Selangor: All eyes on Pas but party caught in real dilemma

Many are hoping that the Pas central committee will meet immediately and have the courage to do the right thing – to decide in favour of New Politics and the reform agenda, writes Anil Netto

Pas seems to be divided over whether to back Selangor MB Khalid Ibrahim or to side with its Pakatan partners in calling for his removal.

On the one hand, the party is believed to be unhappy with PKR’s Kajang move. There is a sense that Pas was not pleased by what some within the party saw as a unilateral PKR move to replace the MB and take Pas and DAP for granted. And because of this, Khalid naturally found a safe haven in the protective embrace of Pas with whom he appears to have grown closer.

On the other hand, the hasty move by Pas’ Syura Council and party president Hadi Awang to back Khalid may not have gone down well with others in the Pas leadership, including the party’s central committee.

Was the Syura Council properly briefed on why its Pakatan partners wanted Khalid removed before deciding to back the Selangor Menteri Besar at its meeting on 6 August? Perhaps not. Now we see that Pas MP Khalid Samad may face disciplinary action for questioning the Syura Council’s decision to support Khalid apparently without reading the 50-page PKR dossier outlining why Khalid has to be removed. Why did the Syura Council make such an important decision without a full explanation?

And was Hadi Awang merely stating his personal opinion? Did he properly consult his central committee before making such an important decision? Deputy president Mat Sabu has clarified that Hadi’s backing for Khalid is not Pas’ stand. This, he said, would be decided at the party’s central committee meeting, originally scheduled for 10 August and then postponed to 13 August and now 17 August.

But a week is a long time in politics, especially when the situation is so fluid. There are now calls for the meeting to be brought forward.

There is also a sense that Pas does not want to dance to PKR’s tune and wants to make its coalition partner sweat a little. Certainly, the party does not seem overly enthusiastic about PKR’s choice of new MB because it remains unhappy over Anwar’s moves, especially the Kajang Move, which is also the source of dissatisfaction among segments of the Selangor public. Pas appears to be playing hardball now.

But behind the perception that Pas does not want to be taken for granted, the public statements by Khalid Samad and Sabu show that there are real internal differences within Pas about whether to back Khalid Ibrahim and whether the party should cooperate with Umno. The postponements of the central committee meeting may reflect this uncertainty.

To be sure, the Pas central committee faces a real dilemma as the ball has been tossed into its court. The central committee now has to deal with the decisions by Hadi and the Syura Council to back Khalid Ibrahim.

Some within the party leadership do not seem happy with the Syura Council for what they may see as the overstepping of the Council’s jurisdiction. The Syura Council may be the highest decision-making body in Pas but it is supposed to deliberate on policy issues such as whether Pas should remain in Pakatan.

The central committee, on the other hand, is supposed to determine political tactics and strategy. The decision whether to back Khalid – which is a strategic or tactical move – should fall within the ambit of the central committee, not the Syura Council.

So there is a sense that the Syura Council and Hadi may have pre-empted the central committee in this case, and the committee may now want to reassert its authority.

But if the Pas central committee withdraws the party’s backing for Khalid, it may be seen as a show of disrespect for – even defiance of – the Syura Council and Hadi. And that could cause a split in its ranks.

Which is why the central committee is in a dilemma – how to express support for its Pakatan partners without causing a split within Pas and without showing disrespect for Hadi and the Syura Council? That may be another reason why its meeting has been repeatedly postponed. But the party’s dithering has put Pas Selangor State Assembly members, especially those in the state ExCo in a quandary. Where do they stand in the meantime?

READ MORE HERE

Malaysian Prime Minister’s Mystery Holiday

So much to see, so little time…

Asia Sentinel

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is due to return from his two-week holiday on Friday, presumably tanned, rested and ready to resume command.

In the midst of a national crisis over the shooting down of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 over strife-torn Ukraine, Najib went to the Netherlands on Aug. 1 for a press conference that won him praise across the world. He was given credit by international agencies for his deft personal maneuvers behind the scenes with Ukrainian rebels in the attempt to reclaim the bodies after the doomed airliner was shot down over disputed territory on the Ukrainian-Russian border on its way from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, killing all 283 passengers and 15 crew on board.

From there, he went on holiday, with no public record of where he might have gone. Requests for information from Najmuddin Abdullah, Malaysian Airlines’ public relations head, on the premier’s travel arrangements met with no response. But other sources say while there had been requests for the Prime Minister to fly about Malaysian Airlines to demonstrate his confidence in the national flag carrier in the wake of the horrific incidents that took the lives of hundreds of people, he and his wife, Rosmah, flew on a private jet. It isn’t known who owned the private craft.

“He has never flown on either MAS or AsiaAir in seven years,” a political observer in KL said. “Mahathir did, Abdullah Badawi did. But Najib has never once flown on either one.”

Requests by email, telephone and text the prime minister’s personal aide and press secretary, Azlin Alias, asking for the prime minister’s holiday itinerary also went unanswered.

But after the press conference, according to well-placed sources in Malaysia, the prime minister and his wife Rosmah Mansour flew to Paris. They were reportedly joined by Chinese playboy Taek Jho Low and the former prime minister of Qatar, then are believed to have gone on to Sardinia in Italy, to Cannes on the French Cote d’Azur, then back to Sardinia with what was described as a large entourage of Chinese Malaysian tycoons. From Sardinia, the group flew to Rome before returning to London.

Low, better known in as Jho Low New York café circles, has made the New York papers for partying at exclusive clubs with Paris Hilton and other blondes and a flock of entertainment figures, cracking open bottles of Kristal champagne. He has been closely tied to Rosmah, traveling with her on New York café scene jaunts. He has been closely involved in the 1MDB sovereign wealth fund.

“It’s the talk of the town in Kuala Lumpur,” one source said, “but nobody wants to publish the story because the PM’s office isn’t talking. It was a holiday planned some time ago, well before the tragedies. Yet, it would have been prudent to postpone it given all the things the country is going through.”

One of the major things the country is going through is a full-blown political crisis centered in the three-party Pakatan Rakyat opposition coalition that has stalled government in the country’s most populous and richest state. Residents complain that the lack of attention to duty has meant that garbage has gone uncollected and other governmental problems have piled up.

In addition, Kuala Lumpur and its environs are in the middle of a drought that has produced the worst water shortage in decades. While the politicians battle it out, residents are complaining that the government has done nothing to alleviate the shortage.

There is continuing dispute over who actually shot down MH17 – Russian-backed rebels or Ukrainian regular troops. It has become an international squabble in the Malaysian press, with some factions accusing the Ukrainians and charging that the Americans had fomented the Ukrainian break with Russian that precipitated the crisis, ultimately blaming the Americans for the tragedy.

MH370, lost in the early hours of March 8, has become the biggest mystery in aviation history. The plane, with 227 passengers and 12 crew, mysteriously left its flight path for Beijing, turned east and disappeared somewhere over the Indian ocean. No trace has ever been found – no floating wreckage, nothing. Between the two of them, more than 500 people are dead.

John Berthelsen is the editor of Asia Sentinel

Quo Vadis, Pakatan Rakyat?

It is unbelievable that Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim could claim that the Selangor government is not a Pakatan government after he himself had said, both in the Selangor State Assembly and outside, for six-and-a-half years that it is a Pakatan Rakyat state government.

But what is even more unbelievable is Khalid’s ridiculous claim that the Selangor government is not a Pakatan government is endorsed by the four PAS Excos who appeared with Khalid in the media conference today – after condoning and endorsing Khalid’s arbitrary sacking of five Pakatan Rakyat Exco members from DAP and PKR by attending the Exco meeting.

Would the four PAS Excos be elected as Selangor State Assemblymen in the first place if they had not represented Pakatan Rakyat in the 2013 general elections?

The brutal truth is that Khalid is hanging on as Selangor Mentri Besar solely on the strength of the Umno/BN pledge by the Deputy Prime Minister and the UMNO Deputy President, Tan Sri Muhiddin Yassin that the 12 UMNO/Barisan Nasional State Assembly representatives in Selangor will give unconditional support to him plus the support of the 15 PAS Assembly representatives.

Instead of rising to the challenge, the Selangor Mentri Besar crisis in the past four days have destroyed much of the hard-fought gains and hopes for political change achieved by Pakatan Rakyat, the civil society and Malaysians as a whole in the past six years.

Quo Vadis, Pakatan Rakyat?

Sacked Selangor excos can turn to sultan for relief, say lawyers

The Malaysian Insider
by V. ANBALAGAN

The six executive councillors sacked by Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim yesterday can write to the sultan of Selangor to call an emergency meeting of the state assembly to test if the menteri besar commands the confidence of the majority, says a constitutional lawyer.

