10,000 throng KLCC to call for Anwar's release

 

Malaysiakini brings you the live reports and up-to-the-minute updates of the Kita Lawan rally in Kuala Lumpur in support of jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and against Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

LIVE REPORT

[VIDEO] [PHOTOS]

10.54pm: PKR communications director Fahmi Fadzil said that Kelana Jaya PKR Youth chief Saifullah Zulkifli, who was arrested earlier, will be sent to the Dang Wangi police station.

Meanwhile, Selangor exco Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad has been asked to go to the Dang Wangi police station at 10am, perhaps for his statement to be taken in connection to today's rally. Nik Nazmi said he will be going there with a lawyer.

8.46pm: Almost all of the rally participants have dispersed and the scene at the venue has returned to normal.

The police, despite declaring the rally illegal earlier this week, took a hands-off approach. The few police officers seen on the streets were helping to smoothen traffic flow.

However, PKR communications director Fahmi Fadzil told Malaysiakini that a party leader was arrested near Masjid Jamek at 7.45pm.

Kelana Jaya PKR Youth chief Saifullah Zulkifli was detained by the police in connection to the rally and he was sent to the Jinjang police station.

7.07pm: PKR secretary-general Rafizi Ramli on Twitter thanks those involved and quips that the authorities will underplay the turnout today.

"If Umno counts (the turnout), a few zeros will disappear. That's why the 10,000 will become 100," he tweeted.

"If 1MDB takes RM42 billion, they think its RM42 million," he said on his Twitter.

6.55pm: About 500 protestors are still at KLCC. A driver in a Nissan car passing by tries to provoke the crowd by waving a baseball bat from the car.

The resting crowd gets agitated and starts chasing the car but is stopped by activist Adam Adli and a few friends.

He holds back one angry protester who is seen chasing the car. After the incident, the situation calms down again.

6.40pm: One of the Kita Lawan secretariat members Mandeep Singh tells Malaysiakini that they have no plans to stay overnight at KLCC.

“Initially, we did not plan to stay overnight here.

“But it’s up to the protesters, if they want to, they can spend the night here,” he says

Semambu assemblyperson Lee Chean Chung concurs that the secretariat did not have such plans.

“Maybe we will do so in other rallies,” says Lee.

6.30pm: Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) executive director Eric Paulsen is in favour of the one-night camp-over at KLCC as suggested by DAP's Hew Kuan Yew.

"As long as rally goers do not damage public property, I think it's fine," he says.

Paulsen, who was among the crowd who marched from Central Market to KLCC, praised Kita Lawan organisers for their efforts in organising the rally.

"Despite misrepresentation of the rally by the police force, I think the people have shown their support by demonstrating peacefully," he told Malaysiakini.

6.07pm: NGO Jingga 13 chief Fariz Musa announces the Kita Lawan rally is officially concluded and that whoever wants to stay on should get candles for a candlelight vigil at KLCC.

The NGO's members stay on to entertain the protestors who are still there while others disperse.

Thus far, no untoward incidents have been observed by Malaysiakini.

6.10pm: PKR Ampang MP Zuraida Kamaruddin gives the last speech and organisers call it a successful day.

Huge crowds are still lingering around, but some have begun to disperse.

There is a mixed reaction to the proposal that the protestors continue to stay overnight at KLCC.

Some tell Malaysiakini that they would not stay as they have other matters to attend to.

Others are more positive, saying they will stay for as long as they have the energy to do so.

PKR Youth communications director Johan Ariff says all will depend on the momentum of the rally.

"If the momentum is good like right now, then maybe we will do this overnight, but where I don't know yet," he tells Malaysiakini.

6.15pm: After his speech, PKR's Subang MP R Sivarasa says there is no problem for the people to stay overnight at KLCC as they are battling oppressive laws.

"The people here are willing to take to the streets to end these oppressive laws that govern us.

"Some don't even mind being arrested, as long as they have made their stand and hopefully (called for) a change for their children and grandchildren," he tells Malaysiakini.

Legally, the lawyer adds, there shouldn't be a problem with the protesters staying overnight as long as they cause no provocation or destroy any public property.

6pm: Activist Adam Adli Abdul Halim reads the 'Sumpah Pemuda' oath (Youth Pledge).

Before that he states: “If Malaysians are not firm, we will be bullied by the government.

“There is only one word when we get oppressed and caught by the authorities, and that is ‘lawan’ (fight back).

“Do we want to retreat? Fellow police officers, you can go home, we know how to take care of ourselves. Go and rest all you want, we will come back here,” he says.

He then reads the oath, saying that they are not doing it for Anwar, but for the oppressed.

“We swear we will continue fighting this corrupt regime.

“We swear that we will continue to move the rakyat forward to continue fighting, in the name of courage, brotherhood, justice."

"Today we 10,000 have come, next week, 100,000 will come," he continues and chants, "Long live the rakyat" and "Reformasi".

5:57pm: Subang MP R Sivarasa addresses the crowd and says the rally today is meant to show the government that people are not satisfied with the judicial system in the country allegedly manipulated by the ruling government.

"Will we stop the struggle of the people and the youth?" he asks the crowd who replied with a rousing response of: "No!"

"This rally is sending a clear message to the judges who have sent Anwar to jail.

"We want to remind the judiciary, we want freedom, we don't want a judicial system that is being controlled (by politicians).

"We will struggle until Malaysia is free and independent," he says, followed with chants of "Free Anwar."

5.50pm: PAS leader Hatta Ramli says the protest has succeeded in being a peaceful one.

"Not one stone has been thrown," he says.

He urges the youth to channel their anger with Prime Minister Najib Razak and the imprisonment of Anwar into votes to be cast at the ballot box.

"We have a future, and I'm sure we have a dream for a better future," he adds.

5.50pm: KLCC - DAP's 'superman' Hew Kuan Yew addressing the crowd urges the ralliers to camp at KLCC for a day.

"Can we?" he asks the crowd, to the response, "Can!"

"But it's up to you all," he adds. Hew has often advocated for rallies to end in camp-ins to send a stronger message.

PAS leader Hatta Ramli then jokes he understands Prime Minister Najib Razak will be sending mattresses to KLCC for them.

"Who wants to stay, please do. I will hold a feast at the end of the month," he quips to laughter from the crowd.

5.35pm: KLCC - The rally has congregated around KLCC. At the main entrance, D'BangsART entertains the crowd with political songs in the face of the rain.

Some in the crowd wave their hands in the air to music and the sound of drums.

One song calls on Najib to step down, and is sung to the tune of Johor's football team 'Luaskan Kuasamu' (Expand your power).

"Oh Najib, oh cheater, we want you to step down. We come, we fight, along with the citizens of Malaysia.

"Fight, fight, we fight until we win. We fight along with the citizens of Malaysia," they sing, as the crowd sings along.

PKR Youth chief Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad meanwhile says Malaysiakini's estimate of 10,000 ralliers is lower than what he observes.

"To me the figure is conservative. There are many more who have shown up," he says.

He says the rally is a success and hopes the photographs will be widely circulated.

"This struggle is not easy, we have to always try harder and we will not be defeated," he says.

He also thanks the police for their cooperation.

5.30pm: KLCC - More explosions are heard, but so far the crowd has remained calm.

One of the marchers Nicholas Law, 27, tells Malaysiakini that he believes it might be an attempt to intimidate the crowd.

"They might be trying to intimidate us, but so far no one is panicking," he says.

He also brushes off alleged attempts to pit Pakatan partners against one another in the lead up to the rally.

"Everyone is here, so it's not an issue," he says.

DAP's special task unit has been helping to facilitate the crowd's movement in the rear guard, protecting them from crossing into traffic and from blocking roads unnecessarily.

PAS's Unit Amal meanwhile is tasked with ensuring the entire rally's security.

5.10pm: PKR vice president and Anwar Ibrahim's eldest daughter Nurul Izzah says she is "speechless and taken aback" with support  from the people who have turned up today.

"I'm so proud to be a Malaysian and to see so many people turn up for this rally.

"This rally is not just about Anwar, but the people's unhappiness with the Najib regime and how it has affected them.

"Many issues like the impending Goods and Services Tax (GST) and 1MDB have driven the people to the streets," she tells Malaysiakini.

