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Friday, 4 March 2011

Apply zakat policy of rebate to all citizens

(Malaysiakini) The current tax policy is unfair as proceeds from zakat, an Islamic tax, is used exclusively for the development of Muslims through the building of mosques and other amenities, said senator S Ramakrishnan.

The senator, who is also an accounting lecturer, called on the government to be fair to all Malaysians by giving non-Muslims a similar tax rebate like zakat.

Ramakrishnan urged the government to amend the tax legislation so that Malaysians of all religions are treated fairly in the spirit of '1Malaysia' when computing their income tax.

NONEAccording to Ramakrishnan, donations to a temple or church by non-Muslims are calculated differently for tax purposes by the Inland Revenue Board.

Ramakrishnan, who has been teaching accounting for the past 20 years, said Muslims get a discount from paying income tax because they also contribute to zakat.

A Muslim gets a rebate from paying zakat, whereas the non-Muslim gets only a relief when donating money to religious organisations.

The Inland Revenue Board (IRB) told Malaysiakini that a rebate can be deducted from the zakat as the contribution under Islam is considered a tax.

In the case of a non-Muslim who has donated to an approved church or temple, he will get a deduction along with other reliefs (such as personal, wife and children relief) but ended up paying relatively higher income tax because his religious contribution would not be treated as a rebate.

Zakat compulsory for Muslims

IRB chief executive officer Dr Mohd Shukor Mahfar stressed the Income Tax Act 1967 did not discriminate against race or religion and the comparison of the tax payable by a Muslim against a non-Muslim is misleading.

He cited the Income Tax Act 1967, Section: 6A(3) wherein it states “a rebate shall be granted for any zakat, fitrah or any other Islamic religious dues, payment of which is obligatory.”

“A Muslim has to make two compulsory payments levied on the same source of income every year, namely income tax and zakat.
"Therefore, this rebate was given to relieve a Muslim from the burden of 'double taxation' on the same income. Please note that the zakat must be administered by official authorities under the purview of state governments.

“Donations, on the other hand, are voluntary in nature and made to privately-run non-profit institutions. These institutions, which may also include Islamic religious organisations, can apply for tax exemption status so that donations are tax deductible.

“As for the non-Muslims, they have the choice to make donation to approved organisations/institutions and claim for relief up to 10 percent of their aggregate income.

Zakat allowed as rebate is limited to the amount of tax to be paid by the individual. Therefore, if the zakat is more than the tax to be paid, the excess amount could not be claimed as refund or be carried forward.”

NONEShukor (right) proposed that any amendment to the law as suggested by Ramakrishnan should be forwarded to Finance Ministry so that it could be approved by the cabinet and discussed in Parliament before it could be implemented by IRB.

Ramakrishnan said that non-Muslims earning a similar annual income compared to Muslim would end up paying higher taxes.

“It is estimated that 90 percent of the people paying income taxes in Malaysia are non-Muslims. Whilst those who contribute to zakat (tax deductible from the net tax), the tax is given solely to state religious bodies.”

The senator added: “When a non-Muslim do their religious obligations (donations or tithes), it is not tax deductible unless the church or temple has applied and obtained the approval for tax exemption.

“It is a very tedious task for non-Muslim religious organisations to get any approval for tax exemption and it is very stringent and often not approved by the government.”

Ramakrishnan called on the government and Prime Minister Najib Razak to amend the laws and raise it in Parliament so that the freedom of religious practice as enshrined in the constitution be made consistent with tax legislation.

Questions posed to IRB

Why when a donation is made to a church or temple, they do not get tax exemption whilst a contribution to zakat is allowed?

Mohd Shukor Mahfar: For the Muslim, paying zakat (tithe) is one of the five pillars of Islam and it is a must, not an option for those who meet the requirement, at 2.5 percent of net income received. Zakat is a tax for Muslims, not a donation, and therefore it is treated as rebate to avoid the same income to be taxed twice.

Zakat allowed as rebate must be paid to religious authority under any written law, which is Lembaga Zakat. But zakat paid to individual or charitable organisation would not be allowed as rebate.

As for other religions, their followers could still claim for deduction for the amount that they have donated as long as their place of worship is approved under Section 44(6) Income Tax Act 1967. Donation, as oppose to zakat, is not compulsory.

To get the approval, application must be sent to our Tax Policy Department, Jalan Duta. For further information and guidelines, please refer to this page.

Why is it difficult for temples or churches to get tax exemption?

The guidelines given are prepared for all organisations or institutions regardless of faith/ religion. Approval is given if the organisation/institution fulfilled the criteria in the guidelines and when all requirements are fulfilled including submitting proper paperwork and complete supporting documents. Some applications might take longer to be approved should the paper work or supporting documents submitted were incomplete.

Up to this date, there are 1,300 organisations/institution/funds have been approved under Section 44(6). The list of organisations/ institutions/funds could be viewed here.

Mass funerals for Libyan rebels

Hundreds of mourners in Libya have buried victims of clashes between pro- and anti-government forces at a strategically important oil refinery town, where the opposition beat back an offensive by forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader.

The town of Brega, which saw fresh violence erupt on Thursday, was the site of an earlier attempt by the pro-Gaddafi forces to retake control. A hospital official said at least 12 people had been killed while defending the town on Wednesday.


In Benghazi, Libya's second city and a stronghold of the opposition, which has been demanding that Gaddafi step down, about 1,000 people turned out to bury six people, the AFP news agency reported.

A crowd of anti-government activists packed into vehicles and drove to the cemetery, where they fired into the air and said prayers honouring those who had been killed.

In Ajdabiya, 150km to the west, dozens marched in a funeral procession, with five coffins held aloft en route to the cemetery there.

"For the people of Ajdabiya, these men are marytrs to their revolution. And the more of their comrades who are killed, the more they are determined to defeat Muammar Gaddafi," reported Jacky Rowland, Al Jazeera's correspondent in the city.

Mourners shouted slogans against Gaddafi, including: "The blood of marytrs will not be spilled in vain"; "Gaddafi get out, Libyans don't want you!"; and "Gaddafi you're crazy!".

Struggle intensifies

Witnesses in Ajdabiya and Brega reported fresh fighting on Thursday, with witnesses saying that more government fighter jets had bombed positions near the oil refinery.

"Warplanes dropped a bomb in the area between the oil company and the residential area," Fattah al-Moghrabi, director of supplies for Brega hospital, told the AFP news agency.

"As far as I know, there was no casualties," he said.

Al Jazeera's Rowland reported that the rebels, though poorly equipped and not well trained, set up advanced positions 50km west of Brega on Thursday.
Read more of our Libya coverage

The reported strike in Brega comes in the wake of a counter-offensive launched by Gaddafi, aimed at taking back lost territory in the country's east. About 300 men loyal to the Libyan leader attacked Brega, some 500km east of the capital, Tripoli, on Wednesday.

