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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Shahrizat slams news portals, says God is with Utusan
- Deepak says he paid Najib's family for land deal
- I am a winnable candidate in PRU 13 : Shahrizat
- Ex-IGP says ministers meddle with investigations
- Shahrizat: May 13 could repeat if Umno weak
- Anwar’s lawyer offers to help hair salon
- Debate with Anwar ‘a waste of time’
- Is ex-IGP Musa going Pakatan’s way?
- Shahrizat still harbours hope of contesting
- Malaysia ‘dog’ chant riles Singapore fans
- French Lawyers Seek Malaysian PM Najib to Testify in Sub Scandal
- Nik Aziz admits ‘oversight’ in gender policy on hair-cutting
| Shahrizat slams news portals, says God is with Utusan Posted: 27 Nov 2012 11:00 PM PST The Wanita Umno chief goes on a tirade against 'unfair' news portals, but sings praises for Utusan over its sincerity. Anisah Shukry, FMT Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said today that Malaysian news portals give "unfair and irresponsible coverage" of Barisan Nasional, whereas God is with Malay daily Utusan due to its "sincerity". "There are pros and cons to social media, but the cons is that it has no limits. They speak without responsibility, especially news portals," said the Wanita Umno chief in her winding-up speech at the Umno general assembly today. "I don't need to elaborate on that. [The news portals] use the word 'Malaysian' in their name, am I right? What is this… if you use the word 'Malaysia', then you must write with pride, honour and dignity!" she cried. She was likely referring to news portals such as Free Malaysia Today, MalaysiaKini and The Malaysian Insider, which have often been accused of being "pro-opposition" due to their critical stance towards the ruling government. Shahrizat today claimed that a common "trick" used by news portals was to write provocative headlines that lead people into trouble. "How can it be like that? You want to fight for democracy, am I right? Come on… even in the media, pro-opposition news portals, you have to be fair to everyone. "If you have pride in your profession, do it." On the other hand, she said she "saluted" Umno-owned Utusan and its board member Abdul Aziz Ishak for its "sincerity in championing religion, the nation, the country and the people". "I notice that Utusan has always been targeted ceaselessly. Why does this happen? The opposition keep suing them, people do all sorts of things to Utusan… "But Utusan remains steady because it is sincere in championing religion, the nation, the country and the people. I salute Utusan," said Shahrizat, without a trace of irony in her voice. "Do not be afraid. Why? Because, ultimately, God is with Utusan." She reminded the people in the hall that while "the pen is mightier than the sword", there was a Malay saying that roughly translates to "a knife can eat its owner". "Remember that. Do not target Utusan so much. Because Utusan has its own soul," declared Shahrizat.
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| Deepak says he paid Najib's family for land deal Posted: 27 Nov 2012 05:41 PM PST
Deepak said the transfer was made possible after he "contributed heavily" to Najib's family. Nigel Aw, Malaysiakini Businessperson Deepak Jaikishan claimed that he paid the family of Najib Abdul Razak an undisclosed sum for the premier's intervention to allow him to come in as a party in a Defence Ministry project deal. According to Deepak, he stitched a deal with a Selangor Umno leader's company where he would participate as a third party in the proposed project. Najib expressed 'no opposition' Deepak noted that "a third-party scenario should not happen in normal circumstances", but was only made possible with Najib's help. The carpet trader had yesterday told Malaysiakini that he regretted helping a female friend in the case involving private eye P Balasubramaniam.