5pm: Jalan Ampang - A steady stream of motorists have queued up behind the marchers.

Traffic however resumes smoothly when the crowd turns into Jalan Ampang, the entrance to which police have barricaded for vehicles.

Along the way, a loud bang is heard about 50 metres to the left of the rear guard.

Momentarily startled by the thundering crack, the crowds quickly realise it's a firecracker and shrug it off and move on.

Some policemen are seen directing the traffic to assist the rally.

5pm:  The crowd of several thousands brave the rain, singing songs and beating drums while marching towards KLCC.

Chants of "Reformasi" and "Undur Najib" fill the air.

One protester is seen carrying an effigy resembling Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak. The crowd is led by groups holding a poster that stretches as wide as two lanes of the road.

4.30pm: As the crowds march towards KLCC,  about 50 supporters are staying back at Sogo because of the rain.

One supporter who did not wish to be named tells Malaysiakini that he will join them once the drizzling has stopped.

"I'm waiting for the rain to stop," he says.

4.30pm Sogo - A group of protesters calling themselves the 'PKR grassroots members club' arrives at Sogo with a banner bearing the face of former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

The group shouts, “Hidup Mahathir, hidup Anwar” (long live Mahathir and Anwar).

When asked, one of them named Jaz says they want PKR to collaborate with Mahathir as only the former premier can free Anwar.

“Do you think Mahathir is a child? He is capable of doing great things.

“PKR no longer have brave souls after Anwar was incarcerated. Even Azmin has kept quiet.

“As such, only Mahathir is our hope!” Jaz says.

Meanwhile, several PKR members seem uneasy with this group, and yells, “Undur Mahathir” (down with Mahathir).

They ask the group to prove their PKR memberships by showing their PKR membership cards.

Jaz then shows his card and the two groups argue further.

The 'Mahathir supporters' finally leave the area after 30 minutes.

4.20pm: Thunder roars as Kita Lawan and Pakatan leaders address the crowd.

They are speaking at two different spots at Sogo, one on  the mall's sidewalk, and another in the middle of Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman.

They have begun marching to KLCC.

4.15pm: PKR president Dr Wan Azizah tells the crowd she will convey the message to Anwar Ibrahim that the people have not forgotten him.

"The crowd present here shows how many people care about him. We will never surrender!," she calls out to the crowd of over 10,000, while wearing a poncho to brave the rain.

Alongside her is PAS central comittee member Khalid Samad and her younger daughter, Nurul Nuha Anwar who heads the March 2 Freedom campaign.

4pm: Sogo - Former Bar Council president and Bersih leader S Ambiga addresses the crowd, urging them to fight for Anwar's freedom.

"I am here today to demand the freedom of Anwar. We must fight for his release. We will never surrender!" she shouts.

PAS Youth chief Suhaizan Kaiat then takes the loudspeaker. He says PM Najib Razak will soon step down.

"Najib has too many problems. GST, Altantuya and 1MDB. Najib won't last for long, and soon we will be rid of Rosmah too," he tells the cheering crowd.

3.55pm: Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman - The marching crowd at Masjid Jamek occupy half the road, and traffic moves slowly past while the crowd's chants echo around.

Hatta Ramli and PAS leaders from the HQ arrive at the Sogo junction as chants of "Down with Rosmah" reverberate outside the popular shopping centre.

The roads around Sogo are packed with people as the streams from the other meeting points converge at the final destination.

Dang Wangi police chief Zainol Samah is observing developments from across the street.

3.50pm: Sogo - Among the Pakatan leaders who arrive earlier at Masjid Jamek are DAP Rasah MP Anthony Loke, Kluang MP Liew Chin Tong, DAP Youth chief Teoh Kok Seong and others.

Hulu Kelang PAS assemblyperson Saari Sungib is also present.

Loke says Pakatan will ensure Anwar remains the parliamentary opposition leader.

"Anwar's soul and spirit can never be imprisoned.

"We will send Anwar's voice to Parliament. We will ensure he continues to lead Pakatan to bring BN down," says Loke.

Saari meanwhile says this rally is not a gathering for Pakatan but for the people of Malaysia.

"Keep the fight, we will continue to struggle and reach Putrajaya," he declares.

3.50pm: Bar Council observer N Yohendra says he is pleased with how the rally is proceedings so far.

"So far it has been a peaceful rally. The police have also given the protesters space to speak and walk," he tells Malaysiakini.

Yohendra adds the Bar Council has two teams assigned to watch over the rally and another to handle arrests if there are any.

"We are here to observe and make sure there is no human rights violation," the lawyer adds.

Meanwhile Klang MP Charles Santiago in a statement this afternoon mulls if agent provocatuers have been planted in the rally.

"Deputy inspector-general of police Noor Rashid Ibrahim has warned rally goers of tough action, claiming the gathering is "sedition-laced" and 'unlawful'.

 

"For any assembly to be ‘unlawful’, people have to use ‘criminal force’, as provided for in the Penal Code.

 

"Why is the deputy police chief preempting the use of criminal force by members of the public?

 

"Or could this signal a covert plan or a hidden agenda, with the police being aware of agent provocateurs put in place to instigate rally-goers?

 

"Time and again, there have been speculations that when previous rallies got messy, it was the presence of some initiators who played a big hand in disrupting peaceful gatherings," says Santiago.

3.50pm: Masjid Jamek - A crowd of over 1,500 including those from Central Market are heading towards Sogo.

Many are seen carrying placards and some even wearing red headbands with the words 'Kita Lawan' on them

PKR vice president Nurul Izzah Anwar and PKR's Youth chief Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad are seen leading the rally despite the increasing rain.

3.40pm: PAS HQ - About 300 led by Hatta Ramli begin moving towards Sogo. They shout, "Free Anwar" and "Step down, Najib".

Some bear "kita lawan" banners and shout "Reformasi" and "Takbir".

PAS' Unit Amal control the traffic that is moving through Jalan Raja Laut.

3.35pm: Sogo -  It has started to drizzle, and many are now seeking shelter underneath the mall's awning. The crowd is now 500 strong.

Two policemen are walking among them, taking notes and photos.

3.30pm: Masjid Jamek - The crowd here has grown to roughly 1,000 although organisers put it at 3,000.

3.20pm: Central Market - The crowd here beings to march towards Masjid Jamek as a drizzle begins to sound of thunder.

3.20pm. PAS HQ - PAS Youth elections director Mohd Sany Hamzan says today is the climax to the call for Anwar's release from prison.

"If we look at the allegations against Anwar, even if you ask a kindergarten kid, he will say it is slander manufactured by Umno-BN," he says.

"Why? Because he has exposed the extent of the corruption in Umno-BN's leadership," he says, adding today the people are responding to the ruling party.

"Step down, Najib. Free Anwar," he says.

PAS central committee member Khalid Samad takes his turn and says this is a peaceful rally to show support for Anwar, the political prisoner.

"What has been done to him is slander to break up and weaken Pakatan.

"We do not accept this, we have to oppose the oppression of the rulers. Malaysians are a sovereign people, we do not support (the government's) cruelty.

"We are here to show our opposition to what Umno-BN is doing.

"We must have courage. What we are doing is to make our country fair and prosperous," says the Shah Alam MP to shouts of "Takbir!"

3.20pm: Sogo - The crowds continue to swell, getting more upbeat with the chanting.

Meanwhile five police officers are spotted across the street from the mall, talking on their radios.

DAP Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng is also here, and assures Malaysiakini that the DAP crowd will be coming from Masjid Jamek.

3.15pm: PAS HQ - Batu MP Tian Chua tells the 100-odd crowd there this is a "historic" days as March 8 was the day Pakatan denied BN its two-thirds parliamentary majority in 2008.

He says today's rally also serves to stir up the spirit of the people shown that landmark year.

"The people have begun to gain awareness of the right to peaceful assembly.

"We are also proud to hold the record of (our rallies) causing no damage to public property, not having ever caused unrest and we have gathered with noble intentions, and shown courage to resist continued oppression," he says.

"We don't want to saddle our grandchildren with a political system that is corrupt. And we have no other way but to work hard to bring BN down."

He reminds the crowd to follow the instructions of PAS' Unit Amal and avoid falling prey to provocation.

He adds Human Rights Commission Suhakam and the Bar Council are observing the rally.

