ASP Vasantha Kumar in Ops Padam Hindraf. Now forced to reveal his true E3M police special branch status in High Court.

This ASP Vasantha Kumar now has to reply Hindrafs’ Statement of Defence dated 19/2/10 at the Kuala Lumpur High Court.

It would be interesting to see how ASP Vasantha Kumar replies to Hindraf’s Statement of Defence (see Statement of Defence below). We anticipate he sidestepping and diverting away from the whole allegation about he being a police special branch plant in Hindraf and out to cause confusion and to break up Hindraf under PDRM’s Ops Padam Hindraf.

K. Vasu.

DALAM MAHKAMAH TINGGI MALAYA DI KUALA LUMPUR

(BAHAGIAN SIVIL)

GUAMAN SIVIL NO: S 23 – 6 – 2010

ANTARA

VASANTHA KUMAR A/L KRISHNAN …PLAINTIF

(NO.K/P: 731030-02-5591)

DAN

TAMIL SELVAN A/L KRISHNASAMY …DEFENDAN

(NO.K/P: 650719-10-6813)

PERNYATAAN PEMBELAAN

1) Defendan menjawab kepada Pernyataan Tuntutan Plaintif ini tanpa prejudis kepada hak undang-undang dan equiti Defendan untuk membuat permohonan Mahkamah untuk membatalkan Writ Saman dan Pernyataan Tuntutan Plaintif ini dengan kos.

2) Menjawab Perenggan 1 Plaintif telah tidak menyatakan pekerjaannya seperti keperluan undang-undang dan/atau Peraturan Kaedah-Kaedah Mahkamah Tinggi yang lazimnya dimasukkan di dalam mana-mana Writ Saman dan Pernyataan Tuntutan dan meminta Mahkamah yang mulia ini untuk mengambil perhatian kehakiman (judicial notice) dan membuat keputusan yang sewajarnya.

3) Menjawab Perenggan 2, Defendan mengakuinya dan menambah yang beliau adalah salah seorang daripada sepuluh orang pemimpin pusat Hindraf yang telah dilantik menjadi Pengelola Kebangsaan (National Coordinators) oleh Pengurusi Hindraf Waytha Moorthy a/l Ponnusamy.

4) Menjawab Perenggan Ketiga, Defendan menafikan yang terdapat lima ketua dan/atau ahli jawatankuasa Hindraf yang telah ditahan dibawah Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA).

5) Setahu Defendan hanya terdapat seorang sahaja pemimpin / ketua bagi Hindraf iaitu En. Waytha Moorthy a/l Ponnusamy selaku Pengerusi Hindraf dan empat orang Peguam Hindraf yang lain tetapi yang tidak terlibat dalam membuat polisi dan keputusan (policy making and decision making) dan telah hanya menjadi penceramah di forum-forum Hindraf di seluruh negara hanya lebih-kurang tiga bulan sebelum perhimpunan aman raksasa Hindraf pada 25/11/2007 (kecuali P. Uthayakumar).

6) Menjawab perenggan keempat, Defendan menafikan yang Plaintif adalah seorang ketua dan/atau ahli jawatankuasa Hindraf yang telah ditahan dibawah tahanan ISA.

7) Malah Defendan dan/atau mana-mana pemimpin kanan Hindraf dan/atau penyokong-penyokong Hindraf tidak pernah berjumpa atau tidak pernah mendengar nama Plaintif sehingga lebih-kurang tiga bulan sebelum tarikh 13hb December 2007 tersebut. Pada tarikh 13/12/2007 apabila Ketua Polis Negara turut mengumumkan nama Plaintif sebagai salah seorang daripada lima orang pemimpin Hindraf, Defendan terkejut dan terkilan bagaimana Plaintif layak menjadi seorang pemimpin Hindraf apatah lagi ditahan tanpa bicara dibawah ISA dalam tempoh penglibatannya dalam tempoh tiga bulan tersebut dan/atau tanpa dilantik oleh Pengerusi Hindraf dan/atau ahli-ahli Hindraf.

Defendan telah membuat satu carian “Google Search” tetapi telah langsung tidak jumpa sebarang paparan (postings) mengenai Plaintif sebelum 13/12/07 dalam apa bentuk dan corak sekalipun khususnya sebagai seorang pejuang untuk kepentingan masyarakat India walaupun diperingkat akar-umbi apatah lagi sebagai seorang ahli ataupun pemimpin bawahan, pertengahan ataupun atasan sebarang badan bukan kerajaan (NGO) atau parti politik. Saya tidak dapat menafikan yang Plaintif adalah seorang individu yang penuh bermisteri dan masih belum dikenalpasti siapa sebenarnya identity beliau ini walaupun beliau menggelar dirinya sebagai seorang Pemimpin Hindraf. Setahu defendan, Plantif telah layak menjadi kononya seorang “pemimpin Hindraf” dengan semata-mata kononya penangkapannya di bawah ISA pada 13/12/2007.

9) Pertanyaan (Inquiries) Defendan dengan terutamanya ahli-ahli dan pemimpin-pemimpin politik dan NGO di Malaysia juga tidak dapat megenalpasti identiti sebenar Plaintif olehkerana tiada seorang pun yang pernah mendengar nama atau berjumpa Plaintif sebelum kononnya “penangkapan” beliau dibawah ISA pada tarikh 13/12/2007.

10) Dalam membawa kes ini terhadap Defendan, Plantif wajib menyenaraikan kronologi aktiviti, pergerakan, penglibatan dalam NGO dan/atau politik dan tindakannya, kesemua surat-surat, dokumen-dokumen dan memorandum-memorandum kepada pihak berkuasa dalan kes-kes berkepentingan awam dan lain-lain butir-butir peribadi secara terperinci khususnya sebelum tarikh “penangkapannya” dibawah ISA pada 13/12/2007 (yang dinafikan disini) dalam mengesahkan identity dan siapa sebenarnya Plantif dan Plantif bukan seorang yang bermisteri seperti yang dinyatakan oleh Defendan diatas dalam Jawapan kepada Pernyataan Pembelaan oleh Plantif supaya Mahkamah yang mulia ini dapat membuat keputusan yang seadil-adilnya.

11) Pada setiap masa yang material Plaintif telah dan sedang menjadi seorang individu bermisteri (mysterious individual) terutamanya bersabit dengan peranan utamanya terutamanya dalam akbar-akbar harian berbahasa Tamil dengan mengecam, membuat tuduhan palsu dan melulu, mengelirukan masyarakat India di Malaysia dan memecah belahkan mereka dan Hindraf terutamanya P. Waytha Moorthy dan P. Uthayakumar.

12) Defendan menegaskan yang penahanan Plaintif dibawah ISA langsung tidak ada kena-mengena dengan Hindraf terutamanya dengan rekod penglibatnya dalam Hindraf untuk hanya tempoh masa tiga bulan sahaja sebelum kononnya “penahanannya” dibawah ISA pada 13/12/2007.

13) Setahu Defendan tidak ada dalam sejarah Malaysia dimana seseorang individu telah ditahan dibawah ISA dengan penglibatannya untuk hanya tiga bulan sahaja dan yang telah layak menjadi ancaman kepada keselamatan dalam negara dan seterusnya ditahan dibawah ISA.

