Ahad, 3 Mac 2013

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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News


NEM at ground level: Same old model, no paradigm shift

Posted: 03 Mar 2013 01:01 PM PST

http://english.cpiasia.net/images/2013/mal-corruption.jpg 

From pork consumed by non-Muslims to the provision of pharmaceuticals products, rice and other food items vital for all Malaysians, from basic supplies to luxury goods, this problem is the norm in the nation's business life nurtured under Mahathir's NEP and now nourished by Najib's NEM.

Lim Teck Ghee, CPI

No business person is immune from the big and little 'Napoleons' that are in cahoots with their business cronies.

When the New Economic Model (NEM) was first unveiled by the government, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak promised that it would be market-friendly, merit-based and transparent.

Three years later, most business people have discovered that it is the same old model in new packaging — still not market-friendly, not merit-based and opaque.

It is turning out to be little changed from the corrupt-ridden, crony-dominated, patronage-driven, racist-oriented system of doing business that came with Dr Mahathir Mohamad's extension of the New Economic Policy (NEP).

Last week, I had dinner with my brother, a commodity trader in Canada. He was on his annual Chinese New Year trip back, when he combines a family reunion with meetings with business clients.

His line of trade is pork, which Malaysia imports at the considerable quantity of over 15,000 tonnes annually from around the world.

When I asked him how his business was in Malaysia, he said that it was down. He had finished a meeting with his main client and returned disappointed as the client had wanted to substantially reduce his purchases.

I was surprised by this disclosure since his client is a major meat importer, and from all accounts, the importation business in pork is booming according to trade data.

My brother explained that this slash in imports was not because of reduced demand or the client's lack of business acumen.

According to my brother, he heard the common refrain "cronyism, corruption and rent-seeking at the highest level". He offered to introduce me to his client so I could find out the real situation.

Politicians make profit from semi-monopoly

My informant's storyline and details (he asked that his identity be concealed to protect his business) is depressingly similar to that of other long-established practices of the NEP where the right to importation and the issue of licences has become a gold mine for the politicians, bureaucrats and the coalition of distributors who control them.

It is a tale of how pork importation has degenerated from a freer market with few entry barriers to a semi-monopoly controlled by a business-political mafia and which involves the highest level of leadership in the ministry and agency responsible for the welfare of its constituency and the consumers.

According to my informant, complaints made to the relevant authorities, including the Prime Minister's Department and MACC on the issue of import licences, quotas and the tight control by the cartel, the Malaysian Association of Pork Importers (MAOPI), fell on deaf years.

Apparently the MAOPI, under the leadership of two Datuks, is closely linked to the political and bureaucratic wielders of power.

So powerful is this new cartel and the hidden hands that support it that even the MCA — for whom the issue of unfair pork importation licences and quotas is critical to the party's political support — has been powerless to help my informant and his colleagues.

Incidentally, the MCA president's son who holds the position of Deputy Minister of Agriculture is either impotent or refuses not to antagonise the more powerful vested interests involved in the operation of the scam.

This is giving him the benefit of the doubt that the MCA and the deputy minister are themselves not beneficiaries of the scam.

Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2013/03/04/nem-old-model-in-new-packaging/ 

 

Nazri: BN will 'gladly' hand over power if people's mandate lost

Posted: 03 Mar 2013 12:53 PM PST

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Nazri, who is the Padang Rengas member of parliament (MP), reminded that there had been a smooth handover of power in the five states which Pakatan won in the last general election. "We won't form the government by cheating or any other improper means... There was no unrest, no attempt to resist (handing over power) because we do not want to form the government if we don't get the mandate of the people. Why should we?" 
Barisan Nasional (BN) has no qualms about handing over power to the opposition should it lose the people's mandate in the upcoming general election.
 
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz gave this assurance today, saying they (BN) will follow the rules.
 
"We will gladly hand over and we will not stay one second more (than we should) if we lose the mandate of the people.
 
"We have shown that we faithfully stick to the rules and results," Nazri said in his speech at the International Conference on Malaysia 13th General Elections organised by the office of opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
 
Nazri's comments come amid Anwar's calls for the ruling coalition to guarantee a smooth and peaceful transition of power should Pakatan Rakyat win the most seats at the general election.
 
Additionally, Nazri's remarks reflect BN's confidence going into the 13th general election which is widely seen as the most hotly contested race in Malaysia's history.
 
Nazri, who is the Padang Rengas member of parliament (MP), reminded that there had been a smooth handover of power in the five states which Pakatan won in the last general election.
 
"We won't form the government by cheating or any other improper means... There was no unrest, no attempt to resist (handing over power) because we do not want to form the government if we don't get the mandate of the people. Why should we?" Nazri said.
 
After the 2008 general election, BN lost control of Penang, Kedah, Selangor and Perak while the PAS-led government continued to rule Kelantan.
 
However, BN returned to power in Perak in 2009 following the defections of three Pakatan assemblymen which swung the balance of power in the state.
 
According to Nazri, BN refused to accept several MPs who quit PKR into the ruling coalition's fold even though these independent representatives were pro-BN.
 
"We never attempted to induce them to join us unlike the Sept 16 fiasco to buy over MPs so that there can be a change of government.
 
"If you believe in electoral democracy, you don't do that. BN won't buy over MPs from the other side," Nazri said, referring to Anwar's failed takeover of the federal government on Sept 16, 2009 by engineering the crossover of a bloc of BN MPs.
 
During his speech, Nazri also stressed that elections in Malaysia has always been conducted in a free and fair manner, even if the system was not perfect.
 
Nazri maintained that the present government has been open to suggestion and is committed to reform in order to ensure future elections will continue to be free and fair.
 
"There is always room for improvement. If we didn't believe there was room for improvement, we would not have allowed the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on electoral reforms," Nazri said.
 

 

Fighting in Sabah rages

Posted: 03 Mar 2013 12:36 PM PST

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(Inquirer, Global Nation) - Supporters of the sultan of Sulu struck back on Saturday night, killing five Malaysian policemen and seizing four local government officials in an attack that indicated an escalation of violence to other parts of Sabah after the killing of 12 of the sultan's followers in a clash with Malaysian security forces in Lahad Datu on Friday.

Abraham Idjirani, spokesman for the sultanate of Sulu, said an Islamic religious leader and his four sons were killed in the fighting in the seaside village of Simunul in Semporna town, 300 kilometers from Tanduao village in Lahad Datu, the site of a 3-week-old standoff between Malaysian security forces and a group of followers of Sultan Jamalul Kiram III.

Idjirani said two "highest" military officials, one police officer, and one "highest civilian" officer were being held by Jamalul's supporters affiliated with Alianapia Kiram, a brother of the sultan.

Reports coming from Malaysia said two supporters of the Sulu sultan were killed in the shootout with policemen.

Idjirani said the group of sultanate followers led by Agbimuddin Kiram, another brother of Jamalul, had "occupied and controlled" Semporna, which is populated by Filipinos from Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Basilan and the Zamboanga peninsula.

Alim Hashim Mudjahab, chairman of the Islamic Council Committee of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), told the Inquirer in Zamboanga City that supporters of the sultan attacked a police station in Semporna on Saturday night.

"They freed more than a hundred Filipino Muslims who were arrested on Friday and they even captured the Malaysian police chief and his colleagues," Mudjahab said.

"We are worried because it seems that these reports are not important to the Philippine government," he said.

In Tawau, Mudjahab said, followers of the sultan attacked a convoy of Malaysian military trucks, "hurling dynamite commonly used for fishing."

"As we are talking now (11 a.m. Sunday), tension is spreading as far as Sandakan and there are reports that some Tausug residing in Kota Kinabalu are ready to fight the Malaysian authorities," he said.

Mudjahab said he received the information from "MNLF supporters in those areas."

But Lt. Gen. Rey Ardo, chief of the military's Western Mindanao Command, said he had not received information about an escalation of Friday's violence in Lahad Datu to other parts of Sabah.

Police raid

Idjirani said the violence spread to Semporna when Malaysian policemen pretending to round up undocumented Filipinos stormed Simunul village in search of relatives of the sultan.

He said the policemen shot one Imam Maas and his four sons and wounded one Imam Jul when they learned that they were taking care of the sultan's relatives in the area, Alianapia and Amir Bahar.

The killings angered the villagers, who attacked the authorities and seized four Malaysian officials.

Idjirani said the sultanate of Sulu blamed the fresh violence on the Malaysian government, which, like the Philippine government, refused to deal with the Kirams on their claim to Sabah.

Read more at: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/66539/fighting-in-sabah-rages 

 

Sabah, Merdeka and Aquino

Posted: 03 Mar 2013 12:29 PM PST

http://static.rappler.com/images/ID%20GLENDA.jpg 

Is it possible to understand Muslim Mindanao without looking at Malaysia? Perhaps not. This stern neighbor has played its hands rather wisely: feeding a Filipino rebellion on one hand, and helping end it on the other. 

Glenda Gloria, Rappler 

Sabah has been home to thousands of Muslims who once fought for independence under the Marcos dictatorship. It was their refuge when the military continued to pummel them with bombs and bullets in Mindanao. Sabah was always part of their real -- and imagined -- community. Before colonizers carved out superficial boundaries in that part of the world, the Muslims of Sabah, Tawi-Tawi and Sulu were one community that freely traded goods with each other, paid unhampered visits to one another, and spoke the same language. The imperious Sultanate of Sulu reigned over these islands.

Thus while Manila has consistently put the Sabah claim on the back burner, the reality is that to many Filipinos, Sabah has long been theirs. They grew up on the island, got married there, raised their kids, and put up businesses. An estimated 65,000 Filipinos carry passports as "political refugees" in Sabah. In the capital city of Kota Kinabalu, I once asked a former member of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) why he had chosen to live there. "It's our land. These are my brothers," he said. They call themselves "Suluks" not Filipinos.

At the height of the MNLF's secessionist campaign in the 1970s and 1980s, Muslim rebels sought refuge in Sabah. In Sabah they mapped out plans to bring down the Marcos military to its knees. In its lush jungles they trained young recruits in guerrilla warfare. While Nur Misuari toured the Middle East to raise funds for his movement, his young commanders held clandestine meetings in Sabah to plot the war against Marcos.

Which begs the question, why would Malaysia tolerate this when it could not even put up with a ragtag group of old guards now holed up in Lahad Datu?

The answer partly lies not in Sabah or Sulu or Tawi-Tawi but in another place that keeps the dark secrets of a bungled special operation to invade Sabah: Corregidor Island.

Jabidah, Ninoy Aquino

In March 1968 -- 45 years ago this month -- the Philippine military shot dead young Muslim recruits whom they had trained to invade Sabah as part of Ferdinand Marcos' adventurous pursuits at the time. The underground plot was named Oplan Merdeka (freedom in Bahasa Melayu).

Trained under a commando unit called Jabidah (the name of a beautiful woman in Muslim lore), they were recruited from Muslim provinces such as Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Basilan. Army officers led by then Maj Eduardo Martelino first taught them the rudiments of warfare on the sleepy island of Simunul, Tawi-Tawi. A picturesque town, Simunul is home to the first mosque in the Philippines built in the 14th century. It is also a breath away from Semporna, an island off Sabah. Last month, it was in Simunul where followers of the Sultan of Sulu prepared to sail to Sabah to begin the standoff.

Back then, Simunul lacked the environment for rigorous training. Thus the Army boarded its recruits on a ship to the forlorn, tadpole-shaped island of Corregidor. Promised a monthly allowance, the recruits waited patiently for cash to send to their parents back home. It never came, triggering widespread demoralization that culminated in a petition addressed to Marcos.

The Army was ordered to fix the problem, but the situation was doomed. The young Muslims mutinied against their training officers. Oplan Merdeka was about to be exposed. The government panicked and ordered the Army to silence the recruits forever in what is now infamously known as the Jabidah massacre.

A few survived (including one who would tell the story), but more than two dozen got killed, their bodies burned before being thrown into the sea by the Army's elite forces on board a presidential helicopter. The senator who did his own sleuthing and pushed for a high-profile congressional probe on the massacre -- and Merdeka -- was no less than the President's father, then Sen Ninoy Aquino Jr.

The Jabidah massacre was the spark that lit the Muslim rebellion. It also changed Malaysia forever.

Times were different then. The Philippines was ahead of its neighbors and was in the best position to claim Sabah. Malaysia seemed an easy target at the time: the Federation had just been born in 1963, Singapore had just broken away, and Indonesia was becoming a problematic neighbor.

Malaysia took Jabidah to heart; never again would it be vulnerable to its neighbors. Sabah began getting the attention it deserved through projects and a huge budget.

To spite Marcos, Malaysia welcomed MNLF rebels to its fold to the extent of arming and providing them sanctuary. Eventually the rebels got integrated into Malaysian society. This didn't cause problems in multi-ethnic Malaysia. Because while Marcos unleashed his sword to defeat Muslim rebels, Mohammad Mahathir took the more sophisticated path -- discouraging Islamic extremism by mobilizing and spending state resources to allow moderate Islam to flourish.

Teaching Misuari a lesson

Its porous borders, however, made it difficult for Malaysia to stop the entry of job-hunting Filipinos. The number of undocumented Filipino workers in Sabah reached 400,000 at one point. This would not have been a problem if not for the 1997 financial crisis that forced Malaysia to deport Indonesian and Filipino workers. In 1999, Zamboanga City felt the brunt as it witnessed the arrival of a few hundred deportees via commercial ships.

The situation called for bilateral cooperation. But then President Joseph Estrada had just thrown his support behind Mahathir's jailed opponent at the time, former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, and this severely strained the excellent ties that both countries enjoyed under the Ramos administration.

The situation turned for the worse in 2000, when Abu Sayyaf bandits kidnapped tourists on one of Malaysia's prime islands, Sipadan, brought them to Sulu, and earned millions of dollars in ransom. Malaysia deported about 700 Filipinos from Sabah after the incident, but denied it was a retaliatory move.

And then something happened in 2001 under the Arroyo government. Malaysia's old friend ran into trouble.

Misuari quarreled with the Arroyo administration and incited a revolt in Sulu. When the military moved against him, he counted on one ally to save him from getting jailed. On a pump boat, Misuari escaped to Sabah. Malaysia is a friend. Or so he thought.

Shortly after reaching the shores of Jiamperas in November 2001, the Muslim leader who once awed the Islamic world was handcuffed and detained by the Malaysian police. He was deported to the Philippines in January 2002, briefly detained on charges of leading a botched revolt in Sulu.

Malaysia's move proved how it regarded Misuari and how aware it was of its bigger priority -- to co-opt another rebel movement that was being lured by radical Islam. Thus its decision to host the peace talks between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

Read more at: http://www.rappler.com/thought-leaders/22943-sabah,-merdeka-and-aquino 

 

Did the police walk into a trap in Semporna?

Posted: 03 Mar 2013 12:27 PM PST

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Malaysian-security-forces-in-Sabah-300x208.jpg 

A spokesman for Sultan Sulu said that its forces on Sabah had taken hostage a Malaysian police officer, two soldiers and a government official. 

Michael Kaung and Azman Habu, Hornbill Unleashed

Inspector General of Police Ismail Omar says his men may have been lured in by decoys and fired upon as they entered the water village.

Police searching for a group of gunmen in Kampung Sri Jaya in the Simunul area in Semporna may have walked into a trap that was set for them.

According to sources, the gunmen appeared ready for the police raid and opened fire as the police were on the narrow single-plank walkways linking the various houses on stilts.

Six policemen, including an officer, and six unidentified gunmen were killed during the firefight that occurred around 7pm yesterday.

Police have encircled the village, one of many that are perched on stilts over the sea, to track down remaining gunmen.

Inspector General of Police Ismail Omar confirmed that his men may have been lured in by decoys and fired upon as they entered the water village.

He said that police had moved in based on a tip off that there were armed men in the vicinity.

"Based on this information, a police team from the Semporna district police headquarters entered the place but were ambushed when they arrived," he told a press conference in Felda Sabahat Residence, Lahad Datu today.

The Semporna shooting comes just after the killing of two policemen on Friday in Lahad Datu, where a shootout with armed intruders loyal to the Sulu Sultanate took place.

Ismail said police were unsure if the two incidents are linked.

He also said the police had arrested three men, one armed with a knife, who were trying to slip through a security cordon around Kampung Tanduo in Lahad Datu late Saturday. They are being interrogated.

The death toll has now climbed to 26 in two days with eight policemen killed in the line of duty both in Lahad Datu and Semporna.  Friday also saw 12 gunmen loyal to the 74-year-old Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III killed. This group had 'invaded' Lahad Datu on Feb 12 to stake a claim on Sabah.

A source said that police are also "keen to get in touch with Mohd Akjan Ali Muhammad, the businessman who proclaimed himself as the 'Sultan of Sulu' in 2011. Akjan is also a former Umno member who has the loyalty of a large number of Filipinos in the state.

Akjan, according to sources, however cannot be located.

There are also unconfirmed reports that the General Operations Force (GOF) centre in Kinarut near here, a complex that was contracted to Akjan, is on heightened alert as is much of the police stations throughout Sabah.

There is a large Filipino refugee settlement in Kinarut, a small town located about 20 kilometres south of Kota Kinabalu.

Read more at: http://hornbillunleashed.wordpress.com/2013/03/04/42460/ 

 

When does Malaysia’s debt become a problem? Just the facts please!

Posted: 03 Mar 2013 12:05 PM PST

Anas Zubedy 

Since March 2008, Malaysians find it harder and harder to get non-partisan balance and factual point of views. Each time we read an article whether it is about politics, education, and economics and even bread it would likely be colored with politics – one side trying to paint the other as worst as possible and show off that they are the smarter one. Facts and figures are twisted, half-truths made like solid analysis, hoodwinking the innocent public. All these have made many Malaysians on the verge of giving up on politicians and their cohorts.

One such example where half-truth was made as though it is an intellectually factual economic paper was the recent writing by 'an enemy of the state' who go by the name of Pak Sako. I consider him or her an enemy of the state because he or she prefers non-peaceful options like what happened during BERSIH 3 rather than the peaceful and productive action during #KL112. He or she constantly writes article to create panic, negativity and hatred. This fella is tarnishing the name of a national laureate who has left us and the fact is we are not even sure if this person masquerading as Pak Sako is a Malaysian!

In the article about our national debt (http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2013/02/27/govt-debt-to-reach-rm1-trillion-by-2020/) this Enemy of the State, tried to deceive and alarm readers by focusing on 2 main themes. Firstly, noting our debt in Ringgit so it will look enormous to the average reader instead of the more exact approach by observing percentage over GDP and secondly, by forecasting a sharp increase in debt within the next few years second guessing that the government will continue the current populist agenda even post GE 13. This Enemy of the State did not even offer any comparative figures with other economies!!!

I wanted a more non-politically biased point of view so I asked a close associate who is knowledgeable about economics and not into politics to explain the economics of debt without any partisanship.

Just the facts, please. 

The following is a balanced explanation. At the end of the article, I will also provide a comparative debt ratio of countries all over the world so readers can see for themselves.

Here we go.

If like the US, government is expected to bail out the banking sector debts apart from its own debt, then we need to compare how much revenue government has to cover for any banking debt crisis and government debt crisis. To do that the formula will be as below;

  1. Malaysia p.a. (3rd qtr 2012 figures)
  2. Gov. Debt (RM484b) + Private Sector Debt (RM77b)
  3. DIVIDE BY Gov. Revenue (52b)
So Malaysia has a Debt cover of 10.8x (times)

How does this debt cover "debt gearing" as per accounting term compare with other countries?

