Release sex video on MIC leader, dares party veep

The allegation about a prominent Perak MIC leader caught on video having sex with a sex worker is absurd, MIC vice-president M Saravanan said, because not even "a single shred…

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The allegation about a prominent Perak MIC leader caught on video having sex with a sex worker is absurd, MIC vice-president M Saravanan said, because not even "a single shred of evidence" has been adduced.

"It's all lies. Let us talk logically. With news of elections around the corner, it's golden opportunity for anybody who wants to damage the credibility of a leader," Saravanan said when contacted today.

The federal territories and urban well-being deputy minister brushed aside the accusation against the Perak MIC leader, saying "it is just theatrics".

"If that person claims that the opposition is in possession of the video, what are they waiting for? They would have released it by now, either fully or part by part," he noted.

Several news portals and mainstream newspapers carried the allegation, quoting an MIC Youth source as saying that the video recording was in the hands of the opposition.

However, Saravanan said, the allegation was to raise discontent against MIC and aimed at "instilling an opinion" detrimental to the individual.

Malaysiakini has not been able to contact the individual linked to the video to verify the claim.
'If concerned, come to the party first'

"No one is exceptional to these things, but these are just dirty tactics to harm the individual. Do you think it is a Bollywood movie for a release date to be set? Just release the video if what you claim is true," he said.

He also reprimanded the state MIC Youth leader who made the revelation, saying he should have first lodged a complaint with the party's central working committee.

"If he claims to be a MIC member and he is so concerned about MIC's performance in the coming general election, he should have come to the party with the news first," said Saravanan, who is also the Tapah MP.

MIC suffered the most massive defeat in its history in the 2008 general election when it retained only three of the nine parliamentary seats and six of the 19 state seats it contested.

In Perak, speculation is rife that the party's candidates will contest in two parliamentary and four states seats, including Sungai Siput, which was long held by former MIC president S Samy Vellu, until his defeat by PSM's Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj.

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Recurring Assam Riots. Solution to the roots is to uproot illegal Bangladeshi Muslims from Assam and North East.

BLOODSHED IN KOKRAJHAR FOR ANNEXATION OF ASSAM.

By Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant.

Who is going to annex Assam, one may wonder. Are there phalanx of battle ready armies moving around lower…

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BLOODSHED IN KOKRAJHAR FOR ANNEXATION OF ASSAM.

By Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant.

Who is going to annex Assam, one may wonder. Are there phalanx of battle ready armies moving around lower Assam to attack and annex? Indeed, that is the game plan of Bangladesh and it had been there since the days of formation of East Pakistan on 14 August 1947. In any case the Sylhet district of Assam was given to East Pakistan and the leaders of the Muslim League, including Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, had coveted the rich mineral resources, jungles and vast vacant lands of Assam. The sinister design of Islamic Republic of Pakistan to make the Lower Assam a Muslim-majority area, foment communal trouble and annex it for good. The successive govts of East Pakistan had been playing this game and the power-hungry Indian politicians had been banking on the vote-bank of the Muslim immigrants from Bangladesh to remain in power and enjoy the loaves and fishes of their high offices.

The warnings of losing Assam in the long run were sounded by patriots from time to time but they fell on the deaf ears of the traitors. The latest man in authority to sound the warning bell is no less a person than Lt Gen S.K. Sinha, Governor of Assam who wrote to President Narayanan in 1998 about gravity of situation and precarious security situation but the deaf and dumb politicians did sweet nothing to ward off the danger of losing Assam to Greater Bangladesh. Instead,the General was maligned as a rank communalist and an anti-Muslim fellow bent upon creating trouble.Now we all know how right was General Sinha and how wrong were the 22 Members of Parliament who moved heaven and earth to have General Sinha recalled as Governor of Assam. The traitors tasted success and were emboldened. The blood of Kokrajhar today is on the hands of traitors and all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten their hands.

As a citizen of Bharat, I am a sad man today as I read the accounts of riots, arson, murders of the Bodo Hindus by the illegal Muslim immigrants from the neighbouring Bangladesh. The Govt of India under PM Manmohan Singh and the Dacca govt of Sheikh Hasina have done precious little to stop the influx of illegal Muslim immigrants because the power hungry political parties treat the illegal immigrants as their vote-bank.

