Answer RM13mil Jewel-gate claim, Rosmah told

Muslims Burn About 1,200 cars on New Year’s Eve in France

Notice the Arabic Graffiti painted on one of the burned cars.

Act Now!

Interior Minister Manuel Valls said Tuesday that 1,193 vehicles were burned overnight around the country.  Clashes between police and offenders in the New Year’s Eve took place in the Muslim majority districts in the city of Strasbourg and Mulhouse.  About seven police officers were attacked New Years eve night.

Around 1,200 cars were burned by rioting Muslims on the New Year’s Eve in France, where the mass burning cars in the national holidays are kind of tradition among Muslim residents of the disadvantaged suburbs of immigrants.

In recent years, the celebration of the New Year and the Bastille Day (July 14) in France is often marked by mass burning cars as well. On the night of January 1, 2010, there were 1,137 thousand cars burned on the night of January 1, 2009 – 1,147 thousand were burned.

In the summer of 2010, the Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux made the decision to stop the practice of  counting  the demonstrators, as they claimed it only encourages the Muslim youths to commit such crimes .  The current Minister of the Interior said that “the French people should know the truth.”
The American media has mostly not reported on these incidents, and when they do rarely mention their background or religion.

Egypt’s nude protester Alia al-Mahdy to be stripped of citizenship?

Mahdy, who had previously posed naked on the internet in protest of Islamist rule in Egypt, said that she does not regret what she did. (Courtesy: Mahdy)

By Al Arabiya

An Egyptian activist filed a complaint to the general prosecutor calling for the citizenship strip of Egypt’s controversial Alia al-Mahdy, commonly known as the “nude poser,” for protesting naked against the country’s newly-adopted constitution.

The plaintiff, Mahmoud Abdel Rahman, accused Mahdy, who protested naked in front of the Egyptian embassy in Sweden, of tarnishing the image of Egypt and deriding religion. Abdel Rahman also called for placing Mahdy on a watch list so she can be arrested when entering Egypt.

In his charges, Abdel Rahman stated that Mahdy “wrote on her naked body statements condemning the constitution with the help of two female activists from FEMEN, an international women’s rights organization.”

He added that Mahdy then headed to the Egyptian embassy in the Swedish capital Stockholm and the three of them stood there stark naked.

“By standing there naked, she tarnished the image of Egypt and derided religion,” Abdel Rahman wrote in his complaint.

Abdel Rahman also provided the prosecutor with a CD containing a video of the protest.

Mahdy has said she has been receiving death threats since reports of her naked protests spread in Egypt.

“If I go back to Egypt, I will be put in jail and I might be killed if the current regime remains in power,” she told the Egyptian daily independent al-Watan.

Mahdy slammed Egyptian liberals who accused her of undermining their cause and giving Islamists a pretext to lash out at powers that struggle against the establishment of an Islamist-backed constitution.

“They have double standards. They claim they believe in freedom, but they never practice what they preach.”

Regarding the reason for her controversial protest, Mahdy said the new constitution encourages discrimination against women and will pave the way for stripping them of more rights.

Despite fears of arrest and assassination, Mahdy, who was granted political asylum in Sweden, wished to return to Egypt.

“I would like to continue my struggle for freedom from Egypt, but right now I will do so from abroad.”

Mahdy said she plans to write a book about her life and the lives of girls who faced a similar fate.

“I will also launch a project that helps women who are subjected to domestic violence and girls who wish to gain their independence from their families.”

Mahdy, who had previously posed naked on the internet in protest of
Islamist rule in Egypt, said that she does not regret what she did.

“It is not unlikely that I will protest naked again,” she added.

Answer RM13mil Jewel-gate claim, Rosmah told

PKR has demanded that Rosmah Mansor responds to claims by carpet trader Deepak Jaikishin that he had paid RM13 million to purchase jewellery for her in 2008 and 2009.

Deepak (right) is said to have claimed that the purchase of 19 pieces of custom-made jewellery from two firms in Hong Kong is part of alleged kickbacks to grease a land deal.

"It is of public interest that both Rosmah and Deepak come clean," PKR director of strategy Rafizi Ramli told a press conference at the party headquarters in Petaling Jaya today.

To back the allegation, Rafizi furnished documents that the party had obtained through intermediaries from Deepak.

He also pointed out that one document names Rosmah.

When contacted, an aide to Rosmah said he would have to check on the claim.
Malaysiakini has also contacted the jewellers involved and is awaiting their response.
'Probe warranted'

Based on preliminary checks, Rafizi said he believes the email communiques, invoices, account summaries and fund-transfer documents to be genuine.

The onus, he said is now on Deepak to furnish the authorities with original copies of the documents and other proof, so that an investigation can be carried out.

Deepak had told Malaysiakini earlier that he would lodge a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) later today.

