Nazri: Umno will survive Perkasa - Malaysiakini

INTERVIEW Umno has not always had an easy ride since its inception in 1946 as a nationalist movement for Malay sovereignty.

Since then, the oldest and biggest political party in the country has been battered by defections, splinters, political tsunamis and sordid accounts of corruption and money politics. Shaken but not stirred, Umno still manages to hold itself together.

Until now, that is.

Almost immediately after the 2008 general election in which the ruling BN coalition took a severe beating, there appeared to be a vacuum of the hardline, hail and brimstone approach to Malay interests.

Then came one man (read: Ibrahim Ali) who decided to revive what he thought was the old-school, fist-thumping, make-no-apologies sprint for Malay supremacy.

What began as a one-man-show became an almost free-for-all as Perkasa's membership grew, according to Ibrahim, from strength to strength, grabbing headlines with his often right-wing approach to Malay rights.

Pessimists are even saying that the NGO could tear the fabric of what holds BN together. So much so that Umno leaders are, whether privately or publicly, clamouring for damage control over the group's seemingly unstoppable antics.

Some political observers are claiming that Prime Minister Najib Razak is losing control over his own party, especially in light of claims that 60 percent of Perkasa's 200,000 members belong to Umno as well.

"That's what you get for believing in freedom of expression," said Minister in Prime Minister's Department Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz.

The minister however thinks he knows how to put a stop to Perkasa.

In the second part of an exclusive interview with Malaysiakini, Nazri - an Umno supreme council member - does not mince his words at his displeasure with the NGO and throws it `a gauntlet.'Joining politics their death knell'

A lawyer by profession and a self-proclaimed believer in freedom of expression, Nazri is not too fussed with claims that a majority of Perkasa members are from his own party.

“As I've said many times, Perkasa is an NGO. Umno members are free to support Perkasa,” he said.

“That's why I said I want Perkasa to register as a political party. Then we'll know if members of Umno really support it. This is because you would really have to make a choice.

“But let me tell you, if they register, that'll be their death knell. They'll just mati (die),” he said.

He recounted past turmoil that could have sunk Umno but didn't, such as the withdrawal of the Islamist leaders to form PAS, the Semangat 46 splinter party led by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and the sacking of former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim that saw an exodus of Umno members to become PKR pioneers.

“We have been battered left and right but we are still here. You think Perkasa will do better than Semangat 46, PKR or PAS?” he asked.

Mahathir factor

It is notable that former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad (below) gives Perkasa a glowing vote of confidence and even graced their events a number of times.

It almost suggests a growing undercurrent against the Najib administration, considering the support that Mahathir still commands.

Nazri ,however, writes it off as perception, saying that the former premier's support may not amount to much after all.

“We are a country of the East. We still have respect for former leaders who have given their lives to the country. So I think the perceived support is only out of respect (for Mahathir). Of course you have mavericks like me who will say it as it is,” he said.

“(Mahathir) left and came back. It means that we are strong, that's all. He wouldn't have come back if we're not strong,” Nazri added.

Government effort to win back Indian voters

Senator S. Ramakrishnan, 

Special task force headed by Datuk Dr S.Subramaniam gives direct access to government departments and agencies like national registrations, social welfare and skill development programs, socso and Tekun National reports the media. They have registered thousands of people in need of help in Ijok, Sepang, kulim and other areas. While these developments said to be winning back voters to BN, but at the same time creating ripples and tension in MIC circle between Palanivelu and subra factions in view of the fact that MIC long term president has finally agreed to step down in January, 2011. So what may be benevolent for the Indian community may not be the same to MIC itself. Let’s take a deeper look at the caring and concerned effort of MIC. Those who seek help may not be BN supporters.

First of all, the approach taken by government shows the level of marginalization and neglect of Malaysian Indians from the main stream of government services. Few hundred thousand Malaysian Indians still having red identity cards despite being born in Malaysia since 1957. Many from rubber estates forced out of estates resettle in urban fringes in all major West Malaysian towns and cities without any skills. Many also are quite old having toiled the rubber estates and squeezed like sucked oranges with no social support. They need social welfare support. Their children have fared no better than their parents and are no help to their aged parents. Those who have met with accidents during work, make many trips to SOCSO offices with problems not solved. Then the poor Indians give up hope after encountering many disappointments with government departments. These frustrations forced for the first time the majority of Malaysian Indians to vote against the BN government.

When Malaysian Indians don’t vote BN, they come down to solve our problem. Might as well don’t vote for them at all. They will be always sensitive to the needs of Malaysian Indians. I would like to remind the prime minister that the approach he has taken confirms that the doors of government service are closed to Malaysian Indians. Malaysian Indians can only access government services through special doors created through the special task force. Malaysian Indians are forever marginalized and sidelined in Malaysia. MIC and the other BN component parties allow Malaysian Indians to be marginalized and sidelined for their own survival. Instead of integrating the Malaysian Indians into the main stream, MIC wants to segregate and create a role for itself in between. UMNO then conveniently outsource Malaysian Indian’s problem to MIC which can’t solve any of it. Racial politics only benefit the majority. Minorities need the support of opposition to highlight the grouses. The Minorities need to remain relevant to be taken seriously. For this to happen we need a two party system which the voter has to decide. We cannot blame anyone for our problem. We did not vote wisely in the past therefore we suffer now. Let’s change now and make the political system relevant for the next generation.

Budget 2011 to focus on NKRA, NKEA projects

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 15 — Budget 2011 is set to slash ministerial project allocations by half and focus more on the Prime Minister’s showpiece projects under the six National Key Results Areas (NKRA) and the 12 National Key Economic Areas (NKEA).

The Malaysian Insider understands that the budget ceiling will total just over RM100 billion under a two-year rolling plan with just about a third allocated for fresh projects generated under the various ministries. The remainder will be for NKRA and NKEA projects as well as ongoing projects from the previous development plan.

Sources told The Malaysian Insider that this was to curb corruption from the lower-level government offices, claiming that this was where most of the allocations were being siphoned off.

“You can give an allocation of a hundred ringgit for repair works requested from a district office but here is were RM60 will go for the actual work done and RM40 is being pocketed,” said the source who is a government official.

He added that the government would now be more focussed on its areas for development using the NKRAs as its target platform.

“The hierarchy for the generation of projects previously was like this — suggestions or applications are made from the Village Development and Security Committees (JKKK) at the micro-level, to the district offices, then to the state and finally to the federal. And then we also have federal projects generated by the government.

“The problem of corruption lies in the first process. Money gets lost along the way because everyone wants a cut.

“Now, we are changing the approach. We will specify the projects... focus goes more on government-generated projects under the NKRA and the NKEA, where we have a more specified and structured approach of development,” said the official.

He added that the government also planned to take giant leaps for the country’s human capital development.

“You need human resources. Unfortunately, because of corruption, focus was not on developing our talents and skills but on beefing up our infrastructure and facilities because it is easier to make money from there.

“What we need more is skills development from across the board in all industries. This is where our focus should lie,” he said.

He also promised that the government would be taking slow but sure steps towards a further liberalisation of the economy, in hopes of expanding the economic cake for all.

“Najib understands that we need to move on from here on and not to keep focussing on fighting for crumbs. That is what groups like Perkasa are doing... they are fighting to save the crumbs for themselves.

“But why look at it this way? Why not open up the economy to all so that the economic cake is expanded and then there will be more for all races to enjoy,” he said.

He noted that the ordinary Malaysian on the street wanted very simple needs in life – equal business opportunities, shelter, food, clothing, education and the opportunity to make money.

“We can give them this, why not? We just need to open up the economy, allow it to be determined by market forces. That is what the fuel subsidy rationalisation scheme is all about. In about five years time, our fuel price will be determined by the market and only those in the lower income bracket will be eligible to buy subsidised fuel.

“Why give subsidies to those who do not need it?” he said.

Analysts and the opposition have predicted that the Budget 2011 will likely be an election budget, burdened by a need for the government to kickstart Najib’s many economic initiatives and at the same time, to face the looming polls ahead.

The prime minister promised yesterday that the budget will be a “budget by the rakyat”, underlining several key areas of concern that will receive prominence like employment issues, education and taxes and subsidies.

According to a Reuters report earlier today, economists also said that the budget would be a measuring stick on the Najib administration’s seriousness in pursuring reforms as laid out in his maiden New Economic Model (NEM) and Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) initiatives.

The Najib administration has underlined 12 NKEAs under a comprehensive economic agenda, namely the ETP, which is built on the 10th Malaysia Plan, the NEM and the governing principles of “1 Malaysia, People First, Performance Now”.

