‘Please help me. This is my last chance’: Japanese journalist held hostage by Muslim group begs his government to save him

'Please help me. This is my last chance': Japanese journalist held hostage by Al Qaeda begs his government to save him a year after he was captured in Syria

A Japanese journalist captured by Al Qaeda in Syria has appeared in a new photograph begging his government to save him.

The picture, apparently posted online yesterday, showed a bearded Jumpei Yasuda dressed in orange holding a hand-written sign in Japanese.

The message, written in shaky characters and signed with his name, read: 'Please help me. This is my last chance'.

The Japanese government said today it was doing all it could to secure his release.

Yasuda's plight came to world attention in March when a video surfaced showing him reading a message to his country and his family.

Japanese media said he was captured by Al Qaeda affiliate, the Nusra Front, after entering Syria from Turkey last June.

Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said the government was analysing the new photograph and believed it was Yasuda.

Chief Cabinet Spokesman Yoshihide Suga said the government was doing what it could to help, adding: 'Since preserving the safety of Japanese citizens is our most important duty, we are making use of a broad net of information and doing everything we can to respond.'

Asked if this meant

Early in 2015, ISIS beheaded two Japanese nationals: a self-styled security consultant and a veteran war reporter.
The gruesome executions captured the attention of Japan, but the government said at the time it would not negotiate with the militants for their release.

Yasuda, a freelance journalist since 2003, was held in Baghdad in 2004 and drew criticism for drawing the Japanese government into negotiations for his release.

In December, media freedom organisation Reporters Without Borders retracted and apologised for a report it had issued that said Yasuda had been threatened with execution in Syria.

The government said at the time it was seeking information.

Johor crown prince praised for 'democratic' stand

Constitutional law expert Abdul Aziz Bari has heaped praise on Johor crown prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim who had asked police not to arrest those who criticise him.

He said the prince’s call to the police was not a sign of weakness.

“Indeed, it is a signal of strength and willingness to be open and transparent. Above all, it is democratic,” Abdul Aziz told Malaysiakini.

Admitting that this does not carry anything in law as the power rests with the police and the attorney-general, the crown prince, however, had pioneered a good move and Abdul Aziz is of the opinion that it is something that should be emulated by other royals.

“This includes the Conference of Rulers – essentially the one authority that represents the rulers. The conference may take the cue from what has been done by the crown prince and authorise the Keeper of Rulers’ Seal to issue statements from time to time,” said Abdul Aziz.

He added that the institution of monarchy has been silent on many issues even in areas where rulers have clear authority such as religion and citizenship, which had allowed extremists and right-wing elements in the society to lead the way.

“Like the crown prince, the rulers must assume leadership, especially at a time when the national leadership has lost the moral compass.”

The police, therefore, should take note and should immediately follow up with action.
“Just like when they leap into action when criticisms were levelled against the federal government and monarchy itself,” added Abdul Aziz.

In an interview posted on the Johor Southern Tigers Facebook page last night, Tunku Ismail said that he preferred that authorities arrange face-to-face meetings with his critics instead.

The Johor crown prince was responding to news that two men have been detained for their social media postings that allegedly insulted the crown prince.

The first to be arrested was Pahang football fan Masyhur Abdullah, 29, who allegedly uploaded a degrading message using the Twitter handle @thekeluangman.

An assistant chef was the next one to be arrested over a Facebook post about the crown prince.

Both men are being investigated under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, which carries a maximum fine of up to RM50,000 or a year's jail maximum, or both.

Johor crown prince tells cops not to arrest his critics

Johor crown prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim has asked police not to arrest those who criticise him.

"I would humbly share my opinion with the police not to arrest anyone making seditious remarks about me," Tunku Ismail said in an interview posted on the Johor Southern Tigers Facebook page late last night.

Tunku Ismail, the Johor Darul Takzim football club owner, said he would prefer the authorities to arrange face-to-face meetings with his critics instead.

"Give them the privilege of saying what they want to say to my face, man to man.

"I can honestly say that I don't really care about what other people may say about me, as I am truly thankful with what God has given me in my life."

Tunku Ismail was responding to news that two men have been detained for their social media postings that allegedly insult the crown prince.

The first to be arrested was Pahang football fan Masyhur Abdullah, 29, who allegedly uploaded a degrading message using the Twitter handle @thekeluangman.

He was arrested in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday and brought to Johor Bahru.

An assistant chef was the next to be arrested over a Facebook post about the crown prince.

Both men are being investigated under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, which carries a maximum fine of up to RM50,000 or a year's jail maximum, or both.

Meanwhile in another development related to the royalty, the Appeals Court today upheld the sedition conviction of the late DAP chairperson Karpal Singh, for a statement made over the late Perak sultan’s decision to remove then Pakatan Rakyat menteri besar Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin.

Big cats removed from Thailand's infamous Tiger Temple

Wildlife authorities in Thailand today raided a Buddhist temple where tigers are kept, taking away three of the animals and vowing to confiscate scores more in response to global pressure over wildlife trafficking.

The Buddhist temple in Kanchanaburi province west of Bangkok has more than 100 tigers and has become a tourist destination where visitors take selfies with tigers and bottle-feed their cubs.

The temple promotes itself as a wildlife sanctuary, but in recent years it has been investigated for suspected links to wildlife trafficking and animal abuse.

Wildlife activists have accused the temple's monks of illegally breeding tigers, while some visitors have said the animals can appear drugged. The temple denies the accusations.

Today's raid was the latest move by authorities in a tug-of-war since 2001 to bring the tigers under state control.

Adisorn Nuchdamrong, deputy director-general of the Department of National Parks, said the team had been able to confiscate the tigers thanks to a warrant obtained a few hours before the operation.

"We have a court warrant this time, unlike previous times, when we only asked for the temple's cooperation, which did not work," Adisorn said.

"International pressure concerning illegal wildlife trafficking is also part of why we're acting now."

Officials from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation said they planned to confiscate and remove more tigers from the temple tomorrow and send them to a state-owned sanctuary.

Previous attempts to inspect the tigers have largely been blocked by the temple's abbots but in January and February wildlife officials removed 10 of the tigers.

Thailand has long been a hub for the illicit trafficking of wildlife and forest products, including ivory. Exotic birds, mammals and reptiles, some of them endangered species, can often be found on sale in markets.

The government introduced new animal welfare laws in 2015 aimed at curbing animal abuse, but activists accuse authorities of not enforcing the legislation properly.

– Reuters

Hunters to become the hunted

PUTRAJAYA: The heat is on for poachers of Malaysian wildlife. They will now come under fire from both fronts – legally and with heavier firearms.

In an interview with The Star, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the authorities were looking into the possibility of further arming enforcement officers.

“We have been given some firearms by the Home Ministry. If there is demand and requirements, I am willing to go and see Deputy Prime Minister (who is the Home Minister) to see how we can further arm our officers,” he said.

A recent survey suggests that rangers in 11 tiger range countries which include Malaysia said they faced life-threatening situations from poachers and the community.

“Hunters go to the forest carrying guns but our people carry parang. If you have officers with a gun, they will have the upper hand. We need to look at things in perspective,” Wan Junaidi said.

He was asked if the ministry would consider arming wildlife enforcement officers in Peninsula Malaysia, considering rampant cases of killing by armed poachers.

Under Section 8 of the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010, he said National Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) enforcement officers were authorised to carry weapons in the exercise of their duties.

“The authorities involved in the operation will be supplied with arms by the department.

“There are also joint operations with other enforcement agencies, such as the army and police, if there is a risk involving wildlife crimes,” he said.