May I suggest that the report of General S.K. Sinha, the Governor of Assam in 1998 be made public so that the Indian Nation knows that a Patriot named General Sinha had analysed the Assam problem threadbare and cautioned all those who mattered to take remedial measures. And the Patriot was hounded out by the politicians and other pro-Muslim elements who wish Assam to be a part of Islamic Bangladesh. The names of that 22 MPs who wrote to the President and Govt of India for recall of General Sinha be made public so that the Indian people know who is a Patriot and who is a traitor.

My condolences to the bereaved families and a word of advice to Tarun Gogoi to keep India that is Bharat Above All interests and push the illegal Muslim immigrants back into Bangladesh Let the Bangladeshis be reminded of their history and told that hundreds of Indians had shed blood to give birth to Bangladesh and drive away Pakistani demons who preyed on the population of the then East Pakistan, mostly Muslims.

Be that as it may, the political and economic situation in the Lower Assam is very serious It is time the Government of India took decisive action and drove back the illegal immigrants rising above party politics and narrow gains of electoral battles. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh must dig out the comprehensive report on the causes of the present situation of deep distrust that has developed between the Hindus of Assam and the Muslim immigrants because of the devilish designs of the latter. Any mollycoddling of communal elements at this point of time will be an anti-national act and the history of India, as and when written objectively, will not forgive those politicians who have been keeping their selfish interests above the National interests.

Let us remember: If India lives, we live: if India dies, we die. Let India live forever !

The writer can be reached at: sawantg.chitranjan@gmail.com or upvanom@yahoo.com

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Sri Lankan at Risk of Being Beheaded for Praying to Buddha

A Sri Lankan youth employed as a domestic aid has been arrested in Saudi Arabia for praying to a statue of Lord Buddha, which is considered an offence according to…

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A Sri Lankan youth employed as a domestic aid has been arrested in Saudi Arabia for praying to a statue of Lord Buddha, which is considered an offence according to Islamic Sharia law. According to the Bodu Bala Sena, the youth bearing passport no. 2353715 identified as Premanath Pereralage Thungasiri has been arrested by Umulmahami Police, which is a grave situation. While the youth is a Buddhist, the charge levelled against him is that he paid obeisance to the Buddha at the house where he was employed.

The Bodu Bala Sena organisation further said those employed in Muslim-majority countries are prevented from practicing their religious faiths, and if found to do so are punished severely. Recently a Sri Lankan woman was arrested for gazing at a child at a shopping complex, where she was accused of witchcraft, on the grounds that she had a black cord around her wrist.

On prior occasions too many Sri Lankan female domestic workers were forced to embrace Islam, and wear the traditional attire, while so far four Sri Lankan youth have been beheaded in that country. (Source: Ceylon Today)

Saudi Arabia is an Islamic theocratic monarchy where the religion of Islam is the official religion. Non-Islamic proselytism and conversions are illegal and conversion by Muslims to another religion (apostasy) carries the death penalty. Under Saudia Arabia Sharia Islamic law, children of Saudi parents are considered Muslim, regardless of the country or the religious tradition in which they may have been raised.

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Online activists take over Twitter hashtag calling Saudi female athletes “prostitutes”

Saudi Twitter users use “Prostitutes at the Olympics” hashtag to defame Saudi women athletes.

CAIRO: On Friday early afternoon, a hashtag that had been circulating the micro-blogging site Twitter had…

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Saudi Twitter users use “Prostitutes at the Olympics” hashtag to defame Saudi women athletes.

CAIRO: On Friday early afternoon, a hashtag that had been circulating the micro-blogging site Twitter had been taken over by supporters of Saudi Arabia’s female athletes after having begun two days earlier calling the Saudi women “prostitutes.”

Wojdan Shaherkani (Judo) and Sarah Attar (athletics) are set to be the first women to ever represent the ultra-conservative Gulf kingdom at the Olympics, but they were met with online users starting the Arabic hashtag “prostitutes at the Olympics” in an effort to defame the two women.

However, on Friday, those in support of the two women had taken over the hashtag, showing their overwhelming support for the women.

One user wrote that “these women are heroes” and another said “we will never back down from our freedom, go Saudi women.”

