1MDB cash used to build nightclub empire?

A British Virgin Island document may be the link between a Las Vegas nightclub and 1MDB, whistleblower website Sarawak Report claimed.

The document, published by offshore financial centre watchdog website Offshore Alerts, could link the Hakkasan nightclub and restaurant chain to Khadem al-Qubaisi.

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) alleged that Khadem received US$473 million of funds originating from 1MDB, via a bank account in Luxembourg bank Edmond de Rothschild under the name 'Vasco Trust'.

The bank's CEO Marc Ambroisien had come under fire for clearing the transaction and left the bank in April 2015.

However, according to the November 2015 BVI document, published by Sarawak Report, Ambroisien maintained ties with Khadem.

The document, signed by Ambroisien, showed that he is the director of one Tasameem Strategic Fund, formerly known as Vasco Strategic Fund.

Tasameem Real Estate Company is one of the shareholders of Hakkasan, according to a filing with UK regulators, Sarawak Report said in an emailed statement.

This also indicates that Khadem still has a stake in Hakkasan, despite purportedly relinquishing ties by resigning as chairperson in April, Sarawak Report said.

"Plainly, Vasco and Tasameem remain linked to the same sources of income," Sarawak Report said.

"Sarawak Report believes therefore that the global investigators who are examining Mr Quabaisi’s

(Khadem) financial affairs ought soon to be turning their interest to Hakkasan’s billion dollar business."

Khadem bought the Hakkasan brand for GBP69 million in 2009, and expanded into the Las Vegas nightclub scene in 2013, it said.

Hakkasan also has restaurants in 12 locations worldwide, including in Jakarta, Doha, Dubai, Mumbai, New York, San Fransisco and Miami.

Malaysiakini cannot independently verify these claims and has contacted Hakkasan for comment.

Khadem was among four named in the DOJ's lawsuit to seize more than US$1 billion worth of assets allegedly bought using funds stolen from 1MDB.

The other three are fellow Abu Dhabi businessman Mohammed Badawy al-Husseiny, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's stepson and Hollywood producer Riza Aziz, and businessman Jho Low.

The Malaysian government has accused Sarawak Report’s London-based editor Claire Rewcastle-Brown of being part of a conspiracy to topple the prime minister, an allegation which she denies.

Najib has repeatedly denied abusing public funds for personal gain and attorney-general Mohamad Apandi Ali had cleared him of any wrongdoing.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister II Johari Abdul Ghani declined to comment on the latest claims by Sarawak Report.

"I can't comment on anything from the Sarawak Report because it's not the kind of authoritative publication I can rely on," he said at the sidelines of a property forum.

IGP's brother owns shooting academy, MACC report lodged

MyWatch chairperson R Sri Sanjeevan today lodged a report alleging conflict of interest involving a shooting academy belonging to inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar's brother.

According to the Companies Commission of Malaysia documents, the IGP's brother, Abdullah Abu Bakar, is a director in Unggul Shooting Academy.

The firm was incorporated in November 2013, six months after Khalid was appointed IGP.

"Was the licence approved by the IGP and was there any government contracts awarded and were all the requirements met?" he asked, after lodging the report at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters in Putrajaya.

Sanjeeven also urged the MACC to probe if there were any connections between Unggul Shooting Academy and the arms and ammunition supply firm Nilai Arms & Ammunitions Sdn Bhd owned by Khalid's daughter.

When contacted, Khalid declined to comment.

"Let the MACC investigate the allegation. I do not wish to make any more comments," he said.

Sanjeevan said there has been a spike in gun violence since Khalid took over.

"I was a victim, too. I was in a coma for 35 days. I understand the suffering and pain victims' families have to go through," he said.

Sanjeevan was shot point-blank by unknown assailants three years ago. No one has been charged for the crime.

Asked if he is lodging the report to retaliate against his multiple arrests and charges, he said he has been exposing wrongdoings involving the police force since 2012.

He also claimed to have a video clip showing police corruption which he will show "for the attention of 31 million Malaysians... to open their eyes to the state of the police force".

He also said he had evidence that "a senior policeman (is) involved in a sex scandal".

"If the home minister is willing to meet me, I will give the evidence (on the sex scandal) directly. If a cop is involved, how can I give the evidence to the cops? I don't trust them," he said.

The 32-year-old anti-crime activist was released on bail yesterday after he was slapped with a third charge of extortion.

On Aug 12, he pleaded not guilty to an extortion charge in Temerloh, Pahang.

He also claimed trial to two charges of employing illegal foreign workers and extortion on July 19.

"I'm glad they charged me in open court. At least it's an open forum where I can bring out the truth. Truth will prevail," he said.

Police report lodged against Umno MP over 'MO1 is Agong' remarks

Former Langkawi Wanita Umno member Anina Saadudin has filed a police report against Umno lawmaker Nawawi Ahmad, who had surmised that Malaysian Official 1 (MO1) is none other than the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Lodging the report at the Langkawi district police headquarters, Anina expressed hope that the police would investigate the matter.

“This is to ensure that the royal institution, which is a constitutional institution, continues to be respected by the people,” she said in a Facebook post today.

In a Facebook comment, which was edited four hours later, Nawawi said based on the Federal Constitution, it is the Agong who is responsible for the government.

“According to the Federal Constitution, Malaysia's government was formed with three separate and independent entities, the judiciary headed by the chief justice, the legislative led by the parliament speaker, and the executive directed by the prime minister.

“All three entities are responsible to the Agong. Hence, according to the constitution, MO1 is the Agong,” said the Langkawi MP.

In the edited version, the last line in the comment was replaced with the sentence, “Hence, according to the constitution (Prime Minister) Najib (Abdul Razak) is not MO1, as he is either M02, M03, or MO4."

In his comments later, Nawawi said that he was not talking about MO1 in the context of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) lawsuit, but rather in terms of the constitution.

MO1, according to the DOJ, is a high-ranking public officer who it claimed received US$731 million of siphoned 1MDB funds. The DOJ also said that MO1 is a relative of Najib's stepson Riza Aziz.

Malaysiakini has contacted Nawawi to get an explanation as to why he edited the comment.

Zaid files suit for return of 1MDB monies

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Cabinet member Datuk Zaid Ibrahim (pic) is suing the Prime Minister, 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) and two others in a representative action for return of monies.

Zaid said he is bringing the civil action on behalf of Malaysian citizens and taxpayers.

In the statement of claim made available to the media Wednesday, Zaid named Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, 1MDB, the Government and Najib's stepson Riza Shariz Abdul Aziz as defendants.

He is seeking an order for Najib to pay back RM42mil to the Government over alleged breach of his duty as trustee when the sum was paid into his personal bank account.

Among others, Zaid is seeking an order that Najib pay US$731mil (RM2.9bil) to 1MDB by way of restitution, claiming that the Prime Minister received the amount belonging to 1MDB in his personal bank account.

He said the Government, as sole shareholder of 1MDB, is entitled to disbursement of the sum in its favour.

