Death sentences sparks protests in Kashmir

 

Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir (CNN) -- Anti-India protesters clashed with Indian security forces Friday in Indian-administered Kashmir after a New Delhi, India-court handed down death sentences to two Kashmiris convicted of a 1966 bombing in a Delhi market that killed 13 people.

Another Kashmiri was sentenced to life in prison in the case.

The separatist group All Parties Hurriyat Conference called for a general strike that shut down city shops and businesses and and threw everyday life out of gear.

Indian paramilitary, central reserve police force (CRPF) troopers opened fire in the Nowshehra area of the capital city, wounding Manzoor Ahmad, 48, who was leaving of a mosque after offering Friday prayers, according to police.

"Manzoor was immediately evacuated to hospital where a team of doctors operated upon him," city police chief Javed Riyaz told CNN.

"The area had earlier witnessed a stone pelting incident," he added.

Indian police used batons and teargas to disperse stone pelting mobs shouting anti-India slogans in various parts of the capital city.

The mobs protesting the sentences took to streets despite severe security restrictions curbing pedestrian and vehicular movement in several sections of the city.

Indian police and paramilitary troops were deployed early in the morning in the old city areas to maintain law and order and prevent outbreak of violence.

Reports from Baramulla and Sopore in northern Kashmir and from the south Kashmir town of Anantnag said police there also used batons and teargas to quell violence as protests erupted.

Police detained Mohammad Yasin Malik, a senior separatist leader and chairman of the pro-independence Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), and placed another separatist leader and chairman of the moderate All Parties Hurriyat Conference under house arrest.

'Gossips' are not facts, Anwar tells Najib

By Rahmah Ghazali
SUNGAI BUAYA: A sarcastic Anwar Ibrahim hit out at his bitter rival premier Najib Abdul Razak last night for believing in "gossips" rather than facts over the "secrets" spilled by  former PKR defectors Zahrain Hashim and Zulkifili Nordin.

Speaking to a 3,000 strong crowd littering a football field here  he said Najib should not be believing  "gossips" told by "people who have just jumped ship".

Anwar was alluding to the “secrets” divulged by his two controversial and outspoken former PKR men – Zahrain (Bayan Baru) and Zulkifli (Kulim Bandar Bharu), who had joined Najib on his trip to the US.

The "secrets", according to Najib, contained sordid details regarding Anwar and his party and how they had planned character assassinations against him (Najib).

"Now we know his secrets inside out, sampai seluar dalam dia pun kita tahu," Najib had told a crowd at his first ceramah in Hulu Selangor on Wednesday.

Last night a sarcastic Anwar, threw a line at the crowd: “Apa rahsia dia sampai seluar dalam saya pun dia tahu? (What is the secret… so detailed that it reaches  my underwear?)".

"Those guys (Zahrain and Zulkifili) who told him just jumped ship. They just got 'married' to the fact that they are Independent, you can't really trust them," said the maverick politician.

Najib should have instead investigated the allegations first rather than jumping to conclusions about it, Anwar pointed out.

"As a prime minister, he should know how to differentiate gossips from facts. Investigate first then only you believe in what you hear.

"But he makes his own conclusions right after hearing these two who have just defected from the party," added Anwar.

The ceramah here last night was also attended by opposition bigwigs PKR vice-president Azmin Ali, secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution, DAP MP Anthony Loke and the PKR's candidate Zaid Ibrahim.

The event was also made to welcome the party new members including former Sungai Besi MCA elected  MP Farw Seong Than, 60, who said that "he had lost confidence in the party leadership for a long time".

The party also welcomed the new membership of the son of former deputy prime minister Abdul  Ghaffar Baba, Tamrin Abdul Ghaffar.

Ibrahim Ali: Why I like Kamalanathan

KUALA KUBU BARU – Politics indeed makes strange bed fellows, Perkasa's Ibrahim Ali has now given his reasons for supporting Barisan Nasional's P Kamalanathan...their mutual love for the Constitution.
"I was told that if I'm a true Malay leader I should support the Malay candidate from PKR," he said, referring to his fellow Kelantanese, Zaid Ibrahim who is facing Kamalanathan in the Ulu Selangor by-election tomorrow.
Speaking to a crowd at the former Felda settlement in Sungai Buaya, Ibrahim said that anyone who "defends the basic founding principles of this country that we have been defending for the past 50 years will receive Perkasa's support."
"Better to support Kamalanathan who upholds the constitution than another Malay who rejects our constitutional foundation," he said, alleging that Zaid had previously questioned the special position of the Malays.
He reiterated that Perkasa was not a racist organisation and its support for Kamalanathan, an Indian, was a proof of Perkasa's openness.
Hugging rules
Ibrahim also defended his action in allowing Kamalanathan to hug him, saying it was a local custom.
"Nik Aziz hugged (DAP's) Lim Kit Siang, Lim Guan Eng. This is Malaysian culture, a sign of friendship, I'm not racist," he said.
"And what is wrong with Kamalanathan hugging me, maybe he hugged me because he wanted me to fight for the Indians," he added.
Ibrahim, who contested under a PAS ticket in Election 2008, also slammed Pakatan Rakyat (PR) for using Perkasa to scare the non-Malay voters.
He also warned the villagers that a PR victory in the by-election tomorrow would lead to strife and a period of uncertainty.
"If Pakatan wins here, for the next two years until the general election, they will do nationwide road shows telling people how the people have rejected BN and how they are going to take over the country," said Ibrahim.
"The government's efforts to improve the economic situation, to attract more foreign investors will be made difficult," he added.
The by-election tomorrow is the 10th in the country since Election 2008, when PKR won the seat by a slim majority of 198 votes.

Letter to Indian voters in Hulu Selangor

The talk in the coffeshops these days is: Indian votes are cheap and easy. Just throw them some crumbs and no matter how you treat them, they will keep quiet.

The actions by some within UMNO recently and MIC's inability to stand up to them shows that this is not merely talk.

By Vijay Kumar Murugavell


Greetings Dear Voter,

Soon you will decide at the ballot box who gets the Hulu Selangor parliamentary seat. Should the Indians vote for BN/MIC, let us consider the following: -

First, let us be realistic - whether Pakatan or BN wins, Hulu Selangor is not going to be transformed into a land of gold and honey. Neither will it change the State or Federal governments. There is however an opportunity for the Indian community to send the right message at the national level.

The question is, who can provide better and fairer governance while giving you due respect? Since this election will determine a parliamentary seat, it is also about national issues.

An MP's job is to represent you in Parliament, not take care of uncollected rubbish and street lamps. What is the purpose then of State Assemblymen and the Municipal Council then?

There are many instances where MIC did not stand up for your rights in Parliament, they were just not brave enough to confront big brother UMNO.

For example, what did MIC do in 1988 when they amended article 121(1A) of the Federal Constitution? This has led to numerous custody, body snatching and child custody problems when one parent converts. Because of this article, many cannot even get justice, never mind if MIC says that in 1988 it could not foresee such repercussions. But in December 2007, Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang called on Gerakan and MIC leaders to propose at the Cabinet meeting that Article 121 (1A) of the Constitution be amended in view of the controversies relating to the burial of Muslim converts. He said the Cabinet should be bold enough to consider an amendment to rectify the injustices which were never intended to be created by Parliament when the constitutional amendment was enacted in 1988. Did MIC do anything at all about this?

Indira Gandhi took her fight to the civil courts to nullify her children’s conversion and to get custody. On March 11 this year, the Perak state High Court judge gave her custody of the youngest child, overturning the Syariah Court order. Her joy was however shortlived because the abovementioned article became a stumbling block.

This subservience by MIC has reached a state where even the MIC candidate picked to contest in Hulu Selangor is seen as meddling by UMNO. The question is, if MIC cannot even defend their right to pick a candidate, how can they defend your rights?

The Indians have largely voted for BN from independence until they joined a broadbased revolt and denied BN its two-thirds majority on Mar 08, 2008. Though MIC boasts about having 600,000 members, they could not even garner 200,000 of the popular vote. MIC suffered heavy losses but acted like it was only a temporary setback and gave vague promises to reform itself. Are you satisfied with the reforms so far?

