Selcat chair has hidden agenda, says Kapar MP

By Rahmah Ghazali - Free Malaysia Today

PETALING JAYA: PKR's Kapar MP S Manikavasagam today claimed that Selangor speaker Teng Chang Khim has a “hidden agenda”against him.

Teng chairs the six-member panel of the Select Committee of Competency, Accountability and Transparency (Selcat) which will hold a public hearing on the sand mining scandal.

Manikavasagam, who exposed the scandal involving state government-owned company Kumpulan Semesta Sdn Bhd (KSSB), is slated to take the stand on June 2.

Speaking to FMT, the Kapar MP said he does not expect a fair hearing because Teng has an axe to grind with him since the two locked horns over the Klang Bus Sentral station issue in 2008.

"He has a hidden agenda, and he will be against me like what he did to (state exco) Ronnie Liu," he said, referring to the Selcat hearing on the alleged misappropriation of funds in Liu's constituency.

"I don't think he will (be fair) to me. I think there will be a cover-up (by Selcat) to (protect) those people (involved)," he said, adding that it would not stop him from testifying at the hearing.

"Of course I will attend. Political-wise, I have to go and give full cooperation. I just hope that Teng (and others on the panel) can focus on this issue (without other agendas)," he said.

Manikavasagam said that he must be careful with his testimony and the evidence he presents at the hearing.

"Whatever I say, three million people (in Selangor) will be watching. I have the people, and evidence to (support his allegation)," he said.

'If I don't go, will they throw me in jail?'

Manikavasagam also expressed shock over Selcat's notice, compelling him to attend the public hearing.

He agreed with former Selangor menteri besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo who said the legislative body has no legal provisions to do so.

In its notice, Selcat said that Manikavasagam could be jailed for a year or be fined RM5,000 if he failed to attend the hearing, give his statement or provide documents as ordered.

"I was shocked when I read the notice. I am a witness, even in court cases, the subpoenas will not be like this. It is not right, they don't have the power.

"Let's say I choose not to go, are they going to throw me into Sungai Buloh prison? Or do they need to create a new prison (on behalf of Selcat)?" he asked.

Khir was reported as saying today that there were provisions in the law empowering Selcat to punish people and the attorney-general had not given clearance to Selcat to enforce such an action.

"Furthermore, if Selcat wants such power, new legislation needs to be passed in Parliament," he was quoted as saying.

In an immediate response, Teng said he will hold a press conference tomorrow to clarify the matter surrounding Selcat.

Police to monitor Anti-Samy Vellu rally

(Bernama) - Police will monitor the Anti-Samy Vellu Movement (GAS) rally on Sunday although it has been issued a permit, Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Wira Muhammad Sabtu Osman said.

He said even with the rally being held indoor, police personnel would be deployed to prevent untoward incidents.

“We received a permit application for the rally and have given the approval because the event will be held indoor at Dewan Merdeka, Putra World Trade Centre.

“We have been told that thousands of supporters will be taking part, so we will keep an eye on the event,” he told Bernama.

He said this when asked to comment on MIC Youth deputy chief V. Mugilan’s application for a rally permit which was made at the Dang Wangi Police Station on Monday.

The rally is to urge MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu to relinquish his post in July this year instead of 2011.

Anti-Samy Vellu rally to draw 10,000, claims organiser

(Bernama) - About 10,000 people are expected at the launching of the Anti-Samy Vellu Movement (Gerakan Anti Samy Vellu or GAS) at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) this Sunday, the party’s sacked deputy Youth chief V. Mugilan has claimed.

He said the number expected initially was 7,000, but had now risen to 10,000 as more people had thrown their support behind GAS.

“Those expected to attend the gathering include MIC members, Maika Holdings shareholders and other members of the Indian community who are not party members,” he told a press conference held at a restaurant, here, today.

Mugilan also disclosed that he himself had on Monday booked the Dewan Merdeka at PWTC for the gathering and not Umno as claimed by MIC Youth chief T. Mohan yesterday.

He said as the Dewan Merdeka could only accommodate 5,000 people, large screens would be placed outside the hall to enable the others to follow the proceeding inside.

Mugilan, who was sacked by MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu last Thursday, is asking the latter to step down in July instead of the year end as suggested earlier.

He said the latest decision was made due to the mounting anti-Samy Vellu sentiment and calls for the party supremo to step down.

Mugilan said he would announce a plan at the GAS launching for Samy Vellu to quit the party presidency earlier than he (Samy Vellu) had planned.

Also present at the press conference were former party Central Working Committee members K.P. Samy and G. Kumar Aamaan who were also sacked by Samy Vellu on Monday.

Asked what would happen if the gathering fails to get Samy Vellu to stop down early, Mugilan said: “We will tell the media that Samy Vellu is the best leader. We will keep quiet and surrender.”

Mugilan also showed the receipt dated May 24 for the payment of RM5,000 for booking the Dewan Medeka which was made in his name.

He said the receipt was handed over to the Dang Wangi police station to apply for a permit to hold the GAS gathering on Sunday.

Meanwhile, in IPOH, Perak MIC has urged the rally organiser to cancel the gathering if they still love the party.

Its chairman Datuk S. Veerasingham said those involved should let the power transition to take place in an orderly manner.
“The rally is not necessary. Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu has said that he would relinquish his post and hand it over to his successor,” he told a news conference.

Anwar Ibrahim: The Fundamentalist — Hishamuddin Yahaya

From Malaysian Insider

In February, a very influential Australian MP described Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as “intelligent and articulate and passionate democrat. He is committed to a thorough reform of Malaysian Government, to rid it of cronyism, corruption and authoritarian tendencies that have gained ground since (Tun Dr) Mahathir Mohamad became prime minister in 1981.”

The reformist

Anwar is a reformist and reformists everywhere seem to share the same fate. To give a few examples: Benigno Aquino (Ninoy) of the Philippines was shot on the tarmac of Manila Airport as soon as he embarked from self exile in the US. The revered Indian leader, Mahatma Gandhi, was shot at point blank range. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X of the United States were both shot in public. Abdul Kadir Audah and Hassan Al Banna of Egypt were hanged and shot in the street respectively under Gamal Abdul Nasser’s regime. Anwar was incarcerated in Kamunting in 1974 and later imprisoned in Sungai Buloh for more than six years.

Social and political reformers are never safe inside or outside the courthouse. Outside, their lives hinge on the barrel of a gun. Inside the courthouse, they are like slaves thrown into the lions’ arena of the ancient Roman Coliseum, with prosecutors enjoying control of the Court albeit using dubious charges.

Anwar’s arrest (1974)

I first met Anwar 40 years ago at Malaysia Hall in London. Lean and with a gaunt face, the un-pretentious and affable celebrated student leader struck me as one humble and modest and down-to-earth individual — a portrait of one among equals. I took to him immediately.

I next met him in 1974 as his friend and defence counsel when he was first arrested for unlawful assembly (the mammoth Baling Demonstration involving hundreds of university students) and later charged under the ISA. For that, I was pulled up by the then-home affairs minister, Ghazali Shafie (later made a Tun), who was told by the then-prime minister, the late Tun Abdul Razak, that I was defending this maverick Anwar, despite me being a government backbencher (I was the MP for Maran, Pahang.) Tun Ghazali was sombre and I was even more sombre.

I was restless for a few days, until I made an appointment to see Tun Razak at his official residence in Sri Taman. As I entered the gate of Sri Taman, the young and handsome Najib Razak was driving to go to work. He lowered his window screen, smiled broadly and said, “Political problems?” “Yes, “I replied, and he disappeared.

Meeting the Tun

The late Tun gave me more than half an hour of his precious time to talk exclusively about Anwar. As usual the late Tun never displayed his anger, no matter how angry he was, a very rare quality that even the late Tun Ghafar Baba confessed that he feared the Tun even more because of this trait. What actually transpired in my meeting with the Tun is a secret best kept to myself.

Three things emerged in my mind after that memorable meeting with the Tun. First, I felt that I had lost favour with the Tun and my political future, then and there, was dashed! Second, I learnt from the Tun that Anwar was a one hundred per cent purpose-driven individual whom Tun described as “recalcitrant”. Third, the mammoth demonstration had certainly left an impact and what’s even more far-reaching is something I will not divulge. Tun’s parting words to me: Don’t leave Abim but stay and advise Anwar, which I never did.

Formation of Abim

Anwar was the doyen and icon of Islamic fundamentalism (a term not to be misunderstood and associated with extremism or terrorism). Where Umno and PAS were equally myopic and lacked imagination, Anwar came to the fore to fill this gap. Anwar and his colleagues formed the Malaysian Muslim Youth Movement (Abim) to unite all the Muslim youths under a single organisation.