In 2011, a comparative data with other country figures are as below;

  • Ireland 43x
  • Japan 37x
  • United States 16x
  • United Kingdom 14x
  • Spain 11x
  • Portugal 10x
  • Netherlands 10x
  • France 10x
  • Germany 9x
  • Greece 8.5x
  • Australia 8.4x
  • Italy 7.5x
So the debt gearing might look high and of concern, but is almost on par with Germany, France & Netherlands and even lower than US and UK.

But we may also realise that the problem countries like Italy, Greece have slightly lower gearing, and we are on par with problematic Spain.

Are all debt gearing the same?

It all depends on the income generating capacity and economic efficiency to service that debt. Just like companies and individuals, we can borrow to fund productive ventures and invest for income potential or borrow for current consumption i.e. welfare programs by government or cover large public spending deficits etc.
  
Example : Greece debt gearing figure may look good in comparison to Germany, but Greece is having a debt crisis while Germany is not because Germany has managed to consistently run a current account surplus (income positive) for the last decade  compared to Greece which has more consistently run a current account deficit (income negative). So same with Italy & Portugal, even though have similar "gearing ratio" with Germany.



With Malaysia, as long as we get more money/trade flowing into the country, the better we are at servicing our debt. However, since the last 2008 global economic crisis, the government had to spend more on the local economy to help cover the decline in current account surpluses, but it has still consistently been in surplus territory and beginning to show a trend reversal (if CPO prices & manufacturing export figures recover)

Japan is not in the news for any debt crisis, even though very high gearing of 37x, because they borrow heavily from internal country funds rather than foreign (9% of Public Debt), where Malaysia is even lower at 3.6% of Public debt from foreign sources (BNM). Local sources like retirement funds and deposits are more stable source than fickle foreign lenders. And most importantly Japan still consistently runs a current account surplus (however increasing trend/historical high in foreign borrowing, as more foreign funds are needed to fund trade surpluses that have shrunk due to CHINA issues)  

With regards to Malaysian banking sector loans disbursed are for more productive business working capital/loan uses (52%), compared to US (only 15% business loans – while 35% for real estate loans etc ).

In terms of government debt as per our Gross National Production (GDP),  our revenue capacity, globally we are still below the critical 100% level.  

And if future trends are a concern, IMF forecast (2011 figures) suggests that Malaysia Debt per GDP ratio will be incremental to a still comparatively safe 60% level by 2016 (please refer the table below).

Conclusion

So as long as we can maintain our GDP growth, and get business growing rather than hinder it, then we should be okay.

At the end of the article, The Enemy of The State suggested that,"Tackling debt ought to be a major subject of political discourse in Malaysia." 

Any thinking and caring Malaysian should want the government to be vigilant with our debt. But the major subject of political discourse in Malaysia should be tackling these enemies of the state who are doing a disservice to the country by deliberately propagating lies and half-truths just to win some votes. Politicians and the rakyat from both sides of the political divide including those non-aligns must not support them.


'When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?'

                                                                                      John Maynard Keynes
Note :

1. Current Account

Current Account is the sum of the balance of trade (exports minus imports of goods and services), net factor income (such as interest and dividends) and net transfer payments (such as foreign aid). The balance of trade is typically the most important part of the current account. And a current account surplus is usually associated with trade surplus. However, for the few countries with substantial overseas assets or liabilities, net factor payments may be significant. Positive net sales to abroad generally contribute to a current account surplus as the value interest or dividends generated abroad is bigger than the value of interest or dividends generated from foreign capital in the country. Net transfer payments are very important part of the current account in poor and developing countries as workers' remittances, donations, aids and grants and official assistance may balance high trade deficits.

2. Gross government debt (sortable; in percent of GDP)


 
 

 

Hindu Malaysia Agenda -Rally

Posted: 03 Mar 2013 11:57 AM PST

http://www.semparuthi.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/hindu.jpg 

Some 72 Hindu based NGO's in Malaysia have decided unanimously to organize a Hindu Malaysia Rally on 16thMarch, 2013 at Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, Kuala Lumpur from 3pm to 6pm. The main aim of this rally is to highlight demands of the Hindu Community in 5 key areas; mainly constitutional dilemma, conversion problems, Education, Economy, Social and Religion.  A task force committee has been formed and all efforts are done to gather an audience of 10,000 Hindus on that day.
 
For many generations, the Hindu Malaysian Community has toiled hard and contributed enormously in developing the economy and bringing prosperity and progress to the country.  Unfortunately, the very community which has contributed so much has been left far behind.  Thus, in view of the coming 13th General Election, Hindu Malaysians have the opportunity to position them to ensure that their rights and needs are taken care which in turn will strengthen the Malaysian Nation.  In about 62 Parliamentary Constituencies and 148 State Assembly Constituencies, Hindus form a significant section of voters who can determine the outcome of the General Election.
 
"The right time has come for Hindu Malaysians to show our solidarity once again by participating in the rally. We owe this duty to the community and our future generations because the Government of the day will decide on policies which will shape the future direction of the nation" said Dr.R.Rupa Saminathan, the organizing secretary of the rally.

 

Fourteen killed in stand-off between Philippine sultan and Malaysia

Posted: 03 Mar 2013 11:50 AM PST

http://www2.interaksyon.com/assets/images/articles/interphoto_1350443151.jpg 

(World Socialist Website) - Both the Philippines and Malaysia are currently in the thick of election campaigns. Najib and Aquino have responded to the stand-off with apparent reluctance and political embarrassment, each seeking to preserve local political alliances in the lead up to elections. 

Fourteen people died in Sabah, North Borneo, during an exchange of fire between Malaysian security forces and the followers of the leader of a southern Philippine political dynasty, the Sultan of Sulu. There are conflicting reports, but it is clear is that 12 of the Sultan's followers and two Malaysian policemen died during the half-hour firefight on March 1.

On February 11, around one hundred people, with 30 to 40 small arms, sailed from the Sulu archipelago in the southeastern Philippines and entered Lahad Datu, in eastern Sabah, one of the 13 member states of Malaysia. They were led by Agbimuddin Kiram, who was sent by his brother Jamalul Kiram, one of two claimants to the title of Sultan of Sulu. Kiram is asserting an ancestral claim to the entire state of Sabah, a claim that has the longstanding endorsement of the Philippine government.

Malaysian security forces surrounded the remote village where Kiram and his supporters landed. Over the two weeks leading up to the shoot-out there was a bizarre and complicated stand-off between the governments of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, Philippine President Benigno Aquino, and the forces of the sultan.

Both the Philippines and Malaysia are currently in the thick of election campaigns. Najib and Aquino have responded to the stand-off with apparent reluctance and political embarrassment, each seeking to preserve local political alliances in the lead up to elections.

Najib's ruling coalition Barisan Nasional (BN) has been steadily losing political ground, in the face of an increasing downturn in Malaysia's export markets. Sabah is one of the Malaysian states in which the United Malays National Organization (UMNO)-led BN is most vulnerable, as it is one of five states where BN has lost in the past to the opposition Peoples Alliance (PR) coalition.

The initially hesitant response from Kuala Lumpur to the Sabah stand-off was dictated by Najib's desire to preserve political ties with sections of the local elite, who rely heavily on hundreds of thousands of Filipino migrant workers employed in Sabah's palm oil plantations. A souring of relations with the Philippines might jeopardize this supply of cheap labor.

UMNO has, through a calculated practice of preferential economic and political policies, deliberately cultivated its support base among the ethnic Malay population. The opposition PR has charged UMNO with selectively granting citizenship in Sabah to Muslim Malay populations, such as so-called illegal Filipino immigrants, under the auspices of 'Project IC' in a bid to shore up its political support in the state.

Philippine President Aquino meanwhile is seeking political advantage for his Liberal Party coalition in the upcoming midterm elections in May. The incursion of the sultan of Sulu's forces into Sabah places at risk the recent peace deal between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) for the establishment of an autonomous political entity known as Bangsamoro, intended to end decades of hostilities on the southern island of Mindanao. The Bangsamoro peace deal was brokered by Kuala Lumpur under Prime Minister Najib.

The peace deal was made at the instigation, and with the full support, of Washington, which has an eye to both the possibility of placing military bases within the autonomous Bangsamoro region, as well as to its use as a platform for cheap labor.

At the same time, however, members of the rival United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) coalition in the Philippines have begun to seize upon the opportunity afforded them by the Sabah stand-off to engage in political grandstanding, calling upon Aquino to defend Philippine national sovereignty and to assert the historical claims to Sabah.

The opposition parties in the Malaysian PR, particularly Anwar Ibrahim's Keadilan party, have denounced Najib for "compromising the security and safety of Malaysians" and said there is "no valid reason whatsoever for our Malaysian Armed Forces not to act to defend our country against the armed Sulu invaders." They called for a crackdown on "foreigners" in Sabah, who were becoming "a security threat to those born in Malaysia." This retrograde appeal to nationalism is an attempt to undermine UMNO's moves to expand its base of support in Sabah.

Under this mounting opposition pressure, Najib issued a deadline to Aquino for the sultan's forces to leave Sabah. Aquino, reluctant to appear to be relinquishing Philippine territorial claims, but under a great deal of pressure from Washington to push the peace deal with the MILF forward, equivocated. He said the Philippine government did not recognize Jamalul Kiram as rightful sultan, as there were several rival hereditary claims to the title. He thus avoided directly addressing the question of the territorial claim.

Read more at: http://wsws.org/en/articles/2013/03/02/phil-m02.html

 

Malaysia Blocks PH Ship On Humanitarian Mission

Posted: 03 Mar 2013 11:43 AM PST

http://business.inquirer.net/files/2012/11/valte.jpg 

(Manila Bulletin) - The Philippine government has appealed to Malaysia to allow its humanitarian mission to enter Sabah to assist Filipinos affected by the bloody clashes between the Sulu Sultanate's army and Malaysian forces following reports that Malaysian border authorities have blocked the entry of a Philippine ship seeking to provide assistance to Filipinos living in Sabah.

Deputy Presidential Spokeswoman Abigail Valte said Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario has sent a note verbale to the Malaysian Ambassador to the Philippines seeking permission for the Philippine contingent that will extend humanitarian and consular aid to Filipinos in Sabah.

"We have been asking for full access to those who are in custody and we were asking for the go-signal to be able to treat the wounded, to provide consular assistance," she said over government radio. "As of today, the ship remains at the border ready to be deployed as soon as we have the signal to do so," she added.

She said the government's main concern is the safety of the 800,000 Filipinos living in Sabah who may be affected by the gunfight in the area.

Amid the rising death toll, President Benigno S. Aquino III earlier called on the Filipino gunmen pressing claim over Sabah to surrender to avoid bloodshed. Aquino expressed concern about the welfare of other Filipinos whose lives are put at risk by the action of the Sulu sultan's followers in Sabah.

Valte said the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has opened a "humanitarian corridor" in Sulu to assist families of the slain Filipino gunmen. The social workers will provide counselling and other assistance to families of those who perished in the gunbattle in Sabah, according to Valte.

Malacañang once again appealed to the loyalists of Sultan Jamalul Kiram III holding fort in Sabah to reconsider their defiance and surrender immediately "to preserve life."

Valte assured that the territorial claim on Sabah, which the Sultanate of Sulu has been fighting for, is now under study by the Philippine government.

"Surrender is the best way at this point to preserve lives of the people who are there," Valte said in Pilipino over government radio.

"I don't think anybody would really say that somebody needs to die for this. There is no need for more people to die. We have other ways on how to discuss and pursue their proprietary claim," she added.

Valte said no one has the right to endanger the lives of the 800,000 Filipinos in Sabah and the Republic just because of a proprietary claim by the Sultanate of Sulu.

The fate of the Filipino gunmen in Sabah, on the other hand, is now in the hands of the Malaysian authority, according to Valte.

"That is up to the Malaysian authorities. It is not a secret that they have control of the situation there at present," she said when asked if the Filipinos who surrender will be arrested or given safe passage back to the Philippines.

The Malaysian government earlier warned it would take drastic action against the Filipino gunmen if they don't surrender. At least 12 Filipinos were reportedly killed in the violent encounter with the Malaysian troops seeking to end the standoff that started early last month in Sabah.

President Aquino has called on Kiram's supporters to surrender without conditions to avoid violence but the Sulu sultan has rejected this request.

Valte said the invasion of the sultan's followers in Sabah was the "wrong method" to pursue their ancestral land since it was putting the lives of other Filipinos at risk.

She also compared the incident in Sabah to a home invasion where intruders demand to be heard. It is difficult to talk with intruders especially if they are armed, she added.

Allaying concerns the government has abandoned its claim over Sabah, Valte said the President has already ordered a study into the historical and legal context of the decades-old claim to the land.

Malacanang, meantime, could still not confirm if the President has already contacted Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak about the situation in Sabah.

When asked if the President has appealed to Malaysia not to kill the Filipinos in the disputed territory, Valte said the Philippine government has been "continuously coordinating" with the Malaysian authorities and the Kiram family to reach a peaceful solution to the conflict in Sabah.

She said the President continues to monitor the situation in Sabah and remains in contact with concerned government officials.

Meanwhile, senators yesterday urged the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to intensify dialogues and diplomacy with Malaysia as it pursues an immediate resolution to the crisis that erupted in Sabah.

Sen. Loren Legarda said the DFA should ensure that collateral damage among Filipinos in Sabah is minimized following the reported clashes between the Malaysian police and supporters of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III in Sabah.

Sen. Francis Escudero said the country's interest should be detached from the private claim of the Sulu Sultanate since involving the whole nation in it may affect the Philippines' good relations with Malaysia.

"My personal view is that the Sabah claim is a personal issue involving the Sultan of Sulu," Escudero said.

"It's a private right and a private claim. He cannot say, however, that Sabah is part of the Philippines," he pointed out. (With a report fro Hannah L. Torregoza)

 

Was there a hidden peace deal between Philippines government and Malaysia?

Posted: 03 Mar 2013 11:34 AM PST

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/images/uploads/2012/october2012/16/1610najib.jpg 

The recent fiasco in Sabah looks like your usual invasion scenario, but has anyone given a thought that all this could be a ruse to play out the hidden peace deal brokered by Malaysia along with the Philippines government?

Yong Ming Hui


The Malaysian and Philippines could be working hand in hand together to orchestrate the current fiasco, because it is all too convenient that opposition parties are implicated here, notably that of Anwar Ibrahim.

The opposition has nothing to gain from doing this, and to the risk to be discovered/exposed is too high and suicidal.

The reason why both governments would conspire to frame Malaysian opposition is simply this.

If the opposition party ever comes to power in Malaysia, their first job would be to weed out the phantom voters, and to correct the mistakes of Mahathir with the sabah IC project. The royal commission for the Sabah IC project would commence full fledge and Mahathir would be implicated and possibly prosecuted.

The removal of illegal Muslim Pinoys and those from IC project, would become a political and economical headache for the Philippines government who would have to accept them back. This sudden influx of unwanted Malaysian Pinoys would be too many mouths to feed in terms of jobs for the Pinoy government.

The hidden peace deal package brokered by Malaysia with the requirement of the Philippine government would be to include the continuous importation of Pinoy Muslims to Sabah, therefore increasing even more voters for project IC which is still possibly ongoing. This helps the Pinoy government, who doesn't really want to deal with these 'rebels' since Malaysia is willing to import them for political purposes.

But in order for this plan to work, the present government in Malaysia has to remain Barisan Nasional, and not the Opposition party, which has no access to such hidden deal and not obligated to honor them since such arrangement is a liability to their existence, if they ever come to power.

That also, in addition to the Philippines government to never stake a claim on Sabah again, as long as Malaysia is willing to solve their rebel issue, by absorbing and assimilating them into Sabah.

That, perhaps, is one of the most potent reason and deal for the Pinoy government to work with Malaysia's Barisan Nasional to frame the opposition party, namely Anwar Ibrahim, for the invasion of Sabah.

 

19 Cops Rescued; Six Others Die In Simunul

Posted: 03 Mar 2013 11:32 AM PST

http://borneoinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/rescued04-300x249.jpgSome of the rescued policemen! 

(Borneo Insider) - Police say they shot dead six armed men; another beaten to death by villagers

Police stormed a hide-out at Kampung Sri Jaya, Simunul late yesterday evening, killing five armed men and rescuing 19 policemen who were said to have been "trapped" since Saturday night.

Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar at a brief 9.00pm Press conference in Lahad Datu on Sunday also declared that the bodies of the 6 dead policemen have been identified and taken to the Tawau general hospital, before being released to their respective families.

It is understood that police stormed a house at Sri Jaya at about 4.30pm and another shoot-out ensued, and this time five armed men were killed. Another had been shot dead in the first fire-fight on Saturday.

The overnight raid on Simunul, a notorious seaside squatter settlement close to the district's Marine Police Headquarters, plunged the entire Sabah into a state of panic and shock.

All set and ready to leave Simunul for a temporary safer place.

All set and ready to leave Simunul for a temporary safer place.

But it ended 24 hours after it started, with the police suffering the loss of six of their colleagues who were apparently caught by surprise in an ambush at Lorong 6, at about 8.00pm Saturday.

But a bigger tragedy was averted. During the tense 24-hour intrigue, 19 policemen went missing; unaccounted for and this caused a major worry for their comrades.

The Borneo Insider was aware of this situation – we were given 23 missing initially – but chose not to reveal it, just in case it would muddy the actual situation. But four of the original missing 23 was later pronounced dead.

This was the scene at the Customs Jetty at noon Sunday. The occupants of this car were ordered down and a thorough search carried out by Marine police personnel who mounted the checkpoint.

This was the scene at the Customs Jetty at noon Sunday. The occupants of this car were ordered down and a thorough search carried out by Marine police personnel who mounted the checkpoint.

We also knew that two policemen had died in the first ambush at about 8.00pm on Saturday.

Ismail declined to reveal the identity of the dead police personnel, added that mopping-up operations that involved checking through some 300 houses, ended at 7.00pm.

"It is over and the situation is getting back to normal,'' Ismail said in extending his condolences to the families of the police personnel who died.

The "rescued" policemen have since been taken to the district police headquarters while the bodies were brought to the Semporna hospital.

Ismail said that they have yet to establish the identities of the six gunmen shot dead.

Read more at: http://borneoinsider.com/2013/03/03/igp-confirms-five-policemen-killed-in-semporna/ 

Harris’ RM 200m formula a non-starter

Posted: 03 Mar 2013 11:21 AM PST

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY7ifCjChtax_GvLfRVZ4EyhddYXrNxuDPjE0aQNUestRSbXR_tEw1oSB2VGYUuXQ4RLQ37CF4n9JUDeU5ELGjHWmo1Ocext5bw7Ux5wInqdQWD5Dv41hyphenhyphenkw5weQfFDRGAHZhaDInPaeo-/s400/HARRIS.jpg 

Now we have heard it all from former Sabah Chief Minister Harris Salleh. He wants the Federal Government to pay RM200 million of our hard-earned money in "compensation" to some riff-raff, for want of a better term, in the Philippines who claim to be "heirs" of the defunct Sulu Sultanate. At last count, there were some 60 claimants to the Sulu Sultanship.
 
