Wednesday, 6 April 2011
Dozens of illegals escape Malaysian detention camp
Authorities launched a large scale manhunt for dozens of illegal immigrants who fled a detention camp after burning down an accommodation block.
District police chief Saiful Azly told AFP yesterday a group of 200 policemen, immigration officials and paramilitary volunteers were combing central Negeri Sembilan following the breakout from the Lenggeng immigration depot.
"Most of the detainees who escaped are from Myanmar, others include Iranians and one detainee from Nigeria," he said.
"Twenty-five of them have been re-arrested and have been brought back to the detention camp with a large scale manhunt under way to recapture the rest," Saiful added.
Earlier, Rusli Mokhtar, deputy commandant of the Lenggeng immigration depot, just south of Kuala Lumpur, said the break-out happened late Monday with 109 illegal migrants fleeing the detention centre.
Police have set up road blocks and are checking vehicles following the incident while dozens of paramilitary volunteers armed with batons comb the nearby palmoil estates on motorcycles to flush out the remaining 84 escapees.
The Home Ministry's top official in charge of detention centres, Mohamed Asri Yusof, said the breakout took place at about 9:45pm "when there was rioting and the detainees burnt down Block A".
He said the government has set up a committee to look into the incident.
Located 40 minutes from the town of Seremban, the detention camp is the size of six football fields and consists of four accommodation blocks and a watchtower encircled by a six-metre zinc fence topped with concertina wire.
Home Ministry officials admitted last August to poor standards at detention centres for illegal immigrants and trafficking victims, after a report labelled the facilities "ticking time bombs".
Officials had said 13 centres were insecure and that the detainee population of 7,000 - of which more than half were "hardcore criminals" - found it easy to escape.
In March last year 16 illegal immigrants, including 12 Afghans, escaped after cutting their way out of a detention centre at Kuala Lumpur international airport.
The Home Ministry's top civil servant, Mahmood Adam, has said it is developing a plan to tackle the situation.
He said anti-climbing fences and CCTV cameras would be installed at detention centres, and that a report would be put to cabinet soon on further upgrading and security measures required.
With one of Asia's largest populations of foreign labourers, Malaysia relies on its 1.8 million immigrants to clean homes, care for children and work in plantations and factories.
Immigration activists say Malaysia is often used as a staging post for trafficking gangs moving people from Afghanistan and Myanmar to Indonesia and Australia.
- AFP
District police chief Saiful Azly told AFP yesterday a group of 200 policemen, immigration officials and paramilitary volunteers were combing central Negeri Sembilan following the breakout from the Lenggeng immigration depot.
"Most of the detainees who escaped are from Myanmar, others include Iranians and one detainee from Nigeria," he said.
"Twenty-five of them have been re-arrested and have been brought back to the detention camp with a large scale manhunt under way to recapture the rest," Saiful added.
Earlier, Rusli Mokhtar, deputy commandant of the Lenggeng immigration depot, just south of Kuala Lumpur, said the break-out happened late Monday with 109 illegal migrants fleeing the detention centre.
Police have set up road blocks and are checking vehicles following the incident while dozens of paramilitary volunteers armed with batons comb the nearby palmoil estates on motorcycles to flush out the remaining 84 escapees.
The Home Ministry's top official in charge of detention centres, Mohamed Asri Yusof, said the breakout took place at about 9:45pm "when there was rioting and the detainees burnt down Block A".
He said the government has set up a committee to look into the incident.
Located 40 minutes from the town of Seremban, the detention camp is the size of six football fields and consists of four accommodation blocks and a watchtower encircled by a six-metre zinc fence topped with concertina wire.
Home Ministry officials admitted last August to poor standards at detention centres for illegal immigrants and trafficking victims, after a report labelled the facilities "ticking time bombs".
Officials had said 13 centres were insecure and that the detainee population of 7,000 - of which more than half were "hardcore criminals" - found it easy to escape.
In March last year 16 illegal immigrants, including 12 Afghans, escaped after cutting their way out of a detention centre at Kuala Lumpur international airport.
The Home Ministry's top civil servant, Mahmood Adam, has said it is developing a plan to tackle the situation.
He said anti-climbing fences and CCTV cameras would be installed at detention centres, and that a report would be put to cabinet soon on further upgrading and security measures required.
With one of Asia's largest populations of foreign labourers, Malaysia relies on its 1.8 million immigrants to clean homes, care for children and work in plantations and factories.
Immigration activists say Malaysia is often used as a staging post for trafficking gangs moving people from Afghanistan and Myanmar to Indonesia and Australia.
- AFP
PR losing its ‘mojo’ with Indians
Fractured Pakatan Indian leadership is trying to woo back the Indian voters, but it is too little too late.
Indian voters now have a choice between the indecisive and fractured Indian leadership in Pakatan and a resurgent Barisan under a reform-minded Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, aided by a MIC without former president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu at the helm.
By Baradan Kuppusamy, The Star
DAP’s Buntong Assemblyman S. Sivasubramaniam is one very upset young man because he and his compatriot, former speaker and Tronoh assemblyman V. Sivakumar, were not invited for a meeting of Pakatan Indian leaders in Penang last week.
About 20 leaders from five states with a large Indian population attended the meeting chaired by Penang deputy Chief Minister and nominal Indian Pakatan leader, Prof Dr P. Ramasamy, to discuss how to reverse a serious drift of Indian voters to the Barisan Nasional.
The discussion revolved around why Indian voters who had rallied behind the Pakatan banner in 2008 and helped Pakatan to win Selangor, Perak, Penang and Kedah were drifting back to the Barisan.
“I don’t know about the meeting. I was not invited, nor was Sivakumar,” Sivasubramaniam told The Star.
“We are Indian leaders, you know, and should have been invited.”
His angst is one of the key reasons why Indian voters are drifting back to the Barisan – infighting among Pakatan Indian leaders and serious lack of decisive leadership.
Indian voters now have a choice between the indecisive and fractured Indian leadership in Pakatan and a resurgent Barisan under a reform-minded Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, aided by a MIC without former president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu at the helm.
A more open leader in Datuk G. Palanivel is reforming the MIC to win back Indian support for Bari-san.
Both Sivasubramaniam and Sivakumar are political rivals of former Perak DAP deputy chairman S. Kulasegaran who figured prominently in the Penang meeting.
The two helped to defeat Kulasegaran and his compatriot, Teluk Intan MP M. Manoharan, and Sungkai assemblyman A. Sivanesan in the Perak DAP elections last year.
In fact, Sivakumar got Kulasegaran’s job as deputy Perak DAP chairman in the new post-election pecking order in the state.
It is ironic that the losers were invited to the Penang meeting and the winners were not.
One doesn’t need to be a rocket scientist to know why Sivasubramaniam and Sivakumar were not invited along with other top leaders, like former ISA detainee and Kota Alam Shah assemblyman M. Manoharan.
Manoharan, who is close to Hindraf founder P. Uthayakumar and, therefore, suspected by Pakatan, expressed shock and sadness that he was not invited to the Penang meeting.
“I could have made many useful suggestions. I went to jail for the Indian community,” he said.
Indian support, although a minority, had been decisive in helping Pakatan win in Perak, Kedah, and Selangor, and even in Penang, political experts said.
They cite Selangor as an example where 18 of the 36 seats won by Pakatan were victories made possible by support from the Indian voters.
“We can lose Selangor if 65% of Indians in Selangor vote for Bari-san Nasional in the next general election. The scenario is the same in Kedah and Perak,” a senior DAP leader said, adding that the party was worried and had started serious discussions on how to reverse the trend.
Even PKR and PAS have realised the drift and are beginning to raise Indian issues like poverty, lack of jobs and shortage of land for temples and Tamil schools, Manoharan said.
“One Malay assemblyman even spoke passionately about the lack of graveyards for Indians in the recent Selangor assembly sitting,” he said, adding that the best solution for Indian woes was to see it as a Malay-sian issue to be solved by Malaysian representatives.
“It should not be dumped on Indian leaders — Pakatan or Barisan,” he said.
Senator S. Ramakrishna, a rising leader in the DAP who attended the Penang meeting, estimated the Indian drift at about “15 to 20%.”
“This is a serious drift and we are worried, but it is not irreversible provided we act now,” Ramakrishna said.
He said the Penang meeting was informal and was called at the last minute and that’s why some Indian leaders were left out.
To win back Indian voter support, the meeting resolved, among other measures, to press Pakatan to appoint an Indian liaison officer in each Pakatan ruled state, campaign hard to revoke the Interlok novel and provide more jobs for Indians in municipal councils.
However, the fact is, no matter how much Pakatan Indian leaders try to reinvent themselves, it is not an easy task to reverse the Indian drift because nearly three years have passed between the high promises of March 2008 and the failure to deliver on election pledges.
To even gather to discuss what to do after three years of Pakatan rule is, in itself, an embarrassment.
In the intervening years, much has changed — a new national leader in Najib has won praise from the Indians for proactive measures to help the community, Samy Vellu has departed and a more open and considerate MIC is taking shape.
Change is catching up and undercutting the Pakatan, which won big in 2008 on a change manifesto, but lost steam thereafter.
Indian voter disillusionment runs deep, not just over the indecisive and fractured Pakatan Indian leadership, but also at the half-hearted measures, thus far, to resolve longstanding Indian woes.
Indian voters now have a choice between the indecisive and fractured Indian leadership in Pakatan and a resurgent Barisan under a reform-minded Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, aided by a MIC without former president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu at the helm.
By Baradan Kuppusamy, The Star
DAP’s Buntong Assemblyman S. Sivasubramaniam is one very upset young man because he and his compatriot, former speaker and Tronoh assemblyman V. Sivakumar, were not invited for a meeting of Pakatan Indian leaders in Penang last week.
About 20 leaders from five states with a large Indian population attended the meeting chaired by Penang deputy Chief Minister and nominal Indian Pakatan leader, Prof Dr P. Ramasamy, to discuss how to reverse a serious drift of Indian voters to the Barisan Nasional.
The discussion revolved around why Indian voters who had rallied behind the Pakatan banner in 2008 and helped Pakatan to win Selangor, Perak, Penang and Kedah were drifting back to the Barisan.
“I don’t know about the meeting. I was not invited, nor was Sivakumar,” Sivasubramaniam told The Star.
“We are Indian leaders, you know, and should have been invited.”
His angst is one of the key reasons why Indian voters are drifting back to the Barisan – infighting among Pakatan Indian leaders and serious lack of decisive leadership.
Indian voters now have a choice between the indecisive and fractured Indian leadership in Pakatan and a resurgent Barisan under a reform-minded Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, aided by a MIC without former president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu at the helm.
A more open leader in Datuk G. Palanivel is reforming the MIC to win back Indian support for Bari-san.
Both Sivasubramaniam and Sivakumar are political rivals of former Perak DAP deputy chairman S. Kulasegaran who figured prominently in the Penang meeting.
The two helped to defeat Kulasegaran and his compatriot, Teluk Intan MP M. Manoharan, and Sungkai assemblyman A. Sivanesan in the Perak DAP elections last year.
In fact, Sivakumar got Kulasegaran’s job as deputy Perak DAP chairman in the new post-election pecking order in the state.
It is ironic that the losers were invited to the Penang meeting and the winners were not.
One doesn’t need to be a rocket scientist to know why Sivasubramaniam and Sivakumar were not invited along with other top leaders, like former ISA detainee and Kota Alam Shah assemblyman M. Manoharan.
Manoharan, who is close to Hindraf founder P. Uthayakumar and, therefore, suspected by Pakatan, expressed shock and sadness that he was not invited to the Penang meeting.
“I could have made many useful suggestions. I went to jail for the Indian community,” he said.
