Friday 7 March 2014
Jihadists loaded bomb devices into ambulance carrying pregnant woman from Syria into Turkey
While Israel is constantly excoriated for supposedly targeting civilians, we see Islamic jihadists in Gaza and now in Syria deliberately staging jihad operations in areas where civilians will almost certainly get hurt by retaliatory action. Loading bomb devices for jihad attacks in Turkey onto an ambulance carrying a pregnant woman shows yet again the egregious jihadist disregard for human life and cynical willingness to use civilians for cover.“Bomb devices found in ambulance that carried pregnant woman from Syria,” from the Hürriyet Daily News, March 4 (thanks to Kenneth):
Heavy weapons and five bomb devices were found in an ambulance that carried a pregnant woman from Syria to the southeastern province of Kilis three weeks ago, a few days before an attack on the Öncüpınar crossing border that left 26 dead.
Authorities believe based on intelligence reports that the devices were likely loaded in the ambulance by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), as the jihadist group was suspected of attempting to carry out a bomb attack on the crossing border, daily Milliyet reported March 4.
The ambulance charged with the weapons crossed the Turkish border on Feb. 17, the report said, only three days before the deadly blast in Öncüpınar.
The weapons were accidentally discovered after the ambulance’s tires blew out as it passed over a trap, while delivering the patient to Turkish officials in the buffer zone on the Öncüpınar border. The Syrian driver jumped out and ran away, leaving the ambulance unattended. A later inspection of the ambulance by security forces revealed that it contained five bomb devices, long-barreled shotguns and a rocket projector, the report said….
Ultraman book banned for 'undermining public order' - Malaysiakini
According to Bernama, the Home Ministry today gazetted a ban against the book ‘Ultraman The Ultra Power’, purportedly because it contained “elements which undermine public order”.
The book, seemingly about the Japanese hit show adored by children for generations, was banned under Section 7(1) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984.
The book, which is in Bahasa Malaysia, is published by Resign Publications and printed by Network Printers.
“It is an offence under Subsection 2 Section 8 of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 for anyone to print, import, produce, reproduce, publish, sell, distribute, offer to sell or distribute or own any banned publications,” the home minister is reported to have said in a statement.
Running foul of this law could land one in jail for no more than three years or fined no more than RM20,000 or both.
Ultraman is not the first popular Japanese cartoon character to get slapped with a ban.
In 2005, an edition of the comics featuring the loveable rotund robot cat Doraemon was deemed haram (forbidden) by the Islamic Development Department (Jakim).
‘Majalah Tora Aman Doraemon - Kisah Penciptaan Dunia’ was one of nine titles considered haram by the 69th meeting of the Censorship Council on Publications With Islamic Elements led by Perak mufti Harussani Zakaria.
“These books have been agreed as haram and the list will be presented to the Home Ministry to be gazetted as banned (for Muslims),” Jakim then said.
Hindraf queries move to revive Indian affairs panel
Ramesh said such a move was doomed to fail, because other committees targeted at the Indian Malaysian community had failed, and people have already lost faith in the government.
“If the PM is trying to appease the Indian community that he is keeping to his promises by reviving the dead cabinet committee, he is unmistakably wrong on his assessment of the psyche of the Indian community.
“The Indian community has had enough of the BN’s broken promises and their wayang kulit (shadow play) along with their Indian political allies. They have totally lost hope in the MIC,” Ramesh said in a statement today.
According to the online news portal Free Malaysia Today, Najib yesterday chaired the dormant committee’s first meeting since 2010.
'PHM blueprint the only option'
Quoting unnamed sources in the Prime Minister’s Office, it says those who attended included MIC president and Natural Resources and Environment Minister G Palanivel, Health Minister and MIC deputy president Dr S Subramaniam, MIC vice-president and Deputy Youth and Sports Minister M Saravanan, and MIC central working committee member and Deputy Education Minister P Kamalanathan.
Meanwhile, Ramesh also took the opportunity to reiterate that PHM’s blueprint of socio-economic reforms is Najib’s ‘only option’ for a comprehensive solution to the Indian community’s problems, saying that piecemeal solutions won’t work.
“There is no point flogging a dead horse. Just get cracking and implement the promises made in the general election wholeheartedly, with the help of sincere people out there who are really committed to helping the community.
“Hindraf urges the BN component parties to review their decision not to honour their election promises,” he said.
The
blueprint is central to the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed
between the association and BN prior to the 13th general election, which
dealt mostly with establishing a committee to oversee the blueprint’s
implementation.It was under the terms of the same MOU that PHM chief P Waythamoorthy was appointed as a deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.
He resigned from the post last month, after holding it for just eight months, claiming that the government has not honoured the terms of the MOU.
Show concern for public health, Palanivel told
Vell Paari has urged the Natural Resources and Environment Minister to be more proactive on the haze situation and be open to criticism.
PETALING JAYA: Former MIC central working committee member S Vell Paari has urged Natural Resources and Environment Minister G Palanivel to show some concern for public health and their well-being during the current haze problem.
He recalled an incident when the MIC president rushed off to visit his sick grandchild in Australia just after the party annual general assembly in December.
“When you can do that for your grandchild, why can’t you have the same concern for the people who put you where you are now?” asked Vell Paari.
On Tuesday, Vell Paari criticised Palanivel for keeping mum over the worsening haze situation in the Klang Valley.
“Palanivel does not have even the courtesy to call for a press conference to calm ruffled feathers of the rakyat. He should be the one explaining to the people about the haze.
“As the minister responsible for the environment, Palanivel has a duty to care for the citizens and explain the real situation. But I think he is not even bothered,” he was reported saying.
MIC information chief L Siva Subramaniam said the party could take disciplinary action against Vell Paari for criticising Palanivel.
