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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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• Selangor government decides to take over four water concessionaires
• World's strongest typhoon swirls towards Philippines
• MPs argue over LGBT in parliament
• Law professor says Karpal confused when calling to deregister religion-based parties
• Rebellious PKR rep says “Anwar is not god”
• Probe allegations against Attorney General promptly, says Karpal
• Dr M to Petronas: Embrace NEP, do not dismantle policy
• Heads must roll for NFC failure, DAP tells PM
• PAS: No phantom voters in Sg Limau
• Karpal didn’t call for PAS’ deregistration
• Stamp controversy: Pixman satisfied to have embarrassed Pos Malaysia
• Drugs, guns and race feed Malaysia gang violence

Selangor government decides to take over four water concessionaires Posted: 07 Nov 2013 02:20 AM PST (Bernama) - Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said the Selangor government has decided to take over and manage the four water concessionaires in the state. The federal government letter received on Sept 9 showed the commitment of both sides to immediately resolve the water management issue for the benefit of the people in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya . "It's true, the Syabas management has been was given to the state government. We are negotiating with the parties involved on the valuation of the acquisition. "If negotiations can be completed by year end, the takeover process will probably take another three to six months. What is mportant, the concessionaires employees will not be laid off and can work as usual but under a new management," he told reporters here today. Although fully authorised to manage the water industry, the federal government remains as the 'golden' shareholder and the four concessionaires could not be sold to other than the federal government. Abdul Khalid said the Selangor state government had offered RM9.65 billion to take over all four water concessionaires. There four water concessionaires are Syarikat Pengeluar Air Sungai Selangor Sdn Bhd (SPLASH), Puncak Niaga (M) Sdn Bhd, Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (SYABAS) and Korsortium Abass Sdn Bhd.

World's strongest typhoon swirls towards Philippines Posted: 07 Nov 2013 02:10 AM PST (AFP) - The world's most powerful typhoon of the year gained strength on Thursday as it swirled towards the Philippines, forcing mass evacuations, flight cancellations and school suspensions across the disaster-weary nation. President Benigno Aquino called on his countrymen to make all possible preparations for Typhoon Haiyan, which was generating wind gusts exceeding 330 kilometres (200 miles) an hour and set to hit on Friday morning. "To our local officials, your constituents are facing a serious peril. Let us do all we can while (Haiyan) has not yet hit land," Aquino said in a nationally televised address. "We can minimise the effects of this typhoon if we help each other. Let us remain calm, especially in buying our primary needs, and in moving to safer places." Aquino warned areas within the expected 600-kilometre typhoon front would be exposed to severe flooding as well as devastating winds, while coastal areas may see waves six metres (20 feet) high. Haiyan was expected make landfall on Samar island, about 600 kilometres southeast of Manila, then cut across the central and southern Philippines before exiting into the South China Sea late on Saturday. State weather forecaster Glaize Escullar said Haiyan was expected to hit areas still recovering from a devastating storm in 2011 and from a 7.1-magnitude quake last month. They include the central island of Bohol, the epicentre of the earthquake that killed 222 people, where at least 5,000 survivors are still living in tents while waiting for new homes. "The provincial governor has ordered local disaster officials to ensure that pre-emptive evacuations are done, both for those living in tents as well as those in flood-prone areas," Bohol provincial administrator Alfonso Damalerio told AFP. Other vulnerable areas are the port cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan on the southern island of Mindanao, where flash floods induced by Tropical Storm Washi killed more than 1,000 people in December 2011. Authorities said evacuations were taking place in many other towns and villages in Haiyan's path, while schools were closed, ferry services suspended and fishermen ordered to secure their vessels. Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and other carriers announced the suspension of hundreds of flights, mostly domestic but also some international. Haiyan had maximum sustained winds on Thursday afternoon of 278 kilometres an hour, and gusts of 333 kilometres an hour, according to the US Navy's Joint Typhoon Warning Centre. This made it the world's strongest typhoon this year, according to David Michael Padua, a meteorologist with the Weather Philippines Foundation, a storm monitoring organisation that runs the www.weather.com.ph website. The Philippines is battered by an average of 20 major storms or typhoons each year, many of them deadly, but scientists have said climate change may be increasing their ferocity and frequency. The Philippines endured the world's strongest storm of 2012, when Typhoon Bopha left about 2,000 people dead or missing on Mindanao island in December. The Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System, jointly run by the United Nations and the European Commission, said nearly 16 million people, including more than 12 million from the Philippines, were at risk from Haiyan. The others were in Laos and Vietnam, which are forecast to be hit on Sunday, it said on its website. "Haiyan can have a high humanitarian impact," it said.

MPs argue over LGBT in parliament Posted: 06 Nov 2013 05:10 PM PST (The Star) - A Barisan Nasional MP and PAS MP locked horns when the former questioned whether the Islamist party supported the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) movement. The argument started when Datuk Seri Noh Omar (BN - Tanjong Karang) questioned PAS' silence over several matters.  He went on to describe PAS using the Malay idiom "kerbau dicucuk hidung" which means simply obeying without questioning when the party changed its original struggle of forming an Islamic state to a welfare state.  "When Bukit Gelugor (DAP chairman Karpal Singh) said it was over his dead body that he would allow an Islamic state to be formed, PAS merely kept quiet and changed their struggle. This shows that the DAP is in control. "PKR and PAS won not because of their strengths but because they depended on DAP supporters," Noh said when debating the Budget 2014. The Umno leader then asked Khalid Samad (PAS - Shah Alam) whether PAS agreed with non-governmental organisations championing sexual freedom and apostasy. Khalid then said "PAS rejects LGBT and apostasy because they go against Islam. But if such NGOs support us to form a government that is free of corruption, honest and fair, then that is their right." Khalid also acknowledged that PAS and DAP were different parties but they worked together in the same pact. Noh however continued on his attack against the Opposition, leading Steven Sim (DAP - Bukit Mertajam) to ask, "Is this a debate or a session to lambast the Opposition?" Noh then said if PAS championed Islam as claimed, then they should have been vocal on their stand on certain issues. "If PAS remains silent, then it may be construed as they support certain causes," he said, adding that PAS could set aside its differences with Barisan Nasional and come up with a joint statement to clear up confusions in the faith. However, Khalid accused Umno as the cause of such confusion and that was why both parties could not be united in their stand. Debates resumed when Deputy Speaker Datuk Ismail Mohamed Said reminded them of the time limit for each MP to speak.

Law professor says Karpal confused when calling to deregister religion-based parties Posted: 06 Nov 2013 05:03 PM PST (The Star) - DAP chairman Karpal Singh's call to deregister all professional or political bodies that operate along race or religion lines claiming they posed threat to society was "uncalled for" as it contradicts the rights enshrined in the Federal Constitution. A law professor Prof Datuk Abdul Halim Sidek (pic) said Karpal, who is also a practising lawyer, had made a statement contrary to fundamental rights in the supreme law, that is the rights to freedom of association and the freedom of expression. "Karpal is a confused person. On one hand he advocates human rights, on the other he is denouncing some other human rights," he told The Star Online. Abdul Halim, who is a law professor from Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, said that race or religion-based bodies or associations in Malaysia are still relevant as each ethnic group would like to be represented and have their voices heard. He said ethnic groups such as Malay, Indian, Chinese, Kadazan, Bidayuh, Iban, Sikhs or those who come from Portuguese or even Siamese descent are all Malaysians and they need "a sense of belongings". "They need a platform to (express themselves), that is why they have associations such as religious or racial bodies. They are all registered and well maintained and monitored by Registrar of Societies," he said. On Tuesday Karpal, who is Bukit Gelugor MP, lashed out against the Muslim Lawyers Association (MLA) for threatening the Bar Council over its alleged support for Catholic weekly Herald, saying that such association should be de-registered. The veteran lawyer and politician also called for the de-registration of all political or professional bodies which operate along racial and religious lines, including its ally PAS, saying that the move would work in the interest of unity. Abdul Halim said Karpal appeared to be 'threading on a thin ice' as his proposal was "dangerous" to the multi-racial society. "In the end, it all boils down to him telling us not to be proud of our heritage," he said. Although there's some "truth" to what Karpal said, the chairman of Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association (PPIM) Tengku Azwil Tengku Abdul Razak said the law provides the rights to freedom of association. "I agree to some of what he said, but we have the liberty to fight for our rights based on religion or race," he said, adding that although PPIM is run on Islamic platform, it also takes care of other races' welfare. "In Islam, we are not taught to oppress other races, instead we protect them if they see injustice. We are taught to fight for human rights based on Islamic principles," he said. He said the relevancy of such associations that operate along these lines are depending on the requirement of the society. "You can't stop them from forming various organisations or political parties because it relies on the acceptance of the general public. If it is good for the society, I don't see why not," said Tengku Azwil. Meanwhile, Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) secretary-general Prematilaka KD Serisena said Karpal's proposal was "in the right direction" as racial and ethnicity perpetuated in this time of age. "If we want to appreciate and realise the concept of 1Malaysia and understanding each others, the political parties must start the ball rolling to become multi-racial," he said when contacted. He said this was the reason all the religious bodies in the council came together as a collusion. "I think we have matured enough to go in that direction. Personally, I would like to see a day where we do not have to go on racial lines to represent us or to defend us," he said. He said it was unfortunate that while the unity concept of 1Malaysia initiated by the Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is celebrated, the are some who speak with "forked tongue". "Lip service has been going on and not doing anyone any good," he said.

