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Friday, 23 September 2011

Charge the British, not Mat Sabu

The Malaysian government could demand for an immediate release of all relevant documents on Malaya that are held by the British government at its secret archive at Hanslope Park.


If the Barisan Nasional were really interested in righting wrongs, it would pursue the British for alleged miscarriage of justice and murders, which were never properly investigated.

BN appears to treat the rakyat like fools; it vexes us with sodomy trials, sex tapes and the rewriting of history. Then, in an attempt to bolster our flagging spirits, it tell us that the Internal Security Act (ISA) will be abolished and Malaysia made the “best democracy in the world”

Many people fail to realise that in the run-up to the general election, there is a concerted effort by Umno-BN to discredit opposition MPs and hence destabilise them.

Last month, Mat Sabu made a speech about one of Malaya’s freedom fighters, Mat Indera. As a result of this, Mat Sabu has been politically flayed, his family threatened and his home violated.

He has also been pursued in court and charged under Section 500 of the Penal Code because he is alleged to have slandered the police officers who had been killed by communists in an attack on the Bukit Kepong police station in 1950.

Mat Sabu’s trial is slated for December and if convicted, he could be fined and imprisoned for two years. If that were to happen, he would be prevented from participating in the 13th general election. His conviction is politically motivated and a cheap attempt to divide the nation further along racial lines.

And yet, the government machinery appears to have ground to a halt in pursuing another incident which happened two years before the attack which Mat Sabu was referring to.

That incident is known as the Batang Kali massacre in which 24 unarmed Chinese were shot dead and their bodies mutilated, by the Scots Guards, on Dec 12, 1948. Batang Kali was at the time believed to be a communist stronghold deep in the Selangor jungle.

When the British soldiers arrived, the men and the women were separated, before they were interrogated. The villagers were accused of supplying the communists with food and the men were shot when the British soldiers’ attempts to extricate information proved unsuccessful.

Still termed terrorists

An eyewitness described the imprisonment of villagers in one room without food or water. She said: “One woman was crying and the soldiers said if she didn’t stop they would shoot her.”

This eyewitness said she attempted to quieten her younger brother and sister and that the following day the men were taken away and the rest were herded into a truck and driven away. She heard the sound of gunfire and saw that their houses had been torched.

Another villager who was only a child at the time said that he had spent most of his life attempting to seek justice for his uncle who was killed.

He said: “I hope they (the British) compensate and apologise. It has been so long.”

Despite his collection of signatures from Chinese associations nationwide and the submission of a petition to the British government to launch an inquiry, the British government had decided not to take any action. The 24 victims are still termed bandits and terrorists.

Official records support the testimony of the British soldiers that the 24 Chinese were communist sympathisers and had been shot while escaping.

However, in an interview which was reported in a UK tabloid in 1970, a number of Scots Guards who were present at Batang Kali, confessed to their part in the massacre. The former soldiers said that the Chinese men had not been trying to escape.

This claim led to the launching of an inquiry by Scotland Yard, which was soon abandoned after a change of government in Britain.

Secret archive

A BBC documentary, which was broadcast later in the 1990s, compelled the Malaysian authorities to reopen the case and this too was dropped before a conclusion could be reached.

Despite the emergence of new evidence and calls by Malaysians and some activists in the UK, the British government has refused to launch an inquiry.

The Malaysian government briefly pursued the case before it too collapsed for “lack of evidence”.

Lawyer and activist Quek Ngee Meng, who has been instrumental in helping the families of victims to clear the names of the victims, has also made demands for compensation.

He said: “First, the British are saying that at that time, the British soldiers were employed by the Malayan or Selangor state government, not by the Queen. Therefore, we should sue the Malayan or Selangor government.

“Secondly, they said after independence (Malaya gained independence in 1957), the Malayan government actually succeeded to all the liability and responsibility. Therefore we shouldn’t point our claim against the British government.”

It has been reported that there has been no record of the Batang Kali Massacre in the country’s history books.

When the latest petition for an inquiry was rejected, Firoz Hussein, the lawyer representing the families in Malaysia, said that he would challenge the decision in the British courts.

He said: “We want a public inquiry to investigate precisely what happened, to exonerate the 24 villagers and we feel reparations should be paid to these people. The families are still tainted with the stigma that those executed were communist terrorists.”

In 2011, Mat Sabu’s words about the Kepong attack were twisted by Utusan Malaysia so that he now faces charges for “defaming the dead”.

On the other hand, the BN government does not think there is any point in seeking justice for the villagers of Batang Kali who were executed in cold blood.

The Malaysian government could start with the demand for an immediate release of all relevant documents on Malaya that are held by the British government at its secret archive at Hanslope Park.

Mariam Mokhtar is a FMT columnist.

Zaid’s roadshow for Najib sends Kita reeling

Kita's state leaders are asking why they were never consulted over the Kita democracy roadshow.

PETALING JAYA: Kita president, Zaid Ibrahim, has sent shockwaves through his party with his announcement of a roadshow to drum up support for Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s pledge for reforms.

Kita’s democracy roadshow secretariat told the press yesterday that it was important for people at all levels to understand the policy transformations which are “historical and full of importance”.

The secretariat also said that Kita would be holding meetings with the public to provide information and clarification on the issue in order that Najib’s “noble efforts” are not obstructed by misunderstanding.

The roadshow will be held nationwide from Sept 27 to Oct 26.

This is the latest in a string of surprise moves from Zaid, with the first being the abrupt sacking of three party top leaders, which fuelled accusations of his tyranny and disrespect for party protocol.

The announcement of the roadshow has sent the party’s leaders in many states reeling particularly since they first learnt of it through the press late yesterday evening.

Penang chief, Tan Tee Beng, said that Zaid had never held any meeting with the state leaders on such a controversial decision which clearly needed a collective opinion.

“His apology to Najib already created havoc within the party,” he said. “This roadshow has created a timebomb for both Zaid and the party. It’s like adding salt to the wound.”

