Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Harris’ suggestion on ‘settlement’ slammed
- Conservative Pundits Wrote Malaysian Propaganda
- Covert Malaysian Campaign Touched A Wide Range Of American Media
- Lahad Datu invasion: The real story?
- North Borneo (Sabah): An annotated timeline 1640s-present
- BN using Anwar to confuse voters?
- PAS deputy president picked for safe seat in Pendang
- The lies and deceit by the NST: sue the bastards, Rosli!
- Penang's RM8 Billion Road & Underwater Tunnel Project is A Symptom of Dap-PR Inability to ...
- Lahad Datu siege ends with 14 dead, 3 wounded
- Gov’t intel eyes 3 groups abetting Sulu sultan’s claim
- Two commandoes killed as Lahad Datu siege continues
- PKR To Act Against ‘Party Member’ Who Called On President To Quit
- Ex-Umno Member: 500,000 Blue ICs Issued To Immigrants Under Mustapha Harun’s Orders
- Pakatan continues to deceive Indians
- Reports: At least 10 Sulu gunmen dead
- Populist policies will hit us hard
- Gunfight at Lahad Datu
- ‘Were Sivarasa, Santiago drafting or sleeping?’
- ‘Cops not delaying probe into Umno man’s firm’
- Lahad Datu stand-off: Sulu Sultan's brother says shots fired at them
- ‘We’ll fight to the death’
- Lahad Datu invaders say will ‘never surrender’
- Pakatan won’t deliver, says Gerakan
| Harris’ suggestion on ‘settlement’ slammed Posted: 01 Mar 2013 01:27 PM PST Sabahans in a 1962 referendum chose independence through the formation of Malaysia, so the Sulu Sultan's claims is baseless, says an MP. Joseph Bingkasan, FMT KOTA KINABALU: Tuaran MP Wilfred Bumburing has slammed the advice rendered by former Sabah chief minister Harris Salleh that Malaysia make a lump sum RM200 million payment to the Sulu Sultanate as compensation for Sabah. Describing the logic as "absurd" and "totally ridiculous", Bumburing said he was shocked that such "shallow thinking still existed" when the issue now concerned the Philippines government and not just the now dissolved Sulu Sultanate. "Every Malaysian, especially Sabahans, including Harris Salleh, should show their real concern for the independence and sovereignty of our country and every effort should be taken to defend our freedom from any foreign intrusion," Bumburing said. He said the disunity and infighting among the people of the southern Philippines had been going on for decades which had displaced thousand of their citizens to the extent that their plight have reached the shores of Sabah which is now part of an independent nation. "Historically, the claim over Sabah by the Sultan of Sulu must be looked at and examined from two perspectives. "Firstly, on the 24th April 1962, the Sulu Sultanate surrendered their sovereignty over all the Sulu archipelagos to the Philippines government meaning they no longer have any right to any of the territory, "This instrument was thereafter followed by the Philippines government as the basis of their claims to Sabah which is being resolved at a diplomatic level. "Secondly, in the same year the people of Sabah in a referendum carried out decided on independence through the formation of Malaysia and this decision was accepted and approved by the United Nations. "The stability, security and the sovereignty of Sabah as an independent state within Malaysia must be respected by all sides including the Sultan of Sulu and the well-being of the people Sabah must be uphold and defended at all cost," Bumburing said.
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| Conservative Pundits Wrote Malaysian Propaganda Posted: 01 Mar 2013 11:33 AM PST
(TPM) - Articles written by conservative American pundits, but paid for with money from the government of Malaysia, appeared in a number of U.S. media outlets between 2008 and 2011,BuzzFeed reported on Friday. The news came out of a filing that conservative commentator and RedState co-founder Joshua Treviño recently made with the U.S. Department of Justice. The disclosure, which was made in late January under the Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA), detailed how Treviño was paid $389,724.70 by the "[g]overnment of Malaysia, its ruling party, or interests closely aligned with either" between May 2008 and April 2011. According to the filing, Treviño did not deal directly with Malaysian representatives or officials. Instead, he had relationships with and was paid by three groups: the British firm FBC Media, the lobbying firm APCO Worldwide, and the now-shuttered online consulting firm David All Group. Treviño was paid to blog at two websites — malaysiamatters.com and malaysiawatcher.com — which have now gone dark, and also to generate and secure the placement of opinion pieces in U.S. media outlets. The FARA filing also details how Treviño paid thousands of dollars to ten other writers — including the conservative writer Ben Demenech, American Center for Democracy director Rachel Ehrenfeld, and Commentary editor Seth Mandel — to write opinion pieces. According to BuzzFeed, work tied to the Malaysian money appeared in The Huffington Post, The San Francisco Examiner, The Washington Times, National Review, and RedState, and much of the work focused on the campaign against Anwar Ibrahim, a pro-democracy opposition leader in Malaysia. In an interview with BuzzFeed, Treviño called the arrangement "a fairly standard PR operation." "To be blunt with you, and I think the filing is clear about this, it was a lot looser than a typical PR operation," Treviño told the website. "I wanted to respect these guys' independence and not have them be placement machines." Whispers of Treviño's connection to the Malaysian government surfaced in the Malaysian press in July 2011, and the story was picked up by Ben Smith, who was then blogging at Politico and is now the editor of BuzzFeed. At the time, Treviño denied that he was on "any 'Malaysian entity's payroll'" and, when asked why he had not registered as a foreign agent, replied that he was "confident I am within the law." A year later, however, Treviño left a gig at The Guardian after failing to disclose his ties to "Malaysian business interests" in a column. Read more at: http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/03/joshua_trevino_malaysia.php
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| Covert Malaysian Campaign Touched A Wide Range Of American Media Posted: 01 Mar 2013 11:25 AM PST Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak (R) talks to Foreign Minister Anifah Aman outside Razak's office in Putrajaya, near Kuala Lumpur on February 28 (Buzzfeed Politics) - Outlets from Huffington Post to National Review carried pieces financed by the Malaysian government. An international campaign against Anwar Ibrahim. A range of mainstream American publications printed paid propaganda for the government of Malaysia, much of it focused on the campaign against a pro-democracy figure there. The payments to conservative American opinion writers — whose work appeared in outlets from the Huffington Post and San Francisco Examiner to the Washington Times to National Review and RedState — emerged in a filing this week to the Department of Justice. The filing under the Foreign Agent Registration Act outlines a campaign spanning May 2008 to April 2011 and led by Joshua Trevino, a conservative pundit, who received $389,724.70 under the contract and paid smaller sums to a series of conservative writers. Trevino lost his column at the Guardian last year after allegations that his relationship with Malaysian business interests wasn't being disclosed in columns dealing with Malaysia. Trevino told Politico in 2011 that "I was never on any 'Malaysian entity's payroll,' and I resent your assumption that I was." According to Trevino's belated federal filing, the interests paying Trevino were in fact the government of Malaysia, "its ruling party, or interests closely aligned with either." The Malaysian government has been accused of multiple human rights abuses and restricting the press and personal freedoms. Anwar, the opposition leader, has faced prosecution for sodomy, a prosecution widely denounced in the West, which Trevino defended as more "nuanced" than American observers realized. The government for which Trevino worked also attacked Anwar for saying positive things about Israel; Trevino has argued that Anwar is not the pro-democracy figure he appears. The federal filing specified that Trevino was engaged through the lobbying firm APCO Worldwide and the David All Group, an American online consulting firm. The contract also involved a firm called FBC (short for Fact-Based Communications), whose involvement in covert propaganda prompted a related scandal and forcedan executive at The Atlantic to resign from its board. According to the filings, Trevino was also employed to write for websites called MalaysiaMatters and MalaysiaWatcher. Trevino's subcontractors included conservative writer Ben Domenech, who made $36,000 from the arrangement, and Rachel Ehrenfeld, the director of the American Center for Democracy, who made $30,000. Seth Mandel, an editor at Commentary, made $5,500 (his byline is attached to the National Review item linked to above). Brad Jackson, writing at the time for RedState, made $24,700. Overall, 10 writers were part of the arrangement. "It was actually a fairly standard PR operation," Trevino told BuzzFeed Friday. "To be blunt with you, and I think the filing is clear about this, it was a lot looser than a typical PR operation. I wanted to respect these guys' independence and not have them be placement machines." Trevino said neither he nor the client knew what the writers were going to write before it went up. "I provided a stipend to support their work in this area and they would just ping me whenever something went up," he said. Domenech, a former Washington Post blogger who runs a daily morning newsletter called The Transom, said he "was retained by Josh's Trevino Strategies and Media PR firm in 2010 with the general guidance to write about Malaysia, particularly the political scene there." "I did not ever have anyone looking over my shoulder for what I wrote, and the guidance really was just to write about the political fray there and give my own opinion," Domenech said. "Of course, Josh picked me knowing what my opinion was — I stand by what I wrote at the time and I continue to be critical of Anwar Ibrahim, who I think is a particularly dangerous fellow." Domenech attached two pieces he'd written about Malaysia for the San Francisco Examiner as well as one for the Huffington Post in his email to BuzzFeed. Chuck DeVore, the Vice President for Policy at the Texas Public Policy Foundation (where Trevino now works), said he was unaware of the arrangement in an email. "He knew of my expertise and suggested I write some pieces," DeVore said. "As I've seen over the years, it's not uncommon for freelancers to be paid for their work from various sources. I frankly didn't think much of it, having been paid by papers in a few nations abroad and by PR firms, such as the one Mr. Trevino was running at the time." "He never told me who his client was," DeVore said. "I wonder if they did the same via him? Interesting that he filed the paperwork, given it appears he was working for someone else." Read more at: http://www.buzzfeed.com/rosiegray/covert-malaysian-campaign-touched-a-wide-range-of-american-m
