| This EU-US trade deal is no 'assault on democracy' Posted: 11 Nov 2013 11:51 AM PST 
Ignore George Monbiot's polemic – the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership is an astonishingly good deal for the UK economy Ken Clarke, The Guardian On Monday, EU and US negotiators are meeting in Brussels for the second round of negotiations over what has become known as theTransatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Despite its byzantine name, the TTIP is in fact a trade deal between the EU and the US: an astonishingly bold project which aims to create a free market encompassing the 800 million peoples of Europe and America, potentially boosting our collective GDP by £180bn. Not that you would know that if you read George Monbiot's contribution on these pages a week ago. In one of the more conspiracy theorising polemics I have read in some while, he described this wealth-creating, free-trading, economic stimulus simply as "a monstrous assault on democracy" by institutions, "which have been captured by the corporations they are supposed to regulate". Monbiot is entitled to his view, but even on a highly selective reading of the facts, I cannot see how his argument stands up. Take the effect we hope that the TTIP will have on the UK economy alone. According to the best estimates available, an ambitious deal would see our economy grow by an extra £10bn per annum. It could see a rise in the number of jobs in the UK car industry of 7%. British companies – of all sizes – currently pay £1bn to get their goods into the US – this cost could be removed altogether. Perhaps most importantly in the long-term, such a deal would safeguard the liberal trading rules which we British depend on – but which the growing economies of the east are less keen on – or generations to come. I have never had Monbiot down as an ungenerous character, but to ignore all of this in favour of blowing up a controversy around one small part of the negotiations, known as investor protection, seems to me positively Scrooge-like. Investor protection is a standard part of free-trade agreements – it was designed to support businesses investing in countries where the rule of law is unpredictable, to say the least. Clearly the US falls in a somewhat different category and those clauses will need to be negotiated carefully to avoid any pitfalls – but to dismiss the whole deal because of one comparatively minor element of it would be lunacy. Read more at: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/nov/11/eu-us-trade-deal-transatlantic-trade-and-investment-partnership-democracy |
| This transatlantic trade deal is a full-frontal assault on democracy Posted: 11 Nov 2013 11:47 AM PST 
Brussels has kept quiet about a treaty that would let rapacious companies subvert our laws, rights and national sovereignty George Monbiot, The Guardian Remember that referendum about whether we should create a single market with the United States? You know, the one that asked whether corporations should have the power to strike down our laws? No, I don't either. Mind you, I spent 10 minutes looking for my watch the other day before I realised I was wearing it. Forgetting about the referendum is another sign of ageing. Because there must have been one, mustn't there? After all that agonising over whether or not we should stay in the European Union, the government wouldn't cede our sovereignty to some shadowy, undemocratic body without consulting us. Would it? The purpose of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership is to remove the regulatory differences between the US and European nations. I mentioned it a couple of weeks ago. But I left out the most important issue: the remarkable ability it would grant big business to sue the living daylights out of governments which try to defend their citizens. It would allow a secretive panel of corporate lawyers to overrule the will of parliament and destroy our legal protections. Yet the defenders of our sovereignty say nothing. The mechanism through which this is achieved is known as investor-state dispute settlement. It's already being used in many parts of the world to kill regulations protecting people and the living planet. The Australian government, after massive debates in and out of parliament, decided that cigarettes should be sold in plain packets, marked only with shocking health warnings. The decision was validated by the Australian supreme court. But, using a trade agreement Australia struck with Hong Kong, the tobacco company Philip Morris has asked an offshore tribunal to award it a vast sum in compensation for the loss of what it calls its intellectual property. During its financial crisis, and in response to public anger over rocketing charges, Argentina imposed a freeze on people's energy and water bills (does this sound familiar?). It was sued by the international utility companies whose vast bills had prompted the government to act. For this and other such crimes, it has been forced to pay out over a billion dollars in compensation. In El Salvador, local communities managed at great cost (three campaigners were murdered) to persuade the government to refuse permission for a vast gold mine which threatened to contaminate their water supplies. A victory for democracy? Not