This comes as the conservation groups warned of links between organised crime groups and the illegal trade of wildlife, such as tiger and sunbear carcasses and their parts.

In the Ranger Perceptions: Asia survey, some 334 of the 530 rangers surveyed in 11 tiger range countries said they had faced life threatening situations with 74% of them also saying that they were not provided with proper equipment and amenities in their work.

The first ever United Nations World Wildlife Crime report also identified Malaysia as one of the top reptile skin exporters, saying that much of the trade was illegally sourced.

Dr Wan Junaidi said the ministry was also looking into amending the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010, which could see offenders fined up to RM1mil and be whipped.

Currently, the highest penalty that could be imposed on offenders under the Act, he said, was a fine of up to RM500,000 and a prison term of not more than five years.

“During the five years of the implementation, the Government finds that there is a need to amend the Act in force now.”

Con-tractor threatens to hit back with nude photos

KUALA LUMPUR: A man threatened to expose nude photos of his former girlfriend after she and her friends found out that he had been cheating people of their money.

The former girlfriend, who wished to be known as Tan, 31, said her ex-boyfriend Chan, who is a sub-contractor, contacted her out of the blue on May 27 using an unknown number after she shared postings on Facebook.

The postings, initially by her friends, accused Chan, 35, of cheating his clients of their money in his projects.

The couple's two-year relationship ended amicably three years ago, according to Tan.

She claimed that during their time together, he had asked her for money several times.

Tan said that Chan contacted her and threatened to expose nude photos of her.

"Since you love to share people's post, I will let you experience the feeling as well," said the message sent to her.

According to Tan, she had never willingly taken nude photographs of herself for Chan and said the pictures were most likely taken when she was asleep.

Tan, together with MCA Public Complaints Bureau chief Datuk Seri Michael Chong, told her story to the media at a press conference at Wisma MCA here Monday.

Chong said Tan will lodge a police report and urged other victims to come forward to seek help.

8 years jail for raping underage Facebook friend

Salesman raped the girl, 13, at a luxury apartment in Cheras but gets his 12-year jail original sentence reduced on appeal.

FMT

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court today upheld a conviction against a salesman who was found guilty of raping an underage teenage girl whom he had befriended through Facebook.

Judge Azman Abdullah, however, reduced the jail term from 12 years to eight years against Khoo Kean Giap, 23, handed down by the Sessions Court on Sept 7 last year. However, the imposition of whipping was upheld.

Azman ordered Khoo to serve the sentence from today, rejecting an application by counsel R Devadasan to suspend execution of the sentence pending appeal.

The Sessions Court had sentenced the salesman to 12 years’ jail and imposed two strokes of the rotan after finding him guilty of raping the 13-year-old girl.

Khoo, who knew the victim through Facebook, was charged with raping the teenager in the bedroom of a luxury apartment in Cheras at 8pm in October 2012.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Aznika Mohd Anas conducted the prosecution.
– BERNAMA

Closure of 1MDB-linked Swiss bank in S'pore viewed with deep concern

Two recent developments relating to 1MDB has the Citizens' Declaration secretariat deeply concerned, said its secretary, Kamarudin Jaffar, today.

One is the closure of the Swiss BSI Bank and initiation of criminal proceedings by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, due to breaches of anti-money laundering regulations there, linked to 1MDB.

The other is the suppression of a Bank Negara letter dated April 6, 2016, by the Public Accounts committee chairperson.

Kamarudin Jaffar added these developments would only tarnish Malaysia's reputation and credibility.

“This letter confirmed that Good Star Limited was owned by Low Taek Jho (also known as Jho Low), and not Petrosaudi International.

“The document substantiates The Wall Street Journal's allegation “that out of the US$1.83 billion investment 1MDB carried out with Petrosaudi International Limited, at least US$1.03 billion had been directly misappropriated to Good Star Limited, owned by Jho Low”.

Yet, Kamarudin said, both Attorney-General Mohamed Apandi Ali, and Bank Negara have said that the 1MDB case is now closed.

However the governments of at least seven countries around the world, he added, have ongoing investigations and pending criminal cases linked to 1MDB, and they do not seem to agree with the conclusions of the AG and Bank Negara.

“The disclosures related to 1MDB continue to drag Malaysia’s international reputation, financial credibility and fiscal integrity into greater disrepute and notoriety.

“The secretariat continues to maintain that there is an urgent need to pave the way for much needed democratic and institutional reforms, and to restore the important principle of the separation of powers between the executive, legislature and judiciary, which will ensure the independence, credibility, professionalism and integrity of our national institutions,” he said.

The secretariat, Kamarudin added, is of the view that all those responsible for this grand corruption, which had occurred on an unprecedented scale, must be held accountable and brought to justice.

Government's assertions contradicted

It was reported three days ago that WSJ claimed Bank Negara wrote a letter confirming that Good Star Limited was owned by Jho Low. This contradicted the government’s assertions that Good Star Ltd, which has since been dissolved, belonged to former 1MDB joint-venture partner PetroSaudi International.

A copy of the letter was tweeted by WSJ and re-tweeted by its Asia chief editor Tom Wright.

On May 28, the Monetary Authority of Singapore ordered BSI Bank, which is in the limelight for its dealings with 1MDB, to close down.

Reuters reported that Singapore's central bank withdrew the Swiss bank's status as a merchant bank in the city state and the reasons for this included "serious breaches of anti-money laundering requirements, poor management oversight of the bank's operations and gross misconduct by some of the bank's staff".

It further reported that such action had not been taken by the Singapore authorities in the last 32 years.

"This is the first time that the Monetary Authority of Singapore is withdrawing its approval for a merchant bank since 1984, when Jardine Fleming (Singapore) Pte Ltd was shut down for serious lapses in its advisory work," the central bank was quoted as saying.

Negri Sembilan Islamic Affairs Dept staff charged with using fake MCs

Three civil servants of the Negeri Sembilan Islamic Affairs Department (JHEAINS) were charged at a magistrate's court here today, to using fake medical certificates (MCs).

Mazlan Ahmad, 48, Rosyanizam Yahya, 38, and Muhamad Hafiz Mohamad Sarpan, 33, pleaded not guilty before Magistrate Rahimah Rahim.

Mazlan faced three charges of using fake MCs between Nov 2 and Dec 12, last year while Muhamad Hafiz faced four counts of using fake MCs between Feb 27, 2014 and Nov 11, last year.

Rosyanizam faced 13 counts between Dec 22, 2014 and April 18, this year.

All the offences were committed at JHEAINS.

Rahimah allowed all three accused bail of between RM1,200 and RM1,700 for each charge in one surety. Their families posted bail.

The court set June 21 for re-mention of the case.

The prosecution was handled by Deputy Public Prosecutor Ainnan Mohd Rasid and Siti Khadijah Mohd Pisol.

The accused were represented by Iwana Sakinah Mohd Lajis from the Legal Aid Foundation.

- Bernama

Ridhuan Tee quits MCA as it's against Hadi's bill on hudud

Controversial academician Ridhuan Tee Abdullah has announced he is quitting MCA as a result of the party's stand against PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang's Private Member's Bill on hudud.

Contacted by Malaysiakini, Ridhuan, who has been an MCA life member since 2000, said he decided to quit the party due to recent developments on the hudud issue.

"I don't want to bear the sins in such a party," he said

Ridhuan explained that his initial intention to join MCA was to show that although he had converted to Islam, he still retained his identity as a Chinese.

