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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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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'

Radical cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir talks to reporters from behind bars of a holding cell at a district court in Jakarta, Indonesia, on 9 May 2011

Ba'asyir was jailed in June for giving support to militants in Aceh province

On 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.

Sabah BN ‘sensibly’ confident

Posted: 03 Nov 2012 10:09 AM PDT

The State of Sabah

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.

Posted: 03 Nov 2012 09:38 AM PDT

The State of Pahang

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.

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

Ahad, 4 November 2012