The hashtag was widely condemned by most online activists as a sign of bigotry and prejudice against the Saudi women who are braving their conservative nation to compete in London.

Global Voices Online, an international media and online social media organization, reported that “Saudi Twitter user allegedly called Sultan Al Hilali” began the anti-women hashtag.

Although only a few showed support for the hashtag, it has heightened tensions in the country over women’s participation in sports.

Saudi woman Jumana Abdel Latif told Bikyamasr.com that she hopes the women “can do us proud and begin to show that women can be athletes.

“I want my children to play sports and this is just the first step for women here in Saudi,” she added.

Activists have called on the Saudi government to investigate the hashtag and charge the person responsible for creating it.

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Kapar MP: I did not single out Thaiveegan

Instead PKR's S Manikavasagam claims that he wants the police personnel to be more pro-active in combating crime in his constituency.

PETALING JAYA: Kapar MP S Manikavasagam has denied launching…

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Instead PKR's S Manikavasagam claims that he wants the police personnel to be more pro-active in combating crime in his constituency.

PETALING JAYA: Kapar MP S Manikavasagam has denied launching a broadside against Selangor deputy police chief A Thaiveegan over the escalating crime rate in his constituency.

“I did not single out Thaiveegan. I want more proactive police officers in the like of the late DSP S Kulasingam, former KL police chief P Alagendra and ACP A Paramasivam in Kapar.

“If possible I would like Paramasivam to be reposted to Kapar,” said the PKR lawmaker who is also the party’s public complaints bureau director when met yesterday.

He said this in response to a FMT report on Monday where Persatuan Kebajikan dan Sosial Gemilang Puchong’s legal adviser A Presnath criticised Manikavasagam over Tamil newspaper reports that highlighted the latter’s criticism against Thaiveegan.

Presnath had accused Manikavasagam of targetting Thaiveegan because he happened to be a high ranking officer of Indian origin.

He claimed that the high crime rate is due to socio -economic factors.

As a representative of the people, he said, Manikavasagam should engage the senior police officers in the state to devise strategies to combat crime.

Contrary to Presnath’s claim, Manikavasagam said that he had attempted to have dialogues with the police force.

He showed FMT a letter dated Sept 30, 2009 addressed to Thaiveegan and another letter to North Klang police chief Supt Shukor Sulong three months ago.

“Unfortunately the police don’t want to work with Pakatan lawmakers,” he said.

He also brushed off the criticisms levelled against him by Presnath and others in the media.

“They don’t know Kapar on the ground. I’ll send the complaints and take crime victims to Presnath’s office,” he said.

He also added that the Kapar Utara district police headquarters was facing severe shortage in the number of police personnel.

“The Kapar Utara district police headquarters has a total of 253 police personnel whereas Kapar Selatan district police headquarters has 1,000 personnel.

“The ratio is one policeman for 3,000 people,” said Manikavasagam.

Read more: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/07/27/kapar-mp-i-did-not-single-out-thaiveegan/#ixzz21rI8YmfN

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Taiwan outsourcing Pollution to Malaysia?

Taiwan's protesters: Is Malaysia next?

(Asia Sentinel) After protest stalls giant petrochemical in Taiwan, plans are to build it in Malaysia

A long-running saga has come to the end for…

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Taiwan's protesters: Is Malaysia next?

(Asia Sentinel) After protest stalls giant petrochemical in Taiwan, plans are to build it in Malaysia

A long-running saga has come to the end for a US$12.8 billion attempt by the Kuokuang petrochemical company , which is owned by Taiwan's 43 oercebt state-controlled CPC Group, to build a refinery for the production of petrochemical products such as ethylene, benzene, toluene and xylene. It is the victim of environmental protest. The government instead is now seeking to export its environmental problem to Malaysia.

In early July, the state-run oil refiner CPC Corp, without fanfare, signed an investment agreement with Malaysia's Johor state government to build the integrated refinery and petrochemical plant in the village of Pengerang, Johor. Preceding the move was close to a decade of fierce environmental protest in Taiwan, forcing the island's government to choose between major business interests on the one side and nature and health on the other.

In April 2011, Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou opted for the latter, and last month an obviously upbeat Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak announced that an undisclosed Taiwan-based petrochemicals firm had agreed to invest in a new integrated complex in the south of the country.