PKR information chief Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh is also present.

3.10pm: Sogo -  The crowd has grown to 400 people, and present is Kelana Jaya MP Wong Chen.

The crowd waves PKR flags, but no PAS or DAP flags are seen.

"(The number of) DAP (supporters) should be okay, and the PAS supporters will be coming from their headquarters," Wong tells Malaysiakini.

Meanwhile a water vendor gets into the spirit mimicking the opposition slogan 'lawan tetap lawan' (keep fighting) shouting, "Minum tetap minum," (keep on drinking) to draw customers.

3.05pm: Central Market - Around 300 in black T-shirts start to gather in front of the building.

Among them are Bersih chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah, human rights lawyer Eric Paulsen and Perak PKR Youth chief Zafril Eusoff.

Inside the popular arts and crafts mall it is business as usual and the shopping crowd looks calm, going about their browsing through the shops and wares.

3.03pm: Lembah Pantai MP and PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah has been served notice to attend questioning by Dang Wangi police over the Kita Lawan rally at Sogo that took place on Feb 14.

According to Padang Serai MP N Surendran, police have confirmed to lawyers that the investigation is under section 9(5) of Peaceful Assembly Act.

He said this was despite that this section was declared unlawful by the Court of Appeal in Selangor exco Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad's case.

3pm: Masjid Jamek  - PKR Semambu assemblyperson  Lee Chean Chung addresses the crowd of over 300 at Masjid Jamek LRT station from the top of a truck .

He calls on the crowd to start the march at 3.30pm.

"Let us walk together to Sogo to show its not just the NGOs that are participating at this rally, but the people have gotten down to the streets to express their unhappiness. Reformasi!," Lee screams out on top of his lungs.

2.45pm: Sogo - There is a crowd of at least 300 people gathered outside Sogo now. It is difficult to discern how many are protestors and how just spectators.

Only about 50 people are seen wearing Kita Lawan or Reformasi T-shirts.

Shouts of "Reformasi" and "Hancur Najib" fill the air.

2.30pm: Masjid Jamek - More than 10 members of Pahang Raub Anti-Cyanide gold mining committee are at Masjid Jamek to show their support.

"We are against unfairness and injustice," says one of the group, Hue Soo Lim.

2.20pm: Masjid Jamek - Around 50 members from the #KitaLawan Hulu Selangor division have gathered at Masjid Jamek LRT station.

The members are carrying placards with slogans like 'retreat Najib' and ‘Kita lawan'. The participants in an upbeat mood sing songs calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

Cries calling for "reformasi" and "free Anwar Ibrahim" are also heard.

2.15pm: PAS HQ - PKR vice-president Tian Chua arrives at the PAS headquarters. After taking pictures with PKR members, the group shouts "lawan tetap lawan".

2.10pm: Met by reporters, Gopeng MP Lee Boon Chye says they are here to give their support and solidarity for Anwar.

“We want to state our stand on the oppression against Anwar and on economy-related matters such as the implementation of the goods and services tax (GST).

“It is clear that there was a political conspiracy in Anwar's case and the case was used to split Pakatan and to prevent the coalition from reaching Putrajaya."

Lee adds that the rally gives an opportunity to the rakyat to state their stand and that the rakyat are the judges.

2.05pm: PAS HQ -Around 40 PKR members from Perlis and the Gopeng branch have arrived at the PAS headquarters, carrying banners bearing the words “undur Rosmah undur” and “undur Najib undur” (step down Rosmah and Najib).

The group also shouts slogans of “lawan tetap lawan” and “reformasi”.

Also in attendance is Gopeng MP Lee Boon Chye.

1.50pm: Sogo - There is a calm before the storm at Sogo where the Kita Lawan rally will place.

About two dozen protestors have been spotted outside the mall, spread out among crowds of shoppers who are taking shade from the blistering heat, enjoying a show being put on by buskers.

There is no police presence as yet.

1.30pm: At least five thousand are expected to gather in downtown Kuala Lumpur today for the first major protest of 2015, which police have branded as illegal for multiple reasons.

The Kita Lawan protest at Sogo will campaign for the release of jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, and for the resignation Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

It is however unclear how much support the Pakatan coalition is giving to the rally.

PAS has not issued a directive for its members to support, while Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has advised his mostly-DAP state representatives they have state duties to perform today and should concentrate on that.

The protest is expected to kick off at 3pm, with participants marching from Central Market, Masjid Jamek and the PAS headquarters in Jalan Raja Laut, towards Sogo, and may last until midnight.

Previous Kita Lawan rallies have resulted in the arrests of activists Adam Adli Abdul Halim, PKR supreme council member Fariz Musa, and PKR Youth Chief Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.

Now minister wants Islamic teams at varsities

After claiming world-class status, Idris wants teams to spread Islamic understanding.

FMT

IPOH: Education Minister II Idris Jusoh, who recently courted controversy by claiming world-class status for Malaysian universities, is now stepping into another possible quagmire.

In the midst of a raging public debate about Islamic prosleytisation and the distribution of free copies of the Quran, Idris has now proposed that Islamic understanding teams be set up at colleges and unversities “to monitor and provide a thorough understanding of the religion to students”.

He said the team was also aimed at preventing the spread of extremist ideology, especially those of the Islamic State militant group, among university students.

“The ministry will ensure the spread of tasawwur Islam and wassatiyah as promoted by the prime minister,” he said, according to Bernama. “Actually, the prime minister has implemented the wassatiyah concept by using a shariah index so that we fully understand Islam,” he said at a Chinese New Year event here.

Idris also urged university vice-chancellors to constantly monitor their students to ensure they were not influenced by Islamic State ideology, Bernama quoted him as saying.

Two weeks ago, Idris found himself in the midst of controversy by claiming that the rising number of foreign students showed that Malaysians were on par with universities in the west. After being taken apart by opposition politicians, among others, he held to his remark by pointing out to the new rankings of Malaysian universities on a higher education index.

His latest suggestion puts him squarely in the midst of the debate about the place of Islam among the multi-racial communities of Malaysia.

MP: Najib should step down for full 1MDB probe

Chin Tong urges Cabinet to act, after Muhyiddin puts up a strong challenge.

FMT

KUALA LUMPUR: Najib Razak has been urged to stand down as finance minister so that a full independent investigation may be carried out into the troubled 1Malaysia Development Bhd.

Kluang MP Liew Chin Tong said members of the Cabinet should demand that the prime minister relinquish his finance portfolio.

He said the statement by Najib’s deputy, Muhyiddin Yassin, had put up a strong challenge to Najib by calling for an investigation by the Public Accounts Committee and not wait for the Auditor-General, who has been ordered by Najib to verify 1MDB’s accounts.

“It is the clearest indication of an impending challenge to Najib’s premiership by Muhyiddin,” said Liew. Muhyiddin’s statement alone was sufficient to move for Najib’s removal, he said.

Muhyiddin had said the Auditor-General should audit freely and independently up to 2009 when 1MDB began; the Public Accounts Committee should begin investigations without waiting for the Auditor-General; that 1MDB must not be bailed out, questioning the proposed disposals of lands such as that of the Tun Razak Exchange and Bandar Malaysia which were obtained at very low price.

Govt servants want retirement age raised to 62

Civil services union points to higher retirement age in developed countries

FMT

KEMAMAN: Government servants are asking for the retirement age to be raised to 62.

Cuepacs, the Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Service, wants the government to consider extending the retirement age for civil servants.

Its president Azih Muda said the proposal should be considered by the government in light of the country’s economic uncertainty about becoming a developed nation.

“Today, we can see that most countries have extended their retirement age to 65, such as Thailand, Singapore, Sri Lanka, European countries as well as the United States, and our country, which is heading towards becoming a developed nation should take similar steps.

“The government has to bear high costs to produce officers who are committed and experienced through training, so they have the expertise, experience and knowledge… like lecturers, most of them only receive their doctorates (PhD) at the age of 55 to 56, so after spending thousands for a PhD, should they retire just after five years of service,” he said.

He was speaking to reporters after officiating the 2015 Flood Disaster Relief Mission organised by Cuepacs and Angkasa, which was also attended by Terengganu Angkasa liaison secretary, Mohamed Yusoff and Terengganu Cuepacs chairman Mohammed Idris Maliki here today.

