Corporal charged with causing death of teenager Aminulrasyid

The Star
By WANI MUTHIAH

SHAH ALAM: A policeman has been charged in the Shah Alam Sessions Court with the shooting of teenager Aminulrasyid Amzah that involved a six-kilometre high-speed car chase in Section 11 here last month.

Kpl Jenain Subi, who claimed trial, was charged under Section 304(a) of the Penal Code for culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

He was charged at about 12.15 pm yesterday in front of judge M. Gunalan.

Kpl Jenain, 48, who is attached to the Shah Alam police headquarters, is accused of committing the offence between 1.10am and 2.00am at Jalan Tarian 11/2, Section 11 here on April 26.

Kpl Jenain faces a maximum jail term of 30 years and can also be fined. Judge Gunalan set bail at RM10,000 and June 10 for mention of the case. Kpl Jenain later posted bail.

Earlier, DPP Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar asked for a RM35,000 bail due to the gravity of the offence.

Kpl Jenain's counsel Salim Bashir argued that bail was merely to ensure attendance in court and should not be a form of punishment.

He added that Kpl Jenain was still a serving policeman and would not abscond.

Salim told the court that the accused earned a monthly salary of RM3,000 while his tea­­cher wife took home about RM1,800 monthly.

Kpl Jenain, who joined the police force in 1985, had served at the Shah Alam Court complex from 1996 to 2008. He has a clean record.

He has four children, three of whom are still schooling.

Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail, in a statement later, said the decision to charge Kpl Jenain was made after he had considered the evidence gathered in the investigation.

“I have also instructed my officers to look into the culpability of the rest of the team and will not hesitate to prefer charges against them if the evidence warranted it,” he said.

Aminulrasyid, 14, was shot dead by police after he allegedly tried to reverse and ram the car he was driving into the policemen who were pursuing him.

However, this version has been denied by his friend Azamuddin Omar, 15, who was with him in the car on the night of the incident.

Kewibawaan Saiful dicabar, mahkamah ditangguhkan

Perbicaraan kes liwat ketua umum PKR, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim bersambung hari ini dengan peguambela , Karpal Singh menyoal balas pengadu, Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

Karpal berhujah oleh kerana Saiful mendakwa hubungan seyang dilakukan itu adalah tanpa kerelaannya, manakala Anwar pula didakwa menurut Seksyen 377B Kanun Keseksaan iaitu persetubuhan
dengan kerelaan maka berlaku percanggahan antara dakwaan dan kenyataan Saiful.

"Memang pasti ada kesilapan berhubung dakwaan, dan perlu untuk melihat semula kenyataan yang dirakamkan.

"Di Malaysia, kita ketahui hubungan seks antara lelaki dengan lelaki walaupun dengan kerelaan adalah satu kesalahan. Bagaiamanapun, saksi telah berulangkali berkata dan menegaskan bahawa perhubungan seks itu tanpa kerelaaanya,” kata Karpal.

Katanya lagi, penyiasatan sepatutnya dijalankan mengikut seksyen 377C.

Menurut Karpal, adalah kes pertama di negara ini melibatkan percanggahan besar antara pertuduhan dan keterangan saksi kepada polis serta keterangan oleh saksi di mahkamah.

Karpal kemudiannya berkata Saiful menipu dan cuba mencabar keboleh-percayaan atau kewibawaannya sebagai saksi.

Peguam Cara Negara II Datuk Mohamed Yusof Zainal Abidin, yang mengetuai pasukan pendakwaan, menjawab bahawa terpulang kepada Peguam Negara selaku mendakwa untuk menetapkan pertuduhan.

Hakim Mahkamah Tinggi, Datuk Mohd Zabidin Mohd Diah berkata ini kali pertama perkara seumpama itu timbul - tertuduh didakwa dengan hubungan seks (liwat) secara rela sedangkan bukti yang dikemukakan menunjukkan ia dilakukan tanpa rela.

Beliau kemudiannya menangguhkan perbicaraan sehingga esok dan akan memutuskan sama ada membenarkan pemohonan peguam bela untuk mendapatkan kenyataan beramaran Saiful.

Sebelum itu, Saiful memberitahu mahkamah bahawa pegawai penyiasat, DSP Jude Pereira adalah anggota polis tunggal yang mengambil kenyataanya. Dia tidak dapat mengingat jumlah kenyataan yang diberikan kepada polis.

"Setiap kali, kenyataan itu dirakamkan di balai polis Brickfield dan juga tempat lain.

"Kenyataan pertama dirakamkan pada 29 Jun 2008,” kata Saiful dengan menekankan bahawa dalam kenyataan itu, dia memaklumkan bahawa dia diliwat tanpa kerelaan.

Ditanya oleh peguam, Karpal Singh sama ada dia membuat kenyataan itu di luar mahkamah, saksi itu berkata dia tidak ingat.

Awal pagi tadi, keadaan di luar Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur kecoh apabila beberapa pemyokong Anwar cuba meloloskan diri untuk memasuki dewan perbicaraan walaupun tidak mempunyai pas masuk

Turut mengiringi Anwar adalah isterinya, Datin Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ibrahim, presiden PAS, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang dan Ketua Pemuda PAS, Nasrudin Tantawi.Anwar, 63, didakwa meliwat Mohd Saiful, 25, di sebuah pangsapuri di Bukit Damansara di Kuala Lumpur pada 26 Jun 2008 dan dituduh mengikut Seksyen 377B Kanun Keseksaan yang membawa hukuman penjara sehingga 20 tahun dan sebatan jika disabit kesalahan.