“Do not underestimate Palanivel just because he is a patient man,” said Siva Subramaniam.
Vell Paari, who is the son of former MIC president S Samy Vellu, said it was obvious that the haze problem could not be solved anytime soon unless the Indonesian government was proactive on tackling the open burning problem.
Therefore, he said, it was important for the minister in charge of environment to be proactive and alert the public, especially those with respiratory problems, on the health hazards caused by the haze.
“At the very least, instruct your ministry to give out face masks to schoolchildren and ensure there is adequate water supply in schools,” he added.
On Siva Subramaniam’s threats that the party could take action against him, Vell Paari said that he was merely exercising his democratic right to give constructive criticism.
“There are people who even criticise the prime minister and his deputy on several issues. Kinabatangan MP Bung Mokhtar Radin also criticised a minister in the past.
“Besides, I am only critisising Palanivel in his capacity as a minister, not as the MIC president.
“If you cannot accept criticism, then don’t be in a position that will attract criticism,” he said, adding that even MIC treasurer S Murugesan had criticised the Health Ministry for the recent spike in healthcare costs.
Vell Paari said that it was the party president who had voiced support for freedom of expression in his speech at the party AGM in December.
“I know how to defend myself if the party takes action against me,” said Vell Paari.
PETALING JAYA: Former MIC central working committee member S Vell Paari has urged Natural Resources and Environment Minister G Palanivel to show some concern for public health and their well-being during the current haze problem.
He recalled an incident when the MIC president rushed off to visit his sick grandchild in Australia just after the party annual general assembly in December.
“When you can do that for your grandchild, why can’t you have the same concern for the people who put you where you are now?” asked Vell Paari.
On Tuesday, Vell Paari criticised Palanivel for keeping mum over the worsening haze situation in the Klang Valley.
“Palanivel does not have even the courtesy to call for a press conference to calm ruffled feathers of the rakyat. He should be the one explaining to the people about the haze.
“As the minister responsible for the environment, Palanivel has a duty to care for the citizens and explain the real situation. But I think he is not even bothered,” he was reported saying.
MIC information chief L Siva Subramaniam said the party could take disciplinary action against Vell Paari for criticising Palanivel.
“Do not underestimate Palanivel just because he is a patient man,” said Siva Subramaniam.
Vell Paari, who is the son of former MIC president S Samy Vellu, said it was obvious that the haze problem could not be solved anytime soon unless the Indonesian government was proactive on tackling the open burning problem.
Therefore, he said, it was important for the minister in charge of environment to be proactive and alert the public, especially those with respiratory problems, on the health hazards caused by the haze.
“At the very least, instruct your ministry to give out face masks to schoolchildren and ensure there is adequate water supply in schools,” he added.
On Siva Subramaniam’s threats that the party could take action against him, Vell Paari said that he was merely exercising his democratic right to give constructive criticism.
“There are people who even criticise the prime minister and his deputy on several issues. Kinabatangan MP Bung Mokhtar Radin also criticised a minister in the past.
“Besides, I am only critisising Palanivel in his capacity as a minister, not as the MIC president.
“If you cannot accept criticism, then don’t be in a position that will attract criticism,” he said, adding that even MIC treasurer S Murugesan had criticised the Health Ministry for the recent spike in healthcare costs.
Vell Paari said that it was the party president who had voiced support for freedom of expression in his speech at the party AGM in December.
“I know how to defend myself if the party takes action against me,” said Vell Paari.
Polis ‘diam’ kes serangan warga asing terhadap orang asal
Seorang pegawai polis didakwa orang asal telah dihantar oleh majikan warga asing tersebut untuk menawarkan duit bagi menutup kes.
KUALA LUMPUR: Sekumpulan orang asal dari Lojing, Kelantan, hari ini membuat aduan ke Biro Tatatertib Polis Bukit Aman susulan kegagalan pihak polis untuk mengambil tindakan ke atas serangan warga Myanmar ke atas orang asal bulan lalu.
Salah seorang mangsa, Itam Anjang, 49, yang menetap di Kampung Kuala Tahu Lojing berkata dia bersama empat lagi rakannya dalam perjalanan ke kampung bersebelahan untuk ke rumah abangnya bagi menghadiri satu mesyuarat komuniti orang asal sebelum diserang oleh sekumpulan warga Myanmar yang bekerja di kebun sayuran pada 25 Feb lalu.
“Masa itu lebih kurang jam 11 pagi dalam perjalanan tersebut ada sekumpulan warga Myanmar sudah menanti di kebun. Mereka menaiki sebuah traktor dan Hilux (kereta pacuan empat roda).
“Masa itu kami tak tahu niat mereka sebelum tiba-tiba kami diserang sehingga hancur sebiji motorsikal. Jadi kami terus melarikan diri namun saya dipukul di bahagian kepala sehingga pengsan,” katanya kepada wartawan di hadapan Ibu Pejabat Polis Bukit Aman hari ini.
Menurut Itam, kumpulan warga Myanmar berjumlah 200 orang itu turut bersenjatakan parang panjang dan tali.
“Saya sempat beritahu mereka yang hari ini saya matilah dipukul tanpa sebarang dosa,” katanya.
Menurut Itam lagi, mereka terperanjat apabila laporan polis mereka seperti tidak diendahkan oleh pegawai yang bertugas.orang asl1
“Kita buat laporan polis (keesokan harinya) dan mereka kata ini kes ‘sikit hal’.
“Kemudiannya, polis memberitahu saya yang warga Myanmar itu mendakwa saya lari sendiri dan jatuh ke batu, rakan saya pula mabuk dan jatuh manakala motor yang ditunggang abang saya kemalangan sendiri,” katanya lagi yang menerima tujuh jahitan di kepala.
