The Shah Alam Sessions Court has sentenced a police constable to a total
of three years' jail for causing hurt to detainee A Kugan in the
long-running ‘death in custody’…
The Shah Alam Sessions Court has sentenced a police constable to a total
of three years' jail for causing hurt to detainee A Kugan in the
long-running ‘death in custody’ case.
Judge Aslam Zainuddin, in
delivering the verdict, noted that V Navindran’s defence was a bare
denial and found him guilty of two counts of causing hurt.
Although Navindran, 29, received three years for each of the two charges, Aslam ordered the sentences to run concurrently.
He allowed a stay of execution to the sentence but increased Navindran's bail to RM20,000.
Navindran claimed trial on Oct 1, 2009 to two charges of causing hurt under Section 330 of the Penal Code.
Kugan, 23, died while in police custody after allegedly being severely beaten up in the interrogation room of the Taipan police station in USJ-Subang Jaya at 7am on Jan 16, 2009.
Navindran was acquitted on Jan 28 last year but, following an appeal, was told to enter his defence.
He
had originally been charged with a count of causing grievous hurt to
Kugan, but the High Court dismissed the appeal on that charge and only
allowed the two counts of causing hurt to stand.
Earlier this year, Kugan's mother Indra Nallathamby (right), 43, had filed a RM100 million law suit
against then Selangor police chief Khalid Abu Bakar (now deputy
inspector-general of police), Navindran and then Subang Jaya police
chief Zainal Rashid Abu Bakar (now deceased), as well as the police
chief and the government.
Kugan, a suspected car thief, died at
the Taipan police station. His family found signs of injury on his body
after they barged into the Serdang Hospital mortuary to claim his
remains.
The family-members were not satisfied with the
post-mortem at the Serdang Hospital, which found ‘sudden death caused by
fluid accumulation in his lung’.
A second post-mortem at the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre led to the case being re-classified from sudden death to murder.
Articles of black magic, sorcery and incantation seized at airport
Image Credit: Dubai Police
Dubai Customs foils a bid to smuggle 1200 sorcery talismans and other tools into the country.
Dubai: Customs inspectors yesterday foiled an attempt to smuggle more than 1,200 items associated with the practice of witchcraft and sorcery into the UAE through Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport.
Two Asian men were arrested at the airport in connection with the seizure.
Ali Al Maghawi, Dubai Customs’ Director of Airport Operations Department, said the two men were apprehended after their bags were scanned.
“Two Asian passengers were suspected when their bags passed through the internal inspection machines,” he said. “Their bags were scanned and searched manually.
" There have
been several child
marriages in the area.
The police only ruined
my son’s marriage
because I did not
bribe them,"
Father of the child groom
Abdur Razzaq.…
" There have
been several child
marriages in the area.
The police only ruined
my son’s marriage
because I did not
bribe them,"
Father of the child groom
Abdur Razzaq.
FAISALABAD: A man was arrested on Sunday for arranging his 13-year-old son’s wedding to a nine-year-old girl. The underage groom was also taken to the police station, but later released.
Satellite Town police in Jhang raided the ceremony and found that the nikah ceremony was about to begin. They said they had been tipped by the mother of the child bride.
Police arrested the groom’s father, Abdur Razzaq, and registered a case against him. Police has started the investigation.
Station House Officer Atif Imran of the Satellite Town police station said the girl’s mother, Naseem Bibi, was also taken to the police station to answer some questions.
She told them that her former husband, Murtaza, had divorced her after the birth of their daughter in 2003. She said he had wanted a son instead. She said after the divorce, she had started living with her brother, Razzaq.
She said recently he had started pressing her to marry her daughter to his 13-year-old son. She said she was against the marriage and had been thinking of how to stop it. She had tried to persuade her brother that the marriage would be illegal, she said, adding that she had tried not to take the issue with the police.
“When I failed to convince him, I had no other option left, but to inform the police.” She said she had deliberately informed the police on the day of the wedding, so that Razzaq could be caught red-handed.
Razzaq told police that he was not regretful of his decision.
He said he was doing so to reduce his sister’s burden. He said Naseem Bibi had earlier agreed to the marriage.
He said there had been several child marriages in the area, but police had only “spoiled” his son’s marriage because “he had not bribed them”. He claimed that the marriage was not un-Islamic. He also said the children are in the same age group”.
The SHO told The Express Tribune that Razzaq will be presented before the area judicial magistrate on Monday (today). He said the police will ask the court to send him on judicial remand. He said no action could be taken against the groom because he was a juvenile.
He said the maulvi (cleric) was not arrested as the nikah had not taken place yet.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 11th, 2012.
File
photo of police firing tear gas to disperse the protestors at the April
28 Bersih rally in Kuala Lumpur. — Picture by Choo Choy May
KUALA LUMPUR, June 11 — A total of 909 tear gas canisters and 58 tear gas grenades were used to disperse the tens of thousands who gathered for the April 28 Bersih rally here which has resulted in repeated allegations of police brutality.
The Home Ministry also said in its reply to a parliamentary question by Batu Gajah MP Fong Po Kuan that the government spent RM1.8 million to police the rally for free and fair elections.
The number of tear gas shells fired was nearly four times the 262 used in the previous Bersih rally on July 9, 2011 which resulted in international condemnation for Putrajaya’s clampdown on the electoral reform movement.
But the ministry insisted in a reply to a separate question by the DAP lawmaker that “police acted according to standard operating procedures (SOP) to prevent the situation from becoming more violent and threatening public safety.”
“Police had to act swiftly to ensure the situation was under control,” it said, despite violent clashes between police and protestors lasting for over four hours.
The government has set up a panel to investigate the April 28 violence, but the choice of former national police chief Tun Hanif Omar has been widely criticised after he compared the movement to communism and accused the organisers of an attempted coup.
