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Thursday, 12 January 2012

Somali Convert From Islam Whipped In Public

By Simba Tian

A Somali convert from Islam was paraded before a cheering crowd last month and publicly flogged as a punishment for embracing a “foreign religion,” sources said.

Sofia Osman, a 28-year-old Christian from Janale city in Somali’as Lower Shabelle region, had been taken into custody by Islamic extremist al Shabaab militants in November; the public whipping was meant to mark her release. She received 40 lashes on Dec. 22 while jeered by spectators.

“Osman was whipped 40 lashes at 3 p.m., but she didn’t tell what other humiliations she had suffered while in the hands of the militants,” an eyewitness, told Compass, adding that whipping left her bleeding. “I saw her faint. I thought she had died, but soon she regained consciousness and her family took her away.”

The whipping was administered in front of hundreds of spectators after Osman was released from her month-long custody in al Shabaab camps. Nursing her injuries at her family’s home, in the days after the punishment she would not talk to anyone and looked dazed, a source close in touch with the family said. She has since been relocated.

“Please pray for her quick recovery,” the source said.

Janale, one Somalia’s major cities, is about 200 kilometers (124 miles) from Mogadishu.

Osman became a Christian four years ago and was a member of the underground church in the war-torn Horn of Africa country largely controlled by the al Qaeda-linked militants from al Shabaab.

The al Shabaab militia is being hunted down by Kenya Defense Forces in southern Somalia following the extremists’ incursions into Kenya. They had killed and kidnapped tourists and aid workers inside Kenya, prompting military forces to formally enter into war to secure its borders.

In response, the al Shabaab militants have targeted churches in northern Kenyan towns such as Garissa in the hope of dividing Kenyans along religious lines. The Kenyan public, however, is largely backed the government decision to pursue the militants deep into Somalia.

Saiful's father pleads with AG to appeal

Nama saya tiada dalam senarai calon PPP: Kayveas

PUTRAJAYA: Nama Presiden Parti Progresif Penduduk (PPP), Datuk Seri M Kayveas, tidak terdapat dalam senarai bakal calon parti itu untuk pilihan raya umum ke-13 nanti yang dikemukakan kepada Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, baru-baru ini.

Mengesahkan perkara itu hari ini, bekas Timbalan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri itu berkata beliau bagaimanapun menyerahkan keputusan sama ada bertanding atau tidak kepada Najib yang juga Pengerusi Barisan Nasional.
"PPP memang sudah menghantar senarai nama calon yang berpotensi untuk bertanding dalam PRU ke-13 nanti dan nama saya tidak terdapat dalam senarai itu walaupun ahli parti mahukan saya bertanding semula. Biarlah Datuk Seri Najib putuskan sama ada saya bertanding atau tidak.
"Saya mengambil pendirian itu kerana mahu memberi peluang kepada pemimpin-pemimpin yang sudah lama berjasa. Mereka sudah memberi sumbangan besar kepada parti dan masyarakat. Mereka perlu diberi peluang. Mereka perlu menang dan menguatkan BN," katanya.

PPP sudah mengemukakan hasrat bertanding di empat kawasan Parlimen dan 12 kawasan Dewan Undangan Negeri kepada Najib.

Pada pilihan raya umum lalu, PPP diperuntukkan dua kerusi di Perak iaitu kawasan Parlimen Taiping dan kawasan DUN Pasir Bedamar.

Di Taiping, Kayveas tewas kepada calon DAP, Nga Kor Ming, dengan 11,298 undi manakala bagi kerusi Pasir Bedamar, calon PPP, Lee Heng, tewas kepada Seah Leong Peng daripada DAP dengan 7,914 undi.
Kayveas yang menjadi Presiden PPP sejak 1993 juga berkata, beliau akan melepaskan jawatan itu kepada Naib Presiden Kanan yang juga Timbalan Menteri Penerangan Komunikasi dan Kebudayaan, Datuk Maglin D'Cruz, sekiranya beliau tidak bertanding pada pilihan raya umum nanti.