A short while later, an air force bomber encircled the town, firing a missile without causing any casualties. The warplane struck a beach near where the two sides were fighting at a university campus.

Al Jazeera's Tony Birtley, who was about 70 metres from the missile when it hit, said the opposition managed to repel the strike - maintaining control of the town they seized a week ago.

Located between Gaddafi's hometown of Sirte - still under government control - and the opposition-held eastern port of Benghazi, Brega also sits near ethnic fault lines between tribes loyal to Gaddafi and eastern groups opposed to him.

"They tried to take Brega this morning, but they failed," Mustafa Gheriani, a spokesman for the February 17th Coalition, an anti-government group, told the Reuters news agency on Wednesday.

Government forces were also reported to be battling to regain control of rebel-held towns close to Tripoli, trying to create a buffer zone around what is still Gaddafi's seat of power.

Meanwhile on Thursday, government officials from the Netherlands were trying to win the release of three Dutch marines in Libya.

They were captured on Sunday by forces loyal to Gaddafi after they landed in the coastal city of Sirte. They were trying to rescue two Europeans who have since been handed over to the Dutch embassy in Tripoli.

Source:Al Jazeera and agencies

HINDRAF MAKKAL SAKTHI TO PETITION MALAYSIAN KING IN CONJUNCTION WITH INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION.

PETITION TO SET UP A ROYAL COMMISSION WITH VIEW TO

MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO DISMANTLE AND END ALL
MALAYSIA’S   INSTITUTIONALISED RACIST POLICIES.

HINDRAF MAKKAL SAKTHI will hand over a memorandum to the Yang Dipertuan Agong in conjunction with the annually observed International Day for the Elimination of Racism on the 21st March 2011 to make recommendation for a Royal Commission on Institutionalised racism perpetrated by the UMNO government.
It is a fact that racism is deeply entrenched and Institutionalised by the racist UMNO government. The concern of racial discrimination, which began from the need to eradicate poverty irrespective of race ended up in the neo-colonisation of the UMNO Government. Today the minority communities are perpetually wounded and been neglected in their ability to live a free and equal life amongst the majority through UMNO’s Institutionalised racial policies.
The first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights”.
The United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, adopted in 1963, states
Discrimination between human beings on the grounds of race, color or ethnic origin is an offence to human dignity and shall be condemned as a denial of the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, as a violation of the human rights and fundamental freedoms proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as an obstacle to friendly and peaceful relations among nations and as a fact capable of disturbing peace and security among nations.
We would implore upon  the King that it is now time to confront racism  and to take   comprehensive measures against them. Racism, racial discrimination and all kinds of related intolerance may have gone away elsewhere but it is accelerated in an alarming rate in Malaysia through institutionalised racism.
We all constitute one human family. Instead of allowing diversity of race and culture to become a limiting factor for political gain, now is the time to refocus our understanding and provide equality and freedom with policies that are colour blind to race and ethnicity. 
Every human is equal and free in the eye of the GOD. The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination reminds us of our collective responsibility for promoting and protecting this ideal. With that spirit, we at HINDRAF MAKKAL SAKTHI would appeal to  the Agong, who is the King for his subjects to  strongly recommend for a Royal Commission to report on the damage racism has caused and make recommendations to dismantle and end all Malaysia’s Institutionalised Racist policies and propose new policies and legislations to embrace all citizens as equals as enshrined in Article 8 of the Malaysian Federal Constitution. 
P.Waytha Moorthy
Chairman
HINDRAF 

Sabah don riled over ‘political’ meddling

An associate professor believes the Kadazandusun Chair at UMS cannot be dictated to by politicians who may have their own agendas.

KOTA KINABALU: Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) associate professor, Jacqueline Pugh-Kitingan, is not amused by recent “political” attempts to belittle, among others, the contributions of the Kadazandusun Chair at the state’s only public-owned institution of higher learning.

Jacqueline, an Australian national, has headed the Kadazandusun Chair (KDC) at UMS since its inception in 2003.

She’s also taken aback by accusations that the KDC has done “nothing” for the promotion of the Kadazandusun language, the standard speech form based on the Bundu and Liwan, two Dusun dialects.

This (doing nothing) has been attributed by some critics to the fact that she’s not native although married to one and holding Malaysian permanent residence. One related criticism is that her appointment was “an insult to Kadazandusun academicians”.

The lack of publicity on the work of the KDC has also emerged as a sore point with critics.

“The KDC was not formed to study the Kadazandusun language,” explained Jacqueline. “It was formed under university regulations to research the cultural heritage of the Kadazandusun and other indigenous peoples in Sabah.”

An academic chair, being a university appointment, “is not something that seeks or needs publicity”, according to her.

Jacqueline was elaborating on her remarks in the media over the weekend on critics directing pot-shots from time to time at the KDC in general and at her work in particular.

A lot of money

Most of the criticisms have come from former Sabah attorney-general Herman Luping and United PasokMomogun KadazanDusunMurut (Upko) president Bernard Giluk Dompok.

Luping, in particular, opined that “people say that this chair is given a lot of money but it is being used for other purpose like Customary Law and so on”.

Again, she stressed, the Kadazandusun language is not the primary purpose of the KDC and neither was Customary Law which is the domain of the Sabah Museum. The one exception, she conceded, was her ethnographic research in Tambunan not so long ago on marriage and death adat (custom).

The KDC, she said, was supposed to be an Ethnographic or Anthropological Chair, like the Chair of Dayak Studies at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas).

It was set up with a one-off RM2 million grant from the Sabah government, she added, and the money was held in trust and only the accrued interest used to pay for some of the activities of the KDC like holding conferences and publishing books.

“People can deal with change when they know that their past was a valuable experience in preparation for the future, when their past is viewed in such positive terms as a foundation for dealing with change,” said Jacqueline.

On the other hand, when the past and heritage is devalued, when it is lost and not available for reference in history books, in ethnographies, in museums, she said, “people become lost”.

The result is that people become apathetic with their loss of roots, she noted, or they can become normless without any guideposts to help them deal with the future. Apparently, this paves the way for sexual excess, excess of alcohol and mindless entertainment, among others.

Indigenous languages

Jacqueline cautioned that the KDC should not duplicate the work of other institutions, three in particular, on the work of promoting the Kadazandusun and other indigenous languages.

She pointed out that SIL International, the Kadazandusun Language Foundation (KLF) and the Pusat Penataran Ilmu and Bahasa (PPIB) at UMS were already working on the Kadazandusun and other indigenous languages.

