Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Gold investment probe: Many paid but did not get their gold
- MRT aims to up Bumi contracts to RM9.145b
- Don’t be taken for another ride, Indians told
- Prominent Kuantan doctor rubbishes concerns over Lynas’ radioactivity
- DAP admits Pakatan uncertain about retaining Selangor
- PI Bala threatens to bare all if MACC keeps mum
- Nurul: I never condoned apostasy
- PKR to lodge MACC report against Nazri
- Non-Muslim religious leaders give a big ‘no’ to hudud in Malaysia
- Zaid quits as Kita chief, cites health problems as the reason
- Support me on bill, Karpal urges BN
- Karpal’s call a ‘populist remark with no substance’
- Nurul Izzah backs religious freedom for all
- PKR gets ball rolling with polls billboards
- Quantity surveyor arrested over royal 'Facebook insults'
- Najib to witness signing of RM15bil railway double track project
- Guan Eng: Despite AES, people should still pay their summonses
- Karpal wants support for anti-party hopping law
- Strong candidates can wrestle Kelantan from PAS, BN leaders claim
- Ahmad Said rubbishes Hadi’s ‘Pekan’ challenge as a political ploy
- Is Indonesia Ngruki Islamic school teaching terrorism?
- Sabah BN ‘sensibly’ confident
- BN could lose 8 parliament seats in Pahang
- Minister urges employers not to hire by race
- Pakatan’s ties do not bind, says Dr M
- Hadi Awang says ready to challenge Najib in Pekan
- Leave religious matters to relevant bodies, political parties told
- Lawyer denies giving false information on Suaram
- Klang leaders back Karpal’s proposal
- Anti-hopping Bill ‘against federal laws’
- DAP campaign lorry stolen
- Trouble in Sabah: PKR’s ‘ori’ vs ‘photocopies’
- Manikavasagam to be dropped?
- Do they know what we want?
- Johor’s Malay vote may thwart Pakatan’s quest for Putrajaya, say leaders
- PKR strongman Badrul Amin among 16 charged in Syariah court
- Malay grads losing out in job ‘race’
- Outlawed Al-Arqam gathering raided, 20 detained
- PKR, Hindraf to map out plans for Indians
- Forest land taken by MCA man?
- BAFIA charges against Rafizi should stay, say NFCorp lawyers
- Greek journalist on trial for leaking bank data
- Fresh from RM2.2b deal, ex-CJ’s wife’s firm plots route to listing
- ‘Voters unfazed by Pakatan woes’
- Al-Arqam's shadow cabinet uncovered
- The Once and Past King
- Chia link will not cost BN, unlike NFC scandal, says Nazri
- Malaysian employers practise racial bigotry, study shows
- Tripped up by blog comments
| Gold investment probe: Many paid but did not get their gold Posted: 04 Nov 2012 08:06 PM PST
(The Star) - Seized records have revealed that many investors who had paid had yet to receive any delivery of gold, prior to the joint raids by Bank Negara, the police, the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism and the Companies Commission of Malaysia on four companies suspected of conducting illegal investment schemes using gold. In a joint statement giving an update on their ongoing probe, they said that, in some cases, the investors had been waiting for more than five months after making payment. "The total amount of gold seized during the raids from all the companies is approximately 142.7 kilogram, and monies in bank accounts and cash amounts to RM101.92mil," the statement said. Investigations also revealed that these companies kept poor records with some of them maintaining different versions of financial records for different purposes. "These companies have also failed to submit audited accounts with the Companies Commission of Malaysia for the last few years, as required by law. "For businesses, especially those that involve large numbers of clients and monies, it is imperative to maintain accurate records of all business transactions to avoid financial mismanagement or misrepresentation of the true financial situation of the company," the statement said. "The enforcement agencies are aware of the plight facing affected investors and every effort is being made to determine the whereabouts of any monies and assets of the companies. "A dedicated team has been established to track the movement of monies and other assets. International accounting firms have also been appointed on a full time basis to assist in the investigations. "The scope of the investigation is international. "In this connection, the enforcement agencies are actively collaborating with their foreign counterparts to obtain evidence in several other jurisdictions to assist in the investigations," the statement said. On Oct 5, gold trading firms Pageantry Gold Bhd, Caesar Gold Sdn Bhd and Worldwide Far East Bhd were jointly raided for suspected offences that include illegal deposit-taking, money-laundering, tax evasion and avoidance and false description. Three days earlier, Genneva Malaysia Sdn Bhd had been raided.
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| MRT aims to up Bumi contracts to RM9.145b Posted: 04 Nov 2012 04:27 PM PST
(Bernama) - Mass Rapid Transit Corporation Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp) expects to raise the target of contracts worth for Bumiputera contractors for the MRT Sungai Buloh-Kajang line to RM9.145 billion by year-end. The earlier estimation was RM8.56 billion. MRT Corp Director of Stakeholders and Land Relations, Haris Fadzilah Hassan, said contracts worth RM8.82 billion have been awarded to Bumiputera contractors to date. "This amounts to 45 per cent of the total value of contracts awarded thus far, exceeding the initial 43 per cent target," he told a media briefing. As of today, 53 work packages worth RM19.8 billion have been tendered out, with 22 work packages awarded to Bumiputera contractors, he said. "Another 32 packages are expected to be disbursed by year-end. The Bumiputera portion is about RM321 million of the packages," he added. All Bumiputera work packages are subjected to competitive bidding and bidders are given the same project information and evaluated on the same basis. To win the awards, the companies have to satisfy stringent evaluation criteria. This is to ensure that companies with extensive experience and technical know-how are picked. "All tenders go through a thorough evaluation process. Tender evaluations go through several stages starting with the Tender Evaluation Committee followed by the Working Committee and the One-Stop Technical Committee (OSTC). The final approval is given by the One-Stop Procurement Committee," he explained. Haris said the committees look at various factors including technical capabilities, track record and financial strength. "Key to this is to find a fit that will ensure the project gets the best technical input from a capable contractor, while maintaining costs," he added. Haris said Bumiputera contractors that have been awarded contracts in the Line 1 project, would be considered for the Line 2 and Line 3 projects. Meanwhile, Haris said MRT Corp will award 250 work packages worth RM200 million for the Bumiputera contractors class D,E, and F in 2015. When the Line 1 project is almost complete, these contractors will be called to bid for contracts like landscaping and turfing, he added. |
| Don’t be taken for another ride, Indians told Posted: 04 Nov 2012 04:08 PM PST  (The Star) - The co-operation between Pakatan Rakyat and the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) will not solve problems affecting the Indian community, said Malaysian Associated Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MAICCI) chairman Datuk K.K. Eswaran. "As far as Hindraf is concerned, they are already broken up. Indians have been taken for a long ride' once and I hope they will not be taken for a second ride. "The Opposition (parties) are opportunists," he said when asked to respond to reports claiming that Hindraf would be working with Opposition parties in the general election in a bid to solve the woes of the Indian community. It was reported that Hindraf chairman P. Waythamoorthy had met Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim at his office in Parliament in search of a permanent solution to the various problems faced by the community. Eswaran said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, all Malaysians, including the Indian community, had not been left out as the country progressed towards becoming a high-income and developed nation. "PKR and DAP claim they are democratic but the top posts of the all the parties are held by close family members," he said. He also challenged Pakatan to allow more seats to be contested by Indian representatives if it was sincere in helping them.
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| Prominent Kuantan doctor rubbishes concerns over Lynas’ radioactivity Posted: 04 Nov 2012 04:02 PM PST
(Bernama) - A prominent Pahang doctor has rubbished concerted "lies" spread by the Opposition among local residents on radioactive concerns from the recently completed RM2.5bil Lynas rare earth plant here, saying that the anti-Lynas campaign was purely politically motivated to win votes in the coming general election. Datuk Dr Looi Hoong Wah, a consultant physician with 40 years of interest in nuclear medicine and particle physics, said the anti-Lynas activists had been brainwashing the people here for the last two years despite the fact that there would be "absolutely no radiation waste or any toxic waste whatever" from the plant. Lynas' safety was verified by six independent bodies, including the United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the world's highest authority for atomic energy. "The substance they bring in is just nothing but rare earth oil containing a tiny bit of weak radioactive thorium 232. "That is an extremely weak sort of radioactive substance and it has a very long life of tens of billions of years. "And all this anti-Lynas people say...oh our great-great grandchildren are going to suffer for 14 billion years. This is absolutely rubbish," he said. Dr Looi said if one were to look at the half-life of radioactive material (the time required for a quantity to fall to half its value), the longer the half-life, the less dangerous it would be. "For instance, if half of a house is burned down in 14 billion years, will it cause any problem? No, it won't cause any problem because there is only a tiny fire, whereas if it is burned down in 40 minutes, then a lot of people will get killed or injured. "The same thing with lead, the one we use in our car batteries. It has a long half-life as well of 19 billion years. "Because it has such a long half life, it is practically non-radioactive when you use it in your cars. So thorium is very weak radioactively," he said Asked how he got interested in nuclear science and particle physics, Dr Looi said he developed an interest when he was a medical student in Manchester about 40 years ago as one of his tutors was a nuclear physicist. He said he had put thorium in his hand without any side-effects till today because thorium, when released outside connected with electrons to produce helium gas, just like the one used to fill balloons, which was completely harmless. Dr Looi reckoned that it was purely for political reasons that the Opposition was trying to work everybody up about the Lynas plant in Gebeng. "The thorium 232 or decay products produce only a tiny bit of electron, which is electricity. "It doesn't cause any problem. You find that Lynas' radiation, once you are outside of the boundaries of the plant, the radiation is zero. "There is no instrument on this earth which is sensitive enough to pick it up," he said. Dr Looi said the disinformation on the Lynas bordered on ridiculous assertions because even in a human body there was radioactivity as well due to potassium, which doctors give to patients to control the intake of salt in hypertension and other cases. "Even in our body, we have about 4,400 becquerel (Bq) whereas the Lynas waste and ore contain less than 6 Bq per gram. "This is already 124 times more than the Lynas worst case scenario. So why complain about a Lynas plant in Gebeng here where there are 124 Lynas plants in your body producing radioactivity?" he added. Asked on the effects on workers, he said what they could possibly get was only less than 20 percent of the permitted dosage. Dr Looi also quoted Dr Nick Tsurikov, the international radiation specialist, as saying that there was no radiation risk whatsoever as far as the Lynas plant was concerned. He also said that opposition to the plant should take into account that more than 1,000 quality jobs were at stake and these are people with families for them to put food on the table. "Once you have a rare earth plant around, (other) companies will come, like Siemens (which) is planning to come in and make use of the rare earth. They will produce thousands more jobs because of the spill-over effects," he said. Dr Looi appealed to non-governmental organisations and the Opposition to "wake up" and realise that the Lynas plant would be of great benefit to the country. "You can brainwash people for some time but you can't brainwash them forever," he said.