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| I am a winnable candidate in PRU 13 : Shahrizat Posted: 27 Nov 2012 04:39 PM PST
(The Kuala Lumpur Post) - Wanita Umno chief Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, who was forced to quit as a minister following the NFC scandal, is still harbouring hope of being fielded as a candidate in the next general election. Despite the prospects appearing bleak, she downplayed the uncertainty of her political future, saying that she was only focusing on delivering the votes for Umno, FMT reports. Observers believe that the RM250 million scandal had raised doubts if the former minister would be picked to run in the polls while her future as Wanita chief was also said to be under threat. Shahrizat, however, said it was ultimately up to Umno president and prime minister Najib Tun Razak to decide on her candidacy. "I don't see why I shouldn't offer myself as a candidate (but) what is important is that I am focusing on delivering the votes to Umno. "And only, maybe, by doing this the president will see my importance," she told reporters after opening the wing's annual general assembly at the Putra World Trade Centre here. In her speech earlier, Shahrizat said Wanita vowed to be the backbone of the party's election machinery as Umno was set to face a strong opposition in what would be its toughest election to date. But even Umno insiders claimed that support for her in Wanita was withering after some, including her influential predecessor Rafidah Aziz, described her as a liability to the wing. Divided Wanita Shahrizat was forced to step down as minister after her family members were accused of swindling taxpayers' money meant for a national cattle breeding project but she had so far maintained that she had no direct link to the issue. Najib was forced to intervene and contain the split when what was seen as a move to unseat her became stronger at the height of the scandal. The issue was subsequently declared "resolved" after a closed-door meeting was held between Najib and the wing with Shahrizat's critics coming out saying they would give their full support to their chief. In her speech today, Shahrizat, who was defeated by PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah for the Lembah Pantai parliamentary seat in 2008, again called for unity among the party grassroots. She also echoed this year's prevailing sentiment of unity as Umno would face a strong opposition in the upcoming polls. Najib had said that only a united Umno could prevail against its opponent in a signal that the division within the party was real and the prospect of sabotages, blamed for the party's dismal performance in the last polls, could ruin its chances again. Barisan Nasional lost five states and its customary parliamentary two-thirds majority in the 12th national polls.
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| Ex-IGP says ministers meddle with investigations Posted: 27 Nov 2012 04:19 PM PST  Musa suggested that his professed refusal to pander to politicians had cost him his job. Tan Sri Musa Hassan today accused Cabinet ministers and politicians of regularly trying to interfere with police investigations and arrests when he was serving as Inspector-General of Police ― a practice that continues even now. Musa, who retired as IGP in September 2010, did not name the politicians but suggested at a press conference today that his refusal to indulge them had resulted in the government's decision not to renew his contract. He also took aim at his successor, Tan Sri Ismail Omar, suggesting the latter was a yes-man who is bowing to politicians' influence. "There are certain misgivings from police officers who said that they received instructions not from (their police superiors) but from the Home Ministry. "Even the ministry can issue instructions now ... Who is in control now?" Musa asked at a press conference here. Musa then quoted Section 4(1) of the Police Act, which states that police orders must only come from the IGP, who will be liable for such instructions.
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| Shahrizat: May 13 could repeat if Umno weak Posted: 27 Nov 2012 04:16 PM PST
Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider The spectre of May 13 was raised once again today at the opening of the Wanita Umno general assembly here, as the wing's leader Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil used the bloody racial clash to encourage delegates to work harder for Umno's victory. The politician warned told nearly 1,000 delegates at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) here that a weak Umno would spread uneasiness among the Malay community and possibly invite the same racial conflict that caused the bloodshed during the 1969 tragedy. "Do we want to such a terrible situation repeated in our country? Of course we do not," she said according to the text copy of her opening address to those gathered at Dewan Merdeka here. Shahrizat said Umno must overcome five key challenges to strengthen itself ahead of the coming polls, including fighting off its foes in PAS, attracting more young voters and ensuring that the Malays continue to hold political power. "If we no longer have power, then the country's political stability will be affected. "I fear that this could lead to a racial tension that could invite the same tragedy of May 13, 1969," she said. Shahrizat's words today, although not verbally delivered to Wanita Umno delegates here, appear to contradict the message of moderation that the party leadership has been preaching prior to the assembly, Umno's final milestone before national polls are called. But despite this, the Wanita Umno chief, who is still embroiled in the year-long controversy over her alleged link to the multimillion ringgit National Feedlot Centre (NFC) scandal, dedicated many parts of her speech to warning Malaysians and party members against allowing the federal opposition to take Umno's seat in government. She likened the situation to a disease, saying that it could spread and become dangerous if left to fester. This will result in