'Pariah' dropped from Interlok, says Muhyiddin

The word 'pariah' has been dropped from the secondary school Malay literature textbook 'Interlok', Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said.

He said the word, which sparked a firestorm of protests from the Indian community, is among several references deemed offensive to Indians which have been omitted from the version used in schools.

Muhyiddin said the independent panel set up to study the novel, which included three Indian representatives, have unanimously agreed to replace the word pariah with "golongan yang sama" (the same group).

"With the agreement that was reached, the (Education) Ministry considers this issue solved," he said during question time in Parliament today.

Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, said the panel had also gone through a total of 106 amendment proposals to the school version of the novel, presented by the Indian representatives on the panel to the government.

The list however was whittled down to 19 issues that the panel deemed related to the sensitivities of the Indian community.

Of the 19 issues, three were considered solved with the omission of the word 'pariah' from the novel, while the panel ruled that three other issues - the fact that Hindus revere the cow as a holy animal, the safety of Maniam's wife in India and the description of an Indian wedding as tedious - did not touch on Indian sensitivities.

Seven other issues were marked with errata for editing or omission while six more issues raised were solved by changing the word 'tuhan' with 'dewa' and by dropping the phrase 'orang berkulit hitam' (blacked skinned people) from the novel.

“The ministry will include a glossary to explain various phrases and concepts in the novel Interlok, to help students understand the text and context of the novel that presents a harmonious life in our country's multi-racial society,” Muhyiddin said.

'What Indian representatives?'

M Kulasegaran (DAP-Ipoh Barat), however, stood to interject mid-way into the Deputy Prime Minister's answer, accusing the latter of being an agent provocateur for even allowing the controversial book to be used as a school reference.

Launching into a nearly 20-minute tirade, Kulasegaran charged that Muhyiddin was giving in to “racist NGOs” such as Gapena in defending the use of 'Interlok' as a school reference, while also denying that the three Indian representatives were part of the panel.

Kulasegaran's interjection sparked a prolonged war of words between backbenchers and opposition members, even testing the patience of the usually calm deputy speaker Ronald Kiandee - who for the first time hammered the mallet to call for order.

Later, at a press conference in the Parliament lobby, Kulasegaran repeated that it is not true that the three Indian representatives were even on the panel, maintaining the claim that they had quit the panel over its rejection of some 100 recommendations on the book.

He said one of the Indian representatives who withdrew, Uthaya Sankar SB, again confirmed that they quit the panel during a forum on Interlok held at the KL and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall last night.

“What is shocking is that MIC agreed (with the panel). MIC is a double-headed snake, as they can tell the Tamil newspapers that they are against it but tell the government that they support.

“It is astonishing and I am flabbergasted by the whole thing. It shows something is very wrong in this country,” he said.

Kulasegaran stressed that the government needs to come up with a consistent education policy and not allow controversial books such as 'Interlok' to be used as school references.

“If they can use 'Interlok', then why not use 'Shit'? They banned that book, but what is the difference? The Deputy Prime Minister is trying to justify the little napoleons in his ministry who made the decision to use the book,” he said, making a reference to the banned political satire book written by Shahnon Ahmad.

Airstrikes fail to deter Gaddafi forces

Western warplanes have hit Libya for a fifth night, but have so far failed to stop Muammar Gaddafi's tanks shelling opposition-held towns.

A loud explosion was heard in the Libyan capital Tripoli early on Thursday and smoke could be seen rising from an area where a military base is situated.

"We heard another explosion just now. We see smoke rising. There are people on rooftops. It seems to be in a military area near the engineering college [in the Tajoura area]," one resident told Reuters news agency.

Eight explosions were also heard in the east of the capital late on Wednesday.

Libyan state television said Western planes had struck in Tripoli and in Jafar, southwest of the capital.

"Military and civilian targets were attacked by colonialist crusaders," the report said.

Government officials have accused coalition forces of killing dozens of civilians, but have not shown reporters in the capital any evidence of such deaths. US military officials deny any civilians have been killed in airstrikes.

Al Jazeera's Anita McNaught, reporting from Tripoli, said foreign journalists were driven around the city on Wednesday with a promise from the government of being taken to see the scene of a coalition air strike and some civilian casualties.

"But none of this happened," she said. "After being driven around for 45 minuets or so, we were being taken back to the hotel and they said they couldn't find the right address."

Undeterred by raids

The US military said it had successfully established a no-fly zone over Libya's coastal areas and had moved on to attack Gaddafi's tanks.

The allies flew 175 sorties in 24 hours, with the US flying 113 of those, a US commander said.

Gerard Longuet, the French defence minister, said France had destroyed about 10 Libyan armoured vehicles over three days.

Undaunted by air strikes, pro-Gaddafi forces pressed ahead with their assaults on the towns of Misurata, Ajdabiya and Zintan in the past 24 hours.

Gaddafi's tanks rolled back into Misurata under the cover of darkness and began shelling the area near the main hospital, residents and opposition fighters said, resuming their attack after their guns were silenced in daylight hours by Western air raids.

Government snipers in the city, Libya's third largest, carried on firing indiscriminately throughout, residents said. An opposition spokesman said the snipers had killed 16 people.

"Government tanks are closing in on Misurata hospital and shelling the area," a doctor in Misurata told Reuters on the phone before the line was cut off.

It was impossible to independently verify the reports.

The Libyan government denies its army is conducting any offensive operations and says troops are only defending themselves when they come under attack.

But a resident in Zintan, southwest of Tripoli, said Gaddafi's forces were bringing up more troops and tanks to bombard the opposition-held town.

Meanwhile in the east, opposition fighters were pinned down outside the strategic junction at Ajdabiya after more than three days of trying to recapture the city.

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies

Putrajaya stands firm on ‘Interlok’

KUALA LUMPUR, March 24 — The government today confirmed the retention of the controversial “Interlok” novel for the secondary school syllabus, choosing only to amend parts deemed insensitive to the country’s Tamil community.

Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said today that the Cabinet has asked Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka to edit the novel in order to replace these terms, resisting pressure from the Tamils and politicians from both sides of the divide for the book to be dropped completely.

In January, Muhyiddin announced that the controversial novel would remain as a textbook in the literature component of the Bahasa Malaysia subject for Form Five students but with amendments to several aspects deemed sensitive by the Indian community.

He also announced the formation of an independent panel comprising academics, literary figures and representatives from Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, tasked to study the amendments.

Earlier this month, however, three of the panellists had walked out of an emergency meeting called by the deputy prime minister himself in Parliament, after they were asked to compromise by just omitting the word “pariah”.

The independent panel had last met on March 4, when they agreed on 100 amendments to the novel.

The book, which was written by national laureate Datuk Abdullah Hussain in 1971, chronicles the daily struggles of the Malays, Chinese and Indians in pre-independence Malaya.

Muhyiddin reiterated that the panel has agreed to remove the phrase “pariah caste” to be replaced with the “the same group.”

“The writer of the novel has agreed to the proposal to the edit the words and the government would like to thank the author for his generosity for allowing his literary work to be edited,” he said during question and answer session in parliament.

read more

Ku Li says Najib on wrong track

KUALA LUMPUR, March 24 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak should place his trust in the younger generation rather than asking for their faith in his leadership, political stalwart Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah said last night.

The Umno veteran, who in 2008 challenged Datuk Seri Najib Razak for the Umno presidency, suggested to his former rival that his leadership method “may not be correct”.

At a dinner talk here last night, the outspoken Umno veteran said that Najib’s approach needed to reflect his acknowledgement of changing trends where public discourse, participation and openness were now most valued.

Citing the example of Najib’s recent trip to Sarawak, Tengku Razaleigh, or more affectionately known as “Ku Li”, recalled the prime minister had urged the “Twitter and Facebook generation” to trust him.

He said Najib should have instead declared that he, even as the prime minister, was willing to place his trust in the generation, and kick-start the process that would help “to unleash human potential” in the country.

“It seems to me, the approach taken by our PM may not be correct. He should have stated that he trusts the judgment of the people and have faith in the people.

“In so doing, he as the leader liberates the human capital in the business of running a country and answers the question the community has been asking persistently: How do you create differentiated and sustainable growth in an environment where demand is non-predictive?” Ku Li said.

He was addressing a small dinner crowd in a speech entitled, “Malaysia: Past, Present and Future Leadership” at the Harvard Business School Alumni Club of Malaysia dinner talk at the Sime Darby Convention Centre here last night.

The Kelantan prince, however, added that Najib’s message to the young generation showed that the PM acknowledged that the sources and impetus for change were no longer exclusive to relationships characterised as top to bottom.

“He recognised that the desire to change is no longer his monopoly. This is what I mean by a shift from predictive to non-predictive demands,” he said.

Ku Li was speaking about the urgent need for political leaders of the future to change their behaviours in accordance with the changing environment.