"My intention was to preach, to be the bridge (to Islam), but it's not appreciated. They even see it as a threat."

When asked if he had decided to join any party, Ridhuan said he was still undecided.

Meanwhile, an MCA headquarters staff member told Malaysiakini that it had not received his letter of resignation.

When asked if Ridhuan is still a member of the Chinese based party, the staff replied that according to its system, he is still a member.

The staff added that Ridhuan is a permanent member of the party.

Resigned in protest

Ridhuan was first quoted by Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) that he had resigned from MCA in protest as the party is seen to be anti-Islam, following its stand against the PAS Bill on hudud.

Ismaweb reported that he joined MCA in 2000 but described the Chinese based party as extremely racist.

“I do not want to bear the sins of being a party which is an enemy of Islam. Hence, I announce that I am quitting from the MCA. I tried very hard to be in the party, although it took me four years to gain approval to join, as I want to propagate Islam, and do not want to be declared as being a Malay.

“However, my expectations were proven wrong. The party is now seen as being racist and has become an enemy of Islam. Whoever is an enemy of Islam, is also my enemy,” he said in a statement to Ismaweb.

He expressed that MCA should have understood Islam and the way of life of the Malays after 60 years of independence, and urged MCA and Gerakan members to leave the country and form new parties in a communist country.

“They purposely try not to understand, and instead demonise the people here who want their own rights. If MCA and Gerakan want a better life, it is better they find their own place.

“Respect the original inhabitants here. This is their land and they are entitled to their rights. MCA, Gerakan and DAP and others should not interfere,” he said.

'MCA, Gerakan, MIC ministers should resign'

As MCA, Gerakan, SUPP and MIC ministers have condemned the tabling of the bill and had threatened to withdraw themselves from the BN Cabinet, Ridhuan challenged them to do so.

“I ask the ministers from the MCA, Gerakan and MIC to resign immediately. There is no need to wait. They are not ashamed that they won through the support of the Malays, and got their Cabinet posts.

“I also hope the government won't approve the formation of a bank by the Kojadi cooperative owned by MCA. If approved, it will be treacherous to Malays and Islam. Sarawak deserves more compared to them.

“I hope the government led by Umno is stern in such matters,” he said, adding MIC's scenario was much worse, as it did not have a single majority seat and could not win without the support of the Malays and Muslims.

He also questioned the contribution by the MCA, Gerakan and MIC to Islam, after the Malays had given their votes which led to their victories.

“The Malays are continuously being cheated. What is surprising is that the Malays and Malay-based political parties are still blind. They should rise up as this is the time to unite and fight against 'the real enemy',” he said.

Najib should resign if Hadi's bill passed, urges MCA Youth leader

An MCA Youth leader has suggested that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak should resign if PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang's Private Member's Bill is passed in Parliament.

MCA Youth legal bureau chief Ng Kian Nam has asked Najib to state his stand clearly: whether all Umno MPs support the PAS bill, despite strong protests from other BN component parties.

If that is the case, where there are BN MPs who have opposing views and even stand together with the enemy, Ng said, as this would definitely cause the break-up of BN.

This is because the coalition would have lost its basic premise of working together.

As the prime minister, Najib should not have an ambiguous attitude on this issue, Ng asserted.

"Instead, Najib should express his stand clearly. If he insists on aligning with PAS, this means he has betrayed other BN component parties, as well as the trust that voters gave to him in the general election, as the BN chief.

"If the situation has developed to the stage when some chiefs of BN component parties have threatened to resign from the cabinet to protect the secular system of the country, Najib should show his political courage and accountability to resign as PM, or consider dissolving Parliament to let the people decide."

In a statement today, Ng also criticised an unnamed "certain leader" who tried to make use of the hudud issue to divert public attention from the 1MDB and "personal deposit" scandals.

He urged other Umno leaders and grassroots members to hasten the power transition in the party before a constitutional crisis breaks out.

Ng added that MCA's call against the PAS hudud bill shouldn't be seen from racial angles or cause racial tension.

He also lamented that DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng had tried to aggravate the situation by asking MCA to quit BN.

Although Lim claimed DAP had cut ties with PAS, Ng maintained, the fact remained that DAP is still working with PAS in the Selangor government.

WSJ publishes letter ‘confirming’ Jho Low-owned Good Star

US financial daily The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) claims that Bank Negara Malaysia wrote a letter confirming that Good Star Limited was owned by tycoon Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low.

This contradicts the government’s assertions that Good Star Ltd, which has since been dissolved, belonged to former 1MDB joint-venture partner PetroSaudi International.

A copy of the letter was tweeted by WSJ and re-tweeted by its Asia chief editor Tom Wright this morning.

However, Malaysiakini is unable to report its contents as the letter has been marked ‘classified’ due to prohibitions under the Official Secrets Act 1972.

The status of Good Star's ownership is important because it will determine whether 1MDB's funds had been siphoned away or that it was indeed used for investment.

1MDB had sent US$1.83 billion abroad for its joint-venture activities with PetroSaudi but US$1.03 billion of this sum was diverted to Good Star.

The diversion would not be an issue if Good Star was owned by 1MDB's joint-venture partner PetroSaudi, as claimed by the government, but would raise serious concerns if it is owned by individuals or entities unrelated to the joint-venture - in this case, Jho Low, as claimed by WSJ.

PetroSaudi had previously refused to confirm the actual ownership of Good Star.

According to the WSJ report today, the Bank Negara letter, dated April 6, was addressed to Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairperson Hasan Arifin.

“Mr Hasan also didn’t inform the parliamentary committee of evidence from a senior central bank official - transmitted in an April 6 letter to Mr Hasan - that US$1 billion (RM4.06 billion) in 1MDB funds had been transferred to an offshore company owned by a close associate of Mr Najib (Jho Low)," it reported.

It attributed the above statement to Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua (photo) and an unnamed member of the ruling party in the PAC.

“They said Mr Hasan never shared with the committee any of the contents of the letter, a copy of which was reviewed by the Journal,” the report said.

Pua is one of the 14 members of the bipartisan committee. Jho Low is an associate of Najib and has denied links with 1MDB.

Lines removed from report

Previously, Pua had raised issue about several lines regarding Bank Negara’s information that had been removed from the final PAC report on 1MDB by Hasan, without the committee's consent.

“This finding is crucial to the entire investigations of 1MDB because the company and its executives have testified to PAC that Good Star is a subsidiary of PetroSaudi," Pua said in a statement on April 20.

In a parliamentary reply, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Azalina Othman Said stated that the lines were expunged because the matter is classified and not meant for public consumption.

“The PAC chairperson received Bank Negara's information which stated all the information given was 'confidential for the purpose of intelligence only and not for court usage or public report'.

“For your information, all PAC members had been informed of the matter via a letter penned by the PAC chief to the deputy governor of the central bank on April 6.

“Given that PAC report is for public usage, the information should not be included in the report," Azalina told Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng, who had asked the question, on May 16.

Malaysiakini has contacted Hasan and Bank Negara regarding the WSJ report and is awaiting their response.

Precedent set, MIC leader moots bill on unilateral conversion

A MIC leader urged all lawmakers to take advantage of the government’s openness since a precedent had been set with the fast-tracking of the controversial Hudud Bill.

What transpired during the last Dewan Rakyat sitting for the May session, according to S Vell Paari, had opened the door for others.

“Since the bill set a precedent, other members cannot be denied from proposing bills to protect the rights of all Malaysians,” he added in a media statement to Malaysiakini.