for long, perhaps. The Canadian company which sought to dig the mine is now suing El Salvador for $315m – for the loss of its anticipated future profits. In Canada, the courts revoked two patents owned by the American drugs firm Eli Lilly, on the grounds that the company had not produced enough evidence that they had the beneficial effects it claimed. Eli Lilly is nowsuing the Canadian government for $500m, and demanding that Canada's patent laws are changed. These companies (along with hundreds of others) are using the investor-state dispute rules embedded in trade treaties signed by the countries they are suing. The rules are enforced by panels which have none of the safeguards we expect in our own courts. The hearings are held in secret. The judges are corporate lawyers, many of whom work for companies of the kind whose cases they hear. Citizens and communities affected by their decisions have no legal standing. There is no right of appeal on the merits of the case. Yet they can overthrow the sovereignty of parliaments and the rulings of supreme courts. You don't believe it? Here's what one of the judges on these tribunals says about his work. "When I wake up at night and think about arbitration, it never ceases to amaze me that sovereign states have agreed to investment arbitration at all ... Three private individuals are entrusted with the power to review, without any restriction or appeal procedure, all actions of the government, all decisions of the courts, and all laws and regulations emanating from parliament." There are no corresponding rights for citizens. We can't use these tribunals to demand better protections from corporate greed. As the Democracy Centre says, this is "a privatised justice system for global corporations". Read more at: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/nov/04/us-trade-deal-full-frontal-assault-on-democracy |
| Islamist activist to Marina: Tell ‘underlings’ to stop human rights ‘nonsense’ Posted: 11 Nov 2013 11:45 AM PST 
(MM) - Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir has been challenged by an Islamist activist to censure her fellow Sisters in Islam (SIS) members for their involvement in a human rights coalition said to be spreading "liberalism" and threatening Islam's position in the country. Dr Muhammad Hasbullah from Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) claimed the legal action threat by Marina against his organisation showed she was troubled to be named as one of the "masterminds" behind the Coalition of Malaysian NGOs in the Universal Periodic Review Process (Comango). "It would be more convincing if she slams those in SIS who are involved in the coalition. But no, she did not. If she is so angry to be related to the coalition, she should be angry that her group is involved in it too," he said in a statement yesterday. Muhammad claimed that just by being a board member of SIS, is "evidence enough" that Marina was involved with Comango, and rejected her argument that she was isolated from the action of her "subordinates". "If you are not happy about it, tell the media. Tell your underlings to stop this nonsense. We cannot read your mind. State your stand," he said. Read more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/islamist-activist-to-marina-tell-underlings-to-stop-human-rights-nonsense |
| Rescue public discourse from ‘mass stupidity’, Zaid urges Putrajaya Posted: 11 Nov 2013 11:43 AM PST 
(MM) - As a growing chorus of extremism threatens to dominate public dialogue, former minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim said Putrajaya must coax reason and sensibility back into local politics for Malaysians of all races to once more communicate intelligently with each other. Saying that political discourse has devolved into "mass stupidity", the former de facto law minister warned of the consequences of allowing public exchanges to be dictated by those whom he described as aloof to views and ideologies different from their own. "Today, the prime minister cannot expect Perkasa and Utusan (Malaysia) to talk intelligently to the public on many issues. They are not interested in engaging those with whom they disagree," Zaid said, who added that the Malay rights group has so far responded to his previous invitations for a public debate by calling him names. "I hope the prime minister realises the dangers posed by mass stupidity and the lack of reason in political discourse. He must know that in Europe today, the fascists are doing essentially the same thing as Utusan and Perkasa." In an essay made available to The Malay Mail Online, Zaid enumerated instances of creeping fascism in Europe that he likened to his examples of the Malay rights group and Umno-owned newspaper Utusan Malaysia. "Geert Wilders in Holland leads the Party for Freedom. His popularity is increasing and he became famous worldwide when he threatened to ban the Quran and expel Muslims because he thought they were responsible for the present difficulties of Europe," he said. Zaid also pointed to Greece's Golden Dawn party, which he said openly blamed the country's economic problems on Muslims and migrant workers while ignoring the effects of extravagant policies, an overdependence on tourism, corruption and a bloated civil service. Another