Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Muslims And Catholics Come Together For Christmas Donations In London, Ontario
- No merriness here: mosque puts fatwa on Christmas
- Royals spearhead fight for oil royalties
- Ngeh: Kelantan land-for-Perak MB claim a blatant lie
- CEC consented to my Datukship, says Ngeh
- Pakatan may cut Petronas’ yearly RM30b dividend to Putrajaya
- Councillors deny corruption allegations aimed at them in a blog
- Queen's chaplain says Church of England has racism problem
- Karpal: Tunku Aziz trying to ‘poison Malays’ against DAP
- ‘Tunku Aziz is lying’
- Saudi website editor could face death for apostasy-rights group
- Karpal Singh ticks off two party leaders who accepted Datukships
- Sabah to get new constituencies next year
- Stay away from trouble, DAP leaders told
- ‘PPO has no authority to review Bala’s SD’
- Young voters now in favour of BN: Muhyiddin
- 2.3 million register for BR1M 2.0
- All Barisan candidates must be cleared by MACC, says Najib
- DAP leader refutes Kelantan land-for-Perak MB deal
- ‘We have proof top cops pally with crooks’
- Musa denies knowledge of SD, Najib’s SMS
- Legal action threat over oil, gas rights
- Mustafa: Pakatan seat talks at tail-end
- Perak Speaker Ganesan: I am not involved in any sex scandal
- ‘PKR got it all wrong on power rates’
- ‘Probe the five involved in Deepak’s claims’
- Bentong villagers want DAP to explain
- RM200b outflow Najib’s best achievement as Finance minister, says PAS Youth chief
- Talks going on well with SAPP, says Anwar
| Muslims And Catholics Come Together For Christmas Donations In London, Ontario Posted: 23 Dec 2012 03:41 PM PST
(Huff Post) - Catholics and Muslims were able to put their religious differences aside for the sake of Canada's poor this week. According to the London Free Press, members of the London, Ontario, Muslim mosque helped the Society of St. Vincent du Paul, a Catholic organization, gather enough food to feed more than 100 families during the Christmas season. "I feel extremely pleased and grateful, looking around this room," Moe Lacerte, the volunteer president of the St. Vincent de Paul conference, told the London Free Press as he looked over the overwhelming donations collected by the mosque. "We've never had so much to give. We will have extra; we'll be able to replenish our food bank here," he added. Lacerte told the Inquisitr that this was the first year he had reached out to the mosque when asking for annual donations. "We all want the same things: peace and respect, and I see this as a beginning of working together," he said of the collaboration. Ali D. Chahbar, who helped organize the drive at the mosque, told the London Free Press, "To us, the spirit of Christmas is the spirit of brotherly love, and why wouldn't we want to be a part of it?" "We are not Christians and don't celebrate Christmas but we are engulfed by the spiritand ... any time there's a jubilant harmonious feeling, whatever creed it is under, we thrive on it," he added. Chahbar told the Inquisitr that the mosque was able to collect 30 boxes of goods, most of them collected by students at the Islamic School. "It was fantastic, amazing," he told the news source. "Within the blink of an eye, they had boxes and boxes." Members of the Western University's Muslim Student Association also helped out with donations. "We filled a pickup truck, and my van is filled to the gunnels," Lacerte said of all the donations. "It was unbelievable." This isn't the first time different religions have worked together for greater good. In 2007, Asia News reported that Christians and Muslims came together in the Philippines to spread peace in the region of Mindanao. Members of both religions volunteered their services during the holy days of each respective religion.
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| No merriness here: mosque puts fatwa on Christmas Posted: 23 Dec 2012 03:38 PM PST
(Sydney Morning Herald) - THE Lakemba Mosque has issued a fatwa against Christmas, warning followers it is a ''sin'' to even wish people a Merry Christmas. The religious ruling, which followed a similar lecture during Friday prayers at Australia's biggest mosque, was posted on its Facebook site on Saturday morning. The head imam at Lakemba, Sheikh Yahya Safi, had told the congregation during prayers that they should not take part in anything to do with Christmas. Samir Dandan, the president of the Lebanese Muslim Association, which oversees the mosque, could not be reached for comment on Saturday. The fatwa, which has sparked widespread community debate and condemnation, warns that the "disbelievers are trying to draw Muslims away from the straight path".
It also says that Christmas Day and associated celebrations are among the "falsehoods that a Muslim should avoid ... and therefore, a Muslim is neither allowed to celebrate the Christmas Day nor is he allowed to congratulate them". The posting of the fatwa has shocked many Muslim leaders. The Grand Mufti of Australia, Ibrahim Abu Mohammad, said the foundations of Islam were peace, co-operation, respect and holding others in esteem. "Anyone who says otherwise is speaking irresponsibly," he said. "There is difference between showing respect for someone's belief and sharing those beliefs," Dr Ibrahim said. Dr Ibrahim said the views did not represent the majority of Muslims in Australia. "We are required to have good relations with all people, and to congratulate them on their joyous events is very important." The fatwa quotes the teacher Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim as saying that congratulating disbelievers for their rituals is forbidden, and if a "Muslim who says this does not become a disbeliever himself, he at least commits a sin as this is the same as congratulating him for his belief in the trinity, which is a greater sin and much more disliked by Almighty Allaah than congratulating him for drinking alcohol or killing a soul or committing fornication or adultery". A community leader, Dr Jamal Rifi, said he did not agree with the school of thought behind the fatwa. "We can share the festivities with friends and families and neighbours – I don't think there is any civil, religious or ethical reason not to," he said. Dr Rifi and Sheikh Youssef Nabha, the imam of the Kingsgrove Mosque, are travelling to Nauru on Sunday night with priests from the Maronite and Melkite churches in Sydney to attend Christmas celebrations with the asylum seekers held there. Dr Rifi said he and Sheikh Youssef would be distributing Christmas cards during the visit. A community advocate and Muslim convert, Rebecca Kay, told Fairfax Media: "It's sad to see the Lebanese Muslim Association, which considers itself the peak body representing Australian Muslims, with comments like these. It goes to show how far they are from representing the community. "The notion that Muslims wishing other people a merry Christmas will take them out of their faith is outright ridiculous, laughable and borders on the extreme." Keysar Trad, a former official with the Lebanese Muslim Association, said in his time with the organisation they used to regularly greet people with merry Christmas. "I don't know what has changed," he said. "But now as a representative of Australia's peak Muslim body, the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, I would like to wish all your readers a merry Christmas and a happy new year."
