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Birds Nest Soup - Thailand

2011-03-21T05:59:00.000-07:00

Birds Nest Soup - Thailand

2011-03-21T05:52:00.000-07:00

Swiftlet Industry Exposed

2011-03-18T21:16:00.000-07:00

Terminal may be ready by middle of this year

2010-04-26T06:52:00.000-07:00

By YENG AI CHUN
aichun@thestar.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR: The Southern Integrated Transportation Terminal in Bandar Tasik Selatan could be ready by July, said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat. He said the developer hinted that there could be an early completion for the project by middle this year. The project was originally scheduled to be completed in November this year.

“The terminal will cater to all types of transportation. We will have the bus services, taxi and rail services including the light rail transit, Keretapi Tanah Melayu’s commuter train service and Express Rail Link under one roof.

“This terminal is also connected to the Sungai Besi Highway, Kuala Lumpur Seremban Highway, and the Middle Ring Road II,” he told newsmen after visiting the project site in Bandar Tasik Selatan here Monday.

The RM570mil terminal is located on 19.8ha site adjacent to the Tasik Selatan’s LRT station and the Tasik Selatan KTM Komuter station. It has a handling capacity of about 40,000 passengers a day.

It will handle all express buses serving the southern part of Peninsula Malaysia. Ong said the terminal would help divert express buses from the city and ease traffic congestion in the process.

“The southern sector receives nearly 550 departures and arrivals in a day. There are more than 170 movements in an hour during peak hours,” he said.

Ong said the comfort level for passengers was similar to an airport terminal.

“There is 2.8 square metre per person in the terminal whereas in an airport, there is 2.3 square metre per person,” he explained.

Ong added he was optimistic the terminal and other measures such as the streamlining of bus stops, increasing the number of carriages for the LRTs as well as the impending introduction of new rail services would increase the use of public transport in the city from 16% to 25% by 2012.

When asked if the terminal would eventually take over the south bound express buses in Puduraya, Ong replied that it would be under the jurisdiction of the Federal Territories Minister to redesignate the movement of the buses.

However, he said all south bound public transport services would be centred at the new terminal.

The terminal is equipped with ICT facilities and is disabled friendly. There will be 100 bus waiting bays, 21 departure bays and 18 arrival bays which has the capacity of 130 departures and arrivals in an hour.

It will also have 16 bus platforms for city routes, 100 bus parking bays, 150 taxi bays and 1,000 public parking bays.

Pakatan accuses BN of exploiting " brute majority "

2010-04-21T22:47:00.000-07:00

Lim questioned the severity of the reaction towards Anwar’s claims. — file pic

themalaysianinsider
By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani

KUALA LUMPUR, April 22 — Lim Kit Siang attacked Barisan Nasional (BN) today for using what he called its “brute majority” in Parliament to persecute Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Together with his Pakatan Rakyat (PR) colleagues, he urged BN lawmakers to look into their conscience when deciding whether to refer the opposition leader to powerful Parliament’s Rights and Privileges Committee.

The DAP parliamentary leader also asked Parliament why Anwar’s claim that 1 Malaysia was linked to One Israel, was so “heinous.”

“This is dark day in Parliament. I am very saddened. What is so heinous about the accusation that 1 Malaysia is a carbon copy of One Israel? What is so big [about it]?

“If I say 1 Malaysia is [a] carbon copy of Malaysian Malaysia, then will I be referred to the committee? This is politically motivated through their brute majority” he said.

He was speaking during today’s special debate on whether Anwar should face disciplinary action under Standing Orders 18 (2) over his claim that the prime minister’s 1 Malaysia concept was linked to former Israeli prime minister, Ehud Barak’s One Israel campaign.

Lim claimed that the House was no longer a court of justice but gladiatorial arena.

“Parliament is like [the] Roman Coliseum and not a court of justice. They do not want to hear what is right but only the brute majority will decide. There has been an utter [and] complete interference in the separation of power because the Cabinet made their decision and everyone just follows.

“That is why we cannot allow brute majority [to decide]. Barisan Nasional must not be allowed brute majority. They are a rude majority, blind majority, stupid majority,” his attacks continued.

Lim then said that BN was being hypocritical, citing the case of Pasir Salak MP Datuk Tajuddin Abdul Rahman, who was not reprimanded by the House when he accused the DAP of allegedly selling state secrets to Hong Kong and Singapore.

He asked if the House was willing to take action against Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, who had back-tracked from an earlier statement that APCO Worldwide had arranged Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s meeting with US President Barack Obama.

“There is hypocrisy in Barisan Nasional on what they say outside and inside the House. Outside the prime minister talks about 1 Malaysia but I have not yet heard any ministers say that they are Malaysian first.

“Outside, they attack Datuk Zaid Ibrahim over his drinking habit but in Parliament, none of the ministers are brave [enough] to say that they had drunk before.

“I know the prime minister drinks, the minister of information drinks, and the home minister drinks. I am saying that it is wrong to drink, but why make a big deal out of it?” he said.

He added if the allegation that 1 Malaysia was related to One Israel did indeed affect national security, then Parliament should approve a royal commission on the issue instead of going after Anwar.

Raising the stakes further, Lim then challenged the prime minister to face the disciplinary committee on the matter.

“Is the PM willing to face the Parliamentary Rights and Privileges Committee and explain the origins of 1 Malaysia? Is he willing to provide detailed explanations?” he said.

Gombak MP Azmin Ali said that the points in contention went beyond whether 1 Malaysia was the same as One Israel and, more importantly, involved national security.

“This is not only an issue of 1 Malaysia/One Isreal, but the serious question is the national security that has been breached by APCO representing the Zionist leaders. The government has limited the debate to 1 Malaysia. These are efforts by Umno to discard the allegations by the Permatang Pauh MP (Anwar) regarding the security of the country,” he said.

The PKR vice president added that Anwar had challenged the prime minister to provide an explanation to the House and along with reassurance that no individual from APCO was involved with 1 Malaysia.

“The prime minister is more interested in the Hulu Selangor by-election. Where is he [now]? This shows that the government does not care that national security is being breached by Zionists.

Azmin further charged that Umno were unable to separate the two issues and instead, chose to react by “using its sheer majority to punish the opposition.”

“They must make decisions with their conscience. Don’t become the prime minister’s stooges. Umno should not become slaves to APCO and Zionist Israel. They are broken and slaves to the foreigners,” he said.

" Whiskey " Zaid photo doctored , PKR show proof

2010-04-19T17:58:00.000-07:00

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 18:08

freemalaysiatoday
By FMT staff

KUALA LUMPUR: In a startling new development, "evidence" has emerged to suggest that the photo of PKR's Hulu Selangor by-election candidate Zaid Ibrahim clutching a bottle of Jack Daniel's whiskey could have been doctored.

In an e-mail to FMT, PKR communications director Jonson Chong attached another photo of Zaid wearing the same shirt with the same background, but without the bottle.

FMT learnt that the photo was taken during an interview with a news portal.

Earlier, FMT reported that a photo of Zaid holding the whiskey bottle had been posted on the Gerakan Anti-PKR blog this afternoon.

The photo was in response to PKR vice-president Azmin Ali's challenge to prove that Zaid was an alcoholic, which has become one of the central themes of the Barisan Nasional campaign for the by-election.

Azmin had accused BN of deliberately raising the issue to character asassinate Zaid, who has since revealed that his drinking days are over and that he has repented.

'Clear case of gutter politics'

Commenting on the "doctored" photo, Chong dismissed it as a "clear case of gutter politics" employed by BN and the people aligned to the coalition.

“We should not dignify such attacks with a response. Zaid has explained this issue to the voters and we believe they are in a better position to judge him,” he said.

Chong said the voters should look at the capability of the PKR candidate and what he can do for this constituency as a result of his working relationship with Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim and the state government.

According to the "Gerakan Anti-PKR blog", the photo was provided by a source from the opposition party.

“Just as promised, I have exposed a photograph of Zaid and (a bottle of) whiskey. Whether it is beer or whiskey, it is still considered the urine of the Devil, and it is haram (forbidden by Islam) just like sodomy. The prophet (Muhammad) will never consider a sodomite as one of his followers,” said its webmaster.

The reference to sodomy was an obvious attack on PKR supremo and Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, who is currently on trial for allegedly sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

Anwar, who was charged with a similar offence in 1998, has claimed, like before, that it is a political conspiracy masterminded by his rivals.

Eight-minute video clip

Meanwhile, the webmaster said his "PKR source" has revealed that there are eight photographs and an eight-minute video clip involving three PKR leaders in an "embarrassing" situation.

“They are just waiting to hand them (the photos and videos) over to GAP (Gerakan-Anti PKR). One of them (in the video) flew to Taiwan during the Sept 16 lie,” he added.

Following Pakatan Rakyat's sterling performance in the March 2008 general election, Anwar had threatened to take over the federal government on Sept 16 that year with the help of defections.

During this episode, 49 BN MPs were flown to Taiwan on Sept 7 for a purported study tour, which some claimed was an attempt to thwart the defections.

Five PKR leaders -- Selangor exco Elizabeth Wong, PKR director of strategies Tian Chua, secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, supreme council member Low Chee Cheong and elections director Fuziah Salleh -- had trailed them.

Meanwhile, Zaid told FMT earlier that he was not perturbed by the incident.

“I have already responded to this matter, and publicly said that I have repented. I have already explained the matter to the voters, so I will let them decide.

“I am more interested in focusing my efforts on developing Hulu Selangor if elected as MP,” he told FMT.

Also read:

'Whiskey' Zaid photo appears on anti-PKR blog

Kuala Lumpur named rising global city

2010-04-15T18:27:00.000-07:00

The sun rises behind the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur. — Reuters pic

themalaysianinsider
By Lee Wei Lian

KUALA LUMPUR, April 16 — Malaysia’s capital city was one of the 10 cities identified in a report by international property consultancy, Frank Knight, as a rising global city with growing economic power, but lacking in terms of knowledge and quality of life.

Kuala Lumpur had the eight biggest gain in aggregate scores in the 2010 survey of the world’s top cities, tied with Sydney, Shanghai and Mumbai but behind Singapore, Beijing, Tel Aviv and Berlin.

The Frank Knight annual survey ranks world cities according to their influence in economic activity, political power, knowledge, and quality of life.

While it experienced a jump in aggregate scores last year, Kuala Lumpur was still ranked only 34th overall, and trails far behind other key Asian cities such as Tokyo (4), Singapore (7), Beijing (9), Seoul (13), Hong Kong (14), Bangkok (18), Shanghai (19) and Taipei (23).

“Unsurprisingly, one of the key themes this year is the strengthening power of the emerging centres, with big gains experienced by the likes of Beijing, Singapore, Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur and Mumbai,” said the report.

It noted, however, that while emerging centres like Kuala Lumpur and Beijing are gaining ground in economic and political power, they still fall short on the softer issues such as quality of life and knowledge and intellectual influence, which were the strong points of cities in developed countries such as Berlin, Paris and Zurich.

“For the rising cities of Asia, economic growth and greater political clout on their own will not succeed in propelling them to the top of the table in terms of locations where the world’s most influential citizens want to have a first or even a second home,” said the report.

The report added “contenders” should take note of top cities such as New York, London, Paris and Tokyo.

“They needed a broad base of appeal — something clearly demonstrated by both Paris and Tokyo. World cities are connected, in terms of transport and communications, but, more importantly, in terms of ideas,” said the report.

“These are the locations where the world’s most influential people want to congregate because these are the locations where the ideas and values that define the global agenda and shape the world are settled.”

It noted that even Shanghai, which experienced phenomenal economic expansion, is struggling to move rapidly up the world cities table.

“To be successful, cites must attract the best and the brightest and influence the world. The ability to react to changing circumstances is also critical.”

The world’s top five most influential cities according to the survey are New York, London, Paris, Tokyo and Los Angeles — with New York overtaking London last year due to the troubles faced by the latter’s financial sector.

The survey of the world’s top cities was part of Frank Knight’s Wealth Report 2010, which was developed together with Citi Private Bank and published in March.

Dr Pornthip makes about-turn , now willing to testify

2010-04-13T22:55:00.000-07:00

themalaysianinsider
By Neville Spykerman

SHAH ALAM, April 14 — Selangor government officials today welcomed news that Thai pathologist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand is now willing to testify at Teoh Beng Hock’s inquest.

“We welcome the news and we are taking steps to contact the Thai Ministry of Justice.” said one of the officials.

Dr Pornthip had said on Sunday that she had come under “political pressure” from Putrajaya and would not testify at the inquest which is scheduled to resume on April 20.

However, she was reported today as saying that she would testify as long as she received a guarantee of her safety from the Malaysian government.

According to online news portal Malaysiakini, Dr Pornthip wants an official guarantee from both the government and the Attorney-General's Chambers that she will have the “freedom to perform her professional duty as an independent witness."

However, Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, A-G Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail and even the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) have already announced that that she is welcome to testify and that her security would be guaranteed.

The 54-year-old pathologist, who is a civil servant attached to the Thai Justice Ministry, had earlier testified that Teoh's death was “80 per cent homicide” and contradicted earlier findings by local experts that his death was likely a suicide.

She claims to have been advised by authorities in her own country to cease participating in the inquest so as not to jeopardise ties between Thailand and Malaysia.

The Selangor government, who hired Dr Pornthip as an independent witness, had hoped that she would be allowed to testify via video conferencing if she did not feel safe coming to Malaysia.

However, her latest about-turn now makes this unnecessary.

Shafie Apdal not fit to be Cabinet Minister and Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Chairman

2010-04-13T20:48:00.000-07:00

blog.limktisiang.com

Shafie Apdal not fit to be Cabinet Minister and Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Chairman if he does not know that an amendment to motion of thanks for royal address is customary parliamentary practice and not an assault on the institution of monarchy

Mingguan Malaysia on Sunday, 11th April 2010 carried the following report under the headline “Kit Siang wajar di kenankan tindakan”:

“HULU SELANGOR 10 April – Ahli Parlimen Ipoh Timur, Lim Kit Siang wajar dikenakan tindakan atas perbuatannya yang disifatkan sebagai mengganggu-gugat institusi diraja apabila cuba meminda titah ucapan Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin di Dewan Rakyat, 1 April lepas.

“Naib Presiden UMNO, Datuk Seri Mohd. Shafie Apdal berkata, langkah itu perlu kerana perbuatan Penasihat DAP tersebut dianggap melampau dan keterlaluan.

“Beliau mengakui sebagai seorang ahli Parlimen, Kit Siang berhak serta bebas untuk bercakap tetapi ia tidak harus sehingga ke tahap tidak menghormati institusi tertinggi di negara ini.

”’Perbuatan ini tidak sesuai untuk seseorang yang kononnya bergelar Yang Berhormat. Jika di United Kingdom mereka boleh dianggap cuba meminda ucapan Ratu.

”’Saya sebenarnya bimbang dengan trend yang dibawa oleh pihak pembangkang ini dan bagi saya ia harus segera dibendung bagi mengelakkan kejadian berulang,” kata Mohd. Shafie yang juga merupakan Pengerusi Persatuan Parlimen Komanwel.

“Beliau berkata demikian kepada pemberita selepas menyampaikan dividen dan melancarkan tahun produktiviti RISDA kepada para peserta agensi itu di Hulu Bernam dekat sini hari ini.”

This is a most irresponsible and despicable politics by a top Umno leader and senior Cabinet Minister as well as current Chairman of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA).

In the first place, I did not try to amend the Royal Address. What I moved was an amendment to the motion of thanks for the royal address.

Shafie is not fit to be Cabinet Minister and Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Chairman if he does not know that an amendment to the motion of thanks for royal address is customary parliamentary practice and not an assault on the institution of monarchy.

For the information of the CPA Chairman, motion of thanks for the royal address or its equivalent are regularly amended in established Commonwealth Parliaments, for the Royal Address is not the monarch’s personal address but the policy speech of the government-of-the-day setting out its programme for the year.

Any amendment to a motion of thanks is not an attack on the monarch or head of state but an opportunity to table new policies, programmes or perspectives that should have been included in the government’s policy speech.

In Lok Sabha in India, hundreds of amendments are moved every year to the Motion of Thanks for the President’s Address. For instance, for the year 1993, there were 932 amendments to the motion of thanks for the President’s Address.

Similarly, such amendments are regularly made to motions of thanks in Commonwealth Parliaments, whether House of Commons in United Kingdom or the Parliaments of Australia, New Zealand or Canada.

Even in Malaysia, I had occasion to move an amendment to the Motion of Thanks for the Royal Address in the Parliament meeting of October 1982, although it was rejected at the voting stage.

But is Shafie suggesting that the previous Prime Ministers, Umno Ministers and Parliament Speakers were traitors to the country and the Malay Rulers in attacking the institution of monarchy in allowing amendments to be moved in Parliament to motion of thanks in the past?

I do not think Shafie is so ignorant of parliamentary practices, procedures, convents and traditions, which makes his attempt to twist and distort my amendment to the motion of thanks in the current meeting of Parliament even more heinous and unforgivable.

He knows that my amendment to the motion of thanks constituted no attack whatsoever on the institution of Malay Rulers but he could be so without scruples, unprincipled and opportunistic as to distort the issue to mislead rural Malays to make them believe that I am anti-Malay and anti-Malay Rulers – all just to secure Malay votes in the forthcoming Hulu Selangor by-election.

This shows the desperate extremes UMNO leaders are prepared to resort to for political advantage for themselves and or Umno, which is facing a crisis of relevance and survival.

Whatever the reason, there can be no justification for the irresponsible and despicable politics practised by Shafie who should have the decency and honesty to admit that he was wrong in resorting to racist politics and distorting customary parliamentary practices in Malaysia and Commonwealth countries as an attack on the institution of Malay Rulers.

Shafie should apologise for his transgressions.

[Speech (2) on the first 2010 Supplementary estimates in Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday April 13, 2010]

US President Obama's praise of Najib during their Washington meeting which was blacked out in all Malaysian mainstream media

2010-04-13T20:42:00.000-07:00

blog.limkitsiang.com

Today’s mainstream media continues the publicity blitz of how successful is the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s visit to the United States, with front-page photograph of what has been described as the “historic bilateral meeting” between him and United States President Barack Obama.

However, a strange thing happened. Obama praised Najib in their meeting but this praise from United States President has been completely blacked out by the Malaysian mainstream media when it would normally be trumpeted not only nationally but also internationally.

I have here the statement issued by the United States White House on the duo’s bilateral meeting.

It said: “The President congratulated Prime Minister Najib for recent action on the Strategic Goods Act, which will strengthen the ability of Malaysian authorities to take action against individuals and entities engaged in proliferation.”

One would have thought that such praise from the US President to the Malaysian Prime Minister would have become the screaming headlines of the Malaysian mainstream media, but no, there was not a word of the US President’s praise for the Malaysian Prime Minister in the mainstream media in Malaysia, whether New Straits Times, Star, Utusan Malaysia or Berita Harian.

Najib seems to be embarrassed by such praise from the US President that it is blacked out by the Malaysian mainstream media. Why?

One reason is the revelation that Parliament had been treated shabbily as it had rush through the enactment of the Strategic Goods Act to time it for Najib’s visit to the United States to meet with President Obama – and this fact was hidden from knowledge of Parliament.

This is shame, disrespect and contempt of Parliament.

The Strategic Trade Bill 2010 was first tabled in Parliament on a Thursday (1st April) and its debate and passage was rushed through on the following Monday (5th April) – not giving MPs adequate time to study its implications and ramifications, all to suit the Prime Minister’s timetable of meeting the US President in his Washington visit.

In the event, Najib was given praise by Obama but which had to be blacked out in all the mainstream media!

On the eve of Najib’s visit to the United States, the Malaysian Ambassador to the United States Datuk Seri Dr. Jamaluddin Jarjis boasted about his publicity success with the US media, showing off a whole-page newspaper coverage for Malaysia in conjunction with Najib’s visit.

But this full-page coverage for Malaysia is not in the two leading US dailies, Washington Post or New York Times but the little-known Washington Times. Washingtion Post has a daily circulation of 673,180 copies and on Sunday, 890,163 while New York Times has a daily circulation of 1 million which shoots up to 1.4 million on Sunday.

What is Washington Times’ circulation? A paltry 102,258 copies.

Washington Times is a struggling low-circulation newspaper which was founded by Rev. Moon from South Korea and is now looking for a new buyer.

Is Malaysia, through its world-wide publicity consultant agency, APCO, considering buying over Washington Times?

The full-page coverage of Malaysia by Washington Times appears to be an advertorial, which means it was paid to publish it. How much did the full-page advertorial on Malaysia in Washington Times cost and was it paid by Malaysian taxpayers, directly or indirectly?

Najib is scheduled to launch the Malaysia-United States (Congressional) Caucus in Washington tomorrow.

I call on the Prime Minister to postpone the launching of the Malaysia-United States (Congressional) Caucus until there could be Pakatan Rakyat parliamentary representation or the caucus he would be launching would merely be a Barisan Nasional-US (Congressional) Caucus, which would only embarrass himself and the nation making him and the country the butt of jokes in the Washington cocktail circuit.

I have received information from Washington through email which does not throw a flattering light on the so-called launching of the Malaysia-US (Congressional) caucus.

Let me read from this email:

The launching of the Malaysia – United States Parliamentary Caucus about which you have posted on your blog is a most curious animal! I did a Google and also a search on the US Congress website but found nothing about this “great entity” ; nor did I see any references to the upcoming event other than from Malaysian sources!

The only reference I could find was a brief one on the homepage of Congressman Gregory W. Meeks’ (which reads as below) and also a reference to Congresswoman Barbara Lee being a member. Neither of these are very senior in the Congressional leadership hierarchy. Both are Democrats. Thus it does not appear to be a bi-partisan group.

“Malaysia Caucus:

“As a Member concerned with maintaining and promoting a close, positive relationship with Malaysia, we are expanding the Congressional Malaysia Trade, Security and Economic Caucus. This Caucus will promote a mature political relationship between the U.S. and Malaysia. Also, it will serve as an independent vehicle for Members of Congress to articulate their views on U.S. – Malaysia relations and as a source of information on political, security, and economic related issues. Finally, it will work to strengthen the discourse on bilateral and regional issues by engaging Malaysia perspectives on issues of mutual interest.”

This description, vague as it is, says little about the practical ways it will contribute to enhancing relationships. As I understand it, these Caucuses have no role in the legislative or other congressional/parliamentary processes. In a sense they are contact points for lobbyists and they operate as talk shops. The bottom line is: they represent no big deal and I do not understand why Najib, Nazri & company are making a big song and dance. It is also far from clear how the Malaysian side will operate in what is largely a US entity. On the other hand if there is going to be Malaysian participation in the Caucus, it is far from clear what it will entail. Cynically, one can assume that there will be visits, golf tournaments and other forms of entertainment at the tax-payer’s expense.

In the interest of our international reputation as well as the Prime Minister’s good name, Najib should cancel the launching of the unrepresentative Malaysian-US (Congressional) caucus only represented by BN and “independent” MPs from Malaysia on the one side and low-level Congress representatives on the part of the United States.

[Speech on the first 2010 Supplementary estimates in Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday April 13, 2010]

Refer Lim Kit Siang to the right and Privileges Committee

2010-04-13T20:34:00.000-07:00

blog.limkitsiang.com

P Ramakrishnan
13 April 2010

Barisan MP for Pasir Salak Tajuddin Abdul Rahman had alleged in Parliament on 6 April 2010 that Lim Kit Siang had served as a political officer to former Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.

Tajuddin had also alleged that “a leader in Penang” was selling state secrets to Hong Kong and Singapore .

We can presume that he was referring to Lim Guan Eng, the Penang Chief Minister.

Kit Siang reacted by flatly stating, “This is not true, so he (Tajuddin) should be referred to the committee.”

Accordingly, Kit Siang moved a motion to refer Tajuddin to the Rights and Privileges Committee. But Tajuddin was adamant in his allegation and countered Kit Siang’s denial by claiming in the House, “I don’t like to lie or make slanderous statements with malicious intent. I am responsible for what I say.”

In responding to Kit Siang’s motion, Tajuddin took an uncompromising position. He stated, “If the House thinks I should be referred to the committee, no problem. I will take it. I’m prepared to face all the consequences. If you want to suspend me, go ahead but I believe in what I said.”

In this case, both of them could not be lying – but one of them definitely did. The question is: Who was lying?

When Kit Siang’s motion was put to the vote, it was defeated by 82 to 56 votes.

What was the implication of this voting?

Simply put, the Barisan Nasional MPs took a position that Tajuddin was telling the truth and that Kit Siang was lying. It meant that they did not believe Kit Siang’s denial that he did not serve as a political officer to Lee Kuan Yew. It meant that Tajuddin did not mislead the House but it was Kit Siang who was guilty of misleading.

This being the case, the BN MPs should refer Kit Siang to the Rights and Privileges Committee. They have no other course or choice except to compel the Rights and Privileges Committee to take action against Kit Siang for misleading the House. Failure to do so would imply that the BN dominated Parliament is trying to cover up a lie – worse still, it may be construed that Parliament is protecting a lie.

They must also take action to suspend Lim Guan Eng from Parliament because he has been accused of selling state secrets to foreign countries. This is a treasonable action and the person guilty of this conduct is a traitor to this nation. No traitor should be sitting in our Parliament.

The IGP, Tan Sri Musa Hassan, must give priority to investigating this serious allegation. He should drop all other cases and concentrate on this as a matter of urgency. The AG, Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail, must start framing charges against Guan Eng at once. The hands of the IGP and the AG have been strengthened by Parliament’s voting.

Both of them should spring into action now that they have Parliament’s backing.

Obviously, Tajuddin has the evidence to back up his allegations. That’s why he didn’t mind being referred to the Rights and Privileges Committee. This case, therefore, should be wrapped up in a jiffy.

If Parliament fails to act, then Tajuddin must publicly make his allegations outside Parliament because he has the evidence. Remember what he said: “I don’t like to lie…” In other words, he was telling the truth and that he has the evidence to back up his accusation.

Under the circumstances, would Kit Siang or Guan Eng dare to sue him? Even if they did, Tajuddin should be able to provide the evidence in the court of law and fix them for good.

We cannot have a liar and a traitor smugly sitting in Parliament, making a mockery of our democratic process.

Parliament, Tajuddin, the IGP and the AG all owe it to the nation to act in the national interest.

They must not fail us.

Challenges for Dr Chua Soi Lek - Lim Sue Goan

2010-04-13T07:04:00.000-07:00

themalaysianinsider

APRIL 13 — MCA President Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek is a strong man in MCA, but there are differences between getting along with the grassroots and leading a party representing Malaysian Chinese.

There are only thousands of grassroot members but he has to face over a million of people from Umno, the Chinese community and voters of various races.

Whether he can lead MCA to revive and win the respect of BN, it all depends on the next general elections.

Dr Chua has been actively dealing with the party’s affairs and Chinese community issues since the fresh polls on 28 March. He also went campaigning in Hulu Selangor. However, he was hit by two incidents, namely the resignation of Wanita MCA Chief Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun and the refusal of Chinese organisations to attend the MCA Presidential Council meeting.

The resignation of Chew and the announcement of Gurun state assemblyman Datuk Dr Leong Yong Kong to take a year’s leave from party affairs are the first wave of protest within the party. If Dr Chua is unable to integrate the party in a short time, the voices of discontentment within the party will become louder and louder. He received, after all, only 39 per cent of votes in the fresh polls.

However, with Dr Chua’s strategies and means, the discontentment within the party is not a problem as he has the ability to solve it. The most severe challenge comes from external parties.

MCA has wasted more than a year in its party crisis. Therefore, time is running out for Dr Chua to get prepared for the next general elections. He must race against time to perform and change the party’s and his negative images.

The first challenge is the Hulu Selangor by-election, followed by the second phase of the New Economic Model (NEM) scheduled to be announced in June and the 10th Malaysian Plan. If he fails to retrieve Chinese votes in the by-election, it will be a blow to his leadership prestige. If the NEM does not release more space for small and medium enterprises, Dr Chua will have to face a lot of pressure.

MCA’s political opponent is now stronger than before. DAP is currently controlling state power and it is backed by Pakatan Rakyat. DAP is now equally matched with MCA in terms of political resources and talents.

Therefore, Dr Chua is anxious. He invited main Chinese organisations to attend the Presidential Council meeting, hoping to repair the crack with Chinese organisations formed during the party crisis, as well as to expand the influence of MCA. However, he has neglected the “sabotage” of DAP.

As for the issue of the relocation and new locations for Chinese primary school, he has got entangled with the Pakatan Rakyat Selangor government. If MCA fails to complete the promise made during the March 8 general elections last year before the next general elections, it will then turn into a political burden.

However, the sign of improvement in the political environment under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak favours Dr Chua. The liberal image and high efficiency of Najib is able to retrieve the people’s support.

Umno is the main factor of MCA’s great defeat in the 8 March general elections. If Najib is able to suppress the conservative right-wing forces and voices within the party and create a more harmonious political atmosphere, then Dr Chua will be more than equal to the challenges.

However, MCA must first solve the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal, mysterious death of DAP political aide Teoh Beng Hock and Chinese schools issues before the next general elections.

In order to perform better than the former president, Dr Chua can no longer use de-politicisation strategies. Instead, he should be courageously fight politics. The more he can get from Umno, the more he can increase his own political chips.

It is unfair to judge Dr Chua now and it is still too early to do so. But there is no honeymoon period for him and the inescapable truth is to perform well. — mysinchew

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication. The Malaysian Insider does not endorse the view unless specified.

DAP rep pans Chua over Chinese schools issue

2010-04-13T06:59:00.000-07:00

Ng said state land set aside for schools had already been surrendered to the education ministry. — file pic

themalaysianinsider
By Neville Spykerman

SHAH ALAM, April 13 — Sekinchan assemblyman Ng Suee Lim today accused the MCA president of “lying” and trying to “exploit” the issue of land available for Chinese schools in the state ahead of the Hulu Selangor by-election.

While debating the Royal Address, Ng hit out at Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek for claiming that five new Chinese schools, planned by the Education Ministry, could not be built due to land issues which have not been solved by the Selangor government.

“This is a lie because all land reserved for schools, irrespective of whether they are national or vernacular, had been surrendered to a land bank managed by the Education Ministry,” the DAP politician told the state assembly, adding the state no longer has jurisdiction over such land.

“If MCA fails to get the Education Ministry to approve new schools from the land bank, it’s a failure on the part of the party,”

He pointed out MCA had representatives in the federal government and that its youth chief was also the deputy education minister.

“The MCA president should not have twisted the facts just to win the by-election,” Ng added.

He also took exception to Dr Chua’s accusation that Pakatan Rakyat (PR) did not have a mechanism to address the issue, pointing out that Barisan Nasional (BN) had not solved the problem in the last 50 years.

“I challenge him to show us the sites of the five schools which could not be built.”

Ng also said the state government would consider giving approvals within 24 hours upon receiving written requests for the five sites, if indeed the land had not already been transferred to the ministry.

He pointed out that Dr Chua, having been a minister, should know about administrative procedures between Federal and state governments.

“I urge him to do his homework before making unsubstantiated claims,” Ng said.

The politics of issues and the issue of politicising

2010-04-13T06:43:00.000-07:00

freemalaysiatoday
Tue, 13 Apr 2010 16:59

By Stanley Koh

COMMENT Politicians seldom forget what a tongue is for. And MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek proved that he was no exception when newsmen pressed him to respond to Lim Guan Eng’s recent message to Chinese guilds and associations.

The Penang Chief Minister had reminded the associations of their self-proclaimed independence and integrity, saying they should not accept the MCA invitation to a meeting of its presidential council.

Chua retorted with sound bites worthy of a politician: “We are not in the politics of politicising issues; we are in the politics of solving issues.”

But why would such a dispassionate reminder be so irritating and unwelcoming to MCA? It is not as if it has never indulged in the politics of politicising issues. Indeed, the party’s history tells us otherwise.

Of course, MCA cannot survive without Chinese support, and it must do all it can to harvest goodwill. This is only politically expedient. The show must go on, especially in wooing influential associations, whose membership can be pervasive, embracing all types of trades, clans and walks of life.

Dialogues between MCA and the Chinese associations have never been blindingly successful. They have not resulted in changes to economic policies detrimental to non-Malay communities or even managed to bring about a meaningful correction of deviant implementation of policies. Nevertheless, there is a consensus that the party must continue to play what role it can with its limited voice in the Cabinet.

