| Tussle over UDA’s plans for Pudu Jail Posted: 26 Jul 2011 06:39 PM PDT 
(The Malaysian Insider) - The Urban Development Authority efforts to trim its debts and raise money for its affirmative action programmes is being hampered by politics with the Finance Ministry stalling on the UDA Holdings board's recommendation of a China-based company to redevelop the Pudu Jail land. The Malaysian Insider understands that the government is facing pressure and lobbying from politically-connected local companies who are keen on taking part in the deal. UDA Holdings has recommended China-based Everbright International Construction Ltd as its partner for the redevelopment of the 8-hectare Pudu Jail site. Sources say that the shortlisting process has been completed and Everbright's bid is in excess of RM2 billion, three times the value of the land. "This is 30 per cent higher than the next best bid," a source told The Malaysian Insider. The Edge reported yesterday that the finance ministry is due to decide from a shortlist of five companies in yet another defining moment for the agency that was formed after race riots in 1969 to ensure Malays have a bigger stake in the urban economy. But the highly-placed source said that UDA's board has alreadyselected the best bid and are waiting for the go-ahead from the finance ministry. "There is no more shortlist. The finance ministry is trying to delay in hopes that the Chinese firm will pull out because it's not worth the hassle. But they are having trouble finding a good reason to reject the bid as the board has decided on the best offer," the source said. The Najib administration last week rejected UDA's sale of 3.56 acres of prime land in downtown Kuala Lumpur to 54 per cent Bumiputera-owned Nadayu Properties Bhd, formerly known as Mutiara Goodyear Development Bhd, for not having sufficient Bumiputera holding. The decision over the Pudu Jail site will be yet another test of Datuk Seri Najib Razak's commitment to economic liberalisation. UDA had come under fire recently from Malay hardliners in Umno, Perkasa and Utusan Malaysia for allegedly abandoning the Bumiputera agenda by not appointing Bumiputera joint-venture turnkey investors for the proposed Bukit Bintang City Centre (BBCC) on the Pudu Jail site located on prime land in the heart of the capital's Golden Triangle. READ MORE HERE |
| Muslim women barred from working as GROs in Kuantan Posted: 26 Jul 2011 06:36 PM PDT  (Bernama) KUANTAN: Muslim women will be barred from working as guest relation officers (GROs) or waitresses in entertainment outlets in the state capital from next year. Kuantan Municipal Council (MPK) president Datuk Zulkifli Yaacob said the decision was unanimously approved at the MPK full council meeting Wednesday and the enforcement date would be determined later. He said the decision was prompted by a call from the Pahang Islamic Religious Department (Jaip) to forbid Muslims from working at entertainment premises that served alcoholic drinks. "A study found that 85 percent of employees of entertainment premises in the capital are Malays, who are Muslims, and they are exposed to alcoholic drinks. "In addition, it contributes to the negative perception of Islam. Although Muslim GROs might not be drinking, but they had to serve alcoholic beverages to their customers," he told reporters after chairing the MPK full council meeting here. Zulkifli said raids jointly conducted by Jaip, the Customs, police, the Immigration Department and the MPK found that many employees of entertainment outlets, including Muslims took alcoholic drinks. "The MPK will also step up joint operations against Muslims drinking alcoholic drinks in public," he added. - Bernama |
| Teoh’s death: ‘Four new leads for police’ Posted: 26 Jul 2011 06:33 PM PDT 
By Teoh El Sen, FMT PETALING JAYA: DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang yesterday urged police to re-open investigations into the death of former political aide Teoh Beng Hock based on four new "leads" that the recently released Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report revealed. Lim, the Ipoh Timor MP, said police should be investigating Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers for perjury based on the report's finding that named most of the MACC officers as "liars". "Apart from two brave and truthful souls from Selangor MACC – Azeem Hafeez Jamaluddin and Azian Umar – the report virtually dismissed the rest as a pack of liars led by (then Selangor MACC deputy director) Hishamuddin Hashim, the "mastermind" of the massive and unjustified operation which resulted in Teoh's death," he said. (Azian and Azeem were lauded as brave in the report as their testimony had supported the finding that MACC officers had been instructed to lie by their superiors.) Lim said the report's "most scathing… indictment of the character and testimony" of the officers is "fertile source for the formulation of multiple perjury charges against Hishamuddin and other MACC officers in giving false testimony at the RCI". Under Section 193 of the Penal Code, this provides for a maximum sentence of seven years jail and fine on conviction. Lim, speaking at the "Teoh Beng Hock Royal Commission Inquiry Report – Where is the promised truth?" forum last night, challenged Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail to arrest and charge Hishamuddin based on the following paragraph in the report: "The evidence adduced showed that the MACC officers were prepared to go to great lengths to lie. One glaring example is that of Hishamuddin, a very senior officer, who was overall in charge of