The rally that saw tens of thousands gather at six different locations in the capital city before heading to the historic Dataran Merdeka was peaceful until about 2.30pm when Bersih chief Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan asked the crowd to disperse.
But her announcement was not heard by most of the crowd who persisted to linger around the historic square which the court had already barred to the public over the weekend.
Just before 3pm, some protestors breached the barricade surrounding the landmark, leading police to disperse the crowd with tear gas and water cannons.
Police then continued to pursue rally-goers down several streets amid chaotic scenes which saw violence from both sides over the next four hours.
Several dozen demonstrators have claimed that they were assaulted by groups of over 10 policemen at a time and visual evidence appears to back their claim but police also point to violence from rally-goers who attacked a police car.
The police car then crashed into a building before some protestors flipped it on its side.
The department says it has no agents at large to help in MyKad applications.
PETALING JAYA: The National Registration Department (NRD) today sought to distance itself from a scandal involving the sale of fake MyKads uncovered by Sabah police over the weekend.
NRD Director-General Jariah Mohd Said said the department did not have third-party agents to represent it and was therefore not responsible for MyKad applications made outside of its offices.
Responding to reports that a NRD officer was among several people arrested on suspicion of selling fake MyKads to illegal immigrants in Tawau, she said: “The NRD is not responsible for any application transactions for identification cards made by certain individuals outside of NRD offices. Therefore, if any individual offers such services, we seek the public’s cooperation to report it to the authorities.”
She urged applicants to deal directly with NRD at any of its offices, adding that the department did not charge for a first MyKad application if made within 30 days of the applicant’s 12th birthday.
“The process payments for each application is only RM10 as stated under Regulation 6 of the National Registration Regulations 1990 (2007 amendment). There is also no additional payment above that. The maximum compound fine for a lost MyKad is RM300.”
On Saturday, FMT reported that a 52-year-old NRD officer from Putrajaya was among 19 people detained for what Tawau deputy district police chief Supt Keong Ho Eng decribed as “conducting fraud of NRD’s documents”.
The NRD officer is among nine Malaysian men detained. Of the others, eight are Pakistani and one Indonesian. The sole woman among the suspects is a Filipina.
The syndicate was said to have charged between RM1,000 and RM5,000 for a fake MyKad. It is believed that they operated in Lahad Datu and Tawau districts, on Sabah’s east coast.
The group is alleged to have offered MyKad application services to the thousands of poor illegal immigrants who have flooded the state in search of a better life. Police said the applicants were made to believe they were getting Malaysian identification cards legally.
They are believed to be under investigation for cheating, and Keong said there was enough evidence to charge at least three of them.
The arrest came just days after Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak gave the go-ahead for a royal commission to investigate allegations that large numbers of foreigners in the state have been granted citizenship under dubious circumstance and have been found to be voting in elections.
Nurul's plan to discuss the sale of secret submarine papers to a French company were rejected in Parliament today.
KUALA LUMPUR: An emergency motion aimed at discussing the alleged sale of highly secret Scorpene submarine-related documents to a French company was rejected in Parliament today.
Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia rejected the Lembah Pantai MP (PKR) Nurul Izzah Anwar’s motion in his chambers this morning, as it did not adhere to Standing Order 23(1)(h).
The Standing Order states:
“A question shall not be asked for the purpose of obtaining an expression of opinion, the solution of an abstract legal case or the answer to a hypothetical proposition.”
He later told the Dewan Rakyat that the alleged sale was still an “assumption”, and not official.
“The matter raised in this motion is an assumption, and not a specific matter, because the matter about the transaction sale of the documents is not clear.
“…It is still an allegation,” Pandikar said.
FMT previously reported the disclosure by Suaram about the sale of the document – which supposedly contained an evaluation of the Scorpenes by the Navy and contract details – to French-based DCNS for 36 million euros (RM142 million).
Suaram’s lawyers said that the secret document was sold by Terasasi (Hong Kong) Ltd, whose directors are Abdul Razak Baginda and his father Abdul Malim Baginda.
Both are believed to be closely linked to Najib.
Speaker’s decision ‘disappointing’
The document was allegedly sold to Thales International, also known as Thint Asia, a subsidiary of DCN (later known as DCNS).
DCNS is the company central in the legal suit filed by Suaram in 2009 in the French courts, which recently commenced a judicial inquiry at the Tribunal De Grande Instance in Paris.
The inquiry revolves around the RM7.3 billion deal to purchase two Scorpene submarines with DCNS and Spainish Navantia in 2002.
Nurul later told reporters that it was “disappointing” that MPs were not given a chance to debate the matter.
Also present was Sungai Petani MP Johari Abdul who demanded that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigate the matter.
“How can they [Terasasi] have information of specification on the submarine?… Don’t wait for us to make a police report,” he said.
He also said that even the Maltese Parliament was discussing the Scorpene scandal, and hinted at Malaysia’s reluctance to do so.
In Malta Today news portal, the Maltese Parliament was told that the French-owned Malta-based financial consultancy Gifen was being investigated by French officials over commission allegations involving Perimekar Sdn Bhd, once owned by Abdul Razak.
MIC central working committee member S Vell Paari warns that the civil suit, which he believes is counter-productive to BN, will open a Pandora's box.
PETALING JAYA: Pursuing the civil suit against Bersih chairperson S Ambiga is both futile and counter-productive for Barisan Nasional, said a MIC leader.
Furthermore, S Vell Paari argued it would open a Pandora’s box with regard to similar legal actions.
The MIC central working committee member added that the move also provided more fodder to the opposition to discredit BN.
In view of this, he urged the government to consider withdrawing the suit.
The suit was filed against Bersih’s leaders seeking RM120,000 for the damage to police vehicles during the electoral watchdog’s April 28 rally in Kuala Lumpur. Ambiga had since counter-sued the government.