Once united, they were trained and taught wholesome Islamic values: A sense of high self-esteem and taught to be reliable and independent, responsible to self and community and to develop in themselves the virtues of honesty and integrity, to live in peace and harmony, to be tolerant culturally and religiously and all the rest of it, which covers the entire gamut of life.

On careful analysis, one will realise that the larger political Islam harnessed through Abim was the result of the genius of Anwar. It reflects his philosophical and intellectual mindset which underpins his political convictions. To testify the validity of his Islamic thought, Yusof Qurdhawi, the world renowned ulama, gave his full endorsement to what Anwar did, and the two even became close friends to this day.

The formation of Abim and what it aspires to is the embodiment of Anwar’s thought and emotions, the unfolding of his inner self that speaks of his emotional and psychological makeup. It is also the manifestation of his religion-oriented soul which cherishes the high moral values in life, a rare quality found in an individual of his generation. To associate a man of his credentials with any contemptible act is like putting a square peg into a round hole.

Now confronted with multifarious accusations by ruling members of Parliament in its present sitting, the steel in the man is clearly displayed. He is still standing tall above others, unwavering with a clear message “My voice is loud and clear, and I have nothing to fear.” It’s a David and Goliath situation — Anwar, a man who moves the nation to its knees.

Yayasan Anda

The establishment of a private school, Yayasan Anda in Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur, spoke volumes of this man. It was a school set up solely to cater for school dropouts, giving them a second chance to achieve academic success. Yayasan Anda is testimony to Anwar’s selflessness. When almost all of his fellow graduates joined the civil service with the rank of “officers”, Anwar, chose a different path, regarded puerile by many, as the pay was pittance compared to the officers in the civil service.

Nevertheless, Anwar chose to teach there, with neither prospect for promotion nor bonuses or other perks enjoyed by his colleagues in the civil service — an unusual undertaking by today’s standards, which others may find difficult to understand. But Anwar lived to be dictated by his inner conscience and the knowledge that “knowledge” is not a tool for self-enrichment but when acquired must be disseminated for the well-being of others.

Such passionate compassion could not have emanated from a factory churned-out graduates, but from one with firm religious conviction, who would not compromise principles with material gains. It was for this reason too that a certain influential PAS leader referred to Anwar insan kamil (infallible human being) in terms of religious transgression.

Anwar’s court conviction

A Muslim will not fall into the same pit twice. Anwar never fell once, although he was previously convicted, imprisoned and sealed with a blue eye. The conviction did not tell all, although it was proved “beyond reasonable doubt”. In our system of justice, what’s reasonable or unreasonable doubt is the judge’s exclusive propriety. His findings based on the evidence adduced before him are very much subject to his acumen, which in turn is very much subject to his innate intelligence. Judges too are seldom free of political leanings and often, their judgements are also influenced by their emotional state.

We have heard cases in the United States where a man was imprisoned for twenty years, only to be freed when the real culprit (who was nearing death) gave himself up and confessed to the crime. The innocent man was totally disoriented and with most of his productive life wasted, no amount of government compensation could make up for his suffering.

Recently, a man from Texas, USA, Timothy Cole, who died nine years ago in prison, was given a posthumous pardon after he was found not guilty of rape. He spent 13 years in prison for nothing.

The truth about Datuk Taha’s death (remember the Negeri Exco member?) was never known, although Datuk Mokhtar Hashim was sentenced to prison for the alleged crime. The judgment of Hashim Yeop Sani sent shock-waves in the legal profession, including in the AG’s chambers. The fact that Mokhtar was given a royal pardon showed that the evidence in the case was somewhat hazy and its veracity questionable.

It is worthwhile to remember what the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, said, “Out of three judges, two are dwellers of hell.” And again the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, said, “A person may have won the case, because he is a better speaker than the other.” Even the Prophet himself asked forgiveness from Allah, in case he judged wrongly. It is for this reason, that Muslim judges are taught that it is better to make a wrong decision and not punish the guilty than to make a wrong decision and punish the innocent.

Anwar and Umno

Anwar did not anticipate that he would one day join Umno because of its secular policy and practices. But he joined Umno in the 1982 by invitation, because it was feared that unless Umno took him in, PAS would grab him.

Anwar’s credentials led Umno to raise its hopes in him and his meteoric rise proved this. At the same time Anwar was forewarned by his close associates that should he join Umno, he would one day find himself a victim of conspiracy by a rogue group within Umno who would want to maintain the status quo. But Anwar took a different view.

He planned to position himself so that he could establish accountability and good governance from within. True, as predicted, his effort was met by a hatched plan against him; he was sacked from Umno at lightning speed and left high and dry.

But Anwar is a survivor. He holds on fast to the old Malay proverb that a warrior’s death is in the arena of combat. Anwar will survive or at the very least it may be a precursor to a long-awaited reformasi. — Aliran

* Datuk Hishamuddin Yahaya is a lawyer and former MP for Maran.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication. The Malaysian Insider does not endorse the view unless specified.

Musa Hitam should make public the full report of Sime Darby task force on the cost overruns of its energies and utilities division tomorrow

By Lim Kit Siang,

Sime Darby Chairman Tun Musa Hitam should make public the full report of the Sime Darby Task Force on the cost overruns of its energies and utilities division tomorrow and should not withhold any information from the Malaysian public, as they are the ultimate shareholders of the GLC conglomerate.

Sime Darby had earlier promised on its website that “all relevant disclosures” will be made with the world’s biggest-listed palm oil producer’s third quarter results tomorrow (May 27) but what Malaysians want is not a second-hand account but the full uncensored report of the Task Force on its energies and utilities division’s “difficulties and challenges, especially with regards to operational efficiency and project management”.

Malaysians want to know the bottom-line, in particular (i) whether Sime Darby has a history totalling some RM3.5 billion write-offs; if so, why and what is being done about it; and (ii) whether Sime Darby has incurred more than RM1 billion in cost overruns from carrying out a civil works contract for the Bakun hydroelectric project, with one estimate putting the total cost overruns at RM1.7 billion; and whether it is true that the government has agreed to reimburse around RM700 million to Sime Darby, leaving the group with around RM1 billion to deal with.

Musa should know that for the first time in his public career, his reputation for credibility, accountability, transparency and integrity is on the line, with commentators castigating him and the Sime Darby Board members as having “zero integrity and zero credibility”.

Musa should be able to understand not only shareholder, but public disgust and anger as one of the country’s bluechips have overnight transformed from a “overperform” to “underperform” stock, and the term GLC (Government-Linked Company) is fast gaining a new meaning – “Government-Losing Concern” – thanks to Sime Darby!

The responsibility on public accountability and transparency does not rest solely on Musa’s shoulders but also on that of the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

This is why Najib should present a preliminary White Paper on the Sime Darby fiasco when Parliament reconvenes on 7th June, explaining in particular what it meant to the ten-year GLC Transformation Plan since 2004.

Instead of growing GLCs to drive the country’s economic growth, the GLCs are becoming public burdens as “Government Losing Concerns” retarding the country’s plan to become a high income country to escape the decade-old middle-income trap.

The GLC Transformation Plan sets out a GLC Transformation Manual, KPIs or key performance indicators with 10 initiatives and multi-coloured books like the Red Book on procurement practices and the Purple Book on optimizing capital management practices.

How can Sime Darby be saddled with such astronomical losses if it had followed the Transformation Manual and the ten initiatives which includes efforts like how to improve board effectiveness, laying down procurement guidelines and how to improve operations.

Or hadn’t Sime Darby followed the Transformation Manual and its multi-coloured books.

Either way, both Musa and Najib owe the Malaysian public a full and satisfactory explanation.

Leaking Malaysian Tanker Transfers Crude Oil

The damaged oil tanker, MT Bunga Kelana 3. fotoBernamaSINGAPORE, May 26 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian oil tanker which leaked over 2,500 tonnes of crude into the Singapore Strait after it was struck by a bulk carrier Tuesday is currently transferring its crude internally onboard.

AET Tanker Holdings Sdn Bhd, the owner of MT Bunga Kelana 3 which collided with the bulk carrier, MV Waily, said today that after the Bintulu light grade oil had been transferred, an assessment on the ship's underwater damage would be carried out.

The tanker is currently anchored off Changi East, and will move to another anchorage after the assessment on the underwater damage is completed.

MT Bunga Kelana 3 collided with MV Waily while travelling from east to west in the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) of the Singapore Strait, 13km southeast of Changi East, at 6.03am.

The incident caused significant damage to the vessel's hull and resulted in a spill of crude oil that is now being cleaned up by specialists in 15 boats, well into the night, using 50 tonnes of dispersant and 4,000m of boom.

Cleaning efforts resumed early this morning with the addition of more than 100 personnel deployed along the shoreline in case the spill reached the Singapore coast, AET said.

AET is also cooperating fully with the Malaysian authorities in readiness for possible clean-up operations along the south-eastern coast of peninsular Malaysia.