– BERNAMA

Why police presence at EC public hearing, asks DAP

Sarawak DAP has accused the Election Commission (EC) of breaking its rigid “closed door” rule in the public objections to its proposed redrawing of the electoral boundary in Miri with the presence of four police personnel, believed to be from the Special Branch Unit.

DAP Senadin branch chairperson, Eunice Lim questioned why the cops were allowed to take part but barred the public and media from the series of hearings in Kuching and other major towns in the state.

“Why were the SB officers allowed inside the hearing?” she asked.

“Their presence create a sort of fear to those who were making their presentation,” Lim said, referring to an incident last Thursday.

“I did not realise their presence when I was making my presentation,” she said.

“We only came to know about it when my colleague (Piasau assemblyman Alan Ling) spotted the officers sitting with the EC officers before making his own presentation.”

Lim said when Ling asked the EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof on the matter, he appeared, "from his body language, to be quite surprised".

She claimed that what was more surprising was when the EC chairman replied: "What's wrong with that?”, implying that the four were indeed police officers.

Ling then posted the matter on his Facebook page and further stated that with the police presence, the EC should also allowed the public to listen to the inquiry.

“So my question now is, what is wrong with allowing the public to come in and hear the inquiry?

“Is this a form of intimidation towards the presenters? The whole proceeding is not friendly at all," he said.

Meanwhile, following this incident, Lim said her elected colleagues to Parliament and the state legislative assembly would raise the matter in the two legislatures for answers.

The Parliament convenes next week while the state legislature is expected to sit in May. – March 7, 2015.

Umno Must Make Thorough Preparation, Planning To Win 14th General Election

IPOH, March 7 (Bernama) -- Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the party must make thorough preparation and planning if it wishes to win the 14th general election.

Najib, who is also Prime Minister, said this was because the political approach that could be accepted by the people at present was no longer rigid politics but new politics.

"But this does not mean the old politics cannot be practised, some politics of development, needed by the people is the core to the old politics that still needs to be implemented by us.

"We must do what needs to be done," he said when speaking at the closing of the Perak State Umno Convention and simultaneous opening of Umno branches conference 2015 at Indera Mulia Stadium here Saturday night.

He said the voters' point of view now was different from those in the past.

"So we must practise new politics...we cannot assume that if we have given an allocation, the problem is already solved.

"Today if we say the new generation must be thankful to Umno, maybe their reception may not be like before because it seems we are claiming our rights.

"On the contrary, if we tell, if they think rationally, there is no party with better agenda than Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) and this is not due to sentiment but a guaranteed future for the country at the state or national level," he said.

He also said Umno needed to adapt itself with the new political environment as currently social media was already regarded as mainstream media and the existing mainstream media such as print media had become second choice.

Umno leaders must avoid from becoming warlords as it would distance the grassroots from the party.

As such he urged them to practise openess and a willingness to go down to the grassroots besides being humble in order to be well accepted and liked.

"I cannot imagine Malaysia without Umno, especially Malays and Muslims. The answer will make the Malays destitutes in their own country.

Hence he urged Perak Umno members to fully support Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, who is also state Umno Liaison Committee chairman.

Earlier Perak Umno Convention Committee chairman Datuk Saarani Mohamad said 10 resolutions were approved.

Among them are programmes to increase membership and voters, strengthening of party machinery, branch auditing, engaging young voters and loyalty to leaders and Umno's struggle.

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MIC not your father's property, Ramanan reminds Palanivel

'Last Jew in Pakistan' Beaten by Muslim Mob - Then Arrested

Fishel Benkhald, who is leading a campaign to restore Karachi's Jewish cemetery, attacked after agreeing to debate over minority rights.

By Ari Soffer

A Jewish activist in Pakistan was savagely beaten by a Muslim mob Wednesday - and then arrested and roughed up again by police.

Fishel Benkhald - who is leading a one-man campaign to preserve the old Jewish cemetery in Pakistan's largest city, Karachi - has been a vocal activist for minority rights in the country, which is overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim and where minorities such as Christians, Hindus and non-Sunni Muslims are routinely persecuted.

Speaking to Arutz Sheva Thursday, Benkhald - the son of a Muslim father and a Jewish mother, but who identifies as Jewish - told how he had agreed to a face-to-face debate with a Muslim Pakistani man after a discussion on the topic of minority rights on Twitter.

"I was debating over Twitter with a young educated Pakistani Muslim that non-Muslim Pakistanis should be allowed in theory to be elected president according to our constitution," the discussion was purely theoretical, he noted, given that non-Muslims account for only around 3% of the Pakistani population.

After a back-and-forth "I proposed to debate face to face," said Benkhald. "He asked for me for my cell phone number and I gave it to him."

The two agreed to continue a friendly discussion at a restaurant in Karachi. But when he got there, Benkhald soon found himself ambushed.

"I went there alone but he was with his friends, we started the debate in a normal discussion manner but soon it got heated up and cursing started."

At that point, a "mob" began to gather around him "and two of the guys who were with him started manhandling me - I should have left at that time.

"They started punching me and when I fell they started kicking my head. Someone also tried to snatch away my mobile."

Benkhald managed to tape part of the altercation, including the the assault. Arutz Sheva has opted not to include it due to the explicit and violent nature of parts.

At that point police arrived, but instead of arresting his attackers, they detained Benkhald.

"The police came and took me away, they didn't take the other guys. The police asked me if I am from Israel or from any other country. I told them that I am a Pakistan and am Jewish from (my) mother's side but registered as a Muslim in Pakistan."

Blindfolded and cuffed, he was then handed over to Pakistan's Rangers paramilitary force, who continued questioning him about his ethnic origins, and going through his social media pages after demanding his passwords.

"They beat me, but not much," claims Benkhald, and accused him of being a spy for either Israel, the US or India.

Eventually he was released after his brother intervened and bailed him out. the ordeal left Benkhald with a swollen eye and bruising.

Bankhald admits that in retrospect his decision to agree to a personal debate in a back-alley restaurant was unwise, and says he will be scaling-down his online activism as well out of fears for his safety.

He says he hopes to travel abroad "to a free country" to study Hebrew and Judaism some day, but that until then he will continue his activism in Pakistan as best he can.

At the start of the twentieth century Pakistan was home to a small Jewish community based largely in Karachi, mainly Iraqi and Indian Jews who immigrated over the years.

However since the country's partition from India in 1947 and a rise in anti-Semitism that community has disappeared, leaving Benkhald as the self-declared "last Jew in Pakistan."

Yemeni boy, 10, locked in a cage and set alight by his friends in sickening imitation of ISIS' barbaric murder of Jordanian pilot

• Up to seven boys locked the helpless 10-year-old victim in a wooden cage
• They poured petrol over the young boy's body before setting him alight
• Luckily residents heard the child's cries and were able to save his life
• Act is believed to be in imitation of ISIS' murder of Mu'ath al-Kasasbeh
• Attack came after video emerged of another group of Yemeni boys reenacting the gruesome murder of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians

By John Hall for MailOnline

A group of children in Yemen have attempted to burn a 10-year-old boy to death after first locking him in a cage in a shocking imitation of the Islamic State's murder of a Jordanian pilot.

As many as seven boys are believed to have attacked the as-yet unnamed victim in Al Dahthath village in the country's northern Ibb province.

The defenceless child was then locked in a wooden cage and had petrol poured over his body before being set alight. Thankfully a group of locals spotted the attack and managed to save the boy's life, although he was still left with horrific burn injuries on his legs.

Local journalist Mohammad Mouzahem was told about the attack and posted details of it on his Facebook page, according to Gulf News.

The boys are understood to have been inspired by murders committed by ISIS after using mobile phone apps such as WhatsApp to share gruesome videos of the terror group's atrocities, despite living in a remote village where electricity supplies are unreliable.

During the attack, the boys are said to have assumed different terrorist roles, with the 'leader' sitting in a chair and giving orders to his friends.

After being set alight, the boys cries were overheard by local residents who rushed to save him.

'The villagers took him to a local hospital where he received treatment for burns to one of his legs,' Mr Mouzahem was quoted as saying.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2980754/Yemeni-boy-10-locked-cage-set-alight-friends-sickening-imitation-ISIS-barbaric-murder-Jordanian-pilot.html

Crisis can be resolved by following Najib’s advice, says MIC number two – Bernama

The MIC crisis could have been resolved if party president Datuk Seri G. Palanivel had acted on the advice of Barisan Nasional (BN) leadership, said deputy president Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam.