Have they been able to be brave enough when certain factions within UMNO insulted the community? Despite incidents that degraded the Indian community like the Kugan case and the cow-head incident in Shah Alam,
the Indians in Bagan Pinang gave BN overwhelming support in the by-election. However, after that, we still have incidents like the PM's special assistant saying Indians came here as beggars and numerous other statements that either went unpunished or unchallenged.

If BN wins in Hulu Selangor especially under the current circumstances, it is likely that UMNO will become even more arrogant.

The talk in the coffeshops these days is: Indian votes are cheap and easy. Just throw them some crumbs and no matter how you treat them, they will keep quiet.

The actions by some within UMNO recently and MIC's inability to stand up to them shows that this is not merely talk.

MIC is fond of saying that though many Indian parties have come and gone, they are still standing since 1946. What they don't tell you is MIC blocked IPF's entry into BN and took credit for MMSP's work in Bagan Pinang. If MIC was so effective, why did the current and former PM show open public support for MMSP?

MIC also talks about rejuvenating with a line-up of young people but the President and many delegates are way past their expiry date.

MIC will also point out that some Indians are unhappy with the Selangor Pakatan government. Granted, they are not perfect but you must ask yourself whether any Pakatan leaders made derogatory remarks and treated the Indian community with such disdain as some within BN?

Is the Selangor MB Khalid as arrogant and corrupt as Khir Toyo? The Pakatan government is two years old and promised to help all including Indians. MIC is 60 years old supposedly exclusively there to uphold the rights of the Indians. But beyond talk, they have not been able to show much results.

The MIC/BN representative P.Kamalanathan who was handpicked by UMNO with ZERO experience in Parliament unlike veteran Zaid Ibrahim who was one of the rare ones to resign from his position as a Minister because he was unhappy with the way Teresa Kok, Tan Hoon Cheng and Raja Petra Kamaruddin were arrested under ISA. Zaid did this because he was a man of principle.

P.Kamalanathan said this in his blog :
"The MIC is aware of the grave responsibility such a position entails as is doing and will continue to do all that is needed and that is best to further spur the growth of the Indian society in Malaysia. The party will continue to be the beacon of the community in safeguarding their interests and unearthing opportunities for the community’s social, financial, economic, cultural and academic well being."

Is this not the same thing they repeated over the last 12 general elections over half a century? Look at the fate of our children today. Have your voices been heard? Do you want this to happen to your grandchildren as well? They may not be as lucky if you continue to succumb to BN like MIC.

UMNO will love to have such a candidate in Parliament who just maintains status quo and does not challenge them - what more when he owes his candidacy to UMNO - even if before this he could speak his mind it will be unlikely after this.

When you cast your ballot on April 25th 2010, please think carefully about the repercussions of your vote. This is your right as a citizen but this right also comes with a heavy responsibility.

I am not from any political party but just an ordinary citizen who wanted to share my opinion with you.

Happy voting

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Why does GT resources have to bail out MAIKA Holdings, and not the BN Government themselves – like with the Deposit Taking Co-operatives, Bank Rakyat, MAS, Syarikat Perkapalan.Bank Bumi, Renong

The manipulations of the Indian poor continues in the MAIKA fiasco.This is yet another attempt at pre-election promises and then nothing as always. Do not be fooled.

By Naragan

The MIC/UMNO/BN leaders have decided on the following directly or indirectly:

1) The MAIKA Shareholders will be reimbursed their investments in MAIKA – a ringgit for a ringgit.

2) The company GT resources will be the vehicle which will buy back all the shares of MAIKA from its current shareholders.

3) On May 1st GT resources will make that ringgit for ringgit offer for the entire RM106 million stake.

4) The key player in GT resources Gnanalingam gave an assurance that MAIKA shareholders will get back their investments within three months of the offer or the 31st of July 2010.

There is a problem with each of these propositions.

Let me quote Gnanalingam, “We thought a fair system would be to pay back all the shareholders what they have invested even though the company is now valued at only RM85 million.” NST 23rd April 2010 front page

Contrary to what he said, the ringgit for ringgit payback is only an illusion, it is actually only 25 sen for a ringgit payback. From 1984 MAIKA has not paid any significant dividend to its shareholders.

In 1987 the Government did a bailout of the 24 Chinese Deposit Taking Cooperatives (DTC) for 1.5 billion ringgit and paid out a ringgit for a ringgit to 588,000 members, mostly Chinese. But the DTCs paid out regular dividends. A ringgit for ringgit under those circumstances was reasonable. Now, if the MIC/UMNO/BN wants to bail out the MAIKA shareholders on the basis of a ringgit for a ringgit then it should pay 4 ringgit for each ringgit of investment, as MAIKA has not paid any significant dividend all these 26 years.

Otherwise they must say that they are only paying back a quarter of the money invested by the largely poor 66,000 odd shareholders and not a ringgit for a ringgit and create an illusion of equity when in fact they have lost 3 quarters of their investment.

When the BN Government can directly bail out the DTCs in 1987 for RM1.5 billion on a true ringgit for ringgit basis, they should do the same here. They use a private vehicle of GT resources for this purpose to deflect that responsibility.

This tactic aids the Government from accepting any responsibility for the problem, for the loss encountered by the Indian poor due to a program of one of its component parties. MIC did this in response to the NEP of the 1980s where large scale channeling of the National resource went into vehicles like the PNB and created significant dissatisfaction among the Indians and the Chinese. To counter this, UMNO encouraged the formation of ethnically orientated capital mobilization vehicles. Arise Multipuprose Holding, arise MAIKA. UMNO/BN has a direct hand in the formation of MAIKA holdings and in inviting all the Indians in the country to invest in what appeared as a PNB/ASN type scheme. But MAIKA obviously was no PNB.

When they bailed out the DTCs or all the failed BUMI owned companies, the BN UMNO Government accepted responsibility outright, they did not use white knights companies. What is so special about this situation that you need a white Knight? Think about the “niat” in all this.

Because Indians do not really matter, the best way to deal with them is the cheapest way. Something necessary must be done, but what is the cheapest or most expedient way of doing this? – that is the niat. Whenever it comes to Indian issues, you will see this pattern and these things are very visible during election times. The facts in this case here speaks volumes about that.

In any case, we do not think that the GT resources will make the offer on the 1st of May 2010 to buy back the shares from MAIKA shareholders. This is a Hulu Selangor Election gimmick. Just you wait and see. This is no more than gimmick. If this is not so, then they can issue a legally binding document to this effect. But they do not. Either the MAIKA Holding Management to its shareholders and put it up on the website or from GT resources to MAIKA holdings and put it out on the MAIKA website. They will surely not do this as we see this as just a pre-election gimmick.

Also, we do not think that the shareholders will get their cheques by the 31st of July 2010 as Gnanalingam is assuring. All this is just to simply delude. There is no firm commitment to any of this. This is exactly what we have seen all these 52 years from the MIC/UMNO/BN politicians. Just the same theatrics.

Naragan

Hulu Selangor assessment and strategies

thenutgraph.com

Felda Sungai Tengi settler, Mohd Zaini Hamdan

NO doubt about it. The fight for the Hulu Selangor parliamentary seat is located within the Malay Malaysian community. Ceramah rhetoric on both sides has been geared towards raising emotive issues for this electorate. Barisan Nasional (BN) harps about Datuk Zaid Ibrahim's liberal ways and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's alleged sodomy. And Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) flogs the Apco-Jewish issue, among others.
But BN's character assassination of PKR's candidate for Hulu Selangor, Zaid, and PKR's de facto leader, Anwar, may not influence Malay Malaysian voters all that much, especially those who see Umno as being a hypocrite. "Datuk Zaid, masa dia minum tu, dia dengan Umno. Dia tertekan orang Umno untuk minum bersama-sama. Ada tekanan, kan kita ikut?" reasons Sungai Tengi Felda settler Mohd Zaini Hamdan.