Itam turut mendakwa seorang pegawai polis berpangkat sarjan mendekatinya selepas itu untuk cuba menutup kes.
“Dia datang dan beritahu saya majikan warga Myanmar tersebut menawarkan RM500 untuk menutup kes.
“Saya cakap kalau bagi saya RM100, 000 pun saya tak nak ambil. Saya warga Malaysia…pendatang asing datang sini cari makan tapi pukul kita,” katanya lagi.
Seorang lagi mangsa, Rahman Uda, 39, yang menerima 15 jahitan kerana kecederaan di bahagian kepala akibat dipukul dengan kayu berkata mereka tidak mengetahui mengapa mereka
“Masa tu saya tidak pandang ke belakang dan terus berlari. Mula-mulanya saya dibaling dengan batu di bahagian belakang badan sebelum saya dipukul dengan kayu di kepala,” kata Rahman yang sering pening dikepala akibat kejadian tersebut.
Rahman, yang terpaksa bermalam di hospital selama dua hari tu menambah sehingga hari ini dia masih tidak mengetahui mengapa mereka diserang.
Kumpulan orang asal ini turut mengesyaki kejadian itu didalangi oleh sebuah syarikat pertanian di sana yang mengupah warga Myanmar, yang diketuai oleh seorang lelaki bernama Ali untuk memukul masyarakat orang asal.
Kumpulan orang asal ini turut ditemani oleh wakil dari Majlis Peguam yang turut kesal orang asal ini cuba disogok dengan wang ringgit untuk menutup kes.
“Kami memberitahu mereka jika mereka tidak berpuas hati dengan polis di Kelantan mereka boleh membuat aduan di Bukit Aman.
“Kami berharap polis Bukit Aman dapat menyelesaikan perkara ini supaya keadilan untuk orang asal dapat ditegakkan,” kata wakilnya Siti Kassim.
Jelas Siti, ini bukan pertama kalinya perkara ini berlaku dan perkara ini sudahpun diajukan kepada kerajaan negeri Kelantan, namun tiada sebarang tindakan yang diambil.
Tambah Siti lagi, pihaknya tidak menolak kemungkinan kejadian ini berbabit dengan pengambilan tanah orang asal untuk diusahakan tanpa mendapat persetujuan orang asal.
KUALA LUMPUR: Sekumpulan orang asal dari Lojing, Kelantan, hari ini membuat aduan ke Biro Tatatertib Polis Bukit Aman susulan kegagalan pihak polis untuk mengambil tindakan ke atas serangan warga Myanmar ke atas orang asal bulan lalu.
Salah seorang mangsa, Itam Anjang, 49, yang menetap di Kampung Kuala Tahu Lojing berkata dia bersama empat lagi rakannya dalam perjalanan ke kampung bersebelahan untuk ke rumah abangnya bagi menghadiri satu mesyuarat komuniti orang asal sebelum diserang oleh sekumpulan warga Myanmar yang bekerja di kebun sayuran pada 25 Feb lalu.
“Masa itu lebih kurang jam 11 pagi dalam perjalanan tersebut ada sekumpulan warga Myanmar sudah menanti di kebun. Mereka menaiki sebuah traktor dan Hilux (kereta pacuan empat roda).
“Masa itu kami tak tahu niat mereka sebelum tiba-tiba kami diserang sehingga hancur sebiji motorsikal. Jadi kami terus melarikan diri namun saya dipukul di bahagian kepala sehingga pengsan,” katanya kepada wartawan di hadapan Ibu Pejabat Polis Bukit Aman hari ini.
Menurut Itam, kumpulan warga Myanmar berjumlah 200 orang itu turut bersenjatakan parang panjang dan tali.
“Saya sempat beritahu mereka yang hari ini saya matilah dipukul tanpa sebarang dosa,” katanya.
Menurut Itam lagi, mereka terperanjat apabila laporan polis mereka seperti tidak diendahkan oleh pegawai yang bertugas.orang asl1
“Kita buat laporan polis (keesokan harinya) dan mereka kata ini kes ‘sikit hal’.
“Kemudiannya, polis memberitahu saya yang warga Myanmar itu mendakwa saya lari sendiri dan jatuh ke batu, rakan saya pula mabuk dan jatuh manakala motor yang ditunggang abang saya kemalangan sendiri,” katanya lagi yang menerima tujuh jahitan di kepala.
Itam turut mendakwa seorang pegawai polis berpangkat sarjan mendekatinya selepas itu untuk cuba menutup kes. “Dia datang dan beritahu saya majikan warga Myanmar tersebut menawarkan RM500 untuk menutup kes.
“Saya cakap kalau bagi saya RM100, 000 pun saya tak nak ambil. Saya warga Malaysia…pendatang asing datang sini cari makan tapi pukul kita,” katanya lagi.
Seorang lagi mangsa, Rahman Uda, 39, yang menerima 15 jahitan kerana kecederaan di bahagian kepala akibat dipukul dengan kayu berkata mereka tidak mengetahui mengapa mereka
“Masa tu saya tidak pandang ke belakang dan terus berlari. Mula-mulanya saya dibaling dengan batu di bahagian belakang badan sebelum saya dipukul dengan kayu di kepala,” kata Rahman yang sering pening dikepala akibat kejadian tersebut.
Rahman, yang terpaksa bermalam di hospital selama dua hari tu menambah sehingga hari ini dia masih tidak mengetahui mengapa mereka diserang.
Kumpulan orang asal ini turut mengesyaki kejadian itu didalangi oleh sebuah syarikat pertanian di sana yang mengupah warga Myanmar, yang diketuai oleh seorang lelaki bernama Ali untuk memukul masyarakat orang asal.