Syahredzan Johan said the six from DAP and PKR had made up the majority in the 11-man Pakatan Rakyat (PR) executive council and they had a right to call the meeting in view of fast-moving political developments.

The other four executive councillors are from PAS, who are said to be supportive of Khalid, but Syahredzan said under the constitution, the ruler has the power to summon the state legislative meeting on the advice of the executive council.

"The six who make up the majority could write to the ruler but whether it will be approved is left in the hands of the sultan," he told The Malaysian Insider.

Last night, Professor Gurdial Singh Nijar of University Malaya's law faculty said only the sultan could dismiss the executive councillors and not Khalid.

Syahredzan said under normal circumstances, the menteri besar, who is the head of the executive council, would advise the ruler to call for a meeting.

He said if such meeting was approved, then PR must have the numbers to defeat Khalid in the house.

"The question is do they have it?" he asked.

Lawyer Nizam Bashir said based on Federal Court ruling in the Perak case, PR could send a letter to the palace to show that the majority of assemblymen in Selangor supported another candidate as MB.

He said once the sultan was satisfied that the MB has lost the support of the majority, he may dismiss him and the executive council.

At a press conference last night, PKR and DAP appealed to PAS's four executive councillors to boycott today's Selangor exco meeting in solidarity with their sacked colleagues.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said the sacking of the six by Khalid was unethical and against democratic principles.

The sacked excos are Datuk Teng Chang Khim,  V. Ganabatirau and Ean Yong Hian Wah (DAP), while the three PKR excos are Elizabeth Wong, Dr Daroyah Alwi and Rodziah Ismail.

The six said last night they would continue their duties today.

Teng said all of them considered the dismissals as not valid, as they doubted that Khalid has obtained the consent of the sultan before sacking them. – August 13, 2014.

Petronas Pre-Tax Profit Surges To RM28.1 Billion In Q2 2014

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 13 (Bernama) -- Petronas' pre-tax profit for the second quarter ended June 30, 2014 rose 28 per cent to RM28.1 billion from RM22 billion in the corresponding period last year on the back of higher revenue.

Its revenue increased 15 per cent to RM85.4 billion from RM74.4 billion previously, driven by improved production, higher gas sales and favourable exchange rate.

Production volume improved following production enhancement efforts and new production streams from Malaysia and Iraq, production resumption in South Sudan and additional production from Canada, Petronas Executive Vice-President and Group Chief Financial Officer Datuk George Ratilal told a media briefing here Wednesday.

For the first half ended June 30, 2014, Petronas' pre-tax profit went up nine per cent to RM55.3 billion from RM50.8 billion in the corresponding period last year.

The revenue advanced 12 per cent to RM169.41 billion from RM151.10 billion previously.

Petronas President and Group Chief Executive Officer Tan Sri Shamsul Azhar Abbas anticipated the second half of the year to be challenging amid robust supply but modest demand growth that could pressure crude oil prices and the company' earning.

He said Petronas could be lucky to record a pre-tax profit of RM94.6 billion for the year 2014 as the current crude oil prices could go down below between US$95 and US$100 per barrel from US$108 per barrel in the first half.

"Things are not going to be easy moving forward. It's getting harder to develop oil and gas, and the cost continues to increase," he said.

Petronas' total assets grew to RM544.1 billion as at June 30, 2014 from Dec 31, 2014's RM528.7 billion.

Its capital investment to date amounted to RM26.3 billion, of which 64 per cent at home while 36 per cent overseas.

On Petronas' international operations, Shamsul said the company aimed at growing its net profit contribution to 20 per cent from 11 per cent in the next five years.

He also announced that the Chinese government on July 17 approved its state-owned, Sinopec-Huadian joint venture to acquire a 15 per cent stake in Petronas' integrated LNG export facility in Canada.

The joint venture became Petronas' fourth strategic partner in the project, apart from Japex Montney Ltd (10 per cent), Brunei Petroleum (three per cent) and Indian Oil Corp Ltd (10 per cent).

Currently, Petronas, which holds a 62 per cent stake in the project, is in negotiations with three or four partners from Japan and West Asia but not in a hurry to pare down its stakes.

Shamsul said Petronas' operations in Russia continued unabated despite economic sanctions on Russia and US military operations in Iraq to flush out insurgents.

On the refinery and petrochemical integrated development in Johor, Shamsul said Petronas has awarded 11 contracts worth RM30 billion, mainly for infrastructure development.

PKR, DAP desak PAS sertai boikot mesyuarat exco

Khalid sacks all PKR, DAP exco

Video: Wahhabi preacher teaches 'beheading with pleasure'

In a recently-released video footage a Wahhabi Takfiri sheikh demonstrates for his students how to perform beheading and “enjoy” the horrific act.


The video release of the appalling training session on “how to enjoy beheading procedure” comes amid growing reports about unimaginable levels of brutality and violence practiced by extremist terrorist groups, such as the ISIL, particularly in Syria and Iraq.

According to an Al-Alam report on Sunday, in the video footage the Wahhabi preacher shamelessly misuses certain, out-of-context verses of Islam’s holy book, The Qur’an, to fabricate and invent meanings according to his own deviant interpretations, telling his trainee executioners that beheading of captives (such as the mostly civilians taken and brutally killed by ISIL terrorists in Iraq and Syria) should be performed “harshly, yet with pleasure!”

The Wahhabi preacher further emphasizes in the video piece that beheading a sheep is different from beheading a [human] captive and that the beheading of captives should not be done “indifferently” as in the sheep’s case, rather it should be conducted with harshness along with pleasure.

Such promotion of cruelty and violence and falsely linking it to divine and humane teachings of Islam leaves little doubt that these efforts of spreading cruelty among Muslims are part of the schemes developed by Mossad and CIA command centers, aiming to demonize Islam and promote Islamophobia across the globe by using extremist Moftis and preachers from Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries as pawns.

The development comes as the US is widely suspected of being behind the creation and promotion of such terrorist organizations as the Taliban, al-Qaeda and the ISIL. While proclaiming to oppose such group under various pretexts, Washington has in fact done very little to effectively contain and eliminate the notorious terror enterprises.

Additionally, it has maintained very close ties with Arab regimes that are widely suspected to sponsoring and funding the terrorist groups.

http://en.alalam.ir/news/1621887#sthash.Z7sKgFPu.dpuf

Penang teen gets immolation threat over ‘I love Israel’ Facebook page

By Malay Mail

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 12 — A 17-year-old in Penang is living in fear for his life after a teacher from his school reportedly linked him to a Facebook page declaring “I love Israel”, prompting immolation and boycott threats against the student.

The teen, an Indian Hindu filed a police report yesterday, after discovering Facebook threats against him by his teachers and a schoolmate, with one of the educators allegedly calling for him to be burnt in the latest incident of hate speech online.

A teacher allegedly screencaptured the “I love Israel” post from the teen’s Facebook before uploading it to her own Facebook page and commenting in Malay: “My student likes Israel? How shameful for me”.

Her comment drew calls from another Facebook user who is allegedly a teacher from the same school, to boycott and cut off ties with the student, and a dire message from one supposed teacher: “Kita bakor je hahaha [We just burn hahaha]”.

The teen, whose name is withheld as out of fears for his safety, said he was unaware of the “I love Israel” banner that had been linked to his Facebook page.

“They spoke as if I did that and scolded me, and wanted to burn me,” he said in his police report sighted by Malay Mail Online, adding that he feared he might be harmed as a result of the incident.

It is unclear whether the student’s Facebook account was hacked.

A close friend of the student’s family who spoke on their behalf said the teen insisted he did not click “like” on the “I love Israel” Facebook page as alleged.

A police officer confirmed with Malay Mail Online that an investigation is underway into the student’s complaint, but did not disclose further information as he was unauthorised to speak.

The school officials declined comment when contacted, but Malay Mail Online understands the student’s parents have also contacted the school to look into the matter.

“We told them, we want the particular teachers to apologise on Facebook and Twitter and make sure the school clears this boy’s name.

“Those who saw the post, they don’t know anything. They may keep on harassing him without knowing the truth,” Jasonkumar Ramakrishnan, a close friend of the student’s family told Malay Mail Online.

He said he was speaking on behalf of the family as they were not prepared to address the media directly as yet.

Jasonkumar, who had accompanied them to the school, said the meeting was cordial and that the deputy principal was “supportive” of the family’s fears, and assured that action would be taken, saying the school had reported the incident to the Seberang Perai Selatan district education department.