“Is he diverting attention from the talk of infighting within the party? If Barisan Nasional invited a Kita representative to sit on a panel to discuss the issue, we would gladly oblige but there is no need for a roadshow.”

Nothing concrete

Federal Territory chief, G Rajaratnam, said that such a roadshow was premature when Najib had only announced an intent to repeal the Internal Security Act (ISA) without any futher solid details.

“Whatever Najib says should be taken with a pinch of salt,” he said. “Logically, this roadshow shouldn’t be done because there is nothing concrete to talk to the people about.”

“The party’s basic premise is that we are not aligned with BN or Pakatan Rakyat so I’m completely lost as to what Zaid is doing. It is beyond my understanding. He is not consulting us nor is he following party protocol.”

Yet another disgruntled state leader is Kedah chief, Zamil Ibrahim, who confirmed that he had yet to receive any word or official notice of the roadshow. This, he said, was particularly worrying as one of the planned venues was Sungai Petani.

“It is very odd that this news was revealed to the media before the state leaders were informed,” he said. “If we were given a chance to air our views in a meeting, I’m certain there would have been dissenters.”

Zamil also agreed with Rajaratnam that Najib’s pledge could merely be a “change of clothing” as the new laws replacing the ISA had not yet been revealed.

“Kita agrees with the ISA abolishment but we are not a BN component party to justify this roadshow,” he said. “Even Gerakan is not doing anything like this.”

“Any roadshow should be to strenghten the party and not to ride on another party’s issues. BN already said it will provide a full explanation so let them do it. I propose that this roadshow be reviewed and if possible, called off.”

Chithirakala mulls settling suit against Samy Vellu

The former MIED CEO is considering resolving the matter out of court.

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Maju Institute of Educational Development (MIED) chief executive officer P Chithirakala is considering to settle defamation suits against former MIC president S Samy Vellu and two others.

Her counsel, Prakash Lachimanan, told reporters that his client was considering to resolve the matter out of court.

“I will meet her (Chithirakala) next week to get further instructions over the matter,” he said.

Prakash said High Court senior assistant registrar Ahmad Khairul Farhi Yusob set Oct 21 for case management of the suit after meeting him in chambers today.

He also mentioned the case on behalf of the three defendants’ counsel.

On Nov 4, 2009, Chithirakala and her businessman husband, KVasu, filed three suits against Samy Vellu, his wife R Indrani and the Tamil Nesan daily.

In the first suit against Samy Vellu, Chithirakala and her husband claimed that he (Samy Vellu) had made defamatory remarks related to MIED insurance on March 8, 2009, which were carried by all three Tamil dailies – Tamil Nesan, Makkal Osai and Malaysian Nanban.

Chithirakala said the remarks meant that she and her husband had conspired to cheat MIED, the education arm of MIC, and the Indian community.

In the second suit against Indrani, Chithirakala claimed that the MIC chief’s wife defamed her in an interview with the MalaysiaKini news portal on Oct 1 this year, which was also carried in full by Makkal Osai on Oct 3, 2009.

Chithirakala in her third suit against the publisher of the Tamil daily, Tamil Nesan (M) Sdn Bhd, and its editor-in-chief, K Padmanabhan, claimed that they had published defamatory articles on Oct 1, 2009.

She is seeking general and special damages in all three suits.

Undilah video taken off-air over Ku Li speech, opposition figures

Teo said the move not to play the video is fundamentally undemocratic in intention. — Picture by Jack Ooi
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 23 — A video promoting the right to vote has been taken off the air by local broadcasters despite a push for greater democracy because it contains opposition figures and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah’s speech talking about Malaysia having problems.

The Malaysian Insider learnt that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) directed local broadcasters this week not to use the public service announcement (PSA) produced by musician Pete Teo just days after its launch on September 16.

“MCMC emailed both Astro and Media Prima Bhd about the issue, telling them the video clip should not be aired because Ku Li speaks about the country having problems and also because it features opposition leaders,” an industry source told The Malaysian Insider, referring to Tengku Razaleigh by his popular nickname.

“Only NTV7 used it but the MCMC email was sent to both organisations which control the majority of television channels in the country,” the source added.

A government source confirmed that MCMC sent the email to Media Prima, which is linked to Umno and owns the NTV7 channel, and Astro, the direct broadcast satellite pay-television service.

“The email about the PSA was sent this week,” the source said, adding he was puzzled about the directive as it referred to Tengku Razaleigh, who happens to be the Gua Musang MP for the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) government.

The MCMC is an independent regulator but it reports to Information, Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Rais Yatim, who was incidentally the Kelantan prince’s comrade in Semangat 46 before the party was dissolved for the politicians to join Umno Baru, the successor party to the original Umno that was declared illegal in 1988.

Apart from Tengku Razaleigh, the 4.38-minute video also features Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong, Deputy Health Minister Datuk Rosnah Abd Rashid Shirlin and opposition figures Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua, Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar, Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad and Seri Setia assemblyman Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.


Teo, who produced the independent video as a voluntary project, said the alleged directive was “disturbing” as it went against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s latest announcement to loosen media control and strengthen civil liberties in the country.

Najib had announced on September 15, the eve of Malaysia Day, that his administration would repeal several security laws including the Internal Security Act (ISA) and review media laws to bring about more democracy in the country.

Teo said Tengku Razaleigh’s comments that Malaysia has problems, such as rising cost of living, brain drain, corruption, worsening ethnic relations, declining economic competitiveness, et cetera, was “a commonly acknowledged fact even within the government, let alone among the rakyat”.

“Any objection to the mentioning of ‘problems’ not only flies in the face of reality, it also implicitly denies the need for reform, including those initiated by the PM.

“I think it’d be more constructive if people in authority would help seek solutions to these commonly-known problems rather than try to limit the viewership of our PSA video for mentioning them,” Teo told The Malaysian Insider.