Rebellious PKR rep says “Anwar is not god” Posted: 06 Nov 2013 03:00 PM PST (The Star) - A defiant Matunggong assemblyman Datuk Jelani Hamdan appears to be burning his bridges with the leadership of PKR, strengthening expectations of his imminent departure from the party. In his Facebook postings over the past several days, Jelani accused PKR leaders of ''practicing laws of the jungle'' over their intention to issue him a show cause letter following his public grouses about them. In the Feb 5 posting titled "Over reacted and prejudged" he said PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was "not God" and he should be prepared to face criticisms. "Anwar has called me garang (fierce). When I voice my opinions, I am also branded a traitor. Since when are we banned from criticising Anwar. He is not God,'' he added. And on Sabah PKR chief Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin, who ditched Umno for PKR before the May 5 general election, Jelani said sarcastically: ''Mr Perfect and Clean. Cannot be criticised. My foot," closing the sentence with a smiley emoticon. He said his main grouses with the PKR leadership were the appointment of Lajim as the Sabah assembly opposition leader and as Sabah PKR chief. He also said there was a "lack" of Kadazandusun Murut and Rungus representation in the party's state liaison committee. Jelani said he had brought up these issues to the PKR leadership before but "a decision is different from the implementation." On PKR vice president Tian Chua's statement that the party would be issuing a show cause letter to him for his criticisms against the party leadership, he said: "What the hell are they doing? They are practicing jungle law or are they jungle people!!!"   In a reply to a Facebook friend on his posting, Jelani said it appeared that the PKR leadership was trying to get him to resign from the party or face a sacking by issuing him the show cause letter. ''They are trying to give a me choice. Madu di tangan kanan mu, racun di tangan kiri mu (honey is your right hand and poison in your left hand)," he said. Anticipation of Jelani quitting the party had been growing since his Kadamaian counterpart Jeremy Malajad's departure from PKR on Monday. Jeremy along with PKR state assemblyman Jelani Hamdan of Matunggong had been widely expected to quit the party after their absence from  a meeting with party chief Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim here last weekend. When contacted, Jelani told The Star: ''I have not reached that point as yet. However I am not ruling out the possibility of leaving the party." He said  he did not attend the Sabah PKR liaison meeting with Anwar on Saturday as he and Jeremy saw no point in attending it. ''We cannot work with Lajim anymore," he said. He said Anwar and Lajim had ignored their repeated calls for better representation of the Kadazandusun-Rungus communities in the state PKR liaison line-up. Sabah's elected opposition ranks in the State Assembly began cracking on September 27 after DAP's Hiew King Cheu of Luyang quit the party and declared himself an independent.

Probe allegations against Attorney General promptly, says Karpal Posted: 06 Nov 2013 02:54 PM PST V. Anbalagan, TMI The police must investigate allegations against Attorney General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patil (pic) without waiting for a report to be made, said lawyer Karpal Singh, adding that in the past police would start a probe after reading newspaper reports. "Here, news portals and blogs have carried news reports about Gani. The police can lodge a report to begin its investigation," he told The Malaysian Insider. Karpal, who is Bukit Gelugor MP, said this in response to reports that several individuals had met with former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad last August to discuss the AG's misdeeds. This included the alleged fabrication of evidence in the famous 1998 "black eye" case involving former deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. According to Malaysiakini, those present at the meeting included former Kuala Lumpur Criminal Investigations Department director Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim and prominent lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah. Also present were Dr Mahathir's former political secretary Matthias Chang and former Commercial Crimes Investigation Department director Datuk Ramli Yusoff, who briefed the former premier over his run-ins with Gani. On a separate occasion, Dr Mahathir is said to have pressured Gani by calling Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for a discussion. During the meeting, Dr Mahathir claimed that the AG's Chambers employed two CIA agents, with Zahid agreeing to investigate the claim. Karpal said it was important that Gani himself declare that he was prepared to be investigated to clear his name as he held an important public office. READ MORE HERE

Dr M to Petronas: Embrace NEP, do not dismantle policy Posted: 06 Nov 2013 02:45 PM PST (MM) - As a goverment-linked company, Petronas must toe the line and support government policies, in particular the New Economic Policy (NEP) which offers special rights to the Bumiputera community, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today. Dr Mahathir, who is the national oil firm's adviser, insisted that the present government under Datuk Seri Najib Razak has yet to dismantle the NEP, a controversial pro-Bumiputera affirmative action policy that was mooted in 1971 but implemented mostly during the former's administration. "The current government policy as far as I know, includes implementing the NEP. The government has not rejected the NEP. "This means Petronas is also involved (in implementing the NEP)," the former prime minister told Sinar Harian when met at his Putrajaya office yesterday, according to the Malay paper's report here. But adding a disclaimer, Dr Mahathir said although Bumiputera firms should be accorded special treatment from Petronas, this must be based on merit. "To protect (Bumiputera firms), it must be because of merits too. Those without any merit cannot be protected," he was quoted saying in the daily's report. Dr Mahathir was responding to the newspaper's report yesterday on complaints from NGOs like the Malay Economic Action Council, several Petronas vendors and petrol station operators against Petronas, which they alleged has begun sidelining Bumiputera-owned firms. The former prime minister, according to Sinar Harian, agreed that he too had received similar complaints and had passed along the concerns to the top management of the petroleum company. "My work (as adviser), I've informed the Petronas president (Tan Sri Shamsul Azhar Abbas) about these issues (complaints that Petronas for sidelining Malays)," he was quoted as saying in the daily. Mooted in 1971, the NEP had an ambitious aim to redress the socio-economic gap between the largely-urban Chinese and the rural Malays as well as other indigenous Bumiputera, within the span of two decades. It was implemented mostly during Dr Mahathir's 22-year tenure but even the former prime minister, in his own words, had later admitted that the policy had somewhat created a "disabling culture of entitlement" among the Bumiputeras. The NEP ended officially in 1990, but the key aspects of its Malay/Bumiputera-preferred action plan remains in various forms years later. When he took on the reins of the country in 2009, Najib sought to burnish his reformist image with pledges to revamp the administration, even introducing the New Economic Model (NEM) to replace the NEP. The NEM was launched by the sixth prime minister on March 30, 2010, with an eye on doubling the nation's per capita income by the year 2020 to an estimated US$15,000 (RM49,500). The three underlying themes of this dream were "high income, sustainability and inclusiveness", as the prime minister stressed on the need to reduce fiscal disparity between the rich and poor without relying on affirmative action policies ala the NEM. But faced with harsh objections from many within his own team, and even worse, from a large segment of the Malay-dominated Malaysian electorate, Najib has had to rollback on some of these pledges slowly over the years. Just weeks before he sought re-election as Umno president this year, the prime minister announced a new Bumiputera economic agenda, which some have termed as the "pro-Bumiputera NEM", effectively giving the NEP a new lease on life. The new agenda offers country's dominant community access to over RM30 billion in aid and contracts — an apparent continuation of the very system of NEP-like affirmative action that he had pledged to do away with under the NEM. Najib's critics were quick to respond. From Pakatan Rakyat, DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang and his colleagues alleged that this new, stripped-down pro-Bumiputera NEM would only result in greater benefits for Umno's upper echelon. PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang had also said that Bumiputera special privileges cannot justify Putrajaya's decision to lavish billions on the community without care for the rest of Malaysia.

Heads must roll for NFC failure, DAP tells PM Posted: 06 Nov 2013 02:40 PM PST (MM) - The DAP demanded today immediate punishment on all those in the government responsible for the failed National Feedlot Centre (NFC) project as identified in the just-released report by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua told Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak that there was no longer any need to set up more "super" committees to investigate cases like the NFC, now that the anti-graft body had clearly agreed there had been negligence on the part of the Agriculture Ministry. "While we were disappointed that the MACC has failed to find elements of corruption in the RM250 million NFC scandal, we must commend the report put forward by the commission which detailed elements of where the whole deal went wrong. "It is a report long overdue, but it is certainly better late than never," Pua said in a statement here. He pointed out that in the report released yesterday, the MACC had revealed that the Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Ministry, then under the helm of current Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, had awarded the RM250 million NFC project to a company without technical or financial capabilities. "What is perhaps most damning of the report is the finding that the Agriculture Ministry 'did not do due diligence' on the company awarded the project," Pua said, quoting from the report. The report, he added, had also observed that, "The Agriculture Ministry failed to select a truly competent company to run NFC as it was selected through limited tender. The company which was allowed to present their proposals did not have technical background or strong financial standing." This point, however, has been known by many since the scandal hit media headlines in 2010, Pua said, but added that the key question today is "why" the ministry had awarded such an important project to an unqualified firm. "Such awards, including the RM12.5 billion Port Klang Free Zone project which tends to be the norm rather than the exception in the BN administration leads to the suspicions of cronyism and corruption. "If not cronyism and corruption, then at best it could be excused for incompetence and negligence," he pointed out. The NFC cattle-farming scandal blew up in the media when the Auditor-General's Report found fault in its operations, which was handled by project operator National Feedlot Corporation (NFCorp), a firm owned and run by the husband of former minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abd Jalil and the couple's children. The federal audit had found, among others, widespread discrepancies in the cattle-breeding enterprise, including the purchase of posh private properties and a luxury car by family members of the contractor. Last year, MACC Operations Evaluation Panel (PPO) chairman Tan Sri Datuk Dr Hadenan Abdul Jalil revealed that Shahrizat has been cleared of any wrongdoing in the RM250 million NFC scandal, which has been dominating media headlines for months since 2011. Hadenen told reporters the MACC has declared investigations into Shahrizat's involvement closed after finding that the former minister had not been directly involved in the process of awarding the loan to NFCorp. Shahrizat stepped down as minister after her double-term as senator expired on April 8. Her husband, Datuk Seri Mohamed Salleh Ismail, however, was charged with criminal breach of trust and violating the Companies Act in relation to RM49 million in federal funds given to NFCorp last March 12. The 64-year-old was charged under Section 409 of the Penal Code relating to CBT for misappropriating RM9,758,140 from NFCorp's funds to purchase two condominium units at the One Menerung complex in Bangsar for the National Meat and Livestock Corporation (NMLC) on December 1 and December 4, 2009. He was also charged under the same section for transferring RM40 million of NFCorp's funds to the NMLC between May 6 and November 16, 2009. He was further charged in both cases for using the said funds without any approval from company's annual general meeting, which is an offence under Section 132 of the Companies Act 1965. Yesterday, graft-busters MACC  proposed stricter conditions for future government projects, including proposals for civil servants to declare links to any family members obtaining government loans, following public uproar over the NFC scandal. The commission also suggested that any future direct tender projects be tabled for Cabinet approval and be subjected to assessment by an Authorised Technical Committee or its officers. "We believe the recommendations will help prevent future recurrences in other projects," MACC chief Tan Sri Abu Kassim told a press conference after submitting the commission's 2012 report to Parliament here. But Pua insisted today that heads must roll and urged the government to punish those identified as responsible for causing the project to go awry. He reminded Najib of his pledges in his speech for Budget 2014 and how he had specifically said that his government views seriously the issues highlighted in the A-G's 2012 report. "To enhance confidence of the rakyat as well as uphold the image and credibility of the civil service, a special committee has been established, chaired by the Chief Secretary to the Government, to investigate and take stern action against errant civil servants," Najib had said during his speech. "The time for talk is over and Najib must prove, once and for all that Malaysians can still count on him beyond the empty rhetoric," Pua replied. "The MACC has presented its report.  We are also looking forward to the release of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report on NFC which has been completed in the last Parliamentary session, and is awaiting the endorsement of the current one. "There is no longer any need for the Prime Minister to set up another 'super' committee or taskforce for further investigations, as he has been inclined to do. "Punish the relevant Ministers and senior civil servants responsible for the wanton negligence in the award of the NFC project, as he has promised all Malaysians," he said.