Zaid is also applying for an order that Riza pay 1MDB all alleged sums received by him, whether directly or indirectly, from 1MDB monies.

He also wants an order that Riza transfer to 1MDB all property, wheresoever situated, acquired by him or his nominees or agents.

Zaid's lawyer Americk Sidhu confirmed that the suit was filed at the High Court registry Tuesday.

Case management before a deputy registrar has been set for Sept 21.

Body of bound man found in shallow water

SUBANG JAYA: A passer-by made a gruesome discovery when he discovered the body of a man, whose hands, legs and neck were bound, in shallow water in Putra Heights here.

Subang Jaya OCPD Asst Comm Mohammad Azlin Sadari said the body of the victim, whose identity has yet to be ascertained, was discovered face-up at about 2.30pm Wednesday.

"We were told that there was a body in shallow water in Kampung Sungai Baru, Putra Heights, here.

"A forensics team was sent to investigate," he said.

"We are waiting for the forensics team to give us more information," ACP Mohammad Azlin added.

Bronze medallist posts sarcastic ‘thank you’ to Terengganu MB

PETALING JAYA: Track cyclist Azizulhasni Awang took a jab at Terengganu Mentri Besar Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman on social media.

In his Facebook comment thanking the Mentri Besar "for not helping", Azizul said the state government did not give him a helping hand during his training and ignored his request for a bicycle.

Azizul posted on Facebook his feelings of gratitude to a number of people for supporting his cycling career, including his parents, his wife, his two daughters and his Australian coach.

However, the portion of his thank-you note aimed at the Mentri Besar was dripping with sarcasm as Azizul thanked him for doing little to help him and his fellow Olympic cyclist Fatehah Mustapa in their preparations for the Olympic Games.

“To Terengganu Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Razif, Fatehah and I still wish to express our thanks even though you did not help Fatehah and I, two Terengganu natives, who are competing at the world and Olympic levels.

“Thank you for not purchasing a ‘RoadBike’ for us to use in our preparations for the Olympic Games even though we had sent a proposal about a year before the Rio Olympics.

“Thank you for not providing feedback and for keeping silent while my manager contacted you.

“For your information, Fatehah and I are world-class and Olympic level athletes who you have always overlooked,” said Azizul.

The 28-year-old, commonly referred to as the ‘Pocket Rocket Man’ by his peers, took the bronze medal at the keirin event at the Rio Olympics.

He added that perhaps they were overlooked because they trained overseas.

Azizul said he hoped his remarks would be taken in a positive light and would be an ‘eye opener’ for all those who should have played a part in supporting the Olympic athletes.

“Regardless of what happens, we are still proud to be to born and bred in Terengganu,” he said.

Ahmad Razif on Wednesday announced that Azizul would receive a hero’s welcome when he arrives home and that his name will be carved as Terengganu’s most successful sportsman at the state museum.

The Mentri Besar added that the cyclist would be receiving other incentives though he did not reveal what exactly they were.

Court rejects appeal by trio who want to leave Islam

The Court of Appeal in Kuching, Sarawak, today dismissed an appeal by three people from the state who want to leave Islam.

The three are Jenny Peter @ Nur Muzdhalifah Abdullah, Tiong Choo Ting @ Mohd Syafiq Abdullah and Salina Jau Abdullah. All of them were represented by state PKR chief Baru Bian.

They named the director of the Sarawak Islamic Department, Sarawak Islamic Council and the National Registration Department (NRD) as the respondents.

All three of them want to compel the Sarawak Islamic Department, and the council to issue letters of release (surat murtad) to the applicants to be released from the religion of Islam.

They also sought to compel the director-general of the NRD to change the Muslim names of the applicants to their original names.

The three-member bench led by Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat ruled that the question on whether they could leave Islam, should be brought to the Syariah Court.

The other judges were Justice Badariah Sahamid and Justice Kamardin Hashim.

Their fate is different from that of Rooney Rebit – the High Court in Kuching on March 24 granted his judicial review and ruled that he had a constitutional right to choose his faith. The decision was made just before the Sarawak state elections.

The High Court had then disagreed with the NRD's insistence that Rooney @ Azmi Mohamad Azam required a release letter from the Syariah Court to change his religion.

In Rooney's case, even Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak had stepped in and assured Sarawak chief minister Adenan Satem that the NRD would drop its appeal against the Bidayuh man.

Setback to freedom of religion

Lawyer Baru described the decisions in the trio's case as a setback for freedom of religion in Sarawak.

He said the applicants were originally non-Muslims who had left Islam after a divorce or death of a spouse.

“All three had sworn in their statutory declarations that they are no longer practising the Islamic faith,” said Baru in a statement today.

“The main issue before the High Court and the Court of Appeal was whether the Syariah Court or the Civil Court has jurisdiction in such cases.

“Our argument is that since the applicants are no longer Muslims, as sworn in their statutory declarations, the Syariah Court has no jurisdiction over them.”

But the High Court and the Court of Appeal have ruled that the question of whether the applicants are now ‘murtad’ (apostates) should be decided by the Syariah Court, according to Baru.

They had cited the Federal Court's decision in the Lina Joy case and the interpretation of Article 121A of the Federal Constitution.

Lina Joy had mounted a legal challenge against the NRD to change her religious status from 'Muslim' to 'Christian', but after much controversy, the Federal Court ruled against her in 2007.

Baru said that they relied on the dissenting judgment by the chief judge of Sabah and Sarawak, Richard Malanjum, in the Lina Joy case.

He had argued that the three are no longer practising Islam and the statutory declaration and documentary evidence of their baptisms are sufficient.

“We also argued that the Syariah Court Ordinance 2001 of Sarawak is silent on the issue of jurisdiction over apostasy or ‘murtad’ matters," he said.

“The Syariah Court itself submitted that since the Syariah Court ordinance 2001 is silent on jurisdiction, then the civil High Court should exercise its inherent jurisdiction and its powers under the Courts of Judicature Act to allow the applications."

The Ba'kelalan assemblyperson said that they had initially asked for an adjournment in today's appeal as there is a similar case at the Federal Court, namely Syarifah Nooraffyzza Wan Hossen vs the director of Sarawak Islamic Department and three others.

However, Baru said the appellate court decided to hear the cases as no dates had been fixed for Sharifah's case.

“As a result of today's proceeding, the three must now appeal to the Federal Court for the Lina Joy case to be revisited. We hope leave (permission) will be granted to have this case fully ventilated at the apex court,” he said.

To questions whether the cases are different from Rooney's, Baru said the Rooney case was politically resolved but the facts are also distinguishable from the three cases.

Umno lawmaker adds royal twist to 'MO1' saga

An Umno lawmaker Nawawi Ahmad added a royal twist to the saga surrounding Malaysian Official 1, who was mentioned in the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) civil suits related to alleged abuse of 1MDB funds.

In a Facebook posting, which was edited four hours later, the Langkawi MP said based on the Federal Constitution, it is the Yang di-Pertuan Agong who is responsible for the government.

"According to the Federal Constitution, Malaysia's government was formed with three separate and independent entities, the judiciary headed by the chief justice, the legislative led by the parliament speaker, and the executive directed by the prime minister.