The MIC central working committee member suggested a bill on the contentious issue of children being unilaterally converted to Islam by one of their parents who embraced the faith.

“Table bills to further strengthen and protect the rights of vernacular schools in Malaysia.

“Also a bill calling for serious punishment against those who continue to criticise communities in Malaysia for exercising their democratic right to vote whom they choose such as the Chinese community,” he said.

“When these bills are tabled, I hope they too will be fast-tracked in line with the current openness to such matters,” he added.

Vell Paari was responding to Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Azalina Othman Said who said the government fast-tracking Hadi's bill proved its openness and commitment to parliamentary reforms.

The proposal to bring forward the motion yesterday was brought by Azalina and seconded by Deputy Works Minister Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin.

Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia had allowed the proposal to lift the motion listed as number 15 or the last item in the Parliament's order paper despite objection from DAP lawmakers.

The debate, which was slated for the afternoon, was postponed after Hadi requested for more time to allow MPs to prepare themselves.

Meanwhile, Vell Paari expressed appreciation to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and Azalina over the government’s commitment towards parliamentary reforms.

As for Hadi’s bill, the MIC leader said being a MP, the PAS president had the right to propose a bill which is in line with the policies of the Islamic party.

“But for those who are against it like me, it is also our democratic right to oppose the bill. We should call upon our representatives to lobby other MPs to vote against the bill,” he added.

Hadi’s bill seeks to amend the law governing the jurisdiction of the Syariah Courts to allow for the implementation of the Islamic penal code in Kelantan.

MCA and other BN component parties have also voiced their objection.

Dr M: I’m not concerned about Mukhriz’s future

Dr Mahathir Mohamad is often accused of masterminding a campaign against Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to orchestrate his son Mukhriz’s political ascension.

However, the former premier denied this, claiming that he is acting in the interest of the nation.

“I am not concerned about Mukhriz’s future. I am more concerned about stopping Najib from destroying this country,” he said in his latest blog post.

Mahathir accused the prime minister's “henchmen” of repeating this allegation to divert attention from the alleged wrongdoings of their boss and no amount of explanation would stop them.

He also claimed that when Najib was unable to solicit unqualified support from Mukhriz, the prime minister “engineered” his removal as Kedah menteri besar.

“I could have easily helped Mukhriz by ignoring Najib’s wrongdoings and continuing to support him. But I did not do this...,” he added.

Mahathir also pointed out that he could have allowed his sons to contest for office in Umno or become election candidates when he was prime minister and party president.

“But Mukhriz could not even become a member of Umno because the Kubang Pasu division of which I was head, refused to accept him.

“It was after the Umno headquarters directed the division that he was admitted as a member, just before I retired,” he said.

Mahathir pointed out how his son stood for a parliament seat in 2008, and was appointed as a deputy minister following his victory.

“At that time, Kedah had a PAS government because Umno under Mahadzir Khalid lost the state in 2008.

“In the 2013 (general) election, Mukhriz chose to contest for a state seat.

“Kedah people believed if he would be appointed menteri besar, BN would defeat PAS and regain Kedah. Najib apparently agreed.

“BN won Kedah in the 2013 election. Mukhriz was appointed menteri besar,” he said.

However, ties began to strain and subsequently severed between Mahathir, his son and Najib when the 1MDB issue erupted.

“When the 1MDB scandal exploded I stopped supporting Najib. Mukhriz did not show full support for Najib.

“He was critical of Najib’s explanation about the RM$2.6 billion in Najib’s private accounts,” said the former premier.

The prime minister has denied abusing public funds for personal gain, and blamed such allegations on those conspiring to topple him from power.

Attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali has also cleared Najib of any wrongdoing.


Read more: https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/343260#ixzz49tRm2xay

Hare Krishnan not at police HQ when Dharmendran died

Witness says police inspector’s movements were traced using telephone number mapping, as provided by the service provider.

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here was today told that Serious Crimes Branch (D9) Operations Officer Inspector S Hare Krishnan, who is charged with murdering N Dharmendran in a police lock-up, was not at the Kuala Lumpur police contingent headquarters on May 21, 2013.

Kuala Lumpur police staff officer (Investigation/Planning) (D8) ASP Koh Fei Chow, 47, said this was based on Hare Krishnan’s telephone number mapping, as provided by the service provider.

“In the morning, it was detected near the headquarters.

“After that, the location was mostly in the Cheras area and only in the evening, it was near the headquarters.”

He said this during examination-in-chief by lawyer M Athimulan, representing Hare Krishnan, in the defence proceedings before Judge Kamardin Hashim.

Koh said he, however, could not remember the actual time when Hare Krishnan was at the headquarters.

Athimulan: If I put it to you that in the evening it was about 5 pm. (Do you) agree?

Koh: Yes, approximately.

Athimulan: The one in the morning was about 11 am?

Koh: My Lord, I cannot remember exactly the time, but it was in the morning.

Hare Krishnan, 43; Sergeant Jaffri Jaafar, 46; Corporal Mohd Nahar Abd Rahman, 47, and Corporal Mohd Haswadi Zamri Shaari, 34, are charged with murdering Dharmendran, 32, in the D9 interrogation room on the 7th floor of the Kuala Lumpur Police Contingent headquarters in Jalan Hang Tuah between May 18 and 21, 2013.

(Dharmendran, who was detained for attempted murder, complained of chest pains and collapsed at 4.25pm on May 21, 2013 while in the police lock up.)

The policemen are charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code and face the death sentence upon conviction.
On Dec 2, 2014, Kamardin acquitted all four of them of the murder charge at the end of the prosecution case, without calling for their defence.

However, on Feb 26 this year, the Court of Appeal overturned the High Court’s acquittal and ordered the four policemen to enter their defence.

On April 28 this year, the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC), set up to investigate Dharmendran’s death, found that the detainee’s death was due to the use of physical force by the police.

The hearing continues tomorrow.
– BERNAMA

Mahathir never interfered in my work, says ex-IGP

Former inspector-general of police Rahim Noor has claimed that Dr Mahathir Mohamad never interfered in his work, despite allegations of the former premier having a tight control on key agencies and institutions during his tenure.

According to Rahim, he felt comfortable working with Mahathir because the latter was a professional.

“For 10 years that I was director of the Special Branch and IGP, I always felt at ease.

“There was no interference or disruptions, Mahathir understood that what I was doing was for the country and security (purposes),” he was quoted as saying by Sinar Harian.

Rahim said this included the infamous Operasi Lalang as well, which saw scores of opposition leaders and activists detained under the now defunct Internal Security Act.

In early 2014, Mahathir had denied that he was the home minister at the time, adding that he was also abroad during the 1987 crackdown.

Following this, DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang, who was among those arrested, accused the former premier of suffering from “selective amnesia” and attempting to disavow his role in the incident.

Mahathir later admitted responsibility, although he denied masterminding the arrests, which critics claimed was an abuse of power to silence dissent.

“Even if the decision was made by somebody else, it is in the cabinet and I accept responsibility. What we did was to ensure stability and peace in this country,” he had said.

Mahathir and Lim have since buried the hatchet and joined hands in the Citizens’ Declaration against Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

Meanwhile, Rahim, who was appointed police chief in 1994, was forced to resign five years later after being found guilty of assaulting ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim in custody.

When Anwar appeared in court with a black eye then, Mahathir, who sacked him in 1998, had speculated that the injury could have been self-inflicted to gain public sympathy.

“It's not impossible because he will get plenty of mileage if he showed he was abused by police,” he had said.