However, Vell Paari pointed out that others could choose a similar legal recourse, for example those who were hurt in the recent drag racing mishap during the youth gathering in Putrajaya.
“Should those injured in the accident take legal action against the government and the other organisers for not ensuring their safety at the event?” he asked.
Citing other examples, the MIC leader said whenever the annual Thaipusam festival was held in Batu Caves, which drew millions of Hindu devotees, there were bound to be accidents and injuries.
“Do these people sue the Batu Caves temple committee?” he asked.
Similarly, Vell Paari said during the haj pilgrimage in Mecca, there were also reports of people, including Malaysians, getting hurt in stampedes and so forth.
“So do we drag Tabung Haji or the Saudi Arabian authorities to court for failing to provide adequate safety measures to the pilgrims? That will be ridiculous!” he added.
The point was, he said, during large congregations of people, the situation could spiral out of control and the organisers cannot be blamed if instructions were not heeded.
“I believe that the case against Ambiga is not only a waste of taxpayers’ money and the courts’ precious time but is akin to shooting oneself in the foot or in this case, BN’s foot,” he told FMT.
‘Engage Ambiga as a friend’
Vell Paari said that it was also pointless to continue denying the influence of Bersih and the damage its mammoth rally had inflicted on BN.
“The protests held outside Ambiga’s residence had hurt BN’s image further, especially with the Indian community. The infamous butt exercise was not a protest but an outright harassment of a woman. The whole episode also took a racial slant.
“By not acting against these protesters, the authorities set a dangerous precedent that it is fine to put up stalls and conduct vulgar exercises outside anybody’s house,” he added.
Reiterating the need for the government to engage Ambiga as a friend instead of a foe, Vell Paari once again called on Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to meet with the former Bar Council president.
He said Najib should not allow certain forces to undermine his good work and must take the initiative to hold a face-to-face meeting with Ambiga.
“We cannot pretend that Bersih is just an opposition tool. If it has valid grouses about the conduct of elections, then these complaints must be taken into account.
“Since Najib also stressed the need to embrace evolution as opposed to revolution, then the first step in this evolutionary process should be a dialogue with Ambiga.
“We have a PM who has shown that he is willing to listen to the people. He is someone who dares to be different and is courageous enough to apologise for BN’s shortcomings.
“For the people’s sake, this is something that he must do. He must meet her!” he added.
Vell Paari also said the government cannot blame Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim and Pakatan Rakyat for hijacking Bersih since that was the nature of politics.
“Anwar is a master politician; he sensed that Bersih will be huge and he capitalised on it. He did the same with Hindraf in 2007.
“We cannot accuse a politician of exploiting an event for mileage. Such is the nature of the political beast,” he added.
Vell Paari also revealed that his stand on Bersih had raised eyebrows in BN circles but he stressed that dissent should not be confused with disloyalty.
The word from Umno is that he will take on the state’s PAS commissioner in Paroi.
SEREMBAN: Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Mohamad Hasan is set to contest the PAS-held Paroi state seat in the coming election, a move Umno describes as bold but which a PKR official sees as an indication of his lack of choices.
Paroi, currently held by PAS commissioner Mohd Taufek Abdul Ghani, was the only state seat in Negeri Sembilan that PAS won in the last general election.
An Umno insider said Mohamad had decided to take on Taufek in order to boost the morale of his party machinery.
“Taufek is the favourite candidate at the moment to win again the Paroi seat,” said the source.
“By contesting in Paroi, Mohamad will checkmate Taufek and end PAS’ dominance in Paroi.”
He said Umno was determined to take back all the state seats it lost in the 2008 election.
The source appeared confident that Mohamad would win against Taufek because he “will bring along the Menteri Besar title with him”.
“It will send a signal to voters that if Mohamad wins and returns as Menteri Besar again, the people of Paroi will benefit the most.”
However, Rembau PKR chief Badrul Hisham Shaharin told FMT that Mohamad had no choice but to contest in Paroi as he was set to lose his Rantau seat.
“There are strong waves within Rantau Umno to oust Mohamad Hasan and he knows this,” said Badrul, popularly known Chegu Bard.
“He knows he’s already lost the Chinese and Indian support in Rantau.
“Due to infighting in Umno, some Umno supporters in Rantau are set to vote for the Pakatan Rakyat candidate this time as sign of protest.”
Both Paroi and Rantau are within the Rembau parliamentary constituency, and Mohamad heads Umno’s Rembau division.
“I believe Mohamad is set to be titled ‘former Menteri Besar’ as Taufek’s track record in Paroi is excellent, Badrul said.
“Rembau PKR will mobilise our machinery to make sure Taufek retains the seat.”
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib
Razak has styled himself a reformer, but his government's prosecution
of protesters shows he still has a long way to go.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib
Razak has styled himself a reformer, but his government's prosecution
of protesters shows he still has a long way to go.
Najib Razak, Malaysia's prime minister,
delivers his keynote speech at the Invest Malaysia 2012 conference in
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on May 29, 2012
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak appears
determined to give himself a political black eye. On June 13, government
prosecutors will haul into court 10 leaders of Bersih, a coalition of
civil society groups campaigning to clean up the country’s corrupt
elections commission. The government is demanding damages for
destruction to public property during a clash
between Bersih demonstrators and police in Kuala Lumpur on April 28. At
least 100,000 people marched for clean elections in the Malaysian
capital that day, while tens of thousands more joined protests in 11
other cities across the country and 80 cities around the world. Whether
or not the government wins compensation in court, however, no amount
of money will undo the damage it is inflicting upon its own reputation
by pursuing the case.
The April 28 demonstrations were a stunning
show of discontent in a country where protests are rarely tolerated.