operations on that fateful 15th evening and spilling over into the early hours of the morning of the16th. In testimony before us, he was adamant in his stand that he had no knowledge whatsoever that complaints of assault and use of force had been lodged against the officers under his charge with the police. However, his lie was exposed with startling clarity when DSP Kamaruddin Ismail from the Selangor police produced a letter written by Hishamuddin himself in 2008 responding to police inquiries in relation to the complaints of assault and related abuses of power that had been lodged against MACC officers under his command." Lim said that based on this paragraph alone, a charge could be framed against Hishamuddin. 'A pack of liars He added that the RCI could not have been more condemnatory of Mohd Anuar Ismail, who was appointed investigating officer of the operation by Hishamuddin. Lim quoted another paragraph from the report, which said:"Anuar lied about the role he played in order to cover up for HH. And on top of these factors, he was a trusted senior officer of Hishamuddin who was prepared to sacrifice himself for Hishamuddin…" Calling MACC Selangor officers "a pack of liars" (apart from Azeem and Azian), Lim said the RCI report findings meant that "they had lied all the way from the initial police investigations into Teoh's death to the inquest and the RCI about what happened to Teoh on the fateful days of July 15 and 16, 2009″. READ MORE HERE. |
| EC no. 2 grilled in public over 'powerless' claim Posted: 26 Jul 2011 02:40 PM PDT  (Harakah Daily) - "We are powerless" and "we don't make decisions" summarise the explanation by Election Commission deputy chairman Wan Ahmad Wan Omar yesterday's packed public dialogue organised by Malay daily Sinar Harian at the Shah Alam headquarters of its publisher Karangkraf. Titled "What next after July 9", the forum, moderated by NGO activist Wan Saiful Wan Jan, also featured Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's Shamsul Amri Baharuddin.
Giving his reasons on why the EC could not fulfill Bersih's eight demands for electoral reforms, Wan Ahmad was at pains to emphasise that the Commission was not a law-making body and as such was powerless to amend laws. Several times during his explanation, the audience jeered at him, prompting the organising committee members to appeal for calm.
Wan Ahmad described the EC as an "election management" body.
"The most we can do is to propose the law to the AG (Attorney General) Chambers. The law drafted by AG Chambers will go to Parliament for debate.
"The government in power, anyone who rules the country, will have the advantage to determine the policy of the government," he told in response to questions on EC's reluctance to positively respond to Bersih.
Passing the buck to the Attorney General, Wan Ahmad, who many times referred to the audience as "Pakatan Rakyat" much to the chagrin of the moderator, said any party that wished to push for electoral reforms must approach the "right person".
"So you please understand the process of law making in the country," he added.
Asked by Wan Saiful whether the problem was with Barisan Nasional as the federal government, Wan Ahmad only attracted more jeers from the crowd when he said it was the government's right as it had been voted by the people.
"If you all become the government also, you all will do the same thing," he remarked, before quickly adding that EC should not viewed as enemy.
Pressured by the crowd's response, Wan Ahmad than went on the offensive:
"You do not understand that the EC operates under many other laws like the Police Act, the Sedition Act. Don't push the blame on us... maybe those present are not ready for a discussion like this."
'EC should not act like BN'
Ambiga meanwhile refuted claims that Bersih 2.0 was an opposition outfit, and said that it had earlier invited all political parties to play a role in the movement.
"Had the government (parties) come aboard, there would be a wonderful discussion between all parties, but they chose not to. That's their decision. The opposition chose to come abroad and support us and I am grateful for their support.
"Not just opposition, other NGOs, ordinary Malaysians... If you look at the profiles of the people who were out there (in July 9 rally), the ordinary Malaysians have been the supporters of Bersih.
"Why is everyone treating the opposition like they are not rakyat Malaysia? I don't understand. They are also rakyat Malaysia," she stressed.
"So, who is staying out and who's in? That's my question," asked Ambiga.
Ambiga also chided Wan Ahmad for accusing Bersih of treating the EC as an enemy.
"Datuk Wan, you said we are treating EC as the enemy. I think you are treating us as the enemy," she replied to applause from the crowd.
Ambiga added that EC should be above partisan politics and not behave like it was Barisan Nasional.
"I think that's where the problem is," she quipped.
"No power"
On the claim that EC was powerless to push for electoral reforms, she cited clauses from the Federal Constitution which stated that EC was a powerful body.
Ambiga said that Article 115 (2) spelt out that public authorities must cooperate and assist with the EC in discharging its duties.