Based on the documents, his companies, Carpet Raya Sdn Bhd and Carpet Plus Sdn Bhd, had paid for the jewellery.

"These are serious allegations," Rafizi said, noting that the documents and Deepak's claims warrant a probe.

Anticipating the possibility of a formal denial, Rafizi said it was not logical that the items were for Deepak’s use as “I have not seen (him) wearing rings and necklaces”.

PKR treasurer William Leong, who was present, urged the MACC to investigate the claim "without fear or favour" and prove that it is truly independent.

Failure to do so would show that it only investigates safe targets who have no political connections, he said.

He added that even without a report being lodged, the anti-graft body is empowered by its parent legislation to call in Deepak and compel him to furnish them with proof of his allegation.

Deepak denies giving Rafizi the 'diamond papers'

Businessperson Deepak Jaikishan has denied knowledge of PKR directorof strategy Rafizi Ramli’s allegations earlier today that he had purchased custom jewellery for the prime minister’s wife Rosmah Mansor.

“I put it on record - I have never given it (the documents) to him. I have not given it to an intermediary to give it to him. That much I can promise you,” he told a press conference today.

The carpet trader also denied having ever seen the documents disclosed by Rafizi today, nor that he has any contact with him.

However, he declined to comment if Rafizi's (right) allegations were factual, citing legal advice.

He said his lawyers would take “a day or two” to reply to Rafizi before continuing with his own exposés, and blamed Rafizi for derailing his plans to launch his book today.
“We want to see all the documents that he is talking about. We do not know what the documents are because he has (only) put one document there, and we want to see everything,” he said.

Responding to Rafizi’s challenge to explain the allegations, Deepak instead urged Rafizi’s party de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim to disclose the source and authenticity of the documents, and the latter’s intention of exposing them without his permission.

“The opposition leader should come forward. If he is really prime minister-material, he must have the courage. Don’t stand behind proxies (Rafizi), come forward.

“We will discuss this face-to-face, with or without the media,” he said.

No support from politicians

In addition, he expressed disappointment at politicians across the political divide for failing to support him, especially Anwar (left) for denying meeting him.

He claims that he had met with many senior government and opposition politicians, but all left him to fend for himself in his exposés.

“Everyone wants me to come forward and expose, but they hide behind other people. If you want to expose the truth, you must come forward... I have met them and they supported me.

“Today when the temperature has gone up to 200 degrees, everyone says, ‘Oh, there is 200 degrees heat, and a 350kph typhoon coming towards Deepak, stay away,’” he said, adding that he now has to rely on sleeping pills to fall asleep.

He said he was able to obtain legal representation for a hearing on Nov 29 because of the support, but is now alone again.

During the hearing at the Kuala Lumpur High Court, he was represented by PKR leaders N Surendran and R Sivarasa.

“I need some form of assurance. I need some form of consistency in which things are managed and exposed. Like today’s exposé by Rafizi, I honestly don’t know what he is talking about,” he said, while stressing that he is not interested in political mudslinging.

Police to ask for inquest into Nagarajan's death

The Cheras police will ask for an inquest into the death of odd-job worker K Nagarajan while in police custody on Dec 24.

“After getting the (autopsy) report from the hospital, we will refer it to the deputy public prosecutor to seek the inquest,” said Cheras police district chief ACP Mohan Singh.

He told Malaysiakini that the police are still waiting for the report from the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) Medical Centre.

“We cannot speculate about the cause of his death. We have referred to the hospital to conduct an autopsy to determine his cause of death.

“We are waiting for the report. Physically, there is no element of criminality,” he said, adding that the case is being investigated as one of 'sudden death'.
Nagarajan (left), 32, been detained on Dec 21 on suspicion of drug-related offences and was held at the Dang Wangi district police headquarters lockup. He was found dead three days later.

His family had expressed disbelief of police claims that Nagarajan had died of a fall.

Puchong MP Gobind Deo Singh has asked Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein to show the CCTV footage of the lockup.

Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee has urged the government to establish a Coroner’s Court in the wake of several deaths in custody.

Bar: Set up Coroner's Court on Nagarajan's death

The Malaysian Bar is urging the government to establish a Coroner’s Court, following the death of odd-job worker K Nagarajan while in police custody.

“Recent enquiries into deaths of persons that occur whilst in the custody of, or in or around the premises of, law enforcement agencies, have resulted in ‘open’ verdicts,” lamented Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee (left).

Therefore, he said a Coroners’ Act needs to be introduced, which would establish the position of a state coroner and coroners. Both would be appointed by the prime minister on the chief justice’s recommendation.

“The coroner would be responsible for supervising investigations by the police, ensuring that all relevant evidence is gathered, presiding over enquiries, and making findings,” he said in a statement today.