Indian support, although a minority, had been decisive in helping Pakatan win in Perak, Kedah, and Selangor, and even in Penang, political experts said.
They cite Selangor as an example where 18 of the 36 seats won by Pakatan were victories made possible by support from the Indian voters.
“We can lose Selangor if 65% of Indians in Selangor vote for Bari-san Nasional in the next general election. The scenario is the same in Kedah and Perak,” a senior DAP leader said, adding that the party was worried and had started serious discussions on how to reverse the trend.
Even PKR and PAS have realised the drift and are beginning to raise Indian issues like poverty, lack of jobs and shortage of land for temples and Tamil schools, Manoharan said.
“One Malay assemblyman even spoke passionately about the lack of graveyards for Indians in the recent Selangor assembly sitting,” he said, adding that the best solution for Indian woes was to see it as a Malay-sian issue to be solved by Malaysian representatives.
“It should not be dumped on Indian leaders — Pakatan or Barisan,” he said.
Senator S. Ramakrishna, a rising leader in the DAP who attended the Penang meeting, estimated the Indian drift at about “15 to 20%.”
“This is a serious drift and we are worried, but it is not irreversible provided we act now,” Ramakrishna said.
He said the Penang meeting was informal and was called at the last minute and that’s why some Indian leaders were left out.
To win back Indian voter support, the meeting resolved, among other measures, to press Pakatan to appoint an Indian liaison officer in each Pakatan ruled state, campaign hard to revoke the Interlok novel and provide more jobs for Indians in municipal councils.
However, the fact is, no matter how much Pakatan Indian leaders try to reinvent themselves, it is not an easy task to reverse the Indian drift because nearly three years have passed between the high promises of March 2008 and the failure to deliver on election pledges.
To even gather to discuss what to do after three years of Pakatan rule is, in itself, an embarrassment.
In the intervening years, much has changed — a new national leader in Najib has won praise from the Indians for proactive measures to help the community, Samy Vellu has departed and a more open and considerate MIC is taking shape.
Change is catching up and undercutting the Pakatan, which won big in 2008 on a change manifesto, but lost steam thereafter.
Indian voter disillusionment runs deep, not just over the indecisive and fractured Pakatan Indian leadership, but also at the half-hearted measures, thus far, to resolve longstanding Indian woes.
MACC threatened me, says DAP man
The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: A DAP municipal councillor told the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the death of Teoh Beng Hock that he was threatened and harassed by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Com-mission (MACC) officers.
Kajang councillor Tan Boon Wah, who was taken to the Selangor MACC office for questioning on July 15, 2009, said he was threatened with bodily harm and made to worry about his wife and child.
“The officers told me they would bring my wife in and it would result in no one being around to take care of my then five-year-old child,” said Tan.
He said one of the MACC officers had also threatened to bring his daughter to the MACC office to see him cry.
Tan was brought to the state MACC office on the 14th floor of Plaza Masalam, Shah Alam, for questioning on the same day as deceased political aide Teoh, in relation to investigations pertaining to the illegal disbursement of state funds.
Kajang councillor Tan Boon Wah, who was taken to the Selangor MACC office for questioning on July 15, 2009, said he was threatened with bodily harm and made to worry about his wife and child.
“The officers told me they would bring my wife in and it would result in no one being around to take care of my then five-year-old child,” said Tan.
He said one of the MACC officers had also threatened to bring his daughter to the MACC office to see him cry.
Tan was brought to the state MACC office on the 14th floor of Plaza Masalam, Shah Alam, for questioning on the same day as deceased political aide Teoh, in relation to investigations pertaining to the illegal disbursement of state funds.
Teoh, who was Seri Kembangan assemblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah's political secretary, was found dead the following day at the building's fifth floor service corridor.
Tan, who was held at the MACC office for 17 hours from 8.30pm on July 15, 2009 to 1.35pm the following day, said he was made to stand motionless in a dark room, was intimidated with a racial slur and was called stupid.
Tan added that one of the officers, Bulkini Paharuddin, who had picked him up from his Cheras home, accused him of not supplying a consignment of flags ordered by the Seri Kembangan assemblyman's office.
“I told the officers that I had bought the flags and supplied them as required,” said Tan, who had charged Ean Yong's office RM2,400 for the consignment.
Tan added that he was still accused in spite of showing them documents pertaining to the order.
“When I denied the allegation, Bulkini pointed his finger to my nose and gestured as if he wanted to beat me up,” he added.
He said the MACC officers were trying to force him to admit to their allegations to implicate Ean Yong.
“They told me I should admit my guilt if I loved my family and made me swear three times that my family will be ruined in the event I was lying,” he said.
Tan also said he had seen Teoh when he was rushing to the toilet about 2am on July 16.
His head was bowed and he was walking slowly.
“I asked him: You are still here?'
“He just mumbled: Huh',” said Tan.
Meanwhile, Selangor MACC senior assistant enforcement officer Raymond Nion John Timban, who was called after Tan, said he had seen Teoh alive at about 6am on July 16.
Earlier in the day, MACC deputy commissioner of operations Datuk Shukri Abdul said the incident had adversely affected the anti-graft body.
He admitted that there were weaknesses in MACC's system and added it would be corrected.
Shukri also said in the event the commission finds that MACC officers were liable for Teoh's death, necessary action will be instituted against them.
“We will not protect our officers. We want justice for Teoh, his fam-ily, the public and also MACC,” he said.
Tan, who was held at the MACC office for 17 hours from 8.30pm on July 15, 2009 to 1.35pm the following day, said he was made to stand motionless in a dark room, was intimidated with a racial slur and was called stupid.
Tan added that one of the officers, Bulkini Paharuddin, who had picked him up from his Cheras home, accused him of not supplying a consignment of flags ordered by the Seri Kembangan assemblyman's office.
“I told the officers that I had bought the flags and supplied them as required,” said Tan, who had charged Ean Yong's office RM2,400 for the consignment.
Tan added that he was still accused in spite of showing them documents pertaining to the order.
“When I denied the allegation, Bulkini pointed his finger to my nose and gestured as if he wanted to beat me up,” he added.
He said the MACC officers were trying to force him to admit to their allegations to implicate Ean Yong.
“They told me I should admit my guilt if I loved my family and made me swear three times that my family will be ruined in the event I was lying,” he said.
Tan also said he had seen Teoh when he was rushing to the toilet about 2am on July 16.
His head was bowed and he was walking slowly.
“I asked him: You are still here?'
“He just mumbled: Huh',” said Tan.
Meanwhile, Selangor MACC senior assistant enforcement officer Raymond Nion John Timban, who was called after Tan, said he had seen Teoh alive at about 6am on July 16.
Earlier in the day, MACC deputy commissioner of operations Datuk Shukri Abdul said the incident had adversely affected the anti-graft body.
He admitted that there were weaknesses in MACC's system and added it would be corrected.
Shukri also said in the event the commission finds that MACC officers were liable for Teoh's death, necessary action will be instituted against them.
“We will not protect our officers. We want justice for Teoh, his fam-ily, the public and also MACC,” he said.
IGP confirms businessman arrested under ISA
The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar has confirmed the arrest of 42-year-old disabled businessman Hashim Kadir under the Internal Security Act.
“It is confirmed (that he was arrested) as we believe he is a threat to national security,” he told reporters at a press conference after the launch of the Safe City Monitoring System at a hotel here yesterday.
Lawyer N. Surendran said Hashim was picked up by several police officers at his house in Kampung Kerinchi on April 3.
He said Hashim's family members were seeking details over his whereabouts.
“It is confirmed (that he was arrested) as we believe he is a threat to national security,” he told reporters at a press conference after the launch of the Safe City Monitoring System at a hotel here yesterday.
Lawyer N. Surendran said Hashim was picked up by several police officers at his house in Kampung Kerinchi on April 3.
He said Hashim's family members were seeking details over his whereabouts.
It was reported in an online news portal yesterday that PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said they were informed that Hashim was connected to militants in Cambodia.
“If the allegation is true, he should be brought to court and be allowed to defend himself,” she said, adding that the arrest was politically motivated.
“If the allegation is true, he should be brought to court and be allowed to defend himself,” she said, adding that the arrest was politically motivated.
Gaddafi forces take Brega
Libyan rebel forces have abandoned the oil town of Brega and are heading east toward Ajdabiya in the face of a renewed offensive by troops loyal to Muammar Gaddafi.
Both sides exchanged heavy fire on Tuesday, but just a day after rebels had taken over a residential part of the city, they were forced to retreat.
Opposition forces said they came under rocket and artillery fire while they attempted to fight back with mortars and rockets of their own.
"When you see this, the situation is very bad. We cannot match their weapons,'' said Kamal Mughrabi, 64, a retired soldier who joined the opposition army. "If the [coalition] planes don't come back and hit them we'll have to keep pulling back."
Early in the day, a coalition airstrike targeted eight government vehicles that were advancing on opposition positions, rebel officer Abdel-Basset Abibi said.
Al Jazeera's Hoda Abdel-Hamid, in Ajdabiya, reported that opposition forces had been pushed back 20-30km east of Brega towards Ajdabiya by the Gaddafi forces' mid-morning offensive.
"Since this morning we were trying to get as close as possible to Brega. We reached the junction on the road that would lead inside that town, but since mid-morning, opposition forces have been coming under a rolling artillery and mortar barrage," she reported.
Brigadier General Mark van Uhm, NATO's chief of allied operations, said that NATO's new "number one priority" was the western town of Misurata, where residents say they have been besieged for weeks by pro-Gaddafi forces.
"Misurata is a number one priority because of the situation on the ground over there. We have confirmation that in Misurata tanks are being dispersed, being hidden, [and] humans being used as shields in order to prevent NATO sorties to identify targets," he said.
Van Uhm said that Gaddafi's troops have been adjusting their tactics to deal with the threat from coalition airstrikes, travelling in trucks and light vehicles to the front line and hiding their tanks and armoured vehicles from sight.
He said NATO had so far taken out 30 per cent of Gaddafi's military power, and had struck targets near Misurata on Monday.
Rebel oil export
Meanwhile, the rebels plan to load their first oil shipments on Tuesday.
The tanker Equator, which can carry a million barrels of crude, was due to arrive at the eastern port of Marsa el Hariga, near Tobruk, satellite ship tracking data showed even as a Suezmax tanker docked at the port of Tobruk.
A full load of oil on either tanker would be worth millions of dollars, helping the rebel leadership to pay salaries and bolster its image as a potential government capable of taking over.
The last oil shipment to leave Libya was on March 18.
It is unclear at the moment who is buying the oil, though the Suezmax tanker is flying under a Liberian flag, and the Equator is operated by a Greek company.
The frontline in the conflict has been bogged down around Brega for nearly a week, with Gaddafi's advantage in tanks and artillery cancelled out by NATO-led air strikes which effectively back the rebels.
After a series of rapid rebel advances followed by headlong retreats, the pro-democracy fighters had at least held their ground in this oil town for several days, putting their best trained forces into battle for the town and keeping disorganised volunteers away.
Abibi, the rebel officer, said the two sides battled inside the city until nightfall on Monday and then the rebels moved back to the outskirts. The night passed without much incident, until the coalition airstrike on Tuesday morning.
On Monday, columns of opposition fighters drove up the main coastal highway, regaining ground they had given up the day before, but the effective use of artillery and landmines by Gaddafi's troops kept them at bay.
Tuesday's Gaddafi offensive, however, broke the pattern.
"We haven't seen such a push [by Gaddafi forces] for a few days, over the past few days it actually seemed as if the opposition forces were able to hold some sort of position around the town of Brega. Well, today the situation was completely different. The Gaddafi forces were much more aggresive than they had been in the past days, it seem that maybe they had received new supplies, but certainly they have been pounding much more intensely than over the past few days," our correspondent said.
