Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Bank Islam’s Azrul a PKR mole, says blogger
- Manikavasagam issued stern warning over outburst
- RM23m for Umno company to play middleman
- Radio stations very naughty, says Chief Minister
- RCI revelations could drown Musa, Umno
- Najib: I hate people who break promises
- Secularism in Search of a Nation
- Universities told to find pupils aged seven years old from deprived backgrounds in plan to ...
- Mind your own business, DAP tells NGOs
- Don’t sell food to Malays, restaurant told
- It’s over for SNAP
- We were wrong, says UMNO blog over land-for-MB allegation
- Azmin: Pakatan firm on ‘Allah’ issue
- I am not the Wan, says EC deputy chairman
- Plot to implicate Anwar in Sabah RCI, Azmin claims
- Dog frequent churchgoer since owner died
- Bumburing’s frontman, PKR leader in punch-up
- Allah issue: ‘PAS entitled to own opinion’
- ‘Ruthless’ exco incurs wrath of PKR Indians
- Umno: It's her ‘personal opinion’
- Bawani gets MCA, PAS youth wings support
- Student bodies rally behind Bawani
- ‘We gave Muslim foreigners IDs to vote’
- ‘Go to India’, Umno woman tells Bawani
- ‘Halal’ lifts to avoid cross-contamination
- DAP: Koay had better be sorry
- After ‘Listen, listen, listen’ video, speaker loses paid gig
- Teach PAS a lesson for behaving like Umno
- SAPP: Tell us what’s our worth, Anwar
- Patrick Teoh in hot water over Facebook post
- Pahang non-Muslims can't use 'Allah' word
- Harris: Projek IC a false story
- Sabah people advised to be wary of quarters spreading lies
- Sharifah Zohra not with us, was hard to control, says KIMMA president
- Viral video reveals varsity ‘brainwash’ tactics, says student
- ‘Jeffrey desperate because STAR falling apart’
- Wife: Koay forgot to pray to the ‘tokong’
- Star apologises to lawyer Rosli Dahlan
- 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’
| Bank Islam’s Azrul a PKR mole, says blogger Posted: 18 Jan 2013 04:49 AM PST The pro-Umno Rocky's Bru says the suspended economist had "frequent, passionate and discreet" communications with several PKR leaders. (FMT) - A pro-Umno blogger has alleged that suspended Bank Islam chief economist Azrul Azwar Ahmad Tajuddin was a mole who supplied Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim with sensitive information. Ahirudin Attan, who runs a blog called Rocky's Bru, said this was the reason why Anwar, his daughter and Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah and PKR chief strategist Rafizi Ramli were "visibly and terribly upset" over Azrul's suspension from the bank. Azrul hit the limelight recently for outlining three possible post-GE scenarios at a regional forum in his capacity as Bank Islam chief economist. One of the three scenarios included Pakatan Rakyat winning the next general election. Bank Islam sought to distance itself from its chief economist after the news broke out, and shortly afterwards suspended his service indefinitely, citing breach of internal policy. PKR has questioned the propriety of the suspension. "If you are wondering why Anwar Ibrahim, his daughter Nurul Izzah, and PKR chief strategist Rafizi Ramli are visibly and terribly upset over the suspension of Azrul Azwar Ahmad Tajuddin – to the point of calling for a boycott of Bank Islam – it's because they have a lot to lose. And I mean a lot," Ahiruddin said in his latest posting. "In their tweets… the trio may not have admitted to knowing Azrul. Very soon, however, they will have to own up to the fact that they not only know the Bank Islam chief economist but know him intimately." He claimed that Azrul was fondly known as "Wawa" by the three and that he was not a "regular bank employee they are making him out to be". "Wawa and the PKR leaders communicate frequently, passionately and discreetly. Anwar, Nurul Izzah and Rafizi will admit that they have been in regular contact with the Bank Islam chief economist for quite a while. They have been using him over and over and over again. "Wawa has been their insider, their fly on the wall at highly classified internal meetings and meetings with Bank Negara, and the spy who has been leaking to his handlers, including to Anwar Ibrahim directly, confidential information of the Bafia (Banking and Financial Institutions Act) kind, from board papers to correspondence between the central bank." He said the bank acted against Azrul because as a bank officer he had contravened the law. "And this was not his first offence. "Wawa was suspended pending a domestic inquiry. The investigation, however, has brought to surface affairs and conduct more sinister than just political over-zealousness.
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| Manikavasagam issued stern warning over outburst Posted: 17 Jan 2013 02:55 PM PST
(The Star) - PKR has issued a stern warning to Kapar MP S. Manikavasagam for criticising Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and state exco member Dr Xavier Jayakumar. An official said the party's political bureau, headed by its president Datin Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, issued the warning on Wednesday following a report from its disciplinary committee. He said several leaders, including Dr Xavier, had pressed for Manikavasagam's suspension, but were over-ruled by party adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Disciplinary committee head Datuk Dr Tan Tee Kwong confirmed that a decision had been made but refused to give further details, saying these would only be made public after Manikavasagam had been informed. Manikavasagam was issued a show-cause letter after two video clips in mid-December showed him urging Khalid to resign over the demolition of an altar in Taman Seroja in Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi in November. In another clip, Manikavasagam blamed Dr Xavier for the demolition of temples in Selangor over the last four years. He replied to the show-cause letter on Tuesday. Earlier, two PKR members, N. Shanmugam of Batu division and K. Samynathan of Kelana Jaya, said Manikavasagam criticised the two leaders as they had failed to resolve problems involving temple demolitions in the state. "He (Manikavasagam) had promised that the Pakatan Rakyat government will not demolish any temple if it comes to power," Shanmugam said. "But seven temples have been demolished so far and more notices for demolitions have been received by other temples," Samynathan added.
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| RM23m for Umno company to play middleman Posted: 17 Jan 2013 01:44 PM PST DAP claims the Puteri Umno leader's company charged RM23,000 to train a PE teacher when in fact a similar programme conducted by UiTM costs only RM6,000. Jared Pereira and G Lavendran, FMT A Puteri Umno leader was awarded a contract worth RM22.9 million by the Education Ministry in 2012, and there are doubts that the company awarded the contract had the capability to do the job, DAP claimed today. DAP election strategist Dr Ong Kian Ming said the ministry had awarded a contract to the Puteri Umno leader to act as a middleman in a sports arrangement between the Education Ministry and the United States Sports Academy (USSA). USSA conducts a programme called the 'International Diploma in Physical Education and Scholastic Sports' (IDPESS) and the Education Minister, Muhyiddin Yassin, had sought its services to retrain 1,000 physical education teachers here, especially those without proper qualifications. The alleged company, claimed Ong, was headed by Kedah Puteri Umno deputy chief Hisham Suhaili Othman, who is also Langkawi Puteri Umno chief. The company is Syarikat KH Sports World Sdn Bhd, who is the authorised agent in Malaysia for USSA, and the contract was awarded via a direct negotiation, said Ong . The purpose of this arrangement was to train these teachers to complement Muhyiddin's 'Satu Murid Satu Sukan' initiative which was to enhance physical education in nation building. According to its website, USSA is an online academy which provides sports degree programmes to about 1,300 students annually. Ong said the training of the teachers began last June but the duration of the program nor the number of teachers that have been trained was unknown.
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| Radio stations very naughty, says Chief Minister Posted: 17 Jan 2013 01:23 PM PST
(Borneo Post) - "The relevant authorities must find out who the sponsors or owners of these radio stations are. We cannot allow them to continue broadcasting lies upon lies because at the end of the day, many people would think that what they say is true.
Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud describes Radio Free Sarawak (RFS) as a 'naughty one' who has no respect for the truth.
Taib, who is also state Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman, said a lot of people have heard RFS' broadcast and were angry because they knew the radio station was spreading lies.
He, however, believed that only very few (people) were misled by the lies.
"The fact that they illegally broadcast from a foreign country shows that the broadcasters have no pure motive in what they are doing," he said after receiving tithe on behalf of Tabung Baitulmal from Pelita Holdings Sdn Bhd and Magna Focus Sdn Bhd at Menara Pelita here yesterday.
On Radio Kenyalang, Taib believed that its establishment was prompted by the impending general election.
