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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Deepak: Police intimidating me
Know your numbers, Musa tells Hisham
Immunity: Pakatan tells Deepak to ask AG
SAPP stands alone with dignity
Explain ‘missing’ land, S’gor govt told
Don’t pour oil on ‘Allah’ flames, Hasan Ali tells MCCBCHST
Deepak seeks immunity, vows more exposés after
Wong Tack still a man on fire
Perak Speaker Ganesan sues for defamation over lewd VCD
Sabah Kita joins the polls fray, splitting votes
‘Re-open Altantuya murder probe if…’
‘Nazri told us mainstream media govt tool’
Minister draws flak for spooking Christians
M'sians trust online information most: Edelman survey
Multi-cornered fight on the cards in Sabah
Let Sabah parties rule state, SAPP tells Pakatan

Posted: 05 Feb 2013 06:25 PM PST

Carpet dealer claims the police and MACC are getting orders from "higher ups" to stop him from revealing the truth behind Altantuya Shaariibuu's murder.

Anisah Shukry, FMT

Deepak Jaikishan has accused policemen of working "in synergy" with the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) to stop him from implicating Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak in the 2006 murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu.

The controversial businessman told reporters today he suspected they were receiving "instructions from above" to pressure him from disclosing all he knew regarding the premier and his family.

He cited as example his latest appointment with the MACC on Jan 25, in which the police had allegedly disrupted him as he was recording his statement over P Balasubramiam's second statutory declaration.

"I was in the middle of writing out my statement. I had only completed two pages when the police called me up. They were in my office and wanted me to go over to the Jalan Duta Court Complex immediately to give evidence under Section 111A," recalled Deepak.

Deepak said he had asked the presiding MACC officer to explain to the policeman over the phone that he was in the middle of recording his statement, but the officer refused.

"He said 'no, we cannot talk to him, but you go, then you come back again.' So I know the MACC and the police are all in synergy. They want to stop me from continuing with my statement," he said.

Deepak claimed that when he arrived in court, he was then told by the police to go to the Jalan Duta ACP's house in Bangsar to record a statement regarding what he knew of Altantuya's murder.

There, he said, he was met by the ACP and proceeded to record his statement for four hours before finally returning home at 11pm.

"It was all done in a cloak and dagger style to intimidate me," claimed Deepak.

According to Deepak, that wasn't the first time the MACC had attempted to undermine his efforts to "reveal the truth".

He said that during his first appointment with the MACC on Jan 18, the officers had refused to look through all the documents he had brought.

He also said that while he was in Putrajaya for that appointment, several people went to his office to create a "ruckus".

"I had to go back to the office, then went to Putrajaya and recorded my statement with MACC that lasted half an hour."

Pressure from all sides

Deepak said he was now under duress from all quarters, and was receiving "love letters" from various government agencies such as the customs department relating to cases dated back from 2000.

"They tell me all these cases will come to me in February, by sheer coincidence," Deepak added sarcastically. "I know the tactics they are employing."

He said that even Boustead Holdings' takeover of his company, Astacanggih, was a form of intimidation so that he'll drop his lawsuit against Putrajaya for an alleged breach of agreement over land in Bukit Raja, Selangor.

READ MORE HERE

Know your numbers, Musa tells Hisham

Posted: 05 Feb 2013 05:15 PM PST

The former top cop hits out at the home minister for undermining the crime index.

G Vinod, FMT

Former inspector-general of police Musa Hassan criticised Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein for undermining crime statistics recently.

Speaking to FMT, Musa said that everyone needs some sort of statistics for research and studies for future improvements.

"How can he [Hishammuddin] say statistics are not important? The police allocate a lot of money and manpower to compile crime statistics.

"Hishammuddin should know what he is doing," he said.

Last month, The Malaysian Insider quoted Hishammuddin as saying that the crime index is not important as the numbers can be disputed and belittled as has been seen in the run-up to the coming general election.

He also said that the government was committed to battling crime and the people are feeling safer on the streets now.

Musa said that not only the police collect statistics, but all other government departments do as well.

"Even to gauge the progress of a nation's economy, we need statistics. The whole world needs data.

"If statistics are not important, why do we need the Statistics Department?" he asked.

Nonsensical comments

MyWatch chairman R Sri Sanjeevan agreed with Musa, saying the government should consider closing down the Statistics Department, going by Hishammuddin's logic.

He urged Hishammuddin to understand his role better and not just give nonsensical comments.

"He should stop acting like he is the inspector-general of police," said Sanjeevan.

