Report earlier this year. "The funds were actually contributions made to the Sabah Umno liaison body and not for the chief minister's personal use," Nazri said in the reply. The minister added that Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has also investigated the case but "took no further action". "On the matter filed in the Switzerland courts, it was a MACMA (Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act) application by the ICAC seeking a probe on the same case. "The MACMA application has also been withdrawn for the same reason as stated above," he said. In April this year, Sarawak Report had revealed documents from the ICAC allegedly showing that a Sabah lawyer was holding some US$30 million in a Swiss bank account for Musa. The report claimed that a paper trail showed that the millions in euros, US, Hong Kong and Singapore dollars had been channelled from several firms managed by Hong Kong-based timber trader Michael Chia to a number of British Virgin Island companies and subsequently to the lawyer's Swiss account. Musa has since denied any link with Chia, who was arrested and charged with money laundering after attempting to smuggle S$16 million (RM40 million) back to Malaysia in 2008. According to media reports, Chia had at the time allegedly told the Hong Kong authorities that the money belonged to Musa. "I deny all these allegations. I wish to put it on record once again that I have no business association whatsoever with an individual named Michael Chia," the usually media-shy Musa had said in a statement. READ MORE HERE

Rise in child marriages worrying Posted: 10 Oct 2012 03:13 PM PDT (The Star) - The department received 75 marriage applications from underaged individuals in 2008, 99 in 2009 and 101 in 2010. Of the total, 90% involved girls under 16. The incidence of child marriages is on the rise, judging by statistics compiled from various sources. In Kedah alone, statistics from the state Islamic Religious Department show a 35% increase in marriage applications involving underaged individuals between 2008 and 2010. The department received 75 marriage applications from underaged individuals in 2008, 99 in 2009 and 101 in 2010. Of the total, 90% involved girls under 16. One of the reasons cited by parents for consenting to their underaged daughters to marry was that the girls were "too wild" and beyond their control. They felt that getting them married would be the best solution. Another was for economic relief. The majority of these cases reportedly were from Sik and Baling. The statistics are worrying as they show child marriage to be a significant problem in Malaysia, said United Nations Population Fund Malaysia (UNFPA) programme manager Saira Shameem. Today is the inaugural United Nations International Day of the Girl Child, with a focus on ending child marriages. UN statistics show that globally, as many as 10 millions girls are forcibly married before they turn 18, amounting to 25,000 girls every day. "In an economically-stable country like Malaysia, where women are educated and employed in high level jobs and where girls make up 60% of the students in tertiary education institutions, this should not be happening. "We need to address sexual and reproductive health education for our young. Studies have shown that age-appropriate sex education actually delays sexual debut. Sexual and reproductive health education will also help girls make more informed choices," said Saira. Rights activities are calling for urgent action to stop child marriages in Malaysia, pointing out the harmful impact of early marriage on girls, and to a lesser extent boys. In the human rights perspective, marriage marks the end of a child's adolescence and the curtailing of his or her freedom. Most girls who marry early also drop out of school and face health risks of early pregnancy and child birth. Worldwide, pregnancy-related deaths are the leading cause of mortality for 15 to 19 year-old girls. Under Malaysian law, the legal age for marriage for non-Muslims is 18. However, marriages are allowed for those between 16 and 18 with written consent from the chief minister. For Muslims, the legal age of marriage for males is 18 and females, 16. With the permission of the syariah court, however, Muslims can marry at any age. Sisters in Islam executive director Ratna Osman feels that the country's laws have to change, calling for the legal age for marriage for both Muslims and non-Muslims to be 18. "In this day and age, child marriages are just unacceptable. Is this what we want for Malaysia? We want the legal age for both male and female to be 18, and the absolute minimum for Muslim girls to be 16 but with strict conditions. "Among the conditions is that the minor has sufficient maturity to understand the nature and responsibilities of the marriage and that the judge consults respective experts to verify the child's readiness before issuing an approval," said Ratna.

