Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- ‘Jeffrey desperate because STAR falling apart’
- Wife: Koay forgot to pray to the ‘tokong’
- Star apologises to lawyer Rosli Dahlan
- ‘Don’t politicise illegals issue’
- Swiss MPs: Freeze Taib assets from ‘criminal origins’
- Immunity for Deepak: PKR promises justice
- Law student becomes overnight sensation (VIDEO INSIDE)
- As varsity video goes viral, Umno leaders move to head off storm
- Rep turns ‘independent’
- Action against Bank Islam chief economist on the cards?
- Video of forum speaker insulting student goes viral
- Nik Aziz makes u-turn over word "Allah"
- DAP slams PAS over Kedah CNY guidelines
- Anwar, Chandra told to settle out of court
- KDEB explains Selangor gov't stake in Syabas
- Where were the Indians during Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat?
- Himpunan rally: Taib’s men ‘shocked’ and divided
- Constitution gives no licence to expand syariah jurisdiction, says ex-CJ
- Shadow Budget doesn’t add up
- PAS-led government takes the bang out of CNY stage performances
- PAS Syura Council: Prevent translation of ‘Allah’ by non-Muslims
- People’s rally in Sabah a ‘fiasco’
- PBS founder-president Pairin to retire?
- In which direction is Proton driving?
- Guidelines for CNY celebration in Kedah threaten rights of non-Muslims - Chua
- Malay Chamber to hand over 20 resolutions to PM
- BN optimistic but no polls till March
- KL rally makes GE13 a keener battle, say analysts
- Malaysia opposition holds mass election rally (WITH PHOTOGRAPHS)
- ‘Bersih was Anwar’s baby, Ambiga his shield’
- Pakatan makes 10-point demand
- Jackie Chan calls US 'most corrupt' country in the world
- BN needs to milk Najib’s popularity harder, say analysts
- Pakatan expects large crowd in rally against BN rule
- Explain reports of new timber deal, Musa
- Kapar MP gets show-cause letter
- Fear of agent provocateurs
- Rally forces road closures
- Deepak offers to be Pakatan’s state witness
| ‘Jeffrey desperate because STAR falling apart’ Posted: 14 Jan 2013 04:36 PM PST Angkatan Perubahan Sabah chief Wilfred Bumburing has reminded STAR's Jeffrey Kitingan of his own "cari makan politics" past. Joseph Bingkasan, FMT KOTA KINABALU: Tuaran MP Wilfred Bumburing believes that State Reform Party (STAR) chief Jeffrey Kitingan's incessant attacks on him is because of Angkatan Perubahan Sabah's (APS) increasing presence in KadazanDusunMurut areas. Bumburing said it was now obvious that Jeffrey, who's been claiming absolute strength in KDM areas, was "desperate" because "STAR is falling apart since the formation of APS". He said the dissolution of the STAR Papar division last month with the exit of well-known activist Patrick Sindu and more than 1,000 members was an indication of the beginning. All of them joined PKR. "My political history is well recorded and I need not have to elaborate. "In contrast, the people in general especially Sabahans are well versed with the political record of Jeffrey Kitingan," Bumburing said. He also hit out at Jeffrey for accusing him of practicing "cari makan politics". "If l were to practise politics of "cari makan" then the best platform would be to remain in BN. "Wouldn't you find it very ironic for someone who left the comfort of a ruling party like BN to join the opposition camp and thereafter be labelled as practising 'politics cari makan,"? he asked alluding to Jeffrey's comments last weekend. Bumburing reminded Jeffrey that he too had practiced the 'cari makan' politics and the latter's own history of moving from party to party reflected this and his one deep desire to become the Chief Minister of Sabah. "But with Jeffrey just 'cari makan' is not enough for him. He must 'makan besar'. "Jeffrey Kitingan mentioned about certain people who are prepared to sell their soul to secure position. "Let me remind Jeffrey, lest he has forgotten about his own record. "Did he not (once) join the federal government as a deputy minister? Can he also explain to the people about his application twice to become an Umno member? asked Bumburing.
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| Wife: Koay forgot to pray to the ‘tokong’ Posted: 14 Jan 2013 03:44 PM PST
(The Star) - A Facebook posting by the wife of Pulau Tikus DAP assemblyman Koay Teng Hai has become a talking point as she implied that Koay was in his current situation as he did not pray to the "tokong" (deity). Nanyang Siang Pau and China Press reported that Lee Su Li posted on Koay's Facebook: "Teng Hai, Teng Hai! You pray in almost all the temples in Penang but you forget to pray to The One' ...." (this is a direct translation from the posting in Mandarin). Lee's posting was in reply to Koay's message to his supporters where he apologised for being suspended from the party for six months. Even though Lee did not directly state who she was referring to, some people had linked the posting to the incident where Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Mansor Othman had allegedly said that Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng was regarded as a "tokong" by the people in Penang. The remarks came public in a leaked recording, which was later reproduced in an online news report and a news broadcast. Lee's reply had received "Like" from some Netizens. Koay was suspended from the party for missing a crucial Penang state assembly meeting. His action almost resulted in Pakatan Rakyat missing the necessary two-thirds majority vote to amend the state constitution. When asked by the Nanyang reporter whether he would contest as an independent candidate, Koay said he would only comment at the appropriate time. Koay said he had received a lot of messages from his supporters and thanked them for their support.
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| Star apologises to lawyer Rosli Dahlan Posted: 14 Jan 2013 03:33 PM PST In October 2007 we had published two news articles about the arrest and prosecution of lawyer Rosli Dahlan with the titles "ACA arrests Singapore lawyer" and "Lawyer charged with hiding information on his assets" respectively. We acknowledge that the words used in the articles refer to lawyer Rosli and they were untrue and should be clarified as follows: > That he is not a Singapore lawyer and is in fact a Malaysian lawyer; > That he does not hold a PR Status and in truth is a Malaysian citizen; > That he is not and has never been a nominee for the senior police officer under investigation nor for that matter any other police officer; > That he had not failed to file a declaration required by the Anti-Corruption Agency and in truth and in fact had filed a statutory declaration dated 20.09.2007, within the period stipulated by the notice served on him, under section 32(l) (c) of the Anti-Corruption Act 1997 declaring that he does not hold any assets for any police officer; > That he was never issued with any order to declare his spouse's assets nor was his spouse asked to make any declaration of her assets; and > That he is not connected to, nor did he hide any assets, nor was he charged for hiding any assets of the senior police officer who was then under investigation by the ACA. Our said news articles have conveyed the meaning that Rosli was a foreign lawyer who had acted in manner contrary to the proper behaviour and ethics of an advocate and solicitor. We wish to clarify that we did not intend to cast any such negative imputation against the character or reputation of Rosli and any such imputation is greatly regretted. If such imputation was conveyed in the article, we hereby unreservedly and unconditionally apologise to Rosli for any distress or embarrassment that he may have suffered as a result of the publication.
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| ‘Don’t politicise illegals issue’ Posted: 14 Jan 2013 02:52 PM PST The first hearing of the Sabah RCI was told that the Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) had in 1985 ordered the ceasing of the registration of Filipino immigrants. Free Malaysia Today KOTA KINABALU: The first sitting of the much anticipated Sabah Royal Commission of Inquiry into illegal immigrants in the state which began yesterday heard a suggestion for the matter not to be politicised. Historian Ramlah Adam said the illegal immigrants issue in Sabah should be viewed as a national issue and not as a political one. She said viewing this issue in any other way would only mean that the commission was not sincere in resolving the problem. "Any party that looks at it as a political issue is not sincere in wanting to resolve it," said Ramlah, a former lecturer at Universiti Malaya who had written numerous books and conducted research on history. She was responding to a question by conducting officer Manoj Kurup. Earlier she said the Filipinos came to Sabah because of various factors, among them, genealogical and religious similarities, for employment and also because they shared the same ocean. "I believe this unwritten and unexpressed relationship existed in the name of religion, brotherhood and ancestry," she said. Ramlah was testifying at the hearing to investigate the decades-long allegations that the government had helped thousands of illegal immigrants gain citizenship in return for votes to the ruling coalition. (Umno entered Sabah in 1991 and has since been accused of legalising the tens and thousands of illegal immigrants to ensure it stays in power in Sabah.) Also at yesterday's hearing, Prof Emeritus Dr Ranjit Singh said that the state had seen a sudden "jump" in population in the 1991 consenses. Exponential increase in 1991 But in 1991 the population consensus indicated that there were 1.7 million people in Sabah, of which about 423,000 were non-citizens. He said this was not because of "a natural population increase but due to non-citizens." He said the census did not mention "who" these non-citizens were. Ranjit also disagreed with RCI panel member Herman Luping that the non-citizens recorded in the 1991 census were "transient people" "With due respect, to my understanding transient people are those coming in and out using boats and ships. As far as I am concerned when a government takes a census, it is the people who are residing at the place. "I think they were residing in Sabah but without citizenship," added Ranjit, who has written four books and 50 articles said the history of Sabah. His book "The Making of Sabah" (1865-1991) third edition, which offered a detailed rundown of the demographic development of Sabah's population, was tendered as an exhibit. According to the book, the first official consensus in Sabah was taken in 1891 and that time the total population in Sabah was 67,000. The Dusun tribe formed the majority with 34,000 people. The rest comprised Bajaus (11,000), Chinese (7,000), Suluks (3,700) and Brunei (3,700). Other indigenous communities were lumped together at 6,000 while the numbers of the Orang Sungai tribe was unknown.
