The Untold Story of Pakistani Hindu Refugees in India.

 HINDU AMERICAN FOUNDATION PRESENTS:

Watch HAF’s Newest Documentary The Untold Story of Pakistani Hindu Refugees

May 14, 2013

“Hindus were not only restricted from openly practicing their religion in…

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 HINDU AMERICAN FOUNDATION PRESENTS:

Watch HAF’s Newest Documentary The Untold Story of Pakistani Hindu Refugees

May 14, 2013

“Hindus were not only restricted from openly practicing their religion in his neighborhood, but were also attacked for publicly celebrating their festivals.” – HAF’s Victims of History Report on Hindus of Pakistan

Namaste -
To believe that one’s faith cannot be openly practiced is unthinkable. However, for many Pakistani Hindus, the slightest acknowledgement of their Hindu faith can endanger their lives.
“There is fear 24 hours a day…Hindus see themselves as helpless,” Chetan Ram states. Young girls are ripped from the arms of their mothers, married off to strangers, and forcibly converted to Islam; never to see their families again.
Families live in utter poverty. Even if they are employed; they are at the mercy of the jagirdars, or landlords. The Muslim jagirdars pay Hindu workers at their own accord, leaving many of the already impoverished Hindus unpaid.
In order to escape the dire fate they face in Pakistan, many flee to India for safety.
In January of 2013, a team from the Hindu American Foundation, traveled to Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Over five days, the team visited three Pakistani Hindu refugee camps, providing medical aid to over 400 refugees. During their time there, the team listened to one heartbreaking story after another. Here is just one story:                               
        
    
                                               
Amar Lal migrated to India in April 2009 from Bahawalpur after his unmarried sister-in-law was kidnapped and the family never heard from her again. He also noted that he knew of four to five additional Hindu girls that had been kidnapped in Bahawalpur. – HAF’s Victims of History Report 
Despite fleeing from religious persecution, these individuals are still not formally recognized as refugees by the Indian Government or the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Watch their harrowing story by clicking here.
For more in depth coverage of the situation, read the full report written by HAF’s Senior Human Rights Fellow, Samir Kalra, Esq.: “Victims of History: The Untold Story of Pakistani Hindu Refugees in India”. HAF premiered the documentary and presented the report findings at a Congressional Hearing held on April 25, 2013, in Washington D.C.
How can you help?
1. Educate yourself by watching the documentary.
2. Create awareness by sharing the documentary and report with friends and family
3. Give a voice to these refugees by donating to HAF today.
Sincerely,
The Hindu American Foundation Team.

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Horrific ordeal of 'Girl D' who was raped injected with heroin, branded and sold for sex at £600 an hour

• Mohammed Karrar plied girl with drink and drugs and raped her
• She then became his ‘property’ and a sex slave
• Was loaned out to abusers around the country for up…

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• Mohammed Karrar plied girl with drink and drugs and raped her
• She then became his ‘property’ and a sex slave
• Was loaned out to abusers around the country for up to £600 an hour

Abuse: Mohammed Karrar, 38, left,  and his brother Bassam Karrar, 33, right, forced the young girl to have sex with one of them while she performed a sex act on the other

The ordeal for one of the victims began after she became desperate for love and attention because she was forced to care for her sick parents.

So when Mohammed Karrar entered her life, bought her perfume and treated her like an adult, she believed in him. But the ‘nicey-nicey honeymoon period,’ as she described it, would last barely a year.

After grooming her, Karrar made sure she was ‘out of it’ on drink and drugs before raping her on his sofa.

From that moment she became his ‘property’ and a sex slave loaned out to abusers around the country for up to £600 an hour.

Over five years she was repeatedly attacked in what she described as ‘torture sex’. Injected with heroin, she was sold to groups of Asian men who violently gang-raped her in bedsits and guesthouses around Oxford and elsewhere.

The victim identified as Girl D for legal reasons, frequently broke down in tears giving evidence via videolink as she described her horrific ordeal.

Following the rape, Karrar’s sadistic attacks became commonplace and sometimes he made ‘porn’ movies of her.

If she refused, he would beat her up and threaten her with weapons, once beating her with a baseball bat.