a "frightening" outcome where Umno becomes a party deemed as no longer relevant in the country. "These effects are very frightening, particularly if we are no longer strong. Therefore, we must suitable steps to overcome this," she said. Among others, Shahrizat said the Malay economy must be strengthened, reiterating Wanita Umno's request that the government ensure the community controls at least 50 per cent of equity. She added that the government has also made effort to ensure that it takes care of the people's livelihoods by people-centric initiatives such as the RM500 cash handouts under the Bantuan Rakyat 1 Malaysia (BR1M) to lower income households. On Wanita Umno, Shahrizat offered the wing's commitment to ensure that the party's election machinery is in place across the country. She pointed out that the wing forms the backbone of the ruling party and plays a crucial role in ensuring that the party's messages reach its targets on the ground. Shahrizat later urged delegates to rise to their feet and pledge their allegiance to Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
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| Anwar’s lawyer offers to help hair salon Posted: 27 Nov 2012 04:06 PM PST Sankara Nair believes the by-law is unconstitutional and is willing to challenge it. Alyaa Azhar, FMT A lawyer who was involved in Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy trials is now offering himself to challenge the Kota Baru Municipal Council's by-law, which prohibits a female to cut a man's hair and vice-versa. Sankara Nair said he was willing to take up the case as "I believe the by-law is clearly unconstitutional". Last week, E-Life Salon, a hair dressing salon based in Kota Baru, was issued a fine by the Kota Baru Municipal Council when one of its female hairdressers "was caught cutting" the hair of a male client. Actions of the municipal council have come under fire from several quarters including non-governmental organisations and the MCA. MCA has long argued that hudud imposed by the PAS-led Kelantan government would affect non-Muslims. "The Kota Baru Municipal Council's by-law is clearly unconstitutional because it takes away the freedom of non-Muslims. I am willing to pursue this case pro bono," he told FMT. "The issue is abominable and PAS should keep to its words; it should not impose such rulings on non-Muslims," he said. He hoped the owner of the hair salon involved would contact him as he is willing to work with the owner to challenge the by-law. Sankara shot to prominence by being one of the leading spokesmen during the two sodomy trials Anwar faced. The first was in 1999 while the second was early this year.
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| Debate with Anwar ‘a waste of time’ Posted: 27 Nov 2012 03:44 PM PST MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek and MIC secretary-general S Murugesan say there is no need for a debate between the prime minister and opposition leader. RK Anand, FMT Barisan Nasional leaders have dismissed the need for Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to engage in a debate with Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim. Advising the premier not to waste time on this matter, MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek urged Najib to focus on the economic growth of the nation instead. "There is no need for the prime minister to debate with Anwar. His policies such as the Government Transformation Programme and Economic Transformation Programme are clear. "These initiatives have been implemented and are bearing fruits. It is Anwar who remains untested," he told FMT. Accusing the opposition of stirring and spinning an old issue, Chua said these debates do not result in constructive solutions. The MCA leader also dismissed the comparison drawn with the US presidential debates given that Najib was fond of talking about US President Barack Obama. "Ours is not a presidential election like in the US… it is a party election and the candidate stands on behalf of the party," he said. Chua also rubbished claims that Najib was afraid to debate with Anwar. "There is no question of fear. These debates are just unnecessary. I debated with [DAP secretary-general] Lim Guan Eng twice but what did we achieve? I just wasted my time," he said. On Monday, Bersih co-chairperson S Ambiga had urged Najib to debate with Anwar in order to allow voters to determine which political coalition was best qualified to govern the nation. She said Bersih would initiate a public petition to pressure the prime minister, who had declined to debate with Anwar stating, among others, that it was not part of the Malaysian culture, to accept the According to Ambiga, a debate between the top two leaders was vital since the coming general election was being described as the most important in the nation's history. Contradictions in Pakatan Rakyat Yesterday, Guan Eng and Anwar's daughter, PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah, criticised Najib for dodging the debate.
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| Is ex-IGP Musa going Pakatan’s way? Posted: 27 Nov 2012 03:41 PM PST The former police chief holds a press conference with two NGO leaders, who are closely linked to the opposition. Teoh El Sen, FMT As the general election draws closer, strange things are beginning to unfold. This afternoon, former inspector general of police Musa Hassan held a press conference here flanked by NGO leaders closely linked to the opposition. This has fuelled speculations that the ex-top cop would be joining the Pakatan Rakyat coalition soon. The press briefing was organised by a new NGO called the Malaysian Crime Watch Task or MyWatch, which is chaired by R Sri Sanjeevan. Also present was POWER NGO chief S Gobi Krishnan, who acts as adviser of MyWatch. Gobi Krishnan is also PKR's national strategy and political bureau secretary. Sri Sanjeevan has been known to be a harsh critic of the police and a KITA leader in Negeri Sembilan. The focus of the press conference was on the tackling of crime and Musa was announced as a patron of MyWatch today.