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| Swiss MPs: Freeze Taib assets from ‘criminal origins’ Posted: 14 Jan 2013 02:45 PM PST Taib Mahmud's estranged daughter-in-law Shanaz Majid's sworn testimony is evidence for a 'criminal complaint' filed by MPs in the Swiss Parliament. Free Malaysia Today Twenty-two MPs have tabled a motion in the Swiss Parliament seeking to freeze Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud's assets in Switzerland following the shocking disclosure by his estranged daughter-in-law Shanaz Majid in a Malaysian court during her divorce proceedings. The MPs also asked that these "assets" be held in trust and eventually passed on to the Sarawak people. The motion was filed yesterday. In the motion, the MPs described Taib as "having abused his public office in a spectacular way" and referred to Shanaz's sworn testimony Shanaz was once married to Taib's eldest son Mahmud Abu Bekir. In her testimony Shanaz listed out Mahmud's wealth which included personal accounts in Canada, US, Carribean, France, Monaco, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Malaysia and Hong Kong. Shanaz also said Mahmud was worth "in excess of RM1 billion" and held two personal accounts with US$25 million in Edmond de Rothschild in Luxembourg and another US$31 million in the bank's two other accounts in Switzerland. She further added that Mahmud had: "Two HSBC accounts in Jersey which have deposits of US$34 million, while an HSBC account in Hong Kong holds deposits of US$9.6 million in Mahmud's name. All these accounts have a combined value of US$100 million." "He has five bank accounts at the Pictet and Cie bank in Bahamas, the Caribbean, with deposits of US$18 million, and another account at the Safra bank in Bahamas with deposits of US$2 million. "Eight personal accounts are under my husband's name at the Safra Bank in Monaco with deposits amounting to US$38.3 million. "Besides this, he also has seven bank accounts under the Union Bank Switzerland with deposits of US$27 million, and another account under HSBC Bank in Jersey which he may have withdrawn." In her testimony, Shanaz had also confirmed that Taib was the richest man in Malaysia and possibly South East Asia. 'Criminal organisation' Yesterday's motion was accompanied by a letter to the Attorney General of the Swiss Confederation Michael Lauber. In the letter, Geneva MP Carlos Sommaruga described Taib, his family and "entourage" as having formed or being part of a "criminal organisation" as defined by article 260 of the Swiss Penal Code. He also demanded that the government confisticate all assets "at the power of this criminal organisation" that had been deposited in Switzerland as defined by article 72 of the Swiss Criminal Code. Meanwhile, Swiss daily Sonntagszeitung reported that Taib had been the "largest beneficiary" of the oil palm plantations in Sarawak. "In power since 1981, the granting of logging concessions and the establishment of industrial monopolies have made him the richest man in Malaysia. "According to the Bruno Manser Fund, the Taib clan has amassed US$20 billion. Part of these funds are likely to be held in Switzerland," noted the report.
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| Immunity for Deepak: PKR promises justice Posted: 14 Jan 2013 02:42 PM PST Pakatan cannot guarantee protection for Deepak Jaikishan, but it can promise that he will be dealt with justly. Anisah Shukry, FMT PKR has assured businessman Deepak Jaikishan that should Pakatan Rakyat come into power, a mechanism will be set up to guarantee justice for him and others who risk persecution to expose the truth. "We will provide enough procedure and protection for all citizens who are entitled for it and that applies to everybody, whether it is Deepak or (former inspector-general of police) Musa Hassan or (prime minister) Najib (Tun Razak)," PKR vice-president Tian Chua told FMT. "So it is not necessary for Deepak to try and strike a bargain with Pakatan because we will ensure justice prevails regardless," he added. The Batu MP said this when asked to comment on Deepak's request that Pakatan guarantee him protection as a state witness should the opposition pact win the next general election. In return, Deepak said he would expose the alleged wrongdoings of Najib and wife Rosmah Mansor during the mammoth People's Uprising Rally, which was held on Saturday. However, Pakatan remained mum on the issue throughout the assembly, and Deepak merely showed up at the rally as a participant. Tian Chua clarified that it was not up to Pakatan leaders to guarantee Deepak either immunity or protection under the Whistleblowers Act. Instead, he stressed, it was up to the "independent mechanism" that the opposition pact put into place to decide whether Deepak was entitled to it. "I believe that if Deepak's cause is genuine and if he needs protection in order to expose his wrongdoings, then he would surely be entitled to protection. "But that would be for the mechanism to decide, not us politician," he added. No blanket agreement now Asked what kind of mechanism Pakatan would put into place, Tian Chua said it would be similar to that of a truth and reconciliation commission or an anti-corruption agency.
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| Law student becomes overnight sensation (VIDEO INSIDE) Posted: 14 Jan 2013 02:29 PM PST There was an overwhelming support for student KS Bawani who spoke in favour of free education at a forum at Universiti Utara Malaysia. K Pragalath, FMT A second year law student became an overnight sensation when she stumped a NGO leader with her questions on free education. KS Bawani took on Suara Wanita 1Malaysia (SW1M) president, Sharifah Zohra Jabeen at a forum entitled 'Are University Students in Line with Politics' last month in UUM. The video of the forum was uploaded on Facebook and microblogging site, Twitter and it went viral. "I am happy with the support that I am receiving from the public. Overnight I received 2,000 friend requests on Facebook. "I also saw people supporting me by creating six to seven Facebook pages. This is aside from 600 to 700 Facebook tags. I have also received numerous calls," she said after the video showcasing Sharifah's rebuttal to her arguments made it rounds. In the video entitled 'Forum Suara Mahasiswa Part 4′, Sharifah was unable to counter Bawani's argument in favour of free education and went ballistic against Bawani. Sharifah insisted that Bawani listen to her explanation. She said 'listen' and 'let me speak' seven times. Bawani however noted that she had not faced any restriction from the university administration since the forum last month. She also credited Parti Sosialis Malaysia for raising her awareness on the issue of free education. Bawani is a PSM Youth activist and is also active with an NGO called Community Development Centre (CDC).
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| As varsity video goes viral, Umno leaders move to head off storm Posted: 14 Jan 2013 11:31 AM PST
(The Malaysian Insider) - A video of a pro-Barisan Nasional (BN) speaker publicly chewing out a university student at a forum that has gone viral is embarrassing the authorities and has forced both a deputy minister and the Umno Youth chief to engage in damage control to prevent its fallout from impacting the ruling coalition ahead of Election 2013. The speaker, identified as Sharifah Zohra Jabeen, president of little-known organisation Suara Wanita 1 Malaysia (SW1M) that is seen to be aligned to the ruling BN, was caught on video berating the student — who had stood up to voice her views on the Bersih electoral rally and free education — with remarks such as "when this is our programme, we allow you to speak" and "when I speak, you listen". Higher Education Deputy Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah took to Twitter last night and posted his personal mobile phone number with a message urging the student, identified only as Bawani K.S., to contact him after another Twitter user remarked that she had an account on the microblogging site. A few hours later, he tweeted: "Just spoken to Bawani on d phone. She is in high spirits." Bawani's feelings on the issue remain closed off. Her Twitter account, @Bawani_ks, was inaccessible as she had locked it to only her followers. However, the matter appeared far from over as other Twitter users plied the deputy minister with questions for his view on the lopsided exchange between the speaker and Bawani.
"Patutny benarkn Bawani habis brcakap,lps tu jawab dgn bijaksana [Should have let Bawani finish speaking, then reply wisely]," the media-savvy Saifuddin answered to the Twitter user, @Mr_Nurislam. His Umno party mate, Khairy Jamaluddin, also took to Twitter to distance the ruling coalition from Sharifah Zohra Jabeen after the video row sparked outrage from Netizens, some who have started several hashtag discussions on the microblogging site, including #SharifahZohra and #listen. "And on UUM issue. Please #listen to me: this Jabeen lady DOES NOT represent BN. Sekian," the Umno Youth chief tweeted several hours ago on his account, @Khairykj. He added, "Siapa2 pun boleh salah guna 1Msia. Takde siapa dlm BN yg kenal Sharipah Jabeen ni [Anyone can misuse 1Malaysia. Nobody in BN knows this Sharipah Jabeen]" in reply to a Twitter user who pointed out that the speaker had worn a button badge with the 1 Malaysia logo commonly identified with the BN coalition. Khairy's attempt at damage control, however, was greeeted with disdain by some Netizens, including one Don Iznan who remarked over Twitter: "By saying #SharifahZohra not representing BN, KJ actually means that sharifah is from Umno.See?Hahaha." Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/as-varsity-video-goes-viral-umno-leaders-move-to-head-off-storm/ |
| Posted: 14 Jan 2013 11:17 AM PST
(The Star) - Pulau Tikus assemblyman Koay Teng Hai, slapped with a six-month suspension by the DAP for missing a crucial state assembly meeting, said he will now serve his constituents as an "independent" representative. He is, however, adamant that he had not broken any party rules. "I did not break any party rules as I did not receive any official notification from the party on the date and state assembly agenda," he said. Despite his claim of innocence, Koay, who was chairman of the backbenchers club in the state assembly, said he would file an appeal soon and called on his supporters to "calm down and don't act out against the party". He said he will serve as an "independent" assemblyman unless his appeal against the suspension is accepted. Koay was absent from the state assembly when the House met on Nov 1 last year to pass the Penang Constitutional Enactment (Amendment) Bill 2012, aimed at preventing elected representatives from party-hopping. The DAP disciplinary committee issued a show-cause letter to Koay last month for allegedly skipping the sitting. He was given 14 days to appeal to the party's central executive committee. Koay had gone to the United States for a holiday despite having his leave rejected twice by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who is also DAP secretary-general. "I expect to receive the official suspension letter today and will respond accordingly," Koay said here yesterday. "I hope the CEC will take into account that I've been a loyal party member and DAP Socialist Youth leader for 13 years. "Furthermore, my leave was approved by the state legislative assembly Speaker and the Bill was successfully passed," he said. On the prospects of contesting in the general election, he said: "If the suspension stays, I will not be eligible to contest as a DAP candidate and I will not stand as an independent. He said all DAP logos would be removed from his service centre in line with the suspension ruling. "I am truly sorry to the party and my supporters," said Koay.