Mustafa Gheirani, a spokesman for the opposition's Transition National Council in Benghazi, said that while "setbacks" had been suffered, the opposition would fight on.
"There is no revolution without setbacks. But the people will win. Gaddafi cannot rule Libya with his machine - his militias and his mercenaries ... We are committed to fighting this tyrant, and either we will drive him out or he will rule a country with no people in it," he said.
Christopher Stevens, the former deputy chief of the US mission in Tripoli, has now arrived in Benghazi to hold talks with members of the opposition's TNC. The US has not formally recognised the TNC as Libya's legitimate government, as several other countries have, and Stevens is in the country to "get to know [its] members", a US official told Reuters.
On Tuesday, Geoff Morrell, the Pentagon's spokesman, said the US was still undecided on whether or not to help arm the rebels, but would be discussing providing "non-lethal" assistance in the coming days.
General Carter Hamm, the US general in charge of Africa Command, under whom US military operations in Libya fell, was to testify before US lawmakers in Washington DC on Tuesday.
Stalemate
In the Libyan capital,Tripoli, meanwhile, angered by fuel shortages and long queues for basic goods caused by sanctions and air strikes, some residents began openly predicting Gaddafi's imminent downfall.
Mussa Ibrahim, a Gaddafi spokesman, said Libya was ready for a "political solution" with world powers and offered a "constitution, election, anything. But the leader has to lead this forward".
Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Abdelati Obeidi ended a trip to Greece, Turkey and Malta to set out the government position.
Turkey is expecting an envoy to visit from the opposition in the coming days and is listening to both sides.
"Both sides have a rigid stance," a Turkish Foreign Ministry official said after Obeidi's visit. "One side, the opposition, is insisting that Gaddafi should go. The other side is saying Gaddafi should stay. So there is no breakthrough yet."
Source: Al Jazeera and agencies
Both sides exchanged heavy fire on Tuesday, but just a day after rebels had taken over a residential part of the city, they were forced to retreat.
Opposition forces said they came under rocket and artillery fire while they attempted to fight back with mortars and rockets of their own.
"When you see this, the situation is very bad. We cannot match their weapons,'' said Kamal Mughrabi, 64, a retired soldier who joined the opposition army. "If the [coalition] planes don't come back and hit them we'll have to keep pulling back."
Early in the day, a coalition airstrike targeted eight government vehicles that were advancing on opposition positions, rebel officer Abdel-Basset Abibi said.
Al Jazeera's Hoda Abdel-Hamid, in Ajdabiya, reported that opposition forces had been pushed back 20-30km east of Brega towards Ajdabiya by the Gaddafi forces' mid-morning offensive.
"Since this morning we were trying to get as close as possible to Brega. We reached the junction on the road that would lead inside that town, but since mid-morning, opposition forces have been coming under a rolling artillery and mortar barrage," she reported.
Brigadier General Mark van Uhm, NATO's chief of allied operations, said that NATO's new "number one priority" was the western town of Misurata, where residents say they have been besieged for weeks by pro-Gaddafi forces.
"Misurata is a number one priority because of the situation on the ground over there. We have confirmation that in Misurata tanks are being dispersed, being hidden, [and] humans being used as shields in order to prevent NATO sorties to identify targets," he said.
Van Uhm said that Gaddafi's troops have been adjusting their tactics to deal with the threat from coalition airstrikes, travelling in trucks and light vehicles to the front line and hiding their tanks and armoured vehicles from sight.
He said NATO had so far taken out 30 per cent of Gaddafi's military power, and had struck targets near Misurata on Monday.
Rebel oil export
Meanwhile, the rebels plan to load their first oil shipments on Tuesday.
The tanker Equator, which can carry a million barrels of crude, was due to arrive at the eastern port of Marsa el Hariga, near Tobruk, satellite ship tracking data showed even as a Suezmax tanker docked at the port of Tobruk.
A full load of oil on either tanker would be worth millions of dollars, helping the rebel leadership to pay salaries and bolster its image as a potential government capable of taking over.
The last oil shipment to leave Libya was on March 18.
It is unclear at the moment who is buying the oil, though the Suezmax tanker is flying under a Liberian flag, and the Equator is operated by a Greek company.
The frontline in the conflict has been bogged down around Brega for nearly a week, with Gaddafi's advantage in tanks and artillery cancelled out by NATO-led air strikes which effectively back the rebels.
After a series of rapid rebel advances followed by headlong retreats, the pro-democracy fighters had at least held their ground in this oil town for several days, putting their best trained forces into battle for the town and keeping disorganised volunteers away.
Abibi, the rebel officer, said the two sides battled inside the city until nightfall on Monday and then the rebels moved back to the outskirts. The night passed without much incident, until the coalition airstrike on Tuesday morning.
On Monday, columns of opposition fighters drove up the main coastal highway, regaining ground they had given up the day before, but the effective use of artillery and landmines by Gaddafi's troops kept them at bay.
Tuesday's Gaddafi offensive, however, broke the pattern.
"We haven't seen such a push [by Gaddafi forces] for a few days, over the past few days it actually seemed as if the opposition forces were able to hold some sort of position around the town of Brega. Well, today the situation was completely different. The Gaddafi forces were much more aggresive than they had been in the past days, it seem that maybe they had received new supplies, but certainly they have been pounding much more intensely than over the past few days," our correspondent said.
Mustafa Gheirani, a spokesman for the opposition's Transition National Council in Benghazi, said that while "setbacks" had been suffered, the opposition would fight on.
"There is no revolution without setbacks. But the people will win. Gaddafi cannot rule Libya with his machine - his militias and his mercenaries ... We are committed to fighting this tyrant, and either we will drive him out or he will rule a country with no people in it," he said.
Christopher Stevens, the former deputy chief of the US mission in Tripoli, has now arrived in Benghazi to hold talks with members of the opposition's TNC. The US has not formally recognised the TNC as Libya's legitimate government, as several other countries have, and Stevens is in the country to "get to know [its] members", a US official told Reuters.
On Tuesday, Geoff Morrell, the Pentagon's spokesman, said the US was still undecided on whether or not to help arm the rebels, but would be discussing providing "non-lethal" assistance in the coming days.
General Carter Hamm, the US general in charge of Africa Command, under whom US military operations in Libya fell, was to testify before US lawmakers in Washington DC on Tuesday.
Stalemate
In the Libyan capital,Tripoli, meanwhile, angered by fuel shortages and long queues for basic goods caused by sanctions and air strikes, some residents began openly predicting Gaddafi's imminent downfall.
Mussa Ibrahim, a Gaddafi spokesman, said Libya was ready for a "political solution" with world powers and offered a "constitution, election, anything. But the leader has to lead this forward".
Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Abdelati Obeidi ended a trip to Greece, Turkey and Malta to set out the government position.
Turkey is expecting an envoy to visit from the opposition in the coming days and is listening to both sides.
"Both sides have a rigid stance," a Turkish Foreign Ministry official said after Obeidi's visit. "One side, the opposition, is insisting that Gaddafi should go. The other side is saying Gaddafi should stay. So there is no breakthrough yet."
Source: Al Jazeera and agencies
Man in sex footage isn't Anwar, says family
(Malaysiakini) The family of the embattled Anwar Ibrahim has denied claims that he is the man in a sex video, part of which was posted online yesterday.
His wife and PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said the video is "the clearest proof yet" that her husband is not the man having sex with a prostitute.
"We as a family decided to watch the video posted on the Internet, and it is clear that the body and physique of the actor in the video is extremely different from the body and physique of Anwar Ibrahim," she told a press conference at their family home in Kuala Lumpur.
Wan Azizah was referring to a snippet of the sex video posted on an anti-opposition website yesterday afternoon.
Also present at the press conference were DAP chairperson Karpal Singh, Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim and Anwar's daughter Nurul Izzah.
His wife and PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said the video is "the clearest proof yet" that her husband is not the man having sex with a prostitute."We as a family decided to watch the video posted on the Internet, and it is clear that the body and physique of the actor in the video is extremely different from the body and physique of Anwar Ibrahim," she told a press conference at their family home in Kuala Lumpur.
Wan Azizah was referring to a snippet of the sex video posted on an anti-opposition website yesterday afternoon.Also present at the press conference were DAP chairperson Karpal Singh, Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim and Anwar's daughter Nurul Izzah.
Wan Azizah said her “entire family” made the decision to view the snippet posted online only after they were sure that sexual acts were not depicted.
"This video is the clearest proof yet that for all those who truly know Anwar, this new accusation is none other than a vile, false and baseless accusation.
"Who else would know the man as intimately as us, his closest and nearest family members, who have been through thick and thin with him, from the moment he took in the mainstream leadership of this country through the dark days, and when he slowly recovered from all the pain he endured when he was imprisoned?”
Nurul Izzah said their family has been continuously frustrated, as they have been forced to "follow their script".
"The fundamental issue remains, why haven't there been any arrests? Why are we being persecuted? It is quite crazy actually," she said.
'Citizens can arrest Datuk T'
Karpal pointed out that inaction over Anwar's police report against the 'Datuk T' trio - who have claimed responsibility for exposing the video - is akin to dereliction of duty by the police.
He said the trio - former Malacca chief minister Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik, businessman Shazryl Eskay Abdullah and Perkasa treasurer Shuib Lazim - had openly defied several laws by screening the video.
Instead of they being arrested, it is Anwar's family that is being persecuted, he said.
Karpal stressed that if there was still no move by Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Ismail Omar to arrest 'Datuk T', it would be within the legal bounds for members of the public to apprehend them by way of "citizen's arrest".
"When a crime has been committed, any citizen can arrest and present a suspect to the police station... but we should not let it reach that stage. The IGP must do his duty," he said.
Khalid said it was unfair and "disgusting" that Anwar's family has had to endure so much in relation to the video, which has not even been proven to involve him.
Both he and Wan Azizah reacted with offence to repeated questions from a reporter as to what they thought of the authenticity of the video.
Khalid said there were more important things to do than discuss than "whether or not there are pants on a man".
Wan Azizah immediately interjected, saying: "Authentic or not, that is not the issue. The point is that it is not Anwar in the video."
"This video is the clearest proof yet that for all those who truly know Anwar, this new accusation is none other than a vile, false and baseless accusation."Who else would know the man as intimately as us, his closest and nearest family members, who have been through thick and thin with him, from the moment he took in the mainstream leadership of this country through the dark days, and when he slowly recovered from all the pain he endured when he was imprisoned?”
Nurul Izzah said their family has been continuously frustrated, as they have been forced to "follow their script".
"The fundamental issue remains, why haven't there been any arrests? Why are we being persecuted? It is quite crazy actually," she said.
'Citizens can arrest Datuk T'
Karpal pointed out that inaction over Anwar's police report against the 'Datuk T' trio - who have claimed responsibility for exposing the video - is akin to dereliction of duty by the police.He said the trio - former Malacca chief minister Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik, businessman Shazryl Eskay Abdullah and Perkasa treasurer Shuib Lazim - had openly defied several laws by screening the video.
Instead of they being arrested, it is Anwar's family that is being persecuted, he said.
Karpal stressed that if there was still no move by Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Ismail Omar to arrest 'Datuk T', it would be within the legal bounds for members of the public to apprehend them by way of "citizen's arrest"."When a crime has been committed, any citizen can arrest and present a suspect to the police station... but we should not let it reach that stage. The IGP must do his duty," he said.
Khalid said it was unfair and "disgusting" that Anwar's family has had to endure so much in relation to the video, which has not even been proven to involve him.