In half a century, Malaysia has advanced from a poor British colony
with a plantation economy to an ambitious, middle-income nation with
science parks, cybercities and skyscrapers. But in a trade-off typical
of Asia, the Barisan National coalition, which has ruled the country
since independence in 1957, curtails civil liberties and keeps a tight
rein on political opposition in exchange for delivering prosperity.
That governing model, however, contains the seeds of its own decay.
Malaysia’s successful development “translates into a better-educated
electorate who have more sophisticated demands and expectations,”
political scientist Prof. Farish Noor tells TIME.
(MORE: Malaysia Opposition Leader Cleared of Sodomy, Paving Way for Fierce Election Fight)
In recent years, the government has found it
increasingly difficult to meet those expectations. According to World
Bank data on the Gini coefficient, a measure of wealth inequality, the
gap between rich and poor in Malaysia is larger than it is in
neighboring Thailand, where inequality has been a factor driving civil
unrest and political violence in recent years. Since the beginning of
the global economic crisis in late 2008, Noor says there is also a
“growing anxiety” among the middle classes in Malaysia “who feel their
jobs and economic opportunities are threatened.”
Keenly aware of the escalating problems, Najib
has tried to present himself as a reformer. The steps he has taken so
far, however, haven’t done much to improve BN’s image as increasingly
corrupt, ill-equipped to deal with global economic complexities and
out of touch with the aspirations of significant segments of the
population. In 2008, BN was shocked when opposition parties captured
five of the country’s 13 states in national elections—the worst
showing in the coalition’s history. If voters are more dissatisfied
now, they are also more frustrated: few can see how real change can be
achieved as long as the BN controls access to the media and elections
continue to be riddled with irregularities. Najib’s attempts at
reform “ring hollow when the electoral system remains flawed,” Datuk
Ambiga Sreenavasan, Bersih chairperson one of the defendants in the
case brought by the government, tells TIME. “The stark reality is that
genuine reform will not benefit those in power.”
(PHOTOS:Living in Malaysia’s Melting Pot)
Najib has received credit for repealing the
draconian Internal Security Act that was used to suppress dissent. But
he then turned around and decided to prosecute Bersih leaders over
the violence on April 28. Phil Robertson of Human Rights Watch
contends that video evidence shows security forces were actually
responsible for the clashes. The forces initially allowed
demonstrators into Merdeka (Independence) Square, which the government
had previously declared off limits, and then began attacking the
demonstrators with tear gas and batons for breaching the area. “If the
prime minister was a true reformer, he would have condemned this
violence and called for an independent inquiry by the Human Rights
Commission,’’ Sreenavasan says.
The irony is that Sreenavsan believes Najib
truly wants to be a reformer, but is constrained by the realities of
his governing coalition–he relies heavily on the support of
politicians who control rural provinces in a semi-feudal style. To
appease rural voters, Najib and his coalition have showered them with
populist policies, such as a new minimum wage that will raise incomes
for an estimated 3.2 million people and a 13% pay rise for civil
servants. By contrast, they have ignored Bersih’s eight demands for
freer and fairer elections, such as cleaning the voter rolls of fake
names.
Enacting electoral reforms would benefit the
government. The coalition would probably still prevail at the ballot
box because of its populism and emerge with a stronger mandate because
it obtained its victory fair and square. Instead, the rulers are
opting to suppress Bersih. That will only serve to stoke a political
pressure cooker, deepen divisions and undercut the legitimacy of the
government. “This is nothing less than a battle for the political soul
of Malaysia,’’ Robertson says. No matter the outcome of the court
case, it’s a battle that is far from over.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib
Razak has styled himself a reformer, but his government's prosecution
of protesters shows he still has a long way to go.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib
Razak has styled himself a reformer, but his government's prosecution
of protesters shows he still has a long way to go.
Najib Razak, Malaysia's prime minister,
delivers his keynote speech at the Invest Malaysia 2012 conference in
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on May 29, 2012
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak appears
determined to give himself a political black eye. On June 13, government
prosecutors will haul into court 10 leaders of Bersih, a coalition of
civil society groups campaigning to clean up the country’s corrupt
elections commission. The government is demanding damages for
destruction to public property during a clash
between Bersih demonstrators and police in Kuala Lumpur on April 28. At
least 100,000 people marched for clean elections in the Malaysian
capital that day, while tens of thousands more joined protests in 11
other cities across the country and 80 cities around the world. Whether
or not the government wins compensation in court, however, no amount
of money will undo the damage it is inflicting upon its own reputation
by pursuing the case.
The April 28 demonstrations were a stunning
show of discontent in a country where protests are rarely tolerated.
In half a century, Malaysia has advanced from a poor British colony
with a plantation economy to an ambitious, middle-income nation with
science parks, cybercities and skyscrapers. But in a trade-off typical
of Asia, the Barisan National coalition, which has ruled the country
since independence in 1957, curtails civil liberties and keeps a tight
rein on political opposition in exchange for delivering prosperity.
That governing model, however, contains the seeds of its own decay.
Malaysia’s successful development “translates into a better-educated
electorate who have more sophisticated demands and expectations,”
political scientist Prof. Farish Noor tells TIME.
(MORE: Malaysia Opposition Leader Cleared of Sodomy, Paving Way for Fierce Election Fight)
In recent years, the government has found it
increasingly difficult to meet those expectations. According to World
Bank data on the Gini coefficient, a measure of wealth inequality, the
gap between rich and poor in Malaysia is larger than it is in
neighboring Thailand, where inequality has been a factor driving civil
unrest and political violence in recent years. Since the beginning of
the global economic crisis in late 2008, Noor says there is also a
“growing anxiety” among the middle classes in Malaysia “who feel their
jobs and economic opportunities are threatened.”
