Syria to place blame for Houla massacre

(CNN) -- Syria will complete its official probe Thursday into a massacre in Houla last week, the country's U.N. ambassador said Wednesday.

Syrian officials have repeatedly rejected government involvement in the massacre that left more than 100 people dead, about half of them children.

"The national commission of investigation in Syria will terminate its investigation tomorrow or after tomorrow," Bashar Jaafari told reporters at the United Nations. "And then you will hear, all of you ... the results of this investigation. And all of us will know for sure the identity of the perpetrators."

Jaafari's legal adviser told CNN that Syria expects to have results of its investigation Thursday.

Rupert Colville, spokesman for the U.N. human rights office, announced Tuesday that it's "clear" government forces were involved.

Most died as a result of "summary executions" by "armed men going into houses and killing men, women and children inside," Colville said, saying the Shabiha militia, a government militia group, appeared to be behind the executions.

Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said the United States also believes it is "not ambiguous" that the masssacre was carried out "by every indication by the Shabiha militias acting on behalf of the government. We think it's quite clear-cut, and we think there needs to be justice and accountability for those who committed these atrocities."

Throughout the conflict in Syria, President Bashar al-Assad's regime has blamed violence on "armed terrorist groups," a line Jaafari continued Wednesday.

Those behind the "heinous crime," which was "unjustified and unjustifiable," will be brought to justice, Jaafari insisted. He also argued that countries are harboring and supporting such terrorist groups that are smuggling weapons into Syria.

The remarks came after a meeting of the U.N. Security Council, in which countries looked for new ways to pressure the regime amid growing international fury over the massacre and the growing death toll in the country.

Rice said after the meeting, "We certainly agree with Kofi Annan that this is a moment where we have reached, in effect, a tipping point."

Annan, special envoy to Syria for the United Nations and the Arab League, who has pushed a six-point peace plan, used the term "tipping point" Tuesday.

"I think we may be beginning to see the wheels coming off of this bus," Rice said. "And that means that what happens next and the steps that are taken by the Syrian authorities and by this council could well be dispositive."

"The political process which is so crucial to the success of any transition, which is the purpose of the Annan plan, is thwarted by the ongoing, escalating, expanding violence perpetrated by the government, and the reality that the opposition cannot possibly be expected to come to the table while the violence is intensifying, escalating and the government is lying about it," she said.

The United States and several other nations -- the Netherlands, Australia, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Bulgaria, and Canada -- announced Tuesday that they were expelling some Syrian diplomats. Turkey joined that list Wednesday, expelling the charge d'affaires in Ankara and all the other diplomatic personnel at the embassy.

Syria said Wednesday it was expelling the Dutch charge d'affaires in Damascus, giving her 72 hours to leave the country.

Russia called the expulsions of Syrian diplomats "counterproductive" and insisted that a U.N. Security Council statement Sunday condemning the incident was for now "a strong enough signal to the Syria parties."

A central question hanging over the Security Council meeting is what steps Russia and China will allow. As permanent members, they have veto power, which they have used previously to block two resolutions. Many world leaders assailed the two nations, saying they were preventing steps that could stop the violence. But the two countries said they were seeking more balanced resolutions.

Both have major trade deals with Syria.

While no nation is openly pushing for military action, French President Francois Hollande is among those who have said it cannot be ruled out.

China and Russia spoke out forcefully Wednesday against such an idea.

"China opposes military intervention and does not support forced regime change," said Liu Weimin, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman. "The fundamental route to resolving the Syrian issue is still for all sides to fully support (Kofi) Annan's mediation efforts and push all the relevant parties to carry out diplomatic dialogue."

Air strikes would wreck Assad, says former Syrian general

"One cannot take decisions on military operations in Syria by being guided by only emotions," said Russian First Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Denisov, according to Russian news agency Itar-Tass.

U.S. sticking with 'Plan A' for Syria

Denisov also said "the Russian position is not formed on the basis of emotions, which our respected French partners have unfortunately not escaped in the formulation of their position," according to Russian news outlet RIA Novosti.

The United States announced Wednesday it was sanctioning a Syrian bank that al-Assad's regime was using to circumvent other sanctions. The U.S. Treasury said its action will help isolate the regime "from the international financial system."

U.S. intervention: Damned if they do, damned if they don't?

Peter Wittig, Germany's U.N. ambassador, said he hoped the Houla massacre was "an eye-opener for some members of the council."

He said he hoped the council would consider whether to expand the U.N. monitoring mission in Syria. Also, he asked, "how does the council deal with violations of its own resolutions? Because the massacre in Houla was a clear violation of the Security Council resolution."

And, Wittig said, the massacre made clear that "we need mechanisms of accountability for those crimes. We think the last 15 months have shown that inaction of the council leads to this vicious circle of violence. We need to overcome that, and hopefully today's debate will make a contribution."

Speaking to reporters Wednesday, he added, "We have to exhaust all means to find a political solution," and "militarization, for us, is not an option."

The uprising in Syria began nearly 15 months ago. Syrian forces have engaged in a brutal crackdown on the opposition.

At least 13 people were killed Wednesday, including five in Douma, the opposition Local Coordination Committees of Syria said. The LCC also said regime forces launched tear-gas grenades at Aleppo University students and made arrests.

Meanwhile, the head of the U.N. observer mission said 13 bodies were discovered Tuesday night in the area of Assukar, 30 miles east of Deir Ezzor in the eastern part of the country.

"All the bodies had their hands tied behind their backs and some appear to have been shot in the head from a short distance," according to a statement from the office of Maj. Gen. Robert Mood.

Mood called the act "appalling and inexcusable" and urged "all parties to exercise restraint and end the cycle of violence."

Syria, on state-run news agency SANA, said 25 "army, law enforcement and civilian martyrs" were buried Wednesday. Also, an "armed terrorist group" attacked an oil pipeline in Deir Ezzor, SANA reported.

CNN cannot confirm death tolls and reports of violence from Syria because the government limits access by foreign journalists.

Jaafari insisted Syria supports Annan's six-point plan to halt the violence in Syria, and that his government is only acting against terrorist groups.

Annan met with the prime minister and foreign minister of neighboring Jordan about the Syrian crisis, his spokesman said.

"It is important to find a solution that will lead to a democratic transition in Syria and find a way of ending the killings as soon as possible. And in that context, I am very grateful for the support I am receiving from the government of Jordan and other governments around the world. With goodwill and hard work, we can succeed," Annan said.

His deputy, Jean-Marie Guehenno, addressed the Security Council on Wednesday.

"I told the council that the parties need to recommit to a full cessation of violence," Guehenno said to reporters after. "We have seen that this cessation of violence is under threat. Today, as the stronger partner, the government needs to take steps to this end, but it is also vital that the armed opposition be ready to adhere to a full cessation of violence."

Christians Should "Convert, Pay Tribute, or Leave," Says Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood Candidate?

"They need to know that conquest is coming, that Egypt will be Islamic, and that they must pay jizya or emigrate," Morsi reportedly said.

According to the popular Egyptian website, El Bashayer, Muhammad Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood presidential candidate, just declared that he will "achieve the Islamic conquest (fath) of Egypt for the second time, and make all Christians convert to Islam, or else pay the jizya," the additional Islamic tax, or financial tribute, required of non-Muslims, or financial tribute.

In a brief report written by Samuel al-Ashay and published by El Bashayer on May 27, Morsi allegedly made these comments while speaking with a journalist at the headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, adding "We will not allow Ahmed Shafiq [his contending presidential candidate] or anyone else to impede our second Islamic conquest of Egypt."

After his interviewer pointed out that the first Muslim conquest of Egypt was "carried out at the hands of Amr bin al-As [in 641]," he asked Morsi, "Who will the second Islamic conqueror be?" Morsi, replied, "The second Muslim conqueror will be Muhammad Morsi," referring to himself, "and history will record it."

When asked what he thought about many Christian Copts coming out to vote for his secular opponent, Ahmed Shafiq, Morsi reportedly said, "They need to know that conquest is coming, and Egypt will be Islamic, and that they must pay jizya or emigrate."

If this interview is accurate, certainly Morsi would not be the first political Islamist in Egypt to say he wants to see the nation's Christians subjugated and made to pay jizya (see here for more examples).

However, considering that the English language media are currently reporting that Morsi is trying to woo Egypt's Christians and women to win more votes, it is difficult to imagine that he actually made those comments: one does not doubt that he favors the idea of a "second Islamic conquest" and the subjugation of Christians; one doubts that he would be so foolish as to reveal his mind now, publicly, and thereby jeopardize his chances of winning the presidency.