He also responded to the “apparent objection” to the equal representation to Pakatan Rakyat (PR) figures as well as their BN counterparts by saying that “the rakyat’s interest is best served by being offered a choice between competing parties at the ballot box”.

“I believe our unbiased representation of both the government and the opposition honours this crucial idea. Thus, a move to put pressure on broadcasters not to play our non-partisan public service video because it contains opposition figures is fundamentally undemocratic in intention.

“Further, it also goes against the PM’s recent announcement to loosen media control and strengthen civil liberties in the country. For this to happen so soon after the PM’s historic announcement is very disturbing,” he added.

Teo disclosed that the video clip at www.undilah.com has seen just under 300,000 views on the video-sharing site YouTube for all four language subtitled versions since the launch last Friday.

“I am very pleased to have done this sort of numbers despite the difficult release conditions. Anyway, the plan was to massively increase (on-site, broadcast and print) publicity in the coming week so we can get more people to see it, but I guess that might be more complicated now.” he said.

Teo confirmed that NTV7 ran the video clip for the first three days of the release and a special interview with those involved, rapper Namewee, actor Afdlin Shauki, director Benji Lim and himself.

“To date, no other broadcaster has committed to broadcasting it, although one has expressed interest. Am not sure if the interest still holds,” said the musician behind the successful 15Malaysia project that featured short films last year.

A-G bad choice to draw up ISA replacement laws, says ex-CID chief

By Debra Chong | September 23, 2011
The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 23 – Datuk Seri Najib Razak has picked the wrong man to spearhead his legal transformation programme, a former senior police officer said today.

Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim urged the prime minister to rethink his choice of Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail to lead the government group tasked with drawing up two new security laws to replace the soon-to-be repealed Internal Security Act (ISA) and other laws that allow for preventive detention.

“Concern arises because PM Najib is still using the services of an Attorney-General whom the government itself has confirmed to be involved in criminal wrongdoing in the name of public justice,” the ex-Criminal Investigation Department (CID) chief said today in an open letter.

“Is he still qualified and suitable to lead a taskforce to draft vital laws that control freedom of speech and national security?” he asked, referring to the government’s top lawyer whom he described as being dishonest and having serious credibility issues.

Though the three-page letter was addressed to Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar, Mat Zain reminded Najib that the criminal allegations against Abdul Gani were made publicly in two previous parliamentary sessions — the first in March 2009 and the other just last December.

The ex-cop stressed that it was no ordinary group that had mounted the investigations into Abdul Gani but an independent three-man panel, which included the Solicitor-General, and that one of the panellists had concluded the A-G was involved in evidence tampering.

While Mat Zain left out the case, it is believed he was referring to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s controversial “black eye” incident in Sodomy I, over a decade ago. The deputy prime minister-turned-opposition leader is back in the dock on a similar charge of sodomising a former male aide.

The retired policeman said the prime minister’s intention to open up laws controlling basic human rights was noble and welcome, but warned that public confidence depended on him actually carrying out what he had pledged.

He added the public will find it hard to believe they can get a fair hearing or have any trust in the new laws if Abdul Gani is the one drafting them.

Government Mindful Of New Global Recession Fear, Says Najib

PETALING JAYA, Sept 23 (Bernama) -- The Government is mindful of the fear over the new global recession, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said Friday.

"As you all know, Wall Street has been hit. So, we need to watch this very carefully," he told a national conference themed "Making A High Income Nation, A Reality," here.

In the pursuit of the country's long national agenda towards Vision 2020, it needs a benign external environment for the government and the people to thrive and succeed, added Najib, who is also Finance Minister.

Najib said he introduced the Government Transformation Programme and the Economic Transformation Programme to create an environment in Malaysia where business could develop and thrive and allow sustainable economic growth that would benefit all Malaysians.

"While many western nations struggled to drag themselves out of recession and global experts continue to predict "gloom and doom" over the past two years, our economy has grown very significantly," he said.

He said Malaysia's gross domestic product had increased by more than seven per cent and foreign direct investment in the first half of this year clinched US$7 billion, up 76 per cent in the same period last year, which was itself a record-breaking year.

Najib said Bursa Malaysia has hit a record high six times between January and September, a performance that is the envy of markets around the world.

"Companies listed on the exchange have a total market capitalisation of more than US$44 billion, up 15 per cent in 12 months," he added.

Christian Mother of Five in Pakistan Alleges Rape

Islamists threaten family, police offer money to drop charges, she says.

LAHORE, Pakistan, September 21 (CDN) — A Christian mother of five was allegedly raped by two tan Alleges Rape
Muslim men last week, and area Islamists are threatening to harm her family if charges against the suspects are not dropped, the woman and her husband told Compass.

On Thursday (Sept. 15), the 32-year-old woman said, she was returning home to Mustafabad, in Punjab Province’s Kasur district, from a garment factory where she works. Two Muslims, identified only as 23-year-old Bhallu and 27-year-old Shera, along with an unidentified accomplice, allegedly abducted her at gunpoint, took her to an abandoned house in the area and raped her, she said.

Working late, she had reached the Mustafabad bus stop at 11:45 p.m. and had begun walking to her home five minutes away; the street was deserted, said the alleged victim, whose name is withheld.
“As soon as I entered our street, Bhallu appeared from the shadows and put his hand on my mouth,” she told Compass by phone. “A second person, who I later recognized as Bhallu’s friend Shera, came from behind and put a pistol on my temple. A third person also appeared on the scene, and together they first gagged me and then forcibly took me to an abandoned house. I tried my best to get free from their hold and save myself, but they were too powerful for me.”

Once inside, she said, they took off her gag, and she pleaded with them to leave her alone.

“I tried screaming, but they hit me,” she said, sobbing. “Not for a minute did they acknowledge that I was a mother to five children. Then they raped me, one after the other. Their third accomplice stood guard as they tore in on me like animals.”

She said that her tormentors let her go after more than an hour.

“They had torn my clothes, and I could barely step outside the house,” she said. “I don’t know how I managed to reach my home … Words fail me even now.”

