Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Oxford College, St Hugh's, being sued for 'discriminating against the poor'
- Deepak asked to delay interview, says MACC
- Stop Perkasa or lose votes, warns MIC
- We’ll end all race-based policies such as the NEP
- Will Najib survive after GE13?
- Temple gets noise warning
- Tensions can flare if Sabah RCI sensationalised, Musa Aman tells newshounds
- ‘Pakatan all set to take away people’s rights’
- Call to ban politically incorrect terms like ‘ah pek’
- ‘Probe pre-independence immigrants’
- Burn ‘Allah’ Bibles, Perkasa chief to Muslims
- MACC asks Deepak to return with documents, no statement recorded
- For Pakatan, Election 2013 not a stroll in the park
- Ex-MNLF leader tells RCI how he came into Sabah in the 1970s
- PAS council: Azmin can say what he wants, he is disrespectful
- From boast to downright disgrace
- Jeffrey: Postpone polls in Sabah
- 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
| Oxford College, St Hugh's, being sued for 'discriminating against the poor' Posted: 20 Jan 2013 12:40 AM PST
The Radcliffe Camera at Oxford University The Huffington Post UK An Oxford college is being sued for allegedly discriminating against poor students after it rejected applications from postgraduates who couldn't prove they had £21,082 for tuition and living costs. Damien Shannon, 26, is taking St Hugh's college to court claiming the policy amounts to "selecting by wealth" and bars all but the wealthiest of students. Shannon had successfully applied to take an MSc in economic and social history but was told his place was conditional on meeting Oxford's financial requirements. According to the Guardian, Shannon's submitted legal papers state: "It is my contention that the effect of the financial conditions of entry is to select students on the basis of wealth, and to exclude those not in possession of it. "In particular, the requirement for evidence of funds for living costs has a discriminatory effect." Shannon was only able to raise £10,000 through a loan but could not secure the remaining £11,000. Former Labour cabinet minister and Salford MP, Hazel Blears, has taken up the case with a parliamentary debate on postgraduate costs being heard on Wednesday, reports the Telegraph. She said: "Oxford University's demands for a guarantee on living costs are deeply unfair. "They will price gifted students out of doing these courses and our country will lose out on some really talented individuals." The case will be heard next month. A St Hugh's college spokesman said: "The requirement that postgraduate students provide a financial guarantee in order to take up their course place at the University of Oxford is made clear to potential applicants. "The university and college have both made fundraising for postgraduate scholarships a key priority."
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| Deepak asked to delay interview, says MACC Posted: 19 Jan 2013 04:13 PM PST
Syed Jaymal Zahiid, The Malaysian Insider Controversial carpet dealer Deepak Jaikishan claimed he was "not in the (right) state of mind" to be questioned over his claims last week and asked for a postponement, says the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). MACC's response was issued yesterday, a day after Deepak said he was told on Friday to return at a later date with documents pertaining to his allegations surrounding private investigator P. Balasubramaniam's second sworn statement in 2008. The second statutory declaration, was in relation to the 2006 high-profile murder of Mongolian Altantuyaa Shaariibuu. "Deepak was greeted by one MACC officer (yesterday) and he subsequently told the officer that he was supposed to be at the MACC office because he had made an appointment with a reporter. "When asked if he was ready to give his statement, Deepak told the officer that he was 'not in the state of mind' to have his statement recorded and requested that he does so on January 22, 2013, at 5pm," the commission's Deputy Chief Commissioner, Datuk Mohd Shukri Abdull, said in a statement. Deepak had told The Malaysian Insider on Friday that he expects to reveal everything to the MACC after he had recently admitted that he helped to get Balasubramaniam to repudiate his earlier statutory declaration on the matter, including finding two lawyers to draft the new statement. The Bar Council is currently investigating the identity of lawyers and possible misconduct in the drafting of Balasubramaniam's second sworn statement about the murder of Altantuya. A cloud of mystery has hung over the identity of the lawyer who drew up Balasubramaniam's second SD, dated a day after his first on July 3, 2008, regarding Altantuya's 2006 murder, for which two elite police commandos have been convicted and are facing death sentences. Balasubramaniam's lawyer Americk Singh Sidhu had previously said M. Arunampalam's role as the lawyer who had drafted the investigator's second SD had been dispelled by well-connected businessman Deepak, who is also in the centre of the controversy surrounding Balasubramaniam's two SDs.