Then again, his remarks are reported in the context of a private meeting at the headquarters of the Brotherhood's political party. Perhaps Morsi thought he was speaking to a fellow Islamist who would not expose him? Perhaps he was frustrated at having to win Copts over and was "venting"? Stay tuned.

Probe into Nizar's 'WWW1 licence plate' remarks

Johor police have confirmed that they are investigating remarks made by former Perak menteri besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin in his tweet on the Johor sultan's purchase of the WWW 1 car number plate.

State police chief Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Sharif said the force has received eight reports on the matter and investigation will be conducted under the Sedition Act.

"Police will complete the investigation papers after examining the reports and will forward it to the deputy public prosecutor," he told Bernama today.

Five police reports have been lodged against Nizar (left), who is Bukit Gantang MP, for saying that the RM520,000 spent to secure the licence plate could have been utilised to help the poor instead.

Malay daily Sinar Harian had today quoted Nizar as saying that he is willing to apologise for his tweet.

“If any quarter feels hurt by the message, I apologise,” he said, adding his message was not intended to question the Johor sultan's decision in bidding for the country's most expensive car number plate yet.

Nizar said it was only a general statement, and that he had no intention of insulting Sultan Ibrahim ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar.

Johor crown prince Tunku Ismail Idris ibni Sultan Ibrahim has defended the bid, saying every single sen allocated by the government for the royal household has gone into Yayasan Iskandar and Yayasan Ibrahim.

"The Johor royal family has not taken any money from the government since the time of Almarhum Sultan Ibrahim.

"Feel free to ask the menteri besar or any government official," said Tunku Ismail in his tweet.
Nizar: Tweet was made in general
When contacted, Nizar said he had no intention of saying seditious things about the Johor sultan.

"If you look at my tweet which I sent, it did not refer to anyone and it was made in general, before it became public knowledge that it was the Johor sultan who had made the bid.

"However, I am surprised over the swift police action in responding to my tweets.

"There are other far more damaging tweets but no action has been taken," he said, adding that he had received a call from Skudai police station in Johor over the matter but has not been asked to give a statement.

Nizar said he is expected to give a statement later when called by the police.

He also acknowledged having apologised to anyone who were offended by his tweet.

According to the news agency, Johor Umno Youth chief Mohd Fadil Muskon today urged police and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission to act against Mohamad Nizar or anyone who supported his statement on Tweeter, Facebook or any other media.

"Johor Umno Youth consider this matter as defamatory and rude to the Sultan of Johor.

"This is provoking the people to hate the royal institution," he said after making the report at Johor Bahru central police station.

Johor Bahru Umno Youth and 20 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) also made police reports at the same station.

Ex-estate residents camp outside PM’s office

In an attempt to save their homes, the residents take their grouses directly to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's office in Putrajaya.
VIDEO INSIDE

PUTRAJAYA: About 50 residents from the former Bukit Jalil estate gathered at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) this morning amidst a heavy downpour.

The residents, led by their committee treasurer K Balakrishnan, arrived at about 11am and camped at a nearby resting spot to avoid the rain.

Present by their side were Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) secretary-general and treasurer S Arutchelvan and A Sivarajan.

Also present were Oppressed People’s Network (Jerit) propaganda coordinator S Mathavi and Warga Aman secretary-general S Bharatidasan.

The 41 families are embroiled in a tussle with the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) after the latter tried to evict them from their homes.

The land is slated to be turned into a Muslim burial ground. Subsequently, the residents took their case to the High Court and the Court of Appeal but lost their legal battle.

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, on the other hand, instructed the Federal Territories and Urban Well-Being Ministry to find an amicable solution but nothing has come forth to date.

At about 12.30pm, an officer from the Federal Territories Ministry, only known as Amir, arrived and invited some of the estate residents for a meeting at the PMO.

Land request rejected

At 1pm, five of the residents including Arutchelvan and Balakrishnan went into the PMO after being promised a meeting with the prime minister’s officers.

However, Arutchelvan and the residents came out from the meeting about 30 minutes later, saying that they were disappointed.

“We went in after being promised that the prime minister’s officers will be there.

“Instead, we only had two officers from the FT ministry talking to us,” said an upset Arutchelvan.

The officers were the ministry’s deputy secretary Kasim Hamzah and another officer named Adi Roslan.

They told the former estate workers that the ministry had decided not to grant them the 4-acres land request.

Arutchelvan said the residents would continue to be there until Najib or his officers conduct a proper meeting with them.

“If Najib sticks to the FT ministry’s decision as well, give it to us in writing,” he said.

‘Give us the Buah Pala deal’

Echoing Arutchelvan’s sentiments, Balakrishnan also said he was upset over the matter, saying the residents had already informed the PMO of their arrival last week.

“If Najib can help residents from Kampung Buah Pala, why not us who are closer to home (Kuala Lumpur)?” he asked, referring to Najib offering double-storey houses to several residents of the former Indian settlement in Penang, in April.


Although one police officer tried stopping the residents from distributing leaflets in the afternoon, the policeman later backed down. Other officers kept a close watch on the residents and helped to clear the traffic.

There were also several children holding roses in the group, waiting to hand them over to Najib if he visits them.

The residents, numbering about 50, will camp outside the PM’s office overnight.

Air S’gor: MB mahu dedah kroni Umno-BN

Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim berkata, pihaknya mempunyai maklumat termasuk pembiayaan yang dibuat oleh syarikat terlibat.

SHAH ALAM: Kerajaan negeri Selangor akan mendedahkan syarikat didakwa merupakan kroni Umno-Barisan Nasional (BN) yang lemah dalam menguruskan air di negeri itu.

Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim berkata, pihaknya mempunyai maklumat termasuk pembiayaan yang dibuat oleh syarikat terlibat.

“Ada beberapa tender dan kontrak yang berbeza. Satu buat loji, terowong dan empangan. Kita sudah ada nama syarikat dan pembiayaan yang dibuat. Sebelum forum air kita akan didedahkan hal ini. Kita akan beritahu kepada semua masyarakat,” kata Abdul Khalid.

Dalam satu kenyataan Isnin lalu, Setiausaha Politik beliau Faekah Husin berkata, masalah air di Selangor berpunca daripada pengurusan air yang lemah dan menyebabkan rakyat terpaksa menanggung kos tarif air tinggi.

Faekah mendakwa pembinaan Loji Rawatan Air Langat 2 (Langat 2) yang melibatkan kos RM12 bilion sebenarnya dilaksanakan atas kepentingan kroni pihak tertentu dan bukannya untuk membantu rakyat.

Penstrukturan semula air

Abdul Khalid dalam pada itu menegaskan penstrukturan semula air adalah topik utama berbanding isu Langat 2 dan pengambilan air di Pahang.

Tegasnya penstrukturan semula air penting kerana ia dapat menyelesaikan pelbagai masalah yang wujud ketika ini.

“Perbincangan utama adalah penstrukturan semula air dan bukannya tentang Langat 2 atau pengambilan air di Pahang. Semua ini tidak akan timbul jika penstrukturan semula air dibuat,” katanya.

Ujarnya, sebarang pelaksanaan dan pengurusan loji mempunyai kaitan dengan kenaikan tarif air dan beliau mendapati ia mempunyai kelemahan.

“Pengalaman dari angka-angka yang diterima, pembinaan loji adalah dibina oleh Puncak Niaga. Dari segi kos pembinaan dan pembersihan loji adalah sangat tinggi. Jika kos tersebut tinggi maka rakyat turut menerima kesan melalui tarif air,” katanya.

Beliau berkata daripada 33 loji pembersihan di seluruh Selangor, 29 daripadanya dimiliki oleh kerajaan negeri, manakala empat oleh pihak konsesi.

Polis membisu terhadap penganjur Bersih 2.0, Patriot

Sehingga kini tiada sebarang tindakan walaupun laporan oleh 317 peniaga sekitar Kuala Lumpur dibuat sejak tahun lalu.

KUALA LUMPUR: Pertubuhan Ikatan Usahawan Kecil dan Sederhana Malaysia (Ikhlas) mempersoalkan sikap berdiam diri polis yang tidak mengambil sebarang tindakan terhadap penganjur himpunan Bersih 2.0 dan Patriot sehingga menjejaskan peniaga.

Presiden Ikhlas Mohd Ridzuan Abdullah berkata, sehingga kini tiada sebarang tindakan walaupun laporan oleh 317 peniaga sekitar Kuala Lumpur dibuat sejak tahun lalu.

