KAKI DALAM KASUT

1. Di forum anjuran Gempita dan UMNO bertajuk Kedudukan Raja-Raja Melayu dan Orang Melayu dalam Perlembagaan Malaysia di Zaman Liberalisasi dan Globalisasi, saya ditanya oleh seorang pensyarah Melayu dari UIAM (Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia) apakah saya pernah fikir untuk meletak diri saya di tempat orang bukan Melayu (put yourself in the shoes of a non-Malay) bersabit dengan diskriminasi terhadap mereka di negara ini.

2. Saya percaya penyoal berpendapat orang bukan Melayu berasa amat tertekan dan kecewa dengan "ketidakadilan" terhadap mereka di Malaysia (oleh Kerajaan yang dikuasai oleh orang Melayu).

3. Saya tidak tahu samada penyoal ini pernah bertanya kepada tokoh bukan Melayu soalan yang sama iaitu perasaan orang Melayu akan keadaan di negara nenek moyang mereka yang mereka sudah jadi kaum yang secara relatif termiskin dan masih ketinggalan.

4. Jika beliau bertanya dan tokoh tersebut menjawab secara ikhlas, beliau akan dapati bahawa orang Melayu amat kecewa dengan kemiskinan relatif mereka sehingga terpaksa meminta-minta sepanjang masa dan juga ketinggalan dalam pelbagai bidang.

5. Mereka cuba yakin mereka adalah tuan di negara mereka tetapi mereka tahu sebenarnya mereka bukan tuan. Orang bukan Melayu yang menjadi tuan yang sebenar.

6. Kerana mereka rela berkongsi negara mereka dengan kaum lain, kaum yang berasal dari tamadun yang lebih tua (4,000 tahun) dan lebih berjaya, hari ini yang sedikit yang ada pada mereka pun hendak dipisah dari mereka.

7. Fikirkan hanya berkenaan Dasar Ekonomi Baru (DEB). Agihan kekayaan korporat dalam DEB ialah sebanyak 30% bagi bumiputra (walaupun mereka adalah 60% dari penduduk) dan 40% bagi kaum lain serta 30% bagi orang luar. Tetapi setelah diusahakan selama 39 tahun bahagian yang terdapat bagi mereka ialah 20%, sedangkan yang terdapat bagi kaum lain ialah hampir 50%, walaupun mereka hanya 26% dari jumlah penduduk.

8. Nilai harta milik bumiputra pula berjumlah 15% sedangkan yang baki dimiliki oleh bukan bumiputra disebabkan harta di bandar bernilai lebih tinggi dari di luar bandar.

9. Tokoh bukan Melayu yang cuba duduki tempat Melayu (in the shoes of the Malays) jika ikhlas, akan rasa kekecewaan Melayu melihat hampir semua perniagaan dan perusahaan serta kekayaan yang diperolehi darinya dimiliki oleh bukan Melayu. Segala estet rumah mewah juga diduduki oleh bukan Melayu. Sikit benar orang Melayu yang tinggal di estat mewah ini. Lebih ramai yang tinggal di kawasan setinggan.

10. Mungkin semua ini disebabkan kesalahan orang Melayu sendiri. Mereka tidak guna peluang yang disediakan bagi mereka. Ada yang salahguna peluang-peluang ini pun. Tetapi jika seorang pengayuh beca diberi sejuta Ringgit, apakah ia akan dapat berniaga dan berjaya dalam bidang ini.

11. Social engineering bukan hanya dilakukan oleh orang Melayu sahaja. Sosialisme dan Komunisme juga merupakan sejenis social engineering untuk mengurang atau menghapus jurang antara yang miskin dengan yang kaya. Mereka juga tidak berjaya sepenuhnya walaupun mereka mengguna kekerasan yang dahsyat. DEB dilaksanakan dengan berhati-hati tanpa kekerasan, tanpa rampasan dan sering dipinda apabila menghadapi tentangan dari bukan Melayu. Apakah persepsi orang Melayu terhadap DEB?

12. Lihat sahaja sejarah perjuangan Melayu. Pada Pilihanraya 1955, diwaktu mereka menguasai 82% dari kawasan-kawasan pilihanraya, mereka rela memberi sejumlah yang tidak kecil dari kawasan - kawasan mereka kepada kaum lain dan mengundi calon dari kaum-kaum ini sehingga menang melawan calon Melayu lain (PAS).

13. Kemudian mereka anugerahkan satu juta kerakyatan tanpa syarat biasa kepada kaum lain sehingga peratusan rakyat Melayu jatuh dari 82% kepada 60%. Siapakah yang lain yang pernah lakukan yang sedemikian?

14. Pada ketika itu nama rasmi negara ialah Persekutuan Tanah Melayu. Apabila Semenanjung Tanah Melayu dicantum dengan Singapura, Sarawak dan Sabah, perkataan "Tanah Melayu" digugur dan cantuman negeri - negeri ini dinamakan Malaysia. Dengan itu hilanglah identiti Melayu dalam nama negara sendiri. Tidak pula mereka tuntut nama-nama lain digugur.

15. Tidak seperti di negara-negara yang membenar hanya bahasa kebangsaan mereka sahaja untuk semua sekolah nasional, orang Melayu bersetuju bahasa Cina dan Tamil dijadikan bahasa pengantar di sekolah bantuan Kerajaan. Bahasa Kebangsaan (Bahasa Melayu) tidak menjadi bahasa kebangsaan seperti di negara-negara jiran dan di Eropah, Australia dan Amerika.

16. Dan banyaklah lagi korban yang dibuat oleh orang Melayu supaya kaum lain mendapat apa sahaja yang dituntut oleh mereka, demi keamanan dan perpaduan rakyat dan negara.

17. Apakah gamaknya perasaan tokoh yang meletak diri di tempat orang Melayu, terhadap semua korban ini? Apakah dia masih fikir yang orang Melayu harus korban segala-gala yang dituntut daripada mereka?

18. Dengan rencana ini saya tetap akan di cap sebagai racist oleh racist bukan Melayu. Tetapi kalau mereka sanggup menerima yang benar, mereka boleh banding korban orang Melayu pemilik asal negara ini dengan korban mereka untuk kepentingan negara ini.

19. Saya berpendapat jika negara ini hendak aman dan maju, agihan kekayaan dan kualiti hidup semua kaum hendaklah adil (fair) walaupun tidak sama (unequal). Janganlah hendaknya mana-mana pihak atau kaum tanggung beban kemiskinan yang keterlaluan, sementara kaum lain hidup mewah. Mengumpan sokongan dengan mengambil hak satu kaum untuk diberi kepada kaum lain bukanlah caranya - lebih-lebih lagi mengambil dari yang kurang berada untuk diberi kepada yang sudah lebih berada.