As for the state coroner, Lim said the position needs to be filled by a Sessions Court judge, who is more senior than the magistrates currently conducting inquests.

He added that the Act would also need a clearly stated aim about identifying the deceased and the circumstances of his death, as well as prescribing that only pathologists or medical pracitioners working under their supervision may conduct post-mortems.

“Although Chapter XXXII of the Criminal Procedure Code requires that all custodial deaths be investigated by way of inquest, no inquest is held in most instances.

“Every death in custody must be thoroughly and impartially investigated. Nagarajan’s death must not be relegated to a mere statistic,” Lim said.

Nagarajan was held for on suspicion of a drug-related offence on Dec 21 at the Dang Wangi district police headquarters, but was found dead in the lockup three days later.

Police had claimed that he had died of a fall, but family members who had found gashes and bruises on Nagarajan’s body have disputed this.

Lim also expressed concern that the police had not informed Nagarajan’s next-of-kin and the National Legal Aid Foundation (YBGK) about his arrest.

He said this is part of the protocol prescribed by the YBGK scheme.

Deepak says poorer from LTAT land deal, Ropiaah made more

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 2 — Senator Raja Datuk Ropiaah Abdullah got the lion’s share of the LTAT land deal through her company Awan Megah Sdn Bhd, which was contracted to build a defence facility, carpet dealer Deepak Jaikishan said today.

A unit of Boustead Holdings Bhd, owned by investment fund Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera (LTAT), bought an 80 per cent stake in Deepak’s company Astacanggih Sdn Bhd for RM30 million as well as a RM130 million piece of land from Awan Megah last week.

It is not known what happened to the facility that was to be built by Raja Ropiaah’s company in exchange for the land.

“I think it’s unfair, it’s my land. I paid for it, I get pittance and she gets the lion’s share,” Deepak told a press conference here today.

“She got the appreciation (value) but I got nothing. I only got what I put in,” he said.

Deepak also noted that PKR’s plan to stop the deal by asking the Selangor government to sit on the land title transfer is ironic.

“If they had issued the land title then, I would’ve sold the land already by now,” he said.

Last Saturday, Rafizi alleged that a Boustead unit acquisition of Deepak’s company Astacanggih Sdn Bhd was an attempt to silence the businessman.

“This is worse than a bailout ... this is outright bribery to practically pay off and silence (Deepak),” Rafizi had told a press conference.

The PKR strategy director also accused Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi of abusing his power by spending public money through government investment fund Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera (LTAT), which owns Boustead, to acquire the loss-making property development company.

The politician added that if the recent allegations made by Deepak over the murder of Mongolian model Altantuyaa Shaariibuu had not been considered serious, it was unlikely that LTAT would have proceeded with the buyout.

Deepak recently also exposed an alleged deal between Awan Megah Sdn Bhd, the company owned by Selangor Wanita Umno chief Senator Datuk Raja Ropiaah Abdullah, and the federal government for a parcel of land involved in the acquisition by Boustead.

On Sunday, the Selangor government announced that it would scrutinise and possibly stop Putrajaya’s plans to purchase Awan Megah’s piece of land.

In a statement, Selangor Mentri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim’s political secretary Faekah Husin said the state has ordered the Selangor Land and Mines Department to examine the deal for any possible breach of legal procedures.

“We will not hesitate to stop them, be it a title transfer or pending transaction.

“The state government view these transactions seriously as it involves public money from the retirement fund of servicemen,” she said in the statement.

Ex-IGP thinks his exposé will bear fruit

MyWatch patron Musa Hassan is optimistic that the police force will eventually improve.
VIDEO INSIDE

PETALING JAYA: Former Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan has come under attack from several quarters for his recent revelations about corruption in the force, political interference in its work, and criminal elements infiltrating it at the highest levels.

The government has ignored his allegations, and his successor, Ismail Omar, has dismissed his claims as “unimportant”.

However, the patron of anti-crime watchdog MyWatch said he remained optimistic that his exposes, which he claimed were aimed at improving the police force, would bear fruit.

“You shouldn’t be downhearted when people don’t want to listen,” he told FMT in an exclusive interview. “We still have to tell the truth.”

Musa spoke well of Ismail’s deputy, Khalid Abu Bakar, calling him a “capable leader”. But he dismissed a suggestion that he was ganging up with Khalid to overthrow Ismail.

When asked whether there had been attempts by the Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak or Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim to meet him, Musa said no political leaders had met him.

In a new year message to Malaysians, Musa said: “I hope this country will prosper, and there won’t be any political problems. I hope the police will improve themselves. People are now more aware of integrity. That’s a good sign. All agencies should be of high integrity, and avoid themselves from being corrupted, that’s the wishes of the people, and that’s my wish also.”