He said BN chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak had met Palanivel and himself three times to find a solution to the long-standing crisis.

"There is intense lack of concern, and lack of decision, lack of wanting to solve this problem well. That is why we thought there is really a leadership crisis and leadership issue in handling this problem.

"The prime minister attempted to give advice many times and the advice is very simple – follow the RoS (Registrar of Society) consistently.

"I suppose when people have given advice to you many times and when people don't follow it then it's possible he (Najib) just say 'Okay, you do the things the way you all want and let the action take its course'," he said in Kuala Lumpur today.

Dr Subramaniam said MIC had lost many opportunities now as the party's problem could have been solved in an easier way if Palanivel had adhered to the RoS directive.

"This is actually a sad story of missed opportunities. We would have solved it earlier but we lost many chances because of so many issues.

"It has become very difficult now. It was easier if it (re-election) was done before."

The MIC crisis arose due to differences in views after the RoS declared the election of the three vice-president posts and 23 central working committee (CWC) posts at the party's general assembly in Malacca in November 2013 null and void.

Dr Subramaniam said in a bid to save the party from further crisis, the interim CWC 2009 had started to lay the ground work for the party's re-election as advised by the RoS on February 6.

In a letter dated December 5, 2014, the RoS ordered the MIC to call for a fresh election for the posts within 90 days.

Dr Subramaniam said because of the missed opportunity, the party now had to hold a total election for all posts.

The conflict within the party worsened after Palanivel requested the RoS to withdraw all its letters last February 14, as they allegedly contravened the party constitution and Societies Act and threatened to take legal action if the RoS did not comply.

Subsequently on February 23, MIC CWC member K. Ramalingam submitted an application for a judicial review against the action and statement made by the RoS and its director-general.

On February 9, Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said that the RoS, which came under the jurisdiction of his ministry, had agreed that the MIC held re-elections for all posts between April and July this year to avoid being deregistered. – Bernama, March 5, 2015.

Violence, dirty tactics making PAS as bad as MIC in its heyday

This morning's assault on PAS central committee member Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad has only strengthened claims that the situation in the Islamist party was worse than in 1982 when its former president Tan Sri Asri Muda was kicked out, said party leaders.

Observers said today's incident puts PAS on the same level, or worse than what used to happen in MIC or Umno, where violence was reported on several occasions over the years.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, scuffles and chair-throwing at MIC grassroots meetings became synonymous with the Barisan Nasional component party.

Even today, the party, which has split into two factions, is accusing each other of using gangsters to subdue members and control the party.

Umno, too, has seen its share of shouting matches and violence at division meetings with the last one in 2008 where two Umno delegates, including a woman, were injured after they were hit by chairs flung during a scuffle which broke out at the Seremban Umno divisional meeting at the Tuanku Ja'afar Golf Club.

Analysts, observers and PAS activists said this morning’s incident was a manifestation of a culture that should not be associated with an Islamist party with followers taking pride in the way its leadership had settled party matters.

PAS practises the concept of leadership by ulama (clerics) but that is now marred by recent events involving violent behaviour like assaults and torching the property of party leaders, and members hurling foul language at each other.

Dzulkefly had previously told The Malaysian Insider that all this while, PAS leaders had attacked Umno by accusing them of not being united.

He said former PAS president Datuk Fadzil Mohd Noor had always read a Quranic verse from surah Al-Hashr which means: "They look united but in their hearts, they are divided".

"The verse was used by Fadzil against Umno because of the divisions in the party, but now it has fallen back on PAS," he added.

Dzulkefly was assaulted by unknown assailants armed with sticks at the porch of his house in Shah Alam early this morning after returning home from morning prayers.

The PAS research director's lips were split and he suffered a swollen head. Dzulkefly lodged a police report in Shah Alam after receiving treatment at a clinic.

In a WhatsApp message following the incident, Dzulkefly warned all his friends to be careful over what had happened. "Be careful, my friends," he had said.

Former PAS secretary-general Datuk Kamarudin Jaffar in an immediate reaction following the assault on Dzulkefly said: "Just as I had said, PAS is now worse than Asri's time".

Kamaruddin, who is Tumpat MP, said that the incident was disheartening and expressed his sympathy with what had befallen his PAS colleague.

"First, Dr Hatta's (Ramli) car was torched, and now it is Dr Dzul's assault. Like I said, this is worse than Dr Asri's time," Kamarudin told The Malaysian Insider.

He also said factions were prone to criticise each other using coarse language.

He said the ulama wing, which had adopted a position that it was above criticism, was not averse to criticising others, using terms like “pig” and “devil” against its critics.

Similar ugly scenes played out in 1982, which led to Asri’s resignation.

Asri had resigned during the 1982 PAS muktamar after his policy speech was rejected by delegates. He was also mocked by a faction in the party. Prior to that, the PAS Youth muktamar was held elsewhere, and it approved a motion for PAS to accept the concept of "ulama leadership".

With Asri's resignation in 1982, PAS began its ulama leadership. The PAS leadership was taken over by Yusof Rawa and the Ulama Council was formed as the highest authority in the Islamist party.

Kamarudin was a political analyst then as he was a political science lecturer with Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).

Since Yusof Rawa's time, the position of the PAS president has never been contested as those chosen had won by default.

But now, the leadership of Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and the concept of ulama leadership in the party are being challenged.

In the last muktamar held in Batu Pahat last year, youth representatives who were in support of Hadi's leadership left the hall when PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu began giving his speech.

During a debate, those who were not aligned with the conservatives were booed while another ulama leader had recited a prayer, cursing other PAS leaders in his speech.

In his closing speech, Hadi had hit out at certain PAS leaders, calling them "barua" and asked those who were not in agreement with his leadership to "find new land, build new mosques and become their own imams", which was seen as an attempt to ask his critics to leave the party.

PAS central committee member Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa in a book titled "Menuju PAS Baru", said PAS needed a new theme after using the ulama leadership concept for more than 30 years.

He said PAS had to find a new approach as ulama leadership, which started with his father Yusof Rawa, had reached a plateau and was bound to go down.

Meanwhile, PAS Youth chief Suhaizan Kaiat, in responding to Dzulkefly's assault, said he did not believe PAS members were responsible for the attack, suggesting instead that the attack was by those who wanted to take advantage of the situation in the Islamist party.

"I do not discount the possibility that there are certain parties who want to take advantage to provoke PAS leaders," he said in a Facebook post.

"Their aim is to break PAS up. May Allah punish their evil doings." – March 5, 2015.

'Anwar's parliament speech will be heard'

 

Parliamentary opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's official speech of thanks to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's address will still be heard in the Dewan Rakyat even if he is denied permission to attend the parliamentary session that opens on Mar 9.

Anwar's daughter Nurul Izzah Anwar confirmed that Anwar's speech will still be delivered in Parliament regardless of the circumstances.

Malaysiakini understands PKR will appoint one of its MPs to read the speech on behalf of Anwar, and Nurul Izzah, Anwar's eldest daughter, is the likely candidate.

DAP national organising secretary Anthony Loke Siew Fook confirmed to Malaysiakini that his party has agreed to the arrangement, meaning there will not be a void for the opposition leader's speech in Parliament.

Loke is also DAP's parliamentary whip.

"DAP is agreeable to the arrangement as long as someone from PKR reads out the speech. We think the most ideal candidate to read the speech is Lembah Pantai (Nurul Izzah)," he said.

Anwar is still effectively a MP and opposition leader pending a royal pardon application that the palace is reviewing.

In a statement today, Nurul Izzah said that the government had passed an opportunity to uphold the Federal Consitution by not allowing Anwar to attend the Parliament session.

Anwar was denied permission by the Prisons Department despite an official request by Nurul Izzah and PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

"If the Prime Minister abstains from his constitutional duty, we will not follow suit. Rest assured, the Opposition Leaders' speech will be heard in Parliament," she said.

Anwar is serving a five-year jail sentence at the Sungai Buloh prison after being convicted of sodomising a former aide.