Court allows boy to challenge exile

The Malaysian Insider
by Debra Chong

KUALA LUMPUR, May 26 — The High Court here today granted exiled schoolboy Jiegandran Panir Selvam the right to challenge a home ministry order which had placed him under detention without trial earlier this year.

Jiegandran, who turned 18 four days ago, was arrested last year on suspicion of having a stolen motorcycle.

He was later detained under the Emergency Ordinance (EO), an archaic law used to combat communism in then-Malaya, from January to March this year.

The home ministry, represented by federal counsel Mohd Zain Ismail from the Attorney-General’s Chambers, did not object to the teen’s court bid, said Jiegandran’s lawyers.

The case has been fixed for mention on July 5, before judge Datuk Mohd Zawawi Salleh.

Jiegandran was not in court for his case, which was heard in chambers.

A group of some 10 lawyers were acting for the boy, including Syahredzan Johan, Daniel Albert, Yohendra Nadarajan and Richard Wee.

The fifth-former from Selangor has been exiled to neighbouring Negri Sembilan for two years under the Restricted Residence Act (RRA), under an order issued by the home ministry resulting from his earlier detention under the Emergency law.

“He cannot leave the district of Linggi without the written consent of the police chief,” Yohendra told reporters outside the courtroom.

He added that Jiegrandran, who must also report to the police station every Monday for the next two years, has been put under curfew and was effectively house-bound from 8pm to 6am the next day.

“It’s a very draconian order against a child,” Wee cut in.

“As a minor, he has no capacity to sign the EO order given to him,” he added, referring to the document issued by Deputy Home Minister Datuk Wira Abu Seman Yusop for the ministry.

The lawyer explained that Parliament had passed the Child Act in 2001, protecting the rights of persons under 18 years old.

Wee also highlighted the United Nations’ 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), an international treaty which Malaysia had signed and was committed to uphold.

Jiegandran and his father, M. Panir Selvam, 53, who is also named as an applicant in the court papers, want the High Court to lift the home ministry’s restrictive orders and allow him to return home to his family in Semenyih.

The deputy home minister, the Inspector-General of Police, the Negri Sembilan police chief and the federal government were named as respondents in the suit.

Sibu churches miss opportunity - Anil Netto

The Sibu churches who received grants from the federal government during the recent by-election plan have missed the chance to take a public stand against vote-buying. 

They intend to keep the money, their pastors offering a host of reasons, some of them maybe legitimate: it’s public money; they had applied for the money earlier; they went through proper procedures; what can they do if the money is given during the campaign; there were no conditions attached; they are tax-paying citizens as well.


One pastor was even reported as saying the grant was a “special opportunity given by God” for which the church should be grateful. (Now, that’s too much!) Another pastor even said the grant had nothing to do with the by-election.

Here’s the larger picture the pastors missed in their arguments: was there any certainty they were going to get those grants – if not for the Sibu by-election? What if many among the public, whose money it was in the first place, viewed the award and timing of those grants as vote-buying? Doesn’t that count?

Don’t these churches see that in returning the money and snubbing the giver, they would be deterring other attempts at vote-buying in future?

I think they lost a valuable opportunity to make a statement and public stand against vote-buying.
May they enjoy their grants and sleep well.

More than 100 countries, incl. Mozambique, have faster internet than Malaysia

TMI:

Malaysia ranks a lowly 102nd out of 152 countries in terms of its average download speed, according to analyses by leading internet speed testing website speedtest.net.
The tests showed that Malaysia’s average download speed was 1.88 Mbps as compared with 1.92 Mbps in Mozambique.

Wow.

RPK: Anwar dispensable, Khalid a failure

By K Kabilan

FMT EXCLUSIVE Opposition party PKR needs to wean itself off Anwar Ibrahim and start grooming a new batch of leaders to take it forward, said popular blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin who is now in exile in London.

He said that the party, and for that matter the opposition pact Pakatan Rakyat, was relying too much on Anwar for leadership.

“The problem with Anwar is that he does not have a good team. What if Anwar dies tomorrow? Do you mean that PKR or Pakatan Rakyat is also dead?

“No man is indispensable. Every one can be replaced, Anwar included,” he told FMT in an exclusive interview.

Raja Petra also disagreed with talks that Anwar was neglecting the opposition agenda as a result of his ongoing sodomy trial.

“The sodomy trial does not matter. What matters is that Anwar must have a good team.

“Even President Ronald Reagan was able to run the United States because he had a good team -- if you know what I mean,” he said.

He also said that while Anwar should remain the PKR and opposition leader, “his team must ensure continuity”.

“But this is what we do not have at the moment. Everything rests on Anwar’s shoulders. And that is bad.

“All they need to do is to send Anwar to jail or put a bullet in his head and we are all dead. How can we allow for that?” he added.

He stressed that the opposition's future should not be about Anwar. “Anwar can come or he can go,” he said.

Khalid has failed

Raja Petra also did not mince his words in criticising the leadership of Khalid Ibrahim as the Selangor menteri besar.

He said that Selangor is the flagship or jewel in Pakatan's crown and that therefore it has to perform better than Penang.

“But Penang is instead performing better than Selangor. Agreed, Khalid is facing a lot of obstacles. But so is (Penang CM) Lim Guan Eng, Azizan (Abdul Razak) in Kedah and Nik Aziz (Nik Mat) in Kelantan.

“But Guan Eng just plods on and takes these obstacles in his stride. He does not use them as an excuse on why he can’t perform the way he would like to,” he said.

He said Khalid failed to be “brutal” in attacking the remnants of Barisan Nasional in the state. He noted that there were “rats” happily nibbling away and plotting on how to bring Selangor down.

“But how many rats did Khalid burn? How many corrupt people did he line up against the wall and shoot dead?

“If Khalid can’t get rid of the rats, then he should go instead. Then let a new ‘Khomeini’ take over and clean up the state. That is the only way to save the state,” he said.

“If the fire is too hot, then get out of the kitchen. Don’t complain that you can't take the heat. There are others who can do your job if the job is too much for you to handle,” he added.

Performance of Pakatan states

Raja Petra then shared his views on the performance of the Pakatan states after the March 2008 general election.

He said that the people expected magic from the new Pakatan state governments and felt disappointed when they were not seeing any.

“They are only seeing some improvement. And they are not happy with this. But how much can the states do when a lot of things depend on the federal government and require federal government support or approval?

“They can’t even implement local council elections, which they promised the voters, unless the federal government agrees to it. And the federal government does not agree to local council elections. So the states are seen as breaking their promise to the voters,” he said.

He also said that it was important to have the backing of the state civil service for the Pakatan states to implement their policies.

“[But] many in the civil service in these states are Umno supporters and are working against Pakatan and are trying to bring down the Pakatan state governments.

“If we take into consideration the handicaps, acts of internal sabotage, and the thorns in the flesh from amongst the civil service, then I would say Penang and Selangor have done quite well.

“Let me put it another way. Penang and Selangor under Barisan Nasional would be far worse. So things can’t be any worse under Pakatan Rakyat,” he observed.

Excerpts from the interview:

Your views on the recent defections and do you think the Kedah and Selangor state governments are in danger?

I have already written about that at great length. Umno can’t be brought down from the outside. But it can be brought down from the inside. And if Kedah and Selangor fall, it will be because of the Trojan Horses in the opposition plus in the state civil service. And the Trojan Horses are in all the three opposition parties – PKR, DAP and PAS.

Kedah will dissolve the state assembly and call for fresh state election if there is just one more defection. Actually, they might as well dissolve the state assembly now because there may be more defections soon.

Why wait like Perak when it is already too late and you have already lost your majority in the state government? Then the Sultan can refuse your request to dissolve the state assembly since you no longer have the majority in the state assembly. Do it while you still have the majority, not after you have lost it.

How would you rate Pakatan's performance, especially in Penang and Selangor?

It depends whether you gauge their performance against the old regime or you look at their performance in isolation. Compared to the old Barisan Nasional government, Penang and Selangor under Pakatan Rakyat have done better.

But then we are comparing bad to worse and of course bad is better than worse. But people are not happy with just being better than worse. They want to see good - which is better than bad and far better that worse.

The SIHRG event in London on May 22 was your first formal public appearance since you left Malaysia in the middle of last year. What took you so long to come out in the open?

I was always in the open. I walked the streets and attended functions and met many people, Malaysians as well as non-Malaysians. Umno people, ex-ministers included, even came to my house for dinner.

One even asked for permission to give my phone number to Dr Mahathir Mohamad and the second time he came for dinner, he confirmed he had given my number to Mahathir.

I have been meeting more Barisan Nasional people here than when I was back in Malaysia. Maybe they feel safer meeting me here than back in Malaysia where someone might spot us together.

Do you know how many Malaysians (Malays, Chinese, as well Indians) own restaurants here in the UK (not only in London but in the other cities as well)?

