Women and Teens Suffer 'Barbaric Rape' by Islamic State Fighters

By Lucy Westcott - newsweek.com

Iraqi civilians are being subjected to “barbaric” sexual violence committed by Sunni Islamic State (IS) jihadist fighters, the U.N reports.

Two U.N. officials say they’ve received accounts of “barbaric acts” of sexual violence including “savage rapes” being used as weapons of war against women and teenage girls and boys belonging to the Yazidi, Christian, Turkomen and Shabak minority groups in Iraq. As many as 1,500 Yazidis and Christians may have been forced into sex slavery and human trafficking, the UN reports.

“We condemn, in the strongest terms, the explicit targeting of women and children and the barbaric acts the ‘Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant’ has perpetrated on minorities in areas under its control, and we remind all armed groups that acts of sexual violence are grave human rights violations that can be considered as war crimes and crimes against humanity,” Nickolay Mladenov, special representative of the U.N. secretary-general for Iraq, and Zainab Hawa Bangura, special representative of the secretary-general on sexual violence in conflict, said in a joint statement issued from Baghdad.

The UN warned on Tuesday that Yazidis are on the brink of an imminent mass genocide at the hands of IS. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) estimates 20,000 to 30,000 Yazidis remain trapped in searing temperatures on top of Mount Sinjar in northwest Iraq with little food, water or medical supplies. The Yazidis — a majority Kurdish-speaking religion that combines elements of Christianity, Islam and the ancient Persian faith Zoroastrianism — were trapped after fleeing IS militants who issued them an ultimatum: convert to Islam or die.

The U.S. and France are both stepping up efforts to relieve the plight of Iraq’s Yazidis, who IS consider to be devil worshippers, and other religious minority groups. The U.S. is sending 130 “advisers” into northern Iraq to help assist in the evacuation of the thousands of Yazidis still stranded on the mountain. The Defense Department emphasized that the advisers, all Marines and Special Operations forces, won’t be used in combat roles but will plan and perhaps carry out the evacuation of Yazidis. The addition of 130 advisers brings the total number of U.S. military personnel in Iraq to more than 1,000, The New York Times reports.

Hold emergency state sitting to test your majority, DAP tells Khalid - TMI

With 30 Selangor assemblymen declaring their support for Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, DAP has now challenged embattled Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim to convene an emergency state assembly sitting to test his majority.

DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang said ‎it is clear that the two-term MB has lost the confidence of the majority in the 56-seat assembly.

"As an emergency state assembly can only be convened by the menteri besar, is Khalid prepared to uphold the word and spirit of the Selangor constitution to convene such an emergency meeting?‎" he said in a statement today.

Fifteen DAP assemblymen, together with 13 from PKR and two from PAS, today declared their loss of confidence in Khalid and fully backed Dr Wan Azizah for the MB post.

This means Khalid now only has support from opposition Umno who has 12 representatives, as well as himself who is now an independent candidate after he was sacked from PKR last week for defying party orders to make way for Dr Wan Azizah.

Islamist party PAS has 15 assemblymen in the state, of which 13 has yet to declare their stand.

PAS Hulu Kelang assemblyman Saari Sungib and Morib assemblyman Hasnul Baharuddin today were the first state lawmakers from Selangor PAS to publicly back Dr Wan Azizah.

In an immediate response, a defiant Khalid had said he remained the MB until the state assembly deemed otherwise.

Lim said today's development also showed that Khalid had committed a "grave wrong" for misleading the Selangor sultan into believing that he commanded the support of the majority, when he knew that it was not the case.

On Monday, Khalid said the state ruler had consented to him remaining as MB as he still commands the support from the majority of the assembly.

Lim said before his audience with the Sultan, Khalid was both duty and honour-bound to verify he still commanded the support of the majority of the state assembly members to continue as menteri besar.

This, he said, was to ensure that he would not be guilty of misleading the sultan.

"But despite being in the midst of a political crisis after being sacked as a member of PKR, Khalid never tried to verify with the Selangor state assembly representatives, particularly from the 43 PR reps, if he still commanded their support."

The DAP adviser said the only honourable way out for Khalid now is to resign gracefully. – August 14, 2014.

Cops in a bind over teen who 'liked' pro-Israel page - Malaysiakini

The police are caught in a situation where they would be criticised whether or not they take action against the teenager who allegedly clicked ‘Like’ on a pro-Israel Facebook page, said Communications and Multimedia Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek.

“If the police don’t act, people get angry. If the police act, people get angry. This is where the enforcers need to use their discretion,” he told reporters today.

He said this when reporters asked whether it is disproportionate to investigate a Form Five student under the Sedition Act for supposedly clicking ‘Like’ on a Facebook paged called ‘I love Israel’.

The 17-year old has reportedly denied clicking ‘Like’ on the web page and has lodged a police report out of fear for his safety, after being harassed.

Penang police chief Abdul Rahim Hanafi said they schoolboy is being investigated under Section 4(1)(a) of the Sedition Act and the police has already recorded his statement.

A person convicted under the provision can be fined up to RM5,000, jailed up to three years, or both, on the first offence.

When asked again whether it is necessary to investigate the teenager for such a serious offence for supposedly clicking ‘Like’, Shabery stressed that he is merely being investigated and no action has been taken against him yet.

“I think he merely ‘liked’ the page, perhaps the police would recommend that no further action should be taken against him. However the police want more information, that’s normal,” he said.

NGO's RM540mil poser for Palanivel and boss

 

Copingo, a coalition of Penang Indian NGOs, is demanding answers from BN leaders about the RM540 million supposedly allocated to the Indian community.