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| Royals spearhead fight for oil royalties Posted: 23 Dec 2012 02:32 PM PST
Sean Augustin, fz.com The sharing of oil royalties between the federal government and oil-producing states, an issue heavily championed by the opposition, is now evolving into a rallying cry for Barisan Nasional politicians to demand a bigger slice of revenue for the states. One platform for this cause is Amanah Terengganu, a non-partisan NGO that will embark on a roadshow next year to increase awareness about the people's right to development. Amanah Terengganu chairman Datuk Raja Kamarul Bahrin Raja Ahmad believes that the issue could even determine the next state government after the general election. The NGO is a branch of Angkatan Amanah Negara, headed by Umno stalwart Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah. Other leaders in the national group include former MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat and Datuk Seri Wilfred Bumburing, who is aligned to Pakatan Rakyat. The issue of oil royalties is a thorny one for the federal government in Terengganu, Kelantan, Sabah and Sarawak, especially since oil revenue is the biggest contributor the national budget. While the East Malaysian states have been receiving 5% of oil royalties, Kelantan has been fighting for its share, and Terengganu has had a chequered history of payments after PAS took control of the state from 1999 to 2004. Terengganu's oil royalty was replaced with gratuity money or "wang ehsan", which was paid at the discretion of the federal government. Raja Bahrin feels that because the people of Terengganu are not well-informed about their stake in the issue, they may not press the government to recognise their rights, which in turn could see Terengganu lose out in the long run. "About 90% of the state's budget comes from oil and gas. However, the state is supposed to receive 5% in royalties," he told fz.com. "Wang ehsan can be zero and there is no time frame or set percentages," he said. Raja Bahrin stressed that the state cannot be developed on gratuity money alone. Terengganu, he said, should take Aceh as an example when it comes to the importance of oil royalties. The province in Indonesia was granted autonomy in 2002 and was awarded a 70% share of royalties from the sale of natural resources, including oil and natural gas. As a result, Raja Bahrin said, the province is booming. "We are not asking for autonomy, just 5%. Sabah and Sarawak have their share, although they are now demanding 20%," he said. In 2000, the then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had ordered the national petroleum company, Petronas, to rescind oil royalty payment on the grounds the federal government had no confidence in PAS to manage the funds. The PAS-led state government filed a suit against the federal government in 2001, insisting that the latter's decree was illegal as its share of the 5% was an agreement made between Petronas and the state government. The case had been stuck in court and in 2009, the federal government reinstated oil royalties, although disagreements remained particularly around 'wang ehsan' or gratuity money. In 2008, the federal government claimed that Terengganu had been paid RM7.364 billion from March 2004 to March 2007. However, current Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Said told the state legislative assembly that it had received RM6.218 billion between 2000 and 2008, while on another occasion claimed that the state only received RM4.3 billion, out of the RM7.364 billion, had been received. PAS has said that it only received RM432 million of the 'wang ehsan' payment when it ruled the state from 1999 to 2004. This year, the BN-led state government voluntarily dropped its 11-year-old suit against Petronas, without any settlement. "The rakyat must know on what grounds the suit was withdrawn.
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| Ngeh: Kelantan land-for-Perak MB claim a blatant lie Posted: 23 Dec 2012 02:25 PM PST
Ida Lim, The Malaysian Insider Perak DAP Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham today insisted that allegations that he and another Perak DAP leader were given land worth RM30 million in PAS-ruled Kelantan in exchange for PAS taking the Perak Menteri Besar post is a "blatant lie". Perak BN state lawmakers had recently made the accusations against Ngeh and his cousin Nga Kor Ming, who is DAP's MP for Taiping. "Clearly, the allegation that we were given the land in exchange for our agreement to appoint Dato' Seri Nizar Bin Jamaluddin in 2008 is a blatant lie," Ngeh said in a statement today. He said that the Kelantan government led by PAS did not give him or Nga any land in the state, stressing that the Perak DAP duo had instead bought over the company tasked with developing the land. "I would like to reiterate that neither YB Nga Kor Ming nor I was given any land by the Kelantan Government. The acquisition of Upayapadu Plantation Sdn Bhd together with other investors in April this year (2012) was a commercial transaction purchased in the open market." He said that the duo and the new shareholders of Upaya were "taking a business risk like any other investors". "Therefore, the acquisition of Upayapadu Plantation Sdn Bhd was not done in a secretive manner. I must repeat that it was a commercial transaction purchased in the open market," the Beruas MP said. Ngeh claimed BN raised the allegations against him and Nga to "divert the public's attention" from the land "scandals" which the duo had brought up in the Perak state assembly. The two state lawmakers had claimed inside the state assembly that the Perak government led by BN was allegedly involved in what they describe as multi-million ringgit scandals. Ngeh further said that he had pledged to not engage in corrupt practices from the days of his youth. "As my personal integrity is being questioned, I would like to state that never in my whole life have I given a single sen of bribe and neither have I taken a single sen of bribe. Yesterday, DAP national chairman Karpal Singh had asked Ngeh to clear the air over the controversy.
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| CEC consented to my Datukship, says Ngeh Posted: 23 Dec 2012 02:18 PM PST
(The Star) - Perak DAP chairman Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham stressed that the party's central executive committee had consented to the Datukship that was conferred upon him. He said he had discussed the matter with the CEC then and that there had been differing views. "Karpal Singh objected during the meeting. However, most of the CEC felt I should concentrate on my job rather than get sidetracked by the issue, so they gave their approval." "I can accept Karpal's views because as social democrats, the party is against class creation through titles but I believe he should also respect the views of the majority," said Ngeh who was awarded the Darjah Datuk Paduka Mahkota Perak, which carries the title of Datuk, in 2008. He said he had never sought the Datukship. "I have never asked for the Datuk title. "Even when my name was suggested, I told Datuk Seri Muhammad Nizar Jamaluddin (the then Mentri Besar) not to send it in," he said. Ngeh said his lifestyle had not changed despite getting a Datukship. "I still eat chap fan (mixed rice) with the people. "I think the party can accept the title as it was awarded in appreciation of the service done for the people," he said. He declined to comment further when asked about Karpal's comment that the party would take action against members who accept such titles in future. Meanwhile, Selangor State Assembly Speaker Datuk Teng Chang Khim chided Karpal for "harping on matters which were of no significance to DAP's political and social agenda. "Karpal should demonstrate political maturity required of a senior political leader by talking more about public policies than harping on matters of his personal opinion which will not help the party to build a truly multi-racial party in the pursuit to win Putrajaya," said Teng when contacted in Guangzhou. He said DAP did not have any policy restraining its members from accepting Datukships and asked the party chairman to show him central executive committee minutes which stated so. Teng said in his case he had not applied for his Datukship that was conferred in 2010. When the Sultan (Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah) conferred the award and title, it was only proper to accept it respectfully, he added.
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| Pakatan may cut Petronas’ yearly RM30b dividend to Putrajaya Posted: 23 Dec 2012 02:07 PM PST
Ida Lim, The Malaysian Insider Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will push Petronas to cut its annual RM30 billion dividend to Putrajaya if the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) that he leads win in the coming general elections, business newswire Bloomberg.com reported today. PR will instead set Petronas' dividends to the country at a fixed percentage of the firm's profits, allowing the state oil firm to spend more on investments overseas that will give better profits, PKR strategic director Rafizi Ramli said. "Petronas should be left to run on a purely commercial basis," he told Bloomberg when explaining Anwar's plans. According to Bloomberg, a PR administration is likely set up a parliamentary committee in Malaysia's Dewan Negara to improve transparency over Petronas, which currently reports to the prime minister. Petronas is widely-regarded as the country's piggy bank, with Reuters reporting this July that it is Malaysia's largest taxpayer and biggest revenue source, funding 45 per cent of the government's budget even as the country's continues its run of huge budget debts. Petronas chief executive officer Shamsul Azhar Abbas had, in September, said the firm should change its current model of paying RM30 billion annually to Putrajaya and pay 30 per cent of its profit instead, Bloomberg reported. Another key policy change by PR to boost the country's oil reserves and revenue will be to get Petronas to buy more oil blocks overseas and cut down on exploring small local oil sites. PR reportedly said that this overseas investment approach could be a better way to gain more from the RM300 billion that Petronas will be spending over the next five years. "There's a higher probability you'll strike bigger reserves should those resources be deployed to discover oil blocks overseas. "We'll lose out in the long-term from opportunity lost, especially when the Chinese are particularly agressive in acquiring blocks around the world," Rafizi said in an interview with Bloomberg last Tuesday.