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| DAP admits Pakatan uncertain about retaining Selangor Posted: 04 Nov 2012 03:52 PM PST
Zurairi AR, The Malaysian Insider DAP leaders are bracing themselves for a tough fight in Selangor in the coming general election, and have suggested that race politics may have gained enough of a traction among the rural Malay crowd to potentially give an edge to the opposition Barisan Nasional (BN). The sentiment seems apparent during the Selangor DAP convention yesterday where, instead of trumpeting their confidence over staying in power in Pakatan Rakyat's (PR) prized state, leaders told delegates not to rest on their laurels or take their past victory for granted. Far from the usual anti-BN theme that usually dominates the meets of PR parties, the mood at the Kelana Jaya Sports Complex was more introspective than it was fiery as leaders repeatedly reminded members to get ready for what is expected to be the greatest political battle in Malaysian history. When approached on the sidelines of the convention, Selangor DAP chairman Teresa Kok and her deputy Tony Pua agreed that PR's biggest hurdle was to break into the rural Malay vote bank where Umno has parked most of its election machinery. "Most people would like us to come back to Selangor, but then if Umno keeps playing this religious and race card among Malay ground, twist and turn our statements, use scare tactics ... this might jeopardise our winning chance," Kok said. "We have the edge, but I can't be certain that we will win," Pua confessed. In Election 2008, Selangor, the wealthiest state in Malaysia, fell into the hands of PR parties. The loss of Selangor, along with four other states — Penang, Perak, Kedah and Kelantan — came as a rude shock to BN, the only multi-party coalition that has ruled Malaysia since independence. Since then, the ruling pact has been working feverishly to recapture its coveted two-thirds parliamentary majority, with a keen eye particularly on the prized jewel of Selangor and is said to have made inroads among the Malay and rural voters. For the fledgling PR, much of its hopes lie in Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, the first-term Selangor mentri besar whose squeaky clean track record it hopes will help convince voters that its rule is a corrupt-free administration. "The clearest, and (what we have done) most significantly better is the eradication of corruption among high officials. We don't have corrupt government, we don't have corrupt MB," Pua said. "For the urban ground, the non-Malay ground, they believe in what we say. They have seen Penang, and how we've performed," Kok added. "The Malays have also seen that we've never run them down, we've never marginalised Islam, and so on. "We are not the best government maybe, but we have always tried our very best to perform while in government." However, this may not be enough to woo the rural and Malay electorate.
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| PI Bala threatens to bare all if MACC keeps mum Posted: 04 Nov 2012 03:34 PM PST
(Malaysiakini) - Private investigator P Balasubramaniam has threatened to expose more details of attempts to bribe him in relation to his 2008 statutory declaration (SD) linking Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to murdered Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu. In a letter to the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) that Malaysiakini has sighted, Balasubramaniam who is in hiding in India said the information he possesses is already in the hands of foreign journalists and would be released if the commission continues to do nothing.
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| Nurul: I never condoned apostasy Posted: 04 Nov 2012 03:09 PM PST The PKR vice president says that a Muslim must adhere to the syariah code, similar to the rule that Malaysians must adhere to the provisions of the Federal Constitution. G Vinod, FMT PKR vice president Nurul Izzah Anwar today denied voicing support for Muslims to leave their religion as reported by the media several days ago. "Once you become a Muslim, you are bound to the Islamic principles enshrined under the syariah code, just like Malaysians are bound to the provisions of the Federal Constitution," she said in a statement today. Two days ago, Nurul was reported as saying that religious freedom should be accorded to everyone, including the Malays, in a forum titled "Islamic state? Which vision? Whose responsibility." "How can anyone say (freedom of religion) only apply to the non-Muslims, it has to be applied equally. "In Quran, there is no specific term to the Malay as how it should be done,"she was reported as saying when asked on whether Malays should be allowed religious freedom. Nurul, who is also Lembah Pantai MP, said that she was merely quoting a verse from Surah al-Baqarah of the al-Quran which guarantees religious freedom to all mankind. "And I also mentioned that I support education process to Muslims for them to better understand their religion and strengthen their faith to Islam," she said. Nurul criticised certain quarters who tried to portray her as being apostasy-friendly with her statement at the forum. "I regret the fact that some people had tried to spin my words by saying I'm dismissive on matters of faith and I can easily accept apostasy," she said.
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| PKR to lodge MACC report against Nazri Posted: 04 Nov 2012 03:06 PM PST MACC will be asked to probe on the use of the Hummer SUV belonging to timber tycoon Michael Chia by Nazri Aziz's son. PKR claims it amounted to conflict of interest Teoh El Sen, FMT A report will be lodged with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) later this afternoon against Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Aziz on the ongoing controversy surrounding the RM40 million "donation" to Sabah Umno. The report, which will be filed by PKR 's strategy director Rafizi Ramli, would touch on the Hummer SUV which Nazri's son, Nedim, has been allegedly using. Last week, Rafizi came up with evidence supposedly showing that the black Hummer, worth more than RM459,000, was being used by Nedim, and that it belonged to timber tycoon Michael Rafizi claimed that the links between Chia and Nazri amounted to conflict of interest, given that the minister had recently made statements in regard to a probe involving the businessman. "If this is not bribery, I don't know what it is. At the very least, ethically there is a question of conflict of interest where he [Nazri] should take moral and political responsibility for it," Rafizi said last week. Nazri had admitted to having links with Chia; however, he has repeatedly denied that his friendship with the latter had in any way influenced his job as a minister. Nazri had also denied receiving money from Chia after Raja Petra Kamarudin alleged in his blog Malaysia Today that Nazri and his son received RM3 million and a sports car respectively from Chia. The interest in the scandal largely revolves around Chia, who was reportedly detained at an airport in Hong Kong in 2008 with RM40 million worth of cash on him. Chia is linked to Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman, and he had reportedly told Hong Kong's Interest in the issue was rekindled recently when Nazri told Parliament that the money was a political fund meant for Sabah Umno and that the ICAC had cleared Musa of any wrongdoing. Later, Nazri stated that contrary to previous reports, Chia was never arrested by the ICAC.
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| Non-Muslim religious leaders give a big ‘no’ to hudud in Malaysia Posted: 04 Nov 2012 10:59 AM PST
(The Star) -- Hudud will affect non-Muslims in the country if it is implemented, said a Hindu leader. Hindu Sangam president R.S. Mogan Shan said non-Muslims were already affected by existing Islamic laws, especially when it involved married couples and if one converted to Islam. He cited the case of S. Shamala, whose husband became a Muslim and converted their sons without her knowledge or consent, leading to a long custody battle in court. In an interview with the Free Malaysia Today news portal, Mogan said that while he respected Islam's position as the official religion of the country, he did not agree with hudud being implemented in the country. On Oct 25, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom told Nibong Tebal MP Tan Tee Beng in the Dewan Rakyat that hudud would not affect non-Muslims. He had said the Syariah Court only has jurisdiction on Muslims as stipulated under the Federal Constitution. Mogan said Hindu Sangam was handling about 1,000 cases involving overlapping jurisdiction between Syariah and civil courts. Malaysian Gurdwara Council president Jagis Singh said under Islamic law, non-Muslims were only known as protectorates (a weak faction protected by a stronger force). In such situation, he felt the non-Muslim's testimony would have little value. He said that implementation of hudud would be unconstitutional as the highest law of the land, the Federal Constitution, guaranteed Malaysians equality before the law. Brickfields Buddhist Mahavihara vice-president Premasilaka K.D. Serisena said hudud is a criminal justice system and with its implementation, a dual criminal justice system would be created.
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| Zaid quits as Kita chief, cites health problems as the reason Posted: 04 Nov 2012 10:54 AM PST
(The Star) -- Datuk Zaid Ibrahim has resigned as president of Kita but claims he still retains control of the party. Party secretary Masrum Dayat, who has taken over as president, said Zaid submitted his resignation letter on Saturday. "However, he is still a central committee member and an ordinary Kita member," he said, adding that Zaid cited health problems as the reason for his resignation. Masrum takes over the post with immediate effect. Zaid, when asked about his resignation, replied through SMS saying "Yes". He, however, added that the party remained "under my control". When asked under what capacity would he remain in control of the party, Zaid said: "Position is not as important as influence." It was reported that Zaid was believed to be suffering from a heart ailment, which has left him unwell lately. In his last post on his blog on Oct 24, Zaid said: "On the advice of my doctor, I've been avoiding stressful activities for several months." He also said quitting his post as Kita president would facilitate him contesting under the Pakatan Rakyat banner, preferably against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in Pekan. However, he said, he would only consider doing so if PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang opted not to contest for the seat. Hadi was recently reported to have said he would stand wherever the party sent him, even Pekan.
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| Support me on bill, Karpal urges BN Posted: 03 Nov 2012 11:53 PM PDT He says his proposed anti-hopping law was important to stop future political coup d'etat to form governments by defections. Athi Shankar, FMT DAP national chairman Karpal Singh has called on Barisan Nasional parliamentarians to support his imminent private members' bill to amend the Federal Constitution to stop party hopping. He said BN reps should back him to uphold public interests and political stability of the country. Karpal's initiatives are to amend Articles 10 and 48 of the Federal Constitution to pave way for the federal and state anti-hopping legislations to stop MPs and assemblymen from hopping to another party after being elected by voters under another party candidature. Karpal will table his private bill to make the constitutional amendments in coming week parliamentary session. He said his amendments were important to stop future political coup d'etat to form governments by defections as a government should only be formed through legitimate elections. He said political defections were not only unethical practice, dangerous trend and betrayal against people's mandate, but could cause political uncertainty, destabilise a government, trigger public anxiety and frighten off investors. Article 10(1)(C) guarantees Malaysian citizens the right to freedom of association. Article 48(6) and sub-section 6 (5) Schedule Eight respectively stipulate that a MP or state assemblyman who resigned be disqualified from contesting as a member of the House of Representatives for a period of five years effective from the date of resignation. In the case of Kelantan Legislature vs Nordin Salleh, the then Supreme Court ruled on April 3, 1992 that the PAS-helmed state government's enactment outlawing party hopping was unconstitutional. The court ruled that it violated Article 10 as it affected one's right to freedom to association. Despite the legal barriers, the Pakatan Rakyat Penang state government passed a Penang State Constitution Enactment (Amendment) Bill 2012 on Nov 1 to end party hopping in Penang. However, Karpal said Penang's amendment can only gain legitimacy strength if amendments were done to Federal Constitution. He pointed out the failure to party hopping via state constitutional amendments made in Sabah in 1980s and Kelantan in early 1990s to back his argument. "Without the constitutional amendments, any anti-hopping law would be void," said Karpal, the two-term Bukit Gelugor MP. He said it was important for the federal and state governments to legislate anti-hopping laws to stop the breeding of political frogs. "I hope the BN reps would support my private members' bill," said Karpal, also a senior lawyer.