Copingo chairperson N Ganesan directed the questions at Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and MIC president G Palanivel.

He said Najib has been bandying this number about for some time but nothing tangible seems to have come forth for the Indian community from the expenditure.

"The allocation is an illusory allocation, just another deception," he told Malaysiakini.

Ganesan (left) said the growth of the underclass among the Indians seems to be untouched, the evictions of displaced Indian estate workers is happening even today and there has been no real attempt at a resettlement programme for these workers.

He added that single mothers continue to face daily miseries and suffer in silence.

Ganesan also noted that the statelessness issue is not getting serious attention now as compared to before the general election.

"Tamil primary schools continue pretty much in their dilapidated condition despite some hand-outs and a few additional schools being built.

"The RM540 million seems not to have done anything for these critical problems," he said.

'The great deception'

Recently, Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia chairperson P Waythamoorthy asked Palanivel to account for the money.

However, the MIC president said that he was only aware of the RM38 million allocation to the Indian community.

Ganesan said in refusing to be held accountable for the RM540 million, Palanivel is effectively kicking the ball back to his boss.

"But we hardly hear a whimper from his boss, who like a broken record only repeats he has spent RM540 million for the Indian community, more than any prime minister in the history of the country," he added.

Ganesan said Najib is "really guilty of a much larger sin of deception" than the RM540 million alleged allocation.

He reminded that Najib had signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Indian community, represented by Hindraf on April 18 last year.

Ganesan said that 16 months later, Najib has not delivered even one ringgit of the items he signed for in that contract.

"In this one act, Najib has effectively delivered to the Indian community one of the largest deceptions in the history of post-independence Malaysia," he added.

MB crisis: All eyes now on palace and PAS - Malaysiakini

 

Even though PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail claimed a majority in the state assembly earlier today following the support of two PAS representatives, there are still major hurdles that she and her party need to clear with the Selangor palace and PAS.

The relationship between Wan Azizah as well as PKR and the Selangor palace and PAS would come under increasing scrutiny over the next few days, which could decide the fate of the state's leadership.

Central to this is whether PKR and its de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim would be willing to submit a second candidate for the MB post.

The Selangor palace had already rejected Wan Azizah's request for an audience with the sultan earlier this week as it did not wish to delve into PKR's internal affairs.

The Kajang assemblyperson had penned a second letter today seeking and audience to inform the monarch of the majority that she holds in the state assembly to oust current MB Khalid Ibrahim.

With the latest development, there have been calls for the sultan to instruct Khalid to resign given that Wan Azizah has majority support.

However, PAS secretary-general Mustafa Ali yesterday said he "heard" that the palace had rejected Wan Azizah's candidacy as MB, and thus the party was also seeking for PKR to submit a second candidate.

Fresh state election

If the Selangor palace does not grant Wan Azizah an audience at the second time asking, PKR and DAP might need to wait until the state assembly convenes again in November in order to push through a vote of no confidence and remove Khalid.

A hung assembly could prompt the sultan to dissolve the state assembly and call for fresh polls.

Pakatan insiders have become increasingly wary of the prospect of a snap polls as they believe PAS and PKR would suffer major losses compared to the 13th general election.

Key to avoiding this would be to ensure PAS' support alongside PKR and DAP for the MB change.

Malaysiakini previously reported that a meeting between top PAS leaders last Sunday arrived at four conclusions - to stay in Pakatan Rakyat, to withdraw support for Khalid, to reject Wan Azizah and request a second name from PKR to be submitted.

This brought to fore the name of Azmin Ali, the PKR deputy president and Selangor PKR chief who has been eyeing the MB post for quite some time.

A meeting between PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang and Anwar in Kuala Terengganu on Monday had failed to break the deadlock, and the party's political bureau would hold a crucial meeting tonight before proposing their conclusions for the all-important central committee meeting this Sunday.

Sources from Anwar's inner circle have admitted that the PKR leader might not succeed in pushing through Wan Azizah's candidacy after all due to possible resistance from the palace and PAS.

Malaysiakini understands that PAS leaders are also increasingly unhappy with PKR strategist Rafizi Ramli and secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution for publicly insisting that PKR does not consider any other candidate apart from Wan Azizah for the MB post.

However, if PAS could finally reach an agreement with PKR after backing Khalid previously and throw their support for the MB change, Khalid's independently run government could collapse with the withdrawal of four remaining PAS exco members.

According to sources, Pakatan’s presidential council might hold a meeting right after the PAS central committee meeting on Sunday in another bid to reach an agreement that has eluded all three Pakatan components.

A strong show of support from all Pakatan parties could then lead to a new MB being appointed while averting a state election.

The state ruler, Sharafuddin Idris Shah, would return from his overseas trip on Aug 23 and Pakatan would be hopeful of reaching a consensus on the matter before this.

The Kajang move

Attempts to replace Khalid as the MB of the state has now dragged on for nearly six months.

In February, PKR initiated the 'Kajang Move' by triggering the resignation of assemblyperson Lee Chin Cheh to pave way for a by-election in Kajang and install Anwar as the MB replacing Khalid.

However, Anwar was disqualified from contesting the by-election following his sodomy conviction at the Court of Appeal in March, and Wan Azizah, his wife, stood in his stead and returned as an elected representative.

Khalid remained as MB thereafter but overtures to replace him gathered momentum again after his controversial water deal with the federal government and approval for expressways in the state increased unhappiness on his leadership among PKR and DAP leaders.
                  