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| Councillors deny corruption allegations aimed at them in a blog Posted: 23 Dec 2012 02:03 PM PST
Ong with lawyer Jagdeep talking to reporters after filing a police report against the news blog in George Town December 24, 2012. – Picture by K.E. Ooi Opalyn Mok, The Malaysian Insider Three councillors have denied corruption allegations against them that was published in a Chinese-language news blog recently. The three – Ong Ah Teong, Tahir Jalaluddin Hussain and Prem Anand – have denied accepting bribes from traders as inducement not to take action against them as alleged in the news blog. The three, accompanied by Datuk Keramat assemblyman Jagdeep Singh Deo, also lodged police reports against the blog today for criminal defamation and fraudulent use of network facilities. Last Friday, the news blog iMAGnews.com.my published a post alleging that Penang Island Municipal councillors are accepting bribes from traders as inducement not to take action against the traders. The site also alleged that one of the councillors had received RM25,000 from a single mother at a cafe. Jagdeep said the site did not mention names but had included a photo of the three councillors with the post. The trio lodged the police report at around 11.30am today. "We will also find out the details of the blog owner and consider taking legal action against the owner as corruption allegations is a very serious matter," Jagdeep told a press conference outside the police headquarters here. This is not the first time the site had targeted councillors in its posts, according to Ong. He claimed that on Dec 15 the site had published a post alleging him of abuse of power. "I would like to ask the blog writer to lodge a police report or a report with the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) if they have proof that any of the councillors have accepted bribes," Ong said. Jagdeep said the state government has always maintained a clean governance so allegations like this could smear the council and the state government's reputation.
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| Queen's chaplain says Church of England has racism problem Posted: 22 Dec 2012 04:13 PM PST
AFP - Queen Elizabeth II's chaplain Reverend Rose Hudson-Wilkin, tipped to become one of Britain's first women bishops, said Saturday that the Church of England is struggling with "institutional racism". Jamaican-born Hudson-Wilkin, a chaplain to the monarch and also to parliament's lower House of Commons, told The Times newspaper that she had been a victim of racism in her ministry. The church's second-highest cleric, John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York, is of Ugandan origin. But Hudson-Wilkin asked why there were not more people of minority ethnic backgrounds in leadership roles within England's state church. "There's still an element of racism running through people's veins," the 51-year-old said of Britain. "I've had people who did not want me to do a funeral. I can smile because it's their sheer ignorance, I feel sorry for them. I know that it's not about me, it's about them." She is worried about a sense of prejudice in the Church of England hierarchy. Only 15 of the 467 members of the General Synod, the Church's governing body, are from black or South Asian backgrounds. "We need to ask why there are not more people of minority ethnic backgrounds in leadership within the Church," said the mother of three. "We have been encouraging people to stand and people have been putting themselves forward and have not been elected. I think there is a level of racism around that." Hudson-Wilkin, also a vicar in Hackney, east London, put herself forward for the Synod a few years ago but was not elected. "It did not occur to them to ensure that one of the priests elected should be from an ethnic minority -- even the ones who stand up Sunday after Sunday in front of a predominantly black congregation," she said. "I'm not one of these people who lifts up a stone to look for racism. "But that shook me because I thought, 'My God, it's as if we don't exist'. "That told me very clearly that they don't give a damn about the congregations that they serve. "The Church, although it has made a lot of steps forward, is still struggling with institutional racism." The General Synod failed to pass legislation last month that would have permitted women bishops. Hudson-Wilkin, who came to Britain in 1985, was tipped to become one of the first. "The whole women bishops thing is crazy," she said. "I'd like to see the church going with the courage of its conviction and say, 'We're having women bishops, full stop'."
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| Karpal: Tunku Aziz trying to ‘poison Malays’ against DAP Posted: 22 Dec 2012 04:03 PM PST
DAP chairman Karpal Singh accused today former colleague Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim of mounting a smear campaign to turn the Malay community against the party and its leaders by claiming members were barred from accepting state awards from Malay rulers. Karpal, a lawyer and federal lawmaker, rejected allegations that the Chinese-dominant party was opposing Malay rulers by snubbing the awards, saying the DAP's policy has been consistent in rejecting state honours except for those issued for bravery. "We are not against the Malay rulers. The policy is just to tell our members they can't accept state awards of any kind except for bravery," he told a press conference in Air Itam today. "By saying that I issued an edict prohibiting party members from accepting state awards from Malay rulers is a half-truth and coined to put me in a bad light in the eyes of the Malays," the Bukit Gelugor MP said. The veteran politician was responding to Tunku Aziz, a former DAP vice chairman-turned-critic, who was yesterday reported accusing Karpal of issuing an order prohibiting party members from accepting any award given out by Malay rulers. Karpal clarified that the party's policy applied to all state honours, including those issued by state governors in Penang, Malacca, Sabah and Sarawak. The party policy was introduced a few years ago as a move towards transparency. "This prohibition is only for active members as we want to ensure transparency. So, the rulers should not construe this as a decision that is against them. They should understand that it is our stand for transparency sake," he said. He said DAP members may accept awards after they have retired from active politics, citing as examples the late Chian Heng Kai, a former Bukit Mertajam MP; former Batu Lanchang assemblyman the late Tan Loo Jit; and former Berapit state lawmaker Wong Hang Yoke who were conferred state honours carrying the title "Datuk". Karpal said strict disciplinary action will be taken against those who breached the party policy. Karpal also chided Perak DAP chairman Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham and Selangor Assembly Speaker Datuk Teng Chang Khim for accepting the awards from the Perak Sultan and the Selangor ruler conferred in 2008 and 2010 respectively. "I have told them to surrender their Datukships but they have not done so. This is wrong and against the party principle," he said, even though the duo have not been hauled up for accepting the awards.
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| Posted: 22 Dec 2012 03:54 PM PST
Karpal Singh says he had never issued an edict prohibiting DAP members from accepting awards from Malay rulers. Athi Shankar, FMT DAP national chairman Karpal Singh today denied that he had ever issued an edict prohibiting party members from accepting state titles and awards, especially Datukships, from Malay rulers, as alleged by former party vice-chairman Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim (pic). He blasted Tunku Aziz for "lying publicly" and demanded an immediate retraction of his statement published in an English daily article yesterday. Karpal insisted that he had only told party leaders, assemblymen and MPs not to accept Datukships or, state titles or awards, as long they were active in politics. He said the party rule was DAP leaders and members can accept such titles and awards after retirement from active politics. "The statement by Tunku Aziz attributing my having issued what amounts to an edict prohibiting DAP members from accepting awards from Malay rulers is certainly a half-truth. "It was perpetrated for the sole purpose and objective of putting me in bad light in the eyes of the Malays in the country. "I consider this an exceptionally sharp and unkind cut devoid of justification. "I have never mentioned Malay rulers. Tunku Aziz has lied. "He should publicly withdraw his statement," Karpal, the two-term Bukit Gelugor parliamentarian read out his statement to newsmen here today. Expressing shocked over Tunku Aziz's statement, he said DAP had considered the ex-vice-chairman as a paragon of virtue and man of integrity after having presided over the Transparency International Malaysian Chapter. But now, Karpal said the transparency of Tunku Aziz was more than suspect due to his poisonous and obnoxious utterances against DAP. "He should cease and desist from attacking DAP and its leaders," said Karpal. Facing the CEC The rule was reaffirmed when Perak chairman Ngeh Koo Ham and Selangor Assembly Speaker Teng Chang Khim accepted Datukships in their respective states after the 2008 general election Nonetheless they were given a dressing down during a central executive committee (CEC) meeting for serious breach of ethics. "At the conclusion of a CEC meeting, Tunku Aziz had come up to state that it would be better for the CEC to resolve the issue from then onwards that Datukships ought not to be accepted and leave Ngeh and Teng alone," recalled Karpal. Since then, he said no one had accepted Datukships, or any state titles or awards, including himself, senior leaders Dr Chen Man Hin and Lim Kit Siang, and Penang Chief Minister and DAP secretary general Lim Guan Eng. "Penang government is with us. We could have easily accepted all awards. But we didn't," pointed out Karpal. In Penang, the DAP-led Pakatan Rakyat state government had honoured former Bukit Mertajam MP the late Chian Heng Kai, former Batu Lanchang assembly the late Tan Loo Jit and former Berapit assemblyman Wong Hang Yoke with Datukships. "All three had retired from active politics," clarified Karpal. He warned party leaders and elected representatives to observe the "no to state titles and award" rule strictly or else they would pay penalty for breach of party code of conduct. "They would be disciplined," he warned.