Muslim criminals in Pakistan, where the population is more than 95 percent Muslim according to Operation World, tend to assume they will not be prosecuted if their victims are Christians. The accuser said Muslim men in the area have been harassing Christian women for some time.

“There are around 500 Christian houses in this area, which is predominantly inhabited by Muslims,” she said. “There have been several instances when they have publicly harassed us but have gotten away with it, because we keep silent to avoid a clash.”

A month ago, as she was returning home from work, she was near her house when she suddenly felt someone pulling her head scarf, she said. She turned and found one of Bhallu’s friends holding the head scarf.

“I started screaming, and my husband and a neighbor rushed out, but the boy walked away as if nothing had happened,” she said. “We did not say a word about this to anyone out of shame and fear of the Muslims.”

She said that after that incident, her husband, who works as a sweeper, began accompanying her to and from the bus stop.

“But there were days when he could not accompany me to the bus stop, and I used to walk alone,” she said.

Her husband, Mushtaq Masih, said that he was speechless after she told him about the ordeal.

“We have five children – three boys and two girls – with the oldest daughter studying in sixth grade – I cannot express the thoughts that filled my mind at that time,” Masih said. “The Muslims had ruined us completely, and I did not know what would happen to us if we reported the crime, but seeing my wife devastated, I decided to face the rapists.”

He called police, who visited the crime scene and took the woman to the hospital for a medical examination that proved she had been gang-raped, he said. Police filed a First Information Report (FIR No. 491/11) against Bhallu and his accomplices.

The woman said that she knew Bhallu only because he lived in her neighborhood, and that although she recognized Shera, she did not know his name until the FIR was filed.

Masih said that Shera’s name came up during the initial police investigation, and he was in custody when the investigating officer asked Masih to bring his wife to the police station to identify the suspects. Bhallu had fled the area.

His wife said that as they reached the police station, Muslims warned the family against pointing out Shera.

“They told us that they will kill my children and husband if I identify Shera,” she said. “They said that we should not forget that we are chooras [sweepers, a derogatory word for Christians] and can bring no harm to them. They also warned that our daughters would face a similar fate if we did not listen to them.”

She refused to identify Shera and returned home, she said.

“What happened to me should not happen to any of them,” she said. “My children are my world, how could I put their lives in danger? … Please pray that no woman suffers what I have been through.”

Pressure to Drop Charges
Area Christians were shocked. The family continues to receive threats to withdraw the case against the primary suspect, Bhallu, who has been seen in the area several times though police have yet to arrest him, Masih said.

“Our Muslim neighbors are pressuring us to withdraw the case,” he said. “They want us to reach an agreement with Bhallu and his friends. They want us to ‘pardon’ the criminals who have dishonored us.”

Police are using delay tactics in the pursuit of Bhallu, Masih said.

“We told the Mustafabad police in-charge that the Muslims are forcing us to withdraw the case, but he is not bothered,” Masih said. He added that some policemen had also asked him to withdraw the case, saying there was little chance his wife would get justice.

“They asked me to take money in return for withdrawing the case,” Masih said. “They want that I should sell my wife’s honor for money.”

Investigating Officer Muhammad Sharif dismissed the Christians’ accusations that police had sought money in exchange for dropping the case, and he refused to acknowledge that Muslims were threatening the woman’s family and needed police protection.

Sharif told Compass that police were trying to arrest Bhallu.

“We took his father into custody but released him after interrogation,” he said. “I will soon catch hold of Bhallu.”

Sharif said the investigation would accelerate after the primary suspect is arrested.

As Masih and the few Christians daring to support him ponder their next step, the woman maintains a faint hope of getting justice in a country where Christians have little legal or societal standing. Mukhtar Masih, an elder of the area Presbyterian church, said the Christians were helpless as the Muslims held sway over local police.

“Several Christian women have complained that the Muslims have harassed them, but this is something that we have to live with every day,” he said, adding that even though the community was shocked, no one was coming forward to help the family because “they are afraid of the Muslims.”

Area resident Arif Masih told Compass that the Christians’ fears were understandable.

“We don’t have anyone who can face the police and the Muslims,” he said. “What happened to Masih’s wife is very tragic and can happen to any one of us, but is there really anything we can do about it?”

Stop flashing your wealth, Mahathir tells BN leaders

Change your image and do not flash your wealth in order to change the perception that the ruling coalition is corrupt, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad told BN leaders today.

Addressing 400 of them in Kuala Selangor, including BN elected representatives, the veteran leader said the coalition would otherwise continue to be perceived as "disgusting".

"I find that many view (BN) as disgusting and that they openly state their rejection of the BN.

NONE"If we analyse this, we find this is because we no longer struggle to form the government, but to reap personal benefits," Mahathir said.

Besides flashing their wealth by suddenly building "RM7 or RM8 million houses", which they previously could not afford, elected representatives also felt the need to "buy support".

Speaking at a BN State Assembly Backbenchers Club event, Mahathir said BN representatives said they needed to "get contracts and raise their income" as "their supporters demand money".
'To be popular, one buys people'

"To be popular, one buys people, but no amount of money is enough... and in the end, the society becomes corrupt.

"The society then views Umno and other component parties (as) corrupt as the leaders got to where they are because of money," he said.
A total of 240 BN elected representatives are in Kuala Selangor until Friday as part of BN's plans to wrest power from Pakatan Rakyat in Selangor.

Earlier, BN State Assembly Backbenchers Club president Nadzri Ismail said the representatives would stay with 300 families during the three-day retreat in an effort to "put the people first" and "be close to the rakyat".

Lauding this effort, Mahathir said, however, that sincerity might be lacking if the elected representatives went into the kampung in their luxury cars.

"For example, there was a BN candidate who went to a kampung in his Mercedes Benz to look for the constituency that he was selected to contest in. He didn't win," he said in driving this point across.