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| Lahad Datu invasion: The real story? Posted: 01 Mar 2013 11:23 AM PST
It appears that the heavily armed group wants to turn the "occupation" into an international issue, specifically to draw attention to its plea for an independent Sulu sultanate. Amir Ali, FMT The sultanate has little resources at its disposal to run the 'government' of Sulu. Thus a fresh deal with Malaysia will help it keep the ball rolling. The Lahad Datu "invasion" is not merely about a group of armed men intruding into Sabah. After weeks of a tense standoff between the "occupiers" and Malaysian security forces, a clearer picture has emerged. It appears that the heavily armed group wants to turn the "occupation" into an international issue, specifically to draw attention to its plea for an independent Sulu sultanate. But the sultanate is financially not in good shape and hence, the group turned its attention to Sabah where it claimed the Sulu sultan has "rented out" the state to Malaysia. The Sulu sultan told AFP on Feb 27 that the Malaysian government is paying the sultanate RM5,300 yearly in exchange for agreeing to let Sabah become a Malaysian state. It appears that the group wants to renegotiate for a higher "rent". By seeking a higher payment, the sultan hopes to keep Sulu afloat. However, the Malaysian government has not acknowledged the existence of such a "rent". The group probably decided that the best way to force the Malaysian government to renegotiate a better "deal" is to occupy the village in Lahad Datu. According to observers, the sultanate has little resources at its disposal to run the "government" of Sulu. Thus a fresh deal with Malaysia will help it keep the ball rolling. Manila's war against "terror" did not include the province of Sulu. But still the province was engulfed in this war as the Abu Sayyaf group spread its wings across the Muslim majority areas. As a result, Manila sent its armed forces to Sulu in its campaign against terrorism. But the Sulu people did not see the presence of the Philippine armed forces as part of the war on terror. Instead, they deemed it as an occupation force, attempting to control the territory and at the same time exploiting the vast riches of the region. It is reported that its natural wealth includes minerals and oil and gas reserves in the Sulu waters. According to observers, the Philippines has so far failed to carry out its oil extraction activities in Sulu. By forcefully entering Sabah, the "Sulu Sultanate Royal Army" hopes to renegotiate the annual fees and also to get Malaysia to extract the oil in Sulu. According to some reports, Manila and its foreign partners have stopped extracting oil in Sulu because of frequent breakdown in the drilling machine.
Independence declaration A little-known event occurred in November 2010 when the sultan of Sulu, Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, officially declared the Sulu province an independent state from the Philippines. The Tausug people (the people of the Sulu sultanate are from the Tausug tribe) see themselves as independent, free and have adopted the syariah as their constitution. This piece of news was not reported in the Malaysian mainstream media. In the peace deal concluded between Manila and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the Sulu province was not included. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2013/03/02/lahad-datu-invasion-the-real-story/# |
| North Borneo (Sabah): An annotated timeline 1640s-present Posted: 01 Mar 2013 11:17 AM PST
I am sharing a timeline I have compiled of key events and accompanying literature on the North Borneo (Sabah) issue. This timeline is being shared for academic and media research purposes. It is not being published as an official statement of policy in any shape or form, nor does this timeline purport to be representative of of the views of the Philippine government. Manuel L Quezon III 1640s Spain signed peace treaties with the strongest sultanates, Sulu and Maguindanao, recognizing their de facto independence.[1] 1704 Sultan of Sulu became sovereign ruler of most of North Borneo by virtue of a cession from the Sultan of Brunei whom he had helped in suppressing a rebellion. There is no document stating the grant of North Borneo from Sultan of Brunei to Sultan of Sulu, but it is accepted by all sides.[2] March 17, 1824 Treaty of London signed by the Netherlands and Great Britain Allocates certain territories in the Malay archipelago to the United Kingdom and the Netherlands (Dutch East Indies).[3] September 23, 1836 Treaty of Peace and Commerce between Spain and Sulu, signed in Sulu Granting Spanish protection of sultanate, mutual defense, and safe passage for Spanish and Joloan ships between ports of Manila, Zamboanga, and Jolo.[4] Ortiz: Spain did not claim sovereignty over Sulu, but merely offered "the protection of Her Government and the aid of fleets and soldiers for wars…"[5] 1845 Muda Hassim, Uncle of the Sultan of Sulu, publicly announced as successor to the Sultanate of Sulu with the title of Sultan Muda: he was also the leader of the "English party,"(today the term for Crown Prince is Raja Muda)[6] The British Government appoints James Brooke as a confidential agent in Borneo[7] The British Government extends help to Sultan Muda to deal with piracy and settle the Government of Borneo[8] April 1846 Sir James Brooke receives intelligence that the Sultan of Sulu ordered the murder of Muda Hassim, and some thirteen Rajas and many of their followers; Muda Hassim kills himself because he found that resistance is useless. [9] July 19, 1846 Admiral Thomas Cochrane, Commander-in-chief of East Indies and China Station of the Royal Navy, issued a Proclamation to cease hostilities ("piracy," crackdown versus pro-British faction) if the Sultan of Sulu would govern "lawfully" and respect his engagements with the British Government If the Sultan persisted, the Admiral proclaimed that the squadron would burn down the capital of the sultanate.[10] May 7, 1847 James Brooke is instructed by the British Government to conclude a treaty with the Sultan of Brunei British occupation of Labuan is confirmed and Sultan concedes that no territorial cession of any portion of his country should ever be made to any foreign power without the sanction of Great Britain[11] May 29, 1849 Convention of Commerce between Britain and the Sultanate of Sulu Sultan of Sulu will not cede any territory without the consent of the British. [12] Read more at: http://www.quezon.ph/2013/03/01/north-borneo-sabah-an-annotated-timeline-1640s-present/
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| BN using Anwar to confuse voters? Posted: 01 Mar 2013 11:14 AM PST
The 11th hour faux pas by a PAS delegate has been picked up and highlighted with the usual hype and spin by the Barisan Nasional-controlled media and turned into a firestorm threatening to engulf Pakatan. Selena Tay, FMT It is very obvious that BN keeps creating issue after issue to finish off Pakatan while, at the same time, giving out cash to woo the rakyat. The mainstream media is continuing to harp on the so-called disagreement among Pakatan Rakyat component parties over the choice of Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister. This is done with the intention to create a perception among the public that Pakatan is constantly at loggerheads due to this issue and therefore unfit to govern. PAS has been blamed as the main culprit in this matter because during the PAS muktamar (general assembly) in November last year, an overzealous PAS member had proposed that PAS president and Marang MP, Abdul Hadi Awang, be the prime minister should Pakatan succeed in gaining control of Putrajaya in the 13th general election. The 11th hour faux pas by a PAS delegate has been picked up and highlighted with the usual hype and spin by the Barisan Nasional-controlled media and turned into a firestorm threatening to engulf Pakatan. Pro-BN political analysts plus various individuals have also joined in the fray criticising Pakatan as failing to reach a consensus. On Feb 26, a mainstream English daily has even reported that PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu, popularly known as Mat Sabu, has refrained from openly endorsing Anwar. This is in contrast to the stand made by DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng who firmly endorses Anwar as the candidate to be the prime minister due to his good performance when he was the finance minister. The same English daily also reported that there was talk that a compromise has been reached between PAS and DAP leaders for Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, the long-time and current Gua Musang MP, to be considered as the prime minister-designate. This report certainly paints DAP in a bad light, making it seem that while Guan Eng is openly endorsing Anwar, at the back of it, DAP leaders are secretly making deals to put in another candidate. Thus BN's media is now working overtime in attempting to portray DAP and PAS as going against PKR by stabbing PKR's back. This is done with the intention of causing Pakatan to be destroyed from within.
