HAF Expresses Condolences to Victims of Pune Attack
Washington, D.C. (February 15, 2010) - Today, the Hindu American Foundation issued the following statement in response to the recent terrorist attack…
Wednesday, 17 February 2010
HAF E-Press February 15, 2010: HAF Expresses Condolences to Victims of Pune Attack
HAF Expresses Condolences to Victims of Pune Attack
Washington, D.C. (February 15, 2010) - Today, the Hindu American Foundation issued the following statement in response to the recent terrorist attack in Pune.
" Saturday marked a day of violence, but it also marked a day of unshakable resolve for us to combat both the ideology and actions of those who seek to harm innocent civilians through acts of terrorism,” said Dr. Mihir Meghani, President of the Hindu American Foundation.
“The terrorist actions in Pune at a German bakery, next to a Jewish spiritual retreat, were meant to disrupt India’s tourism sector and cast a cloud on India’s standing as a rising global economic power. We are confident that the Government of India will investigate this latest terrorist attack and bring the perpetrators to justice. We also support the Government’s latest initiation of a constructive dialogue with its neighbor during these turbulent times. However, Pakistan has a long record of overtly supporting terrorist acts in India that are planned and funded within its borders and supported as Governmental policy. If a Pakistan connection is linked to this latest attack in Pune, we will urge the Indian American community to mobilize their Congressional representatives and have them speak out forcefully against this blatant act of terrorism.
Our members stand with the residents of Pune and the people of India during this difficult time.”
Tough choice for Zambry - Malaysiakini
Fireworks are expected within Perak Barisan Nasional (BN) when Menteri Besar Zambry Abd Kadir chooses candidates to fill the four remaining posts for executive councillors.
When Zambry took office in…
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When Zambry took office in…
Fireworks are expected within Perak Barisan Nasional (BN) when Menteri Besar Zambry Abd Kadir chooses candidates to fill the four remaining posts for executive councillors.
When Zambry took office in February last year from Pakatan Rakyat Menteri Besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin (right), he had only filled six seats in the 10-member exco, leaving four seats vacant.
This has led to speculation that the three 'BN-friendly' Independents will fill three posts, in return for their 'contribution' in causing the collapse of the 10-month-old Pakatan government by their defection.
However, two of them - Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi (Behrang assemblyperson) and Mohd Osman Mohd Jailu,(Changat Jering) - are facing corruption charges in the Ipoh Sessions Court. As such, Zambry cannot appoint them pending a decision by the court.
The third state assemblyperson involved is former DAP member Hee Yit Foong (Jelapang).
Ousted Pakatan assembly speaker V Sivakumar turned the heat up at the state DAP Chinese New Year celebrations in Taiping yesterday, attended by about 1,000 people.
He and Nizar were among Pakatan leaders who spoke on current political issues affecting Perak and the nation.
Daring the Perak MB to fill the vacancies, Sivakumar asked: “Why is Zambry scared to announce the names of the remaining four exco posts? Is he keeping three of the posts for the three 'frogs'?”
Zambry will also have to overcome another hurdle in making his choice, as the three Independents are facing legal action by Sivakumar to declare their state seats vacant.
'Tussle within BN'
Adding spice to rumours is a claim that many Umno members are said to be in favour of senior party members filling the exco posts.
Nizar said in his speech that there is a power struggle within the Perak BN. He alleged that the three Independents are demanding concessions, while Umno members are demanding a bigger slice of the political cake.
As a result, Zambry (left) is said to be walking a tightrope - leaving Pakatan hopeful of fireworks in BN as and when he makes public his choices.
Perak has been in political turmoil since last February, as Nizar went to court to obtain a declaration that he is the rightful menteri besar.
After a series of legal skirmishes over the past year, a five-member bench of the Federal Court unanimously dismissed Nizar's appeal on Feb 9, leaving the way clear from Zambry to assume the post.
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When Zambry took office in February last year from Pakatan Rakyat Menteri Besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin (right), he had only filled six seats in the 10-member exco, leaving four seats vacant.This has led to speculation that the three 'BN-friendly' Independents will fill three posts, in return for their 'contribution' in causing the collapse of the 10-month-old Pakatan government by their defection.
However, two of them - Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi (Behrang assemblyperson) and Mohd Osman Mohd Jailu,(Changat Jering) - are facing corruption charges in the Ipoh Sessions Court. As such, Zambry cannot appoint them pending a decision by the court.The third state assemblyperson involved is former DAP member Hee Yit Foong (Jelapang).
Ousted Pakatan assembly speaker V Sivakumar turned the heat up at the state DAP Chinese New Year celebrations in Taiping yesterday, attended by about 1,000 people.
He and Nizar were among Pakatan leaders who spoke on current political issues affecting Perak and the nation.
Daring the Perak MB to fill the vacancies, Sivakumar asked: “Why is Zambry scared to announce the names of the remaining four exco posts? Is he keeping three of the posts for the three 'frogs'?”Zambry will also have to overcome another hurdle in making his choice, as the three Independents are facing legal action by Sivakumar to declare their state seats vacant.
'Tussle within BN'
Adding spice to rumours is a claim that many Umno members are said to be in favour of senior party members filling the exco posts.
Nizar said in his speech that there is a power struggle within the Perak BN. He alleged that the three Independents are demanding concessions, while Umno members are demanding a bigger slice of the political cake.
As a result, Zambry (left) is said to be walking a tightrope - leaving Pakatan hopeful of fireworks in BN as and when he makes public his choices.Perak has been in political turmoil since last February, as Nizar went to court to obtain a declaration that he is the rightful menteri besar.
After a series of legal skirmishes over the past year, a five-member bench of the Federal Court unanimously dismissed Nizar's appeal on Feb 9, leaving the way clear from Zambry to assume the post.
Kedah Indian Exco mandore: Clothes for 200 Indian poor.
There are scores critical Indian problems in the state of Kedah. But to stay relevant, this Kedah Indian Exco mandore chooses to do a wayang kulit through the Tamil media…
There are scores critical Indian problems in the state of Kedah. But to stay relevant, this Kedah Indian Exco mandore chooses to do a wayang kulit through the Tamil media by dishing out clothes to 200 poor Indians (Malaysia Nanban 17/2/2010 at page 12) to keep himself afloat and remain politically relevant amongst the Indian community.
This is why “tuan” Anwar Ibrahim, Hadi Awang and Kedah Menteri Besar Dato Seri Azizan chose him as a candidate (and then Exco Member) in the Bukit Selambau by elections over even Hindraf people power leaders like lawyer N. Surendran. Because N. Surendran will not accept the role of a mandore but would act without fear or favour.
A thousand mile journey begins with a single step. So this Indian Kedah Exco member for a start should get his “tuan” Kedah Menteri Besar to grant land to all 58 Tamil schools in Kedah. He knows his “tuan” and Anwar Ibrahim would never do so just as UMNO has refused to do so in the previous 50 years preceding 8/3/2008 but use the MIC mandores to hand out peanuts to the Indians. This PKR mandore is following the same wayang kulit route established by Umno-MIC.
This is the same state of affairs of mandorism also in DAP and PKR ruled Penang and Selangor. PKR, DAP and PAS would also never alienate state government land which they have 100% control of, to all the 28 and 98 Tamil schools respectively in Penang and Selangor. So the ongoing saga of the PKR, DAP and PAS Indian Exco and DCM II mandores and mandorism.
S. Jayathas
S’gor Indian Exco and Police ASP mandore’s 1 acre land for hindu temple political rhetoric.
This time a one acre land for the Om Sri Siva Kali Amman Hindu temple. But this Selangor Indian Exco mandore did not give anything in writing from the Selangor…
This time a one acre land for the Om Sri Siva Kali Amman Hindu temple. But this Selangor Indian Exco mandore did not give anything in writing from the Selangor State government, let alone the title to this temple land being alienated to their trustees. This Hindu temple will only know that this Exco and police ASP mandores have cheated them when the bulldozers arrive to demolish the temple.
In the meantime and maybe up to the next general elections this Exco mandores ably aided and abetted by the police ASP mandore had scored his political points.
This is exactly his predecessor the MIC mandores had been doing for the previous 50 years until the 8th March 2008 general elections. When these mandores cannot deliver land titles to these temples they play this kind of wayang kulit politics to keep afloat and try to remain politically relevant among the Indian community.
