| Conflict of interest in Langat 2 dam deal Posted: 13 Sep 2012 09:54 AM PDT 
(Free Malaysia Today) - Two companies that conducted a study in 2000, speculating water shortage, have been given engineering design contracts. Klang MP Charles Santiago has raised concerns over a case of conflicting interest in the Langat 2 dam construction. "In 2000, the government commissioned a study on water shortage to three companies – SMHB Sdn Bhd, Ranhill Consulting Sdn Bhd and Zaba Sdn Bhd," said the DAP leader. Pengurusan Aset Air Bhd's (PAAB) CEO and director Ahmad Faizal Rahman announced that three companies had been appointed to undertake the engineering design of the Langat 2 plant. The three were SMHB Sdn Bhd, Ranhill Consulting Sdn Bhd and KTA Tenaga Sdn Bhd. "This is a clear case of conflict of interest because the contracts have been given to the people who conducted the study," said Santiago, who is also the coordinator of the Coalition Against Water Privatisation (CAWP). He also accused the companies of creating an environment to secure more contracts and urged the government to re-evaluate the study done in 2000. "Did they write the report to secure contracts?" he asked. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/09/14/conflict-of-interest-in-langat-2-dam-deal/ |
| Stop spamming my phone, Raja Nong Chik! Posted: 13 Sep 2012 09:49 AM PDT 
Zan Azlee (The Malaysian Insider) If there is one thing that I hate to death, it is spam. Getting spam email is one of the most annoying things ever. Even more annoying are spam SMSes... you know, the ones that tell you about cheap beer at various nightclubs or discounts at popular restaurants. But recently, the most annoying spam SMSes I have received are from a certain politician and Cabinet minister who goes by the name of Raja Nong Chik. It started when I decided to register to vote slightly less than a year ago. Registration went fine with no glitches (i.e. suddenly finding out I'm registered to vote in Sabah!) My constituency, according to my IC address, is Lembah Pantai. As we know, the current MP in that area is PKR's Nurul Izzah Anwar. Since I didn't vote in the last general election, I can't claim to have played a role in getting her into office. And now that the 13th general election is coming up, rumour has it that Umno will be fielding Raja Nong Chik in Lembah Pantai. Now right after I had registered to vote (at the Election Commission office in Shah Alam), I started receiving the SMSes. The first one wished me Selamat Hari Raya Aidiladha, signed off with "RAJA NONG CHIK." I was quite shocked! I had only just registered a couple of weeks ago and now this Cabinet minister already had my mobile phone number. I was about to cry "personal data theft!", but quickly restrained myself. Good thing I did because, apparently, there is no such law against that in Malaysia. After that, it just went on and on. I started receiving New Year greetings, advice on how to spend my Ramadan and even an invitation for Lailatul Qadar prayers. Last month, I even received an SMS that had the hash tags #MERDEKA55 and #JANJIDITEPATI! He could be using the same bot service as #YORAIS! The last straw came last Tuesday. My iPhone blew out the fog-horn ring tone, indicating that an SMS had come in so I quickly checked my phone. When I noticed it was from Raja Nong Chik, I just got annoyed. But what pushed me to the edge was the content of the SMS itself. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/opinion/article/stop-spamming-my-phone-raja-nong-chik/ |
| 'Innocence of Muslims' producer's identity in question; actors say they were duped, overdubbed Posted: 13 Sep 2012 09:39 AM PDT (Fox News) - Most of the dialogue that relates to Islam or religion in the trailer looks like it was overdubbed in post-production, with many suggesting that the dialogue was translated with words something completely different to lines delivered. The man who identified himself as the filmmaker behind the anti-Islam film "The Innocence of Muslims" may have used a pseudonym and spent time in federal prison. Meanwhile several actors in the movie say they were duped, and are now distancing themselves from the film that was cited as a spark to the violence in Libya that resulted in the murder of the United States' ambassador to that country. Initial reports stated an Israeli-born producer who identified himself as Sam Bacile had gone into hiding following the violence in Libya. FoxNews.com's research on public and private databases, business filings, and people finding services came up empty on that name. Israeli authorities also claim to have no records of him being a citizen, although he said in interviews to be both a citizen of America and Israel. The Associated Press first reported that they spoke with Bacile via phone as he was remaining incognito in an undisclosed location following the violence in Libya. "Bacile" said that he was sorry for the death of the U.S Ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens, and blamed his death on the "no good" security systems in place at the embassies. When Bacile's legitimacy began to be questioned, the AP traced the phone number they had called to Nakoula Basseley Nakoula. Nakoula, 55, a Coptic Christian, said he was the manager of the company that produced the anti-Muslim movie, but denied that he had posed as Bacile. However, other connections to the Bacile persona have been unearthed. Nakoula has frequently used alias names in the past, including Erwin Salameh and Nicola "Bacily," among others. In 2010, he pleaded no contest to federal band fraud charges in California and was ordered to pay over $790,000 in restitution, sentenced to 21 months in federal prison and ordered not to use computers or the internet for five years. Thus, hosting a "Sam Bacile" YouTube channel may be deemed a violation of his probation. 'There is absolutely no way that film could have cost five million. More likely, five dollars… It looks like a hoax' - Independent film producer An attorney for Nakoula, listed as James Henderson Sr., did not respond to FoxNews.com's request for comment. On his legal website, the Santa Monica-based lawyer is described as a specialist in "white collar criminal defense and federal criminal violations." Pastor Terry Jones of Gainesville, Fla., who burned Qurans on the ninth anniversary of 9/11, said he spoke with the movie's director on the phone Wednesday. He said he has not met the filmmaker in person, but the man contacted him a few weeks ago about promoting the movie. "I have not met him. Sam Bacile, that is not his real name," Jones said. "I just talked to him on the phone. He is definitely in hiding and does not reveal his identity. He was quite honestly fairly shook up concerning the events and what is happening. A lot of people are not supporting him." "Bacile" also claimed in his initial interview with the AP that "The Innocence of Muslims" was shown to a mostly empty theater in Hollywood earlier this year, which has since been pinpointed as L.A's Vine Theater. A worker at the theater told FoxNews.com:"The film we screened was titled 'The Innocence of Bin Laden'," adding that the film was in English without any subtitles or Arabic. The worker said it was a "small viewing." The L.A Times reported it was an "earlier version" of the movie, and fewer than ten seats in the theater were filled. Another of the film's promoters, Steve Klein, told The Atlantic that he did not know Steve Bacile's "real name," and that they only met once and spoke for about an hour. "He's not Israeli… His name is a pseudonym," Klein told the magazine. "All these Middle Eastern folks I work with have pseudonyms. I doubt he's Jewish. I would suspect this is a disinformation campaign." |
| ‘Beaten every day for 60 days’ Posted: 12 Sep 2012 07:20 PM PDT 
(Free Malaysia Today) - When you are beaten for 60 days straight, your innocence no longer matters to you, says an ex-ISA detainee. A former detainee under the Internal Security Act (ISA), Fadzullah Razak, recalls with bitterness the day the prime minister announced the repeal of the act exactly one year ago. "When we found out the 'amazing' news through NST and Utusan – the only newspapers detainees are provided with – everyone was shocked and in disbelief, even the detention staff," Fadzullah told a press conference here today. "My fellow detainees were so happy; some were jumping with joy, others rolled around on the floor. You'd find people celebrating in all sorts of manner. "But I told them: 'Don't believe it, as the government has never been sincere about it'," said Fadzullah. His scepticism on that day is apparently not unfounded – although exactly one year has passed since Najib Tun Razak's much-anticipated announcement, 30 detainees remain in the Kamunting detention centre under a now-defunct act that allows for detention without trial. After a new bill was tabled to replace the ISA this year, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein had ignored calls for the detainees' immediate release and instead said he would personally look through each case to determine their fate. Fadzullah himself was only released last month, along with 11 other detainees, after spending two years there for allegedly having links with terrorist group Jemaah Islamiah – links that had never been proven in court. "The situation in the centre was extremely stressful – imagine knowing the ISA had been abolished, but you're still stuck there as political hostages," said Fadzullah. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/09/13/beaten-every-day-for-60-days/ |