Posted: 05 Feb 2013 05:07 PM PST

The businessman now wants the AG to provide him with immunity so that he can reveal more about the alleged links between Najib and Rosmah to the Altantuya Shaariibu case.

Anisah Shukry, FMT

Pakatan Rakyat will not provide immunity to controversial businessman Deepak Jaikishan and instead asked him to turn to Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail instead.

Responding to this, the carpet dealer, who met PAS vice-president Mahfuz Omar this morning, said he would write to the AG and was optimistic about the outcome.

"It would be impossible for him [Gani] to deny me immunity. Here I am with all the evidence, surely he would want to listen to me," he pointed out.

However, Deepak vowed to continue with his revelations regarding Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor and not wait for the AG's response to his request.

"I would continue [without waiting for the AG's response] but cautiously within the law. But if they give the greenlight, I would go all the way out with the evidence," he stressed.

The businessman hoped for a prompt reply from Gani.

"I hope the AG would answer me immediately so that I may expose in detail all the documents involving money, and the Official Secrets Act which Rosmah gave to me," he added.

Deepak said that his next press conferences would be held in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Dubai because the local mainstream media was "unable to reveal the truth".

PAS to provide legal aid

Meanwhile, Mahfuz told reporters that Pakatan felt that the Whistleblower Act 2010 and Witness Protection Act 2009 were sufficient in according protection to Deepak.

"We unanimously agreed that immunity already exists in the country's Witness Protection Act, so there is no need for a guarantee of any other immunity for Deepak," said the Pokok Sena MP.

"We find that he deserves protection based on the documents he has shown us and all that he has explained. But he must write a letter to the Attorney-General's Chambers to formally request immunity," he added.

Mahfuz said PAS' lawyers would help provide legal aid and support for Deepak throughout the application process.

Commenting on this, PAS chief lawyer Asmuni Awi said: "After we obtain information from Deepak, I would write a letter to the AG to ensure that he receives protection from any actions that incriminate him."

"Deepak explained to us that he was only following orders. But according to the law, action could be taken against him and he requires protection," added the lawyer.

READ MORE HERE

SAPP stands alone with dignity

Posted: 05 Feb 2013 04:13 PM PST

In recent weeks SAPP president Yong Teck Lee has been heard accusing BN and Pakatan Rakyat of trying to subdue any party that fights for Sabah autonomy and the peoples' rights.

Luke Rintod, FMT

TUARAN: Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) appears to have abandoned any lingering hope of working together with Pakatan Rakyat for the coming general election in Sabah.

If the latest speeches by SAPP leaders are any indication, all that is left now is for the party to try and work it out with another opposition party, the State Reform Party (STAR), which has adamantly refused to "work under" any peninsular party.

For the past one week SAPP president Yong Teck Lee, in his speeches, has been very critical of all peninsula-based parties.

He has been accusing them of trying to subdue any party that fights for Sabah autonomy or to regain whatever glory the state had before the entry of the hegemonic central power.

In Tenghilan, Tuaran recently, Yong repeated his call for the people to give priority to Sabah-based parties like SAPP and urged them to ignore Pakatan and Barisan Nasional if they want an autonomous state within the federation.

"Under Pakatan and BN, everything will be decided in Kuala Lumpur, there is no autonomy for Sabah. They want to decide and control everything in Sabah…

"[Unlike SAPP], their candidates need not come down to the kampungs to get nominated for election. All they have to do is go to Kuala Lumpur and lobby the leaders there for their candidacy in Sabah," Yong told 160 SAPP grassroots leaders.

According to him, whether in Pakatan or BN, the authority to appoint candidates lay with leaders in Kuala Lumpur and that explained why aspiring Sabahans more often than not tried to please their Kuala Lumpur bosses rather than listening to and fighting for issues close to the heart of ordinary Sabahans.

"This is dangerous for Sabah's fight for autonomy. People must reject leaders who do not have the audacity to [make] demands for Sabah.. They don't fight for Norikoh [murdered girl in a suspected attempted rape in Kota Marudu recently] or ask why the [Nomad] plane crashed [in 1976 killing then chief minister Fuad Stephens and other ministers].

"And mind you, Kuala Lumpur leaders dislike those who ask questions or question them…" said Yong.

He also questioned the rationale of 500 Sabahans being flown to Kuala Lumpur recently during the Pakatan-organised "Himpunan Rakyat" when Sabah needed them most here.