After a protracted period, PKR decided that Wan Azizah would be its MB candidate but Khalid refused to step down, asking his party to follow "procedures".

Things were made murkier when PAS, through its president Abdul Hadi openly supported Khalid to remain at the helm.

PKR issued a show-cause letter to Khalid for his refusal to step down and later sacked him from the party.

Despite that, Khalid obtained consent from the ruler earlier this week to remain as MB, and proceeded to sack PKR and DAP excos while retaining the four PAS excos.

Khalid has today refused to change his stand despite Wan Azizah's majority claim, stating that it must be translated into a vote of no confidence in the state assembly.


Selangor crisis today

11.17am: Two PAS assemblypersons pledge support for Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as MB, giving her majority support of the House.

12:42pm: PKR exco member Rodziah resigns.

12.58pm: Exco member confirms that PKR, DAP S'gor councillors will not lose their jobs.

1.46pm: Khalid refuses to budge until a no confidence vote is called.

2pm: PAS Hulu Kelang rep Saari Sungib ready to leave party for Pakatan.

4.16pm: PAS gives pro-Wan Azizah reps 24 hours to retract stand or face action.

5.30pm: DAP claims Khalid may call snap polls in November.

5.42pm: Lim Kit Siang tells Khalid to resign for misleading sultan on majority support.

5.45pm: Law experts say no assembly sitting required to oust Khalid as MB.

11.24pm: PAS denies claims that it is rejecting Wan Azizah because she is a woman, but won't reveal its reasons.

Leave office now, Khalid told

Surendran says Khalid must resign immediately as the law clearly says so.

PETALING JAYA: Shooting back at Khalid Ibrahim for his latest tweet insisting he will stay on as Selangor’s Menteri Besar (MB), PKR vice-president N.Surendran said the latter had “no legal or moral legitimacy” to cling on to his post any longer.

Surendran explained, “Article 53(6) of the Selangor State Constitution states that if the MB ‘ceases to command the confidence of the majority’ of the members of the assembly, he shall tender his resignation and that of the state Exco.”

He added that with the confirmation today of the 30 members who are backing Dr.Wan Azizah over Khalid that Article 53(6) is operative.

Surendran also said, “Khalid is bound by the Constitution to leave office immediately” rendering it pointless that Khalid insist on waiting until a vote of no-confidence is passed.

“Khalid’s immediate twitter response suggests that he intends to desperately cling on to office until there is a motion of no confidence.”

Surendran questioned Khalid’s logic saying, “…there is no doubt that he does not have the confidence of the assembly.”

“Khalid must now seek an immediate audience with the Ruler and tender his resignation.”

Surendran also said, Khalid owes the people an explanation as to why he said on August 11 that he had informed the Ruler of the confidence the majority of the assembly had in him.

“He must now also explain upon what basis he made such a statement to the Ruler of the state of Selangor,” Surendran said.

Put it to a vote

By Zaid Ibrahim,

The Sultan of Selangor now has a golden opportunity to do the right thing for Selangor. He should dissolve the Assembly so that a fresh election can be held.

Today Datin Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail claimed that she had the support of 30 State Assemblymen in Selangor and therefore should be accepted as the new Menteri Besar.

This argument—or the presentation of 30 Assemblymen at a Press conference—may be technically valid under the law because of the bad precedent set in Perak in 2008, but it should not be followed by the Sultan because it’s a travesty of Parliamentary practice .

Lest we forget, the Perak Barisan Nasional took a similar approach during the Perak crisis in 2008, which created an uproar amongst Pakatan Rakyat supporters.

The Pakatan Rakyat felt that Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin should have been removed—if at all—by a vote of confidence in the State Assembly. Any other process was unacceptable.

The determination by the monarch, so the argument went, should not be done in private. The removal of a Menteri Besar required nothing other than an open vote in the Assembly, as has always been the practice in Westminster.

Why do we insist on open public trials in our courts (except in exceptional circumstances)? It’s because in a democracy we eschew secrecy and we value openness.

The people want to know about and be involved in all processes that are important and affect their lives. They want transparency and they distrust powerful people making decisions behind their backs.

It’s the same with public office. The people vote for the party that forms the Government, and when that party no longer has confidence in the Menteri Besar, this must be shown to the people via the open process called the “vote of no confidence” in the Assembly.

This will demonstrate clearly and democratically that the Menteri Besar no longer has majority support. Any other manner of removing a sitting Menteri Besar this must be rejected as undemocratic.

Why? Well, those in favour Wan Azizah have apparently signed statutory declarations attesting to their support for her. However, statutory declarations in Malaysia can be made and unmade—and no less than a top lawyer for the Prime Minister was involved in one case.

So, a statutory declaration in Malaysia is worth very little in the big game called politics. Likewise, being present at a Press conference means nothing. It does not mean support in a way that serves the constitutional process.

What is so difficult about having a proper vote in the Assembly? One might surmise that the Barisan Nasional in Perak had to employ “other means” in 2008 because the Speaker was not on their side at that time, which made it difficult to convene a special sitting.

However, the Speaker in Selangor today is from the DAP. So what’s the problem?

I urge His Royal Highness the Sultan of Selangor to put the democratic process in the right place, once and for all.

If the Pakatan Rakyat does not call for a vote in the House, then dissolve the Assembly so that the people can decide the issue.

Whatever the case, we must never resort to the Perak precedent because it’s no good for democracy, the country and our people.