MyWatch chairman R Sri Sanjeevan, who was with Musa during the interview, said the organisation’s objective was to make Malaysia crime-free society, adding that this required good leadership in the police force.

Excerpts from the interview

The IGP reportedly said that what you said was not important. Don’t you feel like all your criticisms and efforts are falling on deaf ears?

Sanjeevan: No, no, no. We will keep on trying

Musa: We shouldn’t be downhearted when people don’t want to listen to us. We still have to tell the truth.

Sanjeevan: Changes don’t happen overnight.

Previously, you were saying that Ismail Omar should be tougher, he shouldn’t be a yes man and perhaps he should be standing up against this political interference that you have mentioned. What do you think of his leadership? Do you think that he should resign?

Musa: That is not for me to say. That is up to the minister, you know, because he calls the shots on whether a person continues or not.

Another thing is that I see Ismail [as] only a ceremonial IGP. He would only attend ceremonies. When there is real problem, he won’t be there. He would get his deputy to do it.

He should be involved as an IGP. If there is any problem happening on the ground, he should be there.

But Ismail Omar has been going down on the ground with high profile policing, together with top ranking people. Don’t you think that is very good?

Musa: Well you can go high profile policing. No doubt that is very good, but you only go at one time. What’s the follow up after that? It needs follow up. You don’t just go where people prepare for you to meet the public, meet them, shake hands with them. And then you go back. So what’s the follow up?

Was it different during your time? You stayed back?

Musa: Yes we stayed back. We had discussions with them, and then we had follow up. I gave my phone number, where they can call me.

On reports about Ismail Omar’s comments that these issues are unimportant…

Musa: How can he say that? As an IGP, if you say that the comment by the public are unimportant, there is something wrong. It means you did not take cognisance of the importance of what the public is saying.

So you are saying there is a lack of engagement even though they seem to be quite aggressive with the PR campaign.

Musa: PR campaign is different. But the actual engagement is important. How do you have dialogues with the people? I myself had dialogues in the districts … so I have first hand information from the people on the ground.

Doesn’t Ismail Omar do that?

Musa: That I don’t know. I’ve done my part when I was in service. Now he has to do his part.

Do you think that Tan Sri Khalid is a better person to lead the PDRM?

Musa: Tan Sri Khalid is a person who can make decisions. I think he can lead the police force.

Do you think Khalid should replace Ismail Omar? Or do you see other officers taking up that post?

Musa: I can’t say that. That’s up to the minister again. Of course, it is not me who put people there. It is up to the political masters.

OK, but you are saying Khalid is a capable person?

Musa: Yes he is a capable person.

More capable [than Ismail]?

Musa: No, but the way he speaks to the press—that’s how people want to see a leader. Talking, giving advice and all that.

Some have said he is more hands on.

Musa: Yeah, he should be hands on.

And Ismail Omar? Is he hands off?

Musa: I don’t know. You have to ask him.

Given what you have said about Tan Sri Khalid, I’m sure the public will speculate—is Musa Hassan coming up with MyWatch because he is ganging up with Khalid to overthrow Ismail?

Musa: No, no, no. I won’t be controlling the police. I won’t be influencing them. I will only assist in information so that the public would have more confidence. That’s why I don’t attend police functions.

Talking about influencing the police, a lot of your exposes so far have been about political interference, criminal elements infiltrating the force.

Musa: There are people close to people in power, who can influence certain police officers. They just go to certain police officers saying, “Oh, my boss wants this to be done.” That’s no good.

You are talking about politicians, or…

Musa: Anybody. Not only politicians [or] those who have influence. It can even come from the middleman of kingpins.

And you are saying this from information or this is just your guesswork, or…

Musa: Not information, through experience.

During your time, you’ve maintained, you’ve always turned down these interferences. Because people are saying, “What did you do during your time?”

Musa: Yes, I’ve turned them down. I’ve turned them down.

Can you tell us more? Now you’re giving us some teasers, some anecdotes, but where are we bringing this information to? What is your next plan of action? What is your end game? Are you planning to bring this up to court? What are the plans of MyWatch?

Musa: As I’ve said before, we will work together with the police, to take action, so that whoever is influencing the police won’t have any deals with the police.

You are still so very positive, but it seems that it’s very silent on the other end. The IGP, the PM, home minister. They have not actually addressed all these issues.

Musa: The members of the public have the right to know what happened to information they have given.

You have told people that this is happening, but there seems to be still silence from the government.

Musa: I don’t know why they are still silent

Sanjeevan: It used to be two people voicing out. Now we have a lot of Malaysians voicing. In time to come, police will respond to us.

You believe that?

Sanjeevan: Yes, I strongly believe that.

Tan Sri, have you ever tried to meet with Ismail Omar and talk about these issues that you are raising now?

Musa: Well, I don’t have the chance to talk to him because whenever we meet, even in public, he just walks away from me.