"All three entities are responsible to the Agong.

"Hence, according to the constitution, MO1 is the Agong," he explained.

In the edited version, the last line in the posting was replaced with the sentence, "Hence, according to the constitution (Prime Minister) Najib (Abdul Razak) is not MO1, as he is either M02, M03, or MO4."

In his comments later, Nawawi said that he was not talking about MO1 in the context of the DOJ lawsuit, but rather in terms of the constitution.

Malaysiakini has contacted Nawawi to get an explanation as to why he edited the comment.

MO1, according to the DOJ, is a high-ranking public officer whom it claimed received US$731 million of siphoned 1MDB funds.

The DOJ also said that MO1 is a relative of Najib's stepson Riza Aziz.

Umno supreme council member Abdul Rahman Dahlan has said that only an idiot would not know who MO1 is, while the opposition has pointed the finger at Najib.

Najib, however, has denied allegations of misusing public funds, and claims such accusations are part of a plot to topple him.

Nawawi's remarks have caused a stir, with former Langkawi Wanita Umno member Anina Saadudin saying it was an insult to the Agong, who is currently Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah.

"MO1 is a criminal, don't link him to our ruler... Nawawi has insulted the Kedah royal institution.

"I urge him to apologise to His Majesty and the rakyat. If he doesn't, the public can apply pressure so that all the titles bestowed upon him by the Kedah royalty is retracted," she said in a statement.

Dr M vows new party will restore democracy, rule of law

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad vowed that his new political party will restore democracy and rule of law which has been denied and abused by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

The pro tem chairperson of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) said this when he explained the need for a new party in his latest blog posting today.

Mahathir said he was surprised that people have been asking why Bersatu was formed.

He said the new party can revive the country's glory of the past.

Mahathir, who led the country for 22 years, said he had studied the fate of parties which won independence in other countries.

“Most of them have disappeared. They have lost to new parties formed after independence because invariably they forgot the purpose for which the parties were formed, and abused the power accorded to them for personal gains.

“Umno had lasted much longer. But under Najib it forgot completely the purpose for which it was formed. Najib has brought shame to this once admired country. The whole world looks down upon Najib for being the worst finance minister of Malaysia and for all kinds of wrongdoings perpetrated by him,” he said.

The former premier said that only a new party can revive the country's glory.

While the sophisticated and highly educated urban people may believe that racial politics is not in keeping with the times, Mahathir thinks the situation on the ground is different.

“For the rural people who are largely poor, race is not only important but they believe is essential for their well-being. Umno’s popularity is because it is a racial party.

“If the new party is to compete with Umno, it must give the people in the rural constituencies and the unsophisticated urban constituencies the kind of comfort associated with Umno’s kind of racism,” he said.

Indonesian worker gets 30 years in jail for rape

KUALA LUMPUR: The Sessions Court has sentenced an Indonesian construction worker to a total of 30 years in jail and ordered him to be given 20 strokes of the rotan for the rape of an 11-year-old girl and carnal intercourse with her against the order of nature.

Judge Datin Kunasundary Marimuthu passed the sentence on Shamsul Ariffin Muhamad, 22, after the accused changed his plea to guilty at the trial here Monday.

She imposed a 20-year jail sentence and 12 strokes of the cane for rape, and a 10-year jail sentence and eight strokes of the cane for carnal intercourse against the order of nature.

She ordered the jail terms to run concurrently from March 7 this year.

The offences were committed at the women's changing room of a condominium swimming pool here at about 4.30pm on March 6 this year.

“The offences were committed with cruel intention. Your action was to satisfy your inner animalistic passion and, due to your inhumane behaviour, your sentence cannot be discounted,” Kunasundary said before sentencing.

"The accused must be isolated from the public, and for the sake of justice for the family and the victim, you will be locked away for a long time," she added.

In mitigation, Shamsul Ariffin, who was unrepresented, said he was remorseful and had repented for the offence, adding that he was also taking care of his parents in Indonesia.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Liyana Zawani Mohd Radzi asked for a heavy sentence, saying the offence was a higher degree of rape, and that the sentence should serve as a lesson to the accused and the public.

The victim's mother told the court that her daughter was embarrassed and had lost much weight due to stress from the incident. - Bernama

Girl, 12, missing after outing with online pal

PASIR GUDANG: A mother is having sleepless nights for the past two days since her 12-year-old daughter failed to return home after an outing with a boy she met online.

Pet groomer Lee Yih Loon, 37, said her daughter Chang Xing Hui had told her that she would have an early birthday celebration with her friends at a shopping complex in Johor Baru.

She said Chang told her that one of her friend’s mother would drive her to the shopping complex.

She also called her daughter while she was on her way to the party to make sure everything was all right.

“I was surprised to hear men’s voices while talking to her and this was when I sensed something was wrong,” Lee said during a press conference organised by Permas Selatan MCA division chairman Shium Chan Teck here Monday.

She immediately asked Chang to return home but the girl refused, and Lee has been unable to reach her daughter after the last phone conversation between them at around 4.10pm.

“I’m worried for her safety and I suspect that she befriended a 15-year-old boy known only as Yi on Facebook,” said Lee.

Johor Baru South OCPD Asst Comm Sulaiman Salleh said it is being treated as a missing persons case.

Lawyer: There is a US conspiracy to cheat 1MDB

PETALING JAYA: An American conspiracy exists to defraud 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), said Australian lawyer Quintin Rozario (pic).

“There is a conspiracy to defraud 1MDB,” the Malaysia-born lawyer said at a press conference arranged by the non-governmental organisation Perspek here Monday.

Rozario questioned why US Attorney-General Loretta Lynch attacked certain individuals in her July press conference.

“She could have focused more on the property seizure rather attack certain individuals. Loretta Lynch has acted like a big bully. It’s clear bullying by the US on a small sovereign nation like Malaysia,” he said.

He added that Lynch only implied that someone is guilty without any evidence or any authoritative decision by a court or tribunal.

Rozario added that Lynch should have put forward to the media the evidence supporting the US civil suits to seize US1bil (RM4bil) in assets tied to 1MDB.

“The US has practised double standards by only pushing their homeland initiative against those who they deem soft targets like Malaysia. The US does not recognise initiatives of other nations like China,” said Rozario.

MACC arrests gov't officers with Datuk Seri, Datuk titles for graft

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has arrested three government officials, two with the honorific title Datuk Seri and another with Datuk, for corruption.

In a media statement, the commission said it has also frozen their bank accounts totalling RM13 million.

The trio, who are in their 50s, were apprehended in simultaneous operations in Kuala Lumpur, Malacca and Kelantan between noon and 2pm this afternoon.

According to MACC, one of the suspects serves with a government department whereas the other two were attached to a local council and government-linked firm respectively.

The commission also seized a luxury condominium, including a penthouse, a bungalow as well as a Maserati, BMW and Audi cars.

The houses and cars, MACC said, were believed to have been procured through graft and money laundering.