On possible jamming of the radio broadcast, the chief minister said the matter was best left to the relevant authority to decide.
Parti Rakyat Sarawak president Tan Sri Dr James Masing was reported to have said on Wednesday that he wanted Radio Free Sarawak and Radio Kenyalang to be stopped on their tracks as the 'illegal entities' are poisoning the minds of the rural populace, especially the Ibans, and running down the BN government.
Masing, who is also Land Development Minister, urged the authorities concerned to act against those distributing free radio sets in the rural areas as they were agents of the two radio stations.
He added that if their operations could not be halted, the relevant authorities should at least jam their transmissions so that they would become inaudible to listeners.
Masing added that Radio Free Sarawak and Radio Kenyalang must be stopped to prevent others from following suit.
"The relevant authorities must find out who the sponsors or owners of these radio stations are. We cannot allow them to continue broadcasting lies upon lies because at the end of the day, many people would think that what they say is true.
"This is bad because both radio stations are running down the BN government," he said.
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| RCI revelations could drown Musa, Umno Posted: 17 Jan 2013 12:55 PM PST
(Free Malaysia Today) - The disclosures in the current RCI hearing in Sabah may lead to more damaging testimonies implicating the state's top leadership. Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman, who is also the state's Umno chief, could be in for some uncomfortable moments soon as those involved in handing out Malaysian documents to illegal immigrants in Sabah continue to expose the high and mighty. So far, one ex-chief minister, Osu Sukam has been implicated by the testimony of a former director of Sabah's National Registration Department (NRD) at the ongoing investigation by Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants problems in Sabah here. Ramli Kamaruddin, in his testimony said Osu was present with then federal deputy home minister Megat Junid Megat Ayob at a hotel here in 1994 when he was given instruction "to issue NRD receipts using the name and identity card numbers of voters already in the electoral roll, with the sole purpose of allowing them to vote to help ensure that a state government endorsed by the federal government would win" in Sabah. A former right-hand man of ex-premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Abdul Aziz Shamsudin, was also mentioned at the RCI hearing which, going on current disclosures, promises to expose one of the biggest scandals in Malaysia's history involving members of the ruling Umno-led Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition government. Another former chief minister, Harris Salleh, who testified before the five-member RCI, tried to shield himself from the scandal by saying that it was the federal authorities that gave immigrants Malaysian documents like IC, and not him or even the state government he led. He also denied any knowledge of a project to parcel out ICs in exchange for votes. Musa was dragged into the scandal after his name was mentioned many times in books by blogger Mutalib M.D. The blogger had implied Musa's involvement in recruiting illegal immigrants in Sabah to become Umno operatives and also voters to defeat Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) state government in the 1994 election. Mutalib, who did his own research and interviews with people directly involved in or in the know of the security scandal, has written prolifically on the hiring of Muslim illegal immigrants from the Philippines and Indonesia by Umno. Musa's involvement is based on his being the chairman of an alleged special task force set up by Sabah Umno to recruit immigrants. A former Umno member, Jabarkan Napi, has also repeatedly named Musa in the scam. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/01/18/rci-revelations-could-drown-musa-umno/ |
| Najib: I hate people who break promises Posted: 17 Jan 2013 12:32 PM PST
(fz.com) - Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today that voters from the country's richest state must punish Pakatan Rakyat (PR) for failing to fulfil its promises in 2008. The prime minister said he was confident that BN will administer Selangor better than the current state government if voted back in the next general election. "Our objective is to recapture Selangor but it not for sake of power only. It is because I am confident and believe that we can provide better service and administer better than the current government led by the federal opposition," he said in a 15-minute radio interview during the launch of Selangor Radio BN at Umno headquarters here. Najib added the the state government has also cheated the people of Selangor through its lies and deception. "If we look back recently there have been so many problems. Firstly, they have not fulfil their promises but instead broken them. I hate people who break promises. I believe the people of Selangor share the same sentiment because we all feel like we have been cheated. I hate people lying to me. "I don't know about others but I feel that all of us believe that people must hold fast to their promises. If BN is given the mandate by the rakyat, we will provide an administration that can really fulfil the people's aspiration," he said. He said the people of Selangor must not allow the state to fall behind in the country's development. "Selangor is too important and strategic to the country. If the state is not line with the federal policy then we have problems like the current water shortage. "If we don't have the same government on both the state and federal levels then it will create many problems and eventually trouble the people and this will not benefit the country," he said.
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| Secularism in Search of a Nation Posted: 17 Jan 2013 12:18 PM PST
But can a person who is not atheistic truly be "secular" as expected by the Constitution, especially when the two major religions in India are Hinduism and Islam? What happens when the ways of one religion hurt the feelings of the other religion? Are atheistic lawmakers, of whom there were more than a few in the early days of the republic, qualified to decide how religious Indians must view other religious Indians? Manu Joseph, The New York Times In 1976, India made an amendment to its Constitution that inserted the word "secular" to describe the great republic. It was a national aspiration and still is, and is glorified as a national characteristic, which it is not from the evidence in plain sight. By "secular," India did not mean that it was atheistic or agnostic or that it rejected all religious practices. By "secular," the people who framed the amendment meant that in India all faiths are accepted, and that Indians are expected to tolerate all religions. Every Indian has grown up listening to the idea of India as a "secular" republic. It is a ceaseless background hum, like all moral lessons. One cannot escape its persistence. But can a person who is not atheistic truly be "secular" as expected by the Constitution, especially when the two major religions in India are Hinduism and Islam? What happens when the ways of one religion hurt the feelings of the other religion? Are atheistic lawmakers, of whom there were more than a few in the early days of the republic, qualified to decide how religious Indians must view other religious Indians? On this day, Dec. 6, 20 years ago, it did appear that the demand on practicing Hindus and Muslims in India to be "secular" was unnatural and unsustainable. An ancient mosque called Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, was demolished by a Hindu mob protesting the very existence of the monument. They believed that it was built over a Hindu temple and that the site itself was sacred because Lord Rama was said to have been born there. The demonstrators had been allowed on the site after the organizers of the protest had promised the Supreme Court that the mosque would not be harmed. The organizers, some of whom were from the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, which went on to govern the nation, asserted that the ensuing destruction of the mosque was the spontaneous act of an emotional crowd. In the days that followed, there were riots across India in which more than 2,000 Hindus and Muslims were killed. The mainstream news media in India have always held that Dec. 6, 1992, was a day of shame and that the destruction of the mosque was a mindless act of vandalism. In the months after the riots, newspapers ran features about Hindus and Muslims living in harmony: a temple and a mosque somewhere standing shoulder to shoulder on a single patch of land, a Muslim family that made Hindu idols, Muslims who married Hindus, Hindus who adopted Muslim orphans and so on. That India was "secular" was the respectable point of view among educated Indians. But, as it often is the case, there was a difference between the respectable view and what a majority actually believed and said in private, which was that the demolition of the mosque was a sign that India was changing and that in this new nation Hindus would become increasingly assertive and intimidating enough to protect themselves against other religions, especially Islam. Read more at: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/06/world/asia/06iht-letter06.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&_r=1& |
| Universities told to find pupils aged seven years old from deprived backgrounds in plan to ... Posted: 17 Jan 2013 11:48 AM PST