14) Menjawab perenggan kelima Defendan mengulangi perenggan Ketiga seperti diatas.

15) Menjawab perenggan Keenam Defendan mengakui telah membuat satu kenyataan akbar dalam akbar Makkal Osai.

16) Menjawab perenggan ketujuh dan kelapan Defendan menyatakan yang tidak ada dan/atau tidak terdapat sebarang rujukan kepada nama Plaintif. Tambahan pula hanya perkataan beberapa orang individu yang disyaki dipasang oleh polis dalam Hindraf (suspected police planted guys in Hindraf ) merujuk kepada beberapa orang individu yang telah tidak dinamakan dan/atau dirujuk nama Plaintif dan/atau mana-mana individu telah tidak dinamakan dan/atau dirujuk secara khusus.

17) Menjawab perenggan kesembilan Defendan menafikannya. Defendan menambah yang tidak ada mana-mana bahagian dalam kononya “Pernyataan-pernyataan fitnah tersebut” (yang dinafikan disini) dalam perenggan ketujuh dan juga dalam perenggan kelapan Pernyataan Tuntutan Plaintif yang menyatakan secara khusus dan/atau pun secara tersirat dan/atau memberi gambaran yang kenyataan Defendan adalah balasan kepada pernyataan akbar yang diberikan oleh Plaintif kepada Makkal Osai pada 7/7/2009.

18) Defendan menjawab di sini yang Writ Saman dan Pernyataan Tuntutan Plaintif adalah salah dari sisi undang-undang “frivolous, vexatious” dan penyalahgunaan proses mahkamah yang mulia ini olehkerana Plaintif telah tidak memasukkan nama akbar Makkal Osai yang telah mencetak menerbitkan dan menyiarkan pernyataan-pernyataan yang kononnya fitnah (yang dinafikan di sini) tersebut sebagai satu pihak dalam guaman sibil tersebut.

19) Menjawab perenggan kesepuluh Defendan mengulangi perenggan 15 diatas.

20) Menjawab perenggan kesebelas , keduabelas dan ketigabelas Defendan menafikan yang terdapat fitnah terhadap Plaintif apatah lagi terbitannya kepada orang ramai seperti dalam perenggan kesebelas dan natijah daripada kononnya “fitnah” tersebut (yang dinafikan di sini) seperti dalam perenggan keduabelas dan ketigabelas.

21) Menjawab perenggan keempatbelas Defendan menafikannya dan menyatakan yang tuntutan Plaintif tersebut adalah tidak berasas.

22) Menjawab perenggan kelimabelas Defendan menafikannya dan menyatakan yang tuntutan Plaintif tersebut adalah tidak berasas.

Bertarikh pada 19 haribulan Februari 2010.

…………………………

Peguamcara bagi

pihak Defendan

PERNYATAAN PEMBELAAN ini difailkan oleh Tetuan Kumar Hashimah & Co, Peguamcara bagi pihak Defendan yang beralamat di No.6A, Jalan Abdullah, Off Jalan Bangsar, 59000 Kuala Lumpur.

(Tel: 03-2282 5622 Faks: 03-2282 5245)

(No Ruj: KH/T/229/10 – Selvam Rawang (V)

Symptoms showed Kugan critically ill prior to death

By Syed Jaymal Zahiid - The Malaysian Insider

PETALING JAYA, Feb 19 — Symptoms found on A. Kugan’s body who died in police custody showed the 23 year-old was critically ill prior to his death, the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court was told today.

Dr Baldev Singh Gill, the second witness to a trial of V Navindran, the police constable implicated in Kugan’s death, said upon his inspection found the deceased’s body to be “cool” indicating “sluggish or failing blood circulation” typical of a critically ill patient.

Baldev, a private doctor with the Mediviron clinic, told the court that he was called upon by Navindran to come to the Taipan police station where Kugan was detained and was told by the former that “he (Kugan) looked really sick.”

“When I arrived, I saw the detainee was motionless. I was told that his name was Kugan. I called his name once or twice, shook him to see if I could wake him up,” he said.

Baldev then said upon checking Kugan’s motionless body for vital signs of life, he had placed his arm around his neck and felt that the 23 year-old body was “cool.”

“This is indicative that the death was not a sudden death.. from the symptoms showed, we can presume that he had been seriously ill prior to his death,” said the doctor.

But Baldev, when asked by DPP Lailawati Ali if the inspection conducted by the doctor was subjective, did not answer the question but said the examination, medically termed as “extremities examination”, was a “qualitative and not a quantitative one.”

“This means that the cause of the illness can’t be ascertained at that stage (inspection) but can only be determined by an autopsy,” he said.

Kugan, detained by the police on Jan 15 last year for suspected car theft, was subsequently pronounced dead after no vital signs of life were found said Baldev.

The 23 year-old had been detained several days before he was found dead.

Baldev said Kugan’s body was found sitting up with his back against the wall. His eyes and mouth were wide opened. He further said Kugan had shorts and a tee with orange-coloured stain on it.

He said the stain, which was still wet, looked like vomit and there was urine odour on Kugan’s body. However, no traces of vomit were found around the deceased’s mouth added Baldev.

“I was with a few police officers when I saw him in a small room at the end of a larger room in the police station. There were some tables with some snacks..biscuits on it,” said the doctor in his description of where he first saw Kugan.

“I then told the police officers to contact the call the government hospital mortuary department and get the forensic team to take over,” he added.

Kugan’s death sparked a nationwide uproar. His is not the only death in police custody case. There has been numerous more prior and after his death and the Malaysian police has been facing tremendous scrutiny over the fiasco.

The court will hear testimonies from two more witnesses — forensic photographers — today and Judge Aslam Zainuddin will visit the Taipan police station on Monday.

Pathologist says no evidence Beng Hock was strangled

By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal - The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 19 — A government pathologist who performed the second post-mortem on Teoh Beng Hock last November, told the inquest into his death today that the DAP aide died from a fall, and also disputed Dr Porntip Rojanasunan’s conclusion that he had been strangled or had his anus penetrated before he fell.

Sungai Buloh Hospital Pathology Unit head Dr Shahidan Md Noor, also said that he agreed with the findings of the first post-mortem which was carried out by Dr Khairul Azman Hj Ibrahim and Dr Prashant Naresh Samberkar.

“I think that Dr Khairul and Dr Prashant had executed their tasks very well. It is difficult to find a report as good as that. I agree with their opinions,” said Dr Shahidan.

The post-mortem examination report submitted by Hospital Sungai Buloh attributed the cause of death to “multiple injuries due to a fall from height.”

Dr Shahidan informed the coroner’s court that although there was evidence of bruises and contusion on the neck of the deceased, there were no signs of asphyxia or fracture of the thyroid cartilage.

The doctor’s opinion was that the bruises on Teoh’s neck was not a result of manual strangulation.

He disputed the testimony of Dr Porntip, who was brought in last year by the Selangor state government to offer her expertise.

“I disagree with Dr Porntip. When strangulation takes place, the pressure from the hands on the neck would be different, and would be more consistent on the area of the neck,” when questioned by lead counsel for the Attorney-General chambers Tan Hock Chuan on why he disagreed with the Thai pathologist.