Ex-top judge’s disclosure vindicates whistleblower

EXCLUSIVE Following recent revelations by former Court of Appeal judge KC Vohrah of questionable actions by ex-chief justice Eusoff Chin, the man who had first revealed judicial corruption in Malaysia feels quietly vindicated.

Syed Ahmad Idid Syed Abdullah Idid was the High Court judge who was forced to resign for writing an anonymous letter exposing the matter in 1996, which was sent to a select set of high officials.

Among its allegations, it revealed Eusoff had gone on a New Zealand holiday with VK Lingam, a senior lawyer who appeared before the then chief justice in court on a number of cases.

Pictures of the duo taken together with their families underscored their close ties.

It resulted in Syed Ahmad Idid being told to resign when the letter he sent mysteriously found its way into some government departments and then spread to the media.

Syed Ahmad Idid's immediate reaction to Malaysiakini's article on Vohrah was elation - that the former Court of Appeal judge had written on the matter and he was certain other judges could also tell of similar experiences.

Among other transgressions, the Ayer Molek case that Vohrah referred to was filed in the Special and Appellate Powers Division whereas it should have been in the Commercial Division.

Syed Ahmad Idid also recalled a similar incident as a Kuala Lumpur High Court judge with the Commercial Division from 1995 to 1996.

According to him, a case involving a sum of a quarter of a billion ringgit was correctly filed in the Commercial Division before him. But before it could be called in open court, the file was wrested away by Eusoff.

“That matter was given to another judge who now resides, and must be enjoying life, in Europe,” he quipped.

Appalled at corruption

Syed Ahmad Idid was a former assistant director with the Royal Customs and Excise Department before he left to read law in the Inner Temple London. He was legal director of a bank before being appointed a High Court judge in 1990.

In 1996, appalled at the corruption and dubious practices in the corridors of justice, he turned whistleblower.

He remembers that his anonymous complaint over misconduct in the judiciary, especially on the then lord president and CJ, Eusoff Chin (right), was sent to a few top government officers whose duties he hoped included enhancing the standards of performance in the government and protecting the integrity of the country.

Unfortunately someone in a department had disseminated it to the media, along with a ‘covering note’.

“The aim was to frame me. The then attorney-general (the late Mohtar Abdullah) - a reader of English fiction - described this as a ‘poison pen’ letter.”

Somehow the letter was traced back to him and he was given two options - to resign honourably or be detained, possibly under the Internal Security Act.

A senior official, representing the AG, had met him armed with the offer, revealed Syed Ahmad Idid.
                                              
He said Mohtar was seen as overly enthusiastic to kill the ‘poison pen’ letter writer rather than investigating the allegations made against Eusoff. “He went to the press as though he was out for revenge.”

Queried why he did not fight back, Syed Ahmad Idid said as a judge he could not join the political fray.
                                                                                                                      
“I had no political party and so no political pull or push. The press jumped in and wrote all sorts of things against me.

“A reporter wrote I had escaped to London. In reality, I was eating ‘nasi lemak’ right here in Section 21, Petaling Jaya.

“Even a professor took advantage by writing about people who wrote poison-pen letters. So the lies mounted. But the newspapers which printed the lies paid dearly through their falling sales,” the former judge said.

Threat of imprisonment

Asked as to why he did not take legal action, Syed Ahmad Idid said he was threatened with imprisonment.

“I had a heart attack the previous year. Naturally I was fearful I could not survive the ordeal of a prison or even a lock-up stay. Also I had no savings to engage counsel and had no hope for the ‘justice that money can buy’.

“So you see my predicament. I made ‘doa’ and learnt that discretion is the better part of valour.”         

Syed Ahmad Idid added he believed then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad relied a lot on his advisers and as Mohtar held the reins, the PM had no alternative but to believe what the AG told him.

“I did not contact the former AG or the former IGP. Both knew my complaints were not investigated. On the contrary, I, the complainant, was punished.

“Thankfully, I have genuine friends both in the government, the courts and also the private sector who support me a lot, (and) I am grateful. Naturally I wish they can get Umno to push for remedial action in my favour. However I guess Umno is busy with so many issues.”

Lingam was later implicated in a video showing him having a phone conversation with then Chief Judge of Malaya Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Halim in 2001 over the fixing of judges.

This eventually led to a royal commission of inquiry in 2008 to investigate the issue.

The five-member panel proposed action be taken on Lingam, Eusoff and four others including Mahathir.

However until today, no action has been taken against any of the six.

“After the Lingam inquiry, there should have been “korek, korek and korek” (dig, dig and dig) for more truths,” Syed Ahmad Idid sighed in dejection, playing on the now legendary Lingam’s “correct, correct, correct” quote that was caught on the video.

However in a manner of speaking, Syed Ahmad Idid had the last laugh. He received many calls and text messages congratulating him on being vindicated for the revelations he made more than a decade before the infamous video was made public.

Compensation received

He has also seen former lord president Salleh Abas and five other Supreme Court judges being compensated in 2008.

In 1988, following the Umno debacle in which the party was declared illegal by the court, Salleh and other Supreme Court judges were forced to resign.

Two decades later the government under Abdullah Ahmad Badawi decided the judges were hard done by, and granted compensation and returned their pensions.

Syed Ahmad Idid now hopes the government will similarly look into the injustice done to him.

“I hope the government would remedy the wrong done to me...,” he said, stressing that he had sent his 1996 complaint to a few top government officials but did not however make it public.

“In fact, a professional forensics expert could easily confirm that the typeset, font and paper of that covering note and the attachment could not have come from me but from a department over which I had no control.”

Syed Ahmad Idid's only regret was that he had been perceived to be an opposition sympathiser after the late Karpal Singh spoke well of him in Parliament when news of his resignation became public and again in 2006.

This, he said, had resulted in some within the government branding him as an opposition supporter. According to Syed Ahmad Idid, he was informed of this by a former cabinet minister.

“I was denied any form of support. How more injudicious can the country get,” he said.

Despite this, Syed Ahmad Idid is glad that current judges, especially those appointed by the Judicial Appointments Commission, are of quality, possessing experience and qualifications.

“This is essential in persons chosen to administer justice. A few may be young or ‘belum masak’ (not mature). But so long as they gather knowledge day by day and are fiercely honest and impartial, our judiciary will move a long way from the Eusoff Chin regime,” he remarked,

After his premature end in government service, Syed Ahmad Idid has kept himself busy with visits to the Inner Temple, his alma mater, and the International Court of Justice in The Hague as well as studying the plight of Muslims in Mindanao.

He has written extensively on the negotiations between Manila and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and on basic law.

In addition to speaking at arbitration conferences overseas, Syed Ahmad Idid has participated in the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (Uncitral) meetings in New York and Vienna.

In 2012, Syed Ahmad Idid wrote a book titled ‘Writing of Judgments: A Practical Guide for Courts and Tribunals’.

Mahfuz: I paid for Sirul 'humanitarian' trip

PAS information chief Mahfuz Omar defended the “humanitarian trip” to reunite murder convict Sirul Azhar Umar with his mother Piah Ahmad saying it is out of the PAS leader’s own pocket.

Mahfuz had brought Sirul's mother, sister, Noriatin Umar, and four others with him on his trip to visit Sirul at the Villawood Immigration Centre in Sydney.

"I funded it myself," Mahfuz told Malaysiakini.

The mission has received a lot of flak, with many questioning why PAS was spending so much money to see a death row escapee convicted for the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Asked to respond, Mahfuz stood his ground and reiterated the humanitarian side of his trip for the sake of an elderly mother.

He also said his trip was aimed at seeking the truth, and to discover the motive behind the act in the nation’s most sensational murder case.

"The second (objective) of my mission is to find the motive, which was not revealed by the court... I want to find the truth," he said.

"However, I will find (the truth) not through Sirul, but through multiple sources," he added

Sirul himself has not discussed the murder during their meetings, Mahfuz said.

‘Not funding Sirul against Najib’

The Pokok Sena MP also brushed off allegations made by a pro-Umno blog that the opposition was funding Sirul, in hopes of getting him to purportedly blame Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak for the Altantuya murder.

"Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Daim Zainuddin, A Kadir Jasin have all clearly asked the prime minister to step down, so that has nothing to do with Sirul," he said.

Sirul, a former police commando, previously told Malaysiakini he had acted under orders and is mulling a tell-all interview with the Australian media.