Top institutions will have to organise campus visits, masterclasses and mentoring sessions They will have to show how they are supporting pupils at primary schools in the poorest neighbourhoods Emma Reynolds, Daily Mail Seven-year-old children from the most deprived backgrounds should be targeted by top universities, the Government said today. Pupils at the lowest achieving primary schools should be offered individual mentoring, campus visits and masterclasses in specific subjects, announced the Office of Fair Access. The watchdog insisted that universities plough money into preparing disadvantaged youngsters for academic success - even taking over the running of some academies or free schools. Every institution planning to charge students more than £6,000 in fees now has to complete an annual agreement setting out how they will support students from the UK's poorest neighbourhoods. This could include fee waivers, or subsidised fees for poorer students and spending money on 'outreach' work to raise aspirations and achievement in schools and encourage more disadvantaged school pupils to apply. Universities that fail to meet their agreed targets on recruitment and retention face the prospect of fines of up to £500,000, and losing the right to charge more than £6,000. OFFA said universities must focus on raising children's aspirations and achievement at an early age to ensure they have a fair chance of going on to higher education. The document, the first to be published by new OFFA director Professor Les Ebdon, says it is vital that universities and colleges do much more to encourage disadvantaged students to study for a degree. Professor Ebdon says that he wants to see a 'step-change', adding: 'Let there be no doubt - sustained, well-targeted outreach such as summer schools, masterclasses and mentoring can be very effective and we want to see more of it.' Excellence: Universities such as Oxford (pictured) must show how they are preparing youngsters for higher education OFFA says that universities must set out in their agreements the work they are doing with younger children, including those aged seven to 11, who are still at primary school. The document says that OFFA 'strongly encourages' institutions to have strong links with schools and colleges that traditionally send few students to university, or have large proportions of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2263794/Universities-told-pupils-aged-seven-years-old-deprived-backgrounds-plan-boost-higher-education.html#ixzz2IIOdAa6D
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| Mind your own business, DAP tells NGOs Posted: 16 Jan 2013 06:20 PM PST They should not dictate terms on who should be the next deputy chief minister, says a DAP local leader. Athi Shankar, FMT BUTTERWORTH: A DAP local leader here today told Indian-based NGOs to mind their own business and lay off their hands from the party's internal affairs. Bagan parliamentary liaison committee publicity chief G Asoghan said the NGOs have no business to tell the party on whether it should hold fresh party polls. He said the NGOs should also not dictate terms on who should be the next deputy chief minister representing the Indian community in Penang if Pakatan Rakyat retained the state government in the coming general election. He noted that under Societies Act and party constitution, the DAP top leadership has the power to make the final decision on party matters. Hence, he said the decision not to hold fresh polls by the central executive committee (CEC) was final. "If anyone wants to challenge the decision, it should be the defeated candidates at last month's CEC election, not NGOs," said Asoghan, who is also DAP's Jalan Bagan Luar branch chief. Recently, the DAP has admitted that there was a glitch in the tabulation of votes at the party's CEC election held on Dec 15 in Penang. An audit showed that appointed CEC member Zairil Khir Johari garnered 803 votes as opposed to the 305 announced earlier, enough for him to become an elected member. Vincent Wu, on the other hand, received 669 votes as opposed to the 1,202 announced at the end of the voting. He had to vacate his seat among elected CEC members and join the ranks of appointed members. DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng has announced that the party would not hold fresh polls. Its national chairman Karpal Singh has said that Section 18c of the Societies Act gave the party the power to make a final decision on the matter and that the decision could not be challenged in court. Stay apolitical Asoghan reminded the NGOs that they should always remain apolitical as they always claimed to be. They should stay away from politics. "They should refrain from organising demonstrations and forums demanding the DAP to hold fresh election or to choose certain personality as Penang deputy chief minister II. "They should only mind their own business. They should take their hands off from DAP's affairs," said Asoghan. Yesterday, a group of youths led by Malaysia Tamil Security Council president MV Mathialagan held a demonstration demanding that the DAP hold fresh polls for CEC positions. One banner displayed during the demonstration held in an open space in Taman Supreme, Prai, expressed disappointment that Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy had failed to get himself elected to the committee. But the demonstration at noon nearly turned ugly when a group of local DAP members warned the protesters against trespassing into their territory. The DAP members confronted Mathialagan, and told him he needed their consent to use the open space. However, despite fiery exchange of words, there was no physical contact from either side. Previously, certain NGOs have also organised demonstrations and forums across the country to demand that Penang Chief Minister Guan Eng retain Ramasamy as his deputy chief minister II after the general election. Asoghan reminded the NGOs that the position of deputy chief minister II was not a personal property of anyone to claim permanent inheritance. He said it was a position created by the DAP leadership, notably party supremo Karpal, to serve the Indian community. "The party, especially Indian members, under Karpal's guidance will decide on who's the best to fill the position," he said.
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| Don’t sell food to Malays, restaurant told Posted: 16 Jan 2013 06:11 PM PST Restaurant owner P Segar is puzzled by the state religious department's instruction and wants the PM's Department to intervene. B Nantha Kumar, FMT A restaurant owner in Malacca has claimed that the state Islamic Religious Department (JAIM) has instructed him not to sell food to "Malay" customers. P Segar, 52, who operates a restaurant in Jasin, wanted the Prime Minister's Department to look into the matter. Relating his ordeal to FMT, the businessman said on Jan 14, a group of six Jasin Town Council (MPJ) officers accompanied by three JAIM personnel and two Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry officers visited his restaurant. "While MPJ enforcement officers inspected my business licence and checked on the cleanliness of the restaurant, the rest were sitting outside where we had placed chairs and tables. "Soon after the MPJ officers were satisfied that we had fulfilled all the necessary requirements, the JAIM officers came to the cashier's counter and ordered me not to sell food to Malays," he added. The officer, Segar alleged, who refused to introduce himself, had also instructed to him to sell only drinks and sweets to Malay customers in future. "When I asked him why, he just kept mum. Then one of the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs officers intervened and told me that the restaurant did not display a proper price list. "I was shocked by the answer. That's the weirdest answer I have ever heard from a civil servant. So if I don't display a proper price list, I can sell my food to Indians and Chinese but not Malays… I can accept it if they say my food is not 'halal' therefore it should not be served to Muslims. "But this is just out of this world. What is the connection between my price list display and selling food to people of a particular race," Segar said.
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| Posted: 16 Jan 2013 06:04 PM PST The Federal Court has upheld a Registrar of Societies decision to deregister Sarawak Nasional Party (SNAP). (Bernama) - The Sarawak National Party (SNAP), formed in 1961 and which gave the state its first Chief Minister in Stephen Kalong Ningkan, has been deregistered. A Federal Court five-member panel today upheld the Registrar of Societies' (ROS) decision in 2002 to cancel SNAP's registration, after the party failed to comply with a notice requiring it to produce evidence that its leadership crisis had been settled. The court allowed ROS' appeal to overturn the Court of Appeal's decision in June 2010 restoring SNAP's registration. Federal Court judge Abdull Hamid Embong, who chaired the panel, held that ROS was empowered under Section 16 (1) of the Societies Act 1966 to direct a party to settle its dispute. The ROS, he said, needed to form an opinion whether there was a dispute as quickly as possible or else the fate of a society would be left in limbo, and all its activities would have to be suspended. "To make inquiries into those meeting as suggested by the respondent, SNAP's then deputy president Justin Jinggut, would delay the whole process," he said in his 25-paged judgment. Justice Abdull Hamid said the decision to de-register SNAP was merely consequential to the failure of SNAP to comply with the ROS' notice, adding that no reason was required under the law. "There is no evidence of any bad faith or bias against SNAP when the ROS acted under section 13 (1) (c) (ix) (of the Societies Act). His (ROS) action is more administrative than quasi judicial, even though the rights of SNAP were affected," he said. The panel, also comprising Federal Court judges Suriyadi Halim Omar, Ahmad Maarop, Zaleha Zahari and Sulong Matjeraie, awarded ROS a sum of RM20,000 in legal costs. In 2002, the SNAP leadership was split into two factions, one led by its former president, the late James Wong Kim Min and the other by the late Peter Tinggom, the party's former deputy president, who subsequently formed a new political party called the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP). On Nov 5, 2002, the ROS deregistered SNAP after the party failed to comply with a notice issued by ROS requiring it to produce evidence that the crisis was settled. SNAP's then deputy president Justin Jinggut filed a judicial review of the ROS ruling, which was dismissed by the High Court on Sept 15, 2006. On June 23 2010, the Court of Appeal restored the party's registration after allowing Jinggut's appeal to set aside the High Court's decision. On Feb 21, 2012, the Federal Court gave ROS the nod to appeal against the Court of Appeal. Set up in 1961, SNAP was once a Barisan Nasional component in Sarawak. Its current president is Stanley Jugol. ROS was represented by Senior Federal Counsel Amarjeet Singh while SNAP was represented by lawyer Khoo Guan Huat.