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| Karpal’s call a ‘populist remark with no substance’ Posted: 03 Nov 2012 05:45 PM PDT
(Free Malaysia Today) - Does DAP have the political will to accede to Karpal Singh's proposal that the party adopts a one-seat-one-candidate policy? Two Gerakan leaders have expressed doubt that DAP will execute its one seat-one-candidate proposal since the the socialist activists are inclined to accord "special treatment" to some leaders. The duo are of the opinion that the proposal by DAP chairman Karpal Singh is just a populist remark with no substance behind, since it has often been DAP's strategy to allow its leaders to contest many seats, or to migrate from one state to another. Kedah Gerakan Youth head Tan Keng Liang said DAP usually grants exceptions to some leaders such as its secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, who is also the Penang Chief Minister as well as Bagan MP. Guan Eng is also the Air Puteh state assemblyman in Penang, and he also assumes various chairmanship posts of state-linked companies by the virtue of his appointment as the state's chief minister. "Guan Eng is their great leader as he can wear many hats at the same time. That is why, he ended up preparing for his Budget speech at 3am when others are asleep as he has many responsibilities." Working late hours is indicative to illustrate that Lim is overwhelmed with many duties from holding so many posts, he said. According to Tan, there are other leaders in DAP, who also tend to be accorded exceptions besides Lim. He has reservations whether DAP has the political will to accede to Karpal's proposal that the party adopts a one-seat-one-candidate policy ahead of the next general election. "Karpal in trying to be a righteous leader, has been proposing many things for DAP in the past decade, but it does not reasonate within the party as it has the Lim dynasty in-placed. Only if both Lims agree then, perhaps the party would adopt it." Karpal is proving the suspicion held by some quarters here that he is more of a figure-head rather than an outright DAP leader. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/11/03/karpals-call-a-populist-remark-with-no-substance/ |
| Nurul Izzah backs religious freedom for all Posted: 03 Nov 2012 05:42 PM PDT
(Free Malaysia Today) - PKR's rising star Nurul Izzah Anwar offered her conditional support of the LGBT and is for a non-compulsory religious practice. Freedom of religion should be applied equally to everyone in the country including the Malays, said PKR vice president Nurul Izzah Anwar. Pressing home the message of religious freedom at a forum titled "Islamic state? Which vision? Whose responsibility" today, she said there should be no compulsion in any religion including Islam. "How can anyone say (freedom of religion) only apply to the non-Muslim, it has to be applied equally. "In Quran, there is no specific term to the Malay as how it should be done," she said when replying to an audience's question on whether Malays should be entitled to freedom of religion. Nurul Izzah's remark is expected to stir controversy as Malay Muslims in Malaysia are banned from converting out from Islam except under unique circumstances and discussion of the subject is seen as taboo. However, the PKR rising star said it is fine for Malays to be granted such freedom as the ties between a believer and certain religion was based on personal faith. "If you believe so strongly in your faith, then being schooled in (SK) Assunta with a big cross in the hall and singing Catholic songs all the time would not deter you," she said. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/11/03/nurul-izzah-backs-religious-freedom-for-all/ |
| PKR gets ball rolling with polls billboards Posted: 03 Nov 2012 05:38 PM PDT
(The Star) - PKR has started its general election campaign, becoming the first party to launch its election billboards nationwide. Among the messages on the billboards are the party's promises to wipe out the National Higher Education Fund Corporation loans as well as lowering the prices of fuel and cars. Some of the billboards feature Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and PKR president Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Ismail. For starters, 10 billboards would be erected nationwide, with more to be set up soon, said Dr Wan Azizah at the launch of the campaign yesterday.16:41:30 |
| Quantity surveyor arrested over royal 'Facebook insults' Posted: 03 Nov 2012 05:33 PM PDT
(The Sun) - Police have arrested a 27-year-old quantity surveyor for allegedly posting seditious remarks on Facebook about the royal family of a southern Malaysian state, his brother said Sunday. Ahmad Abd Jalil was arrested in Kuala Lumpur on Friday night but handed to police in Johor where he may have to beg forgiveness from the sultan, his brother said. The government has announced plans to repeal the controversial Sedition Act, which has previously been justified as necessary to curb racial conflict in the multicultural nation. But authorities have continued to invoke the act, under which those found guilty can be jailed, and Ahmad's arrest is at least the third in two years related to the Johor royal house. "They said the sultan was angry over Facebook posts and that it was being investigated under the Sedition Act. But they could not tell us which posts were being investigated," said Ahmad's brother, who asked not to be named. Ahmad's lawyer, Fadiah Nadwa Fikri, told AFP he had not been allowed to meet any family members or lawyers since being brought to Johor. "The alleged crime happened here so there is no reason to take him to Johor. They should just take his statement and let him go, this is not a violent crime," she said. "Police told the family they may take Ahmad to the palace to beg the Sultan's pardon and then they can drop the case but that is highly unconstitutional." Police refused to confirm details of the arrest. "I cannot comment on this as it is extremely sensitive," Johor Baru (North) district police chief Ruslan Hassan told AFP, referring to the state's royal house. Each state's royal family is given limited powers in the federation of Malaysia. They are widely revered by the majority Malay Muslim population as the rulers are heads of Islam in their respective areas.
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| Najib to witness signing of RM15bil railway double track project Posted: 03 Nov 2012 05:29 PM PDT
(Bernama) - Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak will witness the agreement signing for the USD$5bil (RM15 billion) electrified double track railway project to be built by a Malaysian company that will turn landlocked Laos into land link. The master concession agreement is between the Laotian government and Giant Consolidated Ltd, the Malaysian company, to develop the 220km track from Savannakhet to Lao Bao, near the Vietnam border. Malaysian Ambassador to Laos Datuk Than Tai Hing (pic) said Laotian Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong would also witness the signing ceremony to be held here Monday. Najib will arrive here this afternoon for a three-day working visit to Laos and to attend the 9th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). Than said the five-year standard gauge railway project would link the east and west of this country and turn this nation from landlocked to land link, apart from realising the Asean Connectivity by 2015 and contributing to this country's economic development. Najib, who is also Finance Minister, will open Maybank's first branch in this country here Monday, completing the bank's presence in all the 10 Asean member nations. Currently, Maybank, Malaysia's largest commercial bank and regional financial services leader, has an international network of over 2,200 offices in 19 countries, including in the United States, Britain, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, China, Hong Kong and India, apart from Asean member countries. Than said Najib would also meet Malaysian investors engaged in a hydro-electric project and in a special economic zone in this country here. Malaysians have invested about USD$165 million (RM495 million) in Laos between 2000 and 2011, making them the ninth largest investors in this country, he said. Malaysians' investments in Laos are in banking, insurance, education, semiconductors, tourism and agriculture sectors. Public Bank, Dominant Semiconductors Co Ltd, Mega First Corporation Bhd, Savan Pacifica Development Co Ltd and Dansavanh Nam Ngum Resort are among Malaysia's major companies that have invested in this Asean member state. "Malaysians' new investments are in the electrified double track railway and hydro-electric projects that will definitely change Malaysia's position as the largest investor in this country currently being led by China," he said. Najib will also join 48 leaders from Asia and Europe at the two-day ASEM starting here tomorrow. The meeting themed "Friends for Peace, Partners for Prosperity" will further strengthen economic and political cooperation between the two regions amid the current euro zone debt crisis. ASEM leaders are expected to discuss the global economic situation, reforms to international financial institutions, water, energy, food security, disaster management, interfaith dialogue, tourism and migration, among others. Than said Najib is also expected to promote the global moderation movement concept at this meeting. The ASEM grouping membership will be expanded to 51 with the inclusion of Bangladesh, Norway and Switzerland at this meeting. ASEM was established in 1996 with its inaugural meeting in Bangkok. ASEM leaders meet every two years alternately in the two regions. Najib will also hold separate bilateral meetings with France President Francois Hollande, Norway Prme Minister Jens Stoltenberg and PakistanPrime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on the sidelines of the meeting. Najib will be accompanied by his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, during the visit. This is the first time, Laos, a country with six million population, is hosting its biggest international conference. |
| Guan Eng: Despite AES, people should still pay their summonses Posted: 03 Nov 2012 05:26 PM PDT
(The Star) - Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said despite his opposition to the Automated Enforcement System (AES), people should still pay their summonses. "As a senior government officer, I would want the Transport Ministry to explain to us why they want to implement the AES. "But these are summonses that have been issued under the law, and the law has to be respected," said Lim who is also the DAP secretary-general. He was referring to the call by PAS vice-president and Pokok Sena MP Datuk Mahfuz Omar to ignore the AES summonses issued by the Road Transport Department and to contest them in court. Lim was speaking at a press conference after opening the Selangor DAP annual convention here Sunday. To date, the Pakatan Rakyat-led state governments in Penang, Selangor, Kedah and Kelantan have decided to defer the implementation of the AES cameras in their states, affecting 331 cameras out of the 831 set up nationwide. |
| Karpal wants support for anti-party hopping law Posted: 03 Nov 2012 05:23 PM PDT
(NST) - DAP national chairman Karpal Singh said he wants the Barisan Nasional ruling government to support a national anti party hopping law which he will propose in parliament in the coming week. Karpal said he will be in parliament next week to submit a proposal to amend Article 10(1) of the constitution to make party hopping illegal.'BN must realise that it is in the public interest that party hopping should be outlawed,' he said at a press conference in Air Itam here today.
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| Strong candidates can wrestle Kelantan from PAS, BN leaders claim Posted: 03 Nov 2012 02:25 PM PDT
(TMI) - Barisan Nasional (BN) can wrest Kelantan if quality candidates fielded in the general election receive strong support from all levels of party leadership.
