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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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• Pakatan biting off more than it can chew
• Only DAP, PAS and PKR logos for now
• Sulu Sultanate’s ‘poisoned pawn’
• The missing man in the Altantuyaa story
• Seeking Najib’s help to solve Indian woes
• BN two-thirds win in GE13 a ‘surprise’, says Morgan Stanley
• ‘Reveal the 1976 Sabah air crash report’
• Pakatan's 'cake diplomacy' not so sweet
• Another 'irritation' for Najib?
• Quick Response to PM’s Challenge on How PR Will Fund Buku Jingga Promises
• PAS: No guarantee that Anwar will get PM post
• ‎"Kami nak serang malaysia..."
• Hopes run high Sabah drama over in 48 hours
• Aquino appeals to Kiram to end Sabah standoff peacefully
• Lahad Datu-type incidents Putrajaya’s ‘Achilles Heel’
• Lahad Datu highlights Sovereignty, Security issues
• Two weeks standoff outrageous
• Anwar nafi PAS halang Pakatan umum calon PM
• Project IC for Chinese?
• Opposition completes negotiations on seat allocation
• Adakah Lagi Tempat Melayu Bergantung?
• Palanivel losing grip on MIC?
• Malaysian government's debt to approach RM1 trillion by 2020
• Big Gamble for PM Najib in Selangor
• Mat Sabu: Pakatan sudah ada nama calon PM
• ‘PKR should make way for DAP’
• Pakatan Bala & Deepak, Bom Jangka Untuk PR
• Pakatan unveils election manifesto
• PI Bala returns, vows to help oust BN
• BN, PAS dan PKR berebut ‘Mufti Perlis’ untuk PRU13
• PI Bala: I swear first SD was the truth
• Jeffrey: Sabah no longer safe

Pakatan biting off more than it can chew Posted: 25 Feb 2013 01:13 PM PST Hitting for six: (From left) Kit Siang, Guan Eng, Anwar, Hadi, Nik Aziz and Wan Azizah holding up the new manifesto at the convention in Shah Alam. Pakatan Rakyat launched an ambitious manifesto but its leaders were cagey about how many seats they would win to control Putrajaya. Some thought that his words were aimed at DAP whose head has grown bigger than its body because they are so cocksure of Chinese support. Besides, as everyone knows, PKR and DAP are having problems over seats in Johor, Perak and Penang. Joceline Tan, The Star RAFIZI Ramli had been sleeping on the floor of his office the last few nights in a mad rush to put the finishing touches to the Pakatan Rakyat election manifesto. Despite the sleep deprivation, the chubby and pint-sized PKR politician, who is the key person behind the manifesto, cut a confident figure on stage as he presented the document when it was launched during the Pakatan Convention in Shah Alam yesterday. It does not promise the earth and the sky as in their last election manifesto but it is still a highly ambitious document that aims to match and outdo their rival Barisan Nasional. It was basically a fine-tuned version of the Buku Jingga and as some pointed out, the manifesto will go down well with supporters of DAP and PKR and less so with those from PAS since it makes no mention of PAS' Islamic State ideals. In fact, PAS president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang who spoke on behalf of his party during the convention, sounded like a man on a ship which had lost its anchor and his speech was more of a ceramah than a speech of what PAS stands for in the Pakatan set-up. PAS members may think that Hadi is prime minister material but when placed next to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Hadi looked like he belongs in the old world. He cannot speak English, all his references whether social or economic go back to the days of the Holy Prophet and he looked out of place in the largely secular crowd in Shah Alam. How seriously are voters going to take the latest manifesto given that the Pakatan states have been unable to fulfil their previous promises? PKR secretary Datuk Saifuddin Nasution admits that their last manifesto was drawn up for the sake of having a manifesto. This time around, he said, the team handling the manifesto had been working on it the last year. It was also quite clear that their target group is the younger generation of voters and many of the proposals were aimed at this group especially those about to start a family. This group is also among the first-time voters and it is an open market there. The document is basically telling the voters that they can offer what Barisan is offering and even more. Yesterday's gathering was the fourth Pakatan Convention since the political tsunami. Many of those who turned up were probably expecting a rah-rah atmosphere given that this, as Saifuddin put it, is the closest that the opposition has come to challenging Barisan for power. But the convention was surprisingly sober and quite a contrast to the carnival atmosphere when Kedah played host last year. Anwar adopted a statesmanlike stance, and steered clear of any big talk of capturing power. In fact, he urged everyone not to be over-confident and stressed that humility is very important in politics. Some thought that his words were aimed at DAP whose head has grown bigger than its body because they are so cocksure of Chinese support. Besides, as everyone knows, PKR and DAP are having problems over seats in Johor, Perak and Penang. And despite their purpose of taking over Putrajaya, none of the Pakatan leaders were willing to be drawn into predicting how many seats they can possibly secure to form the federal government. During his speech, Anwar heaped praised on the leadership of Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat. He also praised Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng although not in as gushing a tone as that for Nik Aziz. Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim was third on his praise-list which was read by some as a slap on Khalid's wrist given that Selangor is supposed to be PKR's show-state. But Anwar sort of left out Kedah for praise or mention and the conclusion was that Pakatan has given up on Kedah which is mired in a host of issues ranging from the environment to a PAS leadership struggle in the state. Of all the Pakatan states, Kedah is in greatest danger of falling. Kedah is a big state with a lot of seats that were won by narrow majorities. If Pakatan does not hold on to Kedah, then its dream of federal power is going to burst like a soap bubble. Nevertheless, Anwar is being projected as the seventh prime minister of Malaysia when he appears at ceramah venues especially in Penang. He is working overtime on the ceramah circuit so much so that he appeared at one wearing a sandal on one foot and a shoe on the other. He was quite embarrassed but he quite sportingly took them off and moved around the stage barefoot. The stakes are great for Anwar. He has much to gain if Pakatan does well but if Pakatan fails, he will lose more than his shoes.

Only DAP, PAS and PKR logos for now Posted: 25 Feb 2013 01:07 PM PST (The Star) - Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the Opposition pact would only display the party logos of DAP, PAS and PKR. "We cannot have logos of non-members but, at the same time, they are not ruled out. "That's why we have to negotiate and persuade them," added the PKR adviser, rejecting the emblem of the white fist against a red background of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM), which is seeking to be part of the Opposition pact. PSM currently has two seats: the Kota Damansara state seat held by its president Nasir Hashim and the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat held by D. Michael Jeyakumar. Both contested in the last elections as PKR candidates because PSM was not yet recognised as a registered entity at the time. Its application to be registered was only approved in June 2008. Anwar said that if PSM wanted to join the Opposition pact, it should not be jostling for seats with DAP. "They should not ask for more seats from DAP, as that has created a problem," he said when launching the common opposition election manifesto at the 4th Pakatan Rakyat Convention here yesterday. He added, however, he was hopeful the issue of PSM's entry into the pact would be resolved "within the next three days". PSM submitted its application last September to join the other three parties in the pact but has yet to receive any feedback. On the issue of the Opposition's choice for the Prime Minister's post, which PAS had reportedly said should not go to Anwar, he said: "The question does not arise now." PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu, however, said the candidate for the post had been fixed. He said an announcement on the matter would be made "at a more strategic time". "Let's wait, there's still time for that," he said.

Sulu Sultanate’s ‘poisoned pawn’ Posted: 25 Feb 2013 12:51 PM PST   (Business Mirror) - Regardless of how this tense situation ends, the Sultanate of Sulu has succeeded in what its leaders had set out to do, which was to draw world attention to its proprietary claim over Sabah.  WHATEVER can or will happen in the next 24 hours in the potentially explosive standoff between the Malaysian government and about 180 followers of the Sultanate of Sulu who had daringly "invaded" Sabah since February 5 is, of course, anybody's guess. (The Malaysian government the other day gave the Filipino "intruders" 48 hours to leave the village of Tanduao, Lahad Datu, where they are holed up. The Philippine government, for its part, has sent a ship to fetch the women and other civilians who had joined the armed contingent in its incursion into Sabah. But already, regardless of how this tense situation ends, the Sultanate of Sulu has succeeded in what its leaders had set out to do, which was to draw world attention to its proprietary claim over Sabah. More important, the Sultanate's ploy has succeeded in prodding both Malaysia and the Philippines to at least begin mulling over the possibility of a mutually acceptable closure to this long-festering territorial dispute. The 180-man contingent (which included a sprinkling of five women and an undetermined number of male civilians) that had established a sort of beachhead in a little village called Tanduau since Day One, actually had only one purpose. That was to dramatize, by staging a symbolic foothold in Sabah, the Sultanate's long-standing territorial claim over that part of North Borneo. The decision to make this dramatic gesture was arrived at on November 11, 2012, by the Sultanate of Sulu under the leadership of Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, Sultan "Bantilan" Esmail Kiram II and Rajah Mudah (Crown Prince) Agbimuddin Kiram. On that day, the Sultanate decided it would "finally bring their constituents to its sovereign domain of Sabah [North Borneo], which has been under the illegitimate possession of Malaysia since 1963." As it turned out, the decision to order a small contingent from the royal army to cross over to, and establish a beachhead in, Sabah was both a timely and brilliant maneuver. The incursion into Sabah of that contingent was the equivalent of a "poisoned pawn," which is offered as an easy target in a chess game. Had the Malaysian government given in to the temptation to eliminate the small contingent from Sulu as it could easily have done, the resulting bloodshed would have resulted in various horrendous "positional problems" for the Malaysian government. As pointed out by Abdullah Gabriel in a comprehensive backgrounder that he wrote recently, North Borneo was once a territory of the Sultanate of Brunei, whose lineage is intertwined with the royal dynasty of Sulu. Malaysian authorities must have realized that it couldn't simply use its superior force to drive away the "intruders" from Sulu without incurring the displeasure or ire of the Sultanate of Brunei. It could have been a gory massacre as the contingent was under instructions to hold its ground at all costs. Their all-important mission was to reassert the ownership claim over Sabah in behalf of the sultanate. The move turned out to be excellently calibrated do-or-die move on the part of the Sultanate of Sulu. Majority of the "invaders" are fully armed soldiers from the Sultan's royal army and the Moro National Liberation Front headed by Nur Misuari. Misuari said his soldiers, as well as those of the royal army, were ready to die in defense of the Sultanate's cause. The fact that the 180-man contingent is headed by no less than Rajah Mudah (Crown Prince) Agbimuddin, brother of Sultan Jamalul Kiam III, is not happenstance. It was part of a grand design to make a powerful political statement to Malaysia and the world by staging what is now clearly a sham invasion. After the contingent had crossed over and successfully landed on Sabah's little village of Tanduao, town of Lahad Datu, both Malaysian and Philippine governments were caught flat-footed and couldn't decide on what would be an appropriate countermove or reaction. Malaysia's response was to issue a warning and after a few more days, it decided to set up a food blockade around the village to starve out the intruders. The Philippines, for its part, positioned its Coast Guard boats in the Sulu Sea to prevent possible reinforcements from the sultanate in case a shooting war erupts. We were told that the idea was to prevent an escalation to a full-scale war. The foreign affairs department was immediately put to work. After correctly sizing up the situation, Malaysia decided to treat the intruders from Sulu with kid gloves. It saw how the "invading force" from Sulu wasn't showing any belligerence and was too small, besides, to be considered a real threat to Malaysian national security. The fact that several women had joined the contingent must have also helped reassure Malaysia that making war was not the intention. Actually, Sultan Jamalul only last week wrote to assure Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak that the sultanate's followers "came to Sabah to live in peace." It was like saying, "hey, Mr. PM, these people are merely getting a foretaste of what it would be like to settle down in Sabah, which is ours, after all." Read more at: http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/index.php/news/opinion/9784-sulu-sultanate-s-poisoned-pawn

