PAS: Act on Deepak claims or we send memo to Agong

PAS: Act on Deepak claims or we send memo to Agong

PAS reiterated its call for authorities to investigate claims made by carpet trader Deepak Jaikishin on the alleged cover-up by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his family members in regard to the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu.

“If not I will send a memorandum to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong,” threatened the Islamic party’s vice-president Mahfuz Omar (left).

Speaking at a press conference at the party’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today, Mahfuz criticised the continued silence of the Attorney-General’s Chambers, the police and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) over the serious allegations.

“This involves the honour of the prime minister, his family, our country and indeed the Agong.”
He explained that the enforcement agencies are all answerable to the Agong as head of state and their conduct reflects on the authority granted them by the monarch.
'Stop dragging your feet'

Mahfuz called upon the various enforcement bodies to stop dragging their feet and begin to look into the matter seriously as the rakyat demands action and the honour of the nation is at stake.

“The MACC is like Sabun Pencuci Rosmah Mansor (Rosmah Mansor’s Detergent Powder) he jibed, making a joke about the anti-graft body’s Malay acronym SPRM.

He was alluding to the MACC agreeing to vet BN election candidates for corruption, which some quarters claim is outside the commission’s legal mandate.

Mahfuz also urged Deepak to come forward to authorities with the specifics of his claim so that they can open investigations.

Deepak had recently came forward with serious allegations against the premier and his family members in a series of interviews with Malaysiakini and other news portals, confirming earlier allegations made by former private eye P Balasubramaniam.

Though Deepak has made it clear that he came forward as he was being “haunted” by the ghosts of Altantuya and because his business interests were being allegedly “disturbed” by people close to Najib.

The PM and authorities have been notably silent over the matter.

When Will Justice be Done for 6-Year old Hindu Girl Raped in Karachi?

Journalists attempting to report the story of Vijanti have been threatened.

Six-year old Vijanti Meghwa

(KARACHI, Pakistan) - On 4th December 2012, six-year old Vijanti Meghwar was brutally raped in Ghulam Nabi Shah village, district Taluka Pithoro Umerkot, in the Sindh province of Pakistan. Vijanti belongs to the Meghwar community of the country’s minority Hindu population. She was found unconscious and lying in the street. Such a heinous crime was made easier by the fact that the Meghwars are Hindu and therefore powerless and helpless against mass intolerance and bigotry.

A number of community organizations held rallies for the justice for the 6-year old girl. This put pressure on the local police and three days after the incident, Pithoro police registered a case on the complaint of Bhano Meghwar, the uncle of the victim girl, against unknown persons.

Now the persecution of religious minorities in Pakistan is nothing new. Violence and atrocities against the minority population of Pakistan has continued for many years, but the minorities are increasingly being treated worse than animals. Kidnapping of their girls and sexually assaulting their innocent children has crossed all bounds of humanity.

"Journalists attempting to report the story of Vijanti have also been threatened. Under these circumstances is it any surprise that the persecution of Minorities in Pakistan rarely gets reported?," said Naveed Paul.

The tragic case of Vijanti is therefore not an isolated phenomenon. In August 2012 a Christian minor girl from Sahiwal, a city in Punjab, Pakistan, was murdered after being "gang raped" by a group of five Muslim men.

On July 11, 2012 Pastor Aurangzeb's was sister kidnapped by some influential Muslims when she was coming back home after taking exams. She was rapped over the course of many days by Muslims Men, and subsequently forcibly converted and forcibly married. Her abductors had powerful political connections and after two months the country’s lower court ruled against her parents.

Kidnappings, rapes, forcible conversions, land grabbing, blasphemy laws and constant harassment are therefore a daily routine for Minorities who dare to remain in their homeland of Pakistan and suffer the humiliation of being third class citizens and subhumans in the eyes of the majority and legal system.

LEAD Chief Advocate Sardar Mushtaq Gill condemns this tragic incident and demands justice for 6-year old Vijanti who was brutally raped.

LEAD is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organization dedicated and committed to work with passion for Children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice, specially for discrimination, forced labor and forced conversion and falsely accused of blasphemy laws. We request to be partner in this mission with LEAD, as followers of Jesus, we are motivated by God's love to serve all people regardless of race, religion, gender or ethnicity.

Source: LEAD Pakistan

Another victim dies in ‘honor' killing

A young woman who became pregnant after being raped by two of her cousins in the southeastern province of Batman was found to have been strangled by her family in an apparent “honor” killing on Monday.

The incident came to light on Dec. 17 when police in the province found a dead body. The deceased was determined to have been choked to death, in an autopsy carried out by a local morgue. During the course of a police investigation the body was identified to be that of a young woman known only by the initials H. D. Interrogation by police of H.D.'s family and relatives revealed that she had fallen victim to an honor killing. The murder reportedly occurred as a result of a decision made by the family after she was found to be pregnant after being raped by two of her cousins.

The police report said the family of the young woman brought her to the side of a small lake without explaining why, before strangling her and throwing her body into the water.

Honor killings are amongst the most shocking crimes in Turkey today. In the practice, when a girl's behavior is deemed to have stained her family's honor, she may be killed by a male relative.

Often honor killings are not a heat-of-the-moment crime: the family members may gather together to form a family court, pass the death sentence on the young woman and nominate a young male relative to carry out the deed. He faces ostracism from his family unless he follows through.