“Nevertheless, the KDC has supported the promotion of local indigenous languages through its various seminars and conferences,” said Jacqueline.

She cited the International Fieldworks Software Workshop which was jointly organised last March in Kota Kinabalu by the KDC together with SIL and PPIB. The workshop sponsored members of various indigenous communities to learn the software for the purpose of documenting their languages and cultures.

Besides various Dusun communities, the workshop included members of the Murut, Bajau and Iranun communities.

There will be a follow-up workshop later this year tentatively set for August.

Academic merit

On Luping’s belated criticism of her heading the KDC, Jacqueline explained that academic chairs are appointed based solely on academic merit, not on ethnic group affiliation or any similar bias.

This meant that many chairs at local universities are held by experts in various fields from overseas. However, in her case, she had the added advantage of being a “local” and begged to differ with the label that she was a “foreigner”.

“Laurentius (her husband), a Dusun from Tambunan, and I have been married 34 years. I have lived in Sabah for so long and raised my family here,” she said in establishing her local credentials. “I find Luping’s statements especially very hurtful, insulting, unprofessional, very un-Kadazandusun and very un-Malaysian.”

She assured that none of her Dusun, Bajau, Brunei, Orang Ulu and other indigenous colleagues felt “insulted” by her appointment.

Apparently referring to Luping and Dompok, Jacqueline said that politicians are not the only ones to be considered “leaders of the community”. Instead, she said they should be considered as “leaders of sorts within their own spheres of influence”.

The real community leaders, she opined, were the village headmen, native chiefs, the chairperson of the village security and development committees, traditional priestesses, indigenous church pastors and others like them.

“The KDC cannot be dictated to by politicians who may have their own agendas,” said Jacqueline and pledged to continue serving the community irrespective of whether she’s head of the KDC or otherwise.

She’s currently working, among others, on a book entitled “The Kadazandusun”.

Jeffrey: I’m not going back to PKR

Jeffrey Kitingan has burnt his bridges with PKR and will not attend the secret meeting with Anwar Ibrahim's emissaries tomorrow.
KOTA KINABALU: United Borneo Front (UBF) chief Jeffrey Kitingan has slammed the door on Anwar Ibrahim and will not return to PKR.
Strongly rejecting any further possibilities of going back to PKR, Jeffrey said: “What is the point?”
“As far as I am concerned, everything about PKR has become totally irrelevant, and I have totally no wish to have anything to do with it.”
The former PKR vice-president, who left the party early this year, said he had already made his decision to move on and wanted to end all speculations of him returning to PKR.
“Some in Kuala Lumpur had tried to broach the topic with me through third parties, but I have absolutely no desire to talk about it.
“Don’t waste your time,” he said in a statement issued through his aide Raymond Tombung.
Jeffrey’s statement has ended talks of a secret effort by PKR de facto leader Anwar to woo him back.
FMT reported yesterday that Anwar was sending his two trusted emmisaries – Micheal Bong and David Yeoh – together with PKR leader Christina Liew for a rendezvous with Jeffrey tomorrow.
But Jeffrey’s supporters, in response to the FMT report, reacted strongly to the suggestion of him even meeting the three-member delegation.
One of Jeffrey’s advisers, Awang Ahmad Sah Awang Sahari, said any attempt to get Jeffrey back into PKR would be a disgrace.
Awang said Jeffrey, who resigend from PKR on New Year’s day, “should not meet with any emissary and should tell them to go back to Kuala Lumpur and tell Anwar that Sabah is out of timber and iron to replace the burnt bridge.”
According to Awang, both Bong and Yeoh in 2009 were witnesses to a PKR peace plan when a crisis erupted following an attempt to register a PKR break-away party, Parti Cinta Sabah (PCS).
“Bong and Yeoh were the witnesses but never defended the peace plan when its existence was denied. As a result, PKR leaders Daniel John Jambun, Mozes Iking and myself were suspended for a year.
“Therefore they are not credible and are irresponsible. Anwar, on the other hand, never trusted Jeffrey, and coming back to woo him is just a shameful act,” he said.
Only lip service
Jeffrey today stayed true to his 2011 New Year resolution and decision to quit the party, saying: “PKR could not even fulfill a small simple thing like upholding the principle of democracy in the selection of its state leaders.
“So how do we expect it to fulfill the long list of demands from Sabahans for their rights and autonomy?
“It is obviously impossible for PKR to meet the long list of needs and desires of the people of Sabah and Sarawak because of its autocratic party leadership.
“The lip service by Anwar about meritocracy, accountability and transparency is nothing more than blatant hypocrisy because he cannot even let the members choose their own state leaders without him interfering.”
Jeffrey said he deeply resented the manipulations done during the last party elections by the party adviser, saying Anwar’s action was very unbecoming of a party leader.
Jeffrey said he did not believe that Sabah PKR would ever be granted autonomy in all matters concerning the state including autonomous power for Sabah and Sarawak as agreed prior to the formation of Malaysia Federation back in 1963.
“Let us therefore continue with our struggle for the people of Sabah according to our own way,” he added.
Meanwhile, party insiders believe the alleged move by Anwar was a sign of a desperate PKR looking to Jeffrey to reignite its support in the state.
They claimed that Anwar was prepared to agree to allow Jeffrey to head Sabah PKR if that is what it takes to bring him back.

Pembalakan haram terus berlaku


KUCHING: Penduduk di 15 buah kampung di kawasan Krokong-Tringgus dekat sini berharap kerajaan negeri menerusi jabatan dan agensi berkaitan mempertingkatkan pemantauan termasuk membuat tinjauan dari udara bagi mengesan kegiatan pembalakan yang dikhuatiri dilakukan secara ‘haram’ di lokasi terbabit.

Sekiranya kegiatan pembalakan yang keterlaluan dijalankan secara berleluasa tanpa kawalan, ia pasti memusnahkan habitat dan ekosistem semula jadi di kawasan yang didiami kira-kira 9,000 penduduk itu.

Meskipun beberapa kali surat bantahan diserahkan kepada pihak berwajib termasuk pemimpin nombor satu negeri dan negara ini menerusi Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun) Bengoh Dr Jerip Susil pada November tahun lepas, namun masalah itu masih membelenggu masyarakat setempat.

Perkara tersebut sangat mengecewakan semua penduduk dan mereka melahirkan harapan menggunung kepada kerajaan agar mengambil sebarang tindakan terhadap mana-mana pihak yang terlibat ke arah menyelamatkan alam sekitar.

Justeru, aktiviti seumpamanya harus dibendung dan siasatan wajar dilakukan terhadap semua pihak termasuk yang memiliki lesen tetapi melakukan pembalakan tanpa mematuhi syarat dan peraturan lesen.