The pathologist from Hospital Sungai Buloh also disputed the foreign pathologist’s take on the injuries on Teoh’s anus and thigh area, maintaining that the injuries were a direct result from the fall.

Dr Porntip had testified on Oct 21 last year that the injuries on Teoh’s anus had been caused by an insertion of a foreign object, and that the injury was not consistent with the fall from height.

Similarly, she also suggested that the abrasions on Teoh’s thigh was likely caused by beating using a piece of wood.

“I think that the anal injury was a part of the fall, as the patterns of injury suggest so. If it had happened prior to the fall, the injuries sustained by Teoh Beng Hock would have been different,” said Dr Shahidan.

He stressed that if Teoh had been assaulted the way Dr Porntip had suggested, the anal injuries would have been more severe.

“The abrasions on the thigh does not suggest a beating but it suggests a process that can only be a result of an injury caused by a fall,” he added.

Excerpts of the conclusion of the post-mortem examination report by Dr Shahidan read out as follows:

“The second examination performed showed that the deceased sustained multiple injuries consistent with that of a fall from a certain height. There were also injuries on the neck which most likely were formed or produced by the impact of the fall. The pattern and severity of them were in keeping with the incident of event.”

Lead counsel for the deceased’s family, Gobind Singh Deo then requested for more time to view the notes taken today with regards to Dr Shahidan’s opinion on Dr Porntip’s testimony.

Magistrate Azmil Muntapha Abbas then fixed March 1 for Gobind’s cross-examination of Dr Shahidan.

Besides that, an additional date of March 10 was also fixed should the cross-examination take up more than a day. After the cross-examination is completed, Kajang councillor Tan Boon Hua will be called to testify.

Teoh’s Tiger baby to be born next week

Soh Cher Wei (right) seen here with the late Teoh Beng Hock's parents in this file photo. - Picture by Jack Ooi

By Debra Chong- The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 19 — Teoh Beng Hock’s family will have something to celebrate in the Year of the Tiger with the birth of his child next week.

“It’s a boy,” Teoh’s younger sister told The Malaysian Insider.

“He’s due to be born next week. His name is yet to be decided by Cher Wei and my parents,” Lee Lan said in a text message yesterday.

The 30-year-old political aide to a Selangor executive councillor had fathered a child with his long-time sweetheart Soh Cher Wei last year.

The couple was due to register their marriage on July 17 when he fell to his untimely death the day before after a night of questioning by anti-graft officers at their headquarters in Shah Alam.

Soh, 28, a primary school teacher, has turned down interview requests following her induction ceremony into the Teoh family last October, asking for privacy.

But Soh is likely to deliver her baby in her hometown Batu Pahat, Johor where she lives with her parents and younger siblings. The Teohs hail from Alor Gajah in Malacca.

The matter of “Baby Teoh” bearing the father’s name on the birth certificate, however, is still undetermined.

Laws in Malaysia require proof that both parents are married or in a case where a child is born out of wedlock, the father must be physically present, in order for the birth certificate issued to carry the father’s name.

While Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is reported to have personally assured the Teohs and Soh and directed the Attorney-General to help the family last year, it is not the policy of the National Registration Department to register the father’s name for a baby born out of wedlock.

Attempts to get further details from Lee Lan mostly went unanswered. The Selangor-based auditor only added: “Will attend Dr Shahidan’s testimony tomorrow.”

Teoh’s death is the subject of an ongoing inquest, which will resume today with Hospital Sungai Buloh chief pathologist Dr Shahidan Md Noor taking the stand.

Dr Shahidan had carried out a second autopsy last November.

The coroner’s court ordered Teoh to be exhumed for a second check after a Thai forensic expert raised doubts over the first-time father’s death from a fall.

Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand, director of the Bangkok-based Central Institute of Forensic Science, had been engaged by the Selangor government.

Earlier in her court testimony, she said Teoh was likely a victim of homicide, contradicting the findings of two pathologists who performed the first autopsy.

MACC officer charged with bribery

SHAH ALAM, Feb 19 — An assistant superintendent with the Selangor Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) was charged in the Sessions Court here today with bribery, involving RM250,000.

M.Mohan, 37, who is charged with two counts of bribery, however, pleaded not guilty and claimed trial to both the charges before judge Azhanis Teh Azman Teh. He is alleged to have solicited RM250,000 from one A.Sinnaiah as an inducement not to proceed with the investigation on him for allegedly bribing officials of the National Registration Department and the Immigration Department.

Mohan is also charged with agreeing to receive bribe of RM200,000 from Sinnaiah for the same purpose. The offences were allegedly committed at the Selangor MACC office, 14th Floor, Plaza Masalam, Jalan Tengku Ampuan Zabedah, E9/E, Section 9 here, between 11am and 1pm on Oct 22 last year

Deputy public prosecutor Mohd Asnawi Abu Hanipah suggested bail at RM10,000 in one surety. Lawyer Ratha Krishnan, who represented Mohan, when requesting for an appropriate bail, said his client, who has a wife and child to support, had been with MACC for 15 years and gave his cooperation during investigation of the case.

Azhanis set bail at RM7,000 in one surety and ordered Mohan to surrender his passport to the court. He set four days, beginning Aug 23, for trial. — Bernama

Malaysian women say caning ‘good’ for them

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 19 — Three Malaysians who became the first women to be caned under the country's Islamic laws said they "deserved" their punishment and that it would help stem sex outside marriage.

The three women were caned for having sex out of wedlock in a move that has angered human rights activists and some lawyers who say the punishments are illegal in this mainly Muslim country that runs parallel civil and Islamic justice systems.

"I deeply regret my actions as I should have married before having sex," the New Straits Times newspaper quoted one of the women who it said was aged 17, as saying in its Friday edition.

The newspaper did not reveal the womens' real names and a picture showed the three clad in traditional Malaysian dress and headscarves seated before reporters.

The 17-year old said that she had become pregnant and gone into labour while at school, losing the baby, and then had turned herself in to the authorities last December.

A second woman said she had to support her family after her father left home and had a three-year-old daughter out of wedlock. She said that she too turned herself in due to feelings of guilt.

All three women were caned on February 9 and the punishments were announced by Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein on Wednesday.

Hishammuddin said they were "carried out perfectly".

The punishment of six strokes of the rattan is carried out while the women are fully clothed and while they are seated. The person administering the punishment is not allowed to raise their arm above shoulder level.

"Even though the caning did not injure them, the three women said it caused pain within their souls," Hishammuddin said.

POLITICAL STRESS

The caning has received widespread support from Muslim groups in this Southeast Asian country of 27 million people where around 55 per cent of the population is Malay and Muslim.

"The guilty have also repented and there is no proof of injuries at all. What is the problem now?" Fadhalina Sidek, vice president of the Islamic Youth Movement was quoted as saying in The Malaysian Insider.

Caning is used in Malaysian prisons for other crimes.

The sentences were, however, criticised by human rights advocates and by some lawyers.

Former law minister Datuk Seri Zaid Ibrahim called Malaysia a "lawless" state on his Facebook page and said federal laws precluded women from being caned.