According to Jasonkumar, the teen who will be sitting for his SPM this year, is a top scholar.

He related that the fifth former had skipped school yesterday out of fear, but returned for lessons today despite feeling rattled.

Judge: Cops both judge, jury in Kugan probe

The Court of Appeal has come down hard on the police, accusing them of acting as both “judge and jury” when investigating the police officers and men in their probe into the death of A Kugan.

In his written judgment on the case, Justice David Wong Dak Wah expressed concern over the admission of former Selangor police chief Khalid Abu Bakar that he negotiated with the attorney-general for investigations into the death to be confined to Section 330 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt.

Justice Wong described Khalid's actions as an affront to fair play and transparency.

“What appears to have happened was that the police had become the judge and jury of a complaint made against their behaviour in relation to the death-in-custody case.

“This conduct, with respect, misses the point completely and that is the police force at that point in time was ‘on trial’ and to allow the police to determine what ought to be done was simply asking the wrongdoers to do their own investigations and determine the appropriate actions.

“Common sense militates against such a course of action,” he said in the 51-page judgment based on Khalid's testimony in the High Court in Kuala Lumpur.

Khalid is now the inspector-general of police.

The appellate court had on Aug 8 waived the false imprisonment claim and allowed a reduction in the quantum of damages by RM100,000 in relation to the Kugan's death in police custody and awarded his family RM701,700.

The court also called for “zero tolerance” of custodial deaths and recommended that independent public inquiries be held for all such cases.

Besides Justice Wong, the other judges in the unanimous decision were Justice Mohd Arif Mohd Yusof and Justice Mah Weng Kwai.

Why no inquest into death?

The court also questioned why there was no inquest done into Kugan's death when it was found that there were discrepancies in the first post-mortem, with the second post-mortem finding the cause of death to be otherwise.

“We are perturbed by the fact that no inquest was held as permitted by Section 334 of the Criminal Procedure Code, when the second autopsy by itself should have warranted a full investigation of the circumstances in which the deceased met his death.

“We must also not forget that where there is a custodial death, the family of the deceased is entitled to know the truth as to what had happened during the detention. That is their intrinsic right to know.

“This entitlement to know can be easily understood by just asking the simple question - what if it is your 22-year-old son who had died  in custody,” the judment says.

To add credence to the call for an inquest or a public inquiry, the unrebutted allegation of the second defendant, Constable V Navindran (left), that he was made “the fall guy”, raises more questions.

Justice Wong said a full public and independent inquiry may have given insight into this matter.

The court also questioned the Taipan police station lock-up diary, which showed Kugan was in a good condition and looking at the testimonies of the police witnesses, the judiciary had the impression that they were not willing “to spill the beans”.

“Common sense and common decency demand that a full public inquiry be initiated, which would have served both the private and public interests in a manner demanded in a civil society,” Justice Wong.

He added that the judges agreed with the KL High Court judge's findings leading to the irrefutable conclusion that Khalid, Navindran and former Subang Jaya district polic chief, the late Zainal Rashid Abu Bakar, breached their duties.

The judge further described the police action fell far short of the standard operating procedure which require more disclosure than what had happened in this case.

In upholding the exemplary damages for public misfeasance, Justice Wong said they found there is a breach of Kugan's constitutional right by a public authority and that the courts cannot be barred from awarding this damages.

The Court of Appeal also agreed with the High Court judge's findings in affirming the quantum of exemplary damages awarded.

Exco 6 vow to defy MB's sacking notice - Malaysiakini

 

The six PKR and DAP Selangor state executive councillors sacked by Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim today will continue their duties despite their sacking.

 

Senior exco member Teng Chang Khim said that all of them consider their dismissals as not valid, as they doubt that Khalid has obtained the consent of the sultan before sacking them.

 

"He hasn't left the state secretariat building all day. Are you saying the sultan is one phone call away?" asked Teng (right).

 

He also said that all the exco members did not receive any notice from Khalid requesting for a meeting to determine their support, as promised.

 

The exco members said they would, however, not attend the exco meeting tomorrow and also called for PAS exco members to boycott the meeting.

'Sacking not valid'

Teng said the six of them consider the sacking as "not valid legally".

"This is a Pakatan Rakyat government. He has no legitimacy to fire Pakatan Rakyat government members," Teng said.

Teng also jibed that Khalid had created a "world record", as this has "never happened in any other democracy in the world".

He said Khalid was not "telling the entire truth" in the saga.

"We have plenty of other work to do, and we will go into our offices and do our work, and we won't attend the exco meeting as we were told not to attend," he said.

Four other sacked exco members - Elizabeth Wong, V Ganabatirau, Daroyah Alwi and Ean Yong Hian Wah - were with Teng at the press conference at the PKR headquarters today.

The other PKR exco, Rodziah Ismail, is currently overseas and has not been served her letter of termination yet.

Selangor crisis today

12.37pm: PAS man Zuhdi Marzuki urges a a 'unity government' in Selangor, involving Umno reps

2.19pm: DAP urges PAS to declare if it is joining Umno to support Abdul Khalid Ibrahim as MB

2.28pm: MACC confirms that it is investigating Khalid for corruption

4.25pm: DAP and PKR exco members says they will continue doing their jobs but will avoid MB

5pm: Sources say Anwar Ibrahim failed to convince Hadi Awang to accept Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as new Selangor MB

 

5.24pm: Palace confirms the Selangor sultan declines Wan Azizah's request for an audience

5.37pm: DAP claims that there are attempts to entice Pakatan reps to defect
 

6.40pm: Khalid sacks all six DAP and PKR exco members

8pm: Expert says MB has no power to sack exco

9.57pm: DAP and PKR urges PAS to boycott the exco in solidarity

10.21pm: The six sacked exco members vow to defy the sacking and go to work as usual.

10.30pm: PAS' Hulu Langat assemblyperson Saari Sungib urges PAS to join DAP and PKR against Khalid.

Dismissed excos say sacking illegal, will carry out duties like normal - TMI

The six sacked PKR and DAP Selangor executive councillors said today they will go into the office tomorrow and carry out their duties as usual, as their sacking was illegal.


They told a press conference tonight that their dismissal by Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid was not legitimate as he had not received the Selangor Sultan’s consent.

“We do not recognise the sackings. He sent us the letter dismissing us today, saying that the Sultan consented to our sackings, but I believe everyone, including our media friends, saw that Khalid did not leave his office from morning until his 6pm press conference," said DAP’s Datuk Teng Chang Khim.

He added that since the exco members received their dismissal before 6pm, it would have been impossible for Khalid to have met with the sultan beforehand to obtain His Highness's consent.

When asked if it was possible that the Sultan consented to the sackings during his meeting with Khalid at Istana Alam Shah yesterday, Teng ruled this out.

“He said the day before he is going to meet each one of us to see whether we give him the support or not,” he said.

He said this in a press conference at the PKR headquarters tonight, along with DAP members Ean Yong Hian and V. Ganabathi Rao, and PKR’s Elizabeth Wong and Dr Daroyah Alwi.

Rodziah Ismail, also from PKR, is out of the country. The press conference was held following an emergency meeting tonight with the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) national leadership.

PR effectively lost the Selangor government when Khalid sacked all the PKR and DAP councillors today, leaving him and four PAS state executive councillors as the state government.

But Teng said that Khalid, who is an independent assemblyman since his expulsion from PKR Saturday, could not dismiss any Pakatan Rakyat (PR) member from the Selangor government.

“The Selangor government is held by PR. As a sacked member of PKR, he has no legitimacy to sack a PR member,” said Teng, who is in charge of Local Government, Research and Development.

“This has never happened in any democracy in the world, and he has now set a new record.”

Wong urged the four remaining PAS councillors not to attend tomorrow’s exco meeting, in solidarity with PR.

“Effectively, it’s a strange thing. We have been illegally sacked from the government of the day. We urge our colleagues from PAS not to attend tomorrow’s meeting,” said the Bukit Lanjan assemblyman.

Wong, who is in charge of Tourism, Consumer Affairs and Environment, added that while they would not attempt to attend tomorrow’s meeting, they would remain in their own offices in the state secretariat building and continue doing their work.

Earlier in the day, the six executive councillors from DAP and PKR took the position that any decisions made at the state cabinet meetings would have to go through a voting process.

The six signed a statement which said Khalid and his state cabinet's function was limited to transition capacity.

Khalid was sacked last Saturday after he refused to resign as directed by his party, to pave the way for Kajang assemblyman and PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to take over the MB's post.

Khalid has been facing mounting pressure from the PKR leadership to resign over his handling of Selangor affairs.

