Thursday 13 August 2009
Negotiation still on-going..
5.28pm Buah Pala.
The residents are now still at confusion on what's the next cause of action, Lawyer Darshan Singh is in the scene now and Police personel and the villagers are talking to the residents regarding the final agreement letter and the authorities are now persuading the residents to sign the final agreement paper!
5.31pm Buah Pala-Malaysiakini After speaking to the villagers for about an hour, Lawyer Darshan told newsmen that the villagers would not sign the document. "It's like hanging rope and a trap for the villagers. "The document is legally seeking the villagers' own admission that the land was not theirs," he said. Darshan has already lined up several cases to be filed on the behalf of the villagers. Among the cases were an application to caveat the land by the residents, application for a stay of execution against demolition attempt by the developer and land owner. Another application is to seek a court declaration that the state government shall allow the villagers to have legal representation in negotiations. On Aug 18, the villagers' case for a review of the Federal Court decision on June 24 will be up for hearing. Darshan also plans to file another application to review an earlier Court of Appeal decision on May 11 that ruled the villagers not having a locus standi to seek a full trial over the village land deals. -Rwindraj@cryingvoices
It's not over yet for Kg.buah Pala...
By Rwindraj - Cryingvoices.
I thought it has ended, and the villagers are free for another month but I was wrong, after the promises from the bailiff, there are yet another contract to be signed by the Villagers, the contract is rather complicated and not siding the villagers, it's like a trap for them, stated in the contract ;
1. The Villagers has been given until 1/9/09 to vacate their homes.
2. After the 1st of Sept 09, the villagers has no right or can't be an obstacle and has to co-operate with the developer before and during demolition.
3. On the 1st of Sept the Developer will be getting an execution order from the court to demolish the houses.
4. In any case if the villagers are not abiding by this agreement, the developer will demolishing this village without any further notices.
Do you think that we should sign this contract? Its merely a contract to trap the villagers, there is only one choice given to the villagers.. demolish now or later! and if they have signed the contract then the villagers are consenting the developer, court and everyone that they are leaving this place to allow the developer to demolish without any complications. The person who has signed this contract is the Makkal Sakthi Political party 3 representatives including its leader Thanenthiran! I dont know why they want to sign such paper! something is wrong here...
2 of the villagers representatives and the reps from the developer were there on the discussion of the postponement of the demolition decision, some sources says that they have been given exactly one month from today and some said that they has time until 31/august 2009. We are still waiting for the final desicion and say from the villagers! Villagers reps are still negotiating with the bailiff regarding the contract, hope all will be on the side and advantage of the villagers! Rwindraj..@cryingvoices
Resilient villagers stop bulldozers in their tracks - Malaysiakini
This morning, bulldozers had rumbled into Kampung Buah Pala. With their engines firing, the mechanical monsters were all set to devour the houses standing on a bitterly disputed piece of land.
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Women and children had joined the menfolk to form a human barricade, to prevent the sledgehammer-armed workers from putting their tools to work.
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It was alleged that several villagers were hurt during the commotion.
M Mahadevi, 51, was said to have been hit with batons, resulting in her sustaining injuries to her stomach. She was later taken in an ambulance to the Lam Wah Eee private hospital for treatment.
Another villager, S Kamini, 18, claimed that she and her 50-year-old mother were assaulted by the police personnel.
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Villager M Salligan, 58, also alleged that he was 'beaten up' by police personnel. According to him, at least 10 villagers were hurt.
Kampung Buah Pala association assistant secretary C Tharmaraj accused the police of 'resorting to violence' to disperse the villagers.
Police chief: It's all rumours
Contacted later, George Town police chief Azam Abd Hamid denied that the police had assaulted the villagers and accused them of spreading rumours.He denied giving any orders to employ force and called on the villagers who claimed to have been assaulted to file police reports.
Earlier in the morning, some 50 demolition workers had attempted to enter the village through the back entrance, but were spotted by the villagers and driven away.
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The police had also stopped the media from entering the village, but some journalists have managed to slip through.
At present, negotiations are underway between the developer and the villagers. Sources claimed that the demolition could be postponed until the end of the month.
Consumer Association of Penang (CAP) officer NV Subarrow told Malaysiakini that all DAP legislators had (allegedly) switched off their mobile phones.
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In the morning, police escorted court bailiffs and developer Nusmetro Sdn Bhd director Gary Ho to paste a court demolition order at a house.
At about 12.45pm, the villagers' lawyer Darshan Singh Khaira arrived at the scene but was stopped by the police.
Using a loud hailer, the lawyer told villagers that the demolition would be the 'graveyard' for the DAP government in Penang.
Kg Buah Pala: Penang CM urged not to mislead the public on issue of compensation
Some say that the demands of the residents are unreasonable and overly excessive. And that the offer of a landed property by the PR state government is too generous and sets a dangerous precedent in the state, especially when no BN or any state government has done so – Press statement by Penang State governmentThe state government has claimed that by offering the villagers a landed property in the shape of 1200 sq feet double storey terrace houses, it has set a dangerous precedence & it has not been done before.
But it must be pointed out that the villagers in 10 kongsi & other places in Sg Ara had been given compensation of 4000 sq feet double storey detach houses for each family way back before 2004.
How can the present state government especially the CM claimed that they are setting a dangerous precedence & never before the landed property has been offered to any villager when the truth is as clear as the day light?
The villagers in Sg Ara who are part of the employees of the same Brown estate & stayed on the lands were given a better deal than those in Kg Buah Pala even though the lands in Sg Ara had the similar strait settlement land grant as given to the villagers of Kg Buah Pala.
Are the CM history blind or are they trying to mislead the people of Penang in order to be seen as the people’s heroes or are they just lying through their teeth?
Even though we are supporting the Pakatan Rakyat but we cannot go around spreading outright lies or even half truth. If we do not stop it now, it will be a one term wonder for the current state government. Ubah sebelum parah!
Taman Desa Ria was developed by Palmex & the developer offered the 4000 sq feet double storey houses to the affected villagers that form part of the new Sg Ara township.
At Taman Desa Ara, the villagers were offered wih the same size house for each family, why did the LGE government claimed that they have set a dangerous precedence?
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Press statement by Penang State Government on the compensation offered to the Kg Buah Pala villagers:
The Offer Of Double-Storey Terrace House With 99 Years Lease To Residents Is A Successful Effort By The State Government To Gain Recognition For Kampung Buah Pala Residents To Remain As Legal Rightful Landowners.
The Penang State EXCO unanimously endorses the “win-win†formula worked out by the Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, Deputy Chief Minister 1 Mansor Othman and Deputy Chief Minister 2 Professor P. Ramasamy to resolve the Kampung Buah Pala issue. Despite the developer and the landowner of Kampung Buah Pala possessing the eviction and demolition order granted by the Federal Court, they have acceded to the request of the PR state government not to implement it on 4.8.2009 but to defer until Friday.
Some say that the demands of the residents are unreasonable and overly excessive. And that the offer of a landed property by the PR state government is too generous and sets a dangerous precedent in the state, especially when no BN or any state government has done so. However there are special circumstances for Kampung Buah Pala in that they were allowed by the original landowner to live there during the British colonial days before the land reverted to the government.