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| We were wrong, says UMNO blog over land-for-MB allegation Posted: 16 Jan 2013 04:08 PM PST
(Harakah Daily) - A blog whose allegation shaped UMNO mouthpiece Utusan Malaysia's headline stories recently has today retracted the so-called 'lands-for-MB' claim against Perak DAP leaders and the Kelantan Menteri Besar. On January 13, Pisau.net, part of the UMNO bloggers group, said it had been wrong in accusing DAP's Ngeh Koo Ham and Nga Kor Ming as having accepted bribe in the form of lands in Kelantan through Tuan Guru Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, in exchange for the duo's acceptance of a PAS man as Perak MB. In his response, Ngeh said the explanation cleared names but it was insufficient.
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| Azmin: Pakatan firm on ‘Allah’ issue Posted: 16 Jan 2013 02:55 PM PST The PAS Syura Council's stance that non-Muslims cannot use the word "Allah" in translations of religious text is not applicable to Pakatan, says Azmin Ali. Anisah Shukry, FMT Pakatan is sticking to its decision that non-Muslims are allowed to use the word 'Allah', the party's vice president Azmin Ali said today, despite the PAS Syura Council stating otherwise. "The issue of Allah is resolved and has not changed. Recently, the PAS president reaffirmed the position of PAS in the meeting of the Pakatan presidential council on Jan 8, and it was the same as in 2010… "We are bound by the Pakatan Rakyat policies that were discussed during the meeting. And because we are bound to those policies, we will stick to that decision. The Syura Council is not related to it," Azmin told reporters at a press conference at the PKR headquarters today. On Jan 8, Pakatan announced that it had no qualms about non-Muslims using the word 'Allah' to refer to God as long as it was not misused. PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said that 'Allah', which is written in the Quran, is special and cannot be translated properly to other languages. "That's why Muslims of all races refer to God as Allah. So non-Muslims can use the holy word although it may not reflect the original meeting," Hadi had said. But the PAS Syura council said on Monday that non-Muslims should prevent the use of the word 'Allah' in translations of their religious text. "Translating the word God or Lord from any non Muslim religious texts to the word Allah cannot be allowed because it is wrong from the aspect of meaning….therefore, it has to be prevented," PAS spiritual adviser Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat wrote in a statement. PAS and Pakatan have received brickbrats and criticism over the apparent U-turn, but Azmin stressed today that the opposition pact would stand firm to its earlier decision.
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| I am not the Wan, says EC deputy chairman Posted: 16 Jan 2013 02:35 PM PST
(The Star) - Election Commission deputy chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar has yet again been dragged into something that he had no part in, no thanks to his very common name. In the latest case of mistaken identity, the second for Wan Ahmad in recent months, he was accused of allegedly ordering the issuance of ICs to 16,000 immigrants about two decades ago. Wan Ahmad said the person involved whose name was also Datuk Wan Ahmad, served in the commission but was based in Sabah. He has long retired. "I just want to clarify that the Wan Ahmad mentioned during the RCI (Royal Commission of Inquiry into illegal immigrants) is certainly not me. "I have never served in Sabah and I joined the EC only in 1998, long after the issue cropped up," he said. Wan Ahmad was commenting on a claim made by former Sabah NRD deputy director Mohd Nasir Sungit that Datuk Wan Ahmad had allegedly ordered Indonesian and Filipino immigrants to be registered as voters. Mohd Nasir made the claim during the RCI hearing in Sabah yesterday. Mohd Nasir, who was serving in the state from the 1960 to 1995, had also been detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for allegedly issuing identity cards to unqualified immigrants. Wan Ahmad said that in 1994, he was working as an officer at the Prime Minister's Department. Wan Ahmad said this was not the first time he was implicated in issues due to mistaken identity, as he had a very common name. "Some time ago, the Opposition went to town claiming that I was a Kelantan Umno member, but I had the last laugh when it turned out that the Umno member is another person who happened to share the same name. "Now I want to make a pre-emptive strike to shut those who may try to create funny news out of the latest development, because I still want to have the last laugh," he chuckled.
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| Plot to implicate Anwar in Sabah RCI, Azmin claims Posted: 16 Jan 2013 02:28 PM PST
Ida Lim, The Malaysian Insider PKR has received information of a scheme to implicate Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in the on-going royal inquiry on Sabah's illegal immigrants issue, the party's deputy president Azmin Ali alleged today. He said this when asked to comment on the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI), now in its fourth day of hearing, in which former civil servants have testified on allegations involving the granting of citizenships and voting rights to immigrants. "[A]nd I also received information (the) ultimate goal will relate to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim also. "All the problems in this country is burdened on the de-facto leader and we also expect (this)," he said today. Azmin also sought to pre-emptively deflect attention towards the ruling administration. "But if we look at the testimonies today, it involves the role of the prime minister's institutions... not the role that is carried by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim," Azmin said at a press conference here. Azmin later said the testimonies given before the RCI's panel "confirmed that the institutions and agencies involved are purely under the administration of the Prime Minister's Department." He then listed the Prime Minister's Office, the Home Affairs Ministry, the National Registration Department (NRD), the Immigration Department, saying that "all these agencies were under the leadership of Dr Mahathir". "So Dr Mahathir must be responsible for these operations in Sabah," he said. Azmin was referring to former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who was in power from 1981 to 2003. The country's longest-serving prime minister has been accused of spearheading the so-called "Project IC", in which citizenships were allegedly given to immigrants in exchange for their votes. But former Sabah Chief Minister Tan Sri Harris Salleh, who administered the state from 1976 to 1985, denied on Tuesday the existence of "Project IC". Anwar served as the country's deputy prime minister from 1993 until his sacking in 1998, and was also the finance minister from 1990 until his dismissal.
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| Dog frequent churchgoer since owner died Posted: 16 Jan 2013 02:08 PM PST  After following his mistress's coffin up to the church on the day of her funeral, Tommy has returned daily. (AFP) - ROME: Since his owner died two months ago, Tommy the dog has not missed a single mass in the small church in southern Italy where his mistress's funeral was held, Italian media said yesterday. When the bells of the Santa Maria Assunta church begin to toll each afternoon in San Donaci near Brindisi, the 12-year-old German Shepherd sets off from the village to get himself a front row seat next to the altar, Il Messaggero newspaper said. His owner, who was known in local dialect as "Maria tu lu campu" — "Maria of the fields" — had lived alone with Tommy and three other rescue dogs, who used to follow her faithfully on her daily rounds and have now been adopted by the village. After following his mistress's coffin up to the church on the day of her funeral, Tommy has returned daily, sitting quietly throughout masses, baptisms and funerals, according to local priest Donato Panna, who now wouldn't do without him.
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| Bumburing’s frontman, PKR leader in punch-up Posted: 16 Jan 2013 02:03 PM PST Despite Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's assurance that all is well in Sabah PKR, skirmishes between original and 'new' party members indicate otherwise. Calvin Kabaron, FMT KOTA KINABALU: All is not good within Sabah PKR, if a recent punch-up in Kota Belud is any indication. A heated argument over who is the "more rightful" PKR candidate in Sabah led to punches between two local leaders from Kota Belud. The punch-up was between the leaders of "PKR ori (originals)" and PKR photocopy (Wilfred Bumburing's Angkatan Perubahan sabah-APS- members) Mail Balinu, who is with APS, was allegedly flattened with one blow by one Minsin Sompong, from the other faction. Both men, who are from the Kadamaian state constituency under the Kota Belud parliamentary seat, about 70km from here, were apparently engaged in a heated conversation when Sompong lost his head. PKR officials quickly stepped in to prevent any fallout. The one-sided brawl only came to light after a series of squabbles and intimidation between the "PKR ori" and "PKR photocopy" (non-PKR members members of APS and PPS [Pakatan Perubahan Sabah] led by Beaufort MP Lajim Ukin who defected from Umno-BN). Both APS and PPS have been actively working the ground here as support for PKR continues to rise. Bumburing's frontman A local PKR leader from Kota Belud, who requested anonymity, told FMT that the duo were quickly separated by friends and that Balinu managed to stand up after a few seconds.