Kumpulan orang asal ini turut ditemani oleh wakil dari Majlis Peguam yang turut kesal orang asal ini cuba disogok dengan wang ringgit untuk menutup kes.
“Kami memberitahu mereka jika mereka tidak berpuas hati dengan polis di Kelantan mereka boleh membuat aduan di Bukit Aman.
“Kami berharap polis Bukit Aman dapat menyelesaikan perkara ini supaya keadilan untuk orang asal dapat ditegakkan,” kata wakilnya Siti Kassim.
Jelas Siti, ini bukan pertama kalinya perkara ini berlaku dan perkara ini sudahpun diajukan kepada kerajaan negeri Kelantan, namun tiada sebarang tindakan yang diambil.
Tambah Siti lagi, pihaknya tidak menolak kemungkinan kejadian ini berbabit dengan pengambilan tanah orang asal untuk diusahakan tanpa mendapat persetujuan orang asal.
‘Semen samples could have been switched’
Karpal Singh told the Court of Appeal that he took strong objections to Shafee's remarks on Anwar.
UPDATED
Anwar Karpal SinghKUALA LUMPUR: Karpal Singh, who leads Anwar Ibrahim’s defence team, took the Umno-linked prosecution lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah to task for maligning Anwar this morning in the Sodomy 2 appeal.
Shafee had earlier today criticised Anwar in court for making his statement from the dock rather than the witness stand during the trial.
The Court of Appeal earlier today heard the prosecution team’s appeal on PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim’s acquittal from the High court last year on the charge of sodomising his former aide, Saiful Bukhari Azlan.
Presiding the case are Justices Balia Yusof Haji Wahi, Aziah Ali and Mohd Zawawi Salleh. Lawyer Karpal Singh is leading Anwar’s defence team. Anwar failed three times in his bid to disqualify Umno linked lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah from leading the prosecution team.
On Jan 9, 2012, Anwar, now 66, was acquitted by the High Court of a charge of sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan at a condominium unit in Bukit Damansara in 2008.
Karpal told the court that : “An accused person… may remain silent. These are his subjective rights. Anwar chose what is his right to make a statement from the dock. The prosecution shouldn’t be allowed to make any remarks to posion the courts’ mind.
“Shafee owes more than an apology to Anwar for maligning him just now.”
Karpal also contended that the DNA sample was compromised because investigating officer Jude Pereira had failed to place the evidence in the freezer as ordered by chemist Dr Seah Lay Hong.
He said that Pereira had acknowledged during the Sodomy 2 trial that the samples may degrade because it had not been placed in the freezer.
“[Pereira's] answer certainly reflects that he knew the samples had to be preserved,” added Karpal.
Karpal stressed that on that ground alone, the appeal should be dismissed.
“The learned trial judge adequately dealt with the basic structure of case against Anwar Ibrahim.”
Karpal also cast doubts on the testimony of Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, whom he described as “the star witness”.
He noted that while Saiful was “no country bumpkin”, having studied in college and later offered a degree in electrical engineering, yet the latter delayed lodging a police report against Anwar for two days.
Karpal pointed out that Saiful also first told Dr Mohamad Osman Abdul Hamid when seeking treatment at the Pusrawi Hospital that he had been assaulted and plastic object had been inserted into his anus.
But Saiful changed the account of the events when he lodged the police report, Karpal reminded the appellate court.
The third man
Meanwhile, Anwar’s counsel Ram Karpal submitted that the DNA samples the chemists had examined were either contaminated or illegally obtained.
“All parties agreed there was contamination of B5 (the swab of Saiful’s perianal), even PW5 (Prosecution Witness Dr Seah Lay Hong, chemist) agreed to this,” Karpal told the appellate court.
“There was another male contributor (found on the swab). So one of the samples at least was contaminated by a third person,” he said.
“This is not in dispute.”
Evidence B9 (the swab of Saiful’s lower rectum), meanwhile, was also found to have a third, male contributor.
“Meaning perhaps the complainant was penetrated by a third party. That (possibility) has not been excluded,” said Ram.
“From the evidence, it’s certainly contaminated.”
He further added that one of the chemists’ duty was to identify “Male 1″ based on a toothbrush and face towel seized from Anwar’s lockup.
“If the court views that the items obtained during lockup were illegaly obtained, then there would be no identification of Male 1. If that’s the case, the entire identification by the prosecution is flawed,” said Ram.
Ram also raised the possibility that the semen samples taken from Saiful’s rectum were not the same samples presented to the chemists for examination.
He said that the semen samples were only obtained from Saiful’s anus 36 hours after the alleged incident, and it spent another one day and a half in a cabinet before the chemist examined it.
He pointed out that even though Pereira had subjected the samples to possible degradation due to his failure to store it in a freezer, the chemist later said the samples were in pristine condition when they examined it.
“There is a possibility that this is not the same samples retrieved from PW1 (Saiful). You would expect degradation, but it was not present,” said Ram.
Hearing continues tomorrow
UPDATED
Anwar Karpal SinghKUALA LUMPUR: Karpal Singh, who leads Anwar Ibrahim’s defence team, took the Umno-linked prosecution lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah to task for maligning Anwar this morning in the Sodomy 2 appeal.Shafee had earlier today criticised Anwar in court for making his statement from the dock rather than the witness stand during the trial.
The Court of Appeal earlier today heard the prosecution team’s appeal on PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim’s acquittal from the High court last year on the charge of sodomising his former aide, Saiful Bukhari Azlan.
Presiding the case are Justices Balia Yusof Haji Wahi, Aziah Ali and Mohd Zawawi Salleh. Lawyer Karpal Singh is leading Anwar’s defence team. Anwar failed three times in his bid to disqualify Umno linked lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah from leading the prosecution team.