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| Action against Bank Islam chief economist on the cards? Posted: 13 Jan 2013 10:20 PM PST
(Harakah Daily) - A prediction about the outcome of the next general election has landed Bank Islam Malaysia's chief economist in trouble, with a possible disciplinary action on the cards. On January 11, Singapore's Straits Times reportedly quoted Bank Islam's Azrul Azwar Ahmad Tajuddin (pic) as telling a forum in the city-state that Barisan Nasional may win only between 97 and 107 seats in the coming polls, not enough to form the next government. Presenting his views at the Regional Outlook Forum, Azrul warned that Pakatan Rakyat's slim win could spell some "instability", and even said there was a possibility of "economic sabotage" by businesses aligned with BN. BIMB managing director Zukri Samat immediately wrote a disclaimer to the daily, saying it had nothing to do with Azrul's views. "The views expressed by Mr Azrul are entirely his personal view and should not be linked or attributed to Bank Islam whatsoever," he added. According to news portal The Malaysian Insider, the BIMB's management would meet over Azrul's statement. Deputy Finance minister Awang Adek Hussin meanwhile criticised Azrul for his views, saying he should not be talking about politics "in view of his influential position in a bank that is based on the Islamic concept in Malaysia". Awang also added that he would let BIMB decide on the "type of action" against Azrul. "True, Azrul Azwar expressed his personal view, but does that show his professionalism?" asked Awang as quoted by UMNO mouthpiece Utusan Malaysia. The right-wing paper has however claimed that Azrul had predicted a "narrow win" for BN.
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| Video of forum speaker insulting student goes viral Posted: 13 Jan 2013 10:11 PM PST
(Yahoo! News) - A video of a public university forum speaker insulting a student has gone viral on online forums and Facebook. (http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/letterssurat/53851-mahasiswa-standard-malaysia)
The 24-minute video showed the speaker - Sharifah Zohra Jabeen, president of little-known women's organisation called Suara Wanita 1Malaysia or SW1M - dismissing a student who stood up to highlight points on Bersih and free education with remarks including "when this is our programme, we allow you to speak' and 'when I speak, you listen".
(*All quotes are verbatim) The forum entitled "Seiringkah mahasiswa dan politik?' (Are graduates and politics aligned?) was held at Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) in Sintok, Kedah on Dec 8. The video began with students taking an oath to go against 'deviant culture', 'destroyers of peace', 'street demonstrations' and support 'peace and harmony among multi-racial Malaysians without the interference of third parties'. It then cuts to the student, Bawani KS, who stood up to highlight a court ruling about Bersih and question why Malaysia was not able to offer free education like other countries. Halfway through, Sharifah cuts her off by incessantly repeating "Listen, listen, listen, listen..." before thanking her for 'having the guts'. She then asked the crowd: "Students in the hall, 2,300 students everywhere. Did I give her respect? Did I give her respect? I came up to her, shook hands with her and gave her respect as another woman? Do you think I need to answer her question with this attitude?" Accusing Bersih leader Ambiga Sreenevasan of being an 'anarchist', Sharifah slammed the student for highlighting the need for free education in the country as is done in other nations. She told the student that "if you equate Malaysia to other countries, what are you doing in Malaysia?". "Go to Cuba, go to Argentina, go to Libya, go everywhere. Because all the students in this hall are happy with whatever the government does for them," she said. She then berated the student for having the 'very least of education'. "Today each person here has education and today, I'm very sorry that simultaneously, you have proven that you have a very least of pendidikan (education). You know what pendidikan you need? Respect the adults. Always have a differentiation gap between age. That's why you have a mother, grandmother,daughter, child, babies." "Do you think humans have problems? Animals have problems too," she stressed, citing an example of cats that do not get leftovers in restaurants, along with dogs, cows and fish. 'The difference between you and me is a degree and a O'Level. That's all.
"Whatever you say, you are still in UUM. If you are not happy, you are very much suitable to go to another university," she said. Another panelist stood up to interject and she cut him off saying "You know what Peter, I think all these people are tired. Who wants a Galaxy Note (Prizes had been up for grabs at the forum)?" she said. Angry Netizens began sharing links to a Facebook page said to belong to Sharifah while SW1M's fan page was flooded with angry comments from the public. Some of them are as follows: Khai Hokage: I think ur president Sharifah should change her field coz she talk about animal better then she talk about democracy. hahaha.. Mohd Syukri Sulaiman: You got degree meh?when you die you also become dust lorh,for God sake,respect other people please? Jo Ven Teh: Listen listen listen..lights,tv,lifts,leaves and air cond all have problem 2... Listen listen listen .. SyedAdie Al-idrus: aku rasa esok tutup page nih! (I think it is best to close this page) hahahaha! James Gan: After watching your speech in the forum suara Mahasiswa, other than the fact that you are older than me, I am not sure what else is worth respecting. Darren Sim Chee Hui: Hey you racist !!! You better make apologize to the Indian girl...!!! Give you an advice: If you don't respect all races, we won't respect you either !!!! Akram Ahmar: Presiden paling banggang.... shame on U...u want a respect??? respect others first!!! Shakir Ameer: and you wonder why your page has very little 'likes' despite the publicity. Shame on you people. Sunil Rendawa: If this Sharifah Zohra Jabeen character is the head of Suara 1 wanita, You people have a very sad organisation indeed. Headed by an idiot, where do you lot think you are going ? Abd Hanif Rahmat: sharifah zohra jabeen listen.. listen.. listen.. u degree i no have pmr.. i dont know speak english, but i want u apologise to bavani infront all student uum and must take a video for the apologise.. tell them u wrong that time.. u follow perasaan bila bercakap.. and tak mo listen bavani speak.. take note.. :) Nicholas Cheng Yee Shen: Dear Shafirah, For an individual who is supposed to have possessed a degree and university education, your command of English is rather poor to begin with. I've seen high school students with better command of English than you. If you believe that you are entitled to respect from me, think again. May I remind you, it is because of people like you that this country, this great country of Malaysia, is going downhill. Precisely that. What do you think of Sharifah's comments towards Bawani? Post your thoughts in the comments section below.
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| Nik Aziz makes u-turn over word "Allah" Posted: 13 Jan 2013 07:58 PM PST
(Bernama) - Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, who previously agreed that "Allah" could be used in Bibles, has made a U-turn in his stand by clarifying why the word cannot be used by non-Muslims. The PAS Syura Council last night decided that non-Muslims should not use the word in translation of their religious texts, but are free to use it orally following outcry from the Muslim community over Nik Abdul Aziz and PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang's stand. Nik Abdul Aziz, who attended the council's meeting, said the council's decision was made out of fear that if "Allah" was used in Bibles, the meaning would run contrary to the actual meaning understood by Muslims. "There is only one God. The Almighty. If other religions have one or more God, that's ridiculous. If they want to use it, it is wrong," he told reporters on his return from Kuala Lumpur at the Sultan Ismail Petra Airport, Pengkalan Chepa here, today. The controversy erupted after DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, in his Christmas message, urged the federal government to allow Christians to use 'Allah' in the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Bible. PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang drew the flak when he said Islam did not restrict non-Muslims from using the word "Allah" as long they did not misuse it to the extent of confusing Muslims. Nik Abdul Aziz, who is PAS spiritual leader, said the Christians, who believed in the Trinity, could not use the word at all for it was against the actual meaning. In its decision, the PAS Syura Council said the Arabic word cannot be translated into or translated from other languages for it is a specific word used to refer the Muslims' God.
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| DAP slams PAS over Kedah CNY guidelines Posted: 13 Jan 2013 07:47 PM PST
Syed Jaymal Zahiid, The Malaysian Insider The DAP has lashed out against its allies PAS over the controversial guidelines issued by the Kedah government, calling its ban on adult females from appearing for Chinese New Year stage performances as ridiculous, unacceptable and unwise. "Not only does the guideline not respect the right of non-Muslims, but it also discriminates against women. The PAS-led Kedah State Government must immediately review and abolish this guideline," its assistant national public secretary Teo Nie Ching said in a statement. The PAS-led Kedah administration again saw itself mired in controversy when it recently issued guidelines for the organisers of the 1 Malaysia Chinese New Year Celebration 2013 scheduled for February 15 at the Star Walk Alor Setar in Kedah. The guidelines included, among other things, the appropriate attire for officers and singers involved. It also stated that performers are encouraged to sing motivational songs and that if extreme singing and dancing activities were to take place, the state government has the right to shut down the programme. In the past, the Kedah government under Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak (picture) has faced severe criticism, including from fellow Pakatan Rakyat leaders, who deemed his conservative policies as insensitive to non-Muslim rights. Some had described his administration as a liability to the bloc's polls preparation while a few had admitted that the controversies could see PR facing an uphill task in defending the rice-bowl state at the 13th general elections. Teo raised this prospect again, saying that the Kedah PAS government was alienating supporters just months before the bloc takes on its rivals in what will be the keenest polls to date. "As a matter of fact, it is not the first time that the PR Kedah Government has found itself in this type of controversy. "It has not only resulted in PR coming under heavy criticism from BN component parties, therefore weakening PR's chances during GE13, but moves such as these distance the rakyat further away from the administration," she said.
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| Anwar, Chandra told to settle out of court Posted: 13 Jan 2013 05:13 PM PST
(NST) - The High Court today advised parties in the RM10 million defamation suit by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim against academician Dr Chandra Muzaffar (above) to settle the matter out of court. Counsel Datuk Firoz Hussein Ahmad Jamaluddin who acted for Chandra told the Press that judge Datuk Nik Hasmat Nik Mohamad set April 3 for mediation. "If the parties fail to mediate, the suit will go for trial on the same day," he said. Yesterday, Nik Hasmat also allowed Anwar's application to amend his statement of claim. Anwar was represented by lawyers N. Surendran and Latheefa Koya. Anwar is suing Chandra over his alleged defamatory statements made at a forum at Menara Star in Petaling Jaya on March 3, 2008, which were subsequently published in newspapers. He claimed that Chandra spoke the offending words to disparage him in both his private and official capacities. In his statement of defence, Chandra denied uttering maliciously and falsely any defamatory comment concerning Anwar. Alternatively, he claimed that if the words were defamatory, which he denied, then they were published on an occasion of qualified privilege without malice. |
| KDEB explains Selangor gov't stake in Syabas Posted: 13 Jan 2013 04:34 PM PST
(Bernama) -- Kumpulan Darul Ehsan Berhad (KDEB), the investment arm of the Selangor government, said today the Selangor government only had a minority share limited to board representation in Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas). Its president, Suhaimi Kamaralzaman, said the state government only owned 30 per cent equity and had two directors in Syabas. He said Syabas was still the key player in handling the operations and maintenance of water facilities. "The day-to-day operations and maintenance of the water facilities are carried out by the management of Syabas who are appointed by the majority shareholder of Puncak Niaga Holdings Berhad," he said in a statement to Bernama. Suhaimi was referring to comments made by Universiti Utara Malaysia academician and senior lecturer Dr Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri on Saturday. Ahmad Zaharudin Sani had said that under the Selangor water concessionaire agreement, river cleaning and water catchment, giving approval to operators of water treatment or supply for construction of new pump stations and upgrading plants and pump stations were under the jurisdiction of the state government. Suhaimi said the State Water Monitoring Committee (SWMC), chaired by the Selangor state secretary, had been monitoring Syabas, particularly its action and recovery plans, on a daily basis. "KDEB representatives, who are also members of the SWMC, are responsible for constant liaison with the Syabas management to ensure that all action plans are implemented expeditiously and efficiently," he said.