Hukuman itu sekaligus akan menamatkan karier politik ketua pembangkang ini yang telah berjaya menyatukan pembangkang untuk menafikan BN penguasaan dua pertiga BN di parlimen selepas pilihan raya umum 2008.

Anwar telah disabitkan dengan kesalahan liwat pada 2000, di samping hukuman atas kesalahan salahguna kuasa sebelumnya - selepas beliau dipecat daripada jawatan timbalan perdana menteri semasa kemuncak krisis kewangan Asia pada 1998.

Sabitan bagi tuduhan liwat itu dikecam secara meluas kerana didakwa tidak adil dan ia kemudiannya dibatalkan oleh Mahkamah Persekutuan.

Berikutan itu, Anwar layak bertanding dalam pilihan raya kecil parlimen Permatang Pauh selepas pilihan raya umum 2008 yang menyaksikan prestasi terburuk BN, termasuk hilang kuasa di lima negeri - Kedah, Pulau Pinang, Perak, Selangor dan Wilayah Persekutuan. Manakala PAS mengekalkan kuasa di Kelantan dengan tambahan kerusi.

Our millions spent to glorify Rosmah's (probably purchased) award

ps- is it just me, or is that photo of her like SUPER Photoshopped? :P :)
*Excellent* investigative reporting by Koh Lay Chin @ The Nutgraph! I reckon this is an excellent example of the media playing its most pivotal role, and I’ve reproduced most of the article below.
But do check it out. An ad agency (read:APCO probably :P) placed the ad on behalf of our government, and then made it sound like it was done by adoring fans of Rosmah (the very thought of such fans makes me geli!!).
To top it all off, who paid for this deception? You and me :P :P
I also love the part where the ad is to congratulate Rosmah on an award that no one knows or cares about.
I note with great interest how the Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU) was not mentioned in the ad. Their website also makes no list of their awards and awards recepients.
I strongly suspect this is because organisations like the BCIU make up awards from thin air, and give them to gulliable third world ‘leaders’ desperate for Western recognition – usually of course, *for a price*. Lelong lelong!!
According to some interesting Google results, no one else has ever received this prize, and there isn’t even a single mention of it on BCIU’s website.
Clearly, we are dealing with a meaningless “off the shelf” award, most likely bought and paid for through agents like APCO.
And for this, Malaysians probably forked out over RM 1 million (RM 10 million??) to glorify our ‘treacherous‘ “First Lady”. Contrary to the last line, I assure you that Malaysians are NOT proud of you, or of any of this :P
What a shameless attention ho!
Highlights from the article:

A recent two-page spread in the New York Times, costing thousands of US dollars and featuring the prime minister’s wife, was placed on behalf of the Malaysian government.
In an e-mail response to questions from The Nut Graph, the New York Timessaid: “The advertisement was placed by an ad agency on behalf of the Malaysian government.”
The response from New York Times executive director of community affairs and media relations, Diane McNulty, reveals that the ad was not placed by private individuals, as suggested by the last line in the ad’s congratulatory message.
However, research on previous full-page ads taken out in the New York Timessuggests that the cost of such advertisements ranges from US$180,000 toUS$230,000. This amounts to between RM580,000 and RM740,000 for a one-page ad.
A two-page colour spread such as the one featuring Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor is expected to cost far more.
“Friends and family”
The ad was placed on 16 April 2010, on the last day of Prime Minister Datuk SeriNajib Razak’s visit to the US, to congratulate Rosmah on her being conferred a little-known International Peace and Harmony Award.
The ad welcomed Rosmah as Malaysia’s “First Lady” to New York, and carried the message: “In recognition of your effort to promote peace, harmony and understanding among the people of Malaysia and your courageous acts in making a difference to the lives of people and children around the world. Malaysia is proud of you.”
It was signed off: “Best wishes from family and friends in USA and Malaysia.”
The ad did not name the Business Council for International Understanding, the outfit that gave Rosmah the award.
Against a backdrop of controversies surrounding the hiring of media relations firmApco Worldwide Sdn Bhd, and Rosmah’s alleged interference in government matters, the two-page ad has stirred up gossip and blog postings about who paid for it.
It has also been noted that while Rosmah was prominently featured in the ad in a respected and established newspaper, US media coverage of Najib’s visit and meeting with President Barack Obama was scant. (nat: the only way N/R can get ppl to care, is – as usual – to pay. Shameless!)
Malaysian Ambassador to the US Datuk Seri Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis was pictured in Malaysian media showing US newspaper coverage in conjunction with Najib’s visit. But as the DAP’s Lim Kit Siang has pointed out, this appears to have been an advertorial in the Washington Times.
The New York Times’s McNulty would not reveal which ad agency placed the order for the ad on behalf of the Malaysian government in her paper. But if the Malaysian government has hired an ad agency, why is taxpayers’ money being used to promote Rosmah and an obscure award in the US, instead of the prime minister and the country?

Court faces historic contradiction - Malaysiakini

For the first time, a Malaysian court is faced with a contradiction between the charge against an accused and the main witness' testimony.

It has occured in the sodomy trial of Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, who has been charged under Section 377b of the Penal Code with having consensual carnal intercourse with former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

According to Saiful's police report against Anwar, which the former made at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital on June 28, 2008, the alleged sodomy incident of June 26 was non-consensual and, hence, should have been under section 377c of the same code.

This discrepancy between the charge faced by Anwar and what Saiful had stated in his testimony was brought to the fore today by defence lawyer Karpal Singh.