On Jan 9, 2012, Anwar, now 66, was acquitted by the High Court of a charge of sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan at a condominium unit in Bukit Damansara in 2008.
Karpal told the court that : “An accused person… may remain silent. These are his subjective rights. Anwar chose what is his right to make a statement from the dock. The prosecution shouldn’t be allowed to make any remarks to posion the courts’ mind.
“Shafee owes more than an apology to Anwar for maligning him just now.”
Karpal also contended that the DNA sample was compromised because investigating officer Jude Pereira had failed to place the evidence in the freezer as ordered by chemist Dr Seah Lay Hong.
He said that Pereira had acknowledged during the Sodomy 2 trial that the samples may degrade because it had not been placed in the freezer.
“[Pereira's] answer certainly reflects that he knew the samples had to be preserved,” added Karpal.
Karpal stressed that on that ground alone, the appeal should be dismissed.
“The learned trial judge adequately dealt with the basic structure of case against Anwar Ibrahim.”
Karpal also cast doubts on the testimony of Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, whom he described as “the star witness”.
He noted that while Saiful was “no country bumpkin”, having studied in college and later offered a degree in electrical engineering, yet the latter delayed lodging a police report against Anwar for two days.
Karpal pointed out that Saiful also first told Dr Mohamad Osman Abdul Hamid when seeking treatment at the Pusrawi Hospital that he had been assaulted and plastic object had been inserted into his anus.
But Saiful changed the account of the events when he lodged the police report, Karpal reminded the appellate court.
The third man
Meanwhile, Anwar’s counsel Ram Karpal submitted that the DNA samples the chemists had examined were either contaminated or illegally obtained.
“All parties agreed there was contamination of B5 (the swab of Saiful’s perianal), even PW5 (Prosecution Witness Dr Seah Lay Hong, chemist) agreed to this,” Karpal told the appellate court.
“There was another male contributor (found on the swab). So one of the samples at least was contaminated by a third person,” he said.
“This is not in dispute.”
Evidence B9 (the swab of Saiful’s lower rectum), meanwhile, was also found to have a third, male contributor.
“Meaning perhaps the complainant was penetrated by a third party. That (possibility) has not been excluded,” said Ram.
“From the evidence, it’s certainly contaminated.”
He further added that one of the chemists’ duty was to identify “Male 1″ based on a toothbrush and face towel seized from Anwar’s lockup.
“If the court views that the items obtained during lockup were illegaly obtained, then there would be no identification of Male 1. If that’s the case, the entire identification by the prosecution is flawed,” said Ram.
Ram also raised the possibility that the semen samples taken from Saiful’s rectum were not the same samples presented to the chemists for examination.
He said that the semen samples were only obtained from Saiful’s anus 36 hours after the alleged incident, and it spent another one day and a half in a cabinet before the chemist examined it.
He pointed out that even though Pereira had subjected the samples to possible degradation due to his failure to store it in a freezer, the chemist later said the samples were in pristine condition when they examined it.
“There is a possibility that this is not the same samples retrieved from PW1 (Saiful). You would expect degradation, but it was not present,” said Ram.
Hearing continues tomorrow
Will Pakatan save Barisan for the next 10 years?
If historical pattern of Umno’s revivals after 1990 and 1999 can be of any guide for the future, Umno is now deprived of its first favourable condition: policy or leadership change.Wong Chin Huat, Fz.com
MANY people will celebrate this coming Saturday as the 6th anniversary of the 2008 Political Celebration.
For Malaysians who want regime change, March 8 is the most commemorative date on the calendar because it gives them hope, or in the words of writer Kee Thuan Chye, it was “the day Malaysia woke up.”
March 8 six years ago was the day the Opposition parties, for the first time after 1969, denied the ruling coalition its customary two-thirds, and first time ever, rule a host of five states. It was the day many Malaysians discovered that their votes actually could make a difference.
But the very reason why March 8 is so widely commemorated by Pakatan Rakyat and Civil Society is also really because they cannot celebrate May 5, the day that is supposed to end Umno’s 59/51 years rule of Malaya/Malaysia.
In other words, every celebration of the greatness of March 8 is an unspoken mourning over the failure of May 5.
So, how many more years will the Malaysia democrats celebrate most grandly the March 8 near-miss because they cannot celebrate regime change?
How did Umno/BN rebound from near-misses?
The answer may lie with Pakatan Rakyat: PKR, PAS and DAP.
Lest we forget, 2008 was not the first time Umno and BN escaped their defeat. In fact, it was the third, after the 1990 and 1999 abortive attempts. Each time, Umno and BN bounced back stronger than before.
In both the 1990 and 1999 episodes, three things happened: change – of policy or leadership – in BN; break-up of the opposition coalition; and, seat increase and constituency redelineation.
1. Change in BN Policy/Leadership
Conventionally, the First-Past-The-Post electoral system forces political parties to win the middle ground voters. Hence, electoral set-backs will often lead to change of policy or leadership to restore a party’s popularity or voters’ confidence on it.
BN followed this rule in 1990 when the opposition won 47% of votes, and some 70% support amongst Chinese voters. But it managed to secure majority of Malay voters west of Banjaran Titiwangsa because Tengku Razaleigh wore a Kadazan traditional headgear with a crucifix-like pattern. That became the evidence he sold out the Malay-Muslims to Kadazan-Catholics.
To win back the Chinese voters, within four months from election, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad dished out Vision 2020 and introduced cultural and educational liberalisation, which paved way for significant increase in Chinese support of BN for the next three elections.
In 1999, BN secured the support of the Chinese who were largely afraid of another 1969-style post-election riot as well as an Islamic State should PAS come to power. But the Malays were polarised by Mahathir, whose sacking of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was seen by many Malays as tyrannical and un-Malay.