Joe Fernandez 
 
The "heirs" involved in the on-going standoff in Lahad Datu claim that the defunct sultanate owns the entire Sabah and has private property rights to it. The Brunei and Sulu sultans, terrified of the fierce headhunters, incidentally never ventured inland beyond the coastal stretches in Borneo. Under Adat, the entire land area of Sabah is NCR (Native Customary Rights) and belongs to the Orang Asal i.e. the Dusunic and Murutic Groupings. The Sovereignty of Sabah rests with its people. This Sovereignty has never been transferred to Brunei, Sulu, Spain, Britain, the Philippines or Malaysia. No Referendum was held on Malaysia in Sabah, Sarawak, Malaya or Brunei. In Singapore, the people were given the choice of a simple Yes or No vote: independence of Singapore through merger with Malaya via Malaysia. 
We know from history that the Sulu sultan at one time used to extort tolls from terrified traffic along the waterways in eastern Sabah. Later, the extortionist activities were extended to the waterways in northern by courtesy of the Brunei sultan, the previous extortionist, who gave up this "right" to the former.
 
 
Brunei, Sulu claims not by war, conquest
 
These virtually criminal activities, by no means, confer territorial rights or any transfer of sovereignty which at all times resides with the people.
 
Neither the Brunei nor Sulu sultans can claim like William the Conqueror of Normandy, France that they acquired the ownership of the entire area by the act of war and conquest to set up a feudal kingdom. William defeated English King Harold II at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and declared that he now owned the entire land area of England.
 
The sovereignty itself, the last time we heard anything about it ages ago, was "transferred"– if there's any such thing -- to the Philippines Government by one of the many pretenders to the Sulu Sultanship. Manila then had the claim to much of eastern Sabah inserted in the Philippines Constitution and maps and flogged the issue at the time of Malaysia in 1963.
 
Harris' suggestion obviously takes its cue from the fact that every year; the Malaysian Embassy in the Philippines issues a check in the amount of 5,300 ringgit (US$1710 or about 77,000 Philippine pesos) to the legal counsel of the heirs of the Sultan of Sulu. Malaysia considers the amount an annual "cession" payment for the disputed state, while the sultan's descendants consider it "rent.
 
By the Mackasie Declaration of Dec 13, 1939 by the High Court of Borneo in Sandakan in Civil Suit No. 169/39, C. F. Mackasie, the then Chief Justice of Borneo, ruled that nine Plaintiffs were heirs of the defunct Sultanate of Sulu and were entitled to the yearly RM5, 300 cession monies from the Malaysian Government.

 
Two versions of 1878 Agreement
 
The nine were listed as Dayang Piandao Kiram, Princess Tarhata Kiram, Princess Sakinur Kiram, Sultan Ismael Kiram, Sultan Punjungan Kiram, Sitti Rada Kiram, Sitti Jahara Kiram, Sitti Mariam Kiram and Mora Napsa.
 
Alfred Dent, the founder of the Borneo North Borneo Chartered Company, and the Sulu Sultan came to an agreement on 22 Jan 1878 and wherein the former agreed to pay the latter 5,000 Malayan dollars in annual pension money in return for "transferring the sultan transferring his rights in North Borneo" – meaning in eastern Sabah – to Dent and/or his Company.
 
On 22 April 1903 His Majesty Sultan Jamalul Kiram signed a document known as "Confirmation of cession of certain islands", under what he either "grant and ceded" or "leased" additional islands in the neighbourhood of the mainland of North Borneo from Banggi Island to Sibuku Bay to British North Borneo Company. The sum 5,000 dollars a year payable every year increased to 5,300 dollars a year payable every year.
 

British version of the 1878 Agreement
 
"hereby grant and cede of our own free and sovereign will to Gustavus Baron de Overbeck of Hong Kong and Alfred Dent Esquire of London...and assigns forever and in perpetuity all the rights and powers belonging to us over all the territories and lands being tributary to us on the mainland of the island of Borneo commencing from the Pandassan River on the north-west coast and extending along the whole east coast as far as the Sibuco River in the south and comprising amongst other the States of Paitan, Sugut, Bangaya, Labuk, Sandakan, Kina Batangan, Mumiang, and all the other territories and states to the southward thereof bordering on Darvel Bay and as far as the Sibuco river with all the islands within three marine leagues of the coast."
 

Sulu version of the 1878 Agreement
 
"do hereby lease of our own freewill and satisfaction to...all the territories and lands being tributary to [us] together with their heirs, associates, successors and assigns forever and until the end of time, all rights and powers which we possess over all territories and lads tributary to us on the mainland of the Island of Borneo, commencing from the Pandassan River on the west coast to Maludu Bay, and extending along the whole east coast as far as Sibuco River on the south,..., and all the other territories and states to the southward thereof bordering on Darvel Bay and as far as the Sibuco River, ..., [9 nautical miles] of the coast."
 
We don't know under what law the Dent-Sulu Agreements was made and whether it was registered in any Court. Philippine President Benigno Aquino has in recent days publicly indicated that his office will study the "legal basis" of the claims by the Sulu "heirs". If so, why did previous Philippine Governments raise the Sabah claim?
 

Easier for Company not to deal with Orang Asal
 
The Company subsequently "acquired further sovereign and territorial rights" from the Sultan of Brunei, expanding the territory under control to the Putatan river (May 1884), the Padas district (November 1884), the Kawang river (February 1885), the Mantanani Islands (April 1885), and additional minor Padas territories (March 1898).
 
It was easier for the Company to deal with the Sulu and Brunei sultans than with the Orang Asal of Sabah.
 
Meanwhile, in 1885, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Germany signed the Madrid Protocol of 1885, which recognized the sovereignty of Spain in the Sulu Archipelago in return for the relinquishment of all Spanish claims over North Borneo.
 
In 1888 North Borneo became a protectorate of the United Kingdom and remained so until 1 Jan 1942 when Japan, by the act of war and conquest, demolished the British presence in Sabah and the so-called Sabah claim, if any.
 
It was not until 1945, when Japan surrendered, that the Company returned to Sabah.
 
In 1946, the Company sold Sabah to the Colonial Office in London for Sterling 1.2 million.
 
The Mackasie Declaration is the only claim the "heirs" of the Sulu Sultan, recognized by the High Court of Borneo, have on the Malaysian Treasury.
 
There's no reason why Malaysia should unilaterally alter the sum mentioned in the Mackasie Declaration just because Harris Salleh woke up one morning on the wrong side of the bed and came up with "a better idea".  Adat came long before the so-called agreements between the Company and the Brunei and Sulu sultans. 

 
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.           

 

Umno Incorporated (part 1)

Posted: 03 Mar 2013 12:00 AM PST

Rahman said he then purchased all the stakes in Realmild from Khalid, former Berita Harian Sdn Bhd group editor Ahmad Nazri Abdullah, former New Straits Times Sdn Bhd group editor Abdul Kadir Jasin and former NSTP director Mohd Noor Mutalib. The four were at that time aligned with then Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, before Anwar fell out of favour with Mahathir in 1998, at the height of allegations of sodomy against him.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

The problem with public hearings, court cases and trials is that not everything is fully revealed in an open court, in particular the goings-on behind the scenes and the shenanigans in the corridors of power.

Some of you may have read the three news reports below back in 2010. For those who have not, first read these reports and then in part two of this series we will reveal what has not been reported. After all, Malaysia Today dabbles in the untold story or the story that those in the corridors of power would rather remain hidden.

*********************************************

Abdul Rahman Maidin

'Shocked to learn Realmild shares belonged to Umno'

(Malaysiakini, 2 September 2010) -- Former Penang Malay Chamber of Commerce chairperson Abdul Rahman Maidin told the commercial division of the High Court in Kuala Lumpur today that he had to bear losses of RM40 million for the 7.101 million shares he purchased in Realmild (M) Sdn Bhd, which were said to belong to Umno.

Realmild owns majority shares in conglomerate Malaysia Resources Corporation Bhd (MRCB), which once owned the gold mine media giant New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd (NSTP) and Sistem Televisyen Malaysia Bhd (which operates TV3, among others).

Rahman, who was a director of Realmild when he purchased the stake in the company, is being sued for RM10 million by a former company stakeholder, Khalid Ahmad.

Also a former chairman of MRCB and former executive vice-chairman of NSTP, Rahman said sometime at the end of 2001, he was instructed by then Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to transfer all the Realmild shares in his name to Syed Anwar Jamalullail, without any consideration, and that he resigned from the two companies on Jan 8, 2002.

"I was told that the Realmild shares belonged to Umno. I was extremely shocked as I never at any time knew that Umno was the true owner of the shares."

"I undertook the acquisition of Realmild shares purely from a corporate and commercial standpoint. I raised funds for this exercise through my personal financial means, without any assistance from any political entity," Rahman said in reply to questions from his lawyer Alex de Silva. Eugene Jayaraj Williams is also acting for Rahman.

Told that the shares belonged to Umno

Rahman said he informed Mahathir that he had paid RM40 million for the purchase of the Realmild shares.

"He (Mahathir) told me there was no reason why I had to pay the money when the shares never belonged to the individuals concerned as they belonged to Umno. Therefore, he said, no payment will be made to me because the shares always belonged to Umno."

"I also met Nor Mohamad Yaakob, (then economic adviser to Mahathir), and he subsequently confirmed that the shares were to be transferred out by me, without me receiving any consideration as the shares belonged to Umno," he said.

Asked by Khalid's counsel Ahmad Fadzil Mohd Perdaus why he did not institute action against his client and three other Realmild directors, from whom he had purchased the stake, Rahman said he obviously had to believe the (then) prime minister.

"Furthermore, I did not want to do anything that would implicate the premier. That is why I did not want to proceed with any further action. I would rather take a loss," he said.

Tun Daim Zainuddin

Daim offered stake in Realmild

Recalling how he came to own the Realmild shares, Rahman said he was approached by the then Finance Minister, Daim Zainuddin, sometime in 1999.

Daim had asked him whether he was interested in taking charge of MRCB by undertaking and completing a management takeover.

"Daim knew me as chairman of the Penang Malay Chamber of Commerce. I expressed keen interest in taking up this challenge, and Daim told me he would leave the mechanics of taking control of MRCB to me.

"I readily accepted this opportunity as this was a major career advance. It was my understanding that this was a pure corporate exercise," he said.

Rahman said he then purchased all the stakes in Realmild from Khalid, former Berita Harian Sdn Bhd group editor Ahmad Nazri Abdullah, former New Straits Times Sdn Bhd group editor Abdul Kadir Jasin and former NSTP director Mohd Noor Mutalib.

The four were at that time aligned with then Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, before Anwar fell out of favour with Mahathir in 1998, at the height of allegations of sodomy against him.

Rahman said he took steps for the takeover of MRCB by raising funds through personal financial means.

He had paid RM30 million for Ahmad Nazri's stake, and another RM5 million each to Khalid and Mohd Noor.

Ahmad Nazri, a former director of Realmild, told an earlier hearing that he owned an 80 percent stake in Realmild, with 70 percent of it held in trust.

"I was holding (the stake) in trust for Dr Mahathir. The trust was prepared by legal firm Amin & Co. A copy of the trust was given to Dr Mahathir, another to Anwar and I kept a copy."

A. Kadir Jasin

Rahman: I did not pay the remainder

Rahman, also testified before Justice Mary Lim that he did not pay the remaining amount to Khalid as he had been told by Mahathir not to make any payment.

"I met the plaintiff (Khalid) and informed him of my discovery about Umno's ownership of the Realmild shares. The plaintiff admitted to me that he was aware of Umno's ownership of the Realmild shares, but he said the Umno ownership did not apply to his five percent stake, or 355,050 shares."

Saying Khalid was not entitled to the claim, Rahman said the Khalid had misrepresented to him the ownership of the 355,050 shares as these shares never belonged to Khalid.

"I verily believe that he (Khalid) knew all along that Umno was the real owner of the shares and that these shares could be directed to be transferred to any third party at any time based on the instructions of Umno leaders. This also demonstrated the wrongful actions of Khalid in suppressing material information and proceeding in this action against me," he said.

"I am also seeking recovery of the RM5 million I had paid Khalid, based on his misrepresentation as to the ownership of the shares," he said.

To another question from Khalid's lawyer, Rahman said he was unable to pay the balance (the remaining RM10 million) because he was concentrating on reviving MRCB, which was facing billions of ringgit in debt.

"MRCB owed (money) to over 30 banks and it was in a bad shape. That was the reason I did not have money to pay him (Khalid).

"I also do not agree that I owe Khalid RM10 million, as stated in the statement of claim, and do not agree that the purchase price of his portion of the shares was RM15 million," he said.

Khalid Ahmad

Khalid's suit

Khalid, a former director of Realmild and former managing director of NSTP, who was present in court today, had claimed that he owns five per cent of the Realmild shares and he had accepted Rahman's offer to buy his shares.

He said Rahman had paid RM5 million, and that both sides had agreed to the total selling price of the shares at RM15 million, which had been reduced from an initial value of RM30 million.

Khalid claimed that the price of RM15 million was agreed upon after the part-payment of RM5 million was made by Rahman, and that the remaining sum was to be paid within a year.

He said he had asked Rahman many times to pay up the remaining RM10 million, but Rahman had failed to do so.

He is seeking the RM10 million , interest at eight per cent, costs and other relief deemed fit by the court.

Rahman in his statement of defence claimed the shares were owned in trust Umno and that he was asked to relinquish all his stake in Realmild to Syed Anwar.

Hence, he said, the amount owed was void or a mistake of fact, and was therefore seeking back the RM5 million he had paid to Khalid, as he had suffered a loss.

Earlier, Syed Anwar testified for Rahman and said got to know from Nor (Mohamad Yaakob), who was then second finance minister, that Rahman's shares in Realmild were held in proxy by Umno.

"My major task when taking over Realmild and MRCB was to turn them around," he said.

Justice Lim fixed Oct 4 for submissions.

*********************************************

Nazri Abdullah

Realmild-Umno links judgment on Dec 10

(The Malaysian Insider, 29 October 2010) -- When the High Court here hands down its judgment on the disputed sale price of Realmild Sdn Bhd's shares on December 10, all eyes will be trained on the grounds — whether Umno, the senior party in the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN), has been ruled to be the shadowy company's real owner.

In taking their quarrel over the sale price of Realmild's shares from a decade ago, former company directors Datuk Khalid Ahmad and Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Maidin have showed how the political giant has fed and sustained its tight grip on power through control of several conglomerates starting from the early 1990s.

The suit was mooted by Khalid in March 2005 against his successor, Abdul Rahman, to claim RM10 million in payment for a block of the company's shares.

But Abdul Rahman made a counter-claim to be refunded the RM5 million he already paid, after being told by former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad that Umno owned all Realmild's shares and the appointed directors were only nominees acting in the party's trust.

The nexus between Umno and certain conglomerates has been revealed in the court hearing that started in August this year involving the past shareholders of Realmild, the shadowy company that took over media giant The New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Bhd in 1993, and Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad (MRCB).

A number of high-flying corporate figures have entered the witness stand, most notably Tan Sri Syed Anwar Jamalullail, younger brother to the Raja of Perlis Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Ibni Al-Marhum Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail who also held the position of Yang di-Pertuan Agong at the time of the contentious takeover.

Khalid is suing Abdul Rahman for RM10 million over the sale of a five per cent stake in the company in 1999, which took place during a shake-up and buy-out related to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's sacking from government.

Abdul Rahman had paid RM5 million but later reneged on the remainder.

The silver-haired industry captain testified in court that Dr Mahathir, who was prime minister at the time of the buy-out, told him that the shares actually belonged to Umno.

Abdul Rahman, a former Malay Chamber of Commerce Penang president, also claimed to have received instructions from Tun Daim Zainuddin and Tan Sri Nor Mohamad Yakcop had previously instructed him to undertake a management buy-out of MRCB by purchasing the 7,101,001 ordinary shares in Realmild.

But Khalid maintained the five per cent stake was his own although he acknowledged that the majority stake was part of an "Umno trust".

The other directors in Realmild then were former Berita Harian group editor Datuk Ahmad Nazri Abdullah, New Straits Times group editor Datuk Abdul Kadir Jasin, and Mohd Noor Mutalib, who replaced Khalid as NSTP managing director in February 1993.

Realmild, originally a RM2 company, was then already the majority shareholder of MRCB, which is now developing the KL Sentral commercial and transport hub in Brickfields.

Representing Khalid is lawyer Ahmad Fadzil Mohd Perdaus.

Alex De Silva and Eugene Jeyaraj Williams acted for Abdul Rahman.

*********************************************

Tan Sri Syed Anwar Jamalullail

Realmild formed to protect Umno's interests, court told

(The Malaysian Insider, 30 October 2010) -- Realmild Sdn Bhd was a brainchild of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim when he was in government as a means for Umno to protect its business interests, a lawyer told the High Court here today.

The former deputy prime minister had also hand-picked four media people — Datuk Khalid Ahmad, Datuk Kadir Jasin, Datuk Ahmad Nazri Abdullah and Mohd Noor Mutalib — to be its first shareholders and act as nominees for the ruling party, said Alex De Silva.

"In 1992, Realmild was formed in Malaysia. Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim created it as a new Bumiputera vehicle to take care of Umno's interests.

"This is the genesis of Realmild," De Silva said in making the case for his client Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Maidin.

Khalid, a former TV3 boss, is suing Abdul Rahman to pay up the remaining RM10 million of RM15 million the former claims was the agreed sale price for the block of shares.

But Abdul Rahman disputes the amount — he told the court the agreed price was RM10 million and he had paid half before finding out from Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who was then Umno president, that he did not have to pay.

Now Abdul Rahman wants his money back.

De Silva argued today that Khalid, as the seller, was not in a position to demand payment for the sale of a block of Realmild Sdn Bhd's shares wholly held in trust for Umno.

"My submission is that none of them were actually running MRCB. They were just put there by the powers-that-be...to take care of MRCB, NST and etc.

"It's completely illogical for Umno or anyone to own only 70 per cent [of the shares] and for 30 per cent to be shared out among the others," he added, noting previous testimony from another successive Realmild director, Tan Sri Syed Anwar Jamalullail, showed that Umno owned all the shares.

Syed Anwar is the younger brother to the Raja of Perlis Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Ibni Al-Marhum Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail who also held the position of Yang di-Pertuan Agong at the time of the contentious takeover at the turn of the millennium.

Anwar who happened to be in court today for his Sodomy II trial, was evasive when asked to comment on his role in the Realmild-Umno deal.

"Seventy per cent was held by Dr Mahathir. It has nothing to do with me," said the 63-year-old politician, now PKR's advisor.

Khalid's RM10 million suit against Abdul Rahman, over the sale of a five per cent stake in the company in 1999 took place during a shake-up and buy-out related to Anwar's sacking from government.

"Yes, I was supportive of it back then but 30 per cent of the shares was owned by Khalid, Kadir, and Nazri, Mohd Noor," Anwar said.

"It was only when I exposed them in court, Dr Mahathir called for Realmild surrender 70 percent," he added.

Asked if he saw the controversial 100-storey Menara Warisan announced by Prime Minister Najib Razak reflected in Umno's continuing bid to protect the party's interests, the Opposition Leader remarked: "All mega deals protect the interests of the Umno elite".

"Realmild is a classic example, proven, it was led by Dr Mahathir. I'm convinced there are cronies involved," he said.

Back in court, De Silva stressed that Realmild was a "sendirian berhad" (private limited company) with four ex-NST journalists and accountant who became stakeholders of MRCB, a public-listed company, supposedly bought from Renong Berhad for RM800 million.

"It's clear as daylight none of the shareholders had the means or capacity to do so," De Silva said.