‘Stop harassing Ambiga, Bersih leaders’ Posted: 10 Oct 2012 02:27 PM PDT WargaAman also wants the immigration department and the Home Ministry to reveal the list of NGO leaders who will face similar treatment. RK Anand, FMT The authorities must cease harassing Bersih co-chairperson S Ambiga and the electoral watchdog's steering committee members, demanded a coalition of NGOs. WargaAman secretary-general S Barathidasan also called on the Home Ministry and Immigration Department to reveal the names on their "to be stopped for 10 minutes at the airport" list. "We want to know who are the NGO leaders on this list and the reasons why they are being subjected to such harassment," he told FMT. Barathidasan was responding to news reports of how Ambiga was stopped at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport's auto-gate for 10 minutes without reason before boarding a flight to Australia on Tuesday night. Previously, several other Bersih steering committee members were also subjected to a similar treatment when travelling abroad. Barathidasan reminded the authorities that Bersih leaders were not enemies of the state but rather those struggling to uphold democratic principles for the betterment of this nation. "The movement has made eight demands but only one, the use of indelible ink has been accepted by the Election Commission. "These demands are not Bersih's alone but that of the rakyat, the tens of thousands who participated in the rallies and the millions more who were there in spirit," he said. Barathidasan said also questioned how immigration officers, with all their sophisticated equipment, let fugitive blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin and private investigator P Balasubramaniam slip out of the country. "If these officers are so vigilant, then it is beyond me how people like Raja Petra, Balasubramaniam and a host of wanted criminals could board flights without any hassle," he added. READ MORE HERE

DAP duo to lodge report against Nasharuddin Posted: 10 Oct 2012 02:04 PM PDT (NST) - Two prominent DAP leaders will lodge a police report against former Pas deputy president Nasharuddin Mat Isa for alleging that DAP held a thanksgiving function to pray for Malaysia to become a Christian state. DAP Sarawak chairman Wong Hoi Leng and secretary Chong Chieng Jen said they were "disgusted" with Nasharuddin's statement. However, they did not give an exact time frame when they would lodge the report. "After the Sarawak elections (last year), DAP held victory and thanksgiving dinners in Kuching, Sibu, Sarikei, Bintangor, Bintulu and Miri. "It is unbelievable that Nasharuddin did not even identify the event where the alleged prayer was made," he said at the Parliament lobby here yesterday. The duo said the thanksgiving was held merely to thank party members and volunteers who had worked in the state election and was not religious in nature. "We had also invited Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and Pas state leaders to attend the event." DAP also urged Nasharuddin to withdraw his allegations unconditionally and called upon the police to probe into the alleged remark. Nasharuddin's statement was also criticised by fellow Pas member, Shah Alam member of parliament Khalid Samad. "Nasharuddin's statement is ridiculous. " He did not inform us about his remark in any of Pas' meetings," Khalid said. "I question his motive in making the statement," said Khalid adding that Nasharuddin has begun to 'estrange' himself from the party. He said that Nasharuddin's fate would be left to the discretion of the Pas Syura Council. "What he said about DAP is his personal opinion and PAS does not share his sentiments."

Anwar, PKR under fire Posted: 09 Oct 2012 05:18 PM PDT (The Star) - A top PAS leader has lashed out at PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, while another is questioning the party's co-operation with the DAP. PAS deputy spiritual adviser Datuk Dr Haron Din reportedly questioned Anwar's association with a former MP from India who had allegedly belittled Islam, while former Sik MP Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Shahnon Ahmad said cooperating with the DAP was not in line with Islamic teachings. Joining the fray yesterday was former PAS deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa, who defended his two party colleagues for speaking up. Dr Haron's criticism followed Anwar's attendance at the launching of a book entitled Tinderbox: The Past and Future of Pakistan written by a former Indian MP Mobashar Jawed Akbar who was quoted by Antarapos.com as saying that Islam could not be used as the basis for establishing a country. The portal also quoted Akbar as saying during the event that if Islam was capable of that, then Singapore would not have separated from Malaysia. Haron expressed regret that PKR had given Akbar the opportunity to present his liberal views in Malaysia. Saying Anwar's association with Akbar did not involve PAS because he had his own ways of doing things, the portal quoted him as saying: "That is Anwar's politics and his politics is not based on Islam. So he is not like us." Nasharudin said Haron had a right to make his views known as he was the deputy Mursyidul Am of PAS. "What Shahnon said could be based on his observation of recent developments in PAS, especially the open statements by DAP leaders on the implementation of hudud,'' he added. Nasharudin said he supported the statements by both leaders and remained firm in his stand that PAS should re-examine its cooperation with the DAP.