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| Stop Perkasa or lose votes, warns MIC Posted: 19 Jan 2013 04:06 PM PST The ruling coalition must take immediate steps to curtail Ibrahim Ali and Perkasa if it wants to win over the non-Muslims voters, says Vell Paari. (FMT) - A furious MIC leader today lashed out at Malay nationalist movement Perkasa's chief Ibrahim Ali for fanning religious and communal tension by provoking potential violence against non-Muslims. MIC strategic director S Vell Paari said the government must take criminal action against Ibrahim immediately to stop the situation from getting out of hand. "He should not be allowed to go on saying what he wants and wherever he wants and in the presence of whoever it may be to intimidate and threaten any Malaysian, let it be Muslims or non Muslims," Vell Paari said today. "To incite a criminal act against a fellow Malaysian due to religious difference is criminal in nature and action should be taken against him." He also urged the Barisan Nasional leadership to immediately clarify it's stand on Perkasa. "First and foremost he is a nobody and not a decision or policy maker in BN. He can't be allowed to go on pretending that he is speaking on behalf of the BN. "And to see him making such provocative remarks in the presence of former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad is not going to look good on BN, especially with elections just around the corner," he said. He said people like Ibrahim should be isolated and made known that Malaysia has moved forward, and not stuck in a time warp. He also said that he would be urging his party leadership to clearly state their stand against Perkasa to the BN leadership. Vell Paari was responding to Ibrahim's call earlier today for Muslims to seize and burn copies of Bibles which contain the term "Allah" or other Arabic religious words.
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| We’ll end all race-based policies such as the NEP Posted: 19 Jan 2013 04:00 PM PST Pakatan's strategy is to implement a slew of people-centric fiscal policies that will ease the financial burden of the people, via both economic and education measures. By Chua Jui Meng, FMT Pakatan de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim has promised to do away with all such policies, like the New Economic Policy (NEP), when he is sworn in as prime minister. This is because the NEP has only benefited a small percentage of Malays – the Umnoputras and their families and cronies. How else can you account for the super rich current and former Umno leaders. Policies that benefit all Malaysians and Malaysia, as outlined in Pakatan's Buku Jingga (Orange Book), will be implemented to fasttrack socio-economic growth for the people and country, not political leaders and their cronies. Poverty eradication will feature significantly in Pakatan's rule and the mammoth KL112 (Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat Kuala Lumpur) is proof of Malaysians, especially Malays, wanting change in the government. Petronas and its oil are Malaysia's largest billion-ringgit revenue earner. But only the Umno president, who is traditionally the prime minister, has access to Petronas accounts. Not even Parliament. Why the secrecy and zero transparency? Why is Singapore's per capita income 500% higher than Malaysia? When Sabah joined the Federation of Malaysia in 1963, it was the richest state in Malaysia. Today, the people of Sarawak are the poorest in Malaysia. Why? One word is the answer – greed! Unmo's greed is insatiable. That is why the majority of rural and urban Malays are living in poverty or are trapped in the middle and lower-income group. Pakatan government will focus on caring for the poor and to lift the living standards of all Malaysians. Our target is to eradicate poverty within Pakatan's first term as federal government, if given the mandate in GE13. This can be achieved by raising the household income of those with RM1,500 and below a month to RM4,000. The strategy is to implement a slew of people-centric fiscal policies that will ease the financial burden of the people, via both economic and education measures. Chua Jui Meng is PKR vice-president and Johor state chief. He is also a former MCA vice-president and an ex-Cabinet member.