example was the storm in a teacup caused by Danish People's Party leader Kristian Dahl over an apparent ban on pork meatballs in the country as a sign of respect for Muslims. "He (Dahl) said that this was an example of how Denmark was losing its identity. He didn't reveal that only a small number of cafeterias had stopped serving pork — but he wants to be a hero, so logic and sensibility are discarded," said Zaid. The former Cabinet minister is outspoken on the matter of growing extremism in Malaysia, having previously warned of the seductive dangers of fascism. He said such groups often preyed on the young and disenfranchised by offering them the easy escape of blaming others for their own situations, which he likened to the Nazism behind the Second World War. Yesterday, Zaid urged Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to grasp the menace of extremism in Malaysia and take steps to rein in the vitriol that is becoming the norm. "He needs to slowly teach the art of being reasonable to his supporters in Utusan and elsewhere, and how to use their heads when faced with problems. "The country must learn to engage the various issues of the day in an open and friendly way. We need to learn that our problems affect us all and that we must overcome them by peaceful discourse together," said Zaid. Coincidentally, Najib earlier yesterday called on the country's "silent majority" to drown out the voices of extremism, and said diversity should be celebrated and the right to co-exist should be defended. "We cannot afford to allow voices of extremism to dominate the political discourse. It is time for the silent majority to drown out the calls to violence, to reject extremism," he said during his keynote address at the Asian Peace and Reconciliation Council/ ISIS Malaysia: Dialogue on Diversity, Diplomacy and Peace here at the Marriott Hotel. Malaysia is generally peaceful, but pockets of political as well as race- and religion-based groups purporting to defend their individual interests have caused tension among the country's multicultural community. Although critics have dismissed these as fringe elements and not an embodiment of the largely moderate Malays, political observers and analysts noted that rights groups such as Perkasa has muscled into political significance in the country. An ongoing legal tussle over the Arabic word "Allah" between Muslims and Christians has also served to magnify the apparent religious friction and provide a platform for self-professed defenders of faith to gain traction for their apparent fight for religion. |
| Sworn statement on Gani’s alleged misdeeds out due to Putrajaya inaction, says former top cop Posted: 11 Nov 2013 11:38 AM PST 
(TMI) - He promised more disclosures soon and said he was also mulling the possibility of having the statutory declaration (SD) tendered in court. Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim has revealed the alleged wrongdoings of Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail (pic, left) after Putrajaya failed to act on the retired senior police officer's statutory declaration which contained a litany of complaints against the Attorney General. Mat Zain's initial revelation about the meeting with former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Umno lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah on Gani's failings only amounted to two pages of his 31-page sworn statement. He promised more disclosures soon and said he was also mulling the possibility of having the statutory declaration (SD) tendered in court. "Since my SD was made in accordance with the Statutory Declaration Act 1960 it can be used in any judicial proceeding, civil or criminal. In that manner the SD will be considered a public document," the former Kuala Lumpur CID chief told The Malaysian Insider. "Putrajaya had received my SD more than a month ago but they have not acted on it. They have chosen to remain silent." Copies of his SD, which was filed on October 7, were sent to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Dr Ali Hamsa, Solicitor General Datuk Idris Harun and
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar. "In my cover note, I informed them that I reserve the right to take whatever action necessary within the law without informing anyone," said Mat Zain. "I also stated that I reserve the right to make public the SD through any member of parliament. "There was no action from any party and that is why I released parts of the SD." Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/sworn-statement-on-ganis-alleged-misdeeds-out-due-to-putrajaya-inaction-say |
| Dr M to keep mum until reading Mat Zain’s statement Posted: 10 Nov 2013 07:17 PM PST 
(MM) - Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed said today that he will only comment on claims of a high-powered plot to remove Attorney-General (AG) Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail from office after reading the sworn statement by former senior police officer Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim. He said it was difficult for him to respond to the allegations made by Kuala Lumpur Criminal Investigation Department (CID) chief Mat Zain in the latter's statutory declaration as he did not know what these included.