Najib has however brushed off Sirul's claims as "utter rubbish".

Sirul and colleague Azilah Hadri have been sentenced to death for Altantuya’s murder, while Najib’s close associate Abdul Razak Baginda who had been charged for abetment in the murder, was released without his defence being called.

Tuesday was Piah’s second meeting with Sirul, after the teary reunion on Tuesday where the latter had the chance to enjoy his mother’s sambal ikan bilis.

Yesterday, Mahfuz said Sirul wolfed down beef rendang his mother cooked for him.

"He finished the whole tupperware we brought for him," said the PAS leader.

Mahfuz and Piah will be visiting Sirul daily until Friday.

Although there is a Interpol red alert on Sirul, Australian laws bar the country from deporting anyone facing a death penalty at their home country.

Seditious gatherings against the law, deputy IGP warns

Rallies for illegal intentions such as to force or threaten the government will be dealt with firmly

FMT

KUALA LUMPUR: Any gathering, which is seditious in nature, is against the law and firm action will be taken against the organisers of such gatherings, reminded the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Datuk Seri Noor Rashid Ibrahim.

He said police would facilitate peaceful gatherings and allow them to express whatever views and actions, subject to a limit.

“If they gather for illegal intentions, such as to force and threaten the government to do something, it is wrong,” he told a media conference after opening the Department of Integrity and Standard Compliance (JIPS) carnival at the Bukit Aman Police Headquarters here, today.

He was commenting on the aspiration of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) which wanted to hold a gathering ‘kemuncak #KitaLawan’ on Saturday (March 7) purportedly to express support to opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Noor Rashid said gatherings which were against the law could be defined under Section 141, 142 and 143 of the Penal Code.

He said gatherings could be considered as contravening the law when all speeches and actions were seditious in nature, and would flout existing laws.

“We will monitor…we facilitate their business to hold a gathering, at the same time, police will act firmly if the opposite happens,” he said.

On Feb 27, Dang Wangi District Police chief ACP Zainol Samah said no application was received, in accordance with the law, to organise the gathering (from PKR).

Zainol also proposed Padang Merbok and several other areas as venues for the gathering and was prepared to facilitate them in terms of security and traffic.

On Feb 10, the Federal Court rejected Anwar’s appeal and upheld his conviction and five-year jail sentence for sodomising his former personal assistant, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, on June 26, 2008.

Anwar is now serving his sentence at the Sungai Buloh Prison, Selangor.

- BERNAMA

Police corporal arrested for killing suspected thief

Police corporal in his 30's shot the victim as a warning for the victim to stop his motorcycle

FMT

ALOR SETAR: A police corporal was arrested for opening fire and killing a man in Kampung Guar Nenas, Gurun, yesterday.

Kedah CID chief ACP Mohd Nashir Ya said in the incident at 1 pm, the Gurun Police Station received a report of a man lying in a bloodstained shirt in a quarry area in Kampung Guar Nenas.

“It was confirmed that a man with no identity card was lying with bloodstain on his shirt and signs of gunshots. There was an overturned motorcycle beside the victim,” he told in a press conference, here today.

Mohd Nashir said the victim, who was unemployed and aged in his 30′s, was sent to the Sungai Petani Hospital and was confirmed dead with gunshot wounds on his body.

After interrogation, the police corporal aged in his 30′s admitted that he shot the victim as a warning for the victim to stop his motorcycle, he said.

The suspect said a day prior to the incident, he had lost his motorcycle at the Gurun Rest and Service Area (R&R) and subsequently, he met a shaman (bomoh) to find out who had stolen his motorcycle, Mohd Nashir said.

“The shaman had told the suspect that he could find the person who stole it at an old factory in Guar Nenas area.

“Then, at 11.15 am the suspect drove a car with his wife and mother-in-law and left them at the roadside while he went to search for his motorcycle at the old factory,” he said.

Moments later, the suspect’s wife called him to say there was a man riding a Honda Ex5 in a suspicious manner trying to approach them (his wife and mother-in-law), Mohd Nashir said.

According to the wife, there was a machete, a set of walkie-talkie and a pink phone in the motorcycle basket.

Mohd Nashir said the suspect, who had served more than 10 years in the police force, was worried about his family’s safety and ran back to the car where he saw the victim trying to flee.

“However, the suspect managed to grab the victim’s shirt but the victim managed to run towards the main road in Kg. Guar Nenas.

“When the victim tried to speed off with the motorcycle, the suspect took out a pistol and fired a shot at the victim but the victim fled the scene,” he said.

Mohd Nashir said the suspect then went back to his office and handed over his pistol, the same pistol that shot the victim.

However, Mohd Nashir said the victim had nothing to do with the lost motorcycle, the suspect would be remanded beginning today, the police had detained him at 7 pm in Sungai Petani yesterday.

The case was being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder, Mohd Nashir said.

- BERNAMA

Perkasa VP in Kelantan to contest Chempaka by-election

Candidate said constituency was in need of development which he felt could be implemented with him being assemblyman

FMT

KOTA BAHARU: A leader of the Malay right-wing group PERKASA in Kelantan has expressed his intention to contest as an independent candidate in the Chempaka state by-election on March 22.

Sharif Mahmood, 59, vice-president of Kelantan PERKASA, said he had bought a nomination form.

“I decided to offer myself for contest to nourish the democratic system in the country,” he said when contacted by BERNAMA, Thursday.

Sharif said the Chempaka constituency was in need of much development, which he felt could be implemented with an assemblyman who was friendly to the federal government.

Kelantan Election Commission (EC) director Mohamad Mahmud said Thursday four nomination forms had been sold so far.

Nomination for the by-election is on March 10.

The Chempaka seat fell vacant following the death of PAS spiritual leader and former Kelantan menteri besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat on Feb 12.

Nik Abdul Aziz had retained the seat in the 13th General Election in 2013 by beating Wan Razman Wan Abd Razak of the Barisan Nasional with a majority of 6,500 votes.

Suspect arrested in murder of young mother

Body of the victim, whose hands and legs were bound was found dead beside her baby

FMT

KUALA LUMPUR: The police have detained a man in connection with the murder of a woman at an apartment in Petaling Jaya, Selangor last night.

Petaling Jaya police chief ACP Azmi Abu Kassim said the 36-year-old suspect – one of five tenants at the apartment – was picked up at the Puduraya bus terminal about 10.30pm.

He said the police were in the midst of determining the motive behind the murder of the 26-year-old victim who was believed to have been suffocated to death.

The woman had given birth about two months ago.

Azmi said the body of the victim, whose hands and legs were bound with pieces of cloth and the mouth stuffed with cloth, was found dead beside her baby.

Her husband had just returned from work at 8pm when he found the door locked from the inside. He had to break open the door to gain entry.

“We will apply a remand order on the suspect,” Azmi told Bernama when contacted Thursday.

He said the victim’s husband worked as a security guard at a company which manufactured computer products, adding that the apartment was owned by the man’s employer.

The tenants were the guard’s colleagues.

- BERNAMA

MH370 families vow not to give up hope until there is proof

Just three days to the first anniversary of the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight MH370, families of the missing passengers and crew have vowed not to give up hope until there is physical evidence of the aircraft.

In a statement today, Voice370 – a group made up of wives, husbands, children, parents and other close relatives of the missing passengers and crew – also called on Putrajaya to commit to the search for the missing plane and their loved ones until they are found.

"Despite the complete lack of wreckage found or physical evidence of a catastrophic event, the Malaysian government has officially declared that the airplane crashed, leaving no survivors, and it has ended the rescue phase of the search effort.

"We do not accept this finding and we will not give up hope until we have definitive proof of what happened to MH370," it said.

On March 8 last year, flight MH370 vanished en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board. There has so far not been any signs of the plane and those on board.

Voice370 said it was unlikely that on Sunday, the next of kin would find out anything more about the final moments of the flight or the whereabouts of their family members.

It said the disaster had been devastating for the families and caring people all over the world, and in the months following the disappearance of the plane, MH370 families were subjected to "a disorganised barrage of information from varied sources, much of which later proved to be incorrect".

"This included when the plane’s transponder and Acars (Aircraft Communications and Reporting System) stopped sending data in relation to the crew’s last recorded radio call, what was said in the last radio call, what items were stored in the plane’s cargo bay, and other critical details.