Royal Commission Can Eliminate People's Doubt - Rais

KUALA LUMPUR, July 20 (Bernama) -- The setting up of a Royal Commission to investigate the death of Teoh Beng Hock can remove whatever doubt the people may have because the outcome of investigation by the Commission will carry more weight compared to other investigations.

Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said the request to form the Royal Commission should be supported by everyone.

"As a member of the Cabinet, I will not oppose the suggestion as I feel it is probably one of the aspects of administration that is fair and can be participated by various groups," he told reporters at his office at Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad, here Monday.

He was commenting on the request by Teoh's family as well as the call by the opposition and several political parties including the MCA and MIC to set up the commission to ensure that investigation into the death of the political aide to a Selangor State Executive Councillor was carried out in a transparent and professional manner.

Teoh's body was found at the corridor of the fifth floor of the Plaza Masalam building in Shah Alam, which also houses the Selangor office of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

Teoh, 30, was one of several witnesses in the MACC investigation into the misappropriation of the allocation given to a Selangor State Executive Councillor.

Concerning the attempts by certain groups to sensationalise the issue, Rais said they should allow the authorities to carry out investigation and come up with their report.

Meanwhile, Umno Youth vice-head Datuk Razali Ibrahim said the setting up of the commission was relevant and could prevent the issue from being manipulated by the opposition.

"I agree on the (formation of the) commission. Otherwise, the opposition will exploit the issue," said Razali, who is also the Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, here.

Top advisers may quit MACC over Teoh’s death

By Debra Chong - The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, July 20 — With the public baying for blood over the mysterious death of political secretary Teoh Beng Hock, talk has been rife that the national anti-graft body's top advisers might quit or demand changes to interrogation procedures.

Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam, who heads one of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's (MACC) five advisory panels, confirmed today that several of his fellow advisers have indicated they may quit their appointed posts to protest the methods in which witnesses are questioned for information.

While he said none have openly declared they would step down for certain, the chief of the Panel on Consultation and Prevention of Corruption seemed to feel the rising heat and pressure from the public.

“Speaking for myself, I want to carry on,” Navaratnam told The Malaysian Insider when asked if he would step down in protest.

“No point in resigning. That's the easy way out. We've got a public trust to fulfil,” the former civil servant explained, stressing that the challenge was in taking accountability for something he had committed himself to.

Navaratnam said he fully backs the setting up of a Royal Commission of Inquiry to investigate the MACC, which is suspected to have had a hand in the death of Teoh.

The 30-year-old had been questioned for over eight hours straight by an MACC officer on a case of alleged fraud over state funds involving his boss, Selangor exco member Ean Yong Hian Wah.

The MACC said it released him at 3.45am on the day he was to get married. His body was found sprawled on the rooftop of the block beside the MACC's headquarters in Shah Alam at 1.30pm later that same day.

Navaratnam pointed out he was the first among the 42 people who were appointed early this year to oversee the fledgling MACC to publicly condemn the manner in which the officers carried out their job.

Six months ago when it was launched, the MACC enjoyed the full weight of public approval behind it as it took over the anti-graft fight from disgraced predecessor, the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA), although the personnel remained the same.

Today, the supposed giant of reform is reeling from the full weight of the public's fury.

CID hints at possible coroner’s inquest into Teoh’s death

By Neville Spykerman - The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, July 20 – Federal CID director Datuk Seri Mohd Bakri Zinin today suggested the case of Teoh Beng Hock could end up in a coroner’s court.

Mohd Bakri said an inquest would usually be conducted by the court for cases of “sudden death” which is what Teoh’s case is classified as.

He declined to elaborate further but added police investigations into the death of the 30-year-old political secretary, who fell to his death at Plaza Masalam on Thursday, are ongoing.

Inquests are judicial investigations carried out by magistrates, usually upon request by the public prosecutor.

Teoh was found dead on a balcony at the fifth floor of the building by a janitor at 1.30pm.

He was questioned earlier by the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) at their Selangor MACC headquarters on the 14th floor of the building but its officials maintained that Teoh was released at 3.45am.

Speaking in Bukit Aman, Mohd Bakri slammed the opposition for allegedly linking the police to Teoh’s death.

“Please don’t blame us,” he said, adding that Teoh was never in police custody.

He said the police were independent and not involved in politics.

“We are looking into all angles and we will not hide anything.” said Mohd Bakri.

To date, the police have recorded statements from 33 witnesses including 25 MACC officers.

Don’t turn Teoh into racial issue, Nazri warns opposition

KUALA LUMPUR, July 20 – People, especially the opposition, should stop speculating on the death of political aide Teoh Beng Hock or make it a racial issue.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said the opposition, especially the DAP’s parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang, should let police investigate before making any conclusion.

“Do not divert the issue to something else, I’m the Minister of Law, I know what I said and don’t try to put words into my mouth, I think he’s the one who should shut up and not make a racial issue out of this. Allow the police to investigate,” Nazri told reporters after his speech at the ‘Forum on Integrity and Compliance: The Malaysian Agenda’ organised by Siemens here today.

The body of Teoh, 30, was found in the corridor on the fifth floor of Plaza Masalam, Shah Alam, last Thursday believed to be from a fall from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office on the 14th floor of the same building. He was a witness in investigations into allegations of misapppropriation of Selangor state allocation funds.

Mohamed Nazri said the MACC could not be directed to stop its investigations.

Asked if MACC officers involved should be suspended or not, he said the question did not arise as the case was still under police investigation.

On the actions of people questioning MACC investigation methods, he said they had been used for years. He said the same process was also used on Barisan Nasional exco when they are investigated.

Mohamed Nazri also said the absence of lawyers during questioning was not a big problem.

He said he believed MACC officers were professional and saw the matter with “colour blind eyes” and would investigate without taking into account race.

Meanwhile, MCA presiden Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat slammed quarters that played dirty by twisting and politicising the death of Teoh.

Classifying such actions as “self-fulfilling lies”, Ong said certain quarters were willing to do this to get “political mileage”.

He said he had received a report last night regarding an online report that misused the name of the MCA communication bureau chairman Lee Wei Kiat by issuing a statement that was contradictory to what was issued earlier by Lee.

Ong, who is Transport Minister, said Lee had earlier issued a statement that called for a Royal Commission to be set up to comprehensively investigate Teoh’s death.