But why a sudden change from open dialogues—as practised under previous presidents—to private discussions in an internal party council?

MCA would have pulled off this sort of a political move in the good old days, when the Malaysian political landscape was still a happy fairy tale of justice, good governance and fair play. (At least that is what it would seem like when contrasted against present realities.)

Furthermore, that kind of old-school politics is becoming passé as the nation witnesses the emergence of a two-party system, with the parliamentary opposition even ruling some states.

In need of breakthrough ideas

Yes, times are changing; yet there are desperate quarters engaged in bizarre and pathetic ways of trying to divert the nation’s attention from the changes taking place in Malaysian politics.

( Dialogues with Chinese associations and guilds have all along shown that MCA does it fire fighting on an ad hoc basis when reacting to complaints about economic policies and implementation. )

Under the present political circumstances, wisdom demands that Chinese associations maintain their independence, integrity and non-partisan approaches in cooperating with political parties.

They must especially avoid being mistaken for sham organisations that are prey to a political party dancing to tunes played by another political party.

This point is particularly pertinent to the relationship between MCA and the Chinese guilds and associations as well as between MCA and Dong Jaio Zhong (Chinese educationist movements).

Conscientious Malaysians generally seem to agree that a more uncertain economic picture only heightens the need for a new deal under a revolutionary economic development plan that would stop the backward slide of our economy and boost the wellbeing of all Malaysians. It is important to meet social needs and to fight poverty on a non-racial ticket.

MCA is in sore need of breakthrough ideas and the moral courage to oppose injustice and discriminative policies.

Can it overcome these weaknesses by working with Chinese associations?

What seems to have escaped many is history.

MCA leaders used to have a towkay image. In the early days—between 1949 and 1965—about half of the Central Working Committee (CWC) members held posts in the guilds and the chambers of commerce.

According to Prof Chan Heng Chee, author of 'The Malayan Chinese Association', “at no time were there fewer than 30 percent of the MCA’s CWC members overlapping with either the chambers of commerce or the Chinese guilds.”

MCA was built upon the Chinese chambers of commerce and guilds. Typically, a state leader was also an office bearer in the chamber of commerce of his state.

“The fact that Chinese association leaders were the founders and promoters of the MCA resulted in the party being physically accommodated on the premises of Chinese associations, most notably the chambers of commerce,” Prof Heng Pek Koon writes in her book, 'Chinese Politics in Malaysia: The MCA'.

“The administration of party affairs was often attended to by employees of Chinese chambers of commerce or huay kuan, which accommodated the party branch.”

The party also had closely-knit links with the Chinese education movements, the United Chinese School Teachers Association (Jiao Zhong) and the United Chinese School Management Committee (Dong Zhong). But this is no longer true.

Prof Chan writes: “Between 1949 and 1964, the MCA shifted from the position of an insistent spokesman for Chinese rights to that of a comprising negotiator. In 1961, Tan Siew Sin told the (Chinese) association members plainly that two choices lay before the MCA.

“It could choose to submit to the jingoistic minority and retain a short-lived popularity, or it could continue on the road that had served it well: being race friendly and tolerant.

“The more communal elements in the party complained that the Chinese were expected to sacrifice their hard work to appease the Malay Mammon.”

Prof Heng writes: “Even from as early as the 1959 debacle, the MCA has never again regained the same level of support it had earlier commanded from the Chinese community.”

Ad hoc fire-fighting

( At the end of the day, after more than 50 years, these economic plans have failed to bring our country forward to where it should be. Now the nation is at a crossroads again. )

Today, Chinese politics and MCA are continuing to move to the periphery in an atmosphere of one-race dominance and discriminative-based politics, fanned by the chauvinistic support of dubious organizations.

Part of the blame should go to MCA’s accommodationist role in the past.

However, what is important now is for Chinese associations to provide a conscientious third channel of articulation towards a multiracial integrationist approach in handling economic and social issues.

Dialogues with Chinese associations and guilds have all along shown that MCA does it fire fighting on an ad hoc basis when reacting to complaints about economic policies and implementation.

The record shows that MCA leaders have been prone to heaping praise on the prevailing system, fully supporting economic plans whose contents were often decorated with beautiful rhetoric composed by the Barisan Nasional government.

This was despite maladministration, implementation deviations, corruption, power abuses and the shenanigans of little Napoleons. The party seems powerless to act against race-based policies.

At the end of the day, after more than 50 years, these economic plans have failed to bring our country forward to where it should be. Now the nation is at a crossroads again.

Malaysians need to be constantly reminded that the New Economic Model is supposed to be need-based and not race-based. If it fails, we will recall the quip that a British MP once made about a baker saying, “I’m really sorry I poisoned your daughter with that cream horn. No manslaughter was intended, but it was merely a result of bad baking.”

Perhaps, Malaysians must decide not to hold their tongues.

Fortunately, in defiance of our submissive culture, Malaysians are gradually waking up. And they should be wagging their tongues, calling for a change under a two-party system.

Yes, it is time that Malaysians should actively engage in the politics of politicising issues and not leave the job to politicians alone. It is time for the people to lead the government because we have had enough of the government leading us nowhere.

Government paid APCO RM76 million , Nazri showa

2010-04-13T04:13:00.000-07:00

themalaysianinsider

By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal

Chua revealed that Nazri’s new figure outstripped the previously claimed RM28 million. — file pic

KUALA LUMPUR, April 13 — The government paid US$24.2 million (RM76.8 million) to APCO Worldwide, the international public relations consultancy linked by Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders to Israel, for its services from last July until June this year.

The amount was revealed by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, in a written reply to a question in Parliament from PKR MP, Chua Tian Chang.

Chua disclosed this today to reporters, and pointed out that the amount far exceeded the RM28 million mentioned by Nazri previously.

The minister’s written reply provided a breakdown of the fee paid by the government to APCO, starting from July 15, 2009 until June 4, 2010.

“I want the minister to explain the expenses concerning APCO Worldwide. The payment was just for APCO’s services, not even for the 1 Malaysia concept,” Chua told reporters today in Parliament.

“How did Nazri end up with RM28 million, when the total amount was US$24,207,158 which is in US dollars. Change it to Malaysian ringgit and you get RM76,820,653,” said Chua.

MPSP turns around after 8 years of deficits

2010-04-12T05:25:00.000-07:00

anilnetto
12-4-2010

The Seberang Perai Municipal Council (MPSP) has turned around after eight years of deficits. It posted a surplus of RM14.6 million in 2009, after a marginal surplus in 2008 and deficits from 2000 to 2007 under BN rule.

Well done to the new administration. It is not difficult to understand why the local government had been saddled with deficits and dwindling reserves previously. It embarked on a costly series of building and so-called ‘beautification’ projects: the building complex at the Butterworth padang, the forlorn fountain and rock garden next to the padang, the lavish MPSP office in Bandar Perda, the Batu Kawan Stadium (now a white elephant), the large MPSP court complex, the ornate lamp-posts (with hanging flower pots) in Butterworth, expensive floral decorations, the re-surfacing of pavements…

Moreover, the MPSP is believed to have spent a fortune in excessive rubbish disposal costs by external contractors.

And all the while, mainland Penang residents have had to put up with lousy drains with stagnant water, frequent flooding in some areas, dirty and polluted beaches and rivers, the loss of sporting and recreational spaces (access to the whole beach-front in Butterworth has been cut off by the Butterworth Outer Ring Road and the North Butterworth Container Terminal), and unresolved urban settlers’ issues. The quality of life has dropped; and all these issues need to be looked at.

This report from theSun:

Council records RM14.57mil in surplus
by Himanshu Bhatt

SEBERANG PERAI (April 11, 2010): The Seberang Perai Municipal Council (MPSP) has managed to chalk up a surplus of about RM14.57 million in 2009, following a series of deficits it had incurred under the Barisan Nasional government from 2000 to 2007.

Council president Mokhtar Mohd Jait today revealed a final accounting statement that showed the MPSP’s reserves soaring by more than 50%, from RM29.07 million in 2008 to RM43.67 million in 2009.

The RM14.57 million surplus compared well with the eight consecutive years of losses the council had experienced.

According to the accounting record, the council incurred losses worth RM5.06 million in 2000, and that rose steadily to RM39.04 million in 2003, peaking at RM57.08 million in 2005.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the council’s recovery was due to resourcefulness in collecting revenue and saving on costs.

“This has been a painful process, but now the council’s financial condition has been treated and it is well under recovery,” he said after a meeting of MPSP heads at its headquarters today.

In June last year the Pakatan Rakyat state government, which had taken power in March 2008, ordered MPSP to appoint an independent audit committee to look into losses worth RM230 million incurred from 2000 to 2007.

The team was to report its findings and recommendations to State Financial Officer Farizan Darus, who was the council’s previous president, for follow-up action.

Asked on the audit team’s findings, Lim said Local Government Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow would announce the matter later.

He said the MPSP would now go ahead with necessary expenditures worth almost RM5 million to increase its facilities, including special vehicles for cleaning and maintenance.

Lim also announced that applications for renovations to houses in Seberang Perai, if done according to the MPSP’s standard plan, will in the future take only 24 hours to be approved.

Applications for special renovations that have details not within the standard plan would take five weeks to approve, he said.

He pointed out that under the previous administration, applicants had to wait four to five months for approval.

The new time frame would be implemented once approved by the MPSP full-council meeting at the end of this month, he said. — theSun

Updated: 07:19PM Sun, 11 Apr 2010

That said, I hope the MPSP will carefully scrutinise all applications for renovations to ensure that setback and other requirements are strictly observed. It also has to be vigilant to ensure that contractors do not get too cosy with Council staff.

Another area that needs to be monitored is the conversion of residential houses to commercial units.

The other thing I would like to see is for both the MPPP and the MPSP to put their latest financial statements on their websites in the interests of transparency and accountability. (The MPPP has a breakdown of its income for 2007 and 2008 but not the financial statements.)

Penang Turf Club : Having cake and eating it too

2010-04-12T05:16:00.000-07:00

anilnetto.com

12-4-2010

The Penang Turf Club is baulking at the idea of paying quit rent at commercial rates after its Batu Gantung land was controversially rezoned from ‘recreational’ land to ‘mixed development’ in June 2007.

The Director of Land and Mines has issued a bill for quit rent for 2008-2010 totalling RM6.1 million (less amounts already paid), which works out to about RM2.4 million a year (or RM2.58/sq metre). The Turf Club had previously been paying RM0.5 million a year in quit rent (or RM0.54/sq metre).

The Turf Club wants the old rate to be used, arguing that the land is still being used for horse racing.

The state government, on the other hand, says the Turf Club can afford to pay the new rates – and it definitely has a point. The club has RM48.5 million in fixed deposit, and it generated a surplus before tax of RM3.9 million in 2009.

Incidentally, the Turf Club plans to develop two parcels of its land and has submitted an application to the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) and another to the Land Office. It has plans to build mansions on one end of its property and rent them out to generate even more income.

If the Turf Club still wants to pay quit rent at the old non-commercial rate, then there is a simple solution: Get the land rezoned back to recreational status and all will be fine. Such a move would also secure the area as a green lung for future generations – and there would still be hope for a public park some time down the road. A win-win solution.

The state government should use that as a carrot to get the land rezoned back to recreational status. The MPPP can also use similar considerations when it comes to billing assessment.

" Under fire " Nazri : Who's pressuring Pornthip ?

2010-04-12T05:03:00.000-07:00

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 15:27

freemalaysiatoday

By S Rutra and Fazy Sahir

FULL REPORT KUALA LUMPUR: Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Aziz has refuted an allegation by renowned Thai pathologist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand that she was under "political pressure" from the Malaysian government to not testify in the Teoh Beng Hock inquest.

While dismissing the allegation as false, Nazri said Pornthip must name the people who she alleged put pressue on her as the government will not take action if there was no solid proof.

"Tell me who? Nazri or others. We want to know, if not how are we to help her? Anybody can say I have been pressured. But who put the pressure, we want to know," he told reporters at the Parliament lobby.

The Teoh inquest will resume on April 20. Previously, Pornthip had suggested that there is a strong possibility that the former DAP political aide could have been murdered.

Meanwhile, Nazri also denied an allegation that the Thai expert was not allowed to enter Malaysia earlier this year, as according to him there was no reason for that as she had been allowed in earlier.

"I do not believe that the government and our officers harassed her and stopped her from entering the country," he said.

Nazri said if that had happened, he would have been informed.

"The attorney-general has never met me to say that we will not allow her in. I feel she is just scared. I believe that her testimony in the inquest is not correct, which she cannot defend now and is looking for reasons to not attend," he said.

Nazri comes under fire

Meanwhile, lawyer Gobind Singh, who is representing Teoh's family, asked Nazri to provide proof to back up his allegation yesterday that Pornthip had lied.

“Nazri’s accusation against Pornthip is serious and issued at his pleasure,” he said, inviting the minister to participate in the Teoh inquest.

DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang, speaking at a press conference with Gobind, urged the government to call for an emergency Cabinet meeting to discuss Pornthip's claim of being pressured.

Another lawyer representing Teoh's family, Lim Lip Eng, said his client may initiate a contempt of court proceedings against Nazri.

“Does Nazri have proof to support his allegation. If he doesn’t than isn’t his statement in contempt of court?” asked the Segambut MP.

Lim has also filed a notice to debate the issue in Parliament.

“The people have the right to know if there is any truth in the allegation (Pornthip's claim). Why was she stopped from entering Kelantan early this year?

“What kind of threats are we exposed to? Is she a terrorist or a spy?” he asked.

Karpal: Coroner must take action

Karpal Singh, who is also acting for the family, said publicly attributing a lie to a witness who has given evidence in an on-going inquest amounts to a serious contempt of court.

"The matter is further compounded by the fact that the charge against Pornthip does not come from a personality of mean rank.

“Nazri is a lawyer by training and a minister of considerable seniority,” he said in a statement.

Karpal said the coroner conducting the inquest has sufficient powers under the Third Schedule of the Subordinate Courts Act, 1948 to take cognizance of the contempt committed by Nazri.

“Whether Pornthip is a truthful witness or not is an issue for the magistrate (coroner) to decide,” he said.

The DAP MP urged the coroner to issue a notice to Nazri to show cause on April 20, when the inquest resumes, on why he should not be cited for contempt.

"The magistrate should act without fear or favour. The dignity of his court demands that he cites Nazri for contempt," he said.

MB: Testify via Internet

Selangor state appointed lawyer for the inquest, Malik Imtiaz Sarwar, also took Nazri to task for labelling Pornthip a liar.

“This was not a nice thing to say, especially when the minister was reacting to a news report. I have sent an email to Pornthip to get a clearer picture.

"Its very unfortunate for someone to make such an accusation when we have yet to understand what the real issue is,” he told FMT.

Asked whether Malik or Gobind would persuade Pornthip to reconsider her decision, Malik said they will wait for her official response before deciding on the next course of action.

Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim suggested that the Thai expert give her testimony live on the internet.

"As far as I'm concerned we still want Dr Pornthip to come here and help in establishing the reason for Teoh's death," he said.

Hisham , Gani guarantee Pornthip's safety here

2010-04-12T04:33:00.000-07:00

themalaysianinsider

By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani and Shazwan Mustafa Kamal

KUALA LUMPUR, April 12 — The government will guarantee Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand’s safety should she continue to testify in the Teoh Beng Hock inquest, both the Home Minister and Attorney-General have said today.

Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein also urged the Thai pathologist to provide details to the relevant authorities regarding her allegation that she faced “political pressure” from Putrajaya not to continue with her testimony.

Dr Pornthip’s withdrawal from testifying in the Teoh inquest next week, reportedly due to political interference, has raised fears among the Teoh family and the DAP that the case was being tampered with at the highest level.

The Selangor government has confirmed the Thai pathologist is not returning when the inquest resumes on April 20 but they want the Coroner’s Court to agree to testimony via video-conferencing.

“We will guarantee the safety of everybody, not only Malaysians but also non-Malaysians and tourists. It is our duty to protect their security.

“If there is any suspicion on their part or worry about their security then they can come forward to the relevant agencies, especially the police. But you must come to us with details and facts,” Hishammuddin told reporters in Parliament today.

Echoing the minister’s remarks separately, Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail invited the pathologist to attend the inquest and complete her testimony without fear for her personal well-being.

“As far as I am concerned, I stand on the ground that she is welcome to come and I want her to come, to give evidence in peace,” said the A-G.

He added that he would personally ensure that the Malaysian authorities protected her welfare for the duration of her stay.

“Professionally, I think if there is any cause to doubt her security or security at stake, I will make sure that the authorities will provide the security. No problems,” said Gani.

Hishammuddin aso said he was expecting reports on Dr Pornthip’s allegation from related agencies.

“The issue here concerns one or two agencies, the police, immigration and I have asked for a report. I will be in a better position to inform the public within a day or two.

“This is an allegation which needs to be investigated and it can only be answered by the agency in which the allegation has been directed to. I have asked the agencies to provide me with the answer,” he added.

Dr Pornthip, 54, the director-general of Thailand’s Central Institute of Forensic Science, had reportedly pulled out from the ongoing case, claiming she was forced to do so because of “political pressure” from Putrajaya that could affect her work in southern Thailand.

The flashy pathologist had testified during the inquest here that Teoh’s death was “80 per cent homicide”, contradicting Malaysian pathologists who say the political aide could have fallen to his death or suicide.

Her second testimony will be crucial to the inquest, and to prove allegations that there was foul play in death of the political aide.

Parkatan to mull strategies against Anwar suspension

2010-04-12T04:28:00.000-07:00

Pakatan leaders are to consider their options should Anwar (centre) be suspended from Parliament. — file pic

themalaysianinsider
By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani

KUALA LUMPUR, April 12 — The Pakatan Rakyat leadership will discuss this Wednesday possible strategies to take if a parliament panel suspends Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for linking 1 Malaysia to One Israel.

The opposition leader insists that APCO Worldwide was the brains behind both Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1 Malaysia and Ehud Barak’s One Israel campaign.

The Barisan Nasional government will refer Anwar to the Parliamentary Rights and Privileges Committee on April 22 over his inability to provide concrete evidence to support his allegations that the two concepts were related.

The Malaysian Insider understands the leaders will discuss the possible strategies when the motion to suspend Anwar is tabled.

APCO has denied its link with Barak’s One Israel, and said that the 1 Malaysia initiative was conceived prior to the company’s appointment by the Najib administration.

However, Singapore’s The Straits Times has revealed that filings with the US Justice Department showed that the international public relations firm had entered into an agreement to provide services for Israel in 1992.

Selangor MB cautious law minister on " liar " remarks

2010-04-12T00:16:00.000-07:00

themalaysianinsider

By Neville Spykerman

SHAH ALAM, April 12 — Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim today urged Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz “to be careful” with his remarks after he called Thai pathologist Dr.Pornthip Rojanasunand a liar for claiming she was pressured to abandon the Teoh Beng Hock inquest.

Nazri, who is the de facto law minister, made the comments yesterday when reacting to Dr. Pornthip’s claims that she had to choose her work in the southern Thailand insurgency over the inquest due to “political pressure” from Malaysia.

“Diplomatically it’s not a good idea to call those outside our country liars,” the Selangor mentri besar said in response to Nazri’s comments.

The Khalid administration had hired the renowned Thai pathologist as an independent expert to ascertain the cause of Teoh’s mysterious death last July 16. She had concluded it was “80 per cent homicide” contradicting official reports that claim the political aide might have committed suicide.

“He (Nazri) has to be careful. She deals with dead bodies,” quipped Khalid, referring to Dr. Pornthip’s work to identify the dead in the 2004 Asian tsunami.

Khalid added he hoped Dr Pornthip’s allegations were not true because it was not in the best interest of any government to hide the truth surrounding Teoh’s death after overnight questioning at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Selangor office.

In the event Dr Pornthip is unable or unwilling to attend the inquest, Khalid reiterated the state’s stand that she be allowed to testify and be crossed examined on her findings via video-conferencing.

“We want to ensure that the truth prevails,” he said.

The 54-year-old director-general of Thailand’s Central Institute of Forensic Science reportedly pulled out from the ongoing case, claiming she was forced to do so because of pressure from the Malaysian Government that could affect her work in southern Thailand.

The inquest resumes on April 20 but the state wants the coroner to agree to testimony via video-conferencing.

Her reluctance to attend the inquest has raised fears among the Teoh family and the DAP that the case is being tampered with at the highest level.

Chua : Life goes on without Chiew

2010-04-09T00:08:00.000-07:00

Dr Chua said leaders “come and go”. — file pic

themalaysianinsider
By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani

KUALA LUMPUR, April 9 — MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said today that Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun will not be missed, after she quit as the party’s Wanita chief.

Dr Chua explained that it was normal for leaders to “come and go” in a democracy.

“I would like to thank her for her contribution to the party. MCA practises democracy and leaders can come and go but the party’s agenda will continue,” he told reporters at party headquarters.

The Wanita MCA chief resigned from her party posts yesterday, which included her post as wing chairman, Wanita MCA Selangor chairman, and the party’s Crisis Relief Squad chief.

It also means that she will relinquish her post as a senator and as the Deputy Minister of the Women, Family and Community Development.

Dr Chua said Chew’s resignation would not be a setback to his leadership.

“We have one million members ... this is will not affect the image of my leadership,” he said.

Chew made a pledge in Parliament in November last year, during the peak of the party crisis, declaring that she would resign if Dr Chua were to become party president.

Her words were not forgotten and when Dr Chua cruised to a win during the March 28 party polls, her words came back to haunt her.

Chew, however, decided to stick to her guns and, after a short meeting yesterday, resigned as she had promised to, despite pleas from her central committee members.

In apparent reference to Chew, Dr Chua said the he was powerless if certain leaders refused to accept the results of the recent party poll.

“I am confident that the newly election committee members know their responsibility. Their responsibility is to unite members, stabilise the party and strengthen the organisation so that we can face the coming election. If there are leaders that cannot respect the decision made by the delegates then we cannot do anything,” he said.

The former health minister clinched the top post in the party when he polled 901 votes against former president Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting’s 833 votes, and incumbent Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat’s 578.

Despite the slim vote majority, Dr Chua’s victory clearly shows — for the second time — that the party’s over 2,000 central delegates have long forgiven him for his past mistakes.

Dr Chua was once sacked from the party over his involvement in a 2007 sex scandal.

He also said that leaders should set aside their individual grouses and pull together for the sake of the party.

“I, as a leader, practise the principle of ‘open doors’ where anybody can meet me, and not only the supporters of certain leaders. They say that Datuk Dr Wee (Ka Siong) is not my supporter but in the matter of solving the party’s problem, we have the same goal. That is important.

“If you have a different opinion and you are not willing to co-operate due to [a] difference of opinions then I feel the leader will not achieve success. What is important is the party’s goal. You can have your own opinions but that should not be an issue even if he is from a different faction,” said Dr Chua, with an uncomfortable-looking Wee seated beside him.

The remarks seemed directed at his deputy, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, who clashed with Dr Chua over the appointment of the party’s state chairmen.

Liow had always been vocal in his disapproval of Dr Chua, and was one of the leaders who backed former president Tee Keat during a row over Dr Chua’s sacking.

In fact, prior to his election as deputy president, Liow had conveyed the message that he could not work with Dr Chua.

During the party poll on March 28, Liow had thrown his support behind Dr Chua’s biggest contender, former party president Ka Ting

Possibility of Home Minister and IGP subject to under arrest under the ISA

2010-04-08T17:22:00.000-07:00

malaysiatoday.net
Thursday, 08 April 2010 admin-s

(Tranungkite Online) The absolute powers of the Home Ministry calls into question the possibility of the Home Minister himself or the Inspector General of Police being subjected to arrest under ISA when clear proof of national security being compromised by these officials are revealed.

There are enough reasons to suspect the possibility for the Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan to be arrested under the Internal Security Act for compromising national security. In response to the allegation that ex-Israeli intelligence personnel, under the guise of IT personnel has infiltrated the police headquarters communication room and gained access to servers, the IGP feigned ignorance of the Israeli involvement, stating that proof must be presented before action can be taken.

However, in a Star report dated 5 August 2008, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said police were aware of the involvement of the Israelis in their communications systems upgrading project, contradicting his recent statement. Statements were also forthcoming from the Police Director of Logistics, a Special Branch Director, and Johari Ismail, a journalist confirming the involvement of Israeli intelligence in Bukit Aman.

In October 2008, opposition stalwart Lim Kit Siang had raised the same issue in the House but was brushed aside by the Home Minister then.

An air of secrecy revolving around the whole episode persists. Apart from the above comments, no response were forthcoming from either the Home Minister or Musa Hassan despite being brought up in parliament.

The MACC is also investigating how the little-known IT company, AsiaSoft Sdn Bhd with little experience became the local partner in the RM1bil project to upgrade the Royal Malaysian Police's communication systems from analogue-based to digital. Despite almost 2 years into the project, no action has been made with regards to the breach of security elements in awarding of the contract.

The previous Home Minister, Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar was a fierce proponent of the ISA. Under his stewardship, Teresa Kok, member of parliament for Seputeh, and Tan Hoon Cheng, a journalist for Sin Chew Jit Poh were arrested under the ISA for allegedly insulting Islam and inciting hatred respectively although no evidence were produced.

The police security breach is much harder to conceal as it clearly involves national security.

Any police officer may arrest without warrant anyone suspected of being prejudicial to the security of Malaysia, with powers for the Home Ministry to decide on the order of detention. As the ISA was frequently invoked for lesser causes, the current conundrum may call into question the subjective use of the law.

The absolute powers of the Home Ministry also calls into question the possibility of the Home Minister himself or the IGP being subjected to arrest under ISA.

As detention orders are decided by the Home Minister, the ISA does not address the possibility that the Home Minister, who if involved in the fiasco, be subjected to arrest. Malaysian laws invest and centralize powers to the Ministers, enabling indiscreet decisions to be made with limited judicial intervention.

Political will to change the draconian law also remains weak, particularly among government officials within the ruling coalition.

The fifth Prime Minister of Malaysia, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, went on the record in 1988 to state "If we want to save Malaysia and UMNO, Dr Mahathir (then Prime Minister) must be removed. He uses draconian laws such as the Internal Security Act to silence his critics." The year before, he had also stated "Laws such as the Internal Security Act have no place in modern Malaysia. It is a draconian and barbaric law."

In 2003 when he became Prime Minister, however, Abdullah called the ISA "a necessary law," and argued "We have never misused the Internal Security Act. All those detained under the Internal Security Act are proven threats to society."

The question remains whether the Malaysian Government is willing to use the law against high ranking officials, including the IGP and Home Minister when the threat to national security is real.

Anwar will be PM , ex-police interrogator says

2010-04-08T17:17:00.000-07:00

themalaysianinsider

By Clara Chooi

Kudus first met Anwar when tasked to interrogate the latter in 1974. — Picture by Choo Choy May

HULU SELANGOR, April 9 — At 70, Abdul Kudus Omar, even with his thinning shock of white hair, cuts a slim, trim and youthful figure.

His eyes, now crinkled at the corners, tell of stories long past and experiences that, although sometimes bitter, have also become the potion of life that has kept him fuelled throughout the years.

To Abdul Kudus, it is not the number of years in one’s life that matters — it is how much life one injects into those years that really counts. And for the grandfather of 11, the very essence of that life was his unfaltering faith and belief in the struggles of one man — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Ironically, Abdul Kudus’ friendship with the fiery opposition leader, dating as far back as 1974, had sparked off from a rather bizarre setting — in the interrogation room of the Bukit Aman police headquarters.

Then a corporal with the force’s Special Branch unit, Abdul Kudus who is today the division chairman for PKR Tanjung Karang, was tasked with interrogating the young student leader Anwar, who had been detained — for the first time — under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for rallying against rural poverty and hunger.

“It was a 60-day long interrogation. I was assigned to the duty with two others but I did most of the questioning for the others often found ways to get out of it,” Abdul Kudus told The Malaysian Insider in an exclusive interview here this week.

The septuagenarian gestured energetically as he recalled the details of his early friendship with Anwar and looked right at home in the tiny coffee shop nestled at the fringes of Desa Maju, Kampung Sungai Tengi. Despite his advanced years, the pint-sized activist commutes at least one hour daily to the village, known to be an Umno stronghold, to spearhead activities for his party’s campaign in the Hulu Selangor by-election on April 25.

“I had already known of Anwar before, as the leader of Abim (Malaysian Muslim Youth Movement), but we only met when he got arrested. It was too bad that he got arrested. At the time, the Home Ministry claimed that his actions had been under the influence and instigation of Parti Komunis Malaya — they were trying to implicate him with the communist party.

>“Anwar was placed under solitary confinement for his involvement in the protests and my job was to speak with him every day for 60 days, to determine if he was indeed a threat to national security,” said Abdul Kudus.

In the 60 days, he said, his admiration for the young Anwar grew.

“He was co-operative, there was no exchange of harsh words or violence. We discussed things; education policies, politics, everything,” he said.

It was during that time, said Abdul Kudus, that he “fell in love” with Anwar’s courage and powerful convictions.

“There was something inside this guy, something in his style that told me: this man will be the prime minister of Malaysia one day,” he said.

Abdul Kudus said that although Anwar was sent to serve a 20-month sentence at the Kamunting detention camp, his friendship with him never wavered.

“We stayed in touch and when he was released, we would meet up, sometimes as often as once a week. We spoke extensively about the future of Islam, the wellbeing of the people and the future of the country,” he said.

Abdul Kudus added that he had initially been opposed to the idea of Anwar joining Umno. “I do not know what it was, I just felt something was not good. At the time, it was (former prime minister Tun) Dr Mahathir (Mohamad) who invited him in. He called Anwar’s father-in-law, Datuk Wan Ismail and said that he wanted Anwar to join his Cabinet,” he said.

Anwar’s powerful convictions have earned him a staunch supporter in Abdul Kudus. — file pic

Despite his uneasiness at the proposition, Abdul Kudus said his support for Anwar continued throughout the years, until the leader reached the pinnacle of his career in the Federal Government — he had become the country’s second-in-line to the premiership as the deputy prime minister.

Anwar’s steady climb to the top came to an abrupt stop, however, when he was suddenly sacked in 1998 over allegations of sodomy and corruption, and subsequently sent to jail until 2004.

“In Sept 2, 1998, I was in Seremban visiting my children when I heard the news — Anwar had been removed. I knew immediately he had been framed. I knew it without a doubt.

“Since that day, I joined the reformasi (reformation) movement and never looked back,” he said.

Abdul Kudus admitted that although his faith in Anwar had already become an impenetrable fortress, it had not been an easy transition to move from his cushy life as a pro-establishment supporter to the opposition camp.

“I had joined Umno in 1996 already. I was in the party as a member for almost two years when Anwar was removed. But it mattered little for I knew, and I strongly believed, that this man had been framed,” he said.

In Sept 16, 1998, Abdul Kudus organised a mammoth rally for Anwar at his home in Tanjung Karang, giving the leader the platform to explain his predicament to the people.

“Thousands gathered to hear him. It was surreal,” he said.

On Sept 20, Anwar was arrested. A few days later, Abdul Kudus, and many of his family members were sacked from Umno.

“Anyone with the ‘bin Omar’ name was sacked. But it was funny — we laughed until our stomachs exploded,” he said.

Abdul Kudus went on to explain that even his contract for an excavator service business that he had just started at the time, was also taken away.

“They took everything from us, from me. Even my brother, who was not an Umno member, was apparently sacked from Umno. Do not ask me how, we received the letters and we just laughed,” he said.

The losses, however, never once dampened Abdul Kudus’ resolve to stand strong for the reformasi movement, and his blind faith in Anwar even withstood the test of whopping offers of gifts and monetary rewards.

“I am quite somebody in Selangor. And they (Umno) knew that. I am very valuable to them because the people of Selangor know me,” he said.

He claimed that he had been approached with contract offers and cash rewards in exchange for his return to Umno and his departure from the reformasi movement.

“They asked me — how many million ringgit worth of contract do you want? I was asked also to hand over my membership form to Umno to a prominent politician onstage during one function and when I descended from the stage, I was to receive RM5 million upfront,” he said, smiling coyly.

Abdul Kudus claimed he politely declined the offers.

“After 34 years of clean service with the force... I never once accepted corrupt offers... and now, when I am old and decrepit, why should I sacrifice all those years?” he said.