But for Taiwan's manufacturing industries, which need the plant to ensure smooth supply for the production chain, the Malaysia twist augurs the emergence of an acceptable solution. But it may be another case for Malaysia, where equally fierce environmental protest has stalled a US$850 million rare earth processing plant being built by Australia’s Lynas Corp. near the east coast city of Kuantan and made the plant a potent political issue.
There is little doubt that Kuokuang's implementation would help drive the Malaysian economy and aid in Najib’s effort to build a regional petrochemical hub in its quest to compete with Singapore.  However, the Taiwanese must ask themselves whether their economy can cope with the precedent of environmentalists driving out a major infrastructure operation that is clearly needed by the rest of the island’s business community.

According to interviews with analysts in Taipei, confidence is the prevailing mood, along with a certain amount of satisfaction at having cleaned up what was previously one of Asia’s most polluted environments.Ta

“It won't hurt. Taiwan is now still a developing country but is well on its way to becoming like a member state of the EU,” said Winston Dang, former minister of the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA). “Taiwan must invest in the people's brains in this transitional period, not in high-polluting industries.”

And Hu Sheng-Cheng, an economist and former minister of the Council for Economic Planning and Development, predicted that if Kuokuang's Johor plant does materialize, the Taiwanese government will demand that a certain share of the products be shipped back to Taiwan, thereby ensuring that raw materials will make it to the island's downstream manufacturers. The government would furthermore speed up the upgrading of Taiwan’s own petrochemical industry, he said.

A weak point in the outsourcing scheme is the loss of jobs, however, Hu said, adding that “Taiwan's petrochemical industry is a major employer. The government better come up with subsidies to make up for the jobs leaving.”

He then pointed out that if the Johor plant doesn't come into being, Taiwan may well find itself in a dilemma, as even China has lost its enthusiasm for accepting Taiwan's polluters.

During his ministerial stint from 2007 to 2008, it was the EPA's Dang who killed Kuokuang's initial plans to build its refinery and naphtha cracker in Mailiao in Taiwan’s Yunlin County. His veto led the company to propose building it in Changhua County's Dacheng, which later became the scene of intense protests that eventually drove the project off the island all together.

The 2,000 hectares of Changhua's rare and pristine wetlands, the natural habitat of the endangered Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin near them and last but not least the predicted significant increase of air pollution, which environmentalists say would produce particles fine enough to invade even the smallest airways, led to the emergence of a powerful civic movement that decisively frustrated Kuokuang's plans.

Students and locals teamed up with academics, the media and opposition lawmakers, turning the white dolphin into the alliance's icon. After a health risk assessment report came up with the bizarre finding that the plant if built would shorten life expectancy island-wide by 23 days, about the entire Taiwanese public was in.

That then-Premier Wu Den-yih of the ruling Kuomintang was caught on record stating that the “dolphins should be smart enough to swim elsewhere” obviously did the investors no good. With presidential and legislative elections then looming, President Ma eventually withdrew support from the project.

“That was good news for the local communities – they would have got many more cancer cases but only 2 percent of the taxes Kuokuang would have paid,” said Dang.

The story, Dang said, shows that major development projects that come along with heavy pollution and high energy consumption are no longer feasible on the island.

But are they welcome in Malaysia?

While Malaysia’s Najib was obviously encouraged by winning the plant, there already have been indicators that in Pengerang an environmental storm has begun brewing. Last month saw hundreds of residents rallying against the Kuokuang project, claiming that it would bring severe pollution of air, land and sea, along with land seizures from reluctant villagers and would require relocation of residents, the town's Mandarin school as well as a graveyard containing nearly 3,000 tombs. Also the recent developments surrounding the Lynas case inevitably comes to mind.

In addition an enthusiastic group of Taiwanese environmentalists, who last year fought it out to the end for the Changhua dolphins, has since been spotted at Pengerang beach, fraternizing with their local counterparts.

But Yang Yungnane, director of Taiwan's National Cheng Kung University's Research Center for Science & Technology Governance, is cautiously optimistic that the case is about to be settled to the liking of the government of Malaysia and Taiwan as well as the business world.