Even BN and UMNO have conceded that the residents have been staying there over100 years. The BN state government under Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon had alienated their land twice to Koperasi Pegawai Kerajaan Pulau Pinang in EXCO meetings on 18.8.2004 and 8.6.2005 without consulting the residents. Worse the land was alienated by BN at a ridiculously low land premium of RM 10 per square feet. After losing their land which was “robbed†from them by BN, the BN land robbers treated them as illegal squatters with no rights to own their land.
The offer of a double-storey terrace house with 99 years lease to the residents is a successful effort by the PR state government to gain recognition for Kampung Buah Pala residents to remain as legal rightful landowners and not as illegal squatters.
The actions of one or two residents together with outsiders with their own agenda of undermining the Penang Pakatan Rakyat government only deepen suspicions that they do not want to see a solution but want the demolition of all houses to be carried out so that it can be used against Pakatan Rakyat. For the one or two residents together with outsiders who have houses, it is easy to demand everything when they have a house to go back to after Kampung Buah Pala is demolished.
The Penang PR state government urges the residents to seriously consider and accept this final solution that will allow them to remain in the land and receive a double-storey terrace landed property. If they agree in principle, then all the other details can be worked out by the PR state government, which has been sincerely helping the residents despite being unjustly blamed and criticised for an injustice committed by BN. Kampung Buah Pala residents should move on by considering the win-win formula of legally owning a 99 year leased land with double-storey terrace house.
PROFESSOR P RAMASAMY
Taking Advantage of Buah
A well known advantage taking Indian so called politician is here with his new party called Makkal Sakthi. At the last minute and trying to win peoples heart by claiming he is the one made the bailiff to postponed the demolition process till another month, I find this news is the most interesting one throughout the strugle. Dont believe anyone, the only person was there for the villagers are the villagers themself and not from outside influences! They struggled since morning with all the baton and pushes and got their minor winning today! Bravo High Chaparral residents!!
Rwindraj@ Cryingvoices..
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Live from Kg.Buah Pala
By cryingvoices-Rwindraj
0800hrs : A road bloack has been setup at both entrance to Kg.Buah Pala
0808hrs: A temporary police post has been setup near the village opposite RTM quaters.
0810hrs: There's about 20 villagers were present at the tent setup by the villagers, and about 10 reporters from various media is also present here.
The villagers are worried, tensed and some almost cried, this is the most sad scene that can be seen here at this moment.
There has been a group of about 50 chinese gangster with the Green Attire and with Weapons, standby at a perfect spot near shell about 500m from Kg.buah Pala, which has been noticed by one of the villagers, the group watched closely but chased away by police and the villagers!
Reporters were chased out of the scene, commotions here and there, at 1001hrs, the developers gangster team and the police come in big group!..
The gangsters are supported by police!, there is no reason for the police to chase the reporters!
Kg.Buah Pala Reports
Time is critical in Kg.Buah Pala now, a house belongs to mr.steven has been marked for demolition,
Light Strike force is team is using violence against the villagers, many of them are injured, a lady in the age of 51 by the name, Mahadevi D/O Muthu is injured in a critial situation, she has problem with her spines after attacked with a stick by Light force team, I cant update more pictures here due to time constrain, photos will be uploaded in the photo gallery!
There are no politician seen in the this area, no one comes to the plea of the villagers here, they are fighting on their own for the survival of their heritage land!
The develop has brought a bunch of Foreigners with Iron Rod who is in the front row before the police, police are protecting the developer rather than the villagers!
The Lady with the spinal Injury has been dened medical attention, she lost her consciousness and also suffering with hypertension and leg injuries. IT HAS BEEN ABOUT AN HOURS SINCE AMBULANCE IS STATIONED AT THE SPOT AND DENIED ENTRY TO RESCUE THE INJURED WOMAN. There are in total of 3 ladies injuries at this point of time. The developer Gary Ho, is leading the demolition team and he is with full police backup.There are no mercy here, they have given a 15mins for each house before the demolition.. This is so cruel, pakatan rakyat is a cruel and non-Human rights state government, they only torchure the people in this state said Mr.Maniam, a resident of this wonderful state!
GREAT NEW IS, NOT EVEN ONE DAP OR ANY OF THE PAKATAN RAKYAT ADUNS AND MPS ARE HERE AND REFUSED TO ANSWER ANY CALLS FROM BUAH PALA RESIDENTS.
How they prostitute Islam for political gains
So, what is the issue here? Is the issue Islam? Is the issue about eradicating sin? Is the issue about not allowing vice in Malay neighbourhoods? Is Umno outraged that beer is being sold in ‘Malay’ Shah Alam? What is really the issue?
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin
There is a controversy sweeping Selangor state. Well, actually there are many controversies sweeping the state. But this particular controversy I am talking about involves the matter of the confiscation of beer.
As explained by the EXCO Member in charge of local government, Ronnie Liu, the confiscation was a mistake, an error of judgment of sorts, and the beer was ultimately returned to the owner the same day with an apology attached.
Furthermore, explained Ronnie, you need a licence to sell liquor. But beer does not come under the classification of liquor. So you do not need a licence to sell beer and therefore the government can’t confiscate beer even if the premises that is selling it does not have a liquor licence. This is not the law that Pakatan Rakyat made. This is the law that the Barisan Nasional government made.
But Umno is not about to allow the matter to end there. They want to organise a protest demonstration and they demand that PAS join them in this demonstration as proof that the Islamic party is committed to its Islamic agenda. Basically, Umno wants to pressure the Pakatan Rakyat state government into reversing its policy on ‘allowing’ beer to be sold in Selangor and it wants PAS to unite with Umno in propagating this stand.
The impression being created is that Umno is opposed to beer being sold in Selangor. But only today is it opposed to the sale of beer. For 51 years, when Selangor was under Umno, it was not opposed to the sale of beer. It is only opposed to the sale of beer now that it no longer rules the state.
Hasan Ali, the man behind the secret talks with Umno soon after the 8 March 2008 general election, has of course jumped onto the bandwagon in ‘defence’ of Islam. He wants Selangor to ban the sale of liquor and beer in the state, or at least in Malay-majority neighbourhoods or townships like Shah Alam.
That is all well and fine. I am certainly in support of eradicating immoral activities. And I will support not only Muslims but also Jews, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and whatnot to see this happen.
But this is not what is behind the brouhaha. The issue is not about eradicating vice. It is about trying to embarrass the Pakatan Rakyat state government and in the same process create a rift between PAS and its other partners, DAP and PKR.
First of all, how would we define Malay-majority townships? What percentage of the population would have to be Malay before it is classified as Malay-majority neighbourhoods or townships? Malays make up about 51% of the population of Selangor. So would that particular neighbourhood or township have to have at least a 90% population to be classified as Malay-majority? Or is 70% a more realistic percentage since it would be almost impossible to find a township with a 90% Malay-majority population?
This is something Umno and its Trojan Horse in PAS, Hasan Ali, did not define. So the issue of what constitutes a Malay-majority township is very hazy at this stage. Maybe they should first define this and after that place signboards at the entrance of these townships that say “Malay-majority constituency” so that people would be aware of it.