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| Will Najib survive after GE13? Posted: 19 Jan 2013 03:55 PM PST The question is if Umno will allow Najib to continue to helm the party and country if BN only wins with a smaller majority or without parliamentary two-thirds. Athi Shankar, FMT Can Najib Tun Razak survive as prime minister after the country's 13th general election? This was the biggest political question today as Malaysians await the forthcoming dissolution of the parliament, said DAP's Bukit Bendera MP Liew Chin Tong. Of course, he said Najib would sure to lose power if Barisan Nasional was defeated. But, he said the question was whether Umno would allow Najib to continue to helm the party and country if BN won the election with a smaller majority or without parliamentary two-thirds. "As the nation waits for the next polls, a new question emerges – can Najib survive as prime minister?" asked Liew in his article in the latest edition of DAP mouthpiece, The Rocket. Najib took over the reins of Putrajaya on April 3, 2009 from Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, to become the country's sixth prime minister. Liew claimed that Umno undercurrents were now troubled by the reality that Najib was no game changer in winning extra Malay supports and securing more non-Malay support with his "1Malaysia" slogan for Umno and BN. Although Najib appeared not to be a racist in a vulgar way, Liew said the Umno president was unable to stem racist campaign by his own party, Malay supremacist organisation Perkasa and Malay daily, Utusan Malaysia. Liew fired a broadside against Najib for his failure to work with Pakatan Rakyat state governments, especially after the malicious "coup" in Perak in February 2009. He said Najib's attempt to stamp his mark on Umno by fielding winnable candidates had also backfired. "After vacillating on when to dissolve parliament for the last three years, the immediate question now is will there be a person by the name of Najib leading BN into the next election?" asked Liew. The Altantuya factor He claimed Najib has promptly told him three things, firstly that he had nothing to do with the murder case of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu.
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| Posted: 19 Jan 2013 12:19 PM PST
(The Star) - The Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) has ordered the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple committee in Pekan Bangi Lama to reduce its level of noise and cease religious activities after 6pm. In the Jan 8 compound notice issued to the temple, the council claimed that the noise from the temple and its religious activities had disturbed the neighbourhood. Temple Chairman R. Pannirselvam said MPKj enforcement officers ordered the temple to adhere to the notice, failing which he could be fined RM1,000 or jailed six months or both under Section 82(5) of the Local Government Act. He said the notice had caused uneasiness among the thousands of Hindus who congregate for prayers at the temple every Tuesday and Friday and also for other festivals. "Prayers are conducted between 6pm and 9pm and we ring bells during the prayers. How can we stop the ringing of the bells," he asked? MPKj councillor Senator S.T. Chandramohan however said the notice was rescinded late Friday following reports in a Tamil paper. Pannirselvam had sought the assistance of MIC Youth chief T. Mohan who assured them that the council did not have the right to impose such conditions. "This is a breach of the constitution which allows everyone to practise his own religion," Mohan said. He urged Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and Selangor exco member Dr Xavier Jayakumar to publicly apologise to the Indian community. Explaining the notice, Chandramohan said it was issued without the knowledge of council president Datuk Hassan Nawawi and other councillors. "We have asked the council's audit and good governance committee to look into the matter because there is a standing instruction that any action against religious places has to be referred to the council's full board meeting," he said. Meanwhile, Hassan clarified that the notice urging the temple to reduce the level of noise had nothing to do with the ringing of bells.