PAS: No phantom voters in Sg Limau Posted: 06 Nov 2013 02:35 PM PST PAS refutes allegations that there were phantom voters during the Sungai Limau by-election. K Pragalath, FMT Pokok Sena MP Mahfuz Omar today called Umno as being fools for claiming the existence of phantom voters in the recent Sungai Limau by-election. "Umno are fools. The people in Sungai Limau have been voters for ages. They are not phantom voters. They are the second and third generation residents in that place," said Mahfuz. He said this in response to claims by Minister in Prime Minister's Department Shahidan Kassim who yesterday said that there were phantom voters in Sungai Limau. "You look at Bukit Besar which is one of the polling centres in Sungai Limau. There are more voters than residents living there and we were unable to trace them," said Shahidan yesterday. He also defined phantom voters as people who cannot be traced since they do not live in the constituency where they vote. In view of this development, Shahidan said a special select committee would look into the problem of phantom voters since the election commission is currently powerless to resolve the issue. In the Sungai Limau by-election that took place on Monday, PAS' Mohd Azam Abd Samat garnered 12,069 votes against Umno's Ahmad Sohaimi Lazim who polled 10,985 votes. Mahfuz further questioned Shahidan on the definition of phantom voters. "Are you saying that (Kedah Menteri Besar) Mukhriz Mahathir is a phantom since he lives in KL but is a registered voter in Kedah? "Are you saying that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is a phantom voter because he lives in Seri Perdana?" Mahfuz said. Mahfuz also added that the allegations were made simply because Umno lost in the by-election. He further added that Umno never bothered to check on the voters in Sungai Limau. "The older generation wouldn't know the young and vice versa.  That's normal," he said. READ MORE HERE

Karpal didn’t call for PAS’ deregistration Posted: 06 Nov 2013 02:18 PM PST In defending Karpal, Lim Kit Siang says Karpal's statement was taken out of context by parties out to wreck Pakatan Rakyat's unity Alfian ZM Tahir, FMT DAP's veteran leader Lim Kit Siang today defended Bukit Gelugor MP Karpal Singh and warned the public to beware of people trying to wreck the unity within Pakatan Rakyat. In a press statement, the DAP supremo said that Karpal did not call for the de-registration of PAS but instead he criticized the Muslim Lawyers' Association (MLA) for threatening the Bar Council over its support for the Catholic weekly Herald. "I spoke to Karpal myself and he made it clear that he did not call for it (deregistration of PAS)," "Karpal criticized MLA for threatening the Bar Council and he stresses out that in the interests of national unity, political or professional bodies should not operate along racial and religious lines," "All should beware of people trying to wreck the unity of Pakatan Rakyat," Lim said. Lim urged rational and patriotic thinking Malaysians to keep their focus to demand the end of the rhetoric of racial and religious hatred. He added that the majority of Malaysians have been increasingly concerned by the escalation of racial and religious slur in the country, thus such concern should not be allowed to be sidelined by baseless allegations. "What is needed is for rational and patriotic Malaysians to keep their focus to demand the de-escalation of the rhetoric of racial and religious intolerance and hatred, which is completely in contradiction to the values of moderation," "This is espoused by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's 1Malaysia policy and his world-wide campaign for a "Global Movement of Moderates," Lim added. MCA jabs Karpal Meanwhile, MCA has lambasted Karpal by saying that the DAP strongman should first walk the talk and take action against PAS which is a religious based political party. MCA Central Committee Loh Seng Kok said Karpal should first look at PAS before talking about deregistering race based parties. "It seems that the DAP national chairman has been divorced from reality. He is extremely short-sighted and unconcerned about hurting the feelings of others and the consequences which may arise from his remark," "If we were to follow Karpal's line of reasoning, then those associations representing vernacular education may face deregistration, as well as many other guilds and organizations which also cover a variety of issues," he added. READ MORE HERE

Stamp controversy: Pixman satisfied to have embarrassed Pos Malaysia Posted: 06 Nov 2013 09:17 AM PST Earlier reports mentioned that Pos Malaysia's Stamp and Philately Unit had publicly assured a Facebook user last Friday that the collection's scheduled release during Stamp Week, from November 13 to 19, would not be delayed.  (Yahoo News) - "Pos Malaysia is guilty of photo theft and gross ignorance" Filipino photographer Romy Ocon has decided to not sue Pos Malaysia over the alleged theft of his photo for use in the postal service's Visit Malaysia 2014 stamp series. "As things stand now, I have obtained my major objective - stop Pos Malaysia from using my work without permission and make the matter a public embarrassment. "The vast majority of comments on the issue has but one verdict - Pos Malaysia is guilty of photo theft and gross ignorance," he told us in an email interview. On Friday, the 48-year-old wildlife photographer accused Pos Malaysia of stealing his photo and using it without his permission in Pos Malaysia's stamp collection for Visit Malaysia Year 2014 (VMY). In an online photography forum, Romy detailed how he found out and compared his original photo against a montage of Pos Malaysia stamps scheduled to be released under the Malaysian tourism campaign. ( Read the original story here ) He told us that, after consulting his lawyers, he will not go to court yet. However, he added: "After this public embarrassment, photo pirates will have second thoughts before they will lift photos without the owner's permission and use such intellectual property in a mass circulated medium. "That for me is victory enough, as sweet as any legal court can grant," said the Manila-based photographer. We contacted Pos Malaysia to get their reaction to Romy's decision, and more importantly, on whether the VMY stamp collection was to be launched next Wednesday as planned during the VMY Stamp Week. The officer who declined to be named responded with a 'no comment' to both questions. We persisted, asking Pos Malaysia to help clarify the confusion over the stamp launch and was directed instead to follow up with Jaffri Amin Osman, a representative from World Communications Network Resources Sdn Bhd. We were told this company is commissioned to work on the collection with Tourism Malaysia.  We've tried reaching Jaffri, but so far have not received any response to emails,calls and text messages to Jaffri. On Monday, the company's design house Media Eye Sdn Bhd, told us in a statement that the collection was only a draft and has yet to be released, because itwas subject to final approval from the parties involved. (Read the story here) World Communications Network Resources is a public relations agency, which has also serviced clients such as Bank Negara and the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry. The company is said to have affiliates in Australia and Singapore, according to a UK-based public relations association PRCA website. We did a search on the Companies Commission of Malaysia's online database and learnt that Jaffri is the controlling shareholder of World Communications Network Resources. The company's paid-up capital is RM5 million and the other directors are Shaik Sulaiman S. Mohamed Ismail and Yasmin Osman. The company recorded a revenue of over RM4 million at the end of June and profit of over RM70,000. Read more at: http://my.news.yahoo.com/stamp-controversy--pixman-satisfied-to-have-embarrassed-pos-malaysia-094449158.html

Drugs, guns and race feed Malaysia gang violence Posted: 06 Nov 2013 09:00 AM PST   (Global Post) - If you want to eliminate gangs, start with the politicians, and then with the police.  Jobless at 16 and facing the economic marginalisation of many Malaysian Indians, Raju opted for the danger and easy money of life in the notorious "04" criminal gang. He was nearly beaten to death by a rival gang a few years ago, his teeth and bones broken. But he survived, and is flush with cash thanks to the lucrative drug-trafficking and protection rackets on his Kuala Lumpur turf. "To live a luxurious life you have to deal in drugs. There is a lot of money to be made," the burly, mustachioed gang captain, now 33, told AFP, asking that his real name be withheld. But these are perilous times for people like him. Malaysian police are battling to douse a burst of gang violence blamed on drug-trafficking turf battles, readily obtainable guns, and government policies that critics say marginalise Malaysia's two million ethnic Indians, driving many into crime. Public concern over robberies and street crime has escalated for years in Malaysia, but this year's surge in gun violence has shocked a nation proud of its record of stability despite a tense mix of races and religions. High-profile unsolved killings have included those of Malaysia's deputy customs chief in April and a respected former banker in July. Blaming gangs, police in August launched a national crackdown that has seen 21,000 suspected gang members arrested and more than a dozen shot dead, including "04" members. But gangsters and crime experts warn that the Indian-dominated syndicates have deep roots, including links to police and politicians. "The gangs have been around for too long and the networks have grown too big. You can silence them for a while but not eliminate them," Raju said in the Tamil language spoken by most Malaysian Indians. Read more at: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/131106/drugs-guns-and-race-feed-malaysia-gang-violence