| Govt endorses guide on how to spot gays Posted: 12 Sep 2012 07:17 PM PDT 
(Free Malaysia Today) - A government-endorsed parenting guide that describes symptoms of homosexuality has kicked up a storm on the Internet, with human rights and sexuality activists expressing shock and disgust. Sin Chew Daily today reported that the Education Ministry had endorsed the guide as helpful to parents and teachers. It was launched during a seminar in Penang yesterday. The event, billed as "Parenting in addressing the issue of LGBTs (lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders)", was officiated by Deputy Education Minister Mohd Puad Zarkashi. The guide listed four symptoms each for gays and lesbians: For gays: - Muscular body and a fondness for showing off the body by wearing clothing, such as by wearing V-necks and sleeveless tops
- A preference for tight and bright coloured clothes
- An inclination to be attracted to men
- A tendency to carry big handbags, similar to the kinds used by women
For lesbians: - Showing attraction to women
- Distancing themselves from women other than their girlfriends
- A preference for hanging out, sleeping and dining with women
- Absence of feelings for men
Teaching hate When asked to comment, activist and Seksualiti Merdeka co-founder Pang Khee Teik initially said: "I don't even know how to respond." However, he proceeded to flay the Education Ministry for being "only interested in teaching hate, promoting inequality and playing politics". "The Ministry of Education is now officially a bully," he said. "I never presumed to be in the position to teach the meaning of education to the people running the Ministry of Education. But it has come to that." Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/09/13/govt-endorses-guide-on-how-to-spot-gays/ |
| Is it wrong to receive foreign funds? Posted: 12 Sep 2012 05:16 PM PDT 
As for the scandal exposed by Suaram, the government can address it transparently. Making public the details of the Defence Ministry's military procurement can stop the alternative coalition from playing up the issue while proving to the public that no fraud is involved in military procurement. Lim Sue Goan, Sin Chew Daily Non-governmental organisations (NGO) are intermediaries promoting democracy and civil society and thus, sometimes they are in conflict with the government. NGOs can educate the public about many issues, such as when the people lack the knowledge about environmental protection, they hold seminars and distribute leaflets to raise the people's awareness of it. Vulnerable groups of the society also need the assistance of NGOs, including counseling, job searching and assistance applications. Some NGOs also defend human rights, women's right, legal rights or initiate various charity work, collecting forces in the society. Many things are beyond the reach of the government or face the problem of lack resources, and thus, NGOs play a supporting role of helping the government to educate the people. With the efforts of a large number of social workers, a strong civil society playing the role of supervising the public authority can be built slowly. Therefore, governments of democratic countries appreciate and recognise the contribution made by NGOs. This enables NGOs to stay active. For example, there are about 1.5 million NGOs in the US and their funds come from grants of the federal, state or local governments. Laws of the US do not prohibit NGOs from receiving funds from foreign countries, regardless of whether it is from a government or non-government organisation. In non-democratic countries, however, NGOs always face with various constraints. Such as NGOs in China, they are required to provide a notarised copy of funding agreement to receive a foreign donation. And if they receive US$150,000 or above of foreign fund, they must first get a permission from the authority. Some organisations also said that they have long been annoyed by tax investigation officers. In addition, according to the Russian NGO Law, NGOs engaging in political activities that receive foreign funds will be regarded as "foreign agents" and should receive a mandatory investigation. Back to the allegations that Suaram has been receiving funds from an American organisation linked to currency speculator George Soros, not only the German Ambassador to Malaysia is summoned, but the Registrar of Societies (RoS) also conducts a joint investigation with five government agencies. The authorities might not be happy with Suaram for exposing the Scorpene submarine scandal or receiving funds from currency speculator George Soros. However, they should at least tell Suaram about under which provision it is being investigated. Is there a law prohibiting NGOs from receiving foreign funds? Anti-Money Laundering Act should be used against criminals, not civil society organisations. Moreover, in addition to Suaram, there are many organisations registered as private limited companies instead of NGOs. The authority should clarify why it is difficult for civil society organisations to be registered as NGOs. As for the scandal exposed by Suaram, the government can address it transparently. Making public the details of the Defence Ministry's military procurement can stop the alternative coalition from playing up the issue while proving to the public that no fraud is involved in military procurement. To become an advanced state, the government must first learn how to get along with NGOs. It must convince them, instead of suppress them. Attacking NGOs will harm the government's credibility. If it is appropriately handled, NGOs can also become friends of the government. |
| EC: Code of conduct for caretaker govt ready Posted: 12 Sep 2012 04:52 PM PDT 
The draft must be brought to the federal government for further deliberation, says Election Commision deputy chairman Wan Ahmad Wan Omar. G Vinod, FMT The Election Commission (EC) has prepared a code of conduct for a caretaker government, possibly to be used for the 13th general election "The draft is ready but we need to present it to the federal government for further deliberation," said EC deputy chairman Wan Ahmad Wan Omar today. The code of conduct is one of the 22 recommendations made by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reforms (PSC) in order to improve the electoral process in the country. The 13th general election must be called before April 2013 but Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak had hinted on several occasions that he might dissolve the parliament by the end of this year. Wan Ahmad said the code was prepared after the EC studied conventions in other Commonwealth countries, namely Australia and New Zealand. On the need to consult the federal government, Wan Ahmad said it was important as the government of the day would become the caretaker government by default once parliament was dissolved. "That's the convention. Our constitution, in its current form, makes no mention on the role of a caretaker government," he said. Wan Ahmad added that Pakatan Rakyat would also be consulted on the code of conduct as the opposition pact was in control of several state governments. "But then we are talking about the general election. So we will be consulting the federal government first before going to the state governments," he said. Overseas voters On allowing overseas Malaysians to vote at their respective high commissions, Wan Ahmad said that the EC had also decided to follow other Commonwealth countries' model, where the voters need to come back at least once in three years to be allowed to vote. The EC official also said that the matter would require several amendments to the law and the Attorney-General's Chambers was already looking into it. Wan Ahmad, however, urged Malaysian voters abroad to return to vote in the event the amendments were not made in time for the next general election. READ MORE HERE |
| DAP men back Karpal against Islamic state Posted: 12 Sep 2012 04:49 PM PDT 