Idrus, a resident of Kampung Keliang, outside his house

Likewise, Kampung Keliang resident Idrus brushes aside the campaign mudslinging. But it doesn't mean he will vote for Zaid. "Minum arak ke, main judi ke, itu semua taruh ke belakang. Masa dua tahun ini, apa PKR buat untuk kami? Tiada!" Idrus, who would only give his first name, says in 2009, he eventually had to repair his zinc roof by himself because PKR didn't, despite promising help.
Are any of these decisive factors for Malay Malaysian voters? And what of the Chinese and Indian Malaysian voters?
Voters' profile
The 34,020 Malay Malaysian voters in Hulu Selangor make up 53% of the total number of 64,500 voters. In the 2008 general election, this group gave PKR only 45% of its vote.
This explains why Umno in Hulu Selangor was keen to field an Umno candidate after a ground survey showed that MIC frontrunner, Datuk G Palanivel, was unpopular. Their assessment was likely supported by the fact that it was Malay Malaysians who were the split voters in 2008. These voters supported the BN at the state level but denied the coalition at the parliamentary level.
That was how BN candidates were elected into the three state constituencies in Hulu Selangor but the parliamentary seat itself was won by the late Datuk Dr Zainal Abidin Ahmad from PKR.

Zaid with estate workers in Ladang Sungai Jernih, Kerling

PAS, whose party members are focusing their campaign in the Felda and rural villages, projects that PKR needs at minimum, 40% of the Malay Malaysian vote in order for Zaid to scrape through. This is a drop from its share in 2008, concedes party research chief Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, who acknowledges the BN campaign's strength.
"It's crucial that Chinese [Malaysian] votes must increase to 70% or more to cover up the loss among Malay [Malaysians] if the Indian [Malaysian] vote stays the same," Dzulkefly tells The Nut Graph.
Chinese Malaysian support for PKR is expected to remain or even increase. At the same time, pundits think Indian Malaysians will be the deal-breakers come polling day tomorrow on 25 April 2010; the 2008 results showed they were split 50-50. But Indian Malaysians can only be the deciders if BN is confident of the greater share of Malay Malaysian votes. Mid-week during the campaign, unofficial readings of ground support among Malay Malaysians were around 60:40 in favour of BN.

Kamalanathan getting a pat on the back from Dr Mahathir at a ceramah on 22 April

That explains Pakatan Rakyat (PR)'s strategy in shuttling PAS's spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat to campaign. It also explains why BN roped in former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad for a spot on the stump.
Both men are persuasive crowd-pullers. But in the end, were the issues raised in the Hulu Selangor campaign of any substance? And how relevant were they to constituents?
Weighing the choices

Father and child in a Felda settlement.
Which way will Malay Malaysian
voters go?

Certainly, the issues of justice, and good and corrupt-free governance that PKR raised are relevant to any citizen. But two years after PR was elected to run the Selangor government, some Hulu Selangor residents say not much in their daily life has changed. BN, meanwhile, has been trumpeting its 52 years of development achievements. As for long-term policies, it says a vote for BN is a vote for 1Malaysia and for Vision 2020.
Both sides have made campaign promises for the constituency, including to the Orang Asli who are usually sidelined and ignored. The promises and goodies clearly show how a federal opposition party in power at state level can be no different from the ruling party in wooing voters with state resources.
Still, it will take more than a new highway interchange, drainage systems and one-off handouts to change the economic fortunes of ghost towns like Bukit Beruntung and Bukit Sentosa.
How about the candidates?
In terms of the candidates, BN newcomer P Kamalanathan added to his relative obscurity by refusing to take a stand on issues such as the Internal Security Act (ISA), affirmative action or broader national issues. PKR's Zaid is a former Umno minister, a seasoned politician and lawyer. He is known as a principled man who resigned from the cabinet to protest the government's use of the ISA, which allows for indefinite state detention without trial.

Kamalanathan chats warmly with an elderly Umno member who came to listen to
Dr Mahathir's ceramah on 22 April

Kamalanathan, however, sparkled on the campaign trail, embracing voters warmly with an infectious enthusiasm. In contrast, Zaid was observed to be relatively detached.
Zaid's admission to drinking alcohol and owning a race horse was targeted by BN campaigners. At the same time, Kamalanathan's apparent kissing of Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's hand, defence of Perkasa, and dismissal of Hindraf were cited by PR as evidence that Kamalanathan was in Umno's pocket.
Left to be seen
Yet, all these might be no more than the media's chase for stories. Come polling day, there are other considerations as to how voters will vote.
If the split voting mentality prevails, will the Umno faithful, who believed their party deserved the seat instead of MIC, vote against Kamalanathan? This will strengthen Umno's claims to the seat in the next general election. Or will they support the MIC candidate now that it isn't Palanivel? Will the fact that the prime minister is also Selangor Umno liaison chief influence their vote?

A Felda Sungai Tengi settler. Felda schemes are government initiatives and voters here
are traditionally supportive of BN

For the fence-sitters, will they believe the BN's development promises, or PKR's? Will voters be swayed by Kamalanathan's friendliness or look past Zaid's stiffness?
PKR won Hulu Selangor with a slim majority of 198 votes in 2008. Barring any other tactics in the hours before polling tomorrow, a razor-thin margin is again possible whichever side wins.
For who knows the minds of voters? Unfortunately for Malaysian democracy, what seems likely from the past week's campaign is that the rural majority will vote less on principles, and more on sentiments and promises.

Said Zahari: Anwar Musuh Utama UMNO dan Perdana Menteri

Dari TVSelangor.com

Kerajaan UMNO-BN pimpinan Najib Tun Razak akan menggunakan apa jua ruang yang ada untuk “menyerang” keperibadian Ketua Pembangkang, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim kerana beliau adalah musuh politik utama UMNO dan Perdana menteri .

Bekas Ketua Pengarang Utusan Melayu Said Zahari berkata, Umno tidak akan melepaskan peluang menggunakan seluruh kekuatan media dan institusi kawalannya untuk memburukan Anwar.

Malah UMNO menggunakan pilihanraya Hulu Selangor bukan untuk menangani isu-isu setempat tetapi untuk mencantas Anwar dalam apa cara sekali pun.

Anwar menjadi sasaran poster-poster dan risalah yang mengaibkan di pilihanraya kecil Hulu Selangor.

Hari ini Utusan Malaysia milik Umno melabelkan Anwar sebagai boneka Israel pula selepas beliau mendedahkan kerajaan UMNO-BN mengupah syarikat Zionis Apco serta polis menggunakan khidmat pakar-pakar Zionis untuk merombak sistem keselamatannya.

Akibat pendedahan itu yang dibuat lemgkap dengan dokumen, Umno membawa usul supaya Parlimen mengenakan tindakan displin terhadap Anwar.

Beliau boleh digantung dari Dewan Rakyat susulan daripada usul yang di bawa oleh Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Nazri Aziz.

“ Musuh politik yang pertama kepada pemerintahan Najib sekarang ini ialah Anwar. Biapun PKR sekarang ini menghadap macam-macam isu, dia punya MP cabut, letak jawatan, lompat dan sebagainya, tapi Anwar merupakan ahli politik nombor satu kepada pentadbiran Najib sekarang” kata Said.

“Pada pandangan saya, Barisan Nasional sekarang mencari apa juga alasan untuk memburu Anwar dan ini masanya untuk mereka kerana sekarang sedang berjalan kempen pilihanraya kecil” tambah beliau lagi.

Said, berkata usaha berterusan UMNO dan Najib membunuh kredibiliti Anwar berpaksi kepada keinginan UMNO untuk terus berpaut kepada kuasa.

“ Apa yang saya lihatlah, memang mereka punya target ialah Anwar sebab kerajaan sekarang, Najib melihat musuh politik yang besar kepada pemerintah kepada pentadbiran Najib ialah Anwar. Jadi apa-apa juga isu yang boleh mencemarkan Anwar sekarang ini, apa lagi kalau boleh menjatuhkan Anwar, mereka akan gunakan” tambahnya lagi.

Said berkata pengundi di Hulu Selangor tidak harus terperangkap dengan taktik umno menyerang anwar bagi menutup kegagalan parti itu untuk menunaikan janji-janji membangunkan kawasan itu

“Isu-isu setempat mereka tidak besar-besarkan, pembangunan di kawasan setempat, di konstitusi itu mereka tidak timbulkan. Tetapi timbulkan isu yang seperti ini, apa ertinya?

“Mereka menggunakan tempoh berkempen ini untuk kepentingan politik mereka, parti besar menentang Anwar. Sebab isu-isu dan pada masa-masa lain, susah hendak digunakan untuk menentang Anwar” ulas beliau lagi.