Sehubungan itu, Ridzuan yang mewakili badan bukan kerajaan (NGO) itu hari ini mengemukakan memorandum kepada Ketua Polis Negara Tan Sri Ismail Omar di Bukit Aman untuk mendapatkan penjelasan tiada tindakan dikenakan terhadap penganjur Bersih 2.0 dan Patriot sedangkan Perhimpunan Bersih 3.0 telah pun diambil tindakan.

“Kami juga sudah menulis surat kepada Peguam Negara 15 September tahun lalu meminta pengesahan siapa yang perlu dipertanggungjawabkan supaya kami boleh tuntut kerugian tapi sampai sekarang tiada respon,” katanya.

Katanya, tindakan dan respon daripada polis amat penting kerana pihaknya merancang mahu membawa perkara tersebut ke mahkamah untuk membuat tuntutan sebanyak RM817,205 daripada penganjur Bersih 2.0 Datuk S Ambiga dan pemimpin Patriot yang juga Ketua Pemuda Umno Khairy Jamaluddin.

“Kalau Ambiga dan Khairy fikir sebagai pemimpin yang nak tolong rakyat jangan sampai rakyat naik mahkamah.

“Tak kisah berapa RM1,000 pun kami terima tapi saman tetap saman,” tegasnya.

Ikhlas mewakili kira-kira 80,000 peniaga kecil mendakwa sekurang-kurangnya 200 peniaga menanggung kerugian termasuk kos kerosakan akibat perhimpunan menuntut pilihan raya adil dan bersih, Bersih 2.0 Julai tahun lalu dan 3.0 April lalu.

NGO itu juga pernah mengadakan protes membuka gerai burger dihadapan rumah Ambiga 10 Mei lalu sebagai tanda protes.

Anwar to Najib: Re-table budget 2012

The opposition leader says the budget has failed to achieve its targets.

PETALING JAYA: Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim wants Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to re-table Budget 2012 in view of the slower economic growth of 4.7% in the first quarter of this year.

He said this was important because the Najib administration failed to achieve its target since 2011.

“It is the second time that Najib’s administration failed to achieve important economic targets which were the basis for Budget 2012.

“The first economic target missed was the economic growth for 2011, which at 5.1% was lower than the projected growth used by BN in the budget,” he said in a press statement.

The economic growth forecast for 2011 was 5.0% – 5.5% and for 2012, 5% – 6%.

To re-address the problem, Anwar wanted Budget 2012 to be re-tabled during Parliament session next month.

“I reiterate my call made in Dewan Rakyat previously that the Budget be re-tabled for a debate in the June session of the Parliament because the growth assumptions were wrong,” he said.

Yesterday, Najib announced that Budget 2013 would be tabled on Sept 28.

The prime minister, who also oversees the finance portfolio, said the new budget was themed “Driving Transformation Towards A Developed Nation.”

Bumi equity ‘hijacked’

Meanwhile, Anwar also criticised BN’s mishandling of the economy in achieving the 30% equity for the bumiputera and highlighted Pakatan Rakyat’s proposal to bolster the economic power of Malaysians.

“One of the most radical economic realignments proposed is to shift the policy focus from the much abused 30% equity target for the bumiputera currently pursued by BN towards an income-based economic target of RM4,000 minimum household income for each family within five years of Pakatan’s administration.

“The 30% equity target has been hijacked by cronies to enrich themselves at the expense of the general public,” he said.

“The disparity between the rich and poor widens significantly as a result of the abuses done in the name of achieving the 30% equity target.

“A fairer management of the country’s wealth should rightly focus on ensuring every family can prosper economically under the Malaysian sun.

“Every family’s income must rise in tandem with the rise in cost of living.

“Every family must earn above the poverty level so as to be able to invest in the future of their children,” he added.

‘Debate with me’

Anwar said the economic target set by Pakatan that the combined income of each Malaysian family should be at least RM4,000 a month was not only morally right but achievable through a combination of pro-people economic policies proposed.

He also reiterated his call for a debate with Najib on economic issues if the latter felt that the current economic policies were on the right track.

“If he is confident that Pakatan will not be able to deliver our economic promises, he must be bold enough to defend his conviction in a public debate.

“His refusal to debate with me on economic policies can only confirm the assertion that he is leading a weak government – economically, morally and intellectually,” he added.

Pathma denies conspiring to kill

By NURBAITI HAMDAN, The Star
nurbaiti@thestar.com.my
SHAH ALAM: Former lawyer N. Pathmanabhan has denied planning and conspiring with three farm hands to murder cosmetics millionaire Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya and her three companions.
The accused, who took the stand as the first defence witness yesterday, said he did not have any motive to kill her.
He denied owing her any money. Instead, he said, he had given a RM4mil loan to Sosilawati through two cheques.
“Even if I did not have the money to pay a person, I would not resort to killing,” said the soft-spoken man.
Pathmanabhan, 43, and farm hands T. Thilaiyalagan, 21, R. Matan, 22, and R.Kathavarayan, 32, are accused of murdering Sosilawati, 47, her driver Kamaruddin Shamsuddin, 44, bank officer Noorhisham Moha­mad, 38, and lawyer Ahmad Kamil Abdul Karim, 32.
The accused said he first met Sosilawati at a hotel in 2008.
The meeting, arranged by politician Datuk Suhaimi Mohd Ghazali and his personal assistant Datuk Sabari Misran, was over the purchase of three land plots owned by Indian national businessman A. Muthuraja, in Batu Feringghi, Penang.
He added that Sosilawati bought Muthuraja’s land through her company, Southern Symphony Sdn Bhd, for RM25mil.
She only paid RM1.2mil when the required 10% deposit was RM2.5mil.
“The balance was paid by me, Suhaimi and Sabari. Our names are not mentioned in the sales and purchase agreement but our interests are protected in a memorandum of understanding signed with Southern Symphony,” Pathmanabhan said.
Sosilawati, he said, then sold the land to Ample Quality Sdn Bhd – whose director is Sementa assemblyman Datuk Abdul Rahman Palil – for RM29mil.
However, Pathmanabhan said Ample Quality planned to sell the land to One United Sdn Bhd purportedly for RM200mil.
“When Sosilawati found out, she said ‘Why didn’t I sell this for RM150mil?’ She then asked me to prepare a new set of sales and purchase agreement,” he added.
The accused said the land transfer process could not be done as the land still had a caveat on it as of August 2010. The hearing continues today before Justice Akhtar Tahir.
 

01 May 2012 | NST , By RITA JONG | ritajo@nst.com.my

'Sosilawati killed over RM3m'

N. Pathmanabhan (in long-sleeved shirt) leaving the Shah Alam High Court with his farm hands (from right) R. Matan, T. Thilaiyalagan and R. Kathavarayan yesterday. Bernama pic

SHAH ALAM: COSMETICS queen Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya was murdered over RM3 million which was owed to her by lawyer N.  Pathmanabhan.
High Court judge Datuk Akhtar Tahir found this to be a compelling motive for Pathmanabhan to commit the murders.
Sosilawati's three other companions, he said, were just "at the wrong place at the wrong time".
"They had to be killed," said Akhtar yesterday when he ordered Pathmanabhan and his three farm hands to enter their defence for the murders of Sosilawati and three others.
Akthar took 80 minutes to read out his judgment before a packed courtroom comprising family members of the victims and accused.
Pathmanabhan, 44, and his farm hands T. Thilaiyalagan, 21; R. Matan, 22; and R. Kathavarayan, 33, are charged with the murders of Sosilawati, 47; driver Kamaruddin Shansudin, 44, banker Noorhisham Mohamad, 38; and lawyer Ahmad Kamil Abdul Karim, 32, at a farm in Tanjung Sepat, Banting, on Aug 30, 2010.
Akhtar said Sosilawati had gone to meet Pathmanabhan on the day of the incident to bring forward the date on a cheque to enable her to pay her staff bonuses.
He said Sosilawati and her three aides went to Banting intwo vehicles.
"A witness at the farm testified she saw three men and a woman at the farm on that day.
"She had also testified she heard a woman scream twice and saw a huge fire," he said, adding that the witness, placed under the "witness protection" programme, was not a partial witness as contended by the defence.
The judge said two other witnesses, U. Suresh and K. Sarawanan, currently serving 20-year jail terms, who were initially the prosecution's key witnesses, had also failed to explain their contradicting statements in court.
They had pleaded guilty at the magistrate's court to disposing of evidence but later challenged their own pleas, claiming that they were forced to plead guilty.
Akhtar said Sosilawati's family members lodged a missing person's report and that her ex-husband had called Pathmanabhan to ask about her whereabouts.
"The accused flatly denied meeting her. The missing person's report was significant as it showed that it was not normal for her to go away without informing her family.
"Pathmanabhan's outright denial of meeting Sosilawati clearly showed he was lying.
"It showed his guilt."
On the contention that interrogating officer Chief Inspector N. Govindan had used force against Thilaiyalagan and Kathavarayan, to obtain evidence, Akhtar said he found the officer to bear no malice against the two.
He also said the two were "chirping like birds" during the interrogation.
"I agree that there was a degree of degradation in the samples recovered, but the DNA of two victims were still obtained."
He said after total evaluation of the prosecution's case, he found that the farm belonged to Pathmanabhan, he had met with Sosilawati at the farm in an arranged visit and that Thilaiyalagan, Matan and Kathavarayan had unloaded logs, showing a pre-arranged plan.
"It is not necessary for me to prove who delivered the fatal blow but that there was common intention among them to kill."
The trial took 71 days with 108 witnesses taking the stand.
It will resume on May 28.
Meanwhile, outside court, Zaidah Shamsuddin, 53, cried when the decision was delivered. Her brother was Sosilawati's driver, Kamaruddin.
"I am happy with the decision."
Zaidah, who is looking after Kamaruddin's youngest son, said that she could not believe that it had been almost two years since her brother went missing. "He has entrusted his child to us, so life has to go on."
Sosilawati's daughter, Erni Dekritawati Yuliana Buhari, said that she had been following the progress of the case through her lawyer.
"I wanted to be at the court today, but had a meeting that I could not skip," she said in a telephone interview.
She said that the family was glad that the case was moving on swiftly. The-soon-to-be-mother said she was continuing her mother's legacy in the business world and was now busy being a wife and preparing for motherhood. Additional reporting by Elizabeth Zachariah and Liyana Jamaludin