"Yes, they testified they raised the money on their own. [But] nobody wakes up one morning and says, 'Yes! I'm going to take over NST and TV3. Can you do this on your own? Impossible!

"My Lady, from the start of the scene, government hands or Umno hands were involved...to keep the media under control of Umno.

"It was not for personal benefit but for the benefit of the party. That's why Realmild took control from Renong. That's the genesis of Realmild," Abdul Rahman's lawyer repeated for emphasis.

De Silva also pointed out that none of the four had exercised their rights as owners after the buy-over from Renong and instead continued their daily duties as news men, which was typical of nominees.

Trial judge Datuk Mary Lim asked if they were nominees, whether it meant they can't transfer the title deeds to the shares; and whether it would not then require the defendant to show he had a title to pass on.

"Not necessary. What we are looking at is the concept of real ownership," De Silva replied, before adding, "Who were the real owners?"

He moved to back his argument by pointing to the large number of lucrative projects given to Realmild's construction subsidiary, MRCB, including building a power plant.

"MRCB was bestowed and granted huge government contracts and loans, subsequently...in 1997, the government awarded MRCB the KL Sentral project...two years later, they got a support loan of RM336 million," De Silva cited.

"All these point effectively to the fact they were formed by the government because MRCB was effectively owned by Umno," he argued further.

"Yes, the shares were held in their names, but when instructed to transfer, they transferred.

"And they all transferred all, together," he said slowly, lending emphasis to his submission.

But lawyer Ahmad Fadzil Mohd Perdaus, in pushing the case to be ruled in the plaintiff Khalid's favour, submitted that Abdul Rahman had failed to show documentary evidence that proved an Umno "trust" existed, adding the defendant's entire argument was pulled from oral testimony by parties not brought to court, including the former prime minister.

Ahmad even suggested that Abdul Rahman should have taken legal action against Dr Mahathir to recover his money instead of claiming it from Khalid.

"Why the defendant chose not to take action when he found out about the trust?

"His line, his basis is what was told to him by the PM [then, Dr Mahathir] that he would not get his money back and that the shares belonged to Umno," Ahmad said, referring to Abdul Rahman's testimony in court.

"It's not for the defendant to say the plaintiff held it in trust, held it as a nominee...that he was not accountable to pay...

"The transfer was valid. He was the registered owner, legally, and [it was] common for nominees to transfer shares to [their] principals; it's not for defendant to say no.

"If such a case, defendant still liable to pay for the purchase price as agreed upon for the transfer of shares at the material time," Ahmad concluded.

The nexus between Umno and certain conglomerates has been revealed in the court hearing that started in August this year involving the past shareholders of Realmild, the shadowy company that took over media giant The New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Bhd in 1993, and Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad (MRCB).

A total of five witnesses were called.

Verdict is fixed for December 10 at 9am.

 

21st Royal Malay Regiment Pengkalan Chepa Deployed To Sabah

Posted: 02 Mar 2013 11:08 PM PST

(Bernama) - A group of soldiers from the 21st Royal Malay Regiment (RAMD) at the 8th Brigade Camp, Pengkalan Chepa, left for Sabah as an additional battalion to monitor the situation in Lahad Datu.

They were given a tearful send-off by family members at the Sultan Ismail Petra Airport in Pengkalan Chepa here.

"Dear God, protect our father," said six-year-old Mohammad Faris Aiman Mohd Faizul Anuar and younger sister, Arisya Sofia, four, ina telephone conversation with their father, Captain Mohd Faizul Anuar Fazil.

Siti Nor Juliana Ismail, 28, said it was with a heavy heart to see her husband, Corporal Ismail Ibrahim, 31, leaving, but she understood his responsibility to the country.

She hoped that the situation in Sabah would returned to normal soon.

Sarimah Othman, 34, said she was uncertain of her feeling after being informed by husband, Major Zaki Kadir, that he had to go to Sabah.

"It worries me. I was thinking of our children. They are still very young,. I'll pray for his safe return," she added.

Armed forces Chief General Tan Sri Zulkifeli Mohd Zin was reported to have said that two more army battalions would be deployed in several areas in the east coast of Sabah in an effort to restore public confidence.

The incursion in Lahad Datu had claimed the lives of seven policemen in separate incidents in Lahad Datu last Friday and in Semporna yesterday.

It was reported that 15 of the intruders were killed so far, including one who was reported assaulted by villagers who overpowered him after he took them hostage in a village in Semporna.

 

IGP: All six bodies of policemen killed in Semporna ambush recovered

Posted: 02 Mar 2013 11:03 PM PST

(The Star) - Police have now considered the Semporna shootout incident resolved after recovering the body of another policeman and six corpses believed to be those of the Sulu gunmen.

This brings to six the number of policemen killed in an ambush by the Sulu gunmen in Kampung Sri Jaya in the Semulu settlement near Semporna town late Saturday.

Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar told reporters late Sunday that the mopping up operations involving the checking of some 300 houses in the village ended at 6.30pm on Sunday.

From that police were able to account for 19 of the 25 policemen who caught in the ambush, he said. The bodies of the six policemen have been taken to the Semporna hospital.

 

Cybertrooper DAP hina VAT69 kerana dendam komunis dulu tewas

Posted: 02 Mar 2013 10:33 PM PST

The Unpsinners

Memang itu sebabnya polis dihina. Komando VAT69 yang hebat ini yang menyebabkan komunis saudara mara parti komunis Malaya yang sdia ada iaitu DAP tewas.

 


VAT 69 ini begitu hebat hingga ada documentary di History channel

READ MORE HERE

 

PR may recapture Perak: Analysts

Posted: 02 Mar 2013 10:25 PM PST

(The Sun Daily) - Political analysts believe that apart from retaining Selangor, Kelantan, Penang and Kedah, Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has a good chance of recapturing Perak in the next general election (GE), Sin Chew Daily reported today.

The report said of the states it captured in the last GE, PR is expected to sail through in Penang but will have a tough fight in Selangor.

Political analysts said although PR regards Johor, Sabah and Sarawak as its frontline states, Barisan Nasional (BN) still has the upper hand in their so-called "fixed deposit" states.

However, they believe PR will still win a few more parliamentary seats in each of these states.

Political scientist Dr Ho Khai Leong said given the gap in the number of seats held by PR and BN in the PR-led states, BN needs to do extremely well to recapture them.

"Selangor is more urbanised than other states. The issues of crime, transport and spiralling property prices are plaguing the people who feel they have not benefited much from the present government."

Ho also predicts a fierce fight between the two coalitions in Perak.

Given that the Chinese are unhappy with the way BN wrested power from PR in Perak after the last GE, it would not be surprising for PR to take over the state again in GE13, he said.

Political analyst Dr Thock Kiah Wah shared Ho's view, saying the Chinese may cast protest votes to "punish" the BN.

On talk that the number of Kedah government policies that irked the Chinese in the last five years may cause PR the state, Ho said the small percentage of Chinese voters would not make much difference.

However, Thock cautioned that the influence of former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in the state cannot be underestimated.

Political analysts believe that apart from retaining Selangor, Kelantan, Penang and Kedah, Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has a good chance of recapturing Perak in the next general election (GE), Sin Chew Daily reported today.

The report said of the states it captured in the last GE, PR is expected to sail through in Penang but will have a tough fight in Selangor.

Political analysts said although PR regards Johor, Sabah and Sarawak as its frontline states, Barisan Nasional (BN) still has the upper hand in their so-called "fixed deposit" states.

However, they believe PR will still win a few more parliamentary seats in each of these states.

Political scientist Dr Ho Khai Leong said given the gap in the number of seats held by PR and BN in the PR-led states, BN needs to do extremely well to recapture them.

"Selangor is more urbanised than other states. The issues of crime, transport and spiralling property prices are plaguing the people who feel they have not benefited much from the present government."

Ho also predicts a fierce fight between the two coalitions in Perak.

Given that the Chinese are unhappy with the way BN wrested power from PR in Perak after the last GE, it would not be surprising for PR to take over the state again in GE13, he said.

Political analyst Dr Thock Kiah Wah shared Ho's view, saying the Chinese may cast protest votes to "punish" the BN.

On talk that the number of Kedah government policies that irked the Chinese in the last five years may cause PR the state, Ho said the small percentage of Chinese voters would not make much difference.

However, Thock cautioned that the influence of former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in the state cannot be underestimated.

- See more at: http://www.thesundaily.my/news/626953#sthash.RWqjW8rQ.dpuf

Political analysts believe that apart from retaining Selangor, Kelantan, Penang and Kedah, Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has a good chance of recapturing Perak in the next general election (GE), Sin Chew Daily reported today.

The report said of the states it captured in the last GE, PR is expected to sail through in Penang but will have a tough fight in Selangor.

Political analysts said although PR regards Johor, Sabah and Sarawak as its frontline states, Barisan Nasional (BN) still has the upper hand in their so-called "fixed deposit" states.

However, they believe PR will still win a few more parliamentary seats in each of these states.

Political scientist Dr Ho Khai Leong said given the gap in the number of seats held by PR and BN in the PR-led states, BN needs to do extremely well to recapture them.

"Selangor is more urbanised than other states. The issues of crime, transport and spiralling property prices are plaguing the people who feel they have not benefited much from the present government."

Ho also predicts a fierce fight between the two coalitions in Perak.

Given that the Chinese are unhappy with the way BN wrested power from PR in Perak after the last GE, it would not be surprising for PR to take over the state again in GE13, he said.

Political analyst Dr Thock Kiah Wah shared Ho's view, saying the Chinese may cast protest votes to "punish" the BN.

On talk that the number of Kedah government policies that irked the Chinese in the last five years may cause PR the state, Ho said the small percentage of Chinese voters would not make much difference.

However, Thock cautioned that the influence of former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in the state cannot be underestimated.

- See more at: http://www.thesundaily.my/news/626953#sthash.RWqjW8rQ.dpuf

 

Army set to end stand-off

Posted: 02 Mar 2013 10:01 PM PST

CORDONED OFF: Intruders urged to surrender to avoid further bloodshed

(NST) - LAHAD DATU: AFTER almost 20 days of negotiations and a bloody encounter on Friday, the army moved into Felda Sahabat yesterday, giving  indication that the stand-off here was going to end soon.

Truckloads of army personnel were seen yesterday moving into the cordoned off area, where more than 100 members of the Sulu Army have been holed up.

This latest development came following Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's announcement on Friday that he was giving full mandate to the police and army to end the crisis, which has gripped the nation, as soon as possible.

The police and army are now working together to bring this crisis to an end.

The security forces, however, are still giving the gunmen the opportunity to surrender without further bloodshed.

Sabah police commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib told reporters here yesterday that police had once again dropped leaflets from the air, urging the intruders to surrender.

The message was printed in English and Suluk language, which read "Lay down your arms. Surrender, surrender, surrender!"

"We are giving them a chance and if they still insist on staying put, we will have no choice but to take an aggressive approach," Hamza said, adding that the situation was calm and there were no incidents of shooting yesterday.

Hamza said the bodies of the 12 intruders, who were killed in a shoot-out yesterday, were still at the scene.

"We are retrieving the bodies but we have to be careful."

The shoot-out on Friday morning claimed the lives of Inspector Zulkifli Mamat, 28, and Corporal Sabarudin Daud, 47. Three security personnel were injured while 12 Sulu gunmen were killed.

Earlier, Corporal Awang Suradi Awang Wang, 43, from the General Operations Force Battalion 17, related how he went to the scene of the shooting to retrieve the bodies of the two policemen.

Awang Suradi, a Sarawakian who has been based in Felda Sahabat for almost 15 years, said he was assigned to retrieve the bodies as he knew the area well.

He said he could not control his emotions when he saw the bodies of his comrades.

"They were shot in the head. I recited some prayers before dragging the bodies to my Land Rover. I felt angry. I tied their hands over their chests, wrapped the bodies and took them to Lahad Datu hospital.

"I do not know the two well, but when the honour of our country is at stake, we are all brothers fighting for the same cause."

Awang Suradi said even though he was angry with the Sulu intruders, he felt they, too, deserved a proper burial.

"But that will mean risking your life going back as the Sulu snipers are still around."

Awang Suradi also said there were women among the dead Sulu invaders. Some were in army fatigues while others were in civilian clothes.

It was learnt that after Friday's shoot-out, the security forces pushed the Sulu intruders 6km further into their hideout, tightening the cordon around them.

 

Tensions Escalating on Borneo as Malaysia Doubles Military Forces

Posted: 02 Mar 2013 09:58 PM PST

(The New York Times) - Seven people were reported killed, and four hostages taken, as fighting continued Sunday in the Malaysian state of Sabah over a historic claim to the area by a religious group from the southern Philippines.

The Malaysian government said the police and military presence in the area was being doubled, while the religious group said an undetermined number of supporters from the southern Philippines had entered the area to reinforce those supporting the claim.

The Malaysian and Philippine navies have stepped up patrols in the waters between Sabah and the southern Philippines, which can be traversed in a speedboat in a little more than an hour.

Five Malaysian police officers and two of their attackers were killed in an ambush Saturday, officials said Sunday. The Malaysian state news agency Bernama reported Sunday that villagers near the ambush had beaten to death a man suspected of being one of the attackers. That brought the death toll from fighting in the area to at least 21.

On Friday, 12 members of the Filipino religious group and 2 Malaysian commandos were killed during a failed attempt to capture the group that had been holding a small village on the eastern coast of Borneo island since Feb. 12.

A spokesman for the group, whose members claim to be heirs to the sultanate of Sulu, which ruled parts of northern Borneo for centuries, said Sunday that its forces on Sabah had taken hostage a Malaysian police officer, two soldiers and a government official.

"We advised the people on the ground to take care of them, to feed them, so that in case there shall be international agencies to investigate the matter we can present those four captured government officials of Malaysia as witnesses to the atrocities committed by the government of Malaysia," the group's spokesman, Abraham Idjirani, said Sunday.

Bernama quoted Prime Minister Najib Razak on Sunday as saying the violence had been limited to three areas of Sabah: Lahad Datu, where the group originally arrived, and the nearby areas of Semporna and Kunak.

"The people of Sabah should not be fearful of their safety," the prime minister was quoted as saying.

He added that Malaysian forces were operating in the areas affected by the violence. "Let's give them the opportunity and time to carry out their operations and overpower the group and rescue those in need," he said.

On Sunday, Malaysian officials urged Sabah residents to remain calm and said resorts and other tourist facilities in the area remained open.

"More fatalities may be expected, and as a nation we must come together to rally behind our forces," said Liew Vui Keong, the deputy prime minister of Malaysia, according to Bernama.

Jacel Kiram, the daughter of Jamalul Kiram, who claims to be the sultan of Sulu, told a television station in Manila that the Malaysian authorities were rounding up Filipinos in the areas affected by the violence. Thousands of Filipinos live and work in Sabah.

"Yesterday, Malaysian police were indiscriminately capturing Filipinos," she said.

The Philippines has repeatedly asked the group to leave and has tried to calm tensions with its close ally. A Philippine diplomatic mission, headed by Jose Brillantes, a foreign affairs under secretary and former Philippine ambassador to Malaysia, has been sent to Kuala Lumpur to smooth relations.

Several descendants of the sultanate of Sulu claim to be the current sultan, and some disagree with the actions taken by the group fighting in Sabah.

 

Sabah Incursion: Hang the Traitors

Posted: 02 Mar 2013 04:52 PM PST

As has always been the case, when we send our policemen and soldiers into battle and are killed or injured, the chances are they are Melayus and Bumiputeras. Perhaps there is wisdom in getting more Chinese and Indians to join the armed forces so that they too can die for one Malaysia.

A Kadir Jasin

CONDOLENCES to families and kin of the fallen and injured members of the police unit involved in battling the Filipino occupiers of Kampung Tanduo in Lahat Datu, Sabah. Alfatihah.

As has always been the case, when we send our policemen and soldiers into battle and are killed or injured, the chances are they are Melayus and Bumiputeras.

Perhaps there is wisdom in getting more Chinese and Indians to join the armed forces so that they too can die for one Malaysia.

Traitors Within

And if they are Malaysians, no matter how remote the chances are, who are involved in the invasion and occupation by the armed Filipinos in Sabah, we should hang these traitors by their necks and, to borrow a dialogue from the movie "Shanghai Noon", until their feet stop kicking.

There have been rumours and rumblings that some Malaysian opposition politicians might or could have been involved or implicated in the cross-border transgression by the Filipinos.

Today, The Sunday Star newspaper published a report quoting a leading Manila daily, Philippines Daily Inquirer, as saying that Filipino intelligence sources had linked a Sabah politician, who is allied to a Malaysian opposition leader, as among "external factors" responsible for instigating heirs to the Sulu Sultanate to claim Sabah.

The Inquirer journalist, Nikko Dizon wrote that Manila was monitoring three groups described as "external factors" behind the incident.

"These external factors' are one small faction that is in it for the money, an anti-Aquino administration group, and the Malaysian political opposition," the daily's online website stated on Friday.

If the Philippines is monitoring these groups and our people are not, then I recommend that they too should also be hang until their feet stop kicking.

Taking Responsibility

Even as we speak, somebody in the Malaysian government should already be blamed and, if they are anak jantan, should accept responsibility, for the security lapse that allowed such a big group of well-armed people to land on our shores.

READ MORE HERE

 

Lahad Datu invasion: Who’s the mastermind?

Posted: 02 Mar 2013 04:12 PM PST

Malaysia and Philippines are investigating reports linking the Sulu incursion to the opposition's campaign to give Sabah autonomy if they win. 

(Bernama) - Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has ordered the intelligence authorities to investigate a claim that an opposition leader had a hand in the armed intrusion in Lahad Datu, Sabah.

He said the allegation was a serious matter but there must be strong evidence to identify the mastermind.

Najib said he was puzzled as to why the armed men came to Sabah at a time when the country was about to hold a general election when the Sulu Sultanate had laid claim to Sabah a long time ago.

"All avenues must be investigated. (Philippine) President (Benigno S.) Aquino (III) also wants to know the truth."

"The whole episode is a major embarrassment for the Philippine government."

"They do not wish to see their citizens involved in aggression, violence, use of weapons and killing of our people," he told reporters after opening the main campus of Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP) in Pauh, near here, today.

The prime minister was commenting on foreign media reports that an opposition leader had a hand in the intrusion by the group claiming to be the royal army of the Sulu Sultanate.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer had used a Reuters news agency article quoting a Philippine military officer as saying the intruders had come on the "invitation" of a Malaysian opposition politician.

The Manila Times had reportedly claimed that the incursion was related to the Malaysian opposition's campaign to give Sabah autonomy if they win.

Questionable timing

Najib said Aquino had also directed his intelligence agencies to investigate and find out the truth behind the incident.

"It (the allegation) has to be supported by evidence. Photographs and circumstantial evidence.

"We do need solid evidence to know who are really behind this. As I said why all this (all of a) sudden. The timing (is) so nearly to the general election," he said.

Najib said he believed that the group had a grand design to undermine the peace and stability that Sabah enjoyed.

Asked whether the current situation demanded a task force involving both the Malaysian and Philippine forces, Najib said: "We have to do (work) separately, but we can coordinate and exchange information."


Growing Questions Over Opposition “Abetting” Sulu Incursion

Posted: 02 Mar 2013 03:41 PM PST

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Troubling questions are being raised over a possible involvement of the Opposition behind the incursion by Sulu militants that has killed at least three of our security forces. These questions were first raised by the Philippines' media and international news agency Reuters, and have been vehemently denied by PKR, but the doubts still linger.