“Unfortunately his statement was twisted … that Lee said Teoh’s death was a his personal choice and it should not be shocking,” he told reporters after witnessing the signing of a memorandum of inderstanding among Bernama Radio24, Sunlight Radio Taxi Sdn Bhd and the Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association at Wisma Bernama here. – Bernama

The two standards of Guan Eng

Politicians will always be politicians. They can say anything that suits their purpose for the moment and then switch wily nily when the tables turn. See what Guan had to say about the Bukit Cina case in a speech titled:

‘Vision 2020 Of Malaysia Being A Developed Nation Will Be Not Succeed If There Is No Clean Government, No Balanced Growth, No Human Resource Development And No Equitable Distribution Of Economic Benefits’
At The Save Bukit Cina 20^th Anniversary Dinner on Nov 28, 2004
He said “…..(Malacca, Sunday): DAP’s success in saving Bukit China from being demolished by the then BN and MCA in 1984 shows the importance of preserving important cultural and historical heritage over development projects for the sake of private gain. Both BN and MCA saw only ringgit signs when they proposed leveling the oldest Chinese cemetery in Malaysia to build houses, shophouses and shopping complexes.”
Our comment: See the hypocricy in his words. What we are now saying about Kampong Buah Pala and about the move to level the only remaining Indian Heritage Village in Penang to build luxury condominiums is that it is a heritage location and must remain so for posterity of all Malaysians. But does he care. He seems to be more interested in pleasing his investor benefactors all in the name of the ringgit signs he talks about..

He continues “…..Unlike BN and MCA may see ringgit signs in the largest piece of available land in the centre of Melaka town, DAP and the people of Melaka saw 3 important links in preserving Bukit China namely:

· cultural and historical heritage not only for the Chinese community but also as an important mark of friendship between Chinese and Malays when Princess Hang Li Po married the Melaka Sultan;

· environment heritage in providing a green lung that made Melaka a more natural and livable area for resident apart from helping to maintaine its historical atmosphere; and

· an important tourist site that attracted foreign tourists and revenue helping Melaka’s economy.

Our comment : So is Penang different from Melaka that the logic does not apply, or is it because it is Indian heritage and the logic does not apply because the Indians are too powerless to matter, or it is because he is now Chief minister and the logic does not apply any more. Everything of what he said about Bukit Cina applies to Kampung Buah Pala.

In that same speech he goes on to say “…It is indeed shocking how UMNO Kota Melaka can be allowed to owe quit rent for 25 years of RM 83,701.15 and UMNO Jasin allowed to owe cukai pintu for 18 years of RM 83,701.15 without any action taken. In contrast there have been cases where private landowners who owe only 2 years in quit rent have their land confiscated by the state government. UMNO and MCA should be ashamed for not respecting the law even though they are the government..”

Our comment: We are saying that there is fraud involved in the sale of land not owned by Penang State to a private developer. But he chooses to totally ignore this point as it will instantly make the sale null and void. This will turn the whole picture around – something he is showing clearly he does not want to do now. Which bigwig is he trying to protect like UMNO in Melaka? Guan Eng should be ashamed for not respecting the law even though he is the government, by not taking action on such fraudulent activity within the Government.

All his arguments that he cannot do anything other than pay compensation to the Villagers do not hold water as he has not exhausted all the options available. He has held this position steadfastly reiterating like a parrot that he could not do anything against the court order, as if that was what we are asking him to do. He is playing very dumb here.

His argument that this sale will affect investor confidence is utter nonsense as the instability that will be caused by any move to raze the village is more and he fully well knows that which is why he is in such a hurry to sweep the problem under, by teasing the Villagers and offering the Villagers compensation for their land.

His argument about the precedence this will create is just more rubbish – this is the kind of precedence any government will want to set, which touts Competency, Transparency and Accountability as its operating philosophy.

In summary, Guan Eng should stop his antics ,should stop trying to fool the people and come clean and save the village or he and his DAP will face the same ignominous doom as UMNO. He is up against an aware citizenry. He has no where to run.

SPRM tidak dipercayai, tubuh Suruhanjaya Diraja segera - Husam Musa

KELANA JAYA, 20 Julai (Harakah) - Ahli Jawatankuasa PAS Pusat, Dato' Paduka Husam Musa menegaskan bahawa Suruhanjaya Diraja perlu ditubuhkan dengan segera kerana institusi lain seperti polis dan SPRM sudah lagi tidak boleh dipercayai.

Beliau yang tidak bersetuju dengan pihak polis sendiri yang menyiasat Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) dalam isu berhubung dengan kematian pembantu exco kerajaan negeri selangor, Teo Beng Hock baru-baru ini ketika dalam tahanan siasatan SPRM.

"Kita tidak bersetuju polis menyiasat SPRM keranan sendiri buat salah dan sendiri siasat, sampai bila kita tidak akan jumpa jalan penyelesaiannya, polis dan SPRM adalah sama sahaja," tegas beliau.

Tambah beliau, pihak polis dan SPRM adalah sama sahaja bahkan polis kadang kala lebih buruk dari SPRM dan SPRM lebih buruk dari polis.

Beliau memberi contoh kes Kugan yang mati dalam tahanan polis sehingga sekarang tiada sebarang pembelaan.

"Apa jaminan polis siasat SPRM, mereka akan dakwa pembunuh Teo Beng Hock, tidak ada jaminan sama sekali.

"Kita tidak boleh mempercayai sesiapa sahaja, tidak kira polis, ketua hakim, SPRM hatta Perdana Menteri itu sendiri. Kami tidak menaruh kepercayaan kepada pihak-pihak ini.

"Kerana itu, kita minta satu Suruhanjaya Diraja ditubuhkan dengan segera supaya kita boleh menyiasat keseluruhan episod ini," katanya.

Sementara itu, beliau menyifatkan anak muda ini sebagai hero Pakatan Rakyat kerana menyekat niat jahat BN mahu merampas Selangor dan usaha yang dilakukan oleh teo patut dihargai.

"Kita mesti memperjuangkan keadilan kepada hero kita ini dan keadilan yang kita tuntut ialah dalam masa sekarang ini," katanya sambil menyifatkan kematian Teo Beng Hock dan keluarganya adalah hero Pakatan Rakyat.

Katanya, dengan berlaku kematian Teo, usaha Barisan Nasional (BN) untuk menjatuh kerajaan Pakatan Rakyat Selangor seperti yang pernah dilakukan untuk menjatuhkan kerajaan Perak menemui jalan kegagalan.