"How much did the 500 spend to go there? RM1 million was spent just to be seen and rubbing shoulders with their KL leaders. If they so wanted to serve the kampung folks, come down to the kampungs lah," he said.

READ MORE HERE

Explain ‘missing’ land, S’gor govt told

Posted: 05 Feb 2013 04:07 PM PST

MIC Youth chief T Mohan claims that the Selangor government is planning to build a fully residential Tamil school in a land allocated as compensation to the former Coalfield estate workers

B Nantha Kumar, FMT

The Pakatan Rakyat-led Selangor government has been taken to task over a two-acre land, which was initially reserved for the construction of the country's first fully residential Tamil school.

MIC Youth chief T Mohan said the state executive councillor in charge of Health, Estate Workers, Poverty and Caring Government, Dr Xavier Jeyakumar, should clear the air over the "missing" two- acre land which was awarded to the former Coalfield estate workers as compensation.

Speaking to FMT, Mohan said the fate of the two acres of land is unknown while Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim had been giving contradictory statements on the matter.

He said while MIC welcomes the idea of setting up a fully residential Tamil school, the state government needs to be transparent on its plans.

"The state should answer all allegations pertaining to the land. Khalid said in total 10 acres were awarded for the construction of the school. But launching the project last week he announced that the state had allocated eight acres for the project.

"Why is there a reduction in the size? Where is the balance of two acres? This is a serious issue and the state government should reveal details of the project," said Mohan.

On Feb 13, last year, Khalid announced that the state would build a fully residential Tamil school on the 10-acre land. However, during the Tamil school ground-breaking ceremony on Feb 2, Khalid said the government has allocated only eight acres.

Mohan claimed the state government's silence on the matter can be construed as "admission of guilt".

He also demanded that Jeyakumar discloses details on the 10-acre plot given to the former Coalfield estate workers.

Posted: 05 Feb 2013 03:55 PM PST

Debra Chong, The Malaysian Insider

Lawmaker Datuk Hasan Ali warned today the country's main non-Muslim interfaith council against adding more fuel to the "Allah" debate that has already inflamed tensions nationwide, a day after the group accused Selangor's Islamic authority of attempting to curb their religious rights.

The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) has yesterday chided the Selangor Islamic Council (MAIS) and a former top judge for trying to control the rights of Malaysia's religious minorities in the tussle over "Allah", which they said was unconstitutional.

"Rightly, the MCCBCHST which is represented by those with authority and learned in the nation's social culture should not pour oil on fire that is starting to flare.

"The wisdom that is in the MCCBCHST leaders should be used properly to determine the peace and harmony that have been and is being enjoyed will continue to be enjoyed by future generations," the Independent Gombak Setia assemblyman said in a statement today.

Hasan also urged the council not to involve itself in "unhealthy political games" but to advise the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) federal opposition, which supports the right of non-Muslims to call their gods "Allah", which many Muslims here believe is exclusive to Islam.

"It is suggested the MCCBCHST should not entrap themselves in unhealthy political games.

"They should instead take a positive attitude and find the best way, or at least, advise the Pakatan Rakyat political leadership to be reasonable and to study if their actions for short-term political gains can guarantee a peaceful racial and religious relation in the long run," he said.

The president of right-wing Malay group Jalur Tiga (Jati) lashed out at the interfaith council, saying it had failed to take into account that non religious adherent, including Christians, had never applied to use the word "Allah" for their gods.

"The MCCBCHST should understand that the federal and state governments, including the Islamic bodies have never tried to control non-Muslims or disturb their religious practices," he said.

Hasan, a self-described champion of Malays and Islamic, said the "Allah" row only started recently, in the run-up to Election 2013 and questioned the motive for non-Muslims to demand to the right to call their gods by the Arabic word.

"Only recently with GE13 approaching, the Allah issue is being raised which to this day has never been explained the real motive behind that application," he said.

While he acknowledged that Christian Bumiputeras in Sabah and Sarawak had the right to use the Arabic word to refer to their god, as they had been doing so for a long time, he insisted that such use should not be allowed in peninsular Malaysia.

"What is happening is an attempt by those irresponsible to go against existing limits by asking for the word Allah that is the exclusive right of Muslims to also be used by non-Muslims," he said.

"This is in truth an unhealthy practice that can cause tension among races and religion," he added.

The "Allah" row, which first erupted shortly after Election 2008, is again in the spotlight in the run-up to Election 2013 and is threatening to drive a wedge between non-Muslims and the Malay-Muslim community who form 60 per cent of Malaysia's 28 million population.