Umno Veterans Club secretary Datuk Mustapha Yaakub and Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin believed quality candidates and zero sabotage would help BN wrest Kelantan from PAS. Mustapha said Kelantan people are ready for change because the PAS state government had failed to manage Kelantan and BN should take full advantage of the situation. "BN candidates must be of good character, have high moral, not corrupted, not arrogant, easily approachable and willing to serve in all situation." "They must also receive strong support of the party leadership at division and branch level." Meanwhile, Khairy proposed that Kelantan Umno include special incentives to youths in its election manifesto. "These incentives can be made in terms of youth development, facilities or by giving allocation directly to youths," he added. |
| Ahmad Said rubbishes Hadi’s ‘Pekan’ challenge as a political ploy Posted: 03 Nov 2012 02:17 PM PDT
(TMI) - Terengganu BN Datuk Seri Ahmad Said claims that PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang's decision to challenge Prime Minister and Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak for the Pekan parliamentary seat in the upcoming general election is a political gimmick. Ahmad, who is also Terengganu Menteri Besar, said if Hadi did not have to wait for approval from the president of PAS if he was sincere in his intent to put up a fight with Najib in Pekan. "This is one of PAS' gimmicks. No need to entertain this. He should just walk the talk. If he really does it he must be having a "death wish"," he told reporters after attending a state-level Deepavali open house here last night. Hadi is currently the MP for Marang and assemblyman for Rhu Rendang. |
| Is Indonesia Ngruki Islamic school teaching terrorism? Posted: 03 Nov 2012 11:02 AM PDT
(BBC) - "When our religion is threatened and when we're deprived of our right to follow the Islamic law, that's when we have to do defend our faith." As recent terror arrests in Indonesia refocus attention on the country's fight against extremism, the BBC's Karishma Vaswani looks at the Islamic school said to have nurtured many of the militants. Amrozi, Mukhlas, Idris, Mubarok - all men who were involved in the deadly Bali bombings on 12 October 2002. But they have something else in common - they all graduated from the Al Mukmin Islamic boarding school in Solo - more commonly known as Ngruki. Indonesian officials believe the school is actively teaching radicalism and spreading messages of hate among its young students. They point to the list of graduates from Ngruki, which reads like a Who's Who of Indonesia's terror world. Authorities say the September arrests of suspected militants in Solo have also shown a link to the school - at least three of the men captured spent some time studying at Ngruki. "All this group came from Ngruki," Ansyaad Mbai, Indonesia's anti-terror chief told the BBC. "It means that this radical ideology is coming from Ngruki." Mr Mbai said Ngruki, which was co-founded by Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, is still heavily influenced by the radical cleric, even though he is behind bars. Ba'asyir, thought to be the spiritual head of South East Asian militant network Jemaah Islamiah (JI), was jailed for 15 years on terror-related charges last year. "Even though he is behind bars, he remains an influence," said Mr Mbai. "He gives orders to the militants and preaches sermons telling people to carry out jihad." 'Don't assume' Ba'asyir was jailed in June for giving support to militants in Aceh provinceOn the surface, the boarding school looks benign enough, although far more conservative than most Indonesian schools. Some young girls are covered from head to toe in black burkhas, with only their eyes visible. The boys wear traditional Muslim attire and are not allowed to talk to or mingle with any of the females. Parents have to pay to send their children here - one of the administrators says budgetary restraints mean only a small percentage of the student body get scholarships. Lessons cover a mix of the national curriculum and some subjects that Ngruki has added in to the mix - such as Arabic. The huge mosque in the centre of the school is being renovated, so the children have to attend afternoon prayers in the gym. Hundreds of young boys line up faithfully to offer their prayers: There is the usual children's mucking around that children do too, with boys giggling and whispering to each other before they are called to attention by teachers. But there are other, more unusual signs. On the school's noticeboard there is a news story printed from a radical website about Ba'asyir. Read more at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20177008 |
| Posted: 03 Nov 2012 10:09 AM PDT
A Barisan Nasional loyalist in Sabah thinks the threat of a growing opposition is good for BN's younger politicians. Pushparani Thilaganathan, FMT Sabah Barisan Nasional seems unfazed by the spins spewing out of the political rumour mill and are confident of retaining the state albeit having more opposition faces in the state assembly and losing some parliamentary seats. But that's alright, says Sekong assemblyman Samsuddin Yahya because Umno BN is 'overall' confident about its voters loyalty and will not lose its clout in the upcoming 13th general election. "We are not worried about the Muslim and KDM (KadazanDusunMurut) votes. We are confident. Only the Chinese seats worry us. KK (Kota Kinabalu) is most a difficult seat for us because it is majority Chinese," he told FMT recently. He was alluding to the widespread reports that the opposition was making damaging inroads into the Muslim and KDM communities in the state and that the state BN could lose up to 20 parliamentary seats in the next election Samsuddin's Sekong constituency comprises both these communities and some Chinese. Sekong and Karamunsing sectors come under BN-Parti Bersatu Sabah held Batu Sapi parliamentary constituency. The Batu Sapi parliamentary constituency is adjacent to Sandakan bordering Libaran and Kinabatangan. Sandakan is a pipeline of BN loyalists. In the 2010 Batu Sapi by-election, BN won the seat by a 6,359 vote majority. PBS rode on Umno's support against a divided opposition. BN-PBS candidate Linda Tsen faced off with PKR's Ansari Abdullah and Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president Yong Teck Lee. At that time SAPP was attempting an alliance with Pakatan Rakyat but seat allocations was always the issue. BN, said Samsuddin, is confident of retaining the Batu Sapi parliamentary seat this time round. And again local observers add, it will be because the opposition coalition is still divided. For reasons best known to the local political circles here, SAPP can't seem to gel with the opposition parties, all of whom are clamouring to lead the people into the next general election. No group seem to want SAPP. SAPP and BN A former chief minister under the Sabah CM-rotation system, Yong's personal and political history has much to do with this. The politics here spout a love-hate relationship with him. Some don't trust Yong, others hate his guts. But Umno, it appears is good with him. A local political analyst went so far as to say "Umno needs him before and after GE. They're old flames" Whilst in the BN coalition, SAPP contested in four seats and won with Umno's help two parliamentary and two state. But SAPP quit the coalition in 2008 and has since been in the wilderness, having tried to hook up with Pakatan and then local State Reform Party (STAR) under Jeffrey Kitingan but to no avail. Now its four seats are being horse-traded within BN with every other partner in the party staking a claim.
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| BN could lose 8 parliament seats in Pahang Posted: 03 Nov 2012 09:38 AM PDT
It would be wrong for Barisan Nasional to assume that the votes garnered by the opposition in Pahang in the 2008 polls were protest votes. Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz, FMT In 2008, the vote swing to the opposition in Pahang was around 9%. Allowing for a generous re-gain of 5% by Barisan Nasional, the opposition Pakatan Rakyat still has a 4% vote swing. In Raub, Pakatan saw a 45% swing, while in Jerantut (46%), Temerloh(46%), Indera Mahkota (50%), Kuantan (52%) and Bera (43%). Based on 2008 performance, six seats showed great promise for Pakatan. The opposition won in Kuantan and Indera Mahkota. Both seats were won by PKR. But this time round, with the racial factoring, and a simple vote swing of 4%, my projections are that Pakatan could well win eight parliamentary seats in Pahang. The seats are Cameron Highlands, Raub, Kuala Lipis, Jerantut, Temerloh, Indera Mahkota, Kuantan and Paya Besar. This is because there are a few peculiar features shown by Pahang and which are capable of being generalized. (1) Areas with a large Malay population do not necessarily lead to easy wins for BN. Jerantut, Temerloh, Indera Mahkota and Kuantan all have majority Malay voting populations. But in each of these areas, Pakatan secured 46-52% of the votes. Pakatan got 40% votes in Kuala Krau and 43% in Bera. (2) It means Malays are more discerning and are ready to evaluate their voting preference in terms of the costs and benefits. (3) Jerantut in particular with a population of 81% Malay voters saw Pakatan took home 46% of the votes. (4) As a rule, if Pakatan puts up a Malay candidate in these areas, the Malay votes are easily split 50:50 How stable was the vote swing to the opposition? Very often, the gains made by Pakatan were dismissed as protest votes. 'Votes for Pakatan are stable' They probably were but no one is sure how much of the swing to the opposition in 2008 was done in the name of protest. And to assume that all were protest votes would be a big mistake. The swing to the opposition can only be attributed to the people having made a choice based on conviction and belief.
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| Minister urges employers not to hire by race Posted: 02 Nov 2012 07:17 PM PDT
(TMI) - Employers in this country have been reminded not to practice racial discrimination in the recruitment of workers. Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said they should be transparent and not put certain conditions that prevent certain races from joining their organisations. "If there is evidence of discrimination, the ministry can take action against the employer in accordance with the provisions of existing laws," he told reporters after opening Batu Caves Library in the compound of Sri Subramaniar Swamy Temple here today. Subramaniam was commenting on a study by a news portal on the tendency of employers in Malaysia to favour a particular race than other races. He added the ministry would examine the basis of the study before taking further action if necessary. At the event, Subramaniam donated books to the library that has nearly 6,000 titles in Tamil literature and religion. |
| Pakatan’s ties do not bind, says Dr M Posted: 02 Nov 2012 07:14 PM PDT
(TMI) - Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad regards the co-operation among the opposition parties as temporary and only to win the coming general election. Unlike the Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties, which had close co-operation and understanding among them for 55 years, he said there was often no consensus in the opposition Pakatan Rakyat pact and no plans for the future. "We must remember that the pact is not a coalition. It is an unwritten agreement to co-operate to fight BN, that's all," he said. He noted that certain quarters were reported to want to give a chance to the opposition in the upcoming general election, thinking that they were like BN. Speaking to Malaysian journalists after delivering a public lecture to about 1,000 guests comprising university students, academicians and corporate figures from all over Sudan yesterday, Dr Mahathir said the opposition did not have a development agenda for the country, much less to look after the interest of the people. "What has been promised is to raise to 20 per cent the (petroleum) royalty for some state governments. So, other states without oil will lose out and this means only the states which have oil can be developed. "Even now, with the 5 per cent royalty we pay, they are so rich, far richer than other states," he said. On the opposition's shadow cabinet, which was said to be still vague, the country's fourth prime minister said it was normal. "They have the ambition to rule Malaysia. As such, they need to set up what is called a shadow cabinet but it is only a shadow. "They find it difficult to select a leader because everyone wants to be a leader. Anwar Ibrahim (the opposition leader) thinks he will be prime minister but other people also have big ambitions." Dr Mahathir said promising to have 10 to 15 deputy prime ministers in the shadow cabinet was just bait for the opposition parties to co-operate. A foreign newspaper recently pointed out that Anwar's interest in a shadow cabinet had remained vague, despite expressing his interest a few times since the last general election in 2008. The report said the shadow cabinet model, found mainly in Britain and Australia, would mark each individual cabinet minister who play a role in criticising the current government and its policies, while offering alternative solutions. Dr Mahathir who arrived in Khartoum Wednesday, earlier opened the Malaysia-Sudan Trade and Investment Forum, here. He will leave for Oman today. |
| Hadi Awang says ready to challenge Najib in Pekan Posted: 02 Nov 2012 07:10 PM PDT
(TMI) - PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang has announced his readiness to challenge Umno giant and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak for the Pekan seat in Pahang in the coming 13th general election, Sinar Harian has reported. The veteran PAS leader, however, said the decision would be left to the party's central leadership to decide. "I will heed the party's decision and will leave it to the party. The party will make the decision... including whether it will direct me to stand in the Pekan parliamentary seat," he was quoted as telling reporters at the Terengganu PAS Muslimat election fund launch yesterday. Abdul Hadi has been active in politics for more than three decades since his entry into the Islamist party in 1978. The 65-year-old politician was Terengganu mentri besar for one term from 1999 to 2004, before the state fell back into Barisan Nasional (BN) hands in the 2004 general election. Pekan's incumbent Najib, who is also Malaysia's sixth prime minister, was the Pahang mentri besar between 1982 and 1986, and was also known as the youngest politician to take on the post at 29 years. The Kuala Lipis-born Najib first ran for elections in 1976 and has been an elected representative since then. |