To suit his audience, the Gua Musang MP took a business-oriented approach to the topic, pointing out that in the present global economic marketplace, the investment community was growing increasingly demanding for more differentiated and sustainable solutions to growth creation.

“Underlying this demand, a profound shift is taking place within the commercial environment that also requires a radical reassessment of leadership behaviour.

“The shift in question is from predictive to non-predictive demand — from push to pull economics and methodologies,” he explained.

“Push” organisations, said Ku Li, were top-down with centralised controls and rigid procedures whereas “pull” entities was where the leadership recognised that demand had become uncertain and unpredictable.

Political leaders, he stressed, must also be aware of this emerging trend among their electorate.

“It calls for a political system that must be highly decentralised, promote independent initiatives, is people-centric and encourages open decision-making.

“But not only do they have a different design, they also have a different language, one that replaces ‘military’ with ‘human’- regimentation and authoritarian and discretionary giving way to freedom and democracy, and rule of law,” he said.

For any future leadership to succeed in an unpredictable environment, said Ku Li, political leaders needed to behave more openly, act with integrity, and engage the governed as “wholesome individuals who do matter”.

During a short question and answer session after the dinner, Ku Li expressed the need for the country to abolish preventive laws like the Internal Security Act, Police Act, Printing Presses and Publications Act and Official Secrets Act to allow Malaysia to function as a free democracy.

The vocal Umno leader admitted that he often disagreed with the government’s policies on certain issues but joked that this was the very reason why he was not in government.

“I am a member of Umno but that does not mean I believe everything the government does or says.... that is why I am not in government. I am an independent and I have all the time advocated freedom of assembly, expression and of the press.

“It is the only way to go to create a healthy, democratic form of life for ourselves,” he said.

Video is Rahim’s ‘sweet revenge’

The tryst allegedly involving a person resembling PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim and a prostitute from China is a tale of treachery.
COMMENT

There are so many versions of the story involving the latest video. But that’s not what we want to talk about now. It’s Shazryl Eskay Abdullah we want to talk about.

We have heard the often repeated advice – don’t kill the messenger if the news is bad.

We have to make an exception in the case of the video allegedly starring someone resembling de facto PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim and a China doll.

If it’s not a crime, we have to lynch this Shazryl Eskay guy, the useless piece of worm.

What happens to the meaning of friendship and loyalty?

It’s true what, French author and statesman, Charles de Gaulle said: ‘We have no permanent friends, only permanent interests.’

People like Eskay ( as he is better known) is a walking debit and credit Shylock, who eschews friendship and loyalty 24/7.

He is completely untrustworthy and will sell even his mother.

‘Gargantuan rewards’

Can you believe after having done this odd job for Anwar for so many times, he suddenly has a change in heart, stirred by the pangs of conscience and is now thinking ‘in the interests’ of the nation?

Probably what changed was really the sums of money promised to him or some pledge of gargantuan rewards yet to be known to us.

(Eskay is best known among the media circle as the Johor businessman who is suing the government for rescinding its decision to build the ‘crooked bridge’ linking Johor to Singapore. Eskay, was also allegedlly closely linked to former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad)

So cut the bull, Eskay!

You have benefited from Anwar for so long and have enjoyed the fruits of that friendship and confidence.

That Eskay chose to align himself with Rahim Tamby Chik and Shuib Lazim, whose house is a palace of sorts in Sungai Petani, should be comforting news.

Comforting because none of the sitting leaders have anything to do with this Eskay guy, at least I hope not.

Tit-for-tat

So how can we describe Eskay? In fact, how can Anwar describe and regard Eskay – his onetime procurer of sorts and arranger for peculiar services?

Anwar regarded Eskay as a friend with whom he partied and brought into his home.

What then should anyone in Anwar’s shoes do? In the past, a person like Eskay would have had his head lobbed off.

It’s clear that what the three musketeers, in pursuit of the ‘noble causes’ of the realm, wanted was revenge.

Rahim Thamby Chik (one of the three Datuk T) referred to the order by former deputy prime minister Anwar to resign after it was proven that Rahim had sex with an underaged girl.

Lim Guan Eng went to prison for that.

Rahim is certain that his own trysts were exposed by the dirty works department under the payroll of Anwar.

So Rahim waited and waited and formed his own dirty tricks department with Eskay as his major Domo.

So, it’s not and never was about the nation’s interest that motivated Rahim – it’s his never ending thirst for sweet revenge.

As for Anwar, I reiterate my stand that he is damaged good.

The writer is a former Umno state assemblyman. The above is an excerpt from his blog sakmongkolak47.

Contrasting fortunes for Little India hawkers

While a small number get back their original renovated lots, many others wait to be delivered from their commercial nightmare.

KUALA LUMPUR: Eight Brickfields hawkers were finally moved back to their renovated lots after months of waiting out the development of Little India.

Confined to an isolated 68-lot hawker centre wedged between Jalan Tun Sambanthan and Jalan Sultan Abdul Samad, their businesses have taken a beating for more than eight months.

“A lot of us suffered over there,” said burger seller V Balasinggam.

Moved there by KL City Hall (DBKL) in early August, he said he found it difficult to hand out 20 buns a day.

Today, however, his business is flourishing. Immediately after shifting to the front of the Kortumalai Pillayar restaurant last week, Balasinggam boasted selling more than 70 buns a day.

“Business is much better now than before we were moved into the hawker centre. My sales have gone up by 40%,” said a beaming Balasinggam.

“Whatever (Federal Territories and Urban Well-Being Minister) Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin promised was delivered exactly as he said,” added Balasinggam.

Not so lucky

However, those still left behind at the hawker centre did not share Balasinggam’s sentiments. Unlike the repatriated eight, many continue to be weighed down by a lack of customers.

Nearly half of the hawkers have closed shop, using their lots only as storage spaces for their cooking utensils.

Built as a temporary space in mid-July, the centre was only meant to house the hawkers for three months, while the rest of the area was transformed into Little India.

Undertaken by Malaysian Resources Corporation Bhd (MRCB), the RM35-million Little India project began in mid-July 2010, and was expected to be completed by October the same year.

The centre also provides an interesting observation: none of the traders have licences, and will only get them when they are moved back to their lots.

Despite their grievances, most of the hawkers were afraid of talking to reporters, fearing retribution from DBKL.

One trader, who wanted to be known only as M, told FMT that he had no idea when he was going to be shifted back to his original stall.

“I don’t know when the government is going to move us back. It’s up to them,” he said, comparing his fate to the hawkers by the Kortumalai Pillayar restaurant.

M also said that he was finding it difficult to make more than RM150 a day, which was barely covering the costs for his shop.

No word from DBKL

In a related matter, the 16 stalls on the sidewalks of Jalan Tun Sambanthan 3 and Jalan Padang Belia have not heard from DBKL since an ill-fated meeting with the city council.

In December last year, the hawkers told DBKL officials that they were not keen on being relocated to Jalan Tebing, next to the Klang River.

They were to be shifted there as MRCB would renovate the two streets’ sidewalks. DBKL, reportedly irritated by their refusal to move, allegedly threatened the hawkers with eviction.

Hawker representative Arivom Namashivaya said that DBKL had shied from the hawkers since then. It has also refrained from sending any patrols to the two streets, which he found worrying.

“They used to come to the stalls and warned the hawkers that what they were doing was wrong, but now none of them are walking around,” he said.

Arivom said that none of the hawkers’ letters sent months ago to Federal Territories and Urban Well-Being Deputy Minister M Saravanan had been replied.

“There has been no mention or an official statement from the government. They should have acted on our complaints accordingly, but they have not,” said Arivom.

He, however, said that Saravanan had visited one or two of the stallowners last month, before telling them that they would be shifted to Jalan Tebing.

Nevertheless, Arivom was concerned by the lack of an official notice from the deputy minister.

Saravanan responds

Commenting on the matter, Saravanan said that he had discussed the fate of the 16 stalls with DBKL and MRCB.

He said that none of the the stalls on the two streets were to be disturbed by DBKL until roadworks – which included enlarging the roads – had been completed in the area.

Asked how long this period would last, Saravanan said that the stalls would be left alone for about a year.

Nevertheless, he announced that the government intended on renovating the stalls themselves. “We are in the process of beautifying the whole of KL,” he said.

Saravanan said that while this process was ongoing, the stallowners would be relocated to a temporary centre similar to the one by Jalan Tun Sambanthan.

He said that his ministry and DBKL were shifting out the remaining hawkers from the 68-lot centre. Some of them used to trade along Lorong Chan Ah Tong.

In a recent visit to the alley, FMT observed that the original line of 22 stalls had been torn down, and were replaced with a new set of MRCB-built lots.

Saravanan said that the lots would be handed over to DBKL on March 30, where they would be fitted with utilities.