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Holier than thou? Posted: 06 Nov 2013 09:13 AM PST   We have become religious class monitors constantly needing to remind every Tom, Dick and Harry of our duties and faith.  We seem to be incapable of having a general conversation about sex, food, books, cars, health without invoking god.  Dina Zaman, MM  Do people, i.e. Muslim Malaysians, remind each other of their obligations every second of the day?I don't know if it's me but lately the conversations I have with fellow Muslims have become miniature usrahs. My Facebook statuses on quotes by non-Muslims have been marked as too Westernised. Why post Socrates's thoughts, or even Oprah's, when Islam is more than enough?  I just like these quotes, I say when I'm asked. A true Muslim will only post Islamic quotes. Our religion is enough, you don't need to go far. Eh? Allow me to give you two more examples of how preachy we have become. I was invited to a kenduri recently, and had brought a book along with me, titled Folklore of the Holy Land: Muslim, Christian and Jewish, by JE Hanauer, and published by Islamic Book Trust (IBT). I bring a book everywhere I go, which is why my handbag weighs a tonne! You wouldn't believe the flap over the book. "Oh you can't show that to the kids." "What? I can't?" "Well (patient eyelash fluttering), I mean (pause), is that book halal? Does it have Islamic teachings?" The men interjected. You know, the Malay lelaki saviour thing. "Well it did say folklore… folklore means a myth kan Dina?" The female mullahs glared at me and spoke very patiently to their dunderhead spouses. "We have to be careful you know. Muslims are under threat these days and we want to impart the right kind of knowledge to our children." "Marmaduke Pickthall edited the book," I said. "And it's published by IBT, so how haram can it be?" Philistines. My younger sister is a recent hijabi (though this fact has nothing to do with this article at all) and studies linguistics and languages. Recently, she found herself in a rather interesting situation. It was a discussion on Islam, but the conversation went south. She contacted me early in the morning to ask what to do with these people.  "You know kan sometimes plugs don't connect with sockets kan?" I said. "Basically, those people karan (current) tak masuk. Kepala fius." "But this is crazy. Islam is very intelligent. Why are there Muslims like this?" "I told you. FIUS. You better don't deal with these mullahs again." Finally this. Read more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/opinion/dina-zaman/article/holier-than-thou

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Ketua Pengarang Herald dakwa Perkasa tidak amal budaya Melayu Posted: 06 Nov 2013 09:06 AM PST Beliau berkata, tindakan Presiden Perkasa, Datuk Ibrahim Ali mengancam untuk membakar Bible yang mempunyai kalimah Allah adalah perbuatan biadab. "Adakah ini budaya seorang Melayu? Orang Melayu tidak pernah biadap sebegini. Saya sendiri sejak dahulu tidak pernah berjumpa dengan seorang Melayu berakhlak sedemikian. "Apabila perkara buruk berlaku, mereka (Perkasa) akan sibuk berdemonstrasi di sana sini, tetapi kami pihak gereja tidak berdemonstrasi. "Kami menghormati undang-undang negara ini. Adakah kami membuat bising? Tidak sama sekali. Kami akur dengan proses undang-undang mahkamah dan bersedia melalui peringkat seterusnya dalam prosedur penghakiman," katanya dalam satu wawancara bersama Projek Dialog. Andrew berkata, keputusan Mahkamah Rayuan pada bulan lalu yang memutuskan Herald tidak dibenarkan menggunakan kalimah Allah menyinggung masyarakat Kristian di Sabah dan Sarawak. Katanya, penganut Kristian di dua negeri itu bertutur dalam bahasa Melayu dan secara tiba-tiba orang Kristian di sana dihalang daripada menggunakan kalimah Allah. "Penganut Kristian di Sabah dan Sarawak berasa sangat tersinggung. Herald pada bulan ini juga memuatkan nukilan daripada akhbar utama di Pakistan dan Turki yang mengatakan keputusan penghakiman ini adalah salah. "Artikel mereka bertegas mana-mana pihak tidak boleh mempunyai hak cipta terhadap perkataan Allah termasuk orang Melayu. Kami juga banyak menerima sokongan daripada individu dan organisasi Islam seperti Sisters In Islam (SIS). Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir telah bersuara dan mengulas isu ini," katanya. Andrew berkata, kekeliruan di kalangan orang Melayu dalam isu penggunaan kalimah Allah tidak seharusnya timbul kerana dalam kamus terjemahan Latin-Melayu yang diterbitkan pada  1613 ada  terjemahan kalimah Allah. Katanya, bahasa yang diguna pakai oleh gereja Katolik di Tanah Melayu sebelum jajahan kolonial British adalah dalam bahasa Melayu sebelum ia ditukar ke bahasa Inggeris selepas kedatangan British ke Tanah Melayu. "Apabila British menyarankan penggunaan bahasa Inggeris sebagai bahasa pengantar dan orang ramai menjadi lebih berpendidikan, mereka mulai bertutur dalam bahasa Inggeris. "Bahasa Melayu bukan bahasa yang baru diguna pakai oleh gereja Katolik, ia digunakan sebelum negara mencapai kemerdekaan malah ia pada kurun ke-16 iaitu sewaktu mesin pencetakan baru diperkenalkan untuk mencetak buku. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/bahasa/article/ketua-pengarang-herald-dakwa-perkasa-tidak-amal-budaya-melayu

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• Stamp controversy: Pixman satisfied to have embarrassed Pos Malaysia
• Holier than thou?
• Ketua Pengarang Herald dakwa Perkasa tidak amal budaya Melayu
• Drugs, guns and race feed Malaysia gang violence
• Who are we kidding?
• Sg Limau by-election: BN makes phantom voters claim, to file complaint with EC
• What’s happened to Putrajaya’s appeal, ask Mongolia and Altantuya’s dad
• Observations from the by-election
• Apologise, PAS Youth tells Karpal over 'de-register' call
• Raja Kamarul Bahrin: PAS, present and future
• Support for PAS going downhill
• Bittersweet for winners and losers
• Attorney General’s position under threat? Reportedly in Mahathir camp’s sights
• This time, NGO supports Penang Municipal Council, raps DAP’s Ooi
• Karpal tak faham perjuangan PAS
• ‘Opposition trying to screw up our system’

Stamp controversy: Pixman satisfied to have embarrassed Pos Malaysia Posted: 06 Nov 2013 09:17 AM PST Earlier reports mentioned that Pos Malaysia's Stamp and Philately Unit had publicly assured a Facebook user last Friday that the collection's scheduled release during Stamp Week, from November 13 to 19, would not be delayed.  (Yahoo News) - "Pos Malaysia is guilty of photo theft and gross ignorance" Filipino photographer Romy Ocon has decided to not sue Pos Malaysia over the alleged theft of his photo for use in the postal service's Visit Malaysia 2014 stamp series. "As things stand now, I have obtained my major objective - stop Pos Malaysia from using my work without permission and make the matter a public embarrassment. "The vast majority of comments on the issue has but one verdict - Pos Malaysia is guilty of photo theft and gross ignorance," he told us in an email interview. On Friday, the 48-year-old wildlife photographer accused Pos Malaysia of stealing his photo and using it without his permission in Pos Malaysia's stamp collection for Visit Malaysia Year 2014 (VMY). In an online photography forum, Romy detailed how he found out and compared his original photo against a montage of Pos Malaysia stamps scheduled to be released under the Malaysian tourism campaign. ( Read the original story here ) He told us that, after consulting his lawyers, he will not go to court yet. However, he added: "After this public embarrassment, photo pirates will have second thoughts before they will lift photos without the owner's permission and use such intellectual property in a mass circulated medium. "That for me is victory enough, as sweet as any legal court can grant," said the Manila-based photographer. We contacted Pos Malaysia to get their reaction to Romy's decision, and more importantly, on whether the VMY stamp collection was to be launched next Wednesday as planned during the VMY Stamp Week. The officer who declined to be named responded with a 'no comment' to both questions. We persisted, asking Pos Malaysia to help clarify the confusion over the stamp launch and was directed instead to follow up with Jaffri Amin Osman, a representative from World Communications Network Resources Sdn Bhd. We were told this company is commissioned to work on the collection with Tourism Malaysia.  We've tried reaching Jaffri, but so far have not received any response to emails,calls and text messages to Jaffri. On Monday, the company's design house Media Eye Sdn Bhd, told us in a statement that the collection was only a draft and has yet to be released, because itwas subject to final approval from the parties involved. (Read the story here) World Communications Network Resources is a public relations agency, which has also serviced clients such as Bank Negara and the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry. The company is said to have affiliates in Australia and Singapore, according to a UK-based public relations association PRCA website. We did a search on the Companies Commission of Malaysia's online database and learnt that Jaffri is the controlling shareholder of World Communications Network Resources. The company's paid-up capital is RM5 million and the other directors are Shaik Sulaiman S. Mohamed Ismail and Yasmin Osman. The company recorded a revenue of over RM4 million at the end of June and profit of over RM70,000. Read more at: http://my.news.yahoo.com/stamp-controversy--pixman-satisfied-to-have-embarrassed-pos-malaysia-094449158.html