| Leave religious matters to relevant bodies, political parties told Posted: 02 Nov 2012 06:16 PM PDT (The Star) - MCA respects the position of Islam in the country but does not want political parties to claim authority over religious matters, said its central committee member Datuk Ti Lian Ker. He said there were already institutions authorised to regulate Islamic matters and political parties should allow them to perform their duties. "The public should not confuse political parties with institutions like the National Fatwa Council. No political party should encroach into the jurisdiction and authority of these institutions," Ti told reporters here yesterday. He said MCA respected the law and the Federal Constitution but it would not tolerate political parties that ran foul of and sidelined the Islamic institutions by implementing their own version of the law. "The hudud law that is to be implemented by PAS is inconsistent and not in line with real Islamic law. For example, the PAS spiritual leader has said that this would be enforced on non-Muslims as well. "From time to time, PAS also amend its law to fit its political agenda. So, it cannot be said that PAS law is the same with hudud law," he said. Ti, who is also Kuantan MCA chairman, said the division would continue to support party president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek in voicing public concerns on PAS' version of hudud. "It is a flaw to say that we cannot comment when a political party wants to legislate laws in whatever form in the name of Islam. "It is not right to intimidate or threaten non-Muslims who have questions and want explanations," he added. Hundreds of members from 12 Muslim NGOs had earlier gathered at the Kuantan MCA headquarters to hand over a memorandum demanding that Dr Chua retract his statements, which they claimed had insulted hudud and Islam. Ti said he regretted the manner in which the group had gathered, adding that they were shouting "aggressively" in a provocative manner. He also slammed the group for being selective when DAP chairman Karpal Singh himself had also spoken against hudud. |
| Lawyer denies giving false information on Suaram Posted: 02 Nov 2012 05:56 PM PDT (The Star) - A lawyer has denied claims by an MP that he provided false information to a French lawyer in a bid to topple the Federal Government. "I wish to state that the allegations made by Wee Choo Keong and the insinuations by newspapers are false and baseless," Amer Hamzah Arshad told reporters yesterday. Wangsa Maju MP Wee Choo Keong, who sits as an Independent, had accused Amer of attempting to fool international authorities by claiming in a letter to French lawyer William Bourdon that Suaram was a legal entity and a registered body through Suara Inisiatif Sdn Bhd. "Suaram is not a registered body with the Registrar of Societies (ROS) and yet the law firm sent a letter to a French lawyer claiming that it is a registered body," Wee said in Parliament on Wednesday. Wee said it was a "grand design to discredit the Government" and that Suaram had received foreign funding showing that "they have a bad intention". Amer clarified that he was not practising with the law firm Wee had named, and that Suaram was a personal client of his. "The said letter was written and signed under my name as the personal legal adviser of Suaram to state the background and registration history of Suaram under the Companies Act," said Amer, reading from a statement. "The allegations of a grand design' is a figment of Wee Choo Keong's grand imagination' and I challenge him to repeat his slanderous and defamatory accusations outside Parliament." |
| Klang leaders back Karpal’s proposal Posted: 02 Nov 2012 05:51 PM PDT
(The Star) - DAP grassroots leaders here have come out to back Karpal Singh's "one candidate, one seat" proposal. Seven party branches from Klang, led by Taman Chi Liung Indah DAP branch chairman K. Yogasigamany, said they supported Karpal's proposal as there were many qualified leaders in the party. They said the party should acknowledge the hard work put in by the party's grassroots by nominating some of them as election candidates. Yogasigamany said those who objected to Karpal's proposal did not understand the people's needs as they were "parachuted" in. "Grassroots leaders are people-oriented who have been serving the rakyat. "Why have these people not been nominated?" he asked in a statement yesterday. The other branches are Southern Klang, Taman Gembira, Klang, Bukit Tinggi, Ehsan and Teluk Pulai. Yogasigamany added that 14 DAP branches had collectively sent a memorandum recommending five grassroots' leaders to be chosen as the candidate for the Kota Alam Shah seat. However, he said they had yet to receive a response from state or national-level leaders. |
| Anti-hopping Bill ‘against federal laws’ Posted: 02 Nov 2012 05:38 PM PDT
(The Star) - The anti-hopping Bill passed by the Penang State Assembly is unconstitutional and can be challenged in court, experts said. Constitutional law expert and UiTM Emeritus Professor of law Datuk Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi said that Article 10(1)(c) of the Federal Constitution clearly stated that all citizens have the right to form associations. He also pointed out that the Federal Court (then Supreme Court) had ruled in the 1992 case of the Kelantan state assembly versus Nordin Salleh, that an anti-hopping law passed by the state assembly was unconstitutional and not in accordance with Article 10(1)(c). "Changing one's party to another party is part of the freedom of association provided for in the Federal Constitution. It is a person's constitutional right to disassociate or re-associate. "This law is likely to be challenged in the courts and is clearly in disregard of a binding judicial decision," he said yesterday. Article 10 of the Federal Constitution provides for the freedom of speech, assembly and association. Senior lawyer Roger Tan described the anti-hopping law as a populist move without regard to the sanctity of the Federal Constitution. "Pakatan Rakyat has always claimed that the Federal Constitution is the supreme law of the land. I would have expected the Penang Government to show more respect to it. "It is also bad governance if the government of the day takes a position that they can do anything they want until and unless it is declared invalid by the courts. This is not helping ordinary citizens to observe the rule of law," said Tan in reference to the 1992 Federal Court's decision. DAP chairman and Bukit Gelugor MP Karpal Singh, meanwhile, said the Penang enactment as it stood was unconstitutional because of Article 10 of the Federal Constitution and the verdict in the Nordin Salleh's case. "I will file a Private Members' Bill sometime next week to give it a legality. The Bill is to amend Article 10 to accommodate the anti-hopping provision. "A Constitutional amendment is necessary. Otherwise the whole amendment will be null and void as Article 10 will still stand," he said, noting that generally, all Constitutional amendments were made retrospective to Aug 31, 1957. |
| Posted: 02 Nov 2012 05:32 PM PDT
(The Star) - A DAP campaign lorry borrowed from a party supporter was reported to have been stolen early this morning in Johor Baru. DAP Youth chief and Negri Sembilan party chairman Anthony Loke said that although they were not entirely sure if the lorry had been towed away by authorities or stolen, the latter was highly likely. He said the five-tonne box van was last seen by party workers parked outside Gelang Patah DAP Wanita Chief Ng Siam Luang's shop in Taman Tun Aminah, Skudai at 1am on Saturday. The party workers had been loading the truck with campaign materials for a ceramah in Seremban later. "When the party workers came back to the shop at 6am, the lorry was gone," he told The Star. He added that it was strange a thief would steal a lorry adorned with DAP stickers. Loke said the party would lodge a police report on the matter soon. In JOHOR BARU, Gelang Patah DAP Wanita Chief Ng Siam Luang said she remembered locking the lorry's doors and checking the alarm system before heading home. "When my daughter went out at around 7am, she noticed that the lorry was no longer parked there but thought that one of our members had driven the vehicle away as we were supposed to go to Seremban for a 4pm ceramah," she told reporters. |
| Trouble in Sabah: PKR’s ‘ori’ vs ‘photocopies’ Posted: 02 Nov 2012 05:04 PM PDT
Anwar Ibrahim must come up with a quick solution to douse the growing resentment between original members and newcomers Calvin Kabaron, FMT There's a new catch-phrase greeting in Sabah PKR's political circles and it is greatly divisive. The greeting is "PKR ori" or "PKR photocopy?". "PKR ori" refers to genuine members of the party while "photocopy" addresses those with Angkatan Perubahan Sabah (APS) and Pakatan Perubahan Sabah (PPS) who "refused" to be members of PKR. APS is led by Tuaran MP who was once deputy president of Upko, Wilfred Bumburing, while PPS is by Lajim Ukin, a former federal deputy minister, who is also Beaufort MP. Lajim was with Umno and is often referred to as Umno's westcoast warlord. Their 'defection' was much heralded by opposition Pakatan Rakyat. These parties are now "parked" under Pakatan and and have declared their support of Anwar Ibrahim, PKR's de facto leader. The "ori" and "photocopy" catch-phrase is rising in popularity within PKR in Sabah. Anwar must already be aware of its effect on his party, more so now after last night's 'revelation'. Last night Bumburing was supposed to "launch" his APS for Sepanggar at a clubhouse in Inanam but only about 50 people turned up, according to PKR insiders in the division. Bumburing was disappointed and embarrassed. And so too was PKR Batu MP Tian Chua. Both were on their way to Inanam when told of the poor turnout. Eventually it was former senator Maijol Mahap who delivered Bumburing's speech, eye-witnesses claimed. Tian Chua is now expected to discuss with his national leadership on how to negotiate this new challenge, resulting from PKR's "multiple-marriage" with APS and PPS. Observers here are already questioning whether this political arrangement is counter-productive to the opposition party. He told his friends "his mood just evaporated". Meanwhile a state PKR leader who declined to be named said there was an urgent need for PKR's top leadership to address the "ori" and "photocopy" issue, as it was now dividing the hard-earned unity within the party in Sabah. Sabah PKR has been, for years in a tumultuous situation, especially when Sabah rights advocate Dr Jeffrey Kitingan was in it. "This is not a laughing matter. This is a real issue in PKR. "What made thing worse is that these "PKR photocopy" claimed and behaved as deciders and "the power' in the party. You can feel the uncomfortable alliance between the two groups in Tuaran, Kota Marudu, Kota Belud and in other areas too," he alleged. Read more |
| Posted: 02 Nov 2012 04:54 PM PDT
K Pragalath, FMT Kapar MP, S Manikavasagam may be dropped as the opposition candidate of the country's largest parliamentary constituency and instead offered a state seat by PKR for the upcoming general election, party sources revealed. Sources said the first term Kapar MP has been offered a choice of two state seats – Sri Andalas and Bukit Melawati – in exchange for the Kapar parliamentary constituency. In 2008, Manikavasagam beat S Komala Devi, the MIC Wanita chief, with a thumping 12,297 vote majority. As off March, 2008, the seat had 112,224 voters out of which 51% were Malays, 35% Chinese and 13 % Indians. The Kapar parliamentary seat has four state seats – Meru, Sementa, Sungai Pinang and Selat Klang. Sources close to Manikavasagam claim that the first term parliamentarian was keen to contest in Sri Andalas or Batu Caves and not Bukit Melawati. Incumbent Sri Andalas state assemblyman is Xavier Jayakumar, who is also a Selangor exco member. Amiruddin Shari and MP Muthiah are Batu Caves and Bukit Melawati state reps respectively. Party sources say Manikavasagam, fondly known as Mike in party circles, and Jayakumar could be involved in a seat swap. "Xavier (Jayakumar) would go to Kapar parliamentary seat while Mike would take over at Sri Andalas. Mike will strenghen the state Pakatan while Xavier (Jayakumar) would move up to national politics," a party source claimed. Jayakumar, however, is not the sole option for the party in Kapar. There are talks that PKR may field "an outsider" in Kapar. Lawyer and social activist K Saraswathy, who is yet to join any of the three main opposition parties, is another possible opposition candidate for Kapar. The Barisan Nasional also appears to have two candidates for Kapar. The seat is allocated to the MIC under BN's seat sharing system. Read more
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| Posted: 02 Nov 2012 04:47 PM PDT
Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat say that the time for change is nigh – just as long as the change is for their own good – not ours! CT Ali, FMT We know Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat better than they know themselves. BN ridicules the impossibility of Pakatan coalition partners working with each other within the confines of their own political ideologies. Three diametrically opposing political entities that BN hopes will be torn asunder by hudud and the realities of power sharing where race and religion, not needs, will decide who will be in government. Pakatan is spoilt for choice. They are tripping over themselves as to what they should do next to expose the abuses and mismanagement in government by BN. Does Pakatan start with exposing the need for greed amongst BN politicians and the corruption that goes with it or will Pakatan 'educate' the public on the massive abuse and misuse by BN of their political power to achieve their political agenda – that of remaining in government at all costs? I have news for BN and Pakatan – We already know all this and more! We know our politicians from both sides of the divide are so enamored with their own political agenda that they cannot see the forest for the trees! Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak comes up with scores of transformation initiatives that he said would make our country, our people and our economy better. Not to be outdone, Pakatan too have their proposals that they say would take away much of the economic burden of the people. BN and Pakatan say that the time for change is nigh – just as long as the change is for their own good – not ours! BN and Pakatan are so desperately focused on trying to win government that they fail to understand what we want. We want honest, decent and responsible politicians in government. We do not want politicians who lie to us, politicians who abuse the trust we place in them, politicians who takes money that does not belong to them, politicians who are arrogant, politicians who do not understand the meaning of the phrase "servants of the people" and politicians who talk of family values, devotion to religion and god even as they fornicate outside their matrimonial bonds and deliberate on how they could use god to boost their political credentials. We know all this and we also know the reality too. We know that when all is said and done, it is BN and Pakatan that will decide our fate and the sorry future of our nation. Our history has always shown this to be true, whether at state or federal level. Those who have political power do as they please because they can. So how is it that our people are able to put history aside and work towards trying to bring about change? Read more
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| Johor’s Malay vote may thwart Pakatan’s quest for Putrajaya, say leaders Posted: 02 Nov 2012 09:15 AM PDT The second or third generation of voters in the traditionally pro-Umno FELDA settlements may potentially sway towards the opposition but not the first-generation settlers. Mohd Farhan Darwis, Malaysian Insider Despite Pakatan Rakyat's (PR) ambitious predictions in Johor for the coming polls, local leaders from the federal opposition front expect to stumble in their quest to unlock the Malay vote, which is seen as the key to break into Umno's southernmost fortress. The Malays make up close to 60 per cent of the three million-strong population of Johor, which is also home to a staggering 74 FELDA settlements spread out across 21 state constituencies. The FELDA Malay vote is often played by BN as its trump card during electoral battles, and has also been credited as among one of the key reasons behind the ruling pact's survival of the 2008 political tsunami, particularly in Johor. In Election 2008, BN lost its customary two-thirds parliamentary majority and ceded five states to the opposition, clinging to power only through its successes in Johor and east Malaysia. But local PR leaders believe a slight 35 per cent vote swing among the Johor's Malay electorate should suffice to topple BN in Johor in the next polls, provided the pact throws all its muscle behind ensuring that Johor's non-Malays are willing to go anti-BN. When met during recent interviews, several leaders told The Malaysian Insider that their respective parties have their sights set on the state's mixed and urban seats, where the non-Malay voters make up a prominent percentage. "For the Chinese voters, we are not worried... whether DAP or PKR, or even PAS — if we stand in a Chinese area, voters will opt for PR. "The mixed areas, where the ratio is 50:50 (Malay:non-Malay) or 60:40 (Malay:non-Malay), we have potential to win... so these areas are our focus," Johor PAS commissioner Datuk Dr Mahfodz Mohamed told The Malaysian Insider in an interview. He described the Malay vote as Umno's "lifeline", admitting that it would be too difficult for PR to break into this vote bank. "The Malay seats in the villages, FELDA areas, or Felcra, this is Umno's lifeline... it's definitely hard to breach. Perhaps we may have made some inroads but winning these seats would be tough. "They are safe areas (for Umno), and have been gifted with many things from the party, they feel very obligated to the party there," Mahfodz said. He said the second or third generation of voters in the traditionally pro-Umno FELDA settlements may potentially sway towards the opposition but not the first-generation settlers. PAS Youth chief Shuhaizan Kaiat echoed the same with his party leader, revealing that PAS has even placed Johor's Malay majority seats as its lowest priority target for the coming general election. "Areas with a large number of FELDA settlers particularly are our least focused target for votes... even lower than the rural villages as these settlements are difficult for our campaigners to even enter," he said. But with an estimated 70 per cent support from the state's Chinese community, who make up over 35 per cent of Johor's population, Shuhaizan said the state could well be in the bag for PR in GE13. "We have no doubts of their support in PR," he said. In another interview, Johor Umno Information chief Datuk Sambul Bari Jamali also said he was confident that the state's dominant Malay community would stay loyal to BN in the coming polls. "I would not call them PR's stumbling block, but it is true the Malays in Johor are loyal to their parties, loyal to Umno. "Maybe PR has the support of some of the Malays in the urban areas, but what they (PR) have to see is this easy indicator — the Malays do make up Johor's majority," he said. In Election 2008, BN returned a strong government in Johor when it trounced the opposition in 25 of 26 parliamentary seats and 50 of 56 state seats. Without its victories in Johor, BN would have lost the battle in the peninsula to PR, with only 60 federal seats, in comparison with PR's 79. Including the Johor seats, BN's seat tally with PR stood at 85-80.
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| PKR strongman Badrul Amin among 16 charged in Syariah court Posted: 01 Nov 2012 08:26 PM PDT
(NST) - Sixteen Al-Arqam members who were picked up during a gathering in Bandar Country Homes Rawang on Thursday night were charged at the Kuang Syariah Court this morning Among those in court were PKR supreme council member Dr Badrul Amin Baharon and Global Ikhwan Sdn Bhd board of directors. |
| Malay grads losing out in job ‘race’ Posted: 01 Nov 2012 08:14 PM PDT A new study discovers that Malay graduates stand a lesser chance in being called up for an interview compared to their Chinese counterparts. Teoh El Sen, FMT Does race matter in securing an interview? Apparently so, according to a new study which found that a Malay fresh graduate was 16.7% less likely to be called up for a job interview in the private sector compared to their Chinese counterparts. The study, funded by the University Malaya Research Grant, was jointly conducted by Lee Hwok Aun, a senior lecturer from the Department of Development Studies at Universiti Malaya (UM) and Muhammed Abdul Khalid, a Research Fellow at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaya (UKM). The academic paper was presented at a public seminar in UM this morning. Both researches said they aim to "empirically and objectively" investigate racial discrimination in the private sector labour market in the Peninsular Malaysia, which was talked about but its prevalence not studied. However, they stressed that the focus was on incidences of discrimination and not on the reasons behind it, including racism, prejudice or bigotry. The "first of its kind" study was based on a field experiment where fictitious resumes of Malay and Chinese applicants were sent to job advertisements in Peninsular Malaysia. A total of 3,012 resumes were sent to 753 engineering and accounting jobs advertised on Jobstreet.com and JobsDB.com between August and December 2011. For each job, the researchers sent out four fake resumes according to race and their academic qualifications. All the "applicants" were male with no prior working experience but have a basic qualification in the field being applied for. The number of responses from employers, which have been divided into "Chinese-controlled, Malay-controlled or foreign-controlled", are then recorded for each category. One of the main findings of the study was that the total resumes sent, only 13.1%(396) received callbacks, of those, 4.2%(63) were Malay and 22.1%(222) were Chinese. The study also found that the quality of applicants appeared to matter more for Malays than for the Chinese. There was also a difference between industries, where engineering companies were responding to 25% of resumes by Chinese applicants and only 3% of resumes by Malay applicants while in accountancy, a lesser 19% Chinese applicants received callbacks compared to 6% of Malay applicants. It was also found that discrimination against Malay applicants is highest among foreign-controlled companies, followed by Malay-controlled companies, then Chinese-controlled companies. Employers that stipulate Chinese language proficiency as a job requirement also favour Chinese applicants. Chinese-controlled and foreign-controlled companies are significantly inclined toward Chinese resumes. "The data do not directly inform the motivation of the observed discrimination. Nonetheless, our findings suggest that employers are generally predisposed favourably toward Chinese, substantially due to compatibility factors and unobservable qualities not revealed in job applications, and are more selective toward Malays, which results in fewer but considerably qualified applicants getting callbacks." "This study underscores the complexity of labour market discrimination and its policy implications," said the study.
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| Outlawed Al-Arqam gathering raided, 20 detained Posted: 01 Nov 2012 05:15 PM PDT PKR leader Dr Badrulamin Bahron one of those arrested (NST) - Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS) raided a gathering of Al-Arqam followers and detained more than 20 of them here last night. They were detained under Section 12C of the Selangor Syariah Criminal Enactment for seeking to revive the banned Al-Arqam sect. The raid which began at 9 pm saw JAIS personnel swoop down the banned sect members during a function, said a JAIS spokesman. Those picked up were attending the 75th birthday of Al-Arqam founder Ashaari Muhammad or popularly known as Abuya who died in 2010. All those detained were taken to the JAIS headquarters in Shah Alam for questioning. During the raid, JAIS officials also seized pamphlets.
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| PKR, Hindraf to map out plans for Indians Posted: 01 Nov 2012 05:06 PM PDT Anwar Ibrahim and P Waythamoorty held a meeting to address issues affecting the Indian community. K Pragalath, FMT PKR and Hindraf are working on a plan to solve the problems faced by the Indian community. Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy met PKR de facto leader and Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim at the latter's office in Parliament yesterday in search of a permanent solution to the various problems faced by the community. The two-hour closed door meeting was also attended by PKR vice president Tian Chua and Hindraf advisor N Ganesan. Tian Chua was upbeat over the meeting and expressed confidence that PKR would be able to resolve the woes of the Indian community. "The Indian social problem is a national problem. We are willing to find a certain time frame to resolve the problem," he said. He added that PKR would announce the methods to resolve the issues and the time frame soon. Tian Chua, who is also Batu MP, told FMT that the PKR – Hindraf partnership was on the basis that they are "fighting partners moving in the same direction to restore human rights and dignity". Ganesan told FMT that they had a fruitful discussion with Anwar without divulging the details. "If this works out positively there is potential for Hindraf to work with them," he said. Meanwhile, Waythamoorthy said: "We are here to find a permanent, comprehensive and practical plan to solve the problems of Indians since independence." "We are looking for a permanent solution for the 800,000 Indians who have been displaced from estates since the 1970s and 350,000 stateless Indians," he added.
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| Posted: 01 Nov 2012 05:02 PM PDT PKR's Rafizi Ramli reveals documents allegedly showing that 1,014 hectares of land is controlled by Negeri Sembilan MCA chairman Yeow Chai Thiam. Patrick Lee, FMT More than a thousand hectares of Negeri Sembilan jungle is, according to PKR, in the hands of a private company and the land is said to be worth just RM10. PKR strategic director Rafizi Ramli showed a March 4, 2004 letter where the 1,104 hectares at Serting Ulu, Jempol, was to be allocated to Asli-YNS Sdn Bhd for growing rubber. The letter appeared to be issued by the Negeri Sembilan State Secretariat to the state's Land and Mines Director and the Jempol District Land Administrator. Parts of the letter were blackened out. "Even though the name of this company gives the impression that it is a joint-venture with the state, a search at the Companies Commission of Malaysia, revealed that it is owned and controlled by state MCA chairman, Senator Dr Yeow Chai Thiam," Rafizi told reporters. He was referring to the Jeram Padang Selatan Forest Reserve, near Bahau in Jempol. Previously, FMT reported that the area had been classified as a Permanent Forest Reserve since Aug 30, 1918. Documents provided by PKR showed that Asli-YNS Sdn Bhd appeared to have an issued shared capital of RM10. It had two directors: Yeow and a Yan Sien Wee. Only half the story Yeow, it appeared seemed to own half of the company's shares, or RM5. The CCM documents showed that the company was registered in Feb 20, 2004. To this, Rafizi said: "I would love to be that someone who could, with RM5, get 1,104 hectares of forest land." He added that this appeared to contradict Menteri Besar Mohamad Hassan's statement that the Jeram Padang Selatan Forest Reserve still belonged to the state government, through Yayasan Negeri Sembilan (YNS). "Mohammad only presented half of the story. He said by the state policy that any degazetted reserve would be given to YNS…he didn't say what happened from YNS onwards," Rafizi said. On parts of the letter that was blackened out, the PKR leader said that Asli-YNS was only the first of four companies involved in the matter. "I hope the other three companies will panic a little. One by one, you can trace them back to the leadership of Umno-Barisan Nasional," he said.