A leading Philippines daily reported on Friday that Filipino intelligence sources had linked a Sabah politician allied to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as among the "external factors" responsible for instigating the Sulu Sultan to embark on this foolhardy mission to reclaim Sabah.

"These external factors are one small faction that is in it for the money, an anti-Aquino administration group, and the Malaysian political opposition," noted the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Its report by journalist Nikko Dizon quoted sources who said these groups had taken advantage of the decision of the heirs of the Sulu sultanate, the Kirams, to pursue their old claim over Sabah.

"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 report added.

One source, a Philippine intelligence officer, said the reason behind the Malaysian Opposition's involvement was linked to the upcoming election here.

The report alleged that a member of the Malaysian Opposition who is running for a post in Sabah had made prior contact with the Kirams.

"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 pointed out.

The newspaper reported that the Kirams had decided in November to "reclaim Sabah or at least ask for higher compensation for Sabah and due recognition by Malaysia", but instead intruded into Lahad Datu in February.

These are explosive revelations, and if proven true, could be disastrous for Pakatan Rakyat.

PKR naturally stepped in quickly to make a denial on Saturday. Party deputy president Azmin Ali dismissed allegations that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim or Pakatan have ever backed the Sulu militants.

"All these are baseless accusations and attempts to divert attention from the real issue," he told The Malaysian Insider on Saturday.

Azmin claimed the allegations were being made in an attempt to "weaken" any support that Sabahans may have for Pakatan.

He then went on to accuse Umno of somehow being behind the allegations, ignoring the fact that these were first made by the Philippine media and by Reuters.

- See more at: http://www.thechoice.my/top-stories/64148-growing-questions-over-opposition-abetting-sulu-incursion#sthash.udt3RxCz.dpuf

The Choice

Troubling questions are being raised over a possible involvement of the Opposition behind the incursion by Sulu militants that has killed at least three of our security forces. These questions were first raised by the Philippines' media and international news agency Reuters, and have been vehemently denied by PKR, but the doubts still linger.

A leading Philippines daily reported on Friday that Filipino intelligence sources had linked a Sabah politician allied to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as among the "external factors" responsible for instigating the Sulu Sultan to embark on this foolhardy mission to reclaim Sabah.

"These external factors are one small faction that is in it for the money, an anti-Aquino administration group, and the Malaysian political opposition," noted the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Its report by journalist Nikko Dizon quoted sources who said these groups had taken advantage of the decision of the heirs of the Sulu sultanate, the Kirams, to pursue their old claim over Sabah.

"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 report added.

One source, a Philippine intelligence officer, said the reason behind the Malaysian Opposition's involvement was linked to the upcoming election here.

The report alleged that a member of the Malaysian Opposition who is running for a post in Sabah had made prior contact with the Kirams.

"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 pointed out.

The newspaper reported that the Kirams had decided in November to "reclaim Sabah or at least ask for higher compensation for Sabah and due recognition by Malaysia", but instead intruded into Lahad Datu in February.

These are explosive revelations, and if proven true, could be disastrous for Pakatan Rakyat.

PKR naturally stepped in quickly to make a denial on Saturday. Party deputy president Azmin Ali dismissed allegations that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim or Pakatan have ever backed the Sulu militants.

"All these are baseless accusations and attempts to divert attention from the real issue," he told The Malaysian Insider on Saturday.

Azmin claimed the allegations were being made in an attempt to "weaken" any support that Sabahans may have for Pakatan.

He then went on to accuse Umno of somehow being behind the allegations, ignoring the fact that these were first made by the Philippine media and by Reuters.

READ MORE HERE

 

PM condemns Tian Chua for blaming Sabah saga on Umno

Posted: 02 Mar 2013 03:37 PM PST

(Bernama) - Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today strongly condemned the statement by PKR vice-president Tian Chua accusing Umno of having orchestrated the gun battle with armed intruders in Lahad Datu, Sabah.

He said the allegation was a despicable political game by the opposition to garner the people's support in view of the approaching general election.

"They (the opposition) are accusing the government of staging a drama. It is a great lie and falsehood. Even in the Memali incident, the opposition put the blame on the government.

"We (the government) did not do any such thing. We never politicise our security because it involves human lives," he said when launching the Perlis-level "Promises Fulfilled" tour programme, here. 

(In the Memali incident of Nov 19, 1985, eighteen people were killed, many injured and hundreds arrested by police during an attempt to arrest a religious scholar, Ibrahim Mahmud, or better known as Ibrahim Libya, in Kampung Memali in Kedah.)

"We must say that all the security forces would be defended because they are risking their lives. The nation's fighters should be acclaimed, not humiliated and debunked. So, do not play politics on the question of security," he said.

Tian Chua had reportedly told the KeadilanDaily online portal on March 1 that the shooting in Lahad Datu was believed to be a "planned conspiracy of the Umno government" to divert attention and intimidate the people.

Najib said he and his wife were driven to tears when consoling the widows of the two police commandos who were killed in a skirmish with the armed intruders in the defence of the nation's sovereignty.

The children of these fallen heroes would be growing up without a father's love and guidance, he said.

Najib also said that the time had come for Malaysians to determine a government which could safeguard their interests and promise a better future.

 

Najib: Opposition must stop politicising Lahad Datu issue

Posted: 02 Mar 2013 03:34 PM PST

(The Star) - Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has blasted the Opposition for accusing Umno and the Barisan Nasional Government to be involved in the Lahad Datu crisis.

The Prime Minister said the lives of two men were lost while defending the country and it was inhuman for the Opposition to belittle the fallen heroes' sacrifices.

"Two women are now widows and children will grow up fatherless because Inspector Zulkifli Mamat and Kpl Sabaruddin Daud have died in the line of duty when protecting the sovereignty of the country and safety of the people.

"How can the Opposition ridicule their sacrifices and say that Umno was behind this drama. This is a blatant lie.

"Tell me who in their right mind will want to 'act' in this drama, knowing that their lives are at risk.

"The Opposition must stop politicising the issue. The people must not accept this kind of Opposition who have no respect for our heroes," said the Najib when launching the state-level Jelajah Janji Di Tetapi (Promises Fulfilled) on Sunday.

PKR vice president Tian Chua in his tweet remarked that the death of two police commandos in a shootout with armed intruders in Kampung Tanduo, Lahad Datu on Friday was linked to a Government conspiracy.

Najib revealed that he and Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor were overcome with emotions when they saw the coffins bearing the slain commandos when they were taken out from the airplane and again when they met with the widows and their children to offer condolences.

 

Najib: Govt to investigate claims of Opposition instigating Sulu Sultanate to reclaim Sabah

Posted: 02 Mar 2013 03:32 PM PST

(The Star) - The Prime Minister has directed Malaysian intelligence to investigate claims that the Opposition was among parties responsible in instigating the heir of the Sulu Sultanate to reclaim Sabah.

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said he regarded this as a serious allegation and that it needed to be supported by evidence.

"There are photographs and circumstantial evidence but we need solid evidence to know who really is behind this," he said this at the launching of University Malaysia Perlis main campus on Sunday.

Najib said the Sultanate's claim on Sabah was not new but the fact that the issue was raised again now was suspicious.

He added that Malaysia and the Philippines needed to investigate the matter separately but would exchange information.

 

Anwar mulls legal action against Utusan, TV3 over Filipino militant link

Posted: 02 Mar 2013 03:27 PM PST

Mohd Farhan Darwis, TMI

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim may sue Utusan Malaysia and broadcaster TV3 for linking him to Filipino militants engaged in a deadly clash with police forces in an ongoing Sabah standoff.

The opposition leader has directed his lawyer to study yesterday's news reports by the two Umno-controlled media for legal action.

"Datuk Seri Anwar (picture) has instructed his lawyer to study the statements... if there is any action, we will inform you," Najwan Halimi, special officer to Anwar, told The Malaysian Insider when contacted last night.

Other media reported Anwar, who was speaking at a public rally in Penang last night, as being visibly upset at the allegations, which he said was an attempt to detract attention from genuine concern over national security issues.

The PKR advisor was reported by news portal Malaysiakini as telling a 2,000-strong crowd in Seberang Jaya that he had nothing to with the Filipino Muslim clan claiming lineage from the Sulu sultanate that grants them ownership of Sabah.

"Even if I met them, what's the issue? Who in the government has never met with Haj Murad Ebrahim, the leader of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front or Nor Misuari?" he asked.

Nor Musuari, sometimes spelled Nur Misuari, heads the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), another Filipino Muslim faction seeking autonomy from Manila.

"What is important is: was there any discussion or encouragement or tacit approval for the insurgency or the encroachment into our borders?" he was quoted as saying.

He denied he had anything to do with the talks, and added he had only issued one statement on the matter, which was directed to the federal government.

"The only statement that I issued was to ask them to explain why our borders are so porous, why they took so long, as I think the security of Malaysia cannot be compromised."

Malay daily Utusan Malaysia and TV3 had both picked up a news report from the Philippine Daily Inquirer, titled "Philippine govt intel eyes 3 groups abetting Sulu sultan's claim".

The Philippine news report on Friday cited unnamed intelligence sources there when reporting that the Malaysian opposition here was allegedly one of three groups that could have backed the Sulu rebels' claim on Sabah.

It said that a Philippine intelligence officer pointed to an unnamed individual from the opposition allied to Anwar, adding that the figure was looking to contest a Sabah seat in Election 2013.

READ MORE HERE

 

Pakatan manifesto leaves many ‘perplexed’

Posted: 02 Mar 2013 03:08 PM PST

The Pakatan Rakyat manifesto has addressed heavy and obvious' issues affecting the people. However, the manifesto has left many unhappy by leaving out glaring points.

These measures are already being implemented by the Barisan government which says it cannot emulate its rival's populism but has to be a responsible government. Nevertheless, Pakatan populism is benefiting the people, by forcing the Barisan into changing long-standing policies like reducing car prices, turning study loans into scholarships and building affordable homes.

Baradan Kuppusamy, The Star

IN the charged political atmosphere of today with the Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional finally ready to face the people, anything that either of the political coalitions put out come under heavy scrutiny.

If in the past, manifestos were hardly given serious attention by the electorate, but this time it is different.

The Pakatan Rakyat manifesto, as expected, has come under a barrage of criticism from Barisan Nasional leaders.

But what is surprising is that even NGO activists, environmental groups and Indian organisations have something negative to say about the manifesto.

They are unhappy that their special interest has been left out of the document and among the bigger group are minority Indians who are unhappy the manifesto does not specifically mention them.

Predictably, Barisan leaders slammed the manifesto as another litany of promises that the opposition could not fulfil.

But when the Barisan unveils its manifesto, it can expect the same degree of scrutiny.

The Barisan questioned how the Pakatan can promise to reduce fuel prices and provide free education, among other measures, while at the same time reduce car prices and abolish road tolls.

They want to know from where Pakatan would get the money for its populist policies.

Pakatan defended its manifesto, termed The People's Pact, The People's Hope, saying it is an inclusive document that is need-based and not race-based.

It even phases out NEP-like affirmative action policies if the coalition captures Putrajaya.

"It's need-based and not race-based," PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli explained at a briefing on Wednesday.

As a political document, the manifesto addresses rising prices, commodities, lodging and good governance that all communities face.

It offers to cut car prices, offer free education, lower fuel prices and ensure that every Malaysian family earned at least RM4,000.

It will pay for the higher national costs of its populist policies by prudent management, thrift and ending leakages.

Unlike the more comprehensive Buku Jingga which outlines the three parties' common policy framework, the manifesto falls short of satisfying special interest groups like the disabled and environment activists, but also fails to mention minorities like the Indian community.

The manifesto is an important document and a lot of thinking and planning should ideally go into preparing one but the current document falls short of expectations.

It is meeting a barrage of criticism for its failure to mention the Indian minority who is already suspicious of the intentions of Pakatan leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Now a manifesto that does not mention them and their special need is only expected to fuel more suspicions.

While Anwar has sought to quickly minimise the damage, saying that the manifesto transcends racial groups, the failure to specifically mention the Indian minority is set to rankle them.

From a fixed deposit previously, nearly 82% of Indians backed Pakatan in the 2008 general election and several factors fuelled this changed mindset.

Since then, they have been consistently wooed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Barisan with "care and bearing gifts".

A significant portion of them have shifted their support back.

Indians accept that issues like "rising prices, commodities, lodging, good governance" are important but they also face special and urgent issues like high crime, low skills and poverty that require government intervention.

Responding to this, Hindraf, quickly expressed "extreme disappointment" at Pakatan Rakyat for its neglect of the interests of the Indian community.

Likewise, other special interest groups like the disabled, the Ban Cyanide Action Committee Raub and even oil producing states Kelantan and Terengganu that have been promised 20% oil royalty, have been left out of the important document.

But while they are unhappy that their special interest has been left out, it is the failure to mention Indians as a group that is glaring, said a "perplexed" DAP MP.

On a larger Malaysian scale, the Pakatan Rakyat manifesto also has some unexpected omissions which are inconsistent with its earlier stated policies, lending credence to some analysts who said the manifesto was hurriedly drawn-up.

Among the omissions are its silence on a Goods and Service tax, local government election, freedom of information law and for all politicians to declare their assets, a long standing Pakatan policy.

But on other issues that are equally important, Pakatan is well ahead, announcing its pledge to shut down the Lynas plant in Gebeng, review the oil refinery project in Pengerang, Johor, halt construction of dams in Sarawak and reform logging laws.

Some of the measures in the manifesto are populist in nature like its pledge to abolish the AES traffic summons system, ending the proposed healthcare tax, lowering fuel, electricity and water charges and abolishing road tolls.

These measures are already being implemented by the Barisan government which says it cannot emulate its rival's populism but has to be a responsible government.

Nevertheless, Pakatan populism is benefiting the people, by forcing the Barisan into changing long-standing policies like reducing car prices, turning study loans into scholarships and building affordable homes.

Since 2009, the Barisan has planned and announced one measure after another, all designed to help the people cope with rising living costs, cut red tape and create jobs via direct BR1M payments to numerous One Malaysia projects.

These measures will be detailed in the manifesto that the Barisan would put out in answer to the Pakatan manifesto.

It is left to the voters to decide on which coalition they want a tried, tested and united Barisan Nasional or a new, untested and often squabbling Pakatan Rakyat.

 

Politicians in heat

Posted: 02 Mar 2013 03:03 PM PST

Don't be fooled by their sudden outpouring of love. They're just lusting for your vote.

You may hate your political lover boy's guts, but the good news is that you can take everything he gives without returning his love. He will keep on loving you until the votes are counted. And that's the bad news. You won't see him again for another four or five years.

Stanley Koh, FMT

The heat of election fever shares some characteristics with the heat of romantic infatuation.

It is easy to spot a politician in heat. He will display a mad crush on you even if he has never met you before. He will shower you with all kinds of presents—cash, ­smart phones, and even tyres for your car—just to show how smitten he is.

He will take the trouble to find out where you live—and of course where you will vote—and woo you as if nothing else matters in his life. Never mind that you have not seen him around in your kampung since you voted for him in 2008.

Yes, powerful politicians are now coming down from their ivory towers to breathe down your neck with their mushy lovey-dovey words of affection and care.

But remember Oscar Wilde's warning about romance. "Deceiving others," said the Victorian wit. "That is what the world calls a romance."

You may hate your political lover boy's guts, but the good news is that you can take everything he gives without returning his love. He will keep on loving you until the votes are counted. And that's the bad news. You won't see him again for another four or five years.

The art of political courtship comes naturally to seasoned politicians. But if current rumours turn out to be true, we will be seeing plenty of fresh faces in this election because BN feels that many seasoned Casanovas have hopelessly lost their romantic charms and therefore their winning ways.

We expect BN to hold a crash course for the new Don Juans. If we could peek at the lesson notes, we would probably find something like the following.

Walk through your crowd in the demeanour of an eagle gliding to the ground like a sparrow. Maintain a smile and look humble even if your arrogance is bursting to the seams.

Shake hands with as many people as possible even if their hands are dirty. Take notice of the children accompanying them. Talk to the child, making sure not to make him cry. Try to elicit a smile from him by making a silly face. If your face is already silly to begin with, try blinking your eyes or pulling your ears.

Beat drums, especially if your crowd is predominantly Chinese. After all, the duration of the Chinese New Year festival is up to anybody's interpretation. And, oh, don't forget to wear a costume that is traditional to the majority of your crowd.

Short memories

Always say the right things to your crowd. If you have to tell a lie, try to do it with a smile. Practise denying facts with an innocent but serious look. If you can pull off an argument with perverted logic, go ahead.  Most people have short memories anyway.

It is safe to assume that most of the voters in your constituency are stupid. Otherwise how do you explain BN's perennial winning streak when most Malaysians hate our guts?

READ MORE HERE

 

Defiant Sulu Sultan mocks calls to surrender

Posted: 02 Mar 2013 03:00 PM PST

Sultan Jamalul Kiram III says his soldiers will not bow to either Malaysia or to Philippines President Benigno Aquino.

(FMT) - KOTA KINABALU: The only man with the power to stop more bloodshed in a remote village in Lahad Datu, Sultan of Sulu Jamalul Kiram III, has mocked the idea of surrender.

For him and his armed followers, who are occupying a seaside village called Kg Tanduo, about 160km from Lahad Datu town, averting a looming bloody showdown is dependent on Malaysia acknowledging Sabah as part of the Sulu sultanate and its handover to the Philippines.

It is unlikely that he will get his wish. If anything, it is a death warrant for the remaining 224 men dug in at Kg Tanduo and surrounded by heavily armed Malaysian security forces.

The sultan's show of defiance came when speaking to a group of journalists in Manila on Saturday even as Malaysia security forces threatened "drastic action" against the group.

The ailing Jamalul was quoted as telling dozens of journalists present that the remaining Sulu force in the village would not bow to either Malaysia or to Philippines President Benigno Aquino's order to surrender.

The Philippines media reported that Aquino had sent a message to the group cornered in Sabah that said: "surrender now, without conditions."

Malaysian police have also told the group to surrender immediately and have closed the door on any concessions or talks.

The Philippines Inquirer, an Internet news portal, said the sultan was unmoved by the threat and vowed his men would fight for their right to stay in Sabah.

Twelve of the group led by Agbimuddin Kiram, brother of the sultan were killed in a clash with Malaysian police on Friday morning.

The Inquirer reported that the sultan in a brief appearance with a local personality told journalist: "The only thing they (the Philippines government) know is surrender.

"Why should we surrender in our own home? They did nothing wrong in their own home," it quoted Jamalul as saying in Filipino in reference to Aquino's statement and to his brother in Tanduo.

'We will die in Lahad Datu'

It also reproduced a text message from Agbimuddin to his brother early yesterday which read: "After we buried our nine brothers and a sister at sundown, everyone of the 224 left decided to die in Lahad Datu in pursuit of their dreams and aspiration."

Of the 224 followers remaining in Agbimuddin's group and said to be armed with M16 and M14 rifles, M16 carbines, M203 grenade launchers and .45 cal. 1911 pistols and knives, seven are said to be women.

Abraham Idjirani, spokesperson for the Sulu sultanate, was quoted as telling journalists that the Kirams had decided to put the fate of Agbimuddin and his remaining followers in the hands of Allah and their only wish was to compel a peaceful resolution of the sultanate's claim to Sabah.

"This is our long-held aspiration, that Malaysia understand that Sabah is owned by the sultanate of Sulu," Idjirani said, denying claims that Jamalul was angling for an increase in the annual cession payments currently made by Malaysia.