Call for public inquiry as Najib’s denial of Rosmah’s role in media censorship of ntv7 news talk resulting in resignation of senior producer Joshua Wong lacks credibility

The denial of Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak that his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor had a role in the media censorship of ntv7 news talks show “Editor’s Time” resulting in the resignation of senior producer Joshua Wong lacks credibility.

If Najib is convinced that Rosmah is not involved, he should set up a public inquiry to clear Rosmah’s name and convince Malaysians that he is not setting a new precedent where the Prime Minister’s wife is assuming the de facto role of a Super Minister spanning various ministries by openly intervening in public and government affairs.

Does Najib agree that any involvement of the Prime Minister’s wife in the media censorship of ntv7 talk show resulting in the resignation of Joshua Wong is completely unacceptable and undesirable?

Does Najib agree that the Prime Minister’s wife should not abuse or misuse her position and influence and should stay clear of politics and public affairs, unless she enters the political arena in her own right seeking and securing elected public office for herself?

DAP Senator Tunku Abdul Aziz will raise the important issue of ntv7 media censorship when the Senate meets next week.

Home arrow News arrow Legal/General News arrow Suhakam: Arrest of five lawyers a violation of human rights * * Malaysian Bar Web Ads * Malaysian Bar Web Ads * Malaysian Bar Web Ads * Malaysian Bar Web Ads * Malaysian Bar Web Ads * Malaysian Bar Web Ads Suhakam: Arrest of five lawyers a violation of human rights

The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: The arrest and detention of five Legal Aid Centre lawyers when they assisted their clients involved in an illegal assembly last year, was a clear violation of human rights, said Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam).

The commission found that the arrest under Section 27 of the Police Act 1967 was not justified or necessary.

The lawyers were not present at the scene to participate in the cause of their clients, but were simply performing their duties as legal practitioners in defence of the 14 people arrested, said Suhakam in a 42-page decision read out by chairman Datuk Seri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah at the commission headquarters here yesterday.

On May 7 last year, lawyers Fadiah Nadwa Fikri, Murnie Hidayah Anuar, Puspawati Rosman, Ravinder Singh Dhalliwal and Syuhaini Safwan were arrested at the precincts of the Brickfields police station and de­­tained overnight when they went to the station to assist 14 people who had earlier participated in a candle-light vigil. The group of 14 protested on the arrest of blogger Wong Chin Huat under the Sedition Act.

Suhakam felt the violation was mainly committed by Brickfields CID chief Deputy Supt Jude Pereira and Brickfields police chief Asst Comm Wan Abdul Bari Wan Abdul Khalid.

The commission had listened to testimonies by witnesses and viewing various video footage of the incident.

Suhakam, however, did not come up with any recommendation on disciplinary action on the two police officers.

The inquiry was conducted by a panel led by Muhammad Shafee and assisted by fellow commissioners Datuk Dr Michael Yeah Onn Kheng and Datuk Dr Denison Jayasooria.

10,000 ceramah crowd boosts Pakatan hopes - Anil Netto

LIVE discussion on this blog today from 4.00pm to 5.00pm

Some 10,000 people turned up for a PKR ceramah at Sungai Buaya in Hulu Selangor last night, seemingly supporting the optimism in some PKR circles of a favourable result.

The crowd packed an area the size of a football field. For details, go here.

Another 2,000 turned up for a PKR Chinese dinner in Rasa last night.

A PKR MP told me he was confident of a positive result. “On paper, there is no way we can lose.” But he cautioned a lot would depend on how smooth polling day is tomorrow, especially if the 13,000 voters, whose polling stations have been changed, can find their correct polling centres.

I asked him about reports that the BN holds the edge, and he replied, “That has been our strategy (to let them believe they have the edge).” Presumably, to avoid complacency and to go in as the underdog.

His sense of the mood in the kampungs is that Pakatan is only trailing the BN marginally, but if all voters were taken into account, then victory was within reach.

But hasn’t there be an erosion in support for Pakatan since the last general election?

“Any erosion in support would be more than compensated by the gains we have made, for example, in the Orang Asli areas,” he pointed out, citing the favourable response to campaign events organised for the Orang Asli to support his assertion.

An intellectual associated with PKR, however, had a contradictory view and sounded disillusioned. “I think it (the seat) is gone. They (PKR) had two years to look into the issues, but they neglected it. They knew the guy was ill, but what did they do during the two years? Look Selangor is the jewel in the party’s crown.”

What sort of issues? “Drains, water, land titles – they have left it until too late.”

So two different views here. What do you think?

Nik Aziz goes all out to defend Zaid

We can get youth votes in Felda

Dr M's cross-hairs on Zaid's race horses

Sodomy II: Anwar appeals against 'qazaf' decision

Dr Xavier: It's a tough fight

Hiburan MIC di KKB

Hulu S’gor: Why does GT resources have to bail out MAIKA Holdings, why not the BN Government themselves as in all the previous bailouts like the Deposit Taking Co-operatives,Bank Rakyat, MAS, Syarikat Perkapalan.Bank Bumi, Renong etc. And why is there no written commitment about any of the offer yet – why only press statements.

The manipulations of the Indian poor continues in the MAIKA fiasco.This is yet another attempt at pre-election promises and then nothing as always. Do not be fooled.
The MIC/UMNO/BN leaders have decided on the following directly or indirectly:
1) The MAIKA Shareholders will be reimbursed their investments in MAIKA –a ringgit for ringgit.
2) The company GT resources will be the vehicle which will buy back all the shares of MAIKA from its current shareholders
3) On May 1^st GT resources will make that ringgit for ringgit offer for the entire RM 106 million stake.
4) The key player in GT resources Gnanalingam gave an assurance that that MAIKA shareholders will get back their investments within three months of the offer or the 31st of July 2010.
There is a problem with each of these propositions.
Let me quote Gnanalingam, “ We thought a fair system would be to pay back all the shareholders what they have invested even though the company is now valued at only RM 85 million.” NST 23^rd April 2010 front page
Contrary to what he said, the ringgit for ringgit payback is only an illusion, it is actually only a 25 sen for a ringgit payback. From 1984 MAIKA has not paid any significant dividend to its shareholders.
In 1987 the Government did a bailout o the 24 Chinese Deposit Taking Cooperatives (DTC) for 1.5 billion ringgits and paid out a ringgit for a ringgit to 588,000 members, mostly Chinese. But the DTCs paid out regular dividends. A ringgit for ringgit under those circumstances was reasonable. Now, if the MIC/UMNO/BN wants to bail out the MAIKA shareholders on the basis of a ringgit for ringgit then it should pay 4 ringgits for each ringgit of investment, as MAIKA has not paid any significant dividend all these 26 years.
Otherwise they must say that they are only paying back a quarter of the money invested by the largely poor 66,000 odd shareholders and not a ringgit for ringgit and create an illusion of equity when in fact they have lost 3 quarters of their investment.
When the BN Government can directly bailout the DTCs in 1987 for RM1.5 billion on a true ringgit for ringgit basis, they should do the same here. They use a private vehicle of GT resources for this purpose to deflect that responsibility.
This tactic aids the Government from accepting any responsibility for the problem, for the loss encountered by the Indian poor due to a program of one of its component parties. MIC did this in response to the NEP of the 1980s where large scale channeling of the National resource went into vehicles like the PNB and created significant dissatisfaction among the Indians and the Chinese. To counter this UMNO encouraged the formation of ethnically orientated capital mobilization vehicles . Arise Multipuprose Holding, arise MAIKA. UMNO/BN has a direct hand in the formation of MAIKA holdings and in inviting  all the Indians in the country to invest in what appeared as a PNB/ASN type scheme. But MAIKA obviously was no PNB .
When they bailed out the DTCs or all the failed BUMI owned companies the BN /UMNO Government  accepted responsibility outright,they did not use white knights companies. What is so special about this situation that you need a white Knight.Think about the “niat” in all this.
Because Indians do not really matter the best way of dealing with them is the cheapest way. Something necessarily must be done, but what is the cheapest or most expedient way of doing this – that is the niat . Whenever  it comes to Indian issues you will see this pattern and these things are very visible during election times. The facts in this case here speaks volumes about that.
In any case, we do not think that the GT resources will make the offer on the 1^st of May 2010 to buy back the shares from MAIKA shareholders. This is a Hulu Selangor Election gimmick. Just you wait and see. This is no more than gimmick. If this is not so, then can they issue a legally binding document to this effect, but they do not. Either the MAIKA Holding Management to its shareholders and put it up on the website or from GT resources to MAIKA holdings and put it out on the MAIKA website. They will surely not do this as we see this as just a pre-election gimmick.
Also we do not think that the shareholders will get their cheques by the 31^st of July 2010 as Gnanalingam is assuring . All this is just to simply delude. There is no firm commitment to any of these schedules. This is exactly what we have seen all these 52 years from the MIC/UMNO/BN politicians. Just the same theatrics.
Naragan