I have been to almost all these restaurants and have met all the owners. I even signed the visitors’ book and many other Malaysians who signed the book after me have seen my name and one even took a photograph of that page and put it in his blog.

Can you give more details on your future plans?

I have no plans to speak of. I will just continue doing what I have been doing for more than 30 years since the 1970s and over the last 12 years since reformasi in 1998. And that is to write and speak on matters of social justice and fundamental human rights.

MIC Youth chief: We can call them 'biadap' too

By RK Anand - Free Malaysia Today

KUALA LUMPUR: MIC Youth chief T Mohan today expressed regret that Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin chose to use the word "biadap" (insolent) against S Vell Paari, the son of MIC president S Samy Vellu.

"For a man of his position, stature and age, he should not have used such a word. We can also call them the same thing, but we have respect for their positions," he told FMT.

Mohan said he has been receiving calls from MIC members from all over the country who have expressed their anger with Muhyiddin for using such a word.

The deputy premier had criticised Vell Paari over his statements which appeared in FMT, where the MIC central working committee (CWC) member accused Umno of backing the campaign to oust his father.

Several other Umno leaders have also lambasted Vell Paari and demanded an apology.

Vell Paari had also blamed Umno and its "discriminatory" policies for the swing in Indian votes to the opposition in the last general election.

However, Mohan said Vell Paari was merely expressing his personal views and his critics should have countered him with arguments, facts and figures.

"They (Umno leaders) should have challenged his views and not resort to calling him names. This is not the proper way to do things," he added.

Vell Paari: I will not back down

Meanwhile, Vell Paari also refused to apologise for his statements regarding the issues afflicting the Indian community.

"Umno claims it is not involved in the campaign against my father. I am ready to apologise if I had wrongly accused them. But I would not back down on the other issues.

"You call me rude, fine. But Umno remained silent for two years on reports claiming that Umno wants my father to step down. You allowed others to use your name to undermine MIC," he told FMT.

"If they say I am rude, then imagine how the non-Malays must have felt when Perkasa chairman Ibrahim Ali unsheathed a keris on stage and said all those things," he added.

Perkasa, a right-wing Malay pressure group, is said to be an "extension" of Umno but the party has denied any links to it.

The group's president has been taken to task by various quarters over Perkasa's hardline stand on Malay rights but Umno leaders have remained silent on the matter.

Recently, Ibrahim came under fire from MCA and Gerakan when he labelled the Chinese voters in Hulu Selangor as ungrateful for backing the PKR candidate in the recent by-election there.

'We accept suggestions, not interference'

In a related matter, Mohan said MIC is willing to accept suggestions from Umno, which is described as the "big brother" in BN, but not interference into its affairs.

"The Umno leadership might not be involved, but there could be others such as division or state leaders lending their support (to the anti-Samy Vellu campaign) and this reflects on Umno as a whole

"I got calls from some Umno leaders, saying they are not against Samy Vellu and so on," he added.

Yesterday, Mohan said a check by MIC Youth revealed that the Putra World Trade Centre hall, where the Gerakan Anti-Samy Vellu (GAS) campaign is to be launched on Sunday, was booked by Umno.

Howver, his sacked deputy V Mugilan, who is leading the campaign, disclosed a receipt today to prove otherwise.

But Mohan remains sceptical, saying that there is a possibility "it (the document) could have been backdated".

The MIC Youth chief said since GAS is being allowed to hold its gathering in PWTC, which also houses the Umno headquarters, then there should be no double standards in future.

"From now on, opposition parties or even Hindraf and other groups that may sprout in future like GUN or GAY should also be given the privilege of using the PWTC hall," he added.

Mohan said a precedent should not be set where a democratically elected president is forced to step down by a group of people under the very nose of the BN leadership.

"BN must take action. What would happen if a rebel leader from Umno does the same tomorrow and MIC joins him... action must be taken.

"Furthermore, GAS is an unregistered body. But I won't be surprised if it is registered (by the Registrar of Socities) in the next three days," he said.

"There has been a case where a political party was registered in eight days," he quipped.

Mohan was referring to the Malaysian Makkal Sakti Party (MMSP), a Hindraf splinter group, backed by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.

It was said that Najib wanted the BN-friendly MMSP to be an alternative to MIC but the plan fell flat after the fledgling party was torn by internal strife.

Commenting further on Umno's alleged backing for GAS, Mohan said: "They (Umno leaders) say they are not supporting it, but they keep silent (not criticising it either). It is this silence which is being construed as tacit support."

On rumours that Umno grassroots leaders, vexed with Vell Paari's statement, are mobilising people for the multi-racial GAS rally, the MIC Youth chief replied: "Let them do it if they want to."

Similar gathering will not be held

Mohan also told FMT that MIC Youth had scrapped its plan to hold a similar gathering at the MIC headquarters here to show support for Samy Vellu on the same day.

"We can bring double the number that Mugilan claims he can bring. Unlike them, we don't have to pay these people to show up. These are hardcore supporters of the president.

"Just from Kedah itself, we can bring 20 busloads. But we decided against it due to safety reasons. Then again, why should we compete with him (Mugilan)?" he said.

"Numbers don't mean a thing. We may do some other events to express our support to the president," he added, dismissing speculation that the gathering was called off out of fear that they would not be able to muster the numbers.

A source close to the president told FMT that Samy Vellu had shot down the idea.

"One, because of security, and two, because he did not want to break up the Indian community further," he said.

Khairy to Vell Paari: 'We-are-family' - Malaysiakini

Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin joined the fray today over allegations that he, and Umno, have a hand in moves to topple MIC chief S Samy Vellu.

Directing his ire at MIC central working committee member S Vell Paari - who has accused him and his party of seeking to divide MIC and topple his father S Samy Vellu - Khairy (right) said Umno holds to the principle by which BN's component parties treat each other as family.

Khairy also said BN has always respected the rights of component parties to determine their internal affairs free from the intervention of outside hands.

“Umno Youth wishes to assert that Umno has never been involved in the leadership tussle currently faced by MIC,” he said in a statement today.

“The accusation that Umno is covertly backing any individuals for the leadership of MIC is unfounded,” he added.

Khairy also said as a friend of MIC within the BN coalition, Umno Youth hopes MIC can solve its internal problems as soon as possible without resorting to pointing fingers at other quarters.

'Biadap'

Vell Paari triggered a storm earlier this week after he was quoted by online news portal Free Malaysia Today as having accused Umno of using “political assassins” to divide MIC and seeking to topple his father - MIC's president of nearly three decades.

Reacting to the charge, deputy Umno president Muhyiddin Yassin (left) blasted Vell Paari as being biadap (uncouth) and denied the allegations.

He also suggested that Samy Vellu advise his son against making remarks that could be deemed as offensive by other parties.

Upping the ante against Umno leaders yesterday, however, Vell Paari not only stood by his remarks but went on to demand an answer as to why one of the proponents of the Gerakan Anti-Samy Vellu movement - former MIC CWC member G Kumar Amman - had implicated Khairy.

“I am confused. (Umno executive secretary) Rauf (Yusoh) said that Umno is not involved, but Kumar (in a news report) claims that Khairy was the one who had 'opened their minds'.

“I want to know: what did Khairy open his mind to exactly – to work against MIC and its leaders?” Vell Paari (right) was reported as saying.

“I know Khairy well, and I don't think he would have done so,” he added.

Despite this, Vell Paari said, aspersions have been cast on Khairy and the Umno Youth chief must clarify the matter.

Orang Asli get RM6.5m in landmark case

The Orang Asli plaintiffs celebrate the settlement together with their lawyers and supporters at the Putrajaya Court Complex May 26, 2010.