Both he and Wan Azizah reacted with offence to repeated questions from a reporter as to what they thought of the authenticity of the video.Khalid said there were more important things to do than discuss than "whether or not there are pants on a man".
Wan Azizah immediately interjected, saying: "Authentic or not, that is not the issue. The point is that it is not Anwar in the video."
Releasing sex video is haram, say Muslim scholars
KUALA LUMPUR, April 5 — Muslim scholars have condemned the distribution of the alleged Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim sex video as haram, against Malay culture and “illegal and unethical anywhere around the world.”The Malaysian Ulama Association (PUM) also said that those calling for the 21-minute video to be screened in Parliament are “suffering from a cancer of rubbish politics that is rotten.”
“This trend of trying to degrade and spread slander is not the norm for Malay Muslim culture. Moreover, it is illegal and unethical anywhere around the world. Recording, possessing and distributing the video is clearly haram in Islam,” said its secretary general Mohd Roslan Md Nor in a statement today.
Calls for the mysterious “Datuk T” trio to be arrested have grown louder, especially from Anwar’s PKR, since the 21-minute video emerged two weeks ago.
A 107-second snippet surfaced on the Internet on Sunday, just two days after police said the video was not doctored.
It made public part of the video that was only screened to select individuals and reporters prior to this but the clip has since been taken down from YouTube for violating its policy on nudity and sexual content.
Datuk Shazryl Eskay Abdullah, one of the Datuk T men, said yesterday that he did not know where the snippet came from and that the only copy of the video was with the police.
However, Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar denied today that the clip came from the police.
PKR has claimed that the clip proved the man in the video was not their de facto leader and repeated their demand that the trio be arrested for pornography.
Former Malacca chief minister Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik, businessman Shazryl and Perkasa treasurer-general Datuk Shuib Lazim have claimed responsibility for the video, saying they screened the video to show “a man who wants to be prime minister is not qualified.”
Opposition Leader Anwar has denied he is the man in the video and accused Umno of a politically-motivated “scurrilous attack” on him.
The involvement of former Umno Youth chief Abdul Rahim has lent credence to the claim as Umno sought to distance itself from the video.
Mohd Raslan also lashed out at those calling for the video to be screened in Dewan Rakyat as it insulted the august house.
“Dewan Rakyat, which is supposed to be a forum for debating motions and national issues, is now being turned into a pornography theatre. Those using the immunity of MPs as an excuse to watch the sex video are suffering from a cancer of rubbish politics that is rotten,” he said.
The scholar accused these politicians of doing anything for power.
Lawmakers from both sides of the divide, including DAP chairman Karpal Singh and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, had supported the screening of the video in Parliament should Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia see it fit.
However, Pandikar rejected the idea today, stating that rules and regulations of the house had to be adhered to.
PUM also called for the home ministry to take necessary action against those who have spread the video as it has clearly run afoul of the law.
It also asked for the Council of Rulers to intervene in the matter.
MCA wants English for Mathematics and Science in selected schools
KUALA LUMPUR, April 5 — MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said that secondary schools must be given a memorandum to decide if they want to teach mathematics and science in English (PPSMI).The party’s announcement today is bound to be contentious as the federal government had decided to abolish PPSMI two years ago.
“Parents should have a choice to select the medium language for these subjects in schools where they have adequate teachers who profess in English to teach Mathematics and Science subject,” he told reporters during a press conference at party headquarters.
In 2009, MCA had proposed to the cabinet to maintain teaching science and mathematics in English at secondary school level and suggested that the two subjects should be taught bi-lingual if needed.
The government recently announced that Year One pupils in primary schools will stop learning mathematics and science in English from this year while Primary Year Four, First Formers and Fourth Formers would revert to Bahasa Malaysia next year.
“We should adopt a more forward looking perspective with regards to education instead of taking the retrogressive approach in opposing the use of English.
“The teaching of the two subjects in English should be allowed to continue, especially in select urban schools where there is already a demand for it,” he said.
He said that acceptance of English as a medium among urban youths is higher as they are able to look beyond race and religion.
He added that any change of policy to revert to Bahasa Malaysia would affect everybody especially the Chinese community, where many are mono-lingual.
“We need to nurture more Malaysians to be multi-lingual and are good not just in Bahasa Malaysia but also in English and Mandarin,” he said.
Dr Chua said that a person’s race is not determined by language but instead English would give an edge in highly competitive globalised society.
“It is the language to reach out to innovation, technology, science and a host of other knowledge and if we cannot access to such information of progress, we would definitely lag behind,” he said.
He denied that the it will be seen as flip-flopping if t allows the use of English to teach the two subjects, stressing that government decision should reflect the wishes of the people
Karpal: Orang ramai boleh tahan ‘Datuk T’
Beliau mendakwa ketua polis gagal menjalankan tanggungjawab menahan Datuk Syazril Eskay Abdullah, Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Tamby Chik dan Datuk Shuib Lazim
KUALA LUMPUR: Jika Ketua Polis Negara, Tan Sri Ismail Omar gagal menahan ‘Datuk T’ yang didakwa bertanggungjawab menayangkan video seks yang didakwa Ketua umum PKR, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, orang ramai berhak berbuat demikian.
“Jika beliau gagal berbuat demikian, orang ramai berhak menahan `Datuk T’,” kata Pengerusi DAP, Karpal Singh dalam sidang akhbar di rumah Anwar hari ini.
Ahli Parlimen Bukit Gelugor itu mendakwa ketua polis gagal menjalankan tanggungjawab menahan ahli perniagaan Datuk Syazril Eskay Abdulalh, bekas Ketua Menteri Melaka, Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Tamby Chik dan bendahari Perkasa, Datuk Shuib Lazim yang dikenali sebagai Datuk T.
Bagaimanapun, Karpal yang juga seorang peguam berkata, beliau belum menonton video terbabit.
“Apabila seseorang terlibat dalam jenayah maka orang ramai ada hak untuk menahan individu tersebut.
“Dalam hal video seks ini orang ramai boleh menahan Datuk T….tapi ianya lebih baik dilakukan oleh pihak polis,” katanya.
Pada 25 Mac lalu, Syazril Eskay dan Abdul Rahim menyerahkan pita video seks dan jam tangan Omega kepada polis.
Mereka mengaku bertanggungjawab menjemput wakil media menonton klip video seks tersebut.
Anwar membuat laporan polis berhubung video itu dan pasukan keselamatan itu telah mengambil keterangan dari ketiga-tiga individu berkenaan.
Menurut Karpal dalam undang-undang tidak bertulis, individu yang terlibat dengan jenayah boleh ditahan tanpa waran.
Sementara itu Menteri Besar Selangor Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim yang turut hadir dalam sidang media tersebut berkata kerajaan negeri akan memantau keadaan dan jika perlu tindakan undang-undang akan diambil.
“Kerajaan negeri akan pantau keadaan dan jika perlu kita akan ambil tindakan agar mereka yang terlibat menyebarkan video itu dibawa ke penghakiman,” katanya.
Pada Ahad lalu, klip video seks itu selama 1 minit 47 saat telah dimuat naik ke laman web Youtube, dan semalam di laman sosial Facebook.
Namun satu notis dikeluarkan oleh pihak Youtube pada 11.35 malam semalam berhubung pengeluaran video itu dari laman web itu dengan menyatakan ‘ia melanggar polisi berhubung kandungan video yang mempunyai aksi seksual’.
Sementara itu, Ismail menafikan klip video berkenaan dibocorkan oleh pihak polis.
KUALA LUMPUR: Jika Ketua Polis Negara, Tan Sri Ismail Omar gagal menahan ‘Datuk T’ yang didakwa bertanggungjawab menayangkan video seks yang didakwa Ketua umum PKR, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, orang ramai berhak berbuat demikian.“Jika beliau gagal berbuat demikian, orang ramai berhak menahan `Datuk T’,” kata Pengerusi DAP, Karpal Singh dalam sidang akhbar di rumah Anwar hari ini.
Ahli Parlimen Bukit Gelugor itu mendakwa ketua polis gagal menjalankan tanggungjawab menahan ahli perniagaan Datuk Syazril Eskay Abdulalh, bekas Ketua Menteri Melaka, Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Tamby Chik dan bendahari Perkasa, Datuk Shuib Lazim yang dikenali sebagai Datuk T.
Bagaimanapun, Karpal yang juga seorang peguam berkata, beliau belum menonton video terbabit.
“Apabila seseorang terlibat dalam jenayah maka orang ramai ada hak untuk menahan individu tersebut.
“Dalam hal video seks ini orang ramai boleh menahan Datuk T….tapi ianya lebih baik dilakukan oleh pihak polis,” katanya.
Pada 25 Mac lalu, Syazril Eskay dan Abdul Rahim menyerahkan pita video seks dan jam tangan Omega kepada polis.
Mereka mengaku bertanggungjawab menjemput wakil media menonton klip video seks tersebut.
Anwar membuat laporan polis berhubung video itu dan pasukan keselamatan itu telah mengambil keterangan dari ketiga-tiga individu berkenaan.
Menurut Karpal dalam undang-undang tidak bertulis, individu yang terlibat dengan jenayah boleh ditahan tanpa waran.
Sementara itu Menteri Besar Selangor Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim yang turut hadir dalam sidang media tersebut berkata kerajaan negeri akan memantau keadaan dan jika perlu tindakan undang-undang akan diambil.
“Kerajaan negeri akan pantau keadaan dan jika perlu kita akan ambil tindakan agar mereka yang terlibat menyebarkan video itu dibawa ke penghakiman,” katanya.
Pada Ahad lalu, klip video seks itu selama 1 minit 47 saat telah dimuat naik ke laman web Youtube, dan semalam di laman sosial Facebook.
Namun satu notis dikeluarkan oleh pihak Youtube pada 11.35 malam semalam berhubung pengeluaran video itu dari laman web itu dengan menyatakan ‘ia melanggar polisi berhubung kandungan video yang mempunyai aksi seksual’.
Sementara itu, Ismail menafikan klip video berkenaan dibocorkan oleh pihak polis.
Truth will prevail, says Hisham
Police will be professional in their investigations into the sex video allegedly involving Anwar Ibrahim, says home minister.
KUALA LUMPUR: Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein today pledged to make public the truth regarding the sex video scandal allegedly involving Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim.
“I’ve asked the investigating authorities to be transparent and follow procedures,” he said at the launch of a Safe Town Monitoring System by the local government and housing ministry.
Hishammuddin promised nothing but professionalism from the police and asked the public to be patient while investigations are going on and refrain from spreading rumours.
“All that matters is the truth, which can only be achieved through proper procedures. The truth will prevail but it will take time,” he said.
Hishammuddin lashed out at critics who accused the Barisan Nasional (BN) of being behind the sex tape, challenging them to provide proof of their allegations .
“We’ve been accused of conspiring. Now we’re accused of putting the clip of the tape on YouTube. We just haven’t been accused of performing in it! If people say we’re behind it, ask them to come up
with proof.”
He said that certain quarters would never agree with what the ruling coalition does, regardless of BN’s achievements.
“Even when the crime index is down, there is a perception that it’s a gimmick.”
Two weeks ago, a sex tape depicting a man allegedly that of Anwar having sex with a prostitute was released by Datuk T, later revealed as a trio of politicians.
The three – Shazryl Eskay Abdullah, ex-Malacca chief minister Rahim Tamby Chik and Perkasa treasurer Shuib Lazim – acknowleged they were behind the screening of the video.
The footage was shown to journalists and editors at Carcosa Seri Negara on March 21. The police began investigating the matter after Anwar lodged a police report the next day.
IGP: Trust us
Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar meanwhile said arrests will be made when investigations are over.
“I will decide on the right time and who to arrest,” he said at the same function today.