Grassroots leaders say Chua Soi Lek is harping on a non-issue. Athi Shankar, FMT At least three DAP grassroots leaders have thrown their weight behind party chairman Karpal Singh in his stand against PAS's yearning to establish an Islamic state and enforce hudud. The show of support by DAP's Pahang vice-chairman J Apalasamy, Teluk Intan MP M Manogaran and former Taman Seri Sungai Pelek branch head Tan Tuan Tat came in the wake of MCA chief Dr Chua Soi Lek's claim that Karpal was a lone battler against the alleged PAS agenda. Apalasamy said Karpal's statements on the issue reflected sentiments in the DAP grassroots. "When Karpal speaks, the party speaks; he is the party supremo," he said. "Why is Chua harping on a non-issue?" He returned fire at Chua, asking whether the MCA president was suggesting that his own public statements reflected only his personal views and not his party's stand. "Is Chua saying that his public statements are not reflective of MCA's grassroots sentiments and official stand? If that is so, Chua is not a party supremo. He is a loner." Manogaran meanwhile criticised Negeri Sembilan PAS for segregating men from women at its Hari Raya open house last weekend, saying the act undermined efforts towards racial integration. He said the main purpose of holding open houses was to foster unity and harmony among different ethnic groups and separating "husbands from wives and brothers from sisters" would not help achieve this objective. Manogaran urged PAS to work within Pakatan Rakyat to tackle "bigger tasks" ahead, like taking over the government from Umno and Barisan Nasional to give Malaysians their due freedoms and rights. Tan said PAS's Islamist agenda was unconstitutional and went against the aspiration of Malaysia's founding fathers to set up a secular state. "Karpal's stand against PAS's Islamist agenda has been constant and consistent," he said. "I fully support him." He urged PAS to abandon the agenda, saying an Islamic state was not feasible in the context of rapid globalisation. He called on PAS to work with others to uphold a rule of law that is universally acceptable. "An Islamic state and hudud law will not suit Malaysia's cosmopolitan society," he said. "PAS must respect the rights, interests and sensitivities of non-Muslims too." |
| ‘Make a stand on real issues in Sabah’ Posted: 12 Sep 2012 04:45 PM PDT 
They must take the opportunity to highlight the "real issues" of land grab and corruption that has lead to desforestation in Sabah, says a UK-based NGO. Teoh El Sen, FMT Even as Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton prepare to embark from Kuala Lumpur to Sabah for a two-day tour starting tomorrow evening, the British royal couple have been urged to "examine the real cause of destruction" of the Malaysian Borneo rain forests. An International NGO, Global Witness, said that while the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's official purpose of the visit is to highlight the conservation activities of the Royal Society, they ought to also take the opportunity to highlight the "real issues" of land grab and corruption that has lead to desforestation. Global Witness is a UK-based organisation which "investigates and campaigns to prevent natural resource-related conflict and corruption and associated environmental and human rights abuses". It said that the young royal couple should not "play into public relation objectives" of those directly involved in the destruction of the forests in Sabah and Sarawak. The systemic causes of rainforest destruction in Borneo — which has left Sabah with less than 4% of intact forest — was caused by "high level corruption and the relentless process of industrial-scale logging and conversion of forests to oil palm plantations", it said. "This new generation of the royal family has an opportunity to highlight the real issues such as land grabbing and corruption that directly result in poverty, deforestation and human rights abuses, rather than inadvertently providing diplomatic cover – even kudos – for some of the most destructive activities on the planet", said Tom Picken, Campaign Leader, Forests at Global Witness. This was especially since the couple's tour tomrrow will involve an audience with Sabah Chief Minister, Musa Aman. "Musa is currently the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation by Swiss authorities for the laundering of USD 90 million(RM277 million) through the Swiss bank UBS, allegedly amassed by soliciting bribes from loggers in exchange for timber licenses," said Picken. Picken reminded the couple that high level corruption in Sabah and Sarawak "has resulted in some of the highest rates of deforestation anywhere in the world and appalling human rights abuses for the forest communities standing in the way". Diplomatic row Earlier this week, British tabloid Daily Mail reported that Prince William and his wife's stopover at Sabah could propel them into the "first diplomatic row" of their new royal careers. The paper highlighted the fact that Musa was being probed by Swiss prosecutors over claims that Swiss banking giant UBS allegedly helped him to launder money. A demonstration was held outside St James Palace last week during in which the royal couple was reportedly urged to snub Musa, who is believed to have helped arrange the visit and will be host on Friday. "Their primary reason for wishing to visit Sabah owes itself to the Duke's interest in conservation," a St James Palace spokesperson had told Daily Mail. The British Foreign Office also told Daily Mail that the government would not pass judgment on the money laundering allegation against Musa until it has been fully investigated. This Saturday, William and Kate will visit Danum Valley, which would be seen as a "stamp of approval" for conservation efforts in Lahad Datu. Danum Valley is managed by Yayasan Sabah for conservation, research and education purposes. The UK Royal Society is one of the key sponsors. The visit to one of Borneo's last virgin rainforests would be the highlight of their official Royal Tour of the Commonwealth in celebration of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee, marking her 60th year on the throne. READ MORE HERE |
| Baffled Mukhriz rejects debate dare Posted: 12 Sep 2012 04:36 PM PDT 
How is a Pakatan-led government going to handle car prices by auctioning Approved Permits, the deputy minister asks. Patrick Lee, FMT PKR's plan to reduce car prices, as far as the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (Miti) is concerned, is baffling. Deputy Minister Mukhriz Mahathir said this in response to PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli, who suggested that car Approved Permits (AP) go through an open tender. "His logic really baffles me. On the one hand, he says he wants to bring down car prices. On the other, he says we should auction APs. "He hasn't explained how to bring car prices down when [it is priced at] RM50,000 to RM60,000 per AP. So what does a [Toyota] Camry cost by the time he's done with that?" he told reporters. Previously Rafizi had said that Malaysia risked losing RM3 billion every year when the government charged a set price of RM10,000 per AP. Instead of this, he said that it would be better for an open tender on these APs, which would result in revenue. He argued that these funds would help to remove the high excise duties on cars today. Mukhriz, however, ridiculed this notion, saying that the RM10,000 AP price tag was a boon for the automotive industry. "The RM10,000 is not a fee. It's something that goes into a fund that helps the industry because we need people who are in the car dealership business to divest into other parts of the automotive industry. "That's the whole intent. We're not just collecting duties for the sake of increasing revenue for the government," he said. At the same time, he said that Rafizi's AP plan contradicted Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's own plan; a gradual tax reduction scheme. He added that he did not wish to attend or take part in a Pakatan Rakyat forum on the matter tonight, though Mukhriz seemed interested in what the opposition had to say. Malaysians often have to pay large amounts of duties and taxes before they can own a car, making prices here some of the highest in the region. It is not uncommon to see Proton – Malaysia's national car – models more expensive here than they would be in countries such as Australia. |
| Iran parks oil off Malaysia to dodge US sanctions Posted: 12 Sep 2012 04:28 PM PDT 