These include the state’s management of its water resources, the Kidex highway and seizure of Bahasa Malaysia and Iban-language Bibles by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais).

Yesterday, Khalid told the press that the Sultan had consented for him to remain as MB as he commanded the confidence of the majority.

However, Khalid said he would work with the four PAS exco members, the minimum required under the constitution to administer the government.

Pakatan loses Selangor government as Khalid sacks PKR, DAP excos - TMI

The Pakatan Rakyat (PR) effectively lost the Selangor government when embattled Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim sacked all PKR and DAP executive councillors in Selangor today.

Five of the affected councillors received their letter of termination today while one executive councillor, Rodziah Ismail from PKR, is out of the country.

Khalid's move leaves him and four PAS state executive councillors as the state government. It is not known whether the PAS national leadership is aware of the sackings and its stand on the issue.

PAS has insisted its decision on replacing Khalid as the PR menteri besar will only be made on August 17.

The PKR and DAP national leadership will hold an emergency meeting tonight and are expected to make their stand after the meeting.

The three DAP exco members are Datuk Teng Chang Khim, V.Ganabatirau and Ean Yong Hian Wah, while the three PKR excos are Elizabeth Wong, Dr Daroyah Alwi and Rodziah Ismail.

Khalid said: “These excos have made several statements and signed a letter for a bloc to be made for the purpose of decreasing the effectiveness of the exco.

“Therefore I have written to the Sultan to ask that these exco do not carry on their duties in the Selangor state government,” he said.

However, Khalid said he had yet to write to Rodziah as she was overseas.

With the sacking of the six exco members, the remaining Selangor exco members are all from PAS.

They are Iskandar Abdul Samad, Dr Halimah Ali, Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi and Sallehen Mukhyi.

Game over! Khalid sacks all DAP, PKR excos

With the termination of all six excos, the Pakatan Rakyat government in Selangor has effectively collapsed.

SHAH ALAM: In a stunning showdown with Pakatan, Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim sacked all DAP and PKR executive counsillors with the issuance of a termination letter to each of them.

The exco members terminated are Datuk Teng Chang Khim, V. Ganabatirau and Ean Yong Hian Wah from DAP and Elizabeth Wong, Dr Daroyah Alwi and Rodziah Ismail from PKR.

Taking immediate effect, Khalid said the decision to terminate the excos was made after they signed and issued a statement that they had formed a bloc, the reason of which was to undermine the effectiveness of the exco.

He said he had no choice but to seek permission from the Sultan in writing to terminate the duties of the current Selangor state exco.

“However, I have not written to Rodziah about her termination as she is currently overseas,” he said.

Khalid also dismissed rumours he was joining PAS saying, “No, the rumours about me joing PAS are absolutely false.”

With the termination of all six excos from DAP and PKR, the Pakatan Rakyat government has effectively collapsed with only Khalid as an Independent and four PAS members.

Sultan gave consent to sacking of excos

(NST) – The Selangor Sultan has consented to the sacking of three DAP and two PKR excos, a palace source confirmed today.

These include DAP leaders Datuk Teng Chang Khim, Ean Yong Hian Wah and V. Ganabatirau as well as PKR leaders Elizabeth Wong Keat Peng and Dr Daroyah Alwi.

Upon receiving Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah’s consent, the Menteri Besar’s office had issued sacking letters to the excos concerned.

Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim’s press secretary Arfaeza Aziz confirmed that the sacking letters had been delivered to the offices of the three DAP and two PKR excos.

When contacted, Ganabatirau said he was in Perak and had not seen any such letter yet while Yong confirmed he had received the letter.

Attempts from the New Straits Times to get confirmation from the other four excos went unanswered.

Selangor MB crisis: PKR, DAP reject sacking of exco members

(The Star) – DAP and PKR will not accept the sacking of their five executive councillors in the Selangor state government.

DAP secretary general Lim Guan Eng said the two parties felt the move by Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim was unethical and “does not respect the spirit and principle of democracy, and ignores the mandate given by the rakyat.”

His comments came soon after Khalid’s office sent termination letters to exco members Dr Daroyah Alwi and Elizabeth Wong from PKR and Datuk Teng Chang Khim, V. Ganabatirau and Ean Yong Hian Wah from the DAP.

The move comes after the Selangor Palace consented to Khalid’s request that the exco members be sacked.

Khalid has said that he had not request for the sacking of welfare and women’s issues exco Rodziah Ismail because she was not in the country.

Lim said Khalid was appointed as Mentri Besar to govern Selangor for Pakatan Rakyat and not in his personal capacity.

“He is not the Mentri Besar his name is Khalid Ibrahim,” Lim told a press conference at the PKR headquarters after senior leaders of both parties met to discuss the ongoing crisis.

Lim said he had contacted PAS secretary-general Mustafa Ali to urge the leadership to stand in solidarity with the sacked exco members.

All four PAS exco members have said that they would continue to support Khalid according to the leadership’s request.

“I have asked that their four executive council members not to turn up to tomorrow’s exco meeting.

“To me there is a need to show solidarity because PAS is part of Pakatan Rakyat,” said Lim.

Lim questioned how Khalid could claim to have the majority support of 28 assemblymen.

“Pakatan Rakyat has 28 assemblymen. Khalid needs 29 or more, not 28 to say he has the support of the majority,” said Lim.

PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he was “absolutely certain” that all Pakatan Rakyat assemblymen would not defect in support of Khalid.

“I am 100% sure they will not defect. They are all upstairs,” said Anwar.

Teng told the press conference that all those who had been sacked do not recognise the sacking.

“Under the Selangor State Constitution, the Sultan appoints the Executive Council on the advice of the Mentri Besar. Therefore, only the Sultan has the power to sack,” he said.

Asked whether the six would attend the exco meeting, Teng said they would report to office as usual but “we will stay in our offices as we have a lot of work to do as executive council members.”

He urged his PAS counterparts not to “legitimise” Wednesday’s exco meeting by attending it.

Teng also questioned Khalid’s claim that the sacking of the exco members was in accordance with procedures.

“In the letter given to us, Khalid said the Sultan had consented to sack us, but at a later press conference, Khalid said he would be seeking an audience with the Sultan,” said Teng.

He also pointed out Khalid was in his office the whole day while he (Teng) received the termination letter at 5.30pm.

“Khalid did not leave his office today. Is the Sultan a phone call away,” said Teng.

Malaysian Opposition Crisis Boils Over

Hadi Awang says the decision’s mine

In the background, the United Malays National Organization seeks to capitalize

Asia Sentinel

The Malaysian opposition coalition headed by Anwar Ibrahim is in serious danger of tearing itself apart over the issue of who will lead the coalition as chief minister of Selangor, the country’s most prosperous and populous state.

After months of squabbling, Anwar on Aug. 9 finally sacked Abdul Khalid Ibrahim as chief minister, who refused to go. The latest ultimatum is from the Chinese-dominated Democratic Action Party, which today, Aug. 12, demanded that Parti Islam se-Malaysia, the second wing of Anwar’s coalition, state immediately whether or not it will back Anwar’s decision to make his wife, Wan Azizah Ismail, the chief minister. PAS, as the party is known, has said it would make the decision on Aug. 17 at its general meeting.

But Lim Guan Eng, the secretary general of the DAP, told reporters it is crucial that PAS state its intentions after Muhyiddin Yassin, the United Malays National Organization Deputy President and the country’s vice premier, said he would throw his party’s support behind Khalid. PAS refused to back away from its Aug. 17 date, however.

UMNO, the biggest ethnic party in the national ruling coalition, would like to use the crisis to wrest the state back from the opposition although it only has 12 seats in the 56-seat assembly. Selangor is the jewel in the Pakatan Rakyat crown. With Muhyiddin’s public statement that the state’s 12 UMNO lawmakers would back Khalid, that raises the pressure on both Anwar to get PAS in line, and on PAS to decide which side of the fence it intends to be on.

“UMNO has played this brilliantly,” said a longtime political observer. ”The question is whether they have shown their hands too early.”

If UMNO could pull the 12 PAS members of the Selangor assembly away from the opposition coalition, that would give them at least 24 votes in the 56-person assembly with the remaining votes in the hands of Anwar’s Parti Keadilan and the DAP, suddenly opening the door to horse trading. There is precedent. In 2008, in a stunning defeat for the Barisan, the opposition took the state of Perak. In 2009, however, newly minted Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak persuaded three opposition members to jump ship amid accusations that millions of ringgit had changed hands and become independents. Ultimately, the Barisan took the state back from the opposition and kept it in the 2013 election.