"I haven't seen it so I am not prepared to comment, because when reporters ask me, sometimes they do not get the facts right," he said at a press conference here.
"After I have seen the SD, I will be prepared to answer your questions at length," he added.
Last week, Mat Zain was cited by news portal Malaysiakini as saying he was part of a dinner meeting with Dr Mahathir, prominent lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah and former Commercial Crimes Investigation Department chief Datuk Ramli Yusoff on August 10.
Mat Zain, in his SD, claimed that the meeting discussed the AG's handling of opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's black eye incident, which happened when the latter was being questioned by police on charges of corruption and sodomy in 1998.
Also allegedly discussed was Malaysia's loss of Pulau Batu Puteh, alternatively known as Pedra Branca, to Singapore at the International Court of Justice.
The new portal reported that the SD stated that Shafee informed Mat Zain of Dr Mahathir's displeasure with Gani, who lead Malaysia's legal team in the case, for allegedly concealing some vital facts.
Earlier today, Shafee denied claims of a conspiracy to remove Gani from office, but declined to comment further on Mat Zani's allegations until he has gone through the SD himself.
Dr Mahathir sidestepped a question on whether he was unhappy with Gani's performance, saying that there is no guarantee of success in the courts.
"I regret very much when he fails because he represents the government, but sometimes people fail in the courts.
"Innocent people have been sentenced to death and guilty people have gone scot-free when you go to the courts. It depends on how the case is presented to the judge," he said.
Dr Mahathir, meanwhile, laughed off a recent report claiming that he had met with Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi over allegations that CIA agents have set up office in the AG's Chambers.
"I heard about this. I have no proof, of course, but I heard that CIA agents have actually got an office in the A-G's office. Maybe it is true, maybe not, I don't know. The A-G has not confirmed it," he said, in trademark sarcasm.
Last week, news portal The Malaysian Insider reported that Dr Mahathir had allegedly pressured Gani and Ahmad Zahid for a meeting, during which the former prime minister was said to have claimed that the AG's Chambers had two CIA agents under its employ.
The news portal claimed that the home minister has since agreed to launch an investigation into the allegation. |
| PAS wants hudud in the aftermath of Jaip officer’s murder Posted: 10 Nov 2013 06:46 PM PST 
(The Star) - PAS wants the government to implement Syariah criminal laws in Malaysia immediately, in the aftermath of the assassination of Ahmad Rafli Abdul Malek, the enforcement chief of the Pahang Islamic Religious Department (Jaip). Syariah criminal laws would restore peace and harmony to Malaysia, said Pas Youth chief Nasrudin Hassan in a statement issued on Monday. He said the introduction of the Syariah Criminal Code, which has been done in Brunei, would act as both a deterrent to crime and a means to restore order. "I will raise this issue in the next Parliament sitting which will run until Dec 5. I first raised the issue when the amendments to the Penal Code were being debated, and until now they have been rejected. "The government has only extended the jail sentences for crimes as part of their effort to stamp out crime through strengthening laws," said Nasrudin. Ahmad Rafli died after being shot three times on Sunday after stepping out of his Indera Mahkota 2 house when he was called to the gate after three men arrived at his house in a white Proton Wira Aeroback. |
| It’s a man’s world Posted: 10 Nov 2013 06:09 PM PST 
It is time we gave real political power to women. The 'official religion' of Malaysia is Islam. In Islam, women are not permitted to lead (in Saudi Arabia, they are not even permitted to drive or to leave their homes unescorted -- which means they cannot work either). That would mean Malaysia would probably never see a female prime minister or menteri besar (chief minister) and for sure never a female Agong or Queen like in England. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin O you who have believed, when you contract a debt for a specified term, write it down. And let a scribe write [it] between you in justice. Let no scribe refuse to write as Allah has taught him. So let him write and let the one who has the obligation dictate. And let him fear Allah , his Lord, and not leave anything out of it. But if the one who has the obligation is of limited understanding or weak or unable to dictate himself, then let his guardian dictate in justice. And bring to witness two witnesses from among your men. And if there are not two men [available], then a man and two women from those whom you accept as witnesses - so that if one of the women errs, then the other can remind her. Surat Al-Baqarah, 2:282 *********************************************** A man and a woman, after a bit too much to drink, were arguing in a pub about who is more superior, man or woman. Quite fed up with the entire debate, the man dropped his pants, showed the woman his pecker, and said, "A man has this. A woman does not." Whereby the woman raised her skirt, dropped her panties, and said, "Ah, but with one of these a woman can get ten of those." For more than 3,000 years, Judeo-Christianity -- followed, later on, by Islam -- has always believed in the superiority of men over women. Michelangelo implanted this image of a male God in his painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel about 500 years ago. From thereon visuals of God have always been of a male God. In fact, the foundation of the Abrahamic faiths is based on the belief that Eve corrupted Adam. (In the first place, woman is supposed to have been created from the rib of man). Basically, men are strong and can resist the temptation of the devil while women are weak and succumb to temptation. Furthermore, women are evil and conniving and plot to lead men astray. This image of a weak and evil woman is what the Abrahamic faiths teach us. If not for woman, man would still be living in paradise until today. But because of woman, humankind has been banished to earth and this punishment includes death. Humankind has to eventually die because we all live on earth and not in paradise. Hence the fate that awaits us, death, is due to the evil, conniving woman. In the middle ages, smart women were viewed as witches. Women are not supposed to be smart and if they are then it can only be because they are worshippers of the devil. Hence, as what the Bible says, it is mandatory that the only punishment for witchcraft is death. "You shall not permit a sorceress to live." -- Exodus 22:18 "A man or a woman who is a medium or a necromancer shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them." -- Leviticus 20:27 Up to 200 years ago, women were still being burned as witches in the western world. If a woman was seen walking and an animal, say a cat, follows behind her then she is a witch. If a woman accurately predicts the weather then she is a witch. If someone's cow dies, then the neighbour must surely be a witch and she will be arrested and put to death. And so much more! Women were also not allowed to learn to read and write. Those who did were punished and sometimes even killed. Basically, women were not allowed an education and even up to the 1800s women were still not allowed to go to university. Women were not allowed to vote until the late 1800s. And it was not until about 100 years ago that women were elected into public office. In the more 'progressive' UK and the US, it was less than 100 years ago. All this changed only about 50 years or so ago. As at April 2013, the top 10 countries out of 189 with the greatest representation of women in national parliaments are: 
The major English-speaking democracies are placed mostly in the top 40% of the ranked countries. New Zealand ranks at position 27 out of 189 countries with women comprising 32.2% of its parliament. Australia (24.7% in the lower house, 38.2% in the upper house) and Canada (24.7% lower house, 37.9% upper house) rank at position 46. The United Kingdom is ranked at 58 (22.5% lower house, 22.6% upper house), while the United States ranks 78 (17.8% in the lower house, 20.0% in the upper house). It should be noted that not all of these lower and/or upper houses in national parliaments are democratically elected. For example, in Canada, members of the upper house (the Senate) are appointed. The Liberal Party of Sweden, however, makes it mandatory that at least 40% of their representatives must be women. In a talk I gave to Wanita Keadilan Selangor back in 1999, I said that PKR (then called PKN) should make it mandatory that at least 30% of the candidates in the general election be women (like the Liberal Party of Sweden). Considering that 51% of registered voters and 53% of those who turn out to vote are women, this would make sense. In fact, 30% is still far below the average. It is time we gave real political power to women. The 'official religion' of Malaysia is Islam. In Islam, women are not permitted to lead (in Saudi Arabia, they are not even permitted to drive or to leave their homes unescorted -- which means they cannot work either). That would mean Malaysia would probably never see a female prime minister or menteri besar (chief minister) and for sure never a female Agong or Queen like in England. It is time this changed. Say what you like, as what Joshua Ledet said in the song below, it is still a man's world. More than 3,000 years later and women are still second-class citizens. God is still a man and woman caused the downfall of man 6,000 years ago. Maybe religion is not teaching us the right things after all when we call God 'He' and not 'She' or 'It'. By the way, if God were a woman, would the Lord's Prayer for the Christians be 'Our Father, which art in heaven' or 'Our Mother, which art in heaven'? 3Snay_fh20U SEE ON YOUTUBE HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Snay_fh20U |