Anwar Ibrahim, Lim Guan Eng, Hadi Awang and Selangor Menteri Besar should get to the point and grant Selangor, Kedah and Penang state government land on a wholesome basis to all Hindu temples in Kedah, Penang and Selangor as has been done for all masjids and suraus by UMNO, and as opposed to using their Indian mandores to do this one by one and case by case piecemeal basis, which is a false tamil paper politics.
S. Jayathas
UMNO proxy gimmick: Ananda 2nd richest in Malaysia. RM 27 Billion Tamil media propaganda. Unable to help 523 cow shed looking Tamil schools.
Year in and year out UMNO plays the very same political gimmick of Tan Sri Ananda Krishnan being the second richest man in Malaysia and now in 2010 he is…
Year in and year out UMNO plays the very same political gimmick of Tan Sri Ananda Krishnan being the second richest man in Malaysia and now in 2010 he is worth RM 27 Billion.
This Tan Sri should be in the 27% income tax bracket. Assuming even that he is in the 20% income tax bracket, ie totaling RM 5.4 billion, he would at the very least get RM 1 Billion in tax free deductions for the donations that he makes which otherwise he has to pay to the Income Tax Department.
This RM 1 Billion Tax deductable donations alone, by merely the stroke of the pen on his cheque book, would be more than enough to take all 523 Tamil schools overnight out of it’s current cowshed like status and turn them into modern and fully equipped schools like any other Malay and Chinese school.
But logic dictates why Ananda is unable to do so. Because he is a mere proxy for UMNO but is displayed and showcased as an Indian being the second richest man in Malaysia and who owns the Petronas Twin Towers, the world’s tallest twin towers through especially their Tamil newspaper propaganda which carried this new headlines in the Tamil Nesan 17/2/2010 and the front pages in Malaysia Nanban, Makkal Osai, The Star, Utusan Malaysia, Berita Harian, NST etc all also on 17/2/2010.
P. Uthayakumar
100 high achieving schools by 2012 for Malay muslims. (BH 29/1/2010 at page v)
High achieving schools are establised for malays but the Indian poor are excluded from this mainstream development. While about 80% of the 523 Tamil schools are still in cowshed like…
High achieving schools are establised for malays but the Indian poor are excluded from this mainstream development. While about 80% of the 523 Tamil schools are still in cowshed like conditions, even in Pakatan ruled states where land is not allocated for these tamil schools to allow it to become fully government assisted. All these atrocities under the 52 year old UMNO regime Prime Minister Najib Razak’s One Malay-sia?
P. Uthayakumar
Malay muslim students at Adelaide University (refer BH 28/1/2010 at page 6)
UMNO: Indian Poverty to be inherited.
In 2006, 2,136 hardcore poor households in rural areas were provided home reconstruction assistance which benefited 10,680 household members. In 2007, housing assistance was provided to 1,942 hardcore poor household…
In 2006, 2,136 hardcore poor households in rural areas were provided home reconstruction assistance which benefited 10,680 household members. In 2007, housing assistance was provided to 1,942 hardcore poor household (Sunday Star 10/1/10 at page N14).
But we have not heard of a single Indian who had benefited from any of these UMNO assistance for the poor and hardcore poor. And we believe hundreds of thousands of Indians are living in dilapidated houses. Why are Indians excluded from this mainstream of development. Why are Indians discriminated against?
The latest example being the house of Arumugam which is on the verge of collapsing (MN 10/1/10 at page 3).
P. Uthayakumar
Malaysia may jail 'Kiss-fame' Jayalakshmi
Nurse who featured in a sex scandal with minister Renukacharya allegedly forged a doctor’s signature to get an employment pass in that country
Praveen Kumar
Posted On Tuesday, February 16,…
Nurse who featured in a sex scandal with minister Renukacharya allegedly forged a doctor’s signature to get an employment pass in that country
Praveen Kumar
Posted On Tuesday, February 16, 2010 , Banglore Mirror
Malaysia is looking out for ‘Liplock’ Jayalakshmi, excise minister M P Renukacharya’s sometime sweetheart, in a signature forgery case.
Three years ago, Jayalakshmi earned notoriety by releasing to the media pictures of Renukacharya, then an MLA, kissing her. She has attempted suicide twice, and demonstrated against Renukacharya, now Karnataka’s excise minister.
Bangalore Mirror has now learnt that an Indian-origin Malaysian citizen who helped Jayalakshmi set up an IT company in that country has lodged a forgery complaint against her.
Police complaint against Jayalakshmi in Malaysia
Complaint to the Malaysian immigration authorities
Jayalakshmi’s application seeking Employment pass (EP) with an allegedly forged signature of her sponsor
An indemnity bond purportedly signed by Jayalakshmi in Malaysia
Registration certificate of Jayalakshmi’s IT firm in Malaysia.
Jayalakshmi’s Malaysia firm front office pic
JAYA HO!
Friendship between nurse Jayalakshmi and politician Renukacharya turns sour. Jayalakshmi accuses him
of threatening to kill her
She attempts suicide; suicide note blames Renukacharya
She makes second suicide bid
She releases hot pictures of Renukacharya kissing her
She files complaint against Renukacharya with State Women’s Commission
She starts business in Malaysia
After Renukacharya becomes excise minister, Jayalakshmi springs a surprise by launching attack on him
Police complaint filed against her in Malaysia
Bangalore Mirror has now learnt that an Indian-origin Malaysian citizen who helped Jayalakshmi set up an IT company in that country has lodged a forgery complaint against her.
Jayalakshmi has stopped going to Malaysia and her properties there have been confiscated by her landlord for non-payment of rent. The Malaysian immigration authorities have blacklisted her and the police have circulated a look-out notice for her. Jayalakshmi lives in Bangalore.
K L Ramasankara Rao (45), an IT engineer who works as technical manager with Malaysian firm Cosmopoint SDN BHD, told Bangalore Mirror that a politician-friend introduced Jayalakshmi to him in October 2007.
Rao did not name the policitician, who he described as a “good friend”.
“He told me he wanted me to help Jayalakshmi as there was a threat to her life in Bangalore. He urged me to help Jayalakshmi set up a business in Malaysia. He also said he would finance the business. He said she was a family friend,” Rao said.
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| Front office of Jayalakshmi’s Malaysian firm |
Jayalakshmi reportedly went to Malaysia in December 2007 and stayed at his house. She was friendly with his wife Hima Bindu Pinnamaneni, a doctor, and their children.
Rao’s friend reportedly sent Rs 50 lakh in three instalments to set up the business, an IT training company. “The business was started in January 2008. It was a private limited company called Training Oasis SDN BHD. Jayalakshmi and my wife were partners as a private limited company needs at least two partners,” Rao said. But, Rao said, his friend’s sister called him from Bangalore and told him about Jayalakshmi’s scandalous past. That was when he became wary.
“I learnt more about the nurse after I did a Google search. I talked to my friend who was playing godfather to her, and he asked me to monitor her calls. She used to call my friend as well as Renukacharya, asking for money. She used to call Renukacharya during the last elections and even celebrated when he won,” Rao said. Jayalakshmi then went to India. After returning to Malaysia on June 13, 2008, she reportedly asked Rao not to visit the Training Oasis office.
When Rao went to the immigration office, they told him she was on an employment pass.
“When they pulled out her file, they saw my wife’s signature as her local sponsor. My wife had never signed for her and the immigration officials found out that she had forged my wife’s signature. Initially, she had come on a tourist visa. A police case was filed and the immigration department terminated Jayalakshmi’s pass and blacklisted her. I was afraid that Jayalakshmi might have forged my wife’s signature for other documents. Hence, we sought police assistance. After the incident came to light, Jayalakshmi stopped coming to the office. We were unable to trace her from her last known address and even her mobile phone number remained switched off. The Malaysian police say she will be arrested if she enters Malaysia,” Rao said. Rao’s wife resigned as director from Training Oasis after the incident. Jayalakshmi created problems even then, but finally a mutual friend got her to sign an indemnity letter, whereby my wife would not be responsible for her actions.
Rao says Jayalakshmi copied his wife’s identity card, forged her signature and appplied for the EP.
When this paper contacted her, Jayalakshmi pleaded ignorance about the case. “I don’t know about it. I don’t know anything about the IT firm in Malaysia and the case against me there. It is a baseless allegation. I don’t know the complainant. If she has any problems with me, let her fight it out legally,” she said.