Seven people were arrested by police in the Batman incident. The grandfather of the young woman is suspected as the instigator of the crime and her two uncles as the perpetrators.

The police have launched a search for the two men who raped H.D., including a DNA test to determine which of them impregnated the young woman after they are found.

Every year more than 5,000 women are killed by their relatives in the name of honor, according to UN statistics. A study conducted in 2010 by the Social Services and Child Protection Agency (SHÇEK) reveals that 460 honor killings were committed in Turkey in the past decade.

Pakatan to hold rush meet over ‘Allah’ issue, Anwar says

Anwar said he thought the matter had been put to rest previously. — File pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 27 ― Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders will conduct an urgent meeting to discuss the controversial “Allah” issue that has resurfaced, Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today.

Anwar said this when asked to comment on DAP and PAS taking different stands on whether the Arabic word “Allah” should be used by Christians to describe their god in the Alkitab, the Malay-language translation of the Bible.

“Now that this matter has resurfaced, I think it will require an urgent meeting of Pakatan leadership,” Anwar told reporters after a court hearing here.

Earlier on, the PKR de facto leader said that the matter had previously been settled in a meeting with leaders from all three PR parties ― DAP, PAS and PKR ― present.

“From my understanding, this issue was resolved. Not only was there a meeting, but there was a detailed elaborate discussion on the subject...” he said, saying that classical and religious texts were referred to in the meeting.

In a renewed debate over the use of the word “Allah”, PAS yesterday said that Christians should not use it in the Alkitab, claiming that it does not reflect the actual meaning of “God” in the original text.

PAS also said that using the word “Allah” in the Alkitab will confuse both Christians and Muslims.

But DAP insisted yesterday that Christians in Sabah and Sarawak, who use the Malay language to converse, should be allowed to use the word “Allah” in their Alkitab.

On Monday, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng had raised the controversial “Allah” issue in his Christmas message.

“For this reason, DAP urges the BN Federal government to allow the use of the word ‘Allah’ on the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Bible as has been allowed in Sabah and Sarawak for the last 50 years and practised in the Middle East for more than a thousand years,” Lim wrote in a statement on December 24 in English and Mandarin.

Christians form 9.2 per cent of Malaysia’s 28.3 million-strong population, with many of them in east Malaysia using the Malay language and the word “Allah” to refer to their God.

In recent years, the Christian and Muslim religious communities have been engaged in a tug-of-war over the word “Allah”, with the latter group arguing that its use should be exclusive to them on the grounds that Islam is monotheistic and the word “Allah” denotes the Muslim god.

A legal tussle over the use of the word “Allah” remains unresolved, with the Catholic Church still barred from publishing the word in its weekly newspaper, despite winning a High Court decision on December 31, 2009.

This is due to the Home Ministry filing an appeal in January 2010 against the High Court’s decision, which have since stagnated in the courts as no date has been set for its hearing.

Last year, shipments of the Alkitab, the Malay-language Bible catering to the Bahasa Malaysia-speaking Bumiputera Christians, were blocked or confiscated at ports, before the government finally bowed to pressure and released them.

Deepak withdraws case against Wanita Umno leader

A lawsuit against Awan Megah (M) Sdn Bhd, allegedly a vehicle for Selangor Umno Wanita chief Senator Raja Ropiaah Abdullah, was withdrawn without reasons.

PETALING JAYA: Controversial businessman Deepak Jaikishan today withdrew a lawsuit against a Wanita Umno leader’s company over a Defence Ministry land deal which went sour.

The withdrawal was confirmed by Saseedharan Menon, the lawyer for the main defendant, Awan Megah (M) Sdn Bhd which belonged to Selangor Umno Wanita chief Senator Raja Ropiaah Abdullah.

“Yes, they have withdrawn [it] and the court has struck off the case,” he told FMT. He said that reasons behind the sudden withdrawal today, which was fixed for oral submissions, were not given.

“We had no objections to the withdrawal and there were no orders as to costs,” he said “This is no out-court-settlement.”

Saseedharan said the withdrawal would vindicate Raja Roopiah, saying: “It has to vindicate my client as the withdrawal comes from the plaintiff himself”

Meanwhile, lawyer Latheefa Koya said that Deepak had changed his lawyers on short notice today.

“We are no longer his lawyers on record,” she said, referring to lead counsel R Sivarasa and N Surendran.

She said that Deepak’s matter, including the withdrawal, was handled by another firm, adding that no reason was given for the change of lawyers.

Deal to build defence research centre

Previously, Deepak, through the company Astacanggih Sdn Bhd, of which he is a director, had filed the legal suit in the Kuala Lumpur High Court naming the Malaysian government, Syarikat Tanah Harta Sdn Bhd, Awan Megah and Cebur Megah Development Sdn Bhd, in which he is also a director, as defendants for breach of agreement over the 233.33 acres of land.

Awan Megah had filed a counter-claim in response.

High Court judge Zabariah Mohd Yusof had earlier struck out the Malaysian government, Syarikat Tanah Harta and Cebur Megah as defendants in the suit, a decision later upheld by the Court of Appeal.

Deepak claimed that he had agreed to buy three parcels of land totalling 223.33 acres in 2007 for RM13 million and a RM72 million bank guarantee for a land bond from Raja Ropiaah.