“Anda sekarang berada di dalam kawasan majoriti Melayu”, would probably be what the signboard says. Then the Indians and Chinese could demand the same for their Indian- and Chinese-majority constituencies as well. And with that we can forget the 1Malaysia bullshit because the entire Selangor will have signboards declaring which townships are Malay-majority, Chinese-majority and Indian-majority.
In the classified Indian-majority areas they can then ban the sale of beef since this is taboo to the Indians. I don’t know what we can ban in Chinese-majority areas other than the volume on the mosque PA system to avoid waking up the Chinese from their sleep at 5.30am.
To arbitrary declare that Shah Alam is Malay-majority and therefore the sale of beer should be banned in that township is not good enough. Clear guidelines must be provided so that people would be aware what constitutes a Malay-majority area. Then a law must be passed in Parliament to make it illegal to sell beer in these ‘gazzeted’ Malay-majority areas where the population touches whatever percentage constitutes a Malay-majority area.
Terengganu is by far a Malay-majority state. It has a 98% or more Malay population. But in 1999, when the opposition ruled the state, the PAS President who was also the Menteri Besar of Terengganu, first summoned the non-Muslims for a meeting before imposing a ban on anything that Islam viewed as forbidden.
In the meeting, the representatives from the non-Muslim community said that liquor should not be banned but the state can ban gambling as the non-Muslims considered this a social problem and detrimental to the wellbeing of society.
So gambling was banned in Terengganu but liquor was not. And this was basically what the non-Muslims, not the Muslims, had wanted. Of course, PAS was whacked for banning gambling although this proposal came from the non-Muslims. But liquor was not banned in spite of the fact the Muslims viewed liquor a bigger vice than gambling -- ibu kepada semua maksiat.
Kelantan too had banned gambling a decade earlier although liquor can still be found in the state, until today, as can pork. For that matter, pigs could not be slaughtered in Kelantan in the old days when the state was under Umno. When PAS took over Kelantan in 1990 they allowed the slaughter of pigs in the state and no longer did you need to ‘import’ pork from the other states.
This shows that PAS can, if it wished to, look at things in a more rational manner. It is only when one or two personalities try to throw the cat amongst the pigeons when all hell breaks loose. But these people are not doing things in the interest of Islam. They just want to create chaos in the opposition so that Umno can take back Selangor from Pakatan Rakyat.
Okay, let us assume that Umno is sincere about defending Islam. There is another ‘Malay-majority’ neighbourhood in Selangor, Subang. In fact, Subang was developed by a Malay-controlled company, Sime Darby. Sime Darby is Malay through and through.
And one high-powered Umno man linked to Daim Zainuddin owns Holiday Villa in Subang. Holiday Villa not only sells liquor but also has a disco, pub, bar and whatnot where you not only can get drunk but can also pick up women as well. Holiday Villa also has a massage parlour well stocked with women who, for the right price, will drop their panties and give you a good screw.
So, we are talking about more than just liquor here. We are talking about being able to fuck your brains out in a Malay-owned hotel, owned by someone very high up in Umno and linked to Daim plus many other key people in Umno, in an area developed by one of the largest government-linked property companies headed by a whole bunch of Malays.
So, what is the issue here? Is the issue Islam? Is the issue about eradicating sin? Is the issue about not allowing vice in Malay neighbourhoods? Is Umno outraged that beer is being sold in ‘Malay’ Shah Alam? What is really the issue?
The issue is simple, really. It is about trying to create a fight between PAS and its two partners in Pakatan Rakyat. And Islam is being used as the platform in trying to achieve this. They are just prostituting Islam. And that is what Islam has been reduced to, a prostitute in the game of ‘let’s try to take back Selangor like we did Perak’.
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Hasan Ali: 'Ripples' will strengthen PR Selangor
Written by Melody Song, The Edge
Selangor PAS state commissioner Datuk Dr Hasan Ali said there were no tensions within the state Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition over the alcohol issue.
He cited a survey in local Malay-language daily Sinar Harian which revealed that 74% of those polled disagreed that the recent spate of arguments had caused cracks in the coalition.
"PR Selangor will remain intact," he said. "These 'ripples' and minor disturbances will only serve to strengthen our relationship.
"We are all educated grownups and wise enough to differentiate between policy decisions and personal issues," he said when asked if he and fellow state exco member Ronnie Liu faced any tension between them.
Hasan added that he would not be intimidated by threats of disciplinary action to be taken against him for calling for Liu's resignation.
"For the sake of upholding my principles, Islamic laws and related rules, I am prepared to face any action from PR leadership, even if it means being asked to resign from my post as state exco member," he said.
"I don't know why I've been threatened with disciplinary action," Hassan said. "Perhaps (Tony) Pua feels that my 'sin' against the coalition is too great.
"Selangor PAS thinks PR is on the right track when it comes to dealing with issues in the state," he said.
On Friday, Selangor DAP deputy chairman Tony Pua called for PR leadership to set up a disciplinary committee against Hasan for seeking the removal of DAP's Liu as the local government committee chairman.
Liu had allegedly overstepped his boundaries when he asked the Shah Alam City Council to return the 70 cans of beer that were "illegally seized" from a 7-Eleven outlet in Section 8 on July 29.
Hasan said the outlet in question is no longer selling alcohol.
"Yesterday the store manager told me alcohol sales contribute to less than 1% of total daily sales, so they have decided to stop selling the beverages.
"I was told during the Barisan Nasional government's time the residents of Section 8 had already made requests to stop the convenience store from selling beer, but no action was taken.
"They are pleased with Selangor PAS' suggestion," he said.
Hassan added he will lead an expedition tonight with Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor (JAIS) to check 7-Eleven outlets in Shah Alam whether Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim's suggestions of self-regulation of the sale of alcohol have paid off.
Khalid announced that as of today 10 7-Eleven outlets in Shah Alam have stopped selling alcoholic beverages. Seven others sell to non-Muslims only by demand as the beverages are no longer in public display. - 12 August 2009
Now the doctor's report has gone missing
Raja Petra’s house was raided by the police at about 8.00am this morning, Friday, 22 August 2008. The police said they were looking for documents and any evidence related to the Statutory Declaration signed by the Burmese Doctor from Pusrawi. The raid was is in relation to the sodomy allegation against Anwar Ibrahim where the said doctor who examined the accuser, Saiful, confirmed he could not find any evidence that the young man had been sodomised by anyone. (see more here). Now that report has gone missing.
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin
(The Star, 31 July 2008) - The Health Ministry will stand by the medical findings of Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) on Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.
Director-General Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said the examination on Mohd Saiful on June 28 was according to standard operating procedures with “strict adherence to medical ethics, confidentiality and professionalism.”
“The details of the findings have not and will be not be disclosed to any unauthorised personnel or agency,” he said in a press statement yesterday.
“No one should speculate or draw conclusions or make assumptions as to the result of the medical examination.”
Dr Ismail was commenting on an online news portal report that a medical report showed no indication of Mohd Saiful having been sodomised.
Mohd Saiful had lodged a police report that he was sodomised by PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The medical report from Hospital Pusrawi, signed by Dr Mohamed Osman Abdul Hamid at 2.14pm on June 28, ruled out that Mohd Saiful was sodomised. Dr Mohamed Osman had also recommended that Mohd Saiful go to a government hospital for further checks.