Be careful what you wish for

On allegations by Malaysia-Today blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin that Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali was allegedly involved in corrupt practises when he (Azmin) was the private secretary to Anwar Ibrahim when Anwar was deputy prime minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Raja Petra must submit proof to back up his claim.
THE CORRIDORS OF POWERRaja Petra Kamarudin
“Why should I explain to Raja Petra? Who is he? I've done my part, given full cooperation to the authorities 17 years ago and now you want me to repeat the same thing?” said Azmin Ali. 
“My focus is the election. I have (been) cleared, my conscience is cleared. They are not interested in the truth.” 

He said his constituents need no explanation from him as they know him “too well”.

“Don't undermine the wisdom of the people. They know who Raja Petra is, they can see the timing of these allegations and the people in my constituency know me too well. I have been there since 1968,” he said.

He said this latest attack is similar to allegations about his daughter's paternity, which he had answered via two DNA tests that proved he and his wife Shamsidar Tahrin are the biological parents.

“Are they interested in the truth? No. They are interested in repeating slander and lies to tarnish the image of Pakatan leaders.” 

Meanwhile, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission will convene a meeting tomorrow to discuss whether or not to revive the investigations against Azmin.

The commission lodged a police report last night on the document ‘leaked’ by Raja Petra.  - Malaysiakini

Raja Petra must submit proof to back up his claim - Mahathir

(Bernama) - The government needs to be wise in entertaining various demands without forsaking certain principles, said former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

"Before, when we were strong, there were not that many challenges. But when people perceive us to be weak, they will make all sorts of demands. This requires more deft handling as compared to before.

"I am not saying the current government is not efficient, it's just that I think it needs to be more effective," he told reporters after delivering his address at the 26th Asia-Pacific Roundtable here today.

Earlier, in his speech on "Governance in Asia: What's Best and What Works", Dr Mahathir said the government today needed to have a greater skill in managing the country.

He said democracy was not an easy system for administering and implementing policies because many things are added to it including human rights and many forms of freedom, which could lead to destruction and instability.

"A little democracy would be good. Today the minority is so powerful that the majority gives in. They don't like to do certain things but they are afraid of the minority which can be very violent.

"Today's democracy is not democratic. Today's democracy may be seen as being ruled by the minority and not by majority. We will not accept this," he said.

Dr Mahathir said the only good thing about democracy was the ability of the people to choose the government through the ballot box.

At the press conference, Dr Mahathir was also asked for his opinion on the resignation of Datuk Seri Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir as managing director of Proton Holdings effective July 4.
"Change inevitably brings about upheaval. It cannot be avoided but we hope it will not be prolonged," he said.

On allegations by Malaysia-Today blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin that Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali was allegedly involved in corrupt practises when he (Azmin) was the private secretary to Anwar Ibrahim when Anwar was deputy prime minister, Dr Mahathir said Raja Petra must submit proof to back up his claim.

New Revelations in Malaysia Sub Scandal

(Asia Sentinel) French defense giant said substantial amounts of money had to be channeled to UMNO

French prosecutors plowing through 153 documents seized from the French defense contractor DCNS have discovered a confidential report stating that in dealing with major defense contracts between Malaysia and France, substantial transfers of money had to be channeled to individuals and political organizations such as the United Malays National Organization.

Two of the individuals named were Abdul Razak Baginda, a close associate of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, and Mohd Ibrahim Mohd Noor, who was said to be close to Daim Zainuddin, the country’s finance minister at the time of the purchase of two Scorpene-class submarines by Malaysia from a DCNS subsidiary.

Details of the documents were made public at a Bangkok press conference by Cynthia Gabriel, the director of the Malaysian human rights NGO Suaram. The French prosecuting judges looking into the case allowed the lawyers to see and copy from the documents but they were not allowed to take physical possession of them. Also at the press conference, at the Foreign Correspondents Club Thailand, was Joseph Breham, one of the two lawyers who have pursued the case for Suaram in France. Malaysian embassy officials were also in the crowd.

Gabriel said the notes dealt with two companies owned by Abdul Razak Baginda and his father, Abdul Malim Baginda. The companies are Perimekar Sdn Bhd and Terasasi Sdn Bhd. Included was a note “retracing the background of negotiations,” Gabriel said.

Document 87 was a fax written by an F. Dupont of the DCNS subsidiary Thales dated 1 June 2001 and addressed to D. Arnaud, and copied to two company officers with “Malaysia /Submarine Project as the subject, detailing the chronology if visits and actions. Dupont indicated a meeting with Najib in France on 14 July 2001 with the condition that DCNI offer a maximum sum of USS1 billion for Perimekart’stay in France.

Perimekar and Terasasi are at the center of charges that millions of ringgit were funneled through the two companies to top UMNO figures including Najib when he was defense minister. Perimekar was acknowledged earlier on the floor of Malaysia’s parliament as having received €114 million as a “commission” on the purchase of the two boats from Thales, a DCNS subsidiary, by the Malaysian ministry of defense.

Other documents made public earlier show that at least €36 million flowed from the DCNS subsidiary Terasasi Hong Kong Ltd., whose principal officers are listed as Razak Baginda and his father. Najib was defense minister from 1991 through the time when the submarines were delivered in 2002. Terasasi only exists as the name on the wall of a Wanchai district accounting firm in Hong Kong.

Suaram has been seeking to crack open the mystery surrounding the purchase of the submarines for more than two years, hiring French human rights lawyers William Bourdon and Breham, who have been investigating the case. A string of spectacular allegations has surfaced over recent months after Suaram’s lawyers were given access to the documents held by DCNS and its subsidiaries.

However, it is questionable how much traction the allegations are gaining in Malaysia, whose national coalition is preparing for national elections, now thought to be delayed until September or October. A survey of disparate sources in Kuala Lumpur indicates that generally the public has turned away from the story, which began in 2006 with the murder for hire of Altantuya Shaariibuu, Abdul Razak’s jilted girlfriend, by two of Najib’s bodyguards.

“There is hardly any news in the mainstream press and the only traction it gets is with urban class who are already anti-establishment,” said a businessman source. “Many of the urbanites have already factored it in and are not surprised anymore.” Another source said the allegations are perceived as stemming from the opposition and thus have mostly been discarded by ethnic Malays who will probably stick with UMNO because of the country’s racial situation.

Gabriel did reveal that an individual closely linked to former finance minister Daim Zainuddin is mentioned in the prosecution papers dealing with allegations of corruption in the submarine purchase. Gabriel said French police had seized documents including a note for the French defense minister dated July 2, 1999, relating to an interview with then Malaysian defense minister, Malaysia’s current Prime Minister, Najib Tun Razak and dealing with French-Malaysian diplomacy on defense matters.

"The note mentions one Mohd Ibrahim Mohd Noor and Abdul Razak Baginda as points of reference for political network," Gabriel said. "It further states that both have strong political connections as Mohd Ibrahim is close to Daim, and Abdul Razak to Najib.”