The 12 NKEAs are the oil, gas and energy, palm oil, financial services, tourism, business services, electrical and electronics, wholesale and retail, education, healthcare, communications content and infrastructure, agriculture and the Greater Kuala Lumpur/Klang Valley.

Najib has also announced six NKRAs, attached with Key Performance Indicators, including efforts to reduce crime rate, the war against corruption, expanding access to quality and affordable education, raising the standard of living of the lower-income group, strengthening infrastructure in the rural and remote areas, and improving public transportation.

Critics have however continuously charged that Najib’s economic reforms were nothing but a series of radical rhetoric and a barrage of incomprehensible acronyms, accusing the Prime Minister of being too afraid to whip his own Umno ministers into shape.

The opposition has also claimed that Najib was “pulling a Pak Lah, pointing out that the premier’s failure to take a stand on several racially-charged incidents showed that he was afraid of stepping on the toes of his own men in Umno.

Two get seven years in Sosilawati murders

BANTING, Oct 15 — Two men pleaded guilty today to disposing of evidence in the murder of cosmetics millionaire Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya and three others at the Banting Magistrate’s Court here today.

Odd-job worker U. Suresh, 26, and mechanic K. Sarawanan, 19, pleaded guilty to four counts of causing the disappearance of evidence of an offence committed, under Section 201 of the Penal Code.

Sarawanan admitted to burning the bodies of Sosilawati and her companions, while Suresh said he had scattered the ashes in Sungai Panchau near here between 8.45pm and 9.30pm on August 30.

Both were believed to have been working at the time for main suspect lawyer N. Pathmanabhan, who has been accused of masterminding the murders.

Magistrate Hurman Hussain sentenced both Suresh and Sarawanan to the maximum allowable seven years imprisonment for each count of disposing evidence, with sentences to run concurrently.

M. Puravelan, Muhammad Naguib Abdul Malik and Roslie Sulie represented the two accused at Telok Datok Magistrate Court here.

The prosecution was led by Deputy Public Prosecutors Ishak Mohd Yusoff, Saiful Edris Zainudin and Idham Abd Ghani.

Suresh and Sarawanan are the first of the nine suspects from the Sosilawati case to be convicted.

The conviction of the two men will likely strengthen the prosecution’s case against four other men charged earlier with murdering Sosilawati and her three companions.

Lawyer N. Pathmanabhan and three others were charged on Wednesday for the murders.

The charred remains of the four victims were found at a poultry farm in Tanjung Sepat a month ago.

Police believe the victims were killed before their bodies were cremated and disposed of at the farm.

Besides Pathmanaban, 41, the other three accused of the murders are T. Thilailayagan, 19, R. Matan, 20, and R. Kathavarayan, 30. They are believed to be Pathmanaban’s employees.

They are accused of committing the murders between 8.30pm and 9.45pm on August 30.

They were charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code before magistrate Hurman Hussain at 9am.

All four men were charged with the murders of Sosilawati, 47, her driver Kamaruddin Shamsuddin, 44, lawyer Ahmad Kamil Abdul Karim, 32 and CIMB Bank officer Noorhisham Mohammad, 38, all of whom went missing a month ago.

Pathmanabhan and his brother, who is also a lawyer, had been implicated in the murder and disappearance of several others.

The accused are also being probed for the murders and disappearance of several others including Indian millionaire A. Muthuraja, 34, local businessmen Mohd Shafiq Abdullah, 37 and 44-year-old housewife T. Selvi.

Batu Sapi by-election set for Nov 4 as well

FULL REPORT PUTRAJAYA: The Election Commission (EC) has set Nov 4 as polling day for the Batu Sapi parliamentary seat, while nomination is on Oct 26, EC chairman Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof announced here today. The dates are the same as for the Galas state seat by-election in Kelantan.

Abdul Aziz said the EC decided to hold the by-elections simultaneously based on its previous experience of holding three simultaneous by-elections -- for the Bukit Gantang in Perak, Bukit Selambau in Kedah and Batang Ai in Sarawak -- last year.

"We want to shorten the time taken to conduct the by-elections, save on cost as well as minimising by-election tensions.

"There is also limited period available for a separate by-election because of the many upcoming events taking place such as the Deepavali, Aidiladha, Sabah state assembly sitting, Awal Muharram, Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination and so on. This is the best date for the Batu Sapi by-election.

"Sabah is also ready to face the by-election," he told reporters today.
The Batu Sapi seat fell vacant following the death of its incumbent member of parliament Edmund Chong Ket Wah, 54, in a road accident along Jalan Sembulan-Tanjung Aru, Sabah on Oct 9.

Chong, the Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) treasurer,  won the Batu Sapi parliamentary seat at the 2008 general election beating independent candidate Chung Kwong Wing by a majority of 3,708 votes. Chong had garnered 9,479 votes.

Chong's death triggered the 13th by-election for the country since the March 2008 general election.
The seat has 25,582 registered voters, including 1,575 postal votes.

The Galas seat fell vacant following the death of its PAS rep Che Hashim Sulaima on Sept 27. BN/Umno is expected to face PAS in a straight fight here.
Simultaneous announcement
Abdul Aziz said the EC will monitor activities during the campaigning peiod through its two enforcement teams.

He added the EC allocated RM1.3 million for the by-election which would involve about 400 election workers.

The EC expects the voter turnout to be about 80 percent compared with 63.1 percent in the last general election.

Abdul Aziz also said the results of both the by-elections could be announced simultaneously at 8pm on Nov 4.

The EC has appointed Sandakan Municipal Council secretary Mohamad Hamsan Awang Supain as the returning officer.

The nomination and tallying of votes would be held at the Sandakan community hall while 11 schools and a regional library would be used as polling stations, comprising 45 polling streams, he said.

Batu Sapi, which will see the nation's 13th by-election since the 2008 general election, is expected to pit BN against PKR.

A house still divided

By Teoh El Sen - Free Malaysia Today,

PETALING JAYA: Race relations in the country have failed to improve over the years, with politicians frequently aggravating the situation by playing the race card for their own political gains, observers said.

However, some observers did note that racial tolerance today is much better off than the post-1969 racial riot period.

Commenting on the seemingly rising racial rhetoric, 1Malaysia Foundation Board of Trustees chairman Dr Chandra Muzaffar said that it would most likely increase.

"This is what is happening now. Each side would get more and more aggressive. And I hope we don't come to a point of no return," he said.

"But I must emphasise that the situation today is very different from 1969. If you look at the economic situation then, there was clear Chinese dominance. The vast majority of Malays were very poor, even the Malays in Kuala Lumpur lived in the poorest homes," Chandra said, adding that Malaysia now has a more multi-ethnic working class.

Chandra said Malaysia did not suffer from "racism" but rather "communalism and chauvanism" as racism has a physical dimension to it, which does not apply in Malaysia.

"The terms 'communalism and chauvanism' are more appropriate in Malaysia. It is a feeling towards the 'outgroup', those not of your own group, ethnicity and kind. In chauvinism, you glorify your own kind to the detriment of other communities.”

He said Malaysians have always been, by and large, very conscious of their own ethnicity.

"Communal sentiment has always been strong. I don't think it has become worse specifically. But the sentiments now have been expressed for a very long time, even before and after Merdeka," he said.

Chandra said that those sentiments simply underwent different phases.

"In the 50s and 60s, the big issue that impacted communities was citizenship; in the 60s and 70s, language was the issue; and from mid-70s onwards, the whole question of the New Economic Policy and 'special position' became very important.

"Today we find that religion is one of the issues which generates communal feelings on both sides," he said.

Communal sentiments

Chandra categorised Malaysians as either "accomodative and inclusive" or those who are chauvanistic or communal.

He said words such as "pendatang" or "penumpang" or "balik China or India", were an extension of communal sentiments related to citizenship as was in the past.

"In the past, many Malays were very anxious and concerned over citizenship for non-Malays. The terms to forming the country were liberal and almost unheard-of. Gates were sort of opened (to the non-Malays). Now of course it is different; the non-Malays are now part of the country."

Chandra attributed the current sitution to the product of the last general election.

"You have Malays seeing Umno and BN losing their two-thirds majority and are feeling very uneasy about this. At the same time you find that some segments of the Chinese and Indian communities have become more assertive, with some raising questions on the special position (of the Malays).

"And you have all the Malay-based parties – Umno, PAS and PKR – trying to reach out to the Chinese community and play the 'Chinese card', which makes segments of the Malay community feel uneasy. The Chinese-based parties like MCA, DAP and Gerakan have also become more assertive," he said.

Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia movement co-founder Haris Ibrahim told FMT that racial polarisation (but not racism) has dramatically increased in Malaysia.

"Communities these days tend to mix less with each other than it did previously, if I were to use my personal experiences back in my school days," said the prominent lawyer-blogger.