| Sunni-Shi'ite tension biggest threat to world security, Iran says Posted: 10 Nov 2013 04:08 PM PST 
(Reuters) - Tension between Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims is the biggest threat to world security, Iran's foreign minister said in comments published on Monday, accusing Sunni Arab countries of "fanning the flames" of sectarian conflict. The increasingly sectarian civil war in Syria has drawn in regional powers with Shi'ite Iran backing President Bashar al-Assad and Sunni Gulf Arab states and mainly Sunni Turkey helping the rebels. The conflict threatens to spill over into countries split between Sunnis and Shi'ites such as Lebanon and Iraq. The sectarian tension is "the most serious security threat not only to the region but to the world at large", Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told the BBC. "I think we need to come to understand that a sectarian divide in the Islamic world is a threat to all of us." Zarif, a U.S.-educated former Iranian ambassador to the United Nations, called for regional powers to come together to try to solve the conflict in Syria. He is the point man of President Hassan Rouhani's bid to ease tensions between Iran and the outside world. "I think all of us," he said, "regardless of our differences on Syria, we need to work together on the sectarian issue." But, the BBC said, without naming any countries directly, Zarif accused Sunni Arab leaders of "fanning the flames" of sectarian violence. "This business of fear-mongering has been a prevalent business," he said. "Nobody should try to fan the flames of sectarian violence. We should reign it in, bring it to a close, try to avoid a conflict that would be detrimental to everybody's security." |
| Shafee as prosecutor against Anwar’s acquittal: Federal Court to decide November 21 Posted: 10 Nov 2013 03:57 PM PST 
V Anbalagan, TMI The Federal Court will deliver on November 21 its decision on Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's appeal to stop lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah (pic) from leading the prosecution team to overturn his acquittal for sodomy last year. A five-man bench led by Tan Sri Raus Sharif said it needed time to deliberate on the submissions before delivering the written grounds. Anwar's argument was that only a full-time deputy public prosecutor can appear in court. He also contended that Shafee was a potential witness during the sodomy trial and as such there was conflict of interest. Shafee argued he was qualified to be ad hoc deputy public prosecutor because he was a "fit and proper" person as required under the law. Whatever the outcome in the Federal Court, Putrajaya's appeal against the acquittal of Anwar for sexual misconduct will be heard in the Court of Appeal for two days from December 11. Lawyer Karpal Singh, who is appearing for the opposition leader, told the court today only a full-time deputy public prosecutor could represent the public prosecutor in a criminal case. "It does not matter under which provision of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) Shafee is appointed," he said. The veteran lawyer added that Shafee was a potential witness for the prosecution during trial and he was also offered as a witness to the defence. Karpal urged the court to also look into the issue of public perception when Shafee admitted he was in the Prime Minister's house when the alleged sodomy victim Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan was there to meet Datuk Seri Najib Razak. "Now this person wants to represent the public prosecutor in the sodomy appeal," Karpal added. He said no doubt the prime minister's residence was large but questioned what was Shafee doing there in the first place. "In the eyes of the public, an adverse perception can be drawn and that is enough to show conflict of interest," he said. READ MORE HERE |
| No high-powered plot to remove A-G, says senior lawyer Posted: 10 Nov 2013 03:35 PM PST (MM) - Prominent lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah today denied claims that there was a high-powered conspiracy to remove Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail (picture) from office. He rubbished the allegation, made in a statutory declaration (SD) by former Kuala Lumpur CID chief Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim, saying that there was "no reason" for such a thing to happen.