“There might be a risk if local environmental groups are strong enough to make the protest getting recognition from the Malaysian public,” Yang said. “But the likelihood that the project passes is higher than it being rejected.”

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Rafizi: Kaji selidik terbaru tunjukkan BN dalam bahaya

PETALING JAYA, 27 Julai — PKR melihat, kedudukan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak semakin berbahaya apabila kaji selidik yang dijalankan Merdeka Center menunjukkan populariti perdana menteri itu menurun dari…

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PETALING JAYA, 27 Julai — PKR melihat, kedudukan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak semakin berbahaya apabila kaji selidik yang dijalankan Merdeka Center menunjukkan populariti perdana menteri itu menurun dari kalangan sokongan pengundi Melayu.

Rafizi menjelaskan, berdasarkan kaji selidik itu, beliau turut mendapati, isu “bread and butter” menjadi isu pokok kepada sokongan pengundi terhadap kepimpinan Najib.

“Hasik kaji selidik Merdeka Center mendapati isu ekonomi menjadi faktor penurunan sokongan pengundi Melayu terhadap perdana menteri.

“Saya berpendapat, isu bread and butter ini memainkan peranan penting. Selepas kerajaan mengumumkan GTP, (Program Transformasi Kerajaan), ETP, (Program Transformasi Ekonomi), mereka cuba memaparkan seolah-olah semuanya baik ... tetapi rakyat terutamanya bangsa Melayu tidak merasai kesan daripada transformasi berkenaan,” kata Rafizi ketika sidang media di Ibu Pejabat PKR di sini.

Selain itu, Rafizi juga turut menjelaskan, kaji selidik ahli akademik daripada Majlis Professor Negara yang

Rafizi Ramli: Isu “bread and butter” akan memainkan peranan penting. — Foto fail

menjangkakan Selangor dan Kedah bakal dikuasai Barisan Nasional (BN) juga tidak tepat, dan ia memerlukan perbincangan lanjut.

“Saya mempersoalkan penemuan ahli akademik daripada kaji selidik MPN, kecuali ianya dibentang secara terbuka.

“Tetapi situasi politik sekarang lebih mirip kepada kaji selidik Merdeka Center,” katanya.

“Kalau benar BN dan Najib begitu popular, sudah lama PRU telah dilaksanakan,” tambahnya lagi.

Jelas Rafizi, Pakatan Rakyat sangat gembira dengan hasil kaji selidik Merdeka Center dan Najib jelasnya, perlu merasa bimbang kerana beliau seolah-olah bertindak sebagai “presiden” dan berkempen secara individu.

“Kami sangat gembira dengan keputusan kaji selidik Merdeka Center ... kalau saya Najib, parti sudah sepatutnya menyuarakan kebimbangan kerana Najib berkempen seolah-olah beliau seorang Presiden.

“Ia bukannya semangat berkumpulan, bukan team effort, tapi personal strenght,” kata Rafizi lagi dan menambah,”PRU ini mungkin 50-50, (persaingan antara BN dan PR).”

Kaji selidik yang dijalankan Merdeka Center semalam mendedahkan, penerimaan terhadap Datuk Seri Najib Razak menurun satu peratus kepada 64 peratus pada Jun lalu, namun penerimaan terhadap kerajaan menurun sebanyak enam peratus kepada 42 peratus pada bulan sama dengan penurunan terbanyak datang dari pengundi Melayu.

Kaji selidik yang dijalankan terhadap pengundi di Semenanjung Malaysia menunjukkan tahap kepuasan terhadap prestasi perdana menteri (PM) menurun bagi pengundi Melayu dan India, daripada 79 kepada 75 peratus, dan daripada 72 kepada 69 peratus.

Namun bagi pengundi Cina, penerimaan Najib meningkat daripada 37 peratus pada bulan Mei kepada 42 peratus Jun lalu.

Penerimaan terhadap Najib berada di paras 60 ke 70 peratus sejak tiga kaji selidik lalu oleh Merdeka Center dan khabar angin menyebut kemungkinan pilihan raya bakal dilaksanakan bulan ini sebelum mandat Barisan Nasional (BN) tamat pada April 2013.

Bagaimanapun, kedudukan stabil Najib sama seperti Jun lalu tidak menterjemahkan sokongan terhadap kerajaan pimpinannya.