Media propaganda A PKR strategist, who spoke on condition of anonymity, opined that the 13th general election will only be called once big cracks appear in Pakatan. This is because fence-sitters will be influenced by what they perceive as Pakatan breaking up and therefore the best bet would be to stick to voting for BN which has been continuously portrayed as being firm, steady and united. BN's use of massive media propaganda is a factor that cannot be underestimated. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2013/03/02/bn-using-anwar-to-confuse-voters/# |
| PAS deputy president picked for safe seat in Pendang Posted: 01 Mar 2013 11:12 AM PST
(The Star) - PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu's (pic) wish to be fielded in a safe seat may come true, as he has been selected to contest in the party's stronghold of Pendang. It was reported in various media that Mohamad, who is popularly known as Mat Sabu, had been looking for a safe seat either in Kedah or Kelantan. Sources said Mat Sabu was not keen on contesting in Penang despite hailing from there, as the Islamist party was not influential enough in the DAP-controlled state. Pendang PAS chief Datuk Mohamed Taulan Mat Rasul confirmed that they have nominated Mat Sabu and two others to contest the Pendang parliamentary seat. "We have given three names and it is up to the state and the central PAS leadership to make the final decision," he said. Pendang is regarded as a safe seat as it boasts the highest number of PAS members in the country. "We have 15,000 members and we still hold the record as the area with the highest number of PAS members. But that does not necessarily guarantee us victory. Allah will decide," he said. Mat Sabu has expressed readiness to contest anywhere upon the party's wish. Meanwhile, Kedah PAS deputy commissioner Datuk Phahrolrazi Mohd Zawawi is not keen to be the sacrificial lamb in Jerlun. He conceded that it would be tough contesting the seat currently held by Jerlun MP Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir. Phahrolrazi had reportedly got into the bad books of state commissionerDatuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak following a failed bid to oust the latter in 2011. He has been nominated to contest the parliamentary seat by the state PAS. Phahrolrazi prefers to keep mum on the issue. "Let us hear what others have to say first. I will say my piece later," said Phahrolrazi.
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| The lies and deceit by the NST: sue the bastards, Rosli! Posted: 28 Feb 2013 07:44 PM PST
Din Merican On January 14,, I reported about The Star newspaper publishing an unusual public apology to Lawyer Rosli Dahlan for defaming him. Unusual because it was the longest public apology that I have ever read being given by a mainstream national newspaper to an individual. The Star also paid damages and cost to Rosli. Unusual also, because other than posting that apology in their newspaper, The Star did not report anything about the trial. The Star had to eat the humble pie by admitting that the story posted in 2007 by their editor Dato' Lourdes Charles was a fabrication and a smear campaign against Lawyer Rosli Dahlan who was then defending Dato' Ramli Yusuff who was facing a trumped up charge by AG Gani Patail, then IGP Musa Hassan and the MACC . Yesterday, I was pleasantly surprised to read that Dato Ramli Yusuff has finally filed a legal suit against former IGP Musa Hassan for defamation. Musa had recently surfaced to reinvent his image as a crime crusader. He wanted to be a Batman whereas we all know that he is actually a Badman, the baddest IGP Malaysia ever had. Musa was the IGP who brought total disrepute to the Polis DiRaja Malaysia. The IGP who was linked to the underworld and who brought criminal charges against 6 junior officers because they discovered his links with the triads. The IGP who made a false anonymous blog against Deputy Minister Dato Johari Baharom in order to ward off investigations against himself. And when that failed, Musa suspended and charged the Director of CCID, Dato' Ramli Yusuff so that his underworld link, the Chinaman known as Tengku Goh can be released. I was also pleasantly surprised to receive in my mailbox a cd. When I sat down with my wife to watch the cd, I realised it was a recording of the court proceedings that has been going on since Tuesday and ended yesterday. It was the court proceedings where Lawyer Rosli Dahlan is suing The NST, its editors and the MACC and its editors. This has been going on for three days and not a single mainstream newspaper reported it. As I continued watching the cd, I understood why there was no news report about this trial. The evidence against the NST and the MACC was so compelling damning. It showed the NST blaming the MACC for giving them false information to publish the "RM 27 Million Cop Story" which then became the RM 27 Million Lawyer story posted on 12th October 2007. It also showed the MACC trying to exculpate itself by claiming that the story the MACC posted on their official website was actually based on the excerpt of the NST news report. Gosh! Instead of defending the case together, they were actually blaming each other! That is what thieves and liars do. They steal together and when they get caught, they blame each other. That was the comical scene you can watch in this cd and more, of how the lawyers for the NST and the MACC fumbled through their way in this court case. In this court proceeding, you see that Rosli Dahlan is represented by just one lawyer, Chetan Jethwani, while the NST have 2 lawyers from an UMNO law firm and the MACC have 4 senior government lawyers from the AG Chambers. You will see how the leader of the government team of lawyers is led by a shorty counsel, a goateed and bearded Tuan Haji Azizan, with a shrill shouting voice. You will see how disrespectful this Shorty Tuan Haji Azizan behaved towards Rosli's counsel and witnesses. You will see how badly Shorty Tuan Haji Azizan's spoken English is that one shudders to think how worse is his written English. With such bad English, it is no wonder why the AGC loses cases badly. But it is more worrisome to think that because of such bad English, these government lawyers may not have understood what they read in the law books and the statutes. Could they have misunderstood who is the good guy and who is the bad guy? Was that why they brutally arrested Lawyer Rosli Dahlan who was just needed as a witness in this case but did not arrest Tan Sri Tajudin Ramli in the MAS case when Rosli was acting for MAS to recover the multi-billion losses caused by Tajudin to MAS? Was that why they kept Rosli under continued detention in the MACC dungeon in this case but were so eager to release that criminal Tengku Goh from Restricted Residence exile? There was also the comical scene of Shorty Tuan Hj Azizan scolding Rosli's witness, Dato Hj Hasanudin who is the Chairman of Masjid AlGhufran. Shorty Tuan Hj Azizan's English was so bad that he can't even be understood in his scolding. Usually, scolding or shouting expletives in English is so easy to do. I find it easier to F…someone in English than in Malay, if you know what I mean. Shorty Tuan Hj Azizan was also very rude to another witness, Amir Hussin, who was merely telling his version of things which was not to Shorty's liking. It was gratifying that in one part, witness Amir Hussin testified that while he initially believed The NST and the other mainstream newspapers, he began to distrust their reports after reading Din Merican's Blog which presented facts and news in a more balanced way. Hearing this from a witness in a court proceeding is very motivating that my writings have achieved its purpose – the promotion of truth and justice.