The widespread feeling among political analysts in Kuala Lumpur is that the whole fiasco mainly demonstrates Anwar’s inability to discipline his own party and his coalition. Internal divisions within the party have nearly destroyed it, with prominent figures like former Justice Minister Zaid Ibrahim joining the party and then leaving in anger. In other opposition-held states, the dominant political party has had the right to name the chief minister. Only in Selangor has that custom not held and it is laid at Anwar’s doorstep.

Khalid, a former CEO of the powerful plantation company Kumpulan Guthrie, has gathered unlikely allies. PAS President Abdul Hadi Awang ultimately would like to make another ally, Parti Keadilan vice president Azmin Ali, the chief minister following Khalid’s reign. While Azmin is a member of Anwar’s own party, the two are rivals.

In the meantime, PAS has repeatedly clashed with the moderate Malays of Anwar’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat and the Chinese of the DAP, pushing fundamentalist issues over female dress, liquor, etc., and in particular seeking to institute hudud,a medieval system of punishments under religious law that includes stoning for adulterers and amputation of limbs for various crimes, in Kelantan, the state it controls. Insiders say PAS had promised not to push those issues when it joined the coalition. Hudud apparently has been put on the back burner, at least temporarily, for fear that it really would tear the coalition apart irrevocably.

Internal dissatisfaction has grown over Khalid’s stewardship, culminating in an attempt earlier this year by Anwar to replace him by himself through a by-election that ultimately was won by Anwar’s wife after Anwar was disqualified by an appellate court. Public irritation with the opposition coalition’s stewardship of the state has continued to grow over such issues as garbage collection and the decision to build a major highway6 through a residential district. Also, the incidence of dengue fever has been rising inexorably, with the blame falling on the leadership for not pushing public health authorities more to control it instead of squabbling. Finally, the state finds itself in the grip of the worst drought in decades, with the public accusing the government of not doing enough to enhance water production.

Other sources say those reasons are valid, but that in fact there is considerable wrangling behind the scenes over whose side gets lucrative government contracts for infrastructure and other civic improvements.

The stakes are crucial for not just the opposition coalition but for the country. If Pakatan Rakyat comes apart, it would doom for the foreseeable future any chance that the Barisan Nasional, the ruling national coalition, could be unseated from its position in power. The Barisan lost the popular vote in the 13th general election in 2013 by 50.87 percent to Pakatan Rakyat’s 47.38 percent but stayed in power through gerrymandered districts and the first-past-the-post electoral system. Given the dissention inside the opposition, many political observers believe that could well be the coalition’s high point.

What happens in the next 24 hours in the Selangor MB crisis may upstage the August 17 PAS leadership meeting and set the seal for the irretrievable break-up of Pakatan Rakyat

By Lim Kit Siang

The meeting of the PAS national leadership on August 17 will have a critical bearing on the future of the six-year-old three-party coalition Pakatan Rakyat.

However, the August 17 meeting of PAS may be upstaged by what happens in the next 24 hours in the Selangor Mentri Besar crisis which may set the seal for the irretrievable break-up of Pakatan Rakyat.

The break-up of Pakatan Rakyat will cause consternation and even despair among Malaysians over the betrayal of their high hopes that change has finally come to Malaysia after more than half a century of political stagnation and even regresson but welcomed as a boon and relief by Umno/BN leaders and apparatchiks as a “salvation” to spare them from political rejection and repudiation in the country.

This is the reason why the Deputy Prime Minister and UMNO Deputy President, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, had been so fast in declaring unconditional support of 12 UMNO/Barisan Nasional State Assembly representatives in Selangor to Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim as Mentri Besar of Selangor although he has lost the mandate of Parti Keadilan Rakyat and Pakatan Rakyat to continue as Selangor Mentri Besar.

UMNO/Barisan Nasional strategists are working overtime to exploit the Selangor Mentri Besar crisis, working on the scenario of 12 UMNO + 15 PAS + Khalid and a high-powered campaign to undermine the loyalty of DAP and PKR State Assembly reps to betray the Selangor voters and their respective parties.

This campaign gains strength with the open support in some quarters for a UMNO-PAS “Unity Government” although couched under another terminology like “national consensus”.

Pakatan Rakyat leaders must act promptly and decisively and not be blind-sided by the pace of developments in the Selangor Mentri Besar crisis when time is of the essence, allowing what could happen in the next 24 hours to upstage not only the PAS leadership meeting of August 17 but determine the survival of Pakatan Rakyat.

Cops may use Sedition Act against online hate-mongers

The Star
by NADIRAH H. RODZI AND CHAN LI LEEN

KUALA LUMPUR: Police are considering using the Sedition Act 1948 against those who incite racial and religious hatred on social media.

It was not an easy task to detain and prosecute those committing such an offence due to the Internet being wide and without borders, said Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohd Bakri Zinin.

Mohd Bakri also refuted claims that the police are practising selective investigation and urged the public not to be quick to jump the gun.

“This is what most people don’t understand, each case is different and has different facts and circumstances.

“We would need to identify the real identities and produce solid evidence before taking action against them.

“Without all that, it is hard to drag them to justice. That is why we are considering using the Sedition Act to investigate these sort of cases,” he said at a press conference after the closing of the Ops Selamat 5/2014 at the Terminal Bersepadu Selatan yesterday.

On Friday, Federal CID director Comm Datuk Seri Mohmad Salleh said the police were going all out to track down those inciting racial and religious hatred.

Police urged the five people identified as online hate-mongers on social media sites to come forward.

The wanted culprits include a woman with the Facebook profile Vignamona VM, who called for religious schools to be disbanded, a man (FB profile Kelvin Yip), who allegedly insulted Islam over the Muslims’ call to prayer (azan), and a man depicted on YouTube kicking another man of a different race.

The other two are a man whose profile name is “Persatuan Kongsi Gelap Melayu”, responsible for posting provocative messages regarding an alleged racial riot in Klang, and Facebook user Mohd Adam Asyiq Balasubramaniam, who posted racial sentiments.

In Ipoh, Perak deputy police chief Deputy Comm A. Paramasivam denied there had been fights between a group of Malays and Indians in Buntong as claimed on Facebook.

“There were no such fights and the Kampung Baru police station was not surrounded by a group of Indians.

“Neither were there fights in front of the Ipoh Railway Station or at the Gerbang Malam,” he said during a press conference yesterday.

DCP Paramasivam said in actual fact, a motorcyclist had died after being knocked down in front of the police station last month.

“A group of devotees attending a festival at a Hindu temple nearby the police station caught wind of what happened and had gone there to see what was happening. There were no racial riots or murder. It was a road accident,” he said.

Kedah ruler: Social media abuse a threat to peace

The New Straits Times
by ADIE SURI ZULKEFLI

ALOR STAR: SULTAN of Kedah Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah yesterday expressed concern over the alarming incidence of social media abuse, which can pose a threat to racial and religious harmony.

Tuanku Halim said the majority of the younger generation used social media to express their thoughts and views, while respecting racial, religious and traditional sensitivities.

He cautioned that liberalisation, as advocated in Western countries, was seen as modern and open, but it was unsuitable to the way of life in Malaysia.

“Religious and racial ideological tensions in our society, especially on social media platforms, demonstrate disrespect to decisions that had been agreed upon by the forefathers of all races during Independence,” he said in his speech at the opening of the Kedah State Legislative Assembly’s first meeting for the second term at Wisma Darulaman here.

The speech was read by Kedah Regency Council chairman Tan Sri Tunku Sallehuddin Sultan Badlishah. Present were his wife, Puan Sri Tengku Maliha Tengku Ariff, Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, his wife, Tok Puan Norzieta Zakaria, executive councillors and assemblymen.

Tuanku Halim reminded the younger generation that the country, which gained independence in 1957, was built on the strength of the social contract of a multiracial society, based on toleration, moderation and mutual respect.

“Without the wisdom of our forefathers when we were fighting for independence, many current descendants would be stateless citizens. As such, it is imperative for all quarters to understand and respect basic rights, as stated in the Federal Constitution.”

Tuanku Halim hinted that having a uniform education system could be the long-term solution in resolving the issue.

“Perhaps, we are asking ourselves what is happening to our unity and racial integration. Prominent education sociologist E.D. Hirsch, in his book Cultural Literacy, said education was the most important tool in fostering unity in a country. He suggested that a united society could only be achieved through an integrated national education system.”

Tuanku Halim also expressed his condolences to the families of the victims of Malaysia Airlines flights MH370 and MH17, and urged the people to condemn Israel’s Zionist regime for committing a systematic genocide against the Palestinians.