Karpal, in applying for access to Saiful's statements to the police as recorded by case investigating officer DSP Jude Aloysius Pereira, has also moved to impeach the star witness and alleged victim.

The defence has yet to receive Saiful's statement, a complaint which it has repeatedly raised previously.

"Clearly, there is a serious discrepancy with the charge with what the witness had maintained with the questions posed earlier," he said.

Therefore, said Karpal, the defence is applying for Saiful's (below) statements that he made under Section 112 of the Criminal Procedure Code, to see why there is such a discrepancy.

A person found guilty under Section 377b (consensual sodomy) stands to face a maximum jail sentence of 20 years jail and is liable to whipping.

Under section 377c for non-consensual sodomy, a person stands to face a minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years and is liable to whipping.

Realising the discrepancy, Kuala Lumpur High Court Justice Mohd Zabidin Mohd Diah said he will make a decision known tomorrow whether to allow the defence application to scrutinise Saiful's statement to the police.

"I realise the discrepancy between the charge and what the witness had said," he said.

Former Samy Vellu confidante charged over MIED cheating

Themalaysianinsider.com, By Baradan Kuppusamy

KUALA LUMPUR, May 11 — P. Chitrakala Vasu, the former MIED chief executive and confidante of Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, was charged in the Sessions Court here this morning with three counts of cheating to the amount of RM4 million.

makkalosai051110

The charges bring to an end a year-long investigation which started after the MIC’s education arm lodged complaints with the police and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) about missing funds.
She pleaded not guilty before Session Court judge Azizah Mahmud.
The prosecution of Chitrakala was quiet and undramatic with only Bharat Maniam, a former Samy Vellu ally turned critic, in the public gallery attending in support of Chitrakala. Reporters packed the courtroom though.
Dressed in a red and blue Punjabi outfit, Chitrakala appeared calm throughout proceedings while she sat next to her lawyer Sashi Menon.
The court allowed bail of RM20,000 for each charge.
Chitrakala told The Malaysian Insider: “I am relieved that the matter was finally before the courts. I am confident justice will prevail.”
She first hit the headlines last year by alleging that MIC misappropriated a government allocation meant to help the hardcore poor in the Indian community.
In a public falling out with her mentor, Chitrakala blamed Samy Vellu for a variety of ills faced by the MIC and the Indian community.
She told of how the party misused government funds to shore up support for party leaders, including Samy Vellu, in the runup to the MIC elections.
MORE TO COME.

*******




The Star

Tuesday May 11, 2010

Ex-MIED chief arrested over alleged cheating involving RM4mil

By LOURDES CHARLES and MAZWIN NIK ANIS
newsdesk@thestar.com.my<
KUALA LUMPUR: Former Maju Institute of Educational Development (MIED) chief executive officer P. Chitrakala Vasu (pic) has been arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for alleged cheating involving RM4mil.
Chitrakala will be charged in the Sessions Court at the Jalan Duta Courts Complex here today.

MACC director of investigations commissioner Mustafar Ali, who confirmed this, said Chitrakala was called to the commission headquarters in Putrajaya and was arrested when she arrived at 2.30pm.
It is learnt that the 39-year-old spent a couple of hours at the MACC headquarters having her statement recorded.
The Star had in January reported that a top executive of the MIED was under investigation by the MACC for alleged criminal breach of trust amounting to RM4mil.
The executive was investigated following a report lodged with the MACC. The MACC then visited the MIED office and took files and documents pertaining to the alleged offence.
Investigations into the MIED had been going on from the time Chitrakala herself had exposed alleged malpractices.
Several police reports, too, had been lodged on the matter, including one by former Teluk Kemang MP Datuk S. Sothinathan regarding missing MIED files.

Question of consent halts Anwar’s sex trial

KUALA LUMPUR, May 11 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy trial came to an abrupt halt today as his defence team sought to impeach the prosecution’s star witness’ contradictory statements whether the sex act was consensual or not.
Anwar’s lead counsel Karpal Singh, Anwar’s said in court that Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan’s cautioned statements given to the police “contradicted” the actual sodomy charge against Datuk Seri Anwar
Ibrahim.
The veteran lawyer has demanded the High Court supply the defence team with the full list of Saiful’s statements to the police.
Karpal argued that the defence team had a “hunch” that there would be a contradiction between the statements given to the police and court with the actual charge against the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) defacto leader.
“There is a major contradiction in his (Saiful’s) statements which in turn is a contradiction of the charge in itself.
“In court, he says that the alleged act took place without consent. We have reason to believe that there is a contradiction between charges framed and evidence given. The charge is based on consensual sex
against the order of nature while what Saiful says is non-consensual sex against the order of nature,” said Karpal to reporters after the trial was adjourned for the judge to consider the defence team’s
request for the cautioned statements.
Karpal’s contention is that Anwar is currently being charged under Section 377(B) of the Penal Code which touches on carnal intercourse against the order of nature with consent, and carries a penalty of 20 years imprisonment.
However, Saiful’s statements in court so far and in the police report states that the act of intercourse was without consent, which would mean that the charge should have been under Section 377(C) which then carries a penalty of 5-20 years imprisonment.
“The public prosecutor would not and could not have been able to charge Anwar for 377(B) when the evidence reflects 377(C) so clearly there is basis,” added Karpal.
Anwar, the 62-year-old PKR de facto leader, is charged with sodomising Saiful at Unit 11-5-1 of the Desa Damansara Condominium in Jalan Setiakasih, Bukit Damansara here between 3.01pm and 4.30pm on June 26, 2008.
The former deputy prime minister has denied the charge, describing it as “evil, frivolous lies by those in power” when the charge was read out to him. He is charged under section 377B of the Penal Code and can be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years’ jail and whipping upon conviction. The trial is taking place 18 months after Anwar was charged in court in August 2008.
Anwar was charged with sodomy and corruption in 1998 after he was sacked from the Cabinet and was later convicted and jailed for both offences. He was freed in September 2004 and later resurrected his
political career by winning back his Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat in a by-election in 2008, which had been held in the interim by his wife.
He had earlier led the opposition coalition, Pakatan Rakyat, to a historic sweep of five states and 82 parliamentary seats in Election 2008.