Why do you think that is so?

Musa: I don’t know. Maybe they think I am no longer relevant.

Greed? Muthu was talking about himself, says MIC

T Rajagopalu and VS Mogan defend their party MIC against a defector’s allegations.

SEREMBAN: Negeri Sembilan MIC officials have reacted angrily to defector M Muthu Palaniappan’s recent accusations against the party and its leaders, saying he was talking only about himself in his statements about greed for power and wealth.

Negeri Sembilan MIC chief T Rajagopalu and his predecessor VS Mogan, who is the party’s only assemblyman in the state, made their counter accusations in a special interview with FMT.

Rajagopalu and Mogan have alternated as state MIC chairman since July 2010, when the latter replaced the former, who had served in that capacity since September the previous year. Rajagopalu took back the chair in September 2011 following leadership changes at the national level.

Rajagopalu won the Jeram Padang state seat in 1999 and the Port Dickson state seat in 2004. He served as state executive councilor for two terms.

Mogan is a first-term state exco member. He is also national information chief for MIC.

FMT’s interview with the two was conducted following a similar interview with Muthu, who is now a PKR member.

FMT: Former Negeri Sembilan MIC chief Muthu Palaniappan said current MIC leaders work only to enrich themselves. Do you have a comment on this?

Rajagopalu: We have had many state MIC chiefs before and since Muthu. I can tell you that none of us, including me and Mogan, have worked for personal gain.

We never took any piece of land. Muthu worked under Menteri Besar Mohd Isa Samad. Ask Isa how much land was given to Muthu through cooperative and individual companies.

He also owned a block of shop lots in Jalan Rasah near Seremban General Hospital. He was the one who enriched himself, not any of us.

No state MIC chairman has accumulated as much wealth as Muthu. Muthu is a millionaire.

Muthu said MIC will be finished off in the coming general election, especially in Negeri Sembilan.

Rajagopalu: Muthu talked without facts. I can give you the facts.

I was the MIC election director for the 2009 Bagan Pinang by-election.

In the 12th GE, Barisan Nasional candidates lost at all Indian-majority polling stations in Bagan Pinang, which are Siliau Estate, Atherton Estate, Bradwall Estate and Sua Betong Estate.

However, during the 2009 Bagan Pinang by-election, BN won at all these polling stations. We brought back all the Indians votes, and yet Muthu says Indians won’t vote for MIC or other BN candidates. He talks blindly.

Since Najib Tun Razak became prime minister, he has been helping Indians a lot, especially when it comes to the education and business needs of the community. For 2012 alone, he has allocated RM12 million for Tamil schools in Negeri Sembilan. Actually, I requested this fund last year.

For next year, I have already requested RM16 million for Tamil schools in the state and I’m confident Najib will approve it.

Under the Tekun loan scheme, a total of 68 Indian individuals involved in small and medium size businesses have benefited this year, with loans given out to them totaling RM800,000. Negeri Sembilan MIC helped them get this loan.

The government allocated RM30 million last year and RM80 million this year for Indian businesses under the Tekun scheme.

Through Amanah Ikhtiar, we have also helped Indian ladies doing small businesses. We helped only 20 of them two years ago, but now we have already helped 140, all in Negeri Sembilan. And the numbers is increasing. Many of them have been approaching MIC on a weekly basis to get the loans.

We open our special welfare counter at the state MIC headquarters every Sunday. Once a month, welfare officers will come down here to interview the applicants.

With all these, do you think Indians will not support us?

What’s Muthu talking about? His claims and allegations are all wrong. We will win all the seats in Negeri Sembilan that we are contesting—one parliament seat and two state seats.

One of the things Muthu said was that MIC leaders had made millions of empty promises.

Rajagopalu: He is a frustrated leader. He is greedy for position. When you jump from one party to another,

no one has any respect for you.

Muthu is no longer qualified to talk about MIC. If you’re not in MIC, you have no right to talk about our party. We know how to take care of our party.

Anyway, I can tell more about what we are doing in Negeri Sembilan.

Three new Tamil schools are coming up very soon.

The Bukit Bertam Tamil School from Linggi will be relocated to Bandar Seri Sendayan on a 6-acre land, even though it currently has only four students.

Next we are going to relocate Perhentian Tinggi Tamil School to Taman Thivy Jaya at Rasah Jaya on four acres. This school currently also has only four students. The land belongs to Koperasi Pekerja Jaya, whose chairman is former MIC president S Samy Vellu. Samy donated this piece of land for the new building.

Another school that will be relocated will be the Ladang Sungai Sebaling Tamil School. It will move from Jeram Padang to Taman Desa Puteri in Bahau on a six-acre land.

Each of these schools will be constructed at a cost of RM2.5 million.