Sikhs also use the word 'Allah" in their holy book, but Christians in Malaysia make up just under 10 per cent of the total population, and most of them hail from Sarawak and Sabah where worship is conducted in Bahasa Malaysia or their native languages that use the word "Allah" to refer to "God the Father" in the Christian belief of god as a trinity.

Deepak seeks immunity, vows more exposés after

Posted: 05 Feb 2013 03:51 PM PST

Syed Jaymal Zahiid, The Mlaaysian Insider

Controversial businessman Deepak Jaikishan said today he will seek immunity under the Witness Protection Act 2009 before exposing further alleged power abuse involving the country's top leadership.

"I will apply for protection and write a letter to the Attorney-General (A-G) and hope he will reply immediately so I can make detailed exposés," he told reporters after meeting PAS leadership at the party's headquarters here.

The meeting took place after PAS vice-president Datuk Mahfuz Omar promised to look into the carpet dealer's request for protection after Deepak claimed he had been a victim of government intimidation.

Mahfuz said PAS was ready to provide legal help should Deepak face problems in his application for immunity as a whistleblower.

"Our lawyer is ready to provide legal service to Deepak should he face obstacles in his application. He is qualified to receive protection under the Act," the Pokok Sena MP said.

The carpet dealer claimed today the authorities had tried to intimidate him when they sent five police officers to bring him to "a certain officer's house" to have his statement recorded on his alleged involvement in the second sworn statement on the murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaaribuu.

"Instead of the Duta police station where I was supposed to record my statement, five police officers had escorted me to record my statement at a certain officer's house.

"This is the typical cloak-and-dagger style to intimidate. I know how they work. The government is very powerful but they cannot hide the truth," he said.

Deepak further said the police had asked him if he knew who had murdered Altantuya.

"I replied I know the personality involved but I'm not 100 per cent sure who was at the location (of the murder)," he said while refusing to divulge the name of the person in question.

The carpet dealer had recently admitted that he helped private investigator P. Balasubramaniam repudiate the latter's earlier statutory declaration on the 2006 murder, including finding two lawyers to draft the new statement.

The Bar Council subsequently launched an investigation on the identity of the lawyers and possible misconduct in the drafting of the second sworn statement on the matter but said Deepak had refused to co-operate.

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.

Wong Tack still a man on fire

Posted: 05 Feb 2013 03:43 PM PST

(The Star) - Himpunan Hijau chairman Wong Tack is standing by his statement that he will burn down the Lynas rare earth refinery if it is not shut down by the elected government after the general election.

He admitted that it was a statement of violence but said the public should take into account the dangers posed by a rare earth refinery.

It was reported that Pakatan Rakyat leaders had disagreed with Wong's statement and had distanced themselves from the group.

In response to that, Wong said Pakatan should be proud that he was placing so much confidence in the Opposition coalition.

"Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has given his commitment to shut down Lynas if Pakatan comes into power. It is with that assurance that I made the statement," he said, adding that the same step would be taken if Barisan Nasional was re-elected but did not shut down the plant.

In Putrajaya, Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili said: "We have laws in this country. The law enforcers will know what to do."

The Science, Technology and Innovation Minister also called on the public not to listen to people like Wong, "who wants to take the law into his own hands."

Dr Ongkili was speaking to newsmen after signing a memorandum of understanding with Myanmar on cooperation in the science and technology fields at his office yesterday.

Wong has threatened to burn down the plant if the newly-elected government fails to shutter it.

Meanwhile, Bentong MCA division chief Datuk Hoh Khai Mun said DAP's politics of hatred has spread to civil societies and Pakatan Rakyat must take responsibility for it.

In referring to Wong's threat, Ho said the DAP and its coalition partners had often called for their members and the public to take to the streets in their bid to topple the government.

"This time, one of their followers has taken Pakatan's call too far in wanting to burn down a plant without considering the immediate and long-term repercussions to the public," he said in a statement.

Perak Speaker Ganesan sues for defamation over lewd VCD

Posted: 05 Feb 2013 03:37 PM PST

(The Star) - Perak state assembly speaker Datuk R. Ganesan on Wednesday filed a RM25mil suit for defamation against five Opposition lawmakers over a VCD with a lewd picture of him and a woman on the cover

He named assemblymen V. Sivakumar (Tronoh), A. Sivasubramaniam (Buntong), Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham (Sitiawan), Nga Kor Ming (Pantai Remis) and Lim Pek Har (Menglembu) as the defendants in the suit.

"I have lodged a police report on Dec 22 for investigations to be carried out and I have stated then that I will take stern action against those who have defamed me.