More parachute candidates needed


Separately, in answering a question from former Perlis Menteri Besar Shahidan Kassim, the elder statesperson said the present situation called for more BN "parachute candidates", although the approach must not be used on a wide scale.

"Parachute candidates are needed to introduce changes to the party, like (former Finance Minister) Daim (Zainuddin), who was not too keen about politics but needed to get into the Dewan Rakyat.

“So we asked the person in Merbok to step aside for (Daim), who wasn't even from Merbok, but whose abilities were much needed.

"There is a need for more parachute candidates now, so people with abilities can be in government and the cabinet, since there always are complaints that ministers don't know much," Mahathir said.

He also reiterated his often made call for BN leaders to stop sabotaging one another during elections, simply because personal ambitions could not always be met.

"(Prime Minister) Najib (Abdul Razak) said he will choose winnable candidates, but we may feel the candidate he choses is 'unwinnable' because we are the only ones who are winnable. So we make sure that candidate does not win, to prove that the leadership is wrong," he said.

He then called on all the elected representatives to be prepared if they are not selected this time around, even though most elected representatives "don't want to quit (because) the pension is lower than the allowance".

"Most think they're the most winnable candidates. This mindset needs to change from the start. Your responsibility is to be prepared not to be selected as a candidate," Mahathir added.

DNA expert: ‘Extremely rare’ to find sperm in rectum after 113 hours

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 22 — An Australian DNA expert in the Sodomy II trial today disputed medical findings that sperm could still be retrieved from a person’s rectum 113 hours after anal sex.

Dr Brian McDonald said during Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy trial that it was “extremely rare” that healthy DNA profiles could still be found from a person’s anal region after such a long time.

“In 99.9 per cent (of the cases), you cannot find sperm at all after such long hours. These are the rarest entries reported in (the literature).

“However, this (sodomy) case is the only one (that I know of) in the world where the sperm can be captured after 56 hours and given to the chemist two days later, where you can still find a good DNA sample,” he testified in court today.

“In my experience for the last 20 years, it would give poor results,” the defence expert witness said.

Prosecution lawyers have charged that based on a medical article presented in court, semen can be retrieved from a person’s rectum between four and 113 hours after anal intercourse.

The 1997 article, titled “Sexual assault and semen persistence”, was written by G.M. Willott and J.E. Allard.

The prosecution had previously in the trial cited a separate case where sperm heads were discovered up to 65 hours after sex, shower and defecation.

Doctors from Hospital Kuala Lumpur, who examined complainant Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan two days after the alleged sodomy, have said they managed to obtain DNA specimens from the complainant’s rectum despite a lapse of 56 hours, which has been a key issue disputed by Anwar’s defence team.

Defence lawyer Sankara Nair previously pointed out the integrity of the sperm samples was even more questionable because a total of 90 hours had passed before the specimens were sent to the laboratory for analysis.

Australian forensic pathologist Dr David Wells also admitted recently the possibility of finding sperm heads inside a person’s rectum up to 65 hours after sex, but pointed out that a scientific finding could not be based on such a rare occurrence.

Anwar has dismissed his current sodomy trial as a political conspiracy to end his career.

He faces up to 20 years in jail if convicted under section 377B of the Penal Code for sodomising his former aide Saiful in 2008.

The trial continues on October 3.

Hindraf KLCC Rally: Decision on 23rd Sept 2011

Following a trial lasting three years and ten months, the Kuala Lumpur Criminal Sessions Court 6 (level 3) is expected to deliver its decision on Friday, 23rd September 2011 at 10.30am

During submission on 18th August 2011, defence counsel M.Visvanathan had pointed out a major flaw in the case of the prosecution when it failed to present the evidence of the investigating officer.

To the argument by the prosecution that the I.O was offered as a witness to the defence, Visva countered that it was not the job of the defence to call for the evidence of the investigating officer, and that a conviction without the evidence of the I.O is unknown in Malaysia.

On this score alone, he submitted, the accused should be acquitted and discharged.

He further pointed out that the court order only prohibited an assembly around the British High Commission, where none of the accused were arrested.
Murugan is accused of holding on to the railings of the FRU truck and challenging the police to arrest him.
However despite the testimony of more than 20 witnesses, including 11 photographers, there was not a shred of evidence to prove this.

Besides, the two Independent Observers of the Bar had testified that the crowd was peaceful and was fired
upon with water cannon and teargas without any provocation.
They had also said that they never saw any court order although they made it a point to look out for it.

Going by the evidence adduced in a fair trial, Muruga can reasoably expect to walk away a free man.

Hudud cracks in Pakatan

Anwar backs the move to implement Islamic law in Kelantan, but DAP leaders voice their opposition.
UPDATED
PETALING JAYA: Cracks are beginning to appear in Pakatan Rakyat over the Islamic law issue, with opposition supremo Anwar Ibrahim backing its implementation in the PAS-run state of Kelantan but DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang shooting it down.

Political pundits noted that Barisan Nasional was bound to exploit this issue, especially with the general election being around the corner.

The controversy surrounding the Islamic law could be used to spook fear in the opposition-leaning Chinese electorate.

In a Twitter posting this evening, Lim said his party’s stand on Hudud laws and the Islamic state concept was consistent.

“It is not suitable for Malaysia and it is not part of Pakatan’s common policies,” he noted.

DAP had always been a fierce opponent of PAS’ theocratic ambitions, and the party pulled out of a loose opposition coalition named Barisan Alternatif in 2001 over this issue.

Lim also said that any such change required the agreement of all three Pakatan component parties – PAS, DAP and PKR.

PAS should accept reality


DAP national chairperson Karpal Singh also voiced his opposition, describing the implementation of Islamic law as unconstitutional.

He pointed out that such an enactment would run contrary to the Federal Constitution’s reference of Malaysia as a secular state.

He added that implementation of Hudud laws would lead towards the making of an Islamic state, similar to Saudi Arabia and Sudan where Muslims and non-Muslims alike are affected.

Karpal said the Kelantan government should accept the reality.