"Their father said Sabah is not for sale. It's for the patrimony of the Filipino people," he said.

READ MORE HERE

 

Another group of intruders spotted

Posted: 02 Mar 2013 02:57 PM PST

The IGP says the authorities were alerted late Saturday night that at least 10 intruders were seen in Kunak, a small town between Semporna and Lahad Datu.

Thomas PI, FMT

LAHAD DATU: More armed men have been spotted near here as the stand-off between Malaysian security personnel and followers of the Sulu Sultanate at Kampung Tanduo continues following last Friday's clash which killed two Malaysian commandos and 12 armed intruders.

Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar confirmed here that intruders had slipped into two villages in Kunak, a small town between Semporna and Lahad Datu.

Ismail said the authorities were alerted late Saturday night that at least 10 intruders were seen in Kunak.

"There were sightings of a group of 10 men, three of them were in military fatigues similar to those in Kampung Tandou," he told a press conference in Lahad Datu.

He added that security forces have moved in to contain the group within the area.

Ismail also revealed that five policemen, one of them an officer, were killed in an ambush by another group of armed intruders in Kampung Sri Jaya, Simunul, Semporna, Sabah, last night.

He said two of the armed intruders were also killed.

Police have repeatedly said that they have the situation under total control and urged people to remain calm.

However, locals living along the Sabah east coast from Semporna up to Sandakan and Kudat on the northern tip are jittery about the fallout from the ongoing stand-off.

With wild rumours making the rounds through the social media, the apprehensive mood has spread as far as the west coast of the state.

While some in the large Filipino community here, many illegally, appeared nervous, there was little sign business had been affected and the state capital and its outskirts remained crowded and as busy as ever.

There has also been reports of an influx of east coast residents into the state capital.

Army General Zulkifli Zainal Abidin told the press conference at the media centre some 20km from Tanduo that the armed intruders appeared to be adept in insurgency and have had combat experience.

"From our intelligence and observation, their insurgency guerrilla tactics are quite good, I would say," he said.

He said that the group had positioned snipers in one area with a large public space.

 

Five Malaysian police killed in Borneo clash

Posted: 02 Mar 2013 02:52 PM PST

LAHAD DATU: Five Malaysian policemen died in a fresh clash with gunmen as violence linked to a deadly stand-off with Filipino intruders spread to another area of Borneo island, police said Sunday.

 

The shootout late on Saturday in the town of Semporna followed a firefight the previous day between Filipino followers of a self-proclaimed sultan and Malaysian security forces that left 12 intruders dead along with two police officers.

 

An estimated 100-300 Filipinos have been surrounded by Malaysian police and military in the state of Sabah since landing by boat from the Philippines, insisting the area belongs to the heir of a former regional sultanate.

- See more at: http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-90561-Five-Malaysian-police-killed-in-Borneo-clash#sthash.nphPDP8x.dpuf

(The International News) - LAHAD DATU: Five Malaysian policemen died in a fresh clash with gunmen as violence linked to a deadly stand-off with Filipino intruders spread to another area of Borneo island, police said Sunday.

The shootout late on Saturday in the town of Semporna followed a firefight the previous day between Filipino followers of a self-proclaimed sultan and Malaysian security forces that left 12 intruders dead along with two police officers.

An estimated 100-300 Filipinos have been surrounded by Malaysian police and military in the state of Sabah since landing by boat from the Philippines, insisting the area belongs to the heir of a former regional sultanate.

 

Sultan of Sulu Jamalul Kiram III continues to fight for Sabah

Posted: 02 Mar 2013 02:49 PM PST

Jamalul Kiram III has taken his demand for the Malaysian state to be given back to his family to the next level, with deadly results

From the statements of Kiram, his relatives and Philippine government documents, there emerges the colourful history of how his family has tried to reassert ownership over Sabah. To this day, the Malaysian embassy in Manila delivers a yearly payment - the equivalent of 5,300 ringgit (HK$13,300).

South China Morning Post

When the Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels signed a framework peace agreement at the Philippine presidential palace last October, one man in the jam-packed Heroes Hall did not join in the jubilation.

That man was 75-year-old Jamalul Kiram III, who was invited to represent the Sultanate of Sulu in the southern Philippines. He comes from a once-wealthy ruling clan that traces its lineage back to the 15th century and what is now Malaysia's Sabah state.

Kiram was offended that neither Philippine President Benigno Aquino nor Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak had acknowledged his presence.

That royal snub, along with persistent reports of Kiram's supporters being flogged and deported once again from Sabah, was what drove dozens of his followers to sail from their remote Philippine islands last month to press his claim.

It wasn't an invasion, Kiram insisted, but a coming home.

"Sabah is ours," he said, referring to the oil-rich state.

The group representing itself as a royal militia in the service of Kiram arrived by boat on February 12 to re-establish its long-dormant claim to the North Borneo area. The ensuing stand-off with Malaysian authorities erupted into violence on Friday, leaving 14 people dead.

Little of the fabled wealth Karim's family once owned is evident in the modest two-storey house in Maharlika Village that he calls home. The village is full of refugees from the decades-long Muslim rebel conflict in Mindanao.

From the statements of Kiram, his relatives and Philippine government documents, there emerges the colourful history of how his family has tried to reassert ownership over Sabah. To this day, the Malaysian embassy in Manila delivers a yearly payment - the equivalent of 5,300 ringgit (HK$13,300).

An exasperated Kiram told Aquino: "Mr President, what more proof do you want us to show that Sabah is ours? By the mere fact that Malaysia is paying us annually in the amount of 5,300 Malaysia ringgit, is it not enough?"

Ten years ago, Malaysia's ambassador to Manila, Mohamed Taufik, confirmed this arrangement when he told the Sunday Morning Post: "I recently paid 5,000 ringgit to the Kiram family. It's rather miniscule - around 70,000 pesos." He said "the rent is still being paid but it doesn't mean we recognise" the family's ownership.

Neither Malaysia nor Britain disputes that Sabah was a gift to Kiram's ancestors in the 17th century for helping put down a rebellion against their wealthy cousin, Sultan Bolkiah of Brunei.

In 1878, Kiram's great grandfather, Jamalul Ahlam, leased Sabah to Alfred Dent and Gustavus Baron de Overbeck, Austria's former consul in Hong Kong. Both then formed the British North Borneo Company in Hong Kong and applied for a Royal Charter.

The original contract - in Malay but written in Arabic script - used the word padjak or lease, Kiram said. But the British later chose to translate it as "cession".

This was even though British foreign secretary Lord Granville wrote in 1882 that the contract gave Dent and Overbeck merely "the powers of government made and delegated by the Sultan in whom the sovereignty remains vested".

By the time Kiram was born in 1938, the family's hold on Sabah had become precarious. Two years before that, his great-uncle Jamalul Kiram II had died childless. Family lore says he was poisoned.

Kiram, in a letter to President Aquino on October 15, told how the family lost Sabah: Overbeck's "company ceded North Borneo to the British Crown on June 26, 1946.

Soon after, effective July 15 of the same year, the Crown issued the North Borneo Cession Order in Council that annexed North Borneo and Labuan as part of the British dominions".

"This unilateral action violated the spirit of the original lease agreement," he said.

With the death of Jamalul II, his brother Mawalil succeeded him but died suddenly six months later - again allegedly from poisoning. Mawalil's son Esmail became sultan.

In 1962, he ceded "full sovereignty, title and dominion" over Sabah to the Philippine government.

According to then Philippine foreign secretary and vice-president Emmanuel Pelaez, Sabah was to be made part of the Federation of Malaysia in order to be "a counterpoise to the Chinese elements in Singapore" and "to 'sterilise' Singapore as a centre of communist infection" within the Malaysian federation.

Asserting the Philippines' claim, Pelaez met his Malayan and Indonesian counterparts in 1963. They issued a joint communique stating that the formation of the federation "would not prejudice either the Philippine claim or any right thereunder".

A statement known as the Manila Accord and confirming the same was issued a month later by Philippine president Diosdado Macapagal, Indonesian president Sukarno and Malaysian prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman, documents showed.

While all this was going on, Kiram was trying to live a normal life - finishing a law degree and falling in love at 28 with 14-year-old Carolyn Tulawie. He waited until she turned 16 to marry her, according to their daughter Nashzra.

Many years later the couple later divorced amicably, and Kiram married a Christian woman named Celia. He has nine children - six with Carolyn and three with Celia.

At one point, Kiram danced with the Bayanihan, an acclaimed national folk dance company that toured the world.

He also worked briefly as a radio announcer.

Kiram's father, Punjungan, was officially named successor and crown prince by Punjungan's older brother Sultan Esmail.

When Punjungan fled to Sabah in 1974 during the Muslim Mindanao conflict at the time of then president Ferdinand Marcos, Kiram said he became the "interim Sultan". But Marcos designated Esmail's first-born son, Mahakuttah, as sultan.

Kiram once ran for Philippine senator in 2007 under the banner of then president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. He lost but gathered two million votes.

Because Marcos meddled in the succession, confusion has reigned over the identity of the real sultan. At one point, as many as 32 claimants emerged.

In a separate interview, claimant Fuad Kiram - younger brother of the deceased Mahakuttah and Kiram's first cousin - said there were "many fake sultans" because they think Malaysia would pay them off.

Officially, the money that Malaysia gives is divided among nine relatives and their descendants.

Because of their numbers, each family ends up receiving only 560 pesos. In contrast, Fuad complained that "Sabah contributes US$100 billion GDP to the Malaysian economy annually".

 

No surrender, we stay

Posted: 02 Mar 2013 10:28 AM PST

http://borneoinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/princess02.jpg 

(Philippine Inquirer) - President Benigno Aquino III's order to Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram's men in Sabah to "surrender now with no conditions" is "not acceptable".

 

As Malaysia threatened to take "drastic action" against intruding followers of the sultan of Sulu on Saturday, President Benigno Aquino III sent a message to the group cornered in Sabah: "surrender now, without conditions."

Twelve of the 235 men led by Agbimuddin Kiram, brother of Sultan of Sulu Jamalul Kiram III, were killed in a clash with Malaysian police in the seaside village of Tanduao in Lahad Datu town, Sabah, on Friday morning.

Jamalul was unmoved. He appeared briefly with movie actor Robin Padilla, a Muslim convert, before dozens of journalists at his home in Taguig City.

"The only thing they know is surrender. Why should we surrender in our own home? They did nothing wrong in their own home," Jamalul said in Filipino, referring to the President's statement and to his brother in Tanduao.

Agbimuddin texted the sultan early Saturday saying he and his remaining followers were prepared to die.

"After we buried our nine brothers and a sister at sundown, everyone of the 224 left decided to die in Lahad Datu in pursuit of their dreams and aspiration," Agbimuddin said, referring to the burial on Friday evening of his slain followers.

The message seemed to be correcting the Sabah police report that 12 of Agbimuddin's followers were killed in the clash with Malaysian policemen.

In the hands of Allah

There were also reports that among the dead on the side of Agbimuddin were the elderly owner of the house that the Sulu group seized after entering the village on Feb. 9.

Abraham Idjirani, spokesperson for the Sulu sultanate, told journalists that the Kirams had decided to put the fate of Agbimuddin and his remaining followers in the hands of Allah.

He said Agbimuddin's group went to Sabah to compel a peaceful resolution of the sultanate's claim to Sabah.

"This is our long-held aspiration, that Malaysia understand that Sabah is owned by the sultanate of Sulu," Idjirani said.

"The sultan is not after an increase in rental because that will benefit only the Kiram family," Idjirani said. "[T]heir father said Sabah is not for sale. It's for the patrimony of the Filipino people."

The remnants of Agbimuddin's group were cornered in a smaller area after the 30-minute gun battle that also cost the lives of two Malaysian policemen and injured three others, according to news reports from Malaysia.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak on Saturday told reporters that after talking to President Aquino on Friday night, he decided to give Agbimuddin's group two choices: surrender or face the repercussions at the hands of Malaysian security forces.

Najib said the window for negotiations was closed, given the hostile stand taken by the group from Sulu.

"The Sulu [intruders] have to surrender or they will face the action of our security forces," Najib said after paying his last respects to the two policemen killed by mortar fire during the clash with Agbimuddin's group.

Malaysian Inspector General of Police Ismail Omar said Agbimuddin's group must immediately lay down their arms and surrender or face "drastic action."

"We have no other options but to take the necessary action to detain them," Omar said.

Agbimuddin's group was now "trapped" and faced no alternative but surrender, he said.

Presidential message

Malacañang did not say what understanding President Aquino and Najib reached, but said the President wanted Agbimuddin and his men to surrender to avoid further bloodshed.

Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda read Mr. Aquino's statement addressed to Agbimuddin's group at a hastily called news conference.

"To our citizens in Lahad Datu, from the very start our objective has been to avoid the loss of lives and the shedding of blood. However, you did not join us in this objective. Because of the path you have taken, what we have been trying to avoid has come to pass," the President said.

"If you have grievances, the path you chose was wrong. The just, and indeed, the only correct thing for you to do is to surrender," he said.

"To those who have influence and the capacity to reason with those in Lahad Datu, I ask you to convey this message: surrender now, without conditions," he said.

Lacierda did not directly answer a question about the Philippine government pushing away blame if more lives were lost, but said: "The Philippine government has exerted all efforts for a peaceful resolution. We've done that from Day 1. We've said that we've sent emissaries. We have tried our best to deal with them. We have coordinated with Malaysian authorities. What should not have happened did happen yesterday. The best thing for them to do is surrender."

Jamalul's daughter, Princess Jacel Kiram, said the President's call to surrender was "not acceptable."

Jacel denied Cabinet Secretary Rene Almendras' statement that Justice Secretary Leila de Lima directly contacted the sultanate on Friday night.

She said it was someone claiming to represent De Lima who contacted the sultanate, demanding a "categorical statement" from the sultan ordering his followers to come home without conditions.

Jacel said government emissaries had contacted the family before and tried to impose terms on them and demanding that their followers withdraw from Sabah.

She said what her family wanted was for the government to intercede for them and arrange negotiations with the Malaysian government involving their proprietary claim to Sabah.

"We want negotiations, not dictation," she said.

Read more at: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/66287/aquino-surrender-order-not-acceptable-kirams

 

 

Two cops killed in Simunul ambush

Posted: 02 Mar 2013 10:25 AM PST

http://borneoinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Hamza30.jpg 

(Borneo Insider) - The death toll in the Semporna shootout between police and armed men, Saturday night has risen to two.

Both are policemen and one is at least a sub-inspector. Sabah police chief Hamzaz Taib is now confirming that the Kampung Simpunul shoot-out is related to the Tanduo stand-off.

A third policeman is still in critical condition and is warded at the Semporna general hospital.

More to come.

LAHAD DATU: At least one policeman is believed to have been shot dead, and another critically wounded, when a police raiding party was fired upon as they approached Kampung Simunul, Saturday evening in the hunt for a cache of firearms at one of the houses.

But Sabah police chief Datuk Hamzah Taib would only confirm that the two policemen were shot and injured during a shootout with unknown gunmen as they were on the boardwalk heading towards a house.

He denied that any police station had been attacked. This was in reaction to unconfirmed reports that the police station at Pulau Bum Bum came under a bomb attack.

When met at Felda Sahabat, Tungku, at about 10pm Saturday, Hamza said that a team of policeman had gone to the village in search of several people, following reports that they were in possession of firearms.

"The policemen entered the village and were heading towards the suspect's house when they were fired upon and two of our men were injured," was all Hamzah would say.

Apart from saying that police have now encircled the village in search of the attackers, he also said "we believe this incident is unrelated to the situation in Tanduo, Lahad Datu,"

Hamza was in Lahad Datu together with Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein and Inspector General of Police, Tan Sri Ismail Omar, when they immediately left for Tungku just about the same time unconfirmed reports of gunshots and explosions were heard in Semporna and Tawau.

They are now believed to be huddled up at the General Operations Force command centre at Felda Sabah Residence in Tungku, close to Tanduo in Sahabat 17 monitoring reports from all over.

Read more at: http://borneoinsider.com/2013/03/02/hamza-two-cops-shot-in-simunul-island/ 

 

Another cop dead; maritime tigthens security

Posted: 02 Mar 2013 10:22 AM PST

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/lahad-datu-standoff.jpg 

(Bernama) - Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar comfirmed the incident in Semporna but declined further comments.

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has tightened control in the waters off Lahad Datu, Sabah with the cooperation from security forces, including the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) to face possible threats from the armed intruders from the Philippines.

Its director-general Admiral Mohd Amdan Kurish said three maritime vessels and six patrol boats were patrolling in the waters now.

"Prior to this, we have three ships patrolling in Lahad Datu, two of them at sea, and the other one on standby.

"However, in view with the intrusion issue, we have deployed six MMEA boats based in Sandakan, Sabah to increase control in the waters," he told reporters after the opening of Malaysian Maritime Academy and Training Centre, now known as Sultan Ahmad Shah Maritime Academy (AMSAS) in Gebeng here yesterday.

Meanwhile in KUALA LUMPUR, last night, police sources said another member of Malaysian security forces was killed, this time in a firefight with armed intruders in Kampung Selamat, Semporna, about 150km from Kampung Tanduo, Lahad Datu, Sabah.

According to a police source, another police personnel was also injured in the firefight which began at 8pm.

It is learnt that the intruders had planned to attack Lahad Datu police station.

Lahad Datu and Tawau Police Special Investigation Divisions have been deployed to the scene.

Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar when contacted by Bernama confirmed the incident but refused further comment.

On Friday, two VAT 69 police commandos, ASP Zulkifli Mamat, 29 and Sergeant Sabarudin Daud, were killed, while three others were injured in a gunfire with the armed intruders in Kampung Tandou.

Twelve of the armed intruders were also killed. 

Malaysia demands surrender of Sulu fighters

Posted: 02 Mar 2013 10:18 AM PST

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/najib-lahad-datu.jpg 

(Al Jazeera) - "Drastic action" warned if Filipino followers of self-proclaimed Sultan of Sulu do not abandon claim to Sabah province.

Malaysia threatened to take "drastic action" against intruding followers of a self-proclaimed Filipino sultan who have vowed to dig in after a shootout that killed 14 people.

Twelve followers of the little-known Sultan of Sulu and two Malaysian security personnel were killed in Friday's firefight, police said on Saturday, as the more than two-week-old siege in a remote corner of Malaysia turned deadly.

Dozens of Filipinos have been holed up on Borneo island, surrounded by a massive Malaysian police and military cordon, since landing by boat from the nearby Philippines to insist the area belongs to their Islamic leader.

"We want them to surrender immediately. If they don't, they will face drastic action," Hamza Taib, police chief of the Malaysian state of Sabah where the drama was taking place, said.

He declined to provide details of what security forces had in store but his comments echoed growing Malaysian impatience with the situation.

In Manila, Philippine President Benigno Aquino also urged the gunmen to surrender immediately.

"To those who have influence and the capacity to reason with [the sultan's followers], I ask you to convey this message: surrender now, without conditions," he said in a statement.

Resolve 'strengthened'

The Filipinos, who are estimated to number between 100 and 300, sailed from their remote islands to press Jamalul Kiram III's claim to Sabah.

Kiram, 74, claims to be the heir to the Islamic sultanate of Sulu, which once controlled parts of the southern Philippines and a portion of Borneo.

In an immediate response to Aquino's appeal, Kiram's spokesman Abraham Idjirani said the gunmen would remain in Sabah.