"On Jan 15, I issued a letter through my lawyer demanding that these parties retract their statements and apologise to me on certain terms but until now I have not received anything.

"Therefore, I've decided to file a defamation suit to clear my name," he told reporters at the High Court.

On Dec 22, Sivakumar and Sivasubramaniam claimed they received a brown envelope outside the state assembly, apparently containing a VCD with the lewd picture.

The contents in the VCD could not be verified as the recipients claimed they had not watched it and decline to show it to the media.

There was also a printout of an image from a blog and an envelope with the sender's address as "Perak MIC liaison body".

Sabah Kita joins the polls fray, splitting votes

Posted: 05 Feb 2013 03:21 PM PST

It is likely that the general election will see four-cornered fights in almost all the seats, given the interest of several smaller parties, alongside STAR and SAPP.

Joseph Bingkasan, FMT

KOTA KINABALU: It is getting increasingly crowded in Sabah's political arena. The latest party to "consolidate" itself under a new chief and reiterate its stand to contest all 60 state and 25 parliamentary seats is the Sabah chapter of Parti Keadilan Insan Tanah Air (Kita).

Former assemblyman Thomas Anggan, who lost his deposit in the 2008 general election and who now heads Sabah Kita, said candidates have already been identified and the main aim is to bring down Barisan Nasional.

"We are willing to work with Pakatan Rakyat to face the might of BN but if the Anwar Ibrahim-led opposition coalition declines our offer to cooperate, Sabah Kita will go on its own for all the state and parliamentary seats in Sabah," said Anggan.

Anggan, a police inspector before contesting in 1985 for PBS and a former political secretary, will himself be contesting in Bingkor state and Keningau parliamentary seats. Keningau is currently held by his former boss, PBS president Joseph Pairin Kitingan.

Anggan took over the leadership of Sabah Kita on Feb 1 after former federal minister Pengiran Othman Rauf tendered his resignation last month, citing health reasons.

Anggan, who was Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) assemblyman for Bingkor in 1985, called a party supreme council meeting last week and adopted a resolution that was taken by Othman last year that the party will field candidates in all the 60 state and 25 parliamentary seats in Sabah in the coming general election.

The supreme council of the party, an expansion of the Peninsula-based Kita, once headed by lawyer businessman Zaid Ibrahim, also made key appointments during its recent meeting.

Its new deputy chairmen are Sylvester Mutang Dawat and Johan Asik Shah.

Sabah Kita's director of strategy and information chief is Abdul Rashid Kobod while Timis Sambadi is the secretary and Betty Edwin Malangkan, the women's wing chief. The three supreme council members appointed are Jounal Bibi, Wahid Susu @ Suyoh and Saidi Jaimin.

These officials are also set to contest in the general election. Dawat is set for Tenom, Johan in Kota Belud and Abdul Rashid is going for the Semporna parliamentary and Senallang state seats.

More players advantageous to BN

With this latest announcement, Sabah Kita is now the second smallest Sabah party contesting all the seats in the state. The other is Parti Bersatu Sasa Malaysia (Bersama) or Malaysia United People's Party.

Bersama, headed by Suhaidin Langkap, is also planing to field candidates not only in Sabah but in all the 222 parliamentary and 502 state constituencies in the country.

READ MORE HERE

‘Re-open Altantuya murder probe if…’

Posted: 05 Feb 2013 03:07 PM PST

Responding to the revelations by Deepak Jaikishan, Musa Hassan says the probe should be re-opened if there is new evidence.

G Vinod, FMT

There must be a fresh probe if there is new evidence about the death of Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu, said former inspector general of police Musa Hassan.

Pressed on private investigator P Balasubramaniam's second statutory declaration, Musa, who is also crime watchdog MyWatch patron, repeated:"If got new evidence, there should be a new investigation."

In December last year, carpet dealer Deepak Jaikishan alleged that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's wife Rosmah Mansor had sought his help to get Balasubramaniam to retract his first statutory declaration which implicated the premier's family in Altantuya's death.

Deepak, allegedly in working in cahoots with Nazim Razak, brother of Najib Tun Razak, had sealed a deal with Balasubramaniam to retract his allegation.

However, Najib had since dismissed Deepak's allegation, saying the latter was not a credible person.

Crime index manipulation

On another matter, Sanjeevan alleged that the government had manipulated the crime statistics in regards to burglary and house break-ins for 2011.

He claimed that from January to October 2011, there were 43,792 cases of burglary and house break in, but the government changed the figure to 30,200.