Keenly aware of the escalating problems, Najib
has tried to present himself as a reformer. The steps he has taken so
far, however, haven’t done much to improve BN’s image as increasingly
corrupt, ill-equipped to deal with global economic complexities and
out of touch with the aspirations of significant segments of the
population. In 2008, BN was shocked when opposition parties captured
five of the country’s 13 states in national elections—the worst
showing in the coalition’s history. If voters are more dissatisfied
now, they are also more frustrated: few can see how real change can be
achieved as long as the BN controls access to the media and elections
continue to be riddled with irregularities. Najib’s attempts at
reform “ring hollow when the electoral system remains flawed,” Datuk
Ambiga Sreenavasan, Bersih chairperson one of the defendants in the
case brought by the government, tells TIME. “The stark reality is that
genuine reform will not benefit those in power.”
(PHOTOS:Living in Malaysia’s Melting Pot)
Najib has received credit for repealing the
draconian Internal Security Act that was used to suppress dissent. But
he then turned around and decided to prosecute Bersih leaders over
the violence on April 28. Phil Robertson of Human Rights Watch
contends that video evidence shows security forces were actually
responsible for the clashes. The forces initially allowed
demonstrators into Merdeka (Independence) Square, which the government
had previously declared off limits, and then began attacking the
demonstrators with tear gas and batons for breaching the area. “If the
prime minister was a true reformer, he would have condemned this
violence and called for an independent inquiry by the Human Rights
Commission,’’ Sreenavasan says.
The irony is that Sreenavsan believes Najib
truly wants to be a reformer, but is constrained by the realities of
his governing coalition–he relies heavily on the support of
politicians who control rural provinces in a semi-feudal style. To
appease rural voters, Najib and his coalition have showered them with
populist policies, such as a new minimum wage that will raise incomes
for an estimated 3.2 million people and a 13% pay rise for civil
servants. By contrast, they have ignored Bersih’s eight demands for
freer and fairer elections, such as cleaning the voter rolls of fake
names.
Enacting electoral reforms would benefit the
government. The coalition would probably still prevail at the ballot
box because of its populism and emerge with a stronger mandate because
it obtained its victory fair and square. Instead, the rulers are
opting to suppress Bersih. That will only serve to stoke a political
pressure cooker, deepen divisions and undercut the legitimacy of the
government. “This is nothing less than a battle for the political soul
of Malaysia,’’ Robertson says. No matter the outcome of the court
case, it’s a battle that is far from over.
(Bernama) - Democracy only works when the people understand its limitations, former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has said.
He said democracy would not bring the goodness that it promised when people thought only of the freedoms of democracy and knew nothing of the implied responsibilities.
“Instead, it will result only in instability, and instability will not permit development to take place and the people to enjoy the benefits of freedom and the rights that democracy promises,” he said.
Dr Mahathir, who was Malaysia’s prime minister for 22 years before stepping down in 2003, said this in his keynote lecture at the University of Santo Tomas’ (UST) special convocation in the Philippine capital, Manila.
He was conferred with an honorary professorship by the university. The honour is bestowed on distinguished foreign individuals who have achieved exceptional distinction in their respective fields of expertise.
Previous recipients include a Nobel laureate in chemistry and a chancellor from the Vatican, according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry.
In his speech, the text of which was made available to the media here, Dr Mahathir spoke at length about the possible setbacks of democracy as he referred to a country which had been unable to progress because of what he described as “too much democracy”.
“No sooner is a government elected when the losers would hold demonstrations and general strikes, accusing the government of malpractices.
“The government has to deal with these disruptions and neglect the work of governing and development that it is expected to carry out. The disruption could be so serious as to force the government to resign,” he said without naming the country in question.
Dr Mahathir said no doubt democracy was being practised by this particular country but he questioned whether this was really what democracy was all about, posing the question, “Is democracy the end or the means?”
Noting that Malaysia was not a liberal democracy, he said democracy was viewed principally as providing an “easy way” to change governments.
“No revolution, no civil wars, no Arab spring. Just vote and the government will be brought down or re-elected according to the wishes of the people,” Dr Mahathir said.
He drove home the point that in the Malaysian elections, candidates from opposition parties could win and they had indeed captured a number of state governments.
On leadership, Dr Mahathir said it must not be corrupt and need vision about the development of the country.
“A leader is as good as the ideas that he has. To bring prosperity to the country, he must know what policies to adopt and what strategies to employ,” he said.
Turning to the economy, Dr Mahathir, who has been courted by Yemen to be its special economic advisor, said he believed that in this troubled economic climate, Asean should co-operate more productively and make use of its market of half a billion people.
“Really the countries of Southeast Asia have great potential for growth, prosperity and empowerment. All we need is people and leaders who love their country and people more than they love themselves,” he concluded.
The Foreign Ministry said Dr Mahathir and his wife, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, were received on arrival in Manila yesterday by the Malaysian envoy to the Philippines, Datuk Seri Dr Ibrahim Saad, and other embassy officials.
Dr Mahathir attended a gathering with the Malaysian community as well as delivered a keynote speech on “Nation Building and Economic Development” at a dinner organised by the Asia Society at a leading hotel there.
The
Najib administration has done enough to safeguard Bumiputera interests
and businesses, the Malay Chamber of Commerce (DPMM) said today.
The country’s biggest Malay business organisation gave Datuk Seri
Najib…
The
Najib administration has done enough to safeguard Bumiputera interests
and businesses, the Malay Chamber of Commerce (DPMM) said today.
The country’s biggest Malay business organisation gave Datuk Seri
Najib Razak a stamp of approval, saying that they could see the prime
minister had not “abandoned” the Bumiputera agenda despite taking steps
to liberalise the economy.
“We are thankful with what the
government is doing to improve the Malay economy. For several years
now, they (the government) have fought and not neglected the Malays.
“Although
the (government’s) methodology may be different but for me it is
normal,” Federal Territories DPMM chairman Datuk Syed Amin Al-Jeffri (picture) told reporters today.