The missing man in the Altantuyaa story Posted: 25 Feb 2013 12:35 PM PST KTemoc Konsiders I am very attracted to the FMT news article Deepak: PI Bala and I on the same team where Deepak aims, together with brave Perumal Balasubramaniam, to reveal the "truth" behind the 2006 murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu. After all, they are the new G-Ds of "truth" as I had posted in Age of Gemini? We gather the two new G-Ds of "truth" will team up like the Ashwini Kumaras who incidentally were doctors to other gods, and from that Hindu belief we may presume they could "doctor" stuff for a healthier life for other G-Ds. Marvellous. But why leave the G-D team members at only two. More should be better where they could then be like the League of Super-Heroes. If I'm not mistaken, what had led the world's most courageous private investigator into issuing his famous or notorious (take your pick) statutory declaration (SD), which coincidentally during a period of allegations of sodomy alleged Najib Razak did it to Altantuyaa in her behind with the late Mongolian expressing her delight at that (all according to Perumal Balasubramaniam's 1st SD), ... ... started in Fogles pub and then The Backyard pub in Sri Hartamas when Malaysia's very civic-minded lawyer Americk Singh Sidhu, Balasubramaniam, ASP Suresh, Puravalen (another lawyer) were having a few drinks and discussing the Altantuyaa case. They were coincidentally joined by none other than Sivarasa Rasiah who coincidentally was/is a PKR MP. Apparently after hearing what Balasubramaniam had to offer, regarding what he was informed by Razak Baginda who in turn was informed by Najib Razak who in turn was informed by Altantuyaa Shariibuu who in turn confessed she liked 'getting it' in her behind, Sivarasa (remember, he's coincidentally the PKR MP) 'suggested' that Balasubramaniam get 'someone' neutral to record everything down. What a wonderful suggestion! And coincidentally, that neutral 'someone was Malaysia's very civic-minded lawyer Americk Singh Sidhu. In fact it had been Malaysia's very civic-minded lawyer Americk Singh Sidhu who assured us that he was nominated because he was coincidentally the one lawyer who did not have an agenda in this matter (presumably the Altantuuyaa case). I recall Sivarasa was coincidentally(?) at the press conference when Balasubramnaiam revealed his 1st SD, sitting just beside Anwar Ibrahim who coincidentally was there to grace the press conference. And if you are thinking of blaming Anwar or suggesting he had something to do with Balasubramniam;s SD, please don't bother because coincidentally Malaysia's very civic-minded lawyer Americk Singh Sidhu had 'cleared' Anwar Ibrahim from that. If I recall, it was on 26 Nov 2009 that we read Malaysiakini's PI's lawyer: 'Anwar not behind Bala tapes' which led me to post Bala's SD - Americk Sidhu clears Anwar Ibrahim from involvement. Malaysia's very civic-minded Mr 'Neutral' asserted that: "… Anwar had nothing to do with the release of the first SD except to deliver a speech prior to the press conference at the PKR headquarters last July. I have had no communication with Anwar at all, and neither has he or any PKR member tried to contact me." Americk Singh Sidhu: "Anwar had nothing to do with the release of the 1st SD" Then, I was greatly comforted by Malaysia's very civic-minded lawyer's assertion, though I was somewhat puzzled, just a tad though, that despite having no communication with Anwar or any PKR member whatsoever (except of course for an encounter with Sivarasa Rasiah at 'The Backyard' pub and Anwar Ibrahim at the press conference) Mr Americk Singh Sidhu was able to further assert: "… Many people think Anwar Ibrahim is behind all this. That is absolutely untrue. Anwar has no idea about this whole episode except what he may have read in the blogs and on Malaysiakini."  In my post I had commented that I was (coincidentally) in a somewhat similar position as Americk, sharing with him a status where I too coincidentally "…have had no communication with Anwar at all, and neither has he or any PKR member tried to contact me", indeed wakakaka.  Thus I too would definitely not accuse Anwar Ibrahim of being behind Balasubramaniam's 1st SD ... Absolutely NOT!  But precisely for that very reason, that I was and am not in communication with Anwar wakakaka, I wouldn't be able to claim whether Anwar was involved or not involved. You're allowed 3 guesses as to who's the person on right look at person, not what's on the board behind him But strangely but most wonderfully (coincidentally?), Malaysia's very civic-minded lawyer Americk Singh Sidhu was able to, proving he must be a better man than most, especially me, dungu kaytee. READ MORE HERE

Seeking Najib’s help to solve Indian woes Posted: 25 Feb 2013 12:24 PM PST Hindraf Makkal Sakti says it will side with whoever is willing to help the Indian community. Ahti Shankar, FMT After fruitless meetings with Pakatan Rakyat, Hindraf now wants to meet Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to endorse its blueprint for the Indian community. Hindraf Makkal Sakti chief P Waythamoorthy said the decision to meet Najib was made after much deliberations at all levels of the leadership and with the Indian community. He said the meeting was to secure Najib's written assurances and endorsement for its blueprint designed to improve the Indian working class community. "After a long deliberation on the issue, we have decided to meet the prime minister to resolve Indian problems. "We are not interested in politicking," he said today. Hindraf has already held a series of meetings with Pakatan leaders, notably from PKR, to get the coalition's written assurances and commitment for its blueprint if Pakatan were to capture Putrajaya. He said, as expected, Pakatan was more interested in using Hindraf to garner Indian votes than looking into the predicament of the Indians. Waythamoorthy brushed aside criticisms by pro-Pakatan supporters and bloggers that the movement was playing both sides of the political divide for the best deal. Stressing that Hindraf was not interested in political mileage, he said Hindraf cannot afford to be topsy-turvy, partisan and partial when dealing with Indian problems, which have existed for decades. He said Hindraf had to meet Najib because it did not want its struggle for the Indian community to hit a snag after the general election if Barisan Nasional retained the federal government. "What if Pakatan loses the general election? What should Hindraf do then? How is it going to deal with a BN government to resolve Indian issues? "It will be a Catch-22 situation for us then," he said. READ MORE HERE

BN two-thirds win in GE13 a ‘surprise’, says Morgan Stanley Posted: 25 Feb 2013 12:22 PM PST   (The Malaysian Insider) - A Barisan Nasional (BN) victory of two-thirds of the 222 parliamentary seats will surprise investors, says Morgan Stanley Research, adding that the election outcome will impact Malaysia's reform agenda. In a report on this year's polls, the US financial research house also noted the results will have a huge effect on the Umno election in June 2013. "The political landscape ... would be important in terms of whether policymakers can engineer a sustainable inflexion point in Malaysia's structural story," according to the report made available to The Malaysian Insider. On the other hand, if the ruling BN loses by winning less than 50 per cent of the seats up for grab, investors would likely see this as a "negative risk event", Morgan Stanley noted. These risks would then affect leadership and government stability, postponing the reform agenda undertaken by the country in the near term until political stability is restored. Morgan Stanley suggested that near-term continuity in policy and reform agenda will come from maintaining the status quo. The research house also warned that Malaysia is suffering from a "Dutch Disease of sorts" that slows down structural reform, resulting in lacklustre private investment. "Commodity resources and favourable demographics have provided a comfortable growth buffer, leading policymakers to neglect what is needed on productivity or competitiveness," the report offered. In economics, "Dutch Disease" refers to negative consequences arising from large increases in a country's income. Morgan Stanley noted that reforms have been implemented since Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak came into power, but they have failed to address the root of the problem, which is the lack of a suitably qualified labour force. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/bn-two-thirds-win-in-ge13-a-positive-surprise-says-morgan-stanley/

‘Reveal the 1976 Sabah air crash report’ Posted: 25 Feb 2013 12:22 PM PST After 37 years, the report on the air crash which took the lives of the chief minister and 10 others is still kept under wraps. Queville To, FMT KOTA KINABALU: After 37 years, the investigative papers on the air crash which killed Tun Fuad Stephens and 10 others is still a secret. And one man who wants to change all that is Captain Joseph Lakai, a test pilot turned politician. He has called on the government to make public the full reports of the plane crash and put to rest once and for all insinuations that the deaths of Stephen and several members of his cabinet was deliberate. On June 6, 1976 a small plane carrying the then chief minister Tun Fuad Stephens and 10 others crashed as it was coming down for a landing. All on board was killed. Others who died were cabinet ministers Salleh Sulong, Peter Mojuntin, Chong Thain Vun and Darius Binion, top Sabah Ministry of Finance official Wahid Peter Andau, Director of Economic Planning Unit of Sabah Syed Hussein Wafa, Isak Atan (Private Secretary to Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah), Fuad's son Johari, Corporal Said Mohammad (Stephens bodyguard) and the pilot Captain Nathan Gandhi. Stephens and his colleagues in the new state government had flown to Labuan to negotiate the extraction of Sabah's oil and they had reportedly refused to sign away the state's oil rights in return for a 5% royalty. Days after their deaths, new chief minister Harris Salleh agreed to the deal offered by the federal government. Lakai said the report was crucial as it would reveal the truth on what went wrong and could determine whether it was a human error, a technical fault, bad weather or other unexplained causes which had caused the crash. Lakai who once served in Royal Malaysian Air Force as flight test engineer and test pilot added that such reports are necessary for victims' families to pursue insurance and negligent claims against aircraft manufacturers and airlines. "To keep the June 6, 1976 crash report continuously away from public, especially after 37 years is completely unacceptable. "The circumstances surrounding the air crash and the secrecy of the report can give rise to suspicions and speculations. "As a patriotic Sabahan, an aviation consultant and a mechanical engineer, I fully agree with SAPP (Sabah Progressive Party) efforts to uncover the truth behind the air crash by first getting the 1976 report released," he said. READ MORE HERE