"Irrespective of what was contained in the SD, there was no such thing as a plot or conspiracy against the A-G, because there was no reason to do that," he told journalists when doorstopped here.
"Either on the issue of the black eye incident or the issue of the Batu Puteh case, there is absolutely no reason for that. If you look at Batu Puteh, what has that got to do with Mat Zain? He is a police officer. He's not an international lawyer, so why should anybody discuss with him on that issue?" Shafee added.
Mat Zain was last week cited by news portal Malaysiakini saying he was part of a dinner meeting with former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed, Shafee and former Commercial Crimes Investigation Department chief Datuk Ramli Yusoff last August 10.
Mat Zain, in his SD, claimed that the meeting discussed the A-G's poor handling of opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's black eye incident, which happened when the latter was being questioned by police on charges of corruption and sodomy in 1998.
Also allegedly discussed was Malaysia's loss of Pulau Batu Puteh, also known as Pedra Branca, to Singapore at the International Court of Justice.
The new portal reported that the SD stated that Shafee informed Mat Zain of Mahathir's displeasure with Gani, who lead Malaysia's legal team in the case, for allegedly concealing some vital facts.
Shafee today did not confirm or deny that the meeting took place, but he did admit that he was at Dr Mahathir's residence on August 10.
"August 10 is three days after Hari Raya, and Dr M's open house was the very next day. I was present as is usually the case every year with Dr M to pay my respects," he said.
Shafee hinted that those named by Mat Zain as part of the dinner meeting were at Dr Mahathir's house "having muruku and everything else", but again declined to delve further into the former top-cop's allegations.
"What I can say is that Tun is certainly not involved in all this rubbish," he said, referring to Dr Mahathir.
"As for the context of the SD, I do not want to comment now because I do not know what Mat Zain said. If I can get a copy of the SD today, I will definitely call for a press conference tomorrow at noon and you can ask me whatever you want," he said. |
| Retract your accusations, Marina tells Isma Posted: 10 Nov 2013 03:27 PM PST 
The human rights activist says that she will not hesitate to take legal action against those who accuse her of being part of Comango. G Vinod, FMT Withdraw accusations against me or face legal action, Sisters of Islam (SIS) director Marina Mahathir told Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (ISMA) today. She said this in response to ISMA allegations that Marina was one of the mastermind behind local human rights coalition Comango, whose demands are labelled as anti-Islam by the Islamist NGO. Last Friday, ISMA distributed about 70,000 leaflets in mosques around the country claiming Comango was attempting to undermine Islam by calling for the removal of Malay privileges, freedom to leave Islam and getting recognition for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual rights. They also named Bersih 2.0 co-chairperson S Ambiga as being part of the Comango, along with Marina. Peeved by the matter, Marina slammed ISMA, saying that the accusations levelled against her were untrue and it has tarnished her image. "It is true that I'm a director in SIS but I am not involved in the Comango report. I take this allegations very seriously," she said in a statement. Marina then urged ISMA and the media to withdraw the claims made or risk facing legal action. "I call upon ISMA and its office bearers, together with the media, to withdraw the accusations made against me. The leaflets distributed last week should also be withdrawn immediately. "If not, I will not hesitate to take legal action against all those involved," said Marina. READ MORE HERE |
| Rift between ulamas and liberals in PAS Posted: 10 Nov 2013 03:19 PM PST 