The canings were carried out at a time when some political commentators have warned of a rising tide of Islamicisation in this traditionally moderate Muslim country.

The government that has ruled Malaysian for 52 years stumbled to its worst ever election losses in 2008 and has lost the support of ethnic Chinese and Indian voters who have been further unnerved by a spate of attacks on churches.

It is now competing for the votes of Malays with an opposition Islamist party that advocates setting up an Islamic state with an Islamic judicial system.

At the same time as the government battles the opposition for votes, it is trying to woo foreign capital to boost economic growth here after foreign investors withdrew US$35 billion (RM119.57 billion) from Malaysian markers between the second quarter of 2008 and the second quarter of 2009.

An earlier caning sentence on a woman for drinking beer that has not yet been carried out triggered concern among foreign investors who questioned Malaysian Prime Minister about the issue when he spoke to fund managers in New York last year. — Reuters

Malaysians are Stupid

By John Doe

For 53 solid years, we have successfully managed to septumize the races. Fo 53 good years, we changed-our-mode enough times, so that the rakyat stayed confused and dumb enough NOT to challenge us. We have ensured that the peasants stayed poor and stupid enough so that they did not know of any alternatives, and were fighting hard just to feed themselves just to survive. The “clang” of your mental Ball-and-Chains delight us with orgasmic thrill.

We habitually showcase over TV all the poor Orang Aslis to reassert that “malays” are poor, even though they are NOT “malay”. Then we dump them back into deep Jungle and tell them to wait “Insyallah” for another 53 years maybe for us to provide them with electricity. They believe us. We also made it illegal for anyone to talk to them, to guarantee that they remain that way; so that we can showcase them on TV again, the next time we need to show poor people.

We successfully told the rakyat that PAS is an Extremist Party. And you silly serfs believed us. You are so dumb. You are also dumb enough to believe that your “gods” are powerful enough to defeat us. Trust me. Your “gods” are useless. They are useless against our Ketuanan. You can scream. You can shout. You can even Parade the streets. Yet, Ketuanan UMNO wins everytime. Why? Because you wont lift a finger against us. You peasants sit in trembling operculum instead, dribbling in your pitiful dank rickety cribs, while we, the Ketuanans, live in oppuletic, opportunistic grandeur. Fed by your tax dollars and your Oil Money. Terima Kaseh.

We have ensured that we have enough “ball-lickers” amongst you. Your exigency at this juncture has left you bemused. A mere trinket of unequivocal enthuse for the opulent “us”. We defile your adytum, demolish them with fire and brimstone. Yet, you delusional mongrels call it “Fate and Destiny”. How wonderful. “Sit, beg, paw and roll-over...” is all you know to do. And you do it well. Here, have a biscuit. We have ensured that we remain “The Hand that Feeds”. Do you dare bite us?

“Give to Caesar...”, your good books tell you. We have read them well. We know how to manupilate your simple minds. Hence, you readily bequeath your gold, silver and your young nubile virgin daughters to our eminent entablatures. We are at liberty to rape, plunder, sodomize and C4 anyone, at will. Yet, you roll out the Red Carpets for us each and every time.

We burn a few more churches; toss a few more boar-heads, and you scamper away, like frightened cockroaches. Your spirits have been quashed. You are domiciled. We have proudly toilet-trained you. We indiscriminately defecate on you; yet, you vehemently thank us. You have become the perfect slaves. A gabion herd of unquestioning imbeciles. Those disenchanted saurians, have either been circumscribed, while other sagacious savages have embarked their magniloquent exodus.

The only thorn in our side is the deviant RPK. We loathe him! He has balls of steel. He takes not our money. He dares to expose truth! He dares to expose our diabolical misdeeds! He is a traitor! And now we cannot find him, despite our best efforts. People acknowledge him to be the Deus-ex-Machina. We tremble at his popularity. He will be our undoing. That simply cannot happen.

The rakyat cannot be educated at all costs! Despite already laying out the Fibre optic cables for 4Mbps. We are stalling! Our Ketuanan Multimedia-Snail-Corridor is only 2Mbps. It is humiliating that Singapore already has 500Mbps. Even their handphones are capable of 100Mbps!!!

The less “smart” the peasants are, the better. Best of all, you don't even know that you are deteriorated squabs. The less you know, the better. We have crippled your ability to speak to foreigners. We happily built vernacular schools specifically for that purpose. We simply cannot lord over those with brains.

And don't you dare tell anyone about this...... Our Ketuanan depends on Stupid Malaysians.

PAS will not field Ibrahim Ali in next general election

“Ibrahim (Ali) is like a parasite, hopping from tree to tree to cari makan (make a living). Whichever tree he is on will somehow die and then he will flutter on to the next,” Wan Rahim said.

Wong Choon Mei, Harakah Daily

PAS will not field Ibrahim Ali, the Perkasa chief who has become notorious for his outlandish and ultra-racist remarks, in the next general election, party leaders said.

“We have known him for a long time. He is most annoying, even irritating but he is just a tin kosong (empty vessel) although people nowadays see him as dangerous to society because of his racist remarks,” Wan Rahim Wan Abdullah, PAS MP for Kota Bahru, told Harakahdaily.

According to Wan Rahim, Ibrahim's the ultra-Malay persona may be due to political expediency rather than any real or deep-rooted belief that the community was still being marginalized and backwards after 52 years of independence from colonial British rule.

“Ibrahim is like a parasite, hopping from tree to tree to cari makan (make a living). Whichever tree he is on will somehow die and then he will flutter on to the next,” Wan Rahim said.

“I saw him recently and advised him to join Umno. But he seems frustrated that Umno hasn’t offered to take him back as a member. In fact, there is already an Umno man going around Pasir Mas servicing the constituents there as though he is the next candidate.

“So it looks like Ibrahim is back to square one, the days before PAS pitied him and lent him our machinery to run under our party flag in 2008. In the next general election, PAS will field a new candidate, so it will really be like 2004 for him when he had to face candidates from both Umno and PAS and lost badly as a result."

The frog king and the dictator

Yet the garrulous Ibrahim refuses to be daunted and is redoubling his efforts to stay in the game. He has changed political parties so many times it has earned him the nickname of being the “Frog King”.

But joke or not, his survival instincts – aided by a super ability to bend facts and/or omit key details - can match even those of his patron, former Umno president and ex-prime minister Mahathir Mohamad.

However, the similarity ends there. Unlike the ruthlessly astute Mahathir - who ruled Malaysia with a fist of iron for 22 years - the more simple-minded Ibrahim may not fully realize the awful dangers that his newly assumed high-profile role can create for his countrymen.

“Perkasa is on a ‘crusade’ to make the entire nation believe that the Malay race is suffering from alienation and erosion of olitical power. Perkasa is quite oblivious of stoking the flames of racial tension and polarization,” said PAS strategist Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad in his latest blog posting.

“Perkasa now insists that the new economic model about to be presented by Prime Minister Najib’s government must continue to defend the ‘Malay agenda’ as it has failed to be achieved in the last 3 decades. They are least concerned as to why it failed and who had actually undermined nay subverted the Malay agenda, amongst others of not achieving the 30% corporate equity."