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| Shahrizat still harbours hope of contesting Posted: 27 Nov 2012 03:37 PM PST The Wanita Umno chief says the prime minister will decide on her candidacy and adds that her primary focus now is to deliver the votes for Umno. Syed Jaymal Zahiid, FMT Wanita Umno chief Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, who was forced to quit as a minister following the NFC scandal, is still harbouring hope of being fielded as a candidate in the next general election. Despite the prospects appearing bleak, she downplayed the uncertainty of her political future, saying that she was only focusing on delivering the votes for Umno. Observers believe that the RM250 million scandal had raised doubts if the former minister would be picked to run in the polls while her future as Wanita chief was also said to be under threat. Shahrizat, however, said it was ultimately up to Umno president and prime minister Najib Tun Razak to decide on her candidacy. "I don't see why I shouldn't offer myself as a candidate (but) what is important is that I am focusing on delivering the votes to Umno. "And only, maybe, by doing this the president will see my importance," she told reporters after opening the wing's annual general assembly at the Putra World Trade Centre here. In her speech earlier, Shahrizat said Wanita vowed to be the backbone of the party's election machinery as Umno was set to face a strong opposition in what would be its toughest election to date. But even Umno insiders claimed that support for her in Wanita was withering after some, including her influential predecessor Rafidah Aziz, described her as a liability to the wing. Divided Wanita Shahrizat was forced to step down as minister after her family members were accused of swindling taxpayers' money meant for a national cattle breeding project but she had so far maintained that she had no direct link to the issue.
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| Malaysia ‘dog’ chant riles Singapore fans Posted: 27 Nov 2012 03:33 PM PST (AFP) - SINGAPORE: Singapore fans have been left feeling angry and hurt after being labelled "dogs" by Malaysian spectators during their weekend AFF Suzuki Cup win, a report said on Wednesday. Video posted on YouTube shows thousands of Malaysian fans chanting "Singapore itu anjing" (Singapore are dogs) during Sunday's group game in Kuala Lumpur, when Singapore beat the defending Southeast Asian champions 3-0. Singapore's New Paper, describing the chant as "vile", said footage of the incident had been viewed nearly 200,000 times online. "Frankly, we are angry and hurt. But we were the minority… there were just about 1,000 of us there," one fan told the newspaper. Another said: "You had more than half the stadium calling us dogs. How else would we feel? "The chants started even before the Singapore team went onto the pitch to warm up." Tensions are often high at matches between the Asian neighbours, whose regional teams play each other in the Malaysian Cup. "They can't even beat 'dogs' in soccer, so what does that make them?" commented one Facebook user, according to the New Paper.
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| French Lawyers Seek Malaysian PM Najib to Testify in Sub Scandal Posted: 27 Nov 2012 12:16 PM PST Highly doubtful that is going to happen, though (Asia Sentinel) - Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his onetime close friend Abdul Razak Baginda are the "priority witnesses" in an investigation into bribes and kickbacks amounting to about €150 million in the sale of Scorpene submarines to the Malaysian Ministry of Defense, French lawyer Apoline Cagnat told a press conference in Singapore today. Cagnat is a member of the Paris-based firm headed by William Bourdon, which has been retained by the Malaysian human rights NGO Suaram in a probe by the French judiciary. Cagnat told a briefing for Malaysian parliamentarians in Singapore that, of the seven witnesses submitted by Suaram and accepted by the French judiciary, Najib and Razak are the most important. It is highly unlikely, however, that the French authorities probing the scandal would be able to persuade the head of a sovereign state, especially one who is suspected of helping to facilitate the transfer of kickbacks to the United Malays National Organization, the biggest party in the ruling national coalition, to testify. It is also difficult to imagine what they would be willing to add to the dialogue about the case if indeed they were called to testify. And, although threats of subpoenas have been made in the past, there was no indication in Cagnat's comments that they are being issued. Nonetheless, "I hope the judges manage to interrogate them," Cagnat told reporters. Cagnat gave her press conference in Singapore after Suaram said it was unable to obtain an assurance from the government that it would guarantee the security of the French lawyers, who had been asked by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim to brief parliament on the case. The speaker of the parliament, Amin Mulia, said he wouldn't allow the briefing to take place in Parliament's compound. The other five witnesses are the current Defense Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi , Setev Shaariibuu, the father of murdered Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu, private investigator P Balasubramaniam, Boustead Holdings Bhd group managing director and deputy chairperson Lodin Wok