He confirmed that the case was being investigated under Section 292 of the Penal Code, and possibly the Film Censorship Act.
Ismail also requested the public to trust the police to carry out the investigation in a comprehensive manner, and not ask them to “explain every step of the investigation”.
KUALA LUMPUR: Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein today pledged to make public the truth regarding the sex video scandal allegedly involving Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim.“I’ve asked the investigating authorities to be transparent and follow procedures,” he said at the launch of a Safe Town Monitoring System by the local government and housing ministry.
Hishammuddin promised nothing but professionalism from the police and asked the public to be patient while investigations are going on and refrain from spreading rumours.
“All that matters is the truth, which can only be achieved through proper procedures. The truth will prevail but it will take time,” he said.
Hishammuddin lashed out at critics who accused the Barisan Nasional (BN) of being behind the sex tape, challenging them to provide proof of their allegations .
“We’ve been accused of conspiring. Now we’re accused of putting the clip of the tape on YouTube. We just haven’t been accused of performing in it! If people say we’re behind it, ask them to come up
with proof.”
He said that certain quarters would never agree with what the ruling coalition does, regardless of BN’s achievements.
“Even when the crime index is down, there is a perception that it’s a gimmick.”
Two weeks ago, a sex tape depicting a man allegedly that of Anwar having sex with a prostitute was released by Datuk T, later revealed as a trio of politicians.
The three – Shazryl Eskay Abdullah, ex-Malacca chief minister Rahim Tamby Chik and Perkasa treasurer Shuib Lazim – acknowleged they were behind the screening of the video.
The footage was shown to journalists and editors at Carcosa Seri Negara on March 21. The police began investigating the matter after Anwar lodged a police report the next day.
IGP: Trust us
Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar meanwhile said arrests will be made when investigations are over.
“I will decide on the right time and who to arrest,” he said at the same function today.
He confirmed that the case was being investigated under Section 292 of the Penal Code, and possibly the Film Censorship Act.
Ismail also requested the public to trust the police to carry out the investigation in a comprehensive manner, and not ask them to “explain every step of the investigation”.
DAP harasses govt for sex bill
MP Chong Eng laments disinterest in making sexual harassment a crime.
KUALA LUMPUR: Stop beating around the bush and make sexual harassment a crime, the government was told today.
The MP for Bukit Mertajam, DAP’s Chong Eng, said the government had been deliberating over the matter since the 1980s, with nothing to show at the end of the day.
“They have been giving excuses of consultation but have refused to implement a law which criminalises sexual harassment, especially in the workplace,” she told reporters at Parliament today.
She recalled that a coalition of NGOs petitioned for such a bill in 2001 but said the government had not shown any real interest, even in the face of statistics showing a doubling in the number of sexual crimes between 2005 and 2009.
She belittled “another round table session” to be held soon by the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development, saying it would lead nowhere because Malaysian employers were against a sexual harassment law.
“Employers are against it. They say it will affect foreign investors coming into the country,” she said, shaking her head.
Her DAP colleague, Taiping MP Nga Kor Ming, said current laws were inadequate when it came to dealing with sexual harassment.
“Right now, harassment is covered under Section 506 of the Penal Code, which considers it as criminal intimidation,” he said.
“But sexual harassment should include innuendo, body language and other factors.”
KUALA LUMPUR: Stop beating around the bush and make sexual harassment a crime, the government was told today.The MP for Bukit Mertajam, DAP’s Chong Eng, said the government had been deliberating over the matter since the 1980s, with nothing to show at the end of the day.
“They have been giving excuses of consultation but have refused to implement a law which criminalises sexual harassment, especially in the workplace,” she told reporters at Parliament today.
She recalled that a coalition of NGOs petitioned for such a bill in 2001 but said the government had not shown any real interest, even in the face of statistics showing a doubling in the number of sexual crimes between 2005 and 2009.
She belittled “another round table session” to be held soon by the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development, saying it would lead nowhere because Malaysian employers were against a sexual harassment law.
“Employers are against it. They say it will affect foreign investors coming into the country,” she said, shaking her head.
Her DAP colleague, Taiping MP Nga Kor Ming, said current laws were inadequate when it came to dealing with sexual harassment.
“Right now, harassment is covered under Section 506 of the Penal Code, which considers it as criminal intimidation,” he said.
“But sexual harassment should include innuendo, body language and other factors.”
KP Samy a mosquito, says Sivanesan
He insists he’ll debate on Interlok only with Palanivel or Subra.
PETALING JAYA: Perak DAP vice-chairman A Sivanesan is insisting on a debate with a top MIC leader on the Interlok controversy, saying he has no time for “mosquitoes” such as KP Samy.
Samy, a former member of the MIC central working committee and a coordinator of the now defunct Gerakan Anti-Samy Vellu (GAS), yesterday offered to take up Sivanesan’s debate challenge and said he would even finance the session.
Sivanesan said today that he directed his challenge at MIC president G Palanivel and his deputy, Dr S Subramaniam.
He called Samy a “zero” in MIC politics, adding: “I am not going to waste my time with mosquitoes. He is not even an MIC member. It’s either Palanivel or Subramaniam or no one else.”
In his statement yesterday, Samy said he would accept Sivanesan’s challenge on condition that he bring to the debate a statement from the Pakatan Rakyat leadership calling for a ban on Interlok, which the government has decided to keep as a literature text for Form Five students.
Sivanesan said the Pakatan leadership had already called for the removal of the book from schools.
“If he had attended any one of our functions, he would have noticed that DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang and secretary-general Lim Guan Eng had called for the book to be withdrawn,” he said.
A government-appointed committee recently amended Interlok to remove derogatory references to Malaysian Indians, but some groups have said the modification did not go far enough.
Last March 24, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin told Parliament that the novel would remain in schools. He said MIC had agreed to the amendments.
PETALING JAYA: Perak DAP vice-chairman A Sivanesan is insisting on a debate with a top MIC leader on the Interlok controversy, saying he has no time for “mosquitoes” such as KP Samy.Samy, a former member of the MIC central working committee and a coordinator of the now defunct Gerakan Anti-Samy Vellu (GAS), yesterday offered to take up Sivanesan’s debate challenge and said he would even finance the session.
Sivanesan said today that he directed his challenge at MIC president G Palanivel and his deputy, Dr S Subramaniam.
He called Samy a “zero” in MIC politics, adding: “I am not going to waste my time with mosquitoes. He is not even an MIC member. It’s either Palanivel or Subramaniam or no one else.”
In his statement yesterday, Samy said he would accept Sivanesan’s challenge on condition that he bring to the debate a statement from the Pakatan Rakyat leadership calling for a ban on Interlok, which the government has decided to keep as a literature text for Form Five students.
Sivanesan said the Pakatan leadership had already called for the removal of the book from schools.
“If he had attended any one of our functions, he would have noticed that DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang and secretary-general Lim Guan Eng had called for the book to be withdrawn,” he said.
A government-appointed committee recently amended Interlok to remove derogatory references to Malaysian Indians, but some groups have said the modification did not go far enough.
Last March 24, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin told Parliament that the novel would remain in schools. He said MIC had agreed to the amendments.
Sleight of hand and twist of fate
On a bed of nails Malaysians wait
by Singa Pura Pura
The impudent, open screening of naked pornography at Carcosa Seri Negara. Think about it – as we lay and wait on our bed of nails – for the police and the public prosecutor to move.
Despite the gathering storm of public outrage and the consternation of an entire nation, the Home Minister, representing UMNO and the ruling coalition, still refuses to do the right and proper thing – which is to bring the persons who have openly, plainly and admittedly broken the laws of the land before the altar of justice. To charge them in an open court and to afford them an opportunity of answering those charges; to see if they have a lawful justification or excuse for possessing and screening pornography at a public place.
It is pertinent here to ask the question: In the Federation of Malaysia, and for all practical intents and purposes, to whom does the Attorney-General or the Inspector-General of Police answer? Is it to His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong? Is it to Parliament? To the Cabinet? Or to the Home Minister and/or the Prime Minister? The answer is common knowledge. Which is why pushing the blame – for the dogged refusal of the Home Minister to act – unto the police and the public prosecutor is akin to the liver apportioning liability upon the kidneys for not filtering out the toxins that are poisoning the body. Are we, seriously, being asked to believe that in this country, the police acts without any reference to the Attorney General who, in turn, acts autonomously from the Home Minister or the Prime Minister?
It simply will not do anymore for the Home Minister to crouch under the wide, discretionary ‘sarong’ of the Attorney-General or the public prosecutor. Despite the preponderance of public opinion, the Prime Minister and the Home Minister have been intractably resistant to having any proceedings brought against the licentious trio of public pornographers. Pornographers are the enemies of the state; the unwilling victims of their pornographic recordings are not.
In these circumstances, one is constrained to come to the reasonably fair conclusion that the actions and inaction of the police and the public prosecutor have led to the irresistible and adverse presumption that the ruling coalition, via UMNO and/or its agents, must have had a prior arrangement or understanding, if not a secret undertaking, with the pornographers to bring the leader of the opposition down by way of a video scandal. Of course, in law, as in life, presumptions, however irresistible they may be, are seldom irrebuttable. Which is why the onus weighs ever so heavily now upon the Home Minister to show, to the complete satisfaction of the Rakyat, that both the ruling party and the coalition to which he belongs are not only unassociated with these pornographers but also that UMNO and the ruling coalition are rightly against such heinous societal elements or ‘pemusnah masyarakat’ that seek to destroy this nation through universally unacceptable ways and means.
The fog of infamy is furiously rubbing its hindquarters on the window panes of UMNO; the Home Minister must make it go away, believably and convincingly. Otherwise, he must slide the panes up, and let the fog in. The ‘Trio of Carcosa 2011’ might have benefitted from an unseen sleight of hand here, but the resulting twist of fate for the country’s reputation is surely incongruous with how the ‘Trio of TAR-TAR-THO’ (Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Abdul Razak and Tun Hussein Onn) had envisaged the Home Minister would look out for the country from his watchtower and perform the duties with which he has been entrusted by the Rakyat and the founding fathers of Malaysia.
With or without the Home Minister, we say.
by Singa Pura Pura
The impudent, open screening of naked pornography at Carcosa Seri Negara. Think about it – as we lay and wait on our bed of nails – for the police and the public prosecutor to move.
Despite the gathering storm of public outrage and the consternation of an entire nation, the Home Minister, representing UMNO and the ruling coalition, still refuses to do the right and proper thing – which is to bring the persons who have openly, plainly and admittedly broken the laws of the land before the altar of justice. To charge them in an open court and to afford them an opportunity of answering those charges; to see if they have a lawful justification or excuse for possessing and screening pornography at a public place.
It is pertinent here to ask the question: In the Federation of Malaysia, and for all practical intents and purposes, to whom does the Attorney-General or the Inspector-General of Police answer? Is it to His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong? Is it to Parliament? To the Cabinet? Or to the Home Minister and/or the Prime Minister? The answer is common knowledge. Which is why pushing the blame – for the dogged refusal of the Home Minister to act – unto the police and the public prosecutor is akin to the liver apportioning liability upon the kidneys for not filtering out the toxins that are poisoning the body. Are we, seriously, being asked to believe that in this country, the police acts without any reference to the Attorney General who, in turn, acts autonomously from the Home Minister or the Prime Minister?
It simply will not do anymore for the Home Minister to crouch under the wide, discretionary ‘sarong’ of the Attorney-General or the public prosecutor. Despite the preponderance of public opinion, the Prime Minister and the Home Minister have been intractably resistant to having any proceedings brought against the licentious trio of public pornographers. Pornographers are the enemies of the state; the unwilling victims of their pornographic recordings are not.