"For snatch thief and robbery without firearms, 17,882 cases were recorded for the same period. However, the government tweaked it to 7,324 cases only.

"IGP Ismail Omar must explain this," said Sanjeevan, who is also a Negeri Sembilan PKR youth exco member.

He added that the police should also make public of its Standard Operation Procedures on gauging the crime statistics so that the people would have better knowledge of it.

"It's because we believe some calculations are not done correctly.

"For example, for a vehicle theft case, our police consider the crime is solved when the vehicle is found, not when the culprit is apprehended which is against the Interpol standard," he alleged.

‘Nazri told us mainstream media govt tool’

Posted: 05 Feb 2013 12:35 PM PST

(FMT) - According to European Muslim delegates, de facto law minister Nazri Aziz said it was normal for mainstream media to suppress the opposition's voice.

De facto law minister Nazri Aziz has dismissed allegations that the opposition's voice has been suppressed in the mainstream media, saying it was something "normal".

He also justified the opposition pact's limited access to the mainstream media, stating that the latter was a "government tool".

Members of the European Muslim Election Assessment Committee said this when briefing reporters on their two-day fact-finding mission here.

According to the delegates, who were here on Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's invitation, opposition members had expressed concerns that they were unable to reach out to Malaysians through the Barisan Nasional-controlled mainstream media.

But when the delegates relayed these concerns to Nazri, he allegedly pooh-poohed the suppression of the opposition's voice in mainstream media as "normal."

"We told the law minister that in Europe, all parties have the possibility to express their views to the mainstream media," said Fadime Örgü (photo, right) who is former member of parliament in the Netherlands.

"But Nazri told us the structure of the media is different in Malaysia. That here, the mainstream media is a government tool," Fadime said at a press conference.

But she said Nazri had assured her that opposition members would be allowed access to the mainstream media during the campaign period prior to the general election.

"He said this is normal in Malaysia, and if the opposition came into power, it would do the same," added Fadime.

This prompted PKR member Fuziah Salleh, who was also present, to quickly interject: "That is not true. Nazri has no right to voice out what he thinks Pakatan will or will not do when it comes to power."

The observers declined to comment outright on Nazri's alleged remark, but they pointed out that freedom of the media was a cornerstone of democracy.

"We are not here to give our opinion, but just to relay what we noticed and observed," said Zouhair Amri (photo, left) CEO of Oumma Media, which is the largest Muslim Media Company.

Minister draws flak for spooking Christians

Posted: 05 Feb 2013 11:12 AM PST

(FMT) - Bernard Dompok's bid to stoke the fears of Sabah and Sarawakian Christians over PAS' Islamic state agenda has made him look like a fool in view of the RCI testimonies, says a local politician.

Are Sabah Barisan Nasional leaders' senses so warped that they can no longer discriminate between right and wrong?

It seems that way listening to Upko president Bernard Dompok's reasoning for Umno-Barisan Nasional to continue its rule in Sabah, said State Reform Party (STAR) deputy chairman Daniel Jambun.

Dompok, a federal minister, had two days ago called on Christians in Sabah to reject PAS and instead continue to return "evil" Umno-led BN at the coming poll as a counterbalance against Islamic party PAS.

Lambasting Dompok's scare tactic, Jambun said the ongoing Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) was providing substantive evidence why the Umno-BN rule must be ended.

"Didn't Dompok hear the testimonies? Substantive evidence is now being exposed at the on-going investigation by the RCI.

"Whose names did the witnesses mention having led and (was) involved in the Projek IC for illegal immigrants in Sabah? Were not these leaders of BN and Umno?

"If Dompok believes that BN and Umno are different from Pakatan Rakyat or PAS, let me remind him that it was under BN rule (when Anwar Ibrahim was also deputy prime minister) that the Muslim transient population exploded out of proportion in Sabah under Umno's dream to Islamise the whole of Sabah," he added.

'Inside the evil system'

Jambun pointed out that so far no leaders from PAS had been cited as being involved in the Projek IC.

"I do not want to defend PAS or Pakatan as we too believe they tend to harbour the same twisted aspirations of Umno as far as an Islamic country is concerned. Perhaps they only differ in approach and volume or velocity," he said.

He said that if Dompok, a federal minister, was trying to scare Christians into voting for Umno and BN at the coming general election, he was being selective in his fear-mongering.

"Let me remind him that Umno and BN also have Perkasa as its extreme wing or affiliate that demanded for our Bibles to be defaced and burned.