He even raped the girl, who came from a troubled family, at the home she shared with her parents.

Abuse was carried out at the Nanford Guest House in Oxford. Pictured is a room at the guest house

Karrar and his brother Bassam, who have been found guilty along with five other men of a string of sex crimes, forced her to have sex with one of them while she performed a sex act on the other.

Sobbing as she recalled telling Karrar about her pregnancy, she said: ‘He was f***ing fuming. He said I should have been a bit more responsible.’

Given two ‘ecstasy-like’ tablets, she was driven to a house in Reading where she was forced to undergo an illegal abortion using a long hook.

The teenager said she could not remember much of the procedure, but believes it took place on a hard living room floor. No doctors or nurses were present, there were no painkillers or medication.
On one occasion, Karrar branded her flesh with hot metal.

‘He was branding me so that if I ever had sex with someone else, people would know I was his,’ she said.

Convicted: Seven members of a paedophile ring were found guilty at the Old Bailey yesterday of a catalogue of charges involving vulnerable underage girls who were groomed for sexual exploitation

 

 

Over the following four years Karrar took the girl around the country and sold her for ‘£600 a time’.

She was made to wear short skirts and bikini tops before being repeatedly raped. Parties were held at which she was asked to meet the sexual requirements of up to 15 ‘important guests’.

She later moved into a foster family away from Oxford and the nightmare stopped.
Two years later she met Karrar after he convinced her he had changed.

During a conversation at his home she demanded to know why he had abused her and sold her for sex. He became angry and raped her a final time.

One victim said she had been so brainwashed by her abusers that even now she sometimes failed to see the evil in the men who had raped her.

Known only as ‘Girl Three’, she endured three years of abuse at the hands of the gang.

‘It was brainwashing. Even to this day I can almost say, “They were OK”,’ she said. ‘It’s delusional.

They turned me against my mum. They knew everything that they had to say to get a vulnerable person, a young person, on their side.’

Like many of the victims, she had experienced abuse as a child and was in care.

She was later adopted but rebelled by running away and drinking.

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New cabinet list – who’s in and who’s out

New cabinet - Waytha, Khairy, Paul Low in; MCA out

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak unveiled his "transformation cabinet" this evening, which included a P Waythamoorthy (below) of Hindraf as a deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.…

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Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak unveiled his "transformation cabinet" this evening, which included a P Waythamoorthy (below) of Hindraf as a deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.

It also included Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin who was overlooked in the last cabinet - he is tapped as sports and youth minister.

No one from MCA and Gerakan has been included in the new cabinet. However, Najib said that the door is still open to MCA participation if the party amends its decision not to participate in the cabinet.

Another surprise was the appointment of Transparency International-Malaysia president Paul Low (below) as Minister in Prime Minister's Department.

Maybank Berhad chief executive officer Abdul Wahid Omar was roped in as a Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, and most probably will be in charge of Economic Planning Unit.

However, Najib did not name the responsibilities of the six ministers in his department, an increase of one compared to his previous cabinet.

The Transport Ministry is understood to be the ministry allocated for MCA, which will be helmed by Hishammuddin Hussein.

Another new face in the cabinet is Abdul Rahman Dahlan, who has been named local government and housing minister.

This cabinet also sees a merger between the education and higher education ministries.

Najib unveiled his cabinet at his office at 5pm. The announcement, Najib’s first official action as head of government following the May 5 general election, was telecast live by local TV channels.

Najib had earlier submitted the cabinet list to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and said his majesty had given his approval to Najib's cabinet list.

"I believe this is a balanced cabinet. It's a balance between the experienced, technocrats and young leaders," he said.

As for MCA's resolution not to take up government positions, Najib said that MCA has to amend its resolution before it can participate in the cabinet.

"If they re-consider later, we have a ministry post ready for them," he said, referring to the Transport Ministry.

Najib's new cabinet is heavily dominated by Umno with 20 ministers, while PBB (Sarawak) has 4, MIC, 2, PRS (Sarawak), PBRS, PBS and Upko (Sabah), 1.