READ MORE HERE. |
| Is BN injecting ‘voters’ into Sarawak? Posted: 26 Jul 2011 02:17 PM PDT  By Joseph Tawie, FMT KUCHING: Is the infamous 'Project M' which legitimised illegal immigrants by the thousands in the 1990s in Sabah making its way to Sarawak? Is Umno-Barisan Nasional using the current amnesty programme as a cover for a surreptious plan to consolidating its grip for good in the state? According to sources here, the April state polls had forced Umno-Barisan Nasional to take stock of opposition influence in the rural and rural interiors of Sarawak. In the past BN had seen Sarawak and Sabah as its 'fixed deposit' and was convinced that as long as these states delivered the seats, Putrajaya will remain with BN. However in the April 16 state polls, opposition mustered an unprecedented 45% of the overall votes and that shook BN's confidence. Political analyst Bridget Welsh, in a post-polls analysis, had noted that much of the swing occurred in the rural Malay heartland. BN buckled further under this shocking revelation. Sarawak DAP, upbeat over its 12 state seat victory in the April polls especially in mixed constituency, immediately declared that it was going to contest in the rural areas in the next election further stoking BN's fears. Already word is that BN will lose 10 parliamentary seats including four in the rural areas in the coming general election. Project M tip-off That, added a DAP source, is however only if the field is level, and a recent developement is worrying DAP. Sarawak DAP secretary Chong Chieng Jen claims he's been tipped-off about a possible move by the federal government to introduce the 'Project M' in Sarawak. "I have received information last month that the BN government is planning to introduce the 'Project M' in Sarawak. "I hope my information is not correct. "Nevertheless, we in the opposition will monitor the situation regularly and check the list of new identity card holders with the National Registration, and voter registration with the Election Commission. "We know the situation in Sabah. Because of the 'project M' local Sabahans have now become foreigners in their own state as more and more immigrants are given Malaysian identity cards. "That is why its population has surged. This must not happen in Sarawak," said Chong. He pointed out that this strategy had allowed the federal government to grab back Sabah from the opposition Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) in 1994. "PBS ruled Sabah for nine years after toppling the Berjaya government in 1985. "That problem is still haunting Sabah until this day," he said, adding that Sabah's immigration problems have gone beyond the point of redemption. Putarajaya at all cost FMT recently reported that plans were allegedly afoot in Sabah to legitimise yet another 50,000 illegals. Sources told FMT that 20,000 of them were to be retained in Sabah while 30,000 were allegedly meant for pockets outside of the state. Rumours are that Umno wants these newbies to be placed in Kedah, Terengganu and Johor – the last two believed to have a 50:50 chance of falling to Pakatan Rakyat. According to sources in Sabah, Umno president Najib Tun Razak is desperate to keep Sabah and Sarawak. READ MORE HERE. |
| Punish Bersih or risk losing support, Utusan warns BN Posted: 26 Jul 2011 02:06 PM PDT 
By Melissa Chi, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, July 27 — The Barisan Nasional administration must penalise the outlawed Bersih 2.0 movement and the people behind it or risk losing electoral support for its perceived weakness, the Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia said today. "The government needs to learn from this incident. To ensure peace and public safety, the authorities should immediately act against the troublemakers. Don't waste the support of more than 4,000 non-governmental organisations and individuals who have lodged police reports against Bersih. "The delay in taking action against the organisers and supporters of the illegal rally on July 9 can erode the people's support because the government is seen as unable to implement the law. So, do not send the wrong message to the people, (that you are) afraid to take any action against the opposition leaders and Bersih organisers," the Malay-language daily wrote in an editorial today. Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Ismail Omar announced two days ago that Bersih 2.0 marchers arrested during the July 9 rally will be charged soon for taking part in what the authorities have classified as an illegal assembly, with the police confident of wrapping up investigations this week. Police arrested nearly 1,700 people, including Bersih 2.0 chief Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, and Pakatan Rakyat leaders during the rally for electoral reforms. Ismail was cited as saying two days ago by state news agency Bernama that his men were still looking into the issues played up by various individuals, saying that there are some who continued to make statements that did not portray the actual situation that day. "Police chief Tan Sri Ismail Omar had said that a thorough investigation regarding the rally is expected to complete this week. But more importantly is that immediate action is taken, including charging those who were involved. "As long as there is no legal action against the Bersih organisers who had triggered chaos in the capital city recently, it will seem like they are free to continue to spread accusations during their political talks," the editorial continued. City police obtained a court order banning 91 individuals from entering Kuala Lumpur on July 9, while almost 200 were picked up prior to the rally. The police have released all those arrested except for six Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) members, including Sungai Siput MP Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj, who are being detained under the Emergency Ordinance for allegedly attempting to wage war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. READ MORE HERE. |
| Kuan Yew warns of two-party system pitfalls Posted: 26 Jul 2011 12:00 PM PDT 