Instead, Abdul Kudus said he chose to follow his heart.

“And I had already, from years before, fallen in love with Anwar’s fight. What Anwar is preaching is the very value I admire... I fall in love with people who preach the universal values of mankind — that mankind is equal, that we are all one people.

“I see that he is not only a leader to his family, to the people but also, he is a leader of the world. When Anwar speaks, everyone listens — the Muslims, the Christians, the Buddhists, everyone,” he said.

Abdul Kudus expressed disgust at leaders who ruled only for the sake of holding on to power and not to use that power to improve society.

“They do not care, they would do anything to stay up on that pedestal,” he said.

He noted that Anwar, however, had not only gone to the far corners of power but had also been dragged mercilessly from the throne and thrown into the dark recesses of incarceration.

Even then, he said, the now 62-year-old leader had still emerged upholding the very same principles he had admired in the young student leader whom he met in 1974.

It was this determination, concluded Abdul Kudus, that would make his prediction, made within the four walls of the dank interrogation room at Bukit Aman more than 30 years ago, come true.

“Anwar will become the prime minister of Malaysia one day.”

Chua's line-up reflects political reality

2010-04-08T05:39:00.000-07:00

freemalaysiatoday
Thu, 08 Apr 2010 16:00

By Stanley Koh

COMMENT Is Dr Chua Soi Lek a man in a hurry? As a seasoned professional politician, he knows that political futures can be frighteningly uncertain and that no politician is immune to anxiety.

He knows too that it is not just styles and methods that change with the times, but also allegiances and loyalties, and that nowhere is this more evident than in MCA, the party he now leads.

One of his biggest burdens is to regain the confidence of Malaysians in Barisan Nasional’s second largest component party. To accomplish that mission, he first has to restore unity and stability in MCA. And time is short.

Chua knows that he cannot afford the luxury of gliding over the reality that flexing political muscle is the only way to win—and therefore acceptable—in the modern game of party politicking.Maybe Providence is on his side. His presidential election victory over Ong Ka Ting and Ong Tee Keat was virtually predicted in the number of nominations they received. He was first, Ka Ting second and Tee Keat third. And the placing was duplicated in the election results.

Did Heaven intervene again yesterday at the inaugural meeting of the new central committee? There was a blackout and the meeting had to be held at a hotel instead of the party headquarters.

Nobody bothered to interpret the signs, probably because most were in a festive and buoyant mood, awaiting confirmation of their appointments. It was a thanksgiving meeting of sorts, with the members feeling gratified that the new president was rewarding them for their loyalty and the votes that they cast to give him his marginal victory.

Was the change of venue a kind of divine intervention, or is all this just nonsensical speculation?

Power play

Unlike previous central committee meetings, which were characterised by Mexican stand-offs, yesterday’s meeting took place in a changed environment under unforeseen circumstances. Was it a sign of a new beginning?

Perhaps not all is destiny, after all. MCA’s power play is like a football match to a team that has had a disappointing season and is desperately trying to make a comeback. The party leadership is certainly going to battle valiantly for an equaliser in the next 15 months or so of injury time.

With the party now in Chua’s hands, there is no need for any element of surprise or a wow factor in the appointment of the new leadership line-up. He simply had to get a credible team back into business.

All Chua needs is a team that has the spirit to go all the way to the final match—the next general election.

He has no option but to reward his closest aides, those who have shown constant loyalty to him and his mission and brought his political agenda to fruition.

Chua has also given due recognition to those who garnered collective votes in his support in the various states. This was exactly as some pundits have speculated.

There is also some indication that Chua has kept to his word about ensuring that MCA under him would be an “inclusive” party. He has positioned leaders of various loyalty leanings in the party’s 14 bureaux.Firstly, his sidekicks Kong Cho Ha and Tan Chai Ho were appointed secretary-general and treasurer-general respectively. A supporter from Sabah, Edward Khoo Keok Hai, was slotted in as deputy to Chai Ho and Hou Kok Chung as Kong's deputy.

Another close Chua aide, Tee Siew Kiong, was appointed as the national organising secretary. Deputy Information and Culture Minister Heng Sai Kie, formerly aligned to Ong Tee Keat’s camp, is Tee’s deputy.

Adequate representation

Chua sized up his support following feedback from the ground and has tried to ensure that there is adequate representation from the various states in appointing the additional eight central committee members: Mah Hang Soon (Perak), Tan Chin Meng (Perak), Ei Kim Hock (Selangor), Edward Khoo (Sabah), Koay Kar Huah (Penang), Yeow Chai Thiam (Negeri Sembilan), Khoo Soo Seang (Johor) and Lau Cheek Tuan (Penang).

As for appointments to the chairmanship of the state committees, Chua made sure he would not be firing blank shots by slotting in featherweights or unpopular leaders as this would derail his effort to stabilise the party at state level.

Taking upon himself the functions of chairman for Johor and Perak, Chua fulfilled his own aspiration to make Johor his political home front and to take charge of Perak, a problematic state divided along factional camps.

For Perlis, he appointed Por Choo Chor and in Kedah, Chong Itt Chew takes charge with Chor Chee Heung as state adviser.

As for MCA Penang and Kelantan, Dr Ng Yen Yen was placed in command because two states, according to Chua, preferred to have a minister to lead them.

Donald Lim returned to his power seat in Selangor.

In Pahang, Liow Tiong Lai takes charge, and it is left to be seen whether he will use this opportunity to build his own power base instead of drawing on support from his previous political masters like Lim Ah Lek and Chan Kong Choy.

Other state chairmen are Chai Ho (Kulala Lumpur), Toh Chin Yaw (Terengganu) and Gan Tian Loo (Malacca), son of party veteran Gan Boon Leong.

Fong Chan Onn has been brought back to head the economic bureau and the party’s think-tank, INSAP.

Ka Chuan is given the religious bureau and Chew Mei Fun the crisis relief squad.

Chua himself heads the political bureau.

Other bureau chairmen are Tiong Lai (Chinese Guilds and Associations), Ng (1Malaysia consultative bureau), Donald Lim Siang Chai (SME bureau), Chor Chee Heung (international affairs), Gan Ping Sieu (cadre training), Wee Ka Siong (education), Kong Cho Ha (science and technology, Wong Koon Mun (public services and complaints) and Heng Seai Kie (information and communications).

Anwar wants the King to intervene in APCO row

2010-04-08T05:26:00.000-07:00

themalaysianinsider
By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani

KUALA LUMPUR, April 8 — Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today he has written to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to seek his intervention to get the Najib administration to cancel its contract with public relations firm APCO Worldwide because of its alleged links to Israel.

He said that in the letter sent this afternoon, he also requested the King to advise the government to cancel all contracts with companies which had links to Israel.

“I don’t see any way for Umno to get out of this mess. That is why today I have written to the King and to support the initiative of my colleagues, the PAS members of Parliament, to secure the good offices of the King and to advise the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to immediately cancel the contract involving APCO and all related Israeli intelligence interests,” he told reporters in Parliament.

PAS has sent a memorandum to the Conference of Rulers, urging it to order the government to cut its ties with APCO.

Anwar (picture) said it was vital that the government terminate its relationship with APCO and Asiasoft Malaysia because the two companies are a threat to national security.

Anwar had claimed yesterday that the government was infiltrated by Israeli intelligence working as contractors at the Bukit Aman federal police headquarters.

He claimed that the agents were working for Asiasoft Malaysia, a sub-contractor engaged by Master Plan Consulting Sdn Bhd, to perform an upgrade of communication systems for the police.

He said the country should not sell its “pride to the Israelis”.

“If we love our country, and we are supposedly Malays, then why should we sell our pride to the Israelis. We have provided evidence; name of the company, the owners, address and report made by the director of the Special Branch. So this is my answer to Tan Sri Musa Hassan so I hope that he can continue the investigation but it was halted and I do not know why,” he said.

Anwar added that he was ready to assist the police in their investigation.

He was responding to the challenge made by Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan to provide evidence on his allegation.

APCO Worldwide, the public relations consultancy engaged by the Najib administration, has been the target of attacks on the government by the opposition who claimed that the company had also advised the Israeli government.

Anwar has been referred to the parliamentary Rights and Privileges Committee and faces suspension for bringing up the allegation that APCO had Israeli links

Noh Omar apologies for " insults "

2010-04-08T05:20:00.000-07:00

themalaysianinsider

By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal

Noh delivers his speech at the Selangor BN Convention April 7, 2010. — Picture by Jack Ooi

KUALA LUMPUR, April 8 — Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Datuk Seri Noh Omar apologised today over his recent remarks that Chinese and Indians should be “grateful” for being made Malaysian citizens.

The Selangor Umno deputy chief made the remarks at the Selangor Barisan Nasional (BN) Convention yesterday.

In an official statement released earlier, Noh said his remarks then were merely quotes from both the late Tun Tan Siew Sin and the late Tun VT Sambathan, and were never meant to offend.

“I did not intend to hurt the feelings of any race, for me what was read was an important historical piece to ensure that this country remains peaceful and its people live harmoniously in line with the 1 Malaysia concept,” he said.

He claimed the purpose of reading excerpts from the late political leaders were to reinforce the spirit of co-operation among members and leaders of BN.

“If the speech was not appropriate to be read in the context of today’s generation, then I am sorry,” said Noh.

The contents of Noh’s speech had been the focus of attacks by Puchong MP, Gobind Singh Deo, in Parliament earlier today.

Gobind claimed in Parliament that Noh had said that the Chinese and Indians should be “grateful” because they are granted citizenship.

“Umno is still insulting people, especially Indians and Chinese... this is absolute rubbish,” said Gobind.

Chew may invited as Wanita advisor

2010-04-08T05:15:00.000-07:00

themalaysianinsider

Chew speaks to the press on her resignation. Standing on the right is Yu. — Picture by Choo Choy May

By Clara Chooi

KUALA LUMPUR, April 8 — Wanita MCA chief Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun, who today resigned from all party posts, will likely be invited to be an advisor to the wing.

Her deputy, Datuk Yu Chok Tow, who has now replaced Chew as wing chairman, told reporters that an emergency central committee meeting would be held next week for the purpose of filling all the vacancies following the latter’s resignation today.

“We respect her decision and we feel that her move was unprecedented and highly admirable. It shows that she is truly a woman of principle,” said Yu after Chew announced her resignation this afternoon.

She added that in view of that, the wing still felt that Chew was an able leader and could still contribute to the party through other means.

“We will consider inviting her to be a part of the wing by appointing her as an advisor. We will discuss this during the emergency CC meeting,” she said, adding that the date of the meeting was yet to be confirmed.

Yu said the wing’s entire central committee, comprising over 60 members, had been unanimous in its attempt to dissuade Chew from going through with her resignation.

“There were many reasons we felt she should stay but she was very firm and she held on to her principles,” said Yu.

She said that despite the pleas from CC members, Chew had insisted on resigning in order to take full responsibility for her actions and express the high standard of integrity and accountability expected of the Wanita MCA.

“Her resignation is to defend the dignity of women and to safeguard the integrity, image and reputation of the party.

“Her political and personal code of conduct has always been based on principles, integrity and accountability,” said Yu.

She said Chew’s leadership would be greatly missed as the latter had always been a fierce advocate of integrity and high moral values.

“We admire her resolute commitment and strong conviction in upholding and defending her principles. Her resignation bears testimony to her devotion to honour and principles,” said Yu.

In announcing her resignation today, Chew had said that her reason for quitting from her posts was because she could not bear to accept the tainted past of the party’s present president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.

Dr Chua, a former deputy president, won the party presidency during the party polls on March 28. His political career was damaged in 2007 when CDs containing a long video of him engaging in sexual acts with a woman in a hotel room began circulating.

After admitting that he was the man in the video, Dr Chua resigned from all his party and government posts, including that of health minister, MCA vice-president, Labis MP, Johor MCA chairman and Batu Pahat division chairman.

He made a comeback in 2008 however when he clinched the party’s deputy presidency during the party elections.

Chew had made a brave pledge last November after the party’s extraordinary general meeting on Oct 10, that she would resign if Dr Chua were to become president.

After chairing her last central committee meeting here today, Chew confirmed that she had resigned with immediate effect from all party posts, including that of Wanita MCA chairman, Wanita Selangor chairman and MCA Crisis Relief Squad chief.

She had also announced that she would relinquish her government posts, which was offered to her due to her post as Wanita MCA chairman, and would submit her resignation letter as a senator and Women, Family and Community Development deputy minister tomorrow.

Nazri : Independents chosen to ensure BN majority

2010-04-08T05:09:00.000-07:00

themalaysianinsider

By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani

KUALA LUMPUR, April 8 — Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz (picture) said the prime minister’s decision to bring two independent lawmakers to the US was because “the Barisan Nasional (BN) wants to maintain its majority in Parliament.”

Bayan Baru MP Datuk Seri Zahrain Hashim and Kulim-Bandar Baharu MP Zulkifli Noordin — both former PKR lawmakers — will be part of the Malaysia-United States Caucus to be launched by the prime minister next Wednesday

“It is like this because the Opposition is practising bloc voting so we must make sure that BN at every moment... must have more lawmakers than them.

“Because of that, I have made the decision not to send BN Members of Parliament to follow the prime minister. We have decided that during a Parliamentary sitting, we won’t allow any BN Members of Parliament to leave the country,” he told reporters in Parliament today.

DAP Parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang earlier ridiculed the segmented Malaysia-United States Caucus because it did not have any representative from the Opposition which accounts for more than a third of the House.

Lim also mocked BN lawmakers, calling them second-class MPs because only independent MPs were chosen for the trip.

Nazri had a different explanation for the exclusion of Pakatan Rakyat (PR) MPs.

“At the same time, I did not send Opposition lawmakers who are not independent because I do not want to be accused of trying to decrease their numbers. Because of that I didn’t send lawmakers from BN or Opposition. I sent independents because they do not vote for BN or Opposition. It would not be a problem if I sent 10 independents.”

Nazri said that it was the government’s policy not to allow Cabinet members to travel overseas when there is a Parliamentary sitting.

“There is no grumbling about the decision. BN MPs have accepted that when there is a Parliament sitting that ministers and the Cabinet are not allowed to leave the country. That is why only Rais is following the PM.

“This is Kit Siang’s fault because every time there is a vote, they want bloc voting.”

Najib’s move to only allow two independent MPs in the caucus is seen as a precautionary measure after his debut Budget 2010 was nearly scuttled by the Pakatan Rakyat last year as it barely got through by a 66-63 vote margin at the third reading in the Dewan Rakyat.

DAP's Kulasegaran says BN's Tajuddin threatened him

2010-04-07T21:59:00.000-07:00

thestaronline

KUALA LUMPUR: M. Kulasegaran (DAP-Ipoh Barat) alleged that Datuk Tajuddin A. Rahman (BN- Pasir Salak) threatened to send people to beat him up.

Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia said he needed time to investigate the matter as the alleged incident happened outside the Dewan Rakyat.

Boustead claims RM60 million from MPPP

2010-04-07T20:20:00.000-07:00

ShareJust when you thought the proposed RM50 million Penang International Convention Centre was bad enough for Penang rate-payers, now Boustead Holdings Bhd has reportedly submitted a RM60 million claim to the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) for scaling down its project in the world heritage zone.

The state government had earlier directed the developer to scale down its 12-storey hotel project to meet Unesco’s 18-metre or five-storey height ruling in the core heritage zone of Weld Quay.

Strangely though, instead of the Penang NGOs being lauded for protecting Penang’s World Heritage status, they have been criticised because Boustead has made a staggering claim.

This is a red herring.

Instead of lambasting the Penang NGOs, the state government should haul up those responsible in the previous adminstration for approving the project to find out why heritage guidelines were ignored. How could a 12-storey hotel be approved in the core heritage zone? Demand answers and name names. Who exactly was responsible for the approval? And didn’t Boustead know about the heritage guidelines for the area when it planned the hotel?

Incidentally, according to its 2009 Annual Report, Boustead Holdings Bhd is 58 per cent owned by Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera. This is the same Boustead that has “ventured into the submarine maintenance business where we will be providing ISS services to the Prime Minister’s Class Scorpene Submarines, KD TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN and KD TUN RAZAK, for an initial period of six years”. Check out the protracted negotiations on the maintenance agreement here.

Also coming under Boustead are the BH Petrol retail network, Cadbury’s Confectionery Sdn Bhd, and Boustead Sissons Paint Sdn Bhd.

As a whole, the Boustead Group posted a profit before tax of RM501 million on the back of revenue of RM5.4 billion in 2009. Its property division alone posted a profit of RM106 million.

The RM60 million Boustead claim is in effect a claim on public funds that are managed by the MPPP, which is on a tight RM40 million deficit budget for 2010 on the back of total income of around RM200 million plus.

Coming on the back of news of the RM50 million PICC project, this claim on public funds is therefore certainly not good news for the MPPP, the Penang rate-payers and the Penang public.

Penangites should definitely support the MPPP in contesting Boustead’s claim all the way.

Scholarships for top scorrers

2010-04-07T20:13:00.000-07:00

blog.limkitsiang

By Dr.Chris Anthony

Stretching to help fairly all who deserve

The government’s decision to spend RM1.24bil to award scholarships to 1,500 top SPM students may be laudable but spending such a hefty sum on a relatively small number of students to undertake their first degree programmes abroad is unwise. High performers must be rewarded appropriately but the money spent must be prudent to benefit as many as possible.

Why can’t our top scorers be sent to do their pre-university courses and basic degrees in local institutions? By sending the best to local universities, which cost much less, not only more students can be sponsored but at the same time also help improve the standards in our own local universities which is on the decline in recent years. How can we elevate our universities to the status of world renowned institutions like Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard and many others, when we keep sending our best overseas? This would only boost the foreign universities at the expense of our own.

It must be borne in mind that high achieving students make up far less than 10% of students. The vast majority are average performers who should also be catered for adequately. There are also many who do badly or even fail their examinations and it is equally important to cater for the special needs of these category of students as well. Spending all we have on a few top students and neglecting the vast majority who obtain mediocre results will be detrimental to the nation. It will be this majority who are considered mediocre who will be form the bulk of the workforce in the future.

Selection of students for scholarships causes a lot of uproar every year. I admit there is no one ideal system that would satisfy all but whatever method is chosen must ensure that genuinely deserving students are not deprived of the opportunity to pursue their tertiary education. In this regards the selection process must be more transparent and open.

According to Deputy Prime Minister and Education MinisterTan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin the students for scholarships are selected under the excellent academic achievement category will be assessed according to academic performance (85%), co-curricular activities (10%) and Public Services Department interview (5%).This clearly indicates the over-emphasis on academic excellence over all others. Unfortunately important factors like financial affordability, extra-curricular excellence and the all important aptitude seem to carry little weight. Not all top scorers have the aptitude and not all with aptitude will be top scorers either.

Academic performance is of course a very important factor in selecting student for scholarship but it would be unfair to base the assessment on just a single public examination. It would be a better if it is based on continuous assessment throughout the year by the respective teachers who would know the students best.

In the past tremendous emphasis used to be placed on testimonials from teachers with regards to character, attitude, aptitude, behavior and academic performance of students. Students with excellent testimonials are given greater priority for scholarships and other awards. Students then strive very hard to excel in all areas, not just academic, so as to get a good testimonial on leaving school, knowing very well that only academic excellence with good testimonials from their teachers will take them far in their career and lives.

Unfortunately today testimonials are rarely sought as they have very limited value particularly for top scorers. All that matters is a string of A’s and nothing else. Students spend so much time and money to obtain those A’s often at the expense of all other equally useful activities that are essential to make one all rounder, being well equipped to handle the many problems they may encounter with maturity and wisdom.

It would a great injustice if a student from a humble background but with the right aptitude but with only above average results denied financial assistance thereby forcing him to abandon his career that he is passionate about. It would not only a setback for the individual but also a great disservice to the nation.

It is time for the government to seriously consider a fairer and more comprehensive method of awarding scholarships to our deserving students. These awards should be granted to all who are eligible based on overall merit without discrimination whatsoever in keeping with 1Malaysia policy. Unless we give every deserving Malaysian child the opportunity to pursue his ambitions and ideals, our nation will not be able to move forward in this highly competitive global world.

As responsible citizens the people too should dotheir part to ensure that as many Malaysians as possible will benefit from government aid to further their studies. With limited resources and a large number of deserving students, it would only be fair for those who can afford to be considerate to make way for the less fortunate who are genuinely in need of financial assistance without which they will have to forgo their dreams of a tertiary education for good.

Nalib takes 2 independents to the US

2010-04-07T18:08:00.000-07:00

themalaysianinsiderBy G. Manimaran

KUALA LUMPUR, April 8 — In an unprecedented move, Datuk Seri Najib Razak is taking two independent MPs to the United States next week, while ordering fellow Barisan Nasional (BN) lawmakers to stay behind and ensure all government bills are approved in the current parliamentary sitting.

Bayan Baru MP Datuk Seri Zahrain Hashim and Kulim-Bandar Baharu MP Zulkifli Noordin — both former PKR lawmakers — will be in Washington as part of the Malaysia-United States Caucus to be launched by the prime minister next Wednesday.

Najib is taking no chances after the near-defeat of the Budget 2010 proposals last December in the Dewan Rakyat where BN holds a simple majority of 137 MPs over Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) 78 lawmakers.

“Some of us were initially on the Washington trip but Najib wants us to stay back and come to Parliament everyday,” a BN MP told The Malaysian Insider in Parliament last night.

A strong BN bench in Parliament yesterday saw them defeating a surprise PR motion to refer Pasir Salak MP Datuk Tajuddin Abdul Rahman to the Rights and Privileges Committee after he claimed DAP secretary-general and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng had sold state secrets to Singapore.

But BN used its superior numbers to refer Pokok Sena MP Datuk Mahfuz Omar to the same committee for linking Umno to the government’s public relations consultancy APCO — which PR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had linked to a former Israeli regime.

The highly-charged parliamentary sitting has forced BN to ensure that all its MPs, including veterans such as former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz and Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar, turn up for crucial votes to approve all government bills and supplementary supply bills.

But Najib will still have two BN MPs — Information Minsiter Datuk Seri Rais Yatim and the country’s Malaysian ambassador to the US, Datuk Seri Jamaluddin Jarjis — with him in his short US trip. Rais is deputising for Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman who is indisposed.

Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Datuk Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar confirmed the short list of MPs joining Najib for the US trip, held just a year after the prime minister completed his first year in office.

“We have no further information as we didn’t arrange the trip. But I know Datuk Seri Rais will join the two MPs Zulkifli Noordin and Datuk Zahrain,” he told The Malaysian Insider, adding Najib will launch the caucus on April 14.

The prime minister is also due to meet US President Barack Obama at the sidelines of a nuclear non-proliferation convention while in Washington.

Zulkifli, who was expelled from PKR last month, told The Malaysian Insider that he will be in the US to attend the launch of the caucus, which was restarted recently after Jamaluddin became the ambassador in Washington.

“I will be in Washington for about a week,” Zulkifli said.

But he took great pains to deny his trip was linked to Najib’s delegation which includes a number of businessman for investment purposes.

“I am going to Washington, the Prime Minister will be in New York. I am going earlier, it has no connection with the Prime Minister’s visit.... no ... no,” the maverick politician said.

Zulkifli said he was scheduled to attend the caucus meeting in February with Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz but it clashed with another convention in South Korea.

Zahrain and Wangsa Maju MP Wee Choo Keong went with Nazri for the earlier trip.

Zulkifli also explained his membership in the caucus was decided by Parliament a while ago and had nothing to do with his former party or his current status as an independent MP.

Zahrain had earlier refused to confirm with The Malaysian Insider that he was going to the US again for the official launch of the caucus. “I don’t know, I have no information,” he said.

Nazri had said in February that the caucus had been in existence for the past decade but was not active due to lacklustre ties with the US.

“God willing, when the prime minister comes here in April, we can re- launch the Malaysia-US (Congressional) Caucus, which has been in existence for over 10 years. The fact that it has not moved speaks volumes of the state of our relations in the past,” he said in February.

Nazri said the caucus would serve as a platform to further strengthen ties between both countries and that through the caucus “we can plan programmes involving US Congress members and Malaysian Members of Parliament.”

Karpal : I have never questioned Malay rights

2010-04-07T17:58:00.000-07:00

malaysiatoday
Thursday, 08 April 2010
Written by Sharon Tan, The Edge

DAP chairman Karpal Singh clarified on Wednesday, April 7 that, contrary to reports, he has never questioned the special position of the Malays and bumiputera.

“I did not, at any time, question the special position of the Malays and bumiputera. These are in fact entrenched in Article 153 of the Federal Constitution," he said in a press conference at the parliament lobby.

“All I ask for is this; in the light of the 1Malaysia concept, is the government prepared to give us a time frame so that the bumiputera, the Malays can be put in a position to compete with the others? Does that amount to sedition? It is difficult for anyone to say anything,” said the Bukit Gelugor MP.

He said that a spate of police reports had been made against those who spoke on this issue, and it was time for the police to charge people for lodging false reports.

He also suggested that the authorities should consider action against a Malay tabloid for publishing a report portraying what he had said to be seditious when it was not.

The Federation of Peninsular Malay Students (GPMS) lodged a report against Karpal on Monday based on the report in the tabloid.

GPMS said Karpal’s remark could cause chaos and disunity and wanted the police to investigate him under the Sedition Act.

Bernama reported that Kuala Lumpur Perkasa chief Arman Azha Abu Hanifah lodged a similar report at the Sentul district police headquarters on April 7.

Sivakumar : Civility must be respected in the assembly

2010-04-07T03:05:00.000-07:00

freemalaysiatoday
Wed, 07 Apr 2010 15:43

By Marc Jitab

IPOH: As one who is familiar with rules of order and decorum, last week's spectacle at the Perak state assembly had deposed Pakatan Rakyat Perak state assembly Speaker V Sivakumar bristling with anger. He told FMT that civility must be respected in the assembly whether or not “we agree with one another or what we stand for”.

“When a state assemblyperson stands and introduces a point of order, all must be silent and listen to what he or she says, even if he or she is mistaken. That he or she is wrong is not the point.

“The point is that they must be given a chance to speak. All the BN reps wanted to do was to bulldoze a whole bunch of things which is against the convention of the assembly,” said Sivakumar.

He added that the sequence of events during the sitting is rigid, orderly and must be adhered to stringently.

“The order of the meeting must be followed as in the Standing Orders. One cannot simply change the order unless it has the approval of the assemblypersons. But BN messed up the whole thing.

“A case in point: debating the royal address has to come first, then the introduction of a bill. But BN brought up the introduction of the bill first, and then debated the address.

“I brought this fact up but BN reps refused to listen to me and they didn't realise the mistake until after the sitting, when they were giving their press conference,” said Sivakumar.

So many things to do, so little time

“We asked for five days of debates. But from the agenda of the day on March 31, we could see that they wanted to finish the royal debate on the day itself.

“Only one day!... for question and answer, to pass the bill, to debate the royal address and they also wanted to appoint three subcommittees.

“I don't see the reason why there was a need to do all these things on the same day. When I was speaker, I allowed about four days to debate and to do these things.

“I would give two hours to the MB and opposition leader to speak, and at least 20 minutes each to the assemblypersons to speak.

“Usually, one and a half hours is given for question-and-answer session but not even 45 minutes was allocated this time around,” said Sivakumar.

More mixups

A key event that led to the walkout by Pakatan reps was their frustration at not being allowed to submit verbal and oral questions, and a slew of other foul-ups that only added fuel to the situation.

“I received questions from 27 assemblypersons which I submitted to the assembly's secretariat on March 15, and I asked for acknowledgement and a receipt for every document I submitted.

“The acknowledgement was even signed. The assembly secretariat, in a letter, also said we could submit questions directly via three free e-mail addressess. These were staff's e-mails.

“Seven out of 27 Pakatan assemblypersons also carbon copied their questions to these e-mail addresses, but what R Ganesan (the current Speaker) did was to recognise only these seven.

“Standing Order 22(2) clearly states that assemblypersons should submit their questions to the secretary of the assembly 14 days before the sitting during office hours. It's as clear as that and there are no other rulings regarding the matter,” said Sivakumar.

“We complied with the Standing Order but Ganesan would not relent. Again, during the assembly sitting, Ganesan said he will only be entertaining the questions of the seven assemblypersons.

“This shows very clearly that the BN government is not interested in answering our questions. They totally wanted to ignore us.”

As a matter of record

Pakatan reps' microphones were also intentionally disabled to prevent them from speaking during the assembly.

“Only what is said into the microphone will go on the Hansard. They switched off the microphones and it would seem like there was no opposition at the sitting.

“They just had the sitting to fulfil the requirement of the Perak constitution for the assembly to sit once every six months. It is purely a gimmick,” said Sivakumar.

“They made us a bunch of mutes; they were also a bunch of deafs who refused to listen to us and they blinded the public and the media when they stopped them from view the sitting,” he added.

The Hansard (an official report) is the edited verbatim report of proceedings in the assembly. So, what does the future hold for Pakatan legislators in Perak?

Sivakumar acknowledges that bringing about change through the assembly is not the way to go after last May's and last month's fiasco.

“The assembly will have to sit again in six months, and I'm sure the same thing will happen again. The only avenue is to work hard and win back the state through election,” he said.

“What we are doing now is to go down to the ground where we still have a lot of support and explain and educate the people on the shenanigans perpetrated by BN.”

Dr Chua Soi Lek faces opposition during CC meet

2010-04-07T02:52:00.000-07:00

themalaysianinsider

By Clara Chooi

KUALA LUMPUR, April 7 — Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek took his first bite of bitter fruit this afternoon when he was faced with a few voices of dissent against his leadership during his maiden central committee meeting held at Corus Hotel here.

The opposition, which had unsurprisingly come from his deputy Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, could be a harbinger of more to come.

The Malaysian Insider understands that Liow had objections to Dr Chua’s proposed list of state chairmen.

Liow’s objections could also mean that the MCA leadership, although said to be all-inclusive with a mixed team of supporters from all camps, might still be faced with hiccups every now and again.

Today’s meeting, which lasted about three hours, saw the appointments of the party’s top administrative posts, namely that of secretary-general, treasurer-general and national organising secretary, their deputies, as well as eight more CC members.

Dr Chua also appointed members of his presidential council team and the party’s list of state liaison chairmen.

The disagreement started during the appointments of the state liaison chairmen and the opposition came from Liow, who had earlier openly declared his inability to accept Dr Chua’s leadership.

The party’s No 2 had been vocal in his disapproval of Dr Chua, and had been one of the leaders to back former president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat during a row over Dr Chua’s sacking.

Dr Chua was sacked in August last year due to his involvement in a sex scandal that stained his political career in 2007.

During the party poll on March 28, Liow had thrown his support behind Dr Chua’s biggest contender, former party president Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting.

The result of the polls had however forced the two together in an odd marriage, leaving Liow with no choice but to accept his fate of being the deputy to a leader he strongly opposed.

According to a party source however, Liow had no plans to place blind faith in Dr Chua’s leadership.
“He has to draw a line to protest; to show his supporters he has not surrendered.
“He has to show some form of opposition,” the source said.

Liow, added the source, had raised objections when he was asked to hold the post of the Pahang state chairman.

“Pahang is a relatively small state, with only about over 160 delegates. It is not like Johor, Perak or Selangor.

“He refused it but was made to accept it later,” said the source.

Liow’s voice of dissent was joined with that of the party’s former secretary-general Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan, who is also the older brother of Ka Ting.

“Ka Chuan also showed protest. He turned down the post of religious bureau chairman,” said the source.

The source added that the opposition, though relatively mild, showed that Dr Chua’s tenure as president may be peppered by similar occasions of opposition over the year.

It also shows that Liow, despite having claimed there was no bad blood between him and Dr Chua, was still unable to wholly accept the latter as his new boss.

Lowest Chinese and Indian representation in the civil service in the 53-year history of Malaysia - 5.8% Chinese and 4% Indian as at end of 2009

2010-04-06T23:33:00.000-07:00

The other two factors which can cause the failure of NEM as identified by the NEAC are:

* Reform programmes have often met with strong resistance from powerful and vested interests, which subsequently forced their derailment; (Perkasa the extremist right-wing racist organization is one such “vested interests”) and

*The implementing authorities failed to stay the course, either due to a lack of political will or inherently administrative weaknesses.