Dr Ismail declined to comment on the online report. He said the ministry would contact Hospital Pusrawi for further details particularly about the authenticity of the record and how it had been made public.
“Regardless of the authenticity of a medical record, such a record should be regarded as confidential and should not be circulated,” he said.
He said action could be taken under the Private Healthcare and Facilities Act against any private hospital which failed to have measures to ensure the confidentiality of a patient’s medical record.
Dr Ismail, who is Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) president, said Dr Mohamed Osman was registered to practise medicine in Malaysia.
He added that when a doctor had to release confidential information to a third party he was obligated to ensure that steps had been taken to avoid legal and ethical breaches.
Not voting like their fathers
By Lee Wei Lian - The Malaysian Insider
PEKAN REMBAU, Aug 13 — Like most small towns in Malaysia, there seemed to be precious few young adults wandering the main street of the sleepy Negri Sembilan town of Pekan Rembau last Tuesday afternoon.
Many, if not most, would have probably left for the bright lights of bigger towns like Seremban, Malacca, Kuala Lumpur or Singapore.
Since last year’s general election, a trend has emerged where young voters have been choosing to vote for Pakatan Rakyat parties rather than Barisan Nasional. A young voter demographic bulge is also said to be key in determining the winner of the next general election.
Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin, who is also Rembau’s representative in Parliament, was tasked by the party president with reversing this trend.
It has been, at times, a vicious war, which includes race baiting and opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim branded a “traitor” to the Malays.
That evening the Pakatan Rakyat was holding a ceramah in Rembau... so what did the young people here think of the raging battle for Malay hearts and minds by Umno, PAS and PKR?
Three shop assistants, Riz, Nas and Zul, who finally agreed to talk, looked like the sort Khairy would be keen to recruit for his Umno Youth movement.
Well-dressed and well-mannered, they said they read Malay newspapers papers such as Harian Metro, Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian.
However, to them, they just could not see what the fuss over “traitors” was all about.
Their concerns were much more prosaic: the rising cost of living and a more peaceful environment.
“Look at the cost of things — petrol, food, everything keeps going up,” said Riz. “All this fighting between political parties, it is just giving me a headache.”
“What we want are leaders who are sincere, trustworthy and honest,” said Nas. “We do read papers, some things we agree with, some things we don’t agree.”
Zul, who joined in the conversation later, freely expressed his exasperation.
“Why do these politicians like to fight? Why can’t they just get along and live in peace,” he said.
Later, down the road, Yus, a young, struggling entrepreneur with his wife and toddler in tow, agreed to share his views.
“I am going to be direct,” he told The Malaysian Insider. “I think the prime minister is okay but the people below him are causing problems. They (Umno) can say what they want about defending the Malays, but I can judge with my own eyes what they have done. People like me they have neglected for a long time. I have been trying to get a loan for ages but the bank officers tell me that they give out loans only for government projects.”
“All this politics, it is just a game played by people at the top,” he said before getting into his car to leave.
It appears the younger set are not voting like their fathers.
For them, they want less talk and more action, especially on bread and butter issues.
Hyperbole such as “traitors” and defending the Malays seem to be topics for the older elite to pontificate and fight over.
Already much more exposed to the global world than the older generation, and with many sources of information they can turn to, they seem less conservative and less parochial in their outlook.
A chat with a friendly “pakcik” whose son works in a government media organisation appears to bear this out.
His opinion is that the younger generation cannot be “fooled” and that campaigns that use race to vilify political opponents appeal more to “old diehard” supporters.
If this holds true, then Umno’s current race baiting to win over the Malay ground could indeed win back the “old diehard” supporters who had deserted them last year out of disappointment. But it could cost them non-Malay votes, and in the end, put the votes of young Malays at risk as well.
Spare the rod and spoil the politician (I)
By Haris Ibrahim,
To-date, my ‘…teach politicians a lesson…’ post elicited 94 comments. I want to reproduce one here.
Lynn Says:
August 10, 2009 at 6:59 pm e
Dear Haris
I quite agree with you and others on PP that PR politicians also need to be taught lessons.
Especially politicians like Hassan Ali, Zulkifli Nordin and Wee Choo Keong to name some. Because the BN politicians are forever trying to taunt them, even respectable ones whom I hold my hats off too like Jeff Ooi could blast off and cause serious fire fighting for Lim Guan Eng.
PKR seems to be faint version of UMNO and AI doesn’t seem to be able to control the warlords probably being fearful about losing a precious parliamentary seat.
I believe you guys and RPK are working on the Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia initiative, One Nation, ONe Voice? Lets give PR a WRITTEN WARNING here and now that if they don’t buck up, we the people will put up our own SABM candidate. Some of those outstanding politicians with integrity and similar ideals could be persuaded to leave PR to stand as independents bearing the SABM flag as well as any other anak Bangsa Malaysia, someone like Art Harun would be very welcomed. Am I being too idealistic?
__________________________________
Lynn, don’t know about independent candidates standing under a SABM flag but, you asked for a written warning to be sent to Pakatan Rakyat, so here it is.
A soft copy, together with soft copies of The People’s Declaration and a Malaysiakini report dated 23rd February, 2008 went out this morning.
Copies of the same, except The People’s Declaration will be faxed shortly and thereafter, all the dccuments will be sent by courier.
Copis of each, in PDF, are linked below.
The art of Managing a Crisis…do we want one?
Me thinks something is stirring in the Pakatan Rakyat and UMNO camps. The winds of change seems to blow ever so slowly. Diversions are being thrown around here and there by Pakatan Rakyat. The issue of selling beers in Selangor seem to take a life of its own unencumbered by thoughts of Pakatan unity. There is the ‘life and death struggle’ of Pakatan Rakyat in Selangor and the internal ‘bickering’ between PAS and DAP. For Barisan they want Selangor back and the word is out that they are confident enough to look at holding elections in Perak…it all points to the classic diversionary tactics of ‘creating a crisis’ – but by whom? Barisan or Pakatan?
What is self-evident now is that there is a growing momentum towards creating a Malaysia the people are unfamiliar with. The dismantling of the great racial divide, the real possibility of Pakatan Rakyat emerging as the next Government after the General Elections (at worse an effective opposition) and the potential demise of UMNO and the Barisan Coalition it leads as the Party in power.
Concurrently as part and parcel of this progression there is an increasing demand by the people for transparency and openness in Government – akin to Putri Gunung Ledang agreeing to marry the Sultan if given:
A bridge made of pure gold from Malacca to Mount Ledang;
Another bridge made of pure silver from Mount Ledang to Malacca;
Seven trays (dulang) of the hearts of mosquitoes;
Seven trays (dulang) of the hearts of the germs;
Seven jars (tempayan) of the juice of young betel nuts
Seven jars (tempayan) of the tears of the virgins
One bowl of blood from his fondest and only son.
All this makes for a vigorous and excitable population impatient for changes that they have long waited to come. And now that the time for change is almost here – the nearness of it happening have made any more waiting unbearable. They want the changes to happen now. They want the ISA to be abolished now. They want what is wrong with this country to be corrected now. And accountability at all levels of Government now.
In this atmosphere of potential crisis – what separates order and chaos is a very fine line.
It is in the interest of Pakatan Rakyat to have the people on edge but disciplined and focused on the task ahead – the orderly transition from Opposition to Government.