"We have spoken: It's honour over lives," he said, adding that the deaths of the sultan's followers have "only strengthened our resolve to defend the rights of the Filipino people over Sabah".

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, whose government has been embarrassed by the security breach, said doors for negotiation are closed and urged the gunmen to surrender.

"The Sulu rebels have to surrender or they will face the action of our security forces," he was quoted as saying by the Star newspaper.

While it is not clear how the firefight erupted, Najib said the two police officers were gunned down after walking into a trap.

"I was told some Sulu gunmen had waved the white flag but when the Malaysian forces moved in, they were fired upon instead," he said.

Read more and watch the video at: http://m.aljazeera.com/story/20133215544639600 

 

Najib will take Malaysia to greater heights, says Dr M

Posted: 02 Mar 2013 10:17 AM PST

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/images/uploads/2013/march2013/m_duo33.jpg 

(Bernama) - Dr Mahathir said the younger generation were less appreciative of what they have for they were not even born when the older generation were struggling to gain independence from the British colonial power.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak will take the country to greater heights if Barisan Nasional is returned to power in the next general election, said former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. 

Dr Mahathir said it was not easy to stabilise a multiracial country for there were many challenges confronting the leaders as well as the people. 

"This is a multiracial, multireligious, multilingual and multicultural country. As wealth, economic growth and development are shared by each other, it is a challenge for the leaders to manage all this aspects at the same time to ensure stability and peace in the country. 

"For example, the European crisis has affected Europe and the United States, (the economy of) a lot of countries are not growing, but we are still growing," he said when delivering a talk on "The Future of Malaysian Politics" at the ICCAM Alumni annual dinner here, tonight. 

He said as most of opposition supporters were from the younger generation who were always hungry for change, the opposition manipulated the word "change".

"Since the younger generation is always asking for change, it is easier for the opposition to gain their support because what they need is to promise something new. 

"But quite often when change takes place we may get something worse," he said. 

Dr Mahathir said the younger generation were less appreciative of what they have for they were not even born when the older generation were struggling to gain independence from the British colonial power.

 

Trouble brewing in Filipino-’powered’ Semporna?

Posted: 02 Mar 2013 12:11 AM PST

TAWAU: Police in Semporna, where thousands of Filipinos have made their home,  and in other districts along the east coast of Sabah are said to be on high alert following unconfirmed reports of an explosion in Semporna.

Local residents in the scenic seaside town are reporting a large police operation around Kg Sri Jaya after two explosions were heard.

"Bahaya, bahaya (danger, danger)" said one resident when contacted by cellphone.

Unconfirmed reports said that shots were also fired and at least one police officer was injured.

Another local living close to the seaside village when contacted also said he had heard two explosions and then a flurry of activity in the area.

He said police have surrounded the area and at least one villager said he had been unable to enter the village.

Other residents contacted have claimed that there was no fighting and that the explosions were just firecrackers going off.

Others in Semporna when contacted by phone said they heard that the incident was a fight between police and drug pedlars. Semporna has over the years seen many similar raids and clashes.

Meanwhile, it was learned that police in all the districts in the east coast have been put on high alert.

A source said that all its personnel have been ordered to report to their stations and people have been quietly advised to avoid areas where there are large concentrations of Filipinos.

'Rumours exaggerated'

There have also been unconfirmed reports that shooting was heard in Kg Tanduo area in Lahad Datu where some 150 men claiming to be members of the Royal Army of the Sulu Sultanate are holed up.

In yesterday's shootout 14 people were killed including two Malaysian police commandors. The death of the policemen has changed the dynamics of the 17-day stand-off between the Malaysian security forces and the Sulu soldiers staking a claim on Sabah on behalf of their Sultan Jamalul Kiram III.

Rumours of tightened security in Lahad Datu and Semporna had surfaced last evening.

But attempts today to contact the Semporna police station for confirmations were unsuccessful.

Meanwhile Sabah Tourism Minister Masidi Manjun twittered that all was calm in Semporna and that the rumours were "exaggerated".

"Pending official statement from the police I can say that all the rumours about Semporna has been exaggerated. I have just spoken to the DO."

Police confirm shooting

Sabah police chief  Hamzah Taib has confirmed that two members of the police's General Operations Force were injured in a shooting incident while pursuing three criminals at Kampung Simunul in Semporna.

- See more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/03/02/trouble-brewing-in-filipino-powered-semporna/#sthash.LEhTNum1.dpuf

Unconfirmed reports of gunshots, explosions and warnings for people to avoid areas with large concentrations of Filipinos in Semporna, are making its rounds in Sabah's east coast. 

Azman Habu, FMT

TAWAU: Police in Semporna, where thousands of Filipinos have made their home,  and in other districts along the east coast of Sabah are said to be on high alert following unconfirmed reports of an explosion in Semporna.

Local residents in the scenic seaside town are reporting a large police operation around Kg Sri Jaya after two explosions were heard.

"Bahaya, bahaya (danger, danger)" said one resident when contacted by cellphone.

Unconfirmed reports said that shots were also fired and at least one police officer was injured.

Another local living close to the seaside village when contacted also said he had heard two explosions and then a flurry of activity in the area.

He said police have surrounded the area and at least one villager said he had been unable to enter the village.

Other residents contacted have claimed that there was no fighting and that the explosions were just firecrackers going off.

Others in Semporna when contacted by phone said they heard that the incident was a fight between police and drug pedlars. Semporna has over the years seen many similar raids and clashes.

Meanwhile, it was learned that police in all the districts in the east coast have been put on high alert.

A source said that all its personnel have been ordered to report to their stations and people have been quietly advised to avoid areas where there are large concentrations of Filipinos.

'Rumours exaggerated'

There have also been unconfirmed reports that shooting was heard in Kg Tanduo area in Lahad Datu where some 150 men claiming to be members of the Royal Army of the Sulu Sultanate are holed up.

In yesterday's shootout 14 people were killed including two Malaysian police commandors. The death of the policemen has changed the dynamics of the 17-day stand-off between the Malaysian security forces and the Sulu soldiers staking a claim on Sabah on behalf of their Sultan Jamalul Kiram III.

Rumours of tightened security in Lahad Datu and Semporna had surfaced last evening.

But attempts today to contact the Semporna police station for confirmations were unsuccessful.

Meanwhile Sabah Tourism Minister Masidi Manjun twittered that all was calm in Semporna and that the rumours were "exaggerated".

"Pending official statement from the police I can say that all the rumours about Semporna has been exaggerated. I have just spoken to the DO."

READ MORE HERE

 

Anwar's exposure regarded as attempt to ridicule ulama

Posted: 01 Mar 2013 06:22 PM PST

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's exposure of the PAS president's involvement in preparing and signing a statement with Pakatan Rakyat, giving non-Muslims the go-ahead to use the word, Allah, is seen as an attempt to ridicule the ulama.

Umno supreme council member Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi said, other than embarrassing Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang as PAS president, Anwar simultaneously, appeared to make an attempt to kill the role of the ulama in the party.

"He wants to show that the ulama cannot be depended upon, they are inconsistent. He wants to show that Abdul Hadi has no credibility," he said when contacted by Bernama.

It is learnt that Anwar had made the 'exposure' at a ceramah in Ketereh, Kota Baharu last Tuesday.

Mohd Puad, who is also education deputy minister, said Anwar was not comfortable with the ulama group which was seen as hampering the ambition of the opposition pact to rule. Thus, he tried to instigate the PAS members that the ulama was incapable of leading the party, he added.

On the sacking of PAS ex-deputy president Nasharuddin Mat Isa from the Syura Council as Anwar's biggest success to rid the ulama, Mohd Puad did not reject an impending collision between the ulama and non-ulama groups.

The joint statement which was referred to by Anwar, was opposed to the decision of the Syura Council meeting on Jan 13, that the word Allah could not be used in the Malay version of the Bible.

Malaysian Young Ulama Gathering Committee (Ilmu) chairman Fathul Bari Mat Jahaya said, Anwar not only did not respect PAS as a partner of the pact, but also Abdul Hadi as party president.

He said, Anwar also ridiculed the Syura Council through his action, other than attempting to throw PAS into disarray.

"The decision which was made by the Syura Council, as the highest council in PAS, is ahead of the decisions of any other individual in the party, including the president.

"Abdul Hadi's view does not represent PAS overall. It is his opinion, not that of PAS. But if he (Abdul Hadi) says it is a party statement, what we know is that the statement of PAS is not the same," he said.

Fathul Bari also shared Mohd Puad's opinion that Anwar's action would give a negative implication to cooperation in the opposition pact, apart from causing a collision in PAS.

"This will cause the public and PAS members to lose respect for Abdul Hadi as party president," he said.

In the meantime, Fathul Bari said, Abdul Hadi must retract his early statement on the issue of the word, Allah, for the benefit of Muslims.

Jalur Tiga (Jati) president Datuk Dr Hasan Ali urged Abdul Hadi to clarify his stand on the issue to defend his credibility as ulama.

"Does Anwar's statement accurately reflect what happened, or does Ustaz Hadi have his own version in defending the credibility of PAS as an Islamic political party which does not conceal the truth?," he asked.

Malay rights group Perkasa information chief Ruslan Kasim said, the ulama group had been used by opportunists like Anwar. He said, Abdul Hadi moved like the 'lalang' grass which swayed to the dictates of the wind, and was prepared to sacrifice the Islamic faith, in favour of politics.

- See more at: http://www.thesundaily.my/news/626271#sthash.13LLxmgF.dpuf

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's exposure of the PAS president's involvement in preparing and signing a statement with Pakatan Rakyat, giving non-Muslims the go-ahead to use the word, Allah, is seen as an attempt to ridicule the ulama.

Umno supreme council member Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi said, other than embarrassing Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang as PAS president, Anwar simultaneously, appeared to make an attempt to kill the role of the ulama in the party.

"He wants to show that the ulama cannot be depended upon, they are inconsistent. He wants to show that Abdul Hadi has no credibility," he said when contacted by Bernama.

It is learnt that Anwar had made the 'exposure' at a ceramah in Ketereh, Kota Baharu last Tuesday.

Mohd Puad, who is also education deputy minister, said Anwar was not comfortable with the ulama group which was seen as hampering the ambition of the opposition pact to rule. Thus, he tried to instigate the PAS members that the ulama was incapable of leading the party, he added.

On the sacking of PAS ex-deputy president Nasharuddin Mat Isa from the Syura Council as Anwar's biggest success to rid the ulama, Mohd Puad did not reject an impending collision between the ulama and non-ulama groups.

The joint statement which was referred to by Anwar, was opposed to the decision of the Syura Council meeting on Jan 13, that the word Allah could not be used in the Malay version of the Bible.

Malaysian Young Ulama Gathering Committee (Ilmu) chairman Fathul Bari Mat Jahaya said, Anwar not only did not respect PAS as a partner of the pact, but also Abdul Hadi as party president.

He said, Anwar also ridiculed the Syura Council through his action, other than attempting to throw PAS into disarray.

"The decision which was made by the Syura Council, as the highest council in PAS, is ahead of the decisions of any other individual in the party, including the president.

"Abdul Hadi's view does not represent PAS overall. It is his opinion, not that of PAS. But if he (Abdul Hadi) says it is a party statement, what we know is that the statement of PAS is not the same," he said.

Fathul Bari also shared Mohd Puad's opinion that Anwar's action would give a negative implication to cooperation in the opposition pact, apart from causing a collision in PAS.

"This will cause the public and PAS members to lose respect for Abdul Hadi as party president," he said.

In the meantime, Fathul Bari said, Abdul Hadi must retract his early statement on the issue of the word, Allah, for the benefit of Muslims.

Jalur Tiga (Jati) president Datuk Dr Hasan Ali urged Abdul Hadi to clarify his stand on the issue to defend his credibility as ulama.

"Does Anwar's statement accurately reflect what happened, or does Ustaz Hadi have his own version in defending the credibility of PAS as an Islamic political party which does not conceal the truth?," he asked.

Malay rights group Perkasa information chief Ruslan Kasim said, the ulama group had been used by opportunists like Anwar. He said, Abdul Hadi moved like the 'lalang' grass which swayed to the dictates of the wind, and was prepared to sacrifice the Islamic faith, in favour of politics.

- See more at: http://www.thesundaily.my/news/626271#sthash.13LLxmgF.dpuf

(Bernama) - Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's exposure of the PAS president's involvement in preparing and signing a statement with Pakatan Rakyat, giving non-Muslims the go-ahead to use the word, Allah, is seen as an attempt to ridicule the ulama.

Umno supreme council member Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi said, other than embarrassing Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang as PAS president, Anwar simultaneously, appeared to make an attempt to kill the role of the ulama in the party.

"He wants to show that the ulama cannot be depended upon, they are inconsistent. He wants to show that Abdul Hadi has no credibility," he said when contacted by Bernama.

It is learnt that Anwar had made the 'exposure' at a ceramah in Ketereh, Kota Baharu last Tuesday.

Mohd Puad, who is also education deputy minister, said Anwar was not comfortable with the ulama group which was seen as hampering the ambition of the opposition pact to rule. Thus, he tried to instigate the PAS members that the ulama was incapable of leading the party, he added.

On the sacking of PAS ex-deputy president Nasharuddin Mat Isa from the Syura Council as Anwar's biggest success to rid the ulama, Mohd Puad did not reject an impending collision between the ulama and non-ulama groups.

The joint statement which was referred to by Anwar, was opposed to the decision of the Syura Council meeting on Jan 13, that the word Allah could not be used in the Malay version of the Bible.

Malaysian Young Ulama Gathering Committee (Ilmu) chairman Fathul Bari Mat Jahaya said, Anwar not only did not respect PAS as a partner of the pact, but also Abdul Hadi as party president.

He said, Anwar also ridiculed the Syura Council through his action, other than attempting to throw PAS into disarray.

"The decision which was made by the Syura Council, as the highest council in PAS, is ahead of the decisions of any other individual in the party, including the president.

"Abdul Hadi's view does not represent PAS overall. It is his opinion, not that of PAS. But if he (Abdul Hadi) says it is a party statement, what we know is that the statement of PAS is not the same," he said.

Fathul Bari also shared Mohd Puad's opinion that Anwar's action would give a negative implication to cooperation in the opposition pact, apart from causing a collision in PAS.

"This will cause the public and PAS members to lose respect for Abdul Hadi as party president," he said.

In the meantime, Fathul Bari said, Abdul Hadi must retract his early statement on the issue of the word, Allah, for the benefit of Muslims.

Jalur Tiga (Jati) president Datuk Dr Hasan Ali urged Abdul Hadi to clarify his stand on the issue to defend his credibility as ulama.

"Does Anwar's statement accurately reflect what happened, or does Ustaz Hadi have his own version in defending the credibility of PAS as an Islamic political party which does not conceal the truth?," he asked.

Malay rights group Perkasa information chief Ruslan Kasim said, the ulama group had been used by opportunists like Anwar. He said, Abdul Hadi moved like the 'lalang' grass which swayed to the dictates of the wind, and was prepared to sacrifice the Islamic faith, in favour of politics.

 

Penang government’s highways-tunnel vision a big step backwards

Posted: 01 Mar 2013 03:20 PM PST

Anil Netto

Yesterday, representatives of Penang Forum raised serious concerns with the Penang state government over the four highways and tunnel project.

During a two-hour meeting with state government representatives, including the Chief Minister, and the press, the activists registered their serious concern and opposition.

By building more highways and a road-based tunnel, the state government will be facilitating the movement of more cars instead of encouraging people to use public transport.

The Pakatan's manifesto promises better public transport, but the state government plans to spend RM27bn in the coming years, according to the Penang transport master plan. Out of this, RM17bn will be for highways and only RM10bn for public transport. Surprisingly, the state government was not even aware of these figures. These figures have not been disclosed to the public. It is a great pity that most of the money will be to create even more dependency on public transport.

Building highways and a road-based tunnel is at best a short-term solution. What happens when these get congested. The Jelutong Expressway itself is rapidly filling up – and that is even before the second Penang bridge is completed!

The state government says the highways and tunnel will only proceed if the EIA is approved. But how independent is the EIA process when consultants are appointed by developers and contractors? We still don't have a state-wide hydrological study.

The public has not yet been told who the local partners are in Zenith Consortium, along with the firm from China. Who are the key local people behind the five companies in the consortium? Again this information – an important part of the deal – has not yet been provided. Who are the real local interests?

The state government seems to think that "the people want these projects". But "the people" are not being presented with serious alternatives. They are being told: "It is either congestion or accept these highways and tunnel." Of course they will choose what they are being told is the solution. But they are not being given a real choice between sustainable public transport or more highways. In fact, the Penang Transport Masterplan consultants' own public survey showed that a large majority of the people want a public transport-based solution and not more highways.

Some believe these highways and tunnels are more about property development and construction contracts than transport. It is more about Big Business contracts than about public transport.

READ MORE HERE

 

Lahad Datu: Kenyataan Tian Chua diselar

Posted: 01 Mar 2013 02:14 PM PST

(Bernama) - Beberapa pemimpin dan pemerhati politik menyelar Naib Presiden PKR Tian Chua yang dilapor mengaitkan insiden tembakan di Lahad Datu, Sabah semalam dengan dakwaan konspirasi terancang kerajaan Umno untuk mengalih perhatian dan menakutkan rakyat.

Mereka berkata kenyataan Tian Chua (kiri) itu tidak bertanggungjawab dan keterlaluan memandangkan tindakan pihak berkuasa terhadap kumpulan bersenjata dari selatan Filipina itu bersabit soal keselamatan dan keamanan negara.

Bekas Naib Pengerusi DAP Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim berkata kenyataan Tian Chua itu adalah skrip standard dari DAP yang langsung tidak peka dan tidak sensitif kepada isu keselamatan negara.

"Dengan membuat kenyataan seumpama ini, dia boleh dianggap sebagai manusia yang mempunyai martabat paling rendah. Ini adalah satu kenyataan melulu yang tidak kita harapkan daripada seorang manusia yang sopan.

"Apa yang boleh kita harapkan daripada dia apabila kita betul-betul berada dalam peperangan jika dia boleh mengeluarkan kenyataan seumpama itu terhadap insiden pencerobohan di Lahad Datu," katanya kepada Bernama apabila dihubungi.

Antara lain, laporan yang tersiar di laman berita rasmi PKR itu memetik Tian Chua sebagai berkata pencerobohan di Lahad Datu itu hanya sandiwara kerajaan untuk menakut-nakutkan rakyat, seolah-olah wujud suasana tidak aman di Sabah.

"Ada konspirasi oleh kerajaan Umno untuk mengalih pandangan rakyat Sabah, terutama dalam isu pemberian kad pengenalan kepada warga asing," kata anggota Parlimen Batu itu.

Justeru, Tunku Abdul Aziz mahu rakyat menilai peribadi Tian Chua dan berfikir sebelum memilih pembangkang dalam pilihan raya umum akan datang.

Dua anggota komando Polis Diraja Malaysia terbunuh manakala tiga lagi cedera dalam insiden tembakan di Kampung Tanduo, Lahad Datu membabitkan kumpulan penceroboh bersenjata dari selatan Filipina.

Kejadian itu turut menyaksikan 12 penceroboh bersenjata yang merupakan sebahagian daripada 180 pengikut 'Sultan Sulu' yang dikepung pasukan keselamatan Malaysia, terkorban.

Dalam pada itu, Timbalan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri Datuk Ahmad Maslan menyifatkan kenyataan Tian Chua itu sebagai "jahat dan jahil" .