He said DPMM leaders were in agreement that there was a need to approach the Bumiputera agenda “differently”.
“The situation of the Malay race then and now is different, the needs have changed,” said Syed Amin.
He
said today’s generation of Malays are “well-poised” and educated and
could withstand “challenges”, but at the same time stressed that
“strategic assistance” from the government was still necessary.
“The generation X and Y of Malays are well-posed, educated... but they just need to be given an impetus... a push.
“The
issue is where do they (Malays) go from here. That is why we have
organisations such as the United Malay Economic Action Council
(MTEM)... We also have PUNB (Perbadanan Usahawan Nasional Berhad), so
many different types of bodies,” said the DPMM leader.
Prime
Minister Najib has reaffirmed his commitment to a plan for Permodalan
Nasional Berhad (PNB) and Khazanah Nasional to each yield five non-core
businesses to Bumiputera firms as part of efforts to grow the
community’s participation in the economy.
In February, the prime
minister announced the that 10 government-linked entities will be
divested to “worthy” Bumiputera owners, raising concerns from across
the political divide that the move mirrors the failed Mahathir-era plan
to groom Bumiputera entrepreneurs in the 1990s.
Last year,
Khazanah made a total of eight divestments, which brought in proceeds
of RM7.7 billion and helped to push the company’s profit before tax for
the full year to RM5.3 billion from RM3 billion in 2010.
Key
divestments included the sale of its 32 per cent stake in Pos Malaysia
to Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar al-Bukhary’s DRB-Hicom Bhd for RM622.8 million
and the complete privatisation of PLUS Bhd through a joint acquisition
by UEM Group Bhd and the Employees Provident Fund (EPF).
In
January, Khazanah also announced the sale of its 42.7 per cent stake in
national carmaker Proton Holdings Bhd to DRB-Hicom, which is
controlled by Malaysia’s richest Malay, for RM1.3 billion.
Now that DPM Muhyddin
Yassin has challenged Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim to account for
that RM3billion held in EIGHT ACCOUNTS, and Anwar had thrown the
gauntlet down challenging Muhyiddin to…
Now that DPM Muhyddin
Yassin has challenged Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim to account for
that RM3billion held in EIGHT ACCOUNTS, and Anwar had thrown the
gauntlet down challenging Muhyiddin to also open his bank accounts for
public scrutiny, it's OPEN SEASON for us to dig into the archives to see
if there is any valid case to answer by Barisan Nasional leaders, past
or present.
Just for the record, Muhyiddin had quoted a former assistant governor
in Bank Negara, Abdul Murad Khalid, in reviving an old issue; this
source later recanted that he had been forced to make the allegations
against then deputy prime minster, OR ELSE!
From fellow blogger
anaksungaiderhaka@gmail.com, I copied the following: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 DSAI ada RM3Billion!!... sah fitnah dari pencacai UMNO.. Kah.. kah.. kah.. nampaknya pencacai-pencacai UMNO kena cipta fitnah baru pulak la... ACA had cleared Anwar of 'RM3 bil bank account''
Former ACA
director of investigations Abdul Razak Idris told the High Court today
he had cleared Anwar Ibrahim of allegations of stashing RM3 billion in
foreign accounts and having foreign links to Western interests.
Abdul Razak, 60, who is now retired but a director of several
companies, said ACA had investigated the matter following allegations
made in a statutory declaration by former assistant governor of Bank
Negara Abdul Murad Khalid.
He said a team of ACA officers went to Singapore and United Kingdom to probe the allegations. "We went to meet Murad and several British witnesses. But the
investigations resulted in 'No case' against Anwar pertaining to
allegations made in Murad's statutory declaration."
"Further, I concluded that the allegations contained in the SD
(statutory declaration) were baseless and unsustainable, and I
consequently ordered that the investigations be closed." - Malaysiakini
Wala! So funny of Muhyiddin to forget that!
Furthermore, you all know the Prime Minister then was Dr Mahathir
Mohamad, so all the ministerial "misconduct" would only be exposed when
he wanted it to, just like the alleged "Sodomy I", don't we all know
that?
Desi combed the cobwebs off at his Midnight Voices' abode, and since
he's not of the self-exiled blogger rank to be able to hide overseas, I
am writing on "home soil" and be prepared for any repercussions. But the
royal one in London challenged the former DPM Anwar to "debate" with
him -- I'm sure you remember the wikileaks forum?
Humble me, unlike you know who...
I shall not exalt myself to challenge Muhyiddin for a debate.
I nevertheless like RPK also "retrieved" an old issue to ask MCA
president Dr Chua Soi Lek, a former Health Minister (turned Hel minster
following the sex tape leak more like sabotage from within his party?),
and his current deputy-cum-Health minister Liow Tiong Lai, to answer.
Maybe Liow would be grateful to Desi to divert attention from the WWW15
shenanigan lurching from one lie to cover a smaller lie followed by a
BIGGER LIOW-- oops, BIGGER LIE!
Just for backgrounding, THAT POST which the news portal
freemalaysiatoday closely associated with m2day has cooked into a news
item -- or is it history? -- here's just reproducing the headline and
first para, for I ain't going to publicise RPK and his associated press,
don't you dare ask why!
Anwar covered up Bank Negara losses, says RPK
ARCHIVES 2012 Tuesday, 05 June 2012 Super Admin The influential blogger said the former deputy prime minister had
absolved Bank Negara of any wrong-doing in 1994, which prompted Lim Kit
Siang to accuse Anwar Ibrahim of lying. (FMT) - Former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim was involved
in covering up the multi-billion ringgit losses by Bank Negara some 20
years ago, blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin claimed.
OKAY, after a not so "cheong hei" intro, I then turned to my archives
to reprise the following post with only the RELEVANT EXTRACTS:
Is someone talking crap?