What UMNO/Barisan will do in a crisis situation would decide the future of democracy in our country.
In a crisis situation the challenges to be faced by those in power, in the aftermath of any crisis, would depend on what it wants to achieve – for the country, for the people and most critical for themselves–because it present opportunities to secure leadership status and legitimacies, preferred political alliances and political exploitation to maintain their status quo. It would also present opportunities to push through desired policy ‘reforms’ for the nation’s advantage of for it’s own.
How would UMNO negotiate the aftermath of a political crisis of its own making?
The crisis could be a catalyst to creating or blocking reforms within the country. It could be used to galvanized or ‘guide’ the population towards desired goals.
There will also be a need to identify accountability. Who will accept or deny responsibility for the crisis. What failures and weakness will be hidden and what will be exposed.
Finally what will be the end game of the crisis. Will dissent be stifled if not totally eliminate? Will those in power put into place checks and balance to ensure that another crisis will not occur or will it use the opportunity to consolidate and reinforce power and their leadership position as soon as possible?
When we consider all these possibilities it is essential that nothing should happen that would turn brinkmanship to disaster and yet if we are scared to go too the brink, we will lose. There is a need for us to understand that in a crisis situation there is a clear and present danger that the resulting chaos will be taken advantage of by Barisan to secure their hold on power for the foreseeable future. We only need to see the use of the ISA to curtail dissent during Ops Lallang resulting in the arrest of so many of our own people. And since then the use of power at its disposal to ensure opponents of Barisan are incarcerated as been the norm. We cannot take that chance.
And so I urged the leaders within PakatanRakyat to educate and instill in its members the need to remain calm under extreme provocation, the need to refrain form overt display of anger or force when confronted by the overwhelming force of PDRM. The need for restrain in order to not allow the powers that be to create a crisis situation and to blame that resulting situation on us. For then they could proceed to assume complete control of our country and do what they want and as they please for decades to come.
We would have need for leaders within our ranks that are able to take us through these trouble time and see it through to the end so that the end result will ensure the beginning of a new dawn. Do not let them push us over the edge.
Kg Buah Pala: Developer moves in
The Star, Aug 13 2009 10:02 am -- GEORGE TOWN: Police have cordoned off the entire Kampung Puah Bala as the deadline for the residents to move out ends Thursday. Bulldozers have been put on standby to move in to demolish the houses after most of the residents failed to take up the offer of a doube-storey house. The situation is described as tense.
Promoting Rosmah
By Shanon Shah
thenutgraph.com
Rosmah Mansor (Source: upsi.edu.my)MANY Malaysian political blogs have already started to sneer at Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor's official website. This is, perhaps, not surprising. After all, her husband, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, had to deal with highly acidic public opinion even before he assumed office in April 2009.
There are valid questions about possible abuses of power and corruption on the part of the incumbent premier and his wife. But a quick Google search through the various political blogs will also turn up criticisms against Najib and Rosmah that are personal in nature.
Rosmah, especially, is ridiculed for various aspects of her physical appearance. Even in blogger and journalist Niki Cheong's cool-headed critique of Rosmah's website, commenters could not resist conflating their criticisms with personal — though relatively harmless — attacks on how she looks.
Underlying these criticisms of Rosmah's bearing is discomfort and a legitimate query: why does the spouse of Malaysia's prime minister have a microsite on the prime minister's official website?
Other spouses
Cheong pointed out that the spouses of the US president and Australian prime minister only have brief write-ups about who they are on a page of the official government websites. Carla Bruni, wife of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, has her own personal website; probably because she already was a public figure before she became France's first lady. Jordan's Queen Rania also has her own personal website.
Carla Bruni (Pic by Remi Jouan /
Wiki commons)But apart from not piggy-backing on publicly funded government websites, Bruni and Queen Rania are technically spouses of heads of state, not government. In countries that have separate heads of state and government, the head of state usually embodies the spirit of the country. The head of government, well, governs, and ideally without the influence or interference, real or assumed, of a spouse.
There are several layers to the issue, then. How and why do these first spouses have their own websites, official or personal? Just because everyone else is doing it, does it mean we should, too? More importantly, what does Rosmah's official site say about the nature of government in Malaysia?
What's the function?
Here is what the official website of the Prime Minister's Office says about its function: "To secure an efficient environment for the prime minister to perform his [or her] duties and responsibilities effectively." And its objective: "To provide, organise and deliver speedy services in performing the tasks and responsibilities of the prime minister."
In that case, is Rosmah's microsite meant to "secure an efficient environment" for the PM "to perform his duties and responsibilities effectively"? Is Rosmah providing, organising and delivering "speedy services in performing the tasks and responsibilities of the prime minister" via her site?
The answers might be deceptively obvious to some Malaysians. But in a recent interview with The Nut Graph, even former Dewan Negara President Tan Sri Dr Abdul Hamid Pawanteh opined that Malaysians have difficulty distinguishing between party and government. In his words: "Malaysia is Barisan Nasional, Barisan Nasional is Malaysia." In Rosmah's case, this confusion is being muddied even further — the lines are not merely being blurred regarding party and government, but also regarding leaders and their spouses.
Hillary Clinton (Public domain) That Rosmah's official site, which aims to illuminate her "role" as the prime minister's wife, is part of the website of the Prime Minister's Office could mean that Rosmah is part of government. Sure, this could be the butt of many a political joke. Back when Bill Clinton was US president, citizens joked about his wife Hillary really being the one in charge of the country. Similarly, the fact that Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail is president of Parti Keadilan Rakyat has not stopped many Malaysians from regarding Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the party's real leader. The Wan Azizah-Anwar example, however, is less problematic at the moment since the party is not in federal government.
And speaking of the Clintons, this is what Rosmah had to say on 8 July 2009: "No, I am not going to be a Hillary Clinton. As the First Lady, I can comment on other things, but I do not want to get involved in policies and governing the country." Does her site send a conflicting message to what she is publicly saying?
Parliamentary democracy
In a parliamentary democracy such as Malaysia, the prime minister is the head of the government who answers to Parliament. In other words, a parliamentary prime minister has a "day-to-day" role of defending and explaining his or her government in Parliament to other elected representatives of the people. And Najib's official website is but another platform for him to defend and explain his administration's performance.
Michelle Obama (Public domain) By allowing Rosmah to have her microsite on the prime minister's official website, does this portend that she, too, has an official government role to play?
The simple answer is that neither Michelle Obama nor Thérèse Rein, wife of Australian PM Kevin Rudd, has to appear in the US Congress or Australian Parliament. And maybe that's why their pages on their governments' official websites offer but brief profiles. Perhaps the Australian and US electorate want to know a little bit about these first spouses — were they ever war criminals; do they perform public services on their own merit; what do they look like? — that sort of thing.
Thérèse Rein (Public domain)Rosmah's microsite, on the other hand, does not just provide a brief bio or profile. It constantly updates her speeches, her news appearances, and her daily activities. Rosmah has, of course, every right to engage with citizens in this way, but to do so on an official government website would lead some to ask if she is not in fact trying to play some government role.
Additionally, there is the point of whether taxpayers' money should be used to promote the profile of the prime minister's spouse, when she is neither an elected representative nor a public servant accountable to the public.