PUTRAJAYA, May 26 — The Federal Court today recorded a RM6.5 million settlement for Orang Asli plaintiffs in a landmark land rights case.
The sum is to be paid by Lembaga Lebuhraya Malaysia (LLM) — on its own behalf as well as that of the Federal Government and United Engineers Malaysia Bhd (UEM) — to the Orang Asli applicants.
The case involved the forcible acquisition of Orang Asli land in Dengkil, Selangor for the construction of the Banting-Nilai highway in 1995. A total of 15.57 hectares were acquired from the Temuan-Orang Asli without compensation.
The plaintiffs in the case are Sagong Tasi, Kachut Tunchit, Dabat Chabat, Kepal Kepong, Sani Saken, Illas Senin and Tukas Siam.
In 1996, with the help of a team of pro bono lawyers from the Bar Council, led by Datuk Dr Cyrus Das, the Temuans fought the case in the Shah Alam High Court. The original defendants also included the Selangor government.
In 2002, the High Court ruled that the Orang Asli enjoyed native title rights over their traditional lands and they were to be compensated according to the Land Acquisition Act.  The defendants appealed the decision, but the Court of Appeal in 2005 upheld the ruling of the High Court.
A subsequent appeal was then made to the Federal Court, which granted the defendants leave in 2006.
However, in April 2009, the now Pakatan Rakyat Selangor government pulled out of the Federal Court appeal, in keeping with its promise to recognise the land rights of the Orang Asli .
After negotiations with the Attorney-General’s Chambers, both sides have agreed to a settlement. LLM, as the acquirer of the land will pay cash compensation to the Orang Asli for the land taken, while the Orang Asli lawyers will waive all other costs and damages granted by the court.
As part of the settlement, LLM must deposit the payment of RM6.5 million at the Shah Alam High Court within one month from today.
The 26 families affected by the forcible evacuation can then claim the compensation from Shah Alam High Court, based on the amount of land that was taken from them.
Outside the courtroom, Sagong Tasi (right) was delighted and said he was very satisfied with settlement.
“I am really happy after waiting for 14 years. I would not have been satisfied if the case was not settled; now my heart is at peace.
“I am now old, can’t see and can’t walk comfortably. I am really thin. Now that I have the money, I don’t know what to do. I don’t know if I want to buy a new house and maybe marry,” said the 79-year-old man while laughing with the reporters.
Selangor state executive councillor Elizabeth Wong said she hoped the landmark case would make the government reconsider planned amendments to the Orang Asli Act.
“With this landmark decision, I think the federal government has to rethink its current rules or process to amend the Orang Asli Act.
“Right now, there is an effort to amend the Act which would limit the kind of quantum that would be made [and] the size of land that would be given out as compensation.
 “[This was] opposed to the customary land that they should be accorded to. So the decision of the federal government to amend the Orang Asli Act should not go against the decision of the court in this case,” she said

Did Najib swap KTM land to settle RM363 billion debt?

By FMT Staff

SHAH ALAM: Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua is wondering if the Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s swap of six land parcels in Tanjung Pagar for two commercial lots in Singapore is related to the RM363 billion national deficit.
Expressing his concern, he said Najib may have been forced into making this decision in view of the swelling deficit.
Pua said he would not be surprised if the agreement was aimed at settling the national debts.
“For the moment, what we know is that Najib will receive funds from the development of land in Singapore. The land in Singapore is very valuable.
“I believe one of the reasons Najib went ahead with the agreement despite changes in land policies is that the Malaysian government anticipates lucrative returns from the development on KTM land,” he said.
Pua was referring to Monday's report which stated that Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd's (KTMB) railway land in Tanjung Pagar would be swapped for land parcels in two of Singapore's most expensive districts, including the site of the multibillion-dollar Marina Bay Sands casino complex which opened in April.
Najib, in a meeting with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in the island republic, had agreed to shift the KTMB complex to Woodlands, an industrial zone located just across a narrow strait from Johor by July 1, 2011.
Malaysia will also place its customs, immigration and quarantine complex at the industrial zone.
‘Let's see the terms’
Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim in a statement urged Najib to explain in detail the terms and conditions of the deal.
“We urge Najib to immediately explain in detail the meaning behind the Points of Agreement (POA) between Singapore and Malaysia.
“We also want to know the new terms and conditions to maximise the land potential in Singapore.
“We also want to know if Najib used the 1990 POA as outlined by (then) finance minister Daim Zainuddin because it did not get Cabinet approval, “ he said.
Describing the settlement as sudden, Anwar said issues involving national sovereignty in a neighbouring country were sensitive and must be handled with care.
He said Najib’s statement on Monday appeared to have shelved several key issues, such as the status of the Tanjung Pagar station, land parcels in Kranji Woodland, Tanjung Pagar and Lots 76-2 Mk16, Lot 249 Mk 4 and Lot 32-10 MK 16.
Anwar added that the government should also explain the actual status of the ongoing water issue with Singapore.

PKR prepared for sabotage

By FMT Staff

KOTA BARU: The organisers of the PKR national convention which begins on Friday have fortified themselves against any possible sabotage following rumours of ill-intent by former members and Umno.
Kelantan state deputy chairman Abdul Aziz Kadir said: “We’ve heard rumours that there are attempts to sabotage the convention by our former PKR members.
“We have taken note of the rumours. Our convention administrators and facilitators are also aware of this. We have taken the necessary precautions and are prepared.”
Defections have marred PKR’s rise as an opposition party since the March 2008 general election when the party led the Pakatan Rakyat coalition of DAP and PAS to wrest four states from Barisan Nasional.
Since then Pakatan lost Perak in a reverse takeover by BN when two Perak PKR state assemblymen - Mohd Osman Jailu (Changkat Jering) and Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi (Behrang) – and one DAP assemblywoman crossed over.
Following this, eight more PKR assemblymen and parliamentarians have quit the party. More than anything else the party now faces a credibility issue.
According to Abdul Aziz, this weekend’s convention was aimed at addressing the issue and consolidating the party spirit.
“The congress in Kelantan will be beneficial to the party, especially in kindling solidarity among grassroots supporters in view of the defections.
“These incidents (defections) have not weakened our resolve or the party. We will be using the weekend to show members this,” said the Ketereh MP.
Some 2,500 delegates and observers are expected to converge here beginning Friday.
Themed “Harapan Baru Selamatkan Malaysia’, Friday will see the Women and Youth congress taking place while the main event – the national convention – will be held on Saturday.
Abdul Aziz said the congress is also expected to discuss preparations for the 13th general election.
Yesterday FMT reported party’s secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail as saying that the party would use the weekend gathering to strengthen its organisation structure and consider ways to reaffirm its bonds with the PAS and DAP.
"We will also discuss the performances of states under Pakatan control," he said, referring to Kedah, Penang, Selangor and Kelantan.

PAS moves in on gambling outlets nationwide

By FMT Staff
KUALA LUMPUR: PAS Youth members nationwide have begun stationing themselves in front of gambling outlets with the aim of distributing flyers objecting to the government’s decision to legalise the activity during the football World Cup next month.
The wing's national chief Nasaruddin Hassan At Tantawi said the campaign would be ongoing until Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak withdraws the gambling licences issued to Berjaya Corp Group.
“We will be carrying out our campaign in shifts. We have already mobilised our Youth wing and will be stationing ourselves in front of all the outlets in the country.
“We will continue to do so until the prime minister withdraws or cancels the permits issued for the World Cup,” he said.
PAS and its coalition partners in Pakatan Rakyat have been against the move to legitimise betting during the World Cup.
Since last week, PAS has held simultaneous rallies and demonstrations in Selangor, Perak, Penang, Terengganu and Negri Sembilan against Najib’s decision to legalise betting. This Friday, similar protests will be held in Kedah, Perlis, Pahang and Selangor.
The government’s move to cash in on the World Cup fever by sanctioning gambling has also come under fire from non-governmental organisations over the social implications of the decision.
But public outcry, however, seems to have had little effect against the probability of the government earning RM60 billion in taxes over the World Cup season.
Deputy Finance Minister Awang Adek had reportedly said the government would like to benefit financially by licensing sports betting.
“There will be many bookies placing bets on the matches anyway. Those who want to do it (gamble) will do it, whether it is legal or not,” he reportedly said.
“The government can benefit from it and use the revenue to develop sports.”