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| Where were the Indians during Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat? Posted: 13 Jan 2013 03:30 PM PST
Deepak Jaikishan keeping the Indian flag flying (Malaysian Digest) - The Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat (HKR112) assembly on Saturday may have been considered a success, questions have been raised regarding the low turnout by the Indian community. The minimal involvement of the Indian community in HKR112 could be due to the perception that the event is skewed more towards PAS members and does not encompass all races, Universiti Sains Malaysia's deputy dean of the Social Sciences Faculty, Prof Dr Sivamurugan Pandian said.
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| Himpunan rally: Taib’s men ‘shocked’ and divided Posted: 13 Jan 2013 03:22 PM PST A federal-leaning Sarawak MP has warned Pakatan Rakyat that it is playing with fire with such rallies. Joseph Tawie, FMT KUCHING: Chef Minister Taib Mahmud's Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) party is divided in its view of the mammoth Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat rally in Kuala Lumpur last Saturday. Whilst some see the rally as the people rising to demand change, others have condemned it outright. The divided views are perhaps indicative of aging Taib's personal struggles to keep in check his federal-leaning party leaders. PBB deputy information chief Peter Minos, when contacted, described the rally as a "wakeup call". "It is a wake-up call for us. Do not underestimate the strength of the opposition. "We should be wary of the threat from the opposition Pakatan Rakyat pact in the coming general election. "I was surprised the organisers could draw a big crowd which I could see from a distance, and they are mostly Pakatan supporters." Minos went on to add that the rally turnout showed that the opposition alliance was a force to be reckoned with. Another PBB insider, who declined to be named, said peninsular-based Umno and BN reports had in the past given the impression that the "situation was under control". "But I am shocked at the crowd. The blogs are full of ground reports and they all cannot be lying. "Umno intelligence have been downplaying the opposition's strength. Najib (Tun Razak) must take note of this," the insider said. Pakatan playing with fire PBB secretary-general Stephen Rundi said street demonstrations did not augur well for the country's prevailing peace, political stability and economic prosperity. "I don't agree with the trend of politics as we have law and order as well as proven system to safeguard the nation and its sovereignty. "We have full confidence in the system which also protects the opposition. "Hence, going to the street and staging demonstrations will only cause chaos and disorder or even worse, ruin our harmony and the future of our beloved country, especially our economy, deterring foreign investors from coming," he said.
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| Constitution gives no licence to expand syariah jurisdiction, says ex-CJ Posted: 13 Jan 2013 03:18 PM PST
Debra Chong, The Malaysian Insider An amendment to Article 121 of the Federal Constitution does not empower syariah courts to take over the jurisdiction of civil courts, former Chief Justice Tun Abdul Hamid Mohamad said today, giving heft to the protracted conflict arising from Malaysia's dual-track judicial system. He said the amendment was "not a licence to expand the jurisdiction of Shari'ah Courts and to oust the jurisdiction of the civil courts." The Muslim-dominant country, which provides for syariah courts to run alongside civil courts, has created several grey areas due to an overlap of powers. The retired top judge noted that many people, especially syarie law experts, have been mistaken in the belief that clause (1A) in Article 121, which lays out the extent of judicial power, absolutely excludes civil courts from trying disputes that touch on Muslim rights. Abdul Hamid (picture) said that many arguments have been put forward in legal conflicts that if an offence is within the jurisdiction of the syariah court, it is no longer to be tried in a civil court any more by virtue of Article 121(1A). "What about cases in which one party is a Muslim and the other is not?" he asked in his speech at a law conference in the city. "Secondly, the amendment is not a licence to expand the jurisdiction of Shari'ah Courts and to oust the jurisdiction of the civil courts," he said. Abdul Hamid, who was chief justice between 2007 and 2008, recounted that the question had cropped up before the Court of Appeal nearly a decade ago in a sodomy conviction, saying that the courts had failed to address the issue of constitutionality of section 25 of the Syariah Criminal Offences (Federal Territories) Act 1997. "To me, that section is unconstitutional and void," he said today. Disputes of jurisdiction between the Islamic courts and the civil courts have been increasing of late especially in matters dealing with religious conversion and child custody as well as the latest ongoing storm over the right of non-Muslims to call their gods "Allah", a word conservative Islamic scholars insist be reserved for their god. Civil liberty activists and lawyers have noticed a trend that the judiciary has been putting Islamic law above all other laws in Malaysia, signalling an erosion of the Federal Constitution.
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| Posted: 13 Jan 2013 02:35 PM PST
(The Star) - The Opposition's shadow Budget failed to consider that Petronas' profits are shared with, among others, the petroleum service contractors, says International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed. He said a certain amount of profit should be apportioned to petroleum companies as agreed upon earlier. "The Pakatan Rakyat's Budget aims to increase oil royalties to the states from 5% to 20%. This means that less profits will be shared between Petronas and the petroleum service contractors like Shell and Esso. "Hence, Petronas will give lower annual dividends to the Government," he said at his ministry's office in Jalan Duta here. Mustapa said if the Opposition were to form the Federal Government and went ahead with its own Budget, it would not have enough funds to fulfil their general election pledges. "They will lack funds to make foreign investments and yet, Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim says he wants to offer free education to the people," he said, adding that the shadow Budget was "reckless, irresponsible and foolish". Mustapa said the National Higher Education Loan Fund (PTPTN) had disbursed RM46.8bil in loans, of which RM25.7bil was borrowed from various finance agencies. "If the Opposition wants to offer free education, how are they going to pay off these loans? The Pakatan Budget also includes its pledge to abolish tolls, which would require an expenditure of RM6bil to compensate concessionaires," he said. "We are saddened by such populist moves. The Opposition is hiding facts while the people are tricked into believing that it is workable." Mustapa claimed that "not a single sen" was incorporated into the Pakatan Budget to fulfil their promises to the public and likened it to "cheating people in broad daylight". Pakatan also claimed that it could reduce the country's deficit from 4.0% to 3.5%. However, Barisan Nasional leaders have countered this, alleging that the Opposition Budget would cause the country to have a deficit of 7.2%.
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| PAS-led government takes the bang out of CNY stage performances Posted: 13 Jan 2013 02:32 PM PST  Dr Chua showing a copy of the directive to reporters. With him are MCA secretary-general Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha (left) and MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai. (The Star) - In yet another controversial decision, the PAS-led Kedah government has enforced new rulings for stage performances during Chinese New Year. The state government will stop Chinese New Year stage performances on the spot if they failed to meet the guidelines. The state has banned professional female singers in shopping malls and other open public places. Only male performers are now permitted to sing and dance in shows held in such places. As for female performers, only secondary schoolgirls will be allowed to do so. But with bands providing live music also barred from open entertainment events, performers can only use recorded music accompaniment or minus-one recordings (pre-recorded music). Malls and shopping centres have been told that only songs with religious themes or those with positive messages will be allowed to be performed, effectively excluding pop songs. Besides submitting lists of performers and songs, the organisers must ensure the artistes are not carried away or do not go overboard. Kedah Health, Youth and Sports, Culture, Art, Heritage and Biotechnology Committee chairman Datuk Dr Hamdan Mohamed Khalib issued the directive to Kota Setar district officer Datuk Haji Bakar Din on Jan 9. First in the four-point guidelines list is a rule that artistes as well as those in charge of the shows must be dressed conservatively and not menjolok mata (indecently). A copy of the directive was given to MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek in Sungei Petani on Friday. He showed it to reporters after the Perak MCA anniversary celebrations here yesterday. Dr Chua said the guidelines violated the rights and freedom of non-Muslims. He said the DAP, as part of Pakatan Rakyat and being an ally of PAS, owed non-Muslims an answer to this latest violation. "This is because DAP helped PAS take over Kedah. Is the DAP saying again that this is a small matter?" he asked. He said non-Muslims had their rights and freedom over food, attire, music, entertainment and leisure. MCA vice-president Datuk Seri Chor Chee Heung said non-Muslims could lose their identity under such policies. "If non-Muslims continue to accept these, then all things Chinese and Indian, including their culture, could be lost if Pakatan continues to run the state," said the Alor Setar MP. Chor said an agreement to such regulations would spell the end of a pluralistic society. He added that such guidelines were never imposed in Kedah until the Pakatan government took over. Gerakan also slammed the Kedah government for its "restrictive" policy on Chinese New Year entertainment activities. State party chairman Dr Cheah Soon Hai said the directive eroded the rights and interests of non-Muslims, adding that the state government was insensitive and disrespectful to the Chinese community. "Female artistes are being discriminated against as singing and dancing are their sources of income. The guidelines will have far-reaching effects on celebrations like Chap Goh Meh, the Hungry Ghost Festival, the Lantern Festival and Deepavali," he said.