Raja Ropiaah was apparently awarded a RM100 million privatisation deal for the development of the defence research centre called Pusat Pengajian Pertahanan Nasional (Puspahanas).

But the Selangor Wanita Umno chief then allegedly sold one parcel for RM2 million in cash and a RM16 million overdraft facility in a “joint venture” with Guppyunip Sdn Bhd, a company specialising in plasticware.

The carpet dealer then put a caveat on the land in Bukit Raja, in Klang, seeking parts of the land back, claiming that Astacanggih had the rights to them.

Since the details of the case became public, Deepak started giving media interviews, especially for the online portals, on his alleged role in the cover up of the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder.

He had named Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s wife Rosmah Mansor as the person who had personally asked him to work on private investigator P Balasubramaniam to reverse a statutory declaration which had originally linked Najib to Altantuya.

Deepak could not be contacted to ascertain the reasons for the withdrawal of the case.

Waytha zooms in on Palanivel

Hindraf chief is said to be contemplating taking on the MIC president in Cameron Highlands under the Pakatan banner.

GEORGE TOWN: Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy is said to be contemplating taking on MIC president G Palanivel under the Pakatan Rakyat ticket in Cameron Highlands parliamentary constituency in the 13th general election.

Hindraf believes that a battle of two supremos on the hill resort in Pahang would be the right way to tell Indians that ‘MIC must be finished off politically’.

For the majority working class Indians, MIC’s biggest crime was abetting Umno-sponsored systematic marginalisation of their community since independence. Hindraf has been influential in exposing and disseminating information on this.

It’s learnt that Hindraf had suggested to PKR and PAS leaders in recent meetings that the movement wishes to field its candidates against MIC in at least six federal seats.

The constituencies are Tapah in Perak, Hulu Selangor and Kapar in Selangor, Teluk Kemang in Negeri Sembilan, Segamat in Johor and Cameron Highlands.

It’s unclear if Pakatan leaders have agreed to it, but observers believe the coalition had to make concessions to Hindraf, which was instrumental in triggering the political tsunami of 2008.

Strategically Hindraf is seeking the “difficult” federal seats that is either now being held by Barisan Nasional or in places were Pakatan has been predicted to lose its incumbency.

Three other MIC-contested federal seats – Sungai Siput, Kota Raja and Subang, are all being now held by opposition MPs.

Sources said Hindraf was not keen to contest these seats as the human rights group was more determine to battle on the behalf of Pakatan against BN in tough seats.

Palanivel may have thought he had found the safest seat possible in Cameron Highlands to mark his return as an elected representative.

50-50 chance


In 2008, Palanivel lost in Hulu Selangor to PKR’s Dr Zainal Abidin Ahmad by a mere 198 votes. And a possible contest against Waythamoorthy, 46, is a battle Palanivel, 63, would not relish.

A battle between the two leaders would somehow be dubbed as a plebiscite on who is the best to lead the Indian Malaysian community into the future.

Cameron Highlands has about 23,000 voters made of Malays 42%, Chinese 33%, Indians 23% and the rest, others.

Hindraf is confident Pakatan would accept that Waythamoorthy as the best winnable candidate to battle in the BN-stronghold.

“With a solid Pakatan backing, Waytha has a 50-50 fighting chance to win in Cameron Highlands,” says insiders.

When contacted however, Waythamoorthy strangely declined comment.

But for Waythamoorthy to battle with Palanivel, political negotiations between Pakatan and Hindraf must first conclude with the desired win-win electoral formula.

Thus far Hindraf had held talks with Pakatan’s Malay-based parties, PKR and PAS. The DAP however, had stayed away from it until now.

Traditionally the DAP had contested Cameron Highlands and lost always.

In 2008, MIC vice-president and federal deputy minister SK Devamany defeated DAP’s Pahang vice-chairman J Apalasamy by 1,186 vote-margin to win the constituency.

Hindraf insiders want Waythamoorthy to contest Cameron Highlands under PKR’s ticket and hoped that PKR would bargain with DAP for a seat exchange to cushion their leader’s electoral debut.

Hindraf crucial to Pakatan

Political observers believe somehow PKR and PAS would programme Pakatan to make seat concessions as the coalition badly needed Hindraf’s backing to regain lost Indian vote bank.

It’s clear that Pakatan leaders have lost hope on their own underperforming Indian representatives to win over the community.

The PAS leadership in its meetings has privately acknowledged that Hindraf’s backing was crucial for Pakatan, especially to help the Islamist party to retain Kedah.

PAS realises that the rice bowl state of Kedah is in danger of falling to Umno-led BN. The party has admitted that Kedah Indians’ support for the PAS-led Pakatan state government had hit a new low since the heyday of 2008.

It was due to the combination of the state government’s underperformance, PAS’ constant bellowing of the Islamic agenda and MIC’s steady penetration into the Indian vote bank.

As much as it desired Hindraf’s backing, PAS feels it has no winnable seats to concede to the civil rights movement given its seats are overwhelmingly Malay-majority seats.

It is learnt that PAS leadership preferred PKR, which holds bulk of mixed constituencies, to make the concessions.

PKR after all would stand to gain from Hindraf’s backing in the quest to retain its political jewel, Selangor, which has about 500,000 Indian voters – the highest in the country.