"In the raid, MACC also found cash amounting to about RM400,000, including foreign currencies, as well as semi-luxury watches," it added.

The three are being investigated under Section 17 (a) and 23 of the MACC Act 2009 as well as 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.

Under the MACC Act, upon conviction, a person can face up to 20 years in prison and RM10,000 fine or five times the amount of bribe, whichever is higher.

As for the Anti-Money Laundering Act, those convicted can be imprisoned not more than 15 years and fined not lest than fives times the amount of the proceeds from illegal activities or RM5 million, whichever is higher.

"Investigations are still being carried out and the three are expected to be remanded at the Magistrate’s Court tomorrow," said the commission.

Huge sums of money found stashed in ceiling of PWD director's house

In one of the raids conducted by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) leading to the arrest of two Datuk Seri and a Datuk today, they found stash of money hidden all over the house including in the ceiling.

The bulk of the money, said to be some of the RM400,000 recovered, was packed carefully in RM50 and RM100 notes and hidden in the ceiling, as officers from the graft commission inspected the house.

Sources from the MACC told Malaysiakini the money was retrieved from a state Public Works Department director with the title of a 'Datuk'.

As for the luxury cars, the sources said that they were parked at the homes of the suspect's relatives. It was reported that the MACC seized a Maserati, BMW and Audi cars in the raid.

It is learnt that the 'Datuk Seri' is attached to a local council, while the other is with the state Tenaga Nasional Bhd.

They are among the three who were picked up by the MACC, and investigated under Section 17 (a) and 23 of the MACC Act 2009 as well as 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (AMLA).

Sources revealed that one of the Datuk Seri will be remanded in Putrajaya, while the remaining two will be remanded in Malacca and Kelantan respectively tomorrow.

MACC director of investigations Azam Baki had in a statement announced the arrest of the three senior government officials.

This comes in the wake of a warning by the new MACC chief commissioner Dzulkifli Ahmad to clean up the civil service of corrupt practices.

The trio, who are in their 50s, were apprehended in simultaneous operations in Kuala Lumpur, Malacca and Kelantan between noon and 2pm this afternoon.

The commission also seized a luxury condominium, including a penthouse and a bungalow.

The houses and cars, MACC said, were believed to have been procured through graft and money laundering.

If convicted under the MACC Act, a person can face up to 20 years in jail and a minimum RM10,000 fine or five times the amount of bribe, whichever is higher.

Those convicted under AMLA can face a jail term of not more than 15 years and fined not less than five times the amount of proceeds from the illegal activities.

The 1MDB atomic bomb hit everyone, Kit Siang tells Umno leader

MP SPEAKS It is not just Umno but the whole Malaysian nation which had been hit by the 1MDB scandal like being blasted by an “atomic bomb”, with the crowning ignominy of being regarded worldwide as a “global kleptocracy”

I do not know whether the police will open an investigation paper under Section 506 of the Penal Code against the Shah Alam Umno chief Zahari Shaari, who lamented this morning that the 1MDB scandal had hit Umno like an “atomic bomb”.

This was what the police did the last time an “atomic bomb” reference made news two months ago during the Kuala Kangsar by-election, when the PKR secretary-general and Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli said that if the Amanah candidate, nuclear physicist Ahmad Termizi Ramli, was elected in the by-election, Termizi would be asked to hurl an “atomic bomb” at Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak in Parliament.

Police reports were lodged against Rafizi and even an Umno minister admonished Rafizi for joking about an “atomic bomb”, although eventually nothing came out of the hullabaloo over Rafizi’s “atomic bomb” joke.

But Rafizi was joking while Zahari was deadly serious in comparing the after-effects of the 1MDB scandal to that of a mushrooming “atomic bomb” explosion.

I find some solace that there are people in Umno, even at the divisional level, who have not yet become mere robots as a result of the “Cash is King” politics and have not succumbed fully to the “mind control” of the Umno strategists, but are still capable of exercising clarity and independence of thought.

In fact, during the brouhaha over Rafizi’s “atomic bomb” joke at the Kuala Kangsar by-election, I had identified the 1MDB global scandal as one of the five issues of “atomic bomb proportion” afflicting Malaysia under Najib’s premiership.

It is not just Umno but the whole Malaysian nation which had been hit by the 1MDB scandal like being blasted by an atomic bomb, with the crowning ignominy of being regarded worldwide as a “global kleptocracy” as a result the US Department of Justice (DOJ) lawsuits to forfeit over US$1 billion assets in the US, UK and Switzerland as a result of US$3.5 billion criminal embezzlement, misappropriation and money-laundering of 1MDB funds.

But the catastrophic after-effects of the 1MDB scandal have not ended with the DOJ action as evident from a greater and further loss of national and international confidence in Malaysian governance, when there was no official proactive response to the DOJ complaint despite the mass of details about the criminal conduct and grand larceny of 1MDB-linked funds involving the highest authority in Malaysia, euphemistically referred to as “Malaysian Official 1”.

This is on top of the latest developments over the class action suit by ex-prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's former political secretary, Matthias Chang and former PAS leader Husam Musa in the United States against individuals linked to 1MDB.

Against such a backdrop, three recent developments have made it clear that the storms from the “atomic bomb” explosion of the 1MDB scandal will not recede but will continue to haunt and hound Malaysia in the coming months and even years.

Firstly, the refusal of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to re-open investigations into 1MDB;

Secondly, the announcement by the Bank Negara governor Muhammad Ibrahim that there would be no re-opening of investigations against 1MDB despite the damning 136-page DOJ complaint; and

Thirdly, the statement by the new Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief commissioner Dzulkifli Ahmad that his main focus is to ensure a civil service which is clean of corruption, misappropriation and power abuse, completely avoiding what should be the greatest challenge of MACC - to purge and save Malaysia from the international ignominy of a global kleptocracy.

The time has come for every Malaysian to know the meaning of kleptocracy - defined as a rule by a thief or thieves.

Is this Malaysia’s new national destiny - to become a global kleptocracy?

LIM KIT SIANG is the MP for Gelang Patah and DAP parliamentary leader.

Governor: Federal and state govt must work closer to benefit Penangites

Proud moment: Sundarajoo with his wife Datin K. Mahalakshmi showing the DMPN award he received

GEORGE TOWN: Yang di-Pertua Negri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas wants the relationship between the Federal and state government to be closer and better.

The governor wants it to be good to advance Penangites.

“We have to work towards strengthening peace and harmony, and solve problems as one big family.

“Peace is the catalyst for continuous progress and development of the state, and it is our duty as government and the people to preserve and protect it,” he said in his speech during the first day of the investiture ceremony to mark his 78th birthday at Dewan Sri Pinang yesterday.

He congratulated the state for its effort to raise the standard of living for its people.

“I was told that since 2009, the state allocated more than RM400mil or 12% from its annual budget for welfare purposes and to aid the needy.

“The state also played its role in preserving the environment.

“About 271,000 new trees have been planted since 2008,” he added.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said Penang recorded the lowest unemployment rate in Malaysia, which is 1.5%.