It takes two to tango, Yong tells federal leaders

By Queville To
KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) wants a review of the state-federal relationship to bridge the widening gulf between the two.
Its president, Yong Teck Lee, said it is time Sabah reclaimed its rightful position in the federation, as spelt out in the Malaysia Agreement.
“The debate as to whether Sabah is one of three equal partners or one of 13 states in Malaysia shows that a review of the state-federal relationship is relevant and timely," said the Sabah opposition leader who pulled his party out of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition in 2008.
"SAPP will push for a review in line with its eight-point struggle for autonomy and the return of Labuan," he said, referring to the island which was ceded to the federal government in 1984 and made a federal territory. Labuan is now an international offshore financial centre and free trade zone.
Yong also said the review will propose that the status of the High Court in Borneo be raised and that the granting of citizenship in Sabah must require state consent.
“Schedule 9 (Legislative Lists) of the Federal Constitution can be amended to give more jurisdiction to Sabah and Sarawak.
“Foreign labour, labour laws, shipping, road transport, trade and industry and energy can be transferred to the state list.
“Schedule 10 Part V (Additional Sources of Revenues Assigned to Borneo States) can be expanded to include oil and gas, customs duties and revenues originating from Sabah and Sarawak.
“This review can include Jeffrey Kitingan’s idea of a two-tier federation.
“A two-tier system will allow the Conference of Rulers to continue as it is but that the Chief Ministers and Menteri Besar Conference can be reviewed to enhance the participation of Sabah and Sarawak,” Yong, the former Sabah Chief Minister, said in a statement.
He said Sabahans’ understanding of the Malaysia Agreement and the Malaysia Proclamation 1963, is that Sabah had formed Malaysia with three other partners – Malaya, Sarawak and Singapore.
“Hence, many Sabahans (now with the independence of Singapore) consider Sabah as 'one of three' and not “one of 13” partners in Malaysia. This, the collective memory of the Sabah people, does not go away. People still talk about it.
"From 1963 to 1971, Sabah and Sarawak were known as East Malaysia. Malaya became known as West Malaysia. But after the break-up of West and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in 1971, the term West and East Malaysia was replaced with 'Peninsular Malaysia' and 'Sabah and Sarawak' for obvious reasons.
“But the federal government will not concede that Sabah is an equal partner to Malaya because our national leaders cannot imagine Sabah as an equal to Malaya (now Peninsular Malaysia),” he said.
'The wild east'
Yong pointed out that although Malaysia Day on Sept 16 is a historical fact, it still took the BN federal government 47 years to declare it a national holiday.
It was also worth noting, he added, that the country will still celebrate its 53rd year of independence when, in reality, the nation is only 47 years old considering that Malaysia was only formed in 1963.
“To them (peninsular leaders), we are the latecomers to Malaysia. We need their help because we are more backward. In the 1970s, our new friends in KL asked whether we live on tree tops and if we have television. To say they are equal to Sabah would be too much for them to bear.
“They say we need their civil servants because we have no qualified Sabahans. We win hardly any national sports tournaments. Economically, we are weak. Politically, we are 'the wild East'. Our tourism icon is the orang utan, our main national news are pirates.
"None of the national newspapers saw the need to report the Sabah debate on the loss of oil blocks L and M or the piping of natural gas to Bintulu and the controversy over the coal-powered plant. Sabah’s losses are of little concern to them,” Yong said.
But, Yong said, this is understandable... Sabahans and Sarawakians cannot blame their Peninsular Malaysia counterparts for saying that “Sabah and Sarawak are behind time” and slow in following the national trend when commenting on the March 2008 political tsunami in Peninsular Malaysia. “We cannot blame them for thinking so because that is their perspective of Sabah and Sarawak. But, we could remind them that when Sabah took the lead to change the BN federal government in 1990, all the peninsular states, except Kelantan, re-elected BN,” he said.
He noted that some leaders in KL had a biased mindset and considered Sabah as a recalcitrant child and they (Peninsular Malaysia) the parent. It is a mindset that is often reflected in the civil service, private companies and associations.
“Their KL head offices make all the important decisions and treat their offices in Sabah like any other branch in the peninsula.”
Yong attributed this culture of superiority among the KL leaders to Sabahans’ meekness which can especially be seen in some local politicians kowtowing to federal leaders and urging them to come regularly to Sabah to help them.
“Sabah Umno receives 'bapa angkat' in all the constituencies. When some Umno MPs were speculated to defect in 2008, their party headquarters sent spies after them.
"MCA claims that its four federal ministers can do wonders for Sabah’s Chinese. Upko (United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation) has made itself a mirror image of peninsular racial parties like MIC, MCA and Umno,” he said.
“At the same time, the leaders of PBS, PBRS and LDP have all become subservient to KL in the hope of getting some favours, the most glaring example being LDP lobbying for a federal minister's post. To be equal is not in their minds,” he added.
“The internal bickering within Sabah Umno and BN has also entrenched the 'divide and rule' tactic of KL. These BN leaders have not learnt from history. As a result, the people in Sabah lost out,” he said.
As far as Sabahans are concerned, Malaysia was formed pursuant to the Malaysia Agreement of July 9, 1963 signed in London. The signatories were led by the then prime ministers of the United Kingdom, Malaya, Singapore and the leaders of North Borneo (now Sabah) and Sarawak. (Singapore left Malaysia on Aug 9, 1965.)
The agreement was signed not with the other 11 existing states in the Federation of Malaya but with Malaya as an entity. (Indeed, Kelantan had objected to the inclusion of Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore in Malaysia and had disputed the Malayan federal government’s power to admit new states. But Kelantan lost its legal challenge on Sept 14, 1963.)

Raja Petra can't be tried in Britain

(The Star) PETALING JAYA: The Government cannot bring fugitive blogger Raja Petra Raja Kamarudin to trial in Britain even if it wanted to.

Bar Council vice-president Lim Chee Wee said Malaysia would have to bring Raja Petra back to prosecute him.

“Essentially, it can’t be done,” he said when asked about Raja Petra’s challenge to the Malaysian Government to try him in Britain.

“You have to bring him back to prosecute him. To do that, you have to check if there is an extradition treaty with Britain.

“And if there is, it depends whether UK gives consent. One factor is whether he can get a fair trial in Malaysia,” said Lim.

It was reported on Monday that an online news portal had written that Raja Petra said he would seek a level playing field in his fight against charges of defamation and sedition as well as his appeal against his detention under the Internal Security Act.

Raja Petra refuted the notion that he should return home to defend himself at a Malaysian court, adding that it was the prosecution’s job to prove guilt.

He has two warrants of arrest issued against him for not attending up for his sedition trial in April and May last year.

Another lawyer, Norman Fernandez concurred with Lim that Raja Petra cannot be tried in Britain. “There is no provision to try him in UK. He is not a war criminal.

“And if he is tried there, and found guilty, can he serve his sentence in a UK prison?” he said.

Fernandez said Raja Petra was merely taunting the Malaysian authorities after he managed to slip out of the country.

“He’s thumbing his nose at the Malaysian authorities and saying ‘Catch me if you can’. He knows it is not easy to bring him back to Malaysia,” he said.

Fernandez said nobody knew Raja Petra’s residential status in Britain.

“If he is a visitor, then his term of stay in the country is limited. He could have entered Britain through special documents. Or as a refugee.

“We don’t know, and the British authorities have yet to shed light on this,” he said.

Former Selangor PKR Youth chief Hamidzun Khairuddin, who joined Umno in 2004, called Raja Petra a traitor to Malaysians.

Malaysia seizes political paper for breaking rules

(AP) KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Malaysian authorities seized more than 6,000 copies of a pro-opposition newspaper amid a dispute over whether it flouted the country's strict publication laws, the paper's editor said Tuesday.

The seizure is certain to spark fresh complaints by opposition and media rights activists that the Malaysian government curtails publications that criticize its policies.

The Home Ministry said in a statement late Monday it confiscated 6,108 copies of "Kabar Era Pakatan," or "Alliance Era News," from newsstands nationwide because it had no publication permit. All Malaysian publications require government-approved licenses that must be renewed annually.

The newspaper's editor, Mat Zahari Ali, insisted it received a permit in December. He acknowledged that the approved name for the publication was only "Kabar," or "News," but denied it broke any rules because "Era Pakatan" was a motto that should not require government consent.

About 30,000 copies of the publication hit newsstands for the first time in April. It has since been published every two weeks, and its fifth issue is expected in early June, but it might reduce the font size for "Era Pakatan" to escape trouble with authorities, Mat Zahari said.

Mat Zahari accused authorities of trying to shut down the newspaper and deter vendors from selling it because of its support for opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's three-party People's Alliance, which hopes to wrest power from Prime Minister Najib Razak's administration in elections scheduled to be held before mid-2013.

Home Ministry officials could not immediately be contacted Tuesday.

Malaysia's main opposition parties all have their own publications, but their circulation has been tightly controlled over the years and often limited to members only. Most maintain their own news websites to reach a wider audience.

Most mainstream Malaysian newspapers and TV stations are owned or linked to parties in the ruling coalition. They also need government licenses to operate, which the opposition says results in biased reports to avoid angering the government.