Beliau berkata demikian dalam ucapan Himpuanan Soldariti 'Keadilan Untuk Teo Beng Hock' yang diadakan di Stadium Kelana Jaya dekat sini semalam yang dianjurkan oleh kerajaan negeri Selangor.

Hadir sama dalam Himpunan Solidariti itu ialah Menteri Besar, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim; Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang, Lim Guan Eng, Lim Kit Siang dan semua Adun dan ahli exco kerajaan negeri Selangor.

Lebih 3,000 orang hadir memeriahkan solidariti ini dan diakhir perhimpuanan ini, ada pengunjung betindak membakar akhbar Utusan Malaysia dan Berita Harian.

Tindakan ini berhubungan dengan kenyataan dalam akhbar tersebut mengenai kematian Teoh adalah berkenaan dengan isu perkauman.

Berkaitan dengan isu ini, Husam berkata, menurut Pengerusi SPRM, Ahmad Said Hamdan patut sedar bahawa isu kematian pembantu exco adalah bukan isu perkauman.

"Dia harus tahu bahawa Beng Hock adalah sama nilai nyawanya dengan nyawa orang melayu. Pedulikan melayu, cina dan india.

"Kita adalah anak bangsa Malaysia. Apabila salah seorang dibunuh kita wajib menuntut bela di sisi agama Islam," katanya sambil diiringi dengan tepukan yang gemuruh dari hadirin.

Silent outrage at Teoh's funeral - Malaysiakini

More than 2,000 people gathered for the funeral of Teoh Beng Hock in Alor Gajah, Malacca.

During the funeral rites, which began at 9.45am, Teoh's pregnant fiancee Soh Sher Wei (right) read out a moving tribute.

She called on Teoh to "come back". Many were in tears as they listened to her.

Seputeh MP Teresa Kok represented DAP as she read out the party's condolences.

Among those present were representatives of several Chinese guilds and associations, and members of Pakatan Rakyat.

The funeral procession began at 10.45am. The crowd accompanied the hearse, which was decorated with red trimmings to signifiy sudden death.

Family members and Pakatan leaders and supporters followed the cortege on foot for about 1km from the house to the main road.

Many were crying openly. His sisters murmured "rest in peace".

Black-and-white A4 posters with Teoh's photograph were held up by many in the crowd, displaying the words jangan biarkan Beng Hock mati sia-sia (don't let Beng Hock's death be in vain).

A huge black-and-white poster, prepared by PKR, was carried in front of the hearse. It bore the words 'Justice for Beng Hock'.

Other banners had wordings in Chinese that read 'Justice for Beng Hock' and 'The people want answers'.

At 11.05am, the procession ended and many transferred to vehicles for the rest of the journey to the Nirvana Memorial Park in Semenyih, where the burial will be held.

The convoy arrived in Semenyih town at 12.50, where people were waiting with banners and flowers.

Earlier today, some 500 people had gathered at Teoh's house by 9am. The atmosphere was one of silent outrage, with dozens of banners being displayed outside the premises.

These bore messages ranging from 'Don't let Beng Hock die in vain', ' Justice for Beng Hock, answers for rakyat', ' Set up royal commission (of inquiry), let justice be served'.

It is learnt that the family had requested a low-key reaction from mourners and that the crowd had complied by not shouting slogans.

All the main Pakatan leaders paid their last respects at 10.18am. They were joined by former MCA vice-president Chua Jui Meng, who had only joined PKR last Saturday.

They were followed by Malacca MCA exco member Gan Tian Loo.

About 10 police personnel, including traffic police, monitored the situation and directed traffic.

'Do it now, Najib'

DAP leaders led by Lim Kit Siang, Karpal Singh and Guan Eng held a press conference about 9.30am.

Kit Siang said he wants premier Najib Abdul Razak to announce that a royal panel will be set up immediately on his return to Malaysia today, rather than wait until the weekly Cabinet meeting on Wednesday to make a decision.

He also urged Najib to order the MACC to "stop the war against Pakatan", adding that the anti-graft body has "become Umno's tool to topple the Selangor government".

Karpal said he wants Najib to suspend Ahmad Said as MACC chief.

PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim also spoke briefly to the press, calling for stringent action.

He said the government must not dilly-dally and that both the police and anti-corruption heads have to assume responsibility for the situation "because the questioning of Teoh broke some rules".

Pakatan leaders will meet in the shortest time to discuss the issue, he added.

PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub backed calls for a royal commission of inquiry, saying Malaysians should be told what had happened to Teoh.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said: "We want to tell Beng Hock that he will not be forgotten. We also want to tell the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) that we will not let them off (the hook)".

Teoh, 30, the political secretary to Selangor exco member Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead last Friday.

He had been picked up on Thursday about 5pm for questioning by the Selangor MACC in relation to a proble into the spending of constituency funds.

His body was found about 1.30pm the next day on the fifth floor balcony of the building in which the MACC is housed in Shah Alam.

Investigations are in progress.

Documents and CCTV recordings seized at office of Selangor MACC

(The Star) SHAH ALAM: Police investigating the death of Teoh Beng Hock have seized documents from the Selangor Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office here.

They also seized closed-circuit television camera (CCTV) recordings from Plaza Masalam, where the state MACC office is located.

The police team leaving the office of the Selangor MACC with seized computer processors and documents. — Picture courtesy of Utusan Malaysia

It is learnt that a window latch from the office on the 14th floor was removed for inspection.

About 20 police forensics personnel, led by Se­langor deputy CID chief (administration) Asst Comm Omar Mammah, went to the MACC office at about 5.30pm.

The team first went to the building’s operations centre on the ground floor and took away the CCTV recordings.

They then went up to the MACC office and spent several hours recording statements from MACC staff.

At about 7.50pm, the officers were seen leaving the MACC office carrying documents.

It is learnt that a handphone belonging to Teoh, 30, who was the political secretary to Selangor exco member Ean Yong Hian Wah, was taken away by police on the day of his death on Thursday.

It is learnt that police are tracing the last phone calls Teoh made before his death.

A janitor found Teoh’s body at the fifth floor of the plaza at about 1.30pm.

Teoh, who was picked up by the MACC for questioning on Wednesday afternoon, was released at 3.45am the following day.

Selangor MACC director Jaafar Mahad said his officers would give their fullest co-operation to police in their investigations.

“Whatever they want, whoever they want, we will gladly oblige if it will help unearth the truth.

“We ourselves are from an enforcement agency and we know what investigations are all about.

“We will not hide anything because there is nothing to hide,” he said.