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| Allah issue: ‘PAS entitled to own opinion’ Posted: 16 Jan 2013 02:00 PM PST Barisan Nasional's decision to appeal the High Court ruling allowing the use of the 'Allah' term among Christians is proof that only Umno runs the government. Joseph Tawie, FMT Legitimate and misbegotten arguments aside, the Allah issue has proved a key distinction between the Barisan Nasional coalition and its nemesis Pakatan Rakyat. In BN, only Umno speaks and there is only one view. But in Pakatan's case it is a coalition of three independent parties with their own respective views, said Sarawak DAP secretary-general Chong Chieng Jen. "If you compare BN and Pakatan Rakyat, you will see that [with the latter] the three partners [DAP, PKR and PAS] have their own say. "But at the end of the day a collective decision carries the day. "What is most important is the collective decision of Pakatan which has agreed that the word 'Allah' can be used by Muslims and non-Muslims. PAS can forward its decision to Pakatan and it will be discussed by the collective leadership," Chong said. Chong, who is also national DAP vice-president, was commenting on the decision of PAS' Syura Council to ban non-Muslims from using the word "Allah". "PAS is entitled to its own opinion. It is entitled to make its own decision, but eventually a consensus will be reached at the coalition level. "But BN's policy in banning the use of the word 'Allah' shows that in BN only Umno's view counts. All the talks by others in BN do not count," he said, adding that Pakatan had agreed to adopt a "liberal and open stand" on religious matters. BN has banned the use of the word despite a High Court ruling in December 2009 to the contrary. The ban, however, is limited to Peninsular Malaysia, a rule that has left the opposition confounded. "BN has banned the use of the word 'Allah' in Peninsular Malaysia but in east Malaysia, BN allows Christians to use the word 'Allah' to mean God. "Why the difference, as if we in East Malaysia have a different 'Allah'. Aren't we, after all, 1Malaysia?" he asked.
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| ‘Ruthless’ exco incurs wrath of PKR Indians Posted: 16 Jan 2013 01:52 PM PST Selangor executive councilor Dr Xavier Jeyakumar is allegedly using PKR disciplinary committee chairman Dr Tan Kee Kwong to avenge his rivals within the party. B Nantha Kumar, FMT A movement wanting Selangor executive councilor Dr Xavier Jeyakumar to step down has taken root inside PKR. It is believed that this movement will hold a peaceful gathering soon to show the Indian community's dissatisfaction with him. Branding Jeyakumar as a "little napoleon", Batu PKR division member N Shamugam said the Sri Andalas assemblyman was the "brainchild" behind Kapar MP S Manikavasagam's show-cause letter from the party. Shamugam claimed that Jeyakumar was also behind the suspension of Puchong division member S Murali. Manikavasagam, an outspoken politician, was issued a show-cause letter last week for criticising Jeyakumar. Manikavasagam called Jeyakumar a "bastard" and blamed him for the demolition of several temples in Selangor over the past four years. His criticism was triggered by the recent demolition of a Hindu shrine in Sepang, located within a house compound, by several officers from the Sepang Municipal Council (MPS). Jeyakumar, who had initially defended the officers' action, later claimed that it was an act of sabotage. Earlier, Murali was issued a temporary suspension letter by the party's disciplinary committee for allegedly being involved in a ruckus at a Tamil daily's office. According to Shanmugam, Jeyakumar is close to PKR disciplinary committee chairman Dr Tan Kee Kwong. "Thus, Jeyakumar works with Tan to take revenge against his political rival," he alleged. Jeyakumar eyeing Kapar "Worse still, it is now believed the discipline bureau during a committee members meeting on Tuesday has recommended to fully suspend both Manikavasagam and Murali," he added. According to Shanmugam, by suspending Manikavagam, Jeyakumar would have a free ride to contest in the Kapar constituency. Murali meanwhile is known for his criticism against Jeyakumar on Tamil school funds awarded by the state government. It is learnt that Jeyakumar, an incumbent in Sri Andalas, is keen to contest in a parliament seat after the party's top leadership decided not to retain him as an exco after the 13th general election. "Jeyakumar is only good to work as a 'despatch boy' to Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim dispersing funds to schools and temples. "He has never initiated any programmes for the state's Indians in the last four years," said Shanmugam. Shanmugam also said that Jeyakumar was "arrogant and ruthless" with party members. He also accused the exco of deliberately sabotaging party vice-president N Surendran's programmes. Citing, the "stateless Indian" rally in Putrajaya on Dec 12 last year, Shanmugam said Jeyakumar refused to attend the protest because it was organised by Surendran.
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| Umno: It's her ‘personal opinion’ Posted: 16 Jan 2013 01:50 PM PST Barisan Nasional leaders have distanced themselves from Umno Wanita member, Norhayati Saiddin's attack on law undergraduate KS Bawani. G Vinod, FMT Umno has distanced itself from the racially charged rants of a member of its Wanita wing against law undergraduate KS Bawani. Umno supreme council member Saifuddin Abdullah said that Norhayati Saiddin's post, on her Facebook page yesterday, telling Bawani to study in India if she wanted free education was "personal opinion." Norhayati had also posted that the Indian community were making too many demands, claiming Indians living in estates in the past never knew what a toilet was before Barisan Nasional came along. Said Saifuddin: "This lady's statement is her personal opinion and does not reflect Umno or BN's stand. "Her statement is unbecoming, especially in the context of 1Malaysia." Other BN leaders have also distanced themselves from Norahayati's statement. "It's uncalled for and a very stupid statement," said an angry Gerakan secretary-general Teng Chang Yeow. Calling it an unnecessary comment, Teng said that Norhayati's statement only reflected the latter's mentality. "She should go read the nation's history before opening her mouth," said Teng, who added that he would take up the matter with Umno leadership. MIC secretary-general S Murugesan concurred with Teng's assessment, saying he did not expect such comments to come from a fellow member of component party. "We have to check whether Norhayati is an Umno member. If she is, we will put our unhappiness on record," he said, adding that he will refer the matter to BN secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor and Umno Wanita chief, Shahrizat Abdul Jalil. Murugesan also said that such racially charged statements by any Malaysian should not be tolerated, especially from a BN component party. "There is no room for such comments in a progressive and united Malaysia," he said. Bawani shot to fame after a video of her being berated by Suara Wanita 1Malaysia chief Sharifah Zohra Jabeen went viral on the Internet. Sharifah was seen patronizing Bawani for asking questions on free education. The former even told the latter to move to other country if she wanted free education.
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| Bawani gets MCA, PAS youth wings support Posted: 16 Jan 2013 12:33 AM PST
(fz.com) - The MCA Youth Education Bureau says it is "astounded" at the "uncouth behaviour" displayed by Suara Wanita 1Malaysia president Sharifah Zohra Jabeen Syed Shah Miskin against UUM law student KS Bawani at a forum held at the university. "As much as Sharifah may have disagreed with Bawani's views, as a moderator, she should have displayed maturity and allowed the student to complete her views and then offer a differing view in a diplomatic and constructive manner," bureau chairman Chong Sin Woon said in a statement today. Sharifah berated Bawani, who is a Parti Sosialis Malaysia member, after the latter disagreed with the forum's pro-government slant, especially with regards to Bersih. Bawani had also questioned why Malaysia is unable to provide free tertiary education. Although the incident took place on Dec 8, it is only making news now after a video clip of the exchange of words between Sharifah and Bawani went viral on YouTube last week. Chong, in his statement, applauded Bawani for urging the public not to make sexual innuendoes against Sharifah, saying it showed the student's magnanimity, maturity and concern for the security of all women. "Sharifah with the degree she proudly extols should be able to learn a thing or two from the undergraduate whose education background she belittled. "Sharifah's behaviour of assuming that public condescension, and getting the audience to support her to shut and obliterate different views belongs to a bygone era," he added. Meanwhile, PAS Youth has congratulated Bawani "for her courage in stating her stand", according to PAS organ Harakahdaily. A PAS Youth delegation, led by executive council member Mohd Hakim Mohd Nor, visited Bawani at her house in Kampar, Perak to express the movement's support for the "plucky" student. Bawani was quoted as saying that she was touched by the support she has been receiving from various people, and that it had strengthened her to keep fighting for students' rights. PAS Youth vice leader Dr Raja Ahmad Iskandar, in a statement, said the incident at UUM showed that students were no longer afraid of stating their stand. "The courage shown by Bawani will serve as an example to be emulated by the youth in rising up to speak the truth wherever they are without being fearful of action against them," he said. Ameerah Malaysia, a youth group which forms part of PAS's Muslimat wing, added to the calls for Sharifah to apologise to Bawani. "We urge Sharifah Zohra to apologise to Bawani publicly, in the same way she had humiliated Bawani (publicly)," the group's chief Fareedah Samad told Harakahdaily.