Bercakap dalam satu sidang media di sini semalam, Renjer Hidupan Liar Kehormat Lipik Sarau, 48, menyifatkan pembalakan ‘haram’ sebagai parasit kepada masyarakat kerana merosakkan alam sekitar serta mencuri hasil pendapatan negeri.

“Mereka ini lebih teruk daripada mafia kerana merosakkan alam sekitar tanpa memikirkan kesan dan akibat kegiatan mereka dan kemusnahan yang mereka lakukan bukan saja memberi kesan kepada alam sekitar malah kehidupan masyarakat.

Lesen balak ‘dialibabakan’

“Kegiatan pembalakan haram ini mesti dibanteras dan siasatan perlu dilakukan terhadap syarikat pembalakan yang memiliki lesen tetapi ‘mengalibabakan’ lesen pembalakan itu tanpa mematuhi syarat dan peraturan lesen kepada pihak lain,” katanya yang juga berasal dari Kampung Bijuray, Krokong.

Lipik menegaskan, sekiranya kegiatan curi balak di kawasan hutan di Krokong-Tringgus terus berleluasa, dalam masa beberapa tahun lagi tidak mustahil sumber flora dan fauna di situ kehilangan spesis yang berkualiti tinggi.

Malah katanya, lebih merunsingkan apabila kegiatan haram itu bertumpu di lereng-lereng gunung dan mungkin mengakibatkan tanah runtuh dan jika terus dibiarkan.

“Sumber bekalan air graviti utama kami di sekitar kawasan Ulu Sungai Kanan juga kian tercemar kesan daripada aktiviti pembalakan ini.

“Apalah nasib kami semua kerana terpaksa minum air yang kotor dan berkemungkinan mempunyai bahan-bahan yang mengakibatkan penyakit berjangkit,” tegasnya.

Sementara itu, seorang lagi penduduk tempatan, Joseph Akam, 40 memberitahu kegiatan pembalakan haram yang kini cuba dibendung dengan serius oleh kerajaan negeri mungkin didalangi oleh kumpulan samseng.

Joseph berkata walaupun belum ada bukti kukuh yang mengaitkan penglibatan golongan itu namun kemungkinannya tidak wajar ditolak kerana ia mungkin berlaku.

“Mungkin…(kumpulan samseng terlibat). Saya tidak menolak kemungkinan itu. Pihak berwajib perlu mengesan dan menangani masalah ini dengan serius,” katanya sambil menambah tiga laporan polis telah
dibuat tahun lepas berhubung perkara itu.

Ali Rustam wants 100pc of Indian votes

Mohd Ali making his speech at the 1 Malaysia Indian dinner held at SRJK (C) Merlimau last night, by his side are the lucky draw prizes. — Picture by Jack Ooi 

JASIN, March 4 — Malacca chief minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Mohd Rustam said yesterday that he wants 100 per cent support from the Indian community in the Merlimau by-election.
The seat’s electoral roll has 10, 679 votes, with 6,935 Malay voters, 2,218 Chinese voters and 1,510 Indians voters.

Some of the 1000 Indians attending the event and its lucky draw. — Picture by Jack Ooi
“I want to make sure that we get 101 per cent support from the Indian voters so we can ignore the 1 per cent spoiled votes,” he said while addressing a crowd of over 1000 in a dinner organised by the 1 Malaysia supporter’ sclub. He also told DAP’s secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and Lim Kit Siang.
“They lost in Malacca and ran to Penang. I ask them to stay in Penang and not disturb the people here,” he said.
Both Guan Eng and Kit Siang were elected as Member of Parliament in the Kota Melaka seat.
Earlier the organisers had only allowed in Indians with an invitation ticket and tried to deny reporters from entering the premises.
Organisers were also reluctant to confirm who was behind the dinner before admitting that they were from the 1 Malaysia supporter’s club.
However when those attended told The Malaysian Insider that they had received the tickets from MIC branch members near the estates.
Later, Mohd Ali told reporters that the future of the Indian community is guaranteed with Barisan Nasional (BN).
“We have given a lot to the Indian community and if we win big, we will give more and our service will also be better,”
He also claimed poverty no longer exists among the Indians in Malacca.
“There are many in the Indian community that is already rich and many are having an easy life. Many changes have happened,” he said.
Mohd Ali also denied that the dinner was organized by BN.
“I was not invited… I saw a lot a people here and that is why I decided to stop by,” he said.
The Merlimau by-election was called following the death of Mohamad Hidhir on January 20.
The by-election will be a straight fight between PAS’s Yuhaizat Abdullah and Umno’s Roslan Ahmad.

Mohd Ali Rustamv( Center) seen leading a group of Indian to shout ‘1 Malaysia’ slogan! — Picture by Jack Ooi
BN currently controls 23 of the state assembly seats, while DAP is the only opposition with five. The late Datuk Mohamad Hidhir Abu Hasson retained the Merlimau state seat in the last general election after he defeated PAS’s Jasme Tompang by a majority of 2,154 votes. In Election 2004, he won the seat by 5,087 votes.
Merlimau is located within the Jasin parliamentary constituency, a stronghold of BN, which won all the five state seats in Election 2008.
Mohd Ali making his speech at the 1 Malaysia Indian dinner held at SRJK (C) Merlimau last night, by his side are the lucky draw prizes. — Picture by Jack Ooi
Some of the 1000 Indians attending the event and its lucky draw. — Picture by Jack Ooi
Mohd Ali Rustamv( Center) seen leading a group of Indian to shout ‘1 Malaysia’ slogan! — Picture by Jack Ooi

Anwar takes high road, Ummi aims low

KERDAU, March 4 — Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim showed his class in the face of Ummi Hafilda Ali’s attacks during concurrent talks in Rumpun Makmur here last night.
The two speakers locked horns in a battle for votes across a distance of less than 20m as campaigning ramps up ahead of polling this weekend.
Ignoring personal attacks that at times bordered on shrill, Anwar focused on driving home Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) message of change to the rapt crowd of over 700 Felda and Felcra settlers.