Luke Pachymuthu and Randy Fabi, Reuters A Reuters examination of shipping movements and interviews shows how Iranian crude is shipped to the area and loaded on to empty vessels at night to await potential Asian buyers. Storing the oil on hired tankers operating under the Panamanian flag in the calm waters off the tax-haven port of Labuan - an offshore financial centre about the size of Manhattan - means Iran can keep its own fleet active and ensure the flow of oil money into its struggling economy. At least two large oil tankers have been unloaded this way in recent weeks and several more Iranian vessels were steaming towards Asia, according to Reuters Freight Fundamentals, which tracks the movement of the global tanker fleet. One was destined for a Chinese port, while three others, carrying as much as 6 million barrels of crude or fuel oil, were sailing to unknown destinations. Iran would like to shift more oil to what is effectively a mobile storage depot off Malaysia's coast over the next few months, said an industry source familiar with Iran's planning who didn't want to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter. But it is struggling to find shipowners willing to offer vessels for storage. While not illegal, the dead-of-night transfer of oil in the South China Sea illustrates the lengths to which Iran will go to keep exporting its oil to skirt Western sanctions aimed at pressuring Tehran's suspected pursuit of nuclear weapons. A European Union oil embargo has virtually halted access around the world to insurance for Iranian crude and oil products. Doing business with Iran's oil industry carries reputational and financial risk and the threat of losing insurance coverage. No-Man's Land Less than 10 km (6.2 miles) from the coast of Borneo, Labuan is sheltered from typhoons and is typically used to park unwanted ships rather than store expensive oil. People in the industry say this makes it an ideal place to blend or rebrand oil as non-Iranian and resell it under the radar of sanctions enforcers in Washington or Brussels. "Labuan is like a no-man's land. There's no reason to be paying attention to Labuan," said a Singapore-based source familiar with floating storage operations in Southeast Asia. The insurer of one of the storage ships that took oil from an Iranian tanker said it had been informed of the transfer by the British government on August 16, and was looking into the matter. With fewer customers, Iran has cut its oil output and almost halved exports from around 2 million barrels per day last year. The Labuan scheme means Iran can use its own tankers to move, rather than store, its oil. In April, shipping sources said more than half of Iran's tanker fleet was anchored in the Gulf just holding some 33 million barrels of oil - worth around US$3 billion (S$3.68 billion) at today's prices. Malaysian and Iranian officials did not respond to requests for comment for this article. China, India, Japan and South Korea, which together buy over half of OPEC member Iran's crude exports, have all imported less this year, winning waivers from US sanctions. Those waivers are up for renewal later this year, so buyers are careful not to be seen to be increasing imports from Iran again. Dead Of Night Last month, the Lantana, a tanker operated by the National Iranian Tanker Co (NITC), transferred its cargo of around 1 million barrels of crude oil to the Titan Ruchira, a floating storage vessel, off the tiny tropical island of Pulau Kuraman near Labuan, port and shipping industry officials said. Around August 10, another Iranian tanker, the Motion, discharged as much as 2 million barrels of fuel oil on to the Titan Tulshyan in the same area, said the officials. The two ships are among 58 Iranian-owned vessels blacklisted by Washington in July for assisting in Iran's oil trade. Those measures bar US companies and Americans from doing business with the ships. "Our vessels are there and, as we understand it, there are no issues," a source familiar with NITC tanker chartering told Reuters. A third NITC tanker, the Justice, had been heading for Labuan, but shipping data shows it changed course and should arrive at the Chinese port of Dalian on September 17. Another tanker, the Pioneer, had been expected in Labuan early this month, but has anchored off the southwest Malaysian coast. "That (Lantana) operation took place literally in the dark of night. They didn't even use a proper operator with experience to carry out the STS (ship-to-ship transfer)," said an East Malaysian-based shipping source. "The authorities were aware only after the fact." Iran declined to sell the stored crude to a Chinese trader who offered US$54 a barrel - only around half the price of Iran's cheapest heavy crudes - said a source familiar with those discussions. Complex Web The two Titan vessels are owned by offshore companies linked to Singapore-based Tulshyan Group, which hired them out in 2010 to Hong Kong-based Titan Petrochemicals under a 5-year bare boat charter - an arrangement where Tulshyan has no staff managing or operating the vessel. Tulshyan, which shares a Singapore office with Titan, said it was not aware that the cargo on its ships was Iranian. Titan, battling a shipping industry downturn caused by a glut of tankers, high bunker fuel prices and a shaky global economy, has struggled to meet charter payments to Tulshyan, according to a person familiar with the matter. Heavy with debt and with five straight years of losses, Titan is being sold to Chinese oil trader Guangdong Zhenrong Energy Co Ltd, whose parent, Zhuhai Zhenrong, is blacklisted by the United States as the biggest supplier of refined petroleum products to Iran. Titan hired out the two tankers to Glammarine, a little-known shipping company that only recently registered in Labuan. Glammarine took the two ships under a 6-month charter, with Titan's crews running the vessels' day-to-day operations and Glammarine taking responsibility for finding the cargo and paying for use of the ships. "This was the first business we've done with Glammarine ... there were no red flags raised (about them)," Titan director Augustine Cheong told Reuters in Singapore. "The due diligence we took was to check if they are legally incorporated. And it's on a time charter, so we have our own crew on board and can see if they're doing something wrong." Cheong said Titan would drop the charter to Glammarine if the oil was found to be Iranian. Glammarine officials declined to comment. A visit to a listed Labuan address for Glammarine given in business registry documents found a rundown building in a neighborhood once used to house workers at a now defunct milk factory. The premises were closed. Paper Trail Glammarine agreed to let a company called Account International Safe Oil use the Titan Ruchira and Titan Tulshyan to store 4 million barrels of Iranian oil, shipping sources said. Account International is not registered in Malaysia or Hong Kong, and Reuters was unable to find an address for the company or contact staff for comment. Buyers of Iranian oil in China, India and Japan said they had not heard of the company. A Middle East industry source familiar with the company said Account International was an affiliate of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC). A second source based in East Malaysia said the firm had business links to HK Intertrade, a Hong Kong-based firm sanctioned by the United States in July for operating as a front company for Iran. "HK Intertrade purchases oil from NIOC and resells it to companies like Account," another southeast Asia-based shipping industry source said. The ships' managers from Titan were not aware that the crude and fuel oil transferred from the Lantana and Motion were from Iran, Cheong said. "We requested BL (bill of lading) documents. We were told the cargo was from India ... and we believed they were ex-NITC tankers," he added. "We only operate the ships as the ship manager. We don't own the cargo." A source familiar with the operations of the Titan Ruchira said the cargo was declared as Iranian to port officials in nearby Sabah. Customs officials in Sabah did not respond to Reuters emails. But in signed shipping documents seen by Reuters, Account International listed the 1 million barrels of crude oil unloaded by the Lantana as Indian. India, though, doesn't allow the export of domestically produced crude. Nor did the Lantana call in at India on its journey to Malaysia that began at Iran's crude export hub at Kharg Island, according to Reuters Freight Fundamentals and industry sources in both India and the Middle East. Account International also indicated on shipping documents seen by Reuters that the fuel oil on the Motion was from Fujairah, a major transhipment and storage hub in the United Arab Emirates. Shipping data shows the Motion did stop in Fujairah, but began its trip in Iran. Insurance Risk The Titan Ruchira is insured by the North of England P&I Association, which said it was looking into the matter after being informed of the transfer off Labuan by London last month. Western insurers underwrite around 90 per cent of the world's tanker fleet, and are currently barred from covering ships carrying Iranian oil. "There is a risk ... a vessel providing storage services for Iranian oil would breach European sanctions laws," said Mike Salthouse, director with North Insurance Management, which acts as manager for the North of England P&I Association. "I say a risk because sanctions as currently drafted appear to target the insurance of the transportation of Iranian oil and not the provision of insurance to facilities storing such products." The insurer declined further comment on its investigations. The Titan Tulsyhan is among some 7,000 vessels covered by Gard, the world's second-largest marine insurer. "Gard takes very seriously any suggestion that it is in breach of any international sanctions and is conducting an investigation," it said in a response to Reuters queries. "Gard can, and will, withdraw any insurance cover if it believes sanctions are being breached." Rakesh Tulshyan, head of the Tulshyan Group that owns the two Titan vessels, said that if there is "concrete evidence that it's Iranian oil", he will seek to have it removed from his vessels. "Because of my reputation, I would rather not do any business with links to sanctioned countries," he told Reuters. |