Sodomy trial: Defence finds discrepancies

FULL REPORT KUALA LUMPUR: Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy trial has been adjourned to tomorrow after the defence raised discrepancies over the charges framed and accuser Mohamad Saiful Bukhari Azlan's testimony yesterday.
Defence lawyer Karpal Singh told the Kuala Lumpur High Court this morning that while Anwar was charged with allegedly committing consensual sex with Mohd Saiful, the witness had yesterday said that it was not consensual.

In this regards Karpal sought an application to seek Mohd Saiful's witness statement.
Karpal said Mohd Saiful, in his statements to the police, had stated that the alleged sodomy incident was without his consent, while the prosecution had charged Anwar under Section 377B of the Penal Code with consensual sexual intercourse.

He said this was the first case in the country of a major contradiction between the charge and the witness statement as well as the evidence by the witness in court.

Solicitor-General II Mohamed Yusof Zainal Abidin, who led the prosecution team, replied that it was the discretion of the Attorney-General, as the prosecutor, to charge any person under any section.
Following Karpal's application, judge Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah adjourned the matter to tomorrow to decide if he should order the prosecution to supply the witness statement to the defence.

Anwar, 63, is charged with sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful, 25, at Unit 11-5-1 Desa Damansara Condominium, Jalan Setiakasih, Bukit Damansara, between 3.01pm and 4.30pm on June 26, 2008.

He is charged under Section 377B of the Penal Code and faces up to 20 years' in jail and whipping upon conviction.In his opening statement, Solicitor-General II Mohd Yusof had told the court that the prosecution would adduce evidence to show that the semen specimen taken from Mohd Saiful's anus was confirmed by the Chemistry Department to be Anwar's.

Anwar is represented by Karpal, Param Cumaraswamy, CV Prabakharan, Ram Karpal Singh Deo, SN Nair, Mohd Radzlan Jalaludin and Marisa Regina Fernando.

Meanwhile, Mohd Yusof is assisted by seven deputy public prosecutors, Nordin Hassan, Mohamad Hanafiah Zakaria, Wong Chiang Kiat, Noorin Badaruddin, Farah Azlina Latiff, Mira Mirna Musa and Naidatul Athirah Azmad.

Sibu's wish list for 'Santa' Najib

By FMT Team
SIBU: The DAP wants Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to meet the eight requests made by the Sibu constituents during his next visit to the parliamentary constituency tomorrow.
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said among them were RM50 million for Chinese schools, a Sibu University and sufficient funds to resolve Sibu’s flood mitigation woes.
He also wants Najib to abolish the Lanang Bridge toll and implement a welfare programme where Sarawak’s senior citizens receive RM100 per annum for their services to the state.
"The PM will be bringing a lot of goodies on May 12. We are listing out the people’s wishes,” said Lim during the launch of Richard Wong Ho Leng’s election manifesto - 'Sibu4Change'.
The by-election on May 16 is a three-cornered tussle but fight will be between traditional rivals DAP and BN-linked Sarawak People’s party Party (SUPP)’s Robert Lau Hui Yew.
Explaining the RM50 million request for Chinese schools, Lim said: “Because this will be the battle of the century, we should ensure that the funds allocated will last a 100 years.”
He urged Najib to allow for a Sibu University to be set up in line with Lau’s vision to prioritise tertiary education. He also requested the prime minister to facilitate the resurfacing of roads in Sibu.
“A drive along roads in Sibu is like taking a boat trip in choppy waters. Roads must have a level surface for safe travelling,” said Lim.
"If Najib fails to meet the requests, then the people would desert the BN government and vote for the DAP," he added.
'Sibu4Change' manifesto
Wong meanwhile described the migration of Sarawakians elsewhere as a ‘daunting’ problem for the state.
He said more than 300,000 Sarawakian youths were working in the Peninsular and Singapore because there were no jobs in Sarawak.
“A good government creates opportunities at home and keeps families together,” he said.
Wong’s ‘Sibu4Change’ manifesto also pledged to mitigate flood woes, and give Sarawakians over 60-years old an annual gift of RM100 each.
In addition he pledged: “If we capture the federal fovernment, we will set a minimum wage of RM650 per month for all workers in the peninsular and RM830 in Sarawak.”
Addressing the issue of oil royalty, Wong said if Pakatan Rakyat forms the federal government, Sarawak will receive 20 percent in oil royalties from Petronas, instead of the current five percent.
He also said that the coalition will ensure that all NCR Land in Sarawak is surveyed and titles issued. All expiring leases would also be unconditionally renewed.Describing Sibu and Sarawak as being at the ‘crossroads’, he said it was now imperative to vote for change.
“Sibu has a unique and historic opportunity to set the tone for the future and be the beacon of hope for the people of Sarawak, “ he said.
The by-election will see Wong facing BN's Robert Lau Hui Yew and independent Narawi Haron.