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| Penang's RM8 Billion Road & Underwater Tunnel Project is A Symptom of Dap-PR Inability to ... Posted: 28 Feb 2013 07:41 PM PST
Khoo Kay Peng The Dap-led Penang state government has awarded the RM8bil tender to construct road and undersea tunnel projects on the island to Malaysia-China joint venture Consortium Zenith BUCG Sdn Bhd. The project consists of a 6.5km Gurney Drive-Bagan Ajam undersea tunnel, a 4.2km Gurney Drive-Lebuhraya Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu bypass, a 4.6km Lebuhraya Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu-Bandar Baru Air Itam bypass and a 12km road connecting Tanjung Bungah and Teluk Bahang. Lim's road and tunnel projects have created a dilemma for the Pakatan Rakyat. On one hand, the coalition is proposing to increase the number of public buses through a RM2 billion allocation. One the other hand, the Penang state government has approved road and tunnel projects worth a record high of RM8 billion to a vendor. There is definite a policy inconsistency. There are several serious issues with the award: 1. It appears that these projects have been awarded way before the launch of the Penang Paradigm. For something so significant, the state government should have incorporated these projects within the framework of the Penang Paradigm and allow the residents/stakeholders to evaluate and ponder over these projects. It is unfortunate that the government has chosen to award the project while the Penang Paradigm has just been released for public consultation. 2. The state government should not have awarded the project until at least a new mandate has been given to them in the upcoming GE. Any government rushing through such significant public projects so near to a GE is unfair and unscrupulous. The next GE should be used as a referendum for these projects. Hence, it is prudent for the current state government to defer and retract its award announcement until after the GE. 3. The mode of payment/compensation to the vendor is most controversial. The state government is giving 4,791,016.5 acres of reclaimed land in Tanjung Pinang in phases to the developer. There are two major issues of using land to swap for infrastructure projects. Firstly, land is a scarce commodity in Penang especially on the island. The public can expect only expensive developments will be launched on the land. Rising property prices are going to make home ownership issue even more chronic and severe in the future. Second, infrastructures depreciate but land will appreciate over time. Hence, the state could be paying escalating future prices/costs for the projects. 4. Penang CM Lim Guan Eng said that the infrastructure project is estimated to cost less than RM8 billion. Hence, is the state paying a fair price for it? At present value, the land is expected to fetch over RM2.5 billion (RM520 per sq. ft.) and could escalate up to RM5 billion over the next 3-5 years. Some properties in the Tanjung Pinang area are already selling above RM1,000 per sq. ft. The state is giving a 30-year concession period to the developer for the third link (the Bagan Ajam-Gurney Drive underwater tunnel). Based on a rough calculation (100,000 vehicles average a day x 30 years x RM8 - without factoring in any increase in toll charges), the developer is expected to rake in RM8,760,000,000 or RM8.76 billion. Eventually, the estimated gross development value (GDV) of the Tanjung Pinang land could be well over RM50,000,000,000 or RM50 billion. In sum, for infrastructure projects worth less than RM8 billion the developer could end up raking in more than RM58.76 billion in revenue. It is crystal clear that using land swap, especially prime land, as a mode of payment for infrastructure projects is untenable and a bad financing option. 5. The state government has not been able to provide any convincing evidence that these expensive projects could help solve Penang's traffic congestion problem in the long run. The reason is simple. Building more highways, roads or tunnels are not going to help solve our congestion problem. It can only be solved through prudent policy intervention to reduce the number of private cars and vehicles on the road. Sadly, the PR coalition - both at the federal and state levels - does not have a viable solution. The Penang state government's decision to build these expensive highways and underwater tunnel is not only going to burden the people financially but it is going to create deep social repercussion for the state too. If the number of new cars registration does not go down, it does not take us long to render these new highways helpless against congestion. Additional new cars every year is going to choke off these highways and render the secondary roads inaccessible.
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| Lahad Datu siege ends with 14 dead, 3 wounded Posted: 28 Feb 2013 07:19 PM PST
Boo Su-Lyn, TMI The three-week siege by armed Filipino rebels in Lahad Datu, Sabah, ended today with 14 killed and three wounded after Malaysian security forces exchanged gunfire with the rebels, police confirmed today. The Star Online also reported the police as saying that a curfew has been in place at Lahad Datu town and surrounding areas since 4pm. "I am very sad over the incident because what we had wanted to prevent, which is bloodshed, had actually happened," Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was quoted as saying today by The Star Online. Twelve Filipino gunmen and two Malaysian commandos were slain.
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| Gov’t intel eyes 3 groups abetting Sulu sultan’s claim Posted: 28 Feb 2013 05:26 PM PST
Nikko Dizon, Philippine Daily Inquirer Whether the heirs of the sultanate of Sulu acted on their own to reclaim Sabah or were instigated by an external force to do so, one thing is certain, according to government intelligence sources: It was a business that proved too big for the heirs to handle on their own. The sources said that the Philippine government's policy on Sabah is to keep it in the back burner. But apparently "some people" want to push it forward now. And why now, at this time, is one of the questions government intelligence is looking into. The sources consistently mentioned three groups that appear to have taken advantage of the decision of the Kirams to pursue their Sabah claim. "These are groups that wanted to ride on the Kirams' pursuit with their own interests in mind," one of the sources said. Another source added: "There are a lot who can gain from this, not just in the Philippines but in Malaysia as well." These "external factors," as an Inquirer source described the groups, are one small faction that is in it for the money, an anti-Aquino administration group, and the Malaysian political opposition. "The Kirams planned to pursue their claim as early as last year. But they went to Lahad Datu also on the instigation of these groups," the intelligence officer said. The small group supposedly goaded the Kirams to ask Malaysia for a higher rent on Sabah. If Malaysia gives in, this small group would allegedly have a share of the increase. The anti-administration group simply wants to discredit President Aquino and is using the peace process as a cause of disenchantment for the Kirams. "All those who do not like P-Noy (the President's nickname) have joined forces. This is one way to really test how this administration will react (to such an issue). Whatever happens in Malaysia, there will be a backlash on us," one source said. "In a way, whoever wants to disrupt the peace process or the gains of President Aquino has already won," the source added. The third group is allegedly the Malaysian political opposition, which is gearing up for general elections that may be called before June. The intelligence officer said that one member of the Malaysian political opposition allied with Anwar Ibrahim was running for a post in Sabah. "Apparently, this politician was one of those who spoke with the Kirams. He supposedly gave the opposition's support to the Kirams' claim to Sabah," the source said. November meeting The source also believed that in their meeting in November last year, the Kirams decided to "reclaim Sabah or at least ask for a compensation for Sabah that is commensurate to the land's value today, and for the royal family to be given due recognition by Malaysia." But it is being Tausug that is keeping Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, his family, and their subjects stubbornly pressing their renewed claim to Sabah, even to the extent of defying President Aquino, one of the Inquirer sources said. "This is the last stand of Sultan Jamalul. Being Tausug, they already gave their word they would pursue their claim. This is now do or die for them just to keep their word of honor," the source, a senior military officer, told the Inquirer. But for another security administrator analyzing the events of the past three weeks, the Kirams appear to be quite edgy of late. "They are confused. The government is hopeful that we can buy more time, find a diplomatic way out," the source said, referring to the government's efforts to help settle the standoff between Malaysian security forces and an armed group led by Jamalul's brother, Agbimuddin Kiram, in Tanduao village in Lahad Datu town now in its third week. Kiram unity The Inquirer's sources are from the diplomatic and defense establishments. They asked not to be named as they were not authorized to speak to journalists about their analysis of developments in the so-called journey home to Sabah of the Kirams. The source said the Kirams decided to unite because they felt left out of the peace negotiations between the Aquino administration and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which signed a premilinary peace deal last October. Calling gov't attention "The Kirams wanted to get the attention of the Philippine government," the source said. "For so many years, the family felt they have been exploited in politics. Sultan Jamalul was goaded to run for senator in 2010 but he lost. Then their letter to President Aquino (in 2010 before he assumed office) got lost," the source said. The source said the Kirams and their followers "conceived the details of the plan to go to Lahad Datu" in late January this year. "In February, a small group of the Kirams' followers left for Lahad Datu, followed by Raja Muda Agbimuddin," the source said. The estimated 70 firearms now in the hands of the group holed up in Tanduao are owned by residents in Lahad Datu, Tausug and Badjao holding Malaysian identification cards, the source said. Malaysian security forces have encircled Agbimuddin's group but are holding action, with the grace period for the group to leave having been extended three times and a fourth being requested by the Philippine government. Malaysians careful The Inquirer's military source said the impasse continues because the Malaysians are extra careful in dealing with Agbimmudin's group. "They are all Muslims and they know that if there is violence, it would go on forever. There are 800,000 Filipinos in Sabah. It would be a huge problem in Sabah if violence erupts. The Malaysian security forces may end up dealing with guerrillas or a rido," the source said, using a Muslim term for clan war. - See more at: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/366851/govt-intel-eyes-3-groups-abetting-sulu-sultans-claim#sthash.c56cwg16.5seydpVf.dpufWhether