At the start of the opening ceremony, the House recited prayers for the late former Kedah Regency Council chairman, Tunku Bendahara Tan Sri Tunku Annuar Sultan Badlishah, who died in May.

Budget 2015 Sets To Improve Fiscal Position, Improve Living Standards - Najib

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 12 (Bernama) -- The 2015 Budget, scheduled to be tabled in Parliament in October, will continue to stimulate growth, and improve fiscal position and the people's standards of living, said Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

The prime minister said the country needed a responsible budget that lived up to the people's expectations in the march towards attaining Vision 2020 and the developed nation status.

"Malaysia is on the dawn of a developed nation. Together, we are able to achieve the target. Let's continue with our efforts," he said in his 1Malaysia blog post entitled "Budget2015: Let's Continue Our Efforts".

In striving to ensure that the 2015 Budget caters to the people's needs, Najib asked the people to express their ideas, opinions and needs through specific social sites or his Facebook for his considerations.

"I welcome your suggestions. I'm very excited over the people's responds prior to #Budget2014 - the sentiments revolved on everything, from housing to culture," he said.

Najib, who is also finance minister, said although the economy continued to grow and many new jobs were created, the people were still affected by rising cost of living.

Prime Minister said the government always placed the people's interests as the main agenda and had made great strides in addressing their needs by formulating inclusive, balanced and responsible national budget.

"The government's main objectives, among others, include managing the cost of living and maintaining low inflation," he said.

On public transport, he said it was important to seek long-term solutions to address traffic woes in the capital and the surrounding areas.

"The Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) could alleviate the problem by extending the distance of public transport to 51 km," he said, adding that as every MRT train would have four coaches, up to 400,000 passengers could ply by MRT every day.

The prime minister said the government would extend the Light Rail Transit line by stretching the Kelana Jaya and Ampang route until Putra Heights.

In line with the objective of enhancing eco-friendly public transport, he said the Electrified Double Track Project from Ipoh to Padang Besar, Perlis would cater for commuters in the northern region.

On the Goods and Services Tax (GST) at six per cent set for April next year, he reiterated that it was meant to replace the Service and Sales Tax (SST) (at 16 per cent) and not impose another tax regime.

"We need a new and equitable tax system as only one out of 10 Malaysians are taxpayers.

"We also need to expand the revenue streams, continue to reduce the deficit and invest for the future. The GST allows us to achieve the aspirations," he said.

Najib said the government would also increase the people's gross income by reducing the spread of personal income tax by one to three as announced in the 2014 Budget and the measure meant that 300,000 people no longer have to pay income tax.

Apart from that, he said corporate tax and small and medium enterprises income tax would also be reduced by one per cent from the 2016 year of assessment while cooperative income tax would be slashed by one to two per cent from the 2015 year of assessment.

The RM1,200 1Malaysia People's Aid at RM1,200 per year will continue to be disbursed for the next five years, he added.

On affordable housing raised during online 2014 Budget discussions, Najib said RM1 billion had been allocated under the 1Malaysia People's Housing Project to build 80,000 houses priced 20 per cent below the market price in addition to injecting funds to provide 26,122 affordable housing units.

He said the government introduced the National Automotive Policy in the 2014 Budget which was aimed at reducing vehicle prices by between 20 and 30 per cent within five years.

Islamic State militants have Putrajaya in crosshairs, Bukit Aman says

By Malay Mail

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 11 — Malaysian jihadists who joined terror group Islamic State to launch strikes in Iraq and Syria are now training their sights on their home government, according to police intelligence.

Home-ground followers of the al Qaeda offshoot, which gained control of territory in the two countries through armed warfare earlier this year, are looking to topple Putrajaya and replace the government with a fully Islamic government based on Shariah law, the South China Morning Post reported today, citing Bukit Aman’s counter-terrorism division senior official, Datuk Ayub Khan.

“During questioning, they [the suspects] admitted one of their main objectives was to attack the government,” Ayub was quoted saying by the English-language Hong Kong daily.

“They also discussed planning attacks against a disco, pubs in Kuala Lumpur and a Carlsberg factory in Petaling Jaya,” he added.

Police here have rounded up at least 19 people suspected of having links with the jihadist group in the last seven months but according to Ayub, the “real numbers” of those involved are likely higher.

Some 30 Malaysian Muslims left home to join the fight in Syria this year, putting the spotlight on growing extremism in a country that regularly touts its moderate image.

Malaysian factory worker Ahmad Tarmimi Maliki, suspected of being a member of the group — formerly called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) — was believed to have been the suicide bomber who killed 25 members of an Iraqi police team in May.

“Many” young Malay Muslims have been reeled in to join the militant activities abroad, drawn by the prospects of helping out Muslims in need and to fight and die in the name of Islam, according to former Perlis Mufti Datuk Dr Asri Zainul Abidin.

“I know lots of Malay youths have been asking me about it, either in person or through email. The offer is attractive to them,” he told Malay Mail Online last June.

“In Malaysia, there is an unhappiness over what is happening, a sense of injustice... many of these youths have a good intention, because they see Muslims in Syria being bombed and killed so they feel that they want to help out whatever way they can.”

'Heroic' mission rescues desperate Yazidis from ISIS

(CNN) -- The Iraqi air force and fighters with the Kurdish peshmerga carried out a dramatic rescue mission Monday at Mount Sinjar, taking supplies to desperate Yazidis and bringing some on board the helicopter to make it safely out.

A CNN crew was on the flight that took diapers, milk, water and food to the site where thousands of people have been driven by ISIS, which calls itself the Islamic State.

CNN's Ivan Watson, who was on the chopper, described the mission as "heroic."

Teams hurled out bags and boxes of food from as high as 50 feet before approaching the ground.

"We landed on several short occasions, and that's where -- amid this explosion of dust and chaos -- these desperate civilians came racing towards the helicopter, throwing their children on board the aircraft. The crew was just trying to pull up as many people as possible," Watson said.

Soon, some of the trapped families -- including babies and the elderly -- were packed into the flight.

"It was chaotic. It was crazy, but we were able to then lift off with about 20 civilians," Watson said.

Yazidis, among Iraq's smallest minorities, are of Kurdish descent, and their religion is considered a pre-Islamic sect that draws from Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism.

One of the oldest religious communities in the world, they have long suffered persecution, with many Muslims referring to them as devil worshippers.

More than a week ago, they fled into the surrounding mountains when ISIS fighters stormed the town of Sinjar.

It's already too late to save dozens of children who've died of thirst. But for the 20 or so people rescued Monday, the relief was palpable.

The crowd on board the helicopter burst into tears as it took off. Gunners had to open fire at the ground in order to make it away from ISIS.

"They flew in shooting; they flew out shooting," Watson reported.

"There was not a dry eye on the aircraft."

Khalid: Sultan has consented for me to stay on

Islamic Militants Gang Rape Catholic Nurse In Libya After Beheading Construction Worker

A Christian nurse from the Philippines was allegedly abducted and gang raped by up to six men from the militant terrorist group ISIS, also known as the Islamic State, in Libya last Wednesday.

According to a report from Shoebat.com, the woman was abducted outside her home and taken to an undisclosed location where she was brutally raped by the allegedly “religious” gang of men. The Philippines’ Foreign Affairs spokesman, Charles Jose, told reporters that the victim of the rape was released by her abductors after about two hours.

The incident comes just days after a construction worker, also from the Philippines, was abducted and beheaded by ISIS because they deemed him to be a “non-Muslim.”

The International Business Times reported that as a result of the latest incidents, the government of the Philippines have called for the full evacuation of all of its 13,000 citizens living in Libya, which is in the midst of a bloody civil war following the recent entry of ISIS fighters to the country.

Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said on Thursday to reporters that he was flying to Djerba island in Tunisia to “try to convince our people to leave [Libya] because the situation there is very dangerous.”

President Benigno Aquino’s spokesman Herminio Coloma said in Manila: “We condemn these crimes that have been committed against our people.”

There seems to be no limits to the brutality that ISIS and its followers bring to places they conquer, including the public stoning to death of two women in Syria who were accused of committing adultery, as reported by The Inquisitr.

Sadly, the world media seems distracted with events in Gaza as many accuse Israel of carrying out genocide against the Palestinian people. It seems strange that the outrage just isn’t there when it comes to extremist Muslims killing and torturing everyone in their path, all in the name of Allah.

Hopefully, the world will soon wake up to the real threat that ISIS, Hamas, and the Muslim Brotherhood pose to western democracy, and particularly to Jews and Christians.