In these circumstances, one is constrained to come to the reasonably fair conclusion that the actions and inaction of the police and the public prosecutor have led to the irresistible and adverse presumption that the ruling coalition, via UMNO and/or its agents, must have had a prior arrangement or understanding, if not a secret undertaking, with the pornographers to bring the leader of the opposition down by way of a video scandal. Of course, in law, as in life, presumptions, however irresistible they may be, are seldom irrebuttable. Which is why the onus weighs ever so heavily now upon the Home Minister to show, to the complete satisfaction of the Rakyat, that both the ruling party and the coalition to which he belongs are not only unassociated with these pornographers but also that UMNO and the ruling coalition are rightly against such heinous societal elements or ‘pemusnah masyarakat’ that seek to destroy this nation through universally unacceptable ways and means.
The fog of infamy is furiously rubbing its hindquarters on the window panes of UMNO; the Home Minister must make it go away, believably and convincingly. Otherwise, he must slide the panes up, and let the fog in. The ‘Trio of Carcosa 2011’ might have benefitted from an unseen sleight of hand here, but the resulting twist of fate for the country’s reputation is surely incongruous with how the ‘Trio of TAR-TAR-THO’ (Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Abdul Razak and Tun Hussein Onn) had envisaged the Home Minister would look out for the country from his watchtower and perform the duties with which he has been entrusted by the Rakyat and the founding fathers of Malaysia.
With or without the Home Minister, we say.
Malays are still ruled by colonialists called “Umno”
By Martin Jalleh
Perkasa, described by DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang as an outsource of Umno’s extremist demands, recently declared that for the Malays it would be “Better ruled than walked over” (The Malaysian Insider).
Its president Ibrahim Ali said that the “Malays would be better off living under colonial rule if Article 153 of the Federal Constitution which safeguards the special position of Bumiputeras is brushed aside.
Firing a warning shot across the Najib administration’s bow on the night the PM unveiled the Government Transformation Programme (GTP) annual report, Ibrahim stressed that the national agenda must be driven by Article 153, rather than incorporate the clause in piecemeal fashion.
He urged the government to persist with pro-Bumiputera affirmative action as exemplified by the New Economic Policy (NEP) as “it was impossible for the community to catch up in just 20 years after being sidelined by colonial powers for more than 400 years”.
Ibrahim reiterated that Perkasa’s fight for “equitable distribution” of economic pie was grounded in worries for national stability, which he said would be threatened if Bumiputeras remained marginalised.
How could it be possible that after 55 years of Umno’s existence, 53 years of the country’s independence and 41 years of the NEP – and Bumiputras still remain marginalised?
Blinding the Malay
Surely the patron of Perkasa, Dr Mahathir Mohamed, who was once crowned “The Father of all Racism” by Minister in the PM’s Department Nazri Aziz, will be able to enlighten Perkasa on this.
It has very much to do with the tragic irony that the Malays (and the whole nation) are still being “colonised” till this day by a colonialist power name “Umno” with the Colonial Master being Sir Najib Tun Razak.
The re-colonisation began in 1981 when Dr M donned the mantle of British supremacy and with his Executive supremacy even outdid the white colonial master in many ways during the 22 years that followed!
Dr M and his cohorts who once detested the oppressive laws of the British, brandished a gamut of harsh executive powers during his reign which were deeply and undeniably derivative of authoritarian colonialism.
Najib desperately continues this colonial tradition that he has inherited in order to survive. He waves and wields this power most unabashedly at his own race, especially those who can see through the colonialism of Umno!
Many laws left behind by the British were amended by Dr M and made even more draconian to contain, cripple and crush legitimate dissent by citizens and the Opposition. There were countless examples of this.
British “propaganda” was replaced by a powerful broadcast media owned by the Government (also read as Umno) and allied companies, and regulated by the Broadcasting Act, 1987, which gives the Information Minister vast powers of control and manipulation.
The Sedition Act (1948), a British law used to stifle Malay nationalists (especially those in UMNO, a party born two years before the Act came to be) was amended and made use of by Dr M for selective prosecution of political opponents and to protect UMNO. It is being used with greater frequency by Najib’s government!
The Internal Security Act (ISA) (1960), a relic of colonialism, meant to combat the then communists, was amended more than 20 times to make it more repressive than the original. Its powers were abused to protect the “security” of Umno. Known as ‘white terror’, the ISA was and is still used by Malaysians on Malaysians.
The Printing Presses and Publications Act (1984) originated from the Printing Press Act (1948). Amended in 1987 by Dr M’s regime to exclude judicial review of the Executive’s action vis-a-vis publications it still serves as a stranglehold on the press and opposition publications.
The Official Secrets Act (OSA) (1972) was based on the British OSA of 1911. Amended in 1986 to provide for mandatory jail sentences, Dr M used it to reinforce the cult of secrecy and to hide his many misdeeds. It resulted in self-censorship by the press.
The Police Act (1963) was amended in 1967, 1981 and 1987 to enhance the wide array of police powers, thus making the constitutional right of assembly absolutely “irrelevant”.
The late Tunku Abdul Rahman died a disillusioned man on seeing his Malaysia reduced to, in his very own words, “a Police State”. Till today the police continue to abuse their unbridled power and play politics.
The Special Branch, a creation of Britain in 1887, was meant as a response to Irish anarchist terrorism. It has been perfected by the Malaysian police to “trace”, threaten, torture and “turn over” political dissidents.
Reporting on the coming Sarawak elections, Sim Kwang Yang (former MP for Kuching) wrote that Special branch and Information department are eyes and ears of the BN!
Najib and his Umno-dominated government continue to employ every trick and treachery by Dr M during his 22 years as PM – “divide-and-rule”, purveying a “culture of fear” or creating a “siege mentality”, manipulating ethnic and religious fears, trotting out a bogey – which were all tools of British Colonialism.
Bonsified Malay Mind
No one has echoed this reality with such accuracy and bluntness than renegade artist Hishamuddin Rais who declared on 7 Sept. 2010 that “the Malay mind has been ‘bonsified’ (shrunk and distorted, like a bonsai plant) by Umno’s political agenda in order to perpetuate the culture of fear against non-Malays.”
The former ISA detainee said that it is typical of Umno to play on racial fears to convince the public that they are the best option for Malays to remain at the forefront of social and economic development in Malaysia.
“This process that ‘bonsifies’, nullifies and stupefies (Malays) goes back to the British time. (Malays) are led by lazy leaders and lazy thinkers,” Hishamuddin said at a ‘Malays are muted too!’ forum.
The activist noted that Malays have been indoctrinated to fear new ideas and ‘ghosts’ of Chinese supremacy, to the point that the Malay public believe that the ‘ghosts’ are real threats to their existence.
Hishamuddin claimed that just like the colonial British in Malaya, Umno realises that a liberated Malay mind is a threat to their existence, hence the ruling party’s efforts to stop the liberalisation of the Malay mindset.
He alleged that Umno would never agree to free the Malay mind as it is all about maintaining the ruling party’s power and control over Malaysia’s wealth.
Hishamuddin stressed that the ruling government is simply working on the premise of “manufactured consent”‘, where it employs public institutions such as the Malayan Sultanate to force people to agree with whatever opinions or policies it makes.
He said that it has perpetuated the culture of ‘lazy thinkers’ among Malays, where the best minds end up being unwilling or unable to contribute to the community’s advancement.
Hishamuddin stressed that it is unfortunate that the best Malay minds have been left out of the nation’s education system, to make way for ‘half-educated’ Malays who are bent on maintaining the status quo.
Bastardised NEP
Another Malay who is free from “Umno’s colonialism” is CIMB group CEO Nazir Abdul Razak who had in August 2010 described the NEP as having been bastardised by deviating from its original purpose.
He declared that the NEP has come a long way from the social engineering experiment originally aimed at eradicating poverty and that it has appeared to enrich small pockets of people.
“Now we need to address what kind of affirmative action we want to have. It is so infused in everything. But we will one day need to confront it one way or another.”
He also advised his audience to ignore extremist groups and not to waste time engaging with the “few noisy people in the corner do not make up the majority or represent the majority”. Was he referring to Perkasa?
Alas, the Malays of today who are still marginalised have to follow good and brave examples like Hishamuddin Rais and Nazir Abdul Razak and free themselves from the devious and oppressive colonial ways of Umno and its agents like Ibrahim Ali.
Perkasa, described by DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang as an outsource of Umno’s extremist demands, recently declared that for the Malays it would be “Better ruled than walked over” (The Malaysian Insider).
Its president Ibrahim Ali said that the “Malays would be better off living under colonial rule if Article 153 of the Federal Constitution which safeguards the special position of Bumiputeras is brushed aside.
Firing a warning shot across the Najib administration’s bow on the night the PM unveiled the Government Transformation Programme (GTP) annual report, Ibrahim stressed that the national agenda must be driven by Article 153, rather than incorporate the clause in piecemeal fashion.
He urged the government to persist with pro-Bumiputera affirmative action as exemplified by the New Economic Policy (NEP) as “it was impossible for the community to catch up in just 20 years after being sidelined by colonial powers for more than 400 years”.
Ibrahim reiterated that Perkasa’s fight for “equitable distribution” of economic pie was grounded in worries for national stability, which he said would be threatened if Bumiputeras remained marginalised.
How could it be possible that after 55 years of Umno’s existence, 53 years of the country’s independence and 41 years of the NEP – and Bumiputras still remain marginalised?
Blinding the Malay
Surely the patron of Perkasa, Dr Mahathir Mohamed, who was once crowned “The Father of all Racism” by Minister in the PM’s Department Nazri Aziz, will be able to enlighten Perkasa on this.
It has very much to do with the tragic irony that the Malays (and the whole nation) are still being “colonised” till this day by a colonialist power name “Umno” with the Colonial Master being Sir Najib Tun Razak.
The re-colonisation began in 1981 when Dr M donned the mantle of British supremacy and with his Executive supremacy even outdid the white colonial master in many ways during the 22 years that followed!
Dr M and his cohorts who once detested the oppressive laws of the British, brandished a gamut of harsh executive powers during his reign which were deeply and undeniably derivative of authoritarian colonialism.
Najib desperately continues this colonial tradition that he has inherited in order to survive. He waves and wields this power most unabashedly at his own race, especially those who can see through the colonialism of Umno!
Many laws left behind by the British were amended by Dr M and made even more draconian to contain, cripple and crush legitimate dissent by citizens and the Opposition. There were countless examples of this.
British “propaganda” was replaced by a powerful broadcast media owned by the Government (also read as Umno) and allied companies, and regulated by the Broadcasting Act, 1987, which gives the Information Minister vast powers of control and manipulation.
The Sedition Act (1948), a British law used to stifle Malay nationalists (especially those in UMNO, a party born two years before the Act came to be) was amended and made use of by Dr M for selective prosecution of political opponents and to protect UMNO. It is being used with greater frequency by Najib’s government!
The Internal Security Act (ISA) (1960), a relic of colonialism, meant to combat the then communists, was amended more than 20 times to make it more repressive than the original. Its powers were abused to protect the “security” of Umno. Known as ‘white terror’, the ISA was and is still used by Malaysians on Malaysians.
The Printing Presses and Publications Act (1984) originated from the Printing Press Act (1948). Amended in 1987 by Dr M’s regime to exclude judicial review of the Executive’s action vis-a-vis publications it still serves as a stranglehold on the press and opposition publications.
The Official Secrets Act (OSA) (1972) was based on the British OSA of 1911. Amended in 1986 to provide for mandatory jail sentences, Dr M used it to reinforce the cult of secrecy and to hide his many misdeeds. It resulted in self-censorship by the press.