“The Federal Constitution is the supreme law of the country,” he said in a statement.

He reminded PAS that it had resolved to pursue a welfare state system instead of an Islamic state.

“As PAS is no more pursuing its intention to create an Islamic state, it would be incongruous for it now to revert to the implementation of Hudud laws in Kelantan. The position is as simple as that,” said Karpal.

Anwar backs Hudud


He also noted that Anwar’s opinion did not reflect PKR’s stand and urged Pakatan to come out with a common stand to object the implementation of Hudud laws to allay fears of the non-Muslims.

Anwar earlier today said he believes that in princple, Islamic law could be implemented in Kelantan.
“Looking at specific areas, there is clear guarantee of an administration of justice and it does not in any way infringe on the rights of non-Muslims,” he said, adding that it was his personal opinion.

The Islamic law controversy resurfaced after former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad yesterday challenged PAS-ruled Kelantan to impose hudud laws.

Hindraf offers to help Mat Sabu with historical documents

London-based Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy says he has documents in hand to prove the communists were the freedom fighters.
GEORGE TOWN: PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu has been offered help from an unlikely source – Hindraf Makkal Sakti.

London-based Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy said he is prepared to provide documented evidence to Mat Sabu to defend himself against the criminal defamation charge.

Waythamoorthy said he had documents to prove that the communists were actually Malayan independence freedom fighters, who first fought against the
Japanese and later against the colonial British masters.

He claimed that he has in his possession declassified documents obtained from various sources to prove that the colonial British government had actually armed the communists to engage in an armed conflict with the Japanese during World War II.

After the Japanese Occupation had ended and before Malayan independence, he said the colonial government had turned against the communists and banned the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM).
This, he said, forced the CPM leaders and members to go underground and launch an independence war against the British.

“We have declassified documents to prove these pre-independence historical facts,” Waythamoorthy told FMT.

Mat Sabu was charged in Butterworth Sessions Court yesterday with criminal defamation under Section 500 of the Penal Code.

He pleaded not guilty and claimed trial before Judge Ikhmal Hishan Mohd Tajuddin.
He was released on a RM15,000 bail with one surety. The matter will be mentioned on Oct 27 while hearing has been fixed from Dec 5 to 9.

Gesture of friendship

When asked the reason for Hindraf to help out Mat Sabu, Waythamoorthy said Hindraf had always been on the path of truth and justice.

“PAS and (other) Pakatan Rakyat (allies) were never our enemies. But it is they who failed to see our gesture of friendship.

“Over the past 54 years, Umno has always distorted and erased history. It’s time for people to know the truth,” Waythamoorthy said.

However, he raised a question over the admissibility of such documents, which are still under the Official Secrets Act, in Malaysian courts.

“Although the documents were declassified by the UK government, they are still classified and kept as government secrets in Malaysia.

“It will be interesting to see whether the Malaysian government would have the guts to allow these historical documents to be tendered as court evidence during Mat Sabu’s trial,” he said.

Under the principal charge, Mat Sabu was accused of defaming several police personnel and their families, who defended the Bukit Kepong police station on Feb 23, 1950, from a communiust attack led by Mat Indera.

In the alternate charge under the same law, the police personnel were named as Konstabel Marin Abu Bakar Daud, Konstabel Jaafar Hassan, Konstabel Yusoff Rono, and their families.

Mat Sabu was alleged to have committed the offence during his speech at Pusat Asuhan Tadika Islam Al-Fahmi Markas Tarbiyah PAS in Tasek Gelugor, Penang, between 10pm and 12 midnight on Aug 21, 2011.

The charge carries a jail sentence of up to two years, a fine or both upon conviction.

Waythamoorthy said he also has documents to prove that the colonial British government had groomed pro-Western Umno leaders such as first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman, his successor Abdul Razak Hussein and Umno founder Onn Jaafar to take over the independent Malayan government.

He noted that the British colonial masters wanted Umno, and no one else, to take over an independent Malayan government to protect its economic interests.
At the time, the British colonial government had almost 80 percent stake of the Malayan economic pie.

SSABM mahu saman kerajaan salah ajar sejarah

Tuntutan saman akan diambil jika kerajaan melalui MPN masih berdegil enggan menarik balik dakwaan bahawa negara ini tidak pernah dijajah.

KUALA LUMPUR: Suara Solidariti Anak Bangsa Malaysia (SSABM) tidak teragak-agak untuk mengemukakan tuntutan saman terhadap kerajaan kerana selama ini telah mendidik rakyat secara salah tentang sejarah pembentukan Malaysia pasca merdeka.

Jurucakap SSABM Aiman Athirah Al Jundi berkata, tindakan itu akan diambil jika kerajaan melalui Majlis Profesor Negara (MPN) masih berdegil enggan menarik balik dakwaan bahawa negara ini tidak pernah dijajah.

“Kenyataan ini seolah-olah mencerminkan kerajaan Malaysia melalui Kementerian Pelajaran dan Kementerian Pendidikan Tinggi sejak dulu hingga kini telah melakukan pengkhianatan, pembohongan dan salah didik kepada pelajar dalam subjek Sejarah kerana kita semua telah diajar selama ini bahawa negara kita telah mendapatkan kemerdekaan daripada penjajah British.

“Rakyat seolah-olah ditipu selama 54 tahun apabila menyambut Hari Kebangsaan setiap tahun sebagai ulang tahun kemerdekaan negara dari cengkaman penjajahan British,” katanya dalam sidang media di Ibu Pejabat PAS pagi tadi.

Katanya, pendirian MPN juga dilihat sebagai satu penghinaan besar terhadap Raja-Raja Melayu yang digambarkan seolah-olah merestui British serta tidak berbuat apa-apa bagi menghalang kemasukan penjajah ke Tanah Melayu.