Kaji selidik itu mendapati pendapat ramai kepada kerajaan masih menurun, hanya 42 peratus mendapati mereka “gembira” dengan kerajaan, penurunan enam peratus dibandingkan pada Mei 2012.

Kaji selidik itu berkata, penurunan itu mungkin disebabkan oleh pengundi Melayu, yang menurun dari 65 peratus pada Mei, kepada 58 peratus pada Jun 2012.

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National Day theme “Janji Ditepati” wrong and inappropriate as it is anti-national, divisive rather than unifying the people, presenting Najib as Prime Minister for UMNO/BN only and not all Malaysians!

The Information Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Rais Yatim is defending the indefensible when he takes to Twitter to ask why “Janji Ditepati” cannot be used as this year’s National Day/Malaysia…

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The Information Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Rais Yatim is defending the indefensible when he takes to Twitter to ask why “Janji Ditepati” cannot be used as this year’s National Day/Malaysia Day theme.

Firstly, Rais’ claim that “Malaysia has truly arrived as an achieving nation after 55 years of independence” is highly controversial and debatable, for if this is true, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak would not gain the reputation of being the most indecisive Prime Minister in the nation’s history who keeps postponing his plan to hold the next general election to win a personal mandate for his premiership for fear of ending up in the Opposition benches or toppled within UMNO like his predecessor Tun Abdullah.

In fact, probably more could be written about how the slogan of “Janji Ditepati” had failed rather than succeeded in 55 years after Merdeka and 49 years after Malaysia – whether in building a united, harmonious, democratic, progressive and competitive Malaysia; or in fulfilling Najib’s three-year promises of 1Malaysia Government Transformation Programme (GTP) whether in reducing crime, fighting corruption or carrying out meaningful government, economic and political transformation for Malaysia to take her rightful place in international society and achieve the status of a normal democratic country.

I remember when I visited Sabah in 1978, I had warned that Sabah faced three grave problems – the illegal immigrant problem which I had cited had reached 140,000, the crime situation and grave problem of corruption.

All these three problems have gone from bad to worse in the past four decades, with the illegal immigrant problem mushrooming to 1.5 million to 1.9 million making native Sabahans foreigners in their own land, while crime and corruption have worsened by leaps and bounds.

And Sabahans are still waiting for the next step in the establishment of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into illegal immigrants in Sabah although they have grave reservations that it could really resolve the long-standing problem in the state.

Is this “Janji Ditepati”?

However, the most fatal objection to the use of the “Janji Ditepati” slogan as the National Day/Malaysia Day theme is not whether it is factually correct or otherwise, but because of two strong reasons: firstly, it is wrong and inappropriate to use a UMNO/Barisan Nasional slogan for a National Day/Malaysia Day theme and secondly, it is anti-national, divisive rather than unifying the people, presenting Najib as Prime Minister for UMNO/BN only and not all Malaysians!

National Day/Malaysia Day should be national occasions for all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region or politics to come together as one people, and no Malaysian or group should be alienated or marginalized because it has been hijacked by UMNO/Barisan and turned into an exclusive UMNO/BN affair.

If UMNO/BN is allowed to hijack National Day/Malaysia Day, is Rais then admitting that Najib is only Prime Minister for UMNO/BN and not all Malaysians?

No wonder there is overwhelming public support for the Pakatan Rakyat call for a change of the National Day/Malaysia Day theme (as well as the horrendous rojak National Day logo), which is reflected in the Sinar Harian online poll where in less than 48 hours, 2,359 or 84% out of 2,811 respondents supported the change of theme with only 452 or 16% opposing it.

This is an important distinction which even school children would understand. It really baffles me, and I am sure thinking patriotic Malaysians, why it eludes Rais and the UMNO/BN Ministers and leaders who are unable to grasp such simple issues of right and wrong, national and anti-national?

No wonder Malaysia under the continued UMNO/BN rule is in such a mess, whether in nation-building, politically, economically, educationally or socially.