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| BAFIA charges against Rafizi should stay, say NFCorp lawyers Posted: 01 Nov 2012 04:56 PM PDT
Ida Lim, The Malaysian Insider The National Feedlot Corporation's (NFCorp) lawyers said today that the court charges against PKR's Rafizi Ramli for allegedly breaching banking laws should stay, saying that such breaches such not be allowed "under the pretext of whistleblowing". On August 1, Rafizi (picture) was charged with violating the Banking and Financial Institutions Act (BAFIA) by exposing confidential banking details of NFCorp, in a case that has highlighted the importance of protecting bank customers' data and also caused renewed scrutiny of the country's whistleblower protection laws. The NFCorp runs the National Feedlot Centre (NFC), a RM250 million federal-funded cattle-farming project that has been at the centre of a major national scandal. "If BAFIA is allowed to be breached under the pretext of whistle blowing, the very stratum of banking collapses," Shafee & Co, the law firm representing NFCorp, warned in a statement. In explaining why the BAFIA charges against Rafizi "should stand firm", the law firm claimed that Rafizi had "illegally obtained" certain bank documents. "Rafizi obtained the bank documents without the permission of the account holders, the bank or the permission of Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM). "The Attorney-General and Bank Negara Malaysia should not be swayed by political rhetorics but to investigate Rafizi's absolute breach of BAFIA," it said. "Malaysia's well-respected banking and financial systems should not be compromised whatsoever for political dramas and sensationalism," the law firm said. It added that several leaders in the banking industry, including the Association of Banks Malaysia chairman, had stressed that "client confidentiality or secrecy must be upheld at all cost." Shafee & Co also said that under the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010, a genuine whistleblower should first report to the authorities to allow them to take action.
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| Greek journalist on trial for leaking bank data Posted: 01 Nov 2012 04:32 PM PDT
(AFP) - A Greek investigative journalist went on trial on Thursday for publishing names from an alleged list of Swiss bank accounts that has exposed the debt-plagued government to charges of a cover-up. Costas Vaxevanis, a 46-year-old veteran television journalist who now publishes a magazine, insists he was doing his job while ministers responsible for vetting the list for possible tax evasion did nothing for two years. "We will endure this. Will they?" Vaxevanis tweeted ahead of the trial. Vaxevanis, who was arrested on Sunday, has been charged with breach of privacy and faces a maximum three-year prison sentence if convicted. His lawyers, who reject the charges as "vague", have said that a number of people whose names Vaxevanis published will testify in court in his defence. The head of the International Federation of Journalists, Jim Bumelha, said he had testified on Vaxevanis' behalf and called the trial an "absurd farce". "We were all astonished (by the arrest)," he told reporters. Vaxevanis has accused the Greek state of hypocrisy and says the justice system is bowing to a corrupt political system. "Our politicians declare themselves to be democrats. I see no evidence of this," he wrote in the Britain's The Times newspaper on Thursday. "I wonder if Greek justice will show that the law safeguards the public interest and freedom of speech... in journalism you must do what you think is right without worrying about the consequences," he wrote. Vaxevanis' "Hot Doc" magazine on Saturday published the names of more than 2,000 Greeks, allegedly from a controversial list of HSBC account holders that was originally leaked by a bank employee and passed to Greece in 2010 by France's then finance minister Christine Lagarde. Viewing the list as stolen data that could not be used against potential tax evaders, the Greek authorities took no action for two years. When the case resurfaced last month, it took several days for officials to even locate a copy of the so-called "Lagarde List". Among those named are prominent businessmen, shipowners, lawyers, doctors, journalists and a former minister, as well as companies, housewives and students although no deposit sums were published. The data has been the subject of intense discussion, with the government facing calls to use it to crack down on potential tax cheats as the country grapples with a massive debt crisis. On Thursday, a special economic prosecutor asked parliament to investigate whether previous finance ministers could be faulted for failing to take action on the list, news reports said. Officially, the prosecutor asked lawmakers to "investigate politicians of the period in question," a justice source said. Evangelos Venizelos, the leader of the socialist Pasok party who was formerly finance minister, is among officials who could be called to testify. Venizelos has already told a parliament committee that he had ordered the finance ministry's tax police to investigate, a claim which the department's chief at the time denies. The first recipient of the data in 2010, ex-finance minister George Papaconstantinou, said he did not know what had happened to the original version of the list, raising speculation that it could have been tampered with. As a result, current Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras has asked France to re-send the list. Vaxevanis says he received the information in an anonymous letter whose sender claimed to have received it from a politician. On Wednesday, police arrested another journalist who claimed to have in his possession a list of finance ministry documents allegedly stolen by hackers from the state general accounting office.
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| Fresh from RM2.2b deal, ex-CJ’s wife’s firm plots route to listing Posted: 01 Nov 2012 04:16 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - Emrail Sdn Bhd is set to list on Bursa Malaysia through a reverse takeover of a dormant cash-rich entity, just months after the government was forced to defend its decision to give the company, owned by Umno lawyer Datuk Hafarizam Harun and the wife of former Chief Justice Tun Zaki Azmi, the RM2.2 billion deal to build the Kinrara-Damansara Expressway. The shareholders of Emrail and Premier Naflin Bhd, a company with RM115 million in hand and no business since last October, announced yesterday that a deal had been been struck which would see the former take over the latter's listing status. Premier's major shareholders are Tan Sri K.R. Somasundram and the National Land Finance Co-operative Society Ltd. Besides Hafarizam, the other directors in Emrail now are Tan Sri Hari Narayanan and Toh Puan Nik Sazlina Mohd Zain, Zaki's wife. In February, Hafarizam told The Malaysian Insider that any suggestion of a deal struck because of his role in the Perak constitutional crisis in 2009 was "tainted with mala fide (bad faith) and intended to bring me and Tun Zaki into public odium, scandal and disrepute." Hafarizam, who is the ruling Malay party's legal adviser, denied that the highway concession award was given as a reward to him and Zaki allegedly for their roles in the 2009 Perak crisis that saw the state government switch from Pakatan Rakyat (PR) to Barisan Nasional (BN), which is held together by Umno. Zaki declined to comment when contacted. Emrail and Zabima Engineering Sdn Bhd had been awarded the lucrative RM2.2 billion contract to build the Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex), Hafarizam confirmed then. The editor of the Malaysia Today website claimed in an article published in February under the title "Episode 9: The reward for giving Perak back to Umno" that Harafizam and Zaki, who retired on September 9 last year, were awarded the highway contract via Emrail. The new highway, which will be a tolled road, will link Kinrara and Pusat Bandar Damansara and will divert traffic on the LDP. In February, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin also denied allegations that the deal was given to companies linked to the Umno lawyer due to political reasons. According to The Edge Financial Daily today, the expressway project is not expected to take off until after the general election which is only expected after Chinese New Year. The newspaper also reported that yesterday's announcement stated that a special purpose vehicle (SPV) would initially be set up to take over Premier's listing status.
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| ‘Voters unfazed by Pakatan woes’ Posted: 01 Nov 2012 03:37 PM PDT He believes voters are too keen to see the end of BN to pay attention to the bad press. Hawkeye, FMT Pakatan Rakyat remains on the road to electoral victory despite reports of trouble within and between the parties making up the alliance, according to PAS Supporters Assembly Adviser Hu Phang Chaw. Speaking to FMT, he said he based his confidence on impressions he had gained from the ground in his travels around the country. "The winds of change are blowing, most profoundly in Sabah and Sarawak," he said. "Pakatan also senses this in other hardline BN states such as Johor and Pahang. If these states are moving away from BN, we can expect at least a similar movement in such borderline states as Malacca and Negri Sembilan." He conceded that all three Pakatan parties—PAS, DAP and PKR—were currently troubled by infighting and that there were differences between the parties themselves, but he said these were not serious enough to sidetrack them from the march to Putrajaya and less significant than the electorate's determination to be rid of Barisan Nasional. "People have just had enough of BN," he said. "They want a change, period." Lately, BN-friendly news organisations have become more energetic in playing up reports that put Pakatan in a negative light. These include speculation about the health of the Kedah and Kelantan menteri besar, an alleged friction between the Penang Chief Minister and one of his deputies, and an alleged splitting of ways between Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim and Selangor PKR chief Azmin Ali. Hu said the truth or falsehood of these allegations had little bearing on the public's impression that a Pakatan government would be a better choice than BN. "The so-called silent majority are whispering to Pakatan leaders that they want a change in Putrajaya," he said. He also said Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's decision to put off calling for the 13th general election was working to Pakatan's advantage. The delay was allowing Pakatan to reach out to more people, he said, adding that attendances at Pakatan public functions were becoming bigger by the day. PAS vice-president Sallehuddin Ayub was more cautious in his assessment of Pakatan's chances. He said it was "a bit too early" to predict victory, but agreed with Hu that signs from the ground indicated a mood for change. "There are growing signs that victory is attainable," he said.
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| Al-Arqam's shadow cabinet uncovered Posted: 01 Nov 2012 12:26 PM PDT Khatijah Am, known to her followers as Ummu Jah, had been living in self-imposed exile in Mecca for the past few years. (NST) - PLOT: 41 ministries, including for souls, death, holy sex THE banned Al-Arqam movement, led by the founder's wife, Khatijah Am, is said to have formed a "shadow cabinet" with 41 ministries, including the ministry of the netherworld (kementerian alam ghaib). This was part of its plot to overthrow the government and form an Islamic state, according to information compiled by intelligence agencies. Also listed in its shadow cabinet were the ministries of true souls and sects (roh suci dan tariqat), death and the hereafter (kematian dan akhirat) and family and holy sex (keluarga dan seks suci). Intelligence sources said Khatijah, who is the widow of Ashaari Muhammad and has been living in Mecca after his death, had been holding monthly meetings with "top leaders" of the sect in Malaysia via video conferencing. A source said 54 meetings, dubbed "roh parlimen" (soul parliament) by Khatijah, had been held so far. In their "parliamentary meetings", which had begun in May 2010, Khatijah had assumed the position as their "prime minister". "To ensure that Al-Arqam leaders and followers stayed with the movement and follow her orders, Khatijah claimed she received direct orders from her late husband," a source said. "She had been involved in running the movement even when Ashaari was still alive. Ashaari suffered a mild stroke in 2005." The source added that Khatijah, known to followers as Ummu Jah, had been living in self-imposed exile in Mecca for the past few years. The group, the source said, had received funding from more than 30 welfare homes in Malaysia run by their proxies. Some homes run by key personnel in Al-Arqam were registered with the Welfare Department and received government funding. "These welfare homes received donations, not only from the government, but private companies and unsuspecting individuals as well," said the source. "From our intelligence reports, only a small portion of the donations received were used for the homes while the remaining went to Khatijah's accounts," the source said, adding that Khatijah lived lavishly in a mansion rented for 340,000 riyal (RM276,000) a year. The mansion, called RSA Palace, has a conference room, an elevator, gymnasium, sauna and a swimming pool. The source said the movement collected an average of RM800,000 in donations every month. Meanwhile, Islamic Development Department (Jakim) director-general Datuk Othman Mustapha said they were collecting evidence on the group's activities. "We found that the group, through its company, still continues with its deviant teachings. All the claims that Ashaari is Imam Mahdi and Ummu Jah can communicate with her late husband are blatant lies. "We hope those with information on their activities will come forward to assist in our investigations." Al-Arqam was decreed a deviant sect in 1994 by the National Fatwa Council after it was found to have practised Aurad Muhammadiah teachings which was described as misleading Muslims from the true Islamic beliefs.