Pakatan's 'cake diplomacy' not so sweet Posted: 25 Feb 2013 12:11 PM PST   If Nik Aziz thinks presenting a cake to a Christian will placate the Christians over infringement of their freedoms, he should think again. If Nik Aziz thinks receiving a cake from Karpal means the latter will soften his opposition to the imposition of hudud, he should think again, again. These 'diplomatic exchanges' do not reflect any softening of positions. Eunece Teh  Recently, PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz presented Catholic Bishop Sebastian Francis with a cake, and soon after DAP's Karpal Singh gave Nik Aziz a birthday cake. But this 'cake diplomacy' has not brought Karpal Singh or Bishop Francis and their followers any closer together. It is far from a sweet offering. PAS remains adamant in wanting to impose hudud should Pakatan come to power in GE13. But Karpal is dead against it, and so must Bishop Francis. It has always been PAS' policy to apply its brand of Islam to all aspects of government administration. Make no mistake, not only Muslims will be affected if PAS imposes its brand of Islamic governance. The rest of Malaysians, 40% of whom are non-Muslims, will also be affected, one way or another. Their fundamental freedoms, their current way of life, their social life, their businesses, and their places of work will be impacted in more ways than they realise. If Nik Aziz thinks presenting a cake to a Christian will placate the Christians over infringement of their freedoms, he should think again. If Nik Aziz thinks receiving a cake from Karpal means the latter will soften his opposition to the imposition of hudud, he should think again, again. These 'diplomatic exchanges' do not reflect any softening of positions. What's even more worrying is this:  How will the PAS-PKR-DAP coalition come to any consensus on the formulation of policies for the benefit of the people? If there is no agreement on even seemingly minor matters, how will they come to terms on major issues? Their record of cooperation so far has been dismal. If Nik Aziz's actions and pronouncements so far are anything to go by, then non-Muslims under a Pakatan government will be: •  Subjected to separate queues and separate payment counters in supermarkets •  Face gender segregation in swimming pools •  Denied the right to openly  celebrate Valentine's day •  Segregated in hair salons Of course, Muslims themselves will face further restrictions. Already they are forced to abandon their traditional wayang kulit, and those who are Umno members continue to be insulted as 'kafirs'. Nik Aziz has also had a record of saying some dim things about women. Remember what Nik Aziz said about how women would be at a lower risk of being raped if they abandoned their lipstick and perfume? No amounts of icing on the cake will sugar-coat PAS's extreme measures that Nik Aziz will impose on an unsuspecting public. After all, Pakatan was cobbled together by three parties that are divided by fundamental differences and united, not by their concern for the welfare of the rakyat, but only by their leaders' unquenchable thirst for political power.

Another 'irritation' for Najib? Posted: 25 Feb 2013 12:01 PM PST The Deepak story can attract attention. Question is will the readers believe the content? Mohsin Abdullah, fz.com   NOW that Bala is back home, the question is, will he be a "thorn" to the prime minister, his wife or BN even? That is to put it mildly. Very mildly in fact. Bala is of course P Balasubramaniam (or PI Bala, as he is popularly known), the private investigator who many believe knows an awful lot of things about the Altantuya Shaaribu murder.   And his "damaging" statutory declaration (SD) against Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the subsequent SD "clearing" the PM continue to be talked about until now.   Upon returning from Chennai, India, where he had stayed in exile (some say self-imposed, others say enforced), he promised to hold a press conference anytime soon to give a detailed account on the SDs.   And he will sort of bring his case to the rakyat. Direct, on Wednesday, Feb 27, when Bala is scheduled to speak at a forum in Kuala Lumpur.   Surely there will be more – ceramahs and what not, nationwide. Bala has after all said he will campaign for Pakatan Rakyat.   The Altantuya murder will feature prominently in his ceramah. That is a given. That will not be good for the PM and BN with election approaching fast. That is the general perception.   Then there's Deepak Jaikishan. The businessman has been talking and has not stop talking – throwing allegations against Najib, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor and the PM's brother as well.   There's no need for specifics as we know what he has said especially on Bala's SD. In particular, the second SD where Bala retracted the "Najib aspect".   Najib has not responded to Deepak – save for a Jan 17 denial and a shot and curt "Deepak is not credible" remark. Which incidentally, prompted the carpet man to sue the PM for defamation recently.   Deepak too has said he will bring his story to the rakyat. He was scheduled to talk at a ceramah at the old PAS headquarters in Taman Melewar last week.   Somehow he did not turn up although the ceramah went on as planned. But definitely, other ceramah for him will be set for him, if not already.   Bala has confirmed Deepak's story that the businessman met him asking him to come up with SD number two. So with Bala in the country, will Deepak speak on the same stage as the private investigator? A collaboration?   Both have said they are not go looking for each other but Bala did say he is ok with a "collaboration" if Deepak "comes" to him. That can be damaging to the PM. Will it not? "Deepak and Bala won't hurt.   Their credibility is questionable. Won't have traction," said a member of a think tank linked closely to the PM's Office. He alleged "both looking for money".   But he went on to say this: "More worrying is Raja Ropiaah. That requires some urgent attention."   Raja Ropiaah Raja Abdullah is the Selangor Umno Wanita chief whom Deepak accused of "stealing" land worth millions of ringgit from his company and reselling a portion of it to a third party.   And Deepak had also alleged that a member of Najib's family had taken a "commission" worth millions for Najib's "role in getting the land" owned by the Defence Ministry privatised to Raja Ropiaah in 2005.  Read more at: http://fz.com/content/another-irritation-najib

Quick Response to PM’s Challenge on How PR Will Fund Buku Jingga Promises Posted: 25 Feb 2013 11:59 AM PST   I put something up quickly so that Malaysians can go through the number ourselves and see how much money escapes our system each year. Just by taking two quick steps, there is almost 3 times more money to pay for the pledges made in Buku Jingga. Not only that, we will have more than enough to pay other things too (including new jails for all corrupt politicians who had enjoyed enriching themselves at the expense of the people all this while!). Rafizi Ramli  The response is crude as I was rushing, but the no's speak for itself. I welcome any comments  A) PHILOSOPHICALLY - BN has always said that many things cannot be afforded or it will bankrupt the country, especially the ones that involve direct assistance to the people - In the past, the kind of massive state assistance now implemented in Selangor and Pulau Pinang would have been unthinkable under BN, as they claimed the government lacked money - Since taking over, PR government in Selangor has spent approximately RM150 million per annum giving back to the people, in the form of free water scheme, one off bursary for university students, microcredit etc. - The reason why PR could do it and BN never had done, because we plugged the leakages caused by rampant corruption B) HUGE LEAKAGES DUE TO CORRUPTION - Auditor General's report estimated that the country lost RM28 billion a year due to corruption – shoddy procurement practices, incomplete projects, massive cost escalations etc. - Even without coming up with any fancy national financing schemes or new loans, by tackling corruption there is a potential RM28 billion that will be used to fund all these programs - These amounts are real, it is the money lost each year to cronies. This amount should go back to the people - Likewise, putting a stop to excessive and wasteful spending by government will also set the right spending culture e.g. stop PM's frequent overseas trips to the point he spent almost an equal time overseas than in Malaysia, or the huge consultancy fees paid to APCO (RM77 million) or for the setting up of PEMANDU (RM66 million) – BN may argue this amount is small, but it's a reflection of careless and carefree spending culture that ignores the plight of the people C) RE-DIVERTING CORPORATE SUBSIDIES BACK TO PEOPLE - Each year, PETRONAS has to fork out RM19 billion to pay for gas subsidies so that IPPs (owned by cronies or political establishment) can enjoy massive profits (billions each year) because they are shielded from the fluctuations or energy price - PETRONAS has to buy gas from Natuna and JDA at much higher prices, then sell to IPP at a third of the market price – this amounts to RM19 billion each year - If this arrangement is abolished, there is RM19 billion extra profit that PETRONAS can pay back to the government/people - Similarly, the government spent RM4 billion each year to pay compensation to highway concessionaires – this amount can easily be reverted to people if the toll system is restructured, as promised in Buku Jingga D) TOTAL SUM AVAILABLE - Just by plugging the leakages due to corruption (RM28 billion) and eliminating corporate subsidies to IPP (RM19 billion) and toll compensation (RM4 billion), there is a sum of RM51 billion each year that escapes the system and went to cronies - This amount is more than enough to pay for the promises of Buku Jingga Read more at: http://rafiziramli.com/2011/01/quick-response-to-pms-challenge-on-how-pr-will-fund-buku-jingga-promises/

PAS: No guarantee that Anwar will get PM post Posted: 25 Feb 2013 11:55 AM PST   "We need to see which party is more dominant in terms of winning seats because it can determine who should become prime minister." (The Star) - PAS has insisted that there is no guarantee that Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will become prime minister should Pakatan Rakyat form the federal government after the general election. PAS information chief Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man told online portal The Mole that there were two deciding factors in the eligibility of a leader for the post of prime minister. "First, it depends on the number of seats won by the party. "Second, all parties in Pakatan must agree on the person to be appointed prime minister," he was quoted as saying yesterday. It was reported that during the 58th PAS Muktamar in November last year, representatives of the ulama council had suggested that party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang become prime minister should the Opposition win the election. However, DAP chairman Karpal Singh has since reaffirmed that his party would give its full support to Anwar to lead the country. When pointed out that Pakatan had previously agreed that Anwar would hold the post, Tuan Ibrahim said: "At the moment, in theory, all component parties will follow Pakatan's status quo. "But I believe that we will have to take into consideration the election results as well. "We need to see which party is more dominant in terms of winning seats because it can determine who should become prime minister. "That's why I keep urging our members and election machinery to work hard in winning the election." Asked to clarify speculation that the PAS Syura Council was not in favour of Anwar as prime minister, Tuan Ibrahim said "there was no issue about it". He also denied rumours that Gua Musang MP and Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah had been approached as a candidate for prime minister. "Ku Li (Tengku Razaleigh) is an influential politician but he is not a Pakatan member. How can we choose to appoint him?" he said.