| To hell and back Posted: 12 Sep 2012 03:59 PM PDT 
The perpetrator who sent Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Chua Tee Yong the 'hell' notes is finally arrested and is put on trial. This is the second day of the hearing and Chua has taken to stand to testify. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Police report lodged over hell notes (Bernama) -- Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Chua Tee Yong has lodged a police report after receiving a letter containing four pieces of 'hell' notes and a Chinese newspaper cutting. The MCA Young Professionals Bureau chief said the newspaper cutting, among others, touched on his challenge to debate with Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim on the Talam Corporation Bhd (Talam) debt restructuring. He believed the 'hell' notes, each supposedly worth 'eight billion', was a warning to him not to pursue the debate," he told reporters after lodging a report at the Putrajaya police headquarters here today. Earlier, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek had also received two pieces of 'hell' notes with a newspaper cutting. ************************************************* Yang Berhormat, can you please look at the copy of this police report and confirm that this is the police report you made on 12th September 2012 and that that is your signature on the police report. Yes, I confirm. So, Yang Berhormat, you reported that some unknown person or persons had sent you four hell notes with a total 'value' of RM32 billion. Yes. But why did you make the police report? Because they sent me those hell notes. I know they allegedly sent you the hell notes. But why did you make a police report? What is so wrong with sending you hell notes? What is the crime here? Ah…in Chinese culture it is very insulting and offensive to send a live person hell notes. So you feel insulted or offended that they sent you hell notes because you are not dead yet. If you were dead then you would welcome these hell notes. You would not feel insulted or offended. Ah…well…yes. Has it harmed you in any way? I don't understand. Has this caused you bodily harm or financial loss? Ah…no. So it only affected your feelings? Yes. Is it a criminal offense to hurt someone's feelings? Yes. So if I don't invite you for my daughter's wedding and I hurt your feelings I can be sent to jail? Ah...no. So where is the criminal offense in sending you hell notes other than the person hurt your feelings? Hurting someone's feelings is wrong. So, sending you hell notes hurt your feelings and it is a criminal offense to hurt your feelings. Okay, how do you know that these are hell notes? Ah…I recognise them. Yes, but how do you know that they are hell notes? Is the word 'hell' printed on these notes? Ah…no. So the word 'hell' is not printed on the notes that were sent to you but you recognised them as hell notes? Yes. Was not the word 'Diyu' printed on these notes that you have referred to as hell notes? Yes. And does not 'Diyu' mean 'underground prison' or 'underground court'? Ah…yes. So there is nothing to show that the notes you received are hell notes. In fact, what is printed on these notes is 'underground prison' or 'underground court' and not 'hell'. Ah…yes…but… Okay, Yang Berhormat, do you believe in hell? Yes. Are you a Christian? No. You are not a Christian but you believe in hell? Yes. But is not hell a Christian concept? In Chinese culture, there is no such thing as hell. The concept of hell was introduced to China by the Christian missionaries a few hundred years ago whereas Chinese civilisation goes back 5,000 years, or 3,000 years before Christianity. Is this not correct? So there is no such thing as hell in Chinese beliefs. I am not sure. In fact, according to Chinese beliefs, when you die you get sent to the Earthly Court where the Lord of the Earthly Court will judge you and then, according to what the court rules, you will either be sent to heaven or to a maze of underground chambers where you serve your sentence for the sins you have committed. Hence hell does not exist. Correct? I suppose so. Hence, also, since hell does not exist, then hell notes also cannot exist. Ah… And since hell notes do not exist and you made a police report alleging that someone had sent you hell notes I put it to you that you have made a false police report and thus should face charges for this crime. How can like that…. Yang Arif, I call upon the court to drop the charges against my client since the complainant has made a false police report against my client alleging that my client offended him by sending him hell notes whereas hell does not exist in Chinese beliefs and hence hell notes also cannot possibly exist and the complainant cannot be offended by something that is non-existent. |
| Kembalikan Sabah kepada rakyat Sabah Posted: 12 Sep 2012 02:33 PM PDT 
Kuala Lumpur telah mengatakan bahawa rakyat Sabah tidak boleh mentadbir negeri dengan berkesan, kata Joseph Lakai. Joseph Bingkasan, FMT KOTA KINABALU: Autonomi yang diperjuangkan oleh Parti Maju Sabah (SAPP), parti pembangkang pimpinan bekas ketua menteri Yong Teck Lee, adalah autonomi untuk rakyat negeri Sabah. Harapan rakyat yang menuntut autonomi atau 'Sabah sebagai Negeri Merdeka' mesti sentiasa diucap dan dihati semua pemimpin- pemimpin sebenar di Negeri Dibawah Bayu ini. Jika dilihat di kedua-dua belah negeri, jurang politik Sabah dan Malaya (Semenanjung Malaysia) sangat-sangat berbeza, selain pemimpin-pemimpin Sabah telah lama dilihat tidak berupaya dan ketakutan dengan mengganggap orang Malaya sebagai tuan mereka. Menurut Naib Ketua SAPP Liawan, Joseph Lakai, pemimpin negeri tidak akan berani bersuara untuk menentang ketidakadilan yang berlaku setiap hari kepada rakyat Sabah. "Walaupun jika dilihat mereka bercakap ianya sebagai jeritan pasif – iaitu asal bercakap dan berkata sesuatu tetapi tidak memberi kesan atau menggugat," katanya dalam kenyataan akhbar kepada FMT hari ini. Ia diumpamakan seperti anjing yang sepatutnya menyalak dan mengawal sebuah rumah daripada pencuri. Dalam hal ini dilihat anjing tersebut hanya berani menyalak tetapi tidak berani mendekati dan menghalau pencuri malah hanya menyalak dibelakang rumah sehingga mudah membenarkan pencuri masuk ke dalam rumah dan mencuri semua barang-barang. "Tetapi sekarang, ramai di antara kita telah bangkit dan sedar daripada tidur. Kita telah diganggu sekian lama dan kini kita harus sedar bahawa selama ini diri kita dibakar dalam era politik yang baru." Katanya. Lakai, seorang juruterbang dan penyelidik sambilan 'Progressive Institute of Public Policy Analysis' (PIPPA) menambah bahawa sekarang rakyat Sabah harus bersatu dan berani menerima cabaran. Politik wang "Disebabkan sudah terlalu lama ahli-ahli politik dalam kancah politik maka mereka semakin menggila dan secara terang-terangan membeli undi dengan duit atau juga dikenali sebagai politik wang," katanya. Konsep perjuangan tradisional, bersungguh-sungguh dan bercita-cita tinggi untuk kepentingan bersama telah dicantas dengan kepentingan diri dan sifat tamak. Ini berlaku secara sepantas kilat dan tidak disedari sekian lama. Sabah sebagai sebuah negeri tidak dapat bergerak seiring dengan sifat tamak ini maka itulah Sabah yang indah ini semakin bahaya dan menuju ke arah jalan yang musnah. "Oleh itu, kita harus tegas dan menghapuskan orang-orang tamak ini bukan sahaja untuk menjaga kehormatan dan maruah kita sekarang tetapi juga untuk kebaikan generasi kita yang akan datang dan juga generasi anak-anak kita agar mereka dianggap mulia, " kata Lakai. Menurutnya, jika dilihat pada pilihan raya yang lepas, kedua-dua parti iaitu kerajaan dan pembangkang berusaha bersungguh-sungguh untuk memenangi hati dan minda rakyat Sabah untuk mendapatkan hak mentadbir negeri. Beliau menyarankan parti-parti politik harus menghentikan amalan membeli hati dan minda rakyat dengan pemberian dan projek-projek kecil pada masa tersebut sahaja. Tetapi pada masa yang sama janji-janji lain tidak dipenuhi dan hanya meninggalkan kesan buruk dan kecewa di kalangan masyarakat. "Ramai rakyat Sabah putus harapan dan kecewa kerana undi mereka tidak sah dan hak mereka telah di ambil oleh pengundi hantu/ import. "Perkara ini harus berakhir dan saya percaya masih ada dikalangan kita yang berintegriti dan boleh membawa harapan baru," ujarnya. SAPP, katanya mahu politik bersih dan oleh yang demikian pemimpinnya dengan suara yang lantang pohon agar pilihan raya di Malaysia haruslah bersih dan adil. Dengan cara ini, orang-orang yang kecewa, marah, dan berasa ketidakadilan boleh menerima perubahan tanpa persoalan kerana memenuhi kehendak rakyat dan para pemenang boleh memerintah segera bagi melaksanakan janji-janji dan manifesto semasa pilihan raya. Kuasa autonomi Beliau