(refer NST online)

Maika payout by July 31

2010/04/23
By R. Sittamparam
news@nst.com.my
KUALA LUMPUR: Westports executive chairman Tan Sri G. Gnanalingam has emerged as the “white knight” who will take over Maika Holdings Bhd, the failed MIC investment vehicle.
The highly-respected Indian businessman will on May 1 make a ringgit-for-ringgit offer for the entire RM106 million Maika stake through the newly-formed entity, GT Re sources.
Gnanalingam gave an assurance that Maika shareholders would get back their investments within three months of the offer.
He hoped to close the Maika saga with the recovery of its RM85 million funds, on resolving its financial liabilities and assets within six months.
Established in 1982 to enable Malaysian Indians to par ticipate in the country’s economic growth, Maika had failed to produce the required results.
The company’s failure to provide returns to shareholders has remained a major problem for the MIC and the Indian community over the past 26 years.
MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu’s son, Vel Paari, is the company’s current chief executive officer.
“I’m no ‘white knight’ but I feel it’s my duty as a responsible Indian businessman to come forward to resolve this long- standing problem for the sake of shareholders,” Gnanalingam said at a press conference yesterday.
“This is also in line with my role as co-chairman of the task force set up by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to identify and monitor issues concerning the Indian com munity, among which was to find a solution for the Maika shareholders.”
Gnanalingam said some shareholders had sold off their shares for 30 sen to 50 sen while the present shareholders were willing to sell their shares for 50 sen.
“We thought a fair system would be to pay back all the shareholders what they have invested even though the company is now valued at only RM85 million.”
Gnanalingam said it should be understood that GT Re sources’ move to buy Maika was not profit driven as the company would suffer a RM20 million loss.
It was also not a bailout to lighten MIC’s burden or politically motivated, he added.
“We hope to eventually sell off Maika’s 75 per cent stake in the RM130 million Oriental Capital Assurance (OCA), once the merger of the country’s insurance companies takes off soon.
“We are also considering a plan to develop Maika’s land assets, now worth RM11million.”
Gnanalingam said GT Resources, run by a board of trustees chaired by him and comprising Datuk Kuna Sithampalan, Bank Negara and Petronas director Datuk N. Sad hasivan, ex-Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (Mida) director-general Datuk R. Karunakaran and special officer in the Prime Minister’s Department Ravin Ponniah, had already obtained 12 per cent of the shares held by the Maika management.
He said GT Resources anticipated some problems in re- purchasing the shares from Maika’s 66,000 shareholders, who are mainly poor Indian estate workers spread all over the country.
“There will be shareholders who have passed away or those who have lost their share certificates. We need to find a method in such cases to determine the rightful share holders.
“There is also an injunction by Nesa Cooperative to block the sale of OCA, which has to be resolved in the courts. There are also Bank Negara regulations which we’ve to abide by.”

UMNO’s social engineering reduce Malaysian Indians to baggers

From rubber tappers to baggers.

A piece of Ethiopia in One Malay-sia. Indian poor couple live on left over restaurant food throw away in UMNO and PKR ruled Selangor.

Indian poor couple live on left over restaurant food throw away in UMNO and PKR ruled Selangor
We have heard stories like this happening in poverty stricken India some forty years ago but today this no longer happens in India but still happens in the UMNO regime in Malay-sia and PKR ruled Selangor. Perhaps this R.Kanniappan (60) would have been better off in India had the British not brought his ancestors to Malaysia.
The picture of the frail, skinny, bone and skin of R.Kanniappan (below) speaks a thousand words.
But why does this happen only to the poor Indians in Malaysia? All other poor Malays, Chinese, Orang asli or natives are unheard of suffering and labouring in this level of poverty.
The former rubber tapper Kanniappan is today unemployed.
The cowshed looking hut Kanniappan and his 59 year old wife stays has no water and electricity. He lives in dirty filthy and dark living conditions. The picture paints a scavenger with no personal belongings in his home. They both have been denied birth certificates identity cards and Malaysian citizenship although they are both born in this country. (MN 21/4/2010 front page and page 10).
This is the result of UMNO’s social engineering. Had UMNO given Kanniappan a piece of the ten acre Felda likeland ownership schemes as granted for the poor Malays, Orang asli and natives, Kaniappan would not be in this position today
Read more:-
http://www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com/2010/04/21/a-piece-of-ethiopia-in-one-malay-sia-indian-poor-couple-live-on-left-over-restaurant-food-throw-away-in-umno-and-pkr-ruled-selangor/

Chief Justice but no Justice in P.Uthayakumar’s Kg Medan “ethnic cleansing” criminal malicious prosecution. AG, IGP and UMNO chicken out. Berani kerana benar, takut kerana salah.

Chief Justice but no Justice in P.Uthayakumar’s Kg Medan “ethnic cleansing” criminal malicious prosecution. AG, IGP and UMNO chicken out. Berani kerana benar, takut kerana salah.
K.L 23/4/2010. This morning the Criminal Court proceedings against P.Uthayakumar on his ‘ethnic cleansing’ of Kg Medan Indians came up for hearing of an application for specific documents before High Court Judge Datuk Zabidian Mohamad Diah for the following documents:-
1. All papers and minutes as to why a Royal Commission of Inquiry was denied in the Kg Medan racial attacks specifically targeted against the Indians where five Indians were killed and 100 over others were brutally slashed and caused grievous bodily injuries.
2. All minutes and papers as to why the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia has refused to hold an Inquiry.
3. All papers, minutes and documents on why the Chief Justice and the Attorney General had refused to hold an inquest into the murder of five Indians in the Kg Medan racial attacks tragedy.  
4. All papers, minutes and documents on why the Attorney General has refused to seriously prosecute for the murder and manslaughter of five Indians and grievous bodily harm and injuries one hundred over Indians.
5. The white paper on Kg Medan to be presented in Parliament.
The Attorney General and UMNO knows how to maliciously prosecute but are refusing to be transparent in handing over the aforesaid documents to P.Uthayakumar to prepare for his ethnic cleansing trial.
Despite P.Uthayakumar’s lawyer N.Surendran’s spot on and right to the point submissions, the said High Court Judge, listened to the AG through his alter ego DPP Noorin Badaruddin and dismissed P.Uthayakumar’s application for the aforesaid documents.
UMNO, the AG and IGP are bent on silencing and by putting P.Uthayakumar in jail for up to three years in Malaysia’s Kangaroo Court which will take UMNO’s instructions.
This aforesaid court decision is testimony to this biased and partiality to UMNO judiciary in Malaysia. So that P.Uthayakumar will again be locked up in prison and so that he will no longer be able to speak up for the poor Indians who are oppressed and suppressed by the UMNO regime.
In Malay-sian Courts right up to the highest Federal Court we will only get racist UMNO justice by the 95% Malay Muslim dominated Judiciary.
M.Krishnan

Hulu S’gor: Anwar Ibrahim’s PKR Indian Exco mandore’s last minute and desperate MIC style kosong wayang kulit