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| Saudi website editor could face death for apostasy-rights group Posted: 22 Dec 2012 03:33 PM PST
(Reuters) - The editor of a Saudi Arabian website could be sentenced to death after a judge cited him for apostasy and moved his case to a higher court, the monitoring group Human Rights Watch said yesterday. Raif Badawi, who started the Free Saudi Liberals website to discuss the role of religion in Saudi Arabia, was arrested in June, Human Rights Watch said. Badawi had initially been charged with the less serious offence of insulting Islam through electronic channels, but at a December 17 hearing a judge referred him to a more senior court and recommended he be tried for apostasy, the monitoring group said. Apostasy, the act of changing religious affiliation, carries an automatic death sentence in Saudi Arabia, along with crimes including blasphemy. Badawi's website included articles that were critical of senior religious figures, the monitoring group said. A spokesman for Saudi Arabia's Justice Ministry was not available to comment. The world's top oil exporter follows the strict Wahhabi school of Islam and applies Islamic law, or sharia. Judges base their decisions on their own interpretation of religious law rather than on a written legal code or on precedent. King Abdullah, Saudi Arabia's ruler, has pushed for reforms to the legal system, including improved training for judges and the introduction of precedent to standardise verdicts and make courts more transparent. However, Saudi lawyers say that conservatives in the Justice Ministry and the judiciary have resisted implementing many of the changes that he announced in 2007.
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| Karpal Singh ticks off two party leaders who accepted Datukships Posted: 22 Dec 2012 03:27 PM PST
(The Star) - DAP chairman Karpal Singh (pix) has chided two party leaders, Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham and Datuk Teng Chang Khim, for accepting Datukships from state rulers, which is against the party's long-standing principle. He said that according to the principle agreed upon by party members since the mid 1990s, DAP state assemblymen and Members of Parliament were not to accept Datukships during their tenure in office. "From now on, the party will take action against members who don't follow this ruling," he said, adding that the form of punishment would be decided by the party's disciplinary board after a hearing. Ngeh, who is also Perak DAP chairman, was conferred the title in 2008 while Teng, who is the Selangor state assembly speaker, accepted a Datukship in 2010.
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| Sabah to get new constituencies next year Posted: 22 Dec 2012 03:21 PM PST Several constituencies in the west coast of the state is to be carved up due to rapid population growth. Queville To, FMT PAPAR: Sabah is set to get several new electoral constituencies when the re-delineation exercise takes place next year. Deputy State Speaker Johnny Mositun said he had met several high-ranking Election Commission officers here and in Kuala Lumpur and they had informed him that many constituencies on the west coast of the state would be carved up due to rapid population growth. "I have been given to understand that Sabah will get some additional constituencies," said Mositun who is also PBS information chief, while speaking at the PBS Bongawan Division annual general meeting here on Saturday. "I have put forward my view that the recent emergence of big industries and rapid population growth along the west coast justifies the creation of several new constituencies between Papar and Sipitang," he said. Mositun said the creation of new constituencies should not be based on ethnicity alone but rather the overall population and geography of the locality, among other things. "The important thing is for the electoral constituencies to enable a balanced and equitable representation of Sabahans based on the overall demography of the state," he said. The mini-boom taking place in the area due to the oil and gas hub being built by Petronas in Kimanis has resulted in the area south of the capital experiencing rapid growth after years of slumber. There has been a tremendous increase in vehicular traffic in the Papar district in the wake of rapid industrialisation and business opportunities that have opened up at Kimanis and Sipitang over the past year with commuters now complaining of daily traffic jams at bottleneck areas close to the towns along the way. "I hope the state government will take up my suggestion for a diversionary road from near the the Pengalat-Dambai junction and an additional bridge over the Papar River," Mositun said. "This will ease the daily bottleneck at the entry to Papar town itself. Additionally I suggest the state government treat calls for upgrading the Kinarut-Pengalat-Papar road to a dual carriageway as a matter of urgency," he added.
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| Stay away from trouble, DAP leaders told Posted: 22 Dec 2012 03:20 PM PST Karpal Singh responds to questions on the controversial Kelantan land deal allegedly involving DAP's Perak chairman Ngeh Koo Ham and secretary Nga Kor Ming Athi Shankar, FMT DAP national chairman Karpal Singh has called all party leaders and elected representatives to stay away from trouble that could create negative public perception on their integrity and dignity. He said it would be bad for the party party leaders or elected reps were to be perceived of any wrongdoing. "Hence, DAP leaders and elected reps should not put themselves into a position where there would be a public perception of any wrongdoing. "They should be extra careful and stay away from such trouble," he told a press conference during his Bukit Gelugor parliamentary constituency visit here today. He was responding to questions on the controversial Kelantan land deal allegedly involving DAP's Perak chairman Ngeh Koo Ham and secretary Nga Kor Ming. The two cousins from Perak have issued denials and legal threats in the past week following revelation that they were allegedly given 10,000 acres of prime forest land by the PAS-led Kelantan administration as part of an elaborate deal to have PAS' Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin appointed as Perak Menteri Besar after Pakatan Rakyat captured the state in the 2008 general election. The allegations were made by the Pisau.net blog and by the Mole portal which said the land at Gua Musang, Kelantan was being held by the Perak DAP senior leaders under a company named Upayapadu Plantation Sdn Bhd. Having been in denial, silent and switch off modes on their alleged involvement with Upayapadu, the duo have now confirmed they were investors in the project. But they denied any wrongdoing. Ngeh confirmed on Friday that the federal government had given out a loan for the project, adding however that it was wrong to suggest that they were "awarded" the land. However, Ngeh and Nga have not addressed the main allegation that the land deal was part of a discussion to allow Nizar to assume the Mentri Besar job. The Pisau.net blog alleged that Kelantan Menteri Besar Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, the PAS spiritual leader, brokered the controversial deal.