seterusnya menerangkan bahawa jika Malaya tidak boleh memenuhi permintaan Sabah secara adil dan munasabah maka rakyat mesti menuntut kuasa autonomi, bebas dalam Malaysia tetapi bukan meminta untuk berpisah. "Walaubagaimanapun, jika tuntutan-tuntutan ini terus dipandang remeh oleh pemimpin kita, maka tiada alternatif lain selain rakyat bersatu dan berusaha untuk mendapatkan kedaulatan sendiri mengikut syarat-syarat yang telah dipersetujui pada tahun 1963." "Pemimpin-pemimpin di Malaya harus membuat pilihan sekarang sebelum pilihan raya umum ke-13 (PRU13), kerana selepas PRU13 kuasa adalah pada rakyat dan bukan pada pemimpin lagi," Lakai menegaskan. Keputusan yang salah akhirnya akan merugikan Malaya tetapi tidak pada Sabah kerana Malaya pada masa ini semakin kekurangan sumber untuk menampung penduduk yang semakin meningkat. Paling kesian (ironi), pertambahan penduduk ini dirancang untuk kepentingan politik Malaya. Lakai juga menegaskan bahawa Malaya telah mengambil hak kelahiran rakyat negeri Sabah. "Tiada sebab lagi mengapa Sabah perlu merujuk hak sendiri kepada Putrajaya. Berapa banyak lagi Malaya memerlukan darah daripada kita. Mereka telah mengambil petroleum dan gas daripada kita. Mereka juga telah mengambil tanah kita iaitu hak kita sejak lahir." Menurutnya mereka telah mengenakan dan mengakibatkan kos sara hidup kita tinggi. Mereka mencekik kita dengan perdagangan dan industri dengan dasar yang telah disabotaj. Beliau berkata yang terbaru rakyat Sabah telah dijajah dengan tajuk berita di akhbar-akhbar tempatan dan negara dengan sejarah yang telah diubah dan diputarbelitkan. Selama ini, sejarah telah ditulis hanya untuk memuliakan mereka sendiri dan untuk mengukuhkan ketuanan mereka ke atas rakyat di Sabah dan Sarawak. Mereka telah mencemarkan minda anak-anak kita. "Perkara ini harus dihentikan. Kita mahu sejarah ditulis berdasarkan kepada fakta dan bukti-bukti kukuh dan bukannya mengikut kehendak Putrajaya, " Lakai menambah kata. Agihan kekayaan yang adil Pemimpin SAPP ini berkata partinya mahu perjuangkan untuk rakyat ekonomi yang seimbang, pengagihan kekayaan yang adil dan saksama. Jika tidak mengubah dasar-dasar sedia ada yang berat sebelah, maka rakyat mahu dan akan menentukan nasib sendiri. Malaya boleh menyimpan sejarah mereka, mereka boleh terus memutarbelitkan ekonomi demi membayar hutang-hutang mereka selain mengekalkan populasi masyarakat mereka demi kepentingan politik mereka. Tapi yang pasti SAPP mahu Sabah kembali. "Kami rakyat Sabah berpendidikan dan terpelajar. Kami lebih sesuai dan lebih layak menjaga hal-ehwal negeri sendiri. Ini tidak boleh dipertikaikan. Kuala Lumpur telah mengatakan bahawa rakyat Sabah tidak boleh mentadbir negeri dengan berkesan." Menurut Lakai, kenyataan seperti ini benar-benar sebagai satu penghinaan besar pada rakyat Sabah. Paling teruk adalah persetujuan tersirat oleh kerajaan negeri dan kita tidak dapat berbuat apa-apa selain perlu merujuk ke Putrajaya. Beliau menjelaskan SAPP juga tidak akan berkompromi terhadap pendidikan. Daripada semua kepentingan, ia adalah satu kawalan dan bukannya pada kebolehan. Menteri yang bertanggungjawab terhadap pendidikan di Sabah secara terang-terangan mengaku bahawa beliau tiada kuasa. Pengarah pendidikan pula seperti tunggul. Segala- galanya mesti dirujuk kepada Putrajaya. READ MORE HERE |
| Barisan leaders: Opposition lacks confidence Posted: 12 Sep 2012 02:25 PM PDT 
(The Star) - Barisan Nasional leaders criticised Pakatan Rakyat's intention to hold separate polls for Selangor, saying it was a sign that the Opposition parties lacked confidence in defending the state. Selangor Barisan coordinator Datuk Seri Mohd Zin Mohamed said Pakatan was "doing what it can to remain in power". He said holding separate elections would incur high costs and was not in the best interest of the people, especially when the five-year term of the state assembly was nearing its end. Mohd Zin said Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim should stop inconveniencing the people of Selangor. "But, if Anwar wants to call for separate state elections, we are ready. If his objective is to derail our preparations, then he better think twice," he said. Pakatan's intention to hold the state polls separately showed that it had no confidence in holding on to the state government, he said. "The general election can be held any time now, and we are confident of wresting Selangor back. The people have seen no improvement in Selangor, whether in welfare or economically, during the four years of Pakatan rule," he added. Barisan Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin said Pakatan's refusal to hold state and parliamentary elections simultaneously would create political uncertainty in the country. "This is ridiculous; don't waste the rakyat's money," he said. "The difference between any separate state and parliamentary elections will just be several months from this point onwards, so they should just agree to have the elections concurrently," said the Rembau MP. Asked if Pakatan's decision was to draw sympathy votes in the event that they did badly in the Parliamentary elections, Khairy said it pointed to Opposition's lack of confidence in facing the electorate. Stating that millions of ringgit would be wasted by holding separate polls, Selangor MCA Public Complaints Bureau chief Datuk Theng Book said: "The move is Anwar's strategy to win sympa- thy votes. "If they can't take over the Federal Government, then they can ask people to give them a chance to rule the state instead." On Anwar's claim that the electoral roll was still tainted, Theng said: "This is just an excuse. It is as though everybody is dirty except him." Sabah Barisan secretary and Kota Belud MP Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan said Pakatan had four years to tell the people of Selangor their policies. "It shows that they are not confident of retaining Selangor," he said. "They have spent their term ridiculing Barisan." MIC secretary-general Datuk S. Murugesan said Pakatan's stand clearly showed that the Opposition had little confidence in their ability to hold on to power. |
| Australian court told of 'secret deals' in Bank Negara's polymer notes printing Posted: 12 Sep 2012 02:02 PM PDT 
(The Sun) - A Malaysian middleman who secured the contract for the printing of polymer notes for Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) received payments of more than A$1.35 million (about RM4.36 million) in two tranches in a single day. These were part of the more than A$3 million (RM9.68 million) paid over four years by two companies owned by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) that had supplied the notes. As the committal hearing of eight former employees of RBA-related companies progressed in a Melbourne court on charges of bribery and corruption, more startling revelations emerged on the secret deals made between them and Malaysian middlemen and agents.
(RBA owns both Note Printing Australia Ltd (NPA), which specialises in printing polymer bank notes, and Securency International Pty Ltd, a specialist in supplying substrates for the printing process.)
In a deposition, the former financial controller of NPA, Raimond Kukk, noted that there was even a suggestion of depositing money into the account of a child of the middleman, Abdul Kayoum Syed Ahmad (pic), a director of Aksavest Sdn Bhd which acted as a conduit between RBA and BNM.
The deposition also says: - The quotation to BNM for the cost of printing the RM5 notes was revised upwards to include Abdul Kayoum's commission;
- The cost of the finished notes varied in the quotations between A$77.49 (RM249.98) and A$80.55 (RM259.86) per thousand banknotes in the initial stages but was increased to between A$102.25 (RM329.86) and A$109.95 (RM354.70) to incorporate the commissions payable to Abdul Kayoum. However, the contract was sealed as A$95 (RM306.47) per thousand notes;
- Abdul Kayoum had requested that part of the money be deposited in his child's account in Queensland but was refused by NPA;
- Abdul Kayoum was "sacked" as an agent after allegations of corrupt deals emerged in the media in 2007 but continued to receive payments for his services;
- Kayoum's commission for getting the BNM contract doubled from 10% (of the contract) in 1999 to 20% in 2003.
Kukk, who worked in NPA from 1969 until retirement in 2007, said that in late 2003 or early 2004, he was approached to have a partial payment of the commission made to Kayoum via an account in Queensland.
"A colleague told me Kayoum's child was undertaking university studies in Queensland and the payment would go towards off-setting some of the expenses," he said.
"He explained to me this would assist Kayoum and his family and keep things simpler in terms of exchange rate movements.
"I advised that NPA should continue to only make payments into the Aksavest account that NPA was using."
Last July, Abdul Kayoum was charged with two counts with giving bribes amounting to RM100,000 to former BNM assistant governor Datuk Mohamad Daud Dol Moin. He claimed trial.