“Recently, there were worries and fear following the closing of factories in the state.

“The phenomena happened due to the restructuring of the electronics industry.

“There is still a strong demand to open new factories in the state,” Lim said.

Separately, investPenang director Datuk Seri Lee Kah Choon, who was honoured with the Darjah Gemilang Pangkuan Negeri (DGPN) that carries the title Datuk Seri, expressed gratitude to the state for the recognition.

“Penang has become a better place to work, live, play and invest.

“Penang Development Corporat-ion (PDC), Penang Hill Corporation (PHC) and investPenang have strived hard to make Penang a better place,” Lee, who is the director for PDC and PHC, said.

He also thanked his family and friends for their endless support.

Prominent corporate figure Eco World Development Group Bhd chief operating officer Datuk Sundarajoo Somu was delighted to be conferred the Darjah Yang Mulia Pangkuan Negeri (DMPN), which carries the title Datuk.

“I have been working with the state government in various bodies such as the Penang Hindu Endowment Board and the Penang Green Council.

“Eco World Foundation has adopted about 3,000 children, and we help them until they complete their tertiary education,” he said.

The Star stringer M. Sivanantha Sharma, who was awarded the Pingat Kelakuan Terpuji (PKT), said he was honoured to receive the award.

He thanked the state government for recognising his contribution to the community.

One hundred and sixty-eight out of 1,223 recipients received their state awards on the first day of the investiture ceremony.

Woman claims son sodomised, wants justice for him

KOTA BARU: A mother of a five-year-old boy, who was allegedly sodomised by an elderly relative, wants justice for her son.

The 29-year-old woman from Peringat here claimed that despite her son singling the suspect out in an identification parade, the case had yet to be concluded.

“My son is never the same after the incident,” she said at her home on Sunday.

The woman said the alleged incident took place on July 20. She said her son came home crying and complained of pain in his anus.

"I then asked him what had taken place and he told me that an elderly relative had an unnatural act with him in some bushes nearby.

"I was extremely shocked and brought him to the Universiti Sains Malaysia hospital in Kubang Kerian for a checkup.

"After an examination, the doctor confirmed there was penetration in my son's anus," she said.

She added the hospital authorities reported the matter to the Welfare Department and the police.

She said her son had identified the suspect in an identification parade after she lodged a police report on July 21.

"I had been anxiously waiting for the case to be closed and for authorities to bring the person to justice although I had received threats from his family members to settle the matter.

"However, the Welfare Department officials told me not to keep the matter a secret and should see this case out," she said.

District police chief Assistant Comm of Police Baharom Abu, when contacted via text message, said the case was still being investigated and that the police had arrested the 62-year-old suspect.

He was remanded for three days.

ACP Baharom said the suspect was allowed police bail owing to his age and physical condition.

He said police were waiting for the full medical report from the hospital before handing the case to the state Deputy Public Prosecutor for follow-up.

He said the case was being investigated under Section 377 of the Penal Code for unnatural carnal intercourse against the order of nature.

It is learnt that the suspect is in Kuala Lumpur.

'Don't claim foreign intervention when you spend stolen money in the US'

By Malaysiakini


Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has blasted attempts to paint the US Department of Justice's (DOJ) move to seize assets acquired using stolen 1MDB funds as foreign intervention in the Malaysia, pointing out the action was due to the perpetrators breaking US law.

"Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his henchmen are thinking of ways to twist the facts to mislead Malaysians. This time, the DOJ is being accused of interfering in Malaysian affairs.

"Why would the US, that appreciates Najib's policies and the friendship between Najib and US president Barack Obama, want to oust Najib?

"They need him to sign the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement. If they wanted to oust him, there are many ways, as can be seen in the Middle East.

"The truth is US laws was violated by Najib's family, friends and Malaysian Official 1," he said in a blog posting today.

Mahathir said money laundering is a crime in most countries and similar action is usually taken against those who spend money that was stolen or from drug trafficking in other countries.

"The billions spent by (Najib's step-son) Riza Shahriz Abdul Aziz and Jho Low went through US banks, and were used to acquire real estate and artworks in the US, pay gambling debts and for the film production of the obscene (movie) ‘Wolf of Wall Street’.

"The country (US) has the right to take legal action in accordance with its own law, just as Malaysia has the right to take legal action on any foreigner who commit crimes in Malaysia.

"The crimes of foreigners is not exempted from the laws of any country," he said.

Mahathir said after the DOJ's civil action to seize the assets, criminal action was likely to follow.

He added that while these crimes may be covered up in Malaysia, it would not happen overseas.

"If this revelation is influencing the people's opinion toward Najib's government, it is Najib's own fault.

"Why try to spend illegal money in the US?" he said.

This part was censored in Msia

This part was censored in Msia

ISIS threat to Malaysia

Dr M: They'll revoke my passport if I criticise Najib abroad

SG BESAR POLLS Dr Mahathir Mohamad today claimed he has been warned by the immigration that his passport will be revoked if he criticises Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak abroad.

"I was warned that if I say something not in support of Najib, when I come back from overseas my passport will be revoked for three years," the former premier said in his speech in Sungai Besar today.

Mahathir also disputed that the Immigration Department has a right to take back his travel document.

"I didn't read this in the federal constitution, where this right came from I don't know."

Previously Immigration chief Sakib Kusmi had said the law empowered him to have discretion to bar those who insult the government from leaving the country.



Read more: https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/345648#ixzz4BoEeTXbG

Not one more Indian vote to Barisan Nasional

Once bitten twice shy is an old and wise saying.

Bitten by BN is a mild way of saying it but what the BN coalition and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has done to the Indian community of Malaysia is far worse. They are now committing a severe breach of contract on promises they made and signed into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) - on April 18, 2013 with Hindraf acting as the representative organisation for the Indian community of Malaysia.

Here are some excerpts from that historic document - as samples of what were agreed upon. You can see the scale and scope of what was promised. There is much more elsewhere in that MOU contract document.

The MOU required the BN government to come up with programmes to double the mean monthly family income by 2018 from 2013 levels for all families earning less than RM3,000 per month. That is at least about 40 percent of the Indian families in the country. Absolutely nothing has happened on this. There has been no socio-economic development programmes targeting this group or even ng them access to some other general socio-economic development programmes.

It is now well three years into the MOU contract of five years. The BN coalition and Najib are clearly indicating that terms like this were meant to be nothing more than embellishments to buy the Indian vote when they needed their votes most desperately in the 13th general election. If in three years nothing has happened we can only conclude that nothing will happen at all on this count. Breach, deception, political trickery - call it what you want.

There is not any sign of a housing programme to provide decent and affordable housing to the displaced estate worker community - let alone a hundred thousand houses. Yes that is what was promised. Does anyone see anything remotely like that happening? It is actually quite saddening to see the scale of the deception.

Very little to nothing has been done to alleviate the problem of former estate temples being on private land and being continuous targets of demolition and eviction. This problem remains till today at the same level it has been in recent years. What hopes there were when the agreement was signed that there would be a robust solution to a nagging problem of a section of Malaysian society? All such hopes have been lost .