Nasha plotting with Umno to destroy Pakatan, PAS leaders say Posted: 09 Oct 2012 05:12 PM PDT Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider Several PAS lawmakers today openly rebuked Nasharuddin Mat Isa for his latest attack against DAP, accusing the senior party leader of conspiring with Umno to cause a split in Pakatan Rakyat (PR) ahead of the next general election. Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad raised suspicion over the timing of Nasharuddin's latest anti-DAP statement, pointing out that "it was not yesterday" that both PAS and DAP had become partners in PR. "Read between the lines," Khalid said at a press conference in Parliament today, when commenting on Nasharuddin's "Christian conspiracy" allegation against DAP yesterday. He alleged that Nasharuddin, who currently sits as a member of PAS' highest decision making body, the Syura Council, was likely aiming to be punished by the PAS leadership when he made the statement during a speech in Putra World Trade Center (PWTC). "It looks like this is what he wants. It is so close to the elections. He has been sitting in the Syura Council all this time but has remained silent till now... it was not just yesterday that we were with DAP. "To me, this is an action planned and conspired by him with those on the outside... namely Umno," he said. Nasharuddin yesterday earned the ire of his DAP allies again when he revived the "Christian conspiracy" allegations against the secular party, an issue that has been used repeatedly by Malay right wing groups and hardliners in Umno purportedly to warn away the Malays from supporting PR. In a speech at PWTC, the former PAS deputy president reportedly alleged that DAP leaders had led prayers to turn Malaysia into a Christian state during a thanksgiving dinner held after the Sarawak state election in April last year. Rubbishing his colleague's words, Khalid asked Nasharuddin why he had not raised the matter before in the Syura Council of the PAS Central Working Committee (CWC). "Surely if he has proof and his words have basis, the PAS leadership would take action," the parliamentarian said. Furthermore, Khalid said, there was little sense to Nasharuddin's remarks as DAP's founding struggle was not for Christianity or any other religion. "They are a Democratic Action Party. Unlike PAS, where it is expressly stated in our Constitution that Islam forms our founding struggle, DAP is multireligious, multiracial and multicultural. "Is Karpal Singh (DAP chairman) a Christian? Are Lim Guan Eng (secretary-general), Lim Kit Siang (adviser) and Teng Chang Khim Christians?" he asked. PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub (picture), who was also present at the press conference with Khalid, later agreed with his colleague but said the matter should be left up to the Syura Council to deliberate on. Earlier today, several DAP lawmakers came out to deny the allegation and demanded that Nasharuddin wishdraw his remarks and issue a public apology to their party. READ MORE HERE

No room for dissent in DAP Posted: 09 Oct 2012 04:24 PM PDT (NST) - A former DAP leader yesterday cautioned those who wished to join the party that its top leadership do not have much tolerance for dissent. Wangsa Maju member of parliament (MP) Wee Choo Keong said the leadership style in the DAP had not changed since he left the party in 1998.    "If I'm not mistaken, more than 150 leaders have either been sacked, forced out or resigned due to their ability to be opinionative against the party leadership," he said.   Wee was commenting on recent reports where several groups who wanted to join DAP were prevented from forming new branches by the party leadership.   Wee said one was only encouraged to form branches that was in "alignment with the Lim dynasty", in reference to DAP supermo Lim Kit Siang and his son secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.   On Monday, it was reported that former DAP branch chairman of Taman Seri Sungai Pelek in Sepang had applied to establish six new branches but the party had never responded.   Last month, delegates at a Perak DAP convention had also accused party leaders of preventing members from forming new branches.   Wee said that it was highly unlikely that the relatively large number of former DAP leaders who were forced to leave the party over the years have all been 'bad apples'.   Some of these former DAP leaders included the then, Seputeh MP and national vice-chairman Liew Ah Kim, Sandakan MP and national treasurer Fung Ket Wing, DAP Penang chief Teoh Teik Huat, Johor state chairman K. S Song and Bukit Bintang MP Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.    "If you are threat to the Lim dynasty, you cannot even talk at a forum within the party, let alone speak your mind outside," he said.   Recalling his removal from the party, Wee said he was given the boot due to the nature of his responses to certain questions posed at a forum.   "Those answers were not favourable to the Lim dynasty," he said.   Wee explained that during the DAP's disciplinary committee meeting on his case, he had not been allowed to call witnesses on his own behalf.   "DAP is shouting for freedom, and what is happening contradicts the very concept of national justice, where one has the right to be heard," he said.   Wee said one had to bow down to the "supremos" in order to form new branches.   As a DAP leader, Wee, who was considered as a "rising star" at that time was elected as a member of parliament for Bukit Bintang from 1990 to 1995.     He was sacked from the party in 1998 and moved on to Parti Keadilan Rakyat 10 years later after being persuaded to join the party by de-facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.   He remained in PKR for two years, where after much speculation, he finally quit.   It was reported that Wee said he was leaving the party because he was disappointed with the Pakatan Rakyat state-led government's handling of alleged corruption in Kumpulan Semesta Sdn Bhd.   He resigned from all party posts which included his deputy chairman post in Federal Territory PKR and supreme council membership.