the heirs of the sultanate of Sulu acted on their own to reclaim Sabah or were instigated by an external force to do so, one thing is certain, according to government intelligence sources: It was a business that proved too big for the heirs to handle on their own. The sources said that the Philippine government's policy on Sabah is to keep it in the back burner. But apparently "some people" want to push it forward now. And why now, at this time, is one of the questions government intelligence is looking into. The sources consistently mentioned three groups that appear to have taken advantage of the decision of the Kirams to pursue their Sabah claim. "These are groups that wanted to ride on the Kirams' pursuit with their own interests in mind," one of the sources said. Another source added: "There are a lot who can gain from this, not just in the Philippines but in Malaysia as well." These "external factors," as an Inquirer source described the groups, are one small faction that is in it for the money, an anti-Aquino administration group, and the Malaysian political opposition. "The Kirams planned to pursue their claim as early as last year. But they went to Lahad Datu also on the instigation of these groups," the intelligence officer said. The small group supposedly goaded the Kirams to ask Malaysia for a higher rent on Sabah. If Malaysia gives in, this small group would allegedly have a share of the increase. The anti-administration group simply wants to discredit President Aquino and is using the peace process as a cause of disenchantment for the Kirams. "All those who do not like P-Noy (the President's nickname) have joined forces. This is one way to really test how this administration will react (to such an issue). Whatever happens in Malaysia, there will be a backlash on us," one source said. "In a way, whoever wants to disrupt the peace process or the gains of President Aquino has already won," the source added. The third group is allegedly the Malaysian political opposition, which is gearing up for general elections that may be called before June. The intelligence officer said that one member of the Malaysian political opposition allied with Anwar Ibrahim was running for a post in Sabah. "Apparently, this politician was one of those who spoke with the Kirams. He supposedly gave the opposition's support to the Kirams' claim to Sabah," the source said. November meeting The source also believed that in their meeting in November last year, the Kirams decided to "reclaim Sabah or at least ask for a compensation for Sabah that is commensurate to the land's value today, and for the royal family to be given due recognition by Malaysia." But it is being Tausug that is keeping Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, his family, and their subjects stubbornly pressing their renewed claim to Sabah, even to the extent of defying President Aquino, one of the Inquirer sources said. "This is the last stand of Sultan Jamalul. Being Tausug, they already gave their word they would pursue their claim. This is now do or die for them just to keep their word of honor," the source, a senior military officer, told the Inquirer. But for another security administrator analyzing the events of the past three weeks, the Kirams appear to be quite edgy of late. "They are confused. The government is hopeful that we can buy more time, find a diplomatic way out," the source said, referring to the government's efforts to help settle the standoff between Malaysian security forces and an armed group led by Jamalul's brother, Agbimuddin Kiram, in Tanduao village in Lahad Datu town now in its third week. Kiram unity The Inquirer's sources are from the diplomatic and defense establishments. They asked not to be named as they were not authorized to speak to journalists about their analysis of developments in the so-called journey home to Sabah of the Kirams. The source said the Kirams decided to unite because they felt left out of the peace negotiations between the Aquino administration and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which signed a premilinary peace deal last October. Calling gov't attention "The Kirams wanted to get the attention of the Philippine government," the source said. "For so many years, the family felt they have been exploited in politics. Sultan Jamalul was goaded to run for senator in 2010 but he lost. Then their letter to President Aquino (in 2010 before he assumed office) got lost," the source said. The source said the Kirams and their followers "conceived the details of the plan to go to Lahad Datu" in late January this year. "In February, a small group of the Kirams' followers left for Lahad Datu, followed by Raja Muda Agbimuddin," the source said. The estimated 70 firearms now in the hands of the group holed up in Tanduao are owned by residents in Lahad Datu, Tausug and Badjao holding Malaysian identification cards, the source said. Malaysian security forces have encircled Agbimuddin's group but are holding action, with the grace period for the group to leave having been extended three times and a fourth being requested by the Philippine government. Malaysians careful The Inquirer's military source said the impasse continues because the Malaysians are extra careful in dealing with Agbimmudin's group. "They are all Muslims and they know that if there is violence, it would go on forever. There are 800,000 Filipinos in Sabah. It would be a huge problem in Sabah if violence erupts. The Malaysian security forces may end up dealing with guerrillas or a rido," the source said, using a Muslim term for clan war. - See more at: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/366851/govt-intel-eyes-3-groups-abetting-sulu-sultans-claim#sthash.c56cwg16.5seydpVf.dpufWhether the heirs of the sultanate of Sulu acted on their own to reclaim Sabah or were instigated by an external force to do so, one thing is certain, according to government intelligence sources: It was a business that proved too big for the heirs to handle on their own. The sources said that the Philippine government's policy on Sabah is to keep it in the back burner. But apparently "some people" want to push it forward now. And why now, at this time, is one of the questions government intelligence is looking into. The sources consistently mentioned three groups that appear to have taken advantage of the decision of the Kirams to pursue their Sabah claim. "These are groups that wanted to ride on the Kirams' pursuit with their own interests in mind," one of the sources said. Another source added: "There are a lot who can gain from this, not just in the Philippines but in Malaysia as well." These "external factors," as an Inquirer source described the groups, are one small faction that is in it for the money, an anti-Aquino administration group, and the Malaysian political opposition. "The Kirams planned to pursue their claim as early as last year. But they went to Lahad Datu also on the instigation of these groups," the intelligence officer said. The small group supposedly goaded the Kirams to ask Malaysia for a higher rent on Sabah. If Malaysia gives in, this small group would allegedly have a share of the increase. The anti-administration group simply wants to discredit President Aquino and is using the peace process as a cause of disenchantment for the Kirams. "All those who do not like P-Noy (the President's nickname) have joined forces. This is one way to really test how this administration will react (to such an issue). Whatever happens in Malaysia, there will be a backlash on us," one source said. "In a way, whoever wants to disrupt the peace process or the gains of President Aquino has already won," the source added. The third group is allegedly the Malaysian political opposition, which is gearing up for general elections that may be called before June. The intelligence officer said that one member of the Malaysian political opposition allied with Anwar Ibrahim was running for a post in Sabah. "Apparently, this politician was one of those who spoke with the Kirams. He supposedly gave the opposition's support to the Kirams' claim to Sabah," the source said. November meeting The source also believed that in their meeting in November last year, the Kirams decided to "reclaim Sabah or at least ask for a compensation for Sabah that is commensurate to the land's value today, and for the royal family to be given due recognition by Malaysia." But it is being Tausug that is keeping Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, his family, and their subjects stubbornly pressing their renewed claim to Sabah, even to the extent of defying President Aquino, one of the Inquirer sources said. "This is the last stand of Sultan Jamalul. Being Tausug, they already gave their word they would pursue their claim. This is now do or die for them just to keep their word of honor," the source, a senior military officer, told the Inquirer. But for another security administrator analyzing the events of the past three weeks, the Kirams appear to be quite edgy of late. "They are confused. The government is hopeful that we can buy more time, find a diplomatic way out," the source said, referring to the government's efforts to help settle the standoff between Malaysian security forces and an armed group led by Jamalul's brother, Agbimuddin Kiram, in Tanduao village in Lahad Datu town now in its third week. Kiram unity The Inquirer's sources are from the diplomatic and defense establishments. They asked not to be named as they were not authorized to speak to journalists about their analysis of developments in the so-called journey home to Sabah of the Kirams. The source said the Kirams decided to unite because they felt left out of the peace negotiations between the Aquino administration and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which signed a preliminary peace deal last October. Calling gov't attention "The Kirams wanted to get the attention of the Philippine government," the source said. "For so many years, the family felt they have been exploited in politics. Sultan Jamalul was goaded to run for senator in 2010 but he lost. Then their letter to President Aquino (in 2010 before he assumed office) got lost," the source said. The source said the Kirams and their followers "conceived the details of the plan to go to Lahad Datu" in late January this year. "In February, a small group of the Kirams' followers left for Lahad Datu, followed by Raja Muda Agbimuddin," the source said. The estimated 70 firearms now in the hands of the group holed up in Tanduao are owned by residents in Lahad Datu, Tausug and Badjao holding Malaysian identification cards, the source said. Malaysian security forces have encircled Agbimuddin's group but are holding action, with the grace period for the group to leave having been extended three times and a fourth being requested by the Philippine government. Malaysians careful The Inquirer's military source said the impasse continues because the Malaysians are extra careful in dealing with Agbimmudin's group. "They are all Muslims and they know that if there is violence, it would go on forever. There are 800,000 Filipinos in Sabah. It would be a huge problem in Sabah if violence erupts. The Malaysian security forces may end up dealing with guerrillas or a rido," the source said, using a Muslim term for clan war.