Other panellists at the forum titled ‘Siapa lebih berkuasa: Pentadbir atau ahli politik? (Who is more powerful: administrators or politicians?’) included former Dewan Rakyat speaker Adam Kadir and former Malaysia Airlines chief executive officer Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman.

Former top cop lodges second police report against AG

Former Kuala Lumpur CID chief Mat Zain Ibrahim has lodged a second police report against attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali, alleging Apandi gave false evidence in clearing Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak of wrongdoing in the RM2.6 billion deposited into Najib’s personal bank accounts.

The police report was lodged last Friday, and it comes after Apandi, the highest legal officer in the country, having not shown any evidence, such as bank statements, to prove the claim that the money came from a Saudi Arabia prince and that US$620 million, and not US$650 million, had been returned to the prince by Najib.

Mat Zain said there were conflicting or confusing material facts if one were to compare the flowchart of the transactions and the statement of the transactions obtained and reproduced by international and local media, such as The Wall Street Journal, together with Apandi's statement.

He gave an example of where the flowchart specifically showed the transfer of US$681 million from Tanore Finance Corp, through Falcon Private Bank, Singapore branch, to Najib's private account, that was made between March 21, 2013, and March 25, 2013.

However, Mat Zain in his police report, said Apandi at the press conference in clearing Najib, had said the deposits took place between March 22, 2013, and April 10, 2013, with these dates being different from the flowchart

“The detailed and accurate transaction of the sender, the bank that sent the funds, the recipient, amount and date as well as time of the deposit and withdrawal, can be seen through the bank statements. The AG has the right and power to check on the statements.”

“The flowchart shows the transfer back of US$650 million on Aug 30, 2013, from Najib's personal account to the original sender through Falcon Private Bank, Singapore branch, which is owned by Tanore Finance Corporation. On that same day, Najib closed his AmPrivate Banking account,” Mat Zain said.

“However, Apandi's press statement said a fund of US$620 million was transferred. There is a difference of US$30 million, or roughly, close to RM100 million. The chart shows US$650 million returned to Tanore Finance Corporation but Apandi said it was US$620 million, without specifically saying how it was returned,” the former top investigator said.

A high-profile investigator

Mat Zain, well known for being the investigating officer of the black-eye incident on Anwar Ibrahim in 1998, and other high profile financial cases, further said there were also questions as to whether Najib obtained Bank Negara's approval to transfer the huge sums of money outside the country.

Last Friday, Special Affairs Department director-general Puad Zarkashi claimed that Najib had obtained Bank Negara approval to bring in the US$681 million, which has introduced another version to the RM2.6 billion saga.

Mat Zain said Apandi verified that the donor was an Arab prince, who is the son of a Saudi king, and not the Saudi Arabian king or the Saudi government.

In his last police report against Apandi last March, Mat Zain debunked the AG's claim that a Saudi prince was the donor, as only four Saudi Arabian princes have made the Forbes 2013 rich Arabs list - Prince Alwaleed Talal who then had a reported fortune of US$20 billion; Prince Sultan Mohammed with US$2.6 billion; Prince Abdullah Musaad with US$144.5 million; and Prince Mutaib Abdulaziz with US$110.1 million.

Of the four, only Prince Mutaib is the son of a king, but his US$110.1 million net worth is far less than the US$681 million donated to Najib.

Pulau Batu Puteh analogy

Using the Pulau Batu Puteh case as an analogy, where Singapore in November 2007 proved to the International Court of Justice that the Malaysian team used a doctored picture from a blog to show the disputed island's proximity to Johor, Mat Zain said the same thing could have been done here.

He said Apandi should come out with an in-and-out flowchart on the US$681 million, which must be verified by AmPrivate Banking as well, to correctly show that the fund came from the Arab prince.

“Apandi's inability to submit such documents has resulted in public suspicion over the credibility and transparency of his statement. It further strengthens the trust in the chart coming out from WSJ, which other news portals have also carried.

“Based on the above, it shows that the flowchart produced by WSJ is more credible, if compared with Apandi's statement. If the chart is false or confusing, the Money Authority of Singapore would have taken action on WSJ or other parties that are named, so as to safeguard the credibility of its financial institutions,” Mat Zain said in his police report.

This was more so, the former top cop said, because the transfer of US$681 million and the remittance of US$650 million were done through Falcon Private Bank, Singapore.

Based on this information, and read together with his previous report, Mat Zain says there are grounds for a detailed investigation to be made against Apandi for falsifying evidence with his statement on the RM2.6 billion alleged donation.

“The investigations can be done under Section 193 of the Penal Code, as was with his previous report,” he told Malaysiakini when met recently.

Mat Zain also pointed out that the Pulau Batu Puteh doctored photograph was revealed when then prime minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, was in Singapore, attending the Asean-European Union meeting. No response was given to this.

The ICJ delivered its decision on May 23, 2008 and the former top cop said that if Malaysia wanted to appeal, it still has two more years to do so.

Johor Sultan Ibrahim Mahmud Iskandar had on May 29, 2014, said the state wants the disputed island back and Menteri Besar Khaled Nordin said the state has set up a committee to study this.

Taj Mahal's white marble walls are under threat... from insect excrement: Monument to love is being turned green by bugs from nearby polluted river

The Taj Mahal's stunning white marble walls and decorative interior attracts millions of tourists to India every year but now the site is facing a disgusting new threat - from green insect excrement.

Authorities have ordered an investigation after green-tinged patches began appearing on the back wall of the monument to love, which stands on the banks of the heavily polluted Yamuna river.

The world famous tourist attraction has previously been damaged by India's air population, caused by decades of heavy industry in nearby cities.

Environmentalists believe the pollutants in the river have caused a rise in levels of algae, which has in turn led to a surge in the numbers of the insects which feed on it.

India's National Green Tribunal, which hears cases related to environmental protection, raised the issue last week. Now the state government of Uttar Pradesh, home to the world's most famous tomb, has ordered an inquiry.

'The state government is extremely concerned about this issue. People can rest assured that we will let no harm come to the Taj Mahal,' said the chief minister's spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary.

He said the chief minister, Akhilesh Yadav, had ordered officials to find urgent solutions.

The alert was sounded by environmental activist DK Joshi.

'Three types of insects breeding in the stagnant and polluted waters of the Yamuna flowing behind the Taj Mahal are causing the problem,' he told AFP.

'They're attracted to the white sheen of the marble and the swarms are leaving behind greenish-black faeces, which is discolouring the ancient monument.'

Authorities have taken steps in recent years to try to protect the 17th-century monument from pollution from the nearby busy city of Agra, including banning local coal-powered industries.

The Taj - India's top tourist attraction - was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a tomb for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth in 1631.

It has drawn a string of world leaders and royalty including former US President Bill Clinton, while Diana, the late British princess, was famously photographed alone on a marble seat there in 1992.

District officials in Agra said they had not yet heard of the chief minister's directive but would take any action deemed necessary.

Smoking during pregnancy raises the risk of the baby developing schizophrenia in later life

Mothers-to-be who smoke during pregnancy increase the risk of their children developing schizophrenia, a study has revealed.

Researchers found that the more women were exposed to nicotine the greater chance they had of having a child affected by the severe mental illness.

Signs of heavy nicotine exposure in a mother's blood were associated with a 38 per cent increased likelihood of the condition.

Scientists analysed data on 1,000 schizophrenia patients and matched their birth and health records with those of non-affected 'control' individuals.

They assessed their smoking habits by looking at levels of a nicotine marker, cotinine, in their blood.