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| Tensions can flare if Sabah RCI sensationalised, Musa Aman tells newshounds Posted: 19 Jan 2013 11:43 AM PST
(The Malaysian Insider) - "In a sensitive situation such as the RCI, sensational coverage will not bring any positive results or effects for the state of Sabah or the country as a whole" Sensational coverage of the ongoing royal inquiry into Sabah's foreign population explosion could spark unnecessary tension, its chief minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman reminded journalists as witness testimonies of illegal immigrants being fast-tracked for citizenship is raising the mercury ahead of Election 2013. Questions are being asked of the ruling Barisan Nasional's (BN) role over the last two decades in failing to stem the flood of illegal immigrants into Malaysia's easternmost state, which has seen its population grow from just over 630,000 in 1970 to over 3.1 million in 2010 — more than double the national standard. "Many sensitive issues have been raised by the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants that is currently being held. "We cannot interfere in the deliberations and the testimonies in the continuing hearing. We also should not rush into any conclusions while the Inquiry is proceeding," said Musa(picture) in a brief six-paragraph media statement to The Malaysian Insider last night. The state's longest-serving chief minister urged reporters to be mindful of their coverage of the RCI, "to avoid bringing about any kind of unnecessary tension among the public". "The government has no control over editorial content. We believe in the freedom of the press," said the 61-year-old, who has been in office since March 2003. "At the same time, in a sensitive situation such as the RCI, sensational coverage will not bring any positive results or effects for the state of Sabah or the country as a whole," he added. Musa had also made a similar request last week at a closed-door meeting with state English-language media representatives from New Sabah Times, Daily Express, The Borneo Post, andBN-controlled newspapers New Straits Times (NST) and The Star, as well as national news agency Bernama. The issue of illegal immigrants has turned emotive among Sabah natives like the Kadazandusun and Murut communities, many of whom feel that the state has been robbed of its sovereignty through the massive influx of foreigners from neighbouring Philippines and Indonesia. It is no secret that Sabahans are angry and want these foreigners shipped back to their home countries in one way or another. They also often blame the immigrants for robbing them of job opportunities and for the rise in the state's social, economic and security problems. Recent statistics from a 2010 census of Sabah's population showed an extraordinary 390 per cent increase from 636,431 citizens in 1970 to 3,120,040 citizens in 2010, more than double the national population growth of just 164 per cent. About 28 per cent of Sabah's 3.2 million-strong population are foreigners, numbering at 889,000 people.
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| ‘Pakatan all set to take away people’s rights’ Posted: 19 Jan 2013 11:40 AM PST
(The Star) - "We will have to change our lifestyles as well as dress code, and probably even our choice of food. In fact, you will also be barred from lining up in the same queue with your wife after shopping at a supermarket." People will have their freedom curtailed and be subjected to harsher laws if Pakatan Rakyat were to rule the country in the coming general election. MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said the people should take note of recent developments in Kedah and Kelantan to see for themselves what was in store for them should Pakatan form the next Federal Government. "To put it simply, lipstick will not be allowed and women will not be allowed to cut men's hair at the salons," he said. "There will be no high heels, no short sleeves, no cheongsam and certainly no live music or other forms of entertainment. "We will have to change our lifestyles as well as dress code, and probably even our choice of food. In fact, you will also be barred from lining up in the same queue with your wife after shopping at a supermarket," he said at the 52nd anniversary dinner of the Negri Sembilan Moral Uplifting Society on Friday night. Dr Chua said the rights of all Malaysians, which were clearly enshrined in the Constitution, would also be infringed upon as PAS, which would take on a dominant role in Pakatan, would call the shots as was evident in Kedah and Kelantan. "The DAP says this is a small matter, but let me remind you that the party can only be a taikor (big brother) in Penang. Elsewhere, it will have tokowtow (give in) to PAS," he said. Dr Chua said it was an open secret that PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang would be elected as Prime Minister as the party would have more influence over Parti Keadilan and the DAP. Dr Chua said the fact that PAS had never endorsed PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as their Prime Minister-elect if Pakatan were to win the next general election was also testimony to this. "Anwar will be left with only Selangor. So, you decide if you want Abdul Hadi as your Prime Minister," he told the crowd. Likening the DAP to a political eunuch, Dr Chua said it was only good at criticising the Barisan Nasional government, particularly the MCA. Dr Chua said the country would prosper if Barisan continued to lead the country. "Malaysia is the only country whose economic outlook was revised upwards last year by international bodies at a time when many other developed economies were facing downturns," he pointed out. "We are forecast to do even better this year but you must have leaders who are able to steer this nation to success and not those who will be busy taking away the rights of its people."