By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysia Insider KUALA LUMPUR, July 27 — Singapore's influential founding father Lee Kuan Yew has spoken out against a two-party system, warning that it could cause weak governments even as opposition parties make gains and democracy flourishes across Southeast Asia. The former prime minister of the island republic said in a recent interview with China Central Television (CCTV) that the progress made by Singapore since it was established in 1965 should not be taken for granted or that "what has been achieved is always secure", adding that poor governance would cause it to "spiral downwards." "I believe once you have weak, ineffective government, the whole progress you have made will spiral downwards. But the majority of people believe it is secure for them, so now they have ideas about the West, two-party system," Lee said. Singapore's general election in May saw its opposition make record gains, claiming six of 87 seats as the ruling People's Action Party saw its popular support drop by nearly seven percentage points to 60 per cent. Developments across the region, especially Lee's former countrymen in Malaysia denying Barisan Nasional (BN) its customary two-thirds of Parliament in 2008, are said to have stirred up a political awakening on the island. Years of mass popular protests have also toppled a military-backed regime in Thailand while Indonesia has blossomed into a global giant after democratic reforms in the late 1990s. In the interview, Lee noted that Singaporeans now desire a "First World Parliament," which was the slogan of the opposition Workers' Party that took six seats at the May 7 polls. "Their argument is simple. A First World country must have a First World Parliament. A First World Parliament must have a First World opposition. Then you can change dice. I think if ever we go down that road, I'll be very sorry for Singapore,' he said. READ MORE HERE. |
| The ghosts of Mahathirism Posted: 26 Jul 2011 11:02 AM PDT  By Stanley Koh, FMT Is Mahathirism back with a vengeance? Recent events do make it seem like the Najib regime has decided to adopt the former prime minister's authoritarian style in saving its flagging political fortunes. It has resorted to using draconian laws and shameless propaganda in the face of an awakening electorate and increasing exposures of its misdeeds. The government seems to have ignored the strong signal given by the 2008 election result that Malaysians want more democratic space. And what was Bersih 2.0's July 9 rally if not a reaffirmation of that demand? But instead of using the occasion to promote his much-vaunted liberalist image, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak seemed to have done what Dr Mahathir Mohamad would have done—crush them and damn what the world says. After May 13, 1969, Mahathir ominously proclaimed: "There is not going to be a democracy in Malaysia. There never was and there never will be." He was speaking then as a critic of the government, but during his 22-year tenure as prime minister, he seemed to have applied himself to ensuring that his prediction would be realised. Khoo Boo Teik, in his Paradoxes of Mahathirism, wrote: "Certainly Mahathir did not balk at using authoritarian means to restore his control over mass dissent in October 1987. Then he professed to lament the irresponsibility of misfits who had abused his liberalism, not unlike how, after May 13, 1969, he spoke of the immaturity of the people as an obstacle to the full practice of democracy." The Mahathir era witnessed the full exploitation of repressive laws, notably the Internal Security Act and the Police Act. The latter law requires police permits for public gatherings. This condition was stringently enforced against opposition groups but ignored for government parties. Things have not changed. Mahathir's government amended the Societies Act in 1981 and the Official Secrets Act in 1986 to constrict further the arena of public debate. It also consistently exploited its two-thirds majority in Parliament to make constitutional amendments aimed at strengthening its political position. Money politics It was also during the Mahathir era that the Malaysian judiciary lost its independence and respectability. Mahathir tried to keep whittling away at that independence even in the last years of his tenure. In 1999, he was quoted as suggesting that the judiciary needed further reform because judges "tend to favour" the opposition. The practice of "money politics" deepened its roots during the Mahathirism era. Scholars Graham K Brown, Siti Hawa Ali and Wan Manan Muda wrote in their research paper on Policy Levers in Malaysia: "Initially, under the guise of the 1971 promulgated New Economic Policy, the regime developed a fearsome machinery for dispensing patronage to supporters of the government. This money politics involves both state and private funds the BN parties control between them, a massive corporate empire that operates on the individual, corporate and even state level. The abuse of public funds is often unabashed." READ MORE HERE. |
| Ambiga wants non-partisan committee for electoral reform Posted: 26 Jul 2011 10:51 AM PDT  By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal, The Malaysian Insider SHAH ALAM, July 26 — Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan today proposed that the Election Commission (EC) set up a special committee to discuss issues concerning electoral reform following public outcry over the existing electoral system. The Bersih chairman said that the committee should comprise both Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) representatives as well as representatives from NGOs. "Is the EC prepared to set up a committee to look into all issues, and maybe in three months' time come up with a report on how the electoral roll can be set up?" she asked today during a public forum with EC deputy chairman Datuk Wira Wan Ahmad Wan Omar. But Wan Ahmad did not once respond to her suggestion throughout the entire forum, choosing instead to reiterate that the EC carried out its duties accordingly and should not be held responsible over the implementation of any reform demands. "The EC is open to suggestions. We will invite all parties to hear the suggestions, and also any NGOs who are truly 'ikhlas' (honest)," he said. READ MORE HERE. |
| Ahead of polls, Najib’s last card is the budget Posted: 26 Jul 2011 10:47 AM PDT 