This was more icing that Najib gave on the cake of the big lie to the Indian community.

The contract requires the BN government to establish clear policies and programmes to eliminate the problem of statelessness experienced by a large number of Indian Malaysians. Every day new cases keep coming up on top of the what already exists. The problem does not look like it is going to go away any time soon.

There is completely a lack of willingness on the part of the BN government to address the root causes of the problem. They set up something called the Special Implementation Task Force (SITF) whose job it is to work on eliminating the problem. But all they are able to do is give out forms (borangs) to the illiterate and semi-literate people and who are required to produce voluminous information.

When are very falteringly able to do that, it takes months and years if at all before they will get something positive. When they fail to produce the information they are blamed for the persistence of the problem. The positive approach envisaged in the MOU has been completely obliterated. Does this government deserve any love from the Indian community?

No accounting yet from the Najib gov’t

This is a sample of the type of sharing that was envisaged in the education field. But considering the breadth of the requirements covered and that were recorded in the MOU agreement , what is happening today is little more than eyewash. With recent cutbacks in the budget, the allocations have been further slashed. Statistics are hidden behind the Official Secrets Act (OSA), there is no accounting yet from the Najib government on this matter.

To save his grace, Najib has thrown bits and pieces here and there and his cronies turn that into a “Najib is the PM who has done the most for the Indian community” label. Political trickery all the way.

Najib sets up a ghostly organisation called the Socio-Economic Development for the Indian Community (Sedic) and gives it some piddly funds, and Sedic for its part makes a big deal about giving that money out to the people through NGOs and engages in an illusion that they are contributing to permanent and comprehensive solutions.

They do nothing to the core problems of the Indian community at all they are just buying is the Indian vote. In the process they legitimise the deception of BN and Najib.

So, if you put all of that together what you get is a picture of outright deception of a politically vulnerable community. The Indian community believed some good will come out by supporting the BN in those last elections. They have been proved utterly wrong. Najib has shown all this is chicken feed for him.

When one considers the scale and scope of what was agreed between BN and Hindraf in the agreement - comprehensive and permanent solutions for the many socio-economic ailments of the Indian community was the core concept. But what has happened is peanut programmes with nothing more than further attempts to buy the Indian vote as the primary objective.

The Indian voters must become savvy to this point and understand that they will make their bitter point about the betrayal only by absolutely rejecting BN, Not one vote of the Indian community must go to the BN. BN has to be taught a lesson , so they will not attempt such deception on unsuspecting and vulnerable poor people. Betrayers must be dealt with no mercy.

Therefore the Hindraf People’s Movement calls out to all Indian voters in Sungei Besar and Kuala Kangsar to deny even one vote to BN. BN must be taught a lesson. To do otherwise will mean we lose out on even the little leverage the community possesses as an economic and numerical minority in the country.

RAMESH PERIASAMY is a member of the senate, Hindraf People’s Movement.

Three-year-old girl's hand caught in escalator

MALACCA: A three-year-old girl's left hand got stuck in an escalator during a shopping trip with her family at a hypermarket in Ayer Keroh here on Wednesday.

Fire and Rescue Department personnel took some five minutes to remove her hand that was caught at one end of the escalator in the 10pm incident.

The girl was rushed to a nearby private hospital with minor injuries.

Man’s skeletal remains found in plantation

POLICE in Malacca suspect that the skeletal remains found on a plantation in Jus Selandar, Jasin, may belong to a man abducted nearly a month ago, reported Makkal Osai.

The remains were found in a bush by a passer-by who went to the area to trap birds.

He contacted the police who recovered the body, which was left at about 100m from the road, and sent it for an autopsy.

The body was found with a tattered blue shirt which the family of the kidnap victim have confirmed were the clothes he was wearing on the last day they saw him alive.

Police believe the remains could be that of the man who had been kidnapped by a group of men 26 days ago.

Police shoot dead robber in Johor Bahru

Police believe he was part of a gang that committed 17 robberies in Johor this year resulting in RM600,000 losses.

JOHOR BAHRU: Police shot dead a male foreign national robber while his two accomplices escaped in an incident at the Jalan Ulu Choh-Pontian junction here this evening.

Johor Police Chief Wan Ahmad Najmuddin Mohd said the incident took place when a police patrol chanced upon three men in a car acting in a suspicious manner at 1.45pm.

“They ignored the police order to stop and tried to run down the patrol.

“The police shot at the car and hit the suspect who was driving the car. The car careened into the road divider,” he said in a statement here today.

“His accomplices managed to escape into the nearby jungle. An inspection of the car found the dead man, estimated to be aged 27, did not have any identification,” he said.

Wan Ahmad Najmuddin said two parangs and an imitation pistol were found in the car.

Several cellphones and RM1,400 in cash were also found on the dead suspect.

Police believed the group had committed 17 robberies in Johor this year resulting in RM600,000 losses, he added.
– BERNAMA

You can be the start of the change this nation needs, Ambiga tells UTM VC

Former Bar Council president Ambiga Sreenevasan today shared her thoughts on the erroneous information contained in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s teaching modules regarding Hindus and Sikhism.

In an open letter to UTM vice-chancellor Wahid Omar, she outlined the root causes of such incidents, and suggested solutions.

Below is her letter in full:

Open Letter to the Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Prof Ir Dr Wahid Omar

Dear Vice-Chancellor,

Your apology and expression of remorse together with your commitment to investigate the Titas slides is most welcome.

Let me, however, offer you a perspective which I hope you will consider.

What happened at your institution is, in my view, merely a symptom of a much larger problem that the country is facing. Years of brainwashing, racist supremacist statements by our leaders, and a system that condones and encourages racial polarisation have brought us today, to those infamous slides. As an educator, I am sure you are equally alarmed at where we are, given that this is the 21st century we are talking about and we are no longer a young nation.

The systematic creation of a narrow and bigoted thought process may help in a political agenda, but does nothing for the recipients of such tutelage. We can only rewrite history and social science so much. I hope that you share my view that those who have manipulated our young minds into becoming so closed have done the community a great disservice. They have also done a great disservice to those who are made to feel they are lesser mortals. Indeed, what they have done is to stunt the potential of our youth, both in heart and mind, making it difficult for them to compete in the global village.

Thus I see your latest problem as an inevitable result of a system that has been in place for years and which is sanctioned by those in power. You know the system I am talking about. You said this is an isolated incident. I don’t believe it will be the last of such incidents to surface in our education system. The only reason we know about the slides is because they went viral. But how many other such incidents are undetected? It may even be happening discreetly and may manifest in so many different ways.

Do you not think it is time to change, sir?

As an educator you must know that this brainwashing and feeding of young minds with false information must stop. Not all fall prey to this abuse, mind you. Many students, due to their parents’ and other teachers’ positive influences, do not succumb. I also know there are many good and dedicated teachers and these teachers are not the ones I am speaking of.