DOCUMENTS WITH MIRROR
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| COMPLAINT |
Complaint to the Malaysian immigration authorities
Jayalakshmi’s application seeking Employment pass (EP) with an allegedly forged signature of her sponsor
An indemnity bond purportedly signed by Jayalakshmi in Malaysia
Registration certificate of Jayalakshmi’s IT firm in Malaysia.
Jayalakshmi’s Malaysia firm front office pic
JAYA HO!
Friendship between nurse Jayalakshmi and politician Renukacharya turns sour. Jayalakshmi accuses him
of threatening to kill her
She attempts suicide; suicide note blames Renukacharya
She makes second suicide bid
She releases hot pictures of Renukacharya kissing her
She files complaint against Renukacharya with State Women’s Commission
She starts business in Malaysia
After Renukacharya becomes excise minister, Jayalakshmi springs a surprise by launching attack on him
Police complaint filed against her in Malaysia
Court dismisses Anwar’s appeal, denies stay
By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal - The Malaysian Insider
PUTRAJAYA, Feb 17 — The Court of Appeal dismissed today Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s bid to strike out his sodomy charge, by…
By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal - The Malaysian Insider
PUTRAJAYA, Feb 17 — The Court of Appeal dismissed today Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s bid to strike out his sodomy charge, by ruling that he had failed to prove the charges against him were oppressive or an abuse of the court process.
In reading out the ruling, Court of Appeals judge Datuk Wira Abu Samah also said that medical reports suggesting there was no anal penetration of Anwar’s accuser were also inconclusive and could not be used as a basis for throwing out the charge.
Karpal Singh, lead counsel for Anwar’s defence team, immediately demanded a stay of proceedings at the High Court pending an appeal of today’s decision to the Federal Court.
But the court also dismissed the request for an immediate stay, by pointing out that a formal application was needed.This means that Anwar’s sodomy trial will continue tomorrow.
Anwar wanted the sodomy charge against him thrown out because clinical reports suggest there was no anal penetration of his accuser, but prosecutors argued that semen samples could still prove unnatural carnal activity.
Anwar is accused of sodomising his one-time aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan at the Desa Damansara Condominium on June 26, 2008.
The former deputy prime minister has vehemently denied the accusations hurled by Saiful, describing it as “evil, frivolous lies by those in power” when the charge was read out to him.
He is charged under section 377B of the Penal Code and can be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years’ jail and whipping upon conviction.
The trial is taking place 18 months after Anwar was charged in court in August 2008. Anwar was charged with sodomy and corruption in 1998 after he was sacked from the Cabinet and was later convicted and jailed for both offences.
He was freed in September 2004 and later resurrected his political career by winning back his Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat in a by-election in 2008, which had been held in the interim by his wife.
He had earlier led the opposition coalition, Pakatan Rakyat, to a historic sweep of five states and 82 parliamentary seats in Election 2008.
BN leaflets ridicule Ku Li over oil royalty stance
By Mohd Zuharman - The Malaysian Insider
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KOTA BARU, Feb 17 — The Kelantan Barisan Nasional (BN) is allegedly using the state education department to distribute leaflets in local schools…
By Mohd Zuharman - The Malaysian Insider
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KOTA BARU, Feb 17 — The Kelantan Barisan Nasional (BN) is allegedly using the state education department to distribute leaflets in local schools to ridicule Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah’s stance that the PAS-ruled state is entitled to a 5 per cent oil royalty rather than the RM20 million compassionate payment offered by Putrajaya.
A few teachers told The Malaysian Insider that they have received the leaflets last week, weeks after the Gua Musang MP spoke out against his Umno party at a forum in the Stadium Sultan Mohamad IV Kota Baru in late January. Razaleigh is the founding chairman of state oil firm Petronas and has said all oil-producing states are entitled to the 5 per cent oil royalty.
“Yes, the leaflets are being distributed... a few teachers have received it and it smears Tengku Razaleigh. In fact, a lot of students have also received the leaflet,” said a teacher attached to a school in state capital Kota Baru, referring to the A4-sized leaflet.
He said certain parties had sent the leaflets to his school for distribution among the teaching staff and students. Umno said it will study remarks made by the Kelantan prince, popularly known as Ku Li, although a few others have called for action against the veteran leader.
An Umno divisional leader confirmed to The Malaysian Insider that the leaflet will be distributed at an Umno-organised oil royalty ceramah this Friday. The ceramah will headline Kelantan Umno chairman Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, his deputy Datuk Dr Awang Adek Hussin and Malay rights group Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali.
The leaflet contains Ku Li’s opinions about oil royalty for Kelantan made last month and another statement allegedly made in 2000 over oil royalty for Terengganu. Terengganu only received compassionate payments made through federal agencies when PAS won the state in the 1999 general elections.
The leaflet is titled “Ku Li tipu rakyat, Tok Guru Kena Tipu Pulak!” (Ku Li cheats the people, Tok Guru is also cheated!) with pictures of Razaleigh and Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat.
Another teacher said the state Education Department had been tricked into distributing the leaflets by the BN.
“A few officers from the state education department and the district education department have spoken about this issue. Strictly speaking, this has nothing to do with their work,” said the teacher who only identified himself as Awi.
He also disclosed that a National Conference of Secondary School Headmasters was held at a Kota Baru hotel on Feb 1 which was attended by Mustapa. He claimed that Mustapa later met the state education department and local headmasters to discuss the oil royalty issue.
“They spoke about the oil royalty at that special meeting. That is all that I was told and also the leaflets was distributed. People thought it was strange that Tok Pa (Mustapa) attended the meeting of teachers and education officers.
“For those who know, they know it had a political agenda,” he added.
Kelantan Umno has ticked off Razaleigh for having his own agenda to go against the party’s stand over the oil royalty with the Kelantan Umno Youth urging him to quit his Gua Musang seat and move to PAS or any other Pakatan Rakyat party. Other Umno leaders have asked for action to be taken against Ku Li with deputy Umno president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin asking the party veteran to review his position in the party.
Mustapa, who is International Trade and Industry Minister, said yesterday that the RM20 million compassionate payment will be distributed at the end of March particularly for the poor.
Anwar enlists three DNA and forensic experts
The three are DNA expert Dr Brian Leslie McDonald from Sydney, Australia, forensic experts Prof Dr C. Damodaran from Chennai, India and Associate Professor David Lawrence Noel Wells from Melbourne, Australia.
Anwar’s lawyer Sankara Nair said today he would be bringing the experts to the Kuala Lumpur High Court to attend the trial tomorrow.
According to Sankara, Dr McDonald, who has a PhD in Pathology from the University of Western Australia, has performed and reported over 5,000 paternity tests for family law cases.
He said Dr McDonald, who is director of both DNA Consults and Molecular Genetics for the Sonic Clinical Institute, has authored or co-authored 79 scientific papers, chapters in books and conference proceedings.
Sankara said that Dr Damodaran, who has a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Madras, has 28 years experience in forensics and teaching and 36 years in analytical biochemistry/ biochemical toxicology forensic generics and biotechnology.
Dr Damodaran is also the founder of India’s DNA Fingerprinting Initiative as well as its first paternity testing centre.
Sankara said Dr Wells is division head of the Victoria Institute of Forensic Medicine.
So far, Anwar’s accuser Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan has taken the stand. Anwar’s one-time aide has described to the court in graphic detail how he had been allegedly sodomised.
The defence has not yet began its cross-examination of Saiful.
Anwar is accused of sodomising his one-time aide at the Desa Damansara Condominium on June 26, 2008.
The former deputy prime minister has vehemently denied the accusations hurled by Saiful, describing it as “evil, frivolous lies by those in power” when the charge was read out to him.
He is charged under section 377B of the Penal Code and can be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years’ jail and whipping upon conviction.
The trial is taking place 18 months after Anwar was charged in court in August 2008. Anwar was charged with sodomy and corruption in 1998 after he was sacked from the Cabinet and was later convicted and jailed for both offences.
He was freed in September 2004 and later resurrected his political career by winning back his Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat in a by-election in 2008, which had been held in the interim by his wife.
He had earlier led the opposition coalition, Pakatan Rakyat, to a historic sweep of five states and 82 parliamentary seats in Election 2008.
Palanivel on the stump, waiting for an election
By Baradan Kuppusamy - The Malaysian InsiderHULU SELANGOR, Feb 17 — In this sprawling constituency twice the size of Malacca MIC deputy president Datuk G. Palanivel (picture) is striving…
By Baradan Kuppusamy - The Malaysian InsiderHULU SELANGOR, Feb 17 — In this sprawling constituency twice the size of Malacca MIC deputy president Datuk G. Palanivel (picture) is striving to make a comeback after losing the constituency he had held since 1990 to PKR man Datuk Zainal Abidin Ahmad by 198 votes in the 2008 general elections.