Three ministers, all of whom are in the PM's Department, have no party affiliation.
FULL LIST 
Prime Minister and Finance I: Najib Abdul Razak (Umno)

DPM and Education I: Muhyiddin Yassin (Umno)

                                                                                  Ministers in Prime Minister's Department:

 

Jamil Khir Baharom (Umno)

Idris Jala (no party affiliation)

Abdul Wahid Omar (no party affiliation)

Joseph Kurup (PBRS)

Nancy Shukri (PBB)

Joseph Entulu (PRS)

Paul Low Seng Kuan (no party affiliation)

Shahidan Kassim (Umno)

• Deputies - P Waythamoorthy (no party affiliation), Razali Ibrahim (Umno)

Finance II: Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah (Umno)

• Deputy - Ahmad Maslan (Umno)                           

Education II: Idris Jusoh (Umno)

• Deputies - Mary Yap (PBS), P Kamalanathan (MIC)

Defence: Hishammuddin Hussein (Umno)

• Deputy - Abdul Rahim Bakri (Umno)

Transport: Hishammuddin Hussein (acting) (Umno)

• Deputy - Abdul Aziz Kaprawi (Umno)

Home: Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (Umno)

• Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar (PBB)

Works: Fadillah Yusof (PBB)

• Deputy - Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin (Umno)

International Trade and Industry: Mustapa Mohamed (Umno)

• Deputy - Hamim Samuri (Umno)

Foreign Affairs: Anifah Aman (Umno)

• Deputy - Hamzah Zainudin (Umno)

Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumer Affairs: Hasan Malek (Umno)

• Deputy - Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah (senator) (Umno)

Communications and Multimedia: Ahmad Shabery Cheek (Umno)

• Deputy - Jailani Johari (Umno)

Human Resources: Richard Riot Jaem (SUPP)

• Deputy - Ismail Abdul Muttalib (Umno)

Rural and Regional Development: Shafie Apdal (Umno)

• Deputy - Alexander Nanta Linggi (PBB)

Urban Well-Being, Housing and Local Government: Abdul Rahman Dahlan (Umno)  

• Deputy - Halimah Mohd Saddique (Umno)      

Youth and Sports: Khairy Jamaluddin (Umno)

• Deputy - Saravanan Murugan (MIC)                             

Health: Dr S Subramaniam (MIC)

• Deputy - Hilmi Yahaya (Umno)

Federal Territories: Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor (Umno)

• Deputy - J Loga Bala Mohan (senator) (PPP)

Plantation Industries and Commodities: Douglas Uggah Embas (PBB)

• Deputy - Noriah Kasnon (Umno)

Energy, Water and Green Technology: Maximus Ongkili (PBS) 

• Deputy - Mahdzir Khalid (Umno)

Agriculture and Agro-based Industries: Ismail Sabri Yaakob (Umno)

• Deputy - Tajuddin Abdul Rahman (Umno)

Tourism and Culture: Nazri Abdul Aziz (Umno)

• Deputy - Joseph Salang Gandum (PRS)

Science, Technology and Innovation: Ewon Ebin (Upko)

• Deputy - Abu Bakar Mohamad Diah (Umno)                        

Natural Resources and Environment: G Palanivel (MIC)

• Deputy - James Dawos Mamit (PBB)

Women, Family and Community Development: Rohani Abdul Karim (PBB)  

• Deputy - Azizah Mohd Dun (Umno)

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Uthaya: Waytha is the new Samy Vellu

P Waythamoorthy's appointment as a deputy minister has drawn scorn from Hindraf de facto leader P Uthayakumar, who insisted that the former no longer represented the Hindraf movement.

“Congratulations to…

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P Waythamoorthy's appointment as a deputy minister has drawn scorn from Hindraf de facto leader P Uthayakumar, who insisted that the former no longer represented the Hindraf movement.

“Congratulations to Waytha as the latest Indian mandore (head coolie)! A new Samy Vellu,” said Uthayakumar in a text message to Malaysiakini.

Uthayakumar, who is Waythamoorthy's elder brother, said the latter had been sacked by the Hindraf supreme council on April 25 for betraying the movement's 18-point demands and for joining BN.

“Waytha (in orange T-shirt) was diverted by his personal agenda and is a political opportunist,” said Uthayakumar.