Fanning racial discord

Haris, 51, said in his younger days, he would go to the houses of his Chinese friends during Chinese New Year and his parents would not worry about what he can or cannot eat.

"My friends would naturally know and tell me. Similarly, my mother would caution my Hindu friends who came over for lunch which dish had beef. Sadly, it's not like this now; we have become a more polarised society. I watched this evolve."

Haris accused certain political parties and individuals such as Umno and Perkasa boss Ibrahim Ali of perpetually fanning the flames of racial discord.

He said he believed certain racial issues were deliberately played up by certain individuals, adding: "If we look at the Allah issue and the people calling for protests at the mosques, we see that most of these (protests) actually fizzled out. I believe that there were certain people with their own agenda who stirred up trouble."

However, Haris said many people, including those from the rural areas, were not affected.

"Racism was also clearly played out in 1987 before Ops Lalang when Najib Tun Razak and Lee Kim Sai were then exchanging racial threats and the press was playing it up. But those two were never arrested," he said.

He added that now it seemed that Perkasa and MCA leaders, including Wee Ka Siong and Dr Chua Soi Lek, are playing the "race card" again.

"Do they think that the people would be influenced and would vote for stability because of all this game?" asked Haris.

Haris also agreed that a Race Relation Act should be formulated.

Positive outlook

However, Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism president Dr Thomas Philips had a more positive outlook.

He said Malaysia was doing much better today but he also blamed politicians for instigating the people and "compartmentalising" people along racial lines.

"Malaysians are still moving forward despite the frequency of racially tinged speeches. It would have been terrible if these were said in 1969," he said.

He said that in 1969 and in the years after, people were so suspicious of each other that they would be scurrying back home at the slightest sign or rumour of racial tension.

"But today a number of things have changed. People are more matured now. We saw several incidents, including churches being burnt, but our lives went on... people went back to their homes and continued working," Thomas said.

Thomas said he observed that the public had "transcended racial lines" in the way they voted in the 2008 general election.

"We are talking about the younger generations who are totally Malaysians, and don't seem to look at themselves as Chinese or Malays or Indians. Some have married interracially. They are getting more involved in politics and issues. They can't be instigated anymore," he said, adding that there was another group that wants to gain political mileage by playing the race card.

Thomas also said people are more well informed thanks to the alternative media.

Attributing the "increase in racism" to perception, cultural critic and writer Sharaad Kuttan said people feel or experience a greater degree of racism today because of the negative feelings of the people about the country and its prospects.

"The feelings were probably not much different from a decade ago; it is just that people were more positive about the economy 10 years ago. Now people tend to read and interpret things more harshly and this could be attributed to the economic and political situation of the country."

Sharaad said Malaysians were "quite tolerant" to a certain extent, but believed they would always speak as though they were the victims.

"It is a Malaysian trait to feel that you are being victimised. Everybody speaks like he is a victim. The Malays have a feeling that historically they are displaced by the Chinese. You can create these things in your mind and feel paranoid.

"Umno has often used the fear of the minorities, in particular the Chinese, to fuel racism. If it is a legitimate way to rally your troops, how do you stop it from happening? I think BTN (Biro Tata Negara) is an extension of Umno's ideology of creating fear among the races."

Chandra also said: "I think we need to build up on that 'Malaysianness' despite our differences. What we need right now are people who are able to see both sides of the divide; they must have an earnest attempt to build bridges between the communities. Let's try to understand each other and find our meeting point."

Come poverty and houses, Perkasa boss is colour blind

By Patrick Lee - Free Malaysia Today

PETALING JAYA: The short and stocky politician had been branded "Public (non-Malay) Enemy No 1" for his hard hitting racist remarks. Even Umno, which critics had condemned for propagating racist politics, found him too hot to handle.

But whatever his shortcomings, Perkasa boss Ibrahim Ali had revealed that when it comes to the issue of poverty, he was colour-blind.

“As far as helping Malaysian citizens to get out of poverty, regardless of race, we Perkasa support it all out. We strongly support that the government must not only help the poor Malays, but also the non-Malays,” he said in a video posted on YouTube.

The Pasir Mas MP, in his typical animated style, lamented that despite this, the people always misconstrued Perkasa's stand.

On numerous occasions, Ibrahim had denied being a racist and explained that Perkasa was concerned with upholding the Federal Constitution and the special position of the Malays.

The YouTube video was an interview conducted by Monash University journalism lecturer Wong Chin Huat in Parliament on Oct 12.

Discounts for all

Wong had also asked if the 7% bumiputera housing discount should be extended to all races and this had Ibrahim squirming in his seat. After a brief deliberation, he replied: “Well... I do agree in a way.”

However, he stressed that it should only be for the poor non-Malays.

"For example (in buying a house), if you are Chinese, your income is RM1,500 and below, (which is) the same as a bumiputera buying a house, I believe you (the Chinese) should also get that discount," he said.

He added that the discounts should only be given for houses priced RM150,000 and below.

As for low-cost houses, Ibrahim was firm in his view that everyone should fork out the same amount of money.

Meanwhile, Wong said he was a “bit surprised” with the Perkasa boss' statement.

Describing his conversation with Ibrahim as an “academic interview”, he said that the latter tried to give the impression that he was reasonable.

"I was impressed by his sophistication," Wong said, adding that Ibrahim did not appear like a naïve racist.

Last August, DAP economist Tony Pua had called for a similar action to take place.

Pua said bumiputera discounts for houses worth more than RM500,000 and commercial properties worth more than RM2 million had to be removed.

Despite clarifying that he was still in support of bumiputera discounts on houses priced at RM500,000 and below, Pua was heavily criticised and received death threats, including a live bullet mailed to his house.

They’ll stop at nothing

Remember the RM60K that RPK got? His bail was only RM5K. He stayed in a bungalow, drove a brand new Civic, and is now living in London (at whose expense?)

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

First they accuse me of living in Kalimullah’s apartment in Trinity Court in London. Then Daisy Chong accuses me of being on the payroll of a Chinese tawkey. Now this Umno website accuses me of walloping the RM60,0000 bail money. (You can read the article below).

Well, I might as well confess. I have been declared a bankrupt because I have unpaid debts of RM60 million and the money has been siphoned to my Swiss bank account. Of course, I had to pretend to be poor so that no one would know. But now that I am in the UK I am able to live it up.

So, do you think I need to wallop RM60,000 in bail money?

Actually, I gave the money to Bernard a.k.a. Zorro to use in bailing out six or seven people who were arrested during the candlelight vigil in the Civic Centre in Petaling Jaya. Maybe Zorro would like to say something on this matter and name those people he bailed out. (RM5,000 was also used to pay the bail for one Umno Blogger who is very close to Rocky and Big Dog).

These people did not have money and they would have had to be remanded in the Sungai Buloh Prison while awaiting trial if they were not bailed out. Since these cases go on for ten years or more they would have had to stay in prison for that entire period, whereas, if they are eventually found guilty, the jail sentence would have been just a couple of months at the most -- or maybe it would have been just a fine of a couple of thousand Ringgit. (I met a chap in prison who had been there for more than seven years whereas if he had pleaded guilty he would have been home long before that).

Oh, by the way, I shall be spending part of that RM60 million to finance independent candidates in the next general election in the event Pakatan Rakyat accepts our offer to supply them with quality candidates (so no three-corner fights). If not…well, never mind. Then the money will stay in my Swiss bank account.

So there! Eat your heart out.

And the house was not a bungalow but a semi-detached house while the Honda Civic was purchased long before my arrest in 2008 (which means before the RM60,000 bail money).

Gotcha! Next time if you want to slander me do your homework first, loser!

Oh, and one more thing, if Rocky wants a new notebook computer just drop me a line and I will pay for it myself. No need for anyone else to chip in. Just contact Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and he will know how to reach me.

**********************************************

BigDog aims to help Rocky get another Ferrari!

The last time I remembered an online campaign to raise funds, it was done by RPK.

RPK had wanted the people's support in raising bail money, to show that he had the support, a sought of 'in yer face' ...at the judge. He raised around RM60k and had pledged to use the balance of the money to start up a defense fund for bloggers. That did not happen.

Yesterday, Rocky lost his broadband connection and laptop to the police who took the role of 'tarik laptop' and handed it over to the Raiss' boys in MCMC.

I can understand the laptop, but modem? It is like a child, if you do this to me, I'll do this back!!

So rightly, BigDog has initiated a campaign to raise money to get another laptop for Rocky.

I read the comments left behind by some people, and on twitter too.

Let me put this to you, its not about the money, its about the support for the right to blog and stand by it. What does MCMC aim to to with the laptop? Its not that we are anonymous! Hell, Rocky owned up to it, as did BigDog, and the guys in TnT.