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| Two commandoes killed as Lahad Datu siege continues Posted: 28 Feb 2013 03:42 PM PST
Boo Su-Lyn, Clara Chooi, Zurairi AR, TMI Two police commandoes were killed after coming under mortar fire when violence erupted in the standoff between security forces and a group of armed Filipinos occupying a village in Lahad Datu in Sabah. Ten members of the group had been killed when police raided their camp, a spokesman for the group had said earlier. National news agency Bernama reported that its reporters saw the bodies of the two commandoes being taken away to hospital. Silence has fallen on the seaside village after deadly gunfire erupted this morning between security forces and the armed Filipino rebels occupying the Sabah village, Philippine media reported today. Abraham Idjirani, a spokesman for the rebels, reportedly said that 10 members of the group were killed when police raided their camp. The Philippine Daily Inquirer's online news site quoted Free Radio Sarawak as saying that the Felda Sahabat 17 oil palm plantation near KampungTanduo, where the rebels have been holed up since February 9, was filled with an "uncanny silence". Earlier, the Borneo Insider online news site reported today that a Malaysian VAT69 commando was also killed. Lahad Datu, which is about 130km away from the battle site, was also described as a "ghost town', with all shops in the town centre closed as army patrols moved about, with some standing guard at schools and the district hospital. Four intruders were injured, according to Princess Jaycel Kiram, the daughter of self-proclaimed Sulu Sultan Jamallul Kiram III, as reported in the Philippine Daily Inquirer. SAPP chief Datuk Yong Teck Lee told The Malaysian Insider that a curfew would be imposed on Lahad Datu at 4pm, prohibiting all vehicle movements. A police officer in the Lahad Datu police district headquarters, who did not want to be named, told The Malaysian Insider, however, that there have been no orders of a curfew or emergency so far. Yong also said rumours have been swirling among Lahad Datu residents about more rebels coming into Semporna and Silam. "People more anxiety (sic) than fear (because) for a few decades, violent incidents have been on and off, this being the most long drawn incident," Yong said in a text message to The Malaysian Insider. Jamallul reportedly stressed today that the group would not leave the area despite the assault. Philippine Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez, however, reportedly said that there were no casualties. Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein denied that Malaysian authorities had shot the Filipino rebels, tweeting: "I confirm that our security forces have not taken a single shot but were shot at at 10am this morning!" Bernama also quoted Hishammuddin as saying that Malaysia had given the intruders enough time to leave Sabah peacefully.
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| PKR To Act Against ‘Party Member’ Who Called On President To Quit Posted: 28 Feb 2013 03:32 PM PST
(MD) - Action will be taken against a Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) member for publicly calling on party president Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to quit her party post, said Wanita PKR chief Zuraida Kamaruddin (picture). Responding to a recent reproach from Amizan Mat, a purported member from the party's Ampang branch, Zuraida said it was doubtful that the former was indeed a PKR member as his name was not registered in the latest membership list.
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| Ex-Umno Member: 500,000 Blue ICs Issued To Immigrants Under Mustapha Harun’s Orders Posted: 28 Feb 2013 03:19 PM PST
Boo Su-Lyn and Emily Ding, TMI About 500,000 blue identity cards (ICs) were given to Filipino and Indonesian immigrants in Sabah in the early 1990s under the orders of then-Sabah Umno chief Tun Datu Mustapha Harun, a former Umno member said today. Siti Aminah Mahmud, who worked voluntarily in the Umno office in Kota Kinabalu, said today that the now-deceased Mustapha, who was the third chief minister of Sabah from 1967 to 1975, had told her that the ICs were issued to overthrow the Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) government.
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| Pakatan continues to deceive Indians Posted: 28 Feb 2013 03:02 PM PST There has not been a single attempt by Pakatan to engage Hindraf into drawing up plans for the grouses they represent. By N Ganesan, FMT Is there a surprise in the fact that after Hindraf has tried very actively since August 2012 to work with Pakatan Rakyat to develop a win-win formula for Pakatan and for the Indian poor in the forthcoming elections, that Pakatan will turn around and give the Indian poor the shaft as they have done with their general election manifesto pledges? In my mind there is some surprise. I expected that the political and electoral alignments may not work out. But I did not imagine that Pakatan would do it with such callousness and then defend their actions unapologetically and with impunity that they did alright in their GE2013 electoral manifesto. PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli's statement in his debate with MCA vice president Gan Ping Siew yesterday is most telling. Let me quote him from media reports here. He is supposed to have uttered the following words "Pakatan manifesto is for all, not just Indians". What rubbish is this? Completely wild and in my opinion simply tells of Pakatan impunity. In retrospect, this tendency to deceive the Indians in general and the Indian poor in specific have been clear from 2008 after the 12th GE. For the tsunami that Hindraf created for Pakatan, there has not been one attempt, not one single attempt to engage Hindraf, the prime mover during that heyday into drawing up plans for the grouses they represented. That was clearly a predictor for larger things to come. And we have just seen that. I can understand their logic, said and repeated in so many ways. They only want the votes from the Indians but not their representation in the August houses of parliament and state assemblies. The working class has no business there. Their refrain is – just remain a pressure group, do not ask for seats, do not ask for leadership of ministries, just stay out there, get us the votes and then maybe we will give your Mandores some crumbs. But you stay out there. You see that re-enactment clearly in their latest stances. The writer is Hindraf's national advisor
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| Reports: At least 10 Sulu gunmen dead Posted: 28 Feb 2013 02:55 PM PST
(The Star) - The casualty in the Tanduo encounter between the Malaysian security forces and the Sulu armed group is believed to have gone up. After the first reports that two Sulu gunmen were dead and three Malaysian police injured, more ground reports coming out of Tanduo village claimed that at least 10 Sulu gunmen have been killed and four others injured. On the Malaysian side, there was no official confirmation as to the four injured security personnel or of any deaths. However, journalists at the entrance of the Felda Sahabat 17 oil palm plantation leading to Tanduo village, saw two bodies being taken out in a jeep by security forces medical personnel. The Sultan Kiram family has confirmed in Manila that at least 10 Sulu gunmen have been killed and four injured. Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib declined to comment and said a press conference will be held later. Until then, conflicting reports are emerging on the number of casualties.
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| Populist policies will hit us hard Posted: 28 Feb 2013 02:44 PM PST
Tay Tian Yan, TMI There is a country well endowed with natural resources and boasting a highly efficient, incorrupt government. Her citizens nevertheless have to pay pretty hefty taxes. Income tax rate is as high as 40 per cent, not to mention an additional 10 per cent consumer tax. This country is most positively rich. I'm not going to keep you in suspense. It's Australia. But sorry, Australia doesn't provide free tertiary education. On the contrary, tuition fees are sky high, about A$30,000 (RM96,000) a year for an ordinary university, and this figure is growing at an annual rate of 10 per cent. There are three ways young Australians can gain access to universities: 1. Their families provide part of the expenses, and some parents actually emphasise they have secured loans for their children's education. 2. Bank loans, which will have to be paid back upon graduation. 3. Part-time jobs such as restaurant waiters, apple pickers, etc. It's hard indeed, but for the sake of better future prospects, exorbitant prices still have to be paid. Australian students are a very practical lot. All that they can wish for is not-so-drastic increases in tuition fees and more humane bank interest rates. Alternatively, they can count on their parents to fork out a little more. They don't take to the streets, demanding the government take over their burdens for the simple reason that they made the choice of attending the universities themselves, and should therefore not get the public to share their burdens. The opposition parties never pledge free tertiary education as they know they won't be able to honour it anyway. There is another country endowed with reasonable resources. The government is of mediocre efficiency and accountability levels. The tax rate in this country is not that high, being capped at 26 per cent, but given the not-so-high income levels of ordinary wage earners, such a rate appears to be pretty unbearable. This country is by no means a wealthy state, at best a middle-income country. You might have guessed it. It's Malaysia. It won't be too hard for young Malaysians to attend universities. There are so many of them around, in fact way too many! Tuition fees can be as low as RM2,000 to RM3,000 a year for public universities, RM30,000 to RM40,000 (non-medical courses) for private universities. Young Malaysians need not beg for bank loans or work part-time to pay their tuition fees. If they go to a government university, 90 per cent of the expenses have already been absorbed by the government (from taxpayers' pockets to be exact). The remaining 10 per cent can be settled with PTPTN loans (which many use to acquire the latest smartphones). If they opt for a private university, they need both the PTPTN and family support.