To save Umno, Dr Mahathir retired on November 2003. In March 2004, his successor Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi called a fresh poll and won a 91% parliamentary majority.
2. Break-up of Opposition Coalition
Umno/BN’s revival requires the Opposition coalitions to break-up so that middle-ground voters can be convinced that Umno/BN is the only electable party to run the country.
Some misunderstood that the opposition parties were more disunited than the BN parties. The actual fact is that coalitions are much built by the benefits and prospects of staying in power.
That’s why Umno schisms in both episodes would lead to formation of opposition coalitions which were respectively led by Razaleigh’s S46 and Anwar’s Keadilan.
When the opposition coalitions lost the elections without even denying BN’s two-third majority, the incentives to hold the opposition parties together disappeared.
After 1990, PAS pushed Hudud Law in Kelantan, S46 became more Malay nationalistic, and DAP soon quitted the opposition pact. And PAS and S46 too fought in Kelantan before Razaleigh’s troop rejoined Umno.
After 1999, PAS pushed Hudud Law in Terengganu, while PKR with Anwar in jail couldn’t do much, not long after the 911 Incident, DAP again called it quit.
And of course, disarrayed oppositions made BN naturally appealing, especially after policy and leadership changes respectively.
3. Seat Increase and Constituency Redelineation
While the above two factors are well-known, few realise the BN’s rebound was amplified by seat increase and constituency redelineation in the Peninsula that happened before the next election.
The 1994 redelineation was packaged with an increase of 12 seats in Peninsula, leading to a net of six more seats allocated for Umno to contest.
While Mahathir’s BN was no doubt way more popular in 1995 than in 1990, DAP and PAS were shortchanged in the Peninsula by constituency redelineation.
In 1990, DAP won 20 seats (then 15.15% of the Peninsula’s total) with 18.04% of votes, yielding a vote value of 84%. To get the concept of vote value, think of vote analogously as a bank note, DAP could only get RM 0.84 worth of goods with a RM1 note.
By 1995, its vote share dropped by about one third to 12.13%, but its seat dropped sharply to only 8 (now 5.56%), yielding a vote value of 46%. In other words, the value of a DAP vote was almost halved.
Similarly, despite a slight increase of vote share from 7.79% to 8.45%, PAS found itself still winning only seven seats in a larger pool. The value of a vote for PAS dropped from 68% to 58%.
Abdullah’s 91% parliamentary landslide in 2004 was BN’s largest since Independence but his vote share, 63.85%, was only the second highest. Mahathir bagged the highest vote share of 65.16% in 1995 but only 84.38% of seats.
How did Abdullah do better than his predecessor? Again, his magic is in seat increase and constituency redelineation.
The Election Commission under Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman helped him with an increase of 26 seats in the Peninsula and Sabah (including Labuan) in 2003.
In 1995, Mahathir’s BN won 65.27% of votes in these two regions, which was translated into 82.42% of their total seats, yielding a vote value of 126%. By 2004, Abdullah’s BN won 90.05% of seats with 63.72% of votes, yielding a vote value of 1.41.
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Kajang by-election: Unholy haste to fix Anwar Ibrahim
The dates insisted upon by the Court of Appeal are on the eve of nomination day for the Kajang by-election.
P Ramakrishnan, Aliran executive committee member
It is conceded that Anwar Ibrahim will definitely win the Kajang by-election with a runaway majority.
Nothing can stop or impede that inevitability. That win will be a mortal blow to the Barisan Nasional whose fortunes will crumble thereafter.
Politically the BN can do nothing to arrest this trend. And it is desperate to stop Anwar from contesting the Kajang by-election.
Will the outcome of his court case stop Anwar from his foregone victory in Kajang? Thinking Malaysians seem to think that would be the case!
YB N Surendran’s press statement disclosing some disturbing details is rather ominous. We have to fear for Anwar.
It is said, “Justice is that virtue that assigns to every man his due.” Is Anwar being given his due? That is the crucial question.
According to Surendran, “The appeal had been fixed for case management on 28 February 2014. Anwar’s lawyers then received a call from the deputy registrar of the Court of Appeal asking for free dates between 7 March and 10 March 2014. It should be noted that the dates insisted upon by the Court of Appeal are on the eve of the nomination day for the Kajang by-election. (If Anwar is convicted, he would be disqualified from contesting the by election.)”
It is very strange that the appeal had been fixed for case management on 28 Feburary and six days later the government’s appeal against Anwar’s acquittal was scheduled to proceed on 6 March 2014.
It is inexplicable that the court should insist on fixing 6-7 March as appeal dates despite Anwar’s lawyers stating that those were not free on those dates. Shouldn’t this fact be taken into account when fixing the dates? After all, shouldn’t Anwar’s lawyers be free to do justice to Anwar’s defence? Why should the court fix the dates that are not free and convenient to Anwar’s lawyers?
Why should the court be so insistent? According to Potter Stewart, “Swift justice demands more than just swiftness.”
If the business of the court is to deliver justice, shouldn’t the court be guided by mercy and compassion as well?
Anwar was acquitted on 9 January 2012, more than two years ago – almost two years after the trial started. If it had taken more than two years to come to this stage, would a delay of a few weeks or months have interfered with justice?
What were the compelling reasons for wanting the appeal to proceed specifically on 6-7 March? What was the rational for dismissing the fact that Anwar’s lawyers are not free on those dates fixed by the court?
“Justice and judgment lie often a world apart,” said Emmeline Pankhurst, British political activist and leader of the British suffragette movement who helped women win the right to vote. In Anwar’s case this seems to be so true.
It is this development that has disturbing implication. It has led many to wonder why the judiciary is so rigid in Anwar’s case. There is this public perception that the judiciary may be used by the BN to stop Anwar in his tracks.