Malaysia Airlines now faces SEXUAL assault

By 02B,

Malaysia Airlines is hanging their head in shame. The airline is now facing a sexual assault claim that happened in full flight, involving one of its employees.

The act occurred on a flight travelling between Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) and Paris, where an Australian passenger filed the complaint just after treading ground. The person accused of the crime has been arrested by the French authorities.

The passenger suffered an anxiety attack just after taking off, and the flight attendant went to treat her in order to prevent panic in the aircraft. Apparently, she had communicated her apprehension of flying with Malaysia Airlines because of the recent events that had occurred with the company.

Triggering the anxiety were both recent cases: the disappearance of flight MH370 last March with 239 people aboard bound for Beijing; where the remains of which have not yet been found, as well as the demolition of flight MH17 on July 17th in Ukraine, the beginning of the wave of tensions between the West and Kremlin.

The attendant went to comfort her, but ended up sexually assaulting her. According to the French authorities, the defendant has admitted the facts.

Khalid has committed the grave wrong on Monday of misleading the Selangor Sultan into believing that he still commanded the majority of the state assembly when he knew that this was not the case

By Lim Kit Siang,

Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim had committed the grave wrong on Monday of misleading the Selangor Sultan into believing that he still commanded the majority of the Selangor State Assembly members after being sacked as a PKR member last Saturday, when Khalid knew that this was not the case.

Before his audience with the Sultan on Monday, , Khalid was duty and honour-bound, whether morally, politically and constitutionally, to verify that he still commanded the support of the majority of the State Assembly members to continue as Mentri Besar before making any representation to the Sultan that he still commanded the majority of the State Assembly, so that he would not be guilty of the grave wrong of misleading the Sultan as he had done on Monday.

But despite of being in the midst of a political crisis from being sacked as a member of PKR, Khalid never tried to verify from the Selangor State Assembly representatives, particularly from the 43 Pakatan Rakyat State Assembly persons from PKR, DAP and PAS who had given him the mandate to be the Pakatan Rakyat Mentri Besar of Selangor after the 2013 General Elections, whether he still commanded their support simply because he knew that he could not get such a majority support.

This is one major consequence of the declaration by 30 of the 56 Selangor State Assembly representatives today (15 from DAP, 13 from PKR and 2 from PAS) that they have lost confidence in Khalid as Selangor Mentri Besar and support Datuk Seri Dr. Wan Azizah as the new Selangor Mentri Besar.

The only honourable way for Khalid to purge his grave wrong of misleading the Sultan on Monday that he still commanded the support of the majority of the State Assembly after being sacked as a PKR member is for him to resign gracefully, as it is crystal clear that he is hanging on the post of Mentri Besar solely on the “unconditional support” of the 12 Umno/Barisan Nasional State Assembly persons, while a clear majority of 30 out of 56 Selangor State Assembly representatives have lost confidence in him, with 13 PAS Assembly members yet to declare their stand.

“You may have the numbers but I’m still MB, Khalid tells Wan Azizah”, the headline in of the news portals, reflects Khalid’s state of mind to have a last-ditch stand to cling on to the Mentri Besar’s post for as long as possible, instead of facilitating a democratic transition of power like a graceful resignation on his part or the convening of an emergency State Assembly meeting on vote-of-confidence in the Mentri Besar.

As an emergency State Assembly can only be convened by the Mentri Besar, is Khalid prepared to uphold the word and spirit of the Selangor State Constitution to convene such an emergency State Assembly meeting?

Study on human rights needs

The New Straits Times
by FAZLEENA AZIZ

KUALA LUMPUR: A STUDY on the human rights needs of the country is being conducted to become the basis of the National Human Rights Action Plan (NHRAP).

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nancy Shukri said the National Human Rights Policy Plan Research would pave the way for the implementation of the NHRAP, thus raising the standard at human rights in the country.

She said the implementation of the action plan would take into account values enshrined in the Federal Constitution and the position of Islam as the country’s official religion.

The 18-month study, which started on July 1, is gathering data, including existing policies on human rights and feedback from the public.

“Phase one focuses on data collection, existing policies and analysis of the current status of human rights in the country, while phase two will focus on activities like public engagement.

“The research team will provide a report that includes the concept of human rights and the actual position of human rights in Malaysia. There will also be unique action plan proposals submitted as part of the report,” said Nancy yesterday.

Several ministries, departments and about 40 experts from local universities will be involved in the two phases of research.

“Research will be based on five fundamentals proposed for the NHRAP, which include civil, political, economic, social, religion and cultural rights,” she said, adding that the research would look into the rights of endangered groups, Orang Asli, indigenous people and international obligations.

“The research will also include public consultation in a meaningful and comprehensive manner.”

The team is headed by Associate Professor Dr Shamrahayu Ab Aziz and assisted by Dr Gan Chin Chuan.

Both are members of the Human Rights Development Action Plan Steering Committee, which is chaired by Nancy.

In October 2012, the government agreed to develop the NHRAP in Malaysia as part of a long-term effort to ensure human rights are preserved and protected in the country.

On 19 June, the first meeting on the Implementation of the National Human Rights Action Plan Research Policy was held and chaired by Nancy.

Those wanting more information can contact the NHRAP secretariat at 03-8885 1000 or come directly to the Legal Affairs Division, Prime Minister’s Department, Precinct 3, 62692 Putrajaya.

PAS Rejects Wan Azizah As Selangor MB - Mustafa Ali

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 14 (Bernama) -- PAS has rejected the proposal for PKR president Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to replace Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim as the Selangor Menteri Besar.

PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali said PKR was well aware of PAS' stand on the Selangor menteri besar crisis as the matter and the reasons for the rejection had been conveyed to them in a closed-door meeting.

"However, PAS rejected Wan Azizah not because of her gender," he told a press conference after attending PAS Political Bureau meeting at its headquarters here Thursday night.

When asked whether the rejection was due to her qualifications, Mustafa disagreed, stressing that that he was not going to disclose any reasons for the rejection.

He also said PAS did not nominate anyone from the party for the menteri besar's post as it was still holding to the opposition pact's consensus that the post belonged to PKR despite the fact that PAS has more seats in the state assembly.

Mustafa said PAS, however, had yet to make any decision on its stand on the Selangor Menteri Besar crisis because the matter would only be finalised at the party's central committee meeting on Aug 17.

On the move made by two PAS assemblymen - Saari Sungib (Hulu Kelang) and Hasnul Baharuddin (Morib) - in giving their support to Dr Wan Azizah, Mustafa said they did it in their personal capacity.

"They are not acting in the party capacity. We will investigate the matter and to be fair, we will ask them to give their explanations," he said.

On the four PAS state executive council (Exco) members who attended the Selangor Exco meeting yesterday despite having been told to boycott it, Mustafa said their presence were needed to ensure that the opposition-led state government would continue to function.

"Without the four Exco members, the state government will collapse. Their presence were vital to ensure that the opposition-led government still exists and they attended the meeting on behalf of the sacked DAP and PKR Exco members.

"We care for the people's wellbeing too. If they did not attend the meeting, no decision can be made for the people," he said.

Also present at the press conference were PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu, assistant secretary-general Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan and acting Dewan Ulama chief Datuk Ahmad Yaakob.

Sokong MB S'gor: Khalid Samad ucap tahniah kepada TPM

Khalid Samad - PAS beri MB cukup masa gantung sendiri

Pro-ISIS Leaflets Have Been Handed Out In Oxford Street

Although the leaflets do not specifically cite the militant group terrorising civilians in Iraq and Syria, they refer to an “established” Islamic state.

A group of students were seen yesterday handing out leaflets in one of London’s most popular areas, encouraging Muslims to travel to Syria and Iraq to pledge allegiance to the militant group ISIS.

Mustafa Field @mustafafield

a university student shared this with me - is it hizb material @GhaffarH apparently given out in London

10:56 AM - 12 Aug 14

• Reply
• Retweet
• Favorite

Scotland Yard said it is looking into claims that the leaflets contradict anti-terrorism laws.

#FreePalestine @ossama994

Pro #ISIS leaflets being handed out in Oxford Street, #London

6:32 PM - 12 Aug 14

• Reply
• Retweet
• Favorite

The leaflets discuss the importance of Islamic law, and say Muslims have seven responsibilities, including pledging allegiance to “the Khaleef” (ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi), praying to God to advise him, and travelling to the region if possible.

The leaflet reads: “Muslims with the help of Allah have announced the re-establishment of the Khilafah and appointed an imam as a Khaleef.”
Those handing out leaflets in Oxford Circus were previously students of radical preacher Anjem Choudary and live in Luton, the Evening Standard reported.

A Muslim woman, Asmaa Al-kufaishi, said she saw the same group speaking to crowds outside Topshop in Oxford Street on Saturday. She said she did not see the leaflets in question, but told BuzzFeed that the group “didn’t know anything about Islam”.

Asmaa Al-kufaishi @Goonerette79

@mustafafield this group are promoting ISIS on oxford st. Racially abused us when we spoke out. They don't know Islam

11:02 AM - 12 Aug 14

• Reply
• Retweet
• Favorite

Al-Kufaisha said the group “racially abused” her when she criticised them for endorsing the killing of innocent civilians in Iraq and Syria. She reported the group to the police for hate speech, and also to the anti-terrorism police.

Asmaa Al-kufaishi @Goonerette79

@worldcitizen_x Promoting death of innocent people, telling me to die because of my faith + race and insulting me is not Islamic behaviour

5:48 PM - 12 Aug 14

• Reply
• Retweet
• Favorite

Al Kufaishi told BuzzFeed that she encountered the group with her sister following the pro-Palestinian march in central London on Saturday. They had a table with general information leaflets, different to the ones pictured earlier, although the sisters questioned the men after they saw “part of the ISIS logo” on the leaflet.

One of the men told the sisters, “There’s nothing wrong with ISIS. They’re doing a great job.”
“They started accusing us of being non-believers because we didn’t believe it was right to kill innocent people,” she said. “They had no idea of Islamic history – I’ve got no idea where they got their knowledge from.”

Shankar K. Eham @taletellerphoto

The fact that pro ISIS supporters are giving out leaflets at oxford circus - a dear place to me - angers me to no end.

8:07 PM - 12 Aug 14

• Reply
• Retweet
• Favorite

Dozens of leaflets were handed out, according to the Financial Times – although BuzzFeed has not been able to verify this.

Paweł Morski @Pawelmorski

If these ISIS leaflets are 'everywhere' in London, how come there's only one photo?

3:21 PM - 12 Aug 14

• Reply
• Retweet
• Favorite

ISIL terrorist terminates his family members in Diyala

Diyala (IraqiNews.com) An ISIL terrorist executed his family members in Diyala.

Security source stated to IraqiNews.com “One of the ISIL terrorists whose name is Ayad al-Karawi, killed six of his family members who prevented him from joining the ISIL terrorists in Sa’adiya district of northeastern Baquba.” /End/

Rodziah: I don't support Khalid

 

Selangor executive council member Rodziah Ismail, the sole PKR member not sacked by the menteri besar, will resign from her post.