So, click on the sticky banner on the sidebar, if you want to do your part. If not, no worries.

I also read that someone commented on Rocky's position, and he should be able to get one himself. Again its the support.

Remember the RM60K that RPK got? His bail was only RM5K. He stayed in a bungalow, drove a brand new Civic, and is now living in London (at whose expense?)

So, its good to know that there is the support for RPK to do what he does, just as it is good to know that there is also support for Rocky to do what he does.

I know I am doing my small part by doing this, and so can you.

http://muststopthis.blogspot.com/2010/10/bigdog-aims-to-help-rocky-get-another.html

Did we all err?

To my ‘PKR relaxing the rules or undoing someone’s dirty?’ post, Bro Habib RAK sent in a comment thst ended with a poser which I have taken up as the title of this post.
Here, let me reproduce his comment in full.
“Bro Haris,
Please read YL Chongs’s article in Malaysian-Chronicle. http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/2010/10/why-is-rpk-acting-so-out-of-character.html#more
The cut-off date was even quoted by Malaysiakini in an easily readable chart on Sept 5, 2010.
Did we all err?”
Let me also reproduce here the Malaysiakini chart that Habib refers to in his comment.
In his post, YL Chong discloses this chart which he says he noticed in an article dated 5th September.
I’ve checked and actually, this chart first appeared in a Malaysiakini report dated 26th August, 2010. You can check this for yourself HERE.
That same day, there was another Malaysiakini report which also alluded to 10th October as the closing date for nominations. This report, however, also contained an insightful summary of the whole process.
You can read that report HERE.
I am going to reproduce here the summary from that report as I think it may prove useful in trying to make some sense of all this.
“About 400,000 party members in 205 divisions will be taking part, and each division will have a day set aside to nominate their candidates from tomorrow to Sept 12.
The nomination period will be from 10am to 4pm and those interested in contesting will have to submit a nomination form which has two other members as proposer and seconder.
“It (the election process) will be like nomination day for the general election,” said an election coordinator who declined to be named.
At the end of the day, the names will be submitted to the central election committee which will have to publish the names of the nominees within one week from the nomination day.
A three-day objection period and a four-day period to process the objections has been allocated, before the final list is prepared.
The members will then vote on the day of the division’s annual general meeting (AGM).
They will also vote for 10 positions for the women’s wing and 20 positions for the youth wing.
At the respective AGMs, members will then be nominating candidates for the party’s supreme council, which includes the president, deputy president and four vice-presidents, as well as 20 committee members.
Nominations for these key posts will close on Oct 10. To qualify, potential candidates must be nominated by at least two divisions”
Bro Habib, if you examine both this summary and the Malaysiakini chart, you will find they both have one thing in common.
Neither makes mention of the date, 16th October, which is now the date set for nominees to confirm their acceptance of nominations to contest.
In a Malaysiakini report dated 17th September, which also carried the chart above, it was reported that “After the dust from more than 200 divisional meetings settles, nominations for the central leadership positions will officially close on Oct 10. The list of candidates will be finalised and displayed on Oct 24″.
Again, no mention of 16th October for those nominated to confirm their acceptance of the same and the position that they would be contesting.
As alluded to in my ‘PKR relaxing the rules…?’ post, NST online quotes PKR central elections committee director Dr Molly Cheah as making mention of the 16th October date.

“We will be tabulating all nominations from 10am to 6pm on Oct 16 at the party headquarters and will make the final announcement then.   “After the names are announced, another three days will be given for objections and for anyone to retract their nomination.” , Molly is reported to have said.
At this juncture, several questions come to mind.
First, why does the summary of the election process excerpted from Malaysiakini and reproduced above, as well as the Malaysiakini chart, make no mention of the 16th October date?
Let me reproduce here what I said in my ‘He who asserts must prove’ post.
“Day before yesterday, 2 sources in PKR confirmed with me that originally, 10th October was set down as the date, not for divisions to send in their list of nominations to HQ, but as the date set for nominees to confirm their acceptance to contest for the posts for which they had received the requisite number of nominations.
That date, I was told, was only recently moved to 16th October.
How recently, I asked.
“Very recently”, I was told
A month ago, I asked.
“No, more recently”, was the reply”.
If my information is correct, the date 10th October that appears in the Malaysiakini chart and the excerpted summary was the date when nominees were to confirm their acceptance of their nomination, and not the date by which nominations were to be sent to HQ.
If this is correct, when was this changed to 16th October?
I have checked the reports in Malaysiakini and the first mention of the date 16th October appears in a report dated 11th October, 2010.

“Selangor is crucial state and success in governing this state will help tremendously in our campaign in the next general election. We cannot afford to fail.   “He still has five days to go (before Oct 16, when nominations must be accepted), and even after that, there is still room to withdraw,” – Mustaffa Kamil Ayub

Again, if my information is correct, when, then, were divisions to send in their list of nominations to HQ?
From the summary above, it appears that this was to be done by divisions on the very day of their AGM and elections.
Not 10th October.
So, indeed, did we all err?

Menyingkap Hari-Hari Terakhir UMNO-BN

Hari-hari terakhir bagi sesebuah pemerintahan atau kerajaan menjadi sangat nyata apabila ianya semakin zalim dan korup. Begitulah keadaannya dengan umno-bn di Malaysia. Dalam konteks ini, Johor yang kononnya sebagai benteng kuat umno tidak terkecuali.

Beberapa hari yang lalu, suasana perayaan Aidilfitri anjuran Keadilan Negeri Johor yang pada mulanya meriah dan berjalan lancar telah menjadi ribut apabila sepasukan polis tiba-tiba menceroboh masuk ke dalam kawasan rumah persendirian di Kampung Air Manis, Kulaijaya tempat jamuan hariraya itu diadakan.

Pada malam Sabtu 8 Oktober itu, kira-kira 40 orang anggota polis yang diarah sendiri oleh Ketua Polis Daerah, DSP Zulkefly Yahya, telah merentap mikrofon ketika Pengerusi Keadilan Negeri, Chua Jui Meng, sedang berucap. Selepas itu, mereka merampas pula peralatan siaraya yang lain termasuk dua keping banner di situ.

Mengapakah polis yang kononnya “tegas, adil dan berhemah” itu bertindak sebegitu rupa? Zulkefly Yahya tidak ada jawapan lain kecuali membebelkan “tidak ada permit”.

Kalau itulah alasannya, kami ingin bertanya: berapa ribukah permit yang telah dikeluarkan oleh pihak polis, dan berapa ratuskah majlis rumah-terbuka yang telah mereka serbu sepanjang musim perayaan ini?

Peristiwa polis menceroboh kawasan persendirin atas alasan “tidak ada permit” sudah pernah berlaku beberapa kali. Kejadian di Sungai Tongkang, Rengit pada malam 31 Julai masih segar dalam ingatan. Ketika itu, ribuan orang sedang menunggu untuk mendengar ceramah anjuran Keadilan di kawasan Markas Pas.

Pada masa itulah, ratusan orang polis termasuk dari unit FRU telah dikerah untuk menceroboh masuk ke kawasan yang berkenaan serta memecahkan pintu stor dan merampas peralatan siaraya yang terkunci di dalamnya. Dalam masa yang sama, mereka juga telah bertindak memukul serta mencederakan sejumlah orang, dan menangkap beberapa yang lain.

Semua ini tidak dapat dilupakan. Akantetapi, mengapakah polis yang sepatutnya profesional bertindak sedemikian rupa?

Dari dua contoh di atas, saya buat kesimpulan begini: Pemerintah yang sudah tidak berupaya, dan institusi kerajaan yang sudah korup serta tidak berwibawa, kedua-duanya akan berpaut erat antara satu sama lain. Demi survival, mereka akan berganding melakukan apa saja, tanpa mempedulikan nasib serta masa depan negara dan rakyat.

Syed Hamid Ali

Every day for past 10 years, more than 3 persons missing who cannot be located or 40% of missing persons reported to police since 2000 as compared to statistics of over 99% of missing persons located by Australian Police

By Lim Kit Siang,


The answer to the issue posed in the topic in tonight’s forum is quite a foregone conclusion.
Two questions answered in Parliament this week are most pertinent in throwing light on public perceptions and confidence in the police system in the country.
On the first day of Parliament on Monday on Oct. 11, in reply to my question, the Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein defended the police force against criticisms of inaction in the murder case of cosmetics millionaire Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya and three others, denying that past reports lodged on the main suspects in the murder were neglected.
Hishammuddin said six police reports had been lodged against the two lawyer-brother suspects between 2005 and 2010 – five involved fraud and one involved a missing person report. Investigation into three of the six cases have been wrapped up while one of the cases is undergoing trial.