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| PAS Syura Council: Prevent translation of ‘Allah’ by non-Muslims Posted: 13 Jan 2013 02:14 PM PST  PAS leaders said the word 'Allah' is a universal word and can be spoken by those who are not Muslims. – File pic Ida Lim, The Malaysian Insider The PAS Syura Council yesterday decided that non-Muslims should prevent the use of the word "Allah" in translations of their religious texts, but are free to use it orally. Following weeks of controversy over the usage of the word "Allah" by non-Muslims, the party's religious council said that the Arabic word cannot be translated into or translated from other languages. The council explained that the word "Allah" is a specific and holy word used to refer to the Muslims' god. "Therefore, translating the word God or Lord from any non-Muslim kitab agama (religious texts) to the word Allah tidak dibolehkan (cannot be allowed) because it is wrong from the aspect of meaning and wrong usage, does not fulfill the actual purpose and can bring about an obvious confusion. "Therefore, it has to be prevented," PAS' spiritual adviser Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat and his deputy Datuk Dr Haron Din wrote in a statement yesterday. But the PAS leaders said that the word "Allah" is a universal word and can be spoken by those who are not Muslims. They said that this statement clarifies the meaning of the statement by the PAS spiritual adviser, the party's president and the whole party leadership. Political allies PAS and DAP had recently appeared to send mixed messages over the use of the word "Allah" by Christians in their Bahasa Malaysia bible, before the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leadership made their stand clear last week. Last Tuesday, PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang explained PR's position, saying that non-Muslim communities should not abuse the word to spread confusion among Muslims, but said that this did not mean they were not allowed to use the word. "Islam does not stop those of other faiths from using kallimah 'Allah' in their practice, although [in the usage of the word by non-Muslims] it does not refer to the original meaning of the word as according to the al-Quran," he read from a statement.
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| People’s rally in Sabah a ‘fiasco’ Posted: 13 Jan 2013 02:00 PM PST A political pressure group in Sabah has taken to task local oposition leaders' misplaced priorities. Queville To, FMT KOTA KINABALU: While more than a 100,000 are said to have attended the Himpunan Kebagkitan Rakyat rally in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday (photo), the affair in Sabah proved to be a flop. Just a couple of hundred youths turned up for the event at the Chong Thien Vun Park here on Saturday. The blame was placed on the organisers and the lack of charismatic leaders to motivate would-be attendees in the run-up to the event. Blogger and activist Ronnie Klassen described the rally as a fiasco with an estimated 300 participants at the park. Klassen believes that the event here was poorly organised and reflected the discord and disunity among the organisers comprising youths aligned to the various opposition parties such as Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), DAP, PKR and PAS. "Instead of showing solidarity among themselves, these youths were literally elbowing each other in order to steal the limelight. But, I don't blame them; I blame their so-called leaders for they themselves were fighting with each other most of the time. "With such an attitude, they (the opposition) must be dreaming or hallucinating if they really think they can defeat the BN in the coming general election. Anyway, I wish them good luck," he said. The confusion was demonstrated at the press conference held at the end of the rally with speakers merely shouting slogans such as "Jatuhkan Umno/BN" and "Tenggelam BN". Klassen, who is also the deputy chairman of Demokrasi Sabah (Desah), a Sabah-based political pressure group who are pushing for a 'one-to-one' fight between the opposition and BN, also pointed to the conspicuous absence of state opposition leaders at Saturday's rally here.
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| PBS founder-president Pairin to retire? Posted: 13 Jan 2013 01:51 PM PST Rumours of leaders aiming to retire is affecting morale in an embattled Parti Bersatu sabah (PBS). Luke Rintod, FMT KOTA KINABALU: Deputy Sabah Chief Minister-cum president of Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Joseph Pairin Kitingan may be having seconds thoughts about contesting in the coming elections. PBS insiders said Pairin, 73, is finally "convinced" of the opposition's strength in his Keningau and Tambunan constituencies and is worried about the growing threat. Pairin has been Tambunan assemblyman uninterruptedly for almost four decades, since 1976. He has been Keningau MP for almost 30 years from 1986. He first won Tambunan at the age of 36 under Berjaya, the party he ousted from power in 1985 after a prolonged skirmish with Berjaya president Harris Salleh. Pairin, who is PBS founder president, is also the only chief the party has seen since its inception in 1985 (28 years ago). Pairin is the Huguan Siou or Paramount Chief of the Kadazandusuns in Sabah. But that too may soon be history. According to a senior PBS leader who spoke to FMT, Pairin is aware of his own precarious position in Keningau and Tambunan. Requesting anonymity, the PBS leader said: "Pairin may not even contest at all at the coming poll because it would be humiliating if he is defeated. "But I think he will still win in Tambunan if he decides to go for only one seat.." Not healthy The leader, who is a PBS supreme council member and has helped Pairin in previous elections, hastened to add that Pairin could decide to stay away from the 13th GE. "(But) Pairin not contesting at all cannot be ruled out from now onwards…" said the leader. Pairin, who is far from healthy, has taken pains to calm growing worry among his PBS members upset by rumours that he was leaving the scene. At the party general meeting last year, he repeatedly reassured them that he was ready to be renominated and was in fact prepared to defend his Tambunan and Keningau seats. According to the leader, Pairin's choice of words – "prepared", "ready" – lacked the affirmative "wanting" or "wanted". "Even then he only spoke about it as a reaction when it is no longer tenable to keep silent amid rumours and whispers," observed the leader. According to the PBS leader, there is a strong likelihood that other PBS assemblymen too would refuse renomination if Pairin is to leave politics altogether at this election, contributing to more worries and intrigues that would choke and plague PBS in the end. "Even deputy president Dr Maximus Ongkili has been texting his friends that he foresees the coming election could be his last term in active politics. "Other PBS leaders including its assemblymen, in return had started whispering to friends what would become of PBS without a strong presence of the once charismatic Pairin," the leader said.
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| In which direction is Proton driving? Posted: 13 Jan 2013 12:33 PM PST
(Free Malaysia Today) - Proton has only one viable engine in production, and another unproven design bought from Petronas recently. It has dubious research and development capabilities and proven unreliability in quality control. Proton wants to play a starring role in Southeast Asia, but there are many road bumps ahead. With the flurry of news and rumours surrounding Proton Holdings Bhd and its owner DRB-Hicom Bhd last week, Malaysians had a reason to revisit their love-hate relationship with the national car company, contemplate its chequered past and ponder its future. On Wednesday, we were told that DRB-Hicom was to spearhead the development of an "Asean" car in which Proton would be playing a starring role, and that DRB-Hicom may be taken private for as much as RM4 per share, besides listing what used to be Proton and DRB-Hicom distribution outfits. Last Thursday, the DRB-Hicom management denied the delisting part, which burst the balloon that sent its shares to a 10-month high of RM2.78, to as low as RM2.65. After a long silence about Proton since Syed Mokhtar AlBukhary-controlled DRB-Hicom bought its controlling stake from Khazanah Nasional Bhd more than a year ago, the sudden news flap is interesting. If you believe that there's no smoke without fire, Syed Mokhtar's financial advisers must be talking about something more substantial than the weather around the water cooler. But that is the trouble with trying to fathom anything about Proton, because literally anything can happen at the last minute, like the collaboration with Volkswagen AG (VW) that was called off the night before it was supposed to be signed. Frayed analysts, after seeing countless analyses on Proton disproved by what seemed to be random acts, have kept their sanity remembering one important thing: Proton is not so much of a car company as the centrepiece of government policy, and therefore normal commercial considerations may not apply. People of a certain age (that is, older people) will remember the day in 1985 when the Proton Saga was unveiled to great expectations. Though boxy, and decidedly dated because it was based on the 1983 Mitsubishi Lancer, the Saga caught our imagination and carried our hopes for a while. Since then, due to many unfortunate issues with quality control and the fact that to make the Proton cheaper by comparison, the government raised taxes on other cars to make them more expensive. Malaysians love to hate the Proton – whether deservedly or not. To us, it is a national icon, but to somebody else, let's say a foreign car company of immense size with aspirations of world dominance, Proton is not a viable car company and should be brought under the wing of the said car company with world domination in mind. Dubious R&D capabilities
It is also not selling enough cars and being overtaken at home by foreign-backed rivals even at competitive pricing. However, it has two things going for it. Its underutilised production capacity and its favoured position in Malaysia, which is an important member of Asean. DRB-Hicom, being an automotive and property development conglomerate, has several partners that can make full use of these assets. Chief among them are Honda Motor Co and Volkswagen AG (VW) of Germany. While Honda has stated that it wants Malaysia to be the regional production hub for its hybrid cars, only VW has designs on being No 1 in the world with a target to sell 10 million cars a year by 2018. That VW is really keen on owning Proton, or at least its assets, is obvious because it fits into its global design to tap into a major slice of Southeast Asia's appetite for two million cars a year. Also any Malaysian-produced car, if local content is at 40% or more, would enjoy duty-free status to all Asean member-countries under the Asean Free Trade Agreement. This is a huge a leg-up on rivals such as Toyota and other Japanese pretenders. Furthermore, Malaysian-made VWs could also be exported to other markets where they drive on the left side of the road, like India for example. The Wolfsburg, Germany-based company had previously made an offer to tie up with the then public-listed Proton in 2007 but discussions eventually foundered because of opposition from parties that wanted the company to remain Malaysian-owned. Crucial market In July last year, VW was also reported to have considered making a bid for Proton's share that Khazanah Nasional was divesting, which a German magazine said might include a full-scale acquisition in the long run. The German carmaker wants a foothold in Southeast Asia after its surpassed Toyota in 2011 as the world's second-largest manufacturer behind General Motors because it is a crucial market for increased sales as part of its ambition to become No 1. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/top-news/2013/01/14/in-which-direction-is-proton-driving/ |
| Guidelines for CNY celebration in Kedah threaten rights of non-Muslims - Chua Posted: 13 Jan 2013 12:22 PM PST