Without the community’s majority support, observers said the PKR-led Pakatan incumbent state government can kiss good bye to Selangor.

Pundits say that a tie up with Hindraf would boost Pakatan’s chances of regaining Perak, which it lost in a BN coup in 2009, win Negeri Sembilan and perform better in Malacca and Johor.

All these states have sizeable Indian voters, who observers claimed “trust Hindraf more than anyone. A Pakatan-Hindraf tie-up would be vital to knock BN of its Putrajaya perch,” said a commentator.

Observers believe PKR and Pakatan supremo Anwar Ibrahim knows that Hindraf’s backing was crucial and decisive for Pakatan to have a grip on the receding Indian electoral ground.

But, they suggested that Anwar did not want to be seen as desperate for Hindraf’s support in next election. Thus, he is playing the delay game.

Observers cautioned that the Pakatan leadership knows its political mathematics would not tally if Hindraf was not added into the equation.

“Anwar and company will sure make the right decision in the next crucial few months,” was their forecast.

Dr M sees Najib as errand boy

And Mahathir’s declaration that Rosmah has the right to stay 'high profile' is actually a death sentence.
COMMENT

Why was Najib Tun Razak profusely complimenting Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad at the recent Umno general assembly while blithely ignoring his immediate predecessor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi?

The reason is because Najib didn’t have the presence of mind to do what is honorable.

Abdullah who must also have been sitting somewhere in front was cavalierly, not cleverly, brushed aside by Najib.

Didn’t Abdullah achieve anything during his short stint as prime minister?

Truth is Najib never had an iota of appreciation or respect for the colourless Abdullah. Abdullah has been and still is the object of Mahathir’s invectives.

The Sun newspaper reported that in the run-up to the 2008 elections, Mahathir had openly criticised Abdullah’s administration despite the latter being the man Mahathir had handpicked to take over the top job after he decided to step down.

Najib’s enthusiastic outpouring was because he did not want his number two Muhyiddin Yassin to outshine him.

When Muhyidin spoke and mentioned Mahathir, he got thunderous applause on each occasion.

So, Najib added those ritualistic outpouring of love for the “man who can walk on water”.

He knows Mahathir remains a powerful force behind the scenes.

Najib cares less for Umno

Listening to both Muhyiddin and Najib, everyone in the hall and outside knew that Mahathir still called the shots in Umno.

Najib is not PM material and Mahathir knows this. To him Najib is just an errand boy who will soon outlive his usefulness.

So what can Najib do? Well, he will have to ensure his men are chosen to be candidates in the next election.

His winnable candidates criteria means loyalty to him above all else. Umno, as far as Najib is concerned can go to the dogs.

Was Mahathir impressed by Najib’s low class histrionics and dramatisation? Definetly not.

Also notable is that Najib knows that Mahathir can’t stand the sight of his wife, Rosmah Mansor.

Rosmah’s right

Mahathir had reportedly said that Rosmah had “every right” to respond to criticism levied against her.

He said Rosmah had the right to make corrections to all negative issues concerning her made by certain irresponsible quarters.

“There is no standard of (conduct) when you become the wife of a prime minister. I don’t think she is too high profile.

“It is people making accusations and she has every right to answer,” he said when asked to comment on Rosmah’s soon-to-be-released biography.

The book has a section in which Rosmah answers a series of allegations leveled at her. The book will be available in stores next month.

Mahathir’s declaration that Rosmah has the right to stay “high profile” is actually a death sentence.

By now, we should wise up to Mahathir’s subterfuge – he means the opposite of what he says.

The writer is a former Umno state assemblyman but has now joined DAP. He is a FMT columnist.

SEED: We have no reason to hide figures

Responding to a call from an Indian business group, the secretariat explains the loans given out to Indian businesses.

PETALING JAYA: The Special Secretariat for Empowerment of Indian Entrepreneurs (SEED) today said that people should first dismiss the misconception that it is a MIC initiative.

SEED director AT Kumararajah explained that the secretariat was set up by the Prime Minister’s Department to assist in giving out the RM180 million allocated for the Indian community.

He added that G Palanivel was playing his role in SEED as a cabinet minister and not as the president of MIC.

Kumararajah claimed that SEED had data since August 2012 up until Dec 6, 2012 with regard to the number of applicants, the amount of loans dispersed and the applicants who had been rejected.

“It is a work-in-progress, we have no reason to hide the figures. At the same time, it’s not easy to collect data from the 13 banks affiliated with this programme and all its branches from around

Malaysia. We are getting there,” he said.

The SEED director was responding to the Malaysian Indian Business Association (Miba) which demanded MIC to reveal the figures pertaining to the funds allocated for Indian businesses.

According to Kumararajah, there had been 932 applications as of December 20 this year. Out of which, 643 had been approved and dispersed and 20 applications rejected.

The balance 269 applications were still being processed but 57 of them were already lined up out of which, 28 almost completed.

He said that out of the total RM2.43 billion allocated by the government for businesses, RM180 million was allocated specifically for the Indians.

This amount, he added, was broken down and parked under several other programmes and financial institutions – RM10 million to Malaysian Industrial Development Finance (MIDF), RM10 million to Small and Medium Enterprises Corporation Malaysia (SME), RM30 million to Tekun and the remaining RM130 million to banks.