'Pressman beaten up, and cops just watched'

(NST) MALACCA: A photographer with New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd has reported being assaulted by five men while he was taking pictures of a hit-and-run accident in Jalan Tun Fatimah in Malim Jaya here early yesterday.

Photographer Muhammad Rasul Azli Samad, 26, said he was taking shots of the incident, when five men, believed to be related to the hit-and-run victim, appeared suddenly and surrounded him.

He said they snatched his camera and tried to smash it but he managed to grab hold of it. However, the men seized the camera's memory card and dashed off before he could do anything.

He said there was a patrol car nearby when the incident occurred but the two policemen inside did not come to his aid.

He also claimed several reporters were at the scene.

Rasul later lodged a report at the Malim police station.

"I managed to escape from getting hurt, but I am sad that the policemen just sat in the car and watched the whole incident.

"Even the police officer who took down my report did not take much notice of the matter."

The victim of the hit-and-run accident, Muhammad Hitam, 66, was killed when a car ran into him while he was walking home from his son's restaurant.

Muhammad was pinned to the car and dragged a few hundred metres before the victim's family stopped the car and attacked the 26-year-old driver.

A police spokesman said Muhammad died on the spot while the driver was admitted to the Putra Specialist Hospital for his injuries.

Meanwhile, Kelab Media Massa Melaka president Mohamad Rafi Bachik, said the association regretted the lackadaisical attitude of the policemen.

"We will write to the state police chief Datuk Mazlan Mansor to get an explanation on the whole incident and we want them to investigate the case.

"The police are supposed to come to the aid of the public who are in trouble and this includes members of the press.

"I hope the police would act on this matter as this is serious and I advise the media to be more careful when carrying out their duties."

RPK – How can you play a role, if the public is not ready to stand without fear or favour

By R. Shan (Human Being)

Dear RPK,

I presume you run a close-knit organization for fear of infiltration. You and those alike you are the soothsayers without an agenda. I digest that 90% of your commentors have no balls or no clue as to what is right or wrong but use your blog as a platform to voice everything and anything to say what they can’t say outright for fear and for what they feel they may lose in their own subjective minds. Typical NATO.

I can’t blame them for what they have imbibed. I guess for you it is how it should be and that is why we have the pretenders who will tag along without action as you provide them with their escapism with your endless efforts.

Dear RPK, you have done your part and keep doing it, but idiotic Malaysians will always fall prey to the machinations and what fits them because you can’t even gather 200 people to stand up for you physically but millions in cyberworld will claim they do.

I think you should change your modus operandi. You take all the trouble to do your part yet most do not even understand that it is all about making a change. Sure, we have Teoh Beng Hock as our latest edition; but how far-fetched will I be to say this is only a temporary thing? RPK, you have provided more input and more sense than everyone else on the mechanism of divide and rule, yet I am fascinated that all your commentors become more racist by the day.

I feel pity for all the efforts that you have put in, yet all we hear is racism and religion but nobody is sober enough to see that we can unite as a truly Malaysian nation irrespective of which group we belong to. I do applaud your efforts and wish you best of luck to create a truly Malaysian nation.

A truly Malaysian nation can come about if all these individuals can collectively act to make it a better place for us all. RPK, you have spent your time and effort. It is people like us that need to heed and move forward to make the change we desire rather than brooding in your site.

We don’t need escapism through RPK, we need solid and conscientious people to enhance the cause that RPK started rather than playing ping pong with people whose only concern is with their own individual welfare as opposed to the welfare of the nation.

Curse me or hate me, it matters not if you cannot see, accept and deal with this. You are part of why Malaysia is in the state it is today.

RPK is not important, I am not important, everything else around is not important but humanity is important. It is your choice as without humanity, nothing survives.

Malaysia no longer a "Tanah Melayu"

Azly Rahman

Today is July 19, 2009, 40 years after the May 13 1969 tragedy.

I dedicate these notes to Teo Beng Hock, a young Malaysian who ought to be an inspiration to many wishing to call Malaysia home.

Because we have agreed to become a country rooted in a social contract that ought to give equality, equity, and equal opportunity to all who have given up their natural rights in exchange for "citizenship" and the rights of the State to tax them (with or without representation), we must recognize that Malaysia is for Malaysians.

This will be the most humane perspective we ought to work towards in holding. What is needed is a system of check and balance that will ensure that each generation of Malaysians will progress without the trappings of mistrust, hatred, and institutionalized racism.

But first, we must all fight for the installation of this reality. Political will that will move this agenda of ethical liberalism must be harnessed and be made the driving force for social, cultural, educational, and psychological change.

The idea of "Tanah Melayu" must be reflected upon -- of its relevancy and whether it is a kind of ideological thinking that will help develop a culture of peace or help nurture inter-racial hatred.

Communal politics is an old school thinking that cannot survive the wave of cosmopolitanism; just like the any idea that could not survive the inevitability of historical change propelled by changes in material condition and consciousness.

In Malaysia, the days of communal politics are numbered, however well it is packaged and propagandized. Multiculturalism, and in fact radical multiculturalism, or better still radical marhaenism is the next wave. Institutions that promote racism must be deconstructed and abolished; institutions that are funded by the ruling regime to ensure the hegemony of this or that race. Dismantle them before they become yet another layer of complexity in our consciousness; a layer that hides the structural violence inherent in a system of racism and false consciousness called "nationalistic history".

The only permanent thing is change, as the Chinese philosopher and mystic Lao Tzu said. Man has no nature, what he has is history, said the Spanish philosopher Ortega Gasset.

And there will be beauty in this change if we know how to destroy the beast within.