By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, July 27 — With less than two years left of Barisan Nasional's (BN) mandate, hopes of an opportune time for federal polls are slim for Datuk Seri Najib Razak as dissent grows and the economy remains sour. Politicians from both sides of the divide told The Malaysian Insider that with a cash-strapped Treasury struggling to maintain subsidies in the face of surging inflation, the prime minister should announce an election budget at the end of the year and dissolve Parliament soon after. Analysts also believe that while heightened racial rhetoric has recovered some Malay support for the ruling coalition, it is a zero-sum game that is delivering centrist voters to Pakatan Rakyat (PR). "We should have a good budget first. Tun Abdullah Badawi didn't have such a budget and then called an election," said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, referring to the former prime minister who was forced to step down a year after BN recorded its worst showing ever in Election 2008. PKR deputy president Azmin Ali agreed, pointing out the economy was still lagging behind Putrajaya's six per cent growth target, only recording 4.6 per cent GDP growth in Q1 and is expected to remain under five per cent until June 2011. "In two years, things can't get much better. But the question is with the government already short of funds, what can BN promise in its next budget?" the Gombak MP told The Malaysian Insider. Political analyst Khoo Kay Peng went further, saying "things are going to get worse for Najib." "There is no point waiting. The economy is going to be tougher in 2012 and meanwhile, no logical government will allow the likes of (Malay rights group) Perkasa and Utusan Malaysia to run rampant. It shows that Umno ultras are asking for a bigger slice of the pie. Najib is losing the middle ground," he said. Pulai MP Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said this was due to the ease with which issues could be politicised post-Election 2008. "It doesn't matter what is the timing. Whenever it is, the opposition will just play up an issue for votes. Najib should just ensure the party machinery is ready because from now to 2013, nothing much is going to change," the Umno division chief said. READ MORE HERE. |
| Nazri agrees to debate with Kit Siang over Teoh RCI Posted: 25 Jul 2011 06:09 PM PDT 
By Clara Chooi. The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, July 26 — Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz today declared his willingness to debate the findings of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into Teoh Beng Hock's death with Lim Kit Siang. Through his media officer, the minister in the Prime Minister's Department, who is now in London, said he would accept Lim's offer but suggested that the meeting with the DAP stalwart be held after the fasting month of Ramadan. In a blog posting yesterday, Lim had slammed Nazri (picture) for saying that the Teoh RCI had absolved the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) of murder charges and called on the minister to justify his stand. He invited Nazri to do so at a forum tonight entitled "Teoh Beng Hock Royal Commission Inquiry Report — Where is the promised truth?" scheduled for 7.30pm at the Kuala Lumpur-Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall here. In a Twitter posting this afternoon, Nazri's aide said: "Nazri Aziz accepted YB Lim Kit Siang's challenge for a debate as posted on the latter's fcbk @limkitsiang stil waitng 4 a response from YB." The aide added: "Nazri accepted the challenge n suggested the forum is 2 b held after Ramadhan" and explained later that the minister is now in London for the 57th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference which goes on until Thursday. When contacted, Lim acknowledged the tweet and said he would respond at tonight's forum. "I did not use the word 'debate'... I invited him to the forum tonight to explain his position. But, through his officer, he said he accepted the debate so I will respond tonight," he said. READ MORE HERE. |
| Bourdon disputes minister’s claim Posted: 25 Jul 2011 06:00 PM PDT 
The French lawyer disputes Hishammudin Hussein's accusations of a social visa violation. (Free Malaysia Today) - Prominent French human rights lawyer William Bourdon is baffled to learn that his deportation is attributed to a violation of his social visa. According to him, he never had such a visa in the first place. Home Minister Hishammudin Hussein yesterday said that Bourdon, 55, was deported last Friday because he violated his social visa by giving a speech in Penang and insisted that there was no hidden political agenda. "I don't know what the minister is talking about because I didn't even have a social visa. So it is very strange that he is speaking of one," Bourdon told FMT in an interview from Paris. His fiancee, Lea Forrestier, confirmed this in a later text message and added that citizens of the European Union do not need a visa for travel into Malaysia. She also said that the only documentation Bourdon had filled up was a small card on which he had clearly specified that he was in Malaysia for "professional purposes". "My personal interpretation is that there is political motivation behind my deportation. There was no basis for the decision. And this is a very sensitive case for Malaysia," Bourdon said. READ MORE HERE |
| Clones: ‘EC confessed so cops must act’ Posted: 25 Jul 2011 05:42 PM PDT 
By Teoh El Sen, FMT PETALING JAYA: The police must investigate allegations of "clone voters" now that the Election Commission (EC) has confessed to its existence in the electoral rolls. PAS Youth secretary Khairul Faizi Ahmad Kamil said the discovery of several new cases of "clone voters" is irrefutable proof that phantom voters existed on the EC's voter lists. Khairul, who lodged a report at the Dang Wangi police headquarters today, said that since the EC itself had admitted to the existence of "clones", the police must take immediate action. "This is serious. These cases seem to show that anyone in Malaysia can get two ICs and two different people can have a same IC number. "Malaysia's democracy is now under threat because voting itself is being questioned," he said. Khairul's report was a follow-through to the party's expose last week. PAS Youth's democratic rehabilitation and mobilisation committee chairperson Suhaizan Kaiat last week revealed that one of the main "players" in these "clone voters" cases was the National Registration Department (NRD). "Two big offences have been made by NRD and EC. One is that the NRD has issued old ICs to two identities. "Secondly, EC has allowed a voter the right to vote more than once," said