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| Call to ban politically incorrect terms like ‘ah pek’ Posted: 19 Jan 2013 11:35 AM PST (The Star) - Terms like ah soh (aunty), ah pek (uncle) and orang asing (foreigner) should be banned in government departments and state agencies, said a Barisan Nasional leader. Kota Melaka Parliamentary Supporters Club chairman Datuk Mohammad Ahad said he would propose to the Chief Minister to direct civil servants to refrain from using such terms to address the people. "From what my close friends told me, even bank staff address the non-Malays with such terms," he said, adding that many people, especially pensioners, felt offended. His friends, Mohammad said, were professionals who had once served in senior positions in government departments and felt upset that the younger civil servants would sometimes converse with them in colloquial Malay. The younger civil servants, he added, should realise that these pensioners were from the "baby boomer" generation with good education and experience. "They are knowledgeable about any issue and don't need to Google' to get information. Therefore, younger civil servants shouldn't look down on these older folk as being ignorant," he said, blaming the social media for perpetuating such terms to refer to certain ethnic groups. Mohammad, who is also Sg Putat Umno branch chairman, said he would propose to the Chief Minister that guidelines be drawn up on etiquette and customer service. "We have to do something to label such terms as dirty words' because, in a way, civil servants who continue to address people this way can derail the noble intention of the Prime Minister's 1Malaysia concept," he said. Malacca MIC deputy chairman Datuk M.S. Mahadevan said many grassroots leaders felt that Barisan would be at a disadvantage if civil servants continued to address non-Malays with such terms. "We have those who are in their late 60s venting their frustrations whenever they are described as orang asing," he said.
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| ‘Probe pre-independence immigrants’ Posted: 18 Jan 2013 06:24 PM PST If the government can form a RCI to probe citizenships given to about 200,000 Sabah immigrants, why not on those pre-independence immigrants? asks the former PM Athi Shankar, FMT Former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamed cynically suggested the federal government form a royal commission of inquiry to probe if the one million "foreigners", who were given citizenship during independence, were entitled to it. He suggested for the commission to probe ancestral backgrounds of the "foreigners" to determine on whether they deserved their citizenship. If the government can form a commission to probe the citizenship given to some 200,000 Sabah immigrants, he asked on "why not on those pre-independence immigrants?" He told this at a crowded hall when officiating a Perkasa convention on "Penang Malays Economic and Education Transformation" in UiTM campus here today. Nonetheless he said he was not seriously demanding for such commission, but only wanted certain amount of fair play in such inquiries. "I'm not serious about it. But they must be fair," the country's fourth premier told a press conference later. Dr Mahathir seemed clearly frustrated by mounting criticisms against him over allegations of a citizenship-for-votes scheme in Sabah that occurred in the 1990s during his premiership. He said Sabah's illegal immigrants deserved their citizenships given that the law allowed for it if a person had stayed in the country for more than 10 years. "It was a co-incidence that they were given citizenship during election time," Mahathir told newsmen. Earlier in his keynote address, he said pre-independence immigrants should be grateful to the Malays for their citizenships, given by first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman. Unlike natives of Myanmar and some African nations, he said the Malaya natives, both pribumis and bumis, did not chase out the immigrants when then Malaya got its independence from the British colonial masters. Ungrateful immigrants plotting to remove Malay privileges He said the Malays generously allowed the immigrants to be citizens, speak their languages and practise their respective cultures, something that even neighbouring Thai and Indonesian natives failed to do. Although Malays constituted 80% of Malaya's voting population during independence time, he claimed that they willingly shared power with the immigrants even though it would reduce their vote bank to 60% and weaken their own political strength. "We allowed the immigrants to flourish among us and let them even to dominate the economy. We also did not stop their language and cultural growth," said Mahathir.