"Kalau saya tidak bertanding dalam PRU ke-13, selepas pilihan raya nanti saya akan melepaskan jawatan presiden. Biarlah pemimpin baru menerajui PPP. Saya boleh menjadi penasihat parti," katanya.

PPP yang ditubuhkan pada 1953 pada asalnya adalah parti pembangkang sehingga ia menyertai BN pada 1974.

Parti itu kini mempunyai 500,000 orang ahli di 3,000 cawangan termasuk di Sabah dan Sarawak.

Pada November 2006, Kayveas mencadangkan PPP dan Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (Gerakan) bergabung tetapi ia tidak menjadi realiti. - BERNAMA

Anwar prosecutors to ask A-G to appeal sodomy acquittal


Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, arrive at the High Court for the verdict on Monday. — file pic
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 11 — The prosecuting team will recommend to the Attorney-General (A-G) that an appeal be filed against Monday’s High Court decision to acquit Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim from a charge of sodomising his former aide. Solicitor-General II Datuk Mohd Yusof Zainal Abiden, who was lead prosecutor in the trial, told TV3 tonight that he would recommend a review of the decision.
“With all the evidence, I will recommend to the Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail a review of the case and to consider an appeal of the decision of the High Court of Kuala Lumpur,” he told TV3.
He added that prosecutors would first apply for the written judgment to undergo a review of the grounds before proceeding with any appeal.
On Monday, the High Court acquitted Anwar of a charge of sodomising his former male aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.
Judge Mohd Zabidin Mohd Diah ruled that the prosecution had not done enough to prove Anwar had committed sodomy against Saiful.

Azlan Mohd Lazim, the father of Anwar’s accuser Saiful Bukhairi Azlan, pleaded with the Attorney-General today to appeal the acquittal. — file pic
“The court could not rule 100 per cent that the DNA samples were not compromised. Without that, the court is reluctant to convict the accused based on the evidence of SP1. (SP1, which stands for prosecution witness one, refers to Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.) “Therefore the accused is acquitted,” he ruled on Monday.
Azlan Mohd Lazim, the father of Anwar’s sodomy accuser Saiful Bukhari Azlan, pleaded with the A-G today to appeal Monday’s court verdict, vowing he would “fight to the end” to seek justice for his son.
The 58-year-old government pensioner repeatedly slammed the Bar Council for urging the prosecution to do otherwise, pointing out that it was his son’s constitutional right to seek an appeal.
“For the sake of my son, I plead with the A-G to appeal the decision. It is hoped that the A-G’s Chambers would not be influenced by the Bar Council or any other party,” he told a press conference at his residence here this evening.
“As a father, I will continue to stand by my son and continue this struggle to ensure he gets the justice he deserves in order to return honour to his name and the family.
“We will fight to the end — that is my promise,” he added.
The Attorney-General has about two weeks to decide if he plans to appeal the High Court’s acquittal of Anwar.
But Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee disagreed with the family, saying the High Court had ruled fairly in the case, and based his decision on the principles of natural justice.
“The case has unnecessarily taken up judicial time and public funds,” he said in a statement.

Umno hawks sharpening their claws

The Umno conservatives are not happy with Najib as they see his reform agenda as a weakness.

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s reforms have not gone down well with Umno’s conservatives, who form the party’s power base.

High ranking officials told FMT that the Umno hawks disprove of Najib’s pledges to improve civil liberties which they saw as a sign of “excessive leniency”.

The starting point to the growing “silent revolt” began with Najib’s economic liberalisation promises that saw him vowing to open up key sectors to non-Malay ownership.

It is understood that many Umno hardliners had accepted Najib’s rationale behind the move on the basis of his vows to preserve Bumiputera interests in businesses.

But the trust soon eroded following his recent move to implement bold political reforms.

According to one party leader, Umno hawks failed to see the positive side of the move but instead perceived it to be pandering to opposition demands, an alien scenario in its history as the ruling class.