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Media access restricted during Bersih 3.0

he Sun Daily
by Alyaa Alhadjri

KUALA LUMPUR (July 26, 2012): Police appeared to have breached a provision under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 (PAA) which regulates media access during…

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he Sun Daily
by Alyaa Alhadjri

KUALA LUMPUR (July 26, 2012): Police appeared to have breached a provision under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 (PAA) which regulates media access during public gatherings, Suhakam's inquiry on the Bersih 3.0 rally heard today.

Online news portal Malaysiakini journalist Koh Jun Lin told the panel that media personnel on duty during the rally were prevented from getting a clear view of incidents which took place, as they were instructed to stand behind the police line.

Koh said he was running towards Dataran Merdeka at about 3pm after being informed that teargas had been fired there, until he faced a row of Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) personnel.

"I saw people running in the opposite direction ... I kept going until I reached a row of FRUs and was told to stand behind the line," Koh told the panel headed by Suhakam commissioner Dr Khaw Lake Tee.

Koh said he could see from his position how the FRU fired teargas canisters, and several ambulances moving back and forth. "I could not see anything else. It was only after the line moved forward that I managed to walk around the area to take photographs of trash left on the road," he added.

At one point, lawyer Mahaletchumi Balakrishnan, who was holding a watching brief for election watchdog Bersih 2.0, asked Koh if the police had violated Section 24 of the PAA which states "any media representative may have reasonable access to a place of assembly and use any equipment to report on the assembly".

"Based on your experience, would you agree that the police breached the section?" asked Mahaletchumi, to which Koh agreed.

Koh told the panel how he was arrested after photographing a face-off between protesters and police at the intersection of Jalan Raja Laut and Jalan Parlimen.

"The officers tugged at the press tag in my photographers vest pocket. I took it off for them to see but they confiscated it along with my camera.

"They grabbed me by my backpack and took me to the Royal Selangor Club along with a few hundred detainees," said Koh.

He was eventually taken to the police training centre in Jalan Semarak and later released after an officer claimed that his arrest was a "mistake", he said.

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Death Toll In Tanker Tragedy Rises To Three As Two More Bodies Found

LABUAN, July 27 (Bernama) -- The death toll in the tanker tragedy here has risen to three after the bodies of two crew members of the MT Bunga Alpinia were…

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LABUAN, July 27 (Bernama) -- The death toll in the tanker tragedy here has risen to three after the bodies of two crew members of the MT Bunga Alpinia were found floating not far from the wrecked tanker Friday.

The tanker owned by the Malaysian International Shipping Corporation (MISC) caught fire and exploded Thursday morning.

Two more crew members are still reported missing.

Labuan police chief Saiman Kasran said the bodies were found at 12.50pm and 12.57pm and were sent to the Labuan Hospital mortuary for identification and post-mortem.

"The two victims are believed to be crew members of the Bunga Alpinia," he told Bernama.

In the 2.30am incident Thursday, a fire broke out on the vessel followed by several explosions which rocked Labuan. Initial reports stated one fatality while four crew members were missing.

Prior to this, MISC had verified that Shahril Azmi Baharudin, 28, from Melaka, who worked as a greaser on the vessel had died.

The media reported the four missing crew members were Muhammad Nazrin Khamasani, 20, from Kuala Lumpur; Mohd Hanafi Khalil, 24, from Melaka; Zahari Hassim, 46, from Negeri Sembilan; and Filipino Colanggoy Errol Calaluan, 22.

Commenting on the recovered bodies, Saiman said the first victim was found by divers from the Labuan Fire and Rescue Department about 50 metres from the Bunga Alpinia while the second was found by a team from the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency near an industrial jetty not more than 100m from the vessel.

"Efforts are continuing to find the two remaining victims," he said.

Following the development, MISC in a statement confirmed that two of the tanker's crew members were still missing.

Meanwhile, Labuan Fire and Rescue Department director Zainal Madasin told Bernama that his team would enter the vessel should their search efforts at sea be fruitless.

"Efforts to extinguish the fire are ongoing to ensure there are no remaining flames which can cause further explosions," said Zainal.

The tanker caught fire and exploded at the Petronas Chemicals Methanol Sdn Bhd terminal jetty nearby the Pulau Enoe industrial zone in Labuan.

There is speculation that the fire was caused by lightning, but Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd chief executive officer, Dr Abd Hapiz Abdullah said thorough investigations are being carried out to ascertain the actual cause.

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