Holier than thou? Posted: 06 Nov 2013 09:13 AM PST   We have become religious class monitors constantly needing to remind every Tom, Dick and Harry of our duties and faith.  We seem to be incapable of having a general conversation about sex, food, books, cars, health without invoking god.  Dina Zaman, MM  Do people, i.e. Muslim Malaysians, remind each other of their obligations every second of the day?I don't know if it's me but lately the conversations I have with fellow Muslims have become miniature usrahs. My Facebook statuses on quotes by non-Muslims have been marked as too Westernised. Why post Socrates's thoughts, or even Oprah's, when Islam is more than enough?  I just like these quotes, I say when I'm asked. A true Muslim will only post Islamic quotes. Our religion is enough, you don't need to go far. Eh? Allow me to give you two more examples of how preachy we have become. I was invited to a kenduri recently, and had brought a book along with me, titled Folklore of the Holy Land: Muslim, Christian and Jewish, by JE Hanauer, and published by Islamic Book Trust (IBT). I bring a book everywhere I go, which is why my handbag weighs a tonne! You wouldn't believe the flap over the book. "Oh you can't show that to the kids." "What? I can't?" "Well (patient eyelash fluttering), I mean (pause), is that book halal? Does it have Islamic teachings?" The men interjected. You know, the Malay lelaki saviour thing. "Well it did say folklore… folklore means a myth kan Dina?" The female mullahs glared at me and spoke very patiently to their dunderhead spouses. "We have to be careful you know. Muslims are under threat these days and we want to impart the right kind of knowledge to our children." "Marmaduke Pickthall edited the book," I said. "And it's published by IBT, so how haram can it be?" Philistines. My younger sister is a recent hijabi (though this fact has nothing to do with this article at all) and studies linguistics and languages. Recently, she found herself in a rather interesting situation. It was a discussion on Islam, but the conversation went south. She contacted me early in the morning to ask what to do with these people.  "You know kan sometimes plugs don't connect with sockets kan?" I said. "Basically, those people karan (current) tak masuk. Kepala fius." "But this is crazy. Islam is very intelligent. Why are there Muslims like this?" "I told you. FIUS. You better don't deal with these mullahs again." Finally this. Read more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/opinion/dina-zaman/article/holier-than-thou

Ketua Pengarang Herald dakwa Perkasa tidak amal budaya Melayu Posted: 06 Nov 2013 09:06 AM PST   (TMI) - Ketua Pengarang Mingguan Katolik, Herald,Father Lawrence Andrew menyalahkan Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia (Perkasa) kerana bersikap anti penganut bukan Islam dengan memberikan gelaran pendatang serta mengarahkan mereka untuk keluar dari negara ini. Beliau berkata, tindakan Presiden Perkasa, Datuk Ibrahim Ali mengancam untuk membakar Bible yang mempunyai kalimah Allah adalah perbuatan biadab. "Adakah ini budaya seorang Melayu? Orang Melayu tidak pernah biadap sebegini. Saya sendiri sejak dahulu tidak pernah berjumpa dengan seorang Melayu berakhlak sedemikian. "Apabila perkara buruk berlaku, mereka (Perkasa) akan sibuk berdemonstrasi di sana sini, tetapi kami pihak gereja tidak berdemonstrasi. "Kami menghormati undang-undang negara ini. Adakah kami membuat bising? Tidak sama sekali. Kami akur dengan proses undang-undang mahkamah dan bersedia melalui peringkat seterusnya dalam prosedur penghakiman," katanya dalam satu wawancara bersama Projek Dialog. Andrew berkata, keputusan Mahkamah Rayuan pada bulan lalu yang memutuskan Herald tidak dibenarkan menggunakan kalimah Allah menyinggung masyarakat Kristian di Sabah dan Sarawak. Katanya, penganut Kristian di dua negeri itu bertutur dalam bahasa Melayu dan secara tiba-tiba orang Kristian di sana dihalang daripada menggunakan kalimah Allah. "Penganut Kristian di Sabah dan Sarawak berasa sangat tersinggung. Herald pada bulan ini juga memuatkan nukilan daripada akhbar utama di Pakistan dan Turki yang mengatakan keputusan penghakiman ini adalah salah. "Artikel mereka bertegas mana-mana pihak tidak boleh mempunyai hak cipta terhadap perkataan Allah termasuk orang Melayu. Kami juga banyak menerima sokongan daripada individu dan organisasi Islam seperti Sisters In Islam (SIS). Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir telah bersuara dan mengulas isu ini," katanya. Andrew berkata, kekeliruan di kalangan orang Melayu dalam isu penggunaan kalimah Allah tidak seharusnya timbul kerana dalam kamus terjemahan Latin-Melayu yang diterbitkan pada  1613 ada  terjemahan kalimah Allah. Katanya, bahasa yang diguna pakai oleh gereja Katolik di Tanah Melayu sebelum jajahan kolonial British adalah dalam bahasa Melayu sebelum ia ditukar ke bahasa Inggeris selepas kedatangan British ke Tanah Melayu. "Apabila British menyarankan penggunaan bahasa Inggeris sebagai bahasa pengantar dan orang ramai menjadi lebih berpendidikan, mereka mulai bertutur dalam bahasa Inggeris. "Bahasa Melayu bukan bahasa yang baru diguna pakai oleh gereja Katolik, ia digunakan sebelum negara mencapai kemerdekaan malah ia pada kurun ke-16 iaitu sewaktu mesin pencetakan baru diperkenalkan untuk mencetak buku. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/bahasa/article/ketua-pengarang-herald-dakwa-perkasa-tidak-amal-budaya-melayu

Drugs, guns and race feed Malaysia gang violence Posted: 06 Nov 2013 09:00 AM PST   (Global Post) - If you want to eliminate gangs, start with the politicians, and then with the police.  Jobless at 16 and facing the economic marginalisation of many Malaysian Indians, Raju opted for the danger and easy money of life in the notorious "04" criminal gang. He was nearly beaten to death by a rival gang a few years ago, his teeth and bones broken. But he survived, and is flush with cash thanks to the lucrative drug-trafficking and protection rackets on his Kuala Lumpur turf. "To live a luxurious life you have to deal in drugs. There is a lot of money to be made," the burly, mustachioed gang captain, now 33, told AFP, asking that his real name be withheld. But these are perilous times for people like him. Malaysian police are battling to douse a burst of gang violence blamed on drug-trafficking turf battles, readily obtainable guns, and government policies that critics say marginalise Malaysia's two million ethnic Indians, driving many into crime. Public concern over robberies and street crime has escalated for years in Malaysia, but this year's surge in gun violence has shocked a nation proud of its record of stability despite a tense mix of races and religions. High-profile unsolved killings have included those of Malaysia's deputy customs chief in April and a respected former banker in July. Blaming gangs, police in August launched a national crackdown that has seen 21,000 suspected gang members arrested and more than a dozen shot dead, including "04" members. But gangsters and crime experts warn that the Indian-dominated syndicates have deep roots, including links to police and politicians. "The gangs have been around for too long and the networks have grown too big. You can silence them for a while but not eliminate them," Raju said in the Tamil language spoken by most Malaysian Indians. Read more at: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/131106/drugs-guns-and-race-feed-malaysia-gang-violence

Who are we kidding? Posted: 05 Nov 2013 08:23 PM PST   Erna Mahyuni, The Malay Mail  I find it quite amusing that we are up in arms over the US "spying" but have no qualms about spying on our own citizens. We take it for granted, but my dear fellow Malaysians the government owns most of our data, mostly via our illustrious National Registration Department (NRD). The IC number is tied to so many transactions in this country that it is far too easy for someone to misappropriate it. Credit cards you don't remember applying for, loans you know you didn't take out, everyone has heard the stories.  And let us be honest, why do you think the United States' Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was formed? Merely to make sure the President didn't get assassinated? Countries spy on each other, the trick here is to not get caught. All a silly game of smoke and mirrors, this pretense of indignation when we probably keep close tabs on diplomatic appointees and staffers when they arrive. Let me tell you a story of this director friend of mine. He directed me in a musical a long time ago, one he wrote about the Vietnamese boat people. Being slightly cheeky, he had one refugee reference Tun Dr Mahathir's saying, during the boat people influx, to just shoot them if they tried to land. The musical was banned from being performed and Mr Director had to endure some difficulties from the authorities. Fortunately for him, they did not think his transgressions bad enough to throw him into the batcave we call Kamunting. Mr Director refuses to have a mobile phone as those things are notoriously difficult to secure. He told me of this one time, where he was somewhere no one was supposed to know, in a location where no one should be able to contact him. But wonder of wonders, he was informed that he had a phone call. From Special Branch. Just to, oh, keep tabs on him. Funny that Special Branch puts so much effort to locate a harmless playwright/director but our cops struggle to catch thieves, rapists and conmen. We also seem to be so free that we meddle in the affairs of our neighbours covertly or so we think. We did get rather too close to Muslim separatists in the Philippines and Thailand, after all. Here is the thing: espionage is not going away. For it not to be needed, all countries need to be open and transparent about their dealings, there must be universal trust and adherence to basic principles of ethics. But when we have a prime minister who says that some definitions of human rights do not apply to us, well, that isn't going to happen any time soon, is it?