Said another academic, Dr Lim Teck Ghee, the director of the Centre for Policy Initiatives: “The mentor and ideological godfather of Perkasa is the former PM, Dr Mahathir Mohamad. He endorsed Ibrahim Ali as someone “who is neutral, who is concerned only with good governance, who will criticize 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?”

Irresponsible words

For now at least, Ibrahim’s world view is much less complex than those of his patron and his detractors. He does not even seem to mind being regarded as a goon and as far as he is concerned, only colors matter in his world and these are brown, yellow, black and sometimes white.

“I first came in to Parliament in 1986. I remember, in those days, the non-Malay opposition leaders were of a different class,” Ibrahim said in a speech at a recent Perkasa function.

“But after the 12th general election (in 2008), we have seen the rise of a generation of more ‘biadap’ (disrespectful) opposition leaders. We have the Taiping DAP parliamentarian questioning the allocation for suraus; we have Teresa Kok (the Seputeh DAP parliamentarian) and the azan fiasco.”

“We have Lim Kit Siang and Lim Guan Eng stepping on the pictures of the two Perak Malay lawmakers. If they want to step on the pictures of Chinese photos, it’s up to them but never do it to the Malays.”

On Wednesday, Ibrahim also accused Australian MP Michael Danby of being a homosexual for spearheading a move by 50 Australian lawmakers to censure Prime Minister Najib Razak over Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy trial.

“Birds of a feather flock together. I heard that Danby is a homosexual,” a popular news portal reported Ibrahim as having said.

Danby married his longtime partner, barrister Amanda Mendes da Costa, in February 2008 at the Parliament House in Canberra, the first Jewish wedding to be held in the building. He has two children from his first marriage.

Not only Khairy, Kalimullah also under seige

Wong Choon Mei, Harakah Daily

Beseiged Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin may deny he is being pressured by members of his own wing to step down, but signs are becoming embarrassingly clear that not only he but even his closest associates such as former media boss Kalimullah Hassan are being pushed to the wall.

Through their related NGOs, Umno has already begun firing salvos at Kalimullah, the former group editor-in-chief at the New Straits Times, accusing him of using undue influence to obtain a RM900 million government contract.

“We have conducted an investigation into the allegations and as far as we are concerned, the evidence against him is quite strong," Azwanddin Hamzah, president of the Umno-backed Jaringan Melayu Malaysia, told reporters.

Against the PM, the Sultans, Islam and the Malays

The JMM also said it would give Kalimullah a week to rebut the corruption accusations, otherwise it would lodge a police report against him.

Azwanddin also accused Kalimullah as being the power behind popular news portal The Malaysian Insider. He further claimed that The Malaysian Insider had published articles that were against Prime Minister Najib Razak, the Sultans, Islam and the Malays.

"Kalimullah is the hidden hand behind the news portal's attack on Najib, Islam and the Malays. The funding for The Malaysian Insider actually comes from Regalia Solutions," alleged Azwanddin.

“Most recently is an article in The Malaysian Insider which insults the royals. We take these attacks seriously as they involve national security and unity.”

All is well in Umno Youth or is it?

Meanwhile, Khairy has denied speculation that the Umno executive committee had met Najib to discuss their unhappiness with his leadership.

“Of course there has been a lot of speculation regarding today’s meeting, I have read on various online portals, but you have to understand that firstly, our meeting with the prime minister today, was just a coincidence that it took place after various speculation surfaced,” Khairy told reporters late on Wednesday evening.

“It has nothing to do with the last exco meeting, it was not a meeting to solve a crisis because there was no crisis, it was very clear that today’s meeting was about our future direction.”

At the previous exco meeting, several Youth members including Putrajaya deputy Youth chief Hishamuddin Yahya had point-blankly asked Khairy to step down if he could not lead the party effectively.

Their main grouses are that Khairy has shied away from taking the ultra-Malay rightist stand that is traditionally espoused by Youth leaders.

THE AUSTRALIAN MPs

1. A perception seems to prevail in the so-called developed countries that the developing countries like Malaysia cannot possibly understand justice and the rule of law. Accordingly, from far off and without knowing enough about the cases involved, they are fond of passing judgement and demanding for extra democratic actions to be taken e.g. by the Government telling the court what to do.

2. The demand that the Government of Malaysia stop the trial of Anwar for sodomy is typical of the arrogance that suggests the White Australia Policy is still alive and kicking. The desire to be the Deputy Sheriff of East Asia is still there.

3. I have written elsewhere about the killing of Indian students. The Members of Parliament would do well to coach their people not to be violent racists.

4. They should also remind themselves of the genocide perpetrated against the aborigines, whose country it was, before they were casually shot to death to make way for White settlers.

5. There have been quite a number of Malaysians who had been convicted of sodomy. There was no outcry from Australia or anybody else. Do Australian MPs subscribe to inequality before the law wherein big shots should not be charged for breaking the law where small shots can be charged with impunity? Malaysia does not subscribe to people being unequal before the law.

6. I suspect (and of course I am always suspicious) that there is a desire for regime change on the part of the MPs. They want to install their own man as head of the Malaysian Government. Can I say that it is not democratic and illegal for a foreign country to install their own candidates to lead Governments in any country? Of course they can ignore such niceties.

7. Anwar can make his bid when his time comes but it is for the Malaysian people to decide if he is fit to form the Government of this country.

The Islamic state we deserve?

thenutgraph.com

ON 9 Feb 2010, history was made in Malaysia when three Muslim women were caned at Kajang prison for "illicit sex", a syariah offence. Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said the caning was done according to the law, and claimed it "did not result in any wound on [the women's] bodies".

Hishammuddin must have thought this a trivial matter because he only bothered to inform Malaysians about it nine days after the women were caned. He also insinuated that it was all "systems go" for beer-drinking model Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno to be caned, and that Malaysians should not "misunderstand" or "play up" the issue.

Therefore, according to Hishammuddin, the following rules now govern Malaysian citizens:

People can and will be punished secretly; the government can choose to inform citizens later when it pleases.

Muslims can expect their private lives and personal morals to be subjected to endless scrutiny from now on. Non-Muslims need not worry. Yet.

A particular interpretation of Islamic laws is increasingly part of Malaysia's political terrain. If citizens question why this is so, then they "misunderstand" and want to "play up" the issue.

Here's the rub. The international community, including Muslim scholars, regards caning as a form of cruel and degrading punishment. Additionally, research shows that caning is not an effective deterrent, not even for violent or sexual crimes. Yet Hishammuddin's argument is that it is acceptable and even Islamic for the state to use it as a form of punishment.

If it were acceptable and Islamic, why did he take so long to inform Malaysians about this historic round of caning? It is important to remember this is not the first time Hishammuddin has opined that the government's secrecy on its human rights violations is justified.

KartikaThe larger question then is, how are Malaysians going to respond to these human rights violations in the name of Islam? How exactly do we want the practise and politics of Islam to evolve in Malaysia?

The matrix

How indeed have large sectors of Malaysians been responding to issues relating to Islamic crime and punishment?

In September 2009, PAS Youth defended the whipping sentence against Kartika. Their reasoning was that she was not the first person or woman to be whipped under Islamic law in Malaysia.