There is more than meets the eye nowadays when you listen to
government leaders speaking, especially when overseas and addressing
only certain targeted groups... When I read the following, my reaction is whispering to myself: Is he talking crap? From The Star, Wednesday May 3, 2006 Money is not everything students told KUALA LUMPUR: Money is not everything, Malaysian medical students in Britain have been told. Higher Education Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamedsaid the students
must have a strong sense of nationalism and patriotism, and should
return home to serve the country after completing their studies,
He said that despite the lower financial reward in the government
service, the students should be proud to serve the Government, just
like many other doctors who continued to be in the civil service
although they could have opted for private practice.
“As a developing country, it is impossible for Malaysia to match
the salaries of doctors in Britain. We don’t have such deep pockets.
“Money should not be everything,” he told about 100 Malaysian
students at a dialogue organised by the Malaysian Students Department in
London yesterday.
Mustapa was responding to a student’s query on last month’s
survey by the UK Executive Council for Malaysian Students which found
that low pay and long working hours in government service were among the
reasons Malaysian medical students were reluctant to return home after
completing their studies in Britain.
The post continued with: "From the frontpage of NEW SUNDAY TIMES November 6, 2005 (Bravo! for a news scoop, the SundayStar never had a word...)
SHOCKING
RM100million down the drain It's a tale of money down the drain.
Malaysian students, on public scholarships who studied in Ireland at a
cost of between RM60million and RM100million to become doctors, have
turned their backs on the country.
SHOCKING
'They have also become a bad influence on otrher Malaysians pursuing medical degress overseas'
The report had quoted Dr Chua Soi Lek, Health Minister, talking about
Malaysians on scholarships studying in Ireland who NEVER RETURNED TO
SERVE THEIR BONDS!
Now Desi's Q -- which I think many fellow Malaysians would like YB DATUK MUSTAPA MOHAMED to enlioghten us, the taxpapers:
What has the Government done/ will the Government do to punish these ungrateful, delinquent Malaysians who broke their bonds?
I know had these scholarships gone to other Malaysians who studied
under FAM scholarhsips (FAM: Father and Mother, not any Government or
sports body, you dumbasses!), everyone of them would have been so
grateful to have saved RM750,000 to RM1million (Yes, that's what's spent
on a Medical/DEntal/Pharmacy Course overseas!), they would have gladly
returned to NegaraKU to serve out the BOND, never mind the pur[pported
"low pay". As I said in my earlier post, IT"S NOT ABOUT THE "LOW PAY" --
IT"S MAINLY ABOUT THE RACED-BASED POLITICS!
I know of many parents selling or mortgaging their second house, even
their only house, to enable a child to study
medicine/dentistry/pharmacy in Australia, New Zealand, where the
exchange rate is already lower thah in UK/ IUSA, and they have top spend
some RM750,000. Some have had to borrow from the banks.
STOP TALKING CRAP!
So Mr Minister, STOP TALKING CRAP ABOUT HAVING "a strong sense of
nationalism and patriotism" ... who would put the food on the table if
these graduates with RM500,000 debts to service to serve in NegaraKu
with a starting pay of about RM2,000-RM2,500 which is not even enough to
pay for the bank's interest?
Meanwhile, can you go after those "unpatriotic" bond-breakers?!
DESIDERATA: I guess I must honour the two UMNO bigwig ministers (make
it THREE if Muhyiddin wanna join the funD!) too by asking them --
Mustapa and current Higher Education Minister Khaled Nordin -- to also
join the exalted position of Dr Chua, and minister Liow to give straight
answers to the following questions:
1. What is the status of those 70-odd (that number is based on my
memory recall okay, so I stand corrected! I regret I couldn't retrieve
the full NST report because my laptop kaputed recently!) students who,
as described by Dr Chua, refused to come back to Malaysia to serve their
bond?
2. Subsequent to that "batch" of scholarship students sent overseas
for medical studies referred to by Chua, how many more Malaysians
benefited from similar government or government-linkedf scholarships BUT
FAIL TO RETURN HOME TO SERVE THE BONDS IF GOVERNED BY THE SCHOLARSHIPS?
3. Would the BN government which flags itself as a "caring government
looking after the people's interest" consider a proposal from Desi? --
THAT the government consider reimbursing all family-funded medicate
graduates, whether from local or overseas universities, who are now in
Malaysia serving fellow Malaysians (YES, THEY ARE MORE PATRIOTIC THAN
THOSE BOND-BREAKING IDIOTS ANYTIME, IMHO!) at least HALF OF THEIR STUDY
EXPENSES, like a ballpark figure of RM250,000.
JUNE 11 — Tomorrow my wife and I leave Malaysia so that I can take up a short-term assignment abroad. As I said in my last post, we struggle over whether, as citizens, we are doing the right thing. We are after all Malaysians. We don’t think of any other country as our home. Politicians in no other countries care about our votes.
After I paid a few hundred US dollars, India recognised me as a Person of Indian Origin (PIO) — this means I don’t need a visa to enter India. But this is only in order to encourage me to transfer funds to India, which I have not done. I don’t have voting rights in India. Why should I? I care more about Malaysia than I do about India!
I do have voting rights in Malaysia, and I am disappointed that the 13th general election in Malaysia will likely occur while I’m away. Fortunately, my member of Parliament is not Umno-BN, and it seems likely the seat will remain with the opposition even without the help of the votes of my wife and myself. But, with all the shenanigans the Election Commission and Umno-BN are practising, we can’t be too sure.
The Malaysian Insider reported that Muhyiddin Yassin, the deputy prime minister, said the opposition is “skilful at spinning” and at using social media tools.