The reforms included the planned abolition of the Internal Security Act which allows detention without trial which party conservatives believe is key to “maintaining order” and drafting a law to allow street rallies.

Anwar’s verdict

Things got worse when the Najib administration allowed opposition supporters to gather outside the court compound on Monday for PKR de facto chief Anwar Ibrahim’s verdict on his sodomy trial.

“Many thought the rally should not have been allowed. It made us (Umno) look like we had softened up when we were so adamant not to allow such protests to take place in the past,” a party leader said.

About 5,000 people had gathered outside the court in a peaceful rally that saw protesters celebrating jubilantly the verdict that freed Anwar from the sodomy charge.

Analysts said the trial outcome placed Malaysian politics on a level playing field as the uncertainties that once threatened to weaken the opposition has been removed.

And while Umno leaders maintain that it has never interfered with the judiciary, ironically, many blamed Najib for Anwar’s acquittal, describing it as weak leadership similar to the governance of his predecessor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

“Yes its not connected (Najib and the court’s verdict) but somehow Umno conservatives blame Najib for it. They believe his leniency in dealing with the opposition had influenced the court’s verdict,” said another party leader.

Abdullah’s ascend to power was marked by promises of reform and a crusade against graft. Although he was seen to have failed in delivering, observers credited the more politically open environment as his legacy.

The significant opposition gain in Elections 2008 was attributed to this new political environment and ultimately was blamed by Umno hawks as the reason behind the ruling coalition’s dismal performance.

As Umno and its allies in Barisan Nasional face a tough task of regaining a parliamentary two-third advantage, party hardliners believe this softened image would not be accepted well by the conservative Malay voters.

The party leader said Malay voter sentiment is now widely influenced by the “Perkasa ideology” – a right wing philosophy of zero tolerance for opposition politics which is seen as anti-Malay and a threat to the ethnic majority rights.

Should this sentiment prevail, it could be a blow to Najib’s election preparations. Poor performance in the 13th general election could well spark another coup in Umno similar to the one that shortened Abdullah’s reign.

But the same party leader said the future is not that bleak for the premier. The political reform pledges could also be a blessing in disguise as party tacticians believe it would appeal to a large chunk of young fence sitters.

“And once the projects under his (Najib) programmes begin to bear fruits , it will definitely win more hearts but this requires time,” the Umno man contended.

But observers believe Najib may call for an election as early as March to stay ahead of a weakening economy and discord within his own party which means time is not on the premier’s side.

‘Prisoners beaten over towel protest’

A man claims that his brother sustained head injuries when he was charged upon by the Sungai Buloh prison's security force last week.

SUNGAI BULOH: A strike over bath towels left inmates at the Sungai Buloh prison black and blue after being allegedly set upon by the prison’s security force (UKP).

An inmate’s brother has since filed an official complaint with the prison authorities over the incident, which occured last week.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the complainant told FMT that he learnt about the matter when he visited his brother, who suffered head injuries, on Sunday.

“I was shocked when he told me that UKP personnel had beaten him after several prisoners staged a strike over the bath towels,” he said, unable to shed more details on why the prisoners protested.

“Not only my brother, but more than 200 prisoners in Block Berkat (one of the five blocks in the prison) were injured,” he added.

According to him, the prisoners were attacked by about 40 UKP personnel, who were armed with batons and pepper spray.

He claimed that after the incident, the prisoners were ordered to return to their cells, and when they did so, the UKP launched another assault.

He said that his brother told him that more than 10 prisoners suffered injuries.

He urged the Home Ministry and Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar to launch an immediate probe.

Contacted later, the Prisons Department refused to comment.

CORRUPTION WITHIN CORRUPTION: CHAPTER 3 THE UNKNOWN CONCORD

As usual, I’m evoking The Whistleblower Protection Act 2010, Act 711, gazette on 10 June 2010 for myself, my sources and informers. For now I will need to postpone the Phoenix Project Chapter exposé instead I will go with something else that involves the same businessman and a former minister but still a Member Of Parliament.
 