Mohamad Daud was also charged with two counts of corruptly receiving bribes totaling RM100,000 from Abdul Kayoum as an inducement to procure for Securency, a contract from BNM, for the printing and supply of RM5 polymer banknotes.
In providing details of payments made to the Malaysian, Kukk provided amounts and dates of money transfers from bank accounts in Australia to accounts in Malaysia and Singapore.
"NPA got its first contract from BNM in late December 2003 to print 160 million RM5 notes, Abdul Kayoum received a commission of 17% for this contract.
"The contract was worth approximately A$15 million (RM48.39 million) to NPA and Abdul Kayoum received a total commissions in excess of A$2 million (RM6.45 million) for 'services rendered'," Kukk said.
His deposition also contains his fears of having to pay Abdul Kayoum through a Singapore bank account, as previously all monies were remitted to Malaysia.
"On June 2, 2005, I facilitated a payment of A$350,755 (RM1.13 million) into Abdul Kayoum's bank account in Malaysia and second payment on the same day totalling A$1 million (RM3.23 million) into an account in the name of 'Abdul Kayoum Syed Ahmad' in a HSBC account in Singapore.
"I recall I made enquiries by phone and fax with HSBC to ensure the validity of the account and that the beneficiary was Abdul Kayoum.
"Prior to making the payment, I had discussions with a colleague as we thought the request regarding payment into Singapore was unusual. However upon establishing the validity of the account, two senior officers authorised the payments to proceed."
Securency chief executive Myles Curtis, former Securency company secretary Mitchell Anderson, NPA chief financial officer Peter Hutchinson, NPA chief executive John Leckenby, NPA sales executive Barry Brady, Securency sales boss Clifford Gerathy and Securency sales executive Ron Marchant are also charged with conspiring to bribe foreign officials.
The hearings are ongoing. |
| Bendera PKR kena bakar Posted: 12 Sep 2012 01:56 PM PDT 
(Sinar Harian) - LABU: PKR Labu tidak menyangka tiga bendera parti yang digantung sejak sebulan lalu turut menjadi mangsa dibakar individu tidak bertanggungjawab walaupun ia berada di kawasan Masjid Kariah Pasir Putih. Koordinator Keadilan Labu, Mokhtar Ahmad berkata, kejadian dipercayai berlaku kira-kira jam 3.30 pagi semalam.
"Kira-kira jam 1 pagi tadi (semalam) saya melalui kawasan berkenaan dan mendapati bendera itu masih elok.
"Pada jam 1.30 pagi hingga 3.30 pagi, hujan turun agak lebat dan saya menjangkakan bendera itu dibakar sejurus hujan reda iaitu kira-kira jam 3.30 pagi.
"Kita tidak menuding jari mana-mana pihak dan mahu perkara ini disiasat mengikut undang-undang," katanya kepada Sinar Harian ketika ditemui di Bilik Gerakan PKR Labu, dekat Kampung Batu 8, di sini, semalam.
Hadir sama, Penaung Majlis Permuafakatan Keadilan Labu, Ismail Ahmad.
Sementara itu menurutnya, kejadian itu disedari kira-kira jam 9.30 pagi setelah dimaklumkan rakannya.
Menurutnya, kejadian itu pertama berlaku. Sebelum ini, bendera milik PKR dan komponen Pakatan Rakyat (PR) yang lain tidak dimusnahkan sebaliknya diturunkan.
"Kita terpaksa buat laporan polis di Balai Polis Labu kira-kira jam 10 pagi kerana tidak mahu perkara ini berulang dan ini merupakan satu provokasi yang boleh mencetuskan perasaan tidak puas hati dalam kalangan penyokong PKR," katanya.
Sementara itu Ismail berkata, bendera parti telah dipasang di semua kawasan di Dun Labu terutamanya di Simpang Tiroi hingga Pekan Labu.
"Sebelum ini kita mendapat maklum balas bahawa ada sesetengah pihak yang tidak senang melihat bendera PKR dipasang begitu banyak.
"Kita tidak pernah mengganggu bendera parti lain meskipun dipasang di kawasan yang sama," katanya.
Menurutnya, pihaknya akur sekiranya bendera PKR dilarang dipasang di tiang-tiang milik agensi kerajaan kerana memahami peraturan.
Bagaimanapun katanya, penguatkuasaan itu juga perlu dilakukan ke atas semua parti politik lain dan kebanyakan bendera partinya dipasang di kawasan persendirian. |
| Koon Swan saga: Will the truth emerge? Posted: 12 Sep 2012 01:46 PM PDT 
Was the former MCA president's political career cut short due to a hideous plan? Was Koon Swan trapped in truth and emotional pain for the past 10 years despite instinctively knowing that one day, the truth would emerge just like the Chinese proverb, "shui luo shi chu" (when water recedes, the rock (truth) comes to light)? Stanley Koh, FMT The concept of history is often than not, taken for granted. Events which happened in the past seem to be separated by time and space like compartments, disconnected with the present. Yet, the truth in history, seemingly buried in the capsule of time, can be stranger than fiction. Take the illustrative example of former MCA president and reborn Christian Tan Koon Swan and his conviction over his involvement in the Pan El saga. The truth is history can burn indeed through the pages in time. For more than 10 years, Koon Swan could have prayed hard since his jail imprisonments in Singapore and Malaysia, seeking a truthful answer over his traumatic and painful experiences on the CBT charges in both Pan El and his role in the Malaysian Multi-Purposes Holding Berhad respectively. His prayers were answered in 2010. Reportedly, the former chief prosecutor of Singapore, Glenn Knight at a seminar apologised for having wrongly prosecuted Koon Swan in the Pan El crisis in the mid-80s. Koon Swan apparently had kept his silence on the matter until today. Knight had apparently devoted a chapter of his publication, "Glenn Knight-The Prosecutor" narrating the Pan El debacle and Koon Swan's involvement. According to press reports, Knight wrote, "…as Koon Swan was the head of MCA. I put a paper on his involvement in the Pan El saga but left it to my superiors to decide his fate as he was out of Singapore and in Malaysia." Singapore decided to prosecute Koon Swan in late 1985 and he was found guilty which led to his two-year imprisonment there. Upon his release, Koon Swan was re-arrested in late 1987 to face another set of charges by the Malaysian government over his involvement in the management of the Multi-Purpose Holdings Bhd, the main investment arm of his party, MCA. Was Koon Swan trapped in truth and emotional pain for the past 10 years despite instinctively knowing that one day, the truth would emerge just like the Chinese proverb, "shui luo shi chu" (when water recedes, the rock (truth) comes to light)? The light at end of the tunnel shone in 1996 in a similar CBT case where Singapore Chief Justice Yong Pung How concluded that Knight had charged Koon Swan under a wrong section for the offence and therefore, was wrong in law. Knight wrote, "Chief Justice Yong was of the opinion that the section I charged Koon Swan with was wrong in law for we could not charge a person for stealing from a company because he was a director. It was not a breach of the law in that sense." According to Knight, many people had asked if Yong's judgment could be used to set aside the conviction of Koon Swan but unfortunately jurisprudence in Singapore did not allow this though technically Koon Swan could still have been granted a pardon. A conspiracy? Much water has flowed under the bridge. Perhaps, Koon Swan has learnt to live in peace having reconciled with his traumatic and troubled past. Yet many of Koon Swan's political supporters even today still harbour the belief and perception that their leader was "politically" persecuted over the commercial CBT charges. But there is no evidence to prove it was politically motivated. The truth was known only to those who had masterminded it and Koon Swan himself. If there was conspiracy, Koon Swan had still kept his silence for more than two decades, 26 years to be exact. As for the public, many especially the Chinese community still remember Koon Swan's predicament over the Pan El affair, shortly after his party election victory over the then acting MCA president Neo Yee Pan. Conspiracy theorists including Koon Swan's staunch supporters speculated that Koon Swan could have been a victim of political persecution by certain high-powered Umno leaders at that time. Could it be that Koon Swan was sternly reminded by certain Umno quarters not to contest against Yee Pan? The latter took over as acting president when Lee San Choon abruptly resigned in April and formally left the party in May 1983. "San Choon's departure precipitated a savagely acrimonious power struggle within the party. His choice of his protégé and close ally, Yee Pan, as acting president met with the disapproval of an influential group of top-ranking leders led by Koon Swan, the architect of MCA-initiated economic reforms within the Chinese business community," wrote Dr Heng Pek Koon in her book, "Chinese Politics in Malaysia-A History of MCA". Yee Pan using his presidential powers in expelling Koon Swan's 14 key supporters in various leadership levels and the membership phantom issue triggered a 20-month party crisis. The crisis ended following an extraordinary AGM and elections on Nov 11, 1985 which saw Koon Swan ushered in as the new president. Sudaram Jomo wrote, "By late 1985, (soon after Koon Swan's victory), however he was involved in the Pan El scandal, which triggered stock market collapse in both Singapore and Malaysia, leading to his arrest in Singapore." Following immediately on the heels of the arrest was another blow when two of his closest associates were implicated in a scandal involving 24 deposit-taking cooperatives (DTCs) and were charged in early 1987 with CBT in connection with the demise of a large MCA-sponsored saving cooperative, Komuda. READ MORE HERE |