Responding to another point raised by Miba, Kumararajah said: “The funds given out by banks is indeed using the Islamic concept. People have to realise that the Islamic concept is merely a funding mechanism and has proved to be one of the fastest growing mechanisms.”

“There is no difference between normal loans and that of the Islamic concept, the only thing is the ‘halal’ factor. Still, there is leniency ranging from 15%-20% of the business being of ‘non-halal’ in nature,” he added.

Creating awareness

Explaining further on the figures, Kumararajah said RM24.37 million had been given out so far to the above mentioned 643 approvals – RM3 million via SME, RM9.9 million via MIDF, RM9 million via Tekun and RM13.8 million via banks.

“We have the figures and just need time to collect the precise data. Once that is complete, we would definitely publish the details,” he told FMT.

According to Kumararajah, Tekun had given out a total of RM34.5 million to 4,212 companies within a span of four years since its inception in 1998.

But since August 2012 to date due to the specific allocation for the Indian community, Tekun had given out more than RM9 million in funds to Indian businesses.

“We are doing our best to create awareness. We have held 69 ‘pocket talks’ thus far with 8,921 participants. This includes Miba. We have reached out across the board, even to several NGOs,” said Kumararajah.

He said that an alarming number of companies or businesses had not been registered, nearly four times the number of those registered and this was the main reason why applicants were rejected.

Kumararajah also cited the lack of discipline and responsibility among applicants such as delays in producing documents for the loans.

“We understand that there must be a handicap in requirements when handing out soft loans like this to the Indian community but we are still working on that. We need to improve as well, I’m not going to say that we are perfect,” he said.

Kumararajah added that SEED was going out of its way to assist the Indian community as well, having made 810 referrals on top of the 932 applications to banks and financial institutions.

“Please channel more applicants to us, we will do all we can to help. But be realistic about the time line,” he said.

Take on the MMC, PKR man tells MIC

Party should initiate measures to put pressure on the medical council to drop its racist policies and re-recognise Crimea State Medical University's degree courses.

PETALING JAYA: The MIC should intervene and address the double standard practised by the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC), Health Ministry and the Higher Education Ministry with regards to students pursuing medical degrees abroad.

Malacca PKR vice president G Rajendran said that, MIC must put pressure its ‘big brother’ Umno to stop MMC’s race-based policies.

Citing the Crimea State Medical University (CSMU), in Ukraine which has been de-recognised by the MMC, Rajendran said the MIC should fight for the affected Indian medical students.

“Despite, the mainstream media having exposed the wrongdoings of MMC on CSMU’s de-regcognition, MIC has kept mum on this issue,” said Rajendran.

“It is already been seven years and the MMC is unwillingly to re-recognise the university and unfortunately, the MIC also ignoring the issue,” he added.

CSMU is an established university which conducts medical degree courses for about RM120,000.

Nearly 1,000 Malaysian students of Indian origin have graduated from the university since 1997 until it was dropped from the list of recognised universities by the MMC in June 2005.

Former MIC vice president S Sothinathan was temporarily suspended from his post of Natural Resources and Environment Deputy Minister for criticising the government over the matter.

MIC former president S SamyVellu also described the MMC decision as a move to prevent more Indians from becoming doctors.

Offshore programmes

The MMC made a visit to CSMU from Oct 17 to Oct 21 after the Cabinet directed the council to resolve the matter.

Rajendran alleged that the visit was just an ‘eye wash’ and why the council took such a long time to give its feedback as it has been two months since the visit.

He said, in 2010, it took just weeks for MMC to give the green light to a local university, Lincoln University College (LUC), to run offshore programmes in three universities in Ukraine.

The three were Ternopil State Medical University, Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University and Ivano Frankivsk National Medical University.

It is learnt that LUC was the only local university to get an approval from MMC to run offshore programmes in unrecognised universities.

The decision left a large group parents fuming, who claimed that LUC stands to rake in millions with the blessing of MMC.

It is reported that the actual cost of completing a medical degree in Ukraine is between RM120,000 and RM130,000.

But with Lincoln being the intermediary, the price will now escalate to nearly RM200,000.

“So, where is the transparency in MMC? And why is MIC still being silent on a matter as serious as this?” asked Rajendran.

MMC secretary must be sacked

Rajendran also highlighted the fact that Malaysian students studying at 11 medical schools in China are one step closer to getting full recognition from the MMC.

“Despite, the Chinese community being overlooked by the MCA in the 2008 general election, the party has kept on fighting for the rights of their community.

“But, here MIC is more interested and preoccupied with party internal fights and the welfare of the leaders’ families,” he added.

Rajendran also suggested that the MIC urge the Federal Government to sack MMC secretary Dr Wan Maslan Mohamed Woojdy.

He cited an e-mail sent by Wan Maslan to the CSMU administration on June 25, 2005 asking for details of Malaysian students in the Ukrainian university.

“In his e-mail Wan Maslan asked the university to provide the race of all Malaysian students in the university. This is a bit weird.

“What good is this going to do. So what if students studying there are Chinese, Indian or Malay… they are all Malaysians,” said Rajendran.

“This evidence enough to take action against Wan Maslan. But the MIC has no guts to step in and initate action against the MMC and Wan Maslan.”