Based on this measurement, 20 per cent of mothers of schizophrenia patients were found to have smoked heavily while pregnant, compared with 14.7 per cent of mothers of controls.

Smoking when expecting is known to contribute to significant problems in the womb and following birth, including low birth weight and attentional difficulties.

Nicotine is known to cross the placenta easily and enter the foetal bloodstream, leading to neurodevelopmental abnormalities.

Senior researcher Professor Alan Brown, from the University of Columbia, New York, said: 'To our knowledge, this is the first biomarker-based study to show a relationship between foetal nicotine exposure and schizophrenia.'

Women participating in the study had been recruited into the Finnish Prenatal Study of Schizophrenia.

Blood tests were carried out during the first and early second trimesters (three month periods) of pregnancy.

Professor Brown said: 'These findings underscore the value of ongoing public health education on the potentially debilitating, and largely preventable, consequences that smoking may have on children over time.'

Further studies could shed light on exactly how nicotine affects a foetus' brain, he added.

'Finally, it is of interest to examine maternal cotinine in relation to bipolar disorder, autism, and other psychiatric disorders. '

In a previous study, Professor Brown and his colleagues showed that offspring of mothers who smoked while pregnant have an increased risk of bipolar disorder.

The research was published in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

MP seeks PM assurance on 2009 Cabinet unilateral conversion issue

KUALA LUMPUR, May 24 — Claiming confusion, opposition lawmaker M Kulasegaran wants Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to provide assurance that the 2009 Cabinet decision against unilateral religious conversions of children by one parent still stands.

The Ipoh Barat MP described Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom’s recent remark that unilateral conversion to Islam by one parent was constitutional, was a “U-turn” of the Cabinet decision for minors to be raised in the original religion practised by their parents at the time of their marriage should one spouse later convert.

“The PM must step in to clear the air and assert that the 2009 Cabinet directive on unilateral conversion is very much intact,” Kulasegaran said during a press conference at the Parliament lobby.

“He should be bold enough to ask Jamil Khir to withdraw the new stand which is unfair, illogical and unreasonable,” he added.

Jamil Khir, in a parliamentary written answer yesterday, said that any law banning unilateral conversion would be “unconstitutional”.

“The public is shocked by this answer which is a set back on promised reforms in this area,” Kulasegaran said.

Despite the Cabinet directive, Putrajaya has yet to introduce laws regarding unilateral conversion.

Last year, a five-man Cabinet committee was set up to deal with interfaith custody and conversion.

“So is the parliamentary answer provided by Jamil Khir the latest and new policy stand taken by the Cabinet committee?” Kulasegaran asked.

The DAP legislator and lawyer insisted that the word “parent” under Article 160 (1) of the Federal Constitution mentioning the conversion of a minor should mean consent of both parents and not just one parent.

“It is obvious and clear that the 2009 Cabinet ruling on this issue was correctly decided and in line with the interpretation aspect,” he said.

Ex-loan shark gets death for burning wife

GEORGE TOWN: A former loan shark was sentenced to death after a High Court found him guilty of setting his wife on fire that resulted in her death about three years ago.

Judicial Commissioner Datuk Nordin Hassan ruled that prosecution had succeeded in proving its case against Chiam Nguang Huat beyond reasonable doubt.

Chiam, 42, was charged with murdering Lai Siew Fong, 36, at their home in Taman Bayu Mutiara, Bukit Mertajam, at around 4pm on June 24, 2013.

Lai's three siblings were present in the court.

Counsel Y. Anbananthan represented Chiam while DPP Amir Hamdzah Othman prosecuted.

Dr M: We must act like we have no parties to defeat Najib

Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad has called on the opposition and the public to cast aside their identities as party members in the upcoming twin by-elections to ensure Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's defeat.

Speaking after a meeting with several opposition MPs in Putrajaya, Mahathir said this was because some of Najib's policies, such as the goods and services tax, have burdened all regardless of political allegiances.

"We are agreed that in these by-elections we must behave as though we don't belong to any party.

"We are a people's movement... Everyone regardless of whether they are with BN or the opposition should support whoever is fighting against Najib," he said.

Most of the MPs attending the meeting were from DAP, namely Steven Sim, Zairil Khir Johari, Lim Lip Eng, Thomas Su, and Julian Tan.

Also in attendance were Amanah's Khalid Samad, Mujahid Yusof Rawa and Raja Kamarul Bahrin, Mahfuz Omar from PAS, and Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin from PKR.

They came in their personal capacities to discuss the upcoming by-elections.

However, they did not discuss which party should contest in Sungai Besar or Kuala Kangsar.

Mahathir said this would be discussed at another meeting involving those who signed the Citizens' Declaration during its launch, as well as the opposition.

Asked about the possibility of three-cornered contests, Mahathir expressed confidence that the issue could be dealt with.

"...two-, three- or five-cornered, we have our ways to deal with this."

No plan to hurt or kill Dharmendran, police inspector tells court

The Serious Crime Branch (D9) operation officer, Inspector S Hare Krishnan told the High Court here today that he and three others did not plan or intend to hurt or kill N Dharmendran, who died in a police lock-up in 2013.

Hare Krishnan, 43, who was then attached to the D9 Branch of Kuala Lumpur Police Contingent headquarters, said he did not even cause any form of injury to Dharmendran, who was detained on suspicion of attempted murder involving firearms.

The police inspector, who is currently on suspension, also denied that he and the three others were involved in Dharmendran's murder.

He said this during the examination-in-chief by his counsel M Athimulan in the defence proceedings before Judge Kamardin Hashim.

Hare Krishnan said that in the investigation of Dharmendran's case, he did not interrogate Dharmendran as the task was carried out by the interrogation team and he did not give any instruction for his men to interrogate Dharmendran.

Responsibility of lock-up officer

On Dharmendran's safety in the lock-up, Hare Krishnan said it was the responsibility of the lock-up officer and the 24-hour police officer on duty, and not his.

When asked how did he learn about Dharmendran's death, Hare Krishan said he learned about through a telephone call from the 24-hour police officer on duty, Corporal Nizam, at 4.30pm on May 21, 2013.

He said at that time, he had just reached home in Cheras after taking a statement from a shooting victim at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Hospital (HUKM).

Meanwhile, during cross-examination by deputy public prosecutor Suhaimi Ibrahim, Hare Krishnan said he never went to see Dharmendran in the lock-up even though he had access to do so.

Hare Krishnan, Sergeant Jaffri Jaafar, 46, Corporal Mohd Nahar Abd Rahman, 47, and Corporal Mohd Haswadi Zamri Shaari, 34, were accused of killing Dharmendran at the D9 interrogation room on Level 7 of the Kuala Lumpur Police Contingent headquarters in Jalan Hang Tuah between May 18 and 21, 2013.

They face the death sentence in convicted under Section 302 of the Penal Code.

On Dec 12, 2014, Kamardin acquitted the four policemen from the murder charge at the end of the prosecution case without calling for their defence.

However, on Feb 26, 2016, the Court of Appeal overturned the High Court acquittal of the policemen over the murder of Dharmendran and ordered them to enter their defence.

On April 28, 2016, the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) set up to investigate the death of Dharmendran found that he had died due to the use of physical force by the police.

The trial continues tomorrow.

- Bernama

'Jamil Khir’s stand on unilateral conversion defective'

The government is wrong in citing the Subashini case to say that it is unconstitutional to ban unilateral conversions, says the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST).

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Jamil Khir Baharom in a parliamentary reply yesterday said a ban on unilateral conversions contravenes Article 12(4) of the Federal Constitution.