‎"Kami nak serang malaysia..." Posted: 25 Feb 2013 11:46 AM PST   Fais Al-Hajari  Kapal Friget baru Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia sedang meronda dan berjaya menahan sebuah perahu kecil yg sedang dikayuh oleh empat orang Mat Indon menghala Pelabuhan Klang. Kapten Friget menggunakan loudhailer utk menyahut perahu itu: "WOI! Perahu! Korang ni nak pi mana?" Seorang Mat Indon meletakkan kayu pengayuhnya ke tepi lalu berdiri menjawab: "Kami nak menyerang Malaysia untuk merampas balik tanah2 yg ditakluki Malaysia dahulu." Semua anak kapal friget TLDM terus tergelak sampai terguling2 di atas kapal. KAH KAH KAH KAH KAH KAH KAH KAH KAH KAH Akhirnya Kapten berjaya mengawal diri, lalu bertanya semula kepada perahu itu: "Nak serang Malaysia? Korang berempat jer?" Mat Indon tu menjawab lagi: "Oh, kami cuma yg terakhir... 4 juta yg lain semua sudah sampaiiii...siap ada IC lagi".. Fais Al-Hajari

Hopes run high Sabah drama over in 48 hours Posted: 25 Feb 2013 11:37 AM PST   "We didn't come here to make war or make trouble for the authorities or anybody here. We just want to live in our place. This place belongs to us," he added. "If we will return home, then we will go back to zero. And we pity the Muslim and Christian Filipinos who will be left behind. We know what the Malaysian police may do to them."  Tarra Quismundo, Philippine Daily Inquirer The standoff between Malaysian security forces and an armed group of followers of the sultan of Sulu entered a third week on Monday with hopes running high that the drama would end within the next 48 hours. The Malaysian government extended the deadline for the armed group to leave the village of Tanduao in Lahad Datu town by another 48 hours to allow time for talks between emissaries of the Philippine government and the family of Sultan Jamalul Kiram III for the recall of the so-called Royal Armed Forces of the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo. The first 48-hour extension of the Feb. 22 deadline expired on Sunday as the Philippine government sent a Navy ship to pick up the women and children among Jamalul's followers to get them out of harm's way in the event the Malaysian forces were forced to storm the Filipinos' camp. A statement from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the ship was leaving for Sabah from Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, on Sunday night. But the DFA said Monday the ship was still in Tawi-Tawi, awaiting diplomatic clearance to enter Malaysian waters and be on standby off Lahad Datu to receive the noncombatants from the armed group led by Agbimuddin Kiram, brother of Jamalul, who ordered the intrusion into Sabah to press his clan's claim to the territory. "We have learned that [Malaysian forces] have surrounded the area. So what we want to happen is [for] this group to now decide to leave the area for safety and get on board our humanitarian ship," said DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez. "We don't want them to get hurt, to think of resorting to violence or whatever. That's why we sent a ship there. It's ready to go to the border when we have people who are ready to be moved and fetched," he said. The plan The plan is to send the ship to Sabah once Jamalul's followers heed the government's appeal for them to come out and return home. Malaysian vessels will ferry them to the border and transfer them to the Philippine ship, Hernandez said. "Hopefully, before Tuesday, they will already be on board our ship," he added. "The ship will stay there as long as it is needed, as long as the offer to take care of them is there. It's a humanitarian mission," presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda told reporters in Malacañang. Aside from carrying food supplies, the ship is also equipped to treat injured people. Earlier reports said the ship would also pick up members of Agbimuddin's group who would choose to leave, but Lacierda said he hoped the women would urge the rest "to come home." Another vessel had reportedly left Sulu early Monday for Sabah. Philippine officials said the ship was transporting a member of the Sulu sultan's family accompanied by certain government officials. Tawi-Tawi Gov. Sadikul Sahali told reporters that he knew about the vessel from Sulu but did not disclose who was on board. Read more at: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/65613/hopes-run-high-sabah-drama-over-in-48-hours

Aquino appeals to Kiram to end Sabah standoff peacefully Posted: 25 Feb 2013 11:34 AM PST   (Inquirer.net) - Malaysia has given three extensions for the followers of Kiram to leave the area, with the last deadline set to end today, Tuesday. Aquino said Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario and Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman have agreed to sit down and resolve the issue. Once an agreement has been reached, Aquino said a Navy ship would be immediately ready to ferry everyone home. President Benigno Aquino III on Tuesday appealed to the sultan of Sulu to help end the standoff at Sabah in a peaceful way or face the full force of the law. In a press conference in Malacanang aired on radio and television, the President said: "The right thing to do now is order your followers to return home as soon as possible. The choices and consequences are yours. If you choose not to cooperate, the full force of the laws of the State will be used to achieve justice for all who have been put in harm's way." "The point of no return has not been reached yet, but we are approaching that (time) fast", Aquino read from a prepared statement, referring to an undesirable end to the standoff which started when followers of Sultan Jamalul Kiram III went to Lahad Datu in Sabah in a bid to occupy what they claim is their ancestral land. "May I remind you as well that as a citizen of the republic, you are bound by the constitution and its laws," he added. Among the possible violations, Aquino said was Article 2 Section 2 of the Constitution which provides that "the Philippines renounces war as an instrument of national policy". The enabling law of this provision is Article 118 of the Revised Penal Code which punishes those who "provoke or give occasion for a war…or expose Filipino citizens to reprisals on their persons or property." Aquino said there were 180 people in Lahad Datu, 20 to 30 of who were armed. As a leader, Aquino told Kiram to  exercise his influence among his followers. "These are your people, it behooves you to recall them. It must be clear to you that this small group of people will not succeed in addressing your grievances and that there is no way that force can achieve your aims," Aquino said. Malaysia has given three extensions for the followers of Kiram to leave the area, with the last deadline set to end today, Tuesday. Aquino said Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario and Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman have agreed to sit down and resolve the issue. Once an agreement has been reached, Aquino said a Navy ship would be immediately ready to ferry everyone home. "There is a humanitarian ship with social workers and medical officers on board nearby to facilitate the peaceful departure of those in Lahad Datu," Aquino said. Aquino promised to have a dialogue with the sultan once the group arrives home. He added that a study was ongoing to determine how strong the country's claim was. The last time that the Philippines raised the claim for Sabah was during the 1960s.

Lahad Datu-type incidents Putrajaya’s ‘Achilles Heel’ Posted: 25 Feb 2013 11:22 AM PST   Malaysia, the Filipinos know, is a paper tiger with two submarines in Sabah which couldn't detect them. They know that Malayans will not fight to defend or keep Sabah.  Joe Fernandez The Lahad Datu standoff by Sulu intruders on sovereignty and property rights in Sabah recalls that Malaysia, in 1963, was touted by the British, Malayan and Singapore Governments as an equal partnership of Sabah, Sarawak, Malaya, Singapore and Brunei. That's far from being the case today. The past has caught up with Putrajaya in the present to haunt its future in Sabah. There's no way that Malaysia can take on the Sulu people and other illegal immigrants in Sabah and win as the experience of Manila in the Philippines south shows. Lahad Datu-type incidents in Sabah, if they recur or keep recurring, will be Putrajaya's Achilles Heel in Sabah. Malaysia, the Filipinos know, is a paper tiger with two submarines in Sabah which couldn't detect them. They know that Malayans will not fight to defend or keep Sabah. But more on the security aspects in a while. First, a little walk down memory lane in connecting the dots which has led up to this High Noon moment in Lahad Datu. The Brunei Sultan rejected the idea of Malaysia at the 11th hour but did not, at the same time, stand up for Sabah and Sarawak. Singapore was expelled from Malaysia in 1965 but Sabah and Sarawak, the facilitators, were not allowed to exit in turn. The Singapore Government maintained a discreet silence on the issue after momentarily toying with the idea of another Federation with Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei to replace Malaysia. This idea is still worth pursuing since Malaysia has been beaten on all counts by Singapore. It had to virtually surrender the Iskandar Development Region in southeast Johore to the city state and island republic. Sabah, in eventually restoring its independence of 31 Aug, 1963, cannot include the illegal immigrants already in this Nation in Borneo. The illegal immigrants, whether from Sulu or elsewhere, entered Sabah after independence. In any case, Lahad Datu must not mean getting into rhetoric, polemics and creating issues in conflict and/or issues in endless conflict on Sabah. We need to be cut and dried to get solutions and not be side-tracked by the politics of distraction and disruption.   No referendum in Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei, Malaya The fewer issues there are, and/or fewer irrelevant and immaterial matters, the better towards an eventual solution. Again, and therefore, the focus in the wake of Lahad Datu should be on the thrust of the thesis statement on Sovereignty, property rights of foreigners and Referendum: (1) the fact that the Sovereignty of Sabah rests with its people. This Sovereignty, to belabour the point, has never been transferred to Brunei, Sulu, Spain, Britain, the Philippines or Malaysia; (2) the defunct Sulu Sultan had no and has no private or public property rights to Sabah or to parts of Sabah and/or no private property rights in Sabah or in parts of Sabah. The Brunei and Sulu sultanates extorting tolls from the terrified traffic along the waterways in northern and eastern Sabah, by no means confers, property rights or territorial rights on the extortionists; and (3) the fact that no Referendum was held in Sabah, or for that matter in Sarawak, Malaya or Brunei, on Malaysia. The issue is clear: Sabah's independence of 31 Aug, 1963 remains as the sole point of self-determination and should be respected and honoured by All, the UN, the UN Security Council and the international community. The pretenders to the throne of defunct Sulu Sultanate should take note as well. Sabah needs to restore this independence if Malaysia cannot be salvaged as an equal partnership of Sabah, Sarawak and Malaya. This salvaging must be subject to separate Referendums on Malaysia -- and excluding the illegal immigrants -- in Sabah, Sarawak and Malaya. Again, the illegal immigrants from Sulu in Sabah cannot be part of this process, claim or no claim.   Lahad Datu-type incidents can degenerate into "civil war" The illegal immigrants in Sabah whether from Sulu or elsewhere, cannot too be part of any decision to restore the nation's independence in the event that Malaysia cannot be salvaged by Referendum. They would have to return to their home countries assisted by the UN and return, if they wish, with valid travel papers issued by their respective countries. None of the illegal immigrants in Sabah can remain in this Borneo Nation as demanded by the intruders involved in the on-going Lahad Datu standoff on behalf of the illegal immigrants from Sulu. Still, the Lahad Datu stand-off or any subsequent similar incident can easily degenerate into a Syria-style "civil war" situation -- albeit between illegals and locals -- where the UN and Malaysia will be helpless. The only locals who will join the illegal immigrants are the Suluk and Bajau, already screaming marginalisation and disenfranchisement by the continuing influx in particular of the non-Sulu illegal immigrants. If the Moros can fight the Philippines Gov't for so long, the intruders from Sulu can take up arms against Sabah as well.   Security situation in Philippine south, Thai south, Sabah similar It may be payback time as well for Manila in Sabah on another dimension, for the long- running Muslim rebellion in the Philippine south, unless Putrajaya backs the Philippines Government in its dispute with China on the Spratly islands, a large part of which belongs to Sulu and the Sulu-claimed areas in Sabah. Can Malaysia defend Sabah when the rebels in the Philippines south have all along been using this Nation as a safe haven for arms and men with Putrajaya looking the other way in a wink-wink relationship with them, ostensibly in the interests of "Muslim brotherhood". The security situation in the Philippines south parallels that in the Thai south and by extension in Sabah. No member state of the UN, under its Charter, can engage in acts -- either covertly or overtly -- which compromise the sovereignty and territorial integrity of another member state of the world organisation for peace and security. What if the Sulu people seize parts of Sabah, for a start, by force? When push comes to shove, people who have nothing to lose are capable of anything. We live in desperate times! The intruders have already seized, for all practical purposes, the village in Lahad Datu where the stand-off continues. And yet the Police have seen it fit to keep the Army out of the picture to keep up pretences on the security situation. The Police have no business taking on armed foreigners invading the country. No one thinks that they will back down without bloodshed. Heaven forbid! They have already stated that they will not leave Sabah. They have probably stockpiled even more weapons all over Sabah to call the Suluks from among the illegal immigrants in Sabah to arms. They will probably be joined by mercenaries from among other illegal immigrants who already fear for their future in Sabah.   Muslims in Sabah, Sulu feel betrayed by Putrajaya Again, it's no secret that the long-running war against the Philippines Government was fuelled by arms and men available from safe havens in Sabah created by denying the Orang Asal the right to rule Sabah. During the Mustapha Government, the arms came from Libya's Muammar Ghadafi. That's why Manila had to eventually bring Putrajaya into the peace process in the Philippine south and as a facilitator. Sulu, like the local Suluks and Bajau in Sabah, obviously now feel betrayed rightly or wrongly by Putrajaya. How will the gentle-natured Sabahans defend themselves against the battle-hardened people of Sulu? The authorities should conduct a state-wide search for illegal weapons held by foreigners in Sabah.   Better safe than sorry! The Orang Asal in particular should form vigilante groups to protect their villages in defending the Sovereignty of Sabah and to emphasise that the defunct Sulu Sultanate had no and has no private property rights to Sabah or parts of Sabah and/or private property rights in Sabah or in parts of Sabah. It's unlikely that the local Suluk and Bajau would be party to any Sulu venture into Orang Asal territory in the Sabah High Country. This is the territory that the Brunei and Sulu sultans avoided like the plague during their plundering days along the northern and eastern coasts. Even so, Sabahans should not take things for granted. They cannot rely too much either on Putrajaya which has failed to protect their Nation since Malaysia in 1963. There are no guarantees that Malaysia's token forces in Sabah would not flee with their tails between their legs to Sarawak for dear life. This is an appalling failure of intelligence and blind trust and faith in the rebels in the Philippines. Better safe than sorry! The current security situation in Sabah was brought about in part by the revelations at the on-going Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI), not only the peace agreement in the Philippines south leaving out the Sulu so-called claimants to Sabah, as alleged in the Manila press citing apologists for one of the claimants to the defunct Sulu Sultanship and who is involved in the Lahad Datu standoff in between dialysis sessions in Manila, reportedly paid for by the Philippines Government. The RCI was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. We will get the true picture when the Police fail in Lahad Datu and the Army moves in.   Nothing could be more telling! The Police, it must be noted, were prepared to employ brute force against unarmed and peaceful people, who wanted to witness Hindraf Makkal Sakthi handing over a Memorandum Seeking Legal Aid to the British High Commission on 25 Nov, 2007, against participants in the peaceful mid-Feb 2008 Rose Rally in Putrajaya and against the participants in the various Bersih rallies. In Lahad Datu, they are humbling themselves on bended knees, cringing and grovelling, and speaking in soft voices and whispers with the armed intruders in Lahad Datu, in literally begging and imploring them teary-eyed to return to the nearby Sulu Islands in the Philippines. Probably, Putrajaya will throw in loads of cash as well from Petronas for the intruders. Nothing could be more telling. The dangerous precedent in Lahad Datu will create more similar situations in Sabah in the near future for Putrajaya which has long ridden the Sulu tiger in the Philippines south and Sabah. The Sulu intruders are through with kidnapping ordinary Sabahans for ransom. The Sulu tiger will eventually return with Putrajaya inside it and a smile on its face.   Joe Fernandez is a mature student of law and an educationist, among others, who loves to write especially Submissions for Clients wishing to Act in Person. He feels compelled, as a semi-retired journalist, to put pen to paper -- or rather the fingers to the computer keyboard -- whenever something doesn't quite jell with his weltanschauung (worldview). He shuttles between points in the Golden Heart of Borneo formed by the Sabah west coast, Labuan, Brunei, northern Sarawak and the watershed region in Borneo where three nations meet.