It does not help, then, when some of Rosmah's supporters and detractors either defend or attack her from a purely personal perspective. Even if Rosmah were the most beloved, popular Malaysian prime minister's spouse in living history, the question remains: does the prime minister's spouse deserve a microsite on the official website of the Prime Minister's Office?LIVE: Bulldozers in Kg Buah Pala - Anil Netto
1324: The Koperasi’s blog says it does not agree to the proposal for the double-storey houses offered as compensation to be built on their land. The cooperative is believed to be holding a general meeting soon. The developer’s action today may be seen in that light – to show they are doing something about the project.
1312: The court bailiff stands on one of the bulldozers to address the crowd. But the shouting of the crowd drowns out whatever he has to say.
The bulldozers, facing the crowd, rev up their engines, but the crowd of villagers shout back, “Tutup enjin! Tutup engine!” A standoff ensues.
1241: The villagers’ lawyer, Darshan Singh, arrives, clutching some documents. He wants to meet the court bailiff, who is holed up with the developer in the village house they are using as a base. But police are blocking Darshan’s way, amidst shouts and chants from the crowd.
The OCPD has arrived and is now believed to be inside the mobile police base a short distance away.
1215: The stand-off between the villagers and the demolition team at the foothill continues.
The deadlines for the three houses were given more than half an hour ago. Police are taking up positions outside the three houses.
1207: It looks as if three houses have been targeted for demolition today. A 30-minute deadline has been given.
1202: About 200 villagers have gathered outside the house which the developer is using. Some of them have brought cow dung. Police are guarding the house.
1149: The developer appears to be using the house across the road from the open-air enclosure for cows as a base. A couple of villagers are also believed to be inside the house.
The developer walks to the house next to it and another house after that to talk to the occupants, but the villagers are resisting.
1132: Villagers are scrambling to the foothill as contractors emerge. A standoff ensues.
Meanwhile, more panic as villagers believe that contractors are coming from the top of the slope. The police inform an activist that they are not contractors but the court bailiff among others.
Two or three women are believed to have fainted. They are stretchered away through the barricades as the ambulance is not allowed in. The villagers ask why police cars are allowed in but not the ambulance, according to a source at the scene.
Villagers are trying to contact several DAP and PKR reps in the state government, but no one seems to be picking up their phones.
1058: One woman in her fifties has fainted and is now lying on a table. The older folks in the village look tired and weary. Another woman, Mahadevi, 51, who had just undergone a spinal operation recently, has been shoved.
The developer, lawyers and others are in one of the houses. TNB personnel are also believed to be at the scene.
1046: Some of the villagers say that the bailiff has given them 15 minutes to leave, according to one source. A lot of shouting going on.
Another source reports the same thing, adding that the villagers are chanting, “Hidup Kampung Buah Pala! Samseng keluar!”
1029: A court bailiff sticks a demolition order on one of the houses.
A commotion breaks out as village reps point out any action today would be in contempt of court as the Federal Court is due to hear their application for revision on 18 August.
The developer’s contractors are still around. Some reporters re-enter the village.
1008: The demolition team march into the village followed by the two bulldozers. A crowd of chanting villagers goes up close and eyeballs them. A police barricade separates the two sides. About a hundred Light Strike Force personnel are at the scene.
1003: The demolition team are moving in: about 200 people and two tractors or bulldozers.
0935: The situation appears tense in the village. Two bulldozers are believed to be around. Police continue to order out reporters and photographers, says an eye-witness at the scene. He believes some of the residents have confronted the demolition team at the Shell station and they may have dispersed (unable to verify that though). The entire area has now been blocked. As raindrops fall, it seems as if the heavens are weeping.
0929: People are milling around the second barricade. “Everyone seems to be just waiting,” reports a citizen journalist. One village family – husband, pregnant wife and two children – has left the scene. Lots of police personnel around. A tractor or bulldozer is inside the village, according to two different sources.
0920: About 200 police personnel, including riot police are now in the village. “They are coming,” one villager tells me, sounding upset. He said one of the villagers had spotted another group of men, believed to be the developers’ people, gathering at the Shell station along the main road.
A citizen journalist tries to enter the village but is unable to get past the second barricade.
0853: The police have asked reporters and photographers inside the village to move outside the road blocks that have been set up at the entrance to the village. About 50 villagers have gathered inside and some 50 police personnel are also present, according to an eye-witness.
0750: Police on motorbikes have been seen checking out Kg Buah Pala. The residents have been on tenterhooks since last night amidst speculation that something could happen today.
Umno tergugat punca Anwar diserang, kata Nik Aziz
Dari Harakah Daily
Oleh Salmah Mat Husain
Kerana kehebatan dan kejayaannya menggugat Barisan Nasional (BN) khasnya Umno, menyebabkan Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim di serang habis-habisan, kata Mursyidul Am PAS, Tuan Guru Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik.
Bagi beliau, semuanya berdasarkan satu perkara sahaja iaitu dengki terhadap Ketua Pembangkang itu sehingga beliau dituduh sebagai pengkhianat bangsa.
Nik Aziz berkata demikian ketika mengulas serangan besar-besaran Umno terhadap Anwar Ibrahim sejak kebelakangan ini.
Ia bermula dengan kenyataan Timbalan Presiden Umno, Tan Sri Muhyidin Yassin yang mendakwa Anwar adalah pengkhianat orang Melayu. Namun, tidak ada sebarang kenyataan yang jelas apa dia pengkhianatan yang dibuat Anwar.
Ekoran itu, Anwar menghantar notis peguam kepada Muhyidin dan meminta agar kenyataan itu ditarik balik dan meminta maaf kepadanya.
Namun, ia ditolak oleh Muhyidin bahkan selepas itu, Umno Johor berhimpun di Paguh dan meneriakkan perkataan “Anwar pengkhianat” secara beramai-ramai. Mereka juga mencabar Anwar menyaman mereka.
Menurut Nik Aziz, Umno seharusnya menyerang dasar perjuangan parti PKR dan bukannya individu sekiranya mendapati perjuangan parti itu tidak betul.
Katanya lagi, dalam sejarah ketamadunan manusia, Namrud dan Firaun walaupun berkuasa namun kerana menghianati ajaran Allah, mereka tetap menerima padah serta hukuman dari Allah walaupun berbangsa Arab.
Umno katanya, tidak wajar menyerang individu untuk menarik perhatian masyarakat terhadap mereka dengan memburukkan Anwar Ibrahim, sebaliknya dasar parti yang perlu dikritik atau seumpamanya sekiranya ia tidak betul.
Beliau melahirkan rasa malu terhadap orang politik Malaysia yang menyerang individu secara besar besaran dengan mengatakan Anwar sebagai penghianat bangsa.
Jelasnya, kalau demikian hujjah Umno, Nabi Muhammad saw juga boleh diistilahkan sedemikian kerana baginda turut menentang bapa saudara yang sebangsa dengannya.
“Sejahil-jahil orang Arab Jahiliah pun dia tak kata Nabi Muhammad ni penghianat bangsa, sebaliknya sebagai orang yang memperbodohkan pemimpin kami, itu saja tak ada pun sebut pengkhianat bangsa,?ujarnya lagi.