Although NEM proposes a “big push” in policy actions and initiatives to kick-start the transformation process, what ‘big results” have been achieved in the 1Malaysia concept in the past one year?

How can the public have confidence in the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) when there is no seriousness or commitment by Barisan Nasional leaders in the 1Malaysia Government Transformation Programme (GTP), as demonstrated by the Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin who had declared himself “Malay first and Malaysian second”?

It is sad and tragic that despite my challenge, not only Umno Ministers ran for cover, Ministers from MCA, Gerakan, MIC and other BN component parties also dare not declare that they are Malaysians first and their race whether Malay, Chinese, Indian, Kadazan or Iban second in keeping with the 1Malaysia concept.

I am not asking anyone to do what I dare not do, as I had declared in Parliament that I am Malaysian first and Chinese second.

I am also not asking anyone to forget or be ashamed of his or her ethnic identity. I am Malaysian first and Chinese second and I am also proud of my Chinese ethnicity.

However, something is very wrong when Umno and Barisan Nasional MPs are not prepared to come forward to declare that they are Malaysians first and their race second.

The episode in Parliament last Thursday where the Minister responsible for 1Malaysia GTP Roadmap, Senator Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon dared not respond to my challenge to declare that he is Malaysian first and second was most disgraceful for two reasons: firstly, Tsu Koon would have no hesitation previously in declaring that he is Malaysian first and Chinese second and secondly, Tsu Koon dared not declare that he is Malaysian first and Chinese second solely because he was afraid of stepping on the toes of UMNO leaders!

The NEM has admitted that the failure to restore public confidence in the independence and professionalism of national institutions is a major cause in the erosion of our international competitiveness.

For instance, although lip-service is given to a 1Malaysia Government, the latest answer from the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz to my question on the latest ethnic composition of the civil service show that we continue to go backwards instead of forwards in 1Malaysia nation-building.

As of 31st December 2009, the racial breakdown of the Malaysian civil service comprising 1,247,894 employees are:

Malays 78.2%
Other Bumiputras 7.7%
Chinese 5.8%
Indian 4.0%
Others 4.2%

This the worst multi-racial composition of the government service, with the lowest Chinese and Indian representation in the public service in Malaysian history of 53 years.

This is clearly seen from the three sets of comparative figures of the racial breakdown of the civil service in the past four decades:

Malay Chinese Indian Others

Before NEP 1971 60.80% 20.2% 17.40% 1.6%
June 2005 77.04% 9.37% 5.12% 8.47%
Dec. 2009 78.2% 5.8% 4.0% 4.2%

It is clear that the Government is setting the worst example of a 1Malaysia Government.

One major upshot of the lack of confidence in government policies is the exodus of human capital, where the country is losing the skilled talent needed to drive future growth.

Since the March 2008 general election, 400,000 best and brightest Malaysians have emigrated overseas, comprising not just Malaysian Chinese and Indians, but more and more Malays.

I do not see any effort by the government in the past year since Najib became Prime Minister aimed at ending the exodus of Malaysian talents abroad.

The Deputy Prime Minister cum Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said in Paris yesterday that the government through the Public Services Department (PSD) will offer 1,500 scholarships to top Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) students under the overseas undergraduate scholarship programme.

This is a far cry from the 2,100 scholarships for students to study abroad last year.

Several years ago, I had already proposed that the Government give the top 200 SPM students full scholarships to appreciate and retain talents in Malaysia.

I am disappointed that the government has awarded only 30 national scholarships for top SPM students last year when the government should have no problems in awarding the top 200 or even top 500 SPM students full scholarships awards – as all it needs to do to find the money by just cracking down on corruption or leakages in government procurements and tenders.

The press has reported the case of the top SPM student in Penang, Bukit Mertajam girl Edwina Tang from Convent Light Street, Penang who scored 13A+ but who was not selected for the 30 national scholarships.

This is most unfair and I call on the Cabinet to reconsider and to increase national scholarships for top SPM students to at least 500 receipients.

Restoration of public confidence in the key institutions in the country has made little progress in the past year.

If there is going to be meaningful restoration in the confidence of the judiciary, then the country cannot have a well-known Umno lawyer as the Chief Justice. The first step, therefore, on the road to national and international confidence in the judiciary must start with a new Chief Justice.

Public confidence in the police remains at an all-time low. One of the benefits promised to the people in 2020 outlined by the New Economic Model is to enable Malaysians to live, work and play in safe locations without the fear of crime.

This is outrageous as the core function of any government is to ensure that its people can live, work and play in safe and secure environment, not haunted by rampant crime and the fear of crime.

Three decades ago, Malaysians can go about free from crime and the fear of crime was an unheard-of concept. It is an indication of the failure and even breakdown of the Barisan Nasional government to deliver its its most fundamental duties to society that today, Malaysians suffer from the double curse of high crime index and the fear of crime.

Corruption is another major factor of public confidence as well as determining international competitiveness. Hardly any progress had been achieved in the battle against corruption in the past year of Najib premiership.

1Malaysia GTP Roadmap demarcates three areas most prone to corruption and should be the of focus of the anti-corruption activities of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, viz:

Regulatory and enforcement agencies;
Government procurements;
Grand Corruption (Political corruption).

What has the MACC to show in the campaign against “grand corruption” in the past year? How many top political leaders had been arrested and charged in court for corruption?

Why have no top political leaders been arrested and charged for corruption in the RM12.5 billion Port Klang Free Zone scandal, as no one believes that a few officials and functionaries could be wholly responsible for the scandal without “green light” from their political superiors.

The second Finance Minister, Husni had stated publicly that Malaysia could have lost RM28 billion from “leakages” in government procurements and contracts.

The Prime Minister had himself admitted that only RM2 billion remained in the hands of bumiputeras out of the RM54 billion shares allotted to bumiputeras since the NEP.

Easily some RM50 billion would have been lost to the national treasury from the issue of APs for vehicles since the eighties.

How is the NEM to ensure that these NEP abuses of power and corruption would not recur under the NEM?

In his biography of the fourth Prime Minister, “Malaysian Maverick: Mahathir Mohamad in Turbulent Times”, Barry Wain openly alleged that at least RM100 billion were wasted or burned in the 22 years of the Mahathir premiership.

Why was there no Royal Commission of Inquiry into such a serious allegation and why is the Home Ministry still withholding the release of the book to the bookshops?

Let me stress that Najib must be Prime Minister of all races and regions in the country.

The NEM made specific mention of focussing on Penang to establish it as “leader on sustainability and liveability”, proposing as “measures for action” (i) improve security for both the living and business environment; (ii) enhance the Georgetown conurbation; and (iii) redevelop the waterfront and ensure seamlessness like Hong Kong-Kowloon. There is also the proposal to “adopt a city strategy to reinvent Penang as a leader for sustainability”.

In his speech on March 20 unveiling the NEM, Najib mentioned the Klang Valley and Johore Bahru but omitted reference Penang. This is like cutting one’s nose to spite one’s face and should not be the conduct of a Prime Minister for all Malaysians.

[Speech (2) of DAP Parliamentary Leader and MP for Ipoh Timor Lim Kit Siang in Parliament on the 2009 Supplementary Estimates on Tuesday, 6th April 2010

DAP Kapal Singh throw out of Parliament in APCO row

2010-04-06T23:08:00.000-07:00

themalaysianinsider
By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani

KUALA LUMPUR, April 7 — The DAP’s Bukit Gelugor MP Karpal Singh has been suspended from parliament for 10 days after calling Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia a “dictator.”

Karpal was forcibly ejected by Pandikar. The Sergeant at Arms wheeled the veteran opposition lawmaker out of the hall.

“I am using my power under standing order 44 (2). Bentara, please remove Bukit Gelugor,” Pandikar ordered after a row between him and opposition MPs over the APCO issue.

Earlier PKR’s Batu MP Tian Chua was disputing why his motion to have APCO’s contract to be terminated was rejected on the grounds that the matter has been given room for deliberation.

Karpal also joined in and pointed out that the Speaker had allowed Parliament last week to debate whether Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim face the Rights and Privileges Committee under standing orders 18 (2) after the Opposition Leader alleged that the government’s public relations consultants APCO Worldwide had Israeli links and were instrumental in formulating the 1 Malaysia slogan.

He stressed that the Speaker could not go against his own precedence.

“But according to the court of law, you cannot set another precedence. You have to follow the precedence,” Karpal said

Pandikar shot back that the House was “not a court of law”.

He then warned Karpal that he would be taking action if the veteran politician refused to cooperate.

Karpal continued his tirade and kept repeating,” You are a dictator, don't be a dictator!”

After Karpal was ejected from the House, Ipoh Timur MP Lim Kit Siang tabled a motion to refer Pasir Salak MP Datuk Tajuddin Abdul Rahman to the Rights and Privileges committee for misleading the parliament.

Tajuddin allegedly said that DAP leaders were selling state secrets to Hong Kong and Singapore.

Pandikar allowed the motion and called for a voice voting but the Pakatan Rakyat MPs were not satisfied.

The speaker then called for a bloc voting and the motion was defeated 56 to 82.

Later in a press conference, Karpal insisted in accusing the Speaker of being a dictator.

“Precedence has been set by the previous speakers, what happened today is an embarrassment to the House. Maybe the Speaker has to rest after having surgery.

This is because precedence has been set by the speaker himself and other deputy speakers. What happened today cannot happen again, the Speaker sat in his chair and became a dictator. That cannot be defended by Pakatan Rakyat,” he said.

Karpal added that Pandikar admitted he was a dictator by setting a new precedent.

“All these years whenever a motion which has been sent to the speaker for the purpose of tabling under standing 18 (2) on the matter of urgent public importance. When it has been rejected by letter, the MP concerned has the right to bring up the matter and ask the Speaker why the motion has been rejected.

“He has admitted by saying that he is setting a new precedence. What he is doing amounts to being a dictator. I regret that I have been suspended for 10 days but as a matter of principle it has to be done,” Karpal said.

Tsunami alert after Sumatra's strong earthquake

2010-04-06T18:41:00.000-07:00

Published : The Star Wednesday April 7, 2010 MYT 8:26:00 AM

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Meteorological Department has issued a tsunami warning to coastal areas of Perlis, Penang and Kedah following the 7.5 magnitude earthquake that hit North Sumatra, 448km southwest of Pangkor Island.

Tremors were felt in the west coast of Peninsula Malaysia.

The department has warned people to keep away from the beach.

The Associated Press quoted the US Geological Survey saying that the quake struck at 5.15am (2215 GMT) and was centred 205km northwest of Sibolga in Sumatra at a depth of 46km.

The Indonesia Meteorology and Geophysics Agency issued a tsunami warning following the quake, but lifted it two hours later.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Honolulu also issued a tsunami watch. The centre said no tsunami threat existed for other coastal areas in the Indian Ocean, although some areas could experience small sea level changes and strong or unusual coastal currents.

Fauzi, an official at the meteorology agency’s Jakarta office who uses a single name, said there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties but officials were monitoring the situation.

Local media reports said the quake, which struck as people in the region were preparing for morning prayers, caused panic in North Sumatra’s capital of Medan and other cities in the province. Electricity was cut in Medan.

People in some cities along the southeastern coast of Sumatra as well as Sinabang on Simeulue island and Gunung Sitoli on nearby Nias island poured into the streets and rushed to higher ground, reports said.

Swiflet nest : Nothing to spit at (bird's nest)

2010-04-06T18:32:00.000-07:00

By Sheridan Mahavera

SITIAWAN, April 7 — When swiflet nest tycoon Lim Theam Siew talks about the state of this million-dollar industry, it’s difficult not to feel frustrated.
According to studies commissioned by the Malaysian Bird’s Nest Merchant’s Association, Malaysia lies at the centre of the world’s swiflet golden triangle.
In other words, if swiflet nests were like oil reserves, Malaysia would be Saudi Arabia.

Better still, there is an inexhaustible demand for the nests among China’s two billion people every year.

So why should Lim, the association’s president, be exasperated? Because in his efforts to help the government tap into this gold mine and regulate the industry, he only hears encouraging noises from the lowliest officials to a former prime minister. Unlike his birds, these chirps produce nothing.

As a result, the industry exists in a muddle of unchecked greed, messy expansions, public ignorance and bureaucratic two-facedness. Examples of this are numerous, says Lim.

Perhaps the most infuriating is the fact that no Malaysian agency issues food safety certificates for exported nests, claims Lim.

In other words, since merchants export almost all of their nests to China they have had to go to Singapore to get the certification.

“Malaysians produce the nests but we have to go to Singapore to get it certified to be exported. Can you believe this?”

Also, when harvesters convert abandoned shops in urban areas into swiflet motels, the public invariably complains about the noise, the fear of viruses and the hygiene. So the government comes out with so-called guidelines stating that motels can only be built in rural areas.

“What the public and the government don’t understand is this bird is very choosy about where it wants to build its nest. It chooses only places where there are no predators such as rats, snakes and pests, which is why it is drawn to urban areas.

“The motels for these birds are continuously kept dust- and insect-free otherwise we won’t get quality nests. The droppings are collected everyday as they make good ammonia fertiliser,” Lim explains.

“If you move a hotel, you will lose up to 80 per cent of your birds.”

There is the perception that the swiflet business is like rearing other birds such as chickens, ducks and songbirds which are filthy and which fuels health concerns.

Essentially, the guidelines do not reflect a thorough understanding of swiflet behaviour as no ministry appears interested in studying the bird.

“Without a comprehensive reference on the bird’s behaviour, its genetics, the content of its waste, potential for disease, the nest’s actual nutritional value, how are we supposed to regulate the industry?,” Lim asks.

In his interview with The Malaysian Insider in his home office, Lim produces sheaves of paper detailing his quest to get the government to treat the industry like it does oil palm, rubber or padi.

There are reports of meetings he has had with every animal-related agency under the government from wildlife to veterinary services to agriculture.

There are also plans and studies he and his association has come up with based on best practises in Indonesia and Thailand, which have been sent to the government for further action. And yet the interest he’s received is piddling.

Despite being in the middle of the world swiflet population zone, Malaysia produces only a woeful five per cent of the total number of nests, globally. 95 per cent is produced by Indonesia.

At RM2,000 to RM4,000 per kg for unprocessed nests, the industry attracts a lot of interest and it is estimated that there are about 60,000 harvesters in Malaysia.

“The problem is, only 20 per cent of them are successful. It is still largely hit-and miss because again, we don’t fully understand the bird.

“What we need is a body to look after the industry, something like a Malaysian Oil Palm Board for bird’s nest otherwise it will go to waste.”

PKR set to field Zaid Ibrahim in Hulu Selangor

2010-04-06T05:29:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, 06 April 2010

(Free Malaysia Today) - PKR is expected to field its supreme council member Zaid Ibrahim for the upcoming Hulu Selangor parliamentary by-election.

According to party insiders, PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim has acknowledged that the former law minister is the best candidate to retain the seat.

“Zaid is a recognisable face. Everyone knows him and he is quite popular with the non-Malays as well. Anwar is aware of this.

“Furthermore, Zaid is seen as a principled politician, since he was willing to resign as minister. People respect him for this,” said the insider.

In 2008, Zaid had objected to the authorities' decision to detain three individuals, an opposition leader, a popular blogger and a journalist, under the Internal Security Act.

When ordered to zip up and toe the line, the former Kota Baru MP tendered his resignation instead. The lawyer-turned-politician then quit Umno and joined PKR in the following year.

Meanwhile, the insider said Zaid's win in the by-election would also propel him to play a bigger role in the party and Pakatan Rakyat.

“Anwar interviewed several candidates, but has his mind fixed on Zaid. The party leadership would make the announcement later this week,” he added.

PKR is confident that the former minister would be able to rope in the support of all three races in the Malay-majority seat.

The constituency also has a sizeable number of Chinese and Indian voters, and is regarded as a test case to gauge public sentiment in view of the next general election.

Zul pressed me for money , says Kedah exco

2010-04-06T05:23:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, 06 April 2010

(Free Malaysia Today) - Zulkifli Noordin is back in the spotlight, with a Kedah state councillor alleging that the maverick MP asked him for money in the name of a third party during the Altantuya Shaaribu murder trial in 2008.

Lim Soo Nee, the state assemblyman for Kulim, said Zulkifli sent him threatening messages asking for money on March 5 and 6 of that year.

He said the Kulim-Bandar Baru MP told him PAS needed the money for its campaign in the 2008 general election.

Lim described Zulkifli as someone who would twist facts to suit his convenience.

“He will go to any extreme to satisfy his needs, even to the point of using third parties,” he said.

“I’m exposing this now only because I can no longer sit and watch him dupe the rakyat. I am sure many are easily hoodwinked by him.”

Zulkifli was sacked from PKR last month and now serves as an independent MP. His recent speeches appear to be supportive of the Najib administration. In one of those speeches, he said he was offered a large sum of money to implicate Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor in the murder of Mongolian beauty Altantuya.

Lim said Zulkifli told him during the 2008 election campaign that he was in possession of sensitive evidence relating to Altantuya's murder.

At the time, Zulkifli was the lawyer for Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri, one of the suspects in the murder. However, he subsequently withdrew as Azilah’s counsel.

Last March 24, Zulkifli resurrected the Altantuya saga in Parliament when he claimed that a third party had offered him payment in return for implicating Najib and his wife in the murder. He said the amount offered was enough to “shake one's faith”.

DAP wants EPF , MRCB probed for insider trading

2010-04-06T00:07:00.000-07:00

themalaysianinsider.com
By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani

KUALA LUMPUR, April 6 — The DAP’s Tony Pua demanded today that the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) be investigated for alleged insider trading of Malaysian Resources Corporation Bhd (MRCB) shares following the government’s announcement last week that 3,000 acres of land in Sungai Buloh would be developed into a new hub for the Klang Valley.

MRCB is likely to be appointed master developer of the Sungai Buloh project which Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak last week said would be a joint venture between EPF and the government.

Pua, who is Petaling Jaya Utara MP and DAP economic strategist, claimed today that the EPF and MRCB appeared to have engineered the fund’s control of 33.7 per cent of the company’s shares during its recent rights issue exercise.

Following the rights issue, EPF made a general offer to buy the rest of the company’s shares at RM1.50 each.

Pua said that EPF was already in control of more than 41.5 per cent of MRCB shares on March 29, a day before Najib announced the project.

“At the point of EPF’s rights issue on 4 December 2009, EPF had a 30.6 per cent stake in MRCB. Since the rights issue was oversubscribed by 1.74 times, as disclosed, EPF should have at best maintained its percentage ownership of MRCB with a 30.6 per cent allocation of rights issues.

“However, EPF was, for one reason or another, allocated a disproportionately higher percentage of rights issued. which was 171.47 million of 455.39 million, or 37.7 per cent of the rights issued, resulting in EPF owning 33.78 per cent of MRCB,” he said.

Pua said that under takeover rules, the investor must make an offer to buy the remaining shares once it has more than 33 per cent of a listed company.

“EPF was forced to make a general offer to purchase all shares of MRCB at the price of RM1.50 per share on 4 March 2010. EPF had in fact continued to actively purchase shares from the open market since and has increased their stake in MRCB to approximately 41.5 per cent as of 29 March 2010.

“It is hence clear now that the rights issue has been an exercise intended and engineered to allow EPF to increase its stakes in MRCB, including via the general offer which was made.

“While the above may appear above board under the normal circumstances, the fact that the Prime Minister announced the 3,000 acres mega-development joint venture project with EPF, which is touted to appoint MRCB as the developer on the 30 March 2010, throws up the very obvious question of insider trading on the part of EPF in the entire exercise above,” he said.

Pua said that it was “completely ridiculous” if EPF now claims that they did not know of the project.

“Discussions on the above joint venture must have been concluded well before 30 March, for the rumours of the project being awarded to EPF and MRCB had been circulating in financial circles since the end of 2009.”

Pua said that EPF and MRCB should be investigated under the Capital Market and Services Act (CMSA) 2007. Those found guilty of an offence under the law can be punished by imprisonment not exceeding 10 years or a fine of not less than RM1 million.

“The failure of the Securities Commission to investigate the above transactions will seriously jeopardize our efforts in promoting confidence and trust in Malaysia’s capital market and in helping the market to function efficiently based on adherence to internationally-benchmarked principles of corporate governance,” he said.

Anwar claims Bukit Aman infiltrated by Israeli spies

2010-04-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

themalaysianinsider.com

By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani

KUALA LUMPUR, April 6 — Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim continued attacking the government today over what he claimed was its infiltration by Israeli intelligence, by alleging in Parliament that agents working for Tel Aviv had worked as contractors in Bukit Aman Federal police headquarters.

In what seems clearly as an attempt to reduce the Barisan Nasional (BN) government’s credentials among conservative Muslims, Anwar claimed that Israeli agents have worked in Bukit Aman’s communications server room.

He claimed that the agents were working for Asiasoft Malaysia, a sub-contractor engaged by Master Plan Consulting Sdn Bhd to perform an upgrade of communication systems for the police.

Anwar named Police Director of Logistics Mansuri Zainal as the person who had made the allegation in a letter to the Home Ministry which was also signed by an unnamed Special Branch officer.

Anwar did not say how he obtained the information surrounding the allegation.

“On Nov 25, 2008, the then Home Minister was briefed at 4pm in the KLIA VIP room about concerns raised by the police, specifically, the logistics department and the special branch,” he told Parliament when debating the Supplementary Supply Bill.

“Then between November and December, a police report was lodged by the responsible police officers and investigated by one ASP Sairah. Then Sairah was transferred to Taiping and there was no news after that,” he said.

ONG TEE KEAT denies being offered spot in MCA presidential council

2010-04-05T23:52:00.000-07:00

Tension remains between Dr Chua (foreground) and his predecessor Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat who is now a spectator to party affairs. - Picture by Jack Ooi

By Boo Su-Lyn and Debra Chong

KUALA LUMPUR, April 6 — Defeated MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat today denied he had been offered a spot in the party's presidential council, only minutes after his successor said he had turned it down.

“I had the opportunity to approach Ong Ka Ting and Ong Tee Keat to be members of the presidential council but they declined the offer,” MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek told reporters after a handover ceremony held at the party's headquarters at noon.

But Tee Keat, who was standing just outside the conference room, denied he had declined Dr Chua's offer when asked his reasons for turning it down.

“Is there such an offer?” he quizzed, seemingly surprised.

The two leaders have been known to be at odds with each other for a long time. Chua was Tee Keat's deputy before he trumped the Pandan MP at the MCA's party elections two Sundays ago.

“The presidential council is normally meant for current leaders. I don't need to sit on the presidential council to contribute to the party,” Tee Keat said.

Ong looks on as the new boss, Chua speaks. - Picture by Jack Ooi

“You must understand... the quota is limited,” he added, in an attempt to play down the difference between him and his former No.2.

Tee Keat told reporters that for him, the “battle is over.” He was quick to add that he would continue to push his “ideals”, but did not elaborate what they were.

The transport minister whose Cabinet position is now uncertain after losing in the party elections said he would remain focused on his work.

Chua appeared in no hurry to push the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak for a spot in the Cabinet, which traditionally includes the president of the ruling coalition's component parties.

Asked when he planned to meet with Najib, an unsmiling Chua shot back: “I don't know when I'll meet with the PM. It's up to him.”

The former health minister had quit all party and ministerial posts two years ago after a sex video of him and his mistress leaked out to the public.

Chua said he was focused on regaining split support for the party, noting the upcoming 10th by-election in Hulu Selangor, which was formerly a Barisan Nasional stronghold until the general elections two years ago.

But he declined to comment on how he would do it when asked, saying he would elaborate tomorrow.

The MCA central committee will be meeting tomorrow for the first time after its elections.

Independent Special Officer Ronnie Liu submit invoices False Accusation

2010-04-05T05:14:00.000-07:00

SHAH ALAM April 2 - How Wong Chuan, a special officer to the Selangor Exco, Ronnie Liu, discharged and acquitted by the Sessions Court here today of charges of submitting false invoices and form provisions, without called to defend themselves.

Judge Azman Azhaniz Tea Tea is the decision that the prosecution failed to prove a prima facie case against Wong, 51.

A total of seven prosecution witnesses called to give evidence during the trial.

Wong tried on charges of submitting to the domestic financial governance Sepang District Office, K. Mohana Sunthari, form the provisions of the State Assembly Pelek River and invoices with false details for the supply of car flags 2.500 unit of RM2, 500 while the supply is not made.

He allegedly committed the offense in the division of Community Development, Sepang District Office, 10 Sept 2008

The charge is under Section 11 (c) Prevention of Corruption Act 1997 and punishable under Section 16 of the same Act which provides for a minimum of 14 days imprisonment and up to 20 years and fines of up to five times the value of the feed or RM10, 000, whichever is higher, if found guilty.

Wong who represented Abdul Hamid lawyer Imran Hadzalie however face two other fraud charges involving a check worth RM5, 000 and RM2, 500 are still at a separate trial in the Sessions Court here.

Reporters when met after the proceedings ended, Wong expressed happiness on the release and court decisions are also grateful to the attorney.

Deputy Public Prosecutor of the Anti-Corruption Commission, Mohd Abu Josiendra Monday said the prosecution will file an appeal against a court decision to release Wong today.

Profit and Sales Revenue attributable to the People's Pasir Singapore

2010-04-05T05:03:00.000-07:00

SG Tengi April 5 - Exco Modernisation of Agriculture, Natural Resources Management and Entrepreneur Development, Yaakob Sapari said 10 percent of the profit of the sale of sand throughout the year will be provided to the Committee on village development and security throughout the state.

Speaking at the Selangor State Council Information in Felda Sg Tengi Hall yesterday, he said through a more transparent governance and professionals through its state company, Universal Group Sdn Bhd, the sale of sand was increased to 500,000 metric tons with a profit of RM3.5 million month.

"This is much different during the administration of the Barisan Nasional in the state only a profit of RM2.7 million per annum.

"The sale of sand is expected to increase as we issue a license to land owned by individuals, and this year we hope to raise RM30 million. 10 per cent of our total will be allocated to the JKKK," said Yaakob.

He said the Umno-BN differs only good at making promises to the people but not fulfilled, the Selangor state governments rather than hasten a promise made in the 2008 general election manifesto.

Inii including 20 cubic meters of water free, scheme, senior citizens and death, education funds and the latest implementation of microcredit programs to help small entrepreneurs.

"In Singapore we just being the people's representatives are given the trust of the people. People are our boss, but the Umno-BN they said we are the bosses and the state property rights, our protests do not ask anything, and follow," he said .

Consequently Members of the Legislative Assembly Hulu Kelang, Saari Sungib said the state government under Pakatan Rakyat tekah substantial changes over the past two years and continue aka implement development programs that benefit the people.

"Under the Selangor Economic Merakyatkan main purpose is to strengthen the economic rights of the people through the policies we implement.

"Our new state government administers various lakaukan we can, yet we run the government center.

"For example, we decided from the huge profits of Petronas, 10 per cent will be allocated to our poverty reduction programs, 10 percent more to the scheme of free education to all Malaysians and 10 percent to increase the quality of health services," said Saari.

Saari therefore urge voters Huu Selangor to provide support to Pakatan Rakyat-PKR candidate in elections for 25 April next Hulu Selangor is important roads leading to Putrajaya.

Perak politics treads down familiar territory

2010-04-05T02:29:00.000-07:00

Mon, 05 Apr 2010

freemalaysiatoday
By Marc Jitab

IPOH: The saga of Perak politics treaded down familiar territory last week. There was a huge police presence and disgruntled Pakatan representatives once again walked out in protest over BN's actions.

“It was complete control of the executive by a menteri besar whose position had to be legitimised by the courts and an illegitimate Speaker who presided over the assembly,” said Nizar Jamaluddin.

For the former Perak menteri besar, the walkout by Pakatan assemblymen was the apex of a slew of incredulous situations Nizar was put into.

“There was utter contempt and total disregard for procedures and the power that be showed no respect for the rule of law. There was no debate on the royal address, and the media was barred, save for one or two,” he said.

“It was apartheid at work. We were made to enter the assembly hall via separate entrances and at a different time. The police were equipped with all sorts of gadgets to scan us upon entering.

“We had no voice in the assembly. The public address system was switched off whenever we attempted to speak and we had to shout to be heard,” said Nizar.

Nizar wrote a letter to Perak chief police officer Zulkifli Abdullah requesting that Pakatan be given an opportunity to explain what it viewed as police inteference in the whole affair.

A copy was also sent to Inspector-General of Policer Musa Hassan in Bukit Aman and the Attorney- General Abdul Gani Patail. Nizar also wrote to the palace requesting a meeting to explain what the elected representatives saw and how they were treated during the fiasco.

Pakatan is also distributing to the public a 16-page booklet giving an accurate picture as to what transpired at the assembly.

“There is a need to properly explain what happened on that day. For example, we were made out to seen as fierce and angry, but there is an explanation,” said Ngeh Koo Ham, Perak DAP chief.

“We wanted to bring up the issue where (R) Ganesan's position as Speaker went against Standing Orders 2, 3 and 4 as he was not elected according to proper procedures.

“Immediately after the short question-and-answer session, we were supposed to debate the royal address, but they did not make time for that and the microphones were switched off whenever we attempted to speak.

“They were just bulldozing through everything, and we were left with no choice but to walk out because we don't approve of such actions.

“All the doors were closed behind us and we had to walk across the centre of the assembly hall to exit, and as we proceeded to do so, we were made to appear as if we were an unruly mob.”

“The reason we held up the placards was to show the media and the world what we wanted to say because we were not given a voice at the sitting. We were never at any point violent,” said Ngeh

“Ganesan was with six bodyguards – three on his left and three on the right, a first in Malaysia. Even the Speaker of Parliament does not have such protection,” said Nizar.

Diverting attention

Outside of the state assembly, the opposition coalition continued its battle on various fronts.

“I know that some sort of memo has been sent to the palace to revoke our (Nizar's and Ngeh's) datukships,” said Nizar.

Said Ngeh: “They trying get the police to charge me with sedition and Nazri is asking the MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission) to investigate me over remarks I made last week. These are deliberate moves to divert attention.”

Last week, Ngeh had expressed concerns that the police, who were present throughout the proceedings, might take offence and shoot Pakatan representatives for views expressed during the assembly

“In a democracy we use words to fight; we don't resort to physical action. So, certain things we said during the sitting might offend the police, which is why I said what I said,” said Ngeh.

“Now the police want to charge me with sedition over that remark. Then (Minister in the Prime Minister's Department) Nazri (Abdul Aziz) asked the MACC to investigate me, but what does corruption have to do with what I had said?

“This is a just a way to avoid meeting us head-on... So they pit us against the police.. they want to get the palace to remove our datukships.

“They also want to use the MACC to get us into the courts to waste our time, so we would not be able to go about and perform our duties as elected representatives,” added Ngeh

“The assembly is defunct, press freedom curtailed and the whole state is being administered by the three 'frogs' because they hold the trump card and may switch allegiance at any time,” said Nizar.

Suspend me if you support Israel , Anwar challenges Parliament

2010-04-04T20:52:00.000-07:00

themalaysianinsider
By Clara Chooi

HULU SELANGOR, April 5 — Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has dared the government to suspend him from Parliament if it planned to continue its support for Zionist Israel.

In a fiery speech at Kampung Sungai Tengi here last night, the Permatang Pauh MP continued his attack on the government’s purported link to Israel through international public relations firm APCO, adding that aside from outright denial, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had never answered the allegations.

“These are same people who govern us, who preach to us that the rights of the Malays and the Muslims must be protected. Najib is not brave enough to answer to this.

“I am willing to volunteer myself — you continue to support Israel, you suspend me from Parliament. Suspend me, three months, six months, a year, I do not know.

“God willing, let the people decide for themselves,” he said.

DAP promises RM1,000.00 for senior citizens if Pakatan gets Putrajaya

2010-04-04T20:49:00.000-07:00

KUALA LUMPUR, April 5 — Senior citizens in the country have been promised RM1,000 annually if Pakatan Rakyat (PR) captures Putrajaya in the next general elections, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said today.

He made the vow after nearly 83,000 senior citizens aged 60 and above in Penang took up the state government’s offer of RM100 aid disbursed since April 1.

“I promise RM1,000 for each senior citizen in the country annually if PR wins the federal government,” the Penang chief minister told The Malaysian Insider.

He also said another 20,000 people have registered for the state aid, given under the Senior Citizens Appreciation Programme, as part efforts initiated by the state government to assist and appreciate the elderly.