The new Labu Tamil School building has been completed. It cost RM1.9 million. Recently the government allocated RM268, 000 for the school to buy the necessary furniture. The new school building will be inaugurated on the 22nd of January, 2013.

Furthermore, at national level, MIC has managed to get millions in funds for temples throughout the country from the federal government.

Starting 2013, the government will allocate 500 places in government polytechnic colleges for Indian students who score only three credits in SPM. After they have received their diplomas, these students will be put on a fast track system, where they can further their studies for bachelor’s and master’s degrees at local universities. The government has assured places for them.

Recently, (MIC President) Palanivel announced that 1, 500 places have been allocated for Indians students in matriculation colleges.

These are not empty promises as Muthu claims, but the real thing. Maybe he is blind.

Mogan: Since he has already left MIC, why does he want to talk about MIC anymore? He should be talking about his new party instead of being a busybody.

We managed to get Najib to approve RM1 million for the construction of the Port Dickson crematorium and RM625, 000 to construct another crematorium in Jempol. We also have requested funds for a crematorium in Tampin, which I believe the government will approve without any problem.

MIC, through the government, is doing all these things for Indians in Negeri Sembilan. So I don’t see any reason why they will not support MIC.

Muthu alleged that MIC has not done anything about the low recruitment of Indians into the civil service.

Rajagopalu: When he was MIC vice president, what did he do?

Our prime minister has directed the civil service to increase the intake of Indians. There is an all out campaign by the civil service commission to encourage Indian participation in government jobs.

Mogan: Recently, the National Registration Department hired 107 Indians as temporary workers.

PKR says 49,000 stateless children denied proper schooling

The opposition party alleges that these children do not have proper papers to prove that they are Malaysian citizens.

PETALING JAYA: The schooling year for 2013 starts today and yet 49,000 Malaysian children cannot attend school because they lack proper papers which certify them as Malaysian, PKR vice- president N Surendran claimed today.

These children are deemed to be stateless due to the government denying them birth certificates and MyKads.

Surendran said this number is based on census data and population statistics, adding that his claim did not include figures in Sabah and Sarawak, which could be even higher.

He said the National Registration Department’s (NRD) statistics showed that in Sabah, there are about 50,000 eligible persons lacking proper documentation.

“It is shocking and inexcusable that children are being denied schooling in Malaysia. The Barisan Nasional government is aware of the problem but has failed to resolve it,” he said in a press statement.

He cited two orphans, Hari (12) and Haran (14), who have never been to school because the NRD has refused to issue them with MyKads.

“Until today, their homeless shelter continues to make attempts to enrol them in school,” he added.

Surendran highlighted two more cases in Perak and Johor involving nine-year-old Sri Darchatinni and 10-year-old Logeswaran Sarathrajan, who have been turned down repeatedly by the schools because they are officially not Malaysian citizens.

He is appalled at the actions of the government and saddened by the plea of concerned parents which seem to always fall on deaf ears.

“Although these children are Malaysians born here, they are forced to register as foreigners and have to pay additional fees,” he said, referring to stateless children who are allowed to enrol in school by kind school administrators.

He added that they face problems registering for exams and are not able to attend university.

Surendran cited the controversial case of 17-year-old, B Reshina, who remains without proper documentation despite a public campaign on her behalf last year.

“These children are citizens by operation of law by virtue of Article 14 of the Federal Constitution. It forbids any child from being rendered stateless in Malaysia,” he said.

He called upon Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and the government to resolve this issue quickly without having more children to suffer.

Palanivel has nothing to fear

The MIC president is not a ‘tin kosong’ and his actions speak louder than his words, says a state MIC leader.
COMMENT

By P Gunaseelan

MIC SS2 Tengah Branch chairman S Padnmanagan once again has come out with baseless and wild accusations that the Public Complains Bureau under G Palanivel’s leadership in the Prime Minister’s Department has been idle.

He has also claimed that the department was active under the ex-deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department T Murugiah. He went on to state that Palanivel has to learn from Murugiah on how to run the bureau.

Padnmanagan’s allegations are utter rubbish and his accusations are just to satisfy his personal vendetta against the MIC president. He should get his facts properly before he wants to discredit Palanivel.

Public Complains Bureau under Palanivel has performed above expectations. The bureau received a total of 13,356 complaints from January 2011 to December 2011 and out of this 13,045 complaints were resolved and 311 are still in action.

It received a total of 11,784 complaints for the period from January 2012 to November 2012 and 10,615 complaints were resolved while 1,169 are still in action.

Working with the NGO

Padnmanagan’s allegation that Palanivel does not have proper discussions and relationship with NGOs is also utter rubbish as the MIC leader conducts frequent dialogues and closed-door meetings with various NGOs.

Palanivel is very concerned of the development of the NGOs in carrying out their activities and he personally took special initiatives to speak to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to obtain funds for the NGOs.