Sambungnya lagi, masaalah bangsa itu hanya akan timbul setelah masyarakat itu sendiri yang membangga-banggakan bangsanya, sedangkan seruan bangsa di Padang Mahsyar nanti tidak wujud.
Tambahnya, sekiranya bangsa cukup berharga di sisi Allah, tentu sekali bangsa Arab lebih berharga dari Melayu.
Menurutnya, kerana Anwar bersama Pakatan Rakyat dan semakin diterima rakyat, menyebabkan mereka takut dan cara yang difikirkan sesuai bagi mereka ialah menyerang ketua pembangkang itu secara peribadi.
“Kita ni nak naikkan (fahaman) politik, dan bukannya nak menaikkan atau memburukkan individu tertentu, tak betul, itu memalukan kita,”ujarnya.
Teoh Might Have Been Dragged, Says Witness
SHAH ALAM, Aug 13 (Bernama) -- Political aide Teoh Beng Hock might have been dragged before he was found sprawled face down on the fifth floor corridor of Plaza Masalam here in July.
Investigating officer Chief Inspector Mazli Jusoh, 31, from the Selangor police headquarters' forensic branch, told the inquest into Teoh's death on Thursday that he did not dismiss that possibility after he was shown the friction marks on the sole of Teoh's right shoe found at the scene of the incident.
Mazli agreed with the suggestion of lawyer Malik Imtiaz Sarwar, who is holding a watching brief for the Selangor government, that the friction marks had an important implication.
Malik asked again: Is it possible that the deceased could have been dragged?
Mazli: No, because normally, if a person is being dragged from behind, he would resist with his heels.
Malik: If he was dragged from the side?
Mazli: Yes.
Mazli then explained to coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas that the friction marks that exposed a piece of cloth stuck to the shoe sole was not a foreign material but was part of the shoe itself and could not be removed.
However, he admitted that he did not check the friction marks, but he did inspect the scene of the incident and found nothing that matched the material glued to the shoe.
When asked by lawyer Richard Wee, who is also holding a watching brief at the inquest, whether there was something sharp at the window on the 14th floor of the building which could cause a tear to the victim's pants, Mazli said no.
He said he also did not find any fabric threads at the window frame on the 14th floor, where the Selangor headquarters of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is located.
He testified further that the 0.6m-wide window and 0.9m in height from the floor could be easily climbed over, but he found no shoe marks on the window frame and its glass pane during inspection.
He said as the window frame and pane were dusty, the result from the dusting method for finger prints was negative.
Earlier, the coroner was shown the case exhibits taken from the scene of the incident by the forensic team. These included a pair of white pants torn at the back and with dry blood stains, shoes, a wristwatch band and mark samples taken from the sofa and window on the 14th floor of Plaza Masalam.
Mazli also told the inquest that during the scene inspection on July 16, he found a tooth near the victim's body, a dent mark on the floor where the body was found, and a dent mark on the window frame and indication of a broken window latch on the 14th floor.
Teoh, 30, the political aide to Selangor state executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah was found dead on the 5th floor of Plaza Masalam on July 16 after giving his statement to the Selangor MACC in its investigation into alleged misuse of state allocations.
The inquest continues in the afternoon.
Torchure and Suffering of a Resident in High Chaparral!
C.Tharmaraj, A resident from Kg.Buah Pala is in utmost presurre from the games played by everyone around them, Developer, state government, and the politicians, He is father of 4 kids aged 10,11 and 1 year old. another child is in the womb! Three of kids are having Fever and the wife is weak with fever too.
Apart from taking the task as a committe secretary to save Kg.Buah Pala, he is suffering with the pressure and stress given to him. Can u imagine on what kind of pressure he has to go through? By morning he doesnt know whom to concentrate, kids? wife? or their home... This is the cruel situation in Kg.Buah Pala and the pressure suffered by its residents! Imagine People... this is the cruel moment for a happily lived Villagers in the Historical Place!
A small contribution to the Community and a Warning to the Foul Players, No matter who you are!
-By Conscious and Unconscious...
Rwindraj...
Live from Kg.Buah Pala 12.23am Aug 13th 2009I reached Kg.Buah Pala at about 2120hrs, the condition here is not as potrayed
the national medias, things here are in tense and the residents are suffering everyday, even now at 2344hrs, the residents are sitting at the tent set up here to discuss on this matter and worried on what will happen to them in the next morning, everyone is threatening them, playing with their feelings and treat them badly without understanding their feelings.There is almost hopeless to trust the politicians here, I m very dissapointed with Lim Guan Eng and Prof.Ramasamy on this incident, what is business compare to the people that has trusted you and voted for you believing that they will be taken care and protected by the Assemblyman, Adun Saniswaran Nethaji Rayer is in his last moment enjoying his seat for the last time in politics, he will be no one in the next GE in this constituition.
He never cared and did anything to save the village and the villagers, All the statements given previously was based on political motive only. If at this moment, any political party or organisation saves Kg.Buah Pala, then the vote of the residents, their relatives and their friends will be for that party or organisation! The resident is in the desperate moment to save the Village, only I and the residents can feel the moments here, To all the bloggers and Reporters out there, please do not write anything unneccessarily without knowing what is the actual scenario here.
The promisses made by the Developer, contractor, state government are all lies and nothing is assured and promised to the villagers! The news in the medias are all baseless, the residents here are frustratred but strong in protecting the village, the news that says that they are not united is also baseless, they are still united and strong to protect the village and their rights! Finally, this is not the land of the state government!
This is the land presented to them by honorable British man and the family, Brown Family for their hardwork and contribution in developing this land to be a productive one..
Conscious and Unconscious,
Rwindraj @ Cryingvoices
Karpal Singh charged for sedition
 |  | Singh insisted on Wednesday that he had only been voicing his legal opinion. 'I can't see anything there which is seditious,' he told reporters. 'In any event, sedition is an outdated piece of legislation. Of course I'm confident I've done nothing wrong.' -- PHOTO: AP |
A MALAYSIAN opposition leader went on trial on Wednesday on charges of sedition for allegedly insulting a royal figure, a case slammed by critics as a government witch hunt aimed at intimidating a resurgent opposition.
The charges stem from a Feb 6 news conference in which Karpal Singh said that political decisions taken by Sultan Azlan Shah, the titular head of northern Perak state, can be questioned in court.
The statement came amid a power struggle for control of the state government. According to Malaysian law, any act that provokes hatred, contempt or disaffection against a state ruler is considered sedition, a crime punishable by up to three years in prison.
Singh, chairman of the opposition Democratic Action Party, a Parliament member and a prominent lawyer, has pleaded innocent.
'These sedition charges against Karpal are utterly baseless,' said Elaine Pearson, deputy Asia director at Human Right Watch. 'This is just an excuse to remove a powerful political opponent.'
Perak used to be governed by a three-party alliance that includes the Democratic Action Party. But earlier this year, three of its Perak state legislators defected, tipping the balance in favour of the ruling National Front coalition.
The sultan then fired the opposition alliance's administration and asked the National Front to lead the state. Prosecutors said Singh insulted the sultan and committed sedition by questioning the sultan's mandate to appoint a new administration.
Prosecutors called a reporter for the pro-government Utusan Malaysia newspaper who was at the news conference as its first witness Wednesday.
