Jackson doctor will face trial on involuntary manslaughter charge

Los Angeles (CNN) -- Michael Jackson's doctor will face trial on an involuntary manslaughter charge in the death of the pop superstar, a Los Angeles judge ruled Tuesday.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor also prohibited Dr. Conrad Murray from using his California medical license until the trial is completed. The state medical board requested that be made a provision of his bail.

While Jackson was Murray's only and last California patient, Murray's lawyer argued a suspension in one state would prompt Texas and Nevada, where he sees patients, to also take action.

Pastor denied the prosecution's request to increase Murray's bail, which is now set at $75,000.

"Michael is not with us today because of an utterly inept, incompetent, reckless doctor, the defendant Conrad Murray," Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney David Walgren said in his final arguments.

Several Jackson's family members sat through the six-day preliminary hearing for Murray, but they would not talk about the ruling as they left court Tuesday.

The lawyer for Michael Jackson's estate issued a statement on behalf of the co-executors.

"The judge's ruling ordering Dr. Murray to stand trial for the death of Michael Jackson is perfectly appropriate given the testimony in this case," Howard Weitzman said.

Murray's lawyers appeared satisfied with the results of the preliminary hearing because of testimony they got from prosecution witnesses that might help raise reasonable doubt about Murray's guilt at trial.

"I think the prosecution is going to change their tactics in this case," defense lawyer J. Michael Flanagan said after court. "It's not the same as what they gave in opening statements."

Earlier Tuesday, the prosecution's expert witness in the case admitted he made a math mistake and that the recalculation supports the defense theory that Michael Jackson may have given himself the fatal dose of propofol.

Propofol is a surgical anesthetic that the Los Angeles coroner ruled killed Jackson in combination with several sedatives found in his blood.

Dr. Richard Ruffalo, an anesthesiologist hired by the prosecution, was the last witness to take the stand.

"I actually made a mistake on that," Ruffalo said during cross-examination, referring to his calculation of the levels of propofol in Jackson's stomach fluid.

The admission drew an audible gasp from Jackson family members sitting in court.

Murray's lawyers suggest a frustrated and sleepless Jackson may have poured the surgical anesthetic propofol into his juice bottle while the doctor was out of his bedroom.

"Now it doesn't make sense unless he ingested it orally in a huge amount," Ruffalo testified.

But he said Murray would still be at fault, because he left dangerous drugs near a patient who was addicted.

"It's like leaving a syringe next to a heroin addict," Ruffalo said. "If he's not getting what he wants, when you leave the room he might reach for it himself."

"Either way, it doesn't matter," he testified. "He abandoned his patient and didn't resuscitate appropriately."

Murray should have anticipated that Jackson, who had previously asked to inject himself, might do this, Ruffalo said.

"He gets upset if he doesn't get his milk," he said, referring to Jackson's habit of referring to propofol as his "milk."

The pop star's sister La Toya Jackson was clearly upset by hearing a prosecution witness vilify her brother as an addict.

The pathologist who conducted Jackson's autopsy acknowledged earlier Tuesday it was possible, although improbable, that Jackson gave himself the fatal dose of the propofol.

The defense planted the seed Monday for its theory that Jackson may have given himself the fatal dose. A doctor said in a police interview two days after the death that a sleepless Jackson begged Murray for propofol the day he died, a police detective testified.

While Murray told police he eventually gave Jackson propofol, the defense lawyer suggested that it could be that a frustrated Jackson poured the fatal dosage into his juice and drank it.

Jackson had depended on propofol to put him to sleep almost every night in the previous weeks as he was preparing for his "This Is It" comeback concerts, but Murray began to wean him off the surgical anesthetic two nights earlier, Murray told police.

Los Angeles Police Detective Orlando Martinez testified at the preliminary hearing about what the doctor told him two days after Jackson's death.

Several doses of two sedatives Murray used in place of propofol still hadn't put Jackson to sleep after several hours on the morning of June 25, 2009, Murray said, according to Martinez.

"Mr. Jackson began to complain that he couldn't sleep and that he would have to cancel his rehearsal and cancel his shows if he couldn't get any sleep since he couldn't perform," Martinez quoted Murray as saying.

A civil lawsuit filed last year by Jackson's mother against the company producing the concerts alleged that he had been warned a week earlier "that if Jackson missed any further rehearsals, they were going to 'pull the plug' on the show."

Murray said he eventually gave in to the pressure from his patient and administered a dose of propofol about 10 a.m., the detective testified. Jackson finally fell asleep, according to Murray's account.

While his patient slept, Murray sent an e-mail to a British insurance agent assuring him that Jackson was in good health, according to another witness Monday.

PKR denies Sri Muda rep quitting

SHAH ALAM, Jan 12 — PKR was forced today to dismiss rumours that Sri Muda assemblyman Shuhaimi Shafiei has decided to quit after a week of intense political pressure from Umno over remarks he made about the Sultan in the Selangor state secretary impasse.

But his absence from the hastily convened press conference has added to the continuing speculation surrounding his status. He also did not turn up at a police station yesterday to have his statement recorded over reports lodged against him for sedition by pro-Umno groups.

Today, PKR Kota Raja vice chief Kamarudzaman Sanusi said that a text message calling for a news conference this morning on Shuhaimi’s alleged resignation announcement was fake.

“You have been sent on a wild goose chase,” Kamarudzaman told reporters today.
“The SMS that you received is a fake SMS,” he added.

MORE TO COME

U-turn on Krishnan’s second post-mortem

PETALING JAYA: There will not be a second post-mortem on M Krishnan, the 37-year-old wireman who died in police custody last Friday, after all.

In less than 24 hours after police confirmed that they would be seeking a second post-mortem on Krishnan, the Attorney-General’s Chambers has advised a different course of action.

A top-level police source told FMT today: “On the advice of the A-G Chambers, the police will not be applying to the magistrate for a second post-mortem.”

“Otherwise, it will open up a floodgate. Our initial decision that the family should apply for a court order stands,” said the source.