Dismissing Barisan Nasional (BN) parties who had called the aid as a form of bribery, Lim said he welcomed the ruling federal government’s argument that it too provided RM300 to senior citizens as it was a good deed to care for them

“I can give them names of the senior citizens and they can provide them with the monthly aid,” he said, adding the aid was not a game of one-upmanship but as appreciation for the old.

“I am looking to the future and want to expand this to the entire country once we take over Putrajaya,” the DAP leader said.

DAP and its PR allies PKR and PAS won four states and 82 federal seats to deny BN its customary two-thirds parliamentary seats in Election 2008. PR now has only 78 out of the 222 seats in Dewan Rakyat after three MPs walked out and another was expelled this year. It also lost Perak to the BN in a political putsch in February 2009.

PR lynchpin PKR is now appraising candidates for the Hulu Selangor by-election on April 25, the country’s 10th by-election since the 2008 general elections. BN has only won two out of the last nine by-elections for both state and parliamentary seats.

No sorry for Perkasa , BN Chinese leaders say

2010-04-03T22:22:00.000-07:00

themalaysianinsider

By Clara Chooi

Teng and Low say Perkasa’s ideology was incompatible with Najib’s 1 Malaysia.

KUALA LUMPUR, April 4 — Two ethnic Chinese Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders have openly snubbed Perkasa Youth’s demand for an apology, continuing instead to criticise the Malay rights group by saying that its struggles were not in line with the prime minister’s 1 Malaysia concept.

Penang Gerakan chief Datuk Teng Hock Nan and MCA deputy secretary Low Chew June, who locked horns with the right-wing group when they labelled them “racists”, told The Malaysian Insider today that they refused to apologise for their statements.

Perkasa Youth chief Arman Azha Abu Hanifah had called on the duo to apologise within 48 hours from Friday, following their criticisms on the non-governmental organisation’s inaugural congress last Saturday.

Arman had claimed that failure to do so meant the two were in total disrespect of former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who has granted his patronage of the group, as well as the Federal Constitution, which Perkasa claims to uphold.

“That is nonsense. I will not apologise. I do not want people to misuse the Constitution at their whims and fancies.

“They (Perkasa) are not here to unite the races, they are here to segregate everyone,” said Low, when contacted.

He insisted on sticking to his stand that Perkasa was just hampering Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1 Malaysia concept, which calls for equal opportunity for all.

“In this concept, we need more open-minded leaders; not leaders who emphasise on one race. We should emphasise on having fair and square policies for all the races... it should not be about Malay, Chinese or Indian, it should be about Malaysians,” he said.

Low also lambasted Perkasa leader Ibrahim Ali for flashing the “keris” (traditional Malay dagger) during the group’s congress, saying that the act did not carry a positive connotation.

“All this waving of the keris is not a good thing. Even Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein’s similar act had a negative impact on the community,” he said.

Low also claimed that Najib himself was not supportive of the movement’s imbalanced views, as they failed to reflect the premier’s wish to promote racial unity and harmony.

1 Malaysia calls for equal opportunity for all, says Teng. — file pic

“I don’t think the prime minister wants this. In fact, this is very disrespectful to Najib’s 1 Malaysia concept. Perkasa should apologise to Najib because they are destroying his good concept,” he said.

Teng concurred with Low, saying that when Perkasa emphasised so extensively on fears felt by the Malays that the Chinese would soon take over, it proved that they were not in full comprehension of what 1 Malaysia stood for.

“As a senior politician, I would like to advise everyone to work towards the commonality of all, rather than to focus on conflicts. We must work in line with what the BN and the government is trying so hard to do — to promote the 1 Malaysia platform.

“Once they (Perkasa) can understand the true meaning of 1 Malaysia, the question of asking me or whomever to apologise and threatening to pressure my party to sack me, does not arise.

“My sacking would merely become a drop of blue ink in the ocean,” Teng told The Malaysian Insider this morning.

He added that by embarking on the stand that the Malays were threatened by the Chinese, Perkasa was merely creating mistrust and suspicion between the races and Gerakan would never accept that.

“Perkasa is campaigning for the rights of the Malays, the rights of the Bumiputeras, the special position of the Malay rulers and Islam as the official religion, as enshrined in the Federal Constitution.

“I believe no one has ever questioned those rights. But the statements that they made during their congress can easily be perceived by the non-Malay Malaysians as subjects that are banking on extremely divisive racial lines.

“Gerakan, as a multiracial party, believes in moderation, and we abhor any form of extremism, whether or not it is coming from a political party or an NGO or an individual,” said Teng.

He reminded Perkasa that while Article 153 of the Federal Constitution spoke of Malay’s special rights and the social contract, subsections 7 and 8 also stipulates that all Malaysians, regardless of race or religion are protected by the Constitution.

“Furthermore, Article 8 (2) speaks on how no Malaysian can be discriminated on, based on race or religion. Hence, this means that all Malaysians who love the country must put aside their personal or vested agendas and work towards the commonalities they can find in our diversity — promote similarities rather than conflict.

“Anyone who says that one race is threatening the other or one race is more superior to the other, is promoting extremism,” he said.

The prime minister has described Perkasa as “not so extreme”.—

The present verbal sparring between the non-Malay parties of the BN and Perkasa indicates the mounting pressure on the prime minister to quickly choose the path he wants to follow or face a backlash in the near future.

On the one hand, Najib had already openly accepted the group when he claimed in an interview that Perkasa was “not so extreme” and pointed out that the group still believed in Umno’s abilities to run the country.

On the other, Najib’s defence of Perkasa would likely also face heavy criticism from his non-Muslim counterparts in the BN.

Opposition leaders yesterday pointed out that Najib had fallen into a Catch-22 situation and would very soon have to find a way out of the dilemma.

“The question that all Malaysians want answered now is whether Najib plans to stick by his concept and take middle ground or succumb to the pressures of Perkasa,” DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang had said.

How Ketuanan Melayu has dispossessed the Orang Asli

2010-04-03T22:15:00.000-07:00

freemalaysiatoday
By Dr Boo Cheng Hau & Helen Ang

COMMENT Malaysia is the Asia-Pacific’s “best model” in dealing with the rights of indigenous peoples – or so it is claimed. Last Saturday (incidentally the same day Dr Mahathir Mohamad launched the Perkasa inaugural congress), BN MP Makcus Mojigoh said, in his paper presented at a regional conference, that the government is serious about the plight of the Orang Asli.

Really? The Orang Asli don’t think so.

Mojigoh’s comments follow on the heels of the march by more than 2,000 Orang Asli from all over the country on March 17 in Putrajaya. They had gathered to demand recognition of their customary rights to ancestral land – “Tanah kami, maruah kami” was the rallying cry.

The protest is not surprising as the Orang Asli have increasingly been pushed to the margins by Ketuanan Melayu – since the infamous Malay Dilemma of Mahathir and long before that.

Mahathir argued in his 1970 book that the Orang Asli are not the definitive people of the peninsular as they did not form the first effective government, and moreover “at no time did they outnumber the Malays”.

Furthermore, he brushed off the notion that Orang Asli might have prior claims above “the right of the Malays to regard the Malay peninsula as their own country...” and cited his own reading of history to bolster the Malay contention.

Today, learning from school textbooks, pupils would be left with the impression that Malaysian history started from the Malaccan Sultanate, and that before the conversion to Islam of the prince Parameswara, the country was some kind of no-man’s land.

The Malay Dilemma also contended that “in fact, there are no more than a few thousand aborigines”. Contrary to Mahathir’s assertion rubbishing their numbers, in 1969 there were 52,943 Orang Asli.

Orang Asli are not a single ethnic group but collectively composed of 18 (official) tribes. The biggest grouping is classed Senoi, who are the Semai, Temiar, Jah Hut, Che Wong, Mah Meri and Semoq Beri tribes, while two other groupings are Negrito and proto-Malay. All are indigenous people.

Similar to apartheid

According to historians, Orang Asli had been victims of the slave trade by the Malays and Bataks. Despite official denials of slavery, Orang Asli oral literature has indeed recorded slave raids. The English colonial official JWW Birch had documented their enslavement since as early as 1874.

“...one fact remains the same for all Orang Asli: they are the descendants of the earliest inhabitants of the peninsula.

Totalling some 147,500 in 2003, Orang Asli comprise about 0.6 percent of the population, and are disenfranchised on many counts.

Commenting on the demonstration in Putrajaya, Suhakam vice-chairman Simon Sipaun said: “It is expected that the Orang Asli community would protest as they have been marginalised in a system similar to apartheid."

Previously in South Africa, the white Afrikaner nationalists used an ideology almost identical to that propounded by Mahathir to justify their own indigenous status above the black Khoisan, who, according to the white supremacists, had never established a "civilised government".

If one were to look at Article 153 of our federal constitution, it says that the "special position" is extended only to Malays and natives of Sabah and Sarawak. Omitting mention of the Orang Asli in the said article excludes them from the guarantee of quotas.

[But] ‘We are not Malays, we will always be Orang Asli’ – declare the placards hoisted in Putrajaya on March 17. How then?

‘Refugees’ in own country

Not too long ago on Feb 24, a group of Orang Asli held a demonstration outside the Orang Asli Affairs Department (JHEOA) hospital in Gombak. Speaking to reporters, their spokesman Sokyen Man said the hospital is dominated by non-Orang Asli who are incapable of fulfilling the needs of the community.

The group submitted a petition against the hospital which said, among other things: “A lot of us have faced medical staff who are uncomfortable with the Orang Asli. Sometimes, they pass comments on our features and skin colour.” This particular complaint infers that they are considered an ‘out group’ or ‘inferior group’ (implied by the derogatory connotations of ‘sakai’) by the mainstream.

The term ‘Orang Asli’ was first used by the post-Independence federal government and means "the original people". Colin Nicholas of the Centre for Orang Asli Concerns (COAC) notes, “one fact remains the same for all Orang Asli: they are the descendants of the earliest inhabitants of the peninsula".

It is they whose fate could well be equated with that of aborigines in Australia, Maoris in New Zealand and Native Americans in the United States. This is a more compelling comparison than Utusan Malaysia’s constant, tiresome refrain that Malays are like Palestinians in their own homeland.

It is the Orang Asli who are akin to displaced refugees!

Most destitute group

Going by any socio-economic indicator, the Orang Asli are the worst off among all the local ethnic groups. About half live below the poverty line – according to the government’s most recent statistics. Relative to the other races, their children are malnourished and have high infant mortality rate; and Orang Asli have a lower life expectancy.

A bitter irony is that the authorities insist on perpetuating the myth that Orang Asli are "nomadic". According to Robert Dentan, most of the Orang Asli have in fact settled in stable lifestyles although a small number remain semi-nomadic.

There are about 870 Orang Asli settlements (as at December 2003) mainly in Pahang, Perak and Kelantan. More than 500 of these villages are considered to be located in the fringe and 323 in the interior. About 400 villages are categorised as "backward".

If at all Orang Asli can be regarded as nomadic foragers roaming in the forest or “tanah rayau” – a dismissive phraseology adopted by the government – it is this very government that is forcing them to move from place to place.

The Temuans in Sepang and Bangi had their land taken from them to build KLIA and UKM respectively. In Stulang Laut in Johor, the Orang Seletar were relocated to make way for a commercial and customs complex.

The “regroupment” – an euphemistic official doublespeak – of Orang Asli settlements has resulted in even their resettlements again giving way to logging, mining concessions, highway projects, industrial parks and golf courses.

National Land Act

The federal government expects to table amendments to the National Land Act in Parliament by June. It is learned that the new legislation will give the Orang Asli only 50,000 hectares of the 128,000-ha land they live on, which ultimately amounts to “a policy of planned poverty”.

The Bar Council has recommended the following legal measures on the Orang Asli land issues to empower the community:

1) the issuance of individual land titles to every indigenous family;
2) the gazetting of communal land parcels by the state governments under Section 62 of the National Land Code 1965;
3) the gazetting of communal land parcels under the Aboriginal Peoples Act 1954 with perpetual and unlimited foraging rights extending beyond the gazetted communal land parcels; and
4)in exceptional cases of certain semi-nomadic indigenous communities, who are the most vulnerable of indigenous peoples, perpetual and unlimited foraging rights (with concomitant and greater opportunities for education and vocational training towards sustaining their livelihood).

The authorities tend to take a narrow reading of the Aboriginal Peoples Act 1954 (revised 1974) and regard the Orang Asli’s rights to their land as being one of ‘tenant-at-will’. And that their right to remain in a particular area is at the pleasure of the state authority which can, if it so wishes, remove the Orang Asli from their lands without having to pay compensation for it.

The courts, especially in the Sagong Tasi case, have however deemed such thinking as archaic and unconstitutional. The Orang Asli do exercise native title rights over their traditional lands under common law. But it appears the government is not about to accept this legal precedent.

Writing in Aliran, Yogeswaran Subramaniam observes, “If past records are anything to go by, the states’ performance for gazetting Orang Asli reserves has been nothing short of dismal."

Changing the face of Orang Asli

The policy that the government is now putting on the table does not recognise customary lands but instead proposes to change the face of Orang Asli land into plantations.

Orang Asli who accept the government’s deal offering 50,000 ha (amounting to just over one hectare per household and with no forests) will not be able to bring any claims later to the courts for customary lands or loss of such lands.

The Aliran article calculated that even assuming Orang Asli want to operate oil palm smallholdings at one hectare, each household will only be able to produce around 15 tonnes annually.

The cash crop sold at RM500 a tonne would bring net earnings of RM5,000 a year, or average income of just over RM400 a month – a poverty level income!

The Orang Asli are a vulnerable minority who have been physically removed from their traditional source of livelihood in the forests. Government coercion has additionally caused the erosion of their traditions, customs and values – and its attendant side-effect of mental stress.

They did not venture to the swanky Putrajaya for “school-holiday sightseeing” as gibed by the condescending Rural Development Minister Shafie Apdal. The Orang Asli descended on the administrative capital because the community has reached a crisis level.

Gerakan National Central Committee should convene emergency meeting to give ultimatum to Koh Tsu Koon to declare he is " Malaysian first and Chinese second " or be removed as Gerakan President

2010-04-02T22:10:00.000-07:00

blog.limkitsiang.com
The Gerakan Youth Secretary-General Dominic Lau had rightly come out with a public position criticizing Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for his declaration that he is “a Malay first and then only a Malaysian”, asking him to be Deputy Prime Minister for all Malaysians and not just for the Malays; cautioning him to be mindful of the fact and reality that Malaysia is a multi-racial and multi-religious society and warning him not to forget the lessons of the March 8 “political tsunami” in the 2008 general elections where the people have made clear that they wanted a government for all Malaysians and not just for anyone ethnic group. (Chinese Malaysiakini 3.4.10)

This statement by the Gerakan Youth Secretary-General shows that there are still people at least in Gerakan Youth who have not completely lost their sense of idealism and national service in politics, especially as Gerakan national leaders like the previous Gerakan President Tun Dr. Lim Keng Yaik had repeatedly declared that Gerakan’s mission is nothing less than to achieve a Malaysian Malaysia.

The Gerakan National Central Committee should follow up on this statement by the Gerakan Youth Secretary-General to convene an emergency meeting to give an ultimatum to the Minister for 1Malaysia Government Transformation Programme Roadmap, Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon to declare that he is “Malaysian first and Chinese second” or be removed as Gerakan President.

Koh was a pathetic spectacle in Parliament on Thursday night, twisting and turning when he was repeatedly challenged to declare whether he is “Malaysian first and Chinese second” or “Chinese first and Malaysian second”?

Without doubt, before Muhyiddin’s declaration on March 31 that he is “Malay first and Malaysian second”, Koh would have no hesitation in saying that he is “Malaysian first and Chinese second” when asked.

However, after Muhyiddin’s declaration, Koh did not even dare to declare that he is “Malaysian first and Chinese second” when repeatedly asked in Parliament on Thursday night, during the winding-up in the debate on the Royal Address.

In fact, Koh was specifically warned not to give an answer which was different from that given by Muhyiddin and endorsed earlier in Parliament by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, causing Koh to twist and turn to avoid answering when challenged to declare his stand.

The Gerakan leadership must now decide whether they want as a President for their party which claims to have as its mission a Malaysian Malaysia a person who dare not declare in Parliament that he is “Malaysian first and Chinese second” despite repeatedly challenges and opportunities?

Conspiracy Theory : Malaysia the Next Iran ?

2010-04-02T21:59:00.000-07:00

by malaysiandigest.com

by Al-Jafree Md Yusop

In 1990 Iraq accused Kuwait of stealing Iraq's oil through slant drilling, but some Iraqi sources indicate Saddam Hussein’s decision to attack Kuwait was made only a few months before the actual invasion suggesting that the regime was under feelings of severe time pressure. The invasion started on August 2, 1990, and within two days of intense combat, most of the Kuwaiti Armed Forces were either overrun by the Iraqi Republican Guard or escaped to neighbouring Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. The state of Kuwait was abolished, and Saddam announced in a few days that it was the 19th province of Iraq.

Saddam Hussein’s decision partly came as a reaction towards the alleged international conspiracy against Iraq, which, in his view, was meant to weaken and destabilize the regime. Subtle shifts in the American policy together with the British and American efforts to block the export of dual-use technology to Iraq, a consequence of its nuclear program, were seen by Saddam as part of a concerted effort to build a case against Iraq. In this conspiracy theory, Kuwait was considered an accomplice of the foreign powers. In a memorandum dating from July 1990, the former Iraqi Foreign Minister Tariq Aziz accused Kuwait and the UAE of production beyond their OPEC quotas and claimed that the overproduction was synchronized with the efforts of foreign powers to denigrate Iraq. Tariq argues that the fact that Kuwait refused to negotiate with Iraq and risked being invaded by it sustains the theory according to which Kuwait had received tacit support from the US even before the war started. At the same time, the Iraqi military intelligence was receiving warnings about Israeli plans to attack Iraqi nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.

Saddam's concern was proven in the 2003 invasion of Iraq (from March 20 to May 1, 2003) was led by the United States, alongside the United Kingdom and smaller contingents from Australia, Denmark, and Poland. Four countries participated with troops during the initial invasion phase, which lasted from March 20 to May 1. These were the United States (248,000), United Kingdom (45,000), Australia (2,000), and Poland (194). 36 other countries were involved in its aftermath. The invasion marked the beginning of the Iraq War. In preparation for the invasion, 100,000 US troops were assembled in Kuwait by February 18. The United States supplied the vast majority of the invading forces, but also received support from Kurdish irregulars in Iraqi Kurdistan.

On August 14, 2002, Alireza Jafarzadeh, a spokesman for an Iranian dissident group National Council of Resistance of Iran, publicly revealed the existence of two nuclear sites under-construction: a uranium enrichment facility in Natanz (part of which is underground), and a heavy water facility in Arak. It's been strongly suggested that intelligence agencies already knew about these facilities but the reports had been classified.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) immediately sought access to these facilities and further information and co-operation from Iran regarding its nuclear program. According to arrangements in force at the time for implementation of Iran's safeguards agreement with the IAEA, Iran was not required to allow IAEA inspections of a new nuclear facility until six months before nuclear material is introduced into that facility. At the time, Iran was not even required to inform the IAEA of the existence of the facility. This 'six months' clause was standard for implementation of all IAEA safeguards agreements until 1992, when the IAEA Board of Governors decided that facilities should be reported during the planning phase, even before construction began. Iran was the last country to accept that decision, and only did so February 26, 2003, after the IAEA investigation began.

Now with the threat to impose economic sanction to Iran by the US, Iran might just end up being the third Islamic country that will fall under the western conspiracy to bring it down, as claimed by Saddam Hussein prior to the Iraq War.

We all now know that the true reason behind the invasion of Afghanistan is about the proposed USD3 billion Trans-Afghanistan Pipeline for a natural gas pipeline across Afghanistan into Pakistan.

The Strait of Malacca is a narrow, 805 km stretch of water between Peninsular Malaysia (West Malaysia) and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It is named after the Empire of Melaka that ruled over the archipelago between 1414 to 1511. From an economic and strategic perspective the Strait of Malacca is one of the most important shipping lanes in the world.

The strait is the main shipping channel between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, linking major Asian economies such as India, China, Japan and South Korea. Over 50,000 vessels pass through the strait per year, carrying about one-quarter of the world's traded goods including oil, Chinese manufactures, and Indonesian coffee.

About a quarter of all oil carried by sea passes through the strait, mainly from Persian Gulf suppliers to Asian markets such as China, Japan, and South Korea. In 2006, an estimated 15 million barrels per day were transported through the strait.

In 2004, a minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Mustapa Mohamed, revealed that Malaysia's oil reserves stood at 4.84 billion barrels while natural gas reserves increased to 89 trillion cubic feet. This was an increase of 7.2%. As of 1 January 2007, Petronas reported that oil and gas reserves in Malaysia amounted to 20.18 billion barrels equivalent.

The government estimates that, at current production rates, Malaysia will be able to produce oil up to 18 years and gas for 35 years. In 2004, Malaysia is ranked 24th in terms of world oil reserves and 13th for gas. 56% of the oil reserves exist in the Peninsula while 19% exist in East Malaysia. The government collects oil royalties of which 5% are passed to the states and the rest retained by the federal government.

With all these advantages, could Malaysia be the next Muslim country targeted by the conspiracy of the western countries as claimed by the late Saddam Hussein? Only time will tell.

Inter-Parlimentary Union (IPU) 122 nd Assembly Adopted Resolutions On Anwar Ibrahim's Second Sodomy Case

2010-04-02T21:49:00.000-07:00

by malaysiatoday.net
Friday, 02 April 2010 Super Admin

At the Inter- Parliamentary Union (IPU) assembly in Bangkok,Thailand on 1st April 2010, the committee of IPU on the human rights of Parliamentarians reported their unanimous decision to recommend to the Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union resolutions on the case o MAL/15-Anwar Ibrahim. The assembly was attended by members of Parliaments from 145 countries throughout the world.

The chairman of the Committee of IPU On the Human Rights of Parliamentarians, Senator Aquilino Q Pimentel, Jr of Philiphines, then presented the following resolutions to be adopted by the council.

Noting that Anwar Ibrahim’s renewed sodomy trial has been widely critized as a bid to wreck Anwar Ibrahim’s political career,

1. Is deeply concerned at the new sodomy charges and proceedings brought against Anwar Ibrahim, which seem to be fraught with flaws similar to those of the first sodomy trial several years ago of which he was acquitted in last instance;

2. Believes that in the light of the two medical reports concluding that there were no physical signs of penetration, charges should not have been pressed in the first place and should now be dismissed;

3. Is moreover alarmed that members of the prosecution team who were implicated in the first sodomy trial, the main prosecutor at the time and now Attorney General, having even been accused of having fabricated evidence against Anwar Ibrahim, are again involved in the present proceedings and that Anwar’s defence team has been prevented from exercising its right to access prosecution evidence and been hindered to prepare the defence;

4. Firmly recalls that equality of arms between the prosecution that the defence is an essential element of a fair trial and that, failing action to ensure that the defence can exercise its rights, any judgments issued by the court will be fundamentally flawed;

5. Requests the Secretary General to make the necessary arrangements to ensure the presence of a trial observer at the coming hearings;

6. Requests the Secretary General to inform the Malaysian Parliamentary authorities accordingly;

7. Requests the Committee to continue examining this case and report to its next session, to be held on the occasion of the 123rd IPU Assembly (October 2010).

The resolutions were adopted by all the delegations of Assembly with Malaysia reservation recorded.

Joint press statement by Pakatan Rakyat MPs, attending the 122nd IPU Assembly:

YB Hee Loy Sian, PKR MP of Petaling Jaya Selatan,
YB Sim Tong Him, DAP MP of Kota Melaka
YB Senator Mumtaz bt Md.Nawi , PAS .

2nd April 2010,
Bangkok, Thailand

Perkasa slams Chinese politicians for calling it racist

2010-04-02T06:51:00.000-07:00

Perkasa's youth chief, Arman Abu Hanifah accuses two Chinese leaders from Gerakan and MCA of maligning the movement.

themalaysianinsider.com
By Debra Chong and Yow Hong Chieh

KUALA LUMPUR, April 2 — Malay rights group Perkasa today accused two ethnic Chinese Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders of maligning their movement and is demanding a public apology within the next 48 hours.

Its youth chief Arman Azha Abu Hanifah slammed Gerakan’s Datuk Teng Hock Nan and MCA’s Low Chew June for their comments on the non-governmental organisation’s (NGO) inaugural congress officiated by former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad last Saturday.

Arman Azha insisted the duo had no right to interfere, and had incorrectly labelled Perkasa a “racist and right-wing organisation”.

He denied they were “racist”, “right-wing” or “extremist” and said they were only “protecting” the rights of the Malay community as laid out in the Federal Constitution.

“I give them 48 hours for them to retaliate and apologise to ex-Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir and Perkasa because all the while Tun Mahathir and Perkasa have been protecting the Perlembagaan Negara.

“If they don’t apologise, it shows they are not respecting the Perlembagaan Negara,” he said, referring to the Federal Constitution.

Arman Azhar demands an apology from the two Chinese leaders.
Arman Azha questioned if the two Chinese politicians knew the provisions of the constitution.

He said they should make sure they really understood what was laid down in the nation’s founding document before they spoke out.

He told reporters at a press conference here today that the Gerakan and MCA politicians should go back for nation-building classes at the Biro Tata Negara (BTN) for a refresher course on the constitution.

Arman Azha also offered to teach them.

“Please respect the rights of our pribumi,” he asked.

He did not elaborate on the rights, except to say they were laid down in the constitution.

“If they don’t respect, something is wrong and they are not qualified to be called leaders,” he said.

If neither Teng nor Low apologised within the time frame, Arman Azha said they would then “pressure” their respective parties to suspend or even sack them.

Arman Azha stressed that Perkasa is not a political party but an NGO that represents the voice of the grassroots who are “fed up” with the attitude of politicians.

“There’s too much politicking,” he said, and made pointed references to the Pakatan Rakyat (PR).

“They don’t show they are fighting for the rakyat. They are fighting for power,” he added.

He also condemned two vernacular newspapers, Sin Chew Daily and China Press for publishing articles attacking the Malay movement and demanded their apology within 48 hours or he would take legal action against them.

Wanita MCA Chief Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun had vowed to quit if Dr Chua ever became MCA president

2010-04-02T06:38:00.000-07:00

Chew to fall on sword as vowed

KUALA LUMPUR, April 2 — As promised, Wanita MCA chief Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun will quit from her party post next week.

In a statement to the media this afternoon, Chew made a clear indication of her intention to stick to the pledge she had made earlier, but pointed out that she would only make her decision known after next Thursday’s Wanita MCA central committee meeting.

“My stand has not changed. I have expressed my stand clearly and I shall not be held liable if there is anyone who still could not comprehend what I have said.

“In respect to when and where I should make known my decision publicly, I feel that I need not respond in accordance to anyone’s schedule,” she said in the statement.

Chew, who just returned to Kuala Lumpur today after a trip to Bangkok for an inter-parliamentary conference since March 29, had vowed before last year’s extraordinary general meeting on Oct 10 that she would quit her party post if Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek were voted in as president.

In the hotly contested party polls last Sunday, Dr Chua, the party’s former deputy president whose political career was stained with a sex scandal, clinched presidency.

Since then, talk has cantered on whether Chew would stick to her guns or reverse her decision.

In Chew’s absence, a media blitz took place, with parties trying to second-guess her next move; some even moving to encourage her to do so.

Dr Chua, in the meantime, had been careful in his words when speaking about Chew and made no move to urge the Wanita leader to quit.

“For the stability of Wanita, Chew Mei Fun will have to think carefully. I don’t take to heart what was in the past. This is how we succeed,” he had been quoted as saying two days ago.

Despite his graciousness however, it looks as if Chew has no intention to stay on and work with the man she had been criticising strongly for so long.

In her statement, she went on to say that although she would be willing to give her supporters space to express their opinions before she made her intention public, she would still not renege on her promise.

“Of late, many have persuaded me to stay through SMSes, emails and phone calls. However, there are also those who have created a Facebook group demanding my immediate resignation.

“As a Wanita National Chairman, I am shouldering a lot of support and hopes. They have a close relationship with me and we share common goals. As such, I feel the need to give them a space to express their opinions before I make any public announcement,” she said.

She added that she would hold private meetings with those who had requested to see her upon her return today but maintained that “once they have expressed their opinions, I will have to explain to them the decision which I have already made and my stand.”

Chew also called on all quarters to maintain patience and allow her to make the necessary arrangements as well as meet with the Wanita CC members next Thursday before making her announcement.

“I hope when I finally make the announcement in accordance to my initial intention, it will cause minimal ripples and at the same time will not bring about any quandary to the party,” she said

A Blueprint for Malaysia

2010-04-02T01:54:00.000-07:00

2-4-2010
Opinion Asia
The Wall Street Journal

Prime Minister Najib Razak sounds a reform note, but will he follow through?

The times they are a-changin’ in Malaysia. A few years ago it was inconceivable that a Malaysian premier would express dissatisfaction with the “rent-seeking and patronage” inherent in the country’s four-decade-old affirmative action policies and call for a more “transparent” system based on merit and need. Former strongman Mahathir Mohamad used to label people with such ideas “extremists.”

Yet today Dr. Mahathir, who has thrown his lot in with nativist groups like Perkasa, looks extreme. Prime Minister Najib Razak, by contrast, is reflecting the popular will. In announcing what he dubbed a “New Economic Model” Tuesday, Mr. Najib is responding to the obvious: His country’s extensive system of hiring rules, investment quotas and various other perquisites for the majority ethnic Malays drives away capital and labor and entrenches corruption and poverty.

It’s a story investors already understand. For the past few years, foreign direct investment in Malaysia has slowed to a trickle in an economy that used to be one of Southeast Asia’s dynamos. On a net basis, money is flowing out of the country. Part of this trend has to do with state-owned oil behemoth Petronas’s investments abroad. But it also reflects that many Malaysian companies don’t repatriate capital because they see fewer decent investment opportunities at home. The same goes for foreign investors.

The only way to change this trend is to roll back Malaysia’s overweening public sector and open space for competition and creative destruction. Mr. Najib acknowledged this Tuesday, saying “we need a new way of doing things.” He laid out a plan for privatization of state-owned companies, sales of government land, a reassessment of subsidies and a review of restrictions on foreign investment in services.

As importantly, Mr. Najib mentioned education reform—an area in which pro-Malay admissions policies have made meritocracy a dirty word and denied opportunities to bright minority students, especially from the Chinese and Indian communities. Malaysian companies often complain about the lack of skilled labor, and the country’s universities are a big part of the problem.

So far, so good. However, Mr. Najib has made these promises before, and there’s no evidence beyond his words that he has the gumption to press ahead. He announced a small services liberalization in April last year, but it wasn’t the big-bang reform that Malaysia needs. Not much has happened since. The markets yesterday greeted the New Economic Model with a yawn.

Most investors simply don’t believe Mr. Najib is willing to take on the biggest entrenched interest of all—his own political party, the United Malays National Organization. For decades, UMNO has monopolized power by divvying up economic spoils on political and ethnic grounds. If Mr. Najib is serious about reform, that’s the place to start.

Push for SABAH and SARAWAK independence : Next stop United Nation

2010-04-02T01:47:00.000-07:00

02 Apr 2010 14:54

by freemalaysiatoday.com
By Athi Shankar

GEORGE TOWN: A group of prominent politicians and social activists from East Malaysia are seriously contemplating pulling out Sabah and Sarawak from the Federation of Malaysia.

They are planning to take up their case to the United Nations to hold a referendum on the status of the Borneo states as independent nations.

They no longer want their states to be under the clutches of the Umno-led Putrajaya administration.

The group has already sought legal advice from the international community to explore all orderly and democratic means to legally declare Sabah and Sarawak as separate sovereign states.

Sources said the group was keen to avoid any civil unrest, bloodshed and armed conflict with the central government, features usually associated with separatist movements.

“They want to resolve the pressing issue by peaceful and civilised means,” said the source.

It’s learnt that about seven representatives from the group met London-based Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) chairman P Waytha Moorthy in Indonesia early this week to discuss the matter.

Sources close to the group said the activists sought Waytha Moorthy’s help to facilitate their imminent representation in the UN.

It’s learnt that Waytha Moorthy had agreed to assist them, with the help of several influential international organisations.