Accusing me of being “selective” in picking out certain cases only, Hishammuddin claimed that statistics showed that the police had done a great job as between 2000 to 2010, the police have solved 21,344 out of 35,473 missing persons cases.
I have checked the Internet and I have here a report about missing person statistics for Australia. Over 30,000 people are reported missing in Australia each year and its statistics show that less than one per cent of missing persons in Australia are not located while over 99 per cent of missing persons are located with –

• 86% being located within one week;
  
• 7% being located between 8 and 31 days;
  
• 6% being located after one month.
  

What is the position in Malaysia?
Hishammuddin seemed to be very proud in Parliament on Monday with statistics that showed that only 60% of reported missing persons had been solved in the past 10 years, i.e. 21,344 out of 35,473 missing persons cases, completely oblivious to the 40% unresolved missing persons cases amounting to 14,129 cases.
This works out to more than three persons missing a day who cannot be located happening every day for the past 10 years – which is a clearly a most serious and even scandalous situation reflecting poorly on the law-and-order system in the country, but which have not even twitched the conscience of the Home Minister!
Where have 14,129 people, or more than three persons a day, disappeared to in the past 10 years? Why have the police failed to sound the alarm about the gravity of this problem?
This is a crying shame and the Home Minister should make a ministerial statement in Parliament on what the police and the government proposes to do to deal with this scandalous state of affairs.
When in my supplementary question I expressed dissatisfaction with his answer, saying public confidence in the police force and its professionalism as well as Malaysia’s image and international competitiveness had been adversely affected and that if all missing person reports had been taken seriously and resolved sooner, the mass murders of Sosilawati and three others could have been avoided, Hishammuddin warned against “sensationalizing” matters.
But Hishammuddin conspicuously ignored the fact that it was the new Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar himself who had publicly admitted that the Sosilawati mass murders cases could have been prevented if fast action, including proper investigation, had been conducted over earlier reports of missing persons – although I specifically pointed out this fact to Hishammuddin in my supplementary question.
The second question was Hishammuddin’s reply to Penang Chief Minister and DAP MP for Bagan, Lim Guan Eng that the Home Ministry will not investigate allegations by the former Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan that that there is “third-party interference” in police work.
Answering Guan Eng who had asked for the results of the inquiry into the former IGP’s allegations and what actions would be taken against Musa in the event his claims were proven to be false, Hishammuddin replied without giving any reasons that the Home Ministry “does not intend to take action on the claims”.
Just before retiring as IGP, Musa hit out at “excessive interference from third parties” against the police force, zeroing in particular on the Home Ministry, with the specific advice to police officers and personnel not to be “yes men” or the entire force would “rot and collapse”.
This was a very serious allegation and Musa had clearly failed in his duties as IGP when he did not lodge official reports to initiate investigations to halt such “excessive interference” with the police.
In fact, I had at the time proposed that it was not too late for Musa to be suspended as IGP (as his term of IGP had a few more days to run) with his honourable discharge subject to full investigations into his dereliction of duties as IGP as well as serious allegations of corruption and abuses of power which have been made against him – but Hishammuddin did nothing.
Musa was of course the last person to protest against “excessive interference” with the police when he was foremost in blocking the implementation of the key recommendation of the Dzaiddin Police Royal Commission of Inquiry for the establishment of an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) – at one stage even threatening police revolt against the elected government of the day.
On another occasion, Musa threatened to call police off the streets and not to enforce the law in retaliation against the firestorm of public outrage at the trigger-happy police killing of 14-year-old Form III student Aminulrasyid Hamzah some 100 metres from his Shah Alam house in April this year.
This is gross insubordination on Musa’s part against the Malaysian people who should be the true “bosses” of the police force.
In actual fact, when Musa was IGP, the police force witnessed a further deterioration of the police “rot and collapse”.
Having a new IGP will not bring about any meaningful changes in the police system to restore national and international confidence unless there is a transformation and break from the colonial past mentality which regarded the paramount duty of police as that of protector of the powers-that-be to embrace democratic policing to protect the people and not the regime in power.
The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) 2005 report on “Police Accountability: Too Important to Neglect, Too Urgent to Delay” has rightly stressed:
“Democratic nations need democratic policing. Democratic policing is based on the idea the police are protectors of the rights of citizens and the rule of law, while ensuring the safety and security of all equally. It rejects any resemblance to the regime policing of colonial times. Colonial style policing was based on the idea of police as protectors of a government foreign to the people.”
As the report said, “Increasingly, the fundamental of policing is seen as being the protection and vindication of the human rights of all.”
For the Malaysian police, which has seen a collapse of public confidence in its institutional independence, professionalism and integrity as confirmed by the 2005 Dzaiddin Police Royal Commission of Inquiry, the first step to police institutional transformation must be its adoption of a new police ethos, vision and mission by embracing democratic policing as one of its transformational challenges.
A police committed to democratic policing will not blindly act as the instruments of the regime in power to harass and oppress the Opposition and legitimate dissent in the country, and Malaysia would be would have been spared police abuses of power represented by the arrest of cartoonist Zunar, police questioning of PKR MP for Lembah Pantai Nurrul Izzah for sedition, DAP MP for Serdang Teoh Nie Ching for her surau visit and the chair of tonight’s forum Latheefa Koya.
The Police should not apply double standards – harassing leaders of the opposition and dissent whenever police reports are lodged, while ignoring police reports lodged against the powers-that-be.
I have asked a question in the current meeting of Parliament on the number of police reports which have been lodged against Utusan Malaysia since April 2009 and the results of police action or inaction. Let us wait for the answer.
[Speech (Pt 1) at the Suaram forum “IGP Bertukar: Institusi Polis Berubah?” held at KL/Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall on Thursday, 14th October 2010 at 8 pm]

Simultaneous By-Elections For Batu Sapi And Galas

PUTRAJAYA, Oct 15 (Bernama) -- The Election Commission (EC) today set Nov 4 for the Batu Sapi parliamentary by-election in Sabah, the same day as the Galas state by-election in Kelantan.

The nomination day is on Oct 26.

EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said the EC decided to hold the by-elections simultaneously based on its previous experience of holding three simultaneous by-elections -- for the Bukit Gantang in Perak, Bukit Selambau in Kedah and Batang Ai in Sarawak -- last year.

"We want to shorten the time taken to conduct the by-elections, save on cost as well as minimising by-election tensions.

"There is also limited period available for a separate by-election because of the many upcoming events taking place such as the Deepavali, Aidiladha, Sabah state assembly sitting, Awal Muharram, Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination and so on. This is the best date for the Batu Sapi by-election.

"Sabah is also ready to face the by-election," he told a news conference after chairing a special meeting to decide on the by-election date here Friday.

The Batu Sapi seat fell vacant following the death of incumbent MP Datuk Edmund Chong Ket Wah of Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), a Barisan Nasional component party, in a road accident on Saturday.

Chong won the seat in the 2008 general election, beating Independent candidate Chung Kwong Wing by a 3,708-vote margin. He polled 9,479 votes.

Abdul Aziz said the EC would use the main electoral roll, updated on Oct 9, which contained the names of 24,047 ordinary voters and 1,535 postal voters.

The EC has appointed Sandakan Municipal Council secretary Mohamad Hamsan Awang Supain as the returning officer.

The nomination and tallying of votes would be held at the Sandakan community hall while 11 schools and a regional library would be used as polling stations, comprising 45 polling streams, he said.

Abdul Aziz said the EC had also agreed to set up two enforcement teams to monitor activities throughout the campaigning period.

He said the EC allocated RM1.3 million for the by-election which would involve about 400 election workers.

The EC expects the voter turnout to be about 80 per cent compared with 63.1 per cent in the last general election.

On the results of the two by-elections, Abdul Aziz said the EC was expected to announce them simultaneously at 8pm on Nov 4.

A by-election need not be called in the event of a vacancy after April 28 next year because the current term of parliament would only have two years left by then.

Speaking at FFF | ISA detainee speaks at Church of Divine Mercy

ps – I have signed up to be a resource person (baring any last minute emergencies on this busy weekend!) for 2 FFF screenings at Menara PKNS in PJ – Every Mother’s Son (on police brutality, Saturday 2pm) and Pray the Devil back to hell (on the conflict in Liberia, Sunday 8pm)
pps- Just got word of this event, sounds good! I like how it continuously seeks to bridge a Muslim-Christian Divide :)
ISA – sharing of experience and discussion
All are invited to join us in being “formed and informed”.
Topic : Internal Security Act (ISA)
Speakers : Mat Sah Satray (ex-ISA detainee)
Norlaila Othman (anti-ISA activist)
Date :16 October 2010
Time : 8.30 p.m.
Place : St. John Vianney Room
Church of the Divine Mercy (CDM),
26,jalan Pemaju U1/15, Seksyen U1,
Shah Alam
website: www.divinemercyshahalam.com – for map/directions
We look forward to your presence at this event.
Thank you.