Having somewhat identified the source of the problem, I think I should be constructive. But before that, I believe you should ignore those who have suggested that you should not offer an apology. They are the ones who would encourage the system of “them and us”. They do not want Malaysians to live in harmony. They love the polarisation. They do not believe that human beings are all equal. They certainly do not believe in our diversity, as you do. They fail to understand that your tendering an apology is a sign of strength and courage, not weakness and that it is an acknowledgement that human beings are not infallible but that we can become better.

Now the solutions. You have stated that you are conducting investigations and that due action will be taken as necessary. I have some other suggestions.

May I suggest that you take your inquiry much further than just this incident. I suggest that you delve deeper and identify the root causes of the thought process of the educators who were responsible for the slides. It appears that they too are a product of the system I spoke of. I suggest you also engage all your lecturers of all races and ask them what they truly feel about each community in the country. Do they feel superior, or do they feel like second-class citizens? Investigate where your educators are from. Their schools, their influences and the reasons for their mindsets.

Engage your students in the same way. Ask if they stick to groups of one race or do they engage harmoniously with one another. I believe the polarisation is stark in most institutions and this has been the case for many years.

After all that, tabulate the findings and then move on to your second phase. The difficult one. Changing the mindsets of both the lecturers and students.

Teach them to value each others’ cultures. Show them how rich each culture is. Let them learn how much a diverse Malaysia can teach them. That we are all humans with the same aspirations. That they must open up their minds and embrace all the knowledge that they can acquire and can share. And most importantly that they must have an inquiring mind, free of prejudices and bigotry. In fact, why not have them all learn about the different religions? Did you know that when I want to give speeches, I can go to any religious text and I will have no problems finding beautiful passages on peace, justice, compassion and integrity.

What do you think, sir? Are you willing to carry out this experiment for the sake of the nation? There are many people who will gladly help you. Take it not only as a challenge but as a necessary step to reverse our intellectual decline.

Were you aware, sir, that there is a wonderful article in the latest The Economist about how to make a good teacher? It is worth a read. And it is worth asking your teachers to read it too. It is clearly time to invest in our teachers.

It is also time we aimed for a system of education with integrity and intellectual excellence. We need to encourage true scholarship. I am not an education professional but I believe we have to keep politicians out of deciding education policy and leave it to educators instead. In other words, let’s take the politics out of education.

You can be the start of the change that this nation needs. I hope that as an educator you will set an example and consider what I have said with an open mind. It is time. Our children deserve much better.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,
Ambiga Sreenevasan

Who am I to intervene, asks prince amid appeals to pardon critic

Johor crown prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim has indicated he will not help his critics, who are facing criminal punishment or have landed in prison for insulting him.

Civil rights group had asked the Johor palace to pardon Muhammad Amirul Azwan Mohd Shakri, 19, after he was sentenced to a year in prison for insulting Tunku Ismail on matters related to football.

"The same people are asking me to release these individuals but you have made it clear that no one is above the law.

“Who am I to interfere with the police or the law?" said the prince in a Facebook statement.

Tunku Ismail pointed out that actions against his critics were not initiated by him but those who still "love the royal institution".

"There are people also saying that I have ordered their arrest but in reality, the police reports are made by the people of Johor who still love the royal institution.

"My question to them is - if they make the report, what does it have to do with me?" he asked.

Tunku Ismail also noted there were those trying to downplay the actions of the individuals who had insulted him.

"A few individuals have been arrested for insulting my good name. I have never bothered them.

"There are also certain quarters who are trying to twist facts by saying that these individuals are simply criticising and not insulting," he said.

However, Tunku Ismail said he did not care about this.

"Even though I am criticised or insulted, I could not care less and these people can continue with their wishes as I am grateful with the life Allah has given to me and the good will always prevail.

"To those who say that I cannot be criticised, I have been criticised since 2013 when I first took over the helm of Johor FA," he added.

Previously, the prince had asked the police not to arrest those who criticised him, saying that he would prefer if a face-to-face meeting could be arranged with his critics.

On June 7, Amirul pleaded guilty to 14 charges under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

He was given the maximum sentence of one year in prison by the Johor Baru Sessions Court.

Mahathir: Rulers a problem then, PM a problem now

Dr Mahathir Mohamad has defended his move to amend the Federal Constitution in 1983 to take away the rulers' power to block legislation passed by Parliament.

The former premier said the government then had perceived the rulers to be problematic, but now it appears the present government is the one which is problematic.

"At that time we thought the rulers would be a problem since the government is the government of the people," Mahathir told a press conference held at Kampung Baru Jerlun, Kuala Kangsar today.

He also criticised his successor for imitating the leadership style of Uganda's third president Idi Amin.

Mahathir was asked if he should be partly blamed for the National Security Council (NSC) Act since it was gazetted without the Yang di- Pertuan Agong's assent, thanks to the amendment to the constitution.

"We thought the sultan will be a problem but in fact the sultan is not a problem, it is the prime minister who has gone out of hand, and he is trying to rule the country...," he said.

Mahathir was at the campaign trail for Parti Amanah Negara's candidate Ahmad Termizi Ramli.

He was warmly greeted by some 500 people at a Chinese new village.

Meanwhile, Mahathir dismissed the criticism which linked the NSC Act to Internal Security Act (ISA), which was abolished in 2011.

"There is no similarity between ISA and NSC. ISA was allowed as the Agong can declare emergency.

"But this (NSC) was rejected by Agong but he (Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak) still continued with it," he said.

"Under ISA, those (who felt they) were wrongly detained can take the case to court, while this is not permitted under NSC.

"This is the law used by Najib (photo) to take away Agong's right while ISA did not take away Agong's right," he stressed.

On another matter, Mahathir said 1MDB and Najib, who is also the advisory board chairperson of the state-owned fund, took the fund which was supposed to be channelled to Aabar Investments PJS (Aabar).

"It is ridiculous to suggest they gave billions of dollars to a company, that they could not check first if this was the real company or some company created elsewhere.

"But I suspect this company to whom they paid the money was created by them, and they purposely paid to this false company so they can make use of the money," he said.

International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) and its subsidiary Aabar have submitted a Request for Arbitration to the London Court of International Arbitration over its US$6.5 billion claim against 1MDB and the Ministry of Finance Incorporated.

Ex-PKR MP freed, denies involvement in corruption

PKR's former Kapar MP S Manikavasagam has denied involvement in corruption. According to Bernama, he said this after being released from custody at 3pm today.

Manikavasagam was yesterday arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
He was arrested with RM30,000 which he allegedly received from a contractor as inducement to secure a public amenities tender.

The arrest was confirmed by MACC director of investigations Azam Baki.

Manikavasam (top photo, right) is also Kuala Selangor PKR chief and PKR complaints bureau director.
PKR vice-president Tian Chua had said the party would be seeking a meeting with Manikavasagam to clarify what had happened.

Ridhuan Tee is amazing, says MIC man

A MIC leader is amazed at how controversial academic Ridhuan Tee Abdullah is able to sink to a level which, he claimed, would be an impossible feat for others.

“Whenever I think he cannot go any lower than he already has, he surprises me with his unenviable skill of lowering the bar several more inches,” S Vell Paari told Malaysiakini.