Ex-MIED chief charged with cheating RM4m

FMT ALERT KUALA LUMPUR: Former Maju Institute of Educational Development (MIED) CEO P Chitrakala Vasu was charged with three counts of cheating to the tune of RM4 million at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court this morning.
She claimed trial before judge Azizah Mahamud and has been released on a RM30,000 bail. The case will be mentioned again on June 14.

She was arrested yesterday by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) over this matter.

She had been under investigations following a police report lodged by MIC officials for alleged criminal breach of trust amounting to RM5.25 million.

Chitrakala, 35, a former blue-eyed girl of MIC president S Samy Vellu, had a fallout with the veteran leader following alleged misappropriation of funds from the Maju Institute of Educational Development.

She was the chief executive officer of MIED, an education arm of MIC which was involved in giving out scholarships for needy Indian students as well as the main body which oversaw the party's Aimst University.

The party had then lodged a police report over the missing funds as well as missing MIED files.

This was the followed by the removal of the party's long serving treasurer M Mahalingam, who was a MIED cheque signatory.

The charges levelled against Chitrakala today stated that she had cheated Mahalingam into issuing cheques for payments.

Politics - Any Way the Wind Blows

My brother Karuna says I am a moron but I told him I am actually a progressive thinker. I too am a PhD but don’t hold a doctorate. It is a just Person Having Dick. I read Calvin Sankaran’s letter entitled Political Punditry: A carnival of Charlatans and must say I learned many things.

By P. Jayendran


Switzerland has over 1,000 types of cheese and I think that one he mentioned is Elemental or something spelt like that. That one we always see in Tom & Jerry with holes and dents and rich yellow in color. Thank you for teaching us about the world’s most smelly cheese. French words are hard to pronounce but artistic and learned people tell me it is a beautiful and stylish language. Personally, my favorite cheese is any smelly blue. Smells like hell but tastes like heaven!



RPK is not a frustrated old man. He is a political activist and through him many dirty secrets of the powers that be have been exposed. Otherwise we would all be in the dark and exist like educated fools. I like his simple and practical expressions because it’s easy to understand. All these bombastic words are difficult for me and take time to decipher.



Leading astrophysicists tell us many things that can make our minds implode. They tell us about a parallel universe and shortcuts in the universe where you don’t have to take billions of years to travel thousands of light years. Just find one of these holes and you can travel the distance in a fraction of the time otherwise taken. It’s like a time-tunnel. To me it’s mumbo jumbo and utterly incomprehensible. Who is there to argue with these “experts” since it’s virtually impossible to prove them right or wrong? They have been studying for 30 years or more and the universities have branded them as experts. To me, it’s all a matter of hunches, educated guesses and theories.



Einstein taught us about light being bent by gravity and it took us a long time before scientists finally accepted it. When Einstein was a boy, they thought he was a retard. This was because he did not speak until he was past 2 years old. In school they also thought he was incompetent and when he started working life, he was employed as a mere clerk in the patent office. All the genius minds could not fathom that they had a super-genius in their midst and dismissed him as a person of marginal wit. During his lifetime, Van Gogh’s paintings were never appreciated. They also thought Dali was on some kind of magic mushroom. Today their works are accepted as those of geniuses and auctioned-off at tens, if not hundreds of millions of dollars.



Politics is like the wind. Sometimes it blows the rains your way and sometimes it blows the rain clouds away. It’s anybody’s guess. Likewise, it’s easy to take potshots at analyses after the results have been revealed – no matter how educated and logical it appeared at first. That’s easy to do. To berate and downplay others is also easy. But didn’t you know that these were all calculated guesses in the first place? Of course being academicians, they have a long way to express these predictions. Who could blame them as after all they were trained that way? I guess it’s the same thing with Calvin Sankaran’s training.



Voters are smart people. They know how to collect at a time such as by-elections. They are quick to grasp that it’s not the same case with general elections. They know who holds the purse and how to get what they want. Often during campaigning, the real Santa Claus appears. Money speaks louder than words, doctrines and beliefs. Politicians have secret weapons and more often than not these always surface at the most appropriate time.



Prior to the elections of 2008, those political minds, experts, advisors, analysts and so on serving BN never saw the importance of the Internet. They may have dismissed it as the plaything of youngsters who basically don’t have backbones and are reliant on their parents for pocket money for the cyber cafes. And that they were not decision makers – much less a potential tide for political change. Today, these same politicians take the Internet seriously and are an active part of it. They are actually responding to it in conventional media. What a change!



Politics is like the wind. It can blow any direction and change directions. You know, even with billion dollar satellites, meteorologists still can’t predict which way the hurricane would change course. Seismologists cannot predict when and where earthquakes would strike. And those hotshot economists and financial gurus don’t quite know when and how the markets will crash. It could just be some fat finger accidentally punching a couple more zeros to send NYSE plummeting.



I had thought pundits were gamblers and charlatans were followers of Charlemagne. In the same way, I hope Mr. Calvin Sankaran has also learnt a thing or two from Karuna’s moron and not put down these learned minds and institutions just because of erratic winds.

Rosmah ad placed on govt’s behalf

thenutgraph.com

PETALING JAYA, 11 May 2010: A recent two-page spread in the New York Times, costing thousands of US dollars and featuring the prime minister's wife, was placed on behalf of the Malaysian government.
In an e-mail response to questions from The Nut Graph, the New York Times said: "The advertisement was placed by an ad agency on behalf of the Malaysian government."
The response from New York Times executive director of community affairs and media relations, Diane McNulty, reveals that the ad was not placed by private individuals, as suggested by the last line in the ad's congratulatory message.