By Whistleblower 711
 
Greetings and salutation to all,

Before I continue any further, pardon me for the delay. As originally mentioned on my previous posting, I will come out with another exposé on 23rd December 2011. But alas, current situations and time does not permit me to do so. I hope everyone would understand that I also have my daily commitments and juggling between my own schedules and this blog in my spare time is not an easy thing for an ordinary Joe like myself. All work and no play is not healthy

As usual, I’m evoking The Whistleblower Protection Act 2010, Act 711, gazette on 10 June 2010 for myself, my sources and informers. For now I will need to postpone the Phoenix Project Chapter exposé instead I will go with something else that involves the same businessman and a former minister but still a Member Of Parliament.

In light with the current development, it seems that there are many issues needed to be satisfied. BUT THAT IS NOT MY MAIN CONCERN AND OBJECTIVE WHEN I SET UP THIS PAGE. THIS LITTLE BLOG IS NOT MEANT TO SLANDER ANYONE OR TO TARNISH THEIR IMAGE, BUT MERELY EXPOSING THE FACT AS IT IS AND THE IMPROPER CONDUCT OF THOSE IN IT.

IT IS IMMATERIAL IF THIS BLOG IS POLITICALLY MOTIVATED OR ALIGNED. 

I WOULD BE GLAD TO EXPOSE ANY IMPROPER CONDUCTS OF ANY PERSON, POLITICIANS OR NOT, WITH SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE. WHAT IS WRONG REMAINS TO BE, NO MATTER THE EXCUSES OR POLITICAL AFFILIATION AND ALLIANCES YOU MIGHT HAVE. SHOULD ANYONE HAVE ANY INFORMATION AND EVIDENCE, AND THE AUTHORITIES ARE RELUCTANT TO ACT ON THAT EVIDENCE, LETS WORK TOGETHER TO EXPOSE IT AND GET THE ATTENTION OF THE AUTHORITIES AND TO GET THE AUTHORITIES TO ACT ON IT ACCORDINGLY. I CARED NOT ABOUT WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING OUT THERE, AS STATED AGAIN AND AGAIN, MY INTENTION IS TO EXPOSE THE FACT AS IT IS. PEOPLE CAN SPIN WHATEVER THEY WANT, BUT THE FACT REMAINS WHICH NO ONE CAN DENY.


Dato’ Seri Abu Kassim Mohamed

Email received from Dato' A after my second exposé with a message from SPRM Cheif Commissioner.

“SPRM will  definitely take actions”, Dato’ Seri Abu Kassim Mohamed, Ketua Pesuruhjaya, Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia.

What, when and how remains unknown to me. Only Dato’ Seri Abu Kassim knows the answer best.

Thank you the email Dato' A, at least I know that you are really concern about this.

Now get down to business. Let’s divert the attention to another member of parliament. This member of parliament also received monies from Dato’ Yahya Abd Jalil companies (AMPMSB). The mode of the transaction is pretty straight forward. Perhaps it is meant for social programs in the Member of Parliament constituency. Who knows for sure except for the giver and the receiver. The Member of Parliament meant here was the former Minister of Youth and Sports Malaysia from March 2004 until March 2008 and also the former Minister of Tourism Malaysia from March 2008 until April 2009. The Member of Parliament is none other than YB Dato’ Sri Azalina Othman Said, Member Of Parliament Pengerang, Johor. She has received “contributions” of RM 300,000.00 on 07/04/2011 thru a cheque number 872045 (here) belonging to AMPMSB. As I said, the true nature of the “contribution” is only known to the giver and the receiver. Perhaps it is best to let Dato’ Sri Azalina Othman make a statement just like her counterpart has. Perhaps SPRM also can have a closer look at this.

AMPMSB Cheque No 872045


Dato’ Yahya Abd Jalil

No statement yet!!!


Vs.
Senator Dato’ Dr Awang Adek Hussin

Amount received as of May 2011 - RM 120,000.00.