The MIC central working committee member was responding to Ridhuan’s comments on the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) modules, which contained erroneous information on Hindus and Sikhism.

Asking critics not to be emotional, the academic had suggested that the slides be sent to an expert to determine if the contents could be accepted as a form of knowledge.

He also wanted the person responsible for the slides to be given a chance to defend his or her work.

However, Vell Paari said if Ridhuan needed an expert to determine if Hindus learned cleanliness from Muslims, as mentioned in the slides, then the latter too should be sent for expert evaluation.

“We need an expert to evaluate how this person is capable of making such moronic statements and be regarded as an academic at the same time.

“I am not sure what he teaches, but I am certain he would make an excellent geologist lecturer since his comments indicate he often has his head buried in the sand," he added.

Meanwhile, Vell Paari also questioned if the person responsible for the slides was attempting subtle preaching by casting other faiths in a negative light and placing Islam on a pedestal.

Although the MIC leader welcomed UTM’s move to initiate an internal investigation, he reiterated that nothing short of a dismissal would suffice.

“This person resorted to using false claims or outright lies in a module for educational purposes. As I said before, it can only come from a bigoted mind,” he added.

Vell Paari also suggested that a separate committee be formed comprising representatives from the Malaysian Hindu Sangam, Sikh religious bodies, MIC and Indian educationists to sit together with UTM to get to the bottom of the matter as well as to vet modules to ensure there were no erroneous claims.

“This is not an issue which can be forgotten with a mere apology.

“As it concerns the younger generation of Malaysians and those entrusted with disseminating knowledge to them, the future well-being of the nation is at stake.

“So a strong and clear message must be sent to deter such episodes from recurring,” he stressed.

‘Please stop the rumours’

ACTOR and comedian Acappan (pic) is asking the public to stop spreading rumours that he has converted to Islam, reported Kosmo!.

The rumours started when a photo of Acappan attending a buka puasa event at a mosque in Sepang circulated on social media.

In one of the photos, Acappan was seen with four other men, including former dangdut singer Iwan and actor Isma Aliff.

He was also rumoured to have traded in his birth name, Samynathan Rethinan, for a Muslim name, Shahrin Abdullah.

“I only took the photos as a keepsake,” said the 58-year-old actor.

Acappan, who acted in many Malay dramas in the 1990s, said the fake stories shocked his family before they discovered the truth.

“Please stop spreading these rumours because it involves my family’s dignity as well as mine,” said Acappan, who is a Hindu.

Rosmah’s aide stopped from meeting Rafizi

KUALA KANGSAR: A brief commotion occurred outside the Amanah operations centre here on Wednesday when an aide to Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor showed up for the press conference by PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli.

Rafizi had been scheduled to reveal further allegations regarding the use of a private jet by Rosmah, wife of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Reporters were aware last night that Rosmah’s aide, Datuk Rizal Mansor, planned to turn up at the press conference to rebut the allegations by Rafizi in person.

Rizal arrived around noon together with several other unidentified men and was seen shaking hands with Amanah candidate Dr Ahmad Termizi Ramli.

However, when they asked to enter the building, Amanah staff stopped them from doing so.

A verbal confrontation ensued between the two parties as Rafizi arrived and proceeded upstairs for the press conference.

Rizal and his companions later left the premises after being repeatedly told that they could not enter on grounds that only media personnel were invited.

Members of the media waiting in the room upstairs were subsequently asked by an Amanah representative to produce their media tags to verify their identities.

“We just want to make sure that there aren't those who wish to cause disturbance," Rafizi said before the start of the press conference.

Higher Education Ministry to work with UTM to resolve slides issue

KUALA LUMPUR: The Higher Education Ministry is to work with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia to resolve the issue over lecture material which is said to be derogatory to the Hindu and Sikh communities.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh (pic) said UTM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Wahid Omar would take all the required steps and action as necessary.

“The UTM vice-chancellor has gotten in touch with me and is looking into the issue. He has given his assurance to get to the bottom of it and take all required corrective steps,” he told Bernama when contacted on Wednesday.

UTM’s Tamadun Islam dan Tamadun Asia (Titas) subject slides caused an uproar among the Hindu and Sikh communities after they went viral on social media recently.

The slides claimed that Islam had introduced civility to the lives of Hindus and that they considered the dirt on the body as part of their religious practice to attain nirvana.

The Titas module was made mandatory for all tertiary students regardless of religion in 2013.

On Tuesday, Dr Wahid issued an apology over the slide material and said the slides were not approved by the ministry.

He gave the assurance that UTM would only use Titas slides endorsed by the Higher Education Ministry and experts on Asian Civilisation would be engaged to provide input when needed to prevent a recurrence of the incident.

Several Indian leaders, among them MIC president Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam and Deputy Education Minister Datuk P. Kamalanathan, as well as NGOs also reacted to the matter. – Bernama

Rafizi: Why lease private jet when gov’t has three aircraft?

PKR secretary-general Rafizi Ramli has questioned the need for the government to charter another private jet when it already has three existing aircraft.

His question comes after his exposé made last week that prime minister’s wife Rosmah Mansor had used an Airbus (ACJ 319 A6-CJE) - a private jet owned by Emirates Airline - for a trip to Istanbul.

Based on his estimation, Rafizi said RM86.4 million was spent to charter the jet for two months.

Therefore, the Pandan lawmaker said the government’s existing jets should have been used instead for the trip.

The government currently has the ACJ319 9M-NAA which was bought a few years ago, and ACJ320 9M-NAB which was bought last year and is currently under maintenance.

In his press conference today, Rafizi reminded how the government had explained that ACJ320 9M-NAB was bought to replace BBJ737-700 M53-01.

But citing BBJ 737-700’s recent flight records, Rafizi said the jet was still actively used by the government.

The jet, however, was not in use between May 17 and 30. Jet ACJ319 9M-NAA, on the other hand, was used from May 24 to 29 for domestic flights.

Rafizi argued that BBJ 737-700 should have therefore been used instead.

“This would enable jet ACJ319 9M-NAA, which is newer and is usually used for international flights for the prime minister, be used during Rosmah's trip from May 25 to 27.

“If this was done, millions of the rakyat’s money would not have been wasted to lease a luxurious jet like the ACJ319 A6-CJE,” he said.

Meanwhile, Rafizi also questioned the reasons why BBJ 737-700 is still used by the government.
Since an advertisement in August 2015 that it was up for bidding, there has been no confirmation whether the jet had indeed been sold or otherwise, said Rafizi.
“Therefore, I urge Najib, as minister responsible in managing all of the government’s jets, to explain why BBJ737-700 has yet to be sold and why it is still being used, as this involves the rakyat’s money,” he said.

Rafizi last week revealed that Rosmah had used a private jet for a trip to Istanbul, Turkey, and that based on estimations, the jet - which was chartered for two months - had cost RM86.4 million.

Apart from the press conferences held last week and today, a special ceramah session is set to be held tonight. Rafizi said more details will be revealed in relation to the issue.