Asked of this at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport tonight, she said: "Yes I will (resign)."

Rodziah, who arrived from Bangkok where she was undergoing training, said that she supports Pakatan Rakyat.

"I am back for Pakatan Rakyat," she told Malaysiakini curtly when asked if she supports Khalid, before rushing into her car.

Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim earlier today said that Rodziah (right) is not sacked from her post as he wants to first ascertain if she supports him.

The other PKR and DAP assemblypersons on the exco - Elizabeth Wong, Daroyah Ali, Teng Chang Khim, V Ganabatirau and Ean Yong Hian Wah - were sacked on Tuesday.

This marked the collapse of the Pakatan Rakyat Selangor government.

Khalid said that this is because the five breached an oath of loyalty, by forming a "bloc to undermine the exco's efficiency".

He said they did so by signing a media statement to say that they will limit their interaction with him during this "transition" period until a new MB is appointed.

Rodziah name was listed among those who signed the media statement, but was overseas at the time.

Khalid, who was sacked from PKR on Saturday for refusing to step down as MB, has obtained consent from the Selangor sultan to remain in the post.

He now governs Selangor with the minimum of four exco members - all from PAS - as provided for in the state constitution.

The palace has also consented to the termination of the five exco members.

The PAS exco members (above with Khalid) said they will remain in the post as long as Khalid does not appoint Umno assemblypersons onto the exco.


Selangor crisis today

10am: PAS exco members say they will resign if Umno assemblypersons are appointed onto the exco.

10.19am: Sacked exco members from PKR and DAP arrive at work as usual.

10.37am: Law expert Abdul Aziz Bari contradicts another expert Gurdial Singh Nijar, by saying that the sacking of 5 exco members is lawful.

10.48am: PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu urges party to side with Pakatan against MB Khalid.

12.27pm: PAS calls on PKR to name a new MB candidate, after the palace rejects Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail's request for an audience.

12.46pm: Sacked exco members are told to vacate their offices

1.48pm: Khalid says exco member from PKR, Rodziah Ismail, who is overseas, is not sacked as she may still support Khalid.

3.33pm: Khalid says he is not appointing new exco members from Umno, for now.

4pm: PAS MP Khalid Samad says while waiting for PAS' decision, the MB has 'enough rope to hang himself'.

5pm: MB issues legal letter to PKR secretary-general demanding apology for the 'corruption dossier'.

11.36pm: Rodziah says she does not support Khalid and will resign from the exco.

'PAS giving MB enough rope to hang himself' - Malaysiakini

 

By taking more time to make a decision, Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad said his party has given enough rope for Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim to "hang himself".

The PAS leader said initially there were questions on why Khalid needed to be removed from office but his recent actions have left even those who voted for him in the PKR party elections and in past general elections in disbelief.

"He is not loyal to Pakatan Rakyat and the fact that (Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin) is willing to give him unconditional support makes things even more fishy.

"So, even though they (PKR and DAP) are unhappy and try to pressure PAS to make up its mind earlier, I believe the recent developments will assist us in making the right decision," Khalid Samad told a press conference today.

He apologised for the fact that the PAS central working committee (CWC) would only meet on Aug 17 on the crisis but urged them to "draw wisdom from the English saying, 'give them enough rope to hang themselves'."

PAS is now tentatively backing Khalid as menteri besar pending its CWC meeting on Sunday.

PKR and DAP have both proposed that PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail replaces Khalid.

Khalid Samad, who is a also a CWC member, said PAS wanted time to ensure that people are clear on the reasons why Khalid needed to be sacked first, before replacing him.

He said the party had wanted to avoid a situation where a popular leader is forced out from his office.

Asked to comment on the PAS state executive councillors presence at the state exco meeting despite calls from DAP and PKR to boycott it, Khalid Samad said it was to maintain the continuity of the government.

He said PAS is of the view that the present government should be maintained despite its crippled state, and withdrawing its support for Khalid before a successor is agreed upon could lead to a state election because it leaves nobody with majority support in the state assembly.

"So what we are doing is we are waiting until the Aug 17 meeting, after which, hopefully, we can have a consensus.

"When we have a consensus, we can take the necessary action to show that Khalid does not have majority support, and someone else does.

"Just to show that he does not have majority support - full stop - is not good enough," Khalid Samad said.

On a related matter, he said earlier statements by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang and the party's ulama council backing Khalid was prior to PKR handing over the dossier of the menteri besar's supposedly "questionable" deals.

It was also before Khalid was sacked from PKR, he said, and before the menteri besar showed hostility towards Pakatan by sacking his former colleagues from their exco positions.

"The scenario has changed, so when the scenario has changed, I am very sure that the statements made supporting Khalid would also have changed," he added.


Selangor crisis today

10am: PAS exco members say they will resign if Umno assemblypersons are appointed onto the exco.

10.19am: Sacked exco members from PKR and DAP arrive at work as usual.

10.37am: Law expert Abdul Aziz Bari contradicts another expert Gurdial Singh Nijar, by saying that the sacking of 5 exco members is lawful.

10.48am: PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu urges party to side with Pakatan against MB Khalid.

12.27pm: PAS calls on PKR to name a new MB candidate, after the palace rejects Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail's request for an audience.

12.46pm: Sacked exco members are told to vacate their offices

1.48pm: MB Khalid says exco member from PKR, Rodziah Ismail, who is overseas, is not sacked as she may still support MB Khalid.