McNulty, however, declined to disclose how much the ad cost, saying the company never discusses the cost of an individual ad as there are many variables and rates involved. These include the kind of schedule the ad purchaser has with the company, as well as the advertising category it falls within.
However, research on previous full-page ads taken out in the New York Times suggests that the cost of such advertisements ranges from US$180,000 to US$230,000. This amounts to between RM580,000 and RM740,000 for a one-page ad.
A two-page colour spread such as the one featuring Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor is expected to cost far more.
"Friends and family"
The ad was placed on 16 April 2010, on the last day of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's visit to the US, to congratulate Rosmah on her being conferred a little-known International Peace and Harmony Award.
The ad welcomed Rosmah as Malaysia's "First Lady" to New York, and carried the message: "In recognition of your effort to promote peace, harmony and understanding among the people of Malaysia and your courageous acts in making a difference to the lives of people and children around the world. Malaysia is proud of you."
It was signed off: "Best wishes from family and friends in USA and Malaysia."
The ad did not name the Business Council for International Understanding, the outfit that gave Rosmah the award.
Against a backdrop of controversies surrounding the hiring of media relations firm Apco Worldwide Sdn Bhd, and Rosmah's alleged interference in government matters, the two-page ad has stirred up gossip and blog postings about who paid for it.
It has also been noted that while Rosmah was prominently featured in the ad in a respected and established newspaper, US media coverage of Najib's visit and meeting with President Barack Obama was scant.
Malaysian Ambassador to the US Datuk Seri Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis was pictured in Malaysian media showing US newspaper coverage in conjunction with Najib's visit. But as the DAP's Lim Kit Siang has pointed out, this appears to have been an advertorial in the Washington Times.

File pic of Jarjis and Obama (Public domain / Wiki commons)

The New York Times's McNulty would not reveal which ad agency placed the order for the ad on behalf of the Malaysian government in her paper. But if the Malaysian government has hired an ad agency, why is taxpayers' money being used to promote Rosmah and an obscure award in the US, instead of the prime minister and the country?
Govt response pending
The Nut Graph contacted both Jamaluddin's office in Washington, DC and the Prime Minister's Office in Putrajaya last week about the government's involvement in the ad, and how much it cost.
Both offices confirmed having received The Nut Graph's questions, but neither has replied thus far.

Karpal: Saiful penipu

Malaysiakini | 11 Mei 2010
Perbicaraan kes liwat ketua umum PKR, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim bersambung hari ini dengan peguambela , Karpal Singh menyoal balas pengadu, Saiful Bukhari Azlan.
Karpal berhujah oleh kerana Saiful mendakwa hubungan seks yang dilakukan itu adalah tanpa kerelaannya, manakala Anwar pula didakwa menurut Seksyen 377b atas kesalahan mengadakan hubungan di luar tabii, maka berlaku percanggahan antara dakwaan dan kenyataan Saiful.
“Memang pasti ada kesilapan berhubung dakwaan, dan perlu untuk melihat semula kenyataan yang dirakamkan.
“Di Malaysia, kita ketahui hubungan seks antara lelaki dengan lelaki walaupun dengan kerelaan adalah satu kesalahan. Bagaiamanapun, saksi telah berulangkali berkata dan menegaskan bahawa perhubungan seks itu tanpa kerelaaanya,” kata Karpal.
Katanya lagi, penyiasatan sepatutnya dijalankan mengikut seksyen 377c.
Karpal kemudiannya berkata Saiful menipu dan cuba mencabar kenyataannya sebagai saksi.
Sebelum itu, Saiful memberitahu mahkamah bahawa pegawai penyiasat, DSP Jude Pereira adalah anggota polis tunggal yang mengambil kenyataanya. Dia tidak dapat mengingat jumlah kenyataan yang diberikan kepada polis.
“Setiap kali, kenyataan itu dirakamkan di balai polis Brickfield dan juga tempat lain.
“Kenyataan pertama dirakamkan pada 29 Jun 2008,” kata Saiful dengan menekankan bahawa dalam kenyataan itu, dia memaklumkan bahawa dia diliwat tanpa kerelaan.
Ditanya oleh peguam, Karpal Singh sama ada dia membuat kenyataan itu di luar mahkamah, saksi itu berkata dia tidak ingat.
Awal pagi tadi, keadaan di luar Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur kecoh apabila beberapa pemyokong Anwar cuba meloloskan diri untuk memasuki dewan perbicaraan walaupun tidak mempunyai pas masuk
Turut mengiringi Anwar adalah isterinya, Datin Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ibrahim, presiden PAS, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang dan Ketua Pemuda PAS, Nasrudin Tantawi.
Anwar, 63, didakwa meliwat Mohd Saiful, 25, di sebuah pangsapuri di Bukit Damansara di Kuala Lumpur pada 26 Jun 2008.
Jika sabit kesalahan, Anwar boleh dihukum 20 tahun penjara – hukuman yang sekaligus akan menamatkan karier politik ketua pembangkang ini yang telah berjaya menyatukan pembangkang untuk menafikan BN penguasaan dua pertiga BN di parlimen selepas pilihan raya umum 2008.
Anwar telah disabitkan dengan kesalahan liwat pada 2000, di samping hukuman atas kesalahan salahguna kuasa sebelumnya – selepas beliau dipecat daripada jawatan timbalan perdana menteri semasa kemuncak krisis kewangan Asia pada 1998.
Sabitan bagi tuduhan liwat itu dikecam secara meluas kerana didakwa tidak adil dan ia kemudiannya dibatalkan oleh Mahkamah Persekutuan.
Berikutan itu, Anwar layak bertanding dalam pilihan raya kecil parlimen Permatang Pauh selepas pilihan raya umum 2008 yang menyaksikan prestasi terburuk BN, termasuk hilang kuasa di lima negeri – Kedah, Pulau Pinang, Perak, Selangor dan Wilayah Persekutuan. Manakala PAS mengekalkan kuasa di Kelantan dengan tambahan kerusi.