Sg Limau by-election: BN makes phantom voters claim, to file complaint with EC Posted: 05 Nov 2013 08:18 PM PST   (The Star) - Barisan Nasional will lodge an official complaint with the Election Commission (EC) alleging existence of phantom voters detected during the Sungai Limau by-election. The party will file the complaint during the two-week objection period of the electoral re-delineation exercise. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim described the "phantom voters" as voters who no longer resided in that area, but had not updated their address in the electoral roll. "We faced huge problems during the Sungai Limau by-election as we could not detect the voters. "We will lodge official complaints in all constituencies to ensure that the "phantom voters" do not exist anymore. "We have highlighted it to the EC but they could not do anything about it as voters did not change their addresses," he told a press conference at the Parliament lobby on Wednesday. The review was to have started in March 2011, but the EC decided to postpone it to prepare for the 13th General Election. The last re-delineation exercise was completed in March 2003. Shahidan, who is also an Umno supreme council member, said that he would bring the case to the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on electoral reforms to look into the matter. Asked if the problem was part of the reason Barisan failed to re-capture Sungai Limau, Shahidan said; "we just realised the problem and voters must keep their address updated as it will be unfair for those who are living in the area."

What’s happened to Putrajaya’s appeal, ask Mongolia and Altantuya’s dad Posted: 05 Nov 2013 08:09 PM PST (TMI) - Setev Shaariibuu, the father of murdered Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu, and the Mongolian government want to know what is happening to Putrajaya's appeal against the acquittal of two former police commandos for killing her in 2006. They noted that it has been more than two months since the acquittal of former chief inspector Azilah Hadri and corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, but there has only been silence from the Attorney General's Chambers. Lawyer Karpal Singh, who is holding a watching brief for Setev, said his client had been in touch with him constantly to find out the progress of the appeal. "Two weeks ago the Mongolian Ambassador in Bangkok, who is also in charge of Malaysia, wrote to me to inquire about the case," Karpal told The Malaysian Insider. He said the Mongolian government intended to send a delegation to follow the proceedings in the Federal Court, the court of final appeal. "This case has not only grabbed the attention of locals, but is also closely followed by others abroad, including those in Mongolia," he said. Karpal said the high profile murder appeal could be concluded speedily only if the Federal Court took the initiative to fix a hearing date. "The Federal Court can make an exception to this case which is of public interest, both locally and internationally," he said in response to the matter being left idle for more than two months. Karpal drew comparison with the sodomy case of opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim where the Federal Court had set the appeal date expeditiously. On September 18, the Court of Appeal dismissed Anwar's application to disqualify Umno lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah's appointment as deputy public prosecutor on grounds that the appointment was valid and in accordance with the provisions of the law. In a criminal case, it is a practice for the court to fix the appeal date once an appellant filed his petition of appeal (grounds for appealing a decision).  However, before Anwar could file his petition of appeal, the Federal Court had fixed the appeal date. Anwar's appeal to disqualify Shafee will now be heard on November 11. During the opening of the 2013 legal year, Chief Justice Tun Arifin Zakaria said in order to ensure a speedy disposal of criminal cases in the Federal Court, all appeals would be heard three months from the date a complete appeal record was received. "So there is an exception to the general rule like in Anwar's matter," said Karpal who is also counsel in that case. He said Putrajaya appeared to be dragging its feet on the appeal against the acquittal of Azilah and Sirul. The prosecution filed its notice of appeal on August 23, the same day the policemen's appeals were allowed. The written judgment was made available on August 26. A three-man bench chaired by Datuk Seri Mohamad Apandi Ali said in their judgment, among other things, the prosecution's failure to call DSP Musa Safri, a former aide-de-camp of Datuk Seri Najib Razak, had weakened the prosecution's case. AG Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail had gone on record to state that the prosecution's case would be intact, even without Musa being called to testify.  READ MORE HERE

Observations from the by-election Posted: 05 Nov 2013 08:03 PM PST   Tay Tian Yan, Sin Chew Daily  The Sungai Limau by-election in Kedah did not present much surprise to everyone. PAS retains the state constituency probably as a tribute to the late menteri besar Azizan Abdul Razak. This could also be a universal mentality in the Malay society to show respect to the elderlies. While the contributions of the late MB were disputable, his sincerity, candidness and amicability definitely won him great acclaims in the state. And this has helped consolidate PAS' support base. One unique thing about PAS in the Malay rural areas, especially in the northern and eastern regions, is that most of the party leaders have succeeded in building up a good rapport with the grassroots. Ideologies aside, PAS leaders are also known for their relative incorruption, religious devoutness and amicability, allowing them to easily earn the trust of local residents. And also because of this, it is hard for Umno to completely thrash the party no matter how hard it has tried. In the Sungai Limau by-election, for instance, although BN dumped in a good deal of money to run the electoral campaign, it has still failed to unseat PAS from its stronghold. Indeed BN has succeeded in halving PAS' majority, but the outcome is still very obvious. PAS has won by over a thousand votes. No one could have been more disappointed than Mukhriz and his father Mahathir. As the commander-in-chief of the campaign war, Mukhriz has to swallow the responsibility of defeat. He received endless support from both the state and federal governments while he himself has vowed to adopt the constituency if BN were to win the election. Unfortunately, his effort was not reciprocated by the constituents, marking yet another setback in his political career. Along with his failure to clinch the Umno vice presidency in the recent party elections, it appears that disaster strikes more than once for Mukhriz. Although this will not immediately impact his political future, within the short to medium term his prospects will not look any better than this for sure. His father is equally frustrated with the result. He visited the constituency personally to show his support for BN's man there and as an old Kedahan, he was pinning his hope on his presence to help BN through the tough race. But the old man does not enjoy good reputation there, and his influences have been significantly weaker than anticipated. READ MORE HERE

Apologise, PAS Youth tells Karpal over 'de-register' call Posted: 05 Nov 2013 05:29 PM PST (The Star) - PAS Youth wants DAP chairman Karpal Singh to retract and apologise publicly to PAS over his call for the de-registration of all associations that operate along racial and religious lines, including PAS. "We, from Federal Territories PAS, hope that Karpal retracts his statement and makes a public apology, especially to PAS. We do not want to jeapordise our relations in Pakatan Rakyat," said its Youth chief Kamaruzaman Mohamad in a statement Wednesday. Kamaruzaman, who is also PAS Youth deputy information chief, said Karpal should not equate PAS to other race or religion-based political or professional bodies. "One bad apple spoils the barrel. This idiom can aptly describe the DAP chairman's statement. PAS, being the only religious-based political party left, is inevitably being implicated in this," he added. Karpal, a long-term Bukit Gelugor MP, on Tuesday lashed out at the Muslim Laywers Association (MLA) for warning the Bar Council against supporting for Catholic weekly The Herald. He said such associations should be de-registered. The veteran lawyer also called for the de-registration of all political or professional bodies which operate along racial and religious lines, saying that the move would work in the interest of unity. "This applies to all parties, including PAS, unfortunately," he was quoted saying. Earlier Wednesday, PAS information chief Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man also hit out at Karpal, describing the statement as "serious, dangerous and unfounded". "PAS is very disappointed with this baseless statement which seems to show that he (Karpal) has failed to understand PAS' struggle," he said in a statement. "What is the danger of PAS to multi-racial Malaysia?" he asked, adding that the party should be judged based on its track record as a state government. "The people should evaluate for themselves how PAS has ruled Kelantan for over 23 years, Terengganu in 1999 and Kedah in 2008 and how it promoted unity and protected the rights of Muslims and non-Muslims. Were there any non-Muslims sidelined?" asked Tuan Ibrahim. He said the statement should not be coming from a Pakatan leader at a time when the public was beginning to have faith in the Opposition. "Karpal should have been more wise and not come out with a statement that could affect the good relations in Pakatan and the people's support. "This type of statement also does not benefit DAP," he said, adding that he would leave it to DAP to take action against Karpal over the statement. Karpal's call also drew criticism from other non-governmental organisations, such as Jaringan Melayu Malaysia (JMM), whose objectives are to fight for Malay rights. Its president Azwanddin Hamzah said Karpal was kurang ajar (insolent) and no longer respected the majority of the country. "He should apologise publicly to us because he has no right to interfere in the business of such organisations like ours. "If he did that, we could also interfere in DAP's business by calling the de-registration of the party," he said.