3.33pm: MB Khalid says he is not appointing new exco members from Umno, for now.

4pm: PAS MP Khalid Samad says while waiting for PAS' decision, the MB has 'enough rope to hang himself'.

5pm: MB issues legal letter to PKR secretary-general demanding apology for the 'corruption dossier'.

11.36pm: Rodziah says she does not support Khalid and will resign from the exco.

Schoolboy probed for 'liking' pro-Israel page

A Form Five student, who caused controversy at his school by clicking 'Like' on a pro-Israel Facebook page, is being investigated for sedition.

This, despite the 17-year-old denying clicking ‘Like’ on that page and lodging a police report, fearing his safety.

Penang police chief Abdul Rahim Hanafi (left) said that he is investigated under Section 4(1)(a) of the Sedition Act 1948, Utusan Online reported.

The police have taken the statements of the students and a teacher from the Simpang Ampat, Penang school, at the Seberang Perai police district headquarters yesterday.

Several others involved will soon be called to assist with the investigations.

According to The Star the teen was attacked and threatened online by teachers and students of the school after a screenshot showing he liked the pro-Israel page was uploaded on Facebook by a teacher.

Among others, one teacher had allegedly wrote: “Kita bakor je hahaha.” (Let’s just burn him hahaha)

MCA: Take action against teachers

Meanwhile, MCA Youth chief Chong Sin Woon (right) has called for swift punishment for the teachers who had threatened the boy.

He warned that by if such threats could escalate to violence if they are allowed to go on unchecked.

“These teachers have set a wrong example, and I am afraid that without severe punishment, others might actually try to burn the student,” said Chong in a statement.

The anti-Israel movement in Malaysia has reached fever pitch as the Gaza conflict death toll reaches close to 2,000, mostly on the Palestine side.

Business accused of Israel links in Malaysia have faced boycotts while their staff have faced violent threats.

A waste of time and resources, say lawyers about student’s sedition probe

It is absurd for police to probe a student for sedition for liking a Facebook page titled "I love Israel", say criminal lawyers, adding that police should not waste their time investigating such frivolous reports.

They said it was impossible to frame a charge under the archaic law as the police had trespassed into a private domain of an individual.

"It is a joke. What is wrong if someone "likes" a Facebook page," said an annoyed Fahri Azzat.

The lawyer said police were curtailing the freedom of expression, speech and association "just because a section of the Malaysian community disliked Israel".

"Liking a page in Facebook cannot be an offence under the sedition law," Fahri said, adding he did not see how the student could "sow the seed of hatred or incite violence" by simply "liking" a page.

Fahri said such unproductive investigations were going to be disruptive to the lives of potential suspects.

He was responding to a report that police have started investigating a Form 5 student in Penang after the student had click "Like" on a Facebook page titled "I love Israel".

A student from a school in Taman Tasek Mutiara, Simpang Ampat, the boy's action attracted criticisms and threats from other Facebook users, after one of his teachers saw the "Like" and shared it on her page, criticising him for it.

There were calls to boycott the boy and one Facebook user commented that he should be burnt.

Police said the boy was now living in fear and has since shut down his Facebook page and lodged a police report yesterday.

It was reported that the boy had claimed that he had accidentally clicked "Like" on the pro-Israel page.

Another lawyer M. Visvanathan said police have virtually invaded the privacy of the student just because others disliked the page.

"Is that innocent act going to be a threat to national security and public order," he asked.

Visvanathan said what the boy did could be an offence if Parliament had enacted a law to disassociate Malaysians with the Jewish state and its people.

"Even then, such a law can be challenged for infringing the rights of citizens, so long as it did not bring any form of harm to individuals and the nation," he said.

He said police should save its limited resources and investigate serious crimes instead.

"The investigation is going to inflict a psychological scar on the student just because the police want to satisfy the unfounded fear and unhappiness of others," he said.

Earlier, Penang police chief Datuk Abdul Rahim Hanafi said the case is being probed under the Sedition Act.

Penang education department director Osman Hussain said the teacher responsible for the Facebook posting that led to the student being vilified and threatened on the social network, will be served a reminder not to take to Facebook to discuss her students.

"If she does it again, she will be transferred out of Penang," he said today, adding that the department’s hands are tied since it is now a police case.
- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/a-waste-of-time-and-resources-say-lawyers-about-students-sedition-probe#sthash.oDpRppTT.dpuf

Kit Siang laments ‘good work of 6 years gone in 4 days’ due to MB crisis

The DAP parliamentary leader said the crisis, which took a turn for the worse on Sunday, has destroyed much of the hard fought gains and hopes for political change achieved by Pakatan as well as civil society and Malaysians in the past six years.
"Quo vadis, Pakatan Rakyat?" he said, borrowing the Latin phase which means "where are you going".