I am reproducing an essay I wrote sometime ago on "Ketuanan Melayu"

--------------------------------------------------------

A Malay view of 'Ketuanan Melayu'

Azly Rahman | Feb 4, 08 2:51pm

‘O people! Your God is one and your forefather (Adam) is one. An Arab is not better than a non-Arab and a non-Arab is not better than an Arab, and a red (i.e. white tinged with red) person is not better than a black person and a black person is not better than a red person, except in piety. Indeed the noblest among you is the one who is deeply conscious of God.’ - a saying of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) ‘Malaysia - to whom does it belong? To Malaysians. But who are Malaysians? I hope I am, Mr Speaker, Sir. But sometimes, sitting in this chamber, I doubt whether I am allowed to be a Malaysian. This is the doubt that hangs over many minds, and ... [once] emotions are set in motion, and men pitted against men along these unspoken lines, you will have the kind of warfare that will split the nation from top to bottom and undo Malaysia.’ - Lee Kuan Yew, now Senior Minister, Republic of Singapore Instead of defining Ketuanan Melayu as ‘Malay superiority’ which is quite meaningless, philologically inaccurate, and philosophically arrogant, I think the word ‘dictatorship’ is closer in meaning. As you read this piece, please refrain from value judgment and from bring trapped in the prison-house of language pertaining to the word ‘dictatorship’. To dictate connotes to tell, which connotes to narrate. To narrate means to weave a story based on an ideology. To ideologise means to encapsulate. To encapsulate means to be trap. Dictatorship, here might also mean an entrapment. Instead of acknowledging one's freedom to rule, one is acknowledging being in an entrapment - and to rule out of that condition. This is a form of false consciousness. Words, as a literary theorist Raymond Williams might say, must also be contextualised/situated within the economic condition they emerge in. Marx's famous dictum that human beings' existence is defined by the economic condition they are in and that this condition is already predetermined. This is a deterministic view of human history. I first read heard the phrase Ketuanan Melayu in the mid-1980s from a book by one Malik Munip. I was reading his work, at the same time reading Lim Kit Siang's ‘Malaysia in the dangerous 80s’, to get a sense of the argument. I was an undergraduate reading Literature, Education and International Politics. I also heard that Malay students were discouraged from reading Kit Siang's work and encouraged to read ‘Ketuanan Melayu’. I love banned books and books that others tell me not to read. There is a sense of intellectual challenge to be able to read banned books. I read Mahathir Mohamad's ‘The Malay Dilemma’ and Syed Husin Ali's ‘Malays: Their Problems and their Future’ and Syed Hussein Alatas’ ‘The Myth of the Lazy Native’ at the same time. Again, to get a sense of balance. I read Malaysian official publications on economic outlook, juxtaposing them with a close reading of analyses on the political-economy of the Malaysian capitalist state. I read the work of Freud and Marx to see where some of the major authors of the Frankfurt School of Social Research are going with their arguments on totalitarianism. I read the Quran and the Bhagavad Gita, the Ramayana, and the Mahabharata to see where the arguments on race superiority lie and what the fate of humankind will be. The idea of social dominance and racial superiority might all be primarily about economics, if we are to read the history of the development of ideologies of superiority. But my question is - who has the right to claim that this or that land belongs to this or that group of people. At what point does culture and citizenship meet and negotiate the issue of egalitarianism? When does ‘the truth of one's culture’ reach its limit and the question of ‘the truth of citizenship’ dominate? This is a very complex question Malaysians must answer after 50 years of Independence. We must open up the dialogue on this issue. Lyrical propaganda Let us look at how the idea of ketuanan Melayu is disseminated to the young. One way is through indoctrination camps in which songs are used. Over the decades, perhaps millions of Malay students like me were taught the dangerous propaganda song, ‘Anak Kecil Main Api’(A Child Plays with Fire). One verse concerns the power of the Malays:: … kini kita cuma tinggal kuasa yang akan menentukan bangsa hasil mengalir, ke tangan yang lain pribumi merintih sendiri… My loose translation of this 1980s propaganda song by the Biro Tata Negara reads: … political power is what we are only left with one that will determine the fate of our nation wealth of this nation flows into the hands of others sons and daughters of the soil suffer in solace... I do not think we have a clear understanding of what the lyrics mean. I doubt if the songwriter even understand what a 'people's history of Malaya' means. It is a song based on racist intents; its lyrics penned by one who does not have a good grasp of the political-economy of Malaysian history, let alone the latest advances in the field of psychology of consciousness. The training programes that encapsulate the theme of this song are meant to instill fear of the Malays, not of others but of themselves, and to project hatred onto other ethnic groups without realising who the enemy of the Malays really are. Using relaxation techniques to bring the brain waves in the alpha and state (conducive for suggestive and subliminal messages), trainees were put under ‘half-asleep’ conditions to get the ketuanan Melayu message to colonise the consciousness. The technique pioneered by Russian brain scientists Barzakov and Lozanov in the1970s, called ‘suggestopedia’, is used to instill the deep sense of fear for oneself and hatred of others. History is a complex syntagmatic pattern of interplay between technology, ideology, culture, inscription and institutionalisation not easily reduced to simplistic lyrics as such sung to the tune of pre-war German-nationalistic-sounding compositions. History is about the complex evolution of the ruling class which owns the technologies of control. As Marx would say, at every epoch it is the history of those who own the means of production that will be written and rewritten. The winners write history, the losers write poetry or study anthropology, some would lament. Back to the lyrics. After 50 years of independence, who is suffering in Malaysia? Who has become wealthy? Who has evolved into robber barons? What has become of our judiciary system, our universities, our city streets, our sense of public safety and security, our schools, our youth, and our entire socio-economic arrangements at the eve of the 12th general election. How has the idea of ketuanan Melayu contributed to this state of affairs? Language of power and ideology is at play in those lyrics. The definition of ‘bumiputera' is at play. It has become a problematic word in this age of deconstructionism; an age wherein as the poet WB Yeats said, "the centre cannot hold". Rock musicians will recall the Scorpions' famous song 'Winds of Change' to serenade the fall of the Berlin Wall and the beginning of the breakdown of the Soviet Empire. We have to face the 'wrath' of the word. Put an end to Ketuanan Melayu For Muslims in Malaysia, this saying by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is familiar: ‘Your descent is nothing to be proud of. Nor does it bring you superiority. O people! All of you are the children of Adam. You are like equal wheat grains in a bowl ... No one has any superiority over anyone else, except in religion and heedfulness. In order to consider someone a wicked person, it suffices that he humiliates other people, is mean with money, bad-tempered and exceeds the limits…’ I would say that ketuanan Melayu is a dangerous concept that is threatening race relations. It is an arrogant interpretation of selective history; of a history that is largely benefiting those who profits from the ideology. Those promoting this concept are not well-versed in the matters of philosophy of history. I do not think thinking Malays these days subscribe to the idea of ‘Malay dominance and dictatorship’. If there is a ketuanan of one race, then the rest are ‘slaves’ and ‘serfs’ and ‘sub-citizens’, if we are to analyse it from the point of view of ‘Master-Slave’ narrative? As a Malay wishing to see the withering of and an end to the concept of ketuanan Melayu and the birth of a new consciousness that will respect the dignity of all races and the humility of all ethnic groups, I call upon Malaysians to continue to be critical of any attempt by any race to project their own sense of false superiority that would only breed dangerous ethnocentrism bordering on xenophobia. We should work together to deconstruct all forms of race-based political arrangement and work towards establishing a new order based on a more egalitarian economic design that takes into consideration the basic needs and dignity of all races. We should teach our schoolchildren how to deconstruct such sense of racial superiority, through the teaching of not only tolerance but social egalitarianism - via peace education strategies. We will have a lot to gain for generations to come. OUR USUAL REMINDER, FOLKS: While the opinion in the article is mine, the comments are yours; present them rationally and ethically. AND -- ABOLISH THE ISA -- NOW!