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| Posted: 28 Feb 2013 02:22 PM PST Philippines Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II said Malaysian authorities issued 'warning shots' because some members of the group had violated their security cordon. (FMT) - Malaysian security forces opened fire at the over 200 Sulu army soldiers holed up at the Felda Sahabat oil plam plantations in Lahad Datu, Sabah, here at around noon today. A flurry of text messages from FMT correspondents in Lahad Datu also confirmed the shootout. Unconfirmed reports claimed that 10 of the armed group were killed while four Malaysian security forces were injured. FMT ground reports said several Malaysian security personnel, some seriously injured, have been rushed to Lahad Datu hospital. Some locals living in the area have said they have seen bodies being moved out. As of 10am this morning all shops, banks and schools have been ordered to shut down. Lahad Datu has come to a standstill with long lines of vehicles stuck from all the main routes into town. Unconfirmed reports also said that all flights into Sabah have been cancelled. People in Lahad Datu town have expressed concern. Those staying at Kampung Panji, near the town centre, say they are worried that those associated with the group may direct attacks along the east coast including in Semporna and Lahad Datu town where the Suluks have a strong (overwhelming) presence. But Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, when confirming the incident, said Malaysian security forces did not fire any shots at the intruders. "I confirm that our security forces did not fire a single shot but were shot at about 10am this morning!," he said in his tweet, without mentioning whether an operation was underway to detain the armed intruders. Hishammuddin later told reporters that the Malaysian government had given the group of about 150 intruders enough time to retreat and return to their own country. Malaysia had also practised diplomacy and patience to provide the group with all avenues, including through negotiations, to urge them to end the standoff and return. "I want to remind the group who encroached into Sabah to refrain from saying that the Malaysian government did not give enough time to retreat. We have been very accommodative and diplomatic in our approach to end the crisis," he told reporters meeting Pergerakan Pemuda Malaysia Palestin at the Civil Defence Department. Security cordon violated Ambassador to the Philippines Mohd Zamri Mohd Kassim confirmed that gunshots were fired in Lahad Datu, where the royal army of the sultanate is holed up. Zamri reportedly told a spokesman for the Philipines Department of Foreign Affairs assistant secretary Raul Hernandez that there were no casualties in the incident. Quoting a statement from Kassim to Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, Hernandez said: "There were no casualties and that the firing had already stopped." In earlier reports, Philippines Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II noted that warning shots had reportedly been fired because some members of the group had violated their security cordon. Meanwhile, Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram II, while appealing for a peaceful resolution to the stand-off which reached its fourth week on Sunday, has also denied Philippines radio reports that several people were killed in the attack. He also dismissed reports that his brother crown prince Raja Agbimuddin Kiram, who is leading the charge in Lahad Datu, was arrested by the Malaysian authorities. "Hindi ako naniniwala. Mahuhuli lang yan kapag patay na (I don't believe it. He will only be caught if he's dead)," said Kiram in an interview with Philippines radiobzz. Meanwhile, Kiram's spokesmen Abraham Idjirani said in Manila that Agbimuddin had informed them of the rising tension at 6am. "This morning is a history, the Malaysian security forces started the first shot," Idjirani said, adding that he was uncertain if the authorties were aiming at Agbimuddin.
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| ‘Were Sivarasa, Santiago drafting or sleeping?’ Posted: 28 Feb 2013 02:16 PM PST MIC says they have disgraced Indians for not addressing the community's concerns in the Pakatan manifesto. Zefry Dahalan, FMT MIC today hit out at PKR's S Sivarasa and DAP's Charles Santiago for not ensuring that the Pakatan Rakyat manifesto contain promises made specifically to the Indian community. "They are disgrace to the community," said the party's information chief, VS Mogan. "It's very general," he said of the manifesto. "We can't see anything special for Indians." He said he had expected specific promises aimed at helping Indians progress economically and socially. "What were Sivarasa and Charles doing in Pakatan's manifesto drafting committee?" he asked. "Were they sleeping? Do they care about Indian issues? Or where they there just to make up the numbers?" Mogan heaped praise on Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, saying he had genuinely shown concern for the Indian community. "Everybody knows how many schemes have been introduced and how much money the PM has spent for Indians," he said. "For 2012 alone, he allocated RM12 million for Tamil schools in Negeri Sembilan. "For this year, MIC has requested RM16 million for Tamil schools in the state and I'm confident Najib will approve it. "The government allocated RM30 million last year and RM50 million this year for Indian businesses under the Tekun scheme. "Through Amanah Ikhtiar, we have also helped Indian ladies doing small businesses. "As the PM announced in Port Dickson last Sunday, the government will allocate 1,600 places in government polytechnic colleges for Indian students who score only three credits in SPM. "After they have received their diplomas, these students will be put on a fast track system, under which they can further their studies for bachelor's and master's degrees at local universities. The government has assured places for them."
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| ‘Cops not delaying probe into Umno man’s firm’ Posted: 28 Feb 2013 02:04 PM PST Bukit Aman Commercial Crimes Department chief Syed Ismail Syed Azizan says his officers are still gathering evidence. G Vinod, FMT The police have shot down the accusation of dragging their feet with regard to the probe on Doxport Technologies Sdn Bhd. Speaking to FMT, Federal Commercial Crimes Department chief Syed Ismail Syed Azizan said his officers are still scrutinising evidence and recording statements. "We passed the investigation papers to the Attorney-General's Chambers some time ago but we were told to get further details," he said. Recently, PKR women's chief Zuraida Kamaruddin questioned the delay. Doxport Technologies, headed by former Umno treasurer Abdul Azim Mohd Zabidi, is alleged to have cheated 60 British investors of RM12.8 million in 2008. One of the victims lodged a police report in 2011. Subsequently, several other investors lodged complaints with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MACC) and the Company Commissions Malaysia (CCM). Syed Ismail said that there are several reasons why the investigation is taking time, among them is due to the nature of commercial crime cases. "We need to scrutinise every single document thoroughly and refer them to witnesses. "Besides, the complainant lives overseas. At some point, we needed additional details from the individual and it took some time for the complainant to get back to us," he said, adding that the investigating officer is also busy with other cases. On claims that the police have only recorded statements from one person to date, Syed Ismail replied: "I don't want to be drawn into these accusations but rest assured that we are still gathering evidence on the matter."
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| Lahad Datu stand-off: Sulu Sultan's brother says shots fired at them Posted: 28 Feb 2013 01:56 PM PST
(The Star) - LAHAD DATU: Malaysian security forces on Friday started firing at a group of Filipinos holed up in a village in Sabah, the brother of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III claimed. In an interview with radio dzBB at about 10am on Friday, Raja Muda Agbimuddin Kiram, the leader of the group now holed up at a village in Lahad Datu, said they were being shot at and had to "defend" themselves. "Biglang pumasok sa amin (They suddenly came in), we had to defend ourselves," Raja Muda Agbimuddin Kiram said. Asked what time did the Malaysian forces moved in, he said: "Oras na ito (at this time)." Sounds of gunshots were heard in the background while the interview was being conducted. The interview was then cut off. In a second interview with the radio station several minutes later, Raja Muda Agbimuddin Kiram said he had received reports that some of his men were wounded but added that there will be no retreat or call for a ceasefire. "Meron na (There have been casualties)," he said when asked if some of his men had been wounded. Asked if there were members of the Malaysian police who were wounded, he said: "Ewan ko (I don't know)." Shots were still heard in the background when the second interview was being carried out. Asked about his immediate plans, Raja Muda Agbimuddin Kiram said: "Lalaban (we'll still fight)." He said he himself was involved in the gunfight with the Malaysian forces. "Tuloy pa rin (The fight will continue)," he added. When asked if he would call a ceasefire, he said, "Sino mag-ceasefire? Sila mag-ceasefire (Who'll call a ceasefire? They should be the ones to do so)." However, the Malaysian authorities have not confirm whether there was any shooting in Lahad Datu.