MMC secretary Wan Maslan could not be contacted for comment.

Khairy tells Edge: retract provocative article on May 13

(Malaysian Digest) - Edge Financial Daily has been urged to retract its article related on the May 13 tragedy,

in which it was claimed that the incident was triggered by Umno’s plans to topple the late Prime Minister Tuanku Abdul Rahman Putra.

Umno Youth has condemned the accusations and described the article as “an act of provocation.”

The party’s youth wing chief, chief Khairy Jamaluddin said, the article, which was based on accusations and sentiment, was intentionally aired as a means to provoke a reaction towards the Malay party.

He said the bloody tragedy was a ‘black mark’ on the country’s history, and needs to serve as a lesson not only to Umno but also all Malaysians.

“In history, it is already written what happened in this tragedy; everyone also knows who was responsible for it.

“The act of blaming Umno is unacceptable. Not only does it not make sense, it also far off the mark from the truth,” he told Utusan Malaysia.

He was commenting on an article published in the Edge Financial Daily, written by Mohsin Abdullah on Dec 17, which stated that the May 13, 1969 tragedy was planned by Umno to topple the leadership of Prime Minister Tuanku Abdul Rahman Putra.

Khairy explained, anyone who wished to publish an article on sensitive issues such as the May 13 tragedy should instead refer to historical facts first, and not form a partisan conclusion.

He said, any assessment or accusation of such nature should be examined first with full responsibility to avoid confusing the public. Khairy said, historical facts clearly showed that the tragedy was triggered after a provocation-riddled parade by Opposition supporters, following a huge win in that year’s general election.

“Umno strongly condemns the accusations and see it as an act of provocation. We urge that the article be retracted as soon as possible.”

‘Just imagine if PR is to lead this country’

It has been part of DAP’s tradition to threat people when it comes to covering their scandal. Thus, on December 20, at 3.30pm when he was at the food court of Dewan Undangan Negeri, Nga Kor Ming came to Dato’ Hamidah and threatened her by saying, ”If you revealed this, you watch out I will go after you’’.

The Kuala Lumpur Post

The issue of Kelantan’s 4,210 land which is worth almost RM30 million in locations such as Relai, Chiku District at Gua Musang which is given to Upayapadu Plantation Sdn Bhd by Nik Aziz’s government is beginning to fall apart.

It is said that the land is given because it involves the interest of politicians such as Adun DAP Sitiawan, Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham, few of the investors in the company.

The ‘gift’ given by PAS government to the Perak DAP leader is said so that PAS could put Adun Pasir Panjang, Datuk Seri Mohamad Nizar Jamaluddin as Perak Chief Minister at the time.

Based on the search on Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM), 40% or RM15 million of Upaya Padu Plantation Sdn Bhd is owned by Ngeh Koo Ham, and 51% or RM16 million is owned by a company known as Efektif Kirana. And 99% of the shares in Efektif Kirana is owned by Ngeh Koo Ham as well.

Thus, in a way, Upaya Padu Plantation is almost 100% owned by Ngeh Koo Ham. Ngeh also confirmed that he is the owner of the company even though previously he tried to lie deny everything.

This issue is not really that hard to understand especially when Nik Aziz’s Media Secretary himself, Ahmad Fadhli Shaari confirmed that the state government had offered Upayapadu Sdn Bhd through the letter of Yayasan Islam Kelantan dated August 28, 2005.

Considering that everything is breaking up, Nik Aziz and Ngeh began to find ways to defend themselves when their ‘dirty business’ is exposed.

Harakah also took an important role to twist stories and to blame UMNO leaders as the backbone of the whole thing.

They are saying that the land is given to Upayapadu through the approval from the central government based on the letter from Deputy Minister of Ministry of Rural and Regional Development, Datuk Dr Awang Adek bin Hussin, and the letter from Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities at the time, Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui.

It is clear that this is PAS’s desperate efford in trying too twist such a simple story, so that it would be too twisted for rakyat to understand.

This is because, both of the letters which is being used as PAS as their ‘evidence that they are innocent’ is only support letter on the project which is proposed and not the document to change land ownership to anyone.

It has always been the responsibility of the central government to support projects that are seen to be able to generate state income.

However, Datuk Awang Adek nor Datuk Peter Chin have any rights or power to change the land ownership to Upaya Padu Sdn Bhd or anyone.

According to the Perak Today, the only one who has the power to do such thing is none other than Tok Guru Nik Aziz himself.

The thing which makes it harder for PAS and DAP is when this scandal is raised in Dewan DUN Perak by Dato’ Hamidah Osman.

It has been part of DAP’s tradition to threat people when it comes to covering their scandal. Thus, on December 20, at 3.30pm when he was at the food court of Dewan Undangan Negeri, Nga Kor Ming came to Dato’ Hamidah and threatened her by saying, ”If you revealed this, you watch out I will go after you’’.

However, as usual, DAP is too arrogant to admit that they threaten anyone even though the fact is, Mohamad Tajol Rosli Ghazali and Datuk Rusnah Kassim was there during the incident.

Who knows what DAP and PAS would do after this to cover their corruption issue. Today, PAS had proven that they are willing to sacrifice 4,210 hectare of their land for the CM post.

Just imagine if PR is to lead this country…who knows how much land would PAS give away for the post of Cabinet Ministers or even GLC Directors.