Just a stone throw away from Anwar, Ummi Hafilda speaks to her BN crowd. — Picture by Choo Choy May
The PKR de facto leader was in form as he spoke of alleged Umno corruption and cronyism, weaving in references to the decades-long abuse of power that ignited popular revolts in Egypt and Tunisia. He also touched briefly on the economic strategy outlined in PR’s Orange Book and repeated his promise to lower petrol prices after taking Putrajaya to cheers from the audience.
But Anwar did at times hit back at Ummi Hafilda in light-hearted fashion when her repeated insults and calls to repent, amplified by four-foot tall speakers, threatened to disrupt his talk.
“We only trouble ourselves when we pay heed to crazies,” he joked when a barb from Ummi Hafilda drew jeers from PR supporters.
“If we give her attention, her fee will only go up.”
Ummi Hafilda, on the other hand, barely paused for breath during her 80-minute verbal barrage which began even before Anwar arrived on scene.
She started by recounting a laundry list of Anwar’s “sins” and the trials she faced for trying to expose the then-deputy prime minister’s alleged misdoings.
But her coherent account quickly descended into a pastiche of Umno staples — the prospect of DAP rule and the “Allah” issue — once Anwar made his appearance.
It became clear that Ummi Hafilda was more keen on sabotaging Anwar’s talk than making her case when she began pausing often to listen to what he was saying so she could tailor retorts.
Despite this, PR and Barisan Nasional (BN) supporters separated by a steady stream of slow-moving traffic remained calm throughout.
The two sides seemed more interested in their respective speakers, although those caught in the middle had no choice but to endure a discordant mish-mash of both talks.
Ummi Hafilda wrapped up minutes after Anwar left to attend another function at Felda Jengka 22.
BN appears to have spared no effort to ensure victory in Kerdau despite the sluggish PAS machinery here.
The enlistment of Ummi Hafilda and former Anwar aide Rahimi Osman to discredit the charismatic opposition leader suggests BN is not content to rely on its superior funding and machinery.
Ummi Hafilda, a key witness from his first sodomy trial, disappeared from the public eye following Anwar’s first sodomy trial but resurfaced recently after her brother Azmin won the PKR deputy presidency.
She has pledged not to stop until she brings down Anwar, whom she called the “anti-Christ”.
Rahimi, who claims he was forced by Anwar’s people  to declare that the prime minister and his wife had masterminded Sodomy II, has also hit the campaign trail to refute Anwar’s “lies”.
BN continues its big gun Kerdau campaign today with another visit from Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

MalaY, mALAY, MaLaY, maLay....... ENOUGH !!!

By John Doe

If there's one single thing which I can agree with this mouldy fossil, is that Malayan Barisan Nasional components are RACISTS!!
MY race is better than your race, MY God is better than your God, and even MY armpit smell is SUPERIOR too !!

Hence the MCA, the MIC as well as UMNO are all race-based. They would not be, if "race" was not on their minds.

As a medical graduate from NUS, he brings much shame to that University. He proudly waves his "malay-ness". Careful to mention "Mother-Tongue" coz his grand-daddy was Indian from Kerala. Kerala is matrilineal. And thus, they follow the Race of the mother. This is easy to understand. No different from "If your mother is a Jew, then you are a Jew" concept.

For some strange reason, he still thinks that it is the 15th century. And with a mind-set like that, refuses to get out of the doldrums connected with the 15th century. It's like being stuck in Parameswara's time forever!! No wonder ASEAN neighbours (excluding Burma) has advanced so much, and left Malaya in the dust behind. So far behind, that even a certain tiny dot to the south is at least 30 years ahead of Malaya.

I find it incredible that he believes that there is such a thing as an American Race, or an Australian Race. May I also suggest a Singaporean Race, a Penang race, a Sarawakian Race, and most importantly the Mat Rempit Race,  Sepang Race, and the Batu-TIga Race since he's at it then? Absurd? Absolutely !! There are only 5 races in the world. The Caucasoid, the Negroid, Mongoloid, Dravidoid and the Austranesoid. All other races are derivatives from these 5 races in the world.

He said it was obvious some Malays were descended from people of the Indonesian islands, India and the Arabian peninsular.
This makes them Austronesoids, Dravidoids, and Caucasoids. Plain and simple. Malays are NOT a Race. What does he want now, a Malayoid? How about Corruptoid for UMNO then? They dress, speak, and pray to Corruption anyway. That makes them unique!! Hence deserving a "Race" all by themselves.

Here's his biggest mistake !!

“We don’t hear them claiming to be German Americans, Portuguese Australians or Italian Argentinians, even though they or their ancestors came from these countries,” said Dr Mahathir.
We do hear German Jew, we do hear African American, Pakistani Brits, and closer to home, Indian Muslims, aka Mamak, aka Mahathir.

The former prime minister wrote in his blog that Malays would only say they are Bugis or Javanese if asked about their ancestry but it would be mischievous to suggest that this was their race.
It would be even more mischievous to suggest that one can change their race. Genetically impossible, and classification-wise no one ever said that the Bugis is a Race either. They are either Austronesoids or "Corruptoids".
Perhaps he is severely lacking the Neanderthal DNA in him, because that's where we, Homo Sapiens obtained our larger brains from !!

Malays are not immigrants, says Dr M

Dr M: This is a common phenomenon. In America, Australia, Latin America, the later immigrants accepted the languages of their adopted country as their mother tongue as well as the culture.


KUALA LUMPUR, March 4 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad dismissed yesterday claims that Malays are immigrants just like Chinese and Indians, arguing instead that Arabs, Indians and Indonesians had become Constitutional Malays through assimilation.

“I would not say I am a Malay or Malaysian of ethnic Indian origin. My mother tongue and home language is Malay, my culture and tradition is Malay and I am a Muslim. The constitution defines a Malay as a person who habitually speaks Malay, practices Malay custom and tradition and is a Muslim,” he said in a posting on his blog.

He said it was obvious some Malays were descended from people of the Indonesian islands, India and the Arabian peninsular.

“Having come here they were assimilated after they identified themselves completely with the Malays by adopting the Malay language, their customs and traditions and by being Muslims.

“This is a common phenomenon. In America, Australia, Latin America, the later immigrants accepted the languages of their adopted country as their mother tongue as well as the culture.

“After doing this they no longer think of themselves as being of their original country. They are Americans, Australians and Argentinians period.

“We don’t hear them claiming to be German Americans, Portuguese Australians or Italian Argentinians, even though they or their ancestors came from these countries,” said Dr Mahathir.

The former prime minister wrote in his blog that Malays would only say they are Bugis or Javanese if asked about their ancestry but it would be mischievous to suggest that this was their race.

Dr Mahathir has in recent years stepped up his defence of the constitutional position of the Malays, and has been criticised for lending credibility to right-wing groups like Perkasa.

His strident tone has resulted in accusations that he was playing the race card in an attempt to shore up support for Umno.

In his blog post, Dr Mahathir said that his remarks in defending the Malays were to rebut “the anti-Malay racism of the opposition.”

He said that “those who support racist statements by the opposition are the real racists.”

“They shout racist at others to distract from their own racism,” he said.