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| ‘PPO has no authority to review Bala’s SD’ Posted: 21 Dec 2012 04:44 PM PST Does the Corruption Prevention Advisory Board (LPPR) have powers to override decisions made by MACC and the Public Prosecutor? Alyaa Azhar, FMT Former KL CID chief Mat Zain Ibrahim has questioned the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's (MACC) operations evaluation panel's (PPO) authority to review its governing decision involving investigations into P Balasubramaniam's second statutory declaration (SD) or any other matters. Mat Zain has also similarly questioned the PPO's power to review the Public Prosecutor's (PP) decisions. PPO chairman Hadenan Abdul Jalil had recently announced that the case involving carpet trader Deepak Jaikishan was discussed during the PPO pre-meeting on Nov 8. But Mat Zain said today that Hadenan had no authority to review decisions made by MACC and the PP. His argument was based on a personal case in which he had appealed to the MACC advisory board to review a decision with regards to an investigation into a police report made by Anwar Ibrahim on July 1 2008. Anwar had accused Abdul Gani Patail, Musa Hassan, Abdul Rahman Yusof and himself for falsifying evidence in the investigation of the "black eye" incident. Mat Zain said on July 23 2009, he received an official letter from Abdul Hamid Mohamad, the chairman of Corruption Prevention Advisory Board (LPPR), a MACC panel which is above the PPO. The letter he said was also copied to Hadenan. In the letter Abdul Hamid stated: "LPPR's jurisdiction as provided by MACC Act Section 13 (Act 694) DOES NOT include reviewing any decision made by MACC and the Public Prosecutor in any particular case." Said Mat Zain: "If LPPR realised (then) that it did not have the authority to review decisions made by MACC and the Public Prosecutor, why did LPPR discuss in great detail my appeal on three occasions, on April 20, June 15 and June 25 2009? "I can only conclude that the answer given was to cover up the criminal misconduct made by Gani Patail and Musa Hassan so that they would not face legal punishment." Bearing this in mind, Mat Zain questioned how Hadenan and his PPO could now review a MACC's decision regarding Balasubramaniam's second SD, when Abdul Hamid himself confirmed that the LPPR had no authority. "There is no difference in whether Hadenan agrees or not with MACC's decision because the PPO does not have authority to review cases, as confirmed by Abdul Hamid. "If there really is a new law which enables PPO to review cases, then I want to make another appeal to LPPR to review the case on Gani and Musa which has been distorted," he said
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| Young voters now in favour of BN: Muhyiddin Posted: 21 Dec 2012 04:04 PM PST
(Bernama) -- Young voters, key to the country achieving developed nation status by the year 2020, now are in favor of the Barisan Nasional (BN), said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yasin. He said the awareness of young voters to the BN's ability to continue leading the country was stronger now because they knew only the BN could assure a better future for Malaysia. "With the (general) election nearing, it seems that this wave of consciousness is very evident, I say congratulations to the young people ... just a while go I saw a banner captioned "Orang muda sokong BN" (Young People Support the BN). "We gathered a million youths in Putrajaya and they wanted Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to remain as the Prime Minister of Malaysia," he said when addressing guests of the 1Malaysia People's Feast at Kampung Sungai Bahagia's football field in Manir here today. Also present were Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Said and Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek. Muhyiddin said BN would assure that no group of people whether in Peninsular Malaysia , Sabah or Sarawak would be left out of mainstream development if it remained in power till 2020. He said the BN government today was entrusted with the responsibility ensure the people's well-being. He said, in implementing the trust, the government always ensured the national economy expanded, job opportunities increased, industries became more advanced and better social facilities such as in health and education. "We promise Malaysia will become a developed nation in eight years. Every level of people, old, young, all communities, Peninsular, Sabah and Sarawak will be given attention and will be well looked after," he said. He said it was not an empty promise because BN would assure that by 2020, Malaysia would become a developed nation according to the people's aspiration. In the meantime, he said PAS would not be able to become the party to look after the welfare of the Malays and Islam in the country as Umno had done all these all this while. 'When we help the people, PAS calls it corruption. I do not know what decree they use, as it is our duty to the people," he said. He said the BN government had never played favourites in helping the people because what was important was that they were loyal to King and country. He also said that he was confident that Terengganu would remain under BN with the support of every layer of society who wanted to see continuous change and development in the state. He expected the support of the people of Terengganu towards Umno and BN would be higher compared to the previous general election. "Let us together, with determination and resolve, bring changes to the Muslim community in the state under Umno and BN," he said. During the ceremony, which was attended by some 15,000 people, he also announced an allocation of RM2.9 million to repair houses of the poor and to build facilities for the people in the Manir state constituency.
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| 2.3 million register for BR1M 2.0 Posted: 21 Dec 2012 03:53 PM PST  (Bernama) -- Eligible people who register for the 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) 2.0 by Dec 31 can get the payment in the first quarter of 2013, Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah said today. "We will make the payment in the first quarter of 2013. Those who have yet to register are advised to do so before Dec 31 so that they can be paid when we make the payments. "If they register late, they will receive the payment late. They can register online or manually. When we make the payment in the first quarter, all those who registered will be paid," he told reporters after launching an entrepreneurs' carnival of SME Bank, here. However, Ahmad Husni said, no closing date had been set for the BR1M 2.0 registration which opened on Nov 1. He also said that more than 2.3 million applications had been received for BR1M 2.0 as at Dec 17, with more than 1.6 million of the applications from single unmarried people and more than 720,000 from households. Malaysians with a household income of less than RM3,000 a month are eligible or the one-off RM500 cash aid, while single unmarried individuals aged 21 and above and earning not more than RM2,000 a month are eligible for a one-off RM250 aid. Ahmad Husni said 54 per cent of the applications were made manually and the rest, online. The application forms can be obtained free from the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) service centres and branches, Federal Development Department, Social Welfare Department, Information Department and government agencies or downloaded from or filled online at the LHDN website, www.hasil.gov.my. He said BR1M 2.0, which involved an allocation of RM3 billion, was expected to benefit 4.3 million households and 2.7 million single unmarried individuals. Last year, 4.2 million people benefited from the BR1M payment made for the first time, involving an allocation of RM2.1 billion.
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| All Barisan candidates must be cleared by MACC, says Najib Posted: 21 Dec 2012 03:19 PM PST
(The Malaysian Insider) - All Barisan Nasional election candidates must be vetted and cleared by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who is also Barisan chairman, said it was the coalition's standard practice to submit names of its potential candidates to the MACC to be vetted. "All Barisan candidates go through the vetting process by MACC. We refer their names to MACC, and if they have doubtful files, they will not pass the vetting process. "It is the stand of Barisan that every candidate must pass the MACC vetting process," he told the Malaysian media delegation here yesterday. He was responding to a suggestion by the MACC's Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel chairman Datuk Johan Jaafar that all political parties send their list of candidates for vetting by the commission. Najib is in New Delhi to attend the two-day Asean-India Commemo-rative Summit, which celebrates 20 years of Asean-India relationship. Asked if the electoral candidates list has been finalised, Najib said it was an ongoing process. "Although we have a list, if we get the latest input or information, changes can be made as long as the announcement (of the candidacy) has not been made," he said. Meanwhile, Bernama reported Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal as saying that the proposal for candidates to be vetted by the MACC would prevent any problems later if the candidates were found to be involved in corruption after they were elected. "I'm all for it because we do not want to find out later that the candidate has problems and a by-election has to be called. "This will not only involve costs, but also inconvenience the people," Shafie told reporters after a working visit to the Tok Bali fishermen resettlement project in Pasir Puteh, Kelantan, yesterday.