So wicked that even Al Qaeda disowned them: Letter found at Bin Laden's hideout warned of Islamic State's extreme brutality

• 21-page letter found at the Pakistan hideout where Bin Laden was killed
• Note said Islamic State of Iraq and Syria could damage Al Qaeda's reputation
• Memo documented acts of barbarism including bombing mosques
• ISIS, now called Islamic State, has control of area larger than Great Britain

Lying among a pile of papers at the hideout in Pakistan where Osama Bin Laden was shot dead was a carefully worded 21-page letter.

It warned of the rise of a new and ruthless group of Islamic extremists capable of such extreme brutality that Al Qaeda should sever all links with them.

In fact, it claimed the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (or ISIS) had such complete disregard for civilian life that it could damage the reputation of Al Qaeda – if such a thing were possible for an organisation that has long traded in murderous terrorism.

Scroll down for video

The document, written by one of Bin Laden’s senior officials in 2011, went on to catalogue some of its acts of barbarism – including the use of chlorine gas as a chemical weapon, bombing mosques and a massacre in a Catholic church in Baghdad.

In essence, the letter said that ISIS was simply too extreme even for the group that killed thousands in the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001.

Today, ISIS, which now styles itself as simply Islamic State (IS), has become a powerful military force that has control of an area larger than Great Britain.

Living under its ultra-conservative interpretation of Islam are six million people, a population larger than that of Ireland, Denmark or Finland.

Its trademark black jihadi flag has fluttered in the background of chilling ‘promotional’ videos of executions – including crucifixions and beheadings – as the militia seizes vast areas of Iraq and Syria. In short, the ‘caliphate’ – or Islamic state – it claims to have established represents the biggest shift in the political geography of the Middle East since the borders of modern Iraq and Syria were drawn under the Sykes-Picot agreement drafted between Britain and France in 1916.

Living under its ultra-conservative interpretation of Islam are six million people, a population larger than that of Ireland, Denmark or Finland.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2721417/So-wicked-Al-Qaeda-disowned-Letter-Bin-Ladens-hideout-warned-Islamic-States-extreme-brutality.html#ixzz3A7P7kkXq

Name those who support you, Ambiga urges MB

 

Former Bar Council chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan has called on Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim to name those who support him.

This is in response to Khalid's announcement that Selangor's Sultan Sharafudin Idris Shah consented to Khalid staying on as MB.

"Tan Sri, in the interests of the people of Selangor, please name those in the (state legislative) assembly whose support you say you have," she said in a tweet to Khalid.

 

"Even with PAS support is it not hung," she asked further, to the extent of asking PAS central committee member Dr Dzulkifli Ahmad whether this is true.

Khalid had said in a press conference today that if there was any quarter which did not believe he enjoyed the majority support in the House, it could seek an audience with the Selangor sultan.

"They can report it to the sultan. But for now, the sultan has not received any report that I do not enjoy majority support," the Selangor MB said.

PKR de-facto leader Anwar Ibrahim in his immediate Twitter response quizzed reports saying Khalid has majority support among Selangor assemblypersons.

PKR's Latheefa Koya (right) mocked Khalid for asking that the  exco who do not support him resign, when it was the party that had sacked him.

DAP Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng asked his followers on Twitter what should the Selangor DAP exco do - either to resign now or stay on to monitor Khalid.

PAS central committee member Dr Dzulkifli Ahmad, said: “We will all know when the time of reckoning comes,” in response to the claim that Khalid has sufficient support from the assembly.

Umno information chief Ahmad Maslan said this was an interesting development. “Will PKR and DAP apply to "sembah derhaka" (go against the ruler)?” he asked.

Umno Supreme Council member Abdul Rahman Dahlan said since the majority of Selangor assemblypersons support Khalid, Pakatan cannot claim Khalid does not have legitimacy to be MB.

“It is Pakatan who has no legitimacy to form the government,” he held.

PAS has 15 Selangor assemblypersons while BN has 12.

DAP has 15 seats while PKR, after sacking Khalid, holds 13 seats.

Cops were judge and jury in Kugan’s case

The Court of Appeal said the police force was "on trial" and to allow them to determine what ought to be done was simply asking the wrong-doers to do their own investigation.

PUTRAJAYA: The police took on the roles of judge and jury over a complaint lodged against their behaviour in the case of luxury car theft suspect A. Kugan, who died in police custody about five years ago.

The Court of Appeal in its 51-page written judgment said this conduct missed the point completely and that it was the police force at that point in time which was “on trial”.

“And, to allow the police to determine what ought to be done was simply asking the wrong-doers to do their own investigation and determine the appropriate action.

“Common sense militates against such a course of action,” said Justice David Wong Dak Wah, in the judgment today.

He said the panel was also rather perturbed by the admission of first defendant (Khalid Abu Bakar, former Selangor police chief and current Inspector-General of Police) that he had negotiated with the attorney-general that investigation was to be confined to an offence under Section 330 of the Penal Code.

The section deals with offences of voluntarily causing hurt to extort confessions or to compel restoration of property.

Wong said this was an affront to the concept of fair play and transparency and the police had become judge and jury of a complaint made against their behaviour.

In a unanimous ruling, the panel headed by Justice Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof, which also comprised Justice Mah Weng Kwai, held that where there was custodial death, the family of the deceased was entitled to know the truth as to what had happened during the detention.

“That is their intrinsic right to know. This entitlement to know can be easily understood by just asking the simple question: What if it is your 22-year-old son who had died in custody?” asked Wong.

He stressed that custodial death could not and should not happen in this country and that there should be zero tolerance for any custodial death at all remand centres.

Therefore, the panel upheld a High Court decision which found the police force, former police constable V. Navindran and the government liable for Kugan’s death while under police custody in January 2009.

However, the court reduced the amount of damages from RM801,700 to RM701,700 after setting aside RM100,000 for false imprisonment awarded by the High Court last year.

Wong said as for quantum of the exemplary damages, there was no reason to disturb the award granted by the High Court judge as it commensurated with the actions of the defendants.

High Court Judge V. T. Singham, in his decision on June 26 last year, awarded Kugan’s mother, N. Indra, RM851,700 in damages for assault and battery, false imprisonment, misfeasance, pain and suffering after finding that the plaintiff had established her claim against the defendants.

On January 13, 2012, Indra filed a civil suit against then-Selangor police chief Khalid, Navindran, former Subang Jaya police chief ACP Zainal Rashid Abu Bakar (now deceased), the then-Inspector-General of Police and the government.

Kugan, 22, died at the Taipan USJ police station on January 20, 2009.

Last year, Navindran was the only one held responsible for Kugan’s death and sentenced to three years’ jail.

– Bernama

Muhyiddin: BN Selangor will back Khalid

BN will support Khalid "without any conditions".

PETALING JAYA: Barisan Nasional Selangor will back Khalid Ibrahim in the event of a no-confidence motion being tabled in the state assembly.

A Bernama report quotes BN deputy chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin as saying that BN supports Khalid “without any conditions”.

He also said that BN’s Selangor assemblypersons will vote for Khalid if a vote of no confidence is called against the Menteri Besar (MB).

BN has 12 assemblypersons in the Selangor legislative assembly. To command majority support, Khalid will need all 15 PAS assemblypersons to back him.

Meanwhile PKR and DAP are questioning Khalid’s claim that he had the confidence of the majority of the assemblymen.

In a joint statement today, PKR secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and DAP Selangor chief Tony Pua said Khalid should call an emergency sitting of the state assembly for a vote of confidence to prove that he indeed had the support of PAS and Umno assemblymen.

Earlier today Khalid said the Sultan of Selangor has consented to him continuing as MB as he still commanded support of the majority of assemblymen.

Anwar, RM 3 Bilion dan 16 September

Anwar hanya memerlukan sekitar 30 orang ahli parlimen daripada Barisan Nasional untuk lompat dan menyertainya.

Edwin Michael

Sudah pelbagai analisis telah dibuat melibatkan krisis politik di negeri Selangor. Namun, persoalan yang masih gagal dijawab oleh sekutu-sekutu rapat Anwar Ibrahim ialah mengapa hanya isterinya sahaja yang layak diangkat menjadi Menteri Besar Selangor?

Tindakan ini juga dilihat membelakangkan Deklarasi Permatang Pauh yang mahukan nepotisme dihancurkan daripada politik negara ini.

Kini setiap tindakan Anwar Ibrahim dilihat terlalu terdesak dan terburu-buru seolah-olah terdapat satu agenda rahsia yang mahu direalisasikannya. Dan jelas kelihatan buat masa ini hanya DAP menyokong penuh setiap langkah Anwar Ibrahim untuk mengapai agenda rahsianya itu.

Percaturan politik Anwar ini memang adakalanya terlalu bijak namun percaturannya kali ini hanya menimbulkan pelbagai teori konspirasi.