Suhaizan, who is also Johor PAS Youth chief. Suhaizan had previously revealed the existence of double registration of voters on the electoral rolls. Double deals The first case involved one Mariam Su, who was registered with two new registered identity cards (NRIC) – 720616025472 and 720610025738. This was despite her having only one old IC with the number A2278510. A second case involved one S Murugan, who was registered with the same birth date, gender but was registered as a voter in both state and parliamentary constituencies. Murugan had two NRICs that are nearly identical save for the last four digits. Murugan, whose old IC number was A2909056, is currently registered under two NRICs, 731002025877 and 731002025201. Today, Suhaizan also provided another two examples of "double registration" in the electoral roll. He said two voters with different names are Low Kim Lian and Tom binti Din. Both were registered under the same old IC 1790975. Both are voting in the same state and parliamentary constituency. Another case is of one Baharom Abd Rahman. He has the same birth date, gender but is registered in a different voting locality. He is registered under 550331025859/4774090 and RF65018 (believed to be identity for postal vote). "All these are proof of mistakes, and there are many more. How could there be such problems that NRD and EC did not verify in the first place? "There's something wrong with their SOP (standard operating procedure)," Suhaizan said. EC 'U-turn' Suhaizan noted that despite proof of overlapping data in the electoral rolls, the EC has no right to strike out the compromised list unless someone goes through a lengthy court process. He said this was because under Section 14 of the Election (Conduct of Elections) Regulations 1981, the electoral roll serves as evidence to determine whether a person is entitled to vote. Suhaizan also said that EC is making a mistake in saying that it is confident in its election process. "The EC does not understand the problem: the biometric system can only be used when you have a complete and authentic electoral roll. "At this point in time and until we have solved problems with the integrity of the electoral roll, this system is not suitable for Malaysia," he said. On Sunday, The Star quoted EC deputy Wan Ahmad Wan Omar as saying that the EC needs the help of political parties and individuals to purge "clones" from the electoral rolls. READ MORE HERE. |
| Probe MACC trio for culpable homicide, PKR tells cops Posted: 25 Jul 2011 05:29 PM PDT  By Debra Chong, The Malaysian Insider PETALING JAYA, July 26 — PKR pushed the police today to renew their investigations into three Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers linked to Teoh Beng Hock's death under the Penal Code. The party's communications chief Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad named the trio as Hishammuddin Hashim, Mohamad Anuar Ismail and Mohd Ashraf Mohd Yunus. "Actually, they could be investigated under sections 304 and 304A of the Penal Code which is culpable homicide and be jailed up to 20 years," he highlighted to reporters today. The Selangor state lawmaker noted the cops had already rejected initiating criminal investigations into the three graftbusters and chose instead to pass the responsibility back to the MACC, which has chosen to suspend the trio pending a domestic inquiry. "Seeing as how this issue has been repeatedly raised, it is clear that an internal inquiry is not the solution," he said, adding: "As the English say 'who will guard the guards?'" Nik Nazmi made the call today while pushing for Putrajaya to form another royal panel to look into the death of senior Customs officer Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed, who was the second person — after Teoh — to die while in MACC custody. He noted that Teoh's RCI had taken a long time to set up and only because there was great political pressure following an open verdict in a coroner's inquiry, forcing Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to agree to it. Teoh, a DAP political aide, was found dead on July 16, 2009 on the fifth-floor corridor of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam after he was questioned overnight by MACC officers at their then-Selangor headquarters on the 14th floor. He was 30 years old. "The Teoh Beng Hock Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report has only strengthened the case for a free and independent investigation into the death of Sarbaini," said Nik Nazmi, the Seri Setia assemblyman. READ MORE HERE |
| MACC officers ‘concocted’ story to protect careers Posted: 25 Jul 2011 05:12 PM PDT 
PKR wants a Royal Commission of Inquiry to investigate Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed's death while in MACC custody. (Free Malaysia Today) - Opposition party PKR is backing a demand by the family members of Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed that a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) be set up to probe the Customs officer's death at the KL MACC headquarters. Party communications director Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said today the exposure made by the RCI on Teoh Beng Hock, who died in a similar situation, reinforces the need for one. Teoh died while under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) custody in Shah Alam in 2009. Nazmi told reporters at a press conference at party headquarters here that the 'indepth' posting by Raja Petra Kamaruddin in his blog MalaysiaToday also justified the need for a RCI on Ahmad Sarbaini's death. Raja Petra in his posting claimed Ahmad Sarbaini accidentally fell to his death after MACC officers made him stand on the ledge of a window to force a confession out of the Selangor Customs deputy director. He claimed that MACC investigator, Ahmad Ghani Ali, who allegedly said "it wasn't me, it was my people" to Ahmad Sarbaini's widow, had convened a "conference" with his colleagues to "brainstorm and concoct the most plausible story" to protect their careers. Ahmad Sarbaini was found dead on April 6 after he was believed to have fallen from the pantry on the third floor of the MACC Kuala Lumpur office in Jalan Cochrane and landed on a badminton court on the first floor. Recently a forensic investigator in the ongoing inquest on Ahmad Sarbaini concluded that the senior customs officer did not jump to his death nor was he pushed from the KL anti-graft office.