Kamaruddin, and Jasbir Singh Chahl, said to be Razak's right-hand man but who fell out with the onetime security consultant and threatened suit because he reportedly didn't get a big enough share of the commission paid on the submarines. Bourdon himself was bundled out of Malaysia by immigration authorities in July of 2011 after giving details of the alleged scandal in a speech in Penang to hundreds of people at a fundraiser to continue his investigation. Scheduled to give two more speeches in Malaysia, Bourdon was taken off a flight at Kuala Lumpur International Airport and was put on another plane out of the country over his protests. Bourdon and Suaram have been battered by both the mainstream press, which is largely government-owned, and an army of bloggers who say the scandal has been overblown and that no trial had been ordered by French authorities. Neither Bourdon, Suaram nor Asia Sentinel, which has reported extensively on the case, have ever said a trial was imminent. But the investigation is continuing and investigating magistrates have been appointed by the French courts. Two investigating judges, Serge Tournaire and Roger Le Loire, were appointed in March to investigate the case. They have broad powers to investigate independently and can call witnesses and conduct international surveys. French police acting on a request from Bourdon's legal team raided the headquarters of the state-owned defense giant DCN and its subsidiaries and came up with a wealth of detail that enmeshed former French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe, former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, current Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and a host of others in the scandal, as well as top officials with DCN. Read more at: http://asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5002&Itemid=164
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| Nik Aziz admits ‘oversight’ in gender policy on hair-cutting Posted: 27 Nov 2012 11:51 AM PST Warm greeting: Nik Aziz shaking hands with PAS Supporters Assembly Council member Lau Chin Chua at his official residence in Kota Baru. (The Star) - After several days of public outcry over the Kota Baru Municipal Council's gender policy on hair-cutting, the Kelantan Government appears to have softened its stand on the issue. However, it has yet to decide whether to revoke the municipal by-law that prohibits women and men hairstylists from attending to customers who are of the opposite gender, regardless of whether they are Muslims or non-Muslims. "I will bring it up at the state exco meeting to be confirmed before making any official stand on the issue," Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat said yesterday. "First and foremost, we must up-hold the Syariah-based laws. Insya Allah(God willing)," he said, responding to questions on whether he would consider the appeals by hair salons to either scrap or review such by-laws. "It is possible because they (those who object) are non-Muslims. "Islam allows them to practise their culture, as long as it is not in violation of the (Islamic) religion." Nik Aziz, who is PAS spiritual adviser, was speaking to reporters ahead of a meeting with five officials from the PAS Supporters Congress to discuss the controversy at the Mentri Besar's official residence here. Also present was state PAS Dewan Ulama chief Datuk Mohamad Daud, also known as Mat Iraqi. "We have to hold on to Islamic principles because Islam makes it simple for humans, not the other way around. "That is why I invited Mat Iraqi to the meeting for a discussion with the congress," said Nik Aziz, admitting that there was an "oversight" by the authorities in not considering the consequences of Syariah-based by-laws on non-Muslims. "Maybe it is because no other government (in Malaysia) has yet to implement this system," he said. Salon operators had reportedly been slapped with compound fines ranging from RM250 to RM300 since the Kota Baru Municipal Council enforced its hair by-law. Congress adviser Jeff Lee Weng Chun said they wanted Nik Aziz to exclude non-Muslims from the by-law. "We, on behalf of the non-Muslims, want to appeal to Tok Guru (Nik Aziz) to review the laws as hair salons now are not like what they were 20 years ago," he said. In KUALA LUMPUR, PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang said the Kelantan Government did not intend to implement any Islamic "moral" laws on non-Muslims. This was proven with the introduction of the Syariah Criminal Code (11) Enactment, which did not apply to non-Muslims, he said. "PAS views seriously the fears of non-Muslims over the unisex hair salon issue in Kelantan," he said in a statement read out by PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub. "The party central committee has been informed by the Kelantan Government that it is ready to consider suggestions from non-Muslim groups on the best ways of solving this problem based on the concept of freedom of religion for non-Muslims," Abdul Hadi said. He said the Kelantan Government had to carry out its responsibility based on the mandate given by the people to ensure the moral purity of Muslims was preserved. "PAS is committed to solving any problems through discussions," he said.
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The names of the politician and the company involved have been withheld pending their reply to Malaysiakini's request for comments. 
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