Asked on the date that Chan Ah Tong’s traders would return here, the deputy minister hoped for an April date.

He also said that once all the hawkers had been moved out of the Jalan Tun Sambanthan hawker centre, it would most likely be demolished by MRCB.

Saravanan, however, did say on what would be raised in its stead. “It’s their (MRCB) land. It’s up to them to do what they want with it,” he said.

RM38,000 for snooker centre licence?

A businessman claims that the amount he has to spend to get a licence from the local council is more than the capital needed to start his business in the first place.

KAJANG: A businessman is crying foul after being allegedly asked to fork out RM38,000 for a licence to operate a snooker centre here.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the vexed businessman told FMT that the licence cost more than the RM30,000 capital he had spent to open the centre.

Before opening the centre some four months ago, the businessman said he had met with several MPKJ (Kajang Municipal Council) officers regarding the licence.

However, the officers told him that MPKJ no longer issued licences for such premises.

“Snooker is an international game. I don’t have gambling machines and I don’t sell alcohol, so what is the problem with issuing a licence?” he asked.

Last month, the businessman said a MPKJ enforcement officer visited the centre and told him that the premises could qualify for a licence as it satisfied the stipulated conditions.

The officer had also introduced the businessman to a woman colleague who was purportedly in charge of licensing matters.

Secret society

According to the businessman, the woman then gave him the mobile number of a person called Tim Wong, whom she claimed was the person who oversaw gaming licences in MPKJ.

“When I called him, Wong told me that he represents a local snooker association but refused to state which one,” he said, adding that Wong had asked him to pay the RM38,000.

“He also told me there will be other charges, like RM2 per day for each snooker table. I am confused: is MPKJ a municipal council or a secret society collecting protection money from businessmen?” he asked.

A check later revealed that Wong operated a company called “Agensi Kampungku” which was not registered with the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM).

Wong, who was said to act as the middleman with regard to MPKJ licences, had refused to comment when contacted by FMT.

Meanwhile, the businessman said there were several snooker centres in Kajang operating illegally because MPKJ refused to grant them licence.

“Almost every month, I get a summons from MPKJ, saying that I don’t have a licence. The problem is, I am willing to take the licence, but they are the ones refusing to give it to me,” he added.

Furthermore, he claimed that some other snooker centre operators had informed him that the only way to get a licence from MPKJ was through Wong.

FMT could not reach MPKJ officials for comment.

Police begin probe over sex video

(Bernama) - Police are said to have begun an investigation into the screening of a sex video allegedly involving an opposition leader to selected journalists here on Monday.

Bernama has learnt that several media practitioners were summoned by the police to help in the investigation into the screening of the video at Carcosa Seri Negara here.

It is understood that they were asked to describe in detail the screening of the video by three individuals who identified themselves as “Datuk T”, the “T” standing for trio.

The three individuals revealed themselves today as businessman Datuk Shazryl Eskay Abdullah, former Malacca chief minister Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik and Datuk Shuib Lazim, treasurer of Malay right-wing group, Perkasa.

It is understood that statements were recorded from the media practitioners at the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters.

The investigation comes in the wake of a police report lodged yesterday by opposition leader and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) advisor, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Ibrahim, who denied that he was the man in the sex video, charged that it was yet another conspiracy to malign him and his family and tarnish his political career.

Nurul Izzah Anwar in conversation with Nicholas Farrelly, March 2011

Rakaman Pendedahan Datuk Johari Abdul Berhubung Dalang Disebalik Video Lucah

Why are sex video trio not charged?

By Kee Thuan Chye

So, those who surmised that the sex video revealed by ‘Datuk T’ was a political ploy have been proven right. The people behind it – three of them – have confessed to it.

They were forced to reveal themselves because PKR’s MP Johari Abdul had earlier spilled the beans on them. It all unravelled like a cheap soap opera.

Former Malacca chief minister Rahim Thamby Chik, businessman Shazryl Eskay Abdullah and Shuib Lazim, treasurer-general of Perkasa, have come out to say they are ‘Datuk T’. And they have the cheek to call for a royal commission of inquiry into the sex video.

In the first place, they have transgressed Section 292 of the Penal Code for possessing and distributing pornographic material. Regardless of who the person in the video is, the trio are culpable. Exposing a politician’s sexual activity does not protect them from the law.

After their intended target, Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, had lodged a police report, the inspector-general of police, Ismail Omar, announced that the case would be investigated under Section 292.

That being so, the police should now logically arrest all three for possession and distribution of pornographic material and have them charged in court. They should have moved in right after the trio gave their press conference to reveal themselves.

If the trio were the authors of the statement given out to the media calling on the politician (said to be in the video) and his wife to quit politics, they should also be charged for blackmail.

So what’s holding the police back? Are they awaiting further instructions from Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein?

If so, Hishammuddin should observe the rule of law. He should not protect these people because they are Umno members or pro-Umno. This is where the public can judge how sincere the government really is.

If the trio go scot-free, it will be a sure sign that the government practises double standards.

The trio’s call for a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) into the sex video is unwarrantable. Why should there be one? In the case of VK Lingam in 2007, there was ample cause for an RCI – the issue of the fixing of judges was of immense public concern as it affected one of our country’s institutions.

Where is the public concern for a case involving a man, even though he may be a public figure, visiting a prostitute? How does that affect the public? It’s his own private concern, and the public is no worse for it.

In calling for an RCI, the trio appear to be trying to distract us from the offence they have actually committed. In fact, if they were also the ones who masterminded the videotaping, it would mean they are far more immoral than anyone who merely visits a prostitute. They would have no moral right to cast stones at others.

Their actions would have to be seen to be nothing less than repulsive. Even inhuman. For what kind of human being would do something as despicable as this to destroy another human being?

A larger force at work?

But for now, they have not said they were behind the videotaping. They maintain that Shazryl discovered the four cameras and recorder in the hotel room where the sexual liaison took place when he was asked by the politician to go back there and retrieve his Omega watch.

If that is so, who set up the cameras and recorder? Who wanted to catch the politician in the act? And why? There might be a larger force at work here. Finding out who or what it is would be finding the key to the mystery that surrounds the whole drama.

Another key question is why, after discovering the video, Shazryl hooked up with Rahim and Shuib to expose the politician. Why did Shazryl not ascertain the source of the videotaping before deciding to go public with the video?

He admits he was also in the tape but refuses to say why he was at the hotel where the sexual liaison took place. Does this mean he was caught on tape unknowingly or was he in on the taping as well? From his saying that he had felt “used by Anwar for far too long”, could it imply that he wanted to get back at the man by setting the whole thing up?

The association with Rahim is most intriguing. He was the Malacca chief minister who had to resign in 1994 over allegations of his sexual relations with an underaged girl.

At yesterday’s press conference, he indicated he had a score to settle with Anwar by accusing the latter of lying to him. He urged Anwar to take responsibility for his actions by stepping down, like he himself did in 1994.

Did Shazryl go to Rahim after discovering the video, or was Rahim also in it from the beginning? Is all this part of a plot to exact revenge?

Onus now is on the police

Is the sex video also aimed at luring PKR MPs to defect? As PKR’s Johari Abdul (far right in photo) has revealed to the media, he was invited to privately view the sex video on Monday by the trio, after which they made him offers of financial incentives, suggesting that he defect.

He says they also offered to take him to meet Prime Minister and Umno president Najib Razak, and asked him to bring more Pakatan Rakyat MPs to see the video. He inferred that the trio wanted to also turn them against Anwar.

If all this is true, we are seeing yet another instance of gutter politics being practised. The sort that is as dirty as that perpetrated in the Perak coup of 2008.

As it has turned out, the soap opera has apparently not unfolded as it was scripted, and this whole ugly and sordid drama could actually hurt Umno and BN. Even if Rahim and gang were acting on their own, we have now managed to see further evidence of what Umno (and Perkasa) people can resort to.

Besides, we still don’t know who actually masterminded the videotaping. There could be deeper and more sinister implications. There could even be a larger conspiracy. This is a mystery the police must solve.

But first, the police must also do what’s right. Already, the public has lost much faith in them. If they don’t act against the trio in accordance with the law now, they will be seen to be mere puppets of the BN.

Orang Asli perlukan mahkamah adat

Berita Harian
Oleh Nazura Ngah

18 suku kaum usaha peraturan diiktiraf

KUALA LUMPUR: Usaha mendokumentasikan undang-undang adat 18 suku kaum Orang Asli di Semenanjung yang sedang dilaksanakan wakil masyarakat berkenaan akan membolehkan perundangan itu diiktiraf sistem perundangan negara.

Orang Asli di Semenanjung tidak mempunyai mahkamah adat seperti di Sabah dan Sarawak, mekanisme penting untuk memastikan mereka mempunyai akses kepada keadilan dalam menyelesaikan konflik berdasarkan semangat perdamaian.

Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Hak Orang Asal Suruhanjaya Hak Asasi Manusia (SUHAKAM), Jannnie Lasimbang, berkata proses mendokumentasikan undang-undang adat dilaksanakan sendiri masyarakat itu bagi membentuk struktur perundangan adat berdasarkan persetujuan prinsip.

Katanya, jawatankuasa itu menyedari setiap kaum mempunyai undang-undang adat yang berasingan, tetapi mampu digabungkan dalam struktur perundangan adat yang lebih sistematik jika bentuk hukuman dibuat secara lebih fleksibel.

“Dokumentasi undang-undang adat yang kini diguna pakai lebih 150,000 masyarakat Orang Asli di Semenanjung bukan saja bertujuan memperoleh pengiktirafan daripada sistem kehakiman negara, bahkan bagi memastikan perundangan itu tidak lenyap,” katanya pada sidang media sempena bengkel Sistem Perundangan Orang Asli anjuran SUHAKAM di sini, semalam.

Bengkel dirasmikan Pengerusi SUHAKAM, Tan Sri Hasmy Agam itu dihadiri lebih 60 peserta di kalangan wakil batin di kalangan 12 suku kaum Orang Asli, wakil kerajaan, peguam dan badan bukan kerajaan.

Ia bagi membincangkan isu perundangan dan dasar yang mempengaruhi Orang Asli, serta cara penyelesaian isu mengikut adat Orang Asli oleh tok batin dan balai adat.
Sementara itu, Hasmy dalam ucapan perasmian berkata, sistem perundangan adat Orang Asli masih tidak mendapat pengiktirafan kerajaan walaupun sistem itu masih mendapat kepercayaan kebanyakan masyarakat berkenaan, terutama dalam penyelesaian pertikaian dalaman.

Katanya, mahkamah adat diperlukan bagi mempertingkatkan status perundangan adat di kalangan Orang Asli bukan saja dalam memastikan adat tetap kekal, tetapi juga memastikan keadilan dalam penyelesaian konflik berdasarkan semangat perdamaian.

Beliau berkata, usaha untuk meningkatkan dan melindungi sistem perundangan adat adalah sejajar prinsip antarabangsa, termasuk Deklarasi Hak Orang Asli Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu (PBB) 2007 yang disokong oleh Malaysia.

Deklarasi PBB itu antara lain mengiktiraf hak Orang Asli untuk menyenggara dan mengukuhkan sistem guaman dan undang-undang tradisional mereka mengikut Artikel 5, 27, 34 dan 40. 

Police To Beef Up Strength

By Nurqalby Mohd Reda

KUALA LUMPUR, March 24 (Bernama) -- The police force plans to increase its personnel strength from 122,000 to 150,000 by 2015 to meet the growing needs of the community and rapid development of the country.

Bukit Aman Director of Management Datuk Robiah Abdul Ghani said the need to beef up strength was also prompted by the changing landscape of the country which demanded an effective and efficient police force.

"More police personnel are needed due to the increase in population and to cater for the development process," she told reporters in an interview recently in conjunction with the 204th Police Day to be celebrated tomorrow.

She said that as such the police had opened its doors to ex-servicemen who were keen to join the force, and had recruited 100 ex-servicemen since January.

"They are under 45 years of age and have served the armed forces for at least 10 years, and are now undergoing training at the Police Training Centre in Kuala Kubu Baharu for three months," she said.

Robiah said that since the ex-servicemen had acquired certain skills, they were put through their paces for only three months instead of between six and nine months like the other trainees.

"Upon completion of the training stint, the ex-servicemen will be stationed at police stations and given tasks according to the suitability of their job scope and skills," she said.

Robiah said the police training facilities were being reviewed to cope with the plan to increase the manpower.

She said the police also collaborated with the armed forces through smart partnership in terms of usage of premises for basic training of police officers and men.

"We have utilised a number of armed forces' premises, including the Army Basic Training Centre in Port Dickson to train new police recruits. Through this cooperation, more policemen can be trained during each recruitment exercise," she said.

On being the first woman to hold such a high post in the police force since Oct 13 last year, Robiah said her focus was on producing human capital with integrity, competence and competitive spirit as well as creating a conducive working environment.

Share this on: Mixx Facebook Twitter Digg delicious reddit MySpace StumbleUpon LinkedIn Coalition airstrikes bring calm to one Libyan town

Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- Coalition airstrikes brought a day of respite for residents of the besieged rebel-held city of Misrata Wednesday, but Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi showed no signs of backing off attacks on civilians.

In the last 24 hours, the international coalition has flown 175 sorties over Libya -- 113 of them by U.S. planes and the remainder from other nations participating in the U.N.-backed mission, U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Gerard Hueber told reporters Wednesday.

The Libyan air force has been crippled and the no-fly zone spans Libya from east to west along its coastline, said Hueber, the chief of staff for U.S. operations. But the coalition has had no indication that Gadhafi was complying with a United Nations mandate to stop attacks against civilians.

With Gadhafi's air power rendered ineffective, coalition airstrikes are now focusing on his ground forces in Ajdabiya and Misrata.

Coalition jets are using smart bombs to target mechanized forces and mobile surface-to-air missile sites and interdict supply lines for their "beans and bullets," Hueber said. The targets include Libya's premier 32nd Brigade, commanded by one of Gadhafi's sons and fully engaged in the fighting.

"It's an extremely complex and difficult environment," Hueber said about going after forces in populated areas.

"And our primary focus is to interdict those forces before they enter the city ... cut off their lines of communication and cut off their command and control," he said. "There have been no reports of civilian casualties. Our mission here is to protect the civilian populace and we choose our targets and plan our actions with that as our top priority."

After the coalition bombardment Tuesday night into Wednesday, Misrata residents reported the first calm in a week.

"It is relatively quiet today -- this is the first time we feel that way in weeks," said Mohammed, an opposition spokesman in the city who would only give his first name. "We want to express our gratitude to the international community since there were airstrikes this morning."

He and a Misrata Central Hospital doctor said the situation was dramatically improved Wednesday, after overnight and early morning airstrikes that they said targeted at least two pro-Gadhafi positions.

Gadhafi's forces have been stationed on the outskirts of the city, from where they have been providing support and supplies to loyalists fighting rebels in Misrata proper.

Many grocery stores and other shops opened in the city, two hours east of Tripoli, which has been inaccessible for journalists.

The doctor, Khaled Mansouri, told CNN that five more people were killed in the last 24 hours, raising the death toll to at least 95 in the last seven days. A man who died Wednesday morning was shot by a pro-Gadhafi sniper, the doctor said.

Gen. Abdul Fatah Younis, a former interior minister who quit to lead opposition forces, said they have requested weapons from several nations to help the embattled city.

"Misrata is destroyed and they need weapons," Younis told CNN. "We try to send them weapons, but of course they were all light weapons. There were no heavy weapons."

In Ajdabiya, parts of the city fell to opposition forces even though Gadhafi's men, who have been pounding the area with artillery and heavy tank bombardments, retained control of the northern and western gates, opposition fighters and witnesses told CNN.

A hospital staffer and opposition fighters said that nine people were killed Wednesday in fighting near the northern gate.

The international airstrikes against Libyan military positions began over the weekend after Gadhafi defied a United Nations-mandated cease-fire in attacks against civilians. The strikes are intended to help establish a no-fly zone.

The campaign was in its fifth day as Sweden announced it has frozen more $1.53 billion in Libyan assets in response to EU sanctions imposed on the northern African country.

France launched the air campaign in Libya and Britain and the United States followed. Germany is not participating in the military action, though it agrees with the United Nations resolution in principle, and moved Wednesday to ensure that its ships were far removed from the Libyan campaign.

A German navy spokesman said Wednesday that all German ships previously under NATO command in the Mediterranean Sea were reassigned to operate under national command and are returning to previously scheduled port stops in Europe to await further instructions. German crew members of NATO fighter jets were also now under German command.

Britain announced an international meeting next Tuesday called to assess successes and needs in Libya.

Late Monday, coalition forces suffered a minor setback when a U.S. fighter jet malfunctioned and crashed near Benghazi in eastern Libya.

The two crew members parachuted out and landed in different places. U.S. rescue teams, picking up the pilot, dropped two 500-pound laser-guided bombs after they saw an armored vehicle approaching the pilot and feared for his safety, said Capt. Richard Ulsh, spokesman for the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

An investigation of the incident is underway after reports surfaced that some Libyans were injured by shrapnel.

Capt. Becky Massey, the pilot of one of the two Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft involved in the rescue, said the bombs were dropped three miles from the location of the downed pilot. One of the Ospreys then landed and picked up the pilot.

A U.S. aircraft later dropped precision-guided munitions on the F-15E wreckage to fully destroy it, a U.S. military official told CNN.