Lacklustre response Apart from convening the RCI, Nik Nazmi who is also the Seri Setia assemblyman, urged the Najib administration to implement the recommendations made by the RCI on Teoh's death. He described the government's response towards the RCI's findings on Teoh, as 'lacklustre'. Teoh was said to have been driven to commit suicide resulting from "aggressive, relentless, oppressive and unscrupulous interrogation" by three MACC officers. The three officers named were the then Selangor MACC director Hishammuddin Hashim, and enforcement officers Mohd Anuar Ismail and Mohd Ashraf Mohd Yunus. Opposition leaders have called for the three MACC officers to be charged under Section 304 and 304A of the Penal Code for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. But the police have said that they cannot take action as none of the three had violated the law. All three have been suspended pending an internal investigation into the RCI findings. MACC, on their part, have said that it will set up a panel to look into reforming its investigative methods. READ MORE HERE |
| Mat Sabu disputes police video, maintains knocked down by cops Posted: 25 Jul 2011 05:02 PM PDT 
(The Malaysian Insider) - Mohamad Sabu accused the police today of misleading the public when he claimed that the motorcycle he was riding on to get to the Bersih rally on July 9 was hit on purpose by a Proton Waja police car and not a Mitsubishi Pajero as suggested by official video footage. He (picture) pointed out to reporters that in his July 14 police report which was distributed at a press conference, he had said that the Waja had hit the motorcycle, injuring his right leg, and he was then detained by police officers who carried him into a Mitsubishi Pajero. "We are disappointed with the internal security and public order (KDNK) director, who is willing to be a tool for Umno and Barisan Nasional by lying and claiming that my medical condition is fake. Questioning someone's health is such low politics," he said. The KDNK chief Datuk Salleh Mat Rashid had screened a CCTV recording last week, showing that there was no contact between the PAS deputy president and the police four-wheel-drive vehicle during the chaotic scenes seen during the rally calling for free and fair elections. "From our investigations we adduced that while attempting a U-turn Mat Sabu's motorcycle hit a divider and the front part of the police car," he had said. Salleh also claimed that Mohamed's injuries were not serious as "there was no fracture. I don't know how or why he's using a wheel-chair." Mohamed said today that "in the video itself, behind the Pajero, you can see the Waja cross the road and hit me." "The question is that while our opponents are Umno and BN, why do we have to be confronted by police, who should be professional and neutral?" he added. READ MORE HERE |
| Anwar wants condo owner, four others interviewed Posted: 25 Jul 2011 04:59 PM PDT 
(Bernama) - Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has filed an application to interview five witnesses before he takes his stand in his ongoing sodomy trial on Aug 8. In the application, filed this morning via Messrs Karpal Singh & Co, Anwar named two of the witnesses as Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.
The three others are Hasanuddin Abd Hamid, the owner of the condominium unit where the incident allegedly occurred, former Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan and ex-Melaka police chief Datuk Mohd Rodwan Mohd Yusof. Anwar stated that under the law, the onus is on the prosecution to facilitate witness interviews by the defence and that the costs will be paid by the prosecution. In a supporting affidavit, Anwar said that his counsel S.N. Nair had received a letter from the Brickfields Criminal Investigation Department, dated July 18, stating that Mohd Rodwan, Najib, Rosmah and Musa had declined to be interviewed but agreed to be defence witnesses on condition that a subpoena is issued against them.
On May 16, Justice Mohamad Zabidin ordered Anwar to enter his defence after ruling that Anwar's former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, the complainant in the case, was a truthful and credible witness. At the close of their case, the prosecution offered 71 witnesses, of whom the defence chose to interview 25.