I wonder if other Malaysians share my sense of dismay every time I hear people speaking of the opposition. If Umno-BN, the ruling party, cares so much about getting votes, why doesn’t it recognise that the opposition are also elected representatives? Why doesn’t Umno-BN recognise that we, the people, have voted so many of the opposition into government because what Umno-BN considers “spin” we consider “fact”.
The ruling coalition in Malaysia spins stories just as much as the opposition; it’s well known that Umno-BN employs media consultants; they find “angles” to make bad stories sound good. That’s understandable. What’s “emphasizing” a point to one is spin to another. That’s politics. You call it “spin” if you can’t counter the facts. If you can counter the facts, you win credibility. That’s politics. Politicians who resort to calling things “spin” are empty shells.
For instance, we are asked to believe that ex-Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil isn’t in any way tainted by her husband and children being recipients of taxpayers’ money as seed capital to start a business.
We might believe this if the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) was a successful company. However, it’s not. Like PKFZ, it’s a disaster. Instead of investing the money in doing business involving cows, NFC invested the money in high-end apartments!
I have no trouble accepting that the spouses and children of ministers, etc. are just as entitled as others to get government awards, contracts, etc.
What I have trouble with is the lack of transparency in the award of contracts — which are often more like “gifts”. In the case of the NFC, my beef is not that it’s Shahrizat’s family who were the benefactors. My beef is that I don’t know why it was them. To get the cows off it’ back, all Umno-BN has to do is tell us why NFC was created, how potential leaders were selected and why Shahrizat’s kin (and not others) were granted the largesse.
Instead of doing that, the leaders of Umno-BN accuse the opposition of spin.
Curiously, we don’t hear of others who were in the running for the award and were denied. Are others quiet because they’ve received benefits they want to keep quiet?
Also, if a listed corporation had awarded the “loan” using a similar process, would it have been considered okay by the shareholders?
Our Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) seems to think that according to current regulations, it’s okay. What conclusions should we now draw about governance in our listed corporations? Let’s not forget that a huge number of our listed corporations are government-linked. What’s Umno-BN proposing to do to prevent similar abuses in the future? Nothing!
Muhyiddin speaks of spin. Why not speak of honesty. Why not speak of his own blunt honesty? Why not speak of the encouragement he gives people to vote for Umno-BN, when he says that if his candidate wins, those whose votes contributed to the win will be treated as anak emas, or “precious children”, who get special treatment?
Why should anyone get special treatment? Answer: it’s the Umno-BN culture. Thus NFC and PKFZ. That’s not spin. That’s honesty.
KOTA
KINABALU: Forced land grabs by private companies, inaction of local
authorities and bogus kampung are among issues brought before the public
hearing on native land rights in its first week here.
Other
grievances aired at the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam)
inquiry include loss of ancestral lands due to re-zoning of forest
reserves, water catchments and agricultural purposes.
The
hearing is aimed at identifying problems faced by Sabah's indigenous
people and formulating strategies to protect their rights.
Suhakam
chairman Tan Sri Hasmy Agam, in one of his comments at the hearing,
said some villages were treated like footballs and were being “kicked”
around by government departments.
He
added that 600 land applications from two kampung in Keningau were
ignored when the village land was gazetted as an area for water
catchments.
“The
district officer kept a few sacks of land applications that were never
opened. It shows the villagers were being treated like a football.
“This matter should have been solved and their coming to Suhakam was a last resort,” he said.
Rungus
community leader Jeffry Makap, representing some 2,000 families from 13
kampung in Bengkoka, told the inquiry that state-owned Sabah Forest
Development Authority (Safoda) had reneged on its promise to provide
housing and 8ha of land per family affected by a forest plantation
project.
He
claimed that the tree plantation project did not benefit them and their
ancestral land had been taken away through “sweet promises”.
Safoda
official Asan Beluar, who testified, claimed many bogus villagers were
invading the authority's operational areas and claiming the kampung to
be their customary land.
“There
is a lot of these new villages emerging. Their objective is to get the
government to give them land, as if they had been staying in the
particular area for generations,” Asan said.
MELAKA, June 11 (Bernama) -- Minister in the Prime Minister's
Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom reminded Bar Council president
Lim Chee Wee to respect the sensitivities of Muslims by…
MELAKA, June 11 (Bernama) -- Minister in the Prime Minister's
Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom reminded Bar Council president
Lim Chee Wee to respect the sensitivities of Muslims by not interfering
in Islamic religious affairs. "The issues of Islam are too sensitive to
be discussed by the non-Muslims and this is a common understanding
among the multi-racial and multi-religious people in Malaysia.
He said this to reporters after attending the seminar on Understanding
Wassatiyah and the Concept of 1Malaysia launched by Melaka Chief
Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam here Monday.
He was commenting on Lim's recent statement that the amendment to Kedah
Mufti and Fatwa Committee Enactment 2008, which barred all fatwa
(edicts) from being challenged in court, was unconstitutional.
In another development, Jamil Khir also reminded Malaysian people not to
hold anymore gathering at the Nabawi Mosque in Medina and Masjidil
Haram (the Grand Mosque) in Mecca as organised by certain quarters on
April 26.
He said the message was conveyed to him by the Saudi Arabian Ambassador
to Malaysia following their concern over the security issues in the two
locations.
Jamil Khir said the decision concerning the quota for Malaysian haj
pilgrims would also be known through a letter from the Saudi government
next month.
They are not doing this with East- timor delegates but it is just piece of low class mentality that they want to show other. This country will appear as Pakistan , Sudan and Somalia one day.
He allowed a stay of execution to the sentence but increased Navindran's bail to RM20,000.
Earlier this year, Kugan's mother Indra Nallathamby (right), 43, had filed a RM100 million law suit
against then Selangor police chief Khalid Abu Bakar (now deputy
inspector-general of police), Navindran and then Subang Jaya police
chief Zainal Rashid Abu Bakar (now deceased), as well as the police
chief and the government. 