Waytha Moorthy recently facilitated the activists to air their grouses and grievances against the federal government at the UK Parliament.

'Systematic looting and plundering'

The group of activists are deeply perturbed by the federal government’s alleged violations of the states’ rights, interests and benefits for more than four decades since the formation of the Federation of Malaysia in 1963.

“The group is angry over the systematic looting and plundering of the states’ wealth by Umno and its cronies,” said a source.

Sabah, Sarawak, Malaya and Singapore formerly joined Malaysia in 1963. However, Singapore left the Federation in 1965.

The Sabah and Sarawak activists believe that just like Singapore, their states too can pull out from Malaysia.

Sabah and Sarawak are two natural resources rich provinces in Malaysia, with massive wealth potentials in oil reserves and forestry.

However, Sabahans and Sarawakians are convinced that they have remained poor due to the federal government's “manipulation and usurpation” of their power to self-determine their own affairs.

Unhappy over petro dollars

They are crying foul over the mere five percent royalty cut received for their own oil, while the Putrajaya administration “steals” 95 percent of petro dollars.

“People from both Sabah and Sarawak realise that they are being short-changed. They know there has been daylight robbery of their god-given richness,” said a source.

Another contentious issue is the existence of an estimated 1.7 million illegal immigrants as rightful citizens in Sabah.

Sabahans termed the illegal immigrants, mostly Filipino and Indonesian Muslims, as former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s legacy.

“The government since under Mahathir has systematically brought in these aliens and granted them citizenships. These aliens are now legal MyKad holders in Sabah. It’s absolutely outrageous and ludicrous,” said the source.

The illegal immigrant issue in Sarawak is not as disturbing as in Sabah although it is equally damaging.

'Raping of forest wealth'

The major issue in Sarawak is the “raping of state forest wealth” by the Umno-backed Taib Mahmud’s government at the expense of the indigenous population.

The natives are also disgruntled by the usurpation of their customary land rights by the authorities despite a recent apex court ruling against it.

Sabahans and Sarawakians are also said to be peeved with the “Malay-nisation and Islamisation” process of their states’ bureaucracy and political systems.

Activists claimed that the federal government had appointed native Muslims to helm various ministerial portfolios and government departments to hasten and fasten this process.

“These Muslim leaders and bureaucratic heads are puppets dancing to the tune played by their masters in Putrajaya,” said the source.

Wary MTUC cautions Najib over use of EPF funds

2010-04-01T00:12:00.000-07:00

freemalaysiatoday , Wed, 31 Mar 2010 23:30

By FMT Staff

KUALA LUMPUR: While many are mulling over the implications Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s New Economic Model (NEM), which among others, allows the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) to increase its investments overseas, the Malaysian Trade Union Congress has issued a caution.

MTUC expressed its reservations over Najib’s announcement on Tuesday, reminding EPF that it held in trust people’s life and old-age savings.

Said MTUC president Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud: “We understand the need to expand and move into heavy investments. But we implore the government and EPF to be careful with the people’s savings.

“High investments usually means bigger risks. We have seen how hugely successful companies like Enron (in the US) collapsed overnight due to mismanagement. EPF must be very careful. “

Syed Sharir said while he accepted the Government’s aim to enhance the liquidity of the local market through the involvement of foreign fund managers and investors, it was imperative that dealings are transparent.

He said the government and EPF must “double and triple verify” the background of fund managers it hires to ensure their credibility.

“Whatever it is the government and EPF must be prudent and transparent in all its dealings. Malaysians will watching them closely,” he said.

EPF has over the years limited its major investments to the domestic front. Currently 70 percent of EPF’s investments are classified as low risk types.

At the end of 2008, EPF was the controlling stake holder in two listed companies, Malaysia Building Society Berhad (63.33 percent) and in RHB Capital Berhad (57.27 percent).

EPF also holds equity in 30 other companies. Its stakes range from from 11.68 percent (YTL Corporation Bhd) to 31.59 percent (Malaysia Resource Corporation Berhad).

“On the domestic front EPF’s investments have been robust. In 2008 the EPF Board announced a dividend rate of 4.50 percent. The government guarantees a minimum 2.5 percent on all contributions,” he said.

EPF, with 12.4 million members, has a fund size of over RM307 billion.

Cronies and gluttony

Meanwhile Pakatan Rakyat leader Anwar Ibrahim has urged the rakyat to be wary of the NEM in relation to the EPF funds.

He said there were concerns over Najib’s announcement that the EPF funds will be used to buy into companies and participate in new investments.

“This is worrying because in future millions of our employees will become victims of greed and gluttony by leaders and their cronies who will take the opportunity to use public funds to enrich themselves.

“It is the responsibility of all Malaysians to stay alert and monitor whatever decisions or purchases made by EPF after this because we are certain there will be interferences which will force or influence EPF’s decisions.

"The bigger responsibility however lies with the PM and the government.

“Najib needs to list out all the steps taken to ensure that the process of investment and involvement of EPF in new businesses is carried out in a transparent manner,” Anwar said.

Single mother to sue police for shooting her five times

2010-04-01T00:07:00.000-07:00

themalaysianinsider

By Neville Spykerman

KUALA LUMPUR, April 1 — Single mother Norizan Salleh, who was shot five times by police last Oct 30, will sue the police but today brought her case to Parliament and demanded answers from the government.

“I want to know why I was shot “ said Norizan, who was accompanied by lawmakers from Pakatan Rakyat (PR).

On that night, the 29-year-old was travelling on the Middle Ring Road 2 with three others when police open fire on the car from behind, allegedly without justification.

Her lawyer N. Surendran said they decided to come to Parliament to meet Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein after being turned away from his office in Putrajaya on Feb 25.

Hishammuddin later met Norizan, her lawyer and Ampang MP Zuraida Kamaruddin at his office in Parliament for 10 minutes.

According to an aide, the minister had told them that he would look into the case and listen to all sides.

Besides demanding an independent inquiry to be set up, Surendran also announced that Norizan would also be suing the police.

“Yes, she wants compensation but the culprits must be brought to justice.”

Surendran had earlier also lashed out at the Minister for his written reply in Parliament that no action would be taken against the police.

He also had stated the group was travelling in a stolen car and had tried to ram a police road block.

However Surendran said Norizan was an innocent passenger in the car and denied there was any road block.

“I can prove the police are lying because there were bullet holes on the back of the car which indicates the shot were not fired from the front.”

He points out that the police in the case has acted beyond local laws and international norms where shots are usually fire in self-defence.

According to him Norizan had no previous criminal record and none in the car were armed.

Surendran today also disclosed that he had met another of the victims in the car but who is to afraid to come forward.

He alleged the victims were brought to a police station and coerced into making confessions that they were involved in crime.

During the incident Norizan right wrist bone was shattered by two bullets while two other bullets grazed her arm and torso. The last bullet hit her in the middle of her chest, narrowly missing her heart.

She also alleged that she was pull out of the car and was kicked and stepped on by the police.

Norizan also recounted how she had to beg for mercy before she was brought to hospital.

She was returning to her home in Gombak after having drinks with her friends when the incident happened.

The mother of an 11-year-old also said her hospital bills so far amounted to RM18,000 and she remains unemployed.

Muhyiddin for Malaysia " not available "

2010-03-31T21:44:00.000-07:00

by anilnetto.com

1-4-2010

How apt that Deputy Prime Minister’s new My-Malaysia website, bearing the tag line ‘Muhyiddin Yassin for Malaysia’ is now “not available!”

That says a lot. The website was launched at the end of January. But now – poof! – it has vanished without a trace. Now we know he thinks of himself as Malay first.

Seen from one level, a national leader should be thinking of the nation first. Maybe that was the reason he set up his now defunct website as ‘Muhyiddin untuk Malaysia‘ in the first place.

At another level, this debate about whether we are Malaysians first or Malay/Chinese/Indian/Kadazan/Iban/Orang Asli etc first as a test of patriotism is a bit shallow.

If we want to go down that path, where do we place our religious identity? Are we Malaysians first or Muslims/Christians/Buddhists/Hindus/Sikhs first or Malays/Chinese/Indians etc first?

But how did our ancestors identify themselves before the existence of the nation-state? They couldn’t have been Malaysians first as there was no ‘Malaysia’ before 1963.

What about familial identity? Am I a son or a brother first? Is a woman a daughter, a mother, a sister or a wife first? Few would even think of asking such a question.

Or do we identify ourselves by our occupation, as many do? Am I a writer first or an activist or just a good-for-nothing?

It is so easy to pin labels on people – and on ourselves. Such labels are often a mask. The truth – about ourselves, of self awareness, about God and the divine – lies deeper within. Often we struggle to peel off the layers to discover our true selves.

Yet, we are all human beings belonging to the same human family. If you believe in a God, then you could say we are all part of Creation. Even if you don’t, you have to admit we are all inter-connected in so many different ways and share a common bond and heritage as part of the human family.

As human beings, we have a body and a soul, but our individual identity is more complex.

What makes us who we are is a combination of so many factors, including the environment we were brought up in.

Paradoxically, the great spiritual traditions teach us that the Self and the Ego often stand in the way of true enlightenment.

Central to this identity of ours are the values we cherish.

Do we believe in Truth, Love, Justice, Compassion and Solidarity first – or is it always Me (and the group I identify with) First so that I couldn’t care less about the interests of those around Me?

That, to me, is the real question we should be asking ourselves. What do you think?

Zambry's " revelation " to hide Umno's problems , says Nizar

2010-03-31T21:29:00.000-07:00

The malaysianinsider
By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal

KUALA LUMPUR, April 1 — Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin has rubbished his successor’s claims of being offered the Perak Mentri Besar’s post first by the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) shortly after Election 2008, saying it was an attempt to hide problems in Umno.

Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Dr. Zambry Abd Kadir’s made the “revelation” in the Perak State Assembly yesterday (picture) that he had been “approached” by a top PKR leader to defect but had declined.

“He had to reassure Umno leaders in Perak that he was the rightful mentri besar. He wants to reaffirm with Umno that he was the right mentri besar, officially under Pak Lah,” Nizar told The Malaysian Insider last night.

The ousted mentri besar, who is also Bukit Gantang MP, alluded to internal strife within Umno Perak when Zambry was made Perak MB.

According to Nizar, Zambry’s claims that a top PKR leader had courted him and was offered the top post in Perak was engineered to psychologically sway Umno member’s opinions about his “legitimacy” as MB, since even “Pakatan Rakyat had been courting him.”

“Pak Lah had in fact on February 6 2009, pushed for him (Zambry) to be appointed… and at that time, his son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin also wanted to become Umno Youth Chief,” claimed the Pasir Panjang assemblyman, referring to former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Nizar alleged that Zambry’ was pushed by Abdullah the former was the ex-Umno Youth leader of Perak, and thus had some political clout over the Umno Youth Wing.

“His claims does not hold any weightlah. He can say and claim whatever he wants, but he can’t justify it. I have not heard from any PR leaders on this matter.”

He noted that Zambry’s remarks came after PR lawmakers staged a walkout of the state assembly yesterday morning.

The stunning revelation was made during Zambry’s winding up speech on the debate of thanks on the royal address at the Perak State Assembly here this afternoon.

“I was courted. I was indeed courted when the (Barisan Nasional) government fell. The first person who was courted was Dr Zambry and not Nizar,” Zambry had said.

He did not reveal who the “number one leader” was and when asked whether he was referring to the party president (Datin Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail) or the adviser (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim), Zambry merely said, “At the time, the leader was supposedly a very big leader”.

Nizar also told The Malaysian Insider that there had been a motion to remove his Datukship title.

“I was told that there was a motion tabled to pull back my Datukship,” he said, but did not elaborate on details.

Muhyiddin should resign as DPM if he is not prepared to declare that in accordance with 1 Malaysia goal , he is Malaysian first and Malay second

2010-03-30T22:26:00.000-07:00

31-3-2010 by LKS blog

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said in Parliament yesterday in his reply as Education Minister that he supported the Prime Minister’s message of 1Malaysia and instead accused me of trying to drive a wedge between Datuk Seri Najib Razak and him.

Muhyiddin said:

“Ipoh Timur has questioned my commitment to the concept of 1 Malaysia. For Ipoh Timur’s information, 1 Malaysia, which was created by the prime minister, is a pure idea aimed at strengthening racial unity which has been the basis of our strength as a nation.

“Unity reflected by 1 Malaysia is not a form of assimilation where one’s identity is erased and replaced with one identity. It is also not a concept which rejects the special rights of the Malays as propagated by Ipoh Timur through the concept of Malaysian Malaysia and lately Middle Malaysia.

“My relationship with the prime minister is very close and 1 Malaysia has the support of the nation. The allegations made are aimed at weakening Barisan Nasional. I am confident that Barisan Nasional lawmakers clearly understand the concept of 1 Malaysia.”

Muhyiddin said that 1Malaysia respects the nation’s constitution and accused me of questioning the special rights of the Malays.

He said:

“Ipoh Timur is questioning the special rights of the Malays and rejects the differences in identity of the different races and the spirit of the constitution which does not reflect real commitment to the concept of 1 Malaysia.”

Clearly, Muhyiddin believes in the maxim that the best defence is offence, as he had completely evaded the three questions, which I had described as the three acid tests as to whether he really supports Najib’s 1Malaysia concept and has the 1Malaysia DNA, namely;

1) Whether he agrees to the establishment of an Opposition-headed Parliamentary Select Committee on 1Malaysia;

2) Is he prepared to declare that the basis of 1Malaysia is “ketuanan rakyat Malaysia” and not “ketuanan Melayu”; and

3) Is he prepared to endorse the objective of 1Malaysia as defined by the 1Malaysia Government Transformation Programme (GTP) Roadmap to create a nation where every Malaysian perceives himself or herself as Malaysian first, and by race, religion or region second.

4) As a result of evasion and prevarication by Umno Youth leader, Khairy Jamaluddin during the exchange when I spoke in the debate on the Royal Address, I had framed a fourth question:

Whether he is prepared to declare that the basis of the Malaysian Constitution is “ketuanan rakyat Malaysia” and not “ketuanan Melayu”.

Instead, Muhyiddin had gone on the offensive to launch a baseless and scurrilous attack on me, alleging that that I “questioned Malay special rights and rejected the differences in identity of the different races and the spirit of the constitution”.

Muhyiddin must be a very desperate politician that he had to make such a baseless charge, as I had refuted the allegation that I opposed Article 153 of the Constitution.

Is Muhyiddin making the allegation because I had declared that I am Malaysian first and Chinese second, and he is evading my challenge to him to similarly declare that he is Malaysian first and Malay second?

Isn’t Muhiddin’s refusal to make such a declaration the best proof that he does not fully support Najib’s 1Malaysia concept?

Let me remind Muhyiddin what the 1Malaysia Government Transformation Programme Roadmap said about the goal of 1Malaysia – “to make Malaysia ….a greater nation: a nation where, it is hoped, every Malaysian perceives himself or herself as Malaysian first, and by race, religion, geographical region or socio-economic background second and where the principles of 1Malaysia are woven into the economic, political and social fabric of society”.

During the debate in Parliament, I said this formulation of the goal of 1Malaysia is exactly the goal of Malaysian Malaysia and Middle Malaysia, proof that Malaysian Malaysia and Middle Malaysia are fully centred on the fundamental basis of the Constitution upon which this nation was founded when we achieved Merdeka in 1957.

In refusing to respond to my challenge to declare that he is Malaysian first and Malay second, isn’t Muhyiddin demonstrating that he does not fully support the 1Malaysia goal?

I challenge Muhyiddin to explain how my four questions on the acid tests of 1Malaysia had “questioned Malay special rights and rejected the differences in identity of the different races and the spirit of the constitution”?

Muhyiddin should resign as Deputy Prime Minister if he is not prepared to set the lead for all UMNO and Barisan Nasional leaders and declare that in accordance with the 1Malaysia goal, he is Malaysian first and Malay second.

Govt to reform education system to boost talent

2010-03-29T21:52:00.000-07:00

30-3-2010 thestaronline

KUALA LUMPUR: The government will review the education system to produce talent needed for an advanced nation and also offer perks to lure home highly-skilled Malaysians and retain global talent to develop a quality workforce.

At the same time, it will reduce reliance on cheap unskilled foreign labour by imposing equal labour standards for local and foreign labour and a levy for unskilled foreigners in line with sector needs.

These are among measures outlined in Part One of the New Economic Model (NEM) unveiled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak Tuesday.

The NEM sounds a blunt warning that Malaysia's human capital is reaching a "critical stage" because of a lack of talent development, rapidly rising migration of skilled Malaysians and declining numbers of expatriates coming here.

Stressing that people are the most valuable asset in a fiercely competitive globalised world, the NEM says Malaysia must retain and attract talent to compete on a regional and global scale.

"Malaysia must be seen by its people and others as a land of equal opportunity to earn a good living and provide a secure, happy life for each individual and the family," it says.

It notes that 80% of the local workforce are only educated up to Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia and complaints of inadequate creativity and English proficiency are among the top obstacles faced by companies, according to a study on Malaysia's investment climate.

Among the measures proposed by NEM are:

* review the education system to shift from rote learning to creative and critical thinking;
* increase emphasis on reintroducing technical and vocational training colleges;
* enhance English language proficency;
* deliver high-quality education within reach of all localities;
* upgrade skills of the Malaysian workforce with continuing education and training;
* establish a safety net for displaced workers;
* formalise international quality standards and skills certification;
* allow wage levels to be reflective of skill level;
* review existing programmes to attract highly-skilled Malaysians to return home;
* offer permanent residence for ex-Malaysians and their families;
* centralised oversight of foreign labour and expatriates to enable coherent practice; and
* simpler work permit and immigration procedures.

The NEM says greater use of foreign talent will increase the demand for Malaysians to upgrade their skills, while the ensuing combination of global and domestic talent will generate higher production and lead to more robust wage raise.

"Another barrier that has to be addressed is the regulation of professional associations which prohibit domestic employment of foreign professionals.

"This is a critical issue since Malaysia's policies are unusually restrictive compared with other East Asian countries.

“Without substantial inflows of foreign talent, firms do not have the incentive to move up the value chain but still have to cope with wage cost pressures," it says.

To remove labour market distortions that hinder wage growth, the NEM suggests the revision of the legislation and institutional framework for hiring and firing practices.

Workers, not jobs, should be protected through a stronger safety net and a labour market flexibility should be encouraged while pay rise should be based on productivity and not regulation. - Bernama

From Judges To Gestapo Type Police : Tyranny of abuse of powers

2010-03-29T21:45:00.000-07:00

30 March, 2010
By NH Chan

When powers are abused there is no tyranny like them. The abuse of powers by police is a consequence of the bad example set by judges when they refuse to apply the law as it stands or when they apply double standards in their judgments.

The Rise of Tyranny book cover. Source: Sentinel Press

I read with disgust, on 29 March 2010 in LoyarBurok about the manhandling and arrest of lawyer Amer Hamzah Arshad by the Gestapo type police.

When powers are abused, there is no tyranny like them.

We all know from the experience of recent events that those who have abused their powers have been the judges for not applying the law as it stands; not even the Federal Constitution, and, in Perak by the pretensions of a constitutional monarch for exercising a non-existent power to appoint a Menteri Besar when the incumbent is still in office.

When the highest echelon of those who wield power have themselves abused their powers it sets off a chain reaction down the line from the civil servants down to the lowest rank policemen.

And what we see today in the manhandling of Amer Hamzah Arshad, an advocate and solicitor, is an abuse of power by the police. Such is the consequence or outcome from the bad example set by the judges when they refuse to apply the law as it stands or when they apply double standard in their judgments. Look at the cases which involved Anwar Ibrahim and those which concern the power grab in Perak.

We are reminded by the prophetic words of Lord Denning in The Family Story, page 179:

But powers may be abused, and, if those powers are abused, there is no tyranny like them. It leads to a state of affairs when the police may arrest any man and throw him into prison without cause assigned. It leads to the search of his home and belongings on the slightest pretext ? or on none. It leads to the hated Gestapo and the police state. It leads to extorted confessions and to trials which are a mockery of justice.

Now you know why we must all work together to see that scums are not allowed to govern this country. They are such if they allow their judges to ignore the Federal and State Constitutions and to refuse to apply the law as it stands. Concentrate all your efforts for the next general elections.

If we allow scums to rule then as prophesied by Lord Denning, “there is no tyranny like them. It leads to a state of affairs when the police may arrest any man and throw him into prison without cause assigned. It leads to the hated Gestapo and the police state. It leads to extorted confessions and to trials which are a mockery of justice.”

SAPP MP : I'll quit if constitution allows me to re-contest

2010-03-29T21:40:00.000-07:00

Tue, 30 Mar 2010

freemalaysiatoday.com
By Joseph Bingkasan

KOTA KINABALU: A Sabah opposition member of Parliament is ready to quit his seat provided the Barisan Nasional government amends the federal and state constitutions to allow elected representatives who resign to re-contest or defend their seat in by-election or elections.

The Sepanggar MP was responding to a challenge by a state BN official to vacate his seat and defend it in a by-election.

Eric Majimbun said it would be even better if Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak called for the dissolution of Parliament to pave way for a general elections.

“Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman can also obtain the consent of the Yang Dipertua Negeri to dissolve the State Legislative Assembly to also pave the way for a State election,” the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) deputy president told FMT.

He said the constitutions at the moment made it difficult for him to re-contest the seat as it disqualifies MPs or assemblymen for five years if they resign their seats.

Article 17(5) of the Sabah constitution provides that an elected member who resigns his membership of the legislative assembly shall be disqualified from contesting for five years from the date of resignation.

Sepanggar BN coordinating chief Jumat Idris over the weekend challenged the MP from the opposition party to vacate his parliamentary seat and defend it in a by-election.

Speaking at a Juara Rakyat gathering here Sunday, Jumat challenged Majimbun to quit yesterday and have a `replay of the March 8, 2008 election in Sepanggar.

Dissolve Parliament

The BN chief claimed that Sepanggar is the national coalition’s stronghold.

“SAPP should stop dreaming of winning the seat again. They won before as their party was then still with BN. It will not be easy for SAPP through Datuk Eric Majimbun to win Sepanggar again,” Jumat said.

Majimbun thanked Jumat for his timely proposal that elected representatives go back to the people for a fresh mandate.

“As the coordination chief for Sepanggar BN, it is for Jumat Idris to make his dream come true to be a Yang Berhormat. He should also call on BN leaders to amend the State and Federal Constitutions so as not to restrict any MPs from re-contesting in by-elections,” Majimbun added.

He said Jumat should also call on Raymond Tan Shu Kiah (Tanjong Papat) and Au Kam Wah (Elopura) to resign from their respective state seats.The two assemblymen won their respective seats on SAPP-BN ticket in the 12th general election.

"Better still, If my good friend (Jumat) is a true statesman, he can always instruct his fellow BN leaders or himself to call on Prime Minister Najib to dissolve Parliament.

"Let there be a general elections for BN to go back to the people for a fresh mandate. Be my guest, Jumat can contest Sepanggar," he added.

Majimbun also said that BN leaders had, for too long, been trying to hoodwink the people with sweet talk and empty promises.

"BN should solve the major problems in Sabah … the explosive increase in population (due to the influx of illegal immigrants) and uplift the living standards of the people.

"Return the rights and power to the people of Sabah as promised by leaders during the formation of Malaysia. Sabahans are now only used as a tool by the federal government as fixed deposit in order to re-colonise Sabah." he said.

War to zero in on APCO in Parliament today

2010-03-29T21:32:00.000-07:00

KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 — The ongoing controversy involving APCO Worldwide, the US-based public relations consultancy hired by the Najib Administration, will be ramped up a notch when Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim addresses Parliament today.

After years of accusing Anwar of Jewish ties — his close association with World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz is often cited — it appears the tables have been turned against the government.

The Straits Times reports that Anwar has “fresh information on APCO’s activities, its contract with the Malaysian government, and the strong links of one of its associate units with Israel.”

The report also goes on to say that “Anwar is expected to zero in on Asero Worldwide, an APCO associate company that specialises in homeland security and is headed by several personalities who were involved with security agencies in Israel.”

The Straits Times quotes B. Jay Cooper, APCO’s deputy managing director in Washington as saying that while “Asero has no contractual relationship with the government of Israel” and is a “separate business from Apco”, it did through its corporate holding provide “some administrative support to Asero in the form of accounting and other corporate services”.

Ironically, one of the reasons APCO was hired was to help improve Malaysia’s ties with the US, which had soured during the Mahathir Administration.

But it looks like this APCO-Israeli controversy may have a negative impact with the Malay ground.

The controversy started two weeks ago when Anwar alleged that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1 Malaysia campaign mirrored former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak’s One Israel campaign. He also accused APCO of being behind both campaigns.

The Straits Times also reports that APCO was given very specific objectives.

“These included identifying areas in which goals of the Malaysian and US governments were significant and aligned, and to identify officials, think-tanks and news organisations relevant to Malaysia’s ties with the US.”

But that is not all.

Cooper said the firm was “also involved in Malaysian government initiatives in such critical areas as creating jobs and economic reform.”

There has also been widespread speculation that Apco was paid in excess of RM20 million.

Dr Mahathir , The Father Of Re-Colonisation

2010-03-29T21:26:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, 30 March 2010
by malaysiatoday
Mahathir forgets easily (I)

Every trick and treachery by Dr M during his 22 years as PM – "divide-and-rule", purveying a "culture of fear" or creating a "siege mentality", manipulating ethnic and religious fears, trotting out a bogey – were tools of British Colonialism. Now the supposed "Statesman" tells the young to be wary of re-colonisation!

By Martin Jalleh

Recently, Dr Mahathir (Dr M) reminded the younger generation, who will one day lead the nation, not to be taken in by the subtle tactics of foreigners who want to bring about neo-colonialism in the country.

He said that “foreign forces would take advantage on the basis of globalisation and liberalisation to fulfil their agenda. We are now “faced with various challenges from abroad...(and) threats from blog sites”.

He was speaking at the Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad Statesman Discussion organised by the Special Affairs Department (Jasa) of the Ministry of Information Communication and Culture (Bernama, 27.03.10).

It was one amongst the many of Dr M’s anti-re-colonisation rhetoric. Once when he was in power (in reality, he still is!) he declared that the rakyat must ensure that the BN “is returned to power with a big majority in the next general election so that the nation will be ruled by a strong Government capable of standing against any attempt by foreign powers to re-colonise the country”.

Alas, Dr M forgets very easily these days. Re-colonisation had in fact taken place in 1981 when he became PM. He had donned the mantle of British supremacy and with his Executive supremacy even outdid the white colonial master in many ways during the 22 years that followed!

Dr M and his cohorts who once detested the oppressive laws of the British, brandished a gamut of harsh executive powers during his reign which were deeply and undeniably derivative of authoritarian colonialism.

Many laws left behind by the British were amended and made even more draconian to contain, cripple and crush legitimate dissent by citizens and the Opposition. There were countless examples of this.

British "propaganda" was replaced by a powerful broadcast media owned by the Government and allied companies, and regulated by the Broadcasting Act, 1987, which gives the Information Minister vast powers of control and manipulation.

The Sedition Act (1948) was a British law used to stifle Malay nationalists (especially those in UMNO, a party born two years before the Act came to be). The Act was amended and made use of by Dr for selective prosecution of political opponents and to protect UMNO.

The Internal Security Act (ISA) (1960), a relic of colonialism, meant to combat the then communists, was amended more than 20 times to make it more repressive than the original. Its powers were abused to protect the "security" of Umno. Known as 'white terror', the ISA was and is still used by Malaysians on Malaysians.

The Printing Presses and Publications Act (1984) originated from the Printing Press Act (1948). Amended in 1987 by Dr M's regime to exclude judicial review of the Executive's action vis-a-vis publications it served as a stranglehold on the press and opposition publications.

The Official Secrets Act (OSA) (1972) was based on the British OSA of 1911. Amended in 1986 to provide for mandatory jail sentences, Dr M used it to reinforce the cult of secrecy and to hide his many misdeeds. It resulted in self-censorship by the press.

The Police Act (1963) was amended in 1967, 1981 and 1987 to enhance the wide array of police powers, thus making the constitutional right of assembly absolutely "irrelevant". The late Tunku Abdul Rahman died a disillusioned man on seeing his independent Malaysia reduced to, in his very own words, a "Police State" by Dr M.

Even the Special Branch was a creation of Britain in 1887. It was meant as a direct response to Irish anarchist terrorism. It was perfected by the Malaysian police to "trace", threaten, torture and "turn over" political dissidents, an infamous fact glaringly highlighted during the first sodomy trial of Anwar Ibrahim whom Dr M was bent on getting rid of!

Every trick and treachery by Dr M during his 22 years as PM – "divide-and-rule", purveying a "culture of fear" or creating a "siege mentality", manipulating ethnic and religious fears, trotting out a bogey – were tools of British Colonialism. Now the supposed "Statesman" tells the young to be wary of re-colonisation!

Alas, how can UMNO "re-invent" itself when its leaders who were the once-oppressed have now become the oppressors? As it happened to the all-powerful supreme British Empire, the day will come when the sun will set on UMNO....

Cakap cakap .... keadaan negara kita

2010-03-29T21:18:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, 30 March 2010
by malaysiatoday

Nobody, not the Malays, not the other Bumiputra groups, not the Chinese, not the Indians nor any ethnic groups can afford to allow Najib’s status quo within UMNO to remain “as is” in going into the next general elections. We have as many problems to resolve like any nation that has the diversity of ethnicity that we have.

By Steadyaku47

And then there is the matter of good governance to allow our people to live with respect and dignity. All this is on hold with Najib as Prime Minister because his priority is to keep his head above water – to stay afloat – to survive politically when everyone wants him to out! Even UMNO!

A few days ago our Prime Minister (and I use the word “our” very loosely here!) promised that:

“the New Economic Model (NEM) would emphasize on more equitable opportunities so that each and every Malaysian would be able to realize their maximum potential”.

Najib is very good at coming up with these pseudo statements. Taken in the context of what has happened since he took over as Prime Minister – nay even before he took over as Prime Minister with his intrigues over Perak – we know that this is another attempt from an increasingly isolated Prime Minister to try and placate everyone with empty promises. Muhyiddin is conspicuously quite. Me thinks Muhyiddin is giving Najib enough rope to hang himself!

UMNO will not go into the next General Election with Najib as baggage. Najib is a proven factor. He is flawed on a personal level. He is flawed at the political level. He is flawed as a leader for UMNO. He has crystallized a whole range of his personal issues into problems for UMNO. Less public, but not necessarily less intense has been the frustration building up within the ranks of UMNO at their inability to get back to doing “business as usual” - back to money politics, back to getting projects after projects – back to the days when you joined UMNO to make money not to serve the people.

What has not been anticipated by Najib is the manner in which the Altantuya issue has lingered, festered and continued to accumulate adverse disgust from the Malaysian public. The people want closure on this issue. A closure Najib simply does not have the guts to go through. He did swear on the Koran of his innocence. Yes, this he did, but sadly it is too easy to call on the name of ALLAH in claiming your innocence – but it is in the practice of HIS teachings that Najib’s is likely to offend.

In Perak and in Anwar’s sodomy trial he stupidly “turun padang” to ensure that his intrigues were done. He personally canvassed the Frogs that wanted to turn “Independent” in Perak and met with Saiful to “discuss” matters of mutual interests! Najibs foolishness in putting himself in the firing line is probably due to his ill placed insistence that might is right in Malaysian Politics - or maybe because he could not find anybody in UMNO to take the fall for him. In hindsight, who would want to be involved in a scam so breathtakingly stupid that when all is said and done, the Public will see it for what it is – gutter politics?

Will UMNO wait for Najib to fall on his own sword or will they “guide” him into realizing his chances of leading UMNO to the next general election diminishes with each passing day? Diminishes even as he comes with 1 Malaysia. With the NEM and diminishes even as Muhyiddin sits quietly with Mahathir and do nothing!

And now comes a by-election in Hulu Selangor. Is Najib desperate enough to form an axis of evil (with apologies to Bush!) with Samy the Vellu and that son of Ali known as Ibrahim? Perkasa's lethal racially laced utterances thinly veiled as nationalism is sanctioned by the powers that be because it serves their selfish purposes. Instead of doing everything possible to build Malaysia into a happy, harmonious and inclusive place to live in, Perkasa seeks to destroy.