Rebels had already recovered the second crew member, a weapons officer, and treated him with "respect and dignity" until coalition forces reached him, U.S. Navy Adm. Samuel Locklear III said Tuesday. It was not immediately clear how the weapons officer was retrieved by U.S. authorities.

The Libyan war was sparked in February by protests demanding an end to Gadhafi's almost 42-year rule. The Libyan strongman responded with force, prompting the international community to take action.

However, a Johns Hopkins University professor said the coalition can only achieve so much through aerial strikes.

"We have to understand the limits of what air power can do," Fouad Ajami told CNN's "AC360."

"This is a recipe for a stalemate," he said. "(Gadhafi) stays in his bunker. The people in Benghazi stay behind the line. Otherwise, this will go on for quite a long time."

Criticism and questions persist about the international campaign, with no clear answer on who will take over command of the mission and what the endgame or exit strategy will be.

U.S. President Barack Obama said the timetable for a transition of military leadership will be coming in days, not weeks.

NATO said Wednesday it will decide shortly what its role in the operation will be. A spokesman added the alliance is well prepared.

"This is the bread and butter of NATO," an official said.

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe has voiced his opposition to NATO taking political leadership over the Libya campaign. He suggested that a commission composed of foreign ministers from the participating states play that role.

Ajami, however, said the Arab world would welcome NATO involvement.

"They know that the calamity is unfolding in Libya, and they know that no help is going to come other than from the West and from the United States."

British Prime Minister David Cameron said Wednesday that Kuwait and Jordan have agreed to provide logistical support to the Libyan effort. Qatar has already contributed planes to mission.

The United Arab Emirates said Tuesday it will participate -- but only in providing humanitarian assistance.

Toward that end, the country has sent a ship and two planes with basic relief supplies, the country's news agency said.

Sex video: ‘Charge the perpetrators’

A PKR leader takes the de facto law minister to task for legalising the screening of pornographic videos in public.

GEORGE TOWN: A Penang PKR leader today urged the police to charge the perpetrators behind the public screening of a sex video allegedly involving a top opposition leader.
State PKR legal and social service bureau head Lim Boo Chang said those responsible should be probed and charged with criminal intimidation.
He also slammed Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz for “legalising” the screening of the 21-minute clip to editors and reporters.
“How can the de facto law minister legitimatise the screening of a pornographic video? Malaysian law clearly prohibits it,” he told FMT.
The video showed a man resembling Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim having sex with a Chinese-looking woman in a room.
Anwar had denied being the person in the video and filed a police report on the matter.
Lim, a lawyer by profession, was surprised that the police had yet to detain the perpetrators for breaking the law.
Section 292 of the Penal Code prohibited any possession or screening of any form of pornographic material. The offender could face a jail term of up to three months, fine or both.
Lim said the perpetrators had also threatened to screen the pornographic video again if Anwar and his wife, PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, did not quit politics.
Expressing surprise over the perpetrators’ failure to hand over the video to the police, the PKR leader said the timing of the video screening clearly pointed to a high-level political conspiracy.
He said the screening on the same day the Sarawak legislative assembly was dissolved (Monday) to pave the way for the state election “cannot be a coincidence.”
“I’m amused why they don’t want police intervention. I challenge them to do it. But the perpetrators seem more keen on showing pornographic tapes in public,” he added.
Lim, who is also the Bukit Gelugor PKR division chief, said the screening was to put Pakatan Rakyat on a defensive campaign during the Sarawak polls, scheduled for April 16.
“It is also to erode Pakatan’s confidence in Anwar and dent his reputation,” he said.

Rahim & Co: We are Datuk T

They are convinced that the man in the 21-minute long recording is Anwar but refused to divuge details as to how they got hold of the sex video.

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Malacca chief minister and Umno veteran Rahim Thamby Chik today said that Datuk T stood for “Datuk Trio” – himself, businessman Shazryl Eskay Abdullah and Perkasa’s Shuib Lazim.
He said that they were the ones who had broadcast a sex video allegedly involving Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim to the media on Monday.
Rahim, a former Umno vice-president, disclosed the identity of the whistleblower Datuk T at a press conference at Impiana Hotel here.
Shuib was not present.
“We had the footage a week ago, and someone managed to produce it. But we didn’t release it then because Rahim wasn’t around,” Shahzryl told reporters.
He was also convinced that the man in the 21-minute long recording was Anwar.
Shahzryl also said that he was in the tape, although he refused to comment on his role in the recording.
“I was in the tape. I was in there. Why should I lie to you?” he said.
The sex tape was shown under a shroud of secrecy to journalists at Carcosa Seri Negara hotel on Monday.
It showed an unidentified man having sex with a female Chinese prostitute in her 30s.
Some quarters have claimed that the man was Anwar. Anwar however has denied it was him and called it a BN conspiracy.
Pakatan Rakyat leaders have vehemently denounced the recording as an Umno-laid trap.
Rahim today said the exposure of the video was not an Umno plot and that it had nothing to do with the Sarawak elections.
More than one copy

Shahzryl also told reporters that he and Anwar had been friends “to a certain degree”, and that there had been no fallout leading to the sex tape’s events.
However he added: “I felt I’ve been used for too long by this man called Anwar Ibrahim. Not like Saiful Bukhari (sodomy accuser). I’m a very straight person.”
The businessman also alluded that there may have been more than one copy of the sex recording.
“I never knew there was going to be a tape… and if I have the tape, somebody else has it too. Think about it. If I have, somebody else also has it. Somebody else has it,” Shahzryl said.
Asked why he didn’t bring this evidence straightaway to the police, Shahzryl feared that people would have called it a government conspiracy.
“Every time when police or the government are involved, there are always conspiracies and allegations that the government is involved,” he said.
Stating that he was not an Umno member, Shahzryl said that he had received an SMS request that PKR leader and Anwar’s wife, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail wanted to see the recording.
The SMS, he said, added that a mediator would be sent to see the tape, which led the businessman to decline the offer.
Shahzryl also denied that the sex tape was to blackmail Anwar.
He also seemed to be annoyed by his recently-gained notoriety, and said: “Would you convict a person who comes in with truth? Would you convict them?”
“I am trying to bring truth to the public. I am the whistleblower to bring you the truth, and you are slaughtering me!”
He refused to divulge on how he got hold of the video tape, adding that he would reveal that information to the police. He also stressed that it was Anwar in the sex tape.
Johari’s role
Commenting on Sungai Petani MP Johari Abdul’s viewing of the video at Hotel Flamingo, Rahim said that the PKR MP had confirmed Anwar’s identity at the time.
“He said in front of us three, ‘Hey, that’s right. This is the leader of Pakatan Rakyat’,” Rahim said.
However, he alleged that Johari later called to ask for RM100,000 as ‘wang pelincir’ (lubricant money).
The PKR MP was also claimed to have wanted to bring seven party comrades to meet with Rahim, asking for RM1 million for every MP that he brought to crossover.
Rahim said he refused Johari’s request.
“We were not interested in (dealing with) money. We just wanted to uphold the truth,” he said.
This telling of events was different to Johari’s who earlier alleged that Rahim attempted to entice the Sungai Petani MP to get other PKR parliamentarians to leave the party.
Not revenge for 1994

Rahim also revealed that he had been asked by Anwar to step down as Malacca Chief Minister in 1994. This was after Rahim had been declared innocent in his alleged statutory rape of a minor.
(At the time, Anwar was the Deputy Prime Minister.)
“Back then, the courts and the Attorney-General found me not guilty, but Anwar told me to stop as CM, as I had become a liability,” he said.
However, he claimed that the-then Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad later told him that he had never intended for Rahim to step down.
Asked if the release of the video was a form of revenge against Anwar, Rahim disagreed.
“Not at all. This was simply a coincidence,” he said.
Rahim also told the media that only the police would be given the details on how the trio came by the video.
He added that the government must form a Royal Commission of Inquiry to determine the video’s authenticity.
Rahim said that the inquiry’s panel need to consist of opposition party leaders. Rahim also named Perkasa, Zaid Ibrahim, foreign representatives and even members of the media to sit on this proposed panel.
“This is a big issue that affects someone who may become the top politician in the country, who may become the next Prime Minister,” Rahim said.
“The longer this issue is dragged out, the worse it will become,” he said during the packed press conference.
Perkasa: We are not involved

In another development, Perkasa distanced itself from this sex video matter and insisted that Shuib was acting in his personal capacity.
Perkasa secretary-general, Syed Hassan Syed Ali, told FMT that he had already spoken to Shuib who had confirmed that he was not representing Perkasa on this matter.
“Perkasa has absolutely nothing to do with the release of this clip,” he said. “We’re very shocked that we have been dragged into it and we will be clearing our name at a press conference tomorrow.”
When asked if Shuib would be attending the conference, Syed Hassan said, “No because he is currently up north.”
He said that while Shuib was still Perkasa’s treasurer, he had not been discharging his duties in the past few months due to ill health.
“In fact, he wanted to resign three months after being appointed last March because of poor health, but agreed to stay on as we couldn’t find a suitable replacement. But he stopped attending our meetings shortly after. So his only link to Perkasa is the role that he still holds.”
Perkasa will also be calling for the setting up of a royal commission of inquiry to investigate this issue.