Ever since he took over the MIC leadership, he has provided RM13,076,300 for 649 NGOs directly from the prime minister.

Both the above facts and figures clearly indicate that Padnmanagan is initiating a losing battle to discredit Palanivel.

Payment to Indian contractors

On Padnmanagan’s accusations that Indian contractors were not paid on time, I think it is best that he forward these queries to the Education Ministry and the Finance Ministry as they are the parties who handle the fund.

These ministries have to go through standard procedures before they could release payments to the contractors.

They have to be accountable that payments released are in accordance to job done.

At the same time the contractors should ensure that all the paperworks are in order to avoid any delays in payments. They should keep regular contacts with the relevant ministries to speed up the payments.

All the accusations made by Padnmanagan only proves that there is a desperate move to discredit Palanivel.

The MIC president is not a ‘tin kosong’ and his actions speak louder than his words. He is a religious and a no-nonsense person and his track record is clean.

There is no reason for him to fear anyone.

The writer is the President of Malaysian Public Service Association and the Welfare Chief of Wilayah MIC.

Kaum Cina hanya berminat dengan jawatan atasan, kata pengerusi SPA

PUTRAJAYA, 2 Jan — Salah satu faktor masyarakat Cina tidak berminat untuk memohon jawatan dalam perkhidmatan awam adalah kerana mereka lebih cenderung memilih jawatan atasan berbanding sektor perkeranian, kata pengerusi Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Awam Tan Sri Mahmood Adam dalam satu sidang media di Putrajaya hari ini.

Mahmood membentangkan laporan SPA bagi tahun 2012 merangkumi jumlah permohonan, perlantikkan dan tindakan tatatertib ke atas penjawat awam.

Sepanjang tahun 2012, hanya sebanyak 2,630 orang daripada masyarakat Cina dilantik mengisi kekosongan jawatan dalam perkhidmatan awam daripada jumlah keseluruhan 47,335 orang yang dilantik.

“Banyak faktor, sebagai contoh masyarakat Cina mereka lebih berminat dalam kumpulan atasan.

“Jika kita lihat jumlah pemilihan tadi iaitu kumpulan A yang terdiri daripada siswazah universiti, masyarakat Cina lebih fokus kepada bahagian itu kerana mereka mahu perlantikkan dengan cepat,” kata beliau selepas ditanya wartawan.

Walaupun terdapat peningkatan 11 peratus kaum Cina yang dilantik ke perkhidmatan awam jika dibandingkan pada tahun 2011, Mahmood berpendapat ia masih rendah dan pelbagai kempen perlu digiatkan bagi menarik mereka menyertai perkhidmatan awam.

“Sebagai contoh ialah kaum Cina tidak berminat di bahagian perkeranian.

“Jadi kita kena beritahu mereka kerana kerani juga memiliki gaji yang tinggi. Purata gaji kerani adalah antara RM1,700-1,800 yang bagi saya adalah satu angka yang besar,” terang beliau lagi.

Menurut Mahmood lagi, kumpulan Bumiputera masih lagi mencatatkan jumlah tertinggi dilantik mengisi kekosongan jawatan perkhidmatan awam pada tahun lepas dengan sejumlah 33, 427, peningkatan sebanyak 59 peratus (20, 976) daripada jumlah tahun 2011.

Manakala kaum India yang dilantik adalah sebanyak 2, 354 dan lain-lain kaum (Bumiputera Sabah dan Sarawak) sebanyak 8, 924.

Selain itu, SPA juga mencatatkan sebanyak 132 kes tindakan tatatertib manakala 563 kes rayuan tatatertib dicatatkan pada tahun 2012.

Pada Disember lepas, Senator Dr Ariffin SM Omar mengkritik Putrajaya kerana mengambil terlalu ramai Bumiputera berkhidmat dalam perkhidmatan awam dan mencadangkan supaya bilangan penjawat awam daripada pelbagai kaum ditambah.

Senator DAP tersebut turut memberitahu bahawa sikap kerajaan yang mengawal dan menguasai perkhidmatan awam adalah punca kepada berlakunya banyak rasuah dan penyelewengan dalam sektor perkhidmatan tersebut.

“Yang ditimpa rasuah ialah kerajaan bukan perkhidmatan awam yang terpaksa mengikut arahan kerajaan,” kata beliau.

Beliau turut menegaskan bahawa monopoli oleh sesuatu kaum dalam perkhidmatan awam bukan suatu corak pentadbiran yang baik tetapi hanya akan menimbulkan pelbagai permasalahan, di samping menyatakan cadangan lebih banyak pengambilan kaum lain dalam sektor tersebut boleh mengelak daripada gejala rasuah dan salah laku.