Lahad Datu highlights Sovereignty, Security issues Posted: 25 Feb 2013 11:15 AM PST   The present so-called Malaysian Constitution does not reflect the reality – political, historical, Adat -- in Sabah and Sarawak. It's not a political document that represents or can represent Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysia.  Joe Fernandez The Sovereignty of Sabah, Lahad Datu or no Lahad Datu, rests with its people. That should be the legitimate and logical response to what appears to be the problem, on the surface, in Lahad Datu and notwithstanding the fact that the Police have described the situation as complex, meaning fraught with untold difficulties and no doubt potentially grave and hidden dangers ahead. This Sovereignty cannot be transferred to foreign powers and has never been transferred with or without the consent of the people at any point in history to Brunei, Sulu, Spain, Britain, Philippines or Malaysia. Sovereignty remained at all times with the people. The Sovereignty factor is borne out by the fact that Indonesia under then President Sukarno made Ganyang Malaysia (Hang Malaysia) the thrust of his Konfrontasi Policy against Kuala Lumpur and London. Sukarno rightly, in hindsight, described Malaysia, as a neo-colonialist plot hatched by London and Kuala Lumpur against the people of Sabah and Sarawak. The Indonesian president railed that Malaysia was a bad British idea in Borneo. Manila concurred with Jakarta and not entirely because it backed the defunct Sulu Sultanate's – without territory long before Spain in the Philippines -- designs over Sabah. Indonesia was in turn vilified in the local and British media as a big crocodile, along with the Philippines, and just waiting to swallow Sarawak and Sabah respectively after the British leave. Indonesia and the Philippines providentially became bogeymen, so-called security issues, for the Malayan and British Governments in Sabah and Sarawak.   Lahad Datu mythological land point for Sulu datus There should be a debate on this and who has turned out to be the real big crocodile in the region. I had intended to time a comment piece on the Sovereignty of Sabah after all sides had their say on the Lahad Datu standoff and the defunct Sulu Sultanate's claim to Sabah, more accurately the so-called northern and eastern parts. Both the Brunei and Sulu sultans never ventured in Borneo beyond the coasts for fear of the fierce head-hunters in the interior. Anyway, here goes. The intruders in Lahad Datu seem to be focussing on the eastern seaboard, Lahad Datu in particular, for a start. The hidden dimension here is that the intruders may be standing up as much for their Muslim brethren in Sabah who are Malaysian citizens marginalised and disenfranchised by the continuing influx of other illegal immigrants. That may not be entirely a separate issue. At the end of the day, the Sabah claim may yet prove to be a red herring. Meanwhile, we can only keep a wary eye on the Sabah claim in mind in demolishing it in Lahad Datu, and soldier on nevertheless in the hopes of seeing some kind of light at the end of the tunnel. Lahad Datu, as local myths go, was the first landing point in Sabah for the datus (traditional chieftains) from Sulu and they referred to the land they saw around them as Sabah (a kind of banana – Pisang Sabah -- also found in the Philippines) since there were many Sabah plants where they landed. It's noteworthy that the intruders involved in the on-going Lahad Datu standoff has chosen this region to make a statement.   History of England reference point for Sabah The question of the defunct Sulu Sultanate having any private property rights to Sabah or any part of Sabah does not arise. A distinction must be made between Sovereignty and property rights, whether public or private. They are not one and the same thing. In England for example, the King no longer owns the entire land area of England as declared by William the Conqueror of Normandy, France, in 1066, after he killed English King Harold II at the Battle of Hastings and forced the local aristocracy to flee, many to Constantinople. Crown land is state land. State land cannot belong to a foreign power. King William I set up a feudal system, parcelling out the land to the new Norman-French aristocracy in return for taxes and supply of men in times of war, to rule England. The aristocracy allowed the peasantry to work their land in return for a share of the crop and supply of able-bodied men in times of war. As Duke William II of Normandy he claimed, i.e. before 1066, that he had the right to the throne of England by consent of the dying previous English King, Edward the Confessor, and Harold II who succeeded the former as King. Harold II, as King, defeated Herald II of Norway who also claimed the throne of England. He left the south undefended and William walked to an easy victory there over the whole country as he busied himself with Herald II in the north of England.   Pro-Malaysia Suluk, Bajau marginalised, disenfranchised My interest in penning this comment piece is not the Lahad Datu standoff per se, the Sulu claim to Sabah, the RCI or the forthcoming 13th General Election which may even be aborted in Sabah. My interest is on the fact that the Lahad Datu standoff highlights the fact that no Referendum was held in Sabah on Malaysia, or for that matter in Sarawak, Malaya and Brunei, to provide for a legitimate transfer of sovereignty to Malaysia. Sovereignty, apart from private property rights in Sabah, is one of the main issues raised by the intruders involved in the Lahad Datu standoff. Ironically, local Suluk and Bajau community leaders endorsed Malaysia in 1963, but now claim just preceding Lahad Datu albeit belatedly that they have been marginalised and disenfranchised ever since then (1963) but remained silent for this long for fear of the Orang Asal turning Sabah into a Christian state. They point to the fact that the Pala'u (Orang Laut) or Bajau Sea gypsies are still stateless. Chinese community leaders were dead set against the new Federation which they viewed as an unnecessary compromise with their newly-achieved freedom. Orang Asal leaders wanted Sabah to enjoy their independence for a time before looking at the idea of Malaysia again. They wanted further details on the new Federation. Again, there should be a debate on this "Mother of All Issues" in Sabah and Borneo.   Man does not live by bread alone! Instead, Putrajaya is continuing to harp on bringing development to Sabah and Sarawak, already the poorest Nations in Malaysia as declared by the World Bank in Kota Kinabalu in Dec 2010. Pakatan Rakyat (PR), the Opposition Alliance, is banking on its Buku Jingga to add Sabah and Sarawak as well to its electoral booty. Man does not live by bread alone! At present, the written Constitution of Malaya is being passed off as the written Constitution of Malaysia. Constitutional law experts, please take note and enter the debate for a novel development! A Constitution is not so much about law but is the ultimate political document reflecting history and Adat as well. However, anything deemed unconstitutional is unlawful and hence illegal. The present so-called Malaysian Constitution does not reflect the reality – political, historical, Adat -- in Sabah and Sarawak. It's not a political document that represents or can represent Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysia. Leaving aside the question of Referendum, Malaysia in fact has an unwritten Constitution based on the written Constitution of Malaya, Batu Sumpah, and the various constitutional documents on Malaysia from Sabah and Sarawak. It's unwritten because Malaysia, except in the case of Singapore merging with Malaya, cannot be viewed as an extraordinary event like war, revolution or independence evoking the need for a written Constitution.   Sabah, Sarawak independent before Malaysia At present, the Federation of Malaya is clearly masquerading as the Federation of Malaysia. This is why Putrajaya refers to Sabah and Sarawak as the 12th and 13th states. This is why Putrajaya claims that Malaysia is 56 years old this year, the anniversary being calculated from the 31 Aug, 1957 "Independence" of Malaya and not from 16 Sept, 1963 when the Malayan and British Governments dragged Sabah and Sarawak into Malaysia with the "connivance", for want of a better term, of the Singapore Government and the Brunei Government remaining silent. Sabah and Sarawak did not become independent through Malaysia as the history books claim. In Singapore, the people voted for independence through merger with Malaya via Malaysia. Sabah and Sarawak would be in Malaysia to facilitate the merger of Chinese-majority Singapore with non-Malay majority Malaya. The facilitation would be through adding their Orang Asal and Muslim populations to the Malay population in Malaya and Singapore. Sabah became independent on 31 Aug, 1963. Sarawak became independent on 22 July, 1963. Independence was their natural self-determination.   Joe Fernandez is a mature student of law and an educationist, among others, who loves to write especially Submissions for Clients wishing to Act in Person. He feels compelled, as a semi-retired journalist, to put pen to paper -- or rather the fingers to the computer keyboard -- whenever something doesn't quite jell with his weltanschauung (worldview). He shuttles between points in the Golden Heart of Borneo formed by the Sabah west coast, Labuan, Brunei, northern Sarawak and the watershed region in Borneo where three nations meet.