She said the note explains that by early 2001, Mohd Ibrahim's influence had begun to decline in tandem with Daim’s waning power after a falling out with former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

Mohd Ibrahim's name then ‘disappeared’ both as shareholder and director from Perimekar Sdn Bhd, to be replaced later by those in Abdul Razak's network, Gabriel said.

Gabriel said consultants are used as "political network" agents to facilitate monetary transfers and to receive commissions from the principals. Abdul Razak eventually became the main point of reference for political network to facilitate the money transfer, Gabriel said.

"The note stated that ... Abdul Razak maintained excellent ties with the defense minister and the prime minister. Furthermore, his wife is a close friend of the defense minister’s wife. Therefore, Abdul Razak became the center of the network."

(With reporting from Susan Loone, Malaysiakini)

Proton is the price we pay for brainless patriotism

Koon Yew Yin

The founding of Proton National Bhd in 1983 was a big expensive mistake to begin with. Billions of ringgit from taxpayers have been lost in the process.

The haemorrhage could not be stanched until only recently when Khazanah Nasional Berhad sold off its 43 percent stake in Proton to DRB-Hicom a few months ago. Malaysians have been wondering – is this finally an end to the unhappy saga of the government’s foray into the production of a so-called ‘national car’ or will the burden on taxpayers and car owners be continued in other new ways?

A revisit of this white elephant project is necessary to generate a larger public discourse especially amongst taxpayers who should be more concerned as to where all the tax money they’ve been paying has gone to.

One simplistic assumption which appears to have been made by the initiator of the national car project Dr Mahathir Mohamad is that an industry that is growing yearly should be profitable. It is not. In fact, industry data shows that the total profits of all the car companies over the last decades amount to only a modest return, and that only for the fittest in the industry.

The British experience

Consider the case of British Leyland, a vehicle-manufacturing company formed in the United Kingdom in 1968.

It was partly nationalised in 1975 with the government creating a new holding company. The company incorporated much of the British- owned motor vehicle industry, and held 40% of the UK car market.

Despite containing profitable marques such as Jaguar, Rover and Land Rover, as well as the best-selling Mini, British Leyland had a troubled history. In 1986 it was renamed as the Rover Group, later to become MG Rover Group, which went into administration in 2005. This ended mass car production by British-owned manufacturers.

Today, many British car marques have transferred their ownership to foreign companies. For example MG and the Austin, Morris and Wolseley marques have all become part of China’s SAIC Motor Corporation Ltd.

Mistake avoidable

Why Dr Mahathir failed to learn anything from the disastrous British car industry experience is something that completely escapes many Malaysians. Surely any good leader would have gotten his officers to do due diligence.

If they had done so, they would have found that the industry even with year-on-year rises in sales is not guaranteed to generate good returns to shareholders. Notwithstanding its long tradition of successful car manufacture and the country’s highly developed economy, the industry in the UK still failed to make profits.

The reason for this situation is because one of the forces that limit profitability is the intensity of rivalry between car companies from around the world. This leads to oversupply and pressure on prices, further exacerbated by a high degree of freedom for new competitors to enter the industry.

Unless there is an enormous internal market such as China’s or the United States, and we can take advantage of the economy of scale, small producers such as Malaysia are forever doomed to a minor placing, or bankruptcy, in the marketplace.

Played out by Mitsubishi

As far as Proton is concerned, Mahathir’s mistake in ignoring the economic fundamentals of the industry was compounded by our lack of expertise or comparative advantage to produce cars. The anticipated technology transfer from Mitsubishi did not take place.

This should have been anticipated. Why should Mitsubishi transfer their know-how to Malaysia when it can control the pace of transfer to maximize its profits? In fact, the top management of Proton should ask Mitsubishi to open their books to see how much profit they have made from Proton since it began operation.

Mitsubishi knew that Proton could not do without them and they were quite happy to continue making money from Proton while the company here continued to bleed to death.

Equally important was the poor quality of management. Just before the privatization exercise, Proton had accumulated RM4 billion during Tengku Mahaleel Ariff’s tenure as chief executive officer but its cash reserves had dropped to RM600 million during his successor Mohammed Azlan Hashim’s stewardship, according to Mahathir.

To encourage people to buy Proton, the government increased the import duty for other cars and car parts. As a result, the consumers have suffered. For over 30 years we have had to pay higher prices for all cars including Proton. Even this has not been sufficient to save Proton which has been sold five times already.

Another question to ask is why few car manufacturers, until recently, seem to get into bankruptcy? If so, then prices can rise relative to cost and shareholders can get a fair return.

There are two main reasons. In some countries there is always the perennial optimism of managers and shareholders. In Malaysia, the reason is different. Here, our government has been changing rules and regulations to obstruct other cars from entering our market whilst providing special favours including an ever ready supply of financial assistance to keep Proton afloat.

The end result is that some Malaysians have ended up with more expensive cars of other brands whilst most Malaysians have had little choice but to buy Proton – a poor substitute.

This is the price we have to pay for brainless patriotism.

Proton’s and our never-ending problems

Ours is a sorry saga which is a classic case study on how not to set up a car industry. As with the national airline, I propose that a special course on our experience with Proton be offered in the Institute of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s Thoughts.

What better way to honour the ex-premier than a post-graduate course on his pet project – the National Car – and inviting him to be a guest lecturer. I am sure he will have lots to share and many people to blame as to why the project has failed.

Earlier this year tycoon Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary was allowed to take full control of Proton. Since the sale, Proton’s problems have continued through its loss-making subsidiary, Lotus. In March, the conglomerate was forced to put in place a team of consultants to conduct an audit on the Lotus group of companies.

The need for this review was pertinent in light of the financial obligation of Lotus in the form of a £270 million (RM1.3 billion) syndicated loan taken at the end of 2010, for which Proton had given its corporate guarantee.

In March, Proton, in its third quarter results, noted that its subsidiary was in a technical breach of certain post-drawdown covenants on its long-term loan. For now, the loan amounting to RM1.01billion has been re-classified as a short-term loan as at Dec 31 until the receipt of approval for the extension of time.

Although the new owner of Proton undoubtedly has deep pockets (he is the 7th richest man in Malaysia) and owns a business empire that covers ports, the postal service, power, defence and financial services, besides automobiles, we can expect him to recoup his losses by raising the prices further on Proton thus burdening our car buyers, and by charging higher prices for the other goods and services that he is involved with.

In any way, the Malaysian consumer will continue to be suckered by the national car debacle.

Bar: Why have two inquiries?

The Star 
by WANI MUTHIAH

PETALING JAYA: The Bar Council has questioned why an independent panel is conducting a probe on the Bersih 3.0 gathering when Suhakam is also holding its own public inquiry on the incident.

Council chairman Christopher Leong said it was strange that the panel was proceeding with the inquiry when Suhakam, a statutory and independent commission, had stated that it would undertake a similar move.

He added that the Bar Council had stated that it would take part in the Suhakam inquiry and that it would not serve any useful purpose to duplicate the process.

“What purpose will it serve to have two inquiries?” he said yesterday.

He said Suhakam was the proper body to conduct the inquiry given that the commission had the experience, statutory mandate and legal framework to do so.

Leong said the Suhakam Act also provided the commission with all the prerequisites needed to carry out the investigation into the rally.

He also reiterated the council’s opposition to former Inspector-General of Police Tun Hanif Omar’s appointment as panel chairman.

“This is not about his integrity. The Bar Council does not question his integrity and respects that Tun Hanif has given invaluable service to the country.

“It is, unfortunately, about the perception of independence and public confidence in the panel,” he added.

Leong, however, said the Bar was willing to meet Hanif to discuss the matter.

It was reported that Hanif was willing to meet the Bar Council as well as Bersih leaders as part of the panel’s investigation, saying he wanted the inquiry team to be given a chance to carry out its duties without “suspicion” from any parties.

Scorpene revelations from Bangkok

A French lawyer has updated an audience at the Foreign Correspondents Club in Bangkok on the latest revelations in the judicial inquiry into the Scorpene deal in Paris.

Today’s damning revelations can be found in a Suaram statement reproduced on the Aliran website.

Malaysian and French embassy officials were among the audience at the Foreign Correspondents Club in Bangkok this afternoon

Bekas IGP: Ada orang politik marah 'rezeki' disekat

Police complete MIC-PKR fracas probe

Andhra HC strikes down Muslim minority sub-quota. Big slap to Muslim Reservation process in India on religious basis.

Andhra Pradesh HC Quashes Centre’s 4.5% Sub-Quota for Minorities.