"Umno tidak akan mempermainkan soal keselamatan negara dan tidak mungkin menjadi pengkhianat kepada negara tercinta yang Umno telah berjuang untuk memerdekakan.

"Umno bukan macam pembangkang dalam beberapa peristiwa yang lepas telah mengkhianati negara ini," katanya.

Nada sama dilontarkan Presiden PERKASA, Datuk Ibrahim Ali yang menggelar Tian Chua sebagai "pembawa cerita bohong bersiri" yang sentiasa mencari kesalahan Umno dan kerajaan walaupun dalam situasi genting.

"Dia adalah ekstremis dan saya tidak terkejut dengan kenyataannya itu. Memang tugas dia memburukkan Umno tanpa bukti, tapi secara spontan… Ini membabitkan isu keselamatan, dan bukan (masa untuk) political mileage," tegasnya.

Bekas Presiden Persatuan Bekas Tentera Malaysia (PBTM) Datuk Muhammad Abdul Ghani pula berkata seharusnya semua pihak ketika ini bersatu dan tidak mencampur aduk politik dengan soal keselamatan negara.

Tegasnya, tindakan sewajarnya harus diambil terhadap Tian Chua dan mana-mana pihak yang dilihat menghasut rakyat supaya tidak mengulangi perbuatan sama.

 

DAP branch chief gets bullets in mail

Posted: 01 Mar 2013 02:07 PM PST

(The Star) - BATU PAHAT: Taman Bukit Per-dana DAP branch chief Tan Meng Ann has received two bullets in the mail. He claimed that it was politically-linked.

Tan had recently spoken out against party members who had put up banners in several housing areas here, disparaging a prospective candidate for the general election.

It is believed that the posters were aimed at Johor DAP deputy secretary Gan Peck Cheng, who had lost all her bids to win the Penggaram state seat in the last four general elections and may be fielded again in the next polls.

Tan said the bullets together with a threatening note were found in his mail box yesterday.

"My maid took in an envelope wrapped with a plastic bag and left it on the coffee table at about 8am without realising it contained bullets.

"I was shocked to find the 9mm bullets and a note with a message written in Chinese," he told reporters after lodging a police report yesterday.

Since he could not read Chinese, Tan requested help from party colleagues who told him that the message was a warning not to meddle in DAP's politics and not to challenge the party's choice of candidate or face death.

He claimed that this was the second death threat as he had been verbally threatened by a party colleague nine months ago.

Tan, who was worried about the safety of his family, said he did not want to speculate on who could have sent him the bullets.

He said he had informed the party leadership of the incident.

 

No evidence I’m gay, Anwar says

Posted: 01 Mar 2013 02:03 PM PST

(TMI) - Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that allegations of him being homosexual or bisexual are an Umno ploy with no backing evidence, in a no-holds barred interview with radio station BFM here today.

The Opposition Leader was asked several times whether he is a homosexual or bisexual, and he pointed out his status as a married man and a father as the answer to the question.

"They have tried and attempted, and they actually charged me twice. And there's not a set of evidence to support that argument," Anwar said of his critics.

"I'm a happily married man with six children."

Anwar (picture) is married to PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and they have five daughters and a son, the eldest of which is PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar.

When asked the question a second time by host Noelle Lim, Anwar declared the question irrelevant, and the issue as a result of Umno's propaganda.

"It's just an Umno propaganda and I have to endure these questions. It's not fair," he said.

The PKR de facto leader then conceded that being homosexual or bisexual is someone's personal matter.

However, he added by saying that concrete evidence is needed before someone is to be charged with being homosexual or bisexual.

Section 377a of the Malaysian Penal Code, sodomy and oral sex can be punished with up to 20 years in jail, and whipping.

Anwar was explaining that Umno has tried to portray him as being gay and the effort has failed, before he was asked the third time, to clarify that he is not a homosexual.

"Of course. I've made it very clear, I think," he replied, before sharing a laugh with Lim later over the tough questions.

Anwar was charged with sodomising former male aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan at a condominium in upscale Damansara Heights here in June 2008, a few months before returning from a decade in the political wilderness and winning back his Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat.

He was acquitted of the charge in January last year, after a lengthy legal battle.

It was the second time he has been prosecuted for sodomy after being convicted in 1998 soon after then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad sacked him from his post as deputy prime minister.

The Federal Court overturned the conviction in 2004, paving the way for him to lead a loose opposition pact to deny Barisan Nasional (BN) its customary two-thirds majority in Parliament and five state governments in the landmark 2008 election.

The ruling coalition and the opposition have been at loggerheads on the issue of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT), which is deemed sensitive in Muslim-majority Malaysia.

 

MNLF warns of civil war in Sabah, Sulu rebels say standoff remains

Posted: 01 Mar 2013 01:49 PM PST

Ida Lim, TMI

The Lahad Datu standoff could widen into a civil war engulfing Sabah, a Philippine separatist leader has warned as a Muslim rebel army moved to entrench itself in the Borneo state.

A Filipino rebel group, believed to number over 100 armed men, has refused to drop their ownership on Sabah — now part of Malaysia — and has sworn to fight on even as the Philippines Foreign Department declared the weeks-long standoff against Malaysian security forces over following a shootout that killed 15 men and hurt three others.

"I am afraid there will be a civil war in Sabah because thousands of Bangsamoro are residing in Sabah," Gapul Hajirul, political chief of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), was reported as saying today by the Philippine Star news portal.

"It's only MNLF chairman Nur (Misuari) who could decide on the matter. Whatever his decision, we will follow.

"Our Tausug brothers and sisters of Sulu and the Samals in Tawi-Tawi were saddened and are hurting by the turn of the events," he was quoted as saying.

More than 8,500 Filipinos, mostly Tausugs or Suluk tribesmen, are residing in Sabah and are potential supporters of the Sultanate of Sulu, the news portal reported.

The rebel Sulu army, led by Agbimuddin Kiram, has also refused to quit Sabah despite appeals from both Manila and Putrajaya, declaring the standoff far from over even after losing 12 men in a crossfire with Malaysian police yesterday.

"No, the standoff is not over, unless there's a concrete understanding or agreement that can be reached by the three parties," Abraham Idjirani, a spokesman for the group, was quoted as saying by Philippine news portal Inquirer in Manila.

"Our stand is the same. Rajah Mudah (Crown Prince) Agbimuddin Kiram will stay put in the area to discipline [our followers]. But if the Malaysians will attack, they will do the same," he said.

But Idjirani said the group was still open to peace, saying: "The sultan is still open (to talks) because our advocacy is still peace."

The Star today reported Idjirani as saying that the Sultanate of Sulu wants a ceasefire so that their men can bury those who had died in the gunfight yesterday.

"Malaysia is a Muslim nation so they should understand that we need to bury our dead," he said in a phone interview with the Malaysian daily, adding that he hoped Malaysia would "reconsider its position."

The English-language daily also reported Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib as dismissing rumours that armed men from the southern Philippines were coming in to the state to bolster the rebel group.

"We have checked and found the reports to be untrue. Our security at the sea border is tight and our operations are continuing," Hamza said yesterday evening at a media briefing.

READ MORE HERE

 

Lahad Datu intrusion endangers future of genuine Sabahans, warns Ku Li

Posted: 01 Mar 2013 01:42 PM PST

Ida Lim, TMI

Malaysia's failure to stop foreigners from entering and seizing territory here could endanger the future of Sabah and genuine Sabahans, Umno leader Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has said, amid warnings of a civil war in the state by a Filipino rebel leader.

Tengku Razaleigh (picture), popularly known as Ku Li, raised the alarm over the "foreboding" events in Sabah, including the siege in Lahad Datu by a Sulu rebel army.

"I had used the term 'foreboding' because the population structure has changed to the extent that a different dimension to the events is possible in future.

"The failure of those responsible to secure our border is so serious that I feel I had to raise this warning as I believe the integrity of Sabah and the genuine Sabahans must be protected at all costs as a political responsibility," Tengku Razaleigh said in a statement yesterday.

The Gua Musang MP could likely be hinting at testimonies at an ongoing royal inquiry that Filipino immigrants living in Sabah had been given citizenship through irregular means.

Tengku Razaleigh also spoke of the grave concern over the breach of Malaysian borders and the government's failure to secure the country's sovereignty.

"All Malaysians and understandably particularly our Sabah brothers must be alarmed and concerned with the failure of securing our borders and safety of our sovereignty from foreign invasion.

"The seizure of Malaysian territory without any prior knowledge or measures to prevent this from happening must be of deep concern. The integrity and safety of Sabah is challenged as never before," the politician said.

Yesterday, former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad also said that security at the borders and territorial waters of Malaysia must be tightened.

"It was so easy for the unsophisticated group to enter our country. This means that we must upgrade security so that nobody can intrude," he was quoted saying by state news agency Bernama.

Yesterday, a Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) leader reportedly warned that the Lahad Datu gunfight could spark off a civil war in Sabah, while the Sultanate of Sulu said its group of fighters, which had set foot here about three weeks ago, will continue their fight

 

For Sabah’s sake, Pakatan must scale back

Posted: 01 Mar 2013 01:37 PM PST

The stubborn stand of opposition parties in Sabah will only deprive them victories, says a former political party president.

Luke Rintod, FMT

KOTA KINABALU : The ex-president of the oldest, but now defunct, political party in Sabah has advised opposition parties wanting to contest in Sabah in the coming general election to "re-look" their strategy if they "really wanted to pave the way for change" in Sabah.

Former PASOK party chief Cleftus Mojingol, who is now a deputy president of Movement of Change Sarawak and Sabah (MoCS), said being a seasoned politician who is actively monitoring the political situation in Borneo, he felt compelled to volunteer his counsel as the opposition split seem to be widening as the elections closed in.

"I being a former head of an opposition PASOK, wish to encourage the leaders of STAR, SAPP and PR (Pakatan Rakyat) to re-look at their strategy and chances at the GE13 before they go their own way fighting each other," he said in a statement issued here.

Mojingol said there could never be victory for them if they are stuck with their respective stubborn stands.

"The issue of seats distribution among the opposition in Sabah is crucial and needs to be resolved if they (parties) really want to pave the way for a change in the state," he pointed out.

He said leaders of these opposition parties must be responsible enough to help realise the aspiration of the people to have "change" in the government, be it at the national or state level.

"If they failed beyond their own greed, then they must be prepared to accept that their slogan of Ini Kalilah  will be turned to Lain Kalilah  or "next time lah", thanks to their own grave mistake.

"Opposition political leaders should put aside self-interest, greed or hidden agendas in order to achieve a formula of one-to-one fight with the mighty BN in the coming GE," he further stressed.

READ MORE HERE

 

Selamat jalan, Najib

Posted: 01 Mar 2013 01:31 PM PST

Penulis ini tidak mahu aktiviti sasteranya terganggu akibat sikap Perdana Menteri yang kelihatan teragak-agak mengumumkan tarikh pembubaran Parlimen.

Uthaya Sankar, SB, FMT

Sambil menguap, saya membaca laporan akhbar Utusan Malaysia (28 Februari 2013) mengenai kenyataan Presiden Barisan Nasional (BN), Datuk Seri Najib Razak yang menjangkakan Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-13 (PRU-13) akan menjadi pilihan raya media sosial pertama di negara ini.

Sebenarnya, pada 22 Februari 2013, saya menyatakan menerusi ruangan status Facebook, "Tak kisahlah bila tarikh PRU-13". Hal ini kerana Najib masih menangguhkan penetapan tarikh pembubaran Parlimen – selepas mendapat perkenan Agong, tentunya.

Untuk rekod, PRU-12 diadakan pada 8 Mac 2008. Mengikut Perlembagaan Persekutuan, PRU seterusnya perlu diputuskan selewat-lewatnya pada Mac 2013. Kecuali jika Parlimen dibubarkan lebih awal oleh Agong atas nasihat Perdana Menteri.

Dengan adanya media sosial dan media alternatif yang melaporkan berita-berita yang "terlupa" dilaporkan media arus perdana, maka orang ramai sudah sedia maklum bahawa Parlimen akan terbubar secara automatik pada 28 April 2013 jika Najib masih berlengah-lengah dan menunggu para pengundi "kenyang" dengan transformasi yang dilakukan BN sebelum keluar mengundi.

Sebenarnya, seperti yang saya catatkan di blog (30 April 2010), saya sebagai rakyat (baca: The Third Force) amat meluat membaca berita di mana politikus ini dan politikus itu meminta jentera pilihan raya parti yang diwakilinya bersiap sedia sejak Februari 2010 bagi menghadapi PRU-13.

Akan tetapi, walaupun sibuk berkempen sebaik selepas mendapat "sedekah" undi daripada rakyat pada PRU-12, golongan politikus terbabit ternyata masih belum cukup "jantan" untuk menghadapi PRU-13 yang bersih, adil, telus dan penuh integriti.

Pada masa sama, agak melucukan apabila ada golongan politikus yang sejak September 2012 terlupa bahawa mereka yang memegang kuasa pemerintahan dalam kerajaan sebenarnya diundi oleh rakyat. Apabila mereka diberi kuasa oleh Rakyat, tidak bermakna kuasa itu – dan Putrajaya – menjadi milik mutlak politikus terbabit.

Saya tidak dapat membayangkan barisan menteri macam mana yang akan dilantik Perdana Menteri (menggunakan kuasa mutlak yang ada padanya) selepas PRU-13. Pada 18 Februari 2013, kes mahkamah berhubung penulis yang dinafikan hak royalti teks Komsas ditangguhkan ke April 2013 kerana tandatangan pada dokumen terbabit (palsu?) perlu dihantar ke Jabatan Kimia.

Sebagai pemilik tunggal Perunding Media, Motivasi dan Penerbitan Uthaya dan wakil Kumpulan Sasterawan Kavyan (Kavyan) yang terlibat cuba membantu mangsa terbabit sejak Ogos 2011, saya berharap individu yang memegang jawatan Menteri Pelajaran selepas PRU-13 akan tahu menggunakan kuasa untuk membela nasib penulis. Kalau tidak mampu, elok jangan pegang jawatan.

Sementara Najib masih seronok bermain teka-teki mengenai tarikh pembubaran Parlimen – yang bakal membuka laluan ke arah penetapan tarikh PRU-13 oleh Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) – sekumpulan rakyat yang memenuhi syarat tertentu serta mengisi slip tertentu menerima BR1M 2.0 baru-baru ini.

Jangan pula ada mana-mana penerima beranggapan mereka wajib mengundi parti politik tertentu selepas menerima BR1M 2.0 kerana tindakan itu akan menjadikan "niat murni" kerajaan memberi bantuan ikhlas menjadi seolah-olah "rasuah pancing undi". Sia-sia pula Kerajaan BN terpaksa menanggung dosa akibat kekhilafan masyarakat!

Buku terbit pada 8 Mac 2013

Bulan lalu turut disemarakkan oleh tulisan Ridhuan Tee Abdullah bertajuk "Kesabaran umat Islam ada had" (Sinar Harian, 18 Februari 2013) sehingga mengatasi populariti Sharifah Zohra Jabeen Syed Shah Miskin Albukhary dan kehebatan Najib bermain gendang Cina dalam iklan Tahun Baru Cina.

Sehubung itu, Pengarah Strategi MIC, Vell Paari bersuara lantang mengatakan bahawa jika tiada tindakan diambil ke atas Ridhuan Tee dan Ibrahim Ali (Perkasa), maka anak kepada Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu itu akan menggerakkan kempen meminta kaum India tidak mengundi calon BN pada PRU-13, seperti turut dilaporkan di Free Malaysia Today (22 Februari 2013).

Saya terus teringat bagaimana dalam novel Atlas Shrugged (1957) timbul pertanyaan berulang "Who is John Galt?" dan saya pula percaya bahawa di negara kita, ramai yang akan segera tampil menyatakan "I am The Third Force" – sekurang-kurangnya pada ruangan status di Facebook.

Dua hari kemudian, pada 24 Februari 2013, keluar pula berita (yang sedikit pun tidak menghairankan) bahawa Najib dilantik ke jawatan Pengarah Pilihan Raya BN di Selangor. Selepas mukanya menghiasi tembok serata negeri – khususnya di Stesen Komuter – tentulah beliau mungkin dianggap bermuka tembok pada erti kata sebenar jika tidak dilantik (melantik diri?) ke jawatan itu.

"Terdapat terlalu banyak masalah di Selangor sekarang kerana parti politik yang menguasai kerajaan negeri tidak sama dengan parti politik yang menangani kerajaan persekutuan." Demikian terjemahan kata-kata Najib yang saya baca di akhbar theSun (25 Februari 2013). Tidaklah keterlaluan jika dikatakan bahawa tidak salah untuk para pengundi mengubah kerajaan pusat supaya sama dengan kerajaan negeri di Selangor kerana itu adalah permintaan Najib sendiri!

Akhbar Utusan Malaysia (25 Februari 2013) melaporkan bahawa Najib "mengambil masa untuk mengumumkan tarikh PRU-13" (walaupun itu sebenarnya kuasa SPR, bukan kuasa Perdana Menteri!) kerana "mahu memastikan setiap dasar transformasi kerajaan benar-benar diyakini rakyat dan berjaya serta bersifat inklusif."

Terjemahan: Najib tidak bersedia untuk mengumumkan tarikh pembubaran Parlimen sampai bila-bila!

Selepas membaca berita yang "menghiburkan" itu, saya menulis pada ruangan status Facebook: "Baiklah, saya akan umumkan tarikh pemasaran buku Kisah dari Siru Kambam sebelum Pengerusi BN umumkan tarikh Parlimen dibubar. Janji Ditepati."

Maka, sukacita diumumkan bahawa kumpulan cerpen berkenaan boleh dibeli terus daripada saya mulai 8 Mac 2013 – sempena lima tahun sejak tarikh PRU-12 dan "tsunami politik" yang membuktikan kuasa Rakyat dalam menentukan masa depan negara.

Secara kebetulan, cerpen-cerpen seperti "Nating", "Saya Sebatang Pensel", "PRU-O" dan "Datuk Datang ke Kampung Kami" secara khusus mengutarakan kisah-kisah politik dan politikus berlatarkan sebuah kampung kecil bernama Siru Kambam.

Allahyarham Dr Othman Puteh merangkumkan Siru Kambam yang menjadi latar bagi kebanyakan cerpen saya sebagai "suatu daerah berhampiran Taiping yang menggambarkan secara dominan kehidupan masyarakat India dan hubungannya dengan masyarakat majmuk" (Siru Kambam, 1996).

Sama ada disedari atau tidak – dirancang atau tidak – kumpulan cerpen setebal lebih 350 halaman itu sesuai dibaca dan dihayati dalam suasana sosio-politik semasa sebagai persiapan mental menjelang PRU-13. Misalnya, ditampilkan Pertubuhan Politik India (PPI) yang kononnya mahu menjadi wakil tunggal suara kaum India dalam kerajaan.

READ MORE HERE

 

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.

READ MORE HERE

 

Conservative Pundits Wrote Malaysian Propaganda

Posted: 01 Mar 2013 11:33 AM PST

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/assets_c/2013/03/joshua-trevino-screen-grab-cropped-proto-custom_28.jpg 

(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 

 

Covert Malaysian Campaign Touched A Wide Range Of American Media

Posted: 01 Mar 2013 11:25 AM PST

http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/webdr01/2013/3/1/11/enhanced-buzz-12518-1362156409-4.jpg

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 

 

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net
 

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