Since making significant gains in Election 2008, the opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has been pushing for reforms to the country’s affirmative action policies which is widely seen as favouring the Malay-Bumiputera communities.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is expected to call for general elections in either late 2011 or early 2012, with investors and Malaysians waiting to see if he will implement reforms to match his rhetoric after a series of flip-flops on a goods and services tax and subsidy cuts.

Najib has delivered measures such as granting new bank licenses and cutting the fiscal deficit.

But he has shied away from big subsidy cuts and tax reforms and softened an earlier promise to reform controversial preferential equity ownership rules for the Malays.

Analysts expect Najib may be willing to push through reforms after the next general election, but only if he wins a strong mandate.

If he fails to restore Barisan Nasional’s two-thirds parliamentary majority he will come under pressure from Malay activist groups such as Perkasa who are opposed to s

Pathologist: Scratches under footwear can show if Teoh jumped

The Star
by WANI MUTHIAH

KUALA LUMPUR: University Malaya Medical Centre pathologist Dr Prashant Naresh Samberkar told the Commission of Inquiry into Teoh Beng Hock’s death he believed the political aide’s decision to jump was made in a split second.

Given this, said Dr Prashant, the scratches on the underside of Teoh’s shoes depended on how long Teoh had allegedly been on the window sill. (Dr Prashant had opined that Teoh had squatted on the window ledge before plunging to his death)

He testified that it was unlikely that Teoh had sustained pre-fall injuries and reiterated that Teoh was not manually strangled as suggested by Thai pathologist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand.

Dr Prashant was quizzed by counsel representing the MACC Datuk Seri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah about Dr Pornthip’s opinion that Teoh’s neck injuries could be have been caused by blunt force or manual strangulation or a blow by a hard object.

“I beg to differ as I still opine that the marks are post-mortem stains or decomposition,” he said.

Teoh, who was the political secretary to DAP’s Seri Kembangan assemblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah, was taken to the Selangor Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office on the 14th floor of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam for questioning on July 15, 2009. He was found dead the next day.

Counsel for Bar Council Christopher Leong asked Dr Prashant whether the injuries found on Teoh’s chest could have been caused by being hit with a rod or a cane.

Dr Prashant said the abrasions were caused by a pen which had been in Teoh’s pocket at the time of his death.

However, he agreed that the type of injuries found on Teoh’s chest could be have been caused by a rod or stick.

Leong: Would you expect the pen to be crushed or cracked?

Dr Prashant: Yes, one would expect that. (The pen found in Teoh’s pocket was not damaged)

Sungai Buloh Hospital head of pathology Dr Shahidan Noor said he would consider most, if not all, the injuries sustained by Teoh were due to his fall from a height.

He also said that the first post-mortem conducted by Dr Khairul Azman and Dr Prashant was far superior to the second post-mortem as it was carried out soon after Teoh’s death.

“The second post-mortem’s findings must be taken with a pinch of salt,” he said.

EXCLUSIVE - Malaysia PM Won't Rule Out Early Election


Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak speaks during the Economic Transformation Programme announcement at his office in Putrajaya January 11, 2011. REUTERS/Bazuki Muhammad/Files
By Mark Bendeich

MELBOURNE, March 4 (Reuters) - Malaysia's prime minister said on Friday he had not ruled out an early election and that he needed no mandate at the polls to proceed with key reforms, like the introduction of a goods and services tax.

Najib Razak, whose National Front (BN) coalition suffered record losses to the opposition in 2008, has pledged to restore investor confidence in Malaysia by pursuing reforms, including introducing the twice-delayed tax.

In an interview, Najib said a good showing in a forthcoming election in the politically important state Sarawak would help assess the public mood and perhaps provide a pointer towards calling an early general election before one is due in 2013.

The BN holds 63 of 71 state legislature seats.

"It's a question of the assessment on the ground, how people are feeling towards the government, whether we can have a feel-good factor and people have confidence in the government and the position of the opposition," he said.

"I would not rule out anything. It could be early or it could be later. I am still assessing the situation. Sarawak will be part of the assessment, certainly."

He referred to the Front's wins in four out of five recent by-elections against the People's Alliance opposition led by former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is beset by new charges of sodomy that have kept him in court.

Anwar has labelled the charge a repeat of accusations that led to his ouster as deputy prime minister in 1998, and six years in jail.

"So far it looks good. So far the reports on the ground are quite encouraging but we cannot take the threat lightly that the opposition will be more determined this time to try to make inroads in Sarawak," he told Reuters during a visit to Australia.

"These are all building blocks toward a general sense of confidence heading towards the next general election, but I am also mindful of the fact that by-elections and state elections are not everything in terms of the final outcome with respect to a general election."

He said he believed the GST aimed at widening Malaysia's narrow tax base, could be introduced "slightly later" than this year, but no time frame had been established.

But no election mandate was required, he said, before proceeding with the tax, twice put off to ensure broader public acceptance.

A national election is likely to be held after Najib tables the country's 2012 budget some time during the third quarter of this year.

Aljazeera: Malaysia media laws raise concern

Gadhafi faces investigation for crimes against humanity

(CNN) -- Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and some of his sons and closest advisers face investigation for alleged crimes against humanity, International Criminal Court prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said Thursday.

"I would like to use this opportunity to put them on notice," Moreno-Ocampo told CNN. "I want to be clear: If their troops commit crimes, they could be made criminally responsible."

It is the first time the court will be investigating allegations as an event is ongoing.

They include allegations of security forces killing unarmed protesters, forced displacement, illegal detention and airstrikes on civilians.

Investigators will look at the most serious accusations in Libya since February 15, the prosecutor said, when demonstrations against Gadhafi ramped up.

Moreno-Ocampo provided a map showing the locations where alleged crimes may have been committed.

He cautioned, however, that he needed more time to review the evidence.

"This is the beginning of the investigation. I can give no details," he said.

"We cannot confirm these allegations that these civilians were bombed by planes. But we have ... confirmation that civilians that were demonstrating were shot by security forces.

"We interview people and we will present the evidence to the judges. The judges will decide who should be prosecuted," he said.

But Moreno-Ocampo warned that anti-Gadhafi protesters would also be held accountable for criminal activity.

"Now, it's not just civilian demonstrations. Now, there are people opposing Gadhafi with weapons. And also we would like to warn them, you cannot commit crimes. Our business in Libya is (to) stop the crimes," he said.

The prosecutor will offer Gadhafi and others "any opportunity they want to provide their own version (of events). Because we have to be impartial. But also, we want to warn the other parties. No one can commit crimes in Libya."

Moreno-Ocampo emphasized it was the first time the ICC was able to respond in real time to allegations, partially due to social-networking sites such as Facebook.