And just imagine the kind of threats those DAP would do if they don’t get what they want.

Ask Mindef about missing planes, Anwar tells Zam

PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim today said that former information minister Zainuddin Maidin should know well enough which ministry is involved in procurement of Royal Malaysian Air Force (TUDM) aircraft and should direct allegations of misappropriations to the defence minister at the time.

Referring to Zainuddin’s blog posting alluding to Anwar’s alleged involvement in abuse in procurement during the latter’s time as finance minister, Anwar said that the Finance Ministry has limited involvement in such dealings.

"To decide on this, it is Mindef. The Finance Ministry is only required to come to enter when negotiating on pricing. The Finance Ministry is called in to determine if the price is fair," he said.

Zainuddin (right) had in a posting dated Dec 25 said that Anwar must respond to "word from inside the TUDM that when he was deputy prime minister he used his influence in order to make TUDM purchase the CN235 (aircraft) from Indonesia".

Zainuddin, who was also Utusan Malaysia editor-in-chief, claimed that the aircraft were purchased to "strengthen ties" between Malaysia and the republic "which at the time was led by President BJ Habibie".
Citing unnamed sources, he claimed that only six of the eight aircraft purchased were delivered.

Anwar: Zam's not too bright

According to TUDM's website, the first batch of the CN235 was delivered in 1999. However, Indonesian military analysis portal AnalisisMiliter.com says they were ordered in 1995.

The defence portfolio was held by now Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak from 1990 to 1995, while now Land Public Transport Commission (Spad) chairperson Syed Hamid Albar held the post from 1995 to 1999. Najib returned to the Defence Ministry from 1999 to 2008.

Habibie served as president of Indonesia from 1998 to 1999, while Anwar was sacked from the cabinet in September 1998.
Scathingly, Anwar said such comments made by Zainuddin displayed the "semi-literate nature of this personality".

Zainuddin courted controversy when he labelled Anwar and Habibie "dogs of imperialism" in an article published by Utusan Malaysia on Dec 10.

The article was designed to mock Anwar for inviting the former president to speak at Universiti Selangor on Dec 6.
Following this, Zainuddin has been writing several pieces on his blog attacking both Habibie and Anwar, even after Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had complained about the row.
Anwar said he is mulling over legal action against Zainuddin and Utusan Malaysia over the Dec 10 article.

A leader leads by action, not words – Jacob Sinnathamby

DEC 26 - It is really interesting how our last two prime ministers - Abdullah Badawi and Najib Razak - have felt the need to talk about themselves as leaders of all Malaysians.

The truly great and effective leaders of countries and businesses never need stand on the roof top and tell people what they are. It is plain for people to see. In short, their track record and actions speak volumes about them, their character and their decency.

Abdullah loved to talk about being a leader of all Malaysians, but we all know now that it was just spin for political expediency.

He hoodwinked many of us into thinking that he actually cared for non-malays and malays equally.

Now, we know that it was just a charade to get Malaysians to believe that he was different from Mahathir Mohamad and give him a huge mandate in 2004.

With the mandate in the bag, Abdullah reverted to type and became Umno’s servant, not the servant of Malaysians.

From sending personalised greetings to Christians, he seemed scared stiff to protect the interests of non-Malays/non-Muslims, most noticeably by doing squat over the conversion issue and by treating Hindraf as terrorists.

Now, we have to hear how Najib is also the Prime Minister of all Malaysians.

I am all for Malaysian PM’s looking after the interests of everyone, but here’s the rub: that is the minimum job description of anyone who wants to be PM.

It is like a father proclaiming that he is the father of his whole brood. Surely, that, too, is the minimum requirement of a parent’s job.

Like a Malaysian Insider reader pointed out, actions always are better than words.

Till today, the Utusan Malaysia, Umno politicians and Perkasa have not been held accountable by the country’s leadership by the demonisation of Christians here.

It is akin to a father claiming that he is the protector of all his children and then do nothing when all and sundry beat them up.

* Jacob Sinnathamby reads The Malaysian Insider.

The enforcement of morality

The Star 
Reflecting on the law By SHAD SALEEM FARUQI

The 10-year-old law under which the summonses were issued to salon owners for defying the ban on gender segregation in Kota Baru is not a Syariah Enactment but a municipal by-law.

CHRISTMAS is a season of peace and goodwill; of building bridges between hearts and minds; of accommodation and understanding. Regrettably, a number of recent incidents, inclu­ding the Kota Baru Municipal Council’s imposition of repeated fines on hair salons that allow females to attend to male clients, has raised the ire of many non-Muslims.

There are complaints that all hairdressing businesses are being unfairly and vicariously condemned as immoral operations due to the shady activities of a few salons.

The industry is facing harassment and heavy financial losses. It is also alleged that there is no consistency in principle.

While hair salons are being singled out for gender segregation, in other service-related professions such as nursing, medicine, transport and education, males can attend to females and vice versa.

The syariah: The most volatile criticism is that the prosecution of salon owners for defying the ban on gender segregation amounts to subjection of non-Muslims to the syariah and hudud. This criticism is terribly inaccurate and appears to be politicaly inspired.

The 10-year-old law under which the summonses were issued is not a Syariah Enactment but a municipal by-law.