Being an MP and a minister, even a deputy minister, is of utmost importance in the MIC and Palanivel no longer holds any of those jobs. But he is deputy MIC president in a patronage driven party and keenly feels the loss of Hulu Selangor.
If he had won the story would have been different.
“I have learnt to live with what life and God delivers,” Palanivel told The Malaysian Insider.
For the first time too, long time party president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu is also neither an MP nor a minister and consequently the leadership focus in the party is shifting to Datuk Dr S. Subramanianm, who won his Segamat seat and became the sole MIC Cabinet minister by virtue of the fact that the two top leaders of the party lost their constituencies.
Dr Subramaniam is senior vice-president in a party where Palanivel is deputy president and making a political comeback and the president Samy Vellu, after having lost everything including the respect of the community he claims to represent, is holding on to a sinking ship.
Their collective adversary Datuk S. Subramaniam, after his second defeat to Palanivel in October last year at the party elections, has become a non-entity.
After defeating Subramaniam, Palanivel has turned his attention to the Hulu Selangor constituency of which he is the Barisan Nasional coordinator and enjoys federal allocations to service the constituency.
The constituency has some 10,000 to 12,000 Indian voters and Umno is laying claim to it on grounds that the percentage of Indians is shrinking. One of the problems Palanivel faces is that a sizeable number of Indians live in Hulu Selangor but vote outside the area while Indians living outside the constituency return to vote.
It is an anomaly he is trying to redress to better his chances of retaking the seat from PKR’s Zainal Abidin who is ill and seldom visits or services his constituents.
It is hard to see the presence of the Pakatan Rakyat Selangor government in this constituency except for old election banners.
There is a general sense of neglect and weariness everywhere. The grass has not been cut for months and there is rubbish everywhere. The economy, locals say, is dying for want of fresh ideas and projects.
“Banners and slogans we have plenty but there is nothing much else,” said Jaafar Abdul as he sips tea at a roadside stall in Bukit Beruntung, the dead township once sold as the emerald PJ Two by the Barisan Nasional Selangor government.
Palanivel has to win the hearts and minds of the alienated and angry voters of Bukit Beruntung and Lembah Beringin, another dead township nearby, if he is to retake the constituency from PR.
If he fails to take it back, either in a potential by-election or the next general election, his career in MIC is all but over.
“I have done so much for the constituents, I should not have lost. I got blamed for all the failed projects,” he said ruefully recently as he visited Malay constituents living in urban squalor in run down low cost flats.
Many of the residents have no choice but live in these run down and poorly serviced cubicles in Taman Bunga Raya, Sri Kenaga.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has allocated RM35 million to replace roofs in low cost projects but while residents appreciate the improvement it might be too little too late to lift their spirits and for them to look kindly at the Barisan Nasional.
The alienation of the people is deep and explains why the PKR won the seat.
Neglect remains however two years after PR took over the state administration..
For now it is almost like elections again in Hulu Selangor as Palanivel traverses the constituency meeting Malays, Chinese and Indians. There has been an air of anticipation for months now because of Zainal Abidin’s illness.
In the last elections Palanivel says he garnered enough Malay and Indian support but did not have enough Chinese votes to carry him through.
This time he is banking on getting all of the former voters who had voted him in 2008 and is working to convince just five per cent more Chinese voters to his side to retake the constituency.
“People know they have lost a hard worker in me,” he told The Malaysian Insider as he entered a Chinese temple in Ulu Yam township to light jossticks and pray.
“They know the guy they voted for is never here but I am here every week.”
It is a long hard road for Palanivel — to retake the seat, inherit the MIC presidency from an obstinate leader who refuses to give up, and if at all, revive the fortunes of the battered MIC.
The first step is too retake Hulu Selangor and in that he is helped by PR’s failure to deliver.
Who are Perkasa?
There is presently little or no data on Perkasa’s membership or ideology to support his assertion. For example, we do not know how large its membership is, the demographic and socio-economic profile of members, the reasons for participation in the group’s activities, the number of poor, middle or upper class Malays that are members, the attitudes of these members and other supporters towards the globalization process, etc.
What are known are its origins, leadership, ideological position and the objectives and causes it stands for. The facts known about it are clear and unambiguous evidence of what the organization stands for and aims to achieve. They are a far cry from the class-based, nebulous and even heroic concerns that Farish draws attention to in his assessment.
Perkasa is an organization registered with the Registrar of Societies on Sept 12, 2008. It traces its origins to the aftermath of the momentous March 8 general elections with the early discussion on forming the organization publicly announced in June 2008.
Its objectives clearly prioritize the defence of “Malay special rights” (rather than the “special position” of the Malays) as well as the position of Islam, Bahasa Melayu and Malay rulers.
There is nothing in its objectives (or its subsequent activities) to make it out as being concerned with or wanting to take up the plight of poor Malays. Instead its positions are based on the anxieties of “Ketuanan Melayu” and “Ketuanan Islam”.
| Article 4 of Perkasa charter |
| • Memperkasakan Islam sebagai agama persekutuan • Memperkasakan Bahasa Melayu sebagai bahasa kebangsaan • Memperkasakan kedaulatan Raja-Raja Melayu • Mempertahankan hak-hak keistimewaan orang Melayu • Memperkasakan kaum pribumi • Menyatupadukan kaum pribumi dan perpaduan rakyat Malaysia • Mempertahankan kedaulatan Negara. |
The names and positions of Perkasa’s office bearers are just as instructive in pointing to the racial supremacy orientation of the organization.
| Perkasa: Main office holders as at Oct 2008 |
• Datuk Ibrahim Ali (President) |
Besides its “frog king” President, Ibrahim Ali who is notorious for his party hopping (“The frog under the coconut shell hops from padi-field to padi-field, it does not hop …far, just nearby” ) and racist and sexist outbursts (“… there would be fewer marital problems and a lower divorce rate if Muslim women were taught to accept polygamy”), most if not all of its leaders are professional politicians or businessmen, mainly from or closely associated with Umno and fitting in or flirting with the opposition camp when it suits their interests.
None have had any track record in the espousal of the socio-economic problems of the Malay working class. All have been beneficiaries of the Umno system of patronage and profited enormously from the power and wealth distributed by the party to its members, especially those at the top. All unashamedly make use of the propaganda depicting Malays as the hapless victims of the colonial and post-colonial development process and greedy non-Malays as standing in the way of legitimate Malay concerns and interests.
Dr M, the Perkasa patron saint
The mentor and ideological godfather of Perkasa is the former PM, Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
In his welcome note to their March 2009 Assembly meeting which was telecast live by Astro Awani and contained in the programme booklet, Dr Mahathir argued that the emergence of Malay NGOs was rooted in Islamic and Malay causes and showed that the Malays now have less confidence in the political parties that are supposed to represent them. He endorsed Ibrahim Ali as “(someone) who is neutral, who is concerned only with good governance, who will criticise whoever, whether the government or the opposition.”
Dr Mahathir and Ibrahim not only have a common interest in publicly massaging each other’s ego and respective causes but also in being perceived as comrades in the frontline of fighting for Malay rights in the face of rising non-Malay challenge. But are other Malays buying this line?
Are Malays from the poorer and lower classes flocking to this and similar or clone Malay ‘NGO’ movements taking up the cudgels on behalf of ‘oppressed’ and ‘long suffering’ Malays whose rights are being trampled on by non-Malays?
The evidence to date is negative. On Feb 5, a Penang-based Malay NGO ‘Sedaq’ or ‘Aware’ claiming to represent 50 members, organized a demonstration after Friday prayers at Komtar to protest against the state’s alleged discrimination and oppression of Malays, especially Malay traders.
Although the demonstrators succeeded in setting fire to an effigy of the Penang Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng, it could only mobilize a much smaller crowd of supporters than the 10,000 the organizers were targeting for. Various media estimated the numbers attending to range from 300 to 2,000.
In response, the MPPP has refuted the claim of Sedaq that Malay traders are being singled out for harassment and discriminatory action. The data provided by the city council showed that Malays comprised 38% and 29% respectively of the 2,063 and 2,789 cases in the years 2008/09 against taken by the MPPP against illegal traders. The claims of racial discrimination made by the Malay NGOs were groundless.