He, however, added that police would still continue to investigate both the reports lodged by Krishnan’s wife and his jailmate, A Sargunan, who claimed that Krishnan was tortured to death by policemen.

Yesterday, Kuala Lumpur CID chief Senior Assistant Commissioner II Ku Chin Wah told FMT that the police would be applying to the court for a second post-mortem.

However, early today, FMT was informed of the change.

Contacted later, the lawyer for Krishnan’s family N Surendran, said: “I am shocked over the conduct of the Attorney-General (Abdul Gani Patail). He should by now order an investigation and give the case high priority. Instead of ensuring that there is justice, the AG is putting an obstacle in the family’s way.”

“The argument that it would open up the floodgates is weak and without merit. In the face of a public interest case, involving the death of a citizen in a lock-up, it is incumbent on the authorities to ensure that truth and justice prevail and action taken against the culprits. This cannot be done unless a second post-mortem is performed,” he said.

“This is all the more urgent after Sargunan, an eyewitness, lodged a report that Krishnan was tortured.
“The AG is abdicating his duties. Both the AG and police are in cahoots to cover up the case. By doing so, they are encouraging more cases of police brutality,” he added.

Surendran reiterated his call that the police immediately consent to a second post-mortem.
“After we have given the family hope yesterday, now this about-turn. I do not know how I am going to explain this to the family members,” he said.

Yesterday, Sargunan came forward and lodged a police report claiming that Krishnan was a victim of police brutality.

He said that he saw Krishnan being beaten up and trampled upon by policemen in boots. He also claimed Krishnan was denied medical assistance.

On Jan 3, Krishnan was arrested with several others in Taman Miharja, Cheras, on suspicion of possessing drugs.
Last Friday, Krishnan, a father of six children, was found dead at the Bukit Jalil police station lockup.

According to the police, initial post-mortem results showed the death was related to an ulcer.

But Krishnan’s family claimed there were bruises all over his back, an open cut wound on his right abdomen, and a bruise on his right eye.

Sulu sultan ready to drop Sabah claim

Self-styled Sulu sultanate's Prime Minister has declared that a Malaysian citizen residing in Sabah will be installed as the new sultan soon.

KOTA KINABALU: The Sulu Sultanate hopes to reach an amicable solution with the Malaysian government to drop the claim on Sabah once its new sultan, belived to be a Malaysian citizen, is installed.

Datu Albi Ahmad Julkarnain, the self-styled “prime minister of the interim government of the Sulu sultanate” made the announcement at a specially arranged press conference yesterday.

Adopting a “royal” manner at the press conference, he intoned: “I am delighted to solemnly announce here that after the investiture of the new sultan, which date shall be announced at a not-too-distant future, serious consideration to dropping the claim to Sabah would be deliberated in the best interest of Islam brotherhood, and long-term mutual bilateral relations between the Sulu sultanate and Malaysia.”

He said this was a friendly gesture by the sultanate “to reciprocate the Malaysian government’s kind treatment of its people who fled the war-torn Sulu province to Sabah back in the 1970s, to escape persecution by the Philippine government”.

According to him, the sultanate’s records showed that there are more than 20,000 citizens of the Sulu sultanate commonly known as the Tausug people scattered all over Malaysia and in Sabah in particular.

Albi, 73, also shocked many of those present at the occasion, including the Special Branch officers, when he disclosed that the soon-to-be-installed sultan of Sulu is a Malaysian citizen currently living in Sabah.
He, however, declined to name the person, citing safety reasons.

He claimed that the new sultan is a direct descendant of Paduka Mahasari Maulana Al-Marhum Sultan Shariful-Hashim and that upon his enthronement he will be known as Paduka Mahasari Maulana Sultan Shariful-Hashim II.

The investiture ceremony is expected to take place in Jolo, the capital of Sulu Province in the Philippines in the next couple of months.

“With this new sultan of Sulu, I can guarantee that the Sulu sultanate will not touch Sabah. We are not going to authorise the Philippine government to claim Sabah as they have no rights whatsoever over Sabah,” he assured.

Proof of lineage
Albi said the sultanate of Sulu vehemently denounced all those self-proclaimed sultans of Sulu including those installed by the Philippine government and foreign powers in the past.

Among them he said was a Chinese citizen named Allen Neoh Weng Wah who proclaimed himself “King of Borneo, Sulu and Mindanao” in an “investiture” ceremony conducted in Hong Kong, last year. The video footage of the ceremony was even uploaded onto YouTube.

“Unlike the soon-to-be-enthroned sultan Shariful-Hashim II, all these so-called sultans of Sulu have no legitimacy or mandate from the Tausug people,” he stressed.

He especially rubbished those who claimed to have been installed as the Sulu sultan by the Philippine government.

“How can the head of a sovereign state be installed by another country? Some of them are not even citizens of Sulu. Can I, as a Tausug proclaim myself as sultan of America?” he asked.

He further noted that the soon-to-be-enthroned sultan has all the relevant historical and legal documents to prove that he is indeed the direct descendant of Paduka Mahasari Maulana Al-Marhum Sultan Shariful-Hashim, the founder and the first Sultan of Sulu Sultanate.

“On behalf of the Sulu sultanate, I am also delighted to announce that the barely known 1799 platinum box containing ancient royal documents and paraphernalia of the past sultans which were transferred out of the palace in 1862 during the time of Al-Marhum Sultan Muhammad Fadzlun Pulalun that had been properly and secretly hidden, will be uncovered in due course.

“The key of the said box under code 1799 is in the possession of the incoming sultan. We appeal to all nations which are trustee custodians of these historical assets to be ready to deal with the government of the sultanate,” he said.

He said that the immense wealth and assets of the Sulu sultanate was the rationale behind the phenomenon of people all over the world clamouring to proclaim themselves as the sultan of Sulu sultanate.

The Sulu sultanate’s records show that there are some 24 “sultans of Sulu” in the Sulu Archipelago, while the US State Department’s record indicated that there are some 123 “sultans of Sulu” scattered around the world, he said.

Not part of Philippines

Albi noted that the Tausug people had on Nov 17 declared the “assertion of independence” at Plaza Tulay, Jolo, Sulu.