Thousands say goodbye to Teoh

Mourners carry banners calling for ‘Justice for Beng Hock’ and ‘We want and answers and truth’ as Teoh Beng Hock’s funeral gets under way. — Picture by Choo Choy May

By Syed Jaymal Zahiid - The Malaysian Insider

ALOR GAJAH, July 20 — Nobody knows how he died even though the autopsy report says he died from internal injuries sustained in a fall. But what were his thoughts just before he died? Was he alone?

Today, at his funeral, thousands of people were determined that Teoh Beng Hock would not go to his final resting place alone. The funeral procession is led by a group walking ahead of the hearse and carrying a huge black banner that says, “Justice for Beng Hock, Answers for Rakyat.”

A band is playing and his crying siblings walk behind the slow-moving hearse. They each have a hand on the hearse as it moves through the congested road in Melekek.

His parents mourn at home, following a Chinese custom that dictates parents do not attend the funeral of a child.

A whole phalanx of Pakatan Rakyat politicians walk behind the Teoh siblings while hundreds line the road, saying their farewell to the 30-year-old political aide to Seri Kembangan assemblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah.

A little after 11am, the procession ends and the cortege makes its way to the cemetery in Semenyih.

And so the final goodbye begins, funeral procession starts

The hearse bearing Teoh Beng Hock’s body leads the way as the funeral procession starts. — Picture by Choo Choy May

By Syed Jaymal Zahiid - The Malaysian Insider

ALOR GAJAH, July 20 — Since the body of Teoh Beng Hock arrived in his family home on Friday, crowds of family, friends, and politicians have gathered in the modest neighbourhood to pay their last respects.

The morning of his funeral was no different. By 8.40am, hundreds of mourners including DAP lawmakers were already in attendance at the Teoh family home.

However, the lid of the casket has been completely removed for a last viewing before the funeral begins.

Everyone is calm, as family and friends prepare to say their final goodbye to Teoh. The atmosphere is casual outside under the tent but hushed inside the house.

At 8.50am, people start forming a queue: one by one, they light a joss stick at an altar set up in the front to face the crowd. The funeral band arrives.

As the siblings perform the last rites at the altar, Teoh’s younger sister is seen crying openly. It is a heart-wrenching moment in this human drama that has gripped the nation.

The crowd grows in size and you can see it is multi-racial in make-up: Malays, Indians and, of course, Chinese.

Teoh’s mother, Teng Shuw Hor, who has looked shell-shocked throughout the many hours of the wake, is breaking down. She is crying loudly and Teoh’s godmother is hysterical. Family members try to calm her down and take her away from the casket.

The wailing is heard all the way down the nine-house long tent. Teoh’s casket is now placed behind the altar and several people in the crowd are seen crying.

At 9.20am, the lid of the casket is taped shut and a yellow cloth is draped over it. On it is some Chinese writing, prayers presumably.

The priest performs the last rites but Teoh’s parents are inside the house. It is customary in Chinese culture for the parents not to participate in the funeral of a child.

DAP’s Lim Kit Siang, who is among the mourners, said: “This shouldn’t have happened. It happened because MACC launched a war against Pakatan Rakyat. Najib must stop this war.”

He was referring to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) on-going investigation into the misuse of state allocations by Selangor DAP assemblymen. Teoh Beng Hock was hauled in for questioning by the agency on July 15 in connection with the investigation.

The political aide to Seri Kembangan assemblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah was found dead outside the MACC headquarters in Shah Alam the next day.

While Teoh’s siblings continue with the funeral rites, the crowd has grown to more than 500. Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and DAP’s Karpal Singh have arrived for the funeral.

At about 9.40am, Teoh’s fiancee Soh Cher Wei performs the last rites. Overcome by emotions, Teoh’s mother comes out of the house and starts wailing and crying. Teoh’s siblings are also overcome. Soh, who at first looked composed, starts to cry as well.

Non-family members are invited to pay their last respects. They come forward to the altar and bow. Among those seen paying their respects are Karpal Singh and his son Gobind.

DAP’s Teresa Kok then makes a farewell speech to Teoh. “You cared for the people and the country. We bid you farewell. Rest in peace.”

At a little after 10am, opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim arrives at the funeral with Datuk Chua Jui Meng and Azmin Ali.

Anwar, Chua and PAS Youth chief Salahuddin Ayub bow twice at the altar and Teoh’s family “replied” with one bow.

The heavy presence of politicians at the funeral is threatening to turn the gathering into a political one as the crowd jostles forward for a chance to rub shoulders with the Pakatan heavyweights. The crowd number has now swelled to more than 1,000.

The entire stretch of the road to the house is now filled with people, all keen to accompany Teoh on his final journey.

Ten minutes before 11am, the casket is loaded onto the hearse. The funeral procession begins. Teoh’s siblings walk behind the hearse, one hand on it as it proceeds slowly out of the housing estate.

PR politicians are walking behind them, the road is lined with hundreds of people, many holding banners and posters. One of them reads, “Jangan biarkan Beng Hock mati sia-sia.”

Guan Eng, we’re going to hold you to your word, but only if…

By Haris Ibrahim,

Beng Hock’s family has spoken.

Yes, they want to know the truth.

Yes, they want a Royal Commission of Inquiry.

However, they’ve also asked that Beng Hock’s death not be politicised.

Both sides of the political divide must respect their wishes.

That means don’t make this young man’s death a political football, to score goals against political opponents.

I attended the memorial at Kelana Jaya yesterday silently hoping that this wish of a family in mourning would be honoured.

I have to say that I heard speeches that payed scant regard to this simple request.

Not many, but even one is too many.

Sad.

Must politicians always look to make political mileage in every issue that crops up?

Can we not come together as we did yesterday at the stadium to just do what is right, without looking to score points?

Can we not demand to know the truth about Beng Hock’s death, without more?

Soon after I arrived at the stadium, and before I had a chance to listen to the speeches, PKR treasurer William Leong came up to speak to me.