According to them, PAS-led Kelantan has been whipping people for syariah offences since 1997. PAS Youth then went on to accuse the parties who questioned Kartika's whipping as "slandering Malaysia's religions institutions".

Lest we dismiss this as the default response of an Islamist party, it must be noted that Johor Baru Umno Youth and Wanita Umno also lodged police reports against those who questioned the sentence. It thus seems that in syariah-related matters, the line between Umno and PAS is blurred, no matter what their respective leaders claim.

In fact, even Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), with Malay-Muslim Malaysians as its core constituency, is coy when it comes to syariah-related matters.

It would be easy to dismiss these positions held by PAS, Umno and PKR as mere political party rhetoric. But in Malaysia, political Islam is reinforced time and again through the Umno-controlled media and PAS party organ, and unelected institutions such as the monarchy, the courts, religious enforcers and even the police.

Imagine, in November 2009, it was the Kuantan Syariah Court Registrar — not even a cabinet minister or the attorney-general — who asserted that there were no legal impediments to caning Kartika.

It seems not to matter to these Malaysians that other Islamic scholars disagree with this focus on "Islamic" punishments. Advocates of syariah punishments in Malaysia now justify their positions by pointing towards the perpetrators' willingness to be punished.

But this is unconvincing, given the larger political climate now in Malaysia, where those who disagree with official policies on Islam are threatened and censured.

The country we deserve

What would a snapshot of political Islam in Malaysia today show us? That our biggest political parties are vying to see who can most effectively push for a particular interpretation of an Islam-compliant — if not entirely "Islamic" — state.

It would also show that syariah-based punishments are being meted out in secret, condoned by the government of the day. And it would show religious bodies — both official and vigilantes — stepping up their efforts to clamp down on syariah-related offences, as interpreted by the state.

These layers of political Islam are mutually enforcing, and could soon pose a threat to Malaysia's democratisation. Just look at theocratic Iran. It has comprehensive legislation focusing on private morality. For example, adultery is punishable by flogging, hanging or stoning. The state-appointed religious leaders uphold these laws mercilessly and brook no dissent. They recruit paramilitary officers, the Basij, to police the morals of Iranians. As armed recruits, the Basij are also called upon to use unthinkable violence to break up pro-democracy movements and anti-government demonstrations.

A police officer and Basij (plainclothes, right) arresting a young man in front
of Iranian parliament, 2009 (Pic by Hamed Saber / Wiki commons)

Of course, Malaysia is not Iran. Not yet. In Iran, the Islamic revolution's heirs are now feeling the effects of having their private lives scrutinised and then punished in the most brutal ways. They are risking their lives and taking to the streets to protest what they see as a corrupt religious dictatorship.

In Malaysia, there are virtually no mass protests when Islam is politicised to violate citizens' rights. In fact, even when certain civil rights groups protest, they are quickly threatened by the state and other "Islamic" organisations, and do not seem to gain much public support.

So in Malaysia at least, Islamist advocates of syariah punishments are truly getting the country they deserve. The question is, what about the rest of Malaysia?

An Unhappy Chinese New Year?

By Martin Jalleh

A Chinese new year has dawned. The PM declares that Malaysian Chinese should be more daring to help build a more dynamic 1Malaysia. Such a dramatic invitation by Najib is made against the dark and depressing background of jarring discordant voices by Umnoputras which the drums and deafening firecrackers fail to drown out and exorcise.

We hear the disturbing insult of all the Ahmad Ismails labelling the Malaysian Chinese “immigrants” and “squatters” and adding that they have no right to equal treatment with the Umnoputras – who just happened to migrate here a little earlier than the rest of us.

We hear the deranged Nasir Safars spitting on us in 1Malaysia seminars with their vile claim that our mothers and grandmothers came here to sell their bodies, whilst never mentioning how the Umnoputras sell their principles, souls and even the country away.

We hear the devious speeches of Umno “intellectuals” in the Biro Tatanegara such as the ridiculous claim of a Chinese conspiracy with Singapore, when the Malays are disunited, to topple the Malay government, when very obviously the BTN courses are meant “to promote certain government leaders” (Nazri Aziz) and to protect, perpetuate and preserve their political power!

We hear the disgraceful racist rant of all the Abdul Rauf Yusohs in closed-door Umno functions abroad and at home calling non-Malays “‘bangsa asing” and accusing them of “trampling on the Malays in ‘Tanah Melayu’”, when the glaring reality is that of Umnoputras trampling on each other and on ordinary Malays to grab and gobble the largest piece possible of ‘Tanah Melayu’ that is left!

We hear the despicable and highly racist hysteria of Perkasa whose president Ibrahim Ali has hopped back as the saviour of the hapless Malay by waging war against the supposedly avaricious Chinese, whilst hiding the fact that the real enemy of the Malays are people like him and his cohorts who have been Umno’s self-serving sycophants who suck up to the powers that be to satisfy their insatiable greed.

We hear the dementiated views of Dr M claiming (without any substantiation, solid evidence or statistics) that the Chinese are the real masters of the country – when in reality it is he, his cronies and a few Chinese capitalists whom he had created who are the real “tuans”. He is also the real mastermind of Umno’s racist policies – the “Father of all racists” as Nazri Aziz has crowned him!

We hear the disgusting attempts to make the Chinese the scapegoat of Malay poverty when for the last 39 years of the NEP it was the Umnoputras who have squeezed and bled this country dry, siphoned and stashed their ill-gotten gains overseas and sent their children abroad to study in premier schools, whilst deceiving, denying and depriving the poor Malay of what was due to them.

We hear the deafening silence of the Umnoputras on the many bail-outs, buy-outs and the mind-boggling billions wasted and still more which went missing without being accounted for or anyone held responsible for, especially during the Mahathir years, and which goes on unabated till today, whilst the Chinese are accused of getting richer at the expense of the Malays!

We hear the derogatory remarks of Umnoputras against the Chinese newspapers while Umno-owned English and Malay papers, especially the Utusan Malaysia, are allowed to go on a spree of spinning falsehood, spouting lies, spewing seditious articles and spreading what Nazri Aziz calls “outdated racist propaganda” with impunity and immunity by the Umno Home Minister.

We hear the diabolical voices in Umno who politicise religion for the party’s survival by creating unfounded fears and insecurities amongst Muslims, deepening distrust of adherents of other religions and derailing sincere efforts at inter-religious dialogue whilst declaring those who detest their devious ways as anti-Islam and anti-Malay.

We hear the desperate attempts by Umnoputras to manufacture imaginary threats and bogeymen such as the Chinese wanting to conquer this country from the Malays, the Christians hell-bent on confusing and converting every Muslim and even the CIA having covert operations here! Alas, Umno can only survive with a siege mentality which Khairy Jamaluddin had urged it to abandon.

We hear the deceiving hypocrisy of Umnoputras who portray themselves as the protectors of the Malays to revive their comatosed political careers, and when in actuality Malay rights have always been outlined, stated and guaranteed clearly by the Federal Constitution (Professor Dr Abdul Aziz Bari), i.e., the Malays do not need further protection from Umno or the likes of Ibrahim Ali!