To show their support to the declaration, about 10,000 adherents coming from the different municipalities of Sulu provinces, Tawi-Tawi, Zamboanga Peninsula, Palawan and Sabah joined the parade around Jolo town.

They assembled at Plaza Tulay and held a rally for four days, before the declaration was duly signed and publicly read before a large crowd by Attorney Meltino Sibulan, the Sultanate’s legal counsel.

Albi said that this was to show “we are not part of the Philippines.

He said history and legal documents will prove that Sulu Sultanate is not part of Philippines.
“We are happy that the Philippine government is not reacting violently towards our peaceful assertion of independence.

“It’s just a matter of time that we bring our plight to the International Court of Justice to restore our sovereign rights and to demand for the peaceful and voluntary withdrawal of the Philippine forces in Sulu Province,” he added.

Historically, the Sulu Archipelago is said to comprise Basilan Province, Sulu Province, Tawi-Tawi Province, Zamboanga Peninsula, Palawan, Spratlys Islands and part of Borneo including part of Sabah.
It currently has a population of five million.

Albi is convinced that many of its citizens in Malaysia, who are currently working in the plantation and construction sectors, would voluntarily return to their homes when the rebuilding of Sulu Province begins.
He noted that the sultanate had since four years ago started issuing its own birth certificates and identity cards to its citizens.

“We can only start issuing our own international passport, currency and postage after we have successfully restored our independence,” he said.

‘Abu Sayaf are criminals’
Asked about the Sulu Sultanate’s stand on the notorious Abu Sayyaf militants, he categorically denounced their activities besides labelling them as criminals.

“They are outlaws and they are Filipinos, they are not Tausug,” he said and urged the sultan’s subjects currently living and working in Sabah to abide by Malaysian laws.

The press conference which was supposed to start at 11am was delayed due to an impromptu “interview” of Albi by the Special Branch officers, who were present throughout the event.

Apart from the local media, an RTM crew was also at the venue at a four-star Tang Dynasty Park hotel.
Also present was his entourage of senior officials including the sultanate’s deputy prime minister Datu Wadduhaid A Kalbi; its assistant deputy prime minister for Tawi-Tawi Province, Sharip Salman B Sharif Usman; Binnajar B Sihan, its Defence Minister; Hadja Safina Radjaie, its Social Welfare Minister, its legal counsel Meltino Sibulan, and its various representatives (Datu Paduka Wazir) in Sabah, such as Sandakan, Tawau and Lahad Datu.

They are currently in Sabah for private visits to their relative-cum-special adviser, Mohd Akjan Ali Muhammad, who is also chairman of Pertubuhan Kebajikan dan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia or Pekida Malaysia, Sabah Division.

Indians likely kingmakers in next polls

GEORGE TOWN: Ethnic Indians, the majority of whom are currently fence-sitters, will be the kingmakers in next general election, at least in Peninsular Malaysia, predicted an academician here today.


Political scientist Sivamurugan Pandian of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) argued that it was now a matter of who would be the first off the block to move swiftly and catch these floating votes.


“Whichever political block could muster majority support from the community could emerge the overall electoral winner,” he said.


His prediction was based on the deeply divided Malaysian voters along ethnic lines.

Although Indians overwhelmingly backed Pakatan Rakyat in the last general election, he said many have already disassociated themselves from the coalition.

He blamed Pakatan’s ignorance, negligence and incompetence to address the Indian plight as the main reason behind the drastic drift of the community votes within two years.

But, he said this did not mean that Indians have moved to Barisan Nasional (BN).

“The emergence of a third force, especially with strong backing from Hindraf Makkal Sakti, could even sway their votes,” said Sivamurugan, the deputy dean of USM’s School of Social Sciences.

He said currently about 60% of ethnic Malays, mainly the lower and lower-middle income groups in both rural and urban areas, were backing BN because Umno was still their biggest influence.

He agreed that the middle and higher-income urban Malays may view things in a different political perspective due to their accessibility to various sources of information.

But, he said this group only constituted a minority portion of ethnic Malay votes.

“Hence, BN still holds the edge over Pakatan for the Malay vote bank,” he said.

However, he said that Pakatan has the edge in ethnic Chinese votes, enjoying some 70% to 80% of the community support.

Thus, he said ethnic Indians would tilt the balance and decide the electoral outcome in the western part of the country.

He said BN, which enjoys the support of many Indian-based parties and NGOs, had the edge over Pakatan in garnering the Indian votes.

Direct approach

Sivamurugan said that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s direct approach style has been well received by the community.

“The Najib’s administration may not have done anything substantial for the community. But he is at least seen to be doing something worthy, compared with Pakatan leaders.

“The lower and middle-income Indians feel worse off under Pakatan’s so-called multi-racial politics than BN ethnic-based politics,” said Sivamurugan.

He pointed out that the change of guard in MIC, the country’s leading Indian-based party, was timely and could prove crucial.

He called on the new party president G Palanivel to come out from the former president’s shadow to show that he was a leader by his own right.

“Palanivel faces an arduous task to restore Indian confidence in MIC and BN after an awful performance the last time.

“If he can devise and execute effective party programmes and strategies, Indians could be back to BN.

“This can happen especially when Pakatan seems not bothered about ethnic Indian welfare and votes,” said Sivamurugan.

The connection between the Altantuya and Teoh Beng Huat murders

By ManaBolehMalaysia

This is the biggest cover-up in the political history of Malaysia and we all fell for it four years after the Altantuya Shaaribuu murder on 18 Oct 2006. When the murder was exposed in late 2006, those in UMNO who were opposed to Najib’s impending ascend to the PM throne saw it as an opportunity to get rid of Najib through the ballot box in the 8 March 2008 General Election (GE).

Although the ruling party, Barisan National (BN) suffered badly, Najib managed to hold on to his seat by 500 votes through last minute postal vote inclusion. With Altantuya’s murder hanging over his head, Najib’s political career was hanging by a thread and not expected to mount a serious challenge to Badawi’s administration.