Jamil Khir said this is affirmed in the R Subashini vs T Saravanan case.

However, MCCBCHST chairperson Jagir Singh said this view is defective, given the facts of the Subashini case.

“The MCCBCHST reiterates that if a single parent is allowed to convert a child, then there will be no justice and finality in the matter and it will have the effect of ignoring the constitutional provisions.

“If a single-parent-can-convert-a-child approach is taken, then this matter will persist even for the next 100 years, with justice being denied to the non-converting spouse and the matter can never be put to rest,” Jagir said.

The case cited involves Hindu mother R Subashini’s challenge of her son’s conversion to Islam by her estranged husband after he embraced Islam.

Jamil Khir said the Federal Court case’s dismissal of Subashini’s application affirmed that the word ‘parent’ in Article 12(4) means a single parent can change the religion of the child.

However, Jagir (photo) said Jamil Khir is mistaken because the court dismissed Subashini’s application on a technicality.

Subashini had filed for divorce before three months had lapsed since her estranged husband T Saravanan’s conversion to Islam, but the law states it could only be filed three months after the conversions have lapsed.

Jagir also cited constitutional law professor Shad Saleem Faruqi, who had then observed that the Federal Court’s 2-1 judgment did not change the word ‘parent’ to mean singular instead of plural.

The highest law

In the dissenting view, Justice Abdul Aziz Mohamed also states that the wife has equal right in preferring that the child is not converted to Islam, Jagir said.

“In view of the above, it is wrong for anyone to quote the Subashini case as authority for allowing unilateral conversion by one parent.

“If Article 12(4) were to be so interpreted, then it (Federal Constitution) being the highest law, a single parent could one day convert a child to one religion and the next day the other parent can convert the same child to a different religion. This would be absurd,” he said.

Furthermore, he said, it would be equally absurd to later say that a child who has been converted to Islam by a single parent cannot convert to another religion due to syariah law.

“Religious law cannot override the constitution,” Jagir said.

On March 9, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nancy Shukri said the drafting of laws pertaining to the unilateral conversion of minors has been completed.

“From the aspect of civil (law), we do not have much problems, but this also relates to syariah (law),” Nancy said then.

From the syariah law aspect, she said, Jamil Khir has been obtaining feedback from the state religious bodies.

“A series of consultations with the states have been conducted,” Nancy said.

The cabinet had set up a five-member special committee in its latest attempt to deal with the interfaith conversion dispute and custody matters.

No scientific evidence of Hinduism-Buddhism in Bujang Valley?

Prominent Malaysian archaeologist Prof Mokhtar Saidin came out with two important findings during the two-day Old Kedah conference in Sungei Petani, recently.

One was that animism, rather than Hinduism or Buddhism, was the dominant form of worship in the Bujang Valley more than 2,500 years ago. Second, that Bujang Valley stands no chance of being gazetted by Unesco because there is no scientific research to date to verify that the temple ruins were Hindu or Buddhist.

I am not sure whether the two statements have any relationship with one another, or whether Mokhtar is trying to say that since there exists no solid proof of the existence of Hinduism or Buddhism, chances are that the religious worship could even be animism.

Anyway, in days or months to come, I hope Mokhtar can prove to the satisfaction of the international researchers that animism was indeed the dominant practice among the ancients.

He laments the fact that widespread existence of Hindu and Buddhist temples in the valley have yet not be proven. There is lack of scientific objectivity and rigour in establishing the truth about the Bujang Valley.

Mere presence of artifacts and architectural comparisons about Hindu-Buddhist temples do not reflect scientific integrity. Even the candi (either temple or burial ground) have been reconstructed from the stones and bricks in the vicinity.

Mokhtar said that no efforts have been made, both in the past and the present, to protect the temple sites in the valley. One candi was completely demolished by a developer in 2013, without any consideration for the heritage status of the land.

Mokhtar’s analysis of the heritage status of the Bujang Valley in the recent international conferences raised a number of questions that need to be addressed, both by archeologists, historians and those in the government.

Already acclaimed as Hinduism-Buddhism site

First, Bujang Valley has been internationally acclaimed as an ancient site of Hinduism-Buddhism, that is, before the advent of Islam. If there exists no evidence, whether scientific or not, then there is need to explain how this valley received such an acclaim.

Second, Mokhtar is well-known as an archaeologist and researcher, but for him to say that there is no scientific evidence to prove that the Hindu-Buddhist status of the Bujang Valley raises questions as to what our local researchers have been doing all the while.

Many excavations have been done in the past and many more are being planned, so, can I ask what is the purpose?

Third, colonial structures in Malacca and Penang have received the heritage status from Unesco. Is it really true that Unesco is withholding the conferment of heritage status on the Bujang Valley because there is no scientific evidence to authenticate the Hindu-Buddhist origins?

If other ancient sites around the world have received Unesco heritage status, what is preventing Bujang Valley from receiving such an award?

Fourth, apart from the lack of scientific rigour or evidence, who is responsible for initiating the area or place to be designated as heritage and what is the role of the state and federal governments?

Is the federal government dragging its feet on this matter simply because it is politically not conducive to do so?

Fifth, if local researchers do not have the technology or the skills, then maybe it is necessary to bring in foreign experts to determine whether there was such a thing as Hindu-Buddhist presence in the Bujang Valley.

Sixth, Saidin wants to prove that animism was widespread in the Sungei Batu area of the Bujang Valley more than 2,500 years, a site older than Borobodur and Angkor Wat.

As I have argued earlier, this might be so. It does not prove that Hinduism-Buddhism was non-existent but all these religions could have co-existed before the rise of monotheism.

Seventh, is there a relationship between the presence of animism and the lack of evidence on Hinduism-Buddhism?

P RAMASAMY is Deputy Chief Minister II of Penang and the state assemblyperson for Perai.

Mahathir to hit campaign trail against BN, says ex-Umno man

In what might be an unprecedented turn of events, the opposition campaign in the upcoming by-elections could receive a boost from Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Speaking to Malaysiakini, former Batu Kawan Umno vice-chief Khairuddin Abu Hassan confirmed that the former premier would be hitting the campaign trail in both Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar.

Asked if this meant Mahathir would campaign for the opposition, he said: "It looks like that because Tun (Mahathir) is very consistent. He said BN must be defeated at whatever cost."

On whether this included supporting PAS candidates, he said: "Tun said if it is PAS, then we have to support PAS."

Recently, Mahathir urged the opposition parties to combine their efforts in order to prevent BN from retaining the two parliament seats.

His remarks drew flak from various Umno leaders, including Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

The prime minister said Mahathir and his family had reaped enormous benefits from Umno and BN, and his remarks were akin to a stab in the back.

Whereas Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said Mahathir had made it clear that he wanted to kill the ruling coalition.

The latest development comes amid a warning from jailed former opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to PKR on the dangers of working with Mahathir.

Anwar reiterated his caution this morning, saying that while he did not object to PKR joining hands with Mahathir on the Citizens’ Declaration, he however did not want the former premier to dictate the agenda.

The launch of the Citizens' Declaration two months ago witnessed opposition and civil society leaders, who were once critical of Mahathir, sitting at the same table with him.

Observers have also noted that following his incarceration, Anwar's influence had began to wane while Mahathir is appearing to usurp his role as opposition leader.

The by-elections, which would be held simultaneously on June 18, were called following the death of its incumbents Noriah Kasnon (Sungai Besar MP) and Wan Mohammad Khair-il Anuar Wan Ahmad (Kuala Kangsar MP).