The crisis went into a tailspin when PKR sacked MB Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim on Saturday from the party for defying the party’s orders to step down as MB and make way for party president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to replace him. His expulsion came weeks after the MB crisis threatened to split Pakatan between PAS, which supports Khalid, and PKR and DAP, which want him removed.
Following a meeting with the Selangor Ruler, the Sultan consented the now Independent candidate Khalid to remain as MB. Khalid then turned the tables yesterday by sacking six  of his 10 executive councillors as they were from PKR and DAP.
The Selangor government is now being run by Khalid and the remaining four excos who are from PAS, another ally in Pakatan.
Lim said the brutal truth is that Khalid is hanging on to his position solely on the strength of Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's pledge that all 12 Umno representatives in the state will support him as well as the potential support of 15 PAS assemblypersons.
The Gelang Patah MP also took Khalid to task for asserting today that Selangor is not a Pakatan government, pointing out that the two-term MB had previously said repeatedly in both the state assembly and outside that Malaysia's richest state has been under the administration of Pakatan for six-and-a-half years.
But what was more unbelievable, said Lim, was that Khalid's remarks were endorsed by the four PAS excos.
"Would the four PAS excos have been elected as Selangor state assemblymen in the first place if they had not represented Pakatan Rakyat in the 2013 general election?" Lim asked. – August 13, 2014.
- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/kit-siang-laments-good-work-of-6-years-gone-in-4-days-due-to-mb-crisis#sthash.kwq8CBbA.dpuf

DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang today expressed concerns that developments in the Selangor Menteri Besar crisis over the past four days have destroyed much of the good work done by Pakatan Rakyat in the last six years, and questioned the direction of the opposition pact.

The DAP parliamentary leader said the crisis, which took a turn for the worse on Sunday, has destroyed much of the hard fought gains and hopes for political change achieved by Pakatan as well as civil society and Malaysians in the past six years.

"Quo vadis, Pakatan Rakyat?" he said, borrowing the Latin phase which means "where are you going".

The crisis went into a tailspin when PKR sacked MB Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim on Saturday from the party for defying the party’s orders to step down as MB and make way for party president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to replace him.

His expulsion came weeks after the MB crisis threatened to split Pakatan between PAS, which supports Khalid, and PKR and DAP, which want him removed.

Following a meeting with the Selangor Ruler, the Sultan consented the now Independent candidate Khalid to remain as MB. Khalid then turned the tables yesterday by sacking six of his 10 executive councillors as they were from PKR and DAP.

The Selangor government is now being run by Khalid and the remaining four excos who are from PAS, another ally in Pakatan.

Lim said the brutal truth is that Khalid is hanging on to his position solely on the strength of Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's pledge that all 12 Umno representatives in the state will support him as well as the potential support of 15 PAS assemblypersons.

The Gelang Patah MP also took Khalid to task for asserting today that Selangor is not a Pakatan government, pointing out that the two-term MB had previously said repeatedly in both the state assembly and outside that Malaysia's richest state has been under the administration of Pakatan for six-and-a-half years.

But what was more unbelievable, said Lim, was that Khalid's remarks were endorsed by the four PAS excos.

"Would the four PAS excos have been elected as Selangor state assemblymen in the first place if they had not represented Pakatan Rakyat in the 2013 general election?" Lim asked. – August 13, 2014.

Saiful sues Anwar for RM50 million

Saiful says Anwar sodomised him six years ago and then injured his reputation.

KUALA LUMPUR: A former personal aide of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan has filed a suit against the Opposition Leader, seeking RM50 million in damages for sodomising him six years ago and then injuring his reputation.

Mohd Saiful, 27, filed the suit at the Civil High Court registry on June 23 through the legal firm of Messrs. Zamri Idrus & Co.

The media obtained a copy of his statement of claim after the matter came up for case management today.

Lawyer Zamri Idrus, representing Mohd Saiful, when approached by reporters, said the case has been fixed for case management on Oct 8 before Civil High Court deputy registrar, Norfauzani Mohd Nordin.

He said the court also ordered Anwar, who was represented by lawyer Shahid Adli, to file the defence statement by Sept 3.

In the writ of summons, Mohd Saiful claimed that he had to bear physical and psychological pain and suffering since being sodomised by the defendant and also after Anwar claimed that the police report lodged by him (Mohd Saiful) on the incident was false and a conspiracy against him.

Mohd Saiful said that sodomy was an offence under the Penal Code and Anwar should pay him damages for doing the act on him and also for injuring his reputation after that.

He said he never lied about the police report against Anwar for sodomising him and claimed that the last time it happened was on Jun 26 2008 at Unit 1151, Kondominium Desa Damansara, Jalan Setia Kasih here.

In the statement of claim, Mohd Saiful said he started working with Anwar in March 2008 when he was 22 years old and Anwar always took him along on business trips locally and abroad.

On March 7 this year, the Court of Appeal, in allowing an appeal by the prosecution, sentenced Anwar to five years jail for sodomising Mohd Saiful.

However, Anwar was allowed bail of RM10,000 in one surety pending his appeal at the Federal Court.

The decision by the Court of Appeal overturned the High Court decision on

Jan 12 2012, which acquitted Anwar of the charge. Anwar’s appeal is set for case management tomorrow.

-Bernama

PAS has betrayed the people of Selangor

PKR vice president Surendran urges PAS to stand with PKR and DAP for its own good.

PETALING JAYA: PKR vice president N Surendran says if PAS leaves Pakatan Rakyat (Pakatan) it will be a disaster for the Islamist party.

He said PAS should stand with Pakatan.

Surendran said, “Given their long struggle for a better Malaysia, we fully expect PAS to stand by us and the people of Selangor.

“Any other choice will be a disaster for PAS as a national political party.”

Surendran also described the actions of Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim as “a frontal and unconstitutional assault” upon the Selangor government and in “utter contempt” of the people of Selangor.

“Khalid’s act is thus one of the greatest betrayals in modern Malaysian political history,” he added.

The Selangor Menteri Besar came under fire yesterday after he terminated six Excos from DAP and PKR with the backing of the Sultan of Selangor. Khalid, however is backed by four PAS members.

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.