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| Burn ‘Allah’ Bibles, Perkasa chief to Muslims Posted: 18 Jan 2013 04:52 PM PST Proclaiming he is not instigating communal tensions, Ibrahim Ali, says it's the only way to stop non-Muslims from stirring sensitivities Athi Shankar, FMT PERMATANG PAUH: Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali has called on Muslims to seize and burn copies of Bibles which contain the term "Allah" or other Arabic religious words. Stressing that he was not instigating communal tension, the Pasir Mas MP insisted that it was the only way to stop non-Muslims from stirring the sensitivities and sentiments of the majority of population in the country. He said certain non-Muslim groups were out to provoke the Muslims by using the term "Allah" or any other Arabic religious words in the Bible. Under the Non-Islamic Religion (Control on Expansion Among Muslims) Act 1988, he said non-Muslims are prohibited from using several Arabic religious terms, including Allah, in their prayers or scriptures. "Muslims must unite to protect their religion. They must seize those Bibles, including the Malay editions, which contained the term Allah and other Arabic religious terms, and burn them. "This is the way to show our anger against disrespect to our sensitivity," he told a press conference after delivering his presidential speech at a Perkasa convention here today. 'Pre-election tactic' Held at UiTM campus, the convention was on 'Economic and Education Transformation of Penang Malays'.
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| MACC asks Deepak to return with documents, no statement recorded Posted: 18 Jan 2013 02:07 PM PST
Ida Lim, The Malaysian Insider The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) today did not record controversial businessman Deepak Jaikishan's statement in relation to P. Balasubramaniam's second statutory declaration in 2008 on the 2006 murder of Altantuyaa Shaariibuu. Deepak said the MACC today asked him to furnish a long list of documents, including those of a financial nature. "He asked me to give him a lot of documents. So I've agreed. We're going to meet early next week," he told The Malaysian Insider after the meeting at the anti-graft body's Putrajaya office. Deepak claimed that three men came to his office earlier to ask a lot of "unneccessary questions". Earlier today, Deepak told The Malaysian Insider that he expects to reveal everything to the MACC, saying: "Yes, I believe I'll be revealing everything in writing, the entire facts". "They want me to give a statement on the SD2," he had said, referring to private investigator Balasubramaniam's second statutory declaration, which contradicted his first sworn statement. Deepak had recently admitted that he helped to get Balasubramaniam, a private investigator, to repudiate his earlier statutory declaration on the matter, including finding two lawyers to draft the new statement. The Bar Council is investigating the identity of lawyers and possible misconduct in the drafting of Balasubramaniam's second sworn statement about the 2006 murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu. A cloud of mystery has hung over the identity of the lawyer who drew up Balasubramaniam's second SD, dated a day after his first on July 3, 2008, regarding Altantuya's 2006 murder, for which two elite police commandos have been convicted and are facing death sentences.
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| For Pakatan, Election 2013 not a stroll in the park Posted: 18 Jan 2013 01:33 PM PST
Debra Chong, The Malaysian Insider As it stands now, the fight for the new voter is split down the centre with Merdeka Center's latest survey showing half of Election 2013 virgins supportive of Datuk Seri Najib Razak, contrary to perception that first time voters are likely to be Pakatan Rakyat (PR) supporters. Nearly one in two Malaysians polled between last November and December in the "First-Time Voters Public Opinion Survey" said they were happy with the prime minister's performance even though only four in 10 said they were satisfied with the Barisan Nasional (BN) government since Najib took over the wheel from Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in April 2009. The latest findings appear to corroborate the independent pollster's earlier studies on public rating for the ruling coalition were lagging behind its leader's despite the slew of cash handouts and a raft of economic and legal reforms introduced over the past four years. In effect, BN would be worse off without Najib's popularity. The independent research house had polled 826 newly-registered voters in Peninsular Malaysia aged 21 and above and found Najib being most popular among Indians at 64 per cent compared to six out of 10 Malays and lowest among the Chinese, with six out of 10 saying they were upset with the PM. In contrast, the BN coalition trailed the PM's ratings by eight percentage points, with 41 per cent of first-time voters approving it compared to the 49 per cent that backed Najib. The ruling coalition was even rated one percentage point lower than the first-time voter's satisfaction with the federal government, which stood at 42 per cent. Political analysts have suggested that the BN cash in more on Najib's personal popularity to endear themselves to first-time voters. The survey also showed a marked split in the issues considered important to each ethnic group, with the Chinese saying they were most concerned about corruption while emotive issues touching on race and religion trumped livelihood issues for the Malays. More than half of the 561 Malays polled said they wanted more to see politicians debate Malay and equality rights than talk about living costs or corruption.