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| Posted: 28 Feb 2013 01:54 PM PST Sulu Sultan's brother Raja Muda Agbimuddin Kiram told a television interview that they are ready to defend themselves should Malaysians attack them. (Agencies) - MANILA:The Sultanate of Sulu on Thursday said its followers would fight to the death if Malaysian security forces tried to evict them from the town of Lahad Datu in Sabah. "They will not leave," said Abraham Idjarani, the sultanate's spokesman. "They will fight if the Malaysian army enters their camp with guns. But they will talk with them peacefully if it is their desire to end this issue without using force." The Manila Standard quoted Idjarani as saying that the sultan's brother, Raja Muda Agbimuddin Kiram, who leads the group of about 200 followers, had enough arms and men to hold their ground against the Malaysian forces. Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, asserting the sultanate's ownership of Sabah, has ordered his followers in Lahad Datu to stay put. In a television interview, Agbimuddin said they are not waging war but are ready to defend themselves should the Malaysians attack them. He reiterated that what they are doing is not a crime. "We are not bad, we are good people. We are law abiding citizens. We came here to live in our place. That's not a crime," he said in reaction to the warning from the Justice Department that they could be charged for inciting to war. Agbimuddin and his group of about 200 people remained holed up at Lahad Datu since Feb. 12 on the orders of the Sultan. The last deadline the Malaysian government gave to Agbimuddin to vacate the area expired on Wednesday. Idjarani on Thursday accused President Benigno Aquino III and his spokesman Edwin Lacierda of inflaming the situation and blamed them for rejecting the sultanate's conditions for talks. "If they are decent and civilized men as they claim to be, they would not order us to leave Sabah before we could talk to the President," he said. "They are the ones issuing angry words. They are the ones who are pushing for a fight." Earlier, Lacierda said the sultanate should not hold a gun to the President's head while asking for negotiations, saying the President wanted the Lahad Datu group to come back first to ease the tension in Sabah. Malacañang said its priority was to ensure the safety of some 800,000 Filipinos in Malaysia who might be affected by the armed incursion in Lahad Datu. Agbimuddin said Malaysian security forces have not yet attacked them; the six Malaysian security men who came to them on Wednesday backed out after his men fired warning shots. "We are on guard here every day, every night. The word 'surrender' is something not good for us. We are not outlaws. We are not bad elements," he said. He added President Aquino should negotiate with the Malaysian government on behalf of the Sultanate of Sulu to peacefully get back Sabah. On Thursday, the sultan's daughter, Princess Jacel Kiram, slammed President Aquino for branding as "foolhardy" their actions in Sabah. "Why are you calling it foolhardy?" Is it foolhardy to defend the patrimony of your nation? Is it foolhardy to fight for what is right? Is it foolhardy to sacrifice the lives of 235 people for the sake of truth?" she said in a statement. The sultan's daughter also criticized Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II for protecting the interests of Malaysia instead of those of his own people. She maintained that the sultan's followers can enter Sabah at any time without any consent, and would not violate any laws for doing so. "Is it a violation if you enter your own house, your own property? I don't know what reason the government has in ordering us to leave Sabah," she said.
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| Lahad Datu invaders say will ‘never surrender’ Posted: 28 Feb 2013 01:52 PM PST
Boo Su-Lyn, TMI The armed Filipino rebel group that invaded Lahad Datu has declared that it will "never surrender" and are willing to die in Sabah, Philippine media reported yesterday. Another online news portal also reported yesterday that the rebels fired some shots into the air last Wednesday to warn off the Malaysian security forces. "The word surrender is something not good for us. We are not outlaws. We are not bad elements... we are law-abiding citizens," Filipino rebel group leader Agbimuddin Kiram was reported as saying by the Manila Times online news site yesterday. Agbimuddin, the brother of self-proclaimed Sulu Sultan Jamallul Kiram III, said the group was prepared to fight to death if attacked by Malaysian authorities. Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar was reported by national news agency Bernama last Tuesday as saying that the invasion would be resolved "as soon as possible" despite the expiry of last Sunday's deadline for the gunmen to leave. Agbimuddin was quoted by the Philippine Daily Inquirer last Wednesday as saying that the rebels preferred a peaceful solution to the ongoing standoff, but would fight violence with violence if forced to defend themselves. Agbimuddin has insisted that he and his followers had no reason to leave Sabah as they have committed no crime in occupying Kampung Tanduo, a small coastal village in eastern Sabah. Jamallul has already told his "royal army" of about 180 to hold their ground despite instructions from Philippine President Benigno Aquino III last Tuesday to leave the village. The Philippine daily also reported yesterday that Jamallul had rejected Aquino's orders despite the president's warning that they may soon have to face the "full force of the laws" if they refused to leave Sabah peacefully. The armed group, suspected of being a faction of a Philippine Muslim rebel group, claims to belong to the "royal army" of the Sulu sultanate and are believed to number about 180 people, with 30 gunmen among its ranks, according to news wire The Associated Press. They had intruded into Malaysia on February 9 and have reportedly held national security forces at bay amid an enforced blockade that has cut off their food supply. Dissent appears to be growing within the group with several followers of Agbimuddin indicating a desire to return to the Philippines, Malaysia's The Star Online reported last Monday. The group had previously said they would not leave Sabah as they are "subjects of the sultanate of Sulu." The bizarre drama had threatened to stir tension between the Southeast Asian neighbours whose ties have been periodically frayed by security and migration problems caused by a porous sea border. News wire Reuters had reported that Malaysia pays a token sum to the Sultanate of Sulu each year for the "rental" of Sabah — an arrangement that stretches back to British colonial times. In 2000, a group of militants from the southern Philippines kidnapped 21 tourists from the Sabah diving resort of Sipadan. In 1985, 11 people were killed when gunmen, believed to be from the southern Philippines, entered Lahad Datu, shooting at random before robbing the local branch of Standard Chartered Bank.
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| Pakatan won’t deliver, says Gerakan Posted: 28 Feb 2013 01:46 PM PST
State Gerakan legal and human rights bureau head, Baljit Singh, said Pakatan had unrealistically promised many populist programmes just to fish votes to capture Putrajaya. But once it had helmed the federal government, said Baljit, Pakatan would always resort to its standard modus operandi to justify any non-delivery. "Pakatan promises the sun and the moon. But people should not get excited over it. Chances are it would not be fulfilled, especially based on Pakatan's track record," he said today. Recalling a quote of Selangor MB Khalid Ibrahim that "a manifesto is not a promise", Baljit said Pakatan may remind the people that it was not obliged to deliver on its election pledges. He added that Pakatan allies, PKR, DAP and PAS, were operating more as individual parties rather than a single cohesive unit. "Leaders of one party would always conveniently distance themselves and spurn their joint-responsibility to deliver an election promise made by a leader from another ally." 'Pakatan should not give false hopes' He cited the demolition of Indian traditional urban village, Kampung Buah Pala, commonly known as Tamil High Chaparral, in 2009, to back his claim. "Anwar told the villagers, "Kalau tak dapat geran dalam satu minggu, nama saya bukan Anwar Ibrahim." (If the title is not given within a week, my name is not Anwar Ibrahim). "He promised them that if the then opposition parties came into power, the state government would solve their problem within a week. "That was in 2008, but at height of the fiasco, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who is the DAP secretary general, famously said that he never promised anything to villagers. "Clearly Lim distanced himself from Anwar and spurned his responsibility to deliver on behalf of Pakatan," said Baljit. - See more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/03/01/pakatan-wont-deliver-says-gerakan/#sthash.rHtPteOk.dpufPeople should not get excited over its election manifesto as its track record shows it's simply a ruse to fish for votes, says Baljit Singh - See more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/03/01/pakatan-wont-deliver-says-gerakan/#sthash.rHtPteOk.dpuf
People should not get excited over its election manifesto as its track record shows it's simply a ruse to fish for votes, says Baljit Singh Athi Shankar, FMT A local Gerakan leader said the people should not to get carried away with Pakatan Rakyat's election manifesto because they won't be able to deliver on it. State Gerakan legal and human rights bureau head, Baljit Singh, said Pakatan had unrealistically promised many populist programmes just to fish votes to capture Putrajaya. But once it had helmed the federal government, said Baljit, Pakatan would always resort to its standard modus operandi to justify any non-delivery. "Pakatan promises the sun and the moon. But people should not get excited over it. Chances are it would not be fulfilled, especially based on Pakatan's track record," he said today. Recalling a quote of Selangor MB Khalid Ibrahim that "a manifesto is not a promise", Baljit said Pakatan may remind the people that it was not obliged to deliver on its election pledges. He added that Pakatan allies, PKR, DAP and PAS, were operating more as individual parties rather than a single cohesive unit. "Leaders of one party would always conveniently distance themselves and spurn their joint-responsibility to deliver an election promise made by a leader from another ally." 'Pakatan should not give false hopes' He cited the demolition of Indian traditional urban village, Kampung Buah Pala, commonly known as Tamil High Chaparral, in 2009, to back his claim. "Anwar told the villagers, "Kalau tak dapat geran dalam satu minggu, nama saya bukan Anwar Ibrahim." (If the title is not given within a week, my name is not Anwar Ibrahim). "He promised them that if the then opposition parties came into power, the state government would solve their problem within a week. "That was in 2008, but at height of the fiasco, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who is the DAP secretary general, famously said that he never promised anything to villagers. "Clearly Lim distanced himself from Anwar and spurned his responsibility to deliver on behalf of Pakatan," said Baljit.
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