We hear the Umnoputras’ drummed-up danger of the Malays losing their rights – when they in fact control all the (Malay) institutions, dictate all laws and policies, own all the state-owned companies, GLCs (Petronas), banks and national assets and resources and are accorded priorities and privileges when it comes to properties, public contracts and scholarships! If indeed the Malays do lose their rights – it is to the Umno elite!

We hear the delirium of the Umno warlords who are drunk with power, warning non-Malays not to push the Malays too far (who is pushing?) or they would go amok, create a bloodbath and start another May 13 “or Feb. 13”, when it is obvious that such intimidating threats of thuggery and mob violence are meant to defend “the most corrupt institution in this country” (Lim Kit Siang), Umno!

We hear Najib’s voice spurring the country towards oneness, but will it be silenced by Umno’s cacophony of racism? Will the PM show spine, substance and nerves of steel and stop the mounting dissonance by the Umno warlords, government officials and extremist groups like Perkasa or will he be satisfied in being a sloganeer and somnolent PM and meet the same tragic fate as his predecessor?

We hear Najib’s invitation to the Malaysian Chinese to be more courageous, committed and to contribute to a more dynamic 1Malaysia. At the same time Umnoputras are allowed to gamble away the country by playing the racist card to the hilt! Is this part of Najib’s charade and chicanery of “concrete change” on Chinese New Year’s Day? If it is, he and Umno will not last very long.

China Says Obama Hurt Ties By Meeting Dalai Lama

The Dalai Lama speaks to the media after meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, U.S. Secretary of State, outside his hotel in Washington, February 18, 2010. REUTERS/Joshua RobertsBy Ben Blanchard

TONGREN, China, Feb 19 (Reuters) - China accused U.S. President Barack Obama of "seriously damaging" ties between the two powers by meeting the Dalai Lama and said it was now up to Washington to put relations back on course.

Obama held a low-key meeting in the White House on Thursday with the Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled leader, in the face of wider tensions with Beijing over U.S. weapons sales Taiwan, China's currency policies, trade disputes and Internet censorship.

Beijing responded with predictable vehemence.

"The U.S. act amounted to serious interference in Chinese domestic affairs, and has seriously hurt the feelings of the Chinese people and seriously damaged China-U.S. relations," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said in a statement on the ministry website (www.mfa.gov.cn).

The United States should "immediately take effective steps to eradicate the malign effects" of the meeting, said Ma.

"Use concrete actions to promote the healthy and stable development of Sino-U.S. relations," he said.

Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Cui Tiankui "lodged solemn representations" with U.S. Ambassador Jon Huntsman, the official Xinhua news agency said.

Chinese Communist troops marched into Tibet in 1950. The Dalai Lama fled in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule, and has since campaigned for self-rule from exile.

Beijing accuses the Dala Lama of fomenting unrest and seeking to split Tibet from China. The Dalai Lama says he is merely seeking greater autonomy.

Beijing did not threaten retaliation, and its angry words echoed many past statements about the Dalai Lama meetings with foreign political leaders.

But the dispute could complicate Obama's efforts to secure China's help on key issues such as imposing tougher sanctions on Iran and forging a new global accord on climate change.

"This certainly isn't the first meeting between a U.S. president and the Dalai Lama, and so both sides knew what was coming and China's response reflected that," said Jin Canrong, an expert on China-U.S. ties at Renmin University in Beijing.

"But I think it's too early to say tensions have passed. There's still the U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, and there are also disputes over trade and the currency that could escalate."

Washington has complained that China has skewed trade flows in its favour by holding down the value of its yuan currency. China regards self-ruled Taiwan as a breakaway province.

In the predominantly Tibetan region of Tongren in northwest China's Qinghai province, monks expressed their support for the Obama meeting, saying they celebrated the event with a large firework display.

"This is great news for the Tibetans," said Jokhar, a local monk. "We don't care that it makes the government angry. It makes us very happy that Obama met him."

Tsering, a Tibetan celebrating the lunar new year on Thursday, smiled when he heard the meeting was about to take place.

"It lets us know we have not been forgotten," he said.

Obama encouraged China and the Dalai Lama's envoys to keep up efforts to resolve their differences through negotiations, despite recent talks having yielded little progress.

Live - Teoh Beng Hock inquest resumes

The Teoh Beng Hock inquest resumes today, with the second autopsy report to be presented.

By Anil Netto

Austin plane crash was deliberate, officials say

(CNN) -- An Austin, Texas, resident with an apparent grudge against the Internal Revenue Service set his house on fire Thursday and then crashed a small plane into a building housing an IRS office with nearly 200 employees, officials said.

Federal authorities identified the pilot of the Piper Cherokee PA-28 as Joseph Andrew Stack, 53.

Two people were injured and one person was missing, local officials said. There were no reported deaths.

A message on a Web site registered to Stack appears to be a suicide note.

See iReport photos and videos from the scene

"If you're reading this, you're no doubt asking yourself, 'Why did this have to happen?' " the message says. "The simple truth is that it is complicated and has been coming for a long time."

In the lengthy, rambling message, the writer rails against the government and, particularly, the IRS.

See text of the note (PDF)

"I saw it written once that the definition of insanity is repeating the same process over and over and expecting the outcome to suddenly be different," the online message says. "I am finally ready to stop this insanity. Well, Mr. Big Brother IRS man, let's try something different; take my pound of flesh and sleep well."

Two people were transported to University Medical Center Brackenridge, said hospital spokeswoman Matilda Sanchez. She could not provide additional information.

University Medical Center Brackenridge is the only Level 1 trauma center for adults in Austin.

St. David's Medical Center, the other major hospital in the area, said it had not received any patients.

Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell said one person remained unaccounted for Thursday afternoon.

Witnesses described an infernal scene that shook nearby buildings and sent fire and smoke bellowing into the sky.

"I just saw smoke and flames," said CNN iReporter Mike Ernest. "I could not believe what I was seeing. It was just smoke and flames everywhere."

The crash occurred around 10 a.m. (11 a.m. ET).

Firefighters used two ladder trucks and other equipment to hose down the blaze at the Echelon office building, which police said is in the 9400 block of Research Boulevard.

The flames seemed mostly extinguished about 75 minutes later.

The FAA said preliminary information indicated the plane departed Georgetown Municipal Airport north of Austin about 9:40 a.m. CT.

Jack Lillis, an attendant at Georgetown airport, said initial indications are that the flight originated there but there were conflicting reports and he could not verify that information.

Are you there? Share your photos, video, stories with CNN

The pilot evidently did not file a flight plan, the FAA said. No flight plan was required because flights Thursday morning were under visual flight rules, or VFR, because of clear weather.

Leffingwell downplayed any possible terrorism links to the crash.

"It is an isolated incident," the mayor said. "The people of Austin, the people of the nation, are in no danger whatsoever."

He added that "there is evidence that the gas tank was just about full. ... That amount of gasoline ... can do a lot of damage."

Two F-16 fighter jets were sent from Houston as a precaution, but federal authorities said preliminary information did not indicate any terrorist connection to the crash.

"We do not yet know the cause of the plane crash," the Department of Homeland Security said in a release. "At this time, we have no reason to believe there is a nexus to terrorist activity. We continue to gather more information, and are aware there is additional information about the pilot's history."