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| DAP leader refutes Kelantan land-for-Perak MB deal Posted: 21 Dec 2012 03:13 PM PST
Ida Lim, The Malaysian Insider Perak DAP chairman Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham has admitted to being a director in a logging firm awarded land in PAS-led Kelantan but refuted that the project was in exchange for letting the Islamist party take the silver state's mentri besar post, the New Straits Times (NST) reported today. Ngeh told the English-language daily that he and another Perak DAP lawmaker, Nga Kor Ming, had invested in the project but stressed that the deal was above board. "The Inland Revenue Board is aware of this transaction. So is the federal government. "The federal government even gave out a loan as the project is for the good of the country," the Beruas MP was quoted as saying by the NST. Last Thursday, Barisan Nasional (BN) assemblymen alleged in the state assembly that both Ngeh (picture) and Nga had been awarded a piece of land, said to be worth RM30 million, and linked it to the appointment of PAS's Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin as Perak mentri besar after the 2008 general election. Datuk Mohd Khusairi Abdul Talib was reported as saying that Ngeh and Syarikat Efektif Kirana Sdn Bhd had bought 4,000 hectares in Gua Musang, Kelantan for a logging project. The BN assemblyman for Slim claimed that Nga, the Perak DAP secretary, was also involved. At a press conference yesterday, Ngeh, who is also a lawyer, had explained that the Perak duo had invested in the project upon invitation by their client Upaya Padu Plantations Sdn Bhd. Yesterday, The Star Online reported Ngeh as saying the original sales and purchase agreement of the land was signed in May 3, 2006, which he said showed that the claims against him and Nga amounted to slander. "This shows that the transaction between Yayasan Islam Kelantan and Upaya Padu Plantations Sdn Bhd was conducted even before Pakatan Rakyat was in power in 2008. "Therefore claims that the land was given to us by PAS in exchange for a mentri besar position are slander. "As a lawyer maintaining my professional ethics, I could only reveal that the group of investors, who were also my clients, only purchased the company this year. "It is only a personal transaction and a private sector investment into the state," he was quoted as saying by The Star Online. Both Ngeh and Nga, who are cousins, are also lawmakers for the Sitiawan and Pantai Remis state seats. Ngeh was reported as saying he will sue those who have defamed them over this matter.
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| ‘We have proof top cops pally with crooks’ Posted: 21 Dec 2012 03:00 PM PST Top police officers have been involved in criminal activities, according to MyWatch, which claims to have the evidence. Teoh El Sen, FMT The Malaysian Crime Watch Task Force, or MyWatch, today claimed that it has in its possession evidence that top police officers are involved in criminal activities. R Sri Sanjeevan, the chairman of the watchdog NGO, threatened to make public the information unless the Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar agrees to meet with the group so that an open, high-profile investigation can be carried out immediately. "We have all the evidence that top police officers are involved in money laundering, illegal gambling, prostitution, football bookies and have direct links with underworld figures and kingpins. Yet to date, there is no answer and no action by the IGP," Sanjeevan said in a statement. Sanjeevan also cited a case where a top police officer was given an "all-expense paid trip overseas to play golf with an underworld kingpin" as well as as one where "one senior police official's son and daughter is working for a kingpin with special privileges". "Aren't they [officers] obliged in some ways to them [kingpins]? Isn't that conflict of interest?" asked Sanjeevan. He said that Ismail cannot choose to keep quiet and must act without fear or favour against corrupt officers, which are now being slowly revealed by former Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan. "I again invite the IGP to meet with us so we can pass such evidence to him or we will be forced to make this information public. All police officers should be accountable for their actions and must have more sense of responsibility when dealing with crime or public," said Sanjeevan. Aside from Ismail, Sanjeevan urged Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, and the Home Ministry secretary-general Abd Rahim Mohd Radzi to respond to Musa's past allegations. Several bombshells "Musa has clearly mentioned that there is meddling and interference by the Home Minister and the secretary-general into police matters. For example, giving direct instruction to state police chiefs, CID chiefs, and junior officers but since then there has been no answer by anyone. "So [by keeping silent] I assume they silently 'agreed' to what we have revealed," he said. In recent weeks, Musa had dropped several bombshells, alleging that politicians have been interfering with police work and that criminal elements have infiltrated the force. He also pointed out that there may have been cases of abuse of power at the top level when several senior policemen were transferred out for refusing to approve an "unsound" walkie-talkie project. Musa also labelled Ismail a "yes man" and had urged the latter to be tough, revealing one example when Ismail allegedly cried after he was scolded for following the orders of former home minister Syed Hamid Albar to arrest a reporter under the then Internal Security Act (ISA). Following these disclosures, several quarters have hit back at the former top cop, questioning Musa's timing and credibility. They also brought up the "copgate" issue where Musa is alleged to have links to underworld figures. Musa's detractors included Hishammuddin, businessman Robert Phang, former KL CID chief Mat Zain Ibrahim, former Commercial Crime Investigation Department chief Ramli Yusuff and his lawyer Rosli Dahlan. Responding to the attacks, Sanjeevan said that these are merely attempts to divert the NGO's focus on crime, and threatened to take legal action against "those who continue to make false and malicious accusations".
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| Musa denies knowledge of SD, Najib’s SMS Posted: 21 Dec 2012 02:55 PM PST Musa Hassan confirms that he met then DPM Najib Tun Razak to tell him that analyst Abdul Razak Baginda was to be arrested. Najib, however, told him to "carry on". Teoh El Sen, FMT The intensifying chatter of an alleged conspiracy in the 2006 murder of Altantuya Shaarribuu has put a SMS purportedly sent by Najib Tun Razak to his close friend Abdul Razak Baginda back in the spotlight. The SMS was first mentioned in P Balasubramaniam's first statutory declaration [SD], where the private investigator claimed that Razak Baginda showed him the text message from the then deputy prime minister the morning before he was arrested. "On the day Abdul Razak Baginda was arrested, I was with him at his lawyers office at 6.30 am Abdul Razak Baginda informed us that he had sent Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak an SMS the evening before as he refused to believe he was to be arrested, but had not received a response." "Shortly thereafter, at about 7.30 am, Abdul Razak Baginda received an SMS from Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and showed, this message to both myself and his lawyer. This message read as follows :- 'I am seeing IGP at 11.00 a.m. today …… matter will be solved … be cool'," according to the SD. However, any instances of impropriety was dismissed by former Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan today, who said that he did meet Najib at the time but the latter did not attempt to interfere into the case in any way. Speaking to FMT, Musa recounted that he had briefed the then Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi about the case. Musa had previously told online news portal Malaysiakini.com that top cops were summoned in 2007 by Badawi about the case. "The Prime Minister Badawi asked me whether Najib was involved or not. I said no. Our investigations showed he was not. I told him my men will be arresting Razak Baginda because of his involvement, " he said, adding that the former premier then directed that he inform Najib of this. "I met Najib telling him that I was going to arrest Razak Baginda. He replied 'carry on'. That's all. He did not try to interfere with what the police was going to do." Asked about the alleged SMS message, Musa said he was not privy to that as Najib did not show him anything of the kind. He also explained that police investigations were focused on the murder and the issue with the SD was being handled by another enforcement agency. "I don't know about the SD. The SD was actually investigated by somebody else. I only monitored the murder case." On whether further investigations should be done on the SD matter, Musa replied: "I think if they want to find the truth it should be investigated." In the interview with Malaysiakini, Musa had said that it was untrue that Najib's wife Rosmah Mansor was at the scene of the crime. He said investigations also showed military was not involved. Murky saga In Oct 21, Musa had denied that he was to hold a press conference in Bangkok the next day. This was information posted on the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT) website, where it was written that the press conference was supposed to reveal new details about the Altantuya murder. On several occasions, Musa's name would be dragged into the dramatic but murky saga. Aside from being identified in the first SD, Musa's name was mentioned during an alleged exchange of text messages between Najib and an Umno-linked lawyer. This transcript, which was published in the Malaysia Today blog, had suggested that Musa had met Najib over the murder. Najib had reportedly said that there was no abuse of power over the case.
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| Legal action threat over oil, gas rights Posted: 20 Dec 2012 07:28 PM PST
(Borneo Post) - State Reform Party (Star) Sabah is giving the State Government six weeks to restore ownership rights of Sabah's oil and gas resources, or the people would proceed with legal action, according to its chairman Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan. He told a press conference at TNGC Beverly Hills yesterday that Petronas missed the point when it acted as if it was the sole custodian of Malaysia's oil and gas.
He was responding to the statement by Petronas that it could not afford to increase the cash payment to 20 per cent to the oil-producing states as proposed by Pakatan Rakyat.