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| Posted: 01 Nov 2012 12:18 PM PDT Just a story? Hang Tuah holds childhood friend Hang Jebat after being forced to end his killing spree. Photo by Photo by P3rSeUs via Flickr. (The Oxonian Globalist) - A "historic" hero faces review in the evolution of an egalitarian multi-ethnic society In the cosmopolitan entrepôt of 15th century Malacca, a city on the west coast of today's Malaysia, a Malay warrior slew his closest – yet increasingly seditious – friend, to emphasize his own loyalty to the Sultan. Some 500 years later, this story of Hang Tuah – immortalised in his Hikayat Hang Tuah – is causing intellectual, political and ethnic unease in contemporary Malaysia. Having been celebrated in film and taught in schools as the locus of Muslim-Malay mores, the warrior's story was categorically refuted in January by Professor Tan Sri Khoo Kay Kim, historian and Chancellor of KDU University College, as nothing more than a myth. All Historians Now In the last year, the Malaysian education system has undergone major review. In April the National Education Dialogue was created to gather perspectives from all levels of society on how to improve teaching and learning. Encouraged by the Minister of Education, and in conjunction with UNESCO, this dialogue aims to cultivate a new generation of globally competitive Malaysians. In the midst of discussions, History, a subject pursued by a very small minority, is enjoying heightened attention. In May 2011, the Ministry of Education declared that it should be a "must-pass" subject in secondary schools from 2013, while scholars and NGOs concurrently launched a campaign for "A Truly Malaysian History". Its spokesman, Dr Lim Tek Ghee, Director of the Centre of Policy Initiatives, called for immediate actions to "ensure a broad and balanced perspective of major civilisations and events", for "accurate historical facts of Malaysia's historical development" and for the "fair recognition to the contribution of all communities". All this seems reasonable. Nonetheless it raises questions about the inclusion in school textbooks of the Hang Tuah story – a melange of fact and fiction, suffused with the supernatural, and hitherto intrinsic to Malay, but not national Malaysian, identity. As soon as Professor Khoo aired his views, Facebook and Twitter erupted in furious debates. One tweet pointed out how Chinese-sounding Tuah's name is. Another questioned the written record of Adam and Eve. Academics, such as the National Laureate, Dr Muhammad Salleh, retaliated with assertions that Tuah was an irrefutably historical figure, appearing 128 times in six chapters in the Malay Annals. Meanwhile, a group claiming to be the Hang Tuah's descendants announced that only they knew the 'real account' of the famed admiral, based on ownership of an ancient Jawi script passed though the generations. Nation and Narration After independence in 1957, there was a struggle for post-imperial control in the new Malaysia. The Malays, under the auspices of (UMNO), have been the dominant political body of the last 40 years, with bumiputera status since the 1970s (after the racial riots of 1969). As "sons of the soil", they have enjoyed advantages in education and politics, to the chagrin of other ethnic groups. The myth of Hang Tuah, along with his maxim, "Malays will never vanish from the face of the earth", had since gained rising resonance. Though the story has provided a moral reference point, teaching humility and bravery. On a darker level, it has fuelled nationalist convictions. Following the country's Islamisation in the 1980s under Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the Hang Tuah story became ever more sacrosanct in national history teaching. The process of Islamisation – consolidating links with the wider Islamic world, solidifying the predominance of Muslim values in public life, and improving the economic position of the Malays (while, for example, curbing the establishment of non-Muslim places of worship) – provoked the reassertion of racial identity. Paradoxically it emulated the model of colonial Malaya, when the British sought to separate the Malays, Chinese and Indians into distinct groups to cement their own authority. Even amid recent Bersih (literally, 'clean') demonstrations in Kuala Lumpur in April, where Malaysians of all races demanded electoral reform, the Hang Tuah story was invoked. The opinion of Mohammad Salim, a 51-year old fish breeder from Lingga has been particularly highlighted in the local press. Like other Malays living on the island, he endorsed the race "advancement" efforts of Mahathir and of the present Prime Minister Najib. Salim envies his privileged fellow Malays on the paeninsula, and tells them to take strength from Tuah's words, rather than engaging in public protest. Read more at: http://toglobalist.org/2012/11/the-once-and-past-king-2/ |
| Chia link will not cost BN, unlike NFC scandal, says Nazri Posted: 01 Nov 2012 11:51 AM PDT  (The Malaysian Insider) - Nazri pointed out that he does not drive the Hummer, but travels in his own car, which he said uses the number plate "WVJ 6". "Wealth, victory, justice," he said, to describe what the plate initials stand for. "Some say W is for wisdom... but I don't want that. Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz denied today that allegations of his son's link to Sabah timber trader Michael Chia would cost Barisan Nasional (BN) politically like the National Feedlot Centre (NFC) scandal. "It doesn't bother me at all. That (NFC case) is husband and wife...what he does, he doesn't tell me. "It is different from husband and wife," the outspoken minister told reporters when approached in Parliament. Nazri was defending himself against allegations by PKR's Rafizi Ramli, who had accused him of conflict of interest in his alleged defence of Chia, the businessman who was accused of attempting to smuggle RM40 million to Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman. Rafizi had asked if Nazri's alleged "relentless" defence of Chia was because his son, Nedim, had been using the businessman's half a million ringgit Hummer. Despite refusing to confirm or deny whether his son was indeed using Chia's car, Nazri said it was not a problem and has no connection to his integrity as a minister. "Why should it be a problem? It is between him (Nedim) and Michael (Chia). Ask him (Chia) if it is a problem," he said. Nazri pointed out that he does not drive the Hummer, but travels in his own car, which he said uses the number plate "WVJ 6". "Wealth, victory, justice," he said, to describe what the plate initials stand for. "Some say W is for wisdom... but I don't want that. "That is why I can afford things... but certainly, it is not NFC's money," he said, in another swipe at the cattle-farming scandal. Nazri insisted that the latest episode surrounding his alleged link to Chia would not hurt BN in any way in the coming polls. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/chia-link-will-not-cost-bn-unlike-nfc-scandal-says-nazri/ |
| Malaysian employers practise racial bigotry, study shows Posted: 01 Nov 2012 11:40 AM PDT  File photo of a Workers' Day rally in Kuala Lumpur. Two academics found that there is racial discrimination in the hiring process based on an experiment they had conducted.(The Malaysian Insider) - Malaysian employers tend to favour Chinese job applicants over their Malay counterparts, a recent university study has shown, indicating racial discrimination underscores the hiring process in the private sector labour market. In their joint research, Universiti Malaya (UM) senior lecturer in development studies Dr Lee Hwok Aun and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) research fellow Dr Muhammed Abdul Khalid found that fresh Chinese graduates are more likely to be called for a job interview based on their resumes compared to Malays. "Our findings suggest that employers are generally predisposed favourably towards Chinese, substantially due to compatibility factors and unobservable qualities not revealed in job applications, and are more selective towards Malays, which results in fewer but considerably qualified applicants getting callbacks," the duo stated in an abstract of their seminar paper being presented at UM today. The two academics said they had conducted a field experiment by sending made-up resumes of fresh Malay and Chinese graduates to real job advertisements. From their research, Lee and Muhammed Abdul found that while both Malay and Chinese graduates who listed Chinese-language proficiency and stated that they graduated from a certain university were likely to increase their chances to be called for an interview, yet employers — especially those that were Chinese-controlled or foreign-run — were significantly inclined to pick the Chinese applicant. They noted that the racial discrimination was sharper in engineering jobs than in the accounting or finance sector. They also found that in the engineering industry, Malays were most likely to be rejected by foreign-controlled companies, followed by Malay-controlled companies and lastly Chinese-controlled firms. However, they said their data does not directly show the motif of the racial discrimination in the hiring process based on the experiment they had conducted. Lee and Muhammed Abdul are presenting their paper, titled "Does race matter in getting an interview? A field experiment of hiring discrimination in Peninsular Malaysia", at UM's Economics and Administration Faculty at 10am. Malaysia's mushrooming local higher education institutions churned out a total 184,581 graduates last year, according to the latest statistics released on the Higher Education Ministry's website. Of that figure, 44,391 people or 24 per cent are unemployed. The Najib administration has set aside some RM500 million in its Budget 2013 to spend on jobless youths to make them marketable. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/malaysian-employers-practise-racial-bigotry-study-shows/ |
| Posted: 01 Nov 2012 11:31 AM PDT  Nathaniel Tan (fz.com) - "In my particular case as well, the government and police appear to be sending a signal that while irresponsible bloggers roam free, responsible bloggers who moderate their comments and put a name to their writing are more likely to end up as targets. This policy could not possibly be more ill-formed and counterproductive." PETALING JAYA (Nov 2): On July 13, 2007, blogger Nathaniel Tan was arrested due to an anonymous comment on his blog posting, believed to be information derived from confidential government documents. For four days, he was remanded at the Dang Wangi district police headquarters and pressed on the same line of questioning pertaining allegations in the comment made on Feb 10, 2007, linking the then-deputy internal security minister Datuk Mohd Johari Baharum to a graft allegation. Besides being arrested, Tan's desktop computer, laptop, mobile phone, CDs and some documents, were also seized from his house. Tan was interrogated by the cybercrime division on grounds of publishing accusations based on documents protected under the Official Secrets Act 1972 (OSA) as the identity of the commentator remained unknown. He was released without being charged. However, he might not be as fortunate in the event something similar occurs again. In April, the Evidence Act was amended to include Section 114A which, among others, presumes owners of registered networks, devices, websites and portals to be the publishers of any seditious or offensive content until proved otherwise, and they will be held liable for said content. The provision came into effect on July 31 despite fierce opposition that the law stifles Internet freedom and was vulnerable to abuse as it covers a broad scope of wrongdoings. Some of the more grievous concerns raised against Section 114A are the fact that it shifts the burden of proof on the accused, akin to prosecution against individuals in drug-related offenses. Tan escaped the ordeal of having to go through a trial, not just because there was no evidence to show that he violated Section 8 of the OSA which deals with "wrongful communication" of "official secrets", but also the lack of a precise legislation to nail him for the anonymous content on his website. But for him, the four-day detention was a good enough experience to make sure that he moderates all comments on his blog. "Although, the original comment in question was actually longer, I had already deleted parts of it I found to be without evidence long before my arrest," he said relating his experience to fz.com in an email interview recently. At that time, in dealing with the police Tan noted that "the police did not understand how the Internet works" as he was the "best suspect" to prove their case. "I fear greatly that my arrest, despite the non-existent ties between the accusations against Johari and myself, portend badly for Malaysia's ability to deal with true cybercrime. "In my particular case as well, the government and police appear to be sending a signal that while irresponsible bloggers roam free, responsible bloggers who moderate their comments and put a name to their writing are more likely to end up as targets. This policy could not possibly be more ill-formed and counterproductive," he said in a statement released right after his release. Coming back to consequences of the new provision, Tan opined that it is meant to intimidate online activists in Malaysia considering the evolution of technology today. "Any friend can 'borrow' your smartphone and so on. It is impossible to say for sure who made a posting on your Facebook wall or wrote a tweet under your account. Read more at: http://fz.com/content/tripped-blog-comments |
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