Although Perkasa and Sedaq were given much prominence in the Malay vernacular papers and official media, there has been little critical analysis of the actions and activities of such groups in these media outlets and counter arguments such as those put out by the Penang state government and others against the Sedaq group have not been given the coverage they deserve.
Cultivating the radical fringe
Also not surprising is the apparent rapport between the Deputy Prime Minister and these groups. For example, on Feb 2, Perkasa spent two hours privately discussing its myopic socio-economic and political agenda with Muhyiddin Yassin. The group’s position on key policy issues is known to be contradictory to that held by the 1Malaysia ideology and New Economic Model espoused by the Prime Minister.
What message did the Deputy Prime Minister intend to send to other Malaysians and Umno members by being so deferential to Perkasa? Was the event staged to strengthen Muhyiddin’s Malay ‘nationalist’ credentials further and to undermine the Prime Minister’s vision of transformation and change for the country?
Or is there some tacit agreement between the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister with one acting as the liberal and progressive face of Umno and the other as its unchanging and non-negotiable Malay nationalist face, thus enabling it to cynically exploit both wider public and hardline Malay support?
There has always been an important dimension of racial pandering driving Umno’s ideology. Having an attack hound bare its fangs in defence of exaggerated Malay insecurities on economy, religion, language or culture has been a key weapon in the Umno arsenal to remind the non-Malay communities of their real – that is, subordinate – place in Malaysia. The harder the line these groups take, the more liberal and progressive Umno’s leadership appears to be.
However, this strategy no longer works with a more enlightened Malaysian electorate refusing to be intimidated or browbeaten by distorted or propagandistic versions of history bandied by BTN types and the logic of Malay dominance.
It is also a dangerous game as Perkasa, Sedaq and other fringe extremist groups may turn around to bite Umno and weaken the country’s social fabric in other ways such as the church fire-bombings have already proven.
Sodomy II: Anwar hires foreign DNA, forensics experts
(The Star) - Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has engaged three foreign DNA and forensic experts to assist in his sodomy trial.
His lawyer Sankara Nair said the PKR…
(The Star) - Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has engaged three foreign DNA and forensic experts to assist in his sodomy trial.
His lawyer Sankara Nair said the PKR leader had engaged the services of DNA expert Dr Brian Leslie McDonald from Sydney, Australia, and forensic experts Prof Dr C. Damodaran from Chennai, India and Associate Professor David Lawrence Noel Wells from Melbourne, Australia.
In a statement e-mailed to the media Wednesday, Sankara said he would be bringing the experts to the Kuala Lumpur High Court at 9am on Thursday, where the trial judge was scheduled to deliver his decision on Anwar’s recusal application.
Anwar had last week applied to recuse trial judge Justice Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah on the grounds that his two rulings concerning news reports of the case had raised an element of bias.
Sankara said Dr McDonald, who has a PhD in Pathology from the University of Western Australia, has performed and reported over 5,000 paternity tests for family law cases.
He said Dr McDonald, who is director of both DNA Consults and Molecular Genetics for the Sonic Clinical Institute, has authored or co-authored 79 scientific papers, chapters in books and conference proceedings.
Sankara said that Dr Damodaran, who has a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Madras, has 28 years experience in forensics and teaching and 36 years in analytical biochemistry/ biochemical toxicology forensic generics and biotechnology. He is also the founder of India’s DNA Fingerprinting Initiative as well as its first paternity testing centre. He has been involved in 96 research based publications in leading journals and received the Home Minister award for outstanding contribution to forensic science in 1995.
Sankara said Dr Wells, who is division head (clinicial foreign medicine) of the Victoria Institute of Forensic Medicine, received the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellowship in 1992.
Anwar, 63, claimed trial to sodomising his former personal aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, 25, in Bukit Damansara on June 26, 2008.
The Court of Appeal will announce its decision at 3pm on Wednesday on the application by Anwar to strike out his sodomy charge.
Jalanraya Bukan Untuk Upacara Agama
Dr. Mohd Asri bin Zainul Abidin
Rentetan daripada isu perarakan Maulidur Rasul yang timbul baru-baru ini, maka saya dengan ini mencadangkan agar semua agama tidak benarkan menggunakan jalanraya untuk sebarang…
Dr. Mohd Asri bin Zainul Abidin
Rentetan daripada isu perarakan Maulidur Rasul yang timbul baru-baru ini, maka saya dengan ini mencadangkan agar semua agama tidak benarkan menggunakan jalanraya untuk sebarang upacara keagamaan sehingga mengganggu pengguna jalanraya yang lain.
Semua agama bererti bukan sahaja orang Islam, tetapi juga Hindu, Buddha, Kristian dan lain-lain. Berikut adalah alasan-alasan kepada cadangan ini;
a) Jalanraya tidak diwujudkan untuk upacara keagamaan. Sebaliknya untuk kemudahan penggunanya yang ingin menuju ke destinasi masing-masing. Juga di Malaysia rakyat membayar cukai jalan untuk tujuan itu, bukan untuk upacara keagamaan.
b) Tiada teks mana-mana agama yang menyatakan disuruh menggunakan jalanraya untuk melakukan upacara agama. Upacara agama yang hanya membabitkan pengikut agama masing-masing sepatutnya dibuat di tempat ibadah agama masing-masing, atau tempat yang dimiliki atau disewa untuk upacara tersebut.
c) Menggunakan jalanraya untuk upacara keagamaan boleh menyebabkan kesesakan, atau ditutup laluan. Ini mengganggu, bahkan merampas hak pengguna lain yang tidak terlibat dengan upacara tersebut.
d) Kesesakan jalanraya yang disengajakan seperti ini boleh menyebabkan pembaziran minyak, waktu, menghalang rawatan orang sakit, menghalang urusan penting orang lain dan berbagai lagi. Islam tidak membenarkan penganutnya berbuat demikian, juga semua agama yang menghormati masyarakat awam tidak mungkin boleh membenarkan hal seperti ini.
e) Gangguan kepada pengguna jalanraya yang lain boleh menimbulkan perasaan tidak senang, atau kebencian terpendam antara penganut agama. Seorang muslim mungkin akan tidak puas hati apabila perjalanannya terhenti disebabkan upacara agama lain yang dibuat atas jalanraya raya. Demikian juga perasaan penganut agama-agama lain.
f) Sesetengah upacara keagamaan telah mengotor atau mencemari kebersihan jalanraya yang mengganggu pemandangan orang awam. Juga menyusahkan pihak majlis perbandaran untuk membersihkan upacara agama yang tidak kongsi oleh semua masyarakat itu.
g) Tenaga pihak Polis, Perbandaran, RELA dan berbagai lagi terpaksa digunakan untuk menjaga upacara keagamaan seperti ini. Sedangkan kita tahu bahawa bukan semua anggota-anggota yang bertugas itu seakidah, atau seagama dengan upacara tersebut. Ia boleh mengganggu perasaan dan rasa kurang senang dari masa ke masa.
Dengan alasan-alasan ini, juga beberapa rasional yang lain, saya berpendapat amat tidak wajar jalanraya dijadikan tempat perarakan keagamaan mana-mana agama. Jika perhatian ini cuba diberikan oleh Kerajaan Negeri Pulau Pinang, saya melihat Kerajaan Selangor patut memberikan perhatian yang sama terutama di Kawasan Batu Caves. Ini bukan kenyataan yang berat sebelah, tetapi terpakai untuk semua agama.
Pakatan: Zul Nordin is just stirring up more heat for himself
(Harakah Daily) - Pakatan Rakyat leaders have ridiculed suggestions by troubled Kulim MP Zulkifli Noordin that his PKR party was out to get him as the “lamest of excuses”.
They…
(Harakah Daily) - Pakatan Rakyat leaders have ridiculed suggestions by troubled Kulim MP Zulkifli Noordin that his PKR party was out to get him as the “lamest of excuses”.
They questioned why he did not write in immediately to the disciplinary council for a postponement of his "sentencing", but chose instead to call for a press conference where he had continued to hurl insults at his party and coalition colleagues.
"I can only reiterate that the PKR disciplinary committee is empowered to make independent decisions. If Zul thinks otherwise, he is only disrespecting his own party," PKR strategic director Tian Chua told Harakahdaily.
"The disciplinary board has made its investigations and was due to hear what he has to say before announcing its decision. Whether the panel feels the need to postpone the hearing is entirely up to it," Saifuddin Nasution, PKR secretary-general, told Harakahdaily.