It pays to know your rights

The Star

The Malaysian Bar Council's publication titled Police and Your Basic Rights is one good source for young people to get information on what to do when stopped by the police.

Here are some of the information provided:

When the police stop you

• If they are not in uniform, ask for identification or their police authority cards:

• Police authority card:

• Red: Suspended police officer. He has no authority to do anything to you. Walk away.

• Other colours:

• Blue: Rank of Inspector and above

• Yellow: Below the rank of Inspector

• White: Reserve police

• If they are in uniform:

• Note their names and ID numbers on their uniforms.

• If they are in a police vehicle:

• Note the number plate of the patrol car or motorcycle.

If police question you when stopped

• Your identification:

• Only give your name, ID card number and address.

• The police ask other questions:

• Politely ask “Am I under arrest?”

• When you are under arrest:

• You are arrested if the police:

• tells you “yes”;

• does not allow you to leave/want to take you to the police station; or

• handcuffs you

• If you are not under arrest:

• You may walk away/refuse to follow him back to the police station or anywhere else, if asked.

• When you cannot be arrested:

• The police cannot arrest you just because you are a potential witness and want to take a statement from you (112/Witness Statement).

> For more information about your rights when approached by the police, have a look at the Malaysian Bar's booklet titled “Police and Your Basic Rights”, also known as the “Red Book” available from its website at www.malaysianbar.org.my.

Live - Cross-examination of Saiful continues

More live updates on the cross-examination of Saiful Bukhari during the trial of Anwar Ibrahim.

Who paid for Rosmah ad in New York Times?

Who paid for the two-page ad featuring Rosmah in the New York Times?

The Nut Graph has the story here.

'Doctor is a liar' Saiful tells sodomy trial - Malaysiakini

Cross-examined for the first time by Anwar Ibrahim's defence counsel Karpal Singh, the testimony of key witness Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan at the Kuala Lumpur High Court today saw the alleged victim's credibility being placed under the spotlight.

Asked by Karpal whether he thought of himself a good Muslim, Saiful said he 'tries to be', but conceded to missing some prayers while working with his former employer Anwar as an aide.

"However, after the (alleged sodomy) incident (on June 26), I tried to fulfil the (prayer) obligations (regularly)," Saiful told the court.

Asked about his prayers between June 26 and June 28, 2008, in particular, Saiful (right) said he only attended the Friday congregational prayers on June 27.

Asked whether he had taken a shower after allegedly being sodomised by his former employer, Saiful answered: "No."

Quick to query Saiful on this, Karpal then asked: "Do you know that your Friday prayers would not be accepted if you do not perform the mandi junub (the ritual bath obligatory for Muslims after sexual intercourse)?"

Saiful: Yes.

Karpal: I put it to you that you are not a person who understands Islam properly.

Saiful: At that time, yes, (I did not take the ritual bath). But I had taken a light bath at that time on (June) 27, prior to going for prayers, since it was Friday.

Karpal: A light bath?

Saiful: Ada mandi tapi saya cuci tak habis. Saya cuci sikit (Yes, I had a light bath, but I did not clean thoroughly. I cleaned just a little bit).

To Karpal's suggestion that Saiful did not know of the requirements of Islam since the religion requires the mandi junub before the performance of prayers, Saiful said he had resorted to bathing only lightly on June 27 as he regarded himself as being in an 'emergency situation' that allowed for the dispensing of the usual religious obligations.

"At that time it was (a state of) darurat (emergency). That is why I did not have a full shower," he explained.

Meeting with Najib

Earlier in his testimony, Saiful was asked by Karpal whether he had met Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

Replying, Saiful said he met Najib, who was then the deputy prime minister 'only once' on June 24, 2008, at the politician's house in Taman Duta.

He denied ever meeting Najib's wife Rosmah Mansor.

Saiful admitted, however, to having met SAC Rodwan Yusof - the same police officer alleged to have been involved in the fabrication of evidence in Anwar's 1998 sodomy trial - two days before allegedly being sodomised on the afternoon of June 26, 2008.

Rodwan was formerly a special officer to Najib (left).

Saiful: He (Rodwan) called me and met me on June 24, 2008. We met at Hotel Melia that day.

Karpal: How did he contact you and who gave him your phone number?

Saiful: He contacted me by phone. I do not know how he obtained my number.

Saiful said he lodged a police report over the sodomy incident two days after it allegedly happened after being examined at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital.

"I lodged the police report to seek justice and to get protection for me and my family," he said.

'The doctor lied'

Karpal then asked Saiful about the examination conducted on him by Dr Osman Abdul Hamid at the Pusrawi Hospital in Kuala Lumpur.

Saiful said he was accompanied by an uncle of his when he went to the doctor about pains he felt in the stomach and in his anus.