I told him that if the memorial at the stadium and the convoy to accompany Beng Hock’s remains to its final resting place today is not just a case of Pakatan seizing the opportunity, brought on by the circumstances surrounding Beng Hock’s death, to hammer away at BN, we would expect the four Pakatan state governments to continue to hold these weekend memorials in stadiums in their respective states until the BN authorities give in and allow for the appoint of the Royal Commission, with terms of reference and composition that will us in no doubt as to its independence.

Then I heard the speeches. You can read about them in the Malaysianinsider and Malaysiakini.

And I heard Guan Eng make a promise to take a campaign through the country to force the government to appoint the Royal Commission.

I’m all for this, and I’m going to badger Guan Eng’s office to honour his word to the crowd gathered at Kelana Jaya yesterday, but only if they will strictly honour the family’s wishes.

If they can’t, then don’t bother.

The crowd yesterday?

Malaysiakini puts it at more than 3,000.

I think that’s about right.

Which brings me to my next question.

Where were the rest of you?

Couldn’t bring yourselves to give up you Sunday siesta?

Twitter updates from Teoh Beng Hock’s funeral at Alor Gajah

By Lim Kit Siang,

TBH hearse on way 2Semenyih Memorial Park 4burial DAP leaders following Selangor MB Khalid will b there
Monday, July 20, 2009 11:25

After last respects by reps of assns societies public solemn ceremony ended with 1km procession involving thousands 2AG historic funeral
Monday, July 20, 2009 11:21

Pakatan Rakyat leaders of DAP PKR PAS pay last respects 1st time in PR history
Monday, July 20, 2009 10:28

Anwar arrives w PKR leaders 2pay last respects
Monday, July 20, 2009 10:25

Have 2hold back tears in DAP cec last respects
Monday, July 20, 2009 10:22

PASVice president n MP Sallehuddin arrives last respect on behalf of PAS leadership
Monday, July 20, 2009 10:00

Relatives n friends massed in front of cortege paying last respects
Monday, July 20, 2009 09:57

Over thousand people in tears or redeyed over dastardly tragedy which shld not have happened
Monday, July 20, 2009 09:55

Siblings’ heart-wrenching recollection of their joyful n purposeful days 2gether in past never 2return or 2hear his voice again
Monday, July 20, 2009 09:53

TBH siblings bidding farewell Why shld all this happen in Malaysia Boleh?
Monday, July 20, 2009 09:48

TBH fiancee Ser bids farewell with heart”wrenching parting words Tears in many
Monday, July 20, 2009 09:46

Present karpal guan eng betty kok wai teresa ronnie tony nienching xavier dak kee jenice anthony thomas n more
Monday, July 20, 2009 09:44

Final ceremony 4TBH’s last journey begins Grief anger shroud ceremony Nation stands in shame
Monday, July 20, 2009 09:40

MCA topguns OngTeeKeat LiowTiongLai appeared at TBH wake AG late in nite 1120pm but despite TBH family demand no commitment RCI by Cabinet
Monday, July 20, 2009 07:02

Nation mourns for TBH. Leaving PJ now 4 AlorGajah 4 TBH’s last journey. Let’s translate nation’s grief and anger into People’s Power 4change

LIVE: Teoh Beng Hock's final journey

At the Nirvana Memorial Park in Semenyih, just before 1.30pm – Photos by an eye-witness (for best results, view slideshow using Firefox browser)

1327: The crowd at the Park is now waiting for the arrival of the MB and Kit Siang.

1302: The cortege is just arriving at the Nirvana Memorial Park in Semenyih, accompanied by a long convoy of cars, according to my contact at the scene.

Earlier, in the morning, another eye-witness said the convoy from Malacca was perhaps a kilometre long; it was hard to tell for sure.

More than 2,000 people reportedly attended Beng Hock’s funeral at his home in Alor Gajah.

Kelantan prince sues wife, mum-in-law for RM105m

The Star (Used by permission)

KUALA LUMPUR: Tengku Temenggong of Kelantan Tengku Muhammad Fakhry Sultan Ismail Petra was granted a leave application to commence legal proceedings against his estranged wife Manohara Odelia Pinot and her mother Daisy Fajarina for alleged defamation.

He is suing them for RM105mil.

High Court Senior Registrar Safarudin Tambi granted the leave application in his chambers at 11:15am Monday.

The Kelantan prince filed the leave application earlier Monday.

Manohara and Daisy Fajarina have 21 days to file their statement of defence over the RM105mil suit.

On July 5, Tengku Muhammad Fakhry had filed two separate summonses against Manohara at the Syariah High Court in Kota Baru, demanding the return of a nearly RM1mil loan and that she be loyal to him.

The Kelantan prince filed the first summons with the Syariah High Court seeking the return of RM972,750 borrowed by his Manohara and her mother Daisy Farajina.

In his affidavit, Tengku Muhammad Fakhry claimed that before their marriage, Manohara and her mother had borrowed money from him totalling RM338,500 including RM174,000 to buy a Swiss-made Audemars Piguet watch.

He also claimed that before their marriage on Aug 26, last year, both the mother and daughter had borrowed RM634,250 and that it was understood that the sum should be repaid.

He said to date, the loan had not been settled and sought the court to issue an order for Manohara to pay the sum borrowed with costs and other reliefs deemed fit by the court.

The summons for Manohara, who carries the title Cik Puan Temenggong, to be loyal was filed at the Syariah Lower Court as she has yet to return to him although an ultimatum for her to do so has been issued.

Tengku Muhammad Fakhry said Manohara’s action had tarnished his name and the Kelantan Royal Palace. He claimed that he had issued an ultimatum to Manohara on June 26, through the local media, to return to his side by July 2 and carry out her responsibility as a wife under the Syariah laws.

He asked the court to issue an order for her to be loyal or deemed to be nusyuz (recalcitrant).

The Syariah Court set Aug 2 for mention of both the cases.

Manohara, 17, a former Indonesian teen model, fled from her husband on May 31 when they were in Singapore to visit his father, the Sultan of Kelantan, who was being treated at the Mount Elizabeth Hospital for a heart ailment.

She returned to Jakarta after accusing the 31-year-old prince of abusing her physically and sexually.

A medical examination in Jakarta allegedly stated she was repeatedly slashed with sharp objects on her chest and had been burnt with a cigar on her forehead.

Manohara had previously said she wanted to divorce her husband. Tengku Muhammad Fakhry lodged a police report on June 11 against her allegations.

Thousands throng stadium for Teoh

Uthayakumar forms Human Rights Party - Malaysiakini