But Najib not only managed to force Badawi out of office but retook Perak by force and deception. It is one thing to take over a whole nation by physical force using the country’s corrupt police, administration and judiciary powers, it is another to wipe off the minds of the voting population the “guilty image” of a PM involved in a gruesome murder. With the momentum gained in the 2008 GE, a murder tainted PM would definitely lead the ruling government into disastrous poll in 2012 even with massive doses of voting frauds.

If you cannot erase the memories of a gruesome murder like you erase the data files in your computer or even immigration records, what else can you do? The next best strategy is to muddle the pool by creating even more turmoil and rumours so that the truth is hidden together with a pile of trash. Mass Deception is the latest technique in used all over the world now from 911 to the Gulf wars and financial scams.

Teoh Beng Huat's mysterious and senseless death on 15 July 2009 at MACC headquarters was meant to provoke anger and hogged the limelight so that Altantuya’s murder paled in comparison and faded into the background; long enough for Najib to establish and stamp his authoritarian rule over a docile population. If Najib is successfully elected with a renewed and re-energised BN, Malaysia can look forward to another 20 years of dictatorial rule. Long enough to drain off Malaysia’s remaining wealth and bring the nation down to her knees become another Myanmar or Zimbabwe.

A comparison of the Altantuya and Teoh Beng Huat murders bring out the extremes. Teoh’s murder needed to be so senseless, over a few thousand dollars in comparison to the hundreds of millions of dollars in the Scorpene Submarine Scandal associated with Altantuya’s murder. There was no apparent motive to contrast to the long drawn trysts between Altantuya, Baginda Razak and Najib Razak. The coroner’s inquiry lasted almost a year and the Royal Commision Inquiry will take just as long with an open verdict. In contrast, the trial for Altantuya’s murder was swift and the crime limited to two police officers. The guilty principals were protected and escaped punishment but so far no one at MACC was even accused of Teoh’s murder. Teoh’s suicide letter was a long “after-thought” fabrication compared to Altantuya’s scribbled note.

There was no doubt as to how Altantuya died; by a C4 explosion that blew her to pieces in a hidden part of the jungle. Teoh’s death was meant to be controversial despite the dead body being intentionally “discovered” at MACC headquarters itself; without a shadow of doubt that Teoh had fallen from 14th Floor where he was interrogated. The cctv recording was clearly used to reveal just enough to create ambiguities to confuse the situation. Teoh was going to be happily married with a child along the way and a promising career to look forward to. In contrast, Altantuya was a “problem” to be discarded after a torrid love affair which would have destroyed the career of a deputy Prime Minister. The extremes in the two murders could not be so fortuitous without some deliberation on Teoh’s murder to muddle the pool and keep the focus of Altantuya’s murder. It is a Freudian slip and a mind game; designed to move attention to the other end of the light spectrum.

The question is whether the spate of senseless police killings and brutalities that followed Teoh’s murder were similarly designed to provoke ill-feelings, public outcry and racial tension. The Malaysian public had been taken on a merry-go-round ride and made dizzy enough to vote back BN. It is human nature to revert back to the status quo amidst all the confusion and turmoil. This message was brought to you at great risk to the writer. Judge for yourself the logic and sensibility of this article. Look beyond the magician’s deceptive hands as the future of Malaysia, your children and children’s children will be made to pay for one man’s folly and the insatiable appetite of his wife.

Brain drain continues: Newest Singapore senior counsel – equivalent to island republic’s Queen’s Counsel – a Malaysian from Seremban

Yesterday, it was reported that a Malaysian is again the top Singapore student for the third consecutive year – 16-year-old Chia Pei Yun of CHIJ St Nicolas Girls’ School who hails from Damansara Utama, Selangor and who scored 10 A1s in Singapore’s GCE O-level exams.
Today, my attention has been drawn to another Singapore news report last Friday underlining the grave problem of brain drain from Malaysia.
The following is the Channel News Asia report:

Two lawyers appointed Senior Counsel
By Dylan Loh | Posted: 07 January 2011
SINGAPORE: Two lawyers with over 50 years of combined experience have been appointed Senior Counsel. They are Mr Roderick Martin, 63, and Mr Chan Leng Sun, 46.
The announcement was made by Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong at the Opening of the Legal Year on Friday.

The appointment recognises outstanding advocates and is seen by the legal fraternity as the Singapore equivalent of Britain’s Queen’s Counsel.
A committee comprising Chief Justice Chan, Attorney-General Sundaresh Menon and Justice of Appeal Chao Hick Tin among others, made the selection.
Mr Martin entered the legal service in 1972 and was a former Supreme Court Registrar. He also taught law at the NUS. Mr Chan served as a United Nations Legal Officer and also published works on international law.
Mr Martin said: “This appointment (Senior Counsel) is a reflection of past work and standards which have been maintained. And it also points to the standards which have to be maintained in the years to come. So it’s really benchmarking a particular standard for future performance.”
Mr Chan said: “The general reputation that goes along with the appointment will be something that might make other clients or other companies, who do not know (about) lawyers in Singapore, first consider that there’s this pool of lawyers that they should make enquiries about, (and take it from there.)” – CNA/ir

Chan studied in St. Paul’s Institution, Seremban and graduated from University of Malaya’s Law Faculty before doing his LL.M. in Cambridge under Kuok Foundation scholarship. He never worked in Malaysia.
This is the latest example of Malaysia’s debilitating long-standing braindrain with far-reaching consequences on Malaysia’s international competitiveness as well as nation-building.
What can the Talent Corporation do to check this brain drain to retain and attract talent to Malaysia, if the Najib government does not have the political will to carry out comprehensive political, economic, educational and nation-building reforms to convince Malaysians and others that Malaysia is “a land of equal opportunity to earn a good living and provide a secure, happy life for each individual and family”?
Apart from setting up the Talent Corporation, what has the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak done in his 18 months as Prime Minister in terms of policy and institutional reforms to check this brain drain?