..and the best first-term MPs to emerge from the 12th GE are…

By Haris Ibrahim,

51 of you responded with comments to my post ‘Best first-term MP by far to emerge from the 12th GE’.
I went through those comments and treated each positive mention of any first-time MP as a vote for the same.
Here’s the list, with votes for each in brackets.
1. Khalid Samad  (29)
2. Tony Pua (23)
3. Dr. D. Jeyakumar (5)
4. Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin (4)
5. Charles Santiago (3)
6. Lim Lip Eng (3)
7. R. Sivarasa (2)
8. Nurul Izzah (2)
9. Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad (2)
10. Khalid Ibrahim (1)
11. Yusmadi Yusof (1)
12. Siti Zailah Muhd Yusoff ( Rantau Panjang ) (1)
13. Liew Chin Tong (1)
14. Jeff Ooi (1)
One individual who is not an MP but got so many positive mentions, if she was an MP, she’d have polled third spot.
That was Hannah Yeoh.
Zaid, too, was spoken of positively by some of you although he is not an MP.
Finally, newly minted Sibu MP Wong Ho Leng was also mentioned.
People, this wasn’t a ‘for the heck of it’ exercise.
We are working on a criteria for candidate selection for the 13th GE.
Share your thoughts on what qualities go to make a good MP.
Bear this in mind, though.
Many people confuse the function of an MP with that of a local councillor.
It is not the function of an MP to look into the state of drains at the local market place, or potholes.
In my view, an MP’s function is to scrutinise Bills that the government is planning to or has tabled in Parliament, understand the impact and implications of proposed laws and policies that are to be  implemented, alert his constituents of any adverse laws and policies that are being contemplated, get their mandate on the same wherever possible and act on the wishes and directions of his constituents in relation thereto.
Please, we really could use your input

Watching our elections

thenutgraph.com

An 88-year old voter casting her vote in the Hulu
Selangor by-election
ELECTION watchdogs have become a regular feature in Malaysian polls since at least 2005. In that year, Malaysians for Free and Fair Elections (Mafrel) monitored the Pengkalan Pasir by-election. Mafrel was even officially recognised by the Election Commission (EC) in 2007 as an independent elections observer.
Indeed, Mafrel wasn't the first elections watchdog. Another group, the National Institute for Electoral Integrity (NIEI) was formed earlier following the 1999 Reformasi movement. Other watchdog groups have also since sprouted. There is the Malaysian Voters' Union (Malvu), Sarawakians for Free and Fair Elections (Safrel), the Malaysia Election Observation Network (MEO-Net), My Election Watch (MEW), and the Sibu Election Watch (SEW). Several other civil society groups have also incorporated election advocacy and monitoring into their training programmes.
Membership of these groups may overlap. Nevertheless, what does their emergence say about citizens’ awareness, and public confidence in the EC? What role do they play in a democracy and of what value are they to the public? Additionally, how credible are they if they aren't recognised by the EC?
Grassroots demand
“Can you recall a by-election where there wasn't a complaint about the electoral roll or postal votes? More recently, there are complaints about voters being moved out of the constituency, or their polling centres and voting localities changed,” says Mafrel chairperson Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh in a phone interview.
“On that basis, I think that's why more election watch groups are coming up. It shows that the EC still has room for improvement.”

Ong

Watch groups are tapping into the public's low confidence in the EC and training volunteers to become polls observers. MEO-Net coordinator Ong Boon Keong says training has been conducted in Sarawak since September 2009 in preparation for the state elections, which must be called by June 2011.
“There's growing citizen interest in elections and democracy but there's been little avenue for those who are non-partisan,” Ong says in a phone interview.
It is about helping citizens “take ownership of elections”, he adds. Similar citizen-based movements began earlier elsewhere in the region, and are active in Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia and Indonesia.
The tasks for election watch groups are plenty. They include monitoring polling stations, campaigning, media coverage, and cross-checking the electoral roll with actual voters on the ground. Ong says the largest number of local election observers ever mobilised in Malaysia was 600 during the 2008 general election. In contrast, volunteers number between 100,000 to 200,000 during Indonesian or Thai elections, he says.
EC accreditation and credibility
Unsurprisingly, election watch groups are criticised as being pro-opposition since most of the faults they point out are committed by the EC and the BN. However, Mafrel did take both sides to task in the Hulu Selangor by-election.
That didn't stop the EC from withdrawing Mafrel's accreditation, however, for the recent Hulu Selangor and Sibu by-elections. The EC said Mafrel failed to submit reports to the commission on previous by-elections it had monitored since 2008. Report submission is a condition for accreditation.
Ong feels that the 20 conditions tied to accreditation are meant to dissuade watch groups from applying. Among other rules, observers cannot enter the polling room and cannot watch vote-counting, nor can they take photos for documentation except with permission.
Watch groups may lack standing among state authorities and segments of the public without EC recognition. However, they themselves feel it's not critical to getting their work done in a country where the government regularly discredits civil society groups.

Syed IbrahimSyed Ibrahim says EC accreditation is “not critical but important”. “Our presence inside the polling station could prevent certain things from happening. But accreditation is not critical to the extent that we cannot monitor things happening outside the polling station, such as incidences and complaints of bribery or cheating during the campaign.”
However, there was a time when EC accreditation mattered. Mafrel used to be allowed inside the polling stations. This access was removed after the Permatang Pauh by-election in August 2008, Syed Ibrahim notes.
Foreign or local?
Malaysia shut its doors on international election watch groups after the 1990 general election when polling was observed by the Commonwealth Observer Mission. Even then, the mission was not allowed to play its proper role by making official reports on the elections. The government stance towards independent foreign poll observers is usually disdainful and it insists that the EC does not require any scrutiny.
Some think that it's time for Malaysia to allow international observers in again in the interest of credibility.

PuthuchearyPolitical observer Dr Mavis Puthucheary says in the absence of international observers, domestic watch groups are important. However, foreign observers may carry more clout with the EC because of their international standing. “Given the kind of situation we are in now, it's up to public opinion to pressure the EC that watch groups are essential in ensuring free and fair elections. Otherwise, the EC will always have the final say,” Puthucheary says in a phone interview.
Malaysia's rejection of foreign observers also speaks of its lack of sincerity about being transparent, adds Ong. He notes that even less developed countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Indonesia have election laws that give foreign observers a role in strengthening the polling process.
However, whether foreign or local, the EC's current position reflects its closed mindset towards independent monitoring in general.

Ambiga Sreenevasan

Allowing international observers might boost the government's image. But Syed Ibrahim feels that home-grown observers are more effective as far as advancing democracy among fellow citizens is concerned.
And that is probably the most valuable thing about local watch groups at this juncture. Despite the setback with Mafrel's accreditation, the election monitoring movement is gaining momentum with the relaunch of the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections, or Bersih 2.0. This time round, Bersih is a totally partisan-free alliance headed by former Bar Council president Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan.
Bersih 2.0 secretariat member Faisal Mustaffa says the coalition is in the process of getting registered as a society, while conducting voter education on election law. A particular concern is the redrawing or delimitation of electoral boundaries, an exercise allowed every eight to ten years under the Federal Constitution. Speculation is that the BN government will likely conduct it next year ahead of a snap poll.

A particular concern is delimitation of electoral boundaries

Can Bersih and local election watch groups gain enough momentum in the short period left before the next general election? Is their revival a phenomenon that might portend the outcome of the 13th general election in the same way the massive Bersih rally in November 2007 foretold of the "tsunami" that struck in the 2008 polls? Few in power predicted the impact of civil society in the elections then. But they now know they were mistaken in their assumptions.

Serah Pelantar Ke Brunei, Anwar Tuntut Penjelasan

Dari Malaysiakini

Ketua Pembangkang Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim akan menuntut penjelasan penuh daripada kerajaan di Parlimen minggu depan berhubung penyerahan dua pelantar yang kaya dengan hasil minyak kepada Brunei dengan alasan negara itu kononnya bersetuju mengugurkan tuntutannya ke atas wilayah Limbang di Sarawak.

TV Selangor yang memetik sumber berkata Anwar telah memperolehi kelulusan khas daripada speaker Dewan Rakyat Datuk Pandikar Amin Mulia untuk membahaskan isu itu pada 8 Jun, sebelum ketua umum PKR itu dihadapkan ke Jawatankuasa Hak dan kebebasan Parlimen pada hari yang sama.

Umno menggunakan majoritinya dalam parlimen untuk memastikan Anwar dikenakan tindakan kerana mendedahkan kerajaan Umno-BN menggunakan kepakaran Zionis-Yahudi dalam membuat keputusan-keputusan kerajaan, khususnya dalam merangka konsep 1Malaysia yang mirip dengan program One Israel.

Walaupun berhadap dengan kemungkinan digantung dari parlimen, Anwar tetap bertekad untuk mencabar keputusan kerajaan menyerahkan dua pelantar minyak yang dianggar bernilai RM320 bilion kepada Brunei, sekaligus menafikan rakyat Sabah dan Sarawak daripada mengecapi hasil lumayan itu.

Malaysia mendakwa sebagai balasan pemberian itu, Brunei menggugurkan tuntutannya ke atas Limbang, namun hakikatnya ialah Brunei tidak pun mengeluarkan sebarang kenyataan rasmi menarik balik tuntutannya itu.

Ahli Parlimen Ipoh Timur, Lim Kit Siang berkata, Pakatan Rakyat mahu kerajaan menjelaskan berhubung kehilangan hak milik Malaysia ke atas dua lapangan minyak itu secara jelas dan terbuka.

“Ini Dewan Rakyat dan tentulah satu perkara yang melibatkan kepentingan orang ramai di mana kerajaan perlu memberi penjelasan yang memuaskan berhubung kedudukan Limbang kerana adalah tuntutan kedaulatan Limbang oleh Sultan Brunei” ujar beliau.

Kit Siang yang juga penasihat DAP berkata, walaupun keputusan untuk membenarkan atau pun tidak usul tersebut dibahaskan pada sesi parlimen kali ini, semuanya terletak di tangan speaker dan juga perdana menteri.