Raja Kamarul Bahrin: PAS, present and future Posted: 05 Nov 2013 03:58 PM PST "Whose fault is it if Muslims are converted out of Islam? Those responsible for governance have a duty to provide religious education. If people are lacking knowledge in fundamental tenants, then there is a definite flaw in our system." Dina Murad, The Star KUALA Terengganu MP Datuk Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah Raja Ahmad, who arrived for this lunch interview in an immaculate three-piece grey pinstripe suit, does not quite portray the conventional image of a PAS politician. The dapper gentleman will definitely surprise those who believe that politicians from Islamist parties come equipped with kafiyyah (turbans) - although the man does sport a formidable salt-and-pepper goatee. Raja Kamarul Baharin has courted controversy in the past, with allegations of child 'smuggling' and a collapsed stadium roof linked to him. In 1992, he captured international attention when he smuggled his two children from Australia back to Malaysia by boat. The Terengganu royal said he resorted to such drastic measures because his parental rights were being diminished by the Australian courts in favour of his ex-wife Jacqueline Gillespie. Years later, he came under scrutiny again when the roof of the Sultan Mizan Zalnal Abidin stadium in Terengganu - a building which his architecture firm designed - collapsed. He later clarified that the design and construction of the roof was conducted by a different company which was not under his control. Now a keen player in the Terengganu conservation front, the affable architect-turned-politician is an avid campaigner against the demolition of Pasar Payang, a traditional market on heritage death row. After a chat over Pasar Payang, Raja Kamarul Bahrin spared some time to answer a few questions concerning politics and faith. "I joined PAS because the party tries its best to represent good governance and amanah (trust)," he said. "These are values that are often lost in the hustle and bustle of politics," he added. Protection of religion is a contentious topic when it comes to Malaysian affairs of state. The recent ban of the usage of the term "Allah" in Catholic weekly Herald is nothing more than a ploy to create disharmony, he observed. According to Raja Kamarul Bahrin, it is clear that non-Muslims are entitled to the much sought-after word. "Prophet Muhammad's father is named Abdullah, meaning Servant of Allah. He was not a Muslim. If people are misled, it is not by the word but by inadequate education. "Whose fault is it if Muslims are converted out of Islam? Those responsible for governance have a duty to provide religious education. If people are lacking knowledge in fundamental tenants, then there is a definite flaw in our system." Rather than blaming others, perhaps self-reflection is required in examining why Muslims convert out, he suggested. "Take a look at the incredible mismanagement of zakat funds. The deserving poor are made to travel and fill in tedious forms in a lengthy process to receive money that is rightfully theirs. Why do we burden them with inconvenience?" "While Muslims lag behind, other missionaries approach them with provisions of funds and education," he explained. Regarding usage of the term "Allah" he believed that educating Malaysians was preferable to an outright ban. "As long as the word is not maliciously employed to mislead Muslims, I do not see a problem with it," he said. A round of politics When it comes to eradicating poverty, Raja Kamarul Bahrin is a proponent of need-based policies. "The approach should be to help the poor across the board, regardless of race or religion. If you give money to the poor based on needs, pure statistics decrees that Malays would still get a large chunk of the allocation because they command the majority. "The New Economic Policy is not to help the Malays. It is for the benefit of Umno," he said. When asked to share his thoughts on the new Umno line-up, he expressed some pessimism. "Apart from the vice-president, nothing else has changed within the leadership. Worse still, Umno lost a lot of progressive candidates. Where is (Pulai MP) Nur Jazlan? Where is (former Temerloh MP) Saifuddin Abdullah? Everyone liked him. Even we (the Opposition) liked him. On Pakatan Rakyat's side, he points to figures such as Zairil Khir Johari, Datuk Husam Musa and Rafizi Ramli, individuals which he is confident will bring positive changes to the coalition. In the last general election, PAS gained many urban seats in Terengganu but lost its rural standing. Raja Kamarul Bahrin attributed this to alleged fear-mongering amongst rural voters. "They fear that essential public amenities like water and electricity may be disrupted if they vote 'wrongly'. "They were told that if they vote for DAP, the Chinese will overtake the Malays," he said. He explained that when access to media and information is limited as is the situation in many rural areas, scare tactics become more effective. He also claimed to have witnessed first-hand the effect of these threats when campaigning in kampungs. "We knocked on a door and when the owner opened it and saw our shirts and banners, she froze. "The lady was speechless and looked absolutely terrified. I doubt it was because we looked particularly menacing," said the politician. "For them, their most prized assets are their houses and resources such as water and electricity. They would not want to risk losing access to it," he said. He claimed that although it may not be said directly, it was implied that development may not be forthcoming if the government of the day was voted out. According to him, tacit punishment of voters was common practice in our nation. Raja Kamarul Bahrin said that the East-Coast Highway, which stops at Terengganu, should rightly access Kelantan as well. "The highway is the responsibility of the Federal Government but they did not see fit to link it to Kelantan, an Opposition state. "You should never do this to your own people. They rightly fear having their electricity taken away, their duit raya, their roads. "The rhetoric is to protect the people, tetapi kesian, Melayu diperbodohkan. (It is a pity that the Malays are treated like fools)," he said. PAS-sing through the ages PAS has remodelled itself through the years, now having included many professionals to its once ulama-controlled leadership. "We should dispel the idea that PAS is equated to extreme Islamic regimes. Tuan Guru (PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul) Hadi Awang's views echo those of Tok Guru (party spiritual advisor and former Kelantan MB Datuk) Nik Aziz. "They both support moderation in approach. The goal is not just to 'win' non-Muslim votes but to explain why we fight to upload Islamic values and principles," he said. Raja Kamarul Bahrin attributed his win in Kuala Terengganu to a strong non-Muslim voter base. "In Terengganu, many Chinese voters have been exposed to Islam and have good knowledge of it. There is no fear of extremism from PAS on their part," he said, crediting Nik Aziz's approach of persuasion and moderation for the increase of votes among the youth. When prompted about a perception held among some that Kelantan's laws on Islamic attire and entertainment are excessive, Raja Kamarul Bahrin answered with an invitation to visit the PAS stronghold. "I could say many things to dispute this and we could go on for ages, but don't just take my word for it. "The best way to find out is to go to Kelantan and see for yourself," he concluded.

Support for PAS going downhill Posted: 05 Nov 2013 03:46 PM PST Sira Habibu, The Star Analysis of the just-concluded Sungai Limau by-election saw an erosion of Chinese and Malay support for PAS, even though it won the battle. PAS, which won the state seat by a 60% lower-vote majority, also lost its grip on four of the 13 districts it had won in the last general election. Barisan Nasional made greater inroads into the PAS stronghold, winning 10 out of the 19 polling districts in the constituency that has been a PAS fortress for the last 18 years. Barisan received greater support from the elderly, securing the majority in 59% of the 37 polling streams for older voters. PAS, meanwhile, secured the majority in 67% of the 21 polling streams for younger voters. According to Sungai Limau MCA by-election operation centre chief Ooi Aik Bee, Chinese support had certainly returned to Barisan. "In Batu 17, 70% of the 295 Chinese votes went to Barisan. In Sungai Limau Dalam, 79% of the 605 Chinese votes went to Barisan while in Simpang Tiga, 71% of the 285 votes went to Barisan," he said. Chinese votes could have contributed significantly in helping Barisan win in the Sungai Limau and Kabu Sepuloh polling districts in the closely fought by-election won by Mohd Azam Abdul Samat by a 1,084-vote majority. He garnered 12,069 votes against Barisan candidate Dr Ahmad Sohaimi Lazim who received 10,985 votes. In the last general election, the late Tan Sri Azizan Abdul Razak of PAS won by a 2,774-vote majority in a four-cornered fight. Barisan has made inroads into Sungai Limau, Kabu Sepuloh, Sedaka and Padang Lumat polling districts previously held by PAS, while maintaining its forts in Simpang Tiga, Selengkoh, Sungai Daun, Sungai Kering, Dulang Kecil and Dulang Besar. PAS recorded a reduced majority in Bukit Besar, Sungai Dedap, Matang Buloh, Bukit Choras and Gelam 3. Azam's relatives, who make up a significant portion of the Sungai Limau electorate, could have provided the lifeline for PAS. Azam did his best in the Bukit Besar polling district, where he secured 1,556 votes compared with Sohaimi who only managed to attract 443 votes. Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir said Bukit Besar had recorded an unusually high number of voters, and some of their addresses could be traced to the various pondok schools in the area. Despite the election results, he said the proposed new road linking Guar Chempedak with Pulau Bunting would be built, while the suggestion to build a port at Pulau Bunting would still be considered.

Bittersweet for winners and losers Posted: 05 Nov 2013 03:39 PM PST The outcome of the Sungai Limau by-election bore a sweet and sour aftertaste for both the winning and losing sides. Malay support aside, Barisan politicians claimed that the Chinese sentiment has softened since the general election. Chinese voters comprised less than 7% of the total voters, and they are located in mainly four PDMs, three of which were won by Barisan. Joceline Tan, The Star MOHD Azam Abd Samat, who successfully defended PAS' claim to the Sungai Limau seat, is one of those natural smilers. He basically smiled his way through the entire campaign because his minders did not allow him to speak to the media. They did not want a repeat of the boo-boo as seen in Terengganu's Kuala Besut by-election when their candidate said the wrong thing even to their party organ, Harakahdaily. Azam stuck to the script and let the others do the I-say-you and you-say-me stuff that happens in a political campaign. Sungai Limau has been what Kedah luminary Datuk A. Kadir Jasin termed an "emotional campaign". The last time Kedah witnessed a campaign that was as emotional was after the death of PAS' beloved president Datuk Fadzil Mohd Noor in 2002. Likewise, the death of former Mentri Besar Tan Sri Azizan Abdul Razak so soon after the fall of Kedah had an air of tragedy about it and PAS felt compelled to go all out to defend the seat. Sinar Harian put it well when they headlined the win as Hadiah untuk Azizan (a gift for Azizan). But not far beneath the smiles and the celebration over the win is the niggling fact that the reduced majority is yet more proof of PAS' eroded standing in the Malay heartland. The majority of win shrank from 2,774 to 1,084. Apart from that, Umno won in 10 out of the 19 voting districts (PDM or peti daerah mengundi) in the constituency. In the May general election, Umno had won in only six PDMs. PAS, on the other hand, won in only nine PDMs, down from 13 in the May election. Their overall victory was largely garnered at one of the bigger PDMs called Bukit Besar where their hardcore supporters are located. The signs of erosion are visible and it was clear that more middle ground in Sungai Limau has shifted without Azizan there to hold it back. The Sungai Limau results were also in stark contrast to Kuala Besut where Umno had held on to its stronghold with a bigger majority. "It is a win for PAS and also a setback. "You have to remember that this is their stronghold because they have held the seat since 1995. The voters did not go solidly with PAS," said Kadir. Malay support aside, Barisan politicians claimed that the Chinese sentiment has softened since the general election. Chinese voters comprised less than 7% of the total voters, and they are located in mainly four PDMs, three of which were won by Barisan. "The Chinese liked Ustaz Azizan. They saw him as a gentleman politician but I believe they also want to see more development in the area," said former Alor Star MP Datuk Seri Chor Chee Heung. But the young vote was also marginally tilted towards PAS in most of the PDMs. The battle for Kedah in the years ahead will be a battle for the young hearts and minds. The Umno side has tried to spin the reduced majority as "a win" for Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir. But in an election, a loss is a loss. However, as Kadir noted, Mukhriz has given Umno a new political momentum. His youth, intellect and the fact that he has relatively little baggage has breathed life for Barisan in the state. Mukhriz was disappointed and the result probably left both a sweet and sour taste in his mouth. As photographers snapped away at his post-election press conference on Monday night, he quipped: "Should I smile or should I look sad?" The by-election has been the first real political baptism for the Kedah Mentri Besar. He knew critics were watching his every move, ready to pounce on any mistake on his part. He has done quite well considering that he has only been on the job for six months. Many had thought that the Sungai Limau campaign would be as sleepy as the one in Kuala Besut. But it turned out to be chockful of drama and incidents from phone hackings to bizarre mannequins with amputated legs hanging from trees to photos doctored to show that Azam is close to Azizan. No less than Azizan's widow, Puan Sri Faekah Sheikh Hamzah, as well as his political rival Datuk Phahrolrazi Mohd Zawawi, claimed that their phones were hacked to send misleading SMSes – marking the first time that Kedah is seeing hi-tech campaigning. The PAS win made its way into Facebook in a ticklish way. Immediately after the results, Facebook was full of jokes about security guards with fake ICs voting for PAS in Sungai Limau. It was a dig at Pakatan's infamous claims of 40,000 Bangladeshis being flown in to vote in the last general election. Azam was not the only winner in Sungai Limau. The other big winner is PAS' by-election chairman Datuk Mahfuz Omar. The by-election outcome will be a huge boost to Mahfuz's prospects of defending his vice-president post in the PAS election later this month.