The two were among six people who perished in a helicopter crash during the recent state election campaign period in Sarawak.

Nomination day has been fixed for June 5.

Lorry driver slashed to death outside restaurant

A MAN was found dead with multiple slash wounds in a drain in front of a restaurant in Batu Maung, Penang, Tamil dailies reported.

The body was discovered by passers-by at about 6am on Sunday.

The victim was identified as lorry driver R. Jegathiswaran, 27.

Police also found three cars at the scene with the interiors smeared with blood.

Several of Jegathiswaran’s fingers were believed to have been cut off during the attack and were found 28m from the body.

He was reportedly seen talking to some men the night before in the same area.

Police have detained two men in connection with the murder.

Kelantan cops on hunt for Indira Gandhi’s ex-spouse, border teams on alert

PUTRAJAYA, May 23 — Kelantan police today said they are already searching for M. Indira Gandhi’s fugitive ex-husband and have asked border authorities to be on the lookout for him.

Kelantan’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) chief Assistant Commissioner of Police Mohamad Fakri Che Sulaiman said the state police are working with the Immigration Department to “monitor the movement” of Muhammad Riduan Abdullah.

“Kelantan Police has informed all the districts in Kelantan and the districts close to the border plus the marine police to be on the alert,” the officer in charge of criminal investigation under the Kelantan police contingent told Malay Mail Online in an email response today.

Indira and her lawyer M. Kulasegaran had previously voiced fears that Muhammad Riduan may have or is planning to flee across over the Malaysian border from Kelantan to other countries such as Thailand.

Kulasegaran had said Muhammad Riduan’s last known location in 2014 was in Kelantan’s Kota Baru.

Today, Mohamad Fakri noted that Indira’s ex-husband has been put on the wanted-list by the Perak police and said the Kelantan police will “follow through”.

“To date there (has) been no information as to the whereabouts of Muhammad Riduan in Kelantan,” he told Malay Mail Online.

He confirmed the Kelantan police have already initiated the search as directed by the federal police.

He said anyone with any information on Muhammad Riduan’s whereabouts can directly contact Ipoh police headquarters’ senior investigation officer Assistant Superintendent of Police Kamariah Jamaludin (016-5249091) or Pasir Mas district’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) chief Deputy Superintendent of Police Samsulmuddin Sulaiman (012-998 2027).

In a protracted legal battle, the Ipoh High Court had in 2010 granted Indira custody over all three of her children and later ordered Muhammad Riduan to return the youngest child he had snatched away in 2009.

But Muhammad Riduan did not comply with the 2014 order to return Prasana Diksa, resulting in the Ipoh High Court’s order the same year for his arrest over his contempt of court.

The Ipoh High Court also issued a mandamus order the same year to compel the police to arrest him and return Prasana Diksa to Indira.

On April 29, the Federal Court upheld the order to compel the police to arrest Muhammad Riduan and said the Ipoh High Court will monitor the progress of the execution of the arrest warrant.

The apex court said then however that the Ipoh High Court should not have asked the police to recover the youngest child due to conflicting child custody orders from both the civil courts and Shariah courts.

On May 4, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said that he had instructed his officers to locate and to arrest Muhammad Riduan for contempt of court from the day the Federal Court gave its decision, adding that there was no information to show that he had left the country.

Police report against Dr M over King ‘house arrest’ claim

KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 — Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim has lodged a police report against Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad over his claim that the King and other Malay rulers have been placed under house arrest.

He said the former prime minister’s allegation was “false and mischievous”.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission adviser noted that several news portals had reported on this.

He said Dr Mahathir alleged the house arrest was to prevent the King from receiving the 1.4 million people’s signatures that he (Dr Mahathir) claimed to have collected.

“By effectively accusing the government of placing His Majesty under house arrest, Tun Mahathir has gone too far, far beyond the bounds of propriety,” he told reporters at the Dang Wangi police headquarters here today.

He also rapped Dr Mahathir over his attempt to involve constitutional rulers in politics, as well as partisan politics to his advantage.

Tunku Abdul Aziz said Dr Mahathir’s action had caused confusion and could undermine public order and security, and urged the authorities to take immediate action against the former prime minister. — Bernama

Good Samaritan saves mother and daughter on KTM Komuter

PETALING JAYA: A Good Samaritan came to the aid of a woman and her daughter, protecting the two from a group of robbers on the KTM Komuter train.

In a Facebook post, Reena Peter claimed that she was set on by a group of young thugs while travelling via Komuter to KL Sentral on Saturday evening.

The boys, she claimed, had attempted to rob Reena and her daughter in the train, which was emptier than usual.

However, the robbery was thwarted by the Good Samaritan.

In an attempt to save Reena and her daughter, the man engaged in a fight with the mob and knocked out the leader of the group.

After the fight, the thugs got left at the next station. However, Reena and her daughter, who were in shock, did not have time to say thank you to their saviour.

Not wanting to let the good deed go unnoticed, Reena shared her experience and expressed her appreciation to the man in a Facebook post.

Her post has since been shared over 300 times.

Below is her recollection of the encounter:

“First I would thank the guy in the above picture for saving my daughter and me. This (Saturday) evening my daughter and I were travelling to KL Sentral. Since it’s a Saturday, there were less people in the KTM.

“A gang of boys came to us and knowing we were alone, started to misbehave with my daughter and me. They even threatened us and asked us to give them all of our money and phones. The guy in the photo attached came in like an angel and fought with the mob.

“The head of the mob collapsed and the rest got down at the next point with their head. We were in an a trauma after the attack and were not able to ask this angel’s name or say thank you. But my daughter got his picture on her mobile. If any one know this guy please share that Ms Reena and her daughter said thanks.”

Attempts to reach Reena for further comment have been unsuccessful.

The Star is also working on identifying the Good Samaritan.

Discourse on religion’s role in poverty fight needed

KUALA LUMPUR: There needs to be a new discussion on the role of religions in allevia­ting poverty.

This was the consensus reached at the inter-faith dialogue titled “Religion and the Poor: An opium or Liberator?” yesterday.

Organised by the Islamic Renaissance Front (IRF), the dialogue featured National University of Singapore Assoc Prof Syed Farid Alatas, Christian Federation of Malaysia executive committee member Dr Patricia Martinez, Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism honorary secretary-general Prematilaka K.D. Serisena and Pusaka founder and director Eddin Khoo as speakers.

Prof Syed Farid said there was a lack of critical thinking when it came to discussing religion’s role in poverty in the country.

“For example, there is no critical thinking on what exploitation means.

“We need to draw upon intellectual traditions in Islam and other religions to start a discourse,” said Prof Syed Farid, adding that a critique of Islamic economics was that many of the ideas were bourgeois.

Khoo felt a major issue in the country was the lack of deep dialogue on important topics.

“A major problem (with us) is that we have hardly intellectualised anything,” he said, giving as example the often-cited theory that terrorism was linked to poverty, but failing to discuss the fact that there were terrorists from middle-class backgrounds too.

Dr Martinez said the discussions on the topic should be inclusive, adding that there was a socialist premise in the Bible itself.

IRF research fellow and spokesperson for the event Imran Mohd Rasid said the dialogue was meant to introduce a new dimension to the role religions played in poverty.

“There is always a conversation about the poor, especially in religious narrative, in that as individuals we have to give charity.

“But the poor are a product of social injustices, so the job is not to just give them charity but to liberate them (from poverty),” Imran told The Star, adding that the IRF wanted to raise awareness on this.

The dialogue was held at University of Nottingham’s Chulan Tower branch.