The Police Act (1963) was amended in 1967, 1981 and 1987 to enhance the wide array of police powers, thus making the constitutional right of assembly absolutely “irrelevant”.
The late Tunku Abdul Rahman died a disillusioned man on seeing his Malaysia reduced to, in his very own words, “a Police State”. Till today the police continue to abuse their unbridled power and play politics.
The Special Branch, a creation of Britain in 1887, was meant as a response to Irish anarchist terrorism. It has been perfected by the Malaysian police to “trace”, threaten, torture and “turn over” political dissidents.
Reporting on the coming Sarawak elections, Sim Kwang Yang (former MP for Kuching) wrote that Special branch and Information department are eyes and ears of the BN!
Najib and his Umno-dominated government continue to employ every trick and treachery by Dr M during his 22 years as PM – “divide-and-rule”, purveying a “culture of fear” or creating a “siege mentality”, manipulating ethnic and religious fears, trotting out a bogey – which were all tools of British Colonialism.
Bonsified Malay Mind
No one has echoed this reality with such accuracy and bluntness than renegade artist Hishamuddin Rais who declared on 7 Sept. 2010 that “the Malay mind has been ‘bonsified’ (shrunk and distorted, like a bonsai plant) by Umno’s political agenda in order to perpetuate the culture of fear against non-Malays.”
The former ISA detainee said that it is typical of Umno to play on racial fears to convince the public that they are the best option for Malays to remain at the forefront of social and economic development in Malaysia.
“This process that ‘bonsifies’, nullifies and stupefies (Malays) goes back to the British time. (Malays) are led by lazy leaders and lazy thinkers,” Hishamuddin said at a ‘Malays are muted too!’ forum.
The activist noted that Malays have been indoctrinated to fear new ideas and ‘ghosts’ of Chinese supremacy, to the point that the Malay public believe that the ‘ghosts’ are real threats to their existence.
Hishamuddin claimed that just like the colonial British in Malaya, Umno realises that a liberated Malay mind is a threat to their existence, hence the ruling party’s efforts to stop the liberalisation of the Malay mindset.
He alleged that Umno would never agree to free the Malay mind as it is all about maintaining the ruling party’s power and control over Malaysia’s wealth.
Hishamuddin stressed that the ruling government is simply working on the premise of “manufactured consent”‘, where it employs public institutions such as the Malayan Sultanate to force people to agree with whatever opinions or policies it makes.
He said that it has perpetuated the culture of ‘lazy thinkers’ among Malays, where the best minds end up being unwilling or unable to contribute to the community’s advancement.
Hishamuddin stressed that it is unfortunate that the best Malay minds have been left out of the nation’s education system, to make way for ‘half-educated’ Malays who are bent on maintaining the status quo.
Bastardised NEP
Another Malay who is free from “Umno’s colonialism” is CIMB group CEO Nazir Abdul Razak who had in August 2010 described the NEP as having been bastardised by deviating from its original purpose.
He declared that the NEP has come a long way from the social engineering experiment originally aimed at eradicating poverty and that it has appeared to enrich small pockets of people.
“Now we need to address what kind of affirmative action we want to have. It is so infused in everything. But we will one day need to confront it one way or another.”
He also advised his audience to ignore extremist groups and not to waste time engaging with the “few noisy people in the corner do not make up the majority or represent the majority”. Was he referring to Perkasa?
Alas, the Malays of today who are still marginalised have to follow good and brave examples like Hishamuddin Rais and Nazir Abdul Razak and free themselves from the devious and oppressive colonial ways of Umno and its agents like Ibrahim Ali.
Dewan Rakyat: 34,905 warga asing ditahan tahun lalu
Berita Harian
KUALA LUMPUR: Seramai 34,905 warga asing ditangkap sepanjang tahun lalu kerana melakukan pelbagai kesalahan mengikut Akta Imigresen 1953/63, kata Menteri Dalam Negeri, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.
Beliau berkata, penangkapan itu dibuat melalui 6,017 operasi yang dilaksanakan oleh Jabatan Imigresen dalam tempoh berkenaan.
“Seramai 688 majikan ditangkap atas kesalahan mengikut Seksyen 55B Akta Imigresen 1959/63, iaitu mengambil pekerja (asing) secara tidak sah,” katanya menjawab soalan tambahan Datuk Md Sirat Abu (BN-Bukit Katil).
Hishammuddin berkata, beliau amat memahami kebimbangan rakyat berhubung kebanjiran warga asing di negara ini, tetapi isu berkenaan perlu dilihat dalam konteks dua fenomena dunia.
Katanya, fenomena itu ialah globalisasi dengan mengambil kira landskap baru migrasi dan mobiliti penduduk dunia tanpa sempadan, serta langkah mengimbangi kebanjiran warga itu dengan keperluan pekerja asing untuk menjana dan juga memulihkan ekonomi negara.
Beliau berkata, penangkapan itu dibuat melalui 6,017 operasi yang dilaksanakan oleh Jabatan Imigresen dalam tempoh berkenaan.
“Seramai 688 majikan ditangkap atas kesalahan mengikut Seksyen 55B Akta Imigresen 1959/63, iaitu mengambil pekerja (asing) secara tidak sah,” katanya menjawab soalan tambahan Datuk Md Sirat Abu (BN-Bukit Katil).
Hishammuddin berkata, beliau amat memahami kebimbangan rakyat berhubung kebanjiran warga asing di negara ini, tetapi isu berkenaan perlu dilihat dalam konteks dua fenomena dunia.
Katanya, fenomena itu ialah globalisasi dengan mengambil kira landskap baru migrasi dan mobiliti penduduk dunia tanpa sempadan, serta langkah mengimbangi kebanjiran warga itu dengan keperluan pekerja asing untuk menjana dan juga memulihkan ekonomi negara.
Justeru, beliau berkata, Jawatankuasa Kabinet Pekerja Asing dan Pendatang Asing Tanpa Izin (JKKPA-PATI) yang dipengerusikan Timbalan Perdana Menteri, meneliti isu berkenaan dari aspek perundangan, kewujudan sistem dan proses lebih komprehensif serta menyuntik kemahuan politik untuk memantau keadaan.
Terdahulu menjawab soalan Md Sirat, Hishammuddin berkata, statistik Jabatan Imigresen menunjukkan sehingga 31 Disember tahun lalu, ada seramai 1,817,871 warga asing memegang Pas Lawatan Kerja Sementara (LPKS) yang aktif.
“Kerajaan ketika ini menetapkan warga asing yang memegang LPKS hanya dibenarkan bekerja dalam enam sektor, iaitu pembantu rumah, pembinaan, pembuatan, perladangan, pertanian dan perkhidmatan.
“Mengenai sektor perkhidmatan, dasar semasa kerajaan yang bermula 14 Januari 2009, hanya membenarkan pekerja asing bekerja dalam tiga subsektor, iaitu restoran (tukang masak), pembersihan dan pencucian, serta pulau peranginan, selainnya masih dibekukan.
“Pecahan pemegang PLKS mengikut sektor pekerjaan sehingga 31 Disember tahun lalu ialah pembantu rumah (247,069), pembinaan (235,010), pembuatan (672,823), perkhidmatan (165,258), perladangan (266,196) dan pertanian (231,515),” katanya.
Sambil menjelaskan Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN) bertanggungjawab mengeluarkan permit kerja kepada pekerja asing tidak mahir dan separa mahir dalam enam sektor itu, Hishammuddin berkata, kementerian bagaimanapun tiada rekod mengenai jumlah warga asing yang dibenar menjalankan perniagaan seperti gerai makanan dan memiliki harta di negara ini.
Namun sebagai langkah jangka panjang, katanya, kerajaan sedang melaksanakan strategi serta pendekatan bagi memantapkan mekanisme pengurusan warga asing di negara ini melalui JKKPA-PATI yang turut membabitkan 13 kementerian dan agensi berkaitan.
Makmal Pengurusan Warga Asing yang berlangsung dari 23 Mac hingga 23 April tahun lalu mengemukakan 50 syor dan sehingga kini, 48 usul itu sudah dipersetujui kerajaan dengan 19 daripadanya akan dibuat kajian lanjut, 29 syor lagi akan dilaksanakan melalui tiga fasa sehingga Disember depan.
Terdahulu menjawab soalan Md Sirat, Hishammuddin berkata, statistik Jabatan Imigresen menunjukkan sehingga 31 Disember tahun lalu, ada seramai 1,817,871 warga asing memegang Pas Lawatan Kerja Sementara (LPKS) yang aktif.
“Kerajaan ketika ini menetapkan warga asing yang memegang LPKS hanya dibenarkan bekerja dalam enam sektor, iaitu pembantu rumah, pembinaan, pembuatan, perladangan, pertanian dan perkhidmatan.
“Mengenai sektor perkhidmatan, dasar semasa kerajaan yang bermula 14 Januari 2009, hanya membenarkan pekerja asing bekerja dalam tiga subsektor, iaitu restoran (tukang masak), pembersihan dan pencucian, serta pulau peranginan, selainnya masih dibekukan.
“Pecahan pemegang PLKS mengikut sektor pekerjaan sehingga 31 Disember tahun lalu ialah pembantu rumah (247,069), pembinaan (235,010), pembuatan (672,823), perkhidmatan (165,258), perladangan (266,196) dan pertanian (231,515),” katanya.
Sambil menjelaskan Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN) bertanggungjawab mengeluarkan permit kerja kepada pekerja asing tidak mahir dan separa mahir dalam enam sektor itu, Hishammuddin berkata, kementerian bagaimanapun tiada rekod mengenai jumlah warga asing yang dibenar menjalankan perniagaan seperti gerai makanan dan memiliki harta di negara ini.
Namun sebagai langkah jangka panjang, katanya, kerajaan sedang melaksanakan strategi serta pendekatan bagi memantapkan mekanisme pengurusan warga asing di negara ini melalui JKKPA-PATI yang turut membabitkan 13 kementerian dan agensi berkaitan.
Makmal Pengurusan Warga Asing yang berlangsung dari 23 Mac hingga 23 April tahun lalu mengemukakan 50 syor dan sehingga kini, 48 usul itu sudah dipersetujui kerajaan dengan 19 daripadanya akan dibuat kajian lanjut, 29 syor lagi akan dilaksanakan melalui tiga fasa sehingga Disember depan.
Anwar Not Fit To Be Opposition Leader Anymore, Says Tan Tee Beng
KUALA LUMPUR, April 5 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is no longer fit to be opposition leader following one scandal after another involving him, said Nibong Tebal Member of Parliament (MP) and one-time Anwar supporter, Tan Tee Beng.
"The many controversies involving him (Anwar) will not make him an effective political leader," Tan told reporters at the Parliament lobby, here Tuesday.
"The people don't need a leader who is necessarily a saint, but he must be free of all these encumbrances," he said, referring to the latest controversy, namely a sex video recording allegedly involving the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR)de facto leader.
Businessman Datuk Shazryl Eskay Abdullah, who claimed to be Anwar's close friend and had known him since 1996, had on March 24 handed over to police a video of a sex act which he claimed involved a senior opposition leader.
The video recording was earlier shown by Eskay and two other individuals, collectively known as "Datuk T", to a selected group of media reporters and editors at Carcosa Seri Negara here, on March 21 with the intention of exposing "who Anwar really is".
Anwar then lodged a police report, stating that he was not the man in the sex video.
On Monday, the video clip was uploaded to YouTube by someone calling himself powercam and believed to be from Thailand, and then posted by some bloggers on their blogsites before it was removed from YouTube.
Tan, who quit PKR and became an independent MP before joining Parti Kesejahteraan Insan Tanah Air (Kita) in February, when asked whether the opposition members would continue to support Anwar, said:
"As of now, I can only say that my old friends in PKR, PAS and DAP appear not to be supporting (Anwar), but they are just denying that the man in the sex video was him (Anwar)," he said.