NGOs want Musa appointed following open verdict on Teoh inquest

The Star
by M. SHAMINEE

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysians for Beng Hock Movement is proposing seven names including that of former deputy prime minister Tun Musa Hitam be appointed to the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on circumstances surrounding the late Teoh Beng Hock’s death.

A total of 123 civil society organisations have supported the proposal and urged the federal government to only finalise the royal commission members after consulting Teoh’s family, the Bar Council, Selangor state government and human rights community to ensure full consultation and credibility.

Other names suggested include Bar Council president and former president of the National Human Rights Society (Hakam) Raja Aziz Addruse, former Court of Appeal judge Datuk N.H. Chan, former Inspector General of Police Tun Haniff Omar, former Bar Council president Datuk Ambiga Sreenivasan, and director of Tenaganita Dr Irene Fernandez.

The seventh person should be a medical professional appointed upon consultation of Malaysian Medical Association (MMA), said the organisations at a press conference at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall here yesterday.

Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH) president Tan Yew Sing said they initiated the move because the outcome had not cleared the many doubts pertaining to Teoh’s death.

Teoh, who was political secretary to Seri Kemnbangan assemblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead on July 16, 2009, on the fifth floor corridor of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam after being questioned by the Selangor Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

A coroner’s court returned an open verdict on Teoh’s death last week.

Shakira splits from boyfriend of 11 years

After 11 years together, Shakira and her agent beau Antonio de la Rúa have called it quits. The singer confirmed the news yesterday in an open letter to fans on her website.

"Since August 2010, we made a mutual decision to take time apart from our romantic relationship. Throughout this time we have continued to work together hand in hand, have remained close and have kept the details absolutely private, until now," she says.

The 33-year-old Colombian singer adds that the pair views the separation as a time of individual growth, and that they will remain in each other's lives professionally.

"Antonio continues to oversee and conduct my business and career interests as he has always done," she says of de la Rúa, the son of a former president of Argentina. "We move forward as partners, developing projects together, working hand in hand and in close communication. Our friendship and understanding of one another is unwavering and indestructible."

Witness of latest custodial death lodges report

(Malaysiakini) The witness who allegedly saw a man being beaten to death in a police lock-up has lodged a police report.

Accompanied by Lawyers for Liberty representatives N Surendran and Fadiah Nadwa Fikri, the witness, A Sargunan (right), lodged the report at the Dang Wangi district police station this afternoon.

In his police report, Sargunan, who is also victim M Krishnan's friend, said that they were in a mutual friend's house in Cheras when the police stormed in late at night on Jan 2.

The police allegedly made both of them lie on their stomachs, then started kicking and stomping on their backs with boots on.

They were taken to the Bukit Jalil police station for alleged drug-related offences.

Sargunan, a 34-year-old taxi driver, also said Krishnan had confided in him over how the police had beaten him up and showed him his bruises on his ribs in the lock-up.

“Krishnan said he was in extreme pain and could not breathe and then he started vomiting,” said Sargunan in his police report.

Over the four days that they were detained, Sargunan said that Krishnan had pleaded with the police to take him to hospital for treatment.

Sargunan claimed that Krishnan was instead dragged out of the lock-up and beaten up before being thrown back into the lock-up.

Krishnan died at the Bukit Jalil police lock-up last Friday.

While his family claimed that he had been assaulted - based on bruises and cuts on the body - the police and the hospital have claimed that he died due to a stomach ulcer.

Surendran had insisted that the police should allow the family to have a second autopsy done on Krishnan.

“They had lied to us, saying that we can have a second post-mortem on Krishnan only to renege on their words at the last minute, asking us to get a court order for it instead," he said.

“There is no reason for us not to have a second post-mortem unless they have something to hide."

He also claimed that the hospital is in cahoots with the police to pressure the family into taking the body back for the funeral.

He said the hospital had called Krishnan's widow this morning to ask her to remove the body “immediately” before they start imposing a storage charge of RM30 a day.

“They simply want to prolong the pain and mental anguish of the family,” he said.

Spectacle outside station

The event was not free of drama when Krishnan's friends and relatives converged in front of the police station in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, waiting for Sargunan to show up.

About 20 of them unfurled a banner saying 'Justice for the Death of Krishnan', while an equal number of police officers moved in to order the crowd to disperse.

After the brief stand-off and negotiations between the police officers and Subang MP R Sivarasa and Kapar MP S Manikavasagam, who were also there, the crowd was allowed to stay.

Sargunan arrived about an hour after the stipulated time, with Surendran saying that the former had gone into hiding for fear of being arrested by the police.

“What if he gets arrested and waylaid by the police for some other charges?” said Surendran, referring to the case of K Selvach Santhiran.

Selvach had testified at the inquest for R Gunasegaran - who had died in police custody - but was later arrested by the police without trial under the Dangerous Drugs Act.

He has been in detention since last October.

HRP meets BJP Secretary General Shri Vijay Goel in New Delhi. Multi billion ringgit Malaysian infrastructure projects in India would be reviewed when BJP takes over power after impending snap elections.

New Delhi Yesterday 10/1/11 at 12.30 pm the 8 member HRP/Hindraf delegation led by P. Uthayakumar met the Secretary General   of the main Opposition Bharathiya Janata Party (BJP) and former sports Minister  Mr. Shri Vijay Goel at the BJP Headquarters at No 11, Asoka Street, New Delhi.

After a one and a half hour meeting and briefing  Hindraf’s Malaysia Indian Minority & Human Rights Violations Annual Report 2010 was presented to Mr. Vijay Goel ( pictures to be followed tomorrow).

The NST in November 2010 had reported that there are RM 1 trillion worth of infrastructure projects in India in the next five years. And Malay-sian UMNO linked companies Scomi, Gamuda, PLUS, IJN, etc are eyeing the lion’s share of these projects.

Thus the reason for the tuan UMNO Prime Minister Najib Razak appointing his longest serving Indian mandore ex-Minister of 31 years standing as the Special Envoy on Infrastructure with Ministerial status to secure all these lucrative projects. HRP presented their case to the top BJP leadership that this is one way that India could help address the UMNO Malay muslim racism and religious extremism cum apartheid against the poor Malaysian Indians as per our aforesaid Malaysian Indian Malaysia Indian Minority & Human Rights Violations Annual Report 2010.