DSAI in East Malaysia

99-Day Countdown to 13GE – Make Corruption one of the top election issues for first time in 13GE

Yesterday, I suggested that the 100-Day Countdown to the 13th General Elections be computed from New Year’s Day and that all Malaysians take part in the daily countdown to the 13GE because of the historic significance and possibilities of this event.

On the 99-day Countdown to the 13th General Elections, I call on the 13.1 million electorate to make corruption one of the top election issues for the first time in 13 general elections in the past 53 years.

Last Saturday, Bernama carried the following report:

All BN candidates for the 13th general election have been found to be free of corruption and other crimes, BN secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said today.

He said the candidates for the 222 parliamentary and 505 state seats had undergone screening by the police, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and Department of Insolvency to ensure that they were “clean” and did not have any problems.

Tengku Adnan spoke to reporters after presenting school aid and People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela) uniforms at a gathering of the people here where a durian feast was also held.

He also said that the background of the candidates was subjected to scrutiny to ensure that they were the people’s choice.

“We want the candidates to be whom the people want, not whom the party or individuals in the party want. We want candidates whom the people feel they can represent them,” he said.

This Bernama report which provoked widespread public scorn and contempt has provided proof, if proof is still needed, that the UMNO/Barisan Nasional is incapable of being serious or being trusted in any campaign against corruption.

Malaysians should not forget the 2004 general elections when the Barisan Nasional took out full-page advertisements confessing that the government was “corrupt and rotten to the core …with no aspect of life untainted by corruption” and urging the Malaysian electorate to give Pak Lah the mandate to be a “modern-day Justice Bao” in an “all-out war against corruption”.

Abdullah did not become a “modern day Justice Bao”. Instead, Malaysia sank further every year in the Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI), falling from No. 37 in 2003 when Tun Mahathir stepped down as Prime Minister to No. 47 when Abdullah was forced out of Seri Perdana, to the four worst TI CPI rankings ever recorded for Malaysia all under Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s premiership from 2009 – 2012 (i.e. No. 56 for 2009 and 2010, No. 60 for 2011 and No. 54 for 2012).

Can Najib credibly claim that he could succeed where Abdullah had failed – to become a “modern-day Justice Bao” to conduct an all-out war against corruption and uproot a system “corrupt and rotten to the core …with no aspect of life untainted by corruption” as far back as two general elections ago in 2004?

Tengku Adnan’s statement as reported by Bernama last Saturday is testimony that the UMNO/Barisan Nasional have turned the serious issue of corruption in Malaysia into a mockery and a farce.

How could all the 222 BN parliamentary and 505 State Assembly candidates for the 13GE be screened and cleared of any corruption or other crimes by the MACC, the police and the Department of Insolvency when it is public knowledge that the BN and its member parties haver not yet finalised their 222 parliamentary and 505 State Assembly candidates?

What Tengku Adnan probably meant is that all the 222 BN parliamentary and 505 State Assembly candidates for the 13GE would be found to be free of corruption and other crimes as the MACC and the police would be required to issue “a blank cheque” of clearance for all of them.

This is final proof why the issue of corruption should become a top election issue in the 13GE as there can be no serious war against corruption so long as Putrajaya is run by UMNO/BN – as only a change of system with a Pakatan Rakyat government in Putrajaya can begin the long, arduous but necessary clean-up of the government and country.

Second RM100 School Aid To Start Jan 15

NILAI, Jan 2 (Bernama) -- The second RM100 school aid will be paid out starting Jan 15, said Deputy Education Minister Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi.

He said the Ministry had issued a circular on the matter reminding the school authorities to not make any deductions for any Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) or other payments.

"The RM100 must be distributed to the students' parents. It's up to them if they want to use the money to pay PTA fees. The school has no right to deduct the money," he told reporters here Wednesday.

Mohd Puad had earlier visited Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Batang Benar, SK Sendayang and Tunku Kurshiah College (TKC) near here in conjunction with the first day of school for the 2013 session today.

Apart from the five million students in government schools the RM100 would also be distributed to students in government-aided, private, and religious schools.

The aid was announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is also Finance Minister, in the 2013 Budget for all primary and secondary students, following the first RM100 which was provided in 2012.

Meanwhile, Mohd Puad said 428,493 pupils attended Standard One in government schools nationwide this year and 15 new primary and secondary schools were opened this year.

On a separate development, he said SK Batang Benar was facing a shortage of classrooms due to an increase in Year One pupils, and the ministry would build six temporary cabin-classrooms to resolve the problem.

He said it was a short term solution and was expected to be completed in three weeks.

As for TKC which had moved to its new premises in Bandar Enstek, Mohd Puad said the ministry was willing consider its request to retain the old building in Jalan Tuanku Kurshiah, Seremban as a full boarding school for girls.

He said the matter was pending the decision by Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.