Seeing through his tactics
On Tuesday, Zulkifli told reporters that the PKR disciplinary board had intentionally chosen February 18 and 23 to meet him. He also accused Tian, vice president Azmin Ali and senior leader Zaid Ibrahim of plotting to oust him.
“I wonder why they chose the dates, when PKR knew that I will be in Korea during that period to attend International Leadership Conference with other MPs,” said Zulkifli, adding that he would return only on February 25.
However, those of his colleagues who are familiar with his tactics believe that he already has an idea of the outcome of the board's investigations and has no intention to attend the meeting.
That he had once again tried to drag his party through as much mud as possible only underscored his insincerity and treacherous nature, they said.
“He thinks he is playing smart politics and keeping up the pressure on Pakatan to please Umno but I don’t think anyone is fooled. The number of PKR and Pakatan members who want him sacked definitely far exceed those who want him to stay,” a PKR insider told Harakahdaily.
“If he is entitled to give his views so freely, why can't others? It is also no secret how the majority of Malaysians feel about him either. In fact, the public has spoken and the feedback is quite clear - choose between us or Zulkifli!
"So what is he trying to do now? What is his motive? Why is he trying to prolong his stay in PKR if he is so unhappy? These are considerations that the disciplinary panel must give priority to when they meet. PKR and Pakatan must not allow themselves to be taken in again and again by this sort of political opportunists.”
Back-stabbing, racism
Meanwhile, PKR adviser Anwar Ibrahim apologized for selecting “shaky” candidates to stand for elections. Of late, his party has been bruised by a group of recalcitrant MPs such as Zulkifli, Nibong Tebal's Tan Tee Beng and Bayan Baru's Zahrain Hashim - who have all publicly condemned the Pakatan leadership.
To forestall an embarrassing public reprimand, Zahrain had quit last week. The minimum punishment expected for him, Zulkifli and Tan are suspensions from all party posts and benefits. Some party watchers have even predicted the sack for the trio.
“I feel sad that I asked you to vote for these people - I apologise. Now I have been stabbed in the back,” Anwar said during a PKR’s Chinese New Year open house in Penang.
At Zulkifli's press conference, he had asked for the disciplinary board to reschedule his meeting to either February 28 or any other day between March 1 and 5.
Not only did he claim there was a conspiracy to oust him, he also outraged his Pakatan colleagues by demanding that the disciplinary panel be made up of Muslims on the grounds that his case was related to the use of the word “Allah” by non-Muslims.
“This is another example why PKR must be strict with Zulkifli. Even now he is trying to 'racialize' the issue. He is trying to make people forget that he is being hauled up for lodging a police report against Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad,” a PAS leader told Harakahdaily.
BN, Perkasa protest at Australian mission
Some 250 people from the Barisan Nasional Youth and Malay rights group Perkasa gathered outside the Australian High Commission here today. – Picture by Syed Jaymal Zahiid
UPDATED
By Syed…
Some 250 people from the Barisan Nasional Youth and Malay rights group Perkasa gathered outside the Australian High Commission here today. – Picture by Syed Jaymal Zahiid
UPDATED
By Syed Jaymal Zahiid - The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 17 — The Barisan Nasional Youth and Malay rights group Perkasa gathered separately outside the Australian High Commission here today to protest against 50 Australian MPs who had asked for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to be freed of his sodomy charge.
BN Youth claimed it gathered 600 members headed by chief Khairy Jamaluddin and his Umno Youth deputy, Datuk Razali Ibrahim for the gathering. Khairy later led a delegation to hand over a protest memorandum to High Commissioner Penny Williams.
The crowd had earlier gathered at a nearby restaurant some 200 metres from the mission as early as 8.30 am and later marched towards the building carrying placards, banners with “Don’t Mess With Our Affairs!”, “Jaga Negara Sendiri (take care of your own country)” written on it.
As they marched, the crowd shouted “mind, mind, mind your own business” and “to hell with Australia”.
A Light Strike Force squad was deployed to form a barricade and prevent the crowd from gathering at the mission’s outer compound.
Only Khairy, Razali and MIC youth chief T Mohan were allowed to pass through the barricade.
Khairy later told reporters that he had met Australian High Commissioner Penny Williams to hand over the memorandum, which among others, demanded the Australian government to make their stand on the issue clear.
“We also want an open apology from the 50 MPs and we want them to retract the petition,” he said.
“This act is a clear interference with our internal affairs and an encroachment to our sovereignty and we will tolerate none of this,” Khairy added.
The BN and Umno Youth chief said the Australian High Commission had assured him that their government has no intentions of meddling with Malaysia’s affairs and are not prejudging the ongoing Sodomy II trial, a charge Anwar and other opposition leaders claimed is “trumped up” to kill its surging influence.
Khairy, however, slammed the accusations and said he believed the ongoing trial will take place in a transparent and fair manner unlike what is claimed by the opposition.
The 50 Australian MPs last week said the Malaysian government should drop the sodomy charge against Anwar, who leads the Pakatan Rakyat opposition pact. Anwar is charged with sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan on June 26, 2008.
The former deputy prime minister has denied the charge, the second such charge in 12 years.
Perkasa president and Pasir Mas MP Datuk Ibrahim Ali, who led his own members behind the BN Youth, was less diplomatic when stating his view to reporters outside the Australian High Commission.
Ibrahim said the reason why Michael Danby, the MP who led 49 others to hand in the petition calling for the charge to be dropped, is “supporting” Anwar is because he is a homosexual, a derogatory description leveled against Anwar by his political rivals.
“Birds of a feather flock together.I heard that Danby is a homosexual.” The BN Back Benchers Club (BNBBC) also sent a separate protest note at 11.15 am.
BNBBC deputy chairman Kinabatangan MP Datuk Bung Mukhtar Radin handed over their protest memorandum to Williams.
Bung Mukhtar told reporters that Williams had assured them that the views of Danby and the 49 MPs do not represent the Australian government’s stand.
He also said that the Australian MPs should not be carried away by Anwar’s side of the story. The opposition icon has been vigorously engaging the international media in a bid to woo support. “The case is not approached by the government but Saiful,” said the Kinabatangan MP. “Because the case is not broached by the government so how can they ask the judiciary to drop the case?” he added.
TIGA PULUH JUTA BERGANTUNG PADA SATU LUBANG
Lucah dan meloyakan terjadi kerana pada ketika ini United Malays National Organisation sedang cuba menarik nafas untuk mendapat talian hayat dengan menghidu rapat kepada lubang jubur si Saiful. Udara dari…
Lucah dan meloyakan terjadi kerana pada ketika ini United Malays National Organisation sedang cuba menarik nafas untuk mendapat talian hayat dengan menghidu rapat kepada lubang jubur si Saiful. Udara dari sebiji lubang ini diharapkan akan menyambung kembali nyawa United Malays National Organisation.
DARI JELEBU
Hishamuddin Rais
Akhirnnya perbicaraan Anwar Ibrahim bermula. Ini kes ulang buat. Dalam dunia filem ulang buat ini bukan satu yang pelik dan menghairankan. Banyak filem yang diulang buat. Pengulangan ini kerana pembuatan pertama dianggap berjaya dari hasil jualan tiket.
King Kong - pertama kali dibuat pada tahun 1933. Filem ini diulang buat pada tahun 1976 dengan Minah cun Jassica Lange sebagai kekasih King Kong. Apabila teknoloji komputer berkembang sekali lagi King Kong diulang buat pada tahun 2005.
Psycho – klasik seram - dari kerja seni Alfred Hitchcock dibuat hitam puteh pada tahun 1960. Kemudian pengarah Belanda Gus Van Sant mengulang buat pada tahun 1998. Ulang buat dari kerja Mamat Belanda ini cukup rapi. Dia meniru bingkai demi bingkai kerja seni Mamat Gemok Alfred Hitchcok. Malah dari filem hitam puteh - Psycho telah menjadi berwarna berwarni.
Sayangnya kebanyakan filem diulang buat ini menjadi kantoi dan gagal. Psycho yang diulang buat dilihat sebagai lawak bodoh. Nasib baik pengarah Mamat Belanda itu tidak membunuh diri kerana malu. Jassica Lange menyesal tetapi ketika itu dia belum ada pilihan. King Kong 2005 juga menjadi lawak yang dipenuhi dengan kerja komputer dan bukan kerja membuat filem.