He said the guidelines, issued by the Kedah state executive council on Jan 9, involved among others, the aspects of attire, singing and dancing. (Bernama) - MCA President Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek has described the guidelines issued by the PAS-led Kedah government to organisers of Chinese New Year celebrations in Kedah as threatening and eroding the rights of the non-Muslims which are provided for in the Federal Constitution. He said the guidelines, issued by the Kedah state executive council on Jan 9, involved among others, the aspects of attire, singing and dancing. Dr Chua said MCA was of the opinion that the issue was not a petty one because it involved respect for matters clearly stated in the Federal Constitution and the rights of the non-Muslims. "The DAP will say that this is just a petty issue...when we say it's a political eunuch and it's right and apt, they (DAP) will keep quiet and will raise other issues to confuse the people," he told reporters after opening the 64th anniversary of Perak MCA, here today. He was commenting on the guidelines for the organising of the 1Malaysia Chinese New Year Celebration 2013 scheduled to be held at the Star Walk Alor Setar, Kedah on Feb 15. The guidelines prescribed, among others, appropriate attire for officers and singers involved and that the singers are encouraged to sing motivational songs and that if extreme singing and dancing activities were to take place, the state government has the right to put an immediate stop to the programme. Dr Chua also expressed hope that the Chinese community would not give their support to the DAP as the party had repeatedly caused them to fight among themselves and influenced them to vote for PAS and support the guidelines that denied the rights of the non-Muslims. He said the opposition pact did not have any future as they were willing to use the people just to achieve their own political agenda and that they did not have any strategy to further develop the country besides raising issues and organising demonstrations. "If we vote for Barisan Nasional (BN), we have the assurance that the Prime Minister is Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and we have the assurance of political, social, economic and religious stability. "We have the assurance of development every year, of satisfactory growth rate, of the fact that the country's heading towards becoming high-income nation and of our freedom intact," he said. Meanwhile, Dr Chua also reminded farmers in the state not to fall for the opposition's sweet talk to solve their land issues because only the ruling government could do so. "The opposition does not even understand the issues. We will help the 1,500 farmers to solve the issues," he said, adding that MCA had so far helped 1,150 farmers in the state to solve their land applications involving approximately 4,000 hectares of land. |
| Malay Chamber to hand over 20 resolutions to PM Posted: 12 Jan 2013 06:17 PM PST
(Bernama) - The Malay Chamber of Commerce Malaysia (DPMM) will hand over 20 resolutions passed at the Malay Economic Congress last year to Datuk Seri Najib Razak in March. Its vice-president, Rizal Faris Mohidden Abdul Kadir said the resolutions,which had been discussed at the grassroots level, would serve as guidelines forthe future direction of Malay entrepreneurs in the march towards Vision 2020. He said the resolutions were passed at the congress, which was attended byformer prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in October last year. Rizal said the resolutions would be deliberated at the national-levelroundtable for dissemination at the zone and district levels before they were fine-tuned for submission to the prime minister. "We do not want the Malays to lag behind and miss the economic opportunitieswhen the country is developed by 2020," Rizal told reporters after the opening of the East Zone Malay Congress 2013 by Kelantan State Secretary Datuk DrZainuddin Ibrahim at Bandar Baharu Tunjung here today. The congress is organised by the DPMM Research and Development Foundation,the Kelantan DPMM and the Malaysian Economic Action Council. He said two more zones - Putrajaya and Penang - had yet to hold the Malay Congress this year. |
| BN optimistic but no polls till March Posted: 12 Jan 2013 05:59 PM PST Federal Minister Peter Chin recalled that similar rallies in 1998 after the DPM Anwar Ibrahim's sacking, had not dented support for BN. (Bernama) - The Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat rally organised by opposition parties at Stadium Merdeka yesterday will not influence support for Barisan Nasional (BN) in the coming 13th general election. Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) president Peter Chin Fah Kui said the estimated crowd turnout of between 50,000 to 60,000 should not be a yardstick of the support towards the opposition. "BN should not be afraid, when Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was sacked from the cabinet in 1998, there were similar rallies with 50,000 to 60,000 attending but support towards BN remained intact," he told reporters after visiting a Miri Home for the Aged, a privately run senior citizen care centre, in conjunction with the coming Chinese New Year celebration here today. Chin, who is Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister, said rather than resorting to street demonstrations, Pakatan Rakyat (Pakatan) should try to go to the ground always and explain to the people of their ability. "I hope PR (Pakatan) can stop street demonstrations. It's not the Malaysian way, what kind of message they are trying to pass or the result they want to achieve. Go to the ground and tell the people who will be the Prime Minister if PR (Pakatan) win the general election, they can't even tell people that," he said. Asked whether he had any indication of when the parliament would be dissolved, Chin who is also Miri Member of Parliament (MP) said it is unlikely to be this month or next month. "The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister are now actively going to the ground to assess the political situation and with Chinese New Year around the corner it would not be possible to hold an election," he said. He said the date for the election was an open secret to the public since the current term of the government would expire on April 28 this year. With Chinese New Year to be celebrated on Feb 10 and 11, as well as many financial assistance to be handed out between now and March, many had speculated that the Prime Minister would likely dissolve parliament in March, one month ahead of the expiry term. Political observers have speculated that parliament would be dissolved in the first week of March with voting expected to be held by end of the month.
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| KL rally makes GE13 a keener battle, say analysts Posted: 12 Jan 2013 04:38 PM PST Pakatan Rakyat have estimated that close to 500,000 turned up for the rally yesterday while police said the crowd was, at the most, 45,000. By Clara Chooi and Boo Su-Lyn, The Malaysian Insider Kuala Lumpur's mammoth rally yesterday has revived Pakatan Rakyat's (PR) push to capture Putrajaya from the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) which has used a combination of policy and handouts to claw back support, say political analysts. The analysts told The Malaysian Insider that PR's ability to organise up to 100,000 for the Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat gathering and the crowd's interest in the issues being discussed will make the general election a close battle for both coalitions. PR have estimated that close to 500,000 turned up for the rally at the iconic Stadium Merdeka but police said the crowd was, at the most, 45,000. "Regardless of the actual crowd numbers, aerial photographs emerging from the event show a very large crowd, which reflects on the opposition and civil society's ability to mobilise the public," Merdeka Center's Ibrahim Suffian noted. "But apart from showcasing the capability of organisers, it also shows the enthusiasm and energy of the forces opposing the government, underlining the fact that the coming polls contest will no doubt be the toughest that the ruling coalition will face in its history," he added. Centre for Policy Initiatives director Dr Lim Teck Ghee said the rally was a "clear-cut victory" for both the opposition and civil society, citing the massive turnout, the disciplined behaviour of participants and the "formidable" consensus shown by all parties in opposing Barisan Nasional's (BN) rule. "All these indicators will strike dismay in BN," he said. But Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) political analyst Professor Datuk Dr Mohammad Agus Yusoff expressed a slightly different view. "When such a big rally is not disturbed and goes on so peacefully, why then did it not attract the one-million supporters as promised by Pakatan?" he asked. In the run-up to the event, rally organisers had estimated attendance at a whopping one million people, although the seating capacity at Stadium Merdeka is only 30,000. The gathering, which saw people dressed in T-shirts in a rainbow of colours to denote various causes, was organised by both political leaders from PR and non-partisan members of various civil society groups as a final showcase of their demands before the 13th general election is called by June. "So one impact from this event is that we cannot always believe what these parties tell us. They always boast figures. "Sometimes, they should just be realistic. You cannot promise something that is beyond your reach... you will just give false hope," Agus said. But on a more positive note, the professor said the smooth running of the rally, possibly the largest public gathering yet in years, should be marked as a milestone in the growth of democracy in Malaysia. He said scenes of the carnival-like atmosphere as rally-goers of all race and backgrounds came together for a cause was enough to reduce a person to tears. "It made everyone so happy to get the permit. It shows that we, Malaysians, can now express our rights in a peaceful way. This is what democracy is," he said. Agus added that one of the biggest takeaways from the rally was that it helped voters make up their minds for the polls by placing them in the "best position to assess which party is the best". PR's de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim made several election pledges that appeared to strike a chord with the predominantly Malay crowd at Stadium Merdeka. Speaking to The Malaysian Insider after the event, many rally participants appeared enthused and determined to make sure there will be a change of guard in Putrajaya after the 13th general election. "This is the climax before PRU13," despatch rider Md Isa Ishak said, referring to the polls. "We are angry at cronyism. They are robbing us. We are angry at our leaders now." "I feel positive after this event. I always feel angry at BN," said 36-year-old videgrapher David Lim, adding that he would get all his friends to vote in the polls.
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| Malaysia opposition holds mass election rally (WITH PHOTOGRAPHS) Posted: 12 Jan 2013 03:57 PM PST
Anwar Ibrahim's three-party alliance taps into anti-government sentiment ahead of key general elections in March. (AL JAZEERA) - At least 45,000 people have joined a massive opposition rally in Malaysia's largest city in a show of force ahead of key general elections due in months. Police sealed off main roads in downtown Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, allowing protesters to march peacefully to a nearby stadium for the rally by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's three-party alliance. The rally focused on demanding further transparency in elections that must be held by June. The polls are seen a major test for Prime Minister Najib Razak's ruling coalition after its dismal performance in 2008 elections. The National Front coalition, which has governed Malaysia since independence from Britain in 1957, lost more than a third of its seats in parliament to a resurgent opposition in 2008 amid public discontent over problems such as corruption and racial discrimination. Anwar on Saturday appealed to the public to oust the National Front and vote in his opposition alliance in this year's elections. "We ask for a chance so that the people's voice will become the sacred voice in ruling this country," he told the crowd. "Our government is so corrupt. The government should listen to us. They need to reform. For more than 50 years they have ruled Malaysia," said Azlan Abu Bakar, 29, a rally participant who travelled from the eastern state of Terengganu for the gathering. Peaceful gathering The rally tested Najib's tolerance for public dissent after police used tear gas to quell two similar protests over the past year. The protests have helped pressure the government to agree to new regulations to prevent people from voting multiple times and ensure fairer elections, but activists insist voter registration lists remain tainted. Police estimated Saturday's crowd at around 45,000, but organisers said more than 100,000 people showed up. The rally ended peacefully after more than three hours. Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin reacted to the rally by saying the ruling coalition has brought peace and prosperity for all Malaysians. "We have a good government and a good economy, so why do we need a change?" he was quoted as saying by the national Bernama news agency. In a statement, the government said that it was "pleased" that the rally passed off peacefully. "Today's events underline the government's commitment to freedom of assembly, and the strength of Malaysia's democracy. The rally was facilitated by the Prime Minister's political reforms, including the introduction of the Peaceful Assembly Act," the statement said. The government has intensified efforts to win back support over the past year with measures such as channeling more funds to the poor and abolishing security laws that were widely considered repressive. But the opposition insists that only a change of government will resolve problems such as corruption and racial discrimination. Most analysts believe Najib's ruling coalition will still have the upper hand in the elections because of its entrenched support in predominantly rural constituencies.