DAP slams ‘malicious’ PAS leader Posted: 09 Oct 2012 03:39 PM PDT Sarawak DAP denies the allegations by Nasharuddin Mat Isa that it held a prayer to turn Malaysia into a Christian state. G Vinod, FMT Former PAS deputy president Nasharuddin Mat Isa's claim that DAP prayed to turn Malaysia into a Christian state is malicious and irresponsible, said Sarawak DAP today. Speaking at a press conference at Parliament, Sarawak DAP chairman Wong Ho Leng said they merely held several thanksgiving dinners as gratitude to those who had helped them during the state election. "We held dinners in Kuching, Sibu, Sarikei, Bintangor, Bintulu and Miri after the state election. Nasharuddin did not even identify in which event the alleged prayer was made," said Wong. Also present were DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang, national publicity chief Tony Pua, Sarawak DAP secretary Chong Chieng Jen and Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun. Yesterday, Nasharuddin accused DAP of holding a prayer session to turn Malaysia into a Christian state after the party won 12 seats in the Sarawak state election. He made the allegation during the National Islamic Missionary Movement Seminar held at the Putra World Trade Centre. In his rebuttal, Wong said that many other leaders from Pakatan Rakyat attended the dinners and could confirm that Nasharuddin's allegation was untrue. He also said that he would lodge a police report against Nasharuddin soon. "Sarawak DAP will not condone attempts by anyone to disrupt the peace and harmony enjoyed by people of various faiths in the state. "Besides, Christians only constitute nine percent of the country's population so there is no question of turning the country into a Christian state," he said. He also urged Nasharuddin to withdraw his remarks and apologise to DAP for his wrongful accusation. Whether they have spoken to PAS on the matter, Wong said they have yet to do so. "We will leave it to PAS to take action against him," said Wong.

Mat Sabu comes to DAP’s defence Posted: 09 Oct 2012 03:34 PM PDT Umno's claim that the party is out to turn Malaysia into a Christian state is preposterous, says PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu. Humayaun Kabir, FMT PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu lashed out at BN for fanning religious hatred among Muslims by saying that the DAP is out to turn Malaysia into a Christian state. "It is theoretically incorrect and practically impossible for DAP to turn the nation into a Christian state as the party does not enjoy two thirds majority in Parliament. "The constitution specifies that Islam is the religion of the Federation and Article 153 safeguards the special position of the Malays," he told a ceramah in Simpang on Sunday. Popularly referred to as Mat Sabu, the PAS leader pointed out that the most DAP can command is about 40 parliamentary seats out of the total 222 seats in Parliament. He said this was a far cry from the two thirds majority of 148 MPs necessary to make amendments to the Federal Constitution for Umno BN's preposterous claim to come true. He said that currently, there are 136 Muslims lawmakers while 86 are non-Muslims. In such a scenario, Mat Sabu asked the 3,000 strong crowd whether DAP can secure a mandate to make such a change. His audience responded with a vociferous 'No'. He said it was not DAP which was the enemy of Muslims but Umno as it uses race and religion to keep Malaysians divided for its expediency and continuous autocratic rule of the country. Malays must change he ceramah, Mat Sabu told FMT that Umno was initially using its controlled media to propagate that it was DAP and PAS that were working against the interests of the Muslims. "Then later it changed tactics by alleging that DAP was collaborating with Singapore by using PAS as a puppet to take control of the country," said an angry Mat Sabu. He said Umno, in sheer desperation, had tried to break up the unity of the Pakatan coalition by pitting DAP against PAS but has failed miserably. READ MORE HERE