Two weeks standoff outrageous Posted: 25 Feb 2013 11:09 AM PST   This long wait - two weeks now is already outrageous, how long more for people of Sabah to wait until the security situation is back to normal?   Haji Amde Sidik KOTA KINABALU, February 25, 2013: The silence on the impasse of foreign army invading Lahad Datu needs very urgent response; otherwise the government would be accused of doing it on purpose.  The authority is scaremongering voters from coming out to vote in this forthcoming General Election, worse, when the intruders are saying they are to stay to do or to die.  This long wait - two weeks now is already outrageous, how long more for people of Sabah to wait until the security situation is back to normal?  Home Minister is leaving it to Foreign Minister? Why not Defence Minister handles this issue right from the beginning.  The intrusion of this foreign army into our land at broad daylight is no less severe than surrendering our territory to crooks. Where does 50 years experience of border security take us? Why can't the Chief Minister Musa Aman as Chief of Security officer of the State be more assertive in pressing the Federal leaders to be serious?  What about the rest of the UMNO leaders in Sabah, why are they not saying anything? Is this not evidence of how incapable our State leaders are who succumbed to push button by Kuala Lumpur and now our State security is compromised? Dragging this case too long is bad for the economy. Yet surveillance by Malaysian Marine on seas is also madness that would not do any good to allay people's fear to go out for the routine livelihood in the seas.

Anwar nafi PAS halang Pakatan umum calon PM Posted: 24 Feb 2013 06:24 PM PST Menurut Ketua Umum PKR itu, isu itu tidak dibangkitkan dalam konvensyen Pakatan Rakyat hari ini.  Fazy Sahir, FMT Ketua Umum PKR Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim menafikan dakwaan bahawa PAS menghalang sebarang pengumuman mengenai calon Perdana Menteri Pakatan Rakyat pada konvensyen hari ini. Anwar berkata, isu mengenai calon Perdana Menteri itu tidak dibangkitkan dalam konvensyen dan dakwaan itu hanya khabar angin. "Konvensyen ini hanya untuk manifesto. Kita (Pakatan) tiada masalah dan ia hanya khabar angin (isu calon PM)," katanya kepada pemberita setelah selesai memberi ucaptamanya dalam Konvensyen Pakatan Rakyat di sini hari ini. Timbalan Presiden PAS, Mohamad Sabu pula berkata perbincangan mengenai calon Perdana Menteri ini akan terus dibincangkan sehingga PRU. Ketika diasak pertanyaan jika PAS kekal untuk menyokong Presiden PAS, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang sebagai calon PM, Mat Sabu seakan mengelak. Beliau sebaliknya berseloroh jika dirinya turut menjadi calon Perdana Menteri jika Pakatan Rakyat berjaya menawan Putrajaya. "Kita tidak bincang siapa yang nak diumumkan sebagai calon PM. Bagi saya siapa sahaja dapat sokongan umum boleh jadi PM termasuk saya. "Kenapa tidak tanya jika saya berminat jadi PM. Saya berminat, cuma nak jadi Agong tidak boleh. "Perbincangan dari semasa ke semasa akan dibuat sehingga pilihan raya dan ia tidak jadi perkara utama tapi yang penting kita ambil alih Putrajaya," katanya. PAS calon Hadi Isu siapa calon Perdana Menteri Pakatan bermula apabila ahli PAS ketika muktamar lalu yang mencadangkan Abdul Hadi. READ MORE HERE

Project IC for Chinese? Posted: 24 Feb 2013 05:10 PM PST Another Brick in the Wall Lim Kit Siang was making a big fuzz over the initial revelation that quite a sizeable number of Filipino residing in Sabah was given blue IC. Many parties was trying to blame it on Tun Dr Mahathir. Tun Dr Mahathir rebutted to say that if he was bad for issuing IC to Filipinos, then Tunku Abdul Rahman is worse for issuing one million IC. It did not permanently silenced the opposition but after their lame rebuttals, it was sufficient to stop further attack on Dr Mahathir. In Sabah, Dato Yong Teck Lee's SAPP are going on a "Sabah for Sabahan" mode like Dr Jeffrey Kitingan's STAR are making a big issue of the RCI finsings despite revealed information to dispell allegations of BN rigging the electoral roll with new citizens to win over Sabah from PBS in 1994. The crux of the allegations should be directed at corrupt National Registration Department officials that was held under Internal Security Act (ISA). PBS did not lost from the alleged electoral roll change but PBS state assemblymen frogging over to Barisan Nasional as orchestrated by master frogger, Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim. RCI is due to be reconvene on Wednesday, February 27th. Will Teck Lee still be playing the RCI issue after this posting? This blogger received an e-mail from his Sabah source that was closely following the RCI in Sabah. It contains some revealing information that was presented to the RCI. Surprisingly, it was not played up by the mainstream media in Sabah. It only strengthen the suspicion [read past posting here] that Sabah media are not being professional in their reporting of the RCI and are trying to hold back information. One wonder who owns and work for the newspapers and radios in Sabah. The information was a submission from the Ministry of Domestic Affair contains statistics of issued ICs for Sabah and number of according to country of origin and ethnicity from 1963-2012. The first Table 1 below is the number of issued ICs, those still living and those died: The figure for 1964 to 2012 shows the total issued blue ICs are 66,682 in which 59,726 are still living and not reported to have died. This differs vastly to previous claims of 73,000 to 200,000 of blue ICs issued in the tumultous years prior to and after 1994, the year PBS was ousted. Not to mention is the claim by a University Professor that Sabah population increased drastically at a certain years.  So does the mytical numbers been bandied around for real? The second table provides information on the number of issued ICs in accordance to place of origin: In this figure, it shows that the highest number of ICs are issue to immigrants who are based from Malaysia at 38,214. This are likely those immigrants already residing in Malaysia and most likely are stateless but was not issued ICs. One could assume that the majority are Filipinos from Southern Phillipines. There is probably Chinese and other ethnics. The highest other country of origin other than from within Malaysia are China at 13,556. This excludes those from Hong Kong at 1,981. Neighbouring Indonesia and Brunei are only 7,501 and 1,126, respectively. India is only 233. Another country of origin that is likely to be Malays is Cocos Keeling island near Australia is 958. This statistics is not complete because the total is only 64,889 but it only differs by about 2,000 from the total in Table 1. Thus far it looks like the largest recipient of blue ICs from outside Malaysia is from China. Could this be the possible reason Dato Chong Kee Kiat fought tooth and nail against Dato Musa Aman with DAP, SAPP and others supporting the building of the the Ma Tzu stature in Kudat? Perhaps, it is inconclusive to steer the wrath of the KDM and other Sabah ethnics towards Chong for bringing in immigrants from China. Let's see the ethnic breakdown in table 3 for 1964 to 2012, below: READ MORE HERE

Opposition completes negotiations on seat allocation Posted: 24 Feb 2013 04:58 PM PST (Bernama) - Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), DAP and PAS leaders have completed their negotiations on the allocation of over 700 parliamentary and state seats up for contest in the 13th general election (GE13), according to PAS election director Dr Hatta Ramli. He said the parties were also fully prepared to face the GE13 and would ensure that all seats would at least see a straight fight between the opposition and the Barisan Nasional (BN). "A total of 798 parliamentary and state seats will be contested by the opposition pact this time around. "The allocation of over 700 seats among the opposition parties has also been completed," he said at the fourth Opposition Pact Convention here today.   In the 2008 general election, the opposition pact denied the BN a two-third majority in Parliament, with the PKR taking 31 seats, DAP 27 and PAS 23.   The opposition also managed to take over four other states, namely Selangor, Perak, Penang and Kedah, while maintaining power in Kelantan.   However, the BN managed to regain control of the Perak government after three of the opposition's elected assemblymen (two from PKR and one from DAP) quit their parties and became BN-friendly independent representatives.    Meanwhile, DAP election director Tan Kok Wai said that in view of the upcoming general election, the opposition parties' election machineries would also move as one entity where all campaigning would be coordinated at the national, parliamentary and state levels.   Tan's sentiment was shared by PKR election director Azmin Ali who said that the opposition pact was ready for the final push to garner votes in the upcoming general election.