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| Student bodies rally behind Bawani Posted: 16 Jan 2013 12:31 AM PST
Stephanie Sta Maria, fz.com Within a day of a video clip of her public humiliation going viral, K S Bawani has been deluged by messages of support from outraged university student bodies. The University Utara Malaysia (UUM) student became an overnight sensation after the 24-minute clip showed her being berated by a panellist at a UUM forum entitled "Are University Students In Line With Politics?". The panelist, Sharifah Zohra Jabeen Syed Shah Miskin, let loose a barrage of insults at Bawani for speaking out against forum organisers for what she believed was their wrongful presentation of Bersih and its leaders. Bawani had also questioned why Malaysia was unable to offer free tertiary education unlike other countries. Sharifah Zohra Jabeen however mocked Bawani's opinions and belittle her intellect before launching into a startling monologue on problems faced by animals. Internet users have had a field day in showcasing their scorn towards Sharifah Zohra through memes, songs, criticism on her Facebook page and a mock Facebook page for animal complaints. In the midst of that however, another Facebook page entitled "We Are All Bawani" was set up and was almost immediately swamped by messages from indignant Malaysians. The page has garnered more than 24,500 "Likes" so far. Many university student body representatives posted official statements on the Facebook page with a good number of them demanding that Sharifah issue a public apology to Bawani. The previously unknown Suara Wanita 1 Malaysia (SW1M), of which Sharifah Zohra Jabeen is president, yesterday said that there was no reason for her to apologise as Bawani should "learn to respect others". But according to forum participant, Faiz Razali, Bawani had not been provocative and had in fact even asked Sharifah Zohra Jabeen for permission to speak beforehand. "It was instead the forum itself that was provocative in raising politically sensitive issues that caused discomfort among some of us," Faiz wrote on Facebook. "I was very disappointed at the forum's content." Vice-president 1 of the Student Representative Council at the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM) Ahmad Fathi Salleh pointed out that tertiary education is meant to mold students into individuals who uphold the ideas of intellectualism, critical thinking and refined manners. But to their dismay, he said Bawani's opinions were met with a "hostile disposition" that did not portray the culture of tolerance and open-mindedness. "Instead it reflected the shallow judgment of a supposedly respectful figure," Ahmad stated. "We firmly stand with Bawani and it's for the speaker to apologise to university students for degrading our rationale and intellect." Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's Student Society vice-president 1 Nur Afifah Abdull Rahim, meanwhile, noted the irony in Bawani being humiliated for voicing an opinion that was in line with the forum's theme. Izham Ismail from Universiti Malaya's (UM) Student Representative Committee called Sharifah's behaviour "unacceptable" and contradictory to what students are championing. "As students, our rights must be defended, our voices must be nurtured and our hearts, dignity and stand must be prioritized," he said. "Sadly, Sharifah doesn't understand that." "If Sharifah wants to open our eyes then she should also learn to open her eyes to respecting us. I believe that if animals could talk, they would ask her to do the same." UM also challenged Sharifah Zohra Jabeen to hold a forum on its campus and invited her to join them if UUM does not stand up for her. UUM's International Affairs Society Committee had already issued a statement condemning Sharifah's Zohra Jabeen behaviour. "Any rebuttal should be delivered professionally and not through an analogy of animals that had no connection whatsoever to the facts that Bawani had put forth," it said. Both the committee and the UUM Student Progressive Front have called on Sharifah Zohra Jabeen to issue a public apology to Bawani. Even political parties leapt at the opportunity to support her with Pas Youth vice-chief Raja Ahmad Al Hiss congratulating Bawani for showing that students are now brave enough to voice their political views. "They are an intellectual group and have the maturity to grasp political issues," he said. "They are not a group to be taken lightly."
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| ‘We gave Muslim foreigners IDs to vote’ Posted: 15 Jan 2013 07:16 PM PST Sabah NRD director tells the RCI that he was personally instructed by Megat Junid Megat Ayub to recruit new voters. (FMT) - KOTA KINABALU: A former National Registration Department (NRD) officer told an inquiry here that he took part in a project to give foreigners here identity cards so that they could vote in an election in the 1990s. Mohd Nasir Sugip, who was detained under the now repealed Internal Security Act (ISA), told the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) he was part of a top secret operation dubbed 'Ops Durian Buruk' (Operation Rotten Durian) on the instruction of his bosses in the department. He claimed the operation ran from 1992 to 1995 and said the instruction to furnish the foreigners with identity cards so that they could vote came from the state Election Commission (EC). "At that time, Sabah SPR director Wan Ahmad handed over a list of 16,000 names to be made into 'bumiputera Islam' voters. "My boss, Sabah NRD director Ramli Kamarudin, then verbally told me to execute this project," he said. Mohd Nasir said three other individuals were present when the instruction was issued but their names could not be immediately ascertained. He said he followed the instructions given to him and recruited other officers at the district level for the operation. Based on a list of names provided by the EC, foreigners were issued with new identity card numbers that contained their date of birth, photographs and names and all were mostly from Sandakan, Tawau, Sempoerna and other parts of the state, he said. "The list consisted of Filipinos and Indonesians who were Muslim and aged above 21 years," Mohd Nasir told the inquiry. 'We planted voters' These individuals were then planted as voters in various constituencies around Sabah with the objective of boosting the number of Muslim voters in the state. "An example is in the state assembly seat of Sugut and the parliamentary seat of Kinabatangan. We planted about 800 voters in Sugut and in the next general election. the result was in favour of BN. The candidate won by 79 votes," he said.
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| ‘Go to India’, Umno woman tells Bawani Posted: 15 Jan 2013 07:11 PM PST Norhayati Saiddin claims that Indians are demanding too much even though they did not know the existence of toilets while living in the estates. K Pragalath, FMT The critical comments of a Wanita Umno member regarding law student KS Bawani is causing a stir. In her Facebook posting, Norhayati Saiddin wrote: "Deii Bawani.. kalau mau pendidikan percuma tanggechi pergi ler belajar sana India… you mother land.. sana tanggechi boleh dapat pree… ammakk!!" (Bawani… if you want free education, go and study in India, your motherland. There you can get free…) "Untung lorrr… dulu India banyak duduk estet… itu jamban pun lu orang tarak tau… sekarang India org banyak mahu sebab itu BN ada perintah ini negeri." (It's a privilege.. before Indians mostly lived in estates. They didn't even know toilets. Now Indians have a lot of demands that is why BN rules this country.) Norhayati's Facebook also had a photograph of her posing with three other Wanita Umno members at a function. Some people who found her comments offensive took a screen capture of the statement and Facebook and tagged her to the photo. One Facebook user Tajol Ariffin Omar questioned the need for Indians to vote for Umno candidates following such offensive comments. "It is Umno members' mentality. Indian voters do you still want to vote for Umno?" Tajol wrote and posted a photo which read: "Umno then, now and forever racist" The photo was also shared in various Facebook group pages such as "1,000,000 Chinese don't want MCA to represent the Chinese." Bawani had become an overnight sensation went a video of her being reprimanded by a pro-government NGO leader went viral on the Internet.
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| ‘Halal’ lifts to avoid cross-contamination Posted: 15 Jan 2013 04:30 PM PST The controversial signboards, explains MAH, are there as a preventive measure. Jared Pereira, FMT The controversial signboards at the Crystal Crown Hotel here are not meant to discriminate but were put up to ensure that the guidelines pertaining to "non-halal" food are adhered to, said Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) head Reginald Pereira. He said that the steps were taken to avoid "incidental cross contamination" of food but clarified that no such incidents had happened to date. According to Pereira, it was more of a preventive measure. "This is why Crystal Crown had to put up the signboards…which only serves to make sure that suppliers are in the know," he added, referring to the signboards next to elevators in the hotel which stated that only "halal" goods could be transported in them. Pereira said hotels which still had valid halal certificates and were not up for renewal could still operate based on the Malaysian Islamic Development Department's (Jakim) previous standard operating procedure. However, he said that once these licenses expired, the hotels would have to comply with the strict guidelines set by Jakim in order to renew their licenses. "There is a certain set of regulations and requirements set by the religious authorities based on the Malaysian standard of halal certification," he told FMT. He was referring to the government encouraging hotels to apply for or renew their halal certification, only if they complied with Jakim's guidelines. "This whole application and renewal issue for hotels that serve pork is under review through focus group discussions and hopefully a solution will be met soon," he said. He also explained that MAH and Jakim decided to clarify the current procedures and to rationalise matters that MAH members must practice to attain their "halal" certification.