"The Federal Government is also irresponsible in using Petronas as its mouthpiece to reject the claims of the oil-producing states for increases in the cash payment from the current five per cent.
"The Federal Government and Petronas have totally ignored the fact that oil and gas resources belong to Kelantan, Terengganu, Sabah and Sarawak, in the first place. It did not belong to the Federal Government and definitely not Petronas," Jeffrey asserted.
He said from Sabah and Sarawak's point of view, it should not be trapped into discussing the increase of the five per cent cash payment. In fact, he said, many of Sabah's leaders were still confused with the five per cent cash payment.
"It is not royalty as in the 1976 Oil Agreement; the State Government was pressured to reject or waive its right to collect royalty.
The real issue now, said Jeffrey, was not the amount of cash payment but the validity of Tun Abdul Razak's Vesting Order to Petronas as the oil and gas belonged to Sabah and Sarawak.
"Such vesting to Petronas has to be unconstitutional and invalid," he said.
"Therefore, Petronas and the Federal Government, and Pakatan Rakyat as the alternative front, and their leaders should be talking, firstly about restoring and returning the ownership of the oil rights to Sabah and Sarawak and then, secondly re-negotiate for the state to contribute a portion of the oil revenue to the Federal Government or Petronas.
He said Star Sabah would be handing over a memorandum to the Chief Minister's office by Monday or Tuesday, calling for restoration of the ownership of the oil and gas, otherwise the people of Sabah, with the support of Star Sabah, would bring the issue to court, including the issue of Blocks L and M. |
| Mustafa: Pakatan seat talks at tail-end Posted: 20 Dec 2012 06:20 PM PST
Tarani Palani, fz.com With seat negotiations between Opposition allies at its tail end, any party which demands for additional seats at this juncture would have to bear in mind whether there is a supply of additional seats left to be distributed. PAS Secretary General Datuk Mustafa Ali said this in response to his DAP counterpart Lim Guan Eng's announcement during the weekend party congress that the party would like three more parliamentary seats and 10 more state seats. However, the PAS party veteran was quick to add that Lim's request was nothing to be jittery about as it was understood that he was playing to party supporters. "There is nothing wrong with asking for seats because every political party is seeking for more seats. But (if there are) seats left to be distributed (is something to bear in mind)," he said in an interview with fz.com recently. For Mustafa, who was present at the congress in Penang to hear Lim's speech, the DAP leader's announcement was neither suprising nor the opposite. "I was there, I heard what he said, but I didn't ask him," said Mustafa chuckling. "I feel (the announcement) was more to pacify (party) grassroots who are looking for a seat increase". Mustafa who heads the PAS team in the Pakatan Rakyat election consultative council on seat negotiations, said that talks usually took place in the committee and that there was "not much" left to negotiate. He was mostly tight lipped on the matter, merely saying that most of the negotiations had already taken place this year. DAP Deputy Chairperson Tan Kok Wai and PKR Deputy President Azmin Ali are the heads of the other parties in the committee. Mustafa repeated what many Pakatan leaders had said on the criteria for seat allocations. For the coalition, which will face its first general election as a formal alliance, the formula would be to more or less stick to its status quo in 2008. "Each party forwards its suggestions. But we mostly use as one of our guidelines the 2008 status quo. We know what the status quo is, so it's plus or minus that. (That will be the basis) for exchange of seats or discussions similar to that," he said. He added that despite of announcements made by party leaders, the final outcome would depend on negotiations between the parties. Mustafa also said that he did not foresee any difficulty in finalising Pakatan's list of candidates as it could be settled at the committee stage. He said that in case one particular candidate cannot be agreed upon, then the matter will be brought up to the party Presidents. He however said that it may not come to that extent as most of the negotiations have gone on smoothly.
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| Perak Speaker Ganesan: I am not involved in any sex scandal Posted: 20 Dec 2012 05:25 PM PST
Ganesan speaks to reporters denying any involvement in a sex scandal outside the state assembly on Friday. (The Star) - Perak Assembly Speaker Datuk R. Ganesan has denied any involvement in a sex scandal and will lodge a police report on the claim. "I will ask the police to investigate the claim. I'm not shocked because they are only made-up stories," he told reporters here on Friday. "I am also extremely sad that my family has to face such allegations," he said, adding that he viewed this as an Opposition tactic to attack him. He was commenting on the envelopes which Opposition assemblymen V.Sivakumar and A. Sivasubramaniam received outside the assembly earlier in the day. The envelopes contained a printed online article and a compact disc (CD) with a lewd picture, Ganesan's portrait and a woman's portrait on the cover. Sivakumar said he would be lodging a police report on the matter.
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| ‘PKR got it all wrong on power rates’ Posted: 20 Dec 2012 04:22 PM PST Several IPP managers say that forcing IPPs to renegotiate their PPAs will have serious implications. Zainal Epi, FMT PKR has gone off the mark when it said that it would slash the power rates if it comes to power, say independent power producers (IPPs). They were commenting on PKR investment and trade bureau chief Wong Chen's statement on Dec 7 that Pakatan would reduce the independent power producers' (IPP) return of investment (ROI) from 19% to 10% if it forms the next government. Wong has said even if the return of investment (ROI) was at 10%, which is the global benchmark, it was still a lot of money for them (IPPs). (The ROI measures the profitability on an investment and can help in making investment decisions.) "What we want is to cut their [IPPs'] obscene profit," Wong has said. He said under the current contracts, the IPPs' return of investment stood at a whopping 19% and a Pakatan government would reduce it to 10%. However, IPP players said Wong's notion that renegotiating the PPAs (power purchase agreements) with the IPPs was a silver bullet to ensure power prices remain at current rates in the future was wrong and off the mark. They said his analysis was probably driven by poor understanding of the power industry. "It is incorrect, for example, to use take Tenaga Nasional Bhd's 2011 capacity payment as a proxy for IPP earnings and dividing it by IPPs' total capital expenditure, resulting in a ROI of 19%," said a senior IPP manager who did not want to be named. (Capacity payment is payment received in exchange for making electrical capacity available.) He said this is because capacity payment is a composition of revenue and not profit, "so it is wrong to treat it as earnings". "Capacity payment is primarily used to service debt obligations of the power plant developer, so earnings is derived only after deducting debt servicing payments and other fixed costs such as insurance and taxes. "The time value of money, which is basic in financial economics, is ignored in his [Wong's] analysis – there is a need to consider capital investment made in a year and also the annual earning streams recurring for 21 years, to work out the true ROI, and not just taking into account one payment in one particular year…," said one IPP senior manager. Another IPP manager said Pakatan's proposal to force IPPs to take a 50% cut on revenues – primarily used to service their debt obligations – has the following serious implications:
'Tariffs need to go up' "For example, oil has increased from below US$30 per barrel in 2000 to currently above US$90 per barrel [over 200% increase for the period]. "To get an inkling of the capital-intensive nature of the industry, just look up the TNB website and discover the capital expenditure of TNB each year [in the range of RM4 billion to RM7 billion]. "If the opportunity cost of gas were to be added to the present gas price, that alone will raise TNB's fuel cost by more than RM10 billion annually," he said.