Adakah Lagi Tempat Melayu Bergantung? Posted: 24 Feb 2013 04:53 PM PST A Kadir Jasin SEORANG usahawan Melayu yang pada satu ketika dulu amat berjaya dan tersohor dengan mainan pasaran sahamnya yang sangat licik tetapi sudah lebih sedekad terpelanting daripada perniagaan arus perdana di Malaysia kerana politik, bertanya saya kepada siapakah orang Melayu boleh bergantung. Bukan alang kepalang punya soalan itu. Orang putih kata, a million-dollar question (soalan sejuta dolar). Saya kata, soalan yang tidak ada jawapan. Lagi hebat, dia bertanya soalan itu (melalui sistem pesanan ringkas/SMS) dari di Milan, Itali yang berupa ibu kota fesyen dunia. Untuk sama-sama memahami dan memikirkan jawapan kepada soalan berkenaan, izinkan saya mengemukakan beberapa fakta, andaian dan keluhan sebagai asas perbahasan: 1. Di saat-saat kedudukan orang Melayu semakin terdesak dan terancam, kepemimpinan Melayu di kedua-dua belah sempadan politik dilemparkan pelbagai dakwaan, tuduhan dan insinuasi yang sangat dahsyat. Ada tuduhan sudah terbukti. Ada tuduhan sekadar sensasi. Ada tuduhan disangkal sepenuh hati. Ada yang pucat kesing, murung berdiam diri. Apabila tuduhan tidak dibalas, tentu ada yang percaya ia berasas. 2. Persepsi yang semakin negatif di kalangan orang Melayu sendiri terhadap jati diri, integriti dan moral pemimpin politik Melayu. 3. Yang malu, rugi dan dicaci adalah orang Melayu. Dan Melayu bukanlah ramai sangat di Malaysia ini. Menurut Bancian 2010, penduduk Malaysia seramai 27,484,596 orang. Daripada jumlah itu, Melayu 50.1%, Cina 22.5%, Bumiputera bukan Melayu 11.8%, India 6.7%, kaum-kaum lain 0.7% dan orang asing 2.25 juta atau 8.2%. 4. Jadi hanya separuh penduduk Malaysia orang Melayu dan orang Melayu pula, secara purata, adalah lebih daif daripada orang Cina dan India di segi ekonomi. Orang Melayu dan Bumiputera adalah warga ekonomi kelas tiga.  5. Orang Melayu semakin lemah di segi politik kerana berpecah tiga antara Umno, Pas dan PKR. Hanya Umno boleh dianggap parti yang berorientasikan Melayu. Itu pun azam Melayunya semakin luntur. Pas mengaku parti Islam dan PKR parti pelbagai kaum. READ MORE HERE

Palanivel losing grip on MIC? Posted: 24 Feb 2013 04:35 PM PST It is surely a sign of trouble when all the president's men fail to line up to show support for their president.  G Lavendran, FMT Last Friday, MIC strategy director S Vell Paari blew his top. He was fed up with the way the party was being run and how the largest Indian-based party in the country was moving at a snail's pace despite the looming general election. The son of former president S Samy Vellu was also frustrated that the party was on the defensive mode most of the time, not speaking up on issues and unable to come out with blazing guns when Indians were criticised. Instead of using the conventional method of addressing the issue, Vell Paari wrote an open letter to party chief G Palanivel expressing his dismay over how the party was run. He wanted Palanivel to complain about academician Redzuan Tee Abdullah and Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali – both of whom made disparaging remarks about Indians in public – to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. Vell Paari just wanted MIC to be more vocal, and be seen to be doing good for the Malaysian Indian community as a whole. Following the scathing open letter, FMT tried to obtain the party's central working committee (CWC) members to comment on Vell Paari's letter. The party has 23 elected and nine appointed CWC members. It was surprising to note that many of those in the CWC, including those aligned to Palanivel, declined to comment. Two CWC members, who are known to be Palanivel's hardcore supporters, claimed that they never read the open letter in the first place. Another wanted to read the letter first and then comment later. But that was some 48 hours ago! Two veteran leaders also aligned to Palanivel, meanwhile, said they would need a day or two to comment. "I have to see how the other leaders react… I do not want to shoot when it is not my problem," said one of the leaders who declined to be named. READ MORE HERE

Malaysian government's debt to approach RM1 trillion by 2020 Posted: 24 Feb 2013 04:26 PM PST Pak Sako, CPI This is the second part of a three-part CPI series on Malaysian debt. The first part, entitled, 'Investigate Malaysia's debts now' , surveyed the overall debt situation. This part examines the trend in government debt. The upcoming part will concern Malaysia's total debt. Statistics reveal that in the last 15 years, the Malaysian government's debt increased at an unprecedented rate. The graph below shows the statistics for the government's combined domestic and foreign debts from 1991 till the present. Forecasts are provided up to the year 2017. Here we ignore private debt, even though it adds to the government's debt burden, because a portion of private debt is publicly guaranteed. We also ignore other unrevealed debts. What the statistics are saying During the 1990s, the reported debt level was mostly flat. It declined slightly towards the end of the decade. At the close of 1991 it was RM99 billion, and by the end of 1996 it was close to 91 billion. After 1997, the government's debt began to steadily climb until 2007. In those 10 years, the debt level rose from RM91billion to RM274 billion. This is an increase of RM183 billion, or an annual average addition of debt of RM18.3 billion. From 2008 onwards, the borrowings escalated exponentially. In 2008 alone, an extra RM43 billion of debt was amassed. From RM274 billion at the start of that year, the debt level rose to about RM502 billion by the end of 2012 — an increase of RM228 billion in five years. The average increase in debt in this period was RM45.6 billion per year. The IMF forecast the debt level for the years 2013 to 2017. The annual increase in debt is predicted to be higher, at a yearly RM55.4 billion. The projected debt level for 2017 is RM779 billion. This assumes that there is still plenty of domestic funds available to carry the borrowing up to that level (the lion's share of government debt, is after all, domestic debt). If not, debt would have to be secured from external sources. The assumption is also that the government will continue to borrow. This is likely to be true. As we have seen, the trend suggests that the government's appetite for debt has been growing, not abating. The annual increases in debt are substantial sums: a single year's borrowing can dwarf a decade's worth of inward foreign direct investment. There has been no sign of the debt accumulation reducing or levelling out since the year of the East Asian economic crisis of 1997. Large government deficits were first incurred in the aftermath of this crisis. Then-prime minister Mahathir Mohamad justified this as part of government spending in commercial enterprises to stimulate the economy. In reality, the loan proceeds were allegedly used for questionable purposes, such as to fund large-scale projects awarded to crony capitalists and to bail out their failing companies. The federal government's borrowing shifted into higher gear from 2008, the year the Barisan National coalition lost its two-thirds parliamentary majority. The deficit expenditures have been justified as a short-term tool. But they have continued for almost a decade and a half; they have become a permanent feature of the government's financial policy. The government's financial imprudence is therefore a primary cause of the country's indebtedness. READ MORE HERE

Big Gamble for PM Najib in Selangor Posted: 24 Feb 2013 04:13 PM PST Khoo Kay Peng Najib's appointment as the Selangor BN election director shows that the stake is high in the next GE. He is already the Selangor BN chairperson. At the 11th hour before the GE, it appears that Selangor UMNO is still unable to identify a leader/CM candidate lead the coalition in their attempt to wrest the wealthiest state back from PR. Two Selangor Umno leaders are widely seen as potential MB candidates - state BN coordinator Mohd Zin Mohamed and his deputy, Noh Omar. There are rumours that both of them do not get along well.  Najib's appointment does come with a risk. He might be putting all his eggs into a basket. A failure to wrest back the state would put his leadership at risk. If Najib wins federal power without BN's customary 2/3 majority but loses Selangor, it is highly likely that he will be replaced at the next UMNO party elections as the party president cum prime minister. As an election director, he needs to be on the ground during the entire campaign period. He has to direct campaigns and operations during the elections. If Najib assigns his tasks to his deputies, his campaign in Selangor could be jeopardy since the two top state leaders are not on good terms and worse if both are contesting in state seats.  READ MORE HERE

Mat Sabu: Pakatan sudah ada nama calon PM Posted: 24 Feb 2013 03:55 PM PST (Sinar Harian) - Pemimpin kanan Pakatan Rakyat (PR) menyatakan calon perdana menteri pihaknya, jika memenangi Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13, telah dimuktamadkan, namun masih menunggu masa yang sesuai untuk diumumkan. Timbalan Presiden Pas, Mohamad Sabu berkata, calon perdana menteri bukan satu masalah besar bagi PR tetapi nama individu terbabit akan diumumkan pada masa yang sesuai kelak. "Kita sudah 'set', hanya tunggu masa mahu umumkannya... tapi yang pasti saya tidak tersenarai sebagai (calon) perdana menteri," katanya pada pemberita di Pusat Konvensyen Shah Alam hari ini di sini.

‘PKR should make way for DAP’ Posted: 24 Feb 2013 03:31 PM PST A Kedah DAP leader says his party should be given more federal seats as they were the performing party in the coalition. Athi Shankar, FMT Non-Malay voters were the backbone of Pakatan Rakyat and as such a DAP leader wants his party to contest in 75 parliamentary seats. Kedah DAP committee member S Neelamekan said PKR, which contested mostly mixed constituencies in 2008, should be the one to sacrifice and pave the way for DAP. He said PKR was not a force to be reckoned with now, pointing out the party won only three state seats in Sarawak election although it contested in 45 constituencies. He cited PKR's defeat in several by-elections and defections of elected representatives since Umno president Najib Tun Razak became the prime minister as a proof that "PKR was not as popular as before." As a multi-racial party, he pointed out that PKR's flip-flop on Islamic state issue, especially when Anwar supported hudud law in Kelantan, "has disturbed many voters." He said it was vital for DAP to contest in many federal seats to allay public fears and nullify Barisan Nasional propaganda that Malaysia will become an Islamic state if Pakatan ruled the country. In the last election, he said in the spirit of common goal, DAP agreed among opposition parties then for one to one fight with BN and contested 45 seats only. "But it was the best among Pakatan component partners," Neelamekan, Lunas DAP branch chairman, said in a statement. The DAP won 28 federal seats in 2008 election and added Sibu in a by-election. READ MORE HERE

Pakatan Bala & Deepak, Bom Jangka Untuk PR Posted: 24 Feb 2013 03:24 PM PST Suara Pakatan Rakyat KEPULANGAN penyiasat persendirian dari P Balasubramaniam dari India semalam, sebetulnya lebih banyak merugikan Pakatan Rakyat, dari menguntungkan. Walaupun disebut-sebut bahawa kepulangan Bala akan membawa rahmat yang tidak terhingga kepada Pakatan Rakyat, terutama dalam menghidupkan semula isu pembunuhan model Monggolia, Altantunya Shaariibu pada 2006, tapi suarapakatanrakyat.com melihat Bala hanya akan membawa 'bala' kepada Pakatan Rakyat sahaja. Asas utama bercakap begitu ialah, jika ramai masih tidak sedar, Bala telah menarik balik SD (Akuan Bersumpah) pertama yang mengaitkan Najib dengan pembunuhan tersebut apabila mengemukakan SD kedua yang menafikan kenyataan dalam SD1 – dalam tempoh kurang 24 jam. Jadi, walaupun Bala bersumpah dengan kitab Hindu apa nama yang disebutkannya semalam bahawa SD1 adalah benar berbanding SD2, suarapakatanrakyat.com yakin ia tidak memberi apa-apa kesan kepada rakyat Malaysia, terutama sekali orang Melayu dan Islam. Alangkah Najib bersumpah menjunjung Al-Quran pun tidak ada orang yang percaya, apatah lagi sumpah guna kitab Hindu ini. Yang perlu dilakukan Bala sekarang ialah dengan mengadakan SD3 untuk menafikan SD2.  Di dalam SD3 ini masukkan sekali penjelasan kemana wang RM 50,000 dari Razak Baginda yang diserahkan kepada Bala untuk dibayar kepada Altantunya yang menjadi persoalan sehingga sekarang. Biarlah banyak-banyak SD pun tak apa, asal sahaja boleh memberi logik kepada apa pun tindakan yang mahu dilakukan. Selain itu ada beberapa isu berkaitan Bala ini yang menggusarkan kami, antaranya kenapa dia melarikan diri dulu, siapa yang menaja kehidupannya dan keluarganya di luar negara dan sebagainya.  Yang kami difahamkan sebelum ini, Bala dilarikan Najib ke luar negara, tapi kenapa dia pulang sekarang kononnya untuk membantu kempen Pakatan Rakyat pula? Selain itu, cadangan untuk menggandingkan Bala dengan peniaga karpet, Deepak Jaikirshan dalam kempen pilihanraya Pakatan Rakyat nanti adalah satu kesilapan yang besar kerana pakatan antara Deepak dan Bala ini boleh memberi masalah kepada Pakatan Rakyat. Deepak seperti yang kita tahu, tidak begitu boleh diharap kerana sering kali mengeluarkan kenyataan bercanggah, termasuk menyerang pemimpin Pakatan Rakyat seperti Rafizi Ramli dalam isu pembelian barang kemas oleh syarikat Deepak untuk Rosmah Mansur. Sama seperti Bala juga (kenyataan bercanggah). Suarapakatanrakyat.com masih tidak memaafkan Deepak kerana pernah menuduh Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim sebagai dalang yang mengaitkan Najib dan Rosmah dalam satu skandal jual beli tanah walaupun sebelum itu dia juga yang mengaitkan pembabitan Najib.  Perkara itu dirakamkan di dalam video oleh blogger UMNO, Papagomo. READ MORE HERE