Attorney General’s position under threat? Reportedly in Mahathir camp’s sights Posted: 05 Nov 2013 03:33 PM PST (TMI) - Abdul Gani Patail's position as Attorney General appears under threat as reports and sources say former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has met several people to discuss the top government lawyer's misdeeds. This appears so, judging by what former top cop Mat Zain Ibrahim narrated in a meeting attended by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and  prominent lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah. Mat Zain was reported by the news portal Malaysiakini of having received a surprise phone call from Shafee about three months ago urging him to attend a meeting with the former prime minister. On August 10, three days after Hari Raya, Mat Zain, the former Kuala Lumpur Criminal Investigations Department director, met Shafee at the lawyer's office-cum-residence in Bukit Tunku. At the meeting, the two was said to have discussed the alleged "misconduct" of Gani, including the highly publicised case on Pulau Batu Puteh – the island off Johor that Malaysia lost to Singapore in a legal dispute before the International Court of Justice in 2008. READ MORE HERE

This time, NGO supports Penang Municipal Council, raps DAP’s Ooi Posted: 05 Nov 2013 03:19 PM PST Looi Sue-Chern, TMI A non-governmental organisation has spoken against Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi for taking the Penang Municipal Council (MPPP) to task over delays in processing building plan applications from developers. The Citizens Awareness Chant Group (Chant), which is usually critical of the council, has come to its defence and said that the MPPP should not be blamed if the developers submitted "bad quality" applications that were incomplete or not presented in the proper format. "The council has to deal with technical matters when processing applications. There are also several levels or different departments to go through sometimes. Surely the MPPP can give reasonable explanations for the delays," said its adviser Yan Lee (pic). "We also do not think politicians should get into the MPPP's work." Lee said the council needs to come down hard on developers, adding that if an application did not meet requirements, it should give the developer only a few changes to get it right. He also said the council needs to put into good use information gathered and mistakes learned from development cases under inquiry, and organise relevant courses and seminars for its officers to improve its performance. "Take the Menara Umno lighting arrestor case, for instance. It shows that planning and building submissions must be carefully studied," he told a press conference in George Town today, adding that how fast applications are cleared should not be the sole benchmark to measure the council's performance. Lee, however, agreed with Ooi that Penang needed to speed up the introduction of the local plan which would clearly determine zoning and the kind of development each plot of land was allowed. The absence of the local plan since 2005 has been blamed for the delays by the MPPP. READ MORE HERE

Karpal tak faham perjuangan PAS Posted: 05 Nov 2013 03:04 PM PST Karpal sepatutnya lebih bijak sebelum mengeluarkan kenyataan yang boleh menjejaskan hubungan baik dalam PR serta sokongan rakyat selama ini. Ikhwan Zulkaflee, FMT Pengerusi Kebangsaan DAP Karpal Singh gagal  memahami perjuangan Pas, kata Ketua Penerangan Pas Pusat Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man. Ini ekoran daripada saranan Karpal yang menyatakan parti politik berteraskan kaum dan agama patut dibatalkan atau diubahsuai agar boleh disertai semua rakyat tanpa sempadan kaum dan agama semalam. Selain dari menyatakan bahawa kenyataan Karpal itu tidak berasas, beliau turut bertanya apakah bahayanya perjuangan Pas bagi masyarakat majmuk di Malaysia. "Nilailah sendiri pada Pas yang memerintah Kelantan lebih 23 tahun, Terengganu pada tahun 1999 dan Kedah pada 2008 dari segi perpaduan dan menjaga hak Muslim dan bukan Muslim. "Adakah ada golongan yang bukan Islam yang disisihkan? Karpal sepatutnya mengemukakan fakta, bukan mengeluarkan kata-kata ikut sedap hati" katanya melalui satu siaran media. Tuan Ibrahim menambah kenyataan seperti ini tidak sepatutnya keluar dari mulut seorang pemimpin Pakatan Rakyat (PR) dalam suasana rakyat menolak Barisan Nasional (BN) dan mulai yakin dengan kepimpinan Pakatan Rakyat. "Beliau sepatutnya lebih bijak sebelum mengeluarkan kenyataan yang boleh menjejaskan hubungan baik dalam PR serta sokongan rakyat selama ini. Kenyataan sebegini juga merugikan DAP secara amnya," tambahnya lagi. Apabila dihubungi hari ini, Tuan Ibrahim ternyata kecewa dengan saranan Karpal itu. "Memang tak patut la parti kawan sendiri (DAP) minta kita dibatalkan. Mungkin pada asalnya hanya menyentuh parti berteraskan kaum, tapi bila ianya melibatkan agama, Pas turut dilibatkan," katanya melalui perbualan telefon. Beliau turut mengingatkan yang sifat agama itu sendiri menjadikannya sesuai dalam konteks Malaysia. "Agama ini bersifat penyatuan sebenarnya, bukannnya memisahkan," katanya lagi. Tuan Ibrahim dilihat bersifat diplomatik apabila ditanya adakah saranan Karpal telah meretakkan hubungan diantara kedua-dua parti komponen PR itu. "Secara peribadi, hubungan itu masih dipelihara dan belum sampai meretakkan hubungan…tetapi ada beberapa perkara yang perlu diperbaiki terutamanya dari segi mengeluarkan kenyataan," katanya. Beliau menambah bahawa Pas menganggap perkara ini adalah urusan dalaman DAP dan menyerahkan sepenuhnya kepada DAP untuk mengambil sebarang tindakan. Karpal membuat kenyataan kontroversinya itu ketika menyelar kenyataan Presiden Persatuan Peguam  Muslim Malaysia (PPMM) Datuk Zainul Rijal Abu Bakar baru-baru ini yang mengingatkan Majlis Peguam supaya tidak menyokong isu penggunaan kalimah Allah dalam edisi bahasa Malaysia majalah katolik The Herald. READ MORE HERE

‘Opposition trying to screw up our system’ Posted: 05 Nov 2013 02:53 PM PST There is nothing wrong with race-based parties like Umno, MIC, and MCA as they work together to serve all races, say BN leaders.  Anisah Shukry, FMT Barisan Nasional leaders have slammed DAP chairman Karpal Singh for calling race- and religious-based parties to be deregistered.   Umno Cheras division leader Syed Ali Alhabshee said Umno, MCA and MIC formed the Alliance more than 50 years ago and later through the Barisan Nasional had fought for all races. "Without BN, we would be nowhere. But now, the opposition is trying to screw up the system that we have been building. They are trying to poison the minds of the people. "Karpal is senile and has gone to the extreme," he said. Yesterday, Karpal had said race- and religious-based parties, including PAS, were impractical and dangerous. The DAP leader had said such parties should either be deregistered or opened to everyone. Syed Ali told FMT that even though Umno's membership was solely Malay, it had always stood by BN's concept of helping all races. "With Umno in BN, you can see that we are helping all races. Otherwise we would not have many Indian and Chinese doctors as well as lawyers. "So it's okay to maintain parties based on race. We've been working this way for over 50 years and only now Karpal says it is not right," he added. PAS more dangerous MCA Young Professionals Bureau chief Chua Tee Yong pointed out there was a difference between MCA, MIC and Umno and parties that were religion-based like PAS. "Race-based parties cover a variety of issues. But parties based on religion champion only one thing – religion. So PAS is more dangerous than BN," said Labis MP. "Even though we are race-based, we are under the umbrella of BN, so we represent all races. But PAS, DAP, PKR stand separately." Throwing the ball back into Karpal's court, Chua urged the Bukit Gelugor MP to call for a merger between the three opposition parties. "There's no point just talking about it. Why not get together and merge? Why not put a stop to PAS?" he asked. Chua said at the end of the day, the political statement would lead to nowhere. READ MORE HERE

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