  Hulu S’gor: Anwar Ibrahim’s PKR Indian Exco mandore’s last minute and desperate MIC style kosong wayang kulit
This Chief Selangor Indian Exco mandore is doing his last minute and desperate kosong Tamil newspaper politics by false promises of acres and acres of land for Tamil schools and peanut thousands of Ringgit for Tamil schools in Selangor.
As usual the titles to these Tamil schools are never made public just like how the MIC has been doing in the previous 50 years.
We want an end to this MIC trademark and PKR’s ably aped and trademark infringement mandore politics. We want all 98 Tamil schools in Selangor to be granted state government land so that this ‘malnourishment’ of these Tamil schools would be put to an end when the UMNO Federal government would be forced to give them full financial aid status, as the schools would be located on their own land.
And also that these MIC and PKR Exco mandores can no longer play ‘mahjong’ and keep on telling us stories of Tamil school land here and Tamil school land there just to remain politically relevant by their kosong Tamil newspaper politics.
This PKR Indian Exco mandore dishes out peanuts of a few thousand ringgit for this or that Tamil school. But why can’t he get his Tuan Menteri Besar to grant RM120 million or RM6 million per Tamil school, as was given to the 99% Malay Muslim Maktab Rendah Sains Mara Trolak and the Hulu Selangor Chinese school respectively! Millions for the Malays and Chinese but “mere Tamil newspaper announcements of peanuts thousands, but even then which works out to a mere RM100 per head per year for Tamil school pupils.
End MIC and PKR, DAP and PAS copied Mandorism by the Tuans and Tow Kays!
P.Uthayakumar

Malay muslim dominated judiciary – concerns in the pre-independence 1956 Reid Commission proposal. Zero Indian Judge in Federal Court.

Malay muslim dominated judiciary – concern in the pre-independence 1956 Reid Commission proposal. Zero Indian Judge in Federal Court.
20th Meeting of the Reid Commission on 24/8/1956
What is discrimination is to be defined. Cannot leave it to Malayan Courts.
Tamil Representative Council Penang and Province Wellesley letter dated 15/7/1956
Public Service monopoly of any community will lead to hatred and injustice.
Memorandum by peoples Progressive Party (Dr. Seenivasagam (18/7/1956)  
Appointment of Judges – to implement a policy of “Malaysianisation” by indiscriminate appointment of Judges without sufficient regard to their suitability is bound to plunge the country into chaos and destroy public confidence in the administration of Justice. Proviso in Constitution that for some time Judges from India and Pakistan are to serve in Malaya.
Today after 53 years of independence this concern has become a reality. One race dominates the judiciary.
Today 95% of the Malaysian Judiciary has become reserved for the Malay muslims, however qualified or deserving the Indians or Chinese may be (see UM 17/4/10 at page 7).
Even up to in the 1980s’ the No 2 job in the Judiciary ie the post of the Chief Justice was held by Justice Gill.
There is zero Indian Judges in the federal court. Indians in this country are well known and calibred lawyers but they do not accordingly get chosen to become judges simply because they are Indians.
This level of racism does not happen in any other part of the world except in Prime Minister Najib Razak’s One Malay-sia.
P. Uthayakumar

Hulu S’gor: UMNO menafikan bekalan elektrik kepada Sekolah Tamil Eskot

UMNO menafikan bekalan elektrik kepada Sekolah Tamil Eskot
TANJUNG MALIM, 10 April – Sekolah Tamil Eskot diselubungi kegelapan sejak 50 tahun yang lalu kerana tiada bekalan elektrik. “Walaupun Kerajaan di bawah pimpinan UMNO sudah memerintah negara lebih daripada 52 tahun namun Ahli Parlimen kawasan tersebut tidak mengambil sebarang usaha untuk mendapatkan bekalan elektrik bagi sekolah tersebut,” kata Ahli Parlimen Sungkai Sivanesan. Malah sekolah ini juga tiada kemudahan bekalan air. Kini sekolah tersebut mempunyai jumlah murid seramai 59 orang. Dan 45% daripada murid tersebut telah lulus dalam peperiksaan UPSR.   
Komen HRP: Dari jumlah sebanyak RM191.5 Bilion yang telah diperuntukkan dalam bajet 2010, RM30 Bilion telah diagihkan untuk pembinaan 80 buah sekolah baru, 1,100 bangunan tambahan dan 347 projek pemindahan sekolah (school replacement projects). Namun usaha untuk menukar sekolah-sekolah tamil kepada sekolah bantuan penuh seperti sekolah tamil Eskot masih tidak dapat direalisasikan daripada jumlah yang diagihkan khas untuk bahagian sekolah. Ini jelas menunjukkan bahawa sekolah-sekolah Tamil masih ke hari ini dinafi untuk dijadikan sebagai sekolah yang mendapat bantuan penuh kerajaan. Malah air dan bekalan elektrik dinafikan. Gagasan 1 Malay-sia? Rakyat Didahulukan …?





 

Nine Kampung Buah Pala residents seek justice

By Athi Shankar - Free Malaysia Today

GEORGE TOWN: Nine disgruntled former residents of Kampung Buah Pala in Bukit Gelugor have filed an application seeking a court review and declaration on the land status of the demolished village.

Kampung Buah Pala Residents Association chairman M Sugumaran said senior resident M Ayamah, 69, filed the application on the behalf of the ex-villagers in the High Court here two weeks ago.

Lawyers Danny C Navaratnam and V Sivagurupatham are representing the nine families.

In her affidavit, Ayamah has also sought a court order to instruct the Penang government to compensate the nine adequately over the loss of their livelihoods and homes.

The nine households are until today denied any compensation by the DAP-led state government, which advocates competency, accountability and transparency (CAT) as its official motto of governance.

The nine are V Odayappan, 88, Draviam Arul Pillay, 84, M Karupiah Thevar, 81, M Ayamah, 75, I Muniandy, 73, P Kaliammal, 66, I Pasunagi, 61, R Indiani, 60, and R Supramaniam, 58.

“We have sent four legal notices of action to the state government seeking compensation for the nine households.

“However, until today the state government had kept a deafening silence on the issue,” Sugumaran told reporters at the former village site today.

In her affidavit to support her application, Ayamah has sought a court redress on how the land status of the village, kept as Brown Estate Trust under federal trust, was changed into a state temporary occupation licence (TOL) land.

Ayamah also wants a court’s verdict on how the current Pakatan Rakyat-led state government could have transferred the land title to a civil servants cooperative society, Koperasi Pegawai Kanan Kerajaan Pulau Pinang, when the land was still under federal trust.

“We want to know when and how a federal trust land had changed status to a state-owned TOL land, and subsequently sold for a private project, ” Sugumaran said.

He said the villagers wanted a court declaration on whether the land title transfer approved by Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng on March 27, 2008 was legitimate.

Kampung Buah Pala was once known as Penang Tamil High Chaparral for its population of cowherds, cattle, goats and other livestock, unique Indian cultural features and festivities.

Harsh lesson

The 200-year-old Indian traditional village was demolished last September by developer Nusmetro Venture (P) Sdn Bhd, while families were still living there, to pave the way for a posh condominium project called the Oasis.

The nine were the only residents among the original 33 left uncompensated.

The nine had accepted the compensation and shifted elsewhere, leaving behind the 24 families to fight out their case in court.

Following a Federal Court’s refusal to allow a full trial to determine the status of the village land mid-last year, the developer moved in swiftly to demolish the homes.

The state government had given an assurance that the 24 families, including the nine, would get a double-storey house each.

But until today, no sales and purchase agreement has been signed between the developer and former villagers for the double-storey houses.

Sugumaran called on the state government to show proof, if any, that the houses had been documented and legalised.

He also slammed Lim, his deputies Mansor Othman and P Ramasamy, Bukit Gelugor MP Karpal Singh and Seri Delima assemblyman RSN Rayer, for their incompetence in resolving the compensation issue.

“All of them have neglected their duties to the Kampung Buah Pala villagers.

“These are the leaders who have promised to save the village for us,” said Sugumaran.

Meanwhile, the association assistant secretary C Tharmaraj called on Hulu Selangor voters to cast their ballot wisely on Sunday.

He recalled that Ramasamy and Rayer had vowed that the developer would have to demolish the village over their dead bodies.

He also recalled that PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim made a pre-election promise to save the village if Pakatan came to power.

“But now our village has gone and will be replaced with houses for the rich, courtesy of Guan Eng.

“Hulu Selangor voters should learn a harsh lesson from our predicament,” he said.