Expressing shock at the level of exclusion of the Malaysian Indian poor from the national mainstream development of Malay-sia, the top BJP leadership appeared receptive of our proposals.

Other strategies and proposals were also discussed vis a vis the racist and religious supremacist apartheid UMNO regime and addressing the Indian poor problems in Malaysia.

S. Thiagarajan

Does interlock bonds or drives away the Malaysian Indians in Malaysia

Senator Dr. S. Ramakrishnan, 11/1/2011

Ever since the induction of Interlock novel as a compulsory text in SPM Malay literature paper, a large section of Malaysian Indians have voiced their strong disapproval. They feel insulted and disparaged by the statement in the novel that all Malaysian Indians who came to Malaysia during the colonial period belong to the pariah caste. The novel further says that the different linguistic and ethnic groups that came from south India are able get along well among themselves because they all belong to the pariah caste and that they spoke Tamil. Indian Muslims and Christians also were implicated because they too were among those who made the crowded and packed journey from India.

UMNO hardliners are standing firmly with the decision to introduce Interlock as a compulsory text because they feel that the Malaysian Indians have no right to question the decision of the Ministry of Education. There are a small section of Indians who don’t mind the novel Interlock as a compulsory text in the SPM Malay literature subject.

The different forums and groups among the Indian community are of the opinion that there are two issues here. Most of the groups accept interlock as a novel because they believe in freedom of expression, but introducing the novel as a compulsory text for the Form 5 students is insensitive and derogatory. They agree that the author has no intention to defile and demean any community. Why and what is it that the Indian community is discontented about in this novel is the issue that this paper wants to address.

Indian society was classified more structurally in terms of profession and trade. Those who were scholarly and knowledge oriented were classified as Brahmins, those who were valorous classified as Kshatriyas, merchants and businessman were labeled as Vaisyas and those without any skill and general workers are labeled as Shudras. These classifications were horizontal and not vertical in meaning that is no caste is superior to the other. Even in the great Hindu epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata, the god incarnations Rama and Krishnan were depicted as belonging to Kshatriyas. Lord Buddha was a Kshatriya. Many Hindu saints and sages who were praised as godly people belong to all four classes. There was a flexible caste system where when a person’s character, trait and profession changes his caste too becomes different. The word ‘pariah’ means drummer. In those days there were drummers who went around the towns and villages spreading the royal message to commoners. They were like messenger boys passing the royal or establishment message to commoners. This must be the most unskilled job that involves more brawn than brain therefore they must have belonged to the Shudra category.

With the advent of foreign invaders, traders, religions and religious missionaries and India being ruled by foreigners for 1000 years, the practice of caste system has deviated from its original intent and changed so much that Indians themselves consider caste as an evil and social disease that needed to be discarded. Indian political and community leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Subramanyar Bharathi and many more have vehemently spoken against this social disease and the Indian government has introduced laws with severe punishment to prohibit caste practice. Swami Vivekananda once said caste ridden society is a lunatic asylum. Indian based parties in Malaysia have been practicing caste politics for the past 50 years as vote bank. Caste is a bane to Malaysian Indians but a boon to ruthless politicians and evil religious leaders. In a democratic society, the caste system is always exploited by some groups for their own purpose.

Foreigners and outsiders to Indian tradition don’t understand the psychological phobia and earnestness of Indians to get rid of caste practices. Well meaning Indians and community leaders consider caste practices that refuse to go away as a real curse. It creates mental limitations to move forward. But the non-Indians and the opportunistic Indians keep using the caste labels again and again to the embarrassment and irritation of Indians in general. Caste names and tags is being constantly re-awakened and reminded again and again so much so that Indians themselves are learning to accept it. Now that the novel Interlock is being introduced as a compulsory text for form five students, it irks the feeling of Malaysian Indians.



The study of this novel by Malaysian students of all races will further reinforce and strengthen the very social evil disease that the Indian community wants to get rid of. To the author and many educationists the novel may be a good literary work that portrays a shared mystery and a shared caste. But this shared caste is not the making of Indians themselves but a malice that has distorted the origin of the Indian caste system and survived and refused to go away despite every gigantic effort. When Malay, Chinese and other students read this novel which will be taught by teachers who have no clue about the distorted historical baggage, it will further reinforce the caste system in the minds of all Malaysians that the Indians want to get rid of. The repercussion of including Indian caste practices in the education system is interpreted as one more step to suppress the marginalized community.

Although, the great grandfathers of the Tamils, Telugus, Malayalis and the others who came in the dreaded journey from India may not be drummers (pariahs), they could have been in any other professional and/or business class. Many second generation Indians whose parents or one of the parents or their grandfathers who came to Malaya in crowed ships like goats and sheep, have been senior civil servants, successful professionals and businessmen. Some from the second generation have also become politicians who continue the caste practices for vote bank purpose.

Unfortunately, the Malay literature students will learn the word pariah and its derogatory meanings. They will miss the historical distortions and the reason for the continued existence of caste. Whether Interlock links the various ethnic groups or offends any ethnic group is to be carefully thought of.

Police agree to second post-mortem on Krishnan

KUALA LUMPUR: A second post-mortem is set to be conducted on M Krishnan, a 37-year-old wire-man who died in police custody last Friday, police confirmed today.

Kuala Lumpur CID chief Senior Assistant Commissionner II Ku Chin Wah told FMT that an application would be made through the court.

“We will be applying for a second post-mortem to be done through the magistrate,” said Ku.

Previously, Federal Criminal Investigation Department principal assistant director (prosecution) Senior Assistant Commissioner Razali Basri said the court order was required to seek a second post-mortem. He said the family would require to bear the cost of the post-mortem.

Razali said this after he received a memorandum from Krishnan’s family asking the police to allow the second post-mortem on Monday.

However, N Surendran, lawyer for Krishnan’s family, said that a court order was unnecessary. He said all that was needed was for the police to say they had “no objections” to an autopsy.