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| ‘Bersih was Anwar’s baby, Ambiga his shield’ Posted: 12 Jan 2013 03:41 PM PST According to an ex-PKR official, Bersih 1 rally had proved to be a "wheel of fortune" for PKR and the party transformed from rags to riches Athi Shankar, FMT BUTTERWORTH: A former PKR official, who was once involved in organising party demonstrations, has alleged that the idea of Bersih was mooted by Anwar Ibrahim way back in 2007. Syamsul Hidayat Mohd Sharif, PKR's ex-Youth information chief, claimed said Bersih was not an independent, non-political movement championing free, fair and clean elections. He said Anwar, the party's de facto leader, mooted the idea to revive his waning 1998 'reformasi' call, bolster PKR's finances and fuel public hostility against the Barisan Nasional government. "Truth is Bersih was never independent. It's a political movement to vilify BN. "Bersih is Anwar's baby and he uses (S) Ambiga as a shield," said Syamsul, who recently joined Umno. Speaking at a political gathering in Raja Uda here last night, he further mocked Bersih claims that it is purely seeking electoral reform under the current leadership of Ambiga. "Anwar first wanted to hold the Bersih 1 mammoth rally in Nov 2007 to stir up opposition against the government prior to the last general election. "He mooted the idea to cry for electoral reforms after receiving inside information that (then premier) Abdullah Ahmad Badawi would hold the 12th general election in early 2008. "Anwar wanted to clone his reformasi rallies of 1998," said Syamsul. He said Anwar was convinced the Bersih rally would be an effective political vehicle given the success of previous 'refomasi' rallies in galvanising Malay voters against Umno and BN, and in toppling the Terengganu state government in the 1999 general election. Bersih, a windfall for PKR? He said Anwar also needed to 'recharge batteries' of his weary party members. "Hence he organised the Bersih rally to capture public imagination by accusing the nation's electoral process was dirty," said Syamsul.
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| Posted: 11 Jan 2013 06:54 PM PST Ensuring free and fair elections tops the list. G Vinod, FMT The opposition coalition, Pakatan Rakyat, made up of PAS, PKR and DAP, has made a 10-point demand to the government and topping the list is for the government to ensure free and fair elections. Pakatan made its demands known at the Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat, attended by some 100,000 opposition supporters, at the historic Stadium Merdeka here today. The list of demands was announced by PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution at the rally. "If we come to power we would change the course of the government, away from corruption and race-based policies and politics. No Malaysian would be pushed aside. We will also move in tandem with each other for a better life," he said when presenting the demands. Apart from wanting free and fair elections, Pakatan also wants the administration of Felda to be reviewed. "We also demand that all Malaysians including those from Sabah and Sarawak be given equal treatment. We demand that all oil-producing states are given 20% of the oil royalty. "We also want all government servants to be professional in the administration of the country," he added. Pakatan also wants the government to provide a healthy living environment to all Malaysians. "The government should preserve Bahasa Malaysia while the usage of English should be upgraded. The government should also provide free education for all Malaysians," said Saifuddin. Pakatan also wants all political prisoners freed. "We also want the government to preserve our tradition, culture and heritage. We demand a better life for all Malaysians," he said.
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| Jackie Chan calls US 'most corrupt' country in the world Posted: 11 Jan 2013 03:04 PM PST
(AFP) - Hong Kong action hero Jackie Chan has once again provoked criticism, this time from an American blogger, after suggesting on Chinese television that the US is the "most corrupt" country in the world. "When you talk about corruption — the whole world, is there corruption in the United States? The most corrupt in the world!" the Rush Hour star, who has made headlines recently for his controversial views, told Phoenix TV last month. Chan reaffirmed his view after the show's host questioned him — "Of course! Where did the great breakdown come from? The world, the United States started it," Chan said, referring to the financial crisis and gesticulating as he spoke. His comments were rebuked Thursday by Max Fisher, a foreign affairs blogger for the Washington Post, who called them "anti-American" rhetoric that was rooted in China's insecurity. "To the degree that Chan's comments were anti-American, they likewise reflect a common Chinese view of the United States, one that is rooted not just in attitudes toward America but in China's proud but sometimes insecure view of itself," Fisher said. Jackie Chan also said China is a relatively young country, where in the first half of its history it was "bullied by so many people", and that it only achieved "real success" in the past decade. "Our country's leaders admit they are corrupted, etcetera. We are improving — I can see our country is constantly improving and learning," he said, adding that everyone is making an issue out of China because it is "powerful" now. Chan, who is known for his martial arts skills and daring stunt work, sparked criticism in Hong Kong, which was returned to China in 1997, after he reportedly told a Chinese magazine last December that protest in the city should be restricted. In the same interview, he said that he was bullied by Hong Kong triads and had to hide in the United States. He also said he needed to carry a gun everyday to protect himself, leading to a police investigation.
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| BN needs to milk Najib’s popularity harder, say analysts Posted: 11 Jan 2013 02:12 PM PST
Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider The Barisan Nasional (BN) must do more to cash in on Datuk Seri Najib Razak's popularity as issues of the day could threaten their hold on Putrajaya, say analysts commenting on the latest Merdeka Center survey. The analysts also noted the BN government's approval remains low despite cash handouts and a raft of economic and legal reforms that Najib has introduced since taking power in 2009. "On the whole, although there are those who say they are satisfied, they may not vote for BN because there are other issues at play during an election ― the political party, the individual candidate, the influence of the local ministers in the area and so on. "Therefore, the good popularity rating could merely reflect the public's agreement with Najib and his policies," said Ibrahim Suffian from Merdeka Center, the independent pollster that conducted the latest survey released yesterday. The Merdeka Center found that Najib's ratings, while still relatively high, dipped slightly by two points to 63 per cent in the poll conducted late last month, from 65 per cent in November. The survey found that while satisfaction among Malay and Indian voters remained strong at 77 per cent and 76 per cent respectively, the sentiment among Chinese voters had dropped to 34 per cent. The survey also found that voters' response towards the government remained lukewarm, with only 45 per cent of the respondents saying they were "happy with the government". Ibrahim also suggested the possibility of "cultural bias" among the different racial communities that were interviewed for the poll, saying the Malays and Indians were more conservative when it comes to speaking negatively about their nation's leaders, while the Chinese are generally more outspoken. "So I am pretty certain that just because the poll says that Najib has 77 per cent support of the Malays, it does not mean he will get 77 per cent of the Malay vote. "The Indians, the Malay respondents... traditionally they tend not to be so openly negative about the ruling party leaders so there is a cultural bias there," he said. Universiti Teknologi Mara's Prof Madya Shaharudin Badaruddin echoed Ibrahim's views, saying the prime minister's good standing among the Malay and Indian communities may not translate to votes in the coming polls. He agreed that the rating of a person's popularity is an individualistic matter and would not reflect the total voting trend of the election. "You may vote for Najib, but it does not mean you want Umno," he said. Universiti Malaya (UM) political analyst Prof Datuk Mohamad Abu Bakar said the same, adding that the performance of an individual does not reflect the performance of the party this person represents. He pointed out that the survey results may not be consistent until polling as issues that may crop up between now and then could affect the prime minister and BN's popularity. "So, depending on whether these new issues make him popular or not, one cannot say for sure whether his popularity at this moment in time will be constant through and through until election day," he said. Shaharuddin added that the quality of candidates would also play an important role in determining the true support for BN among the country's various ethnic communities. He noted that Merdeka Center's survey methodology of collecting public opinions through phone calls could have also been a major factor in Najib's high popularity rating. "When it is face to face, direct contact, the behaviour and replies from a respondent could be different," he said.
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| Pakatan expects large crowd in rally against BN rule Posted: 11 Jan 2013 02:08 PM PST
Syed Jaymal Zahiid, The Malaysian Insider Pakatan Rakyat (PR) is confident of getting one million people in its "Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat" today, with its leaders saying last night the "historic" mega-rally will show the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition that its 54-year rule is nearing the end. Some 6,000 people attended a gathering at the Sultan Sulaiman Club here last night, where more than 70 opposition leaders and activists fired up the crowd with speeches of change and the imminent fall of BN. Among the speakers were PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu who called the rally at the historic Stadium Merdeka where Independence was declared, the start of the final battle for Putrajaya. "Tomorrow's rally will be the last before we take over the government," shouted Mohamad, better known as Mat Sabu, a favourite among the Islamist party and opposition faithful. The crowd, mostly Malays, appeared upbeat as PR leaders went over the opposition's election chances. A sense of camaraderie was also prevalent as the crowd of strangers, mostly donning yellow or green tees with "BN will fall" written on them, shouted in sync slogans of "people power" and "the end of BN". Playing up this sentiment was PKR vice-president Chua Tian Chang, who said this spirited display of people power would send chills down rivals' spines. "This is not just about changing the government. It is about how the people will rise and rewrite history. That they will no longer tolerate a cruel regime," he said.
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| Explain reports of new timber deal, Musa Posted: 11 Jan 2013 02:00 PM PST Why has Yayasan Sabah, headed by Chief Minister Musa Aman, awarded 80,937 hectares of land to Pemaju Holdings Sdn Bhd? Queville To, FMT KOTA KINABALU: The State Reform Party (STAR) Sabah chapter wants Chief Minister Musa Aman to respond to the Business Times report on the purported timber deal involving 80,937 hectares (199,995 acres) to be awarded to Permaju Holdings Sdn Bhd by Yayasan Sabah. Party chairman Jeffrey Kitingan contended that as the chairman of Yayasan Sabah, Musa should clarify the issue, instead of getting the Director of Forestry Department to deny it. "The director of forestry is being used as a mouthpiece to deflect the issue and avoid the real facts. His mere denial is out of context as the deal was reported to be with Yayasan Sabah. "It is the chief minister having direct control of Yayasan Sabah, not the of director of forestry, who is the appropriate person to answer on the timber deal. "Many answers need to be given so that allegations of timber kickbacks like the RM40 million 'donation' to Sabah Umno will not arise," he said. A former chairman of Yayasan Sabah himself, Jeffrey also questioned why the foundation awarded a huge area of concession to such a company at this time and who stands to benefit. "Why are outsiders given priority in awarding of concessions and land instead of Sabahans? "If there is no truth to the alleged timber deal, why is the report so detailed? If the report is not true, the government should consider suing the parties involved and lodging reports with the police, MACC and other bodies. "If the report is true, which will not be surprising, the state government is selling the future of Yayasan Sabah, the state and Sabahans and the Umno-BN state government should be voted out in the coming general election," he said. He said that the Business Times report clearly re-affirms Sabah STAR's stand that the "future of Sabah lies in the hands of Sabahans, not outsiders or Sabahans under the control of outsiders".