| Money laundering through casinos Posted: 12 Sep 2012 01:43 PM PDT 
A special task force has uncovered a new method of money laundering, and is working with casino operators to nail the culprits. S Rutra, FMT A special task force on money-laundering and tax-dodgers has discoverd the latest modus-operandi of certain "professional money-launderers". These money-launderers abused the account facilities provided by casinos to carry out their "fishy" transactions. A probe on the transactions revealed that certain account holders had frequented the casinos at Genting Highlands and withdrew cash as much as RM1 million from their accounts before converting the money into gambling chips. "After playing for some time, these accounts holders would return to the counters to change their chips by requesting cheques to be issued on the balance," a source told FMT. He said once the cheque was issued, they would deposit it into their normal accounts. "These transactions were carried out as a safeguard from any queries from enforcement agencies including the Inland Revenue Department (IRD)," he revealed. "They use all kinds of methods in 'parking' their ill-gotten money to the extent of losing some money in the process," he added. The task force comprised officers from the Attorney-General's Chambers, Bank Negara, IRD, police, Customs Department, Securities Commission (SC) and several other enforcement agencies. The task force officers, when contacted, declined to reveal any information on their operation. It is learnt that the task force was working closely with the casino operator in tracking down account holders who abused the facilities provided to them. In a related development, several officers of the complience unit of local banks confirmed to FMT that the limit of raising the red-flag to Bank Negara on suspected transactions was as low as RM50,000. They said that under the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001, all reporting institutions like banks, insurance companies, remmitance service providers are required to comply with the requirement. "Even lawyers and accountants are required to report to the central bank on any suspected illegal transactions," added the officers. |
| NFCorp: Rafizi is lying again Posted: 12 Sep 2012 01:39 PM PDT 
Company rebuffs PKR strategy director's allegations that it could be guilty of money laundering. Teoh El Sen, FMT "Rafizi Ramli is a liar," said the National Feedlot Corporation Sdn Bhd (NFCorp) today in response to allegations that it may have flouted anti-money laundering regulations. Ghazalie Abdullah, chief communications consultant for NFCorp, said the PKR strategy director's latest allegations are "again", "distortions and misrepresentations". "Rafizi has never disclosed the full and accurate picture of NFCorp, and at best offers lies, insinuations, fabrications, distortions and misrepresentations," he said. Rafizi accused NFCorp of transfering money illegally using a "middle man company totally unrelated" to NFC to buy 1,275 heads of cattle from Australian company, South East Asian Livestock Services Pty Ltd (SEALS). The "middle man company", Singapore-based Global Biofuture Pte Ltd, is owned and controlled by the family of former minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil. However, Ghazalie said that the company, controlled by NFCorp directors, to purchase cattle was actually established by NFCorp. "In meeting objectives of its core business and to ensure efficiencies, NFCorp established a group of companies specialised in their respective fields. "In acquiring the cattle from Australia, NFCorp had set up Global Biofuture Pte Ltd to undertake import logistics, purchase of livestock cattle, and delivery to NFCorp," he said. 'Bank Negara must investigate' Ghazalie stressed that the funds used to purchase of livestock cattle were from a government loan borrowed from the Ministry of Finance. "The funds, in which a loan agreement was signed on Dec 6, 2007, from the government are clean, and not illegal or illicit in nature," he said. "Rafizi has always been on an unwarranted attack on NFCorp, a company only in its second year of operations in a 30-year contract with the government. "He lied on the Auditor General's 2010 Report, the KL Eco City bank loans, the 5,000 acres of land in Gemas, the number of cattle in NFC Gemas and many others. "Rafizi continues to offer distortions and misrepresentations through insinuations, fabrications and lies. He is not to be believed," said Ghazalie. NFCorp was established with the objective of meeting the Malaysian government's National Meat Policy (Ruminant Sector) 2006. It's core business was to build a centre for production of beef and beef products for the country. It had been leasing 1,500 acres in the National Feedlot Centre for cattle rearing, livestock supplies, feed production and management, fertiliser production and other related activities. Other activities include sales and marketing of its beef products aimed at making the country self-sufficient in beef production as well as encouraging a demand for Malaysian halal beef. READ MORE HERE |
| Defecting reps ‘violating’ voters’ right Posted: 12 Sep 2012 01:34 PM PDT 
A local NGO, Democracy Sabah, claims the current law allowing party hopping was inadvertently 'condoning the betrayal of the voters' choice'. Free Malaysia Today KOTA KINABALU: Efforts to get Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's administration to amend the Federal Constitution to prevent elected representative from hopping from party to party have received more support from independent groups. Desah or Democracy Sabah, a NGO established to promote and maintain democratic standards, among others, is deeply concerned about the party hopping practice – commonly known as the political "frog culture" – that is rampant in the country. Simon Sipaun, a former Sabah state secretary who heads Desah, said his organisation supports any law that would bar the practice and hold state and parliamentary representatives accountable to their electorate in between elections. He said that the current law that allows party hopping was inadvertently "condoning the betrayal of the voters' choice". "The law now says that they [elected representatives] are free to associate with whoever they want and so they can jump from party to party. "The politicians say it is their right… but what about the rights of the people who voted for them? Do they not also have rights?" "Voters voted for them because they represented a party. They supported the party so when they [the representatives] jumped they are not representing these voters anymore. "The law now guarantees their elected representatives freedom of association but does not take into account the freedom of association of the electorate. "It [the law] should also take into account the people's rights to associate themselves with any party and not just the rights of one individual. "It is a violation of the freedom of the voters which is much more serious than the freedom of association of the representatives in terms of numbers," he said.
Anti-hop law neccessary Sipaun was referring to the widely held view that enticements were being offered for representatives to abandon their parties. He said it was conceivable that a representative could now switch parties without compunction and such incidents were always clouded by allegations of corruption. "Something must be happening when a politician suddenly decides to jump… there must be some incentives. Don't tell me they are doing it for nothing," he added. Barisan Nasional government leaders have so far rejected the proposal to bar elected representatives for jumping from party to party as they pleased. They claim doing so is a violation of Article 10 of the Federal Constitution that guarantees freedom of association. However, Sipaun and several other politicians including those from the BN have said that introducing such a law would promote democracy rather than stifle it. He, like others, have suggested that to make the system fair to all, another election should be held and the elected representative should be able to re-contest the seat as a candidate for a new party and allow the people to choose. "Past experience indicates that it [party hopping] could cause a lot of political instability. To maintain political stability, an anti-hop law is necessary," he said. READ MORE HERE |
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