M'sians trust online information most: Edelman survey

Posted: 05 Feb 2013 10:55 AM PST

(Bernama) - Malaysians in the general public trust information resulting from online search engines highest, followed by traditional and social media, according to the findings of Edelman Malaysia's, Edelman Trust Barometer 2013 survey.

"What is apparent here is that the online space, encompassing both digital and social media, cannot be ignored as trusted sources of information.

"The high trust scores in 'owned media' point to an urgent need for all organisations to fully update and utilise their corporate assets such as web portals, newsletters, YouTube and even Twitter to disseminate information," said Edelman Southeast Asia Managing Director, Bob Grove.

While overall trust scores were generally higher in the survey, it is pertinent to note the trust gap between key institutions and leadership, pointing to a potential crisis in leadership.

The findings also indicated that while the general population respondents trust business, only 26 per cent trust business leaders to tell the truth. Mirroring this, only 21 per cent trust government leaders to tell the truth.

Edelman Malaysia Managing Director, Raymond Siva said the Malaysian findings of the 2013 Edelman Trust Barometer, clearly demonstrated that Malaysians are expecting organisations to deliver on societal attributes over the expected operational attributes in order to gain their trust.

"It is apparent that influence and authority are moving away from Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and government leaders to experts and peers," he added.

Presenting the findings of the survey at a press conference here today, he said, both business and government leaders must change their management approach to become more inclusive by seeking the input of employees, consumers, activists and experts such as academics, and adapting to their feedback.

He said the dynamics of trust had evolved from the traditional Pyramid of Influence, in which information is a monologue, controlled and dictated by a few, to a more complex Diamond of Influence where information is a dialogue, co-created by many to empower.

"In this environment where trust is still fragile, this is a clear opportunity for business and government to re-claim the licence to lead," he added.

The survey also showed that non-governmental organisations (NGOs) continued to be the most trusted institution in Malaysia, growing from 68 per cent to 76 per cent this year.

Edelman is the world's largest independent public relations firm, with 66 offices and more than 4,500 employees worldwide, as well as affiliates in more than 30 cities.

Other findings of the survey among the informed public in Malaysia, is that the most trusted industry sectors are technology (85 per cent), banks (82 per cent) and energy industry (81 per cent).

The least trusted were brewing and spirits (56 per cent) and media (66 per cent), although both industries saw double-digit growth.

Globally, the survey noted that corruption and wrong incentives driving business and policy decisions were cited as key reasons for distrust in business and government.

It said the poor performance and incompetence were also a leading factor in trusting government less.

In terms of multinational corporations, Malaysians placed a higher trust in companies headquartered in Germany, Canada and Sweden over companies based in the emerging markets of Brazil, China and India.

Following trends across the Asia Pacific, Malaysians also trust big businesses more over small businesses.

The 2013 Edelman Trust Barometer in Malaysia was produced by research firm Edelman Berland and consisted of 20-minute online interviews conducted from Oct 16 to Nov 29, 2012.

Multi-cornered fight on the cards in Sabah

Posted: 05 Feb 2013 10:53 AM PST

Uphill task: (From left) Bumburing, Lajim, Dr Jeffrey and Yong are facing tough decisions as the general election looms.

(The Star) - The 13th general election is heading for a multi-cornered fight in nearly all seats with the Opposition unable to hammer out a deal in Sabah.

The squabbling between national and local Opposition parties make one-on-one contests unlikely, and this is expected to give Barisan Nasional a stronger hand in retaining Sabah.

Talks between local-based Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) headed byDatuk Yong Teck Lee and Sabah STAR led by Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitinganwith Pakatan Rakyat are bogged down.

All indications show that SAPP and Sabah Star will likely do a deal to push the Sabah agenda while Pakatan Rakyat with its local-based allies Tuaran MP Datuk Wilfred Bumburing and Beaufort MP Datuk Lajim Ukinwill go it alone for the 60 state and 25 parliament seats.

"Pintu sudah tutup tapi belum kunci (The door is closed, but not yet locked),'' Bumburing said yesterday, hinting that PKR, DAP and PAS under Pakatan will work with him and Lajim.

Bumburing said that traditionally Sabah voters have chosen between only two parties.

"The choice this round is between Barisan and Pakatan,'' he claimed, adding that he did not believe that Sabah-based parties would make a dent.

When contacted, Dr Jeffrey, whose party is being approached by a Sabah DAP leader, said that a free-for-all was on the cards but there were talks to ensure "one-on-one'' fights in 12 of the 25 parliamentary seats.