Justeru, beliau menuntut agar Pengerusi MPN Profesor Emiritus Datuk Dr Zakri Abdul Hamid serta Ketua Kluster Sejarah, Warisan dan Sosio Budaya MPN Prof Datuk Dr Zainal Kling disiasat dan didakwa dibawah Seksyen 505 Kanun Keseksaan kerana mengeluarkan kenyataan yang menimbulkan kegusaran, kekeliruan dan mengganggu ketenteraman awam.

“Kami percaya terdapat agenda tersembunyi yang dirancang pihak tertentu untuk kepentingan politik mereka sendiri.

“Kami risau para akademik telah ditekan dan digunakan oleh pihak politik tertentu demi menjustifikasikan penterjemahan sejarah yang menyokong pendirian politik mereka, maka sebab itu fakta sejarah diputarbelitkan,” katanya.

‘Dr Zainal bersikap hipokrit’

Sementara itu, Timbalan Ketua Penerangan Angkatan Muda Keadilan Rozan Azen Mat Rasip berkata Dr Zainal bersikap hipokrit kerana beliau sebelum ini pernah mengaku Tanah Melayu pernah dijajah melalui hasil kertas kerja yang pernah dibentangnya pada tahun 2003.

Pembentangan kertas kerja hasil kajian Dr Zainal bertajuk “Minda Melayu; satu tafsiran” ada menyebut perkataan ‘kolonial’ dan ‘kemerdekaan’ yang merujuk kepada tanda-tanda penjajahan ke atas Tanah Melayu.

“Dr Zainal telah melakukan kesalahan jenayah akademik yang serius,” katanya yang kemudiannya membuat laporan polis terhadap Zainal dan Zakri di Balai Polis Chow Kit selepas selesai sidang media.

Turut hadir dalam sidang media itu Bendahari Kehormat Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) A Sivarajan, Setiausaha Pentadbiran Pergerakan Demokrasi Pelajar dan Pemuda Malaysia (Dema) Wong Swee Nee dan wakil Solidariti Wanita Muda Malaysia Nor Hafizah Basaruddin.

Scorpenes lawyer in London on Sept 30: Najib a walking time-bomb for Umno


September 30 is a day Prime Minister Najib Razak and his advisers will mark on their calendars. It is the day that French lawyers will give the latest update on the Scorpenes kickbacks case involving shipmaker DCN, Najib, his close friend Razak Baginda and murdered Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu.
Cynthia Gabriel, director of Suaram, confirmed the date with Malaysia Chronicle, adding that French legal eagle Joseph Breham would head the presentation due to be made at a fund-raising dinner in London.
"Two reasons why London was chosen. One to tap the Malaysian disapora there as we need to raise a lot more funds to pay for legal expenses which will rise tremendously when the open court hearings begin. The other is of course, security. After Bourdon was deported from Kuala Lumpur, who would dare to come here. While Najib is PM, this is his territory, the lion's den," another Suaram source told Malaysia Chronicle.
Suaram is the Malaysian NGO that filed a complaint in the Parisian courts, seeking a probe against French firm DCN which it accused of having paid illegal commissions to Najib and other top Malaysian officials to secure the RM7.3 billion submarines deal. The NGO claims the kickbacks would have bloated the purchase price paid by Malaysian citizens, and top among the suspicious side-deals in the acquisition package is a RM570 million or 114 million euros service and support contract given to an obscure firm called Perimekar, which is controlled by Baginda.
The lion's den and powerful hands
Another French lawyer appointed by Suaram, William Bourdon, had been unceremoniously deported by when he came to Malaysia to give three dinner presentations in July. Hours before the second presentation, and on the same day that Najib rushed home after cutting short an overseas vacation, Bourdon was sent back to Paris.
The lawyer was due to talk about the mystery 'third person' who had flown with Baginda and Altantuya to Macau during negotioations with DCN. It is widely suspected that this 'third person' was Najib Razak and once the documetary evidence such as plane tickets and bookings emerge, Najib's downfall from power will be sealed. He had sworn on the Quran that he had never known Altantuya, so any contradiction to this claim would demand his resignation as leader of a predominantly Muslim nation.
Apart from corruptly accepting commission from DCN, Najib is alleged to have been romantically involved with Altantuya before introducing her to Baginda, who also became her lover. Four years after the deal was struck, Altantuya was murdered in Malaysia in 2006, after trying to get her share of commission from Baginda. Two of Najib's former bodyguards have been sentenced to hang for her death.
Baginda too was charged for abetting the murder but he was controversially acquitted. But despite many trails leading back to Najib, who had sanctioned submarines purchase in his then capacity as Defense minister, powerful hands manipulated the Malaysian courts to clamp down on any testimony that was 'damaging' to Najib, thereby helping him to secure the prime minister's seat in 2009.
On the political downcycle
With latest presentation in London and beyond Najib's control, there is little he can do to stop 'sensitive' information from finally coming out. And this will worsen when open court hearings begin in Paris, most likely in October. The underperforming Malaysian PM is also on the downcycle within his own political party Umno, and the powerful hands that helped him during the Altantuya murder probe and trial in 2007 and 2008 are no longer so friendly. Chances are high that rival warlords will use the information to bolster their case for him to be removed as party president.

Najib's popularity tanked an alarming 6 percentage points in August and there is a growing chorus in Umno and the BN coalition it heads for Najib to step down before snap general elections are held. And this is one of the key reasons why Najib, who once preferred to delay elections until the latest possible date, is now rushing for polls to be held in November. To wait would only give his rivals more room to maneuver his ouster.
"Najib is now a liability to Umno and BN because of his baggage from the past. Because of his scandals, he is a walking time-bomb and can bring further disaster to Umno and BN. The drop in popularity rating is only the tip of the iceberg," PKR strategies director Rafizi Ramli told Malaysia Chronicle.
"There is also his mismanagement of the economy, the Bersih rally, the sodomy trial against Anwar Ibrahim, the dubious ISA repeals and the insistence that Malaya was never a colony. All these issues have boomeranged while his personal scandals have risen with the international media firms, his wife's diamond ring and expensive overseas trips on public expense. All these seal his fate in Umno and his timespan as PM is now very limited"
- Malaysia Chronicle

The system’s breaking down — The Malaysian Insider

SEPT 22 — Anti-corruption officers extorted RM1 million from money changers. Policeman sentenced to five years’ jail for shooting 14-year-old boy in the back. The Attorney-General accused of a string of serious and damning offences, including fabricating evidence.