“They (the police) are being dishonest. They are trying to mislead the public by saying we need to go to court. We did not go to the court in A Kugan’s case, and the police allowed it (second post-mortem,” he said.

(Kugan, 23, a suspected car thief, died in police custody on Jan 16 last year. A policeman was charged with causing grievous hurt to Kugan at the interrogation room at the Taipan police station in USJ, Subang Jaya. The policeman, constable V Navindran, will know on Jan 28 whether he would be required to defend himself in the case.)

Surendran was also the lawyer for the Kugan’s family.

“Asking us to go to court is simply a time-delaying tactic to frustrate the family. After today’s revelation, police should consent to a second post-mortem,” he said.

Today, a jailmate of Krishnan came forward and lodged a police report claiming that the latter was a victim of police brutality.

A Sargunan said he witnessed Krishnan being beaten up and even jumped on by policemen in boots. He also claimed Krishnan was denied medical assistance.

Krishnan was arrested with several others in Taman Miharja, Cheras, on Jan 3 under suspicion of drug possession.

Last Friday, Krishnan, a father of the six children, was found dead in the lock-up at the Bukit Jalil police station.

According to police, the initial post-mortem results showed the death was related to an ulcer, but Krishnan’s family has disputed this, claiming there were bruises on the body.

Krishnan’s family claimed he had bruises all over his back, an open cut wound on his right abdomen, and a bruise on his right eye.

Avenging Krishnan’s death in custody

KUALA LUMPUR : A jailmate of  detainee M Krishnan who died last Friday while in police custody has lodged a  report claiming that the latter was a victim of police brutality.

A Sargunan lodged the report against the Bukit Jalil police station at the Dang Wangi district police headquarters.

His lawyer, Fadiah Nadwa Fikri, accompanied him to the police station. Also present were Subang MP R Sivarasa, Kapar MP S Manikavasagam and Krishnan’s family’s lawyer N Surendran.

In his report, Sargunan said he was an eyewitness and saw  Krishnan being beaten up and denied medical assistance while in the lockup.


The taxi driver from Setapak said on Jan 2, he and four friends, including Krishnan, were arrested by 10 policeman in Cheras. They were brought to the Bukit Jalil police station and were beaten up.

According to Sargunan, while in custody the police made Krishnan lie on the floor on his stomach.

“Policemen with boots jumped on his back until he became weak. When they started kicking him in the chest and stomach, he started vomitting.

“After that almost everyday Krishnan pleaded with the police for medical treatment but was denied help.

“Even the day before he died the police beat him again for seeking treatment,” he said.

Commenting on Sargunan’s statement, Manikavasagam said the report clearly showed that the police were hiding some facts about Krishnan’s death.

He said nine more witnesses were coming forward to lodge reports against police brutality.

“But for now we are waiting for the police’s next coursew of action. We will also send a memorandum to Suhakam (Human Rights Commission of Malaysia) urging it to look into this case,” he said.

Witness protection

Manikavasagam said the police’s refusal to direct the hospital to do a second post-mortem also showed the police to be guilty.

Sivarasa, meanwhile, has demanded that the government give Sargunan full protection.

“We do not want to see the witness threatened by someone to cover up the case,” he said.

Meanwhile, Surendran has slammed Hospital UKM (HUKM) Cheras for harassing the family to immediately take the body of the deceased home.

Early this afternoon, Krishnan’s wife Revathi received a call from HUKM directing her to pick up the body or pay RM30 a day for storage.

Surendran also hit out at the police for “cheating” Krishnan’s family.

“Yes, I said they (police) cheated us. Yesterday, Revathi sent a memorandum to the police for a second post-mortem to find out the cause of her husband’s death.

“The police officer, SAC Razali Basri, who received the memorandum, told the family that he would consult with the Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar for permission to order a second post-mortem.

“But at the press conference yesterday, Razali told the family to go to court,” he said.

Last Friday, Krishnan, a father of the six children, was found dead in the lock-up at the Bukit Jalil police station.

According to police, the initial post-mortem results showed the death was related to an ulcer, but Krishnan’s family has disputed this, claiming there were bruises on the body.

According to news reports, Krishnan had bruises all over his back, an open cut wound on his right abdomen, and a bruise on his right eye.

Interlok in the dock: NUTP boss backs Paari

PETALING JAYA: The head of the national teachers’ union has declared his support for an MIC move to use legal means to remove the novel “Interlok” from the school reading list.

Hashim Adnan, president of the National Union for the Teaching Profession (NUTP), said it was “not right for the book to be used as a textbook” for Malay literature students in Form Five.

He also criticised Utusan Malaysia for trying to whip up emotion among supporters of the book.

MIC’s S Vell Paari told FMT yesterday that he would seek a court order compelling the Education Ministry to discard Interlok and to disclose how it came to choose it as compulsory reading for Form Five students.


Paari is a member of the party’s central working committee.

Hashim said he supported Paari’s move in the interest of maintaining racial harmony. He described the novel as “sensitive to the Indian community”.

In a front-page report today, Utusan Malaysia quoted the novel’s author, national laureate Abdullah Hussain, as saying he had been misunderstood. The report featured a photograph of Abdullah weeping.

Commenting on this, Hashim said: “Do we sympathise with one laureate or one whole generation of one community?”

The Consensus Council of the National Parent-Teacher Association (PIBGN), one of the NGOs supporting Interlok, has urged the Education Ministry to host a roundtable conference on the book.

“Questioning the use of the book is equivalent to questioning the ministry’s credibility,” said its president, Mohd Ali Hasan.

He said it was Paari’s right to file his suit, but added that he did not think going to court was the best means of resolving the issue.

He said PIBGN would host an open forum on the controversy in a fortnight’s time at Rumah Universiti in Petaling Jaya.

‘Good book’

The Federation of Malay Writers Associations (Gapena) and the National Writers Association (Pena) also declared today that they would continue to defend the book, but would let Paari do as he pleased.

Pena would submit a memorandum to the Education Minister Muyhiddin Yassin today to express its support for the book, said its president, Mohamad Saleeh Rahamad.