Kg Buah Pala to Hulu Selangor: Vote BN

Kg Buah Pala to Hulu Selangor: Vote BN (refer www.Malaysiakini.com 23 April 2010)
Frustrated Kg Buah Pala residents have called on Hulu Selangor voters to cast their ballots in favour of the Barisan Nasional candidate P Kamalanathan.
"This is a humble request from us, please vote for the BN candidate; please do not become victims like us, who were all taken in by their (Pakatan Rakyat government) sweet words,’ pleaded resident I Pasu (right), at the village site today, also known as High Chapparal due to its long history of cattle rearing.
He also pleaded with them to give Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak a chance to prove that his 1Malaysia concept works.
Pasu, a newspaper vendor, was speaking to reporters at Residents Association’s press conference held at a cowshed.
Residents continue to lament that the state government has yet to compensate the nine out of 24 families evicted from the village last September.
Empty promises letdown
At the height of the controversy, the villagers were told they would receive a RM600,000 double storey terrace house each as compensation.
In February, Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy had said the state had already secured double-storey homes for 15 of the 24 effected families and was still trying to negotiate for more.
However, the villagers claimed it was all "verbal and not documented".
"This is a lie, they have given us nothing, where are the documents, where is it in black and white?" demanded the RA’s assistant secretary C Thamaras.
"Nine of us who were actively involved in organizing the rest of the village have been singled out by the Penang PR government and are being victimised," he alleged.
He called on the Indian voters of Hulu Selangor to be wary of who they will pick as their parliamentarian.
"Our suggestion to the Indian voters of Hulu Selangor is this…please exercise your votes carefully, so you do not have to face miseries like what we are facing, by voting for an untrustworthy party and untrustworthy individuals," said Thamaras (above), who is a businessman.
He urged them to take a leaf out of their experience and not listen to promises from "untrustworthy politicians".
"Their talk of a better future has not meant anything to us, will not mean anything to you," he added.
"The politicians only want our votes, they do not care for our problems especially so with the Indians because of our numerical and economic weaknesses, so brothers and sisters, please be careful," he added.
The association’s chairperson M Sugumaran (left in pix) also called on the Hulu Selangor electorate not to let their votes go to waste.
"Please think carefully before casting your votes, do not let it go to waste because your vote is very valuable," he said.
"Kg Buah Pala has remained empty promises; do not be swayed by their sweet words, where are all the promises of the Pakatan Rakyat government now?" he asked.

S. Nadarajah: Maika deal ‘Samy Vellu-friendly’

[Nadarajah urged Maika shareholders to vote for PR if buy-out share price is too low. - Picture by Jack Ooi]

Nadarajah urged Maika shareholders to vote for PR if buy-out share price is too low. - Picture by Jack Ooi
By Yow Hong Chieh

KUALA KUBU BARU, April 23 — Maika activist S. Nadarajah today called Tan Sri G. Gnanalingam’s offer to buy out Maika Holdings Bhd a “Samy Vellu-friendly deal” and called for a revaluation of the company.

“It appears that it is politically motivated for Samy Vellu’s exit plan because there are a lot of skeletons in the closet wherein they have not taken the interest of the shareholders seriously,” he said.

Nadarajah, representing the Maika Holdings Shareholders Good Governance Task Force, also repeated his claim that the buy-out is a bid to win back Indian support for the MIC and BN in the run-up to the Hulu Selangor by-election.

“He (Gnanalingam) claims that he’s doing social service. This doesn’t look like a social service. It looks like more like short-changing the shareholders.

“It reinforces further (the notion that) this is... politically motivated,” he stressed.

“We’re not very sure if Gnanalingam is very serious. Is he there to cium tangan the prime minister or taking the Indian interest at heart?”

Nadarajah said if Gnanalingam was really inspired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, as the prominent businessman claimed, he should work closely with the government to make sure shareholders get the best deal.

“It might be even possible to get an interest waiver. Maybe they might save another RM10 million,” the activist suggested.

He said the government should provide projects from GLCs to assist the turnaround, like they did for KUB’s failed investment in Sime Bank.

“They can be more like a broker and make RM30-40 million. This will enhance the offer.”

Nadarajah pointed out that the detailed proposal will only be made after May 1 and asked if the government was going to keep its word if they lost the by-election.

He urged Najib to make a statement on the matter to reassure shareholders.

Nadarajah said that while he welcomed the move by Gnanalingam to buy out Maika, he felt the offer was too low.

“The price is grossly undervalued. We reckon the price would be RM1.10. We don’t know how he got his valuation because the main asset of the company is OCAB (Oriental Capital Assurance Berhad), [an] insurance company.”

Nadarajah pointed out that Ananda Krishnan, through Usaha Tegas Sdn Bhd, had been prepared to offer RM149 million in June 2008 for OCAB’s 74.6 percent stake in Maika.

He said this meant that Ananda had valued Maika at RM200 million.

“If the price is RM0.80 [per share]... I recommend the 1,500 shareholders in Hulu Selangor to vote for the opposition. If it’s RM1.00 or above, [they should] vote the candidate of their choice.”

Nadarajah further urged Pakatan Rakyat Indian MPs and state assemblymen to apply political pressure to ensure that Maika shareholders “are not taken for another ride.”

Maika was established in 1982 to enable Malaysian Indians to increase their market equity but has been plagued by underperforming shares from the start.

Most of its 66,000 shareholders are poor Indian estate workers, some of whom had withdrawn their life savings to invest in the company.

The relatively poor return on investment of Maika shares has been a nagging problem for MIC and the Indian community for the past 26 years.

Gnanalingam revealed yesterday that he was the “white knight” who will buy out troubled Maika Holdings Bhd to the tune of RM106 million.

The executive chairman of West Port already has a 12 percent stake in the troubled company and says he will complete the buy-out in three months.
He claimed it was his intention to return all monies invested by shareholders.

Nik Aziz defends Zaid, calls Umno’s attacks childish

By Syed Jaymal Zahiid - The Malaysian Insider

KUALA KUBU BARU, April 23 — Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat made a last ditch attempt to salvage Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) Hulu Selangor campaign tonight, slamming the attacks on Datuk Zaid Ibrahim’s drinking past as “childish”.

The Pakatan Rakyat candidate is facing a blistering campaign from rivals Umno over his “un-Islamic” drinking past but Nik Aziz (picture), who Islamic credentials are well-respected, chose to back the former law minister ahead of Sunday’s polls.

“Itu kerja bodoh (it is a stupid thing to do),” said the charismatic Kelantan Mentri Besar to a packed press conference here.

“He is a candidate of a party so you attack the party and not the candidate. It is childish,” blasted Nik Aziz

The ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) federal government is said to be leading the race for the parliamentary seat due to several factors including the effective smear campaign used by Umno.

In recent days, Umno and BN have stepped up their campaign with even Datuk Seri Najib Razak hitting the hustings.

On the stump, the prime minister and Umno president has made uncharacteristically aggressive attacks against PR, by calling Zaid a “Cabinet reject” and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim a two-faced politician.

Umno’s aggressive attacks on Zaid’s character by dredging up his past drinking habit and ownership of race horses have also caused PR to go on the defensive.

DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang had also admitted that PR was trailing its rivals and have sounded the alarm in a desperate attempt to scrape a much needed victory.

Umno leaders had also dug the brittle relation Zaid had with PAS in the past when the former had sued the Terengganu government over attempt to enact the hudud law. Terengganu was under PAS at the time.

PR hopes to capitalise on the holy image of Nik Aziz to cast away doubts over Zaid’s Islamic credentials in the final stretch of the 8-day long campaigning trail.

Aware of BN’s attempt to drive a wedge between PR over the drinking issue, Nik Aziz, just like his fellow PR leaders, moved quickly to contain the damage by reassuring PAS’ support for Zaid and PKR.

“We have no problems being with PR. The Chinese and Malays all support me,” he said after explaining that all man are created equal in Islam.

“There is no racism in Islam,” he added.

Zaid, who was present at the press conference, said he had always look up to the PAS leader and express appreciation for his support.

“He called me almost twice a day everyday when he was in Mecca. He told me to be patient, patient, patient,” said the former Umno man.

Both BN and PR have less than 48 hours to campaign for the crucial by-election.

It is generally agreed that the outcome is a verdict, either support for the Najib administration or a continuous and expanding influence for PR.