Nope, these are not headlines from a banana republic in Central America or Zimbabwe. This is what is happening in Malaysia and is only a snapshot of a system falling into a serious state of disrepair, where there is a serious blurring of lines between law enforcers and law breakers, where the culture of easy money and lack of respect for the rule of law are hurting the country’s once-respected institutions.

Oh, you can bet that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) will talk about how a few bad apples should not sully the whole basket but we believe recent evidence suggests that the problems at the anti-corruption agency are institutional rather than isolated.

Wasn’t it the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Teoh Beng Hock’s death which found the behaviour of the MACC interrogators abhorrent? And of course that was before the Customs official fell to his death and where a CCTV recording mysteriously disappeared.

Aminulrasyid Amzah was shot in the back by a policeman and in another incident, the court awarded RM900,000 to a man who became paralysed after being shot in the back.

Are the cops remorseful? We doubt it judging by the response of top cop Tan Sri Ismail Omar. He did not think it necessary to offer Aminurasyid’s family an apology. Perhaps he had forgotten that his men tried to portray the boy as a criminal to justify the shooting.

Of course, no one can bring the boy back but a simple and heartfelt sorry to the family would have been the proper thing to do.

Instead, they received some mumbo jumbo from Ismail. But we should be grateful for small mercies. At least Ismail said something about this case.

He had said zilch about the reports and letters from his former comrade Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim detailing the alleged abuses of Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail. At the very least, the nature of the accusations merits an independent inquiry.

But Ismail has been quiet as has the prime minister. There is no charade or pretence of an investigation. Just a complete shutdown of any information.

Nobody in the police force or the MACC seems interested in pursuing these allegations.

Or maybe they are too busy making their own headlines.

BN Delivers Change, Says PM

KUALA SELANGOR, Sept 22 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said Thursday the willingness to bring change to the country will help to win support from the people.

A government daring to effect change opens the minds of the people and gives them fresh hope, he said at a meeting of Barisan Nasional leaders and the people in conjunction with Aidilfitri celebrations here.

"We will not promise change. We will bring change and deliver change," the BN chairman and Umno president told the gathering of more than 10,000 people.

Najib said that BN had to work harder to win the general election especially in Selangor where the contest is expected to be stiffer this time.

He stressed the importance of fielding credible candidates in the general election who he said were humble before the people and could get close to them.

Najib said the opposition had spoken of reformation, but had got nowhere and not kept many of the promises they made to the people.

"We must remember who told the biggest lie three years ago that BN would fall," Najib said, apparently alluding to the boast opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim made that PKR, PAS and the DAP would form the government with defections from Barisan MPs after the 2008 general election.

The gathering g was attended by 170 BN elected representatives.

Najib harus jawab penempatan Myanmar dan Kemboja jadi warganegara di Pekan, Pahang


Gambar antara penampatan Kemboja yang berada di dalam parlimen Pekan, Pahang
(gambar ehsan blogger cucu mat kilau)

Semalam che'GuBard atas nama Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) menunaikan janji untuk berada di parlimen Pekan, Pahang untuk menerangkan semula persoalan cincin berlian RM24.45 juta dan kaitanya dengan Rosmah Mansor.

Alhamdulillah program semalam berjalan lancar walaupun dalam keadaan hujan lebat di Markas PAS Felda Chini 3. Cuma sepatutnya semalam risalah cincin seharusnya mula diedarkan namun atas masalah cetakan pengedaran ditangguhkan. InsyaAllah selepas SAMM melunaskan bayaran tertangguh kos buku 'FITNAH' baru kami mampu untuk mencetak risalah tersebut. Buku 'Fitnah' dibayar dengan 4 'post dated cheque' yang terakhir bertarikh 3 Oktober dan selepas itu baru risalah cincin akan dicetak.

Saya telah menerangkan secara terperinci berkaitan cincin dan menjawab tuduhan mereka melalui media. Turut mengejutkan hadirin ialah selain cincin gelang tangan berharga RM 1.65j juga dari syarikat yang menjual cincin turut didedah. InsyaAllah hadirin yang hadir akan menjadi agen penyampai pula di bawah.

Yang menarik ingin diangkat disini ialah mengenai kewujudan penempatan orang Myanmar dan Kemboja di Pekan Pahang. Menurut beberapa penduduk tempatan yang ditemui perkara ini bukan satu benda yang sulit, ramai di Pekan tahu dan sedar apa yang berlaku.

Tahun 1999, Najib diselamatkan oleh undi POS hanya menang dengan majoriti 200 lebih undi sahaja. Sejak itu telah mula dibuka beberapa penempatan baru yang membawa masuk orang dari Kedah dan Perlis secara beramai - ramai. Mereka diberi tanah membina penempatan dan didaftar sebagai pengundi Pekan. Selepas itu ia menjangkit kepada penghijrahan beramai - ramai orang - orang Myanmar dan Kemboja ke Pekan. Mereka diberi ruang meneroka beberapa kawasan tanah di Tanjung Agas, Sekukuh, Merchong, Sungai Miang. Hampir 90% dari mereka sudah menjadi warga negara Malaysia dan ramai sudah masuk dalam senarai pengundi di Pekan, Pahang.

Malah ramai penduduk tempatan mula mengeluh apabila kelompok ini seolah mendapat perhatian istimewa apabila mereka mendapat tanah dan kelompok mereka yang ramai sehingga ada ruang perniagaan seperti pasar malam mula dikuasai oleh kelompok ini. Di sesetengah 'sudut' Pekan sudah jadi asing bagi warga asal pekan kerana kehadiran mereka ini.