The vast majority of Malaysians, irrespective of their ethnicity, regards Perkasa with anger and disgust. Do not let Perkasa initiate a resurgence of "Ketuanan Melayu" because in so doing it will only plant the seed of further conflict. Perkasa will ride on UMNO and then turn around to bite the hand that feeds it and yet strangely UMNO is drawn towards this destructive parasite because it needs anything that claims itself capable of delivering votes. Watch this son of Ali exploit Hulu Selangor for what it is worth and trade himself up to a 2011 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class!

As for Samy Vellu … enough said!

You might think that our right to vote in any election is routine. Yes it is routine until a tragedy like the May 13th incident happens.

You might think that being under custody of the authorities is routine until a Kugan or Teoh Beng Hock incident happens and we see their families with the universal sign of grief - hands covering their faces grieving for their loved ones now gone – and at that moment it is no longer routine.

Those cronies of Najib and Mahathir might think it is routine to receive horrendous amounts of commission for “services rendered” to the nation – yes it is routine until an Altantuya is murdered by two of the Police's finest from its own Unit Tindakan Khas – all because the “services rendered” were not compensated for!

You will expect our Police to be people to whom we can go to seek help, protection and comfort in time of distress – and yet this basic of all expectations is no longer something we can routinely expect – not unless we are able to pay for the these “services”.

We might think it routine for our ex-Prime Minister to be awarded a Tunship – and it is routine until we have Mahathir, who have cost our country so much and yet still insists on besmirching the Tunship conferred upon him by involving himself with Perkasa! Tun Haniff, Tun Salleh Abbas and Tun Lim Cheong Eu are exemplary examples of past leaders who have carried themselves with the dignity that we expect from our Tuns. This Mahathir has not!

What is happening to our country? The coming general election will take us either to Armageddon or a new beginning! Common sense will tell us it must be a new beginning without Najib, without UMNO!

giving Orang Asli land

2010-03-29T21:12:00.000-07:00

29 Mar 2010
By Ding Jo-Ann
dingjoann@thenutgraph.com

Members of the Orang Asli community in Kampung Chang, Bidor, protesting for their land rights .

"TANAH kami, maruah kami," said banners at an Orang Asli protest in Putrajaya recently against changes to the policy affecting their land rights.

Just three months ago, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced that Orang Asli household heads would be given two to six acres of land to help "take the community out of poverty". An additional 5,000 square feet would be granted to build houses. The policy would reportedly benefit 19,990 Orang Asli households in peninsular Malaysia and involve an approximate total of 120,000 acres of land.

But as the idiom goes, "Beware the Greeks bearing gifts." Or in this case, it may be wise for the Orang Asli to be wary of overtures from a government with a proven track record of taking land away from them, rather than awarding it.

What's the catch?

Orang Asli say if they accept the land under the new policy, it would deprive them of a further 200,000 acres of customary land which they currently occupy.

In addition to that, further conditions seem to be attached to this "gifting" of land:

The land cannot be rented out, leased or pawned without the permission of the state.

Ownership of the land cannot be transferred until the first owner has held it for at least 15 years.

Orang Asli who accept the land grant cannot claim for any other land in that area or any other Orang Asli area. They also cannot make any claims for any "roaming area".

The land would be developed with crops such as oil palm and rubber and these plantations would be managed by developers.

Orang Asli would have to pay for costs incurred on their land such as surveying costs, premiums, registration and "other payments advanced by developers" out of the proceeds from the land.

Existing land gazetted as Orang Asli reserves can be re-gazetted and parcelled out under this new policy.

Yogeswaran Subramaniam, currently pursuing a doctoral thesis on Orang Asli land rights, estimates that the land grants would only yield about RM400 a month for each household. He also says that Orang Asli culture and identity is "inextricably linked" to their land and a top-down policy compelling them to turn their land into plantations could be "devastating and traumatic" to them.

Customary land

Furthermore, the government might actually be "giving" the Orang Asli land and attaching ownership conditions on what already belongs to them under common law.

Not a fair deal for those on the receiving end

For example in the 2002 Sagong bin Tasi v Selangor State Government case, Orang Asli land had been acquired by the state to build a highway to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The Temuan community who had occupied the land for at least 210 years, were given a 14-days notice to evacuate with no compensation for the land. When they failed to evacuate, the police federal reserve unit, in the presence of land office, highway authority and Jabatan Hal-Ehwal Orang Asli officials, evicted them. Their trees, crops, houses, Balai Raya and Balai Adat were then destroyed.

But the landmark Sagong Tasi decision established Orang Asli proprietary rights in their customary and ancestral lands. The previous state practice of merely compensating Orang Asli for their fruit trees, crops and structures when their land was acquired, was declared insufficient. States also had to pay a fair and adequate price to the Orang Asli for the land itself.

This judgment extended protection to Orang Asli land rights, which were frequently ignored, such as in the Sagong Tasi case itself.

Circumventing the courts?

This judgment would certainly have worried state governments and developers. Paying compensation for trees, crops and building structures is very different from having to pay fair value for the land itself. Future land development could also be jeopardised, especially if it were uncertain whether or not any Orang Asli could claim common law land rights. The judgment was upheld in 2005 by the Court of Appeal and the Selangor government has withdrawn its appeal to the Federal Court.

By parcelling out land to the Orang Asli under the new land policy and then barring them statutorily from making further claims in court, the government could end up avoiding compensating the Orang Asli for land used for development. If the Orang Asli statistics are correct, the government could evade recognising and paying compensation for potentially 200,000 acres belonging to Orang Asli under common law which is excluded from this new land scheme.

A different way

How could our government react differently or handle the issue of Orang Asli land ownership better? Is it possible for both developers' interests as well as Orang Asli cultural and land rights to be respected?

The Australian government was in a similar position following the 1992 Mabo v Queensland (No 2) decision, which was heavily relied on in the Sagong Tasi case. The landmark Australian High Court decision recognised native title under common law, prompting protests from sections of the mining and farming industries.

A period of discussion and negotiation followed with proper representation from the Australian aboriginal community. This culminated in the Native Title Act 1993, which affirmed the principles set out in Mabo No 2 and which set up a Native Title Tribunal. The tribunal deals with native title claims and acts as a mediator between the different stakeholders. As a last resort, the courts can still adjudicate on the matter.

While the Australian model is by no means perfect, it at least demonstrates a seriousness on the government's part to recognise native land rights and give effect to the court's decision. Which is more than can be said for the Malaysian government, if the proposed policies are passed into law unamended and without proper consultation with Orang Asli.

Trusting the government

When hearing the Selangor govenrment's appeal on the Sagong Tasi case, then Court of Appeal judge Datuk Gopal Sri Ram had this to say about the state's treatment of Orang Asli: "Here you have a case where the very authority — the State — that, enjoined by the law to protect aborigines, turned upon them and permitted them to be treated in a most shoddy, cruel and oppressive manner. It is my earnest hope that an episode such as this will never be repeated."

One can only hope that any land policies eventually tabled by the government will give effect to the Sagong Tasi judgment, instead of eroding whatever little gains Orang Asli have made in having their land rights recognised.

Where are RM52 billion Bumi shares ' asks Guan Eng

2010-03-29T00:47:00.000-07:00

the malaysianinsider
By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal

KUALA LUMPUR, March 29 — DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng wants the government to investigate why RM52 billion worth of shares in public listed companies allocated for Bumiputeras under affirmative action policies were no longer in their hands.

He told reporters in Parliament today that the fact that the shares were no longer in the hands of Bumiputeras was an act of betrayal.

The Penang Chief Minister suggested a Royal Commission be set up to investigate such leakages.

He said that out of RM54 billion in shares allocated for Bumiputeras, only RM2 billion were still in their hands.

“According to a Bernama report, the Prime Minister had been quoted as saying that of the RM54 billion in shares allocated, only RM2 billion worth of shares were left in the hands of Bumiputeras,” said Lim.

“There is a leakage of RM52 billion which is not in the hands of the Bumiputeras. This is a betrayal. The government has to arrest and take action against the people who have hijacked the money,” he added.

When asked by a reporter whether Pakatan Rakyat had any ideas or leads as to who now held the shares, Lim smiled and claimed that PR knew who had control of them, and also why there was inaction from the part of the government.

“We in PR know who has the shares, it is held by the cronies of Barisan Nasional, that’s why the government have not taken any action. If the government really cares, they need to send a message to show their seriousness in taking action.”

“The government should set up a Royal Commission on the Bumi equity. This is an admission from the Prime Minister himself,” asserted the Penang CM.

Lim’s initial response was towards a newspaper report on which Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had commented on the distribution of wealth among Malaysians.

“He is talking about the distribution of wealth among Malaysians, who has got what and who did not, the ones who have got nothing are the rakyat,” said Lim.

The total Bumiputera equity currently stands at 19.4 per cent from its targeted 30 per cent some 19 years ago.

Mahathir and Ibrahim - an ' ultra and a liar '

2010-03-27T21:20:00.000-07:00

by freemalaysiatoday
Sun, 28 Mar 2010

KUALA LUMPUR: Dr Mahathir Mohamad has come full circle – from an ultra back again to an ultra – and that, according to Lim Kit Siang, is the greatest tragedy.

The DAP stalwart was incensed that the former prime minister gave his patronage to a right-wing organisation called Perkasa when he opened its inaugural assembly yesterday.

By throwing his weight behind a supposedly non-governmental organisation, Mahathir, said Lim, has repudiated “Bangsa Malaysia and Vision 2020 which he enunciated in 1991”.

But the DAP veteran launched a scathing attack on Ibrahim Ali, the president of Perkasa who was waving a keris in the company of Mahathir and other “warriors” to signify that the movement is ready to shed blood to defend Malay rights. (It brings back images of Hishammuddin Hussein waving a keris at the Umno general assembly in 2005, for the same reason – to defend Malay rights.)

Lim said, judging by the incendiary speech Ibrahim made, Perkasa is built on stilts of lies. He accused the maverick politician of telling a lie when the latter blamed the DAP and the Malaysian Malaysia slogan for mainly causing the May 13 race riots.

“Has Ibrahim Ali taken 41 years after the 1969 tragedy to make this 'discovery'? he asked.

He said if the DAP and the slogan were what triggered the riots, the party would have been banned long ago and its leaders thrown behind bars.

Lim said it is lie that the DAP is against the Malays, Islam and wants to do away with the Malay Rulers.

He cited an incident in the 1970s when Ibrahim, then a student leader, sought his help to escape detention under the Internal Security Act. Lim was then the parliamentary Opposition Leader.

“Why sought my help if DAP leaders were so anti-national and disloyal as he now wants to depict?” asked Lim.

He also noted that the Perkasa assembly coincided with the launching of the Chinese edition of Zaid Ibrahim's book entitled “I, too, am a Malay”.

“What a sharp contrast in the imageries evoked in the two events,” said Lim. The book evokes the “all-embracing hopes of all Malaysians for a progressive, prosperous common future regardless of race, religion or region”. And Perkasa?

Perkasa, he said, is “anchored in a hankering for the past, oblivious of 52-years of nation-building”.The “neo-organisation” is even dismissive of the 1Malaysia concept... “all to allow Umno-putras to perpetuate the abuses of NEP by exploiting the name of Bumiputeras”.

Zahrain's lawyer fails to serve letter on Lim Guan Eng

2010-03-26T22:24:00.000-07:00

The Star
Sat , 27Mar 2010 17:09

PENANG: Bayan Baru MP Zahrain Mohamed Hashim's lawyer did not to get to serve a letter of demand to Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng after he was barred from going up to Lim's office on the 28th floor of the Komtar building here by security personnel today.

Lawyer Mohamed Haniff Khatri Abdullah told reporters afterwards that he would be contacting Lim's lawyer Karpal Singh to ensure the letter was served Lim.

Zahrain, who left PKR to become an independent MP recently, is demanding an explanation from Lim over remarks allegedly made by the latter that Zahrain quit PKR to become an independent MP because he (Zahrain) failed to get a RM40 million contract to manage the Bukit Jambul Golf Resort here.

He has also threatened to file a suit againts PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail for alleging that he had debts amounting to RM1.8 million.

NAJIB Being Bold : " I never met the two policeman "

2010-03-26T22:18:00.000-07:00

by malaysiatoday
Saturday, 27 March 2010 admin-s

Najib turns his guns on Anwar Ibrahim. He said the trial is a private matter and said Anwar sexually harassed Saiful because sexual harassment has “more traction” in the west. Another Apco talking point no doubt. He failed to answer the other part of the question about the integrity of the Malaysian judicial system.

He gets defensive and irritated on Altantuya question. Reverts to “reasonable doubt” as his defense. As long as there is some doubt you cannot make an accusation. He denies he knew Sirul and Azilah and said they worked on another security shift.

The question remains – how reasonable is the doubt that Sirual and Azilah acted on their own? Pretty reasonable.

Otherwise Economist is uncharacteristically soft on its line of questioning, without any mention of Najib’s failing reform effrots and kow-towing to the ultra-Malay right wing. No mention of Allah issue either, declining investor confidence and continued rampant corruption. Come on Economist. Don’t let APCO corner you into a softball interview.

Question about Anwar at 8:00, Altantuya at 9:50.

This is the full transcript of an interview conducted with Najib Razak in Kuala Lumpur, on March 12th 2010. You can listen to a selectively excerpted recording of the same interview here.

Najib Razak: In his own words

(The Economist)

What have been the key achievements of your first year and how successful have you been in laying out the groundwork for what you need to do?

I think we’ve gone beyond the pronouncements and beyond just laying out our agenda for change. I think there is this feeling of a mindset in a lot of Malaysians, both the public and private sector, that we have embarked on this journey now. It is a journey because we’re not quite there yet. But there is this mindset acceptance that we are well and truly on this path and the trajectory is there. It’s just for us to continue to be steadfast, to believe that we can do it, and to accept the realities that I believe that life is never a straight line, never linear. You’ve got the ups and the downs. But as long as in the long term the trajectory is the right direction. That’s how I see it.

There could be things that happen beyond your control along the way and your approval ratings could see a slight dip. But I believe you should stay the course and believe in what you set out to do. If you’re steadfast, eventually I believe you will get there. That’s how I see it.

So in terms of the key achievements, or where you think you’ve laid the groundwork solidly for [change]?

I think that basically it’s this mindset, and by articulating the eight pillars as I mentioned in my speech last Tuesday. The four main pillars plus the additional four. The first being like a national mantra if you like, which is “People First, 1Malaysia, People First, Performance Now”. I don’t see that as a mere slogan, I see that as a guiding philosophy for Malaysia. It’s very well received. I was having a session with students after Friday prayers today and the students at UKM [Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia], they’ve established a 1Malaysia club. On their own, I didn’t tell them. They said, “Look, we’ve set up this club and we want to propagate the concept, the meaning and values associated with 1Malaysia.”

Secondly is the government transformation programme. This is a huge work. This afternoon I spent two hours, going from one room to another to talk about the execution of the NKRAs [National Key Results Area], discussion about crime. You could see the crime rate falling. Slowly but surely it’s falling. There will be more policemen, better surveillance, all kinds of initiatives, public transport, education. These are the things that are actually taking place. It’s happening. We’ve got the numbers, we’ve got the reports.

What is missing in the past is that we didn’t have a proper implementation outfit. So I decided that if I was to introduce a government transformation programme, to make it work, to make it credible I need to have a very strong and effective implementation unit. So that’s when I brought in Idris Jala, who was running MAS [Malaysia Airlines] before. He’s a technocrat, not a politician, so he spends days and nights working to make sure that GTP [government transformation programme] really works. It’s a hybrid organisation, some from the private sector, some from the public sector. I’m pleased with the outcome of that.

And we’ve got the New Economic Model that I’m working on. I will announce the main elements of it but I’ve decided it will be a two-stage thing, so I’ll announce the basic framework and basic strategy, but the implementation and so forth, the buy-in, will come after that. So we’ll have another round of discussions with stakeholders. Because, as you know, Malaysia is a very complex society. The spectrum is very wide. You don’t have the normal left-right political division in this country. You have a quite complex division in terms of ethnic division and then you’ve got backgrounds of rural, urban. A rather disparate society. That's the challenge facing us. Then you’ve got the 10th Malaysia plan, a five-year plan that will incorporate the elements of the New Economic Model.

On economic liberalization, you made some early steps last year in the financial services sector and other services, so you were clearly starting off with certain measures. Should we expect other sectors to open up in 2010?

We were quite extensive, what we’ve done. But MITI [the trade and industry ministry] is looking at other sectors that have not been liberalised yet. When they’re reading, they will submit to me. We’re also looking at some free-trade arrangements on multilateral and bilateral bases. I’m quite an advocate of free trade. Also the TPP, Trans-Pacific Partnership, we’re looking at it quite seriously, whether that’s good for Malaysia to be part of it.

You went to India last year to begin negotiations on a free-trade agreement. How do you see the two economies complementing each other and what do you think Malaysia might gain from this treaty?

I think there’s a lot we can gain. From a macro point of view India’s economy would be one of the main engines of growth for this part of the world. It’s going to grow like 7, 8% a year. And then we can benefit from the huge investment in infrastructure which India is going to undertake and Malaysian companies are basically good at building highways, they’re good at building public housing, commercial buildings, you name it, they’re good at construction. I can see the scope for Malaysia. And providing power in India, that’s also a huge possibility for us. The oil and gas industry. And for us to combine with some of the world-class Indian companies and penetrate third markets, that’s also another possibility that I could see, quite a distinct possibility.

You’ve spoken about the need to make Malaysia competitive and you’ve raised the issue of affirmative action. If you go back to 1971: when your father, the second prime minister of Malaysia, introduced the New Economic Policy. One part of that policy was social restructuring, to redress the balance. What do you think your father would make, two generations on, of this policy? Has the outcome been what he set out to achieve?

I think he would be reasonably pleased with the outcome, particularly on poverty eradication. I think our record has been a sterling one. I think we can pat ourselves on the back that we are one of the few countries in the world that has achieved such an outstanding record in terms of massive reduction of poverty level in this country. So that’s been hugely successful.

In terms of restructuring of society, it has been reasonably successful. I wouldn’t say it’s been an absolutely stunning success. There were things we did not anticipate, for example we faced two financial crises. One was 1997 and the recent one. These are things that happened that we did not anticipate. Some of the lessons learned, we could have done it better in a different way. So while the New Economic Model will have affirmative action as part of it, it will be on a different basis. It will not be on the old basis, the old paradigm. Something more attuned with the market.

Your father made a forward-looking attempt to restructure Malaysia. Do you think you can be as bold as he was in your goal of reforming and revamping Malaysia?

I think what we have started is nothing short of bold and courageous. I don’t believe in incremental change. I think really to get the buy-in from the people and to get the market excited you have to be bold and quite courageous to make the changes that will be really excite the people and create a buzz in the market. Anything else will not work.

What do you make of the talk about Malay rights? Driven by NGOs, certain political people are speaking out and making a big splash by saying they’ve got to defend the constitutional rights of Malays and putting pressure on you.

I’m not too alarmed about it. I expected it. We had this rise of Hindu rights through Hindraf and so forth. It was only a question of time before you could see a reaction from Malays. And true enough, it came in the form of Perkasa and the NGOs. But these people realise that the only political vehicle that can achieve the aims of their struggle will still be UMNO. They’re not against UMNO. But they want to remind UMNO, “Don’t forget the Malay rights, the Malay interests.” What I’m telling them is “No, I’m not forgetting the Malay rights, the Malay interests, but I want the Malays to work with the other races too.” I don’t see it as a zero-sum game and I want everyone to be together on the same page and work towards 1Malaysia.

1Malaysia is something that you’ve put your stamp on. What do you think you can do to make this more than just a slogan, to embed it into a multiracial country where a lot of people live separate lives?

As I said, it’s a very complex society because we tend to live in our different physical silos, if you like. There are neighbourhoods which are predominantly Chinese or Malays or Indians, and we also have schools that are [taught in the] vernacular. The only country in fact outside China with [public] Chinese schools is Malaysia. Even [Lee] Kwan Yew during his time abolished Chinese schools in Singapore. But we’ve stuck to it. It’s because this is part of our social contract, the promise between the various communities when we achieved independence and we don’t want to go back on our promise. So we’ve maintained that.

It requires a kind of shift in mindset really. We cannot uproot people to live in mixed communities. That's not practical. What I’m trying to do is get a change in the mindset so people move from a level of mere tolerance to total acceptance and eventually to celebrate diversity. If you feel comfortable with one another, it doesn’t matter whether we live in which neighbourhood but we can interact with one another freely. It's a mindset. I’m trying to change people’s mindset.

You mentioned schools. Education is a topic that keeps coming again and again when people talk about Malaysia’s economy and changes needed to move up the value chain. Where are your priorities with education, which is obviously a long-term goal?

I think we’re spending the right kind of money on education in terms of our GDP. More than 20% of our budget goes towards education, which is one of the highest in the world. But I don’t think we’re getting the kind of outcome commensurate with the investment in education. We need to focus much more on the outcome, the qualitative aspect. The right kind of focus and emphasis that will produce the right kind of outcome commensurate with our investment in education.

Which level of education will you focus on?

All levels. We’ve also talked about preschool education. We are great believers, and my wife and I are in this together, because we believe that early-childhood education is so important and we’ve somewhat under-invested in preschool education. We’ve looked at more glamorous part, which is high school and tertiary education, every state wants a university, that kind of thing. We’ve succumbed to that kind of political demand. Now we have to look in terms of the whole spectrum, from preschool up to university education.

For example, I just announced a couple of days ago, we have to look at the scheme for academicians. In the past, the highest position that any academician could aspire for was vice-chancellor. Even a brilliant professor, your grade cannot be higher than a vice-chancellor. So I’m questioning that, why should that be? You should allow professors to become really outstanding academicians, recognised worldwide, and you should reward them. They should be higher than the grade commanded by a vice-chancellor. Because after all, a vice-chancellor is a good manager, but may not be the most brilliant brain in the university. I’m going to change that. We’ve announced it and I’m going to work on that.

This brings us onto knowledge-based economy, creative industries and moving up the value chain. Can you speak about sectors where you think Malaysia might have an advantage or an edge over the next few years, because you’re no longer a cheap low-cost manufacturing country?

There are certain areas where we have a distinct competitive advantage. For example, making Malaysia as a centre of Islamic finance. That’s a clear advantage for us. Halal food. Resource-based industries, that’s an advantage for us. Then certain strategic industries like aerospace, you’d be surprised that some of those component-making companies in the United States and Britain, like Spirit Aerospace, they’ve transferred their operations to Malaysia, and they’re very pleased to be in Malaysia. We won that investment on the basis that we were competing with two other locations worldwide and we came out on top.

The services sector as well. We can offer high-quality education. Tourism, which is traditional but still big for us. Then we can look at some of ICT [information and communication technology], biotech for example. These will be high-growing areas for us.

How do you respond to foreign criticism of the trial of the opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim, and more generally how do you see the integrity of Malaysia’s judicial system?

It’s a delicate matter for us. The premise is that it’s not a political trial to begin with. It’s essentially a private matter for Anwar. He just happens to be the leader of the opposition. The person who actually made the police report was his personal assistant, chosen by him. If the personal assistant had not made a police report, he wouldn’t have been charged. There was a full investigation and obviously the prosecution thought the evidence was compelling enough. The nature of the evidence…we’ll have to wait until the trial proceeds.

In the West, assuming that you’re the head of an opposition, and you’re 62 years old and a married man, with a family, and you are alleged to have an affair with, in this case, a homosexual affair. Would that be tenable in a political context? Bearing in mind that Clinton was almost impeached, and that was a fling with an intern. And Gary Hart had to give up his presidential ambition because of the alleged affair with Donna Rice. So in a Western context, people can appreciate that point of view. They may not be prosecuted as such because it is between consenting adults. But certainly in terms of political context, in the West it would be politically untenable.

Secondly, and this is another point to be born in mind, Anwar was his employer. Saiful was his employee, a 23-year-old boy, really just a boy, starry-eyed, idealising him. Isn’t it incumbent on Anwar to take care of his employee? Isn’t there an element of responsibility for the employer-employee relationship, in terms of a strong element of sexual harassment? Why did he make the police report because where he was coming from, according to the trial so far, is that obviously he was rebelling against what he was asked to do, it was against his nature.

In fact, sexual harassment has more traction with the West than homosexuality, because the West defines human rights as you can do anything you like as long as it’s between consenting adults. Homosexuality is acceptable in the West. But I’m sure they can appreciate sexual harassment. But you must remember this is a predominantly Muslim society, and there are certain laws relating to sexual behaviour. As much as we respect the West, the West must also respect us.

Do you feel that it’s a test for the judiciary, as it’s a highly politicised case?

Yes. Anwar will try to politicise it. But we also realise that it’s the court of the people that really matters. If we are seen to be manipulating the trial, and he doesn’t get a fair trial, I’m sure the people will react against us. It would be foolish for us to be in that sort of situation, to allow that sort of situation to happen.

Another judicial case is the murder of Altantuya, the translator. She was murdered in 2006 and two policemen were found guilty of this, two policemen who belonged to your security detail, and your personal advisor was tangled up in this affair. Do you feel that justice has been done in this case?

I want to clarify they are not my personal security detail. They work on shift. I have my own personal detail that is attached to me. I have one that guards me for a few days, then guards someone else. They would guard me and they would guard the [former] prime minister, Abdullah Badawi. They also guard foreigners who come. It’s got nothing to do with me. Throughout the trial there has been no single evidence produced, and I have sworn in the mosque, I’ve sworn publicly, as a Muslim, that I do not know her, I’ve not met her and there’s been no evidence produced, no photograph, nothing, to say that I even knew her.

Logically, if you think about it, if I am involved or was involved with her, why should she not blackmail me, why should she blackmail Razak [Baginda]? But as it was she blackmailed Razak, she never went for me, or went to my house or anything of that sort. In the court of law, you have to produce evidence. Guilt-by-association cannot be the basis of justice, anywhere in the world. You have [a] friend, don’t you? If your friend is involved, does it mean you’re involved? Exactly. You’re not involved, unless there’s evidence to indicate otherwise. Why should I be different?

But do you think justice was done in the sense that we have two [convicted] policemen—unless you believe that they just decided to do this act themselves—they were acting on some orders, and we don’t know if there were orders given?

It has to be on the basis of beyond reasonable doubt. As long as you can introduce reasonable doubt, then you cannot say someone else is responsible. I never met the two policemen to discuss this at all, and the meeting did not involve me. So it cannot come from me. Whether Razak gave the order or not, Razak is a civilian. How can a civilian give an order to a policeman? That is also the counter-argument. Whatever it is, if you want to sentence anyone, it has to be on the basis of beyond reasonable doubt. As long as you can introduce reasonable doubt nobody can be found guilty in our system, also in the British system or anywhere else in the world.

How Dato Sri Liow Tiong Lai Been Protected By MACC

2010-03-26T22:08:00.000-07:00

by mykob.blogspot.com
Friday, March 26, 2010

Malaysia Anti Corruption Commission Deputy Commissioner Dato Mohd Shukri Abdull Is Protecting Dato Sri Liow Tiong Lai

Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) Deputy Commissioner has been paid a sum of RM 10 Million by Dato' Seri Tiong King Sing to give full protection to Dato Sri Liow Tiong Lai to close his corruption case in regards to the Toyota Alphard which is worth more than half million Ringgit.

My last revelation regarding MACC with hopes that MACC will take serious investigation and action against Dato Sri Liow Tiong Lai but due to large sum of money has been paid to Deputy Commissioner of MACC, the case is now being ordered to be close without further action. The evidence can be seen very clearly when Liow Tiong Lai’s wife was called for interrogation in MACC office. When the press and media got news of this incident, they swarm around MACC office where Liow Tiong Lai’s wife is being questioned by MACC officers, the MACC Deputy Commissioner ordered his men to smuggle Datin Sri out of MACC office through the basement car park. On the very next day, the Deputy Commissioner screw all of his officers regarding the leak of news to press and media regarding the investigation of the Alphard case.

Another very silly excuse given by Deputy Commissioner to his Director of Investigation and officers that during the MCA campaign for fresh election no investigation can be carried out. He told his officer that MACC do not want to be seen to take side. It’s a very beautiful excuses but I would like to suggest it is better to declare MACC is on holiday during any party election or better to close down MACC during the party election, so nobody can accuse MACC take side. I believe public would share the feeling with me that its better for Deputy Commissioner to take leave during party election or resign and sleep at home so nobody can accuse him for investigating and take side.

Come back to the case where MACC has fail to investigate and take necessary action, now I would like to provide more information to them, so MACC will not have any more excuses for not wanting to investigate.

Dato Chai Kim Seng is a crony/proxy of YB Dato Sri Liow Tiong Lai, his net worth is about RM 20 million with many big cars and big bungalow house worth million plus company shares and cash in the bank.

Dato Chai Kim Seng declared that he borrow RM 60,000 from Datin Sri, the wife of Dato Sri Liow Tiong Lai, and he pay back by installment sum of RM 4,700 monthly, where this amount was used to pay the installment for her Alphard luxurious van.

Here is the juice of the story. Few years ago, Dato Sri Liow Tiong Lai instructed his crony, Dato Chai Kim Seng to undertake design, build and develop a hospital in Kuala Selangor. The project estimated to be value at RM 25 million. Dato Chai then informs his partner Dato Benny from Axis Jaya Sdn Bhd regarding this deal. They then arrange that the project to be awarded to a company by the name of Mohd Hj Sirat Sdn Bhd which is a 100% bumiputera company. Dato Chai and Dato Benny then get the bumiputera company to sub-contract the entire project back to their company Axis Jaya Sdn Bhd so no one will notice that the Minister award the contract directly to Axis Jaya Sdn Bhd. The bumiputera company is just a commission brokering company which doesn’t do anything but got a cut from the total project value.

Dato Benny Ho then pays the money to Dato Chai, which Dato Chai paid the exact same amount to Liow’s wife.

1Malaysia clinic : Is the Health Ministry Above the Law ?

2010-03-26T22:02:00.000-07:00

malaysiatoday
Saturday, 27 March 2010

It is distressing to learn from Dr. T. Jayabalan, the health adviser to the Consumers Association of Penang that medical assistants are giving out prescriptions for the wrong medicines or prescribing medicines which they are not allowed to prescribe and they have also been found to have wrongfully diagnosed patients at a study conducted at Kampar, Perak. And feedback thus far, from the MOH regarding the validity of MCs (Medical Certificates) issued by 1Malaysia Clinics have been unsatisfactory. The explanation issued by the Health Ministry’s Medical Practice Division officer, Dr Noraini Baba, stating that according to an internal MOH circular, MAs are allowed to issue MCs seems to suggest that she either doesn’t know the law or thinks she can actually circumvent a law through a department circular.

By RS

But perhaps CAP too should share of the blame for this vague situation. The last time they made so much noise, it resulted in ignorant officers at the Health Ministry rushing to pass an reckless legislation called the Private Healthcare, Facilities and Services Act (PHFSA) which was conjured up in the dark corners of the Health Ministry and stamped with the Official Secrets Act (OSA) effectively excluding the stake holders from taking part in the discussions. The Act is surely unconstitutional.

A doctor today with an Annual Practicing Certificate (APC) is legal under the Medical Act 1971 but becomes illegal if his premise is unregistered under the PHFSA 2006. But a Hospital Assistant (HA) working in a presumably legal PHFSA premise, 1Malaysia Clinic, becomes immediately illegal as he has committed a felony under the Medical Act 1971 since under this Act only registered medical practitioners are allowed to work in medical clinics. This is the end result of people like SM Idris who give half-baked ideas to our poorly trained civil servants who then create silly laws in a knee-jerk unthinking fashion, which ultimately not only endanger people’s lives but place the government eventually in a legal quandary. Worrying statistics of wrong prescriptions and misdiagnoses seeping out of 1Malaysia Clinics maybe just the tip of a disaster waiting to happen.

If we keep making up unending rules and regulations for the delivery of healthcare in this country, the whole of Sabah and Sarawak will soon be paralyzed as HAs there run many of our rural clinics and even provide anesthesia for many of the rural hospitals there. And anesthesia is no child’s play as even propofol; supposedly a very safe anesthetic can kill as it did the late Michael Jackson. In a country with limited trained medical human resources we have to initially stratify the levels of care that we can offer and much depends on both the quantity and today, the quality of medical professionals we have at hand.