PAS leader Hadi Awang's announcement that non-ulamas can be party chiefs appears to have turned the tide in favour of liberals. K Pragalath, FMT PAS information chief Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man's announcement to run for a vice president position has thrown a spanner in the cleric faction's campaign within the party. What has happened among the clerics otherwise, also known as the ulamas? It is definitely a surprising tactical move by Tuan Ibrahim to raise the heat in the race for the three vice president positions instead of the deputy president post. Incumbent Mohamad Sabu has confirmed that he will be defending his post. With Tuan Ibrahim no longer in the deputy president race, it is up to Kelantan deputy Menteri Besar Mohamad Amar Nik Abdullah to continue the challenge for the ulamas. In announcing his intentions Amar said he is contesting for the ulamas as he is worried that PAS' liberal stand may effect the Malay votes. Currently there is an ongoing campaign against the professional faction within PAS. However neither incumbents nor challengers from the ulama and liberal camps have launched stinging campaigns against one another. This can be attributed to the election committee chairman Asmuni Awi's warning that candidates who 'put down' their opponents would be hauled up by the discipline committee. A PAS member even wrote an anonymous letter to a local news portal, asking incumbent deputy president Mohamad Sabu to make way for Tuan Ibrahim. The writer claimed that the split among the Malays within the Islamist party had worsened and that Mohamad Sabu was unable to arrest the problem. There was even a debate held in Shah Alam between the ulamas and liberal factions. So far, intensity of the campaign appears to be more heated amongst the supporters compared to the candidates. PAS spiritual adviser Nik Aziz Nik Mat's message stating that ulamas should lead the party was used to increase the pressure – even though he said that all in PAS are considered ulamas. Hadi's recent announcement however, has seriously toned down the ulama camp campaigns. He said that non-ulamas can be party chiefs and cited the case of Alias Abas, the second PAS president. Alias is a non-ulama. READ MORE HERE |
| ‘Liberals in PAS won’t allow for unity with Umno’ Posted: 10 Nov 2013 03:13 PM PST 
Since Umno and PAS are the biggest Muslim political parties in the country, it is logical for the two to unite. Hawkeye, FMT Unity between Umno and PAS cannot be achieved as long as PAS liberals hold senior positions in the party. Former Penang PAS Youth head Mohamed Hafiz Nordin said the proposed move to cultivate the politics of unity or harmony between Umno and PAS will reach a deadlock if the liberals hold sway in the party. Branding the group as "parasites," Hafiz said they have caused PAS to derail from its struggle for an Islamic state as well as curbing the party's move in spreading the teachings of Islam. "Frankly, the biggest Muslim political parties in Malaysia are Umno and PAS," he said. Therefore, Hafiz, who regards himself as an Islam activist, said it is logical for PAS to embrace the concept of unity with Umno. "In Islam, to forgive is also divine and we should encourage PAS and Umno to forgive each other and move on for the sake of the congregation and the country," he said. PAS should initiate the politics of unity during their coming "muktamar" (gathering) where a party election is on the cards. "They can start by voting in the ulama (conservative) movement in PAS," Hafiz said. It is believed that the ulama segment of PAS, is inclined to foster some form of ties with Umno as they are generally suspicious of Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim for his alleged tendency to lean towards a form of Islamic liberalism. Hafiz also declared his support for Kelantan Deputy Mentri Besar Nik Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah in the latter's quest to wrest the deputy president post from the incumbent Mohammad Sabu. READ MORE HERE |
| IGP urges Tuhan Haron members to surrender Posted: 10 Nov 2013 03:06 PM PST 
IGP Khalid Abu Bakar also said the police are investigating all angles in the murder case of the Pahang Islamic Religious Department official. Alfian ZM Tahir, FMT Police have urged members of an alleged cult to surrender at the nearest police station to assist in murder investigations involving a Pahang Islamic Religious Department (JAIP) official. Inspector General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar in urging the 31 followers of the Tuhan Haron cult, also said that the police had identifed the locations of these members. "We are looking at all angle so my advise is for the 31members of the cult group known as Tuhan Haron to surrender. "My men have already moved to locate and to investigate the matter and we are taking it seriously," Khalid said. Earlier speculations showed that the murder of the JAIP official was connected with the recent gazetting of anti-syiah laws in Pahang as the state religious authorities were planning to gazette a fatwa to curb the teaching of syiah. The JAIP official, 49-year-old Ahmad Rafli Abdul Malek, was shot twice in the chest and died on the spot at his house in Indera Mahkota 2 yesterday afternoon. READ MORE HERE |
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