Anwar pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court on Aug 7, 2008, to committing carnal intercourse against the order of nature at Kondominium Desa Damansara in Bukit Damansara between 3.10pm and 4.30pm on June 26 the same year. |
| False Reports - Face the Music Posted: 25 Jul 2011 09:28 AM PDT  (Bernama) - KUALA LUMPUR -- The authorities will not hesitate to charge anyone under Section 182 of the Penal Code for making a false report against police action during the July 9 illegal rally. Criminal Investigation Department deputy director Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani said they could be imprisoned for up to six months or fined a maximum of RM2,000 or both, upon conviction.
In a statement here on Monday, he said, to date, the police had received eight reports, adding that they would be investigated in a professional and transparent manner.
"We are in the process of completing our investigations.
Acryl also said the police were investigating the authenticity of an allegation by PAS vice-president Mohamad Sabu that he was hit by a police four-wheel drive vehicle -- although a recent screening of a police video showed the motorcycle skidded and collided with the vehicle.
The police were also looking into a claim that Anwar Ibrahim's bodyguard was injured while protecting the opposition leader on that day, he added.
On allegations that the police used Israeli-made tear gas during the illegal rally, Acryl said it was from the United States.
He said, the liquid used in the police water cannons which were deployed on that day were from Switzerland.
(Bernama) |
| Bersih suppression for public good, says Najib Posted: 25 Jul 2011 08:56 AM PDT 
(The Malaysian Insider) - KUALA LUMPUR, July 25 — Still training his sights on Bersih, Datuk Seri Najib Razak today justified his administration's response to the July 9 rally by saying it was the government's duty to safeguard public property and interests. Making specific reference to May 13, 1969, the prime minister wrote on his blog at 1malaysia.com.my that the country held on to a "delicate balance [that] needs to be protected and preserved at all times." "Recent events that unfolded in Kuala Lumpur put us through an important test. Our decision as government was to protect the interests and property of the larger community that depend on Kuala Lumpur for their livelihood," Najib continued. His administration's handling of the Bersih rally has left a blemish on Najib's image as a moderate Muslim leader, with global media delivering harsh criticism over the suppression of the electoral reform movement. Speaking after his return from an eight-day tour of Europe on Friday, Najib also claimed the Bersih movement was a veiled attempt to topple his administration through street demonstrations akin to those that are now claiming Middle Eastern despots. "It's not so much about electoral reform. They want to show us as though we're like the Arab Spring governments in the Middle East," he said. READ MORE HERE |
| Nazrin: Rulers must be told the real story Posted: 25 Jul 2011 08:08 AM PDT 
(Bernama) - The Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Nazrin Shah, said today rulers should not be shielded from the truth and must be told the real story. In addition, rulers should never be surrounded by people with personal interests who are willing to use them as tools.
"Rulers must have advisers who are sincere, sensitive to the people's needs and bold to state the truth," he said at 'Wacana Ilmu Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) on the theme 'The role of Malay rulers in nurturing unity' in Shah Alam.
Raja Nazrin said rulers should be willing to accept the fact, no matter how bitter, as justice could not be uphold without the truth.
"Rulers can't play a meaningful role if they are given a rosy picture. The false impression is unfair as they will be denied the right to conduct their responsibilities fairly."
Raja Nazrin expressed fears that shielding rulers from the truth would separate them from the people, making it difficult to address integrity, statehood, loyalty and unity.
"Exploiting sentiments is easy as the people easily fall for promises. The prescription can only heal if the syndrome is identified.
"It is unwise if the nation and people choose to reject reality, blurring the vision on the real reasons that affect unity."
Raja Nazrin said stiff political competition had exploited sensitive religious and racial issues and dissatisfactions of the people.
"In all conflicts, no one party is right all the time and no one party is wrong all the time.
"The methods to achieve total victory by beating foes have cast aside good manners, customs, morals and religious elements."
He also feared that the rising political temperature would turn dreams of unity into a nightmare, adding that there should be a neutral, credible and acceptable institution to lower this.
It was important for rulers to not only be above political polemics but also have the trust and responsibility of ensuring peace and harmony.
"Rulers must use wisdom to calm situations, but they do not have a 'magic lamp' to keep unity, especially when the situation has become chaotic."
Raja Nazrin said the role of rulers was to give advice privately, so that this was not misinterpreted as directly interfering with the administration.
"The credibility of some national instruments require a recovery of perception and need improvements in line with the current world dynamics to restore confidence in the people."
Raja Nazrin said unity would not be achieved in an unstable and immature political climate post the 12th general election, with calls for reality checks and demands for change.
"Unity requires a willingness to sacrifice, accept defeat willingly and celebrate victory with humility," he added. |
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