Liwat: Keputusan hakim tarik diri 25 Mac

Najib's invisible hand in PPP turmoil? - Malaysiakini

The People Progressive Party's (PPP) mess appears to be getting messier with the prime minister's name being dragged into the fight with the accusation that he backed the emergency meeting held last year which split the party.

The person who leveled the charge is former party treasurer general, S Muthulingam who believes that the meeting called by T Murugiah had the blessing of premier Najib Abdul Razak.

"I believe he (Najib) backed him (Murugiah) in holding the EGM as claimed by Murugiah," he said in an interview today with Malaysiakini, in response to Najib's reluctance to remove the latter as deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department.

"Maybe he is the prime minister's blue-eyed boy," said Muthulingam (right) sarcastically who wants Najib to step in and resolve the party's crisis.

He was commenting on the PPP's leadership tussle between incumbent president, M Kayveas and sacked party vice president, T Murugiah.

Murugiah declared himself as party president in May 2009 via an EGM with the support of 1,762 delegates.

It resulted in PPP being split into two factions, led respectively by Kayveas and Murugiah.

Meanwhile, the party's former youth chief, R Elann Govan who flipped back to the Kayveas camp claimed that he had attended the arbitration session between Murugiah and the Registrar of Societies.

"The method is wrong as the party was not represented at the hearing by Kayveas," he said.

The High Court is expected to decide the case on March 1.

Kugan´s death: Trial begins, first witness testifies

The police have the right to initiate investigations on any crime suspects, the Sessions Court was told today.

ASP Rodney Pasla Harris, 31, of the Taipan police station in Subang Jaya, who is the first witness in the trial, said the investigations would begin once approval was granted by an investigating officer.

Harris, who is from the serious crime branch, said the number of policemen assigned to pursue a case would depend on the seriousness of the case.

The Taipan police station is not equipped with a lock-up, he told the court during the examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Abazafree Mohd Abas.

"Normally, a suspect is held in custody at the Puchong Jaya police station and will be brought to the Taipan police station for questioning before being sent back to the lock-up," said Harris.

Police officer in the dock

Harris is the first witness at the trial of a constable with the Subang USJ police station, V Navindran, 28, who was charged with causing grievous hurt to A Kugan, 23, who died while in police custody.

The offences were allegedly committed at the interrogation room of the D9 office of the Taipan police station at 7am and 4pm on Jan 16.

Navindran, who is represented by PM Nagarajan, faces two alternative charges of causing hurt to Kugan at the same place and time.

Kugan was detained by the police on Jan 15 on suspicion of being involved in a car theft but died several days later.

Judge Aslam Zainuddin will visit the Taipan police station on Monday.

The trial continues tomorrow with testimonies from a doctor and a police photographer.

- Bernama

'Don't interfere with Makkal Sakti' - Malaysiakini

The youth wing of the Malaysia Makkal Sakthi Party (MMSP) is against the intervention of a third force in its current political turmoil and wants only the party members to decide on the party's future political direction.

Its national youth chief K Ramu (right) told Malaysiakini today that the internal problems faced by the four-month party should be decided only by the members and there should be no interference from outside forces including Umno.

“Only members who gave birth to the party should have the final say in its fate and a third force interfering in our internal matters will only worsen the political scenario,” Ramu reasoned.

Premier Najib Abdul Razak had given his blessings to the party on Oct 10 last year.

However, the executive council members soon became unhappy with the party president RS Thanenthiran's political direction and revolted against him.

Two factions

This led to a split in the party with Thanenthiran heading one faction while the other was headed by party deputy A Vathemurthy and a stormy war of words began between the two factions with allegations and counter-allegations.

This led to each of the two factions claiming control that eventually led to a civil suit being filed against the Registrar of Societies and Thanenthiran for alleged falsification of the party constitution without first getting the approval of the party central committee.

Ramu is a grassroots youth leader and played a major role in recruiting youths into the party.

This youth leader had high hopes of the party replacing the banned Hindraf movement to cater for the needs of the Indian community in the country.

However, his dreams were shattered when internal squabbling lead to the split in the party and now he wonders whether the correct leader was selected to lead the party to greater heights.

He alleged that Thanenthiran (left) had initially basked in the political limelight of the party's birth but then did not carry out any programmes for the benefit of the Indian community.

“The Indian community in the country is rudderless now as there is no dedicated or committed community leader who can really uplift the social and economic status of this marginalised group.

The problem is that most of the so-called Indian leaders in the country give priority to their own political and personal agendas rather than championing the cause of the sidelined community,” he lamented.

This has resulted in the Indian community being in the doldrums and neglected for the past 52 years, he added.

Tanah Sekolah Tamil Ladang Rini diduduki pendatang asing Indonesia dan UMNO roboh Sekolah Tamil sediaada.

Skudai, Feb 2010- Sekolah Tamil Ladang Rini kini berhadapan dengan masalah tanah. Selepas Ladang Rini turut menjadi habuan projek pembangunan sekolah tersebut telah diroboh dan bangunan sementara telah didirikan bersebelahan dengan Lima kidai oleh Syarikat Mutiara Rini. Pada tahun 2004 kerajaan telah memperuntukkan tanah seluas 6.1 ekar kepada Sekolah ini. Pada 12hb Oktober 2007 satu Jawatankuasa pembinaan bangunan sekolah telah ditubuhkan. Pada 22hb Jun 2009 sebuah papan kenyataan pembinaan sekolah tersebut telah didirikan atas tanah yang diberi dan satu upacara telah diadakan dengan kehadiran Ketua mandor samy velu dan mandor Johor Balakrishnan. Tetapi yang menghairankan adalah tanah seluas 6.1 ekar yang diberi kepada sekolah tersebut telah dibiarkan dihuni oleh warga Indonesia. Siapa yang membenarkan mereka untuk tinggal di sana masih menjadi tanda soal ibubapa pelajar Sekolah Tamil ladang Rini. Kerajaan UMNO harus mengambil tindakan sususlan secepat mungkin dengan mengarahkan warga Indonesia tersebut dari terus menetap di tanah sekolah tersebut. Pihak kerajaan UMNO juga harus mengambil tindakan segera bagi menyelesaikan masalah bangunan sekolah yang tetap yang dihadapi sekolah ini demi menjamin kecemerlangan akademik murid keturunan india di sekolah tersebut. Rujuk (Makkal Osai 18/2/2010 di muka surat 6 dan Malaysia Nanban 18/2/2010 di muka surat 5).

HRP: Seperti biasa tiada sebarang surat secara bertulis atau geran 6.1 ekar tanah yang telah diberikan kepada sekolah tamil ini. Keadaan ini juga berlaku kepada lebih kurang 90% daripada 523 sekolah- sekolah Tamil di Malaysia. Oleh kerana pihak yang menjadi mangsa adalah masyarakat keturunan India. Dengan ini ianya membolehkan kedua- dua kerajaan UMNO dan juga Kerajaan Negeri PKR, DAP dan PAS “mencuri” semula tanah sekolah tamil, kuil hindu, kubur hindu dan kampung- kampung India sesuka mereka dan terus menzalimi dan menganiaya masyarakat India di Malaysia.

S.Jayathas