The authorities enforcing the ban were ordinary local authority personnel and not Religious Department officers. If the matter were to be challenged in court, the relevant forum will be civil and not syariah courts.

Under our Constitution, the application of the syariah is subject to a number of limits. First, state assemblies do not have the power to enact laws on all matters of Islam but only in relation to the Muslim law topics specifically mentioned in Schedule 9, List II, Para 1.

Second, state power to punish crimes against the precepts of Islam is limited by the words “except in re­gard to matters included in the Fede­ral List” or “covered by federal law”.

Third, syariah courts have jurisdiction only over persons professing the religion of Islam.

Fourth, the penalty imposable by syariah courts is limited to three years’ jail, RM5,000 fine and six lashes.

To raise the spectre of hudud (i.e. serious crimes like theft, punishment for which is prescribed in the Quran) is meant to instil fear. Violation of licensing conditions by salons has nothing to do with the hudud.

Law and morality: Instead of raising false issues of religious imposition, the proper agenda for debate is the perennial one of law and morality. Is it the business of the state to use the blunt instrument of the law to enforce moral propriety? Or should individual autonomy and freedom be preserved?

Legal liberalism: Supporters of legal liberalism assert that it is not the business of the law to trespass into matters of private moral conduct.

Legal coercion can only be justified for the purpose of preventing harm to others.

Unless there is a deliberate attempt to equate the sphere of crime with that of sin, there must remain a sphere of private morality that is best left to the individual’s conscience.

The so-called “moral majority” (the existence of which is extremely problematic to prove) has no moral right to dictate to the minority how it ought to live.

Individuals have a right to the widest possible autonomy and freedom of choice, unless their conduct causes detriment to the society of which they are a part.

In a democracy, value pluralism must be allowed. People have a “right to be wrong” on personal matters.

Traditionalists: Such liberalism is rejected by most traditionalists, fundamentalists and moralists.

In their view, it is not morally wrong to uphold the moral position. The state has many functions.

Promoting the virtuous life is one of them. If the state can intervene in moral issues such as women’s and workers’ rights, it can with similar justification intervene in matters of conventional morality.

The perverse new virtue of value relativism, which urges people to be non-judgmental on issues of morality and immorality, must be questioned. In many modern societies, rejection of absolute values has often led to a rejection of all values.

Belief in relativity has led to the acceptance of the Shakespearean idea that “nothing is good or bad but thinking makes it so”.

Rejection of religion and tradition have led to a situation where belief in nothing often leads to a belief in anything!

State intervention in matters of sex morality is justified because a pervasive moral permissiveness and emptiness permeate modern society.

We are threatened more by moral anarchy than by dictatorship; more by decadence and apathy than by fanaticism.

Under these circumstances, the dualism supported by the liberals between law and morality needs to be subordinated to a more complex unity, which seeks the interaction of secular and spiritual aspects ot life rather than their compartmentalisation.

Whether the liberal or the paternalistic view is better is ultimately a matter of subjective values and jurisprudential perspective. No knock-down argument is available to demolish either view.

A dialogue is necessary not only on issues of hair salons but on a whole range of issues on which the human rights and autonomy argument comes face to face with a traditionalist value system.

Not only in Malaysia, but in other societies, painful issues of personal autonomy versus moral propriety tug at our conscience.

There are debates about abortion in Ireland, same sex marriages in the United States, homosexuality and sex-change operations in Malaysia and divorce in Philippines.

No simple answers are available. All that one can say is that there must be widest posssible discussion before any decision is made.

The author wishes all Christian friends “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year”.

New School Session Can Be Postponed Until Floods Over - Muhyiddin

KEMAMAN, Dec 27 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the new school session which should start on Jan 1 could be postponed until the flood waters had subsided for schools that had been turned into relief centres for flood evacuees.

He said the postponement only involved schools that were hit by floods and those which had been turned into flood evacuation centres.

Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, said postponement of the new school session would not involve schools that were safe from the natural disaster.

"Schools that are used as relief centres for flood evacuees don't have to open early (on Jan 1), one or two days later is okay.

"When the flood waters subside, the affected schools can reopen while schools that are not affected by floods will reopen as usual," he said.

The deputy prime minister was speaking before several flood victims accommodated at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Bukit Mentok, near here, Thursday.

Muhyiddin who also surveyed the flood situation in the area, was accompanied by his wife Puan Sri Noorainee Abdul Rahman, Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Said and wife Toh Puan Norliza Mahmud, and Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek, who is also the Kemaman MP.

Also present were Women, Family and Community Development Deputy Minister Datuk Noriah Kasnon and Malaysian Armed Forces chief General Tan Sri Zulkifeli Mohd Zin.

There were 5,879 flood evacuees from 1,365 families at SMK Bukit Mentok alone.

Muhyiddin said the ministry also left it to all the state education directors to decide on postponing the start of the new school session.

"We have asked them to make their own decision on this, depending on the situation," he said.

When motorists and boats share the same road …

Think climate change won’t affect us? Think again. This was the scene yesterday in Kemaman (Terengganu), where motorists had to share the road with boats.


Over in Kuantan, the town was swamped with flood waters. But then we shouldn’t be surprised. It doesn’t help when we cover the whole place with concrete (so-called ‘development’) and tar (roads and parking lots for our precious cars). How can the earth absorb the rain water? (It can’t.)