“Sama ada Datuk Seri Anwar akan diberikan peluang untuk mengemukakan satu usul akan bergantung kepada pendirian kerajaan Barisan Nasional. Sampai sekarang kita tidak tahu bagaimana pendirian perdana menteri dan sebab itu kita menggesa perdana menteri untuk menyetujui bahawa perkara ini adalah perkara yang penting dan patut mendahului urusan parlimen” ujarnya lagi.

Sementara itu, ahli parlimen Pokok Sena, Mahfuz Omar mencadangkan kerajaan membentangkan kertas putih bagi menjelaskan isu kedaulatan wilayah Limbang sekiranya tidak bersedia menerima usul dari ketua pembangkang.

Katanya kerajaan harus memperakui kelemahan namun dalam masa yang sama menggantikannya dengan ketelusan.

“Kami boleh bersetuju jika pihak kerajaan sendiri yang membawa usul satu bentuk pembentangan kertas putih, maknanya kami boleh terima kalau mereka kata mereka belum bersedia menerima usul dari ketua pembangkang atau dari mana-mana ahli parlimen pembangkang”.

An inspirational story

Letters
by Justin Hong

I was 18 in 1997, I came home half completed my high school in England because my father was bankrupted. He was a contractor bankrupted because the licensee, Taib’s uncle defaulted on paying royalty to the Government. Pocketed all the money my father gave.

Together with 6 of my friends we went to Komat in Sama Jaya to look for jobs as they only required MCE; to help out the family.

The HR lady was an Iban, on our turn she refused to give us application forms and demanded our qualifications. Without even understanding us, we were turned away. On further enquiry from us, she said, the 250 posts were all filled. It was 10.25am and the application counter just opened at 9.30am. Asked the guard to show us out.

Komat repeated publication for the posts for another week. We went back again and again were rejected. This time she asked us to look for jobs in China.

My uncle promptly help the six of us to look for jobs from his contacts. Ironically, we all ended up in Shenzhen China, working in a micro circuitboard plant.

We were trained by some American to be testers as we know English. We did well, so well that within 4 years, we developed a special test using Argon emission from induced current. Testing the board even more thoroughly and 40+ times the efficiency we were doing.

After a few months of trial, the company decided to subcontract all their circuit board testing to us using the new testing system and they got the test done at a fraction of the cost doing it manually.

Within 3 years, we are testing all the circuit board of all the companies in Shenzhen then.

BELIEVE ME, WE ARE EACH NETTING 2 TO 3 MILLIONS USD A YEAR.

We spread to include contracts in a lot of companies of China, US, Germany and Finland.

We now employ 7600 people and 1600 from Sarawak. Bumiputra or non-bumiputra who made the grade we are after.

Why I am writing this?

Today my company has been operating in Penang for 6 months. We are employing 200 people.

I was conducting interviews for senior staff for the jobs. One of the people that came in for the interview was the same Iban lady from Komat 10+ years ago. The lady who turned me away. The lady who told me I was not eligible for the job. The lady who told me the posts were filled when yet to select the first applicant of 250 and the lady who asked me to go to China to look for a job.

I had the satisfaction to tell her all these if I wanted to. Instead I listened to all her talk about how great she had done in her former employment and now she was out on a huge VSS. How well she will do for me with her experience and how much she would like to work for a Chinese boss. She said she is the daugther of an influential bumiputra man and her husband is doing well in business. I let her rave on with her diatribe.

Finally, when she realised she the one doing all the talking and I was not even asking questions, she stopped.

Finally I said, I know her. She was shocked, for now I was properly suited up and not in T-shirt and jeans like the first time we met.

I simply said I like to thank her for asking me to go back to China to look for work. I did, I made it and what she is seeing today and the brochure I placed infront of her is in fact the SUCCESS from disgust and disappointment of being a Malaysian Chinese!!

She was murmuring to herself. I told her, she will get a job from me but not as the senior HR, not as the assistant HR but as an assistant to the assistant HR. She was shocked, happy and almost cried. Then she confessed that her husband was a bankrupt and her 3 children had to be in the care of her sister.

I told her, she meant nothing to me, her race meant nothing to me and what she had done also meant nothing to me. The insults, the frustrations and the anguish of a young man trying to help his father. I told her she would be treated like everyone. She must get her job done or she’d be out like anybody. I told her, I do not care for YBs, bumi policies or business opportunities in Malaysia. I do not need Malaysia. I CAME BECAUSE I AM BEGGED TO COME, BY THE GOVERNMENT OF MALAYSIA.

Raja Petra can't be tried in Britain

The Star

PETALING JAYA: The Government cannot bring fugitive blogger Raja Petra Raja Kamarudin to trial in Britain even if it wanted to.

Bar Council vice-president Lim Chee Wee said Malaysia would have to bring Raja Petra back to prosecute him.

“Essentially, it can’t be done,” he said when asked about Raja Petra’s challenge to the Malaysian Government to try him in Britain.

“You have to bring him back to prosecute him. To do that, you have to check if there is an extradition treaty with Britain.

“And if there is, it depends whether UK gives consent. One factor is whether he can get a fair trial in Malaysia,” said Lim.

It was reported on Monday that an online news portal had written that Raja Petra said he would seek a level playing field in his fight against charges of defamation and sedition as well as his appeal against his detention under the Internal Security Act.

Raja Petra refuted the notion that he should return home to defend himself at a Malaysian court, adding that it was the prosecution’s job to prove guilt.

He has two warrants of arrest issued against him for not attending up for his sedition trial in April and May last year.

Another lawyer, Norman Fernandez concurred with Lim that Raja Petra cannot be tried in Britain. “There is no provision to try him in UK. He is not a war criminal.

“And if he is tried there, and found guilty, can he serve his sentence in a UK prison?” he said.

Fernandez said Raja Petra was merely taunting the Malaysian authorities after he managed to slip out of the country.

“He’s thumbing his nose at the Malaysian authorities and saying ‘Catch me if you can’. He knows it is not easy to bring him back to Malaysia,” he said.

Fernandez said nobody knew Raja Petra’s residential status in Britain.

“If he is a visitor, then his term of stay in the country is limited. He could have entered Britain through special documents. Or as a refugee.

“We don’t know, and the British authorities have yet to shed light on this,” he said.

Former Selangor PKR Youth chief Hamidzun Khairuddin, who joined Umno in 2004, called Raja Petra a traitor to Malaysians.

Chua: RM 2b of MCA assets to be managed by… my son :|

TMI:

MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek today confirmed the party had appointed his son, Chua Tee Yong and former vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Fong Chan Onn to assist in managing the party’s assets, estimated to be worth over RM2 billion.
Dr Chua said the decision had been endorsed by the party’s central committee after holding a five-hour meeting at Wisma MCA here.
“The CC today decided that the asset management of MCA should be administered in a more professional manner.
“That is why we believe that the party’s assets should be managed by a professional group separate from the MCA so there is separation of power.”

O.O
You’ve *got* to be kidding me.
Only BN could possibly say “I’ve nominated my son to take care of 2 billion dollars” and “separation of power” in the same sentence.
RM 2 billion of ill gotten gains – and to take care of it all, he nominates… his son.
Nope. Nothing nepotistic there at all. Definitely very professional. Certainly wouldn’t raise any eyebrows in any other country or anything.
Maybe Ong Tee Keat wasn’t the greatest leader in the world, but at least he spent his time trying to expose corruption and fix what’s really wrong with this country.
Soi Lek? Busy making sure his finger is in every pot (heh), and making a big show of begging Umno for money.
Integrity seems to follow dignity out the window :P

Azamuddin to be quizzed by cops for fourth time - Malaysiakini

Azamuddin Omar, the teenager was in the car driven by Aminulrasyid Amzah when he was shot dead by police on April 26, will be quizzed again tomorrow - for the fourth time.

Azamuddin (left), 15, a friend of the dead boy, has been summoned to the federal police headquarters in Bukit Aman at 3pm.

Also summoned by the police are Aminulrasyid's sister Nor Azura Amzah and Azamuddin's brother Mohd Hafizzuddin Omar - both of whom will have their statement recorded for the first time.

According to lawyer N Surendran, Mohd Hafizzuddin could be interrogated on his police report last week claiming there was an attempt to murder his brother.

"We have alleged that the police tried to kill Azammuddin so they could be probed on that," said Surendran.

Both Aminulrasyid and Azamuddin were in Nor Azurah's Proton Saga when the police gave chase across Shah Alam's suburbs and shot at the teens.

Aminulrasyid, who was driving, was killed, while Azamuddin managed to crawl out from the crashed car and escaped. He later surrendered himself to the police.

It is believed that Aminulrasyid had used his sister's car without her knowledge and was scared when flagged down by the police as he did not have a licence.

Anwar: Defections will stop, for now