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| Posted: 15 Jan 2013 04:20 PM PST
(The Star) - A day after suspended DAP assemblyman Koay Teng Hai's declaration that he would serve his constituents as an independent, the party's powerful disciplinary committee has hit back by accusing him of being unapologetic after he missed a crucial Penang state assembly meeting. The Pulau Tikus assemblyman was also blamed for giving a flimsy excuse of not being formally told of the assembly meeting, in which the state government tabled the constitutional amendment to bar party-hopping. DAP's disciplinary committee chief and party deputy chairman Tan Kok Wai said Koay had chosen to ignore the interests of the party for his own personal interests and put the entire Penang Pakatan Rakyat government at risk. "We are very surprised that you are not apologetic at all after committing such a huge mistake," said Tan in the suspension letter dated Jan 14, which was made available to The Star. It was also stated in the letter that Koay's reason for missing the sitting was not because of a personal holiday in the United States as previously reported, but because he was there to attend a programme on an invitation of the US embassy here. Tan said Koay decided to go to the United States even after Penang Chief Minister and party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng rejected his leave application twice. He said the absence of another representative, who had to skip the meeting due to a family emergency, left other Pakatan colleagues with the bare minimum of exactly 27 representatives needed for a two-thirds majority to amend the state constitution. On Monday, Koay who has been suspended for six months, folded the DAP flag at a press conference and said he would remove all party logos from his service centre. While the Penang Pakatan Rakyat backbenchers club chairman called for calm among his supporters, his wife Lee Su Li created a bit of a stir with her posting on his Facebook account implying that he was in trouble because he did not pray to the "tokong" (deity). Some netizens have linked her post to Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Mansor Othman's alleged claim that the Chief Minister was regarded as a "tokong" by the people in Penang. Meanwhile, Penang DAP chairman Chow Kon Yeow said it was wrong for Koay to describe himself as an "independent" assemblyman. "He has to follow rules. It is not that when you are under suspension, you can disregard the party's constitution and rules," he said at a press conference at Wisma DAP in Rangoon Road yesterday.
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| After ‘Listen, listen, listen’ video, speaker loses paid gig Posted: 15 Jan 2013 04:17 PM PST
(The Malaysian Insider) - Sharifah Zohra Jabeen Syed Shah Miskin's tirade on YouTube may have cost the controversial speaker a paid engagement, after organisers of an entrepreneurial seminar scheduled for next week said today they are calling off the event over security concerns. The activist who is seen as pro-Barisan Nasional had sparked a firestorm this week after a varsity video exposing her verbal assault on a student went viral, leading Internet users to dub her the "'Listen, listen, listen' woman" over her repeated use of the word while interrupting a student. "The committee discussed the pros and cons, and decided that it would be best to cancel it," organiser Lina Ahmad was reported saying by The Star Online. The police had advised the organiser to call off the talk following news of a planned public protest against Sharifah Zohra on that day, the news portal reported Lina adding. Sharifah Zohra was set to appear on January 26 at the DoubleTree Hotel, part of the Hilton group, in the national capital for a talk titled, "How to make your first million" with two other speakers, retired diplomat Datuk Pahamin A. Rajab and Zafri Zakaria Merican, that charged participants RM200 per person. A former member of the Indian Muslim Congress of Malaysia (KIMMA), Sharifah Zohra had been blackmailed over the now-viral video showing her bullying a Universiti Utara Malaysia student and has now gone into hiding to ensure her safety and that of her children, a representative of the little-known organisation Suara Wanita 1 Malaysia (SW1M) had told The Malaysian Insider yesterday. The spokesman, who wanted to be known only as Emalee, is also the chief administrator of the SW1M Facebook page. "I ask her to go somewhere safe because she has children. Someone try to blackmail her, this issue has become quite serious," said the SW1M supreme council member, who uses the moniker "Ratu Naga" on the NGO's fanpage.
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| Teach PAS a lesson for behaving like Umno Posted: 15 Jan 2013 04:06 PM PST
YOURSAY 'Unless and until we have a credible alternative coalition, I have no choice but to just spoil my vote for this coming GE.' Malaysiakini It is no loss if DAP wishes to break rank with PAS and allow PKR to contest in all PAS seats wherever possible. Not My Real Name: I am Chinese and I say that those "stage performances" should be banned. These stage performances are no longer traditional Chinese operas. These days, they are just a cheap pop concert with bad singing and terrible performers.
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| SAPP: Tell us what’s our worth, Anwar Posted: 15 Jan 2013 02:50 PM PST The capability of local Sabah party SAPP, which has been in seat negotiations with Pakatan Rakyat Sabah since 2009, has suddenly come under question. (FMT) - KOTA KINABALU: Opposition Sabah Progressive People's Party (SAPP) has thrown the ball back at Pakatan Rakyat over its demand for seats and wants to know what the coalition thinks the party is worth. "If [Opposition Leader] Anwar Ibrahim said SAPP is contesting too many seats, and questions its strength, it is very simple: just tell me how many we should contest in state and or parliament? "If they [Pakatan] think it is not agreeable to them… tell us how many they think we should contest in state and Parliament. "I believe people expect Anwar [to give an answer]," said SAPP president Yong Teck Lee. Considering SAPP, a Chinese majority pary, has been in negotiation with Pakatan since 2009, Anwar's sudden U-turn has irked Yong. With a likelihood of a March general election, it is odd that Anwar should at this late hour wonder as to whether or not SAPP is as "formidable" a party as it professes. Recalling the meeting in June 2009, Yong said current PKR deputy president Azmin Ali, who was then PKR Sabah liaison chief, had met with SAPP's deputy president Eric Majimbun and the perimeters of discussions were set. "They spoke about the principle involved in seat distribution which is autonomy. "Under the principle of autonomy as a state party, it means SAPP will contest in more state seats and Pakatan in more parliamentary seats. "It was on that basis that we used Sandakan as the starting point of discussion. SAPP would defend Tanjung Papat and Elopura while Pakatan took the parliamentary seats including state Karamunting. "We also said SAPP will contest in one other Bumupitera majority seat in Sandakan. This was an acceptable formula accepted by many people and the basis of further discussions," said Yong. Lajim and Bumburing Yong said at no point in the discussions then and subsequently was the issue of party "strength" raised. "If we talk about which party is strong or not, everybody will have a subjective opinion. So the principle we use is autonomy, " he said, adding that Sabah Pakatan at that time only comprised PKR, DAP and PAS. Yong was commenting on Anwar's sudden turn-around over negotiations with SAPP. Anwar told reporters when launching former Umno MP Lajim's Ukin's new Pakatan-friendly platform Pertubuhan Pakatan Perubahan Sabah (PPPS) here last month that it is "difficult" to continue negotiations with SAPP and questioned the party's belief that it was a "formidable" entity in Sabah. "If SAPP refuses to budge from its demand, then it is difficult for us to continue with negotiations that are being done in the spirit of cooperation. "Each party should not demand too much… we have to be realistic as to the strength of each party. If SAPP, for example, wants half of the seats, it has to be a strong formidable party," Anwar said. Anwar's "new found" uncertainty over SAPP is anchored in his faith in new recruits Lajim and Tuaran MP Wilfred Bumburing. Both have established their respective "independent" platforms. Lajim helms PPPS while Bumburing has set up Angakatan Perubahan Sabah (APS). Each has been assigned to look into the Muslims and KadazanDusunMurut (KDM) seats respectively. Both these former BN leaders are assured of winning their respective parliamentary seats – Beaufort and Tuaran. They have each also rumoured to have pledged to Anwar several state seats.