"This triggered a very quick reaction. The (United Nations) Security Council reacted in a few days; the U.N. General Assembly reacted in a few days. So, now because the court is up and running we can do this immediately," he said.

"I think Libya is a new world. How we manage the new challenge -- that's what we will see now."

Moreno-Ocampo, who said he plans to finish his investigation within weeks and hopes to have the judge's decision within months, also announced the probe at a press conference Thursday.

"We identified some individuals with a factor of formal authority who have authority on the security forces who allegedly committed the crimes," he told reporters.

"They are Moammar Al Gadhafi, his inner circle including some of his sons who have a facto authority, but also there are some people with formal authority that should pay attention to the crimes committed by their people because if they are not preventing stopping and punishing these crimes they could be responsible in accordance with the law.

"They are minister of foreign affairs, the head of the regime security and intelligence, the head of Gadhafi personal security and the head of Libyan external security. So we would like to use this opportunity to put them on notice. If forces under their command commit criminal acts, they could be responsible."

41 more HRP members face court charges

A total of 41 members from the Human Rights Party (HRP) were charged today in magistrate courts in Kuala Lumpur and Seremban with taking part in an illegal organisation.
The charges were laid as leaders and members of the HRP were organising a convoy under the banned Hindraf Movement.
HRP members were organising convoys nationally to protest against the use of novel Interlok in schools.
In Kuala Lumpur, 21 HRP members, 16 men and five women, two of them university students, were accused of committing the offence under Section 43 of the Societies Act 1996, by taking part in an HRP-organised convoy at Jalan Tun Sambanthan, Brickfields, on Feb 13.

The prosecution was led by DPP Hazariah Siri and all 21 accused were represented by lawyers M Raman and P Uthayakumar, who is also HRP's secretary-general.

NONEUthayakumar (right) said that the 21 charged in Kuala Lumpur pleaded not guilty and were released on RM2,000 bail each.

April 6 has been fixed for mention of the case, he said.

Among the 21 are HRP Kuala Lumpur coordinator K Balakrishnan and central executive committee members V Lurdge Mary and S Thiagarajah.

Uthayakumar told Malaysiakini that Lurdge was harassed and humiliated by police early this morning, about which he made an official complaint to magistrate Zulkply Abdullah.

"At 2am today, my client (Lurdge) called me in a state of panic as the police knocked on her door, demanding that she go to the station with them.

"How could this happen? Why are the police intimidating us? Intimidating her like that? After all, she had already agreed to turn up in court today. She had informed an investigating officer that she will be attending court this evening...

"So, why create the commotion?" Uthayakumar asked.
20 charged in Seremban
In Seremban, 20 HRP members, 15 men and five women, were also charged with a similar offence in a magistrate's court.

Among them was Negri Sembilan HRP coordinator S Sivakumar.

They are alleged to have committed the offence under Section 43 of the Societies Act 1996 while partipating in an HRP-organised convoy at Jalan Rahang, Seremban, on Feb 13.

NONEThe prosecution was led by DPP Mahmood Abdullah and all 20 were represented by lawyers S Karthigesan, E Ramasamy and Norliana Ali Othman.

Contacted by Malaysiakini, Karthigesan said all of them pleaded not guilty and were released on bail of RM1,700 each.

April 11 has been set for mention of the case, he added.

Karthigesan also said a husband and wife were absent from the Seremban magistrate's court today due to illness and they would be charged at a later date.

On Tuesday, five HRP leaders and members were also charged with similar offences at a magistrate's court in Selayang, but they refused to post bail, which was set at RM2,500.

Yesterday, six more pleaded not guilty to similar charges at a magistrate's court in Ipoh, and were released on RM2,000 bail each.

The six are Perak HRP chief P Ramesh, vice-president S Nagroon, Taiping coordinator K Sivakumar, and three members, R Mohan, S Jayakumar and V Lingam.

On Feb 13, 59 HRP members and supporters in Selangor, Perak and Kuala Lumpur were arrested for being part of a nationwide convoy to protest against the novel Interlok, which is used in secondary schools as a Malay literature textbook.

Controversy ballooned following the Education Ministry's decision to use the novel, written by national laureate Abdullah Hussein, for Form Five students, with several parties claiming it contains words insensitive to the Chinese and Indian communities.

Indian NGOs decry the book's description of Indians in Malaysia as being from the lower caste, among other racial stereotyping.

Hishammuddin: Pembangkang eksploitasi isu-isu semasa

Pembangkang bukan sahaja bertindak mengelirukan rakyat malah cuba memberi gambaran negatif tentang Malaysia di mata dunia.
MERLIMAU: Menteri Dalam Negeri Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein berkata pembangkang cuba mengeksploitasi isu-isu semasa bagi meraih simpati rakyat, sedangkan tindakan tersebut hanya untuk pulangan politik parti itu semata-mata.
Menurut Hishammuddin pembangkang bukan sahaja bertindak mengelirukan rakyat malah cuba memberi gambaran negatif tentang Malaysia di mata dunia.
Hishammuddin turut merujuk tindakan pembangkang yang didakwa mendalangi demonstrasi terhadap Ketua Menteri Sarawak, Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud yang diadakan di London serta perhimpunan Hindraf pada minggu lalu.
Hishammudin berkata, beliau mengetahui mengenai perancangan demonstrasi itu sejak dua hari lalu, malah pembangkang cuba menyemarakkan semangat anti Taib hingga ke serata dunia.
“Mengapa intensiti gerakan dibuat jika bukan kerana pertimbangan politik? Ini kerana pembangkang punya pulangan politik terbesar.
Mereka tergamak meletakkan agama ditepi semata-mata hendak buat huru-hara ditepi jalan.
“Mereka ambil kesempatan eksplotasi semata-mata nak raih simpati dan kelirukan rakyat sehingga memberi gambaran negatif kepada
negara. Setahu saya mereka merancang mengadakan demo di London sejak dua hari lepas.

Apa jadi dengan ramalan 16 September?