Reading the medical report lodged by Osman, Karpal (below) queried Saiful on the part that stated the patient had 'alleged assaulted by plastic which is placed in the anus'.

Responding, Saiful said the report "is not clear." There was no plastic inserted into his anus, he asserted.

Karpal: So why did the doctor write like this?

Saiful: I do not know.

Karpal: Did the doctor lie in this matter? Remember, the doctor will come to testify after this.

Saiful: 'I do not know, but the doctor is lying.

Karpal: Why would he lie? Have you met him prior to this?

Saiful: 'That was my first meeting. I do not know.Karpal: Have you got any differences with him?

Saiful: I do not know.

Saiful then related his experience of being examined at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital on June 28, 2008 where he said three doctors examined him.

Throughout the physical examination, said Saiful, the investigating officer in charge of the case, DSP Jude Aloysius Pereira, was present.

'No conclusive findings'

Karpal: Reading from the forensic report on the anal examination, it has been revealed that there was no scarring or sign of recent injury. Do you agree with this?

Saiful: That is the doctor's opinion.

Karpal: But the report says there was no scarring?

Saiful: I cannot see my own anus.

To explain the absence of any such marks, Saiful said that Anwar (left) had used lubricant to allegedly sodomise him.

Karpal: In the report by the three doctors, it says there are no conclusive clinical findings suggestive of penetration of the anus or rectum and there were no defensive wounds.

Saiful: No comment.

The trial before justice Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah continues tomorrow.

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Kelantan Sultan's habeas corpus hearing adjourned

P.Uthayakumar in the dock at the Court of Appeal. Racist and vindictive UMNO. Sessions Judge who dismissed criminal charges in turn prosecuted for unheard of criminal offence.

P.Uthayakumar in the dock at the Court of Appeal. Racist and vindictive UMNO. Sessions Judge who dismissed criminal charges in turn prosecuted for unheard of criminal offence.
This morning was fixed for hearing of the second set of Sedition charges against P. Uthayakumar, P. Waytha Moorthy and another.
At the Court of Appeal this morning it was disheartening seeing P. Uthayakumar, a lawyer of 20 years standing in the dock for merely championing minority Indian rights but in Malay-sia.
In 2007, P. Uthayakumar together with P. Waytha Moorthy launched a nationwide campaign against the UMNO led Malay-sian government’s racist, religious extremist and supremacist agenda in excluding the Indians from the national mainstream development of Malaysia which had peaked in the 25^th November 2007 100,000 people Hindraf Rally.
In the last of the Hindraf nationwide public forums, P. Uthayakumar and P. Waytha Moorthy were peacefully campaigning by delivering a speech at Kuala Selangor. When issues and examples were given on the discrimination and exclusion of the Indians from the national mainstream development of Malaysia, this was deemed Sedition by UMNO which had instructed it’s Attorney General to prosecute P. Uthayakumar and P. Waytha Moorthy and another with Sedition.
The Sessions Court Judge Puan Junaidah had on 23/11/2010 granted a token bail of RM 300.00 each and had allowed a cash bail as it was already 6.00 p.m and the banks would have been closed and had on 26/11/2007 ie one day after the 25^th November 2007 100,000 Hindraf Rally 26/11/2007 dismissed the charges against P. Uthayakumar, P. Waytha Moorthy and another on the grounds that the charges were groundless further to Section 114 (g) of the criminal Procedure Code when the charge sheet did not even have the Tamil translation of the alleged Seditions words uttered. UMNO must have taken this Judge’s actions as non Kow-towing to them.
Why the great hurry in this prosecution. Justice hurried is Justice buried!
For this, this Sessions Court Judge was punished by being immediately moved to a desk job at the Attorney General’s Chambers and then prosecuted for an unknown and unprecedented offence of tampering with judicial notes. We now hear that this Judge has been forced to plead guilty and therefore losses her job, pension, benefits emoluments etc.
This is the price the rare and courageous Judge has to pay for doing her job in the Malaysian Judiciary.
The prosecution had appealed to the High Court Judge on the 10^th of December, just three days before P. Uthayakumar’s arrest under the ISA. Justice Abang Abu Bakar who just until a few months before hearing this case had been objected to by P. Uthayakumar’s lawyers as he was a subordinate of his immediate past boss the Attorney General Tan Sri Gani Patail who had personally appeared before this very same learned High Court Judge.
Repeated applications for an adjournment as P. Uthayakumar and Manoharan Malayalam were acting as Counsels in the Court next door hearing the public interested bail application of some 50 over Hindraf supporters was repeatedly rejected it was so obvious! Independent Judiciary?
As anticipated, this Judge had refused to recluse himself and in any event had allowed the Attorney general’s appeal and set this matter for trial again before the Sessions Court.
P. Uthayakumar’s lawyer Manoharan Malayalam had in the interim appealed to the Court of Appeal and which came up for hearing this morning. But the same was adjourned to 17/7/2010 as the Appeal records were not in order.
The Attorney General is even objecting to the ten days delay in filing the Notice of Appeal even when three days later Manoharan Malayalam himself was detained without trial or conviction under the ISA.
The Attorney General is so vindictive to the point of even exhibiting the list containing the names of the lawyers who had visited Manoharan at Kamunting Prison @ Malaysia’s Guantanamo Bay. Non politically motivated and independent Attorney General?
Lawyers R. Kengatharan and Gobind Singh Deo were also on record.
M. Maran reporting from Putrajaya on 10/5/10.