Make or break final dash for candidates

By Stephanie Sta Maria - Free Malaysia Today

KUALA KUBU BARU: The clock is ticking and the heat is on for P Kamalanathan and Zaid Ibrahim. With only two days more before polling stations open, both candidates have quickened the pace of their aggressive schedules to meet and greet as many more voters throughout Hulu Selangor.
From the very start, it was clear that the candidates' individual styles were like chalk and cheese. While Kamalanathan indulged in leisurely chats with the voters on their daily struggles, Zaid was more aloof and addressed the national dimension of local issues.

With election day looming ahead, FMT visited each candidate's walk-about yesterday to observe if the rising temperature had crept under their skin.

Losing his cool?

As soon as he arrived in Kampung Baru Kalumpang, Kamalanathan hit the ground running. Literally. Speed-walking from door to door, he briefly chatted with voters and asked for their support come Sunday. He even approached the village's PKR center to greet the locals sitting outside which promptly unleashed a torrent of 'Reformasi' shouts from party volunteers there.

Kamalanathan was already behind schedule but graciously obliged requests for a photo session and even spared a few minutes clowning around with the locals. Yet when an elderly gentleman wanted to speak to him about his welfare needs, Kamalanathan was heard to say, “Sorry I don't have the time.”

He also sternly brushed off a National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE) volunteer who was seeking his support for a 90-day maternity leave. The volunteers told FMT that they would follow him for the rest of the day until he took the time to hear them out.

This was a far cry from two days ago when Kamalanathan spent almost half an hour listening to a family's woes in Kerling and unhurriedly discussing local issues with one of the village leaders.

The usually affable man was also unusually reticent towards the media. He declined to answer any questions and instead directed the media to his blog which he said had all the answers. This about turn is assumed to be linked to the recent allegations that his educational qualifications are fake.

Playing it too cool?

Zaid, on the other hand, is still his usual self. Unflappable and vague. His noon walk-about was scheduled at a small eatery in Kuala Kubu Bharu. He distributed handshakes and some light ribbing to the lunchtime crowd and gamely posed with an ikan bakar stall owner.

Zaid also appeared to have shed his initial reservations and was more responsive towards the crowd's enthusiasm at meeting him. Despite the controversy over his drinking issue and allegations of gambling, his feathers remained unruffled.

“Muslims are sensible people,” he told the journalists there. “Only the Umno leaders lack sensibility. Even some of the Umno fellows have sense which is why they will vote for me.”

However, Zaid remained frustratingly vague on his agenda for the marginalised communities in Hulu Selangor, particularly the Indians. When asked about his plans for the Indian community, all he said was that it was time the Indians put their trust in someone else who wouldn't make empty promises.

“If the Indians still choose to believe in BN then I feel sorry for them,” he said. “I am not the prime minister and I cannot make the promises that he makes. But I will promise to take care of the Indian community as best I can.”

The next 48-hours are a make or break for both candidates and they will have to pull out their aces soon if they haven't already. But one thing is already clear. Both need to pay more attention to how they walk their talk if they want the 'X' to fall on their side of the ring.

PM throws money at Hulu S'gor voters - Malaysiakini

With only less than 48 hours to polling, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak today spent his time handing out millions of ringgit to Hulu Selangor voters.

His first stop was Sungai Buaya, where he gave out long overdue cash payment of RM50,000 each to 100 of the 363 Felda settlers.

The payments were compensation promised by the BN government following a failed attempt to develop the Felda land into a northern hub.

In 1994, the Felda settlers had signed off their 10 acres of land each to a developer for RM121,000 an acre, which comes up to RM1.2 million. The total transaction involved 1,335 hectares of land.

The project was later abandoned partly due to the 1997
economic crisis, and the settlers were paid not more than RM250,000 cash in instalments.

'Your misery ends today'

The premier, who joined the villagers for Friday prayers and later had lunch at a nearby school, vowed that BN will pour in more money to develop the area, including a RM85 million North-South Expressway interchange.

He said the construction of the elevated interchange is expected to boost property prices in the abandoned project area.

But there is catch - Najib said that the additional money will only come provided that Selangor falls back into BN's hands in the next general election.

"We have agreed to pay RM160,000 an acre. The payment will be taken care of when the land is developed... (but) that is in your hands. Make sure that in the upcoming general election, Selangor returns to BN's control," said Najib.

While information is sketchy over today's payout, it is understood that the federal government is bringing in a new developer to rescue the abandoned project and will be offering RM160,000 per acre to the settlers.

The RM50,000 from the federal government is apparently a down payment.

"Today, we are giving RM1,000 cash and RM49,000 in bank drafts. I give my word that our promises will be fulfilled," he said.

"Your misery and your long wait ends today.”

MB vs PM

BN's P Kamalanathan and Pakatan Rakyat's Zaid Ibrahim will face off in the Hulu Selangor by-election on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim attempted to blunt Najib's move a few hours earlier in a visit to the same area.

He said the state government would take over the abandoned land and compensate the Felda settlers in three months if the existing developer fails to rescue the Sungai Buaya project.

Khalid, who made the announcement at a community hall in the village, leaked news of BN's cash offer and cautioned them on "BN's tricks" to garner votes.

"Take the money because it is your money but don't sign any documents," Khalid told the people and promised to get them a lawyer to ensure that the transaction is proper.

He pointed out that the BN state government, which was in power for more than 50 years, had failed to address their problems.

The Selangor MB also said the state government would not approve any development project which does not have the settlers' interest at heart.

'Vote for a bigger angpow'

In addition to the cash payments, Najib also promised that troubled Yayasan Basmikan Kemiskinan (YBK) project to construct the UiTM branch in Serendah will be revived if BN is back in power.

"We want change, we will make change if Selangor is won by BN. UiTM will be built in Serendah."

At his next stop this afternoon, Najib vowed to donate RM90,000 for a Chinese cemetery in Hulu Yam Bharu.

Referring to it as an early 'angpow', he pleaded to the Chinese community in the area to vote for a bigger 'angpow'.

Touching on his visit to the United States recently, he told the local residents that he was invited to have bilateral discussion with President Barack Obama.

"The US president wouldn't have wasted his time with us if Malaysia is not good enough," he said in an attempt to refute the opposition's claim that the visit was a public relations stunt.

"Malaysia is an oasis of stability in the region and to be successful we need the mandate of the people of Hulu Selangor," said Najib.

"I want to tell the US president we have the support of Hulu Selangor... We win here and Obama will know that BN is strong.

“Even though Obama doesn't know Hulu Selangor, he will now know," said Najib drawing tumultuous applauses from supporters present.

'Seditious' degree charge: MIC Youth warns RPK

By FMT Staff

PETALING JAYA: MIC Youth has warned popular blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin not to make seditious claims without checking the facts.
This was in response to Raja Petra's claim, published on the Malaysia Today website, that Barisan Nasional candidate P Kamalanathan's degree could have been forged.

“This is a false claim, and the issue was raised with the intention to soil the reputation of the BN candidate for the Hulu Selangor by-election,” said MIC Youth chief T Mohan in a statement.

Earlier, Mohan held a joint press conference with Olympia College's academic director Chan Chee Seng, who confirmed that Kamalanathan had done a twinning programme with the institution.

Chan said Kamalanathan, 44, was a student with Olympia between 2003 and 2004 and successfully completed his course to obtain a bachelors degree in mass communication.

He said the candidate's name is listed in the Edith Cowan University (ECU) alumni, and to verify this on the varsity's search engine, his name must be typed as “P.Kamalanathan /P.Panchanathan”.

In view of this, Mohan said there is no reason to raise this issue again.

'Unprofessional campaign'

The MIC Youth chief stressed that just because Raja Petra is a supporter of PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim, it does not give him the right to make seditious claims.

“This also shows Pakatan Rakyat has mounted an unprofessional and immature campaign for the by-election.

“Their campaign has hit a brick wall, forcing them to exploit baseless issues,” he said, adding that MIC Youth is looking into the possibility of taking legal action against Raja Petra.

After questions were raised about his academic qualification, Kamalanathan posted his degree certificate on his blog.

Yesteday, Raja Petra claimed that he did a search on the ECU website and could not locate Kamalanathan's name.

He then raised the possibility of whether the degree could have been forged.