Pakatan unveils election manifesto Posted: 24 Feb 2013 03:11 PM PST (The Star) - The final Pakatan Rakyat convention before the 13th general election kicked off here Monday with the unveiling of the pact's election manifesto. The manifesto, delivered by PKR's Rafizi Ramli, PAS' Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad and DAP's M. Kulasegaran, covered a broad range of topics. Some of Pakatan's promises include increasing minimum household income to RM4,000 in its first term in power, removing one million foreigners from the workforce over five years and stopping the Lynas rare earth plant in Gebeng. Pakatan leaders also promised to lower fuel prices and electricity tariffs, cancel the Automated Enforcement System (AES) and recognise the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC). The manifesto also promised the construction of a Pan Borneo highway linking Kuching and Kota Kinabalu. Those attending included PKR advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.

PI Bala returns, vows to help oust BN Posted: 24 Feb 2013 03:04 PM PST Md Izwan The Malaysian Insider Private investigator P. Balasubramaniam returned to Malaysia today, vowing to help voters and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) oust the Barisan Nasional (BN) government in Election 2013. Balasubramaniam fled the country since he made a second sworn statement to refute his first statutory declaration (SD) that implicated Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor in the 2006 murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaaribuu. Talks had been circulating that he was planning to return home and campaign for the federal opposition bloc. "I came back because I want to be with my fellow Malaysians. We must change this corrupt government. "If we let them govern for 50 years more this country will be ruined," he told some 50 PKR supporters who greeted him at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport here upon his arrival from India. The former private investigator also swore that he had made the second SD under duress while claiming that the allegations contained in the first statement was the truth. Balasubramaniam (picture) had said in the past that he fled the country after he and his family received death threats. "I had no other choice. I had to take my family out of the country," he said. The former PI confirmed that controversial carpet dealer Deepak Jaikishan had assisted in the drafting of the second SD.

BN, PAS dan PKR berebut ‘Mufti Perlis’ untuk PRU13 Posted: 24 Feb 2013 02:58 PM PST Md Izwan dan Mohd Farhan Darwis, The Malaysian Insider PAS dan PKR berlumba untuk merekrut Mufti Perlis Dr Juanda Jaya untuk bertanding di atas tiket mereka dalam Pilihan Raya 2013 akan datang, akan tetapi ulama tersebut turut memikirkan untuk menyertai Barisan Nasional (BN), mencerminkan kepentingan undi golongan agama konservatif. The Malaysian Insider difahamkan, mufti yang lantang tersebut telah berjumpa dengan beberapa personaliti di negeri kelahirannya Sarawak baru-baru ini, termasuk pemimpin politik dan agama, mendapatkan nasihat untuk membuat pilihan. "Beliau baru sahaja pulang dari Sarawak. Ia bagi membincangkan dengan sahabat rapat dan pandangan orang-orang senior dengan beliau," kata sumber kepada The Malaysian Insider apabila dihubungi semalam. Di laman sosial Twitter Sabtu lalu, Juanda memuat naik gambar pertemuannya dengan Tun Abdul Rahman Ya'kub, pakcik kepada Ketua Menteri Sarawak Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud. Beliau juga mendedahkan pertemuannya dengan Taib dan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak Jumaat lalu untuk mendengar pandangan kedua-dua pemimpin itu mengenai "arah tuju negara". Akan tetapi sumber memberitahu Juanda masih memikirkan mengenai perkara ini dan tidak akan membuat keputusan terburu-buru. "Tapi buat masa ini, beliau masih dalam analisis dan pemerhatian yang berterusan. Kena nilai tempat terbaik untuk buat sumbangan secara berkesan," tambah sumber tersebut. Sumber tersebut turut mengesahkan PAS dan PKR bersaing hebat untuk mendapatkan keahlian Juanda, satu petanda agama memainkan peranan penting dalam Pilihan Raya 2013. "PAS dan PKR memang push beliau (Juanda) sekarang ini untuk bagi persetujuan," kata sumber sebelum  menambah Juanda kini berada dalam "peringkat akhir" sebelum mendedahkan pilihannya. Jika Juanda menyertai politik, tambah sumber tersebut, beliau akan mencipta sejarah sebagai Mufti pertama yang bertanding pilihan raya. "Tetapi lanskap politik negara telah berubah. Parti yang menawarkan senarai calon terbaik akan mempengaruhi mood pengundian," kata sumber lagi. Cakap-cakap tentang kemungkinan penyertaan Juanda dalam politik termasuk juga dengan rakannya Datuk Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin yang dikatakan akan menyertai pilihan raya akan datang. Sebagai tokoh agama yang popular dan mempunyai pengaruh besar, kedua-duanya dilihat sebagai aset kepada BN dan PR, dalam perlumbaan untuk mendapatkan undi Melayu, kelompok terbesar dalam Malaysia yang berbilang kaum. Menurut The Straits Times (ST) Singapura semalam, Juanda mengesahkan minatnya untuk menyertai politik, mengatakan perubahan lanskap memerlukan pemimpin seperti dirinya untuk membuat polisi. READ MORE HERE

PI Bala: I swear first SD was the truth Posted: 24 Feb 2013 02:48 PM PST The first statutory declaration linked Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shariibuu. Leven Woon, FMT Former private investigator P Balasubramaniam returned to Malaysia today and immediately declared that the first statutory declaration (SD) he made in 2008 on the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shariibuu was the truth. Holding up a Hindu holy book Bhagavad Gita, he swore that the allegation linking Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to the murder contained in the first SD was a fact. "I swear on this holy book that the first SD was the truth. But the circumstances that happened to me that night [after I produced the first SD] forced me to change. "I m very sorry. But the truth can only be the truth. My lawyer and I sat for two months to draft the first SD," he told reporters on arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport here. Balasubramaniam was greeted by more than 50 people, mostly from PKR including Subang MP R Sivarasa. Sivarasa, PKR Rembau division chief Badrul Hisham Shaharin (Chegubard) and a few PKR-linked NGO leaders took turns to garland the emotional Balasubramaniam while the crowd chanted "Welcome Bala, Long Live Bala". In his first SD announced on July 3, 2008, Balasubramaniam claimed that he was engaged by Abdul Razak Baginda in 2006 to deal with the Altantuya's harassment. He was also told that Najib had a sexual relationship with Altantuya. Balasubramaniam alleged that Najib was involved in the murder of Altantuya and the then Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan was asked to "take care" of the case for Najib. However, he produced the SD the next day and retracted all his allegations against Najib. He has since disappeared from public view and has reportedly been staying in India. Balasubramaniam said his return was hassle-free as the Immigration Department officials did not harass him and only asked him about his address. He also confirmed that carpet trader Deepak Jaikishan was the one who persuaded him to retract his first SD, but added that he would not team up with Deepak for a series of exposé on the Altantuya murder case READ MORE HERE

Jeffrey: Sabah no longer safe Posted: 24 Feb 2013 02:43 PM PST The Sabah STAR leader believes that the invasion of Lahad Datu by 'foreign forces' is a prelude to a reconfiguration of political power in the state and region. Queville To, FMT PENAMPANG: The reverse takeover of Sabah, a situation forewarned by local politicians where immigrants gradually take political and economic control of the state, is not as far-fetched as it seems, says Jeffrey Kitingan. The Sabah State Reform Party (STAR) leader believes that the invasion of Lahad Datu by 'foreign forces' is a prelude to a reconfiguration of political power in the state and region. "It is only a question of time if nothing is done urgently to beef up security of the state," he said here, citing the huge presence of foreigners in the state coupled with the armed intrusion by an 'army' from Sulu as a tipping point. "We seem to have no more security as a state in the federation although we formed Malaysia together with the assurance of military security. Now Sabah is no longer safe with the intrusion of the army of the Sultan of Sulu in Lahad Datu," he said. He questioned the easy entrance of such a large group of people into Sabah despite the presence of the navy and marine police, the intelligence units and the other security forces which had been assembled and deployed in the state at great cost. "Today, the threat to our security is not just physical but also in politics where we are also no longer safe with the illegal immigrants who have been given ICs and the right to vote. "If the federal government cannot guarantee us security, we the citizens of Sabah need to do something to ensure the security of Sabah. One important idea espoused by STAR is the establishment of the Sabah Homeland Security, Immigration and Registration (authorities) when we come to power," he said. "Sabah is ours, our future is in our hands and we cannot depend on outsiders nor Sabahans who have become stooges and proxies of outsiders," he said after welcoming 163 leaders and members of the now defunct Sabah People's Front (SPF) into STAR on Sunday. He pointed at SPF as an example of how its supporters and members lost their political platform when it was taken over by a Sarawak group and its name was changed to Sarawak Workers' Party. Among the 163 former SPF leaders who joined Jeffrey's STAR were Joseph Lusin Balangan, the former SPF treasurer general who was also the chief co-ordinator for Papar parliamentary constituency and Kawang state constituency, Jefry Kumbang (Tenom) and Elzear Maggin (Tuaran), state constituency co-ordinators Doris alom (Bongawan) the SPF Women's Movement chief, Chok Yit Min (Apas), Bidin Jawa (Sulabayan), Wilfred Kilos (Moyog), Kundian Durasim (Tamparuli), Rain Stibin (Karambunai), Tony Foo (Tg. Aru) and Lee John (Matunggong). READ MORE HERE

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