Karpal v Nasha feud: leave it to the duo, says PAS Posted: 09 Oct 2012 12:54 AM PDT (Malaysian Digest) - PAS maintains that the ongoing feud between DAP national chairman Karpal Singh and former PAS deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa should be left to the duo. PAS central committee member Khalid Samad said Karpal's insistence on suing Nasharudin is his personal choice, Sinar Harian reported. Khalid, who is also Selangor Deputy PAS Commissioner II, said the party will not interfere as they have never asked any of its members to issue a callous statement. "That's a personal matter; it's up to Karpal if he still wants to sue Nasharudin or otherwise. "Moreover, PAS has never asked Nasharudin to issue a statement in that vein towards any other leaders. "But it doesn't mean if Karpal is anti-hudud, he is anti-Islam," the Shah Alam MP told reporters at the Parliament lobby today. Yesterday, Karpal had declared that he would continue his defamation proceedings against Nasharudin, after assessing the situation. Nasharudin was alleged to have defamed Karpal by claiming that the latter was against hudud and Islam. Nasharudin had said he was ready for legal action by Karpal. Other DAP and PAS leaders had previously also chosen to stay out of the fray and reiterated that the matter should be left between the two. Khalid, meanwhile, believed that the issue won't affect the outcome of the upcoming general election. He said the dispute doesn't involve any of the parties, and is confident that support for PAS will not be affected as a result. "That is purely his (Nasharudin) personal views, there's no need for the whole party to be involved. "We're certain that the people's support is still with us even if we don't interfere," he said.

Uthayakumar’s lieutenant joins PKR Posted: 08 Oct 2012 05:18 PM PDT Hindraf leader S Jayathas has joined PKR, saying the political party can provide a better platform to champion the cause of the Indians. B Nantha Kumar, FMT S Jayathas, regarded as Hindraf leader P Uthayakumar's most trusted lietenant, has now joined PKR. During a press conference at the PKR headquarters today, Jayathas submitted his membership application form to party vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar. Also present were vice-president N Surendran, Subang MP R Sivarasah and other party officials. Jayathas said he decided to work with PKR because he needed a stronger platform to champion the cause of the Indian community. However, he refused to answer questions on whether he considered Hindraf no longer relevant. "For the time being, PKR is the better party to fight towards a better future of the Indians," he said. He added that PKR had shown genuine concern for the Indian community and was committed to address their grouses. Jayathas was one of the pioneer members of PKR but left the party due to his activeness in the Hindraf movement. The Malacca-born businessman was defeated by BN candidate in the Merlimau state assembly seat in the 2004 state election where he contested under a PKR banner. Jayathas' departure from Hindraf would render a blow to the movement, which over the years had lost its influence among the Indian community. In an immediate reaction, Hindraf Youth chief S Thiagarajan, Jayathas had joined PKR because he was suffering from financial problems. "We had a meeting last Friday where Jayathas told us that he wanted to join PKR because he received a 'better offer'," he said, without elaborating. However, Thiagarajan said Hindraf was grateful to Jayathas' contribution to the movement. Responding to Thiagarajan's claims, Jayathas said he would have joined Barisan Nasional if monetary reward was his motivation.

PKR wants Lajim to contest both seats Posted: 08 Oct 2012 05:16 PM PDT (Daily Express) - The district's PKR Supreme Council has unanimously agreed that Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin contest the Beaufort parliamentary seat and Klias State seat in the next election. Beaufort PKR Chief, Abd Jairin Ukin, proposed this during the division's AGM held here last Sunday. Abd Jairih said the unanimous decision was also firmly supported by all Beaufort PKR members and that they also pledged to ensure all Pakatan Rakyat candidates in the area concerned win in the general elections. "This undivided support was based on the firm spirit of cooperation and understanding that has been forged for so long among the PKR and Pakatan components especially in the Beaufort parliamentary constituency," he said. In fact, he claimed, support for the Pakatan has increased as evidenced by the number of people joining the opposition after Lajim joined the Pakatan. Prior to this, he said, there was some opposition from among PKR members here who have worked hard for the party when they heard that Lajim would be contesting the two constituencies. "But based on understanding and one objective, we have unanimously supported Lajim's candidacy in the two constituencies," he said. Abd Jairih said this is the advantage of being in the Pakatan where the struggle is to defend the welfare and plight of the people who hunger for change. A total of 65 application forms were handed in to join PKR during the event.