Utusan Malaysia, 22 December 2011, Thursday

“There are many companies and individuals that gives donation to me so that I can run things or programs for the people of Bachok. Many have donated through that account. I have the record of the donations including who are the giver and the recipient of the contributions. I also have a dedicated officer to look after that account.
Principally, there are peoples that contributed. There is no problem for anyone to donate. Except for those with personal interest i.e. to gain a contract. As a Deputy Minister, I have nothing to do with contract awards.” Senator Dato Dr. Awang Adek Hussin.
If I’m not mistaken the conduct of Senator Dato' Dr. Awang Adek Hussin in this instance is similar to the 1976 graft case of the late Dato’ Seri Harun Idris former Menteri Besar of Selangor (1964-1976).

Dato’ Yahya Abd Jalil

No statement yet!!!


Vs.
Dato’ Po’ad Jelani

Amount received as of May 2011 - RM 170,000.00.

No statement yet!!! 

Dato’ Yahya Abd Jalil

No statement yet!!!


Vs.
Dato Mohd Shukor Abd Manan

Amount received as of May 2011 - RM 160,000.00.

No statement yet!!!

Dato’ Yahya Abd Jalil

Awaiting for Statement


Vs.
 YB Dato’ Sri Azalina Othman Said

Amount received as of May 2011 - RM 300,000.00.

Awaiting for Statement

 Dato’ Yahya Abd Jalil


Vs.
 Who’s NEXT ???

Read more at: http://thewhistleblower711.blogspot.com/2012/01/corruption-within-corruption-chapter-3.html

Guan Eng says national debt ‘dangerous’, potentially disastrous



The Malaysian Insider


JAN 11 — We are a funny lot.

Just because of one acquittal, we claim to have an “independent” judiciary. Forget about Eric Chia, forget about the first sodomy trial, forget about what happened to Teoh Beng Hock and let us all just focus on this one and only trial.

From the mainstream media to the online news portals, the response from the government and the opposition leaders to the verdict was akin to striking the lottery.

Today’s headlines in the Star and NST, “Government says it shows freedom of judiciary”, “Slow reassertion of Malaysia’s public institutions”, “Court ruling clears government of baseless accusations.”.

Really? I may be wrong but to claim the judiciary’s independence from one trial verdict seems a bit premature, no?

Why is this verdict such a landmark one… that the entire judiciary’s independence is based on it? Or is it because the verdict went against the establishment that we feel it is independent and free?

In case you haven’t realised, going against the establishment seems to be the “in” thing nowadays. It has been demonstrated by students from UPSI whose tuition fees are borne by us, the taxpayers. They became overnight heroes to some for their so-called “courage”, no matter how misplaced that was.

In as much as I wonder what their grades are like, and whether we should have such individuals teaching our children, I also wonder whether the rakyat will still claim judicial independence when and IF the appellate court overturns the verdict later? Less we forget, the AG has the power to appeal.

Or will we cry conspiracy then?

I ask because I think it is too early to celebrate. Mind you, this is not a perfect science, because only science expects predictable, reproducible results time and again. This is the judiciary.

Malaysian judiciary at that.

Just like winning the SEA Games does not make our Harimau Malaya Olympic champions, one unexpected verdict means nothing in the long run, nor should we start exclaiming judicial independence based on it.

We should be cautiously optimistic, and not lose sight of the real goal. Guilty or innocent, the future of this country does not lie with one man and our progress should not be hindered by the verdict.

It is time we move on. Let the politicians politicise. Malaysians should do what we do best all this while; work hard for our family and by extension the nation. We must keep level heads, be logical and not let our emotions run high. Nothing, and no one should distract us from building and developing this nation of 28 million.

Failing which is detrimental to our own future.

Fatwa on indelible ink use out today

National Fatwa Council to decide if it’s ‘halal’ for Muslim voters

KUALA LUMPUR: The National Fatwa Council will decide on the use of Election Commission's (EC) new indelible ink today.

In a muzakarah (special meeting)  at 10am in Islamic Development Department (Jakim) office in Putrajaya, the council members will be presented with the result of the ink's analysis by EC and Chemistry Department representatives.
 