Meanwhile, Tumpat MP Datuk Kamaruddin Jaafar said PAS was still supportive of Anwar although the sex video linked to him was already on the Internet.
He added that the revelation would not threaten support for Anwar as such tactics had been used since 1998 when Anwar was accused of sodomy.
Titiwangsa MP Dr Lo'Lo' Mohd Ghazali said the distribution of the sex video recording linked to Anwar was an attempt to shame the opposition leader.
"Although I have not seen the video recording posted on the Internet, I believe the man in the video was not Anwar, as refuted by his wife (Datin Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail) today."
Ulama Association of Malaysia secretary-general Dr Mohd Roslan Mansor in a statement said the association regretted the showing of the sex video to the mainstream media, and that the distribution of the video was against journalistic ethics.
Batu Kawan deal raises huge questions
The Penang Chief Minister has revealed details of the re-negotiated Batu Kawan deals between PDC and Abad Naluri involving 750 acres of land.
Under the revised agreement, the 300 acres for the equestrian track will be relocated elsewhere so that PDC can create a 1,400-acre industrial park.
The original lopsided 2004 agreement between PDC and Abad Naluri should be made public soon so that we can see whether its terms, conditions, payment period, and completion deadlines were all fulfilled within the time frame stipulated back then. That would show us whether or not that 2004 agreement should still stand.
Back then, we did not really know who owned Abad Naluri. It was Patrick Lim’s Equine that was always in the limelight – but Equine only had a 25 per cent in Abad Naluri. Who were the real people behind Abad Naluri?
What puzzles me is how PDC arrived at a RM3-4psf valuation in 2004 when the land is prime land next to the second Penang Bridge. Considering that the market price of Batu Kawan land today is around RM20psf, the deal, whichever way I look at it, is a huge loss to the people of Penang. Sad.
PENJUALAN TANAH DI BATU KAWAN KEPADA ABAD NALURI SDN. BHD. (EN)
by CM Lim Guan Eng
SALE OF BATU KAWAN LAND TO ABAD NALURI SDN BHD
The Penang state government’s continuous efforts to accommodate for an improved development in Batu Kawan in line with its effort to promote focused development across all of Penang
Background Facts
In 2002, the state government, as it was then, via the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) approved the sales of 750 acres of land in Batu Kawan to Abad Naluri Sdn Bhd (ANSB). The development was planned in six different phases, each divided into Parcels 1, 2A, 2B 3A, 3B and 4 respectively of which mixed development projects were planned on Parcels 1, 2A, 2B 3A, and 3B measuring 450 acres in total. The development of Parcel 4 was confined to the development of a Penang International Equesterian Centre (PIEC) measuring approximately 300 acres.
The Principal Agreement and the S&P Agreements for Parcels 1 & 2A were signed on 16th January 2004.
Taking into account the current development requirements, the current state government initiated a re-negotiation process with ANSB in 2008 to proceed with the development of the remaining parcels since the S&P Agreements for Parcels 2B, 3A and 3B were yet to be signed. After serious negotiations and discussions between both parties, a decision was finally made and agreed upon by both parties early this year.
New Terms
The current state government, via PDC has recently signed the S&P Agreement for Parcels 2B & 4 on 31st March 2011. PDC has renegotiated the terms of the previous arrangements and has agreed to relocate Parcel 4, which was previously allocated to ANSB for the development of the PIEC.
The location of Parcel 4 has now been changed to a different area. Also, the purpose of which Parcel 4 was initially sold to ANSB, has now been re-assessed to a mixed development comprising of various projects focusing on housing, commercial, and institutional developments, among others.
In light of the above, the new arrangement shall allow for an additional 300 acres of Land for the purposes of industrial development. Further, the relocation of Parcel 4 shall now allow for an improved development plan, as there shall now be 1400 acres of contiguous land for planned industrial development. In addition to the former, the value of Parcel 4 has been significantly enhanced. The new arrangement also compels for the resumption of the abandoned housing development on Parcels 1 and 2A.
Details of the Benefits
Additional land for development
As a result of the re-negotiation, Batu Kawan shall now have further 300 acres of land for industrial development, in resonance with the proposed industrial park in Batu Kawan. And now that Parcel 4 has been relocated to a different location, the proposed industrial park shall consist of an area measuring 1400 acres of contiguous land to be developed by PDC.
Enhanced value of land
Previously, 150 acres of the land with earthworks was valued at RM4.00 psf, while the remaining 150 acres of the land without any earthworks were valued at RM3.05 psf.
The change in the development of Parcel 4 from the PIEC to the proposed mixed development has benefited PDC by enhancing the value of the land from RM3.05 psf to RM4.77 amounting to an increased value of RM22,500,000.00.(Approximately 56% increase in value of the land)
PDC is now also exempted from the responsibility of providing the land completed with earthworks to ANSB. Since the earthworks are currently valued at RM4.00 psf, the new approach has allowed PDC to save approximately RM26,136,000.00 to that effect. (The earthworks for the land were previously calculated at RM0.95 psf)
Completion of the abandoned housing projects in Parcels 1 and 2A
In tandem with the new arrangement, ANSB has also pledged to continue with the development of the housing units of which it has currently abandoned due to commercial obstructions/obstacles. Under the new arrangement, ANSB has pledged to complete the abandoned housing project by June 2011. The aforesaid shall be subject to an automatic extension of time until the end of December 2011 and must be issued with the Certificate of Fitness for Occupation.
Summary
The new terms are expected to benefit the state development plans as the state government will now be able to implement a more focused development in the Batu Kawan industrial park apart from generating more employment opportunities to the people of Penang.
With the development of various projects on Parcel 4 focusing on housing, commercial, and institutional developments, PDC foresees the new development approach as catalyst to encourage major economic and social development in Batu Kawan.
The new approach shall allow the state government together with the PDC to re-plan and develop the southern part of Batu Kawan into the proposed industrial park to further develop Penang as the ideal location for technology, industry and business to promote a sustainable economic growth and prosperity for the people of Penang and Malaysia.
Since the S&P for Parcels 1 & 2A were signed in 2004 and Parcels 2B & 4 were signed recently, the S&P for Parcels 3A and 3B remain to be concluded. ANSB has been given until 30th September 2013 to conclude the transaction. All the parcels are expected to be fully developed by ANSB by the Year 2021.
Under the revised agreement, the 300 acres for the equestrian track will be relocated elsewhere so that PDC can create a 1,400-acre industrial park.
The original lopsided 2004 agreement between PDC and Abad Naluri should be made public soon so that we can see whether its terms, conditions, payment period, and completion deadlines were all fulfilled within the time frame stipulated back then. That would show us whether or not that 2004 agreement should still stand.
Back then, we did not really know who owned Abad Naluri. It was Patrick Lim’s Equine that was always in the limelight – but Equine only had a 25 per cent in Abad Naluri. Who were the real people behind Abad Naluri?
What puzzles me is how PDC arrived at a RM3-4psf valuation in 2004 when the land is prime land next to the second Penang Bridge. Considering that the market price of Batu Kawan land today is around RM20psf, the deal, whichever way I look at it, is a huge loss to the people of Penang. Sad.
PENJUALAN TANAH DI BATU KAWAN KEPADA ABAD NALURI SDN. BHD. (EN)
by CM Lim Guan Eng
SALE OF BATU KAWAN LAND TO ABAD NALURI SDN BHD
The Penang state government’s continuous efforts to accommodate for an improved development in Batu Kawan in line with its effort to promote focused development across all of Penang
Background Facts
In 2002, the state government, as it was then, via the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) approved the sales of 750 acres of land in Batu Kawan to Abad Naluri Sdn Bhd (ANSB). The development was planned in six different phases, each divided into Parcels 1, 2A, 2B 3A, 3B and 4 respectively of which mixed development projects were planned on Parcels 1, 2A, 2B 3A, and 3B measuring 450 acres in total. The development of Parcel 4 was confined to the development of a Penang International Equesterian Centre (PIEC) measuring approximately 300 acres.
The Principal Agreement and the S&P Agreements for Parcels 1 & 2A were signed on 16th January 2004.
Taking into account the current development requirements, the current state government initiated a re-negotiation process with ANSB in 2008 to proceed with the development of the remaining parcels since the S&P Agreements for Parcels 2B, 3A and 3B were yet to be signed. After serious negotiations and discussions between both parties, a decision was finally made and agreed upon by both parties early this year.
New Terms
The current state government, via PDC has recently signed the S&P Agreement for Parcels 2B & 4 on 31st March 2011. PDC has renegotiated the terms of the previous arrangements and has agreed to relocate Parcel 4, which was previously allocated to ANSB for the development of the PIEC.
The location of Parcel 4 has now been changed to a different area. Also, the purpose of which Parcel 4 was initially sold to ANSB, has now been re-assessed to a mixed development comprising of various projects focusing on housing, commercial, and institutional developments, among others.
In light of the above, the new arrangement shall allow for an additional 300 acres of Land for the purposes of industrial development. Further, the relocation of Parcel 4 shall now allow for an improved development plan, as there shall now be 1400 acres of contiguous land for planned industrial development. In addition to the former, the value of Parcel 4 has been significantly enhanced. The new arrangement also compels for the resumption of the abandoned housing development on Parcels 1 and 2A.
Details of the Benefits
Additional land for development
As a result of the re-negotiation, Batu Kawan shall now have further 300 acres of land for industrial development, in resonance with the proposed industrial park in Batu Kawan. And now that Parcel 4 has been relocated to a different location, the proposed industrial park shall consist of an area measuring 1400 acres of contiguous land to be developed by PDC.
Enhanced value of land
Previously, 150 acres of the land with earthworks was valued at RM4.00 psf, while the remaining 150 acres of the land without any earthworks were valued at RM3.05 psf.
The change in the development of Parcel 4 from the PIEC to the proposed mixed development has benefited PDC by enhancing the value of the land from RM3.05 psf to RM4.77 amounting to an increased value of RM22,500,000.00.(Approximately 56% increase in value of the land)
PDC is now also exempted from the responsibility of providing the land completed with earthworks to ANSB. Since the earthworks are currently valued at RM4.00 psf, the new approach has allowed PDC to save approximately RM26,136,000.00 to that effect. (The earthworks for the land were previously calculated at RM0.95 psf)
Completion of the abandoned housing projects in Parcels 1 and 2A
In tandem with the new arrangement, ANSB has also pledged to continue with the development of the housing units of which it has currently abandoned due to commercial obstructions/obstacles. Under the new arrangement, ANSB has pledged to complete the abandoned housing project by June 2011. The aforesaid shall be subject to an automatic extension of time until the end of December 2011 and must be issued with the Certificate of Fitness for Occupation.
Summary
The new terms are expected to benefit the state development plans as the state government will now be able to implement a more focused development in the Batu Kawan industrial park apart from generating more employment opportunities to the people of Penang.
With the development of various projects on Parcel 4 focusing on housing, commercial, and institutional developments, PDC foresees the new development approach as catalyst to encourage major economic and social development in Batu Kawan.
The new approach shall allow the state government together with the PDC to re-plan and develop the southern part of Batu Kawan into the proposed industrial park to further develop Penang as the ideal location for technology, industry and business to promote a sustainable economic growth and prosperity for the people of Penang and Malaysia.
Since the S&P for Parcels 1 & 2A were signed in 2004 and Parcels 2B & 4 were signed recently, the S&P for Parcels 3A and 3B remain to be concluded. ANSB has been given until 30th September 2013 to conclude the transaction. All the parcels are expected to be fully developed by ANSB by the Year 2021.
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