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| ‘Probe the five involved in Deepak’s claims’ Posted: 20 Dec 2012 04:16 PM PST PKR piles pressure on the authorities to investigate Cecil Abraham, Arulampalam, Nazim, Deepak and Balasubramaniam. Leven Woon, FMT The police and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) have been urged to investigate the five individuals allegedly involved in the preparation of private investigator P Balasubramaniam's second statutory declaration (SD). PKR vice-president Tian Chua said the authorities should probe lawyer Cecil Abraham who was allegedly said to have prepared the second SD and Arulampalam, who has appeared with Balasubramaniam at the press conference to issue the second SD on July 4, 2008. Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's brother Nazim Tun Razak, Balasubramaniam and businessman Deepak Jaikishan must also be called up for questioning, Chua added. "Malaysian laws stipulate that conspiracy to falsify or subvert sworn statement is a criminal offence. "Those involved in abetment and conspiracy can be charged under Section 107 of the Penal Code, or Section 120a for criminal conspiracy, and Section 191 for false evidence under Statutory Declaration Act 1960," he said at a press conference here today. Nazim allegedly met Balasubramaniam on behalf of the prime minister and provided the latter with the money to retract the explosive first SD linking Najib to the murder of Mongolian national Altantuyaa Shariibuu. Chua said since both Balasubramaniam and Deepak had concurred that the second SD was prepared under intimidation and enticement, it is the duty of the enforcement authorities to verify the allegations with the other three individuals. He pointed out that the authorities have shown they are capable of carrying out swift investigations when six federal agencies targeted NGO Suaram over allegations of receiving foreign funding lately. "Unless the MACC and police act immediately, their [already] tainted reputation and image will be tarnished further," he said. Second defamation The Batu MP also ticked off MACC over its clarification yesterday that Cecil, who is a member of the MACC's operation review panel, was not involved in the decision to halt investigation of Balasubramaniam's second SD. Describing the statement as an "utter disappointment", he said MACC is more concerned with defending its decision to stop the investigation than to discharge its duties properly. Meanwhile, Sungai Petani MP Johari Abdul said the allegation that Najib had asked his brother to offer money to Balasubramaniam could be considered as a second defamation on the premier after Deepak's claims that Najib was involved in the murder of Altantuyaa. "If what Deepak said is true, then there are elements of corruption and MACC should investigate. Don't drag the matter anymore," he said. Chua also challenged the MACC to find out whether PKR was involved in paying Deepak to defame Najib. When asked whether the enforcement authorities should also probe Najib, since the premier was directly implicated in the allegations, Chua said the focus now should be on the five individuals first. "To be fair to [Najib and Rosmah], they are not materially present at the meeting. Let's leave them alone first. But if Deepak's allegations are proven to be true, then they must follow the lead and investigate further," he said.
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| Bentong villagers want DAP to explain Posted: 20 Dec 2012 12:09 PM PST
(The Star) - BENTONG villagers have given a date for DAP to explain its decision to abruptly stop a singing show during a dinner, reported China Press. They had challenged Bentong Dapsy chairman Chow Yu Hui to cut the head of a cockerel and perform a vow at Guan Di Temple in Kampung Telemong at 1pm tomorrow. The act of cutting a cockerel's head at a temple is a Chinese tradition to prove one's innocence in settling disputes. In a statement signed by 15 village heads and Bentong MCA deputy chief Woong Choo Yak, the group urged Chow to show his bravery in politics and not be a "deserter". "Come to the temple on time and tell us everything. Many villagers know the show was halted because DAP bowed to pressure from PAS and used many tactics to cover this up. "In fact, the incident on Nov 17 should not have happened because DAP was the organiser of the event, which was mostly attended by the Chinese. DAP did not have to follow the orders of PAS members," said the group, adding that this proved that the party had no status in Pakatan Rakyat. During the incident, PAS guests had reportedly demanded that the performance be stopped because they were apparently disturbed by a singer's dressing, which was "too revealing". Villagers, who had raised thousands of ringgit to hire the singers, were furious.
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| RM200b outflow Najib’s best achievement as Finance minister, says PAS Youth chief Posted: 20 Dec 2012 02:49 AM PST
(Harakah) - The high ranking recently given to Malaysia among developing countries suffering illicit funds outflow means the country's Finance minister Najib Razak has broken a records of sorts, according to PAS Youth leader Nasrudin Hassan. "It is something which has surprised many. What is not surprising is the fact that mainstream media do not report it," he said, adding that the public would eventually come to know details of the damning report issued by Washington-based Global Financial Integrity.
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| Talks going on well with SAPP, says Anwar Posted: 20 Dec 2012 01:59 AM PST Anwar Ibrahim today played down talks of tension between the 'original' Sabah PKR members and allies of Wilfred Bumburing and Lajim Ukin. Teoh El Sen, FMT Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim today dismissed reports that talks were not going well with former Sabah chief minister Yong Teck Lee's Sabah Progressive People's (SAPP) party. He said Pakatan Rakyat, which he leads, has been "more successful with SAPP" as there has been a more active process of negotiations and "they have been attending our joint meetings". Anwar's comments contradict a report on Tuesday quoting a SAPP insider who claimed that Yong had implied that SAPP could well be on a collision course with its "allies" PKR and DAP (Pakatan members) in many seats. Speaking to FMT after SAPP's supreme council meeting on Monday, the insider said Yong told his comrades that SAPP must stick to its "principle" that a local-based party must take the majority of the State Legislative Assembly seats. But Anwar insisted that talks were going smoothly and that seat negotiations in Sabah were underway. Anwar said that the opposition allies are more inclined towards a one-to-one fight against Barisan Nasional parties. "We have taken a clear position that we are moving towards that direction, that's it's one-to-one," Anwar said in a press conference at the PKR headquarters today. When asked about Jeffrey Kitingan-led State Reform Party (STAR), Anwar said that Tuaran MP Wilfred Bumburing, who helms Angkatan Perubahan Sabah (APS), had been appointed to negotiate seats with Jeffrey in Sabah. "We think we have a problem with the STAR because STAR says it is opposed to all Peninsula-based parties while we say that we are opposed to all corrupt leaders irrespective of whether peninsula or state-based. There is a difference there. "Notwithstanding that, we have assigned Wilfred (Bumburing) to proceed with the negotiations, including with the STAR," said Anwar. 'We want to kill Umno' Asked if peninsula-based Pakatan was focusing its efforts on only parliamentary seats and leaving the state to the locals to fight out, Anwar said: "There is no way we are only fighting in the parliamentary seats and giving the state to Musa [Aman]. We want to kill Umno." He also touched on reports that Sabah PKR was dysfunctional following Anwar's ready acceptance of BN defectors Bumburing and Beaufort MP Lajim Ukin. Both declared their alliance to PKR-Pakatan but declined to become members of the coalition. Lajim has set up his own platform Pakatan Perubahan Sabah which is Pakatan-friendly. FMT had last month reported tension within Sabah PKR between the "PKR ori"[original] or "PKR photocopy", the former referring to genuine members of the party while "photocopy" addresses those with APS and PPS who "refused" to be members of PKR but have declared support for Anwar. But Anwar played down such allegations, saying that it was not an accurate assessment of the current situation. "Not really, of course; there are questions raised, for example: 'why do you consider this candidate… we think another candidate is better'. Things like that. We've had sessions, [PKR] state leader Ahmad Tamrin will be present in all the other meetings, similar with Wilfred and Lajim." "It is not about new or old, [former health minister and MCA leader] Chua Jui Meng came in later but he is still the head of Johor and doing similarly well national. I don't think that is quite correct." When asked about the details of the "deal" with the newcomers, Anwar merely said that the collaboration with Lajim and Bumburing was going "smoothly". "They come in as partners in Pakatan. They are committed to the Pakatan agenda. We are working very well. In fact, next week I am going to [meet] Wilfred and Lajim as part of the campaign programme. I don't have a problem, seriously." "There will be questions. Particularly now with people clamouring for seats or lobbying for seats; it is something which is quite normal. But we have to draw the line, you know."
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