Malah, apabila ada sahaja desas desus sesebuah filem ingin diulang buat akan muncul lawak-lawak mengatakan betapa kurangnya idea dan cerita baru dari Hollywood. Ada pengarah yang akan menyurokkan muka ke bawah bantal kerana malu tidak ingin terbabit dalam kes ulang buat ini.
Warga Malaysia kembali belabon, bersembang dan berbincang apabila mendengar tuduhan terhadap Anwar. Akhirnya satu Malaysia ketawa dan tersenyum. Ini juga satu kes kerja ulang buat.
Tema sandiwara ulang buat ini cukup senang untuk difahami:
Anwar Ibrahim wajib dimasukkan kembali ke dalam penjara. Ini kerana Anwar telah berjaya membawa satu politik baru untuk Malaysia. Politik baru ini telah mengikat satu setiakawan diantara Parti Keadilan Rakyat, Demokratic Action Party dan Parti Islam.
Gabungan setiakawan tiga parti ini dipanggil Pakatan Rakyat. Pakatan Rakyat adalah satu ikatan politik baru yang akan menggantikan United Malays National Organisations dan Barisan Nasional untuk mentabir Malaysia.
Pilihanraya 8hb March 2008 yang lalu telah membuktikan bahawa rakyat Malaysia telah berani dan sanggup menerima satu perubahan budaya politik baru. Dari nisbah kiraaan undi, terbukti majoriti rakyat Malaysia telah memilih Pakatan Rakyat. Ini menjadikan para gerombolan dalam Barisan Nasional terpaksa menahan kentut marah.
Justeru, Pakatan Rakyat wajib ditumpaskan. Satu konspirasi wajib diwujudkan sekali lagi. Konspirassi ini bertujuan untuk menumpaskan Pakatan Rakyat. Jalan pintas untuk memecahkan Pakatan Rakyat ialah dengan memenjarakan Anwar Ibrahim. Khalas. Period. Finito. The End. Fin.
Jika Pakatan Rakyat tidak ditumpaskan maka segala malaon dan pelesit yang selama berpuluh-puluh tahun ini menghisap darah rakyat akan menghadapi masa depan yang amat gelap. Apabila Pakatan Rakyat mengambil alih pentabiran Malaysia maka segala kerja-kerja jahat mereka - harta-harta rasuah mereka - kes samun dan kes bunuh mereka – semuanya akan diadili oleh rakyat.
Justeru kerana takutkan balasan ini - tidak dapat tidak - Anwar Ibrahim wajib dipenjarakan sekali lagi. Apa sahaja yang wajib dilakukan akan dilakukan untuk memastikan Anwar Ibrahim masuk ke dalam sel sekali lagi. Inilah sebenarnya tema ulang buat sandiwara yang sedang kita lihat sekarang.
Kes ulang buat sama seperti kes dalam tahun 1998 dahulu. Seorang protoganis baru telah ditemui. Lokasi baru telah dikenali. Tetapi ulang buat ini masih menggunakan skrip lama. Apa yang telah diubah hanya dailok/kata bual. Dialok kali ini dilihat agak gempaq. Banyak dialok telah diubah suai dan diperbaiki dari kelam kelabut pengucapan kata bual seorang supir yang daya fikirnya sama seperti Zulkifli Nordin. Yang baru datang hanya si Pereka set, si Tukang lampu dan para Pak Pacak.
Manakala yang dibelakang kamera pun masih orang-orang jahat yang lama. Ramai orang-orang jahat ini hampir pencen tetapi mendapat talian hayat untuk membuat ‘the last bottom show’. Jika kerja jahat ini gagal mereka juga akan turut mati oleh serangan bom kentut berjuta-berjuta rakyat Malaysia yang pada hari ini sedang menyimpan gas setelah lama memakan petai jeruk dan pengat labu.
Awas – warga Malaysia wajib sedar – dibelakang semua ini ialah Mahafiraun. Mahafiraun amat sedar jika Anwar tidak dipenjara maka yang akan masuk ke dalam penjara ialah Mahafiraun sendiri. Kes jahat Mahafiraun ini sudah berkepok-kepok. Kalau hendak dihitung tidak cukup pasir dan batu di Telok Kemang. Kalau hendak ditulis – dakwat seluas Laut China Selatan akan kering.
Kalau Anwar tidak dipenjara, Mahafiraun sedar dia sendiri akan tenggelam lemas dalam air ludah rakyat Malaysia. Justeru hari ini Mahafiraun akan melakukan apa sahaja termasuk mencari rambut palsu baru untuk bininya. Semua kerja-kerja jahat Mahafiraun ini bertujuan untuk memastikan Pakatan Rakyat tidak akan dapat mentabir Malaysia.
Apabila Psycho keluar untuk pertama kali pada tahun 1960 dahulu – dunia filem gempar. Berpusu-pusu dan berbaris orang ramai dan kaki wayang datang untuk mengintai buah dada Janet Leigh yang basah dan mongel dalam babak mandi sebelum dia dibunuh oleh Mister Bates - Anthony Perkins.
Apabila Psycho diulang buat tak ada sesiapa yang percaya lagi tentang keupayaan pengarah barunya. Ianya dilihat sebagai lawak seram yang tidak menyeramkan. Pekara yang sama sedang berlaku kepada kes Anwar Ibrahim. Apabila kes Anwar diulang sekali lagi di Mahkamah Jalan Duta kelihatan tidak ada satu babak pun yang akan memeranjatkan warga Malaysia lagi.
Sebenarnya warga Malaysia merasa hiba dan pilu bukan untuk Anwar Ibrahim tetapi untuk pakar konspirasi yang dilihat amat bodoh dan bangang. Warga Malaysia terpaksa bersimpati sedih diatas kebodohan pihak yang merancang konpirasi ini.
Bayangkan betapa sedihnya tanah air kita hari ini. Sebuah negara yang penduduknya berjumlah 30 juta sedang terumbang ambing. Masa depan negara dengan 30 juta warga sedang bergantung kepada satu lubung - lubang jubur si Saifol.
Sedih lagi pilu. Ratap lagi meraung. Lubang sedap Saiful adalah talian hayat untuk Najib Razak. Lubang sedap si Saiful adalah perancang garis eknomi negara kita. Naik turunya Bursa Saham Kuala Lumpur sama seirama dengan tekanan taik dalam lubang jubur Saifol. Sistem pertahanan negara kita ini juga bergantung kuat dengan berapa lamanya taik si Saifol dapat berkumpul dalam lubang juburnya.
Dalam sejarah tamadun dunia pekara ini tidak pernah berlaku. Tiongkok dipertahankan dari serangan Mongol bukan melalui lubang jubur tetapi melalui Tembok Besar China. Alhambra dipertahankan dan berkembang sebagai tamadun bukan melalui lubang jubur tetapi melalui ilmu dan falsafah.
Inilah hakikat yang sedang berlaku ke atas negara kita hari ini. Tidak ada tangisan yang akan dapat mengalihkan hakikat ini. Memang betul - bunyinya amat lucah dan meloyakan. Loya lagi meloyakan. Malu lagi memualkan. Porno lagi menjijikan.
Lucah dan meloyakan terjadi kerana pada ketika ini United Malays National Organisation sedang cuba menarik nafas untuk mendapat talian hayat dengan menghidu rapat kepada lubang jubur si Saiful. Udara dari sebiji lubang ini diharapkan akan menyambung kembali nyawa United Malays National Organisation.
Kita tunggu dan lihat apabila lubang jubur si Saifol ini terbarai setelah tidak terberak selama 52 tahun. Tiga puluh juta warga Malaysia wajib bersedia. Isi-isi dari lubang jubur ini akan bertaburan. Ketawa salah hendak menangis pun kita tidak berair mata lagi.
Kes Qazaf Anwar Ditangguh Hingga 10 Mac
Dari Malaysia Kini
Oleh Abdul Rahim Sabri
Mahkamah Tinggi Syariah Wilayah Persekutuan tetapkan 10 Mac untuk mendengar hujah tiga responden dan Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim berhubung permohonan ketua umum PKR…
Dari Malaysia Kini
Oleh Abdul Rahim Sabri
Mahkamah Tinggi Syariah Wilayah Persekutuan tetapkan 10 Mac untuk mendengar hujah tiga responden dan Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim berhubung permohonan ketua umum PKR itu untuk mendakwa bekas pembantunya, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan atas kesalahan qazaf atau tuduhan palsu berhubung kes liwat yang dihadapinya.
Hakim Mohd Shukor Sabudin menetapkan demikian selepas mendengar hujah peguam kedua belah pihak di mahkamah pagi ini.