Andaikata isterinya, Wan Azizah memegang tampuk pemerintahan kerajaan negeri Selangor, secara langsung Pemerbadanan Menteri Besar (MBI) akan berada dibawah kawalan Wan Azizah atau dalam erti kata lain akan berada dibawah kawalan Anwar Ibrahim.

Apa istimewanya MBI ini? Tentunya keistimewaan MBI ini adalah terletak pada dana yang bernilai ratusan billion ringgit. Jika dana ini dapat dikuasai oleh Anwar Ibrahim maka jalannya untuk menjadi Perdana Menteri semakin luas.

Langkah Kajang merupakan perintis kepada segala kekusutan ini. Sebaik Wan Azizah menjadi Menteri Besar, sekutu-sekutu rapat Anwar Ibrahim akan mula mengatur strategi untuk memujuk dan membeli ahli-ahli parlimen Barisan Nasional. Dalam konteks ini, Anwar hanya memerlukan sekitar 30 orang ahli parlimen daripada Barisan Nasional untuk lompat dan menyertainya.

Andaikata, jika seorang ahli parlimen ditawar sekitar RM50 juta sekali pun, kos keseluruhan hanya mencecah RM1.5 bilion. Dana MBI sememangnya kukuh untuk menanggung kos ini.

Namun, Perdana Menteri dan Barisan Nasional khasnya tidaklah sebodoh itu untuk biarkan semua ini terjadi. Maka, strategi Barisan Nasional pula adalah untuk terus menyokong penuh pentadbiran Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim yang kini dituduh derhaka dan layak ke neraka oleh Parti Keadilan Rakyat itu sendiri. Andaian ini dikukuhkan kerana jelas kelihatan media regim Barisan Nasional turut memberikan sokongan penuh kepada Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim. Propaganda ini menimbulkan sentimen simpati pada Menteri Besar dan kebencian pada Anwar Ibrahim.

Permainan sentimen ini pula amat penting buat regim kerana ini bakal menjadi senjata kuat mereka sekiranya DUN dibubarkan dan pilihanraya negeri diadakan. Potensi untuk Barisan Nasional merampas kembali Selangor juga tinggi apabila Najib Razak kini kelihatan lebih berkredibiliti selepas kejayaannya memujuk pemberontak puak pro Rusia untuk menyerahkan kotak hitam MH17 dan pada masa yang sama kredibiliti Anwar Ibrahim yang merudum kerana kegilaannya untuk menjadi raja nepotisme.

Jika Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim mengundur diri dan memberikan ruang kepada Wan Azizah untuk menjadi Menteri Besar, maka keseluruhan masa depan rakyat Selangor dipertaruhkan untuk memastikan langkah Kajang ini dicapai.

Persoalan terakhir mengapa Anwar perlu lakukan semua ini? Ini kerana panggilan penjara Sungai Buloh semakin dekat. Hanya satu cara sahaja untuknya melepaskan diri daripada sabitan kes mahkamahnya iaitu membeli ahli-ahli parlimen Barisan Nasional menggunakan wang rakyat Selangor dan menjadi Perdana Menteri Malaysia ‘pintu belakang’. Ini seterusnya merealisasikan impian 16 September yang dicetuskan oleh dirinya sendiri. Maka jelas daripada awal lagi mengapa PAS membangkang setiap langkah Anwar Ibrahim ini. Ini soal amanah rakyat. Ini soal integriti.

Apabila Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim enggan bersuhabat dengan Anwar Ibrahim, serangan moral dilancarkan oleh Rafizi Ramli. Realitinya, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim hanyalah kambing hitam kepada keseluruhan wayang kulit Anwar Ibrahim ini.

Penulis ialah pensyarah Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Perak.

Selangor MB crisis: Khalid to remain as Mentri Besar

(The Star) – Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim has revealed that the palace wants him to remain as the Selangor Mentri Besar after he assured the Sultan that he commands the majority in the state assembly.

In a highly anticipated and packed press conference at the state secretariat building here, Khalid said that this was decided in an audience he had with Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah on Monday morning.

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KENYATAAN MEDIA

11 OGOS 2014

DYMM TUANKU SULTAN PERKENAN MENTERI BESAR SEDIA ADA TERUS MENJALAN TUGAS

Saya telah manghadap DYMM Sultan Selangor hari ini pada 11 Ogos 2014, 9 pagi untukmemaklumkan kedudukan saya sebagai Menteri Besar Selangor selepas pemecatan saya sebagaiahli Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).

Dalam pertemuan tersebut, saya telah sambas maklum kepada DYMM Tuanku bahawa sayatelah dipecat daripada PKR pada 9 Ogos 2014 oleh Lembaga Disiplin PKR. Lanjutan daripadapemakluman saya, DYMM Tuanku telah bertanyakan sama ada saya masih memperolehikepercayaan majoriti AHli Dewan Negeri.

Saya telah memperjelaskan bahawa disebalik pemecatan saya sebagai ahli PKR, saya masihmemperolehi kepercayaan majoriti Ahli Dewan Negeri. Justeru itu DYMM Tuanku berpuas hatidengan penjelasam yang telah disembahkan dan selanjutnya DYMM Tuanku telah perkenanuntuk saya terus memegang jawatan sebagai Menteri Besar Selangor.

Sehingga ada perkembangan baharu, saya masih kekad sebaagai menteri Besar Selangor danakan menjalankan tugas seperti biasa.

TAN SRI DATO’ SERI ABDUL KHALID BIN IBRAHIM

DATO’ MENTERI BESAR SELANGOR

With UMNO declaration of support of 12 BN Selangor Assembly representatives for Khalid, urgent and imperative for immediate clarity of stand of all 43 Selangor PR Assembly reps

By Lim Kit Siang,

With the declaration by the Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin that the 12 Barisan Nasional Selangor Assembly representatives will give its unconditional support to Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim to continue as the Selangor Mentri Besar, it is urgent and imperative for immediate clarity of stand of all 43 Pakatan Rakyat Selangor Assembly representatives from PKR, DAP and PAS on the issue.

Time is of the essence following the rapid pace of developments of the political situation in Selangor and the country, and all processes of political decision-making have no choice but to be accelerated if Pakatan Rakyat is not to be seen as incapable of responding to fast and high-speed political changes.

Government To Continue Strengthen Malaysia's Competitiveness - Muhyiddin

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 11 (Bernama) -- The government will continue to strengthen Malaysia's global competitiveness through efforts targeted at enhancing its investment environment and promoting policies, said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Mohd Yassin.

He said the move would increase trade, harness talents to achieve higher productivity growth, intensify efforts to reduce regulatory burden, as well as strengthen the country's technological capabilities.

Since the introduction of Economic Transformation Programme in 2010, Muhyiddin said, the government has put in place many initiatives to ensure that the country was on track, where business-friendly policies were introduced and implemented.

"Businesses are being assisted by bold and ambitious measures to transform our economy, which will in turn ensure that we are a more attractive and favourable investment destination," said Muhyiddin.

He said this in his keynote address at The Edge Billion Ringgit Club Gala Dinner Monday night.

Also present were Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar and The Edge Media Group executive chairman Datuk Tong Kooi Ong.

"Improving our national competitiveness is a very important objective, and that we all have a responsibility to achieve this, individually and collectively," said Muhyiddin, who is also the Education Minister.

He said the government was investing and promoting new growth industries that would provide significant opportunities for the private sector to participate in developments.

Muhyiddin said Malaysia was currently undergoing a transitional stage that would determine the future of the nation.

"As we move towards developed nation status, we need to urgently transform our economy and society so as to be more competitive globally," he said.

In order to make the private sector the new engine of growth, businesses needed open, transparent and even-handed economic stewardship, he said.

Muhyiddin said the government aimed to create a more competitive environment for the private sector to thrive through greater liberalisation and deregulation.

"Therefore, it is heartening to note that in the World Competitiveness Yearbook 2014, Malaysia has been recognised as the 12th most competitive economy among the 60 economies ranked," he said.

The ranking placed Malaysia ahead of developed economies like UK, Australia, Finland and Japan.

"We aim to be among the top 10 most competitive economies in the next few years," he said.

About 178 companies have succeeded in their assessment to be part of The Edge Billion Ringgit Clubb among the 900 companies listed on Bursa Malaysia, a notable increase from 144 companies in the 2013 list.

The market value of the 178 companies stood at RM1.54 trillion as of March 31, 2014, amounting to 91 per cent of the total market capitalisation of Bursa Malaysia.

At the event Muhyiddin presented The Edge Corporate Awards.