Our courts should not be seen to be used for political vendetta; it must not even be perceived to be so.
If Anwar is disqualified from contesting the Kajang by-election on 11 March, then this perception will, unfortunately, become a fact. That would be a tragedy not only for all of us but also for the nation.
Let’s remember and be reminded by what was said by William Ewart Gladstone: “National injustice is the surest road to national downfall.”
P Ramakrishnan, Aliran executive committee member
Nothing can stop or impede that inevitability. That win will be a mortal blow to the Barisan Nasional whose fortunes will crumble thereafter.
Politically the BN can do nothing to arrest this trend. And it is desperate to stop Anwar from contesting the Kajang by-election.
Will the outcome of his court case stop Anwar from his foregone victory in Kajang? Thinking Malaysians seem to think that would be the case!
YB N Surendran’s press statement disclosing some disturbing details is rather ominous. We have to fear for Anwar.
It is said, “Justice is that virtue that assigns to every man his due.” Is Anwar being given his due? That is the crucial question.
According to Surendran, “The appeal had been fixed for case management on 28 February 2014. Anwar’s lawyers then received a call from the deputy registrar of the Court of Appeal asking for free dates between 7 March and 10 March 2014. It should be noted that the dates insisted upon by the Court of Appeal are on the eve of the nomination day for the Kajang by-election. (If Anwar is convicted, he would be disqualified from contesting the by election.)”
It is very strange that the appeal had been fixed for case management on 28 Feburary and six days later the government’s appeal against Anwar’s acquittal was scheduled to proceed on 6 March 2014.
It is inexplicable that the court should insist on fixing 6-7 March as appeal dates despite Anwar’s lawyers stating that those were not free on those dates. Shouldn’t this fact be taken into account when fixing the dates? After all, shouldn’t Anwar’s lawyers be free to do justice to Anwar’s defence? Why should the court fix the dates that are not free and convenient to Anwar’s lawyers?
Why should the court be so insistent? According to Potter Stewart, “Swift justice demands more than just swiftness.”
If the business of the court is to deliver justice, shouldn’t the court be guided by mercy and compassion as well?
Anwar was acquitted on 9 January 2012, more than two years ago – almost two years after the trial started. If it had taken more than two years to come to this stage, would a delay of a few weeks or months have interfered with justice?
What were the compelling reasons for wanting the appeal to proceed specifically on 6-7 March? What was the rational for dismissing the fact that Anwar’s lawyers are not free on those dates fixed by the court?
“Justice and judgment lie often a world apart,” said Emmeline Pankhurst, British political activist and leader of the British suffragette movement who helped women win the right to vote. In Anwar’s case this seems to be so true.
It is this development that has disturbing implication. It has led many to wonder why the judiciary is so rigid in Anwar’s case. There is this public perception that the judiciary may be used by the BN to stop Anwar in his tracks.
Our courts should not be seen to be used for political vendetta; it must not even be perceived to be so.
If Anwar is disqualified from contesting the Kajang by-election on 11 March, then this perception will, unfortunately, become a fact. That would be a tragedy not only for all of us but also for the nation.
Let’s remember and be reminded by what was said by William Ewart Gladstone: “National injustice is the surest road to national downfall.”
Applauding Khairy’s suggestion to revise BTN
The Malay Mail Online
March 6, 2014
MARCH 6 ― In The Malay Mail dated 5 March, Umno minister Khairy Jamaluddin has suggested a revision of the country’s National Civics Bureau (BTN) training courses, saying undergraduates should be treated like adults and not taught to be blind supporters of the government.
I, myself have never been to any of BTN courses. However, a few years back, a friend of mine who was working for a government agency and was dating a lovely Chinese lady received a directive from his superior to attend a BTN course.
Upon returning from the course held somewhere in the state of Pahang, we went for our weekly coffee session and he shared with me his experience about the course he attended. He mentioned,
“The course made me racist. I feel that the other races are not thankful enough for being in Malaysia. We should show them that we are the boss and they better respect it.”
I was shocked.
This came from a person who I knew since I was ten, had zero racist streak in him and I must highlight that he professed his love to his (then) Chinese girlfriend every day (and night, almost).
My other friend who was with us was not surprised because he heard the same thing from his other friends who attended one or more of those courses. Apparently, BTN is known for brainwashing the participants by masquerading as an agency tasked to instil patriotism and train Malaysia future leaders.
The closest one I had to BTN was when I was in secondary school, a substitute teacher for Sejarah put the map of Malaysia on my classroom’s whiteboard, and told the whole class that the Malays sacrificed Tanah Melayu for Malaysia. He said that our nation was supposed to be land of the Malays, but we tolerated and accepted ‘them’ and changed the name of our beloved land from Tanah Melayu to Malaya and later, Malaysia.
(Yes, this was years before ISMA came out with a ‘scientific study’ claiming the existence of Malay genetic could be traced back to 30,000-40,00 years earlier compared to the Chinese and the Indians.)
Honestly, at that time, I bought it. There was a sense of pride came rushing over me and for a good week or two, I looked at my non-Malay friends differently, in a not so good way. Thinking that I was above them. Fortunately, I got over it when I had to go to them for help with my Mathematics exercise (or was it to chat about the latest high school drama that was happening that week?)
Back to BTN. Are these allegations true? If they were, the time, energy, funds (paid by the taxpayers) and efforts that are being used to inflict hate and further causing racial and religion polarisation should be properly channelled to encourage patriotism, inspire unity, and promote toleration and togetherness among Malaysians.
The suggestion by our Youth and Sports Minister to revise BTN training courses and encourage critical thinking skills should be welcomed. I too agree with the Rembau MP when he said that youths should not blindly support the government but should be able to decide for themselves if the government deserves such backing.