Chamil openly apologises to Seputeh MP Posted: 08 Oct 2012 02:44 PM PDT (The Star) - Utusan Malaysia columnist Datuk Chamil Wariya and Utusan Melayu Sdn Bhd have openly apologised to Seputeh MP Teresa Kok in a High Court here, as part of a settlement in a defamation suit. The apology was read yesterday by lawyer Zalil Mohd Mess for Chamil and TKB Mohana Kumar for Utusan Melayu before High Court judge Justice Dr Hamid Sultan Abu Backer. He also ordered Utusan Melayu to pays costs of RM50,000 and to publish an apology in the daily. Earlier, lawyer Sankara Nair who acted for Kok, submitted that both parties had resolved the matter out of court. Nair said based on settlement terms the first defendant Chamil had to read the apology in open court with no order as to costs. "The second defendant Utusan Melayu also has to read the apology in open court, pay RM50,000 in costs to plaintiff Teresa Kok and publish an apology in the Sudut Sastera column in its Sunday edition, Mingguan Malaysia," he said. Zalil who read the apology for Chamil said he (Chamil) regretted that his short story had been used in Mingguan Malaysia which was published on Dec 12, 2008. Zalil stressed that some of the characters in the short story had been changed. Mohana objected to the assertions made by Chamil and asked the court to record it. Mohana, who read the apology for Utusan Malaysia, said they had changed several names without affecting the story line. He said they regretted their actions and apologised to Kok.

Prove claims, Anwar told Posted: 08 Oct 2012 02:17 PM PDT WILD ALLEGATIONS: Give us list of suspect postal voters, says election panel (NST) - THE Election Commission yesterday asked Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to back his claims that the postal voters' roll was questionable. The opposition leader had claimed that the 304,136 names in the list, which was gazetted in June, were suspect. "The thing is, there are only 272,247 names listed as postal voters... which electoral role did he cross-check with?" EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof asked at a news conference here. Aziz said the EC also had issues with several other claims it said were wild allegations. These included claims that there were 64,000 suspect postal voters included on April 9, 2010; there were 77,246 new voters excluded from the 2008 electoral roll; there were 2,522 suspect names of members of the armed forces and the police; there were 4.38 million voters without addresses while 3.3 million more only had house numbers; and that localities in Selangor were reduced to 13,813 from 24,479. On the 77,246 names that are now in the electoral roll, Aziz explained that when a person registered as a voter, it did not mean that he would automatically be eligible to vote. Instead, his application would go through the due processes including the setting of locality, displaying of his application for any protest, and possible public inquiry. He also asked Anwar to hand over the sets of 64,000 and 77,246 names that had been called into question. On the 2,522 armed forces and police personnel whose names were not matched to their MyKad, Aziz said the EC was in the midst of matching their names to the identification documents. He said in the coming general election, the EC would be using their 12-digit identification number as in their MyKad. On the issue of questionable addresses, he said prior July 16, 2002, those who were above 21 could provide any addresses as the EC did not have the facilities to verify them. Since then, with the Agency Link-up System, addresses given to the EC by the applicants had to match their MyKad. Meanwhile, the shrinking number of localities in Selangor was due to sub-divisions carried out in 2009, June 2010, and twice last year, Aziz said. He said the EC had gone to great lengths to investigate claims, even those described as absurd, such as the allegation by Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) that anyone could register as voters using a fake MyKad.