Once again, have been neglecting blog :( Am especially sorry as it has been a time where there has been much to write about.
(sorry if following links are not to the best possible article – just to the latest at time of writing :P )
ISA arrests (which are wrong no matter who is being arrested), Teoh Beng Hock’s continuing inquest, Aminulrasyid’s inquest, the alarmingly suspicious death of a former Taib Mahmud aide, the PLUS buyout, this 1MDB & KLFID scam, the palace contract scam, today’s budget, Sodomy II, the red book arrests, the case of Lau Shi Shi, and more.
And most recently: they have now made the Batu Sapi and Galas by-elections on the same day. Clearly a ploy to split Pakatan manpower.
Sigh. I’m sorry I haven’t been able to write more. I can only hope the things I have been (and will be, so may not be blogging much:( ) spending my time on will help make a dent in all of this in the long run. We never know for sure, but time will tell.
In the meantime Malaysia, hang in there. No word does not mean no concern. We keep on keepin’ on, and we’ll have faith. Good luck and see you on the other side!

Red book detention: Nazri unhappy with the police

Azmin: All party problems are my fault, right?

BN gearing for snap polls, says Anwar

Gobala: There's a hidden hand ...

Iran leader in Hezbollah stronghold

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, has praised Lebanon for its resistance against Israel, while addressing a huge crowd in a Lebanese village close to the Israeli border.

Speaking to 15,000 cheering Hezbollah supporters on Thursday in Bint Jbeil, the scene of fierce fighting between the Iranian-backed group and Israeli soldiers in July 2006, Ahmadinejad said the town was a symbol of resistance.

"Today the Lebanese nation is alive and is a role model for the regional nations," he said, declaring that the "Zionists are mortal".

Ahmadinejad, who has called for the Israeli state to be wiped from the map, is on a two-day visit to Lebanon.

On arriving in Lebanon on Wednesday, Ahmadinejad said that Iran would support Beirut in confronting what he said was Israeli hostility.

Ahmadinejad's visit to the south marked the closest he has ever come to arch-foe Israel.

Iranian flags and posters lined the main roads leading to Bint Jbeil and at the entrance to the town a giant banner read "welcome" in Farsi and Arabic. Signs on billboards and banners said: "The south welcomes the protector of the resistance".

Bint Jbeil is just four kilometres from the Israeli border, and Israel's Channel 2 Television said echoes of Ahmadinejad's welcome ceremony were audible on the Israeli side.

The town was heavily bombed in the 34-day conflict four years ago, and most of the houses around the stadium where Ahmadinejad spoke have been rebuilt since then.

Ahamdinejad's speech in Bint Jbeil had strong symbolism. In 2000, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah delivered a victory speech there two days after Israel ended its 22-years of occupation of south Lebanon.

Controversial visit

But Ahmadinejad's speeches at Hezbollah-sponsored rallies have stoked controversy.

"Critics say he would be welcome here if he acted like a president of Iran and not like a president of certain parts of Lebanon," Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr, reporting from Bint Jbeil, said.

"Part of [Ahmadinejad's] message was moderate, but not all of the message," Nadim Koteich, a Lebanese journalist, told Al Jazeera.

Referring to the "healthy and proper relationship with Iran that [Lebanon] strives for," Koteich criticised the Iranian leader's pro-Hezbollah rhetoric.

"We saw a sea of Iranian flags, Iranian slogans ... and a chorus of young men singing in the Iranian language ... This is the part that we had a problem with."

Ahmadinejad was also due to visit Qana, the village where 105 civilians were killed in Israeli shelling of a UN shelter in 1996 during the Jewish state's "Grapes of Wrath" offensive on Lebanon.

Yigal Palmor, an Israeli foreign ministry spokesman, said Ahmadinejad had brought a message of "violence and extremism".

"It is a deeply concerning development that he is transforming Lebanon into a platform for his aggressive plans against Israel and against other countries in the region," Palmor said.

"Hezbollah is an Iranian proxy in Lebanon," Nicole Shampaine, a director with the US state department's Near East Affairs Bureau, said.

"Ahmadinejad's visit there isn't designed to increase stability in Lebanon, to reduce tensions in Lebanon. It's designed to do the opposite."

Rally in south Beirut

On Wednesday, Ahmadinejad appeared at a rally in the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburb of Beirut, waving to a crowd of thousands before taking his seat next to Hezbollah's deputy commander, Naim Qassem.

Chanting "death to America" and "death to Israel," Hezbollah supporters turned out in large numbers to welcome Ahmadinejad.

Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader, did not appear in person at the rally because of security concerns but welcomed Ahmadinejad in a speech broadcast via video link.

He echoed Iran's call for Israel to disappear, saying: "President Ahmadinejad is right when he says Israel is illegitimate and should cease to exist."

Ahmadinejad said in Beirut that the Middle East does not need "interference from outside powers".

"The Zionist regime will continue its downfall and no power can save it because of the resistance in Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Iraq, Turkey, Iran and the rest of the region," he said.

Source:Al Jazeera and agencies

Whistleblower found dead with bag tied around head

(Malaysiakini) A former employee of Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud's family business empire was found dead last Sunday in a Los Angeles hotel room with a bag tied around his head.

Ross J Boyert, 60, was former chief operating officer of Sakti International - the United States-based property company belonging to Taib's family.

"It is speculated that he may have taken his own life, but the coroner is withholding judgement pending further investigations," said anti-Taib website Sarawak Report, which has recently published a series of explosive revelations on Sarawak's 'first family'.

According to Sarawak Report, Boyert had for 12 years served as the sole manager of a number of the office blocks and residences owned by the Taib family in San Francisco and Seattle.

Sakti International owns an estimated US$80 million (RM258 million) in properties. Among them is the 14-storey Abraham Lincoln Building - a maximum security building which houses the Seattle division of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and counter-terrorism unit, the Washington Fusion Centre.

It was Boyert who helped Sakti International sealed the deal with the FBI in 1998.

Apart from the Abraham Lincoln Building, Sakti's other top property includes 260 California Street, San Francisco, the tenants of which include Citibank (left).

Boyert took charge of an ailing Sakti International in 1994 when it was under the management of Taib's son Sulaiman Taib - then a student in California.

Sulaiman, who is now a parliamentarian in his father's former seat of Kota Samaharan, quit late last year as deputy tourism minister citing personal reasons. It is rumoured that he is in ill-health.

Falling out with family members

Sarawak Report said that Boyert left Sakti International in 2006 after falling foul of rivalries among Taib family members.

"Details of what happened to him are publicly laid out in lawsuits and counter-lawsuits lodged in the records of the California Superior Court. These records provided some of the information behind Sarawak Report's original exposes of Taib's US property interests," added the website.

Taib, who has ruled Sarawak since 1981, is speculated to be among Malaysia's richest, with business interests in a variety of industries locally and abroad.

Most prominent of the Taib family companies is conglomerate Cahaya Mata Sarawak Bhd, which constructed much of the state's infrastructure.

According to the lawsuits filed by Boyert, Sulaiman had promised him 50 percent of the profits in Sakti International in return for rescuing the company.

However, an inept Sulaiman was later replaced as the company sole director by Taib's Canadian son-in-law Sean Murray - the husband of Sulaiman's sister Jamilah.

After securing control of the company, Murray subsequently sacked Boyert without any compensation. Boyert retaliated by going to court claiming unfair dismissal and demanded the promised share of the profits.

By bringing the case against Sakti, and thus revealing the Taib family's business interest, Boyert claimed his own family faced "a relentless, well-funded campaign to undermine their reputation and to destroy them financially".

"We thought it was a plain vanilla employment dispute and they would eventually give us some money to go away," Boyert told Sarawak Report. "Instead they unleashed the forces of hell on us.

"I was incredibly naive. I should have realised that by showing all that I knew about Taib's involvement in the company, I would present a threat in his eyes and invoke his revenge.

"We never realised that Taib's wealth was illegitimate, we didn't have Google in those days. We just assumed that, as the FBI had checked out the company and rented a maximum security facility from the Taibs, everything must be above board."

In deep desperation

Boyert alleged numerous incidents of tyre slashing, the destruction of burglar alarm and CCTV surveillance systems and a series of break-ins into their multi-million dollar home.

Unable to find work and having lost their home, a deeply depressed Boyert made an attempt to kill himself three months ago by crashing his car into a tree.

Boyert had met with investigators from Sarawak Report several times and provided some of the key information which form part of its series of expose on Taib family's business empire.