Gapena’s deputy president, Abdul Latiff Bakar, told FMT: “We are against the removal of Interlok from schools because it is a good book that was written without any bad intention.”

The Kavyan Writers Association, representing Indians who write in Malay, is the only writers’ group so far that has shown support for Paari’s court action.
Its president, Uthaya Sankar SB, said the use of the word “pariah” in the novel was an affront to 1Malaysia.

He suggested that Paari also form a core group of writers and scholars to back him in his campaign against the book’s use in schools.

Get past me too, Nazri dares Anwar

(Bernama) - Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz challenged opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to a debate on the Apco issue.

He was reacting to a challenge that Anwar issued to Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to debate the opposition’s 100-day plan, which the Prime Minister had described as irresponsible.

Nazri, in an SMS to Bernama, said: “Don’t be a coward. Ask him on the Apco issue and debate with me first.”

Anwar had claimed to have documents showing that the international PR company Apco Worldwide was involved in creating the 1 Malaysia concept and the “One Israel” campaign – which was contradicted by documents, which Nazri showed the media.

Following failure to produce proof of what he alleged, Anwar was suspended for six months from attending Dewan Rakyat sittings after the Rights and Privileges Committee upheld that he had lied.

The Minister of Information, Communication and Culture, Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim, said that challenging a prime minister to a debate is an old gimmick to get publicity.

“I don’t think the prime minister will fall for the trick. Anwar, in his desperate situation, will grab any opportunity to try to disprove anything the prime minister says or discredit whatever he does,” he told reporters here.

The Independent MP for Pasir Mas, Datuk Ibrahim Ali, said Najib need not entertain any request from Anwar, who is no expert in economics or finance.

“Anwar only acts as though he is smart. He is pakar putar alam (a spin artiste),” he said.

Director of the Institute for Ethnic Studies of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Prof Datuk Dr Shamsul Amri Baharudin said Anwar’s challenge to debate seems like an act of desperation.

APCO is not about the Jews but about the wastage of money

The focus on the APCO issue is that the company is Jewish owned and is the same company that came out with the 1 Israel slogan. And they say this company also came out with the 1 Malaysia slogan. Actually the issue should not be about whether the company is Jewish or Muslim but about the large sum of money paid to APCO for what can be considered a frivolous exercise. 

NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin

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KAMPUNG BARU 2

1. Saya tertarik dengan komen-komen terhadap isu Kampung Baru dalam blog saya.

2. Di antara yang menarik ialah cadangan supaya Kerajaan bangunkan Kampung Melayu moden dengan rumah-rumah kayu Melayu serta dilengkapkan dengan parit dan pokok-pokok.

3. Ia boleh dijadikan satu produk pelancongan untuk menunjuk budaya dan cara hidup orang Melayu dahulu kala.

4. Hanya saya tidak begitu senang jika orang Melayu dan kampung mereka menjadi produk pelancongan. Kita telah hentikan membawa pelancong melihat cara hidup Orang Asli kerana kita hormati mereka sebagai manusia dan bukan pameran muzium.

5. Namun demikian cadangan ini patut ditimbang. Apa pun janganlah kita pamerkan kedaifan orang Melayu dengan rumah robek mereka yang terdapat sekarang di tengah-tengah ibu kota moden kita.

6. Saya tidak setuju sama sekali cadangan Kerajaan memberi subsidi sebanyak 99.9 peratus. Mentaliti subsidi keterlaluan akan menjadikan orang Melayu amat lemah.

7. Di Singapura kampung-kampung Melayu sudah pun dimusnahkan dan orang Melayu ditempatkan di rumah-rumah pangsa supaya mereka hidup tidak lagi dikelilingi oleh kaum dan suku-sakat mereka. Dasar Singapura ialah untuk mengintegrasi semua kaum. Hakikat yang nyata ialah segala bukti usul-asal Singapura sebagai tanah milik Melayu hilang sama sekali.

8. Hari ini Kerajaan Malaysia dianggotai oleh majoriti orang Melayu yang prihatin terhadap nasib orang Melayu. Janganlah kita yakin tidak akan wujud Kerajaan di mana suara wakil Melayu tenggelam hapus. Tanda-tanda ini boleh berlaku sudah pun ternampak.

9. Jika pada masa itu pembaharuan Kampung Baru Kuala Lumpur dirancang, mungkin apa yang terjadi pada kampung Melayu di Singapura akan terjadi kepada Kampung Baru Kuala Lumpur. 

Ilustrasi Debat Ekonomi

Karya Kartunis Gandum

Six Deputy Ministers Appointed Foster Fathers

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 11 (Bernama) -- The MCA has appointed six deputy ministers from the party as 'foster fathers' of the Chinese community in Labis, Johor in the run-up to the Tenang state by-election.

They are Datuk Wee Ka Siong (Deputy Education Minister), Datuk Donald Lim Siang Chai (Finance), Datuk Lee Chee Leong (Home), Gan Ping Sieu (Youths and Sports), Chua Tee Yeong (Agriculture and Agro-base Industry) and Heng Seai Kie (Women, Family and Community Development).

MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said their appointments were aimed at bolstering Barisan Nasional (BN)'s support in the by-election.

"We will ensure that party leaders, both from the central and state levels, would work hard to ensure BN's victory in the by-election," he told reporters after the party's central committee meeting at Wisma MCA here Tuesday.

The by-election for the Tenang state seat will be held on Jan 30, with nomination day on Jan 22.

On the meeting, Chua said he had received complaints that certain headmasters and teachers had allegedly discouraged or refused to allow students from taking up Mandarin in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination.

"It was an uncalled for attitude as the headmasters and teachers should have encouraged students to do so," he added.

On an uproar over the use of certain words in "Interlok", a required text for Malay Literature in the SPM, he said the critics should look at the implicit message in the novel.

"We must see this book from a proper perspective... it is a historical novel based on racial integration in early 1900s.

"Certain words may be sensitive in the present context, but the book depicts an important message, on how to promote harmony among people of different races," he said.