Singh insisted on Wednesday that he had only been voicing his legal opinion. 'I can't see anything there which is seditious,' he told reporters. 'In any event, sedition is an outdated piece of legislation. Of course I'm confident I've done nothing wrong.'
Government lawyer Kamaludin Said denied the charge was politically motivated. He said the prosecution plans to call up to 20 witnesses, mainly journalists who attended Singh's news conference in February. -- APPolice To Record Duo's Statements On Sedition Case
(Bernama) -- The police will record statements from DAP Socialist Youth chief Loke Siew Fook and Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi for allegedly insulting Islam and the Sultan of Perak, through a blog and news report recently.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said the duo could be charged for sedition and stoking racial tension.
He said besides being charged under the Sedition Act 1948, they could also be convicted under Section 298 for insulting Islam and bringing the religion into contempt.
"We (police) have conducted investigations and will record their statements," he said after a cheque-presentation ceremony for the Humanitarian Fund for Gaza Children at the federal police headquarters in Bukit Aman here Wednesday.
Loke is alleged to have made a seditious statement in his blog against freelance religious speaker Dr Mohd Ridhuan Tee Abdullah's reported statement on the status of the unborn child of political aide Teoh Beng Hock and his fiancee, as a child out of wedlock.
It is also alleged that in the blog, he had insulted Islam, the Sultan of Perak and the Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Dr Nazrin Shah.
Loke has denied the allegations.
Ooi came under fire for calling Penang municipal councillor Mohd Razali Abdullah, a member of the Jemaah Islah Malaysia (JIM) member, an Islamic extremist and calling JIM an extremist organisation.
It was reported that he (Ooi) had said the Penang Municipal council should not allow a religious extremist to be in the local government administration.
Tiong claims RM10 million donation paid in cash to Tee Keat
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 12 — Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing claims the RM10 million donation he made last year to MCA via Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat was paid in three separate cash installments.
According to a report in this evening’s China Press, Tiong claimed he could also summon a witness to prove that Ong had asked him for the donation.
Ong was forced today to deny allegations that he had received a RM10 million donation last year from Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB) CEO Tiong, who is also Barisan Nasional’s (BN) backbenchers club chairman.
But the MCA president and transport minister confirmed that he had used the private jet owned by KDSB, the turnkey contractor for the scandal-hit Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) project, although he said his office was waiting to be billed for the services.
Tiong told China Press today that the money was withdrawn in cash from a bank and paid to Ong in three cash instalments. Tiong said he was told by Ong that the cash was needed for MCA division activities.
The disclosure by Tiong, who is treasurer for Sarawak’s SPDP, came after PKFZ’s special task force said this week it had found disputed claims amounting to at least RM500 million.
Yesterday PKA chairman Datuk Lee Hwa Beng lodged a police report against KDSB and another party over the disputed claims.
Tiong told China Press that Ong had even offered to give him a receipt for the donation, but he had yet to receive it.
“Whether or not the money has been received by the party divisions I do not know. This is a question MCA members should ask him.
“If the MCA has not received the money he should then cough it up and return it to me,” Tiong told the newspaper.
KDSB deputy CEO Datuk Faisal Abdullah also told the same newspaper that Ong had used the company’s private jet on five separate occasions.
He provided documents to prove his claims and said Ong still owed the company US$10,000 (RM35,000) in fuel costs.
It is understood that the government’s General Orders does not allow ministers to take alternative flights which are more expensive than what Malaysia Airlines charges.
- The Malaysian Insider
Allies to further cement Pakatan pact
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 12 — The three allies in the Pakatan Rakyat electoral pact are almost certain to take big step towards a more formal coalition when its leaders hold a key meeting tomorrow that will affirm their stand to work for all Malaysians.
It is understood that PKR’s de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang will head the leadership council for the alliance that began weeks before Election 2008.
The leadership council will be assisted by PKR’s Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, DAP vice-president Tan Seng Giaw and PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub at the secretariat level, said sources familiar with the meeting to be held at the Tropicana Golf Club in Petaling Jaya.
PAS deputy president Nasharuddin Mat Isa, PKR vice-president Azmin Ali and DAPSY chief Anthony Loke will form the policy unit for the council.
Sources said the meeting is critical for the alliance which has been wracked with controversies, differences and disputes especially in Selangor, Penang and Kedah which is led by chief ministers from each party.
“The top leaders will meet and will cement a closer working relationship apart from affirming they are working for all Malaysians,” a Pakatan source told The Malaysian Insider.
Pakatan has already announced that Anwar , Hadi and Kit Siang will start off discussions at the closed-door day-long meeting that will centre on the alliance’s main policies, successes and improvements to the pact.
The leaders will hold a press conference at 2pm at the venue, according to an invitation from PKR.
Pakatan won the three states and Perak while retaining Kelantan in the March 8 general election last year apart from winning 82 out of the 222-seat parliament, bloodying the nose of Barisan Nasional (BN) which has ruled Malaysia since Merdeka in 1957 when it was the Alliance.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who engineered a putsch to bring down the Perak Pakatan government when three lawmakers turned independent, has vowed to win back Selangor.
Kelantan remains strong under the leadership of PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat, who has helmed the state since 1990.
In Penang, PKR leaders feel that the state government led by DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng has been riding roughshod over them with the last straw being Guan Eng’s aide Jeff Ooi branding this month a PKR municipal councillor as extremist for being part of the missionary Jemaah Islah Malaysia (JIM). Ooi has since withdrawn the statement.
In Kedah, the sole DAP state councillor Lee Guan Aik last month declared himself independent early July in protest over the demolition of an illegal pig abattoir. Top Pakatan leaders resolved the issue that showed cracks in the alliance.
A similar issue cropped up last week when PAS Selangor chief Datuk Hassan Ali demanded that state councillor Ronnie Liu quit for getting the Shah Alam municipal council to return illegally-seized beer from a convenience store.
Hassan had wanted the municipal council enforce religious laws and prohibit shops in Muslim-majority areas from selling beer. Selangor mentri besar, PKR’s Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim has asked shops to practise self-regulation to head off the crisis.
But a resurgent Umno, the dominant party in the 13-member BN, has been on the forefront in capitalising on these issues and attacking Pakatan leaders, calling Anwar a traitor and painting DAP as anti-Islam over comments made against banning beer sales in Selangor.
Umno Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin has called PAS to leave the alliance but Nik Aziz has affirmed the Islamist party will remain after recently castigating party leaders who suggested “unity talks” with their political rivals.
Najib, who took over as party president in March and succeeded Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as premier on April 3, has been working the ground and talking to various communities to support his “1 Malaysia” concept.
He has also freed up 27 economic sub-sectors and curbed the Foreign Investment Committee’s (FIC) powers to attract foreign and domestic investment, particularly from the economically-dominant Chinese community.
While he has been actively promoting 1 Malaysia, his party officials and party-controlled media have been rousing sentiments that Malays and Islam are under attack from other communities, writing weekend columns that slam the opposition, saying they are “seditious” especially when the Perak ruler chose a BN government to take over last February.
DAP national chairman Karpal Singh is facing a sedition charge while police are investigating DAPSY’s Loke for allegedly insulting the Perak royalty in a blog. He has denied being owner of the blog which has since been deleted.
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