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| Ex-MNLF leader tells RCI how he came into Sabah in the 1970s Posted: 18 Jan 2013 01:15 PM PST
(The Star) - KOTA KINABALU: A former leader of an armed group involved in a civil war in southern Philippines some 40 years ago told the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) that it was easy to slip into Sabah in the mid 1970s. Abdul Halil Aramil said that he and six other Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) leaders, who were based in Basilan province, Philippines, arrived at an island near the east coast town of Sandakan sometime in 1975 without any problem. He told the inquiry that the group came to Jampiras Island, near Sabah, after their fighters in Basilan started running low on ammunition and food. "We sought help in Sabah," said Abdul Halil, who calls himself Commander Janggut. He added that he and the other MNLF leaders eventually settled in Sabah, with most of them securing employment in the oil palm plantations. Abdul Halil told the inquiry that he and several hundred Filipino refugees eventually set up a settlement in the interior Nabawan district, which they called Kampung Minsupala in reference to their homeland – Mindanao, Sulu and Palawan. He said that while they yearned for autonomy in southern Philip-pines, they now considered Malaysia as their home. "I have never gone back to where I came from and I do not wish to return there because it is not safe even though the war has ended," he said. Abdul Halil added that the situation there was unsafe as almost everyone owned a firearm. On June 1, 2012, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced the setting up of the RCI to investigate the long-standing problem related to illegal immigrants in Sabah, as the Government was committed to resolving the matter which could adversely affect the well-being of the state's people. Najib had insisted on the setting up of the RCI and had, on Sept 21, handed over appointment letters to the RCI chairman, former Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Steve Shim Lip Kiong and the commission's other members. The Prime Minister reportedly told the commission members that he wanted the inquiry to be completed before the general election.
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| PAS council: Azmin can say what he wants, he is disrespectful Posted: 18 Jan 2013 01:12 PM PST
(The Star) - The PAS Syura Council, not happy with Azmin Ali's remarks that its decision on the kalimah Allah issue isn't the stand taken by Pakatan Rakyat leaders, said the PKR deputy president was being disrespectful to the council. PAS ulama chief Datuk Harun Taib (picture) said: "PAS stands by the Syura Council, as it is the supreme body responsible for policies and major decisions in the party. "Let him (Azmin) say whatever he wants. I do not want to comment about him. That is his matter." Azmin had reportedly said at a press conference on Thursday that the Opposition pact was sticking to its decision that non-Muslims can use the word "Allah" despite the council stating otherwise. He added that Pakatan was bound by the policies that were discussed during a Jan 8 meeting and that the council was not related to it. PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang were at the meeting that arrived at the decision. But the council said on Monday that non-Muslims should be prevented from using the word "Allah" in translations of their religious texts. Azmin was adamant that Pakatan's stance on the issue had not changed and that the council's "afterthought" did not hold water with the Opposition pact. Meanwhile, sacked Selangor PAS chief Datuk Dr Hasan Ali also chided Azmin on his remarks, saying the PKR deputy leader had failed to understand the sentiments of PAS members and supporters on matters concerning Islam.