"We are okay with the idea of a pact for certain parliament seats,'' said Dr Jeffrey, whose party has called for the national opposition to stay out of Sabah.

"We are ready (to go it alone) irrespective of any seat arrangement,'' said Dr Jeffrey, whose party has teamed up with the unregistered Usno Baru under the Borneo Alliance.

Yong said that Pakatan has communicated a seat arrangement offer to the SAPP through a letter but he wants the coalition to make a public announcement before SAPP's supreme council decides on it.

This, he said was to prevent things turning messy as the national opposition coalition had many entities and were also in a deadlock over seats in other states including Sarawak.

Yong did not want to reveal the details of the Pakatan seat-sharing formula but it is widely speculated that the 85 state and parliamentary seats in Sabah will be shared equally between six entities PKR, DAP, PAS, SAPP, Lajim and Bumburing.

The Pakatan offer is likely to be rejected by SAPP as both Lajim and Bumburing were planning to use the PKR symbol and this would give the party the largest chunk of seats in Sabah.

Let Sabah parties rule state, SAPP tells Pakatan

Posted: 05 Feb 2013 10:49 AM PST

(The Malaysian Insider) - The Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) has insisted to Pakatan Rakyat (PR) that Sabah-based parties must contest the majority of seats in the state legislative assembly, saying this was in keeping with the Borneo state's right to autonomy as enshrined in the 1963 Malaysia Agreement.

Repeating his refrain, SAPP president Datuk Yong Teck Lee said his party was willing to relent to PR contesting a majority of the state's federal seats, allowing the federal opposition pact its dream to claim power in Putrajaya.

But administrative power over the state must stay in the hands of parties with roots in Sabah, the former Sabah chief minister insisted, saying that to achieve this, the state-federal seat ratio should follow his party's formula.

There are 60 state and 25 federal seats in the east Malaysian state of Sabah, often referred to as Barisan Nasional's (BN) "fixed deposit" together with neighbouring Sarawak.

"We have stated that this GE13 is about restoring the autonomy of Sabah (and Sarawak) as promised in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and the spirit of the formation of Malaysia.

"The Kuching Declaration that says that Sabah, Sarawak have equal status as Malaya is relevant," Yong wrote in an email to The Malaysian Insider here yesterday.

The outspoken politician was referring to the recent declaration announced and adopted by PR's DAP, PKR and PAS during the September 16 Malaysia Day celebrations at Chonglin Park in Kuching, Sarawak.

Key among the seven-point declaration was a pledge to restore the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement and the position of Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners within Malaysia, "by restoring autonomy to Sarawak and Sabah within the framework of the Federal Constitution".

"Consistent with these promises and principles, local parties should contest a majority of state seats, and PR can contest a majority of MP seats," Yong pointed out.

The opposition front in Sabah is a crowded one and in the months leading up to the coming 13th general election, all players have been scrambling for their share of the state's 60 state seats up for grabs.

PR, the opposition pact that was formed in the peninsula after BN suffered significant losses in Election 2008, has set its sights on toppling the ruling pact from its Sabah bastion.

But Sabah residents are said to have grown more communal over the years, with opposition politicians in the land below the wind often blaring the "Sabah for Sabahans" war cry, fuelling the already deep-rooted anti-Malaya sentiment felt by locals there.

Like SAPP, another party ― the State Reform Party (STAR) ― led by political maverick Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, also believes that administrative power over the state must be retained with Sabahans.

Both PR and SAPP have yet to make inroads in seat negotiations with Kitingan, who insists on fielding his own in the majority or all of the state's 60 seats.

But with SAPP adamant on contesting the lion's share and PR unwilling to concede to this request, it appears that it will likely be a fractured opposition front that will face political giant BN for the Sabah contest in the coming polls.

The Malaysian Insider reported yesterday that seat talks between PR and SAPP have come to temporary halt, according to PR ally Datuk Seri Wilfred Mojilip Bumburing.

Yong did not dispute this, only saying that his party was waiting for PR to decide on its own seat sharing formula among its three parties, Bumburing's Angkatan Perubahan Sabah (APS) and Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin's Pertubuhan Pakatan Perubahan Sabah (PPPS).

Both Bumburing and Lajim were former strongmen in Sabah BN but left their respective parties UPKO and Umno last year to form the two PR-friendly political movements.

"We are waiting for PR or PKR to make their formula official and to announce it because we are accountable not only to our parties but also to the rakyat.

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

Rabu, 6 Februari 2013

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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