National Fatwa Council secretary Datuk Othman Mustapha said the council  had recently received the result from Chemistry Department, and would discuss whether the ingredients and usage of the indelible ink are allowed according to Islamic laws.
 
"We have also invited the EC and Chemistry Department to brief us on the ink's usage and analysis findings to council members before the meeting," he told the New Straits Times yesterday.

When asked if a decision and fatwa could be issued after the meeting, Othman said it would depend on the discussion between the council's 22 members.
 
"If the council finds that another analysis or test should be conducted, then it will take some time before a new fatwa can be issued," said Othman, who is also Jakim director-general.
 
Voters would be required to have their fingers marked with indelible ink when voting in the next general election in order to prevent multiple voting.
 
EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said the commission would be represented by three senior officers to demonstrate the ink's use  should the need arises.
 
The representatives are EC secretary Datuk Kamaruddin Mohamed Baria, his deputy (elections), Datuk Noordin Che Ngah, and its legal advisor, Mohd Azhar Mohd Yusoff. 
 
"The representatives will brief the National Fatwa Council members on the use of this new ink before the members meet," he said.
 
"Should the council need a demonstration on how the ink is going to be used in the next election, the representatives will show  them how to do it.
 
"They will also bring a sample of the ink to the meeting," he added.
 
When asked if the demonstration could jeopardise the confidentiality of the new ink,  Aziz said they would not be revealing the real method or colour of the ink that would be used in the next general election.
 
Aziz also said  he was optimistic that the indelible ink's usage would get the  nod from the National Fatwa Council, as analysis had found that the ingredients in the ink did not contain any non-halal substance or interfere in a Muslim's ibadah.
 
"We have also received the result of the analysis from the Chemistry Department, and I am  positive about this meeting as I feel that the ink adheres to  Islamic law.
 
"However, we will leave it to the council to decide, as they are the experts in Islamic law and know better," he said.
 
It was reported that the EC would be introducing a new type of indelible ink to be used in the next general election.
 
In 2008, the commission had introduced a type of indelible ink, which received the green light from the National Fatwa Council, but its usage was cancelled because of  the potential for a  security breach.
 
It is learnt that  police had warned EC of attempts by several quarters to tamper with the 2008 general election by bringing in ink illegally.

Another Speakers’ Corner opened in Penang



A second Speakers Corner was opened in Penang, this time on the mainland, on the same day as Anwar’s acquittal on Monday.

View Larger Map
More photos at rajauda.com.
The MPSP had spent some RM700000 to restore the unkempt 6500-square-metre open space, now known as Tugu Kota Demokrasi Bagan Park, at Taman Cantik (near the Petronas station along Jalan Permatang Pauh) in Mak Mandin, Butterworth 
From what I hear, anyone can speak on at any time (until 10.00pm), any day. It might be better to have designated days and time, so that people know when speakers are likely to be holding court. Perhaps it can coincide with the Kedah weekend as well to make it easier for folks from the neighbouring state to check out the action. (The Speakers’ Square on the island is open on Wednesdays and Sundays, but most of the crowd is there on Sundays.)
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng was reported in The Star as saying that an anonymous private company had sponsored RM600000 to develop the park under their corporate social responsibility programme.
Which private company is this?
During the ground-breaking ceremony last year for the second Speakers’ Corner, the state government’s website reported Guan Eng as announcing that MMC-Gamuda would be sponsoring RM607000 as part of its CSR programme.
MMC-Gamuda had run into problems in the last few years with the Penang state government over its railway double-tracking programme. It was fined RM7.4m in 2009 (Bernama).
According to latest company Annual Reports, Syed Mokhtar Shah bin Syed Nor Al-Bukhary has a 51 per cent indirect interest in MMC, while among the substantial shareholders of Gamuda is Raja Dato’ Seri Eleena binti Raja Azlan Shah.
Hmm … I can’t help thinking about what happened in Perak. Maybe Perak can now have a Speakers’ Corner under the fabled Democracy Tree.