Boyert also contacted Malaysiakini soon after he heard that Taib was suing the news portal for defamation over its 2007 report on alleged kickbacks paid by Japanese shippers to a company linked to the chief minister's family.

Following the death of Taib's wife in 2009, Boyert told Malaysiakini in an email:

"It is with neither joy nor sorrow that I greet the news of the death of Laila Taib (far right), but rather with a profound sense of disappointment. Having suffered mightily for our stand against the injustices perpetrated by this family, I cannot help but feel cheated by this death.

"The pained look on my wife's face as we now confront the prospect of the loss of our home resulting from the destructive slander of my reputation is almost too much to bear.

"We remain committed to the cause of justice, believe that all ill begotten gains be repatriated, and that the Taib's better start compensating now all those whom they have so ruthlessly harmed, or be prepared to suffer their own final judgment."

Boyert leaves behind a wife and daughter.

Indian vegetable stalls in Cameron Highlands demolished, issued summons., licences rejected, freehold land titles denied. But licences for illegal Bangladeshis, Malays & Chinese. End UMNO racist policies.

No.6, Jalan Abdullah, Off Jalan Bangsar, 59000 Kuala Lumpur. Tel : 03-2282 5241

Fax : 03-2282 5241 Fax: 03-2282 5245

Website: www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com E-mail: info@humanrightspartymalaysia.com

Your Reference :

In Reply :

Date : 14th October 2010

YAB. Dato Seri Najib Razak

Prime Minister of Malaysia,

Blok Utama Bangunan Perdana Putra,

Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan, Fax: 03-88883444 62502 Putrajaya E-Mail: najib@pmo.gov.my



YAB Dato’ Sri Haji Adnan Bin Haji Yaakob Menteri Besar Pahang
Pejabat Menteri Besar Pahang,
Wisma Sri Pahang, Fax: 09-5157766
25502 Kuantan, Pahang. E-mail: adunpelangai@pahang.gov.my

YH. Dato’ Haji Mohamad Noor Abdul Rani YDP Majlis Daerah& Pegawai Daerah Cameron Highlands,

Majlis Daerah Cameron Highlands Faks : 05-4911728/05-4901707
Peti Surat 66, 39007 Tanah Rata E-mail: pdtch@pahang.gov.my



Re: Indian vegetable stalls in Cameron Highlands demolished, issued summons., licences rejected, freehold land titles denied. But licences for illegal Bangladeshis, Malays & Chinese. End UMNO racist policies.

We refer to the above matter wherein this morning we had received a telephone call from a vegetable farmer from Cameron Highlands.

On 11/10/10 an Indian local vegetable farmer cum seller one Ramu a/l Appalasamy’s vegetable stall by the roadside selling vegetables in the popular tourists Cameron Highlands was issued a Summons.

But hundreds of Indian farmers application for licenses has repeatedly been rejected. Why this level of UMNO racism?

To stop the Indians from sharing the country’s wealth by tapping on the lucrative tourists purchasing power coming to Cameron Highlands?

Some six years ago this farmer’s vegetable stall was demolished and he went out of business.

In the recent past alone some 13 Indian stalls were demolished for “not having a license” when in fact their license applications were rejected (list enclosed herewith). This has also happened to hundreds of Indians in Cameron Highlands over the years who have been denied their rights to engage in business and to earn a decent living. (MO 13/10/2010 at page 8).

Why is the Cameron Highlands Municipal and District Council throwing sand into the rice bowls of these Indian vegetable farmers vis a vis denying them upward mobility opportunities and excluding and segregating them from the national mainstream development of Malaysia.

To the contrary vegetable stall licenses have been liberally granted to hundreds of Malay muslim and Chinese vegetable farmers. We are told that even some 30 vegetable stall licenses have been granted to foreign Bangladeshi workers. In Kuala Terla alone six shops that are illegally run by illegal foreign Bangladeshi workers.

Kindly investigate and prosecute if there are elements of corruption on the part of the relevant Cameron Highlands Municipal and District Council and District officers and whether these Indian stalls are demolished and summons issued because they are the politically and economically powerless. They refuse to give the bribes to the Cameron Highlands District Council.

Kindly forthwith grant 100 vegetable stall licenses to the deserving Indian farmers in Cameron Highlands.

Kindly also grant the estimated 4,000 Indian farmers freehold titles to the land they have been working on at least over the last 53 years.

Kindly also similarly grant the estimated 500 Indian plantation workers a ten acre freehold land each as granted to 442,000 Malay muslim farmers in Felda, Felcra and Risda (BH 25/2/2010) to undo near slavery like living conditions they are living in coupled with a mere RM13.00 per day a tea plantation workers wages are earning. Thousands of Indians in the Blue Valley tea plantations in Cameron Highlands are paid a salary mere RM13.00 (USD 3.50) per day. They do not get annual leave, bonus and when they fall sick they cannot even afford to go to the Ipoh General Hospital for treatment (Tamil Nesan 11th Oct 2008 page 4) (Malaysian Indian Minority & Human Rights Violations Annual Report 2008). The irony is one cup of tea at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur in itself is RM13.00.

Kindly also stop taking in and deport all the Bangladeshi and all other foreign workers from Cameron Highlands and Malaysia as they depress the earning capacity of the Indians to the poverty stricken Bangladeshi standards up to as low as RM13.00 per day and taking away business and upward mobility opportunities from even the sixth generation Malaysian born Indians.

Because of these racist UMNO policies, thousands of Indians have been forced to leave their Cameron Highlands farms and only to take up unskilled general workers, cleaners, security guards, road sweepers, drivers and office boys jobs elsewhere. Why the Malay-sian “ethnic cleansing” of these peaceful Cameron Highlands ethnic Indian farmers and plantation workers.

Kindly revert to us accordingly.

Thank You.

Yours Faithfully,

_______________

P.Uthayakumar

cc :

Dato’ Sri Haji Abu Kassim bin Mohamed

Ketua Pesuruhjaya SPRM Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia
Blok D6, Kompleks D
Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan Faks:03-88889562 62007 Putrajaya, Malaysia E-mail: info@sprm.gov.my

Dato’ Abdul Rahman Bin Othman
Ketua Pengarah Imigresen
Pejabat Ketua Pengarah
Ibu Pejabat Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia
Tingkat 7 (Podium)
No 15, Persiaran Perdana, Presint 2 Faks : 03-88801201

62550 Putrajaya E-mail: kpi@imi.gov.my

UMNO College CQ-TEC denies Indian students right to wear saree for convocation

 

HRP received a complaint from a parent that the management of CQ-Tec College is going overboard by denying the rights of its student from wearing the traditional Indian saree to the Convocation which is scheduled to be held on 17th October 2010.

The College circular to the student dated 14th Ogos 2010, see below No.1.7 – “That all graduates and family are allowed to wear formal and traditional dress except Saree”. Why such discrimination against the minority Indians by denying their rights of wearing their traditional dress?

Article 8 of the Federal Constitution provides that all persons are equal before the law and entitled to its equal protection and there shall be no discrimination against citizens on the ground only of religion, race, descent, gender or place of birth. And Article 12 In respect of education, Article 12 provides that there shall be no discrimination against any citizen on the grounds only of religion, race, descent or place of birth (i) in the administration of any educational institution.

Is this the concept of Najib Razak’s One Malay-sia? Only kebaya and baju melayu allowed for the Convocation? Is this the racist UMNO regime’s to “ethnically cleanse” the Indian culture and tradition from the face of Malaysia.

Irrespectively we have advised the students and the parents to go to the convocation attired in saree.

HRP contemplates sueing the college for racial discrimination for being in breach of the Article 8 of the Federal Constitution.

“Rights Not Mercy”

S.JAYATHAS

Information Chief

Police Release Two Men And A Woman Over Sosilawati Murder Case

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 (Bernama) -- The police on Wednesday released two men and a woman who had been among those assisting in the investigation into the murder of cosmetics queen Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya and three men.

According to the police Facebook account, the woman was released on a court bond while the two men were freed on police bail after four people were charged in the Telok Datok Magistrate's Court in Banting, Selangor, on Wednesday for the murder.


Lawyer N. Patmanabhan, 41, and farm workers T. Thilaiyalagan, 19, R. Matan, 20, and R. Khatavarayan, 30, were charged with murdering Sosilawati, 47, her driver Kamaruddin Shansudin, 44, CIMB Bank officer Noorhisham Mohammad, 38, and lawyer Ahmad Kamil Abdul Karim, 32, at Lot 2001, Jalan Tanjung Layang, Tanjung Sepat, Banting, Selangor, between 8.30pm and 9.45pm on Aug 30.