Eskay akui beliau dalam video seks

(Harakah Daily) - Ahli perniagaan Datuk Shazryl Eskay Abdullah iaitu lelaki misteri yang sebelum ini dianggap sebagai Datuk T, mengaku bahawa beliau ada didalam rakaman video seks yang didedahkan kelmarin.

"Saya dalam video itu," katanya seperti lapor Malaysiakini.

Beliau membuat pengakuan itu pada satu sidang media hari ini selepas ditanya sama ada beliau yakin Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim merupakan orang dalam video seks yang ditayangkan kelmarin.

Eskey yang mengakui bekas sahabat Anwar bagaimanapun enggan menjelaskan apakah peranannya ketika adegan itu berlaku.

Beliau juga enggan mendedahkan di bahagian mana gambar beliau dilihat dalam rakaman itu kerana ia sudah menjadi kes polis.

Turut tampil pada sidang media itu adalah bekas ketua menteri Melaka Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Tamby Chik.

Rahim pada sidang media sama juga turut memaklumkan beliau, Eskey dan seorang lagi adalah lelaki misteri yang digelar “Datuk T”.

Beliau juga mengaku bertanggungjawab bersama Eskey mendedahkan rakaman video tersebut.

"T ini trio, three," kata Rahim sambil menambah seorang lagi adalah Datuk Shuib Lazim yang juga bendahari PERKASA.

Sebelum Itu Buat Ini Dahulu

DARI JELEBU
Hishamuddin Rais 
Untuk saya sebelum kita mendirikan loji nuklear di bumi ini marilah kita meminta secara jujur agar para ilmuan, para saintis dan para jurutera kita dapat memperbaiki cermin tingkap kereta keluaran Proton. 

Wira kami meluncur meninggalkan Kuala Lumpur menuju ke Merlimau. Cuaca petang agak nyaman. Lalu saya meminta si Pemandu memadamkan alat hawa dingin kerana saya ingin membuka cermin kereta. Saya ingin menghidu udara petang. Berkali-kali saya tekan punat tetapi sang cermin amat degil tidak mahu turun ke bawah. Si Pemandu menoleh sambil ketawa dan bersuara ‘ini Proton Bro … tak kan tahu tahu … ini pun belum sampai setahun’. Kami terbarai ketawa.

(dari ingatan berkempen ke Merlimau)

Saya sedang memberi kuliah di Akademi Seni Kebangsaan. Bangunan ini belum sampai lima tahun. Hujan yang awalnya renyaii-renyai menjadi lebat. Tertiba dil uar air mencurah masuk. Atap bangunan ini telah terbarai.

(dari ingatan mengajar di ASWARA)

Apabila kita membaca dan melihat apa yang sedang terjadi kepada lima buah loji nuklear di Jepun maka kita akan sedar bahawa ini adalah satu pelajaran yang amat mahal. Mata pelajaran ini sedang dibayar dengan  harga darah dan nyawa oleh warga Jepun. Pelajaran di hadapan mata kita ini sedang embuktikan bahawa radioaktif ini amat merbahaya untuk umat manusia.

Ini adalah kali kedua warga Jepun membayar dengan nyawa mereka untuk membuktikan kepada dunia tentang malapetaka yang akan dibawa oleh radioaktif. Kali pertama dahulu pada pada 6 dan 9 Ogos 1945. Pelajaran itu telah dipaksakan keatas warga Jepun apabila dua butir bom atom telah diledakan ke atas kota Nagasaki dan Hiroshima.

Kali ini agak berbeza – bukan dengan paksaan dari sesiapa tetapi hasil dari kerja lobi para saudagar penjual loji tenaga nuklear.

Lihat dan perhatikan - ketika  loji nuklear di Fukushima terbakar - para saudagar tenaga nuklear, para pelobi tenaga nukelar, para kang kong pakar nuklear dan para politikus rasuah -  sedang meminta kita semua bertenang. Suara paling terbanyak meminta kita bertenang datangnya dari sosok yang mengakui diri mereka sebagai arif dan berilmu dalam hal nuklear.

Justeru, para profesor dan ilmuan yang arif tentang hal radioaktif kini sedang sibuk membicangkan pandangan mereka. Ilmuan kang kong dan pakar nuklear ini sedang bersilat lidah dikaca tv untuk mententeram keadaan. Para pakar ini dilihat gah dan hebat dengan ijazah berjela-jela tetapi bila kita selidiki dengan rapi maka akan kita temui bahawa mereka ini ada pertalian kepentingan dengan saudagar penjual loji tenaga nuklear.

Di Malaysia para kang kong ini tidak perlu menyorokkan diri untuk berselindung. Mereka secara terbuka menyokong rancangan kerajaan untuk untuk mendirikan loji nuklear pada tahun 2021. Suara sokongan mereka sedang dijadikan alat untuk bercanang ke hulu ke hilir oleh para saudagar loji nuklear.

Para kang kong ini bersuara menyokong tenaga nuklear bukan kerana mereka berilmu tetapi kerana dengan  cara ini sahajalah suara mereka akan dilaporkan oleh media arus perdana. Dengan menyokong tenaga nuklear maka muka mereka akan muncul di kaca tv. Dan jika mereka rajin sadikit mereka akan dapat menulis di ruangan akhbar Utusan atau Berita Harian.

Orang awam jangan terperanjat apabila diberitahu bahawa menulis di Utusan atau di Berita Harian ini juga akan diambil kira sebagai pencapaian keilmuan yang ilmiah. Ini juga akan dihitung untuk kenaikkan pangkat dan gaji. Nampaknya menulis diakhbar arus perdana di Malaysia ini telah disamakan tarafnya seperti menulis di majalah Foreign Affairs, New Scientist, Nature atau Oxford Journals.

Maaf. Jangan silap faham. Tulisan saya ini bukan bercita atau berniat untuk memperlekehkan para ilmuan tempatan ini. Tidak. Saya tidak perlu meperlekehkan mereka kerana mereka sendiri memang telah lama lekeh. Majoriti ilmuan kang kong ini lekeh kerana tidak pernah melahirkan buku atau menulis secara ilmiah. Kebijaksanan mereka ialah membodek dan mengampu untuk naik pangkat.

Kalau kurang yakin tentang apa yang saya nyatakan disini – sila rujuk laporan akhbar minggu lalu bagaimana Najib Razak telah mengingatkan kangkong – kangkong ini agar tidak berebut-rebut untuk menjadi Naib Cancelor.

Biasanya para akademik yang tegar dengan ilmu pengetahun dan kajian akan menolak pangkat Naib Cancelor. Sosok yang berilmu akan menolak pangkat ini kerana ianya akan membuang masa kerana terlibat dengan kerja mentabir universiti. Cita-cita sosok yang berilmu ialah membaca, mentelaah, mengkaji, menduga, mencuba dibilik makmal dan  akhirnya menerbitkan bahan kajian untuk untuk dibincangkan oleh rakan-rakan dalam dunia akademia.

Seorang akademia yang bukan jenis  kang kong tidak akan membuang masa untuk hadir di majlis-majlis hampeh seperti menghantar menteri ke lapangan terbang atau yang membuang masa dan tenaga untuk memastikkan mahasiswa dari kumpulan Aspirasi menang dalam pilihanraya kampus.

Saya telah dan akan terus menimbul dan mempersoalkan tentang keupayaan ilmu profesor kang kong. Saya lakukan ini kerana saya yakin dalam minggu ini akan banyak suara-suara kang kong ini kedengaran. Mereka akan dijemput untuk memberi pandangan-pandangan juling tentang letupan loji nukelar di Fukushima.

Komen dan pandangan profesor kang kong ini akan digunakan untuk mengolah persetujuan orang ramai agar menerima hakikat bahawa negara kita tidak ada pilihan melainkan menggunakan nuklear sebagai punca tenaga leterik dalam masa 10 tahun yang akan datang. Kang kong ini juga akan memberi pandangan kontot mereka bahawa loji tenaga nuklear ini selamat untuk diguna pakai.

Para kang kong ini tidak akan menyebut berapa banyak kecelakan kecil dan besar yang telah terjadi di loji nuklear.  Dengan sempoi para kang kong akan melupakan data dan sejarah. Jika ada disebut satu kecelakaan kecil maka si kang kong ini akan menyatakan yang ini terjadi pada satu ketika yang lama dahulu. Di zaman teknoloji secanggih hari ini  tidak mungkin kecelakan akan berlaku lagi.