Keputusan penangguhan tersebut dibuat kerana peguam Anwar memerlukan masa untuk menjawab afidavit tiga responden tersebut.
Tiga responden yang dinamakan dalam permohonannya Anwar ialah ketua pendakwa syarie, Shamsuddin Hussain; pengarah Jabatan Agama Islam Wilayah Persekutuan, Datuk Che Mat Che Ali dan menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Jamil Khir Baharom.
Tarikh tersebut dipersetujui bersama oleh kedua belah pihak.
Kesemua responden tersebut diwakili tiga peguam, termasuk Zainul Rijal Abu Bakar manakala Anwar pula diwakili lima peguam yang diketuai oleh Kamar Aniah Kamaruzaman.
Anwar memfailkan permohonan qazaf itu pada 9 Julai 2008 di Jabatan Agama Islam Wilayah Persekutuan terhadap Mohd Saiful yang didakwa membuat “tuduhan palsu terhadapnya”.
Anwar, 62, berdepan dengan perbicaraan di Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur terhadap tuduhan meliwat Mohd Saiful, 24, di sebuah kondominium di Bukit Damansara pada 26 Jun 2008.
Ketiga-tiga responden tersebut dinamakan dalam permohonan Anwar kepada Mahkamah Syariah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur untuk mendapatkan perintah dan relif supaya mahkamah mendakwa Mohd Saiful atas kesalahan qazaf di bawah Seksyen 41, Akta Jenayah Syariah 1997 dan/atau hukum Syarak dalam tempoh 14 hari dari tarikh perintah mahkamah.
Anwar juga memohon mahkamah memastikan agar responden kedua dan ketiga, tidak menghalang dan/atau mempengaruhi responden pertama daripada menjalankan tugas dan tanggungjawabnya dalam pendakwaan terhadap Mohd Saiful.
Selain itu, Anwar juga meminta supaya kos permohonan dijadikan kos dalam kausa; relif-relif lain yang mahkamah fikirkan perlu; dan kegagalan mematuhi perintah mahkamah boleh dikenakan tindakan penghinaan mahkamah.
Malaysia's Opposition Coalition in Crisis
(Asia Sentinel) Defections and other problems probably mean the opposition will lose its ability to block legislation requiring a two-thirds vote It is beginning to appear that two-year of experiment…
(Asia Sentinel) Defections and other problems probably mean the opposition will lose its ability to block legislation requiring a two-thirds vote It is beginning to appear that two-year of experiment with a viable opposition in Malaysia is just about over. Malaysian Insider, a Kuala Lumpur-based online news site reported last week that as many as 10 members of Pakatan Rakyat, the unwieldy coalition led by Anwar Ibrahim, could be about to defect.
Even if they don't, the opposition is flailing. Anwar's own trial for consensual sex with a former male aide continues and, given Malaysia's malleable court system, is expected to result in his conviction although appeals could take as long as two years before he is sent to prison. In the latest development, High Court Judge Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah said he could decide by himself whether he was sufficiently neutral to continue to hear the sodomy case. He dismissed Anwar's appeal against his hearing the matter Wednesday afternoon.
The question is where the opposition goes from here. Anwar has been unable to groom any successors, partly because the disparate nature of the three parties in the opposition makes it difficult for anybody to bridge the ideological gap. If he is jailed, it is questionable how long his martyrdom might last. When he was arrested on similar charges in 1998 – which were beyond a doubt trumped up to get rid of him – he led massive rallies in Kuala Lumpur against the government. But once he was imprisoned, the protests ultimately died away.
The major effect of the two-year opposition run appears to be a historic realignment of political parties, with Parti Islam se-Malaysia, with its roots in the rural, poor, fundamentalist northeast of the country. PAS has moved to consolidate its growing power in urban areas, particularly the area surrounding Kuala Lumpur as ethnic Malays are turned off by the continuing money politics and corruption in the United Malays National Organisation. And, say political observers in Kuala Lumpur, ethnic Chinese and Indians are turning to the party as well because of the corruption in their own coalition components.
In addition, too many of the opposition members were simply not prepared to hold office or to govern once they got there, analysts say. Some were disgruntled UMNO members who crossed to the opposition before the March 2008 elections on the opportunistic belief that Anwar, a charismatic leader, could actually gain control of the parliament. Now, the insiders say, since Anwar failed in his attempt to lure enough UMNO members to defect to the opposition, and with Anwar in the middle of a debilitating trial he seems sure to lose, they are looking for ways to cross back.
Problems within the Pakatan coalition, said a senior aide to Anwar, "have been simmering and with the case now in full force, it makes sense for the dissidents to add pressure on all fronts to create as much disunity and instability as possible.”
Whether 10 MPs will defect is uncertain. "I think it's possible,"said the aide. "But I'm sure there is a lot of horse trading going on."
Anwar returned to Penang on Feb. 16 to seek to shore up the coalition, the aide said. Anwar acknowledged in interviews with the local press that he had picked some of the wrong candidates in the 2008 elections.
"I selected the candidates for the parliamentary seats. PKR was new then. We had to field them,"he told reporters.
There has been a steady leakage from the coalition, made up of Anwar's Parti Keadilan Rakyat of urban Malays, the largely Chinese Democratic Action Party, and PAS for months. Last week, Zahrain Mohd Hashim, an MP from Penang state, quit with a blast at Lim Guan Eng, the DAP head of the Penang state government. Malaysia Insider reported that others are to hold a press conference this week to announce their departure from the opposition.
Anwar shocked the Barisan Nasional in March, 2008 elections by leading 82 opposition candidates to victory and taking a stunning 46.785 percent of the popular vote. The opposition won five of the 13 statehouses, including some of the most important and populous ones. It was the first time in the 50-year history of the country that the Barisan had lost its two-thirds majority in the Dewan Rakyat, or parliament.
However, it has been virtually downhill since for the opposition, capped by Anwar's arrest four months after the election on charges that can only be described as dubious. His accuser, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, was examined at two different hospitals by doctors who found no evidence of sexual penetration that would have indicated sodomy. Najib Tun Razak, then the deputy prime minister, acknowledged having met with Saiful before the charges were ever filed. The arrest came just a day after a live national telecast of a debate with Information Minister Shabery Chik in which Anwar basically demolished his opponent.
The question is where the coalition goes now. Forces for the Barisan, led by Najib and the United Malays National Organization, are harrying it on all sides via court challenges, criminal investigations, the Anwar trial and, if the critics are to be believed, offers of monetary inducements to opposition lawmakers to change sides.
Because the three parties are held together only by the glue of opportunism, public disagreements have surfaced repeatedly, often over religious issues, given PAS's fundamentalist underpinnings and what critics describe as the DAP's Chinese chauvinism.
That doesn't mean the Barisan is any better off. The Malaysian Chinese Association, which saw its seats reduced by more than half, has since been nearly destroyed by infighting following sensational revelations of the loss of billions of dollars in the development of Port Klang. The Malaysian Indian Congress has been equally badly hurt by attempts by S Samy Vellu, the party leader, to cling to power. The other ethnic Chinese party, Gerakan, was already inconsequential and reduced even more so.
Najib, however, has worked assiduously to try to put the Barisan Nasional back on track. He has been aided by a modest economic recovery. Corporate earnings were forecast to rise by nearly 14 percent in the year ending in August, meaning a relatively healthy outlook for job growth. The banking system emerged from the 2008 credit crisis virtually unscathed and while it is subject to an alarming level of capital flight, lending for business is sound in a system flush with cash. Najib has brought about some modest reforms, seeking cut back on Malay privileges enshrined in the country's affirmative action program for Malays, known as the New Economic Policy, which has outraged the former prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad, who has put his influence behind a new and growing movement, called Perkasa, which seeks to preserve the so-called Ketuanan Melayu.
Earlier this week, it was announced with considerable fanfare that an aide to a senior UMNO minister had been arrested in Penang on allegations he had been involved as the middleman in a series of approvals of projects, and that at least RM 2 million had been seized. However, the arrest, of a relatively small fish, points up to most people in Malaysia that major corruption in UMNO is being left unaddressed.
In particular, former Selangor State Chief minister Mohd Khir Toyo, a former dentist, has come under repeated criticism over how he was able to buy a vast mansion spread over two entire blocks with a swimming pool and playground estimated to have cost US$10 million on a state salary of RM48,000 (US$2,000) a month.
Khir Toyo said he had paid only RM3.5 million for the sprawling property.
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