Hindu Existence News Bureau :: 29th June, 2012 :: While at least four states in India viz. Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Tripura and Uttar Pradesh are trying hard to set exclusive reservation policy for Muslims on religious basis in India under the benevolent support from the Congress led UPA Govt. in the Centre, the Andhra Pradesh High Court today discarded the ongoing reservation policy for Muslim minority in a fraudulent mode of appeasement and quashed the concerned policy of reservation for Muslim minorities so far adopted by the concerned Govt.

In the present movement to bow down to the Muslims, the ruling forces in the States and Centre somehow have surrendered to the organized Muslim forces in all Political Parties in India, envisaging a new concept of

‘Holding that the Centre acted in a “casual manner”, the Andhra Pradesh High Court today quashed the 4.5 per cent sub-quota to minorities carved out of 27 per cent OBC reservation–a verdict that may affect admissions already made in central education polictional institutions such as IITs. sub-quota or religious quota for Muslims of India who are much believers of Shariat than the civil law of India. And special felicities given to minorities are being solely given for and grabbed by the Muslims.

In a setback to the Centre over the sub-quota issue, the Court said the Office Memorandum(OM) creating the sub-quota was based on religious grounds and not on any other consideration.

The December 22, 2011 OM for a subquota of 4.5 per cent for socially and educationally backward classes of citizens belonging to minority communities out of the 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in central educational institutions and jobs was announced by the Centre ahead of the Assembly elections in five states including Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.

The very use of the words “belonging to minorities” or “for minorities” indicates that the sub-quota has been carved out only on religious lines and not on any other intelligible basis, the bench observed while setting aside the sub-quota.

Shortly after the verdict was pronounced, the Congress treaded cautiously, saying the court judgement has to be read and understood.

“You cannot react to court judgments until you have perused, read, understood and appreciated..(We can comment)….After we receive copy of the judgment”, party spokesman Manish Tewari told reporters in Delhi.

Setting aside the OM, a division bench consisting Chief Justice Madan B Lokur and Justice Sanjay Kumar said, “In fact, we must express our anguish at the rather casual manner in which the entire issue has been taken up by the central government.”

“No evidence has been shown to us by the learned Assistant Solicitor General to justify the classification of these religious minorities as a homogeneous group or as more backward classes deserving some special treatment.

“We must, therefore, hold that Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Zoroastrians (Parsis) do not form a homogeneous group but a heterogeneous group,” it observed.

According to K Ramakrishna Reddy, senior counsel who argued for the petitioner R Krishnaiah– a backward caste leader from Andhra Pradesh, the judgement may affect the admissions that have already been made in central educational institutions such as IITs.

MIM Chief and Communal Member of Parliament Asaduddin owaisi along with his party workers participate in a rally to demand reservation for muslims in Sangareddy. Photo Courtesy: The Hindu.

“We have, therefore, no option but to set aside the carving out of a sub-quota of 4.5 per cent in favour of backward classes belonging to minorities out of the 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in both the OMs dated 22.12.2011 and the Resolution dated 22.12.2011. We do so accordingly,” the court said.

The first OM states that the 4.5 per cent sub-quota is carved out of socially and educationally backward classes of citizens “belonging to minorities” as defined in Section 2(c) of the NCM Act.

The resolution and the second OM created a sub-quota “for minorities”.’

The Present direction of AP High Court is a land mark decision and obviously a staunch blow to curb the policy of minority appeasement policy in India.

France: Muslims stone Christians in church during Mass

No one will take much note of this. It is just one story among the thousands that together tell the tale of France's decline and Islamization. Eurabia Update: Here is my translation of "Carcassonne Des fidèles caillassés pendant la messe à Saint-Joseph," by Yannick Bonnefoy in Midi Libre, May 27 (thanks to David):

Carcassonne: The faithful stoned during Mass at St. Joseph Yesterday at 6:20PM, as Fr. Roger Barthes began to celebrate mass, four youths, aged 14 to 18, broke into the Church of St. Joseph, before launching handfuls of pebbles at 150 faithful present at the service. Immediately, men began pursuing the young troublemakers, but in vain. They managed to vanish into thin air, heading towards the city La Conte.
Interrupted by regrettable unexpected event, Mass was finally able to proceed as planned. Although no one was injured and nothing was broken in the church, located along the Avenue Jean Moulin, the parishioners, many of whom are elderly, were greatly shocked by the disrespectful act of the youths of North African origin....

Mum tortures daughter born on day of 'Baghdad fall'

An Iraqi woman in Saudi Arabia has systematically tortured her little daughter because she was born on the same day when the Iraqi capital Baghdad was seized by US invasion forces in 2003.

Officials said they discovered that the girl, Noura, had been tortured by sharp objects and fists by her mother following a check up at school.

“Her body was full of bruises and marks of sharp objects…her mother later confessed to having beaten her and tortured her many times,” the Saudi Arabic language daily Alwatan said in a report from the northerwestern town of Hail.

“The mother said she was doing so because her daughter was born on the same day of Baghdad’s fall…..she told authorities that she would commit a suicide if they decide to take her daughter off her.”

Alwatan said the woman is married to a Saudi, who had been crippled and bed ridden at home following a stroke.

When ex-IGP was haunted by 'Godfather'

INTERVIEW (Malaysiakini) When he was the inspector-general of police (IGP), Musa Hassan had a recurring nightmare - that wealthy underworld figures could buy influence among police personnel, as well as ruling and opposition politicians.

Taking the popular ‘Godfather’ movies as a reference point, he highlighted the control that the mafia had exerted on US politicians first and law enforcement agencies next.

“It took years for them (the US) to resolve this,” Musa said in an interview, noting that he did not want a similar situation in Malaysia while he was police chief for four years from September 2006.

With drug trafficking, human trafficking, gaming syndicates and money laundering bringing big bucks into the modern underworld, he said gangsters are in a position to influence those in authority.

“My fear was that they (gangsters could) get involved with politicians. And if they got involved in politics, they could control the politicians and enforcement agencies. The enforcement agencies will (do) as they are told and cannot take action.”

Asked to give an example of a gangster exerting his influence on a politician, Musa laughed and, without naming anyone, said there were cases where arrests were made, but a politician would direct that the person be released.

“What is this, when the person detained is not even a politician? This existed during my time. However, I objected to this,” was all he was prepared to say.

During his tenure as Johor police chief earlier, he had instructed his officers to go after those involved in vice, gambling and the loan shark menace, because the police were being accused of not doing enough about the rising crime rate.

“I took stern action although some of the gangsters were friends of politicians. I told them (the politicians) that politics should not interfere with police work,” he said.

“(If anyone escaped the dragnet), I would ask my officers to prepare a list so that, when they returned, they could be arrested. (This was) seen as not favourable and some politicians asked why the state police chief was taking such action.”

Musa said several police officers who were close to the gangsters also became uneasy as a result of his actions, as channels to get extra money were cut off.

He claimed that he felt the backlash for taking a firm approach, with some even accusing him of having underworld links.

Where the blame lies for indebtedness

Following his retirement in September 2010, he had alleged that there had been third-party interference in his efforts to curb crime.

“Yes, it still exists. I did expose it. I sounded this out to (several) ministers and even to (premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) ... I took the stand that ‘I would do what I was directed’. If there was no directive, I would do it my way,” he said.

Musa also said he does not want to see loan sharks continuing to create problems for members of the public, as children are becoming afraid to go home for fear of attacks on the home.

He said the public should not blame the debtors alone for the situation, noting that action should be taken against money-lending syndicates that impose more than 18 percent in interest.

“If they are free to charge in excess of 18 percent, it shows there is no enforcement,” he said.

“Anyway, who gives the money lenders their licence? It is the Housing and Local Government Ministry. There are police personnel serving at the ministry but still, there are people being victimised until today.”

'Damning' Scorpene details to be exposed in Bangkok

(Malaysiakini) Human rights NGO Suaram will expose more details on its Scorpene legal suit in Bangkok, Thailand tomorrow, as its lawyer from France has to date failed to obtain permission to enter Malaysia.

It remains uncertain when Suaram's France-based lawyer Joseph Breham will be issued with a work visa to enter Malaysia, and as such the NGO's leaders decided to travel to Thailand to meet with him.

Brehem (left) and the Suaram team led by director Cynthia Gabriel and legal representative Fadiah Nadwa Fikri will later hold a press conference on new developments in the Scorpene submarine case the human rights group has filed in Paris.

Gabriel said the press event - at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand tomorrow - is planned to "reveal further damning details from the initial findings of the prosecutors and to announce the latest developments surrounding the case".