‘Ura-ura mereka bahawa Sarawak berdepan pilihan raya, tapi apa yang diramalkan tidak jadi. Apa jadi dengan ramalan 16 September dan menteri yang lompat parti?
“Apa yang berlaku jadi sebaliknya…janji-janji mereka dalam Buku Jingga hanya retorik,” katanya dalam sidang media selepas merasmikan Hari Bertemu Pelanggan 1KDN di Merlimau Point petang tadi.
Sementara itu, ketika ditanya pemberita mengenai insiden kenderaan dirosakkan semasa ceramah Pakatan Rakyat diadakan malam semalam, beliau berasa ganjil memandangkan kejadian itu berlaku di markas pembangkang sendiri.
“Kami akan siasat secara profesional hal ini.Namun agak ganjil memandangkan insiden ini terjadi di markas pembangkang. Tak tahulah saya rasa ganjil,”katanya.
Semalam dilaporkan dua lagi kereta dipecahkan cerminnya manakala angin pada tiga motosikal dilepaskan dan tempat kunci dua lagi motosikal dirosakkan ketika pemiliknya menghadiri ceramah Pakatan Rakyat.
Dalam pada itu mengulas mengenai tindakan Ketua Umum PKR Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yang menggunakan pentas ceramah untuk bercakap mengenai kes tuduhan liwat yang dihadapinya, Hishammuddin berkata rakyat kini lebih mengetahui apa yang terjadi.
“Kini dunia tanpa sempadan sebelum cerita orang sudah tahu, bukan seperti dulu rakyat terpaksa dengar bulat-bulat. Tapi kita sebagai kerajaan perlu terangkan perkara yang sebenar walaupun ianya bersifat ‘subjudice’.

‘I was treated like Botak Chin’

FULL REPORT
KUALA LUMPUR: Anwar Ibrahim today testified in the trial-within-a-trial of his sodomy hearing and related how he was treated like the notorious criminal Botak Chin, who was hanged in 1981, following his arrest.
The defence also established that at no point during the incident were the grounds of arrest given.
Addressing a packed courtroom, Anwar, who was dressed in a suit, recalled how he was arrested on July 16, 2008 and the humiliation he endured when asked to strip at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital.
Questioned by his lead counsel Karpal Singh, the opposition leader said he was en route to Segambut for the Zohor afternoon prayers after a meeting with Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officials in Putrajaya.
It was during this point that his car was intercepted by several patrol cars and unmarked cars.
He then drew laughter when he said that some 10 to 15 policemen with sub-machine guns and donning “barracudas” confronted him.
Karpal then corrected the PKR supremo, saying that the policemen were wearing “balaclavas”.
When the policemen had told him that they were ordered to arrest him, Anwar replied that there was no need to do so since he had agreed to be present at the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters at 2pm that day.
At the police headquarters, he was joined by his lawyers, R Sivarasa and Sankara Nair.
Forced to sleep on cement floor
At 8pm, Anwar was taken to the hospital as the authorities wanted to extract a DNA sample from him but was advised by his counsel not to comply due to previous experiences involving theft of samples.
There he was examined by consultant physician Jayaindran Sinadorai and consultant surgeon Ee Boon Leong.
“I was asked to remove my underwear so that they could measure my private parts and length of pubic hair. It was degrading,” he said, adding that the medical personnel also wanted to swab his anus with cotton buds.
At 11pm, he was taken back to the police headquarters, where the investigating officer DSP Jude Pereira said, “We’re sorry, we have to take you into lock-up.”
Anwar told the court how he was forced to sleep on the cement floor despite having a back condition, leading him to seek medical treatment the next day.
He also described the lock-up’s condition as being “deplorable and atrocious”.
When cross-examined by Solicitor-General II Mohd Yusof Zainal Abiden, Anwar said: “No normal person is treated this way… not told the offence and dragged like an al-Qaeda agent.”
“I was treated like Botak Chin,” he said, but denied that he was physically abused by the police when quizzed by the prosecution.
Anwar also told the court that when he was in the lock-up, he was given two towels, a tooth brush, tooth paste and soap.
He, however, could not recollect what was written on the towels.
Yesterday, Kuala Lumpur High Court judge, Justice Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah, allowed the defence’s application for a trial-within-a-trial.
This was to enable the court to decide on the admissibility of three items recovered from Anwar’s cell when he was detained overnight between July 16 and 17, 2008.
The items were a mineral water bottle, “Good Morning” towel and a white toothbrush.
Meanwhile, Sankara, who took the stand later, also said that to the best of his knowledge, Anwar was not given the grounds of arrest.
“Not in my presence and not at any time I know of,” he said when asked by Karpal.
The trial-within-a-trial will continue tomorrow with Sivarasa’s testimony and two prosecution witnesses.
This is the second time Anwar had been charged with sodomy, the first being in 1998 alongside a corruption charge.
Anwar had been accused of sodomising his former personal aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azan, at a condominium in Bukit Damansara here on June 26, 2008.
If convicted, Anwar could be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years jail and whipping.
Like the previous charge, the opposition leader had claimed that it was fabricated by his political rivals.

Uthayakumar may opt for jail, not bail

The Hindraf leader believes that one way to highlight the plight of poor Indians is from behind bars.
KUALA LUMPUR: Hindraf Makkal Sakti leader P Uthayakumar may opt to languish behind bars instead of posting bail if he is charged tomorrow.
According to the former Internal Security Act (ISA) detainee, he sees no other alternative to highlight the plight of poor Indians in the country.
Uthayakumar, the pro-tem secretary-general for the Human Rights Party (HRP), said this at the annual briefing for foreign and diplomatic missions to Malaysia at the HRP office here.
“I may decline bail and go to jail but I have not decided. I don’t know what else to do. (The people arrested during last weekend’s Hindraf rally) are (merely) asking for their legitimate rights,” he said.
Uthayakumar, who was among the 109 arrested, is expected to be charged with illegal assembly tomorrow.
The lawyer-turned-activist spent nearly two years under ISA detention after leading a mammoth protest in 2007.
The government later banned Hindraf after accusing its leaders of having terrorist links.
Meanwhile, the more than an hour long briefing this morning was part of Hindraf’s international lobby to update the international community on the plight of Indians here.
Present were seven representatives from the Swiss, German, Indonesian, Italian embassies, the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The representatives actively participated in the question and answer session fielding questions regarding the Intelok controversy, Hindraf’s influence and the ongoing “MyDaftar” campaign.
“Last year, they were quiet but this year I was suprised that there were many questions,” Uthayakumar told reporters later.
He added that many of the foreign representatives were unaware of the level of discrimination in this country.
‘Pakatan fears losing Malay votes’
During the briefing, questions were also posed regarding HRP’s 15/38 political empowerment strategy for the Indians.
The initiative suggests to increase the number of Indian voters to 20% in 15 parliamentary seats by encouraging Indian voters to register in these areas.
The areas are Padang Serai, Batu Kawan, Sungai Siput, Ipoh Barat, Bagan Datoh, Cameron Highlands, Hulu Selangor, Kuala Selangor, Klang, Kota Raja, Rasah, Teluk Kemang, Alor Gajah, Tebrau and Lembah Pantai.
Uthayakumar, however, conceded that although campaigning for this effort started since his release from ISA detention in 2009, the response has been lukewarm.
He also complained that Pakatan Rakyat leaders are also not receptive to the plan.
“Even DAP, PAS, PKR feel they will loose out on Malay votes,” he said.