Hakikatnya, kecelakan yang berpunca dari loji tenaga nuklear berlaku terus menerus. Pada tahun 1979 sebuah loji nuklear Three Mile Island di Pennsylvania Amerika telah hampir meledak. Ini kerana kesilapan teknikal. Selama tiga hari Amerika Syarikat dalam keadaan mengigil menunggu apakah akan terjadi satu letupan.

Pada tahun 1986 satu lagi ledakan loji nuklear telah berlaku di Chernobyl Ukraine. Ini telah membawa mala petaka yang amat dasyhat. Hingga ke hari ini wilayah sekitar Chernobyl telah ditinggalkan kosong kerana bahaya radioaktif yang masih berkeliaran. Untuk berapa tahun lagi wilayah ini akan ditinggalkan? Berapa lama radioaktif ini akan berkeliaran?

Umur radioaktif ini ditakrifkan sebagai: half life. Half life ini mungkin 300 tahun dan mungkin 3000 tahun. Half life hanyalah konsep. Kerana itu hingga ke hari ini masih ada bekas warga Chernobyl yang melahirkan bayi cacat dan tidak cukup sifat akibat serangan radioaktif.

Lalu timbul persoalan – jika tenaga nuklear ini amat bahaya kenapa ianya masih digunakan. Jawapan untuk soalan ini ialah keuntungan. Para saudagar penjual loji nuklear akan mendapat keuntungan berbilion ringgit apabila ada negara yang ingin membeli loji ini. Loji tenaga nuklear bukan dijual macam kereta. Teknoloji tenaga nuklear ini amat tinggi dan canggih. Tidak semua negara dalam dunia ini memiliki keupayaan untuk mendirikan loji nuklear ini. Negara-negara yang memiliki teknoloji untuk membuat dan menjual loji nuklear ini juga terhad. Ini menjadikan harga loji ini mahal. 

Dalam masa yang sana kefahaman dan kesedaran orang ramai terhadap bahaya radioaktif dari loji ini telah ditumpulkan. Seperti di Malaysia banyak pekara dilakukan oleh politikus tanpa banyak perbincangan. Malah ada pekara dilakukan secara senyap-senyap tanpa diketahui umum. Contoh terbaik ialah kilang nadir bumi di Gebeng yang juga akan membawa malapetaka radioaktif tetiba muncul tanpa perbincangan.

Kerana tidak ada perbincangan maka orang ramai tidak mendapat maklumat yang penuh sama ada  menerima atau menolak pengunaan tenaga nuklear sebagai punca tenaga leterik. Ini ditambah pula oleh lebong para kang kong yang kerap muncul di media arus perdana untuk menjadi juru heboh tenaga nuklear. Pandangan ke dua atau cadangan alternatif akan dinafikan untuk untuk memastikan orang ramai dapat  terus ditipu.

Malah si pembawa pandangan kedua atau alternatif mungkin akan ditangkap untuk di ISAkan. Ini pernah berlaku di Bukit Merah Perak pada tahun 1987. Warga di Bukit Merah telah bangun menentang rancangan untuk mendirikan kilang nadir bumi yang kini telah dipindahkan ke Gebeng. Beberapa orang aktivis Bukit Merah telah ditahan dalam Operasi Lalang pada 27 Oktober 1987.

Para menteri pula akan berhujah mengatakan bahawa kita perlu tenaga nuklear kalau tidak kita akan bergelap. Cakap-cakap seperti ini menakutkan orang ramai seolah-olah kita tidak ada pilihan. Di belakang cakap-cakap menteri ini ialah saudagar penjual loji nuklear. Ini samalah seperti kita membeli kapal selam dari Peranchis. Rakyat Malaysia telah dipaksa menerima kapal selam ini kerana ada menteri yang telah menerima suapan dari saudagar kapal selam.

Saudagar penjual loji nuklear ini juga bergerak sama seperti saudagar senjata. Malah kadang kala yang menjual senjata ini juga menjual loji tenaga nuklear.

Untuk saya keputusan sama ada Malaysia akan menggunakan tenaga nuklear atau tidak cukup senang untuk dibuat. Kita tidak perlu melihat ke Jepun atau ke Chernobyl Kita hanya perlu melihat kereta keluaran Proton. Berapa ramai pembeli kereta Proton telah menyumpah dan menyesal kerana cermin tingkap kereta Proton tidak boleh dipakai. Juga kita sering terbaca bangunan kerajaan runtuh. Malah kita juga terbaca bagaimana atap bangunan Parlimen telah runtuh. Kali terakhir ialah berita runtuhnya stadium di Kuala Terangganu.

Untuk saya sebelum kita mendirikan loji nuklear di bumi ini marilah kita meminta secara jujur agar para ilmuan, para saintis dan para jurutera kita dapat memperbaiki cermin tingkap kereta keluaran Proton. Ini adalah asas teknoloji. Kalau yang asas ini pun selalu kantoi bayangkan apa yang akan terjadi apabila loji nuklear meledak.

Mari berfikir sejenak. Sebelum ke sekolah kita ke Alif Ba Ta dahulu. Sebelum buat itu – buat ini dahulu.

Anwar Handed a Court Setback

(Asia Sentinel) Malaysian judge rules formerly blocked DNA evidence in sodomy trial is admissible

Malaysian High Court Judge Mohamad Zabidin Mohamad Diah reversed himself Wednesday to allow the prosecution to admit into evidence items containing DNA taken from Anwar Ibrahim in the opposition leader's sodomy trial.

The evidence was taken from a toothbrush, towel and mineral water bottle taken from a jail cell when Anwar was detained overnight in July 2008 after being accused of rape by Mohamad Saiful Bukhairy Azlan, a 25-year-old former aide to Anwar.

On March 9, Zabidin handed Anwar what appeared to be a major victory by throwing out the purported evidence, ruling it was inadmissible because it had been taken without the defendant's permission from items in the jail cell. According to Malaysian law prior to Anwar's arrest, DNA was not allowed to be taken without the permission of the defendant.

The 63-year-old Anwar faces up to 20 years in prison if he is convicted, which would effectively end his political career.

"This is a case of legal adventurism for political mileage," said Sankara Nair, an Anwar defense lawyer. "There is no power or law in Malaysia that compels a person to give DNA. I do not know why, but it has never been done in Malaysian law for a person to give his or her DNA sample on a court order," he said."

Zabidin's reversal presumably means that the DNA evidence can be compared in court with DNA samples taken from Saiful's anus and analyzed by Seah Lay Hong, a chemist and prosecution witness. Seah was forced by defense attorneys in February that the DNA could have come from as many as 10 different people, including himself.

Today, however, Zabidin said the earlier ruling was reversed in light of evidence that Anwar's detention was for a lawful purpose, meaning that obtaining the DNA without Anwar's permission was legal.

"Those items and all the evidences relating to the items are now admissible," Zabidin told the court. "My earlier ruling reversed."

The defense had charged that DNA taking was unlawful as he was not under arrest at the time. It is unclear if the police have powers to collect DNA from arrestees under the penal code The judge, however, dismissed a prosecution request for the court to instruct Anwar to give his DNA. Although the government pushed through a law after Anwar's arrest that allows the prosecution to compel defendants to do so, the opposition leader's case comes under the jurisdiction of the previous law.

Prosecutors said they would conclude their portion of the trial on March 24, allowing the defense to present its case. The trial has been underway for more than 13 months and has been marked by a long series of missteps by the prosecution, including questions over the DNA evidence, how and when it was taken from Saiful, where it was stored and other issues.

Saiful has testified that although two days had lapsed between the alleged offence and the taking of evidence, he had neither eaten, drunk water nor gone to the bathroom in that time. He has also testified that he met both Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, as well as Rosmah's best friend prior to the time of the alleged meeting with Anwar. He also testified that he met with a police official who had played a key role in planting DNA evidence against Anwar in the latter's 1998 sodomy case, which has been branded a travesty by international human rights organizations.

The reversal of the decision came in the wake of Anwar's demand for a police investigation Tuesday of a video purportedly showing him having sex with a Chinese prostitute in a dingy Kuala Lumpur hotel room. Anwar denied he was the person in the 22-minute video, saying he was home with his family and staff aides on Feb. 21, when the video was made, and that he could prove it.

Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, said Wednesday he had asked a special task force to get to the bottom of the case as soon as possible. It was complicated today when leaders of Anwar's Parti Keadilan Rakyat called a press conference to accuse Shazyrl Eskay, a Malaysian businessman formerly close to Anwar, and Abdul Rahim Thamby Cik, an UMNO stalwart and chief minister of the state of Malacca, of being behind the video in an effort to entice other members of Anwar's party to defect to UMNO.

Johari Abdul, a PKR member of parliament, said Shazryl and Abdul Rahim had approached him to ask him to view the video, in which Anwar or his stunt double perform the so-called "advanced lotus" sex act to the benefit of four hidden cameras, and to bring more PKR members with him.