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| From boast to downright disgrace Posted: 18 Jan 2013 01:05 PM PST The modus operandi to ensure Sabah remained Umno's "fixed deposit" bordered on "treason" at the highest level and was a state-sponsored organised crime. (FMT) - KOTA KINABALU: It used to be Umno's and the Barisan Nasional's claim, made with some swagger, that Sabah is their "fixed deposit" state. The boast was meant to convey the message to the opposition that they were untouchable. As it turned out, it was true. The ruling coalition had indeed stuffed the ballot boxes in the state sufficiently, but not in the usual way, to ensure Sabah would always be in their corner in their bid to hang on to reins of power. But that boastful expression is coming back to haunt them. The first week of evidence gathering by the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into the massive presence of illegal immigrants in the state emphasised this. The narrative so far is that what started as a refugee problem morphed into an illegal immigrant problem and then became a policy to re-engineer the population of the state to reflect Muslim dominance from its native Christian majority origins at the founding of Malaysia in 1963. From there it again changed shape and became an alleged illegal citizenship-for-votes project to prop up a shaky coalition government that has ruled Malaysia for more than 50 years and Sabah for almost two decades. The modus operandi that was used to ensure Sabah became Umno's "fixed deposit" state, bordered on state-sponsored organised crime while some would put it as "treasonous" activity at the highest government levels. Witness after witness stated as much over the last week. However, former civil servants who served during his time in power, illegal immigrants and refugees seem to contradict his statement by telling the commission of the clandestine nature of the issuance of Malaysian identification papers that led to them gaining citizenship and right to vote. Top Sabah National Registration Department (NRD) officers spoke of an operation codenamed 'Operation Rotten Durian' and by all accounts this operation reached into the highest offices including those of Mahathir's trusted aides and indeed Mahathir himself. He seems to confirm this when he said last week: "When I was prime minister, I was in power to determine the implementation of government policies. "The government received foreigners to be citizens if (they) fulfilled certain conditions, furthermore those who are there are not one, two days but already 20 to 30 years and they speak in Bahasa Melayu, have the right to be Malaysians. "So the problem is when there are people who are unhappy when there are some who become Malaysians although those individuals have already long resided in Malaysia, that is what causes problems." Speaking at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, as the stunning nature of the RCI witness statements sank in, he repeatedly stressed that this giving of citizenships to foreigners was "within the law". "I never deny it (citizenships) were given. What I deny is that I did something against the law, that I will deny," he was reported as saying.
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| Jeffrey: Postpone polls in Sabah Posted: 18 Jan 2013 01:02 PM PST Given the revelations at the RCI, Sabah STAR believes electoral rolls are tainted and needs to be cleaned up before the general elections. Queville To, FMT KOTA KINABALU: Sabah State Reform Party (STAR) chairman Jeffrey Kitingan has called for the suspension of the forthcoming 13th General Election until the electoral rolls in Sabah are cleaned up. Commenting on the series of sensational revelations made by witnesses in the ongoing Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on issuance of Malaysian citizenship to both legal and illegal immigrants in Sabah, he said the current electoral rolls are tainted and should not be used. He stressed that the revelations on phantom voters and illegitimate voters enabling fraudulent wins for Umno-BN candidates in the past is a clarion call for all Sabah leaders to join hands to oust the illegitimate government and to call for the suspension of the forthcoming general elections in Sabah until the electoral rolls are cleaned up. "It distresses genuine Sabahans and Malaysians to hear the revelations at the RCI. It is confirming that even the worst of our nightmares on the poor governance of Sabah are nothing compared to what we are hearing," said Jeffrey. "We hear of illegal immigrants being given registration receipts and used as voters for hire to ensure wins for Umno/BN candidates including a former chief minister who would have lost if not for these voters for hire." He was referring to witnesses testimony that between RM10 and RM20 was paid to these voters to be bussed around to various constituencies in the state that were deemed opposition leaning areas to prop up the BN candidates in those areas. In Friday's public hearing, the RCI was told of foreigners who were born in India and had travelled to Sabah using Indian passports ended up as Malaysian citizens by making false claims of being born in Sabah. They were given Malaysian ICs and passports despite not living in the state or country for the rehired period and have since voted up to five times. Present Sabah govt 'illegitimate' The witnesses, who are now voters told, the commission they were merely asked to sign forms while their place of birth, which was neither Sabah or any other part of Malaysia, was filled in by others and the ICs hand-delivered to them.
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| 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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