I was also under the impression that KJ admitted BTN has a must-have-syllabus on giving thanks and being grateful to the government.
BTN should be a delightful course to educate the participants about our beloved country, to remind them of our colourful history, to make patriotism cool and to show how proud we are to be Malaysians.
Instead of shoving one-sided information to our students, similar revision or reform should be applied to our current education system as well, say by removing the political element in our already too far politicised education system? Well, that is another story.
* Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud is a political secretary to MP of Gelang Patah, YB Lim Kit Siang.
March 6, 2014
MARCH 6 ― In The Malay Mail dated 5 March, Umno minister Khairy Jamaluddin has suggested a revision of the country’s National Civics Bureau (BTN) training courses, saying undergraduates should be treated like adults and not taught to be blind supporters of the government.
I, myself have never been to any of BTN courses. However, a few years back, a friend of mine who was working for a government agency and was dating a lovely Chinese lady received a directive from his superior to attend a BTN course.
Upon returning from the course held somewhere in the state of Pahang, we went for our weekly coffee session and he shared with me his experience about the course he attended. He mentioned,
“The course made me racist. I feel that the other races are not thankful enough for being in Malaysia. We should show them that we are the boss and they better respect it.”
I was shocked.
This came from a person who I knew since I was ten, had zero racist streak in him and I must highlight that he professed his love to his (then) Chinese girlfriend every day (and night, almost).
My other friend who was with us was not surprised because he heard the same thing from his other friends who attended one or more of those courses. Apparently, BTN is known for brainwashing the participants by masquerading as an agency tasked to instil patriotism and train Malaysia future leaders.
The closest one I had to BTN was when I was in secondary school, a substitute teacher for Sejarah put the map of Malaysia on my classroom’s whiteboard, and told the whole class that the Malays sacrificed Tanah Melayu for Malaysia. He said that our nation was supposed to be land of the Malays, but we tolerated and accepted ‘them’ and changed the name of our beloved land from Tanah Melayu to Malaya and later, Malaysia.
(Yes, this was years before ISMA came out with a ‘scientific study’ claiming the existence of Malay genetic could be traced back to 30,000-40,00 years earlier compared to the Chinese and the Indians.)
Honestly, at that time, I bought it. There was a sense of pride came rushing over me and for a good week or two, I looked at my non-Malay friends differently, in a not so good way. Thinking that I was above them. Fortunately, I got over it when I had to go to them for help with my Mathematics exercise (or was it to chat about the latest high school drama that was happening that week?)
Back to BTN. Are these allegations true? If they were, the time, energy, funds (paid by the taxpayers) and efforts that are being used to inflict hate and further causing racial and religion polarisation should be properly channelled to encourage patriotism, inspire unity, and promote toleration and togetherness among Malaysians.
The suggestion by our Youth and Sports Minister to revise BTN training courses and encourage critical thinking skills should be welcomed. I too agree with the Rembau MP when he said that youths should not blindly support the government but should be able to decide for themselves if the government deserves such backing.
I was also under the impression that KJ admitted BTN has a must-have-syllabus on giving thanks and being grateful to the government.
BTN should be a delightful course to educate the participants about our beloved country, to remind them of our colourful history, to make patriotism cool and to show how proud we are to be Malaysians.
Instead of shoving one-sided information to our students, similar revision or reform should be applied to our current education system as well, say by removing the political element in our already too far politicised education system? Well, that is another story.
* Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud is a political secretary to MP of Gelang Patah, YB Lim Kit Siang.
Najib Hopes Malaysia Can Develop Stronger Link With British Industries
KUALA
LUMPUR, March 6 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak
Thursday night expressed the hope that Malaysia could develop a stronger
link with British industries, especially in Islamic Finance, and open
up wider opportunities for shariah-compliant investments."Last year, together, we successfully brought the World Islamic Economic Forum to London; and in the spirit of friendly competition and shared prosperity, we were pleased to see the United Kingdom making a play for the Islamic finance market," he said when speaking at the British-Malaysian Chamber of Commerce's 50th Anniversary Gala dinner, in Kuala Lumpur.
Najib said the visit by British Prime Minister David Cameron two years ago signalled the beginning of a stronger economic relationship, one founded on closer political cooperation.
"To sustain this momentum, Prime Minister Cameron and I pledged to increase investments and double the value of bilateral trade to 8 billion pound sterlings or about RM26 billion by 2016.
"This commitment was needed because our long history of engagement is not reflected in our bilateral trade figures," said Najib, who is also Finance Minister.
Besides Islamic Finance, the tourism sector also continued to feature high on engagement with the United Kingdom, the prime minister said.
"Last year's Malaysia Night saw Trafalgar Square bursting with Malaysian colour. More than 35,000 visitors attended the event and, knowing British tastes, I suspect a similar number of roti canai were sold," he said.
As Visit Malaysia Year 2014 gets underway, Najib is confident that the British-Malaysian Chamber of Commerce will continue to play their part in encouraging Britons to come to Malaysia, whether for business or pleasure.
"And in the end, it is good people-to-people contact that defines and enrich our economic relationship," he said.
At the event, Najib also signed a Bilateral Trade Support Initiative between Malaysia and the United Kingdom with the objective to encourage more British small and medium entrepreneurs to export to Malaysia.
The key focus area under the initiative is the Overseas Business Network Initiative, which has been designed to provide assistance and support services to British SMEs looking to expand overseas.
Najib said: "I am pleased to note that the chamber is playing an important role in helping to deliver that commitment, becoming the local partner for the Overseas Business Network Initiative.
"We have come a long way and the British-Malaysian Chamber of Commerce has been an invaluable travelling companion, bringing our nations closer together by finding common opportunities," he added.
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