"Rahim told me he wanted to take me to see the prime minister, and that he would take care of all of my financial and security needs, should I agree to jump ship," Johari was quoted as saying in a story on the internet site Malaysian Insider.

The opposition members insisted that Anwar is not the man in the video. The opposition leader, they said, has a bad back which prevents him from adventurous sexual acrobatics.

Why police not yet arrested “Datuk T” – Datuk Trio of Rahim Thamby Chik, Shazryl Eskay Abdullah and Shuib Lazim – for the crimes of the Sri Carcosa sex tape caper

By Lim Kit Siang,


The mystery of the “Dato T” of the Sri Carcosa sex tape caper has been resolved in 48 hours with the confession by the culprits concerned – former Malacca chief minister and Umno veteran Tan Sri Rahim Thamby Cik, Shazryl Eskay Abdullah and Perkasa’s Shuib Lazim.
In a hurriedly-called press conference, Rahim admitted that “Datuk T” stood for “Datuk Trio” comprising three of them.
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had immediately denied that he was the man in the video and had lodged a police report the very next day.
Two questions now uppermost in the minds of all right-thinking Malaysians are:

1. Why police have not yet arrested the trio of “Datuk T”, namely Rahim, Shazryl and Shuib for various crimes including Section 292 of the Penal Code for “publicly exhibiting any obscene or pornographic material” liable to a jail term of three years or Section 5(1) of the Film Censorship Act 2002 where a person is liable to be fined up to RM50,000 or jailed up to five years or both. Do the trio enjoy immunity and impunity for breaches of the law and actions which have brought world-wide shame to the nation?
   
2. How Malaysian public and international opinion are to be convinced that the police and the top Umno and Cabinet leaders including the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Nazri Aziz are not privy to the Sri Carcosa sex tape caper and to the identities of the trio in “Dato T” whether before or immediately after the screening of the sex video on Monday.
   

A despicable and dastardly political ploy to destroy both Anwar Ibrahim and Pakatan Rakyat’s chances in the Sarawak general elections may prove to be the last straw to break the back of public confidence in the credibility and legitimacy of the Najib premiership and to convince the majority of the people that the time has come to end the mandate of Barisan Nasional and Umno to continue to govern Sarawak and Malaysia.

Najib To Share Outcome Of GTP With Rakyat On Sunday

KUALA LUMPUR, March 23 (Bernama) -- Come Sunday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak will share with all Malaysians the outcome of the Government Transformation Programme (GTP), following a year of implementation.

GTP director of communication Alex Iskandar Liew said the event, aptly dubbed 'Malam Transformasi Bersama Rakyat: Untukmu Malaysia' (Night of Transformation with the People: For you, Malaysia) will take place at the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil at 6pm.

"There was a great deal of scepticism when the GTP was first introduced in January 2010, but the results from the various National Key Results Areas (NKRAs) in the 12 months last year have been very encouraging and shows that improvements in the public delivery system are on track.

"That said, there is still much to do and higher targets to meet in the interest of all Malaysians," he said in a statement here Wednesday.

Liew said the government had been pleasantly surprised that the NKRA targets had been achieved, and in some cases, the targets had even been surpassed.

"The civil service has been especially, instrumental in the transformation process and has contributed significantly to the success of the GTP, by way of its unwavering commitment to quality service delivery," he said.

Liew said through the GTP, Malaysia had seen a number of unprecedented achievements such as the reduction in overall reported crime for the first time in three years, the introduction of the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010, most number of roads ever built in a year, and improved public transportation ridership on the light rail transits (LRTs).

"The achievements also comprised 99.8 per cent reduction in the extreme poor households and the roll-out of 1,500 pre-school classes enabling over 700,000 pre-schoolers aged 4+ and 5+ to begin early education," he added.

He said moving forward, the government would continue to engage the rakyat to seek feedback on possible new focus areas for this year and beyond.

"This is especially important, as transformation is an on-going process, something that s dynamic in nature and requires teamwork

the government, the civil service and the rakyat

to achieve the stretched targets set," he said.

Don't waste time on 'Datuk T'

Now that ‘Datuk T’ has been revealed to be a trio of familiar and not-so-familiar characters, people should focus on the real issues and the Sarawak polls.
The ‘Datuk T’ group’s ‘sex video screening’ has provoked much laughter and outrage (is it possible to feel both at the same time?) from many people I know. Their antics appear to be have had the exact opposite effect of what they had intended. Completely backfired on them.
Anyway, enough of all these antics and desperate tactics. Don’t waste time on the video. Let them do their best to divert your attention. But don’t fall for it.
Let’s not waste our energy. Focus on the real issues while rejecting the politics of sleaze and character assassination. 

Sex Video: Real or not real?

By Nathaniel Tan,

I haven’t really said anything about Monday’s sex video.
A little while ago, YB Johari Abdul made some rather notable statements regarding the video. I write based on tweets from the events, such as might be found here: http://twitter.com/#!/fahmi_fadzil
It seems, Johari’s uncle, ex-senator Shuib Nazim, associated with Daim, arranged for Johari to meet a Tan Sri, at 4pm 21/3, at Hotel De Palma, Ampang, after which he was driven to Hotel Flamingo (what is it with politicos and hotels?)
That Tan Sri was Rahim Thamby Chik, and he was there with one Datuk Eskay Shazril Abdullah (apparently the famous Datuk T).
The latter showed Johari the video, and Johari has said today that he was positive the man in the video was not Anwar.
A few tweets by Fahmi worth noting:
- Johari: But then the movie continued, and i could see that NO WAY it could be DSAI. Wrong belly profile, larger “behind”, diff skin color.
- Datuk Eskay then offered Johari Abdul to meet @NajibRazak, bring more MPs with him and said “Hal2 kewangan… Kita boleh take care lah.”
- Carcosa was booked by Ketua Umno Bhg Bukit Gantang, who is also special officer to Tan Sri Rahim Thamby Chik. Paid by credit card.
So, where does this bring us?
1. Is the man in the video Anwar or not?
If memory serves, there are two comments in the public sphere with regards to this question.
What we seem to have read early on was: “Journalists who saw the video today said they are “90 percent sure” that it looks like a particular opposition politician.”
Interestingly, I have so far only managed to find this on an archived version of a Malaysiakini story, available at freemalaysiakini.com. The current edit of the same Malaysiakini story presently in print seems to have eliminated this line completely. I’m not sure what the story is there.
But as far as I can tell, we have the comment of some unnamed journalists (from Utusan et al perhaps?) vs Johari’s recent revelations.
(Briefly: I remember in Hulu Selangor, how YB Jo spent the night in dorm in a bunk bed, alongside the rest of us election workers. He could probably have really used the money he was offered as well. I think he drives a Myvi, and has kids to put through school. If this is indeed proof that some integrity remains in Malaysian politics, then this is the first thing we’ve had to be proud of in a while).
2. Is Umno involved?
Unless Johari is lying, there seems to be no doubt on this question.
We have some really big Umno players involved, obviously doing this to further the goals of Umno and BN. Could something like this happened without Najib’s knowledge? Just how stupid do they think we are?
Najib and Hishamuddin’s pathetic attempt to distance themselves are worth absolutely nothing unless they immediately and without delay insist that the video be made public for purposes of verification.
As has been noted, the irony that Rahim Thamby Chik, seen by many to be a paedophile, should be involved in this sordid affair.
3. What the hell is going on?
I have said to many people that conversing on this issue without having seen the video is akin to, if you’ll pardon the bad association, groping in the dark. I rather dislike this state of affairs.
Nonetheless, let us posit at least two possibilities that come to mind.
a) That the video is genuine, and that this method of revelation is meant to drag the affair out for as long as possible for maximum collateral damage. (maybe we remember the expose of the Lingam videos)
b) That the video is fake, and the manner of its limited revelation was designed to minimise the possibility of someone proving its fakeness – ie, to take advantage of the damage it may cause, without exposing the actual video to scrutiny.
(Part of the discourse as to whether the video is fake or not involves observations that the man in the video’s backside does not look like Anwar’s. How sad that we’ve gone from discuss Saiful’s ass, to discussing Anwar’s. Truly nothing better for us to focus on? :( Maybe this was a precusor to using the same ‘actor’ in a to be released video of Saiful – the semen of male Y? sigh.)
I like to think of myself as an open minded man who is guided by evidence and not prejudice.
With each day and nugget of info that passes though, does b) not seem an increasing likelihood?
I have not read everything out there on this matter, but I would recommend journalist Hazlan Zakaria’s intricate personal account of the viewing, as well as Johari Abdul’s statement in full.
ps- The reversal (and timing thereof) of the Sodomy 2 trial-within-a-trial decision should not go unnoticed. In Malaysia’s judiciary, up is down, and down is up.