___________________________________________________________________________

Suspects of Banting murders charged

BANTING: One of the two lawyer brothers and three others suspects in the Banting murders were today charged at the Magistrate's Court for the murder of cosmetics millionaire Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya and her three associates.

Lawyer N. Pathmanabhan, 41, and three farm workers - T. Thilaiyalagan,19, R. Matan, 20 and R. Kathavarayan, 30 - were charged this morning under Section 302 of the Penal Code for jointly murdering, with intent, 47-year-old Sosilawati, her driver Kamaruddin Shamsudin, 44, her lawyer Ahmad Kamil Abdul Karim, 32, and 38-year-old CIMB Kampung Baru bank officer Noorhisham Mohammad, who was also Sosilawati's financial advisor.

The four were charged with committing the offence on Aug 30 between 8.30pm to 9.45pm at Lot 2001, Jalan Tanjung Layang, Tanjung Sepat, Banting, Kuala Langat.

When the charge was read out, the four accused remained calm, impassive even, and merely nodded when asked if they understood the charge.

The charge carries the death penalty upon conviction. No plea was recorded.

Pathmanabhan was represented by counsels Ravi Nekoo, Pushpa Ratnam, Amir Hamzah Arshad and Ng See Teong while the other three accused were unrepresented, as Amir Hamzah told the court their families had not been informed of their detention.

This was refuted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Saiful Edris Zainuddin, who said as far as he knew, the families have been informed.

Amir Hamzah said: "I would also request for the prosecution team to inform the investigating officer to inform the families of the three other suspects about their charge today."

Besides Saiful Edris, the prosecution team also comprises DPPs Ishak Mohd Yusoff and Idham Abd Ghani.

Magistrate Hurman Hussain set Dec 16 for the next mention to await the report from the Department of Chemistry.

The courtroom was packed with reporters and onlookers, as the gruesome case had generated national interest.

It was learnt no family members of any of the suspects were in court this morning.

Sosilawati was reported missing last Aug 30 after reportedly going to Banting for a land deal. The founder of Nouvelle Visages cosmetics and ex-wife of rocker Nash, had told one of her daughters that she was going to Banting for three days, and was said to be carrying a large amount of cash.

It was reported she was last seen buying Raya cookies at a shop in Kampung Sungai Lan, Banting on Sept 2.
During investigations, police said the victims were bludgeoned to death, set ablaze and had their ashes, including small bone fragments, scattered in a river near Ladang Gadong in Tanjong Sepat, near Banting.

The main lawyer accused and his brother, also a lawyer, were apparently acting as brokers for Sosilawati in the land purchase in Penang worth millions of ringgit.

Six people, including two women and farmhands, have been arrested together with the lawyer and his brother in connection with the killings.

The two lawyer brothers were also reportedly being investigated for the disappearances and murders of several individuals - Indian businessman A.K. Muthuraja, 34, Sungai Petani businessman Mohd Shafik Abdullah, 37 and his friend S. Thevaraj, 28, businessman S. Anpalagan, 43, and housewife T. Selvi, 44.

It was further reported that several police reports had been lodged against the two lawyer brothers since 2005 over allegations of fraud in land transactions and criminal breach of trust, which allegedly resulted in losses amounting to RM7.1 million to the alleged victims.

Meanwhile, the remand order for the second lawyer brother ends on Oct 15, together with four others.

Exploding firecrackers, sirens then a crash

Lance-corporal Shamsul said he didn't see any shooting because he was focused on driving and didn't hear any gunfire because he was deafened by the police sirens. — Pictures by Jack Ooi

SHAH ALAM, Oct 14 — Zafrullah Ahmad Zainal Abidin who lives about 30 metres away from Aminulrasyid Amzah recounted the sounds of exploding firecrackers and police sirens splitting the early morning silence last April 26 moments before the 14-year-old crashed and died.

The 28-year-old resident of Section 11 here testified this afternoon at the Shah Alam Sessions Court. He is the first person from the public to give an eyewitness account of the events leading to Aminulrasyid’s death.

“I heard sounds like firecrackers exploding and the police siren heading in my direction,” the youth said on Day 3 of the Aminulrasyid shooting trial.

“It sounded like tat, tat-tat-tat-tat, tat,” the neighbour said in an attempt to mimic the exploding sounds.

There were more than ten such bursts at one- to two-second intervals, he related. They went on for about 20 to 30 seconds.

“It sounded like it was coming from behind me,” said Zafrullah, who was doing some work on his computer on the upper level of his double-storey bungalow in Jalan Silat Gayong 11/3A at about 1.30am April 26.

The firecracker-like sounds were interspersed with the wail of police sirens, he noted.

“It got louder as it got closer,” he added.

Twenty seconds later, he heard a loud crash.

The accused, Corporal Jenain Subi (left) walks past Aminulrasyid's sister, Nor Azura Amzah (seated right) on his way to the courtroom where he's on trial for shooting to death the 14-year-old schoolboy. - Picture by Jack Ooi

“Like some object had hit a wall,” Zafrullah said.

“After the crash, there was only the sirens,” he said.

Police patrolman, Corporal Jenain Subi, 48, is charged with killing the teen after a high-speed chase.

The offence does not amount to murder, but Jenain can be jailed up to 30 years and fined if found guilty.

Zafrullah said he only realised the firecracker-like sounds he heard earlier were gunfire after seeing the crashed car peppered with bullet marks. The rear windscreen was smashed in, he added.

The crashed car, a white Proton Iswara Aeroback, was surrounded by two police patrol cars.

Zafrullah, who turned up in the chilly court dressed warmly in a dark blue jacket, said he hurried to the second-storey window to check out the commotion but couldn’t make it out, so he went outside to the edge of the compound.

His bungalow home sits atop a hill that slopes gently down to the main road, he said.

“I saw a man running to the opposite side, towards Jalan Tarian 11/2,” he said.

“A few policemen chased after him and shouted ‘Jangan lari (Don’t run)!” he added.

He didn’t know what happened after that and decided to check out the car crash instead.

Zafrullah said it took him about three to four minutes to walk to the crash site, about 10 metres away from his gate.

Other members of the public had also surrounded the car by then, peering in but not touching the car.

The police blocked off the area with yellow tape half an hour later, Aminulrasyid's neighbour said. He added he stayed on till 3.30am.

Zafrullah recalled seeing a dead body in the car; but at that time was unaware the victim was Aminulrasyid.

Zafrullah heard the cops chase his friend's younger brother. — Picture by Jack Ooi

“I only knew it the next day. It was my friend’s brother,” he told the court.

The victim appeared to have been flung half out of the car face-down, he said.

The upper half of the body was inside while the lower half was hanging out of the open door on the driver’s side, Fazrullah said and clambered out of the witness stand to demonstrate the pose.

He buried his face into a cushioned seat, adopting a stance first shown by Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah paramedic, Muhamad Sahid Abdul Karim, the first emergency aid worker at the scene.

The Sessions Court here will be visiting the housing area where teenager Aminulrasyid Amzah crashed his car and died next Tuesday morning.

Judge Latifah Mohd Tahar directed deputy public prosecutor Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar to arrange the logistics for the court visit.

“We will meet in court at 9am and then convoy there,” Dusuki told reporters after the trial was adjourned for the day.

“The crime scene visit is to provide more details as described by Zafrullah,” the government lawyer added referring to the prosecution’s 15th witness.

Jenain’s defence lawyer, M.M. Athimulan had disputed parts of Zafrullah’s description on the location and distance of the latter’s home from the crime scene.

The trial’s 14th witness and a member of the police patrol unit, Lance-corporal Shamsul Kamar Ismail who testified in the morning said he did not hear any gunfire because the "sirens were too loud" to the point he could not discern those emitted from his car from those coming from the other two patrol cars.

He had also described the events of April 26 differently from his partner, constable Malkeet Singh.

Zafrullah Ahmad Zainal Abidin in conversation with one of Aminulrasyid's two sisters outside the courtroom while waiting to testify. - Picture by Jack Ooi

Malkeet had yesterday told the court he and Shamsul were the third patrol team to arrive at the crime scene and he had stepped out of the car to check on the reason for the high-speed car chase they inadvertently joined earlier.

Shamsul was manning the car, as per the police’s standard operating procedure to not leave any patrol car with the engine running unattended.

But Shamsul told the court he had approached Jenain at the crime scene and asked him if he had reported the incident to the police control room.

“Dia beritahu ‘sudah’ (He said ‘done’),” the lance-corporal related.

Shamsul said he there were three other patrolmen besides Jenain at the crash site, but he could not recollect their names and only approached Jenain whom he recognised.

He told the court he guarded the area behind the crashed car for a while before resuming patrol in his assigned area the rest of the shift, which ended at 6am.

More police personnel will be called to testify in court next Tuesday afternoon, after the site visit.