Offensive against Pak Lah a ‘distraction’ Posted: 08 Oct 2012 01:41 PM PDT Penang Umno claims Pakatan Rakyat is 'spinning' to distract voters from the real issues in the state.  Hawkeye, FMT Pakatan Rakyat is trying to distract voters here from the issues which are plaguing its administration in Penang, claimed state Umno Youth chief Sheikh Hussein Mydin. He said this strategy was evident in view of the fact that the Pakatan partners – PAS, PKR and DAP – were riddled with disagreements over issues such as "hudud" to affordable housing and over a leaked recording where one leader allegedly called Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng "arrogant and cocky". And what better way to distract the people than by launching an offensive against Barisan Nasional, including on former premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in Penang, said Sheikh Hussein. "For Pakatan, its policy is that attack is the best form of defence. It is often critical of BN. It has become too preoccupied with attacking us until it has forgotten how to govern the state. There are many examples here," he said. Sheikh Hussein was responding to a statement by the Penang Malay Congress president Rahmad Isahak that BN stands to lose the Kepala Batas parliamentary seat and two other state seats if Abdullah chooses to retire from active politics. Rahmad based his prediction on the fact that Abdullah, who is better known as Pak Lah, is a stalwart in the constituency since 1978, and that his absence would create a vacuum which BN may not be able to fill in time for the next general election. Rahmad expects PAS to benefit greatly if Pak Lah decides to retire, as the former has a chance to wrest Kepala Batas. PAS has been stepping up its presence in the area since 2008. To this, Sheikh Hussein said Umno believes that the congress led by Rahmad is supporting DAP, although it has labelled itself as an apolitical entity here with a non-governmental organisation status. He accused Rahmad of intentionally trying to shift the focus of attention towards Pak Lah when the issue should be about the performance of the present state government. Pak Lah to retire? According to Sheikh Hussein, Pakatan wants to force BN to focus on its traditional strongholds such as Tasek Gelugor and Kepala Batas, as it is worried that it will lose its current parliamentary seats in Batu Kawan and Balik Pulau. READ MORE HERE

‘Judges still probing Scorpene deal’ Posted: 08 Oct 2012 01:29 PM PDT There was never a question of an ongoing trial as the criminal inquiry on the submarine deal is ongoing, says William Bourdan. Anisah Shukry, FMT The lawyer acting for human rights group Suaram in the Scorpene probe has slammed French government prosecutor Yves Charpenal for his "contradictory" statements to the media. Yesterday, Charpenal had told national news agency Bernama that there was no ongoing trial in the 2009 multi-billion Scorpene submarine deal between Malaysia and France, as it was still under investigation by two French judges. "I am aware about all the fuss kicked up by certain media [organisations] in Malaysia over this matter but what I can say is that this is nothing more than a trial by the media," he was quoted as saying. But Suaram's lawyer William Bourdon said in a statement today that there had never been a question of an ongoing trial, as the investigating judges were still continuing their probe on the Scorpene inquiry. "The Tribunal deGrande Instance has convened a criminal inquiry of which Suaram has been accepted as a civil party since March 2012. "Upon completion of the inquiry will the investigating judge make the decision of whether the case goes to full trial." He also stressed that it was not for the prosecutor to decide if the case goes to full trial, but the two Judges, Roger Le Loire and Serge Tournaire. "To our knowledge the current prosecutors in charge of the case have not made any such statements as suggested by Charpenel," he said. In April this year, the Tribunal de Grand Instance in Paris began its inquiry into Suaram's claim that French naval firm DCNS had paid some RM452 million as a bribe to Malaysian officials to obtain a contract for two submarines. Malaysia had paid RM6.7 billion in 2009 for the two submarines of which RM574 million was earmarked for co-ordination and support services for Perimekar Sdn Bhd, owned by Abdul Razak Baginda , a close associate of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. Human rights groups and opposition parties have also linked the submarine purchase to the 2006 murder of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu, a one-time lover to Abdul Razak. But Defence Minister Ahmad Zahidi Hamidi said on Oct 6 that the Auditor-General had explained the purchase of the submarines was made according to legal procedures. The Malaysian government is now probing Suaram for having "misleading accounts" as well as allegedly distributing bribes to a civil servant in return for national secrets – both of which Suaram has denied and labelled as "harassment" due to the probe. The Umno-controlled daily New Straits Times has also accused Suaram, along with several other NGOs deemed opposition-friendly, of being part of a foreign plot to destabilise government. They have denied the charges and requested evidence to back up the accusations, which NST has yet to furnish.

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