Breham was to visit Malaysia this week, but his application for a working visa to enter the country has yet to be approved by the Malaysian authorities, leading to the decision by him and Suaram to meet in Bangkok.

His colleague, William Bourdon, was deported from Malaysia after he attended a Suaram fundraising dinner in Penang last year.

Battle royal of sorts

Gabriel said the press conference would help fill in the vacuum of information on gross corrupt and illegal practices involved in arms procurement in the name of Malaysia's national security.

She said that as Malaysia inched closer toward what is expected to be its most challenging general election ever, the "political temperature has escalated to an unprecedented level".

This, she said, would culminate in a "battle royale" of sorts as Malaysians were gearing for change and prepare to welcome the long overdue two-party system.

"Climaxing with this heightened scenario is the sudden commencement of an inquiry on Malaysia, 3,000km across the seas in France," Gabriel (left) said.

She was referring to the RM7.3 billion purchase of two Scorpene-class submarines in 2002; the decision of the French court to hear evidence of alleged bribery of top Malaysian officials in connection with the submarine purchase; and the grisly murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu with C4 military-grade explosives in 2006.

Case blackout in the media

Two of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's former bodyguards have been convicted for the murder of Altantuya and they are now awaiting their appeal, which is slated to be heard in August.

Najib's close ally and political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda, who was charged with abetting in her murder, was acquitted without his defence being called.

Najib (right), who has refused to comment on the matter, was defence minister when the submarine deal was inked, but has denied any involvement in the case.

"The growing links among the three parties spell big headaches for the ruling administration, and especially for Najib, whose role in the entire scandal could bring a damning outcome to his political future," Gabriel said in an advisory sent out to the press yesterday.

"Despite an almost 100 percent blackout in Malaysia's mainstream media, the Internet is running riot with the story, and at full throttle," she added.

"It is piling up the challenges for Najib and his men as they face one of the fiercest electoral battles in Malaysia's history."

Kadir Sheikh Fadzir forms new party, could bolster opposition to BN in polls

KUALA LUMPUR, May 29 — Tan Sri Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir has left NGO Angkatan Amanah Merdeka (Amanah) to form a new political party which could bolster opposition towards Barisan Nasional (BN) in the next general election.

The former Umno supreme council member will now head Parti Ikatan Bangsa Malaysia (Ikatan) after serving as Amanah’s deputy president for just over a year.

Abdul Kadir (picture) refused to divulge details of his new party, but said that “all will be revealed” this Thursday.

“There will be an official launch and a press conference after that… I will answer queries then,” he told The Malaysian Insider when contacted.

While the former Umno minister has not announced which coalition he supports, he has been openly critical against his one-time party, even accusing Umno of vote-buying.

He claimed back in January that Umno handed out cash in previous election campaigns in attempts to buy votes, a tactic known as “bomb”, and that he had himself seen how cash handouts ranging from RM200 to RM1,000 were used in BN’s campaigns to gain voter support.

The former tourism minister has previously said he has not ruled out joining Pakatan Rakyat (PR) and has been spotted attending and giving speeches at opposition rallies.

He also took part in the April 28 Bersih rally in the capital city alongside PR leaders such as the DAP’s Lim Kit Siang and PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.

Abdul Kadir quit Umno early this year to focus on carrying the “original fight” of the party’s founding fathers for equality and democracy through Amanah.

But his abrupt exit from the NGO, led by former Finance Minister Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, raises the question on the group’s future plans and direction.

But Amanah central committee member Wan Saiful Wan Jan stressed that “all is well” and that Amanah was still very much intact despite Abdul Kadir’s departure.

“He (Abdul Kadir) tendered in his resignation three or four weeks ago, all the members were notified.

“We have agreed that Amanah will stay out of politics and remain as an NGO, but at the same time we won’t stop anyone from joining politics or forming a political party,” Wan Saiful told The Malaysian Insider.

“We have chosen to go the civil society way,” he said.

Invites for Ikatan’s official launch on Thursday have been sent out to media organisations. According to the invite, it will take place at the Palace of the Golden Horses here at 8.30am.

London chants to KL beat

The prime minister cannot expect to get civil treatment from angry citizens overseas or reverent silence from enraged citizens at home anymore.

A prime minister is a master in his home but when he goes abroad he has no home to protect him from the rough weather outside. On his own shores he wields considerable power and can command the state to do his bidding whenever he wants to advance his political agenda and interest. He can order the police to beat up citizens to a pulp. He can direct the army to stop his opponents from gaining power. He can do a thousand and one foul things to stay in office against the wishes of the people. Nobody can touch a strand of his hair. He is the lord of all he surveys.

But when he flies to a faraway land, he loses his aura of invincibility. He is exposed to criticisms and can become a target of protests. And so it was with the prime minister of Malaysia when he stepped on British soil lately. At home he dealt harshly with a popular movement for reforms and used a newly enacted law to crack down on his political opponents. His government even sued the organisers of the April 28 rally for their troubles. He must have patted himself on the back for playing the role of a saviour.

Abroad, his heroic acts did not cut ice with Malaysians who know the crackdown on the protesters was not the right thing to do. They heckled him, chanting a household mantra that he finally could not ignore. There was no one to shield him from this sudden gust of wind that blew through the hall. He heard at close quarters the cry that shook his country not too long ago. He could not close his ears or shut his eyes. This is London where there are no walls to imprison the minds. This is not Kuala Lumpur where minds are shackled and bodies trampled upon. This is Britain where political power changes hand as often as the season when voters had had enough of the incumbents. This is not Malaysia where prime ministers and their cronies seem to own the country and will do everything in their power to cling to their wealth, perks, positions.

The London protest signals an important change in the attitude of Malaysians abroad. They are willing to openly confront the prime minister to show their displeasure over unhealthy political developments back home. By that bold act, they have destroyed the myth that a prime minister is untouchable by virtue of his high station in life. More importantly, the message conveyed is that there are Malaysians who are willing to carry the torch of dissent on the world stage and loudly proclaim their solidarity with their fellow citizens fighting for a clean cause on the domestic front. For sure, Malaysians who brave tear gas, water cannons, police beatings will not be alone in their campaign for a better Malaysia.

All over the world people are rising up against unjust governments after decades of repressive rule. Dissent is a universal thread that runs through all societies and has become a common culture. If Malaysians too are taking to the streets, it is simply because they are fed up with having to put up with all the shenanigans, nonsense and lies of the government all these years. The Asian culture of showing respect and obedience for those in authority and not questioning them in public obviously did not work. Instead, it has worked to the distinct advantage of crooked politicians, who would rather have a pliant public blind to the misdeeds of the government than a vocal one keeping vigilant watch on the conduct of the government.

Malaysians abroad have taken up the call for reforms, which is a good sign that the flame of democracy will not be extinguished. The state may grind to dust the movement for change but it cannot crush the spirit that moves the people to defy injustice and seize the day for democracy. The prime minister cannot expect to get civil treatment from angry citizens overseas or reverent silence from enraged citizens at home anymore: the chant for clean governance will continue to fill the air and reverberate all around him at home and abroad.

Ex-Bukit Jalil estate workers to camp out at Seri Perdana

Forty-one families see Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak as their only hope to resolve their problem with DBKL which is bent on evicting them from their homes.

PETALING JAYA: Forty-one families of the former Bukit Jalil estate workers are planning to camp out at Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s office tomorrow morning until he steps in to resolve their predicament with the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).

The families are in a tussle with the DBKL, which is bent on evicting them from the land that they are occupying to build a Muslim cemetery.

Bukit Jalil resident action committee treasurer K Balakrishnan said: “We are expecting at least 100 people to turn up. Former estates workers in Dengkil and Bangi will also join us.

“We will only move out when Najib meets us or gives a written undertaking to resolve our problem. He is our only hope.”

Oppressed People’s Network’s (Jerit) plantation workers support coordinator S Mathavi said at least three other human rights NGOs have pledged to lend support to the 41 families.

“Jerit, Komas, a popular human rights communications centre and student group, Dema, have confirmed their support and attendance,” said Mathavi.

The former estate workers demanded DBKL to allocate four acres out of the 26-acre land to build low cost houses for their families.

The residents also took their case to the High Court and the Court of Appeal last year but lost the legal battle.

However, Prime Minister Najib had instructed the Federal Territories Ministry to find an amicable solution to the issue but nothing has come forth.

Meanwhile, Mathavi also added that the families would be erecting several tents to stay overnight outside Seri Perdana.

She also said that all Pakatan Rakyat component parties have been informed about the plan.

“Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar would be visiting the families tomorrow night in support of the ex-estate workers cause,” added Mathavi.