"We were initially told that the airplane went either on a northern route, which would bring it over land and possible landing sites, or a southern route, but the possibility of a northern route was quickly abandoned.

"Since then, the entire search effort has been focused on a relatively small area of the southern Indian Ocean, a search area that was determined by a never-before-employed analysis of automatic communications between the plane and a communications satellite."

Voice370 said the determination of the area as the only place to search remained questionable, and accused Putrajaya of abandoning hope of finding their loved ones alive early in the search effort.

Recalling the March 24 announcement by the government last year that MH370 had crashed into the southern Indian Ocean and that there was no hope of survivors, Voice370 said some families only received the information by text message.

It added that the announcement was "emotionally devastating" and "unacceptable" at the time, when it was too early to make such a determination, especially given the mistakes, miscalculations, misinformation and lack of crash evidence associated with the search then.

The group also recounted the second blow, which came with little warning when Putrajaya declared on January 29 that the plane was lost in an accident and all on board were killed, and that the rescue effort would be called off.

It expressed concern that the January 29 announcement was the first step towards the government calling off the search effort completely, with the underwater search of the area of the southern Indian Ocean scheduled for completion in May this year.

"We do not accept this declaration and will not give up hope until we have definitive proof of a crash and a determination of location – even if it is just one piece of the wreckage.

“The majority of that area has already been searched with no findings. The search must continue and all options explored if nothing is found in the coming weeks.

“Finding MH370 is important not only for humanitarian reasons, but also to discover out what caused the plane to disappear," they said, expressing fears that MAS and Putrajaya wanted to put the tragedy behind them.

Voice370 said the group harboured no ill-will towards MAS, which is going through a restructuring exercise to recover from the tragedies it suffered last year, including the shooting down of flight MH17 in Ukraine, but added that it could not accept the government's announcements and move on.

The group also asked MAS and its insurer to treat the MH370 families with compassion. They said neither had offered settlements to the families other than a US$50,000 (RM180,000) advance per family.

"They told us that we will need to prove our losses in accordance with whatever the law in our home countries requires MAS to pay. This plan, however, is in stark contrast to how we understand other families have been treated in recent accidents," it said.

It said that in the TransAsia Flight 222 crash, the airline reportedly offered each family approximately US$500,000 and did not require the affected families to go through the painful steps of proving their emotional and financial losses as the investigation unfolded.

"We ask Malaysia Airlines and its insurer to treat us fairly, to not require us to initiate the painful process of obtaining death certificates in order to discuss compensation, and to consider the benefits to not only us, but the future of the airline, if we are treated with compassion," it said.

The group also expressed gratitude to the countries that helped in the search for MH370, and the people around the world who sent their good wishes and sympathies as the families endured the tragedy.

Voice370 is organising “A Day of Remembrance” on Sunday to pay tribute to their missing loved ones at The Square @ Publika in Kuala Lumpur from 3.30pm to 6.30pm. The event will also feature live links to India, France, Australia and New Zealand. – March 5, 2015.

POTA Law To Address Threat From Terror Groups - Ahmad Zahid

KOTA BAHARU, March 5 (Bernama) -- The proposed Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) is a law specifically to address the threat from terror groups such as the IS militants, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

A bill is to be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat this month to provide for the legislation. The Dewan Rakyat sits for 20 days from Monday.

Ahmad Zahid said the new legislation was a preventive law aimed at anticipating and preventing terror activities and acting against IS members from Malaysia and other nations who come to this country.

"This month, I will table the Prevention of Terrorism Bill in the Dewan Rakyat. Yesterday, the Cabinet was briefed on the draft by the Attorney-General. The draft will be finalised next week," he told reporters after an appreciation reception for personnel of the Department of Civil Defence (JPAM) who were involved in flood relief work.

Ahmad Zahid was asked to comment on the involvement of Malaysians in the IS militant group as well as the latest report of two Malaysians, one from Kedah and the other from Melaka, seen in a video clip showing the beheading of Syrian nationals in the strife-torn country.

Ahmad Zahid said POTA would strengthen existing laws such as the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (SOSMA) and the Prevention of Crime Act (POCA) though SOSMA and POCA were not specifically for prevention of terrorism.

On the video clip, he said the authenticity of the clip was being verified.

"I could see that they were Malay faces but the police anti-terrorism unit, with the cooperation of Interpol, is getting the clip verified.

"Action will be taken, not just confined to existing laws such as POCA, SOSMA and the Penal Code," he said.

Ahmad Zahid said POTA would have provision for the detention of suspects for two years, and the detention period could be extended.

The minister said all quarters should support the new law to address terrorism, including MPs when the bill came up for debate in the Dewan Rakyat.

On another matter, Ahmad Zahid said JPAM, which had over 800,000 permanent and volunteer personnel nationwide, was ready to face natural disasters including floods.

JPAM was targeting up to one million permanent and volunteer personnel over the next two years, and it would acquire more equipment and machinery to make their work more effective, he said.

Ahmad Zahid praised the JPAM personnel for their flood relief and post-flood work.

He also launched 12 high-powered motorcycles for the Kelantan Anti-Smuggling Unit.

Uncle: Doctors delayed certifying Tinasha's death

The family of deceased teenager G Tinasha claim that her suffering was prolonged as doctors purposely kept her on life support despite knowing she was brain dead.

The 14-year-old passed away in Petaling Jaya's Assunta Hospital on Nov 21 last year after being admitted on Nov 16 for a fever.

Her death was shrouded in controversy with the family alleging medical staff were negligent in preventing her death and then delaying in confirming her death.

They said after pressing several months for the detailed medical report, they finally received it three weeks ago and were shocked to learn the brain death test was done thrice on Tinasha, although the Malaysian Medical Council’s (MMC) guideline calls for only two.

It states that a person should be declared brain dead after two tests done for ‘Brain Death Certification’ with the second six hours after the first.

The guideline also states that a “person certified to be brain dead is dead” and “the non-recognition either through ignorance or choice” can be construed as unethical.

“If the law states that after the second test she should be declared dead, why didn’t they do so? It is unfair to us to keep her alive even when she was gone,” said Tinasha’s uncle, I Ramesh.

"We believe the doctors could have prolonged certifying her death," he added.

Tinasha’s mother, I Uthayabavani (left), said the family had no idea the second and third tests were administered until they received the medical reports.

She and Ramesh were speaking at a press conference today at their home in Petaling Jaya.

She added the family has already lodged a complaint with the Private Practice Control Unit (CKAPS) under the Health Ministry and also the MMC.

The MMC has fixed a hearing on Tinasha’s case for April 16 to probe the matter further.

Up in arms

Tinasha’s family are also up in arms over not having received their daughter’s post-mortem certificate despite it being almost four months since her death.

“Every time we ask, they tell us it is further delayed by several weeks. We have already gone there a couple of times already,” Ramesh told reporters.

Meanwhile, the family also alleged that the hospital bill of over RM50,000 charged to the girl’s insurance company contained extra charges for procedures and drugs that were not administered.

“Some of the medicines that we were being charged were not even given by the doctors to her. The same goes for some of the procedures we saw in the itemised bill,” alleged Uthayabavani who claimed she was with Tinasha (right) the whole time during the ordeal.

They said they found discrepancies in the types of medicines that was given to her and the amount for with they were charged as compared to prices outside.

They also alleged for some of the procedures billed, they had no recollection of the doctors administering them,adding when they consulted their own doctors, they were told they were unnecessary.

The family has already lodged a formal complaint with the insurance company to investigate the discrepancies and were told the process would take a month to complete.

CEO denies accusations

When asked if the family was going to pursue the issue and sue the hospital, the family said a legal suit would only be the last resort.

“We are not in it for the money [...] we want to utilise available avenues first for our case to be heard. Suing will not get the case anywhere.

“Let our daughter’s death be a sacrifice so that it can shed light on the various issues surrounding it so that no other family has to go through it,” said a grieving Uthayabavani.

Assunta Hospital chief executive officer Peter Leong when contacted today, denied the accusations of negligence and instead encouraged the family to go through proper channels if they were unhappy with the treatment Tinasha received.

“If they do have any such allegations, they can lodge a complaint and let the Health Ministry or MMC investigate,” he said.