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| Kapar MP gets show-cause letter Posted: 11 Jan 2013 01:51 PM PST PKR issued the letter to S Manickavasagam for uttering derogatory words against another party leader. S Nantha Kumar, FMT Kapar Member of Parliament S Manickavasagam has been issued a show-cause letter by PKR for uttering derogatory words against another party leader. PKR sources confirmed that the show-cause letter was issued to Manickavasagam by the party's disciplinary committee a few days ago. "I do not know the contents of the letter as this is handled by the top leadership. It involves an MP but I can confirm a show-cause letter has been issued to Manickavasagam," said a source. PKR disciplinary committee chairman Dr Tan Kee Kwong, when contacted, refused to comment. "Why you want write about this?" he told FMT. Despite numerous attempts, Manikavasagam could not be reached for comment as his handphhone has been switched off since yesterday. Meanwhile, MIC Youth criticised PKR over the party's action to issue the show-cause letter to Manickavasagam for a verbal tirade against Selangor Mentri Besar Khalid Ibrahim and state executive councillor Dr Xavier Jayakumar. In a press statement, the Youth wing chief T Mohan claimed that the actions of the Sepang Municipal Council officers, who demolished a Hindu shrine at a house against the orders of the state government, were more hurting than the words uttered by Manickavasagam against the two state leaders. "The state government is practising double standard as it had failed to initiate action against the officers who barged into the house to demolish the Hindu altar. Rightfully, the officers should be suspended while an investigation is pending against them," he said. Mohan said the failure to act against the officers made it look like the state government was giving its green light for local authority officials to take the law into their own hands. "We [MIC Youth] want the people to judge for themselves the actions of the state government in discriminating against Indians and decide who committed an offence," he added. 'Manikavasagam's right to criticise' On Nov 20, 30 enforcement officers from the Sepang Municipal Council trespassed into the home of one S Gobi Kumar and demolished the Hindu shrine located within the compound of the residence. A week later, Jayakumar defended the council's action, prompting the MIC Youth to demand a public apology from him. However, Jayakumar later claimed that the action was done unilaterally by certain Sepang Municipal Council officers and that he suspected sabotage. Following the incident, two separate video clips had emerged showing Manikavasagam urging Khalid to resign over the demolition of the shrine.
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| Posted: 11 Jan 2013 01:48 PM PST Police trucks were seen dropping off plainclothes policemen around the city, alleges a PKR leader. Leven Woon, FMT Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) fears that agent provocateurs have been planted by the police to instigate trouble at the Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat Rally, scheduled for 2pm at Stadium Merdeka today. SAMM chief Badrul Hisham Shaharin alleged that early this morning, police trucks were spotted dropping off individuals "who we think are policemen in plainclothes." "We fear these people will become agent provocateurs and cause trouble. Then the police will blame us for starting trouble," he told reporters at the Kampung Baru mosque, where a group of opposition supporters had gathered before marching to Stadium Merdeka. Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat has eight meeting points and one of them is the Kampung Baru mosque. Badrul Hisham said the group will march through Lebuh Ampang, Jalan HS Lee, and Jalan Petaling before heading towards Stadium Merdeka. Badrul Hisyam, who is also a PKR leader, also asked opposition supporters not to carry any weapons with them during the rally. Meanwhile, opposition supporters have started marching towards the historic Merdeka Stadium from their respective meeting points. For now, no trouble has been reported. However, several roads have been closed to facilitate the march, bringing traffic to a snail's pace on major roads leading to the city centre. Meanwhile, according to The Oriental Daily and China Press, police have received reports on suspected explosive materials in front of KLCC and the Bar Council this morning. After dismissing the crowd at KLCC, police detonated the explosive materials. However, the reported discovery of such materials at the Bar Council building turned out to be not true
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| Posted: 11 Jan 2013 11:26 AM PST
(Bernama) - Most roads in the city had to be closed and traffic diverted in stages from 9.45am this morning because of the rally planned to be held by the opposition at Stadium Merdeka in the afternoon. The roads had to be closed because of the entry of the participants of the rally which caused major congestion in the city's main arteries. Checks by Bernama found traffic police station all over the city since 6am but no roads were closed till 9.30am. Kuala Lumpur traffic chief ACP Rusli Mohd Noor told Bernama the closures and diversions were necessary to smoothen traffic flow. "We will close roads as the situation demands," he said. Among roads involved were :- 1. Seremban- Kl/ Jalan Istana Baru 2. Jalan Sungai Besi/ Sungai Besi Roundabout (Kl-Bound) 3. Sungai Besi Roundabout 4. Jalan Sungai Besi / Pudu Roundabout 5. Pudu Roundabout / Jalan Pudu 6. Pudu Roundabout / Jalan Pasar 7. Jalan Kajang / Sungai Besi Roundabout 8. Chan Sow Lin / Jalan Tun Razak (Pd 105) 9. Cochrane / Jalan Tun Razak (Jalan Pasar) 10. Jalan Tun Razak / Kondo Ezora 11. Kondo Ezora / Jalan Sultan Ismail/ Jalan Imbi Exit 12. Kampung Pandan Roundabout 13. Jalan Selatan 14. Jalan Tun Razak Exit To Bukit Bintang 15. Tun Razak / Jalan Bukit Bintang Traffic Light Junction 16. Jalan Kampung Pandan / Flyover To Pd 92 17. Jalan Tun Razak / Kia Peng 18. Jalan Tun Razak / Jalan Eaton 19. Jalan Tun Razak / Persiaran Stonor 20. Jalan Tun Razak / Lorong Kuda 21. Jalan Tun Razak / Jalan Ampang (Esso) Exit 22. Jalan Tun Razak / Jalan Ampang 23. Jalan Tun Razak / Megan Phileo 24. Jalan Tun Razak / Yap Kwang Seng 25. Jalan Tun Razak / Terowong Klcc 26. Jalan Tun Razak / Perkeso 27. Jalan Tun Razak / Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz 28. Jalan Tun Razak / Parking Ijn 29. Jalan Tun Razak / Bangunan Ijn Baru 30. Jalan Tun Razak / Kuala Lumpur Hospital (Hkl) Football Field 31. Tun Razak Exit To Pahang Roundabout 32. Pahang Roundabout 33. Jalan Genting Kelang / Pahang Roundabout Tunnel 34. Jalan Pekeliling / Stesen Bas Pekeliling 35. Pekeliling Exit/ Jalan Ipoh 36. Jalan Ipoh / Jalan Rahmat 37. Jalan Tun Razak / Jalan Tun Ismail 38. Jalan Tun Razak / Jalan Kuching Exit 39. Jalan Tun Razak /Pwtc (Sek Maxwell)Exit 40. Jalan Tun Ismail / Jalan Kuching (Susur Kibat)Exit 41. Jalan Tun Ismail / Jalan Putra 42. Jalan Putra / Jalan Raja Laut 43. Jalan Pahang / Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz / Jalan Ta Rahman 44. Jalan Mahameru / Parlimen Exit 45. Jalan Duta / Jalan Parlimen Exit 46. Jalan Mahameru / Parlimen (Muzium)Exit 47. Jalan Mahameru / Wisma Tani Exit 48. Jejambat Wisma Tani 49. Jalan Mahameru / Carcosa Exit 50. Susur Jalan Damansara / Jalan Travers 51. Jalan Bangsar / Jalan Travers 52. Jalan Travers / Jalan Damansara (Balai Travers Lama) 53. Jalan Kl Sentral / Muzium Negara 54. Jalan Klang Lama / Lebuhraya Persekutuan 55. Jalan Klang Lama / Salak Expressway (U-Turn) 56. Federal Highway/ Jalan Syed Putra 57. Jalan Tun Sambathan Exit/ Jalan Sulaiman 58. Jalan Sulaiman (Ktm)
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| Deepak offers to be Pakatan’s state witness Posted: 11 Jan 2013 12:14 AM PST The one-time Rosmah associate says he is ready to reveal it all if Pakatan Rakyat is willing to guarantee to protect him against prosecution when they come to power. K Kabilan, FMT Carpet trader Deepak Jaikishan today urged Pakatan Rakyat to give him an undertaking that he would be protected against prosecution if they want him to expose all alleged wrongdoings of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor. "I am urging Pakatan Rakyat's future prime minister, the future home minister and the future law minister… give me an undertaking for my safety and freedom," he was quoted as saying in an interview with Harakahdaily.net today. He said that he was ready to give evidence of all alleged wrongdoings that can help Pakatan topple Barisan Nasional in the next general election. However he does not want to be left standing alone, or worst, prosecuted along with the alleged wrongdoers. "I am confused now. How can I expose when the way PKR is revealing all the information is incorrect and without protecting me as a whistleblower?," he later told FMT when contacted. "They should protect me under the Whistleblowers Act. I need protection against prosecution from them," he said. "Give me an undertaking that I will not be prosecuted for my exposés. I can be Pakatan's state witness and will expose it all," he repeated. He said that if he was given such an understanding, he was willing to join forces with Pakatan leaders at the Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat at Stadium Merdeka tomorrow to do his duty as a Malaysian for the nation. When asked if he had met up with any Pakatan leaders over his request, Deepak said that he was hoping to meet some Pakatan leaders tomorrow. "I am going to the rally and I hope to meet up with some of them," he said. Foreclosure notice "The current administration is politically intimidating me in order to keep me silent. "I shall not succumb and will ensure that all the truth prevails in the days ahead," he said. He revealed that he had been issued a foreclosure notice to shut down his company unless he was able to pay off his debts amounting to RM33 million within 14 days. "The legal firm which issued the notice is the firm where Najib's brother is a senior lawyer," he said. He added that the income tax department was also investigating him for alleged tax evasion from 2004 to 2009. "These are all activities undertaken by the current administration to stop me from telling the truth," he said.
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