Our rural health clinics are still run by midwives termed “Jururawat Desa“ while our health clinics are run by a combination of staff nurses, medical assistants and doctors. Our hospitals are run by all of these people and specialists. But specialists alone are not good enough if we want to deliver quality care as we need the help of physiotherapists, lab technologists, radiographers, biomedical personnel, critical care nurses, operating room technicians, anesthetic technicians and a whole gamut of other health personnel. Some of the monster hospitals that this government has built like Sungai Buloh, Ampang and Serdang are today nothing more then glorified nursing homes. Patients rush in thinking they are in for high-tech care, but a quick glimpse of the ICU will show 20 beds with 5 junior nurses trying desperately to man the 20 beds with no respiratory therapists, technicians, doctors or even the critical care specialists or anesthetists around.

A great many of the Malaysian population, especially in urban areas are very dependant on the General Practitioner who are the lynchpins in healthcare both in the UK and Australia . In the UK , GPs are today credited in reducing smoking in the general population, monitoring and preventing strokes and heart attacks from modern day epidemics such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension. In Mexico , Singapore , the US and in Europe , GPs were in the forefront in stopping the spread of the deadly influenza virus H1N1. GPs there were provided training, test kits and eventually Tamiflu to check the disease. Amazingly, in direct contrast, the MOH in Malaysia decided to bypass the resourceful neighborhood GP and instruct likely infected patients to rush to the Sungai Buloh Hospital with disastrous results where hundreds of patients mulled around at its lobby with staff stretched to their limits. Only after a huge public outcry in the face of mounting unacceptable mortalities did the MOH rescind and supply the generic version of Tamiflu to GPs.

For chaps like Idris, GPs in Malaysia are there only to make money and must therefore be shackled with draconian laws and treated as common criminals if they cross the line. They should be jailed or fined if their premises are unlicensed. In fact one doctor, Basmullah Khan, was needlessly jailed for three months just because his premise license was technically “not approved”. Only a malicious government would close down any health facility where hundreds of patients have been depending upon the expertise of the doctor for treatment and follow-up simply based on a bureaucratic edict. No country in this world treats its doctors this way except for Malaysia , another Malaysian first I guess.

But what are the repercussions of this sought of enactments on medical practitioners? A GP in Sungai Pelek, who once used to put up a drip for a dehydrated patient suffering from diarrhea due to food poisoning, refers the patient because he doesn’t want to take a risk under the PHFSA. He has even been told to remove the two beds he always keeps for such emergencies at this remote town. A GP in Triang seeing a dengue patient, lethargic, nauseated with a platelet count of 80,000 decides to refer when previously he would have asked the patient to come for a daily course of IV fluids and monitored his clinical features and platelet counts. And a GP out in Gemas refuses to deliver a full-term patient in labour with an almost full cervical opening for fear the baby may be born ‘flat’ and he would have to face the draconian PHFSA. So he decides to be safe and call for the ambulance to Segamat, 20 miles away. The baby is of course born in the ambulance.

And right here in Penang, a GP sees a diabetic patient suffering a coronary, lies him flat and places a couple of GTN tablets under his tongue when previously he himself would have administered crushed aspirin to the patient and given him a bolus of heparin which he always keeps for emergencies of this nature and perhaps some morphine. Of course he could have administered all of this and nothing would have happened if everything went well. But if the patient developed a complication, lo and behold he would be criminally charged and the MOH would tell him to speak to the judge if he wanted a lesser sentence. The GP doesn’t need this. It’s better to play safe. Is there any wonder why our government hospitals and their outpatient departments are overflowing. This is the type of defensive medicine that placed America into trouble.

The Prime Minister may have meant well in wanting to provide free outpatient care for poor urbanites. And the MOH could have advised him of a multitude of options including opening their own current urban health care clinics, even for 24 hours using their own doctors or outsource the service to GPs for an appropriate price. Why did the MOH choose to break the law by allowing unregistered medical practitioners to treat patients when surely they know that this is wrong? Were they politically pressured or were they plain ignorant. How would the Ministry defend itself in the event a patient sues for malpractice? It is an irony in itself that the MOH goes around closing clinics run by registered medical practitioners while they themselves use unregistered medical practitioners to run clinics in urban areas where there are an abundance of doctors. Is the Ministry of Health above the law?

Zul Noordin gives Altantuya a new lease of life

2010-03-26T21:57:00.000-07:00

Friday, 26 March 2010

In 2009, French newspaper La Liberation revealed that Altantuya had acted as a go-between for Razak and Najib in Malaysia’s purchase of two Scorpene submarines. Najib had then been the Defence Minister. A huge commission of RM540 million was paid by French shipbuilder Armaris to an account linked to a firm controlled by Razak.

Wong Choon Mei, Harakahdaily English Section

Pakatan Rakyat leaders have expressed doubt that the police would be able to get the truth out of sacked PKR MP Zulkifli Noordin, who a day ago claimed that he was offered generous rewards to implicate Prime Minister Najib Razak and First Lady Rosmah Mansor in the Altantuya sex, corruption and murder scandal.

“We hope that Zul will tell the whole truth to the police or that the police will do its best to persuade Zul to tell them the whole truth,” PKR MP for Batu Tian Chua told Harakahdaily.

“However, the chance of either event happening is slim. Remember, the authorities even tried to deny there was such a murder in the first place, so don't expect much in the way of the truth to appear - not from the authorities or from Zul. He is just one of their new fighter dogs.”

Part of Zul's 'package'

On Thursday, Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan – due to retire in September – told the press that they would be recording a statement from Zulkifli, who is the Kulim Bandar Baru parliamentarian.

“This is new information that has been revealed to us and the public. So the police will have to investigate whether it is true and if it is true, the next issue is whether there is any person who can come forward to confirm the facts that have been revealed,” Musa said.

However, Zul’s colleagues who know him well believe that a script has already been prepared for him and the ultimate intention was clear – to restore the jaded public image of both Najib and Rosmah as much as possible.

“We believe this is part of his ‘package’. Obviously, apart from other rewards, Zul must have been asked to say something for Najib and Rosmah,” Dr Hatta Ramli, PAS MP for Kuala Krai, told Harakahdaily.

“But Malaysians should take note. Zul did not quit. He was even worse than Zahrain Mohd Hashim. Zahrain quit because of corruption allegations, Zul was sacked. It is perfectly natural they will do anything to avenge themselves, especially when it is obvious they are already servicing Umno right now itself.”

Renewed interest in Altantuya

But apart from the political wheeling and dealing, Zul’s remarks have stirred a new storm of interest in Altantuya Shaariibuu, a Mongolian translator who was murdered in Malaysia in 2006.

A beautiful 28-year old, Altantutya was allegedly Najib’s mistress before he passed her over to his close associate Razak Baginda. Although Najib has denied ever meeting Altantuya, Razak Baginda has admitted having a sexual affair with her.

PKR supreme council member Badrul Hisham Shahrin, who has complied a book and VCD package entitled Beneath the Mysterious Altantuya Murder, has reported fast diminishing stock.

"It is selling like hotcakes. Everybody wants to know the inside deal all over again," Badrul told Harakahdaily.

In 2009, French newspaper La Liberation revealed that Altantuya had acted as a go-between for Razak and Najib in Malaysia’s purchase of two Scorpene submarines. Najib had then been the Defence Minister. A huge commission of RM540 million was paid by French shipbuilder Armaris to an account linked to a firm controlled by Razak.

The French newspaper also revealed that Altantuya was murdered when she came to Malaysia to collect her share of the commission, but a jealous Rosmah had refused to give her a cent.

Law colleague denies Zul's claims

Two former bodyguards of Najib and Rosmah have since been sentenced to hang for killing Altantuya and blowing up her body with military-grade explosives.

However, the trial has left Malaysians dissatisfied as the key question remains unanswered; why would they murder someone they never met before and who was their puppet master?

Meanwhile, the lawyer representing one of the convicted bodyguards, Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri, has also denied knowing any secret deal or offer to link Najib and Rosmah to Altantuya.

“I don’t know anything,” lawyer Hazman Ahmad was quoted as telling The Malaysian Insider when asked if he was aware of the latest claims made by Zulkifli.

Hazman, who took over from Zulkifli in acting for Azilah, said he was not privy to the earlier talks that involved the Kulim Bandar Baru MP.

“I was asked to implicate the prime minister and [his] wife in the murder case. I was asked to get their sworn statements and I was asked to make a sworn statement,” Zulkifli had said in Parliament on Wednesday.

Is Musa currying favour with the Prime Minister hoping to override Hishammudin and get another year's extention as IGP ?

2010-03-26T21:51:00.000-07:00

by bloglimkitsiang.com

The Inspector-General Tan Sri Musa Hassan has acted with unusual alacrity when he announced in less than 24 hours that the police will investigate claims made by the independent Kulim-Bandar Baharu MP Zulkifli Noordin in Parliament on Wednesday that he was asked to implicate the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor in the murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibu.

This is in complete contrast with the foot-dragging and procrastination that top police leadership would indulge in when police reports are lodged against prominent government leaders from Umno and Barisan Nasional.

What is especially extraordinary with Musa’s high-speed response is that no police report had yet been lodged over Zulkifli’s allegation – a pre-condition always insisted on by the police before there could be any police investigation.

As MPs enjoy parliamentary privilege, they have immunity for what they say in Parliament, which bars not only prosecution but also being subject to police investigations for their parliamentary speeches – unless this is waived by the MP concerned or the MP repeated his allegation outside the precincts of Parliament as lodging a police report.

In the circumstances, shouldn’t police investigation be contingent on Zulkifli lodging a police report? It is also useless for Musa to order a police report be lodged on Zulkifli’s speech, as the speech is protected by parliamentary privilege and immunity!

In any event, will Musa announce initiation of police investigations if an allegation is made in Parliament that the Prime Minister has murdered someone or some Minister has committed various crimes under the laws of the country? If not, again why the double standards?

Musa’s alacrity in springing to action when there is no basis whatsoever for police action raises the question whether he is really trying to curry favour with the Prime Minister hoping to override the Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammdudin Hussein and get another year’s extension as Inspector-General of Police when his one-year contract expires in September.

On 15th March, Hishammuddin had told the press in Parliament that Musa would be replaced as IGP.

He said:

“It is not only specific to the IGP but four out of the seven division directors of PDRM. I already know who is going to replace the IGP. I already know who will replace the commercial crime investigation department director.

“I already know those who will take over, so there is no use speculating or reporting without basis.” (Sun March 16, 2010)

But Musa does not know, as for almost a week later, Musa was still hoping to get another extension as IGP when his one-year renewed contract expires in September, as obvious from Musa’s interview in the Mingguan Malaysia dated 21st March 2010, viz:

“Q – Mungkin terdapat kemungkinan Tan Sri menyambung perkhidmatan selepas September depan?

"Musa – Itu saya tidak tahu. Saya tidak boleh bercakap apa-apa. Kena tanya kerajaan atau Perdana Menteri kerana beliau saja yang tahu.”

From this answer, it is clear that Musa has not taken Hishammuddin’s announcement as the last word, despite the Home Minister’s statement that “I know who is going to replace the IGP. I know who will replace the commercial crime division director.”

Hence the speculation whether Musa was trying to curry favour with the Prime Minister hoping to override Hishammuddin and get another year’s extension as IGP come September.

But is it possible for a decision to be taken about the appointment of a new IGP come September without the present IGP knowing?

Under the Constitution and the law of the land, this is not possible.

Article 140 (4) of the Constitution on “Police Force Commission” sets out the manner for the appointment of the Inspector-General of Police and all top police posts.

Article 140 (4) and (5) read:

(4) The Yang di-Pertuan Agong may designate as special posts the posts of Inspector General of Police, Deputy Inspector General of Police and any other posts in the police force which in his opinion are of similar or superior status; and the appointment to any post so designated shall not be made in accordance with Clause (1) but shall be made by the Yang di- Pertuan Agong on the recommendation of the Police Force Commission.

(5) Before acting in accordance with Clause (4) on the recommendation of the Police Force Commission, the Yang di- Pertuan Agong shall consider the advice of the Prime Minister, and may once refer the recommendation back to the Commission in order that it may be reconsidered.

Article 140(3) provides that the Police Force Commission shall comprise:

(a) the Minister for the time being charged with responsibility for the police, who shall be Chairman;

(b) the officer of police in general command of the police force;

(c) the person performing the duties of the office of Secretary General to the Ministry under the Minister for the time being charged with responsibility for the police;

(d) a member of the Public Services Commission appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong;

(e) not less than two nor more than six other members, appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

As the IGP is statutorily a member of the Police Force Commission which must initially make the recommendation for the appointment of a new IGP, how could Musa be unaware of who will replace him in September if the Police Force Commission chaired by the Home Minister had already met to decide on the matter, as implied by Hishammuddin.

Or was Hishammuddin merely stating that he has his candidate for the post of new IGP although the Police Force Commission had not yet met on the matter – but this will be most improper as under the Constitution, it is not the Home Minister who finally decides on the appointment of the IGP but the Yang di Pertuan Agong on the advice of the Prime Minister, with the option of one reference back to the Police Force Commission for reconsideration of its initial recommendation.

If a new IGP has been decided and the present IGP has no inkling of it, it is not only an unlawful and unconstitutional decision, it will the strongest proof that the speculation of a serious rift between the Home Minister and the IGP is not smoke without fire.

Is this why Musa is keeping his hopes open for another renewal as IGP – which would be in the hands of the Prime Minister, who has to make the recommendation of the appointment to the Yang di Pertuan Agong?

Hishammuddin should clarify the issue and state clearly whether the Police Force Commission has decided on who should be the new IGP, why the present IGP knows nothing about it and most important of all, who will be the next IGP.

Plane catches fire just before landing in Penang airport

2010-03-25T01:36:00.000-07:00

By ANDREA FILMER
andrea@thestar.com.my

GEORGE TOWN: A Malaysia Airlines (MAS) Boeing 737 from Singapore caught fire during its descent at the Penang International Airport in Bayan Lepas near here Thursday afternoon, prompting an emergency landing.

MH674, carrying 83 passengers and seven crew members, was scheduled to land at 12.15pm but lifted out of its descent when a series of small explosions was heard from the right side of the plane, followed by flames.

According to passenger accounts, the pilot circled the airport once and managed to extinguish the flames before landing safely at about 12.30pm.

Nobody was injured in the incident.

Penang International Airport senior manager Abdul Wahab Mohd Yusof said the runway was closed for 20 minutes while the aircraft was towed to the bay.

“The runway was reopened at 12.50pm,” he said.

Cops to probe Zulkifli Noordin's explosive claim

2010-03-25T01:28:00.000-07:00

Thu, 25 Mar 2010

By FMT staff

FULL REPORT KUALA LUMPUR: The police will investigate sacked PKR MP Zulkifli Noordin's claim that he was asked to link the prime minister and his wife to the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shariibuu.

"If anything comes out (based on the investigations)... we will pursue additional investigations," Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan told reporters in Kuala Lumpur.

Yesterday, Zulkifli ressurected the Altantuya saga in Parliament when he claimed that a 'third party' had offered him a large sum of money to implicate Najib Tun Razak and Rosmah Mansor in the case.

According to the Kulim-Bandar Baru MP, the offer was made when he was the defence counsel for one of the the accused, police officer Azilah Hadri.

The spotlight fell on Najib, when a close friend of the premier's Abdul Razak Baginda was charged with abetting Azilah, and another special operations officer Sirul Azhar.

Abdul Razak was later acquitted, but the two policemen were handed the death sentence.

Altantuya's case, which made international headlines and soured diplomatic relations between Malaysia and Mongolia, continues to haunt the prime minister and never fails to surface during elections.

Certain quarters claim that there were behind-the-scenes political manouvreing to hush-up the matter, but this has been dismissed by the authorities.

Najib has repeatedly denied having any links to the case, and even swore his innonce on the Quran.

Zulkifli meanwhile said there was no criminal element in his statement yesterday, adding that he was merely elaborating on the culture of slander practised by some politicians.

“However it is the job of the police to investigate if they have a police report. I will assist in the investigation if there is a need," the lawyer told reporters in Parliament.

'Let the AG deal with it'

Meanwhile, Musa remained tightlipped about the allegation that he had committed perjury during Anwar Ibrahim's trial in 1998.

"I don't want to comment. Let the AG (Attorney-General) deal with it... the case happened a long time ago,” he said.

Yesterday, PKR vice-president R Sivarasa had filed a police report on the matter.

The Subang MP revealed that when Musa, who was spearheading the investigations then, took the stand, he told the court that he had a law degree when in actual fact, he possesed a diploma.

In another trial involving a senior police officer later, Musa testified that he has a diploma.

In view of this, Sivarasa called on the police to launch an investigation without fear or favour since it is an offence to provide false evidence.

Say sorry , or I'll sue : Zahrain warns Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng

2010-03-25T01:22:00.000-07:00

Thu, 25 Mar 2010

By Rahmah Ghazali

FMT ALERT KUALA LUMPUR: Former PKR MP Zahrain Mohamed Hashim has threatened to sue Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng for defamation if he does not tender an apology within seven days.

Speaking to reporters in Parliament today, the Bayan Baru MP said that his lawyer Hanif Khatri Abdullah will serve a letter of demand on Lim tomorrow.

“This concerns what Lim has said about me and a RM2 company,” he added.

It is alleged that the former Penang PKR leader, now an independent MP, wanted Lim to give the greenlight for a RM2 company to operate and manage the Bukit Jambul Golf and Country Club, of which Zahrain is a director.

The MP is also contemplating taking legal action against PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution for making a similar claim in the party organ Suara Keadilan.

Saifuddin claimed that Umno had offered to settle Zahrain's debt amounting to RM1.8 million, leading the latter to quit the party and declare himself an independent MP.

Zahrain however had said that he left PKR because he lost confidence in Lim and Anwar Ibrahim's leadership.

"I want to stop all the slander against me. Even the King has advised us to stay away from it. In order for me to react to fitnah (slander), I have no other choice but to take it to the court

"Enough is enough. Those who talk bad about me, I will take action. I am extremely strict about this," he warned

So , where's the party in Penang ?

2010-03-24T22:55:00.000-07:00

By Sheridan Mahavera

PENANG, March 25 — Happy hour is mostly dead in Penang. That is right.

Except for a few watering holes, that after-office time when booze is cheap does not draw a big crowd, according to bar owner Howie Tan.

The ones that are packed are decades-old places with a loyal clientele and the ones with gimmicks like free food with the first drink.

Penang does, however, have probably the only legal, tastefully-done cabaret show in the country. At the very least, it is probably the only one north of the Klang valley and it usually gets a good audience even on weekdays.

Another aspect of Penang’s nightlife that a Klang Valley-ite will notice is that, on weekends, even its most riotous clubs and bars are still empty by 10pm.

And then, at 10.45pm or so, it is as though a school bell goes off somewhere and everyone just shows up all at once. By 11pm, it is standing room only in most places and everyone seems already drunk.

The explanation behind this pattern is linked, in a way, to that oft-repeated cliché that Penangnites are cheap-skates.

It may also explain why despite its reputation of being able to draw people from Northern Perak, Kedah and Perlis every weekend, there is a limit to how big a nightlife Penang can have.

This limitation may also be apparent in the state’s retail industry where some shop owners say that, as big a draw as the Pearl of the Orient is, it still struggles to find a big enough market for its lustre.

AND YOU THOUGHT IT’S A CITY

Despite the downturn, flea bazaars like this one in Gurney Plaza still do brisk business on weekends.

Outside of the Klang Valley, there are no worse daily traffic jams than the ones at the Johor Baru-Singapore checkpoint/Causeway and the Penang Bridge all the way into Georgetown.

But even then, Penangites do not seem bothered by them, declaring that these jams only last an unbelievable “20 minutes” at the most. It has to do with how the Penang bumper-to-bumper crawl differs from the Klang Valley version.

It is “15 minutes” for a Penangite living on the island because that is roughly the distance between where they stay and wherever it is they are going. So any traffic jam does not “last” because everything is so close. Unless, of course, you are going from the island to the mainland, which can take two hours during rush hour.

"Penang is an island, don’t mistake that,” declares Tan, the owner-manager of the Soi 11 bar on a strip called Upper Penang Road.

Though it has all the characteristics of a bustling metropolis — huge population, high gross domestic product — Penang is not officially one.

Even when other capitals in far less developed states were falling over themselves to announce that they had reached city-status, Penang gracefully turned its face away and went back to surpassing those other “cities” in every way.

When Alor Star declared itself a city about six years ago, I asked a Penang politician if the state did not feel a little envious and why it had not done so with Georgetown.

After all, Georgetown would easily fulfil all the requirements and all it had to do was get approval from the federal government.

“Why should we? It just makes everything a lot more expensive for no reason. Assessment rates and utilities would have to go up, then food and other goods would go up. We’re doing well as it is, we don’t need ‘city-status’”.

This, then, is the correlation: Penang is not a city as far as official records are concerned yet it parties, earns money and behaves like one.

It is a de facto city yet, as a senior politician says, you can go from the heritage zone to the jungle in 15 minutes and a meal can still be had for less than RM5.

“This is why they say Penangites are cheapskates,” says Datuk Lee Kah Choon of investPenang, a state government investment agency.

Since Penang has been virtually a metropolis for decades, Penangites have come to expect big city-grade services and goods at non-city prices.

But all this is going to change soon as Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng announced on Jan 10 that the state is applying for Georgetown city status.

“Hand phone trader Yeah says Penangites tend to be fussy shoppers who survey prices at many different stores before making a decision.

BIG, CHEAP AND GOOD”

Being convenient to get around may be good for consumers but it can be nerve-wracking for a retailer.

Yeap CH operates a small handphone store on Penang island’s latest spanking mall, Queensbay, near the Penang Bridge.

“Klang Valley shoppers are impulsive and they are not as picky like Penangites. Once they see something they like at a store, the price is reasonable, they buy it.

“Penangites would scrutinise every detail and compare your prices to other stores in different malls,” says Yeah.

Since malls are roughly 20 minutes from each other, it is easy to run from one to another to compare goods and prices. In the Klang Valley, finding a parking spot itself takes 20 minutes.

Another computer parts dealer says this attitude, coupled with the economic slowdown, has dampened sales.

“You have to really persuade them and give them discounts. They also tend to wait for the PC Fair to shop,” says Digital Bay branch manager Kok Ping.

Not everyone is complaining though. Wholesaler BK Yeoh says sales in the state has been picking up compared to several months ago though, interestingly, his orders from KL have dropped by 20 per cent.

“As Penang is known as a shopping destination in the northern region, sales has improved compared to last year. I get a good mix of locals and foreigners,” says Yeoh, who has a stall in the Gurney Plaza flee market.

Though it may appear thriving, Penang’s retail sector, they all agreed, was small compared to the Klang Valley’s. Competition is tough and though residents may look wealthy, their spending power is low.

Some retailers, like the NM Mohamed Ismail jewellery store in Jalan Kapitan Keling, venture to look for customers outside Penang.

“I have customers who invite me over to Kuala Lumpur. I visit their families and friends to show them our stones and custom jewellery,” says store owner Nurjahan Mohamed Ismail.

“Sales are not like before. Nowadays even the Mat Salleh are watching how much they spend. They come in, look around and then leave without buying anything,” she says.

“WHERE EVERYONE KNOWS YOUR NAME”

Trincy Low’s Boom Boom Chambre is perhaps the only place in Penang that features tasteful cabaret shows.

When Trincy Low started Boom Boom Chambre, she did it not just because she wanted to open a unique club in Upper Penang Road’s (UPR) trendy nightlife district; it was to also help out her friends.

“My friends used to put on cabaret shows at company annual dinners but since the recession, they stopped hiring performers. The public can’t really see these shows anywhere, so I decided why not put them on at my club?”

“Business has been surprisingly good. We get a crowd on Mondays, Tuesdays, Ladies Night is surprisingly slow and then it picks up again on the weekends.”

The strategy has differentiated Boom Boom Chambre from the six other clubs in the UPR — a district fashioned out of a row of pre-War shop houses that have been converted into bars and clubs.

Tan of Soi 11 muses that the UPR was the inspiration behind KL’s Asian Heritage Row. “It’s possible because the guy who started UPR is friends with the guy who did Asian Heritage Row.”

The UPR, says Tan, has structured and rejuvenated Penang’s night-life. It has brought together bar and club operators in one spot where the revelry can be monitored by the authorities.

Being on Penang road, which is inside the heritage buffer zone and close to hotels, provides the operators with a steady stream of customers all year round.

“In the past, clubs and pubs were scattered everywhere, which is why they will open for three years and then close down. Here, we have the locals and the foreigners who walk out from their hotels,” says Tan.

Next to Soi 11 is the famous Slippery Senoritas. A lynchpin in the island’s clubbing scene, and according to manager Jack Wee, the catalyst for the five other clubs around it.

“We brought the party scene from Batu Ferringi down to Georgetown in 2001. We were the first to have salsa dancing and the first tapas restaurant.”

When it peaks at about 1am, the nightlife in UPR may look like another weekend in Jalan Sultan Ismail or the Asian Heritage Row. Yet the customer base is small.

“Almost half of our customers are regulars,” says Wee. The club has opened a new branch in Juru Autocity to lock in party goers from the mainland.

“In the end any club you go to, you will find people you know,” says Soi 11’s Tan.

That is a good thing for customers but not so good for the clubs who have to compete for the same clientele.

Though it will officially be a city soon, Georgetown may continue to struggle for the people to fill its bars and shops as its young and brightest, who would typically fill this role, get siphoned off to the Klang Valley, Singapore and Australia.

'Diploma holder ' IGP accused of perjury

2010-03-24T22:43:00.000-07:00

Wed, 24 Mar 2010

By B Nantha Kumar

KUALA LUMPUR: PKR vice-president R Sivarasa has accused Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan of committing perjury during Anwar Ibrahim's first sodomy trial in 1998.

In a report filed with the Damansara Utama police station today, the Subang MP claimed that Musa, then a senior police officer who spearheaded the investigations, had told the court that he possessed a degree in law.

“In fact at the time of the trial, he possessed a diploma,” he told reporters.

"The false statement by Musa was material because it influenced his personal credibility in this judicature hearing," he added.

Sivarasa said Musa had committed an offence under Section 191 Penal Code and could be punished under Section 193.

He urged the police to conduct an investigation “without fear or favour because giving false evidence under oath was an offence”.

Contradictory statements

On Dec 14, 1998, Musa was asked by the late counsel Christopher Fernando if he had a law degree, to which Musa said he had.

He said the degree was obtained in 1983 from the University of Wales.

In a later case involving former federal commercial crimes department head Ramli Yusuf, Sivarasa said Musa testified that he had a diploma in law.

“This contradicts his statement during Anwar’s trial when he said he had a degree in law,” he added.

Sivarasa also noted that in Ramli's case, the presiding judge Supang Lian had ruled that Musa’s testimony was “unrealiable” and should be “disregarded”.

40 Reasons why the Sodomy Charge against Anwar is too Ridiculous to Believe

2010-03-24T22:36:00.000-07:00

Thursday, 25 March 2010

Saiful made many mistakes before and after the alleged act by failing to conceal his movements and being an incredibly lousy actor. Perhaps he thought playing the victim isn’t important as the powerful players behind him will take care of everything.

By Malaysian Spring

It seems a simple enough plan. Get a willing pro-Umno young man. Stick him in Anwar’s office and let him get close to Anwar. Then have him accuse Anwar of sodomy. The police, the judiciary and the government machinery will do the rest. This will put Anwar out of the political scene for good and he will never threaten Umno’s power again.

But something happened on the way to the courthouse. The public is not buying this story. Too many holes have appeared until the whole rickety structure of deceit has all but collapsed. No doubt there are a few clueless souls in Umno trying to maintain this ridiculous charade but they are flogging a dead horse. They only succeed in earning the contempt of the people.

Saiful made many mistakes before and after the alleged act by failing to conceal his movements and being an incredibly lousy actor. Perhaps he thought playing the victim isn’t important as the powerful players behind him will take care of everything. But there’s a limit to how much idiocy the public can take. A real victim of forced sodomy or male rape does not appear smiling and waving to the press in public as if he’s damn proud of it.

It all looks like a hastily conceived, bumbling, incompetent and ill-thought out plot. So here are 40 reasons why the sodomy charge against Anwar is too ridiculous to believe.

Read more at: http://msian-spring.freevar.com/reasons.htm

You Jump , I Sue : Can voters sue traitors ?

2010-03-24T22:31:00.000-07:00

Thursday, 25 March 2010
By NH Chan

For their willful betrayal of trust, is there a cause of action against the turncoats who jumped ship? The answer is yes. Considering the principle of estoppel in determining a cause of action for affected voters and the political parties on whose ticket the turncoats were elected as their representatives in Parliament and in the Perak Legislative Assembly, to sue these traitors.

The other day someone gave me a copy of Harakah of 8-11 March 2010 and in the English section I came across this piece written by P. Ramakrishnan, Aliran President:

The … 12 February 2010 … marked the first PKR resignation – the MP for Bayan Baru – and [that] sparked the dishonourable exit of two more traitors of the voters who supported the Pakatan Rakyat by electing these renegades. On 1 March 2010 the MP for Nibong Tebal, Tan Tee Beng, and two days later on 3 March, the MP for Bagan Serai, Mohsin Fadzli Samsuri, announced their resignations respectively.

All of them suddenly seem to have grievances with their party and its policies. … These views do not reflect the views of their voters nor are they supported by those who voted for the PR at the last general election. Their selfish conduct has condemned them to doomsday for subverting parliamentary democracy. They will find no peace of mind after this terrible, willful betrayal of trust.

These riff-raffs have deserted the voters who elected them and betrayed the party that fielded them. Their individual action has betrayed thousands of voters in their constituencies and completely discarded their sentiments.

Aren’t they accountable to their constituents?

Zahrain has disappointed 27,618 voters; Tee Beng has frustrated 20,210 voters and Mohsin has let down 18,943 voters. In all, they have betrayed a total of 66,771 constituents whose support had put them in parliament and helped them to earn thousands of ringgits monthly.

These are the same unprincipled vile characters like the ones in Perak who jumped ship and perverted the democratic process and frustrated the popular will of the Perakians.

The man who accompanied each of these traitors when their resignations were announced was the former Secretary-General of PKR, Datuk Salehuddin Hashim. … he is seen as the hand engineering the betrayal of the voters and the party …

The cause of action

In Boustead Trading (1985) Sdn Bhd v Arab-Malaysian Merchant Bank Bhd [1995] 3 MLJ 331 (FC), Gopal Sri Ram JCA (as he was then) who sat as a winger yet it was he who gave the judgment of the Federal Court, said, p 344:

The time has come for this court to recognize that the doctrine of estoppel is a flexible principle by which justice is done according to the circumstances of the case. It is a doctrine of wide utility and has been resorted to in varying fact patterns to achieve justice. Indeed, the circumstances in which the doctrine may operate are endless.

And at p 345, he said:

The width of the doctrine has been summed up by Lord Denning in the Amalgamated Investment case ([1982] 1 QB 84 at 122; [1981] 3 All ER 577 at 584; [1981] 3 WLR 565 at 575) as follows:

“The doctrine of estoppel is one of the most flexile and useful in the armoury of the law. But it has become overloaded with cases. That is why I have not gone through them all in this judgment. It has evolved during the last 150 years in a sequence of separate developments: proprietary estoppel, estoppel by representation of fact, estoppel by acquiescence, and promissory estoppel. At the same time it has been sought to be limited by a series of maxims: estoppel is only a rule of evidence, estoppel cannot give rise to a cause of action, estoppel cannot do away with the need for considertion, and so forth. All these can now be seen to merge into one general principle shorn of limitations. When the parties to a transaction proceed on the basis of an underlying assumption – either of fact or of law – whether due to misrepresentation or mistake makes no difference – on which they have conducted the dealings between them – neither of them will be allowed to go back on that assumption when it would be unfair or unjust to allow him to do so. If one of them does seek to go back on it, the courts will give the other such remedy as the equity of the case demands. (The emphasis is supplied by me)

That was how the modern principle of estoppel as stated by Lord Denning in the Amalgamated Investment case became part of Malaysian common law. As a result, the affected voters and the political parties on whose ticket the turncoats were elected as their representatives in Parliament and in the Perak Legislative Assembly now have a cause of action to sue them.

Read more at: You Jump, I Sue: Can voters sue traitors?