Starving for ‘conducive’ place to study

Five men on a hunger strike over the Effingham Tamil school land issue are looking at the 'bigger picture', which is about the 'basic rights of a child to an education in a condusive environment'.

FEATURE

KUALA LUMPUR: Overlooking the ostentatious elephant fountain in Brickfields are five men who have been on a hunger strike since last Saturday morning – 8.20am to be exact. They are seeking the return of three acres of land belonging to Effingham Tamil School in Bandar Utama which they said MIC took.

Four days on, the scorching heat and cascading water from the permanently hoisted elephant trunks seem an especially cruel taunt.

Add that to the fact that the scent of delicious curries and fried delectables wafts up from the restaurants surrounding the hunger strike area –and you have a large a recipe for a large serving of self-control and determination.

Food aromas aside, there is one other thing the hunger strikers have to contend with.

Looking on at them almost benevolently from across the road is a large poster of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak who is flanked on his right by Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin, Minister of Federal Territories and Urban Well-being and several other BN politicians.

A passerby jokingly remarked that this might be a bigger challenge for the hunger strikers than going without food or water.

But the five men are unperturbed by larger-than-life posters of politicians. Neither are they hampered by weather conditions or by the incessant dust and debris blown their way by traffic.

For them, seeking the return of three acres of land belonging to the Effingham Tamil School in Bandar Utama is worth the tribulation in its varied forms.

‘They ignored us’

Return Effingham Land Action Team (Reflax) vice-chairman T Loganathan, who is also the leader of the hunger strikers, said that it is not so much a volunteer effort, but more of a concerted one for a common cause.

“There are three of us here who attended Effingham while one is now a PIBG [Parent-Teacher Association] member. Then we have people like [Michael] Tamilarasan. He has previous experience in fighting for land for a school and he is very passionate about this issue, which isn’t a new one.

“We have repeatedly made appeal for the land to be returned. A police report… was filed, but to no avail.
“We were just ignored because people think we’re just nobodies. So we had to take drastic action after being patient for as long as we have,” explained Loganathan.
The drastic action Loganathan alluded to is the hunger strike which came 14 weeks after a weekly Saturday night candlelight vigil was held for the same cause and at the same fountain area.

Seeing there was no reponse, Reflax decided that a non-violent hunger strike was the way to go. It was, they deemed, a last resort.

“Effingham Tamil School is located in Bandar Utama – which is considered a relatively elite area.

“The school, however, doesn’t reflect that and there is much work that needs to be done for the school. The three acres of land would allow for much expansion.

“The schoolchildren can’t even race a full 100 metres because the land stretches out for only 70 metres.
“So many of these students received a rude shock when they went on to secondary school to see how much they have been denied,” added Loganathan.

‘Just give us back land’

He added that there are now 471 students at Effingham Tamil School and recess has to be split into two sessions – one at 10am and another one half an hour later.

Loganathan also spoke of the staff room where the teachers have to share tables and chairs, with teachers taking over the seating area of colleagues who are occupied in class.

“The Selangor state government allocated RM85,000 to Effingham Tamil School for computers and other IT equipment. But there is no computer room, because there is no space for it.

“So the funds are just sitting there and we can’t do anything but wait – and this is for the children so they can get a better headstart in education.

“We’re not even looking at things like building a badmninton court, which will be a bonus. Just please give us back the three acres and we’ll turn it into a model Tamil school,” said Loganathan.

The group of five are optimistic that some good will come out of the hunger strike – maybe even the three acres being returned.

The men agree that the effort is already a success when MIC vice-president and Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Deputy Minister M Saravanan visited them yesterday evening.

Loganthan said that this would be the first time that MIC has given some attention to the initiative and that in itself is a success, adding that this has given them a boost.

Dr Streram Sinnasamy, who has been examining the five men, stopped by early this morning and after the regular check-up, pronounced the men in good health.

Hunger striker S Balakrishnan, who had experienced a wave of dizziness earlier, is adamant when he said, “We are not going anywhere until we receive confirmation that the land has been released.”

His eyes are bleary, and he is visibly fatigued, fingers reaching for medicated ointment now and then. He assuages the ache on his temples and smiled, “It’s all for a good cause and I have no regrets being here.”

‘Basic rights of a child’

Tamilarasan, who is a councillor in MPSJ, said his interest in this issue stems from an earlier involvement in seeking 2.5 acres of land for the Kinrara School in Puchong between 2008 and 2009.

“We were successful in this endeavour and I am here because I have a personal great interest in Tamil schools and the welfare of the schoolchildren attending these schools.

“When you look at the bigger picture, you realise that this is a cause that is so much bigger than having means or a full stomach.

“It’s about the basic rights of a child to get an education in a conducive environment. I will be here for as long as it takes,” he said, leaning back on his pillow, arms behind his head.

To a question of what will be their first food or drink intake after the fast ends, Loganathan grinned: “We will be very happy with a glass of plain water. Even tap water would suffice.”

Others join Loganathan’s enthusiam at what they hope is a looming possibility of a settlement within the next day, or even better still, in the coming hours.

Soon, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) officers approach and tell the men that they must remove one of the two 10ft by 10ft canopies put up as shelter.

There are no struggles and no protests. The canopy comes down in a matter of minutes and the DBKL officers are seemingly congratulating each other.

The five men then huddle under a single canopy, still in good spirits and laughing even.

Perhaps the success of this endeavour is not so much in the fact that an MIC official paid them a visit, but that in the face of so much adversity, these men have already triumphed.

Then Hindraf, now Ambiga

Has BN handed the Indian votes to Pakatan on a silver platter once again? It certainly seems so.
COMMENT

In recent Indian gatherings, Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, who is well-known for his timely political oratories, has been consistently driving home a few key points into the minds of Indian voters while drumming up support for the opposition.

He begins by saying that when the opposition forms the next federal government, he will reduce the price of petrol and secondly he narrates how he will raise RM5 billion to provide free education for all Malaysians irrespective of race.

Next, he comes to one of the core Indian issues: citizenship for all Indians who are still with red identity cards and without proper birth certificate and registered documents. Then he raises the most important issue which is plaguing the minds of the Indians today: S Ambiga.

Anwar goes on to explain how Ambiga is being ridiculed and insulted under Najib’s leadership and the BN government. The fact that Najib and MIC’s top leadership have not come in support for Ambiga gives him further ammunition against BN.

He vows that there won’t be such discrimination under his premiership and that all men and women will be treated as equal under Pakatan Rakyat’s government.

He reiterates that as a Malay-Muslim, he does not support the ugly and unruly incidents orchestrated against Ambiga and that it is not the culture of Malays to behave as such.

No one has the right to talk about Ambiga’s citizenship and that he will defend her role as a Bersih leader.

Striking the right chord

As stated, the astute politician is striking the right chord when it comes to Indian votes as almost every Indian today talks and feels about the difficulties Ambiga and her family are undergoing for her role in the Bersih 3.0 rally. In fact, she has become a household name among Indian families and a rallying point for Indians in this country.

It is unlikely that her sudden gigantic role will be diminished in any manner in the next few months, or at least until the next general election.

Therefore, going by the campaigns of Anwar and opposition leaders, it could be Ambiga who will be able to deliver the crucial Indian votes to Pakatan in the forthcoming general election.

In 2008, it was the slogan “Makkal Sakthi” and Hindraf issues that delivered the Indian votes to the opposition to enable them to register such an impressive victory. However, Hindraf issues have become irrelevant today and the movement itself is in shambles now.

If the prevailing trend continues, Ambiga’s episode could be the real factor that will help the opposition to garner the much needed Indian votes in GE 13.

Cashing-in

Messages supporting her and criticising the BN government and MIC are being circulated through emails and mobile phones. Even some MIC leaders at the division levels have openly declared their support and concern on the Ambiga issue in the Tamil dailies.

The opposition is cashing-in on the Ambiga issue and judging from the mood of the Indian crowds attending the opposition rallies she will be able to play a prominent role in securing the Indian votes for the opposition.

Having established herself as an iconic figure in the Indian community, fighting the BN government for free and fair elections, it will not matter whether she openly declares support for the opposition in GE-13 but if she does by joining the campaign rounds, she will be able sway a sizable portion of Indian votes from MIC and BN.

By condoning the incidents staged in front of Ambiga’s house coupled with the inaction of the police and the authorities with regard to the “burger stall” issues, the BN government has given away the crucial Indian votes in a silver platter to the opposition.

RJ Rajah is an observer and writer on politics and social issues with a keen interest particularly in Malaysian Indian affairs.