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| Patrick Teoh in hot water over Facebook post Posted: 15 Jan 2013 02:34 PM PST Actor and famous radio presenter Patrick Teoh lands himself in hot soup after a Facebook posting insensitive to Muslims. Alyaa Azhar, FMT Actor and famous radio presenter Patrick Teoh landed himself in hot water today after a Facebook posting which has infuriated Muslims. Teoh, who is also a blogger known for his crude language, posted the comment while reacting to the PAS-led Kedah state government's statement on Jan 9 that officials and singers for the 1Malaysia Chinese New Year celebration, scheduled in Alor Setar on Feb 15, must be properly attired and were encouraged to perform motivational songs. The state government also said it would shut down the programme if there was "extreme singing and dancing". Below is his Facebook posting posted yesterday: "The 3rd most laughable statement discovered today… The January 9 guidelines to the organisers of the 1 Malaysia Chinese New Year Celebration 2013 (by the PAS Kedah state government)… included, among other things, the appropriate attire for officials and singers. 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. Encouraged to sing motivational songs!!! What kind of f**king motivation they want? Give up individuality and be sheep? Pray 5 times a day? Cover up all women? What???!!! And while they are at it, please tell us what the f**k extreme singing and dancing is? Quran-thumping mother f**kers!!!" This comment has raised heckles among Muslims with many posting nasty replies. However, about an hour ago Teoh apologised for the earlier comment. His apology states: 'Whoa!!!… whoa… whoa… I now realise what I did that was wrong and why it generated so much hate-mail. I had thought that the criticism came from my use of the phrase, "Quran-thumping m***** F*****…" I was wrong. It came from my reference to "Give up individuality and be sheep? Pray 5 times a day? Cover up all women?" which was totally out of line. It didn't convey what I was trying to say in the post and came out like a bigoted selfish statement. For that I apologise sincerely to all Muslims. Minta maaf (Sorry). But I do not apologise for calling that person a…well you know what I mean. I hope."
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| Pahang non-Muslims can't use 'Allah' word Posted: 15 Jan 2013 10:51 AM PST
(Bernama) - Non-Muslims in Pahang are prohibited from misusing the word of 'Allah' and 34 other words associated with Islam, said its mufti, Datuk Abdul Rahman Osman. He said this was enshrined under the Administration of Islam and Malay Customs of Pahang Enactment 1989 which carries a fine up to RM5,000 or imprisonment up to two years or both upon conviction. Non-Muslims are barred from using the word in statements, speeches, publications or broadcast for it could mislead and affect the faith of Muslims, he told reporters here today. He was commenting on the hullabaloo over the use of the word 'Allah' which 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. Abdul Rahman said the issue should be resolved by enforcing the enactment and abiding by the edict passed by the Muzakarah (Conference) of the Fatwa Committee of the National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs to avoid disputes, disunity among ummah, and confusion in the society.
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| Harris: Projek IC a false story Posted: 15 Jan 2013 10:47 AM PST
(The Star) - A former chief minister has rubbished claims of an organised effort to issue Malaysian identification documents to immigrants in Sabah under an alleged operation called "Projek IC". Describing such claims as false, Tan Sri Harris Salleh (pic) told the Royal Commission of Inquiry on Sabah's immigrant problem that he had no authority to order Malaysian agencies to give out identification documents when he was chief minister between 1976 and 1985. He was being questioned by conducting officer Munoj Kurup about such claims. Harris said he had never heard of Projek IC and that the Federal Government was the sole authority for the issuance of identity cards and other documents. He said he did not bother reading any publications about such claims as "I can't be bothered to read cerita palsu (false stories)". Harris said that Federal agencies may have tried to hasten the processing of documents for immigrants such as the IMM13 for those granted refugee status due to the large numbers of applicants. He said that as far as he was aware, those holding the IMM13 documents would eventually be eligible to apply for permanent resident status in the country and could subsequently seek Malaysian citizenship. To a question by Manoj, Harris said "the Federal Government never reported to the state" the number of immigrants who were given citizenship while he was chief minister. He said his Parti Berjaya-led state government was pressed to resolve the refugee problem when it came to power in 1976 as many of them had set up squatter settlements along Kota Kinabalu's seafront causing an eyesore.
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| Sabah people advised to be wary of quarters spreading lies Posted: 15 Jan 2013 10:42 AM PST
Listen to me instead (Bernama) - "In this world of globalisation, there are irresponsible quarters spreading lies in the Internet that our young people are being influenced by them," she said in her speech at the presentation of school aid at SMK Bandaraya near here yesterday. The people of Sabah were today reminded to be aware of certain quarters spreading lies and tarnishing the government's image, especially on social websites, for their political interests. Sabah Assistant Minister of Resource Development and Information Technology, Datuk Jainab Ahmad, said not all information or materials posted and shared in cyberspace were true. "Therefore, I urge the people in the state, especially the young generation, to read the right information. "In this world of globalisation, there are irresponsible quarters spreading lies in the Internet that our young people are being influenced by them," she said in her speech at the presentation of school aid at SMK Bandaraya near here yesterday. Jainab said many of the young people were confused and did not realise that many things posted in cyberspace were "purposely sensationalised even though they are not true" to attract readers. "This situation can lead to uneasiness and create split among the people. "If not contained, it can create problems in our country," she added.
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| Sharifah Zohra not with us, was hard to control, says KIMMA president Posted: 15 Jan 2013 10:40 AM PST
(The Malaysian Insider) - Controversial speaker Sharifah Zohra Jabeen, who openly attacked a student at a forum last year, is no longer a member of the Malaysian Indian Muslim Congress (KIMMA), said its president Senator Datuk Syed Ibrahim Kader, who also accused the former National KIMMA Women's Head of having a "hard to control" behaviour. Sharifah Zohra is 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". "Many phone calls to me have asked the same question. "So, I wish to affirm that she is no longer with KIMMA. Whatever she has done and said now does not involve us or our stand," said Syed Ibrahim, not specifying whether she was kicked out of the party or had resigned. Syed Ibrahim confessed to knowing of Sharifah Zohra's vocal and aggressive behaviour when she was in KIMMA and of receiving many negative reports about her. "Yes, we do know about her (Sharifah Zohra's) wild and aggressive behaviour and it is hard to control her," he added. "However, she is no longer in our party." Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/sharifah-zohra-not-with-us-was-hard-to-control-says-kimma-president/
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| Viral video reveals varsity ‘brainwash’ tactics, says student Posted: 15 Jan 2013 10:39 AM PST The undergraduates were told in the forum not to emulate opposition leaders such as Nurul Izzah Anwar. — File pic (The Malaysian Insider) - The university student shown being berated for her views on a viral YouTube clip has said it revealed to the public how state-funded universities use student forums to "brainwash" undergraduates. Second-year law student Bawani KS also expressed surprise that she was now an overnight sensation for questioning panellist Sharifah Zohra Jabeen at the Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) student forum held last December 8. "Now the public will know what's happening in public universities and how they could organise a 'students in politics' forum and yet use it to 'brainwash' the students by telling them that street rallies are wrong while showing pictures of Opposition leaders like Nurul Izzah (Anwar) and telling us not to emulate them," Bawani told The Malaysian Insider. The 27-year-old social activist was glad that the incident went viral as it may get more people to join in her cause to fight for free education for all Malaysians. When told she has been dubbed "Little Ambiga", ostensibly after Bersih co-chair Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, Bawani (left) laughed it off and went on to say how important it is for people to know that they should continue to fight for their rights. She said Sharifah Zohra did not owe her an apology but that one was due to all of the students in the forum. "She had belittled all of the students and underestimated all of us," said the undergraduate, who is a member of Parti Socialis Malaysia and its organisation, Jaringan Rakyat Tertindas. While not upset at being told off openly, Bawani is still very worked up over how the whole forum was organised to turn university students against Bersih and street rallies held to highlight the people's rights. "In most parts of the forum, they showed video clips of rallies and pictures of women involved in rallies and then tell the students that this is not how women should act or behave and that those actions are wrong," she recounted when contacted in her hometown in Kampar where she is having a short break from the university. She also expressed surprise that Higher Education Deputy Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah contacted her over the incident. "He told me he is supportive of me and I replied that NGO leaders like Sharifah (Zohra) should not be allowed to organise such one-sided forums in public universities," she said. Bawani said it would be fairer to have a forum where both sides of the political divide are present to openly debate their different views on issues. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/viral-video-reveals-varsity-brainwash-tactics-says-student/
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| ‘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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| 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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