Uthayakumar said that he was the legitimate leader of the Hindraf movement and not Waythamoorthy, who only took charge of the movement while the former was incarcerated for 514 days under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

He stressed that the Hindraf rally on Nov 25, 2007 – Hindraf's most iconic moment – was held under his orders and not Waythamoorthy's.

In view of this, Uthayakumar said that he will continue to lead Hindraf and its “anti-BN crusade”.
Kimma also upset

After going into exile before Uthayakumar was incarcerated in December 2007, Waythamoorthy returned on Aug 1 last year and actively led a faction within Hindraf.

His activities culminated with the signing of a memorandum of understanding between BN and the Hindraf faction led by Waythamoorthy.

BN had endorsed a “blueprint” for the Indian community, prepared by Waythamoorthy's faction, prompting Uthayakumar to break his silence on his younger brother's actions.
Meanwhile, Kimma Youth chief Muhamad Johan also questioned Waythamoorthy's appointment because Hindraf was involved in street demonstrations before.

"He is someone who caused chaos in the country and sullied Malaysia's reputation abroad," he said on his Facebook page.

Muhamad said that Kimma had been loyal to BN for a long time but their efforts are not being recognised.

"Do we have to do street demonstrations for Kimma to be recognised?" he asked.

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New cabinet list – who’s in and who’s out

Surprises emerged when Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak announced the cabinet list today.


PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak today unveiled a slew of fresh faces among old names in…

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Surprises emerged when Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak announced the cabinet list today.


PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak today unveiled a slew of fresh faces among old names in his new cabinet lineup, and among them were Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy and Transparency International Malaysia president Paul Low.

Waythamoorthy and Low were both made senators, with the Hindraf leader named deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, while Low is made a minister in the same department. Joining them as minister in the department is former Perlis Menteri Besar, Shahidan Kassim.

Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin now heads the newly merged Education and Higher Education Ministry (renamed Education & Higher Learning Ministry) with former MB of Terengganu Idris Jusoh joining him as the second minister.

Meanwhile, Hishammuddin Hussein is moved to the Defence Ministry while Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is now Home Minister, a swap between the two Umno vice presidents. Former Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar is appointed as Zahid’s deputy.

Other new faces in the cabinet include Rembau MP and Umno Youth Chief Khairy Jamaluddin, who is now Youth and Sports minister, and Kota Belud MP Abdul Rahman Dahlan who is now appointed Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government minister.

Ministers Anifah Aman, Ahmad Husni Mohamad Hanadzlah, and Mustapa Mohamed are retained in the Foreign Ministry, Finance Ministry and International Trade and Industry respectively.

However, Umno’s Hamim Samuri replaces Mukhriz Mahathir as Mustapa’s deputy. Mukhriz contested in a state seat in Kedah and is now the Kedah menteri besar.

In what is seen as a ‘demotion’, former de facto law minister Nazri Abdul Aziz is minted as the new Tourism and Culture minister. Former Agriculture and Agro-based Industry minister and Tanjung Karang MP Noh Omar is dropped altogether.

MIC president G Palanivel is made the Natural Resources and Environment Minister while his deputy Dr S Subramaniam is now the new Health Minister, replacing MCA deputy president Liow Tiong Lai.

P Kamalanathan, a MIC central working committee member is now Deputy Minister in the Education Ministry while MIC vice president M Saravanan is now Deputy Minister for Youth and Sports Ministry.

Noticeably absent from the list are MCA members and former cabinet ministers who lost in the May 5 general election, such as former Deputy Education Minister Saifuddin Abdullah and former Federal Territories and Well-Being Minister Raja Nong Chik Zainal Abidin.

10 ministers from Sabah, Sarawak

Speaking at a press conference later, Najib said MCA’s participation in the cabinet would be decided later due to the party’s resolution of not accepting cabinet posts should they fare badly in the general election.

“That is why I have retained the Transport Ministry [to be handled temporarily by Hishammuddin] so that MCA may take over if they decide to take the post after their annual general meeting,” said Najib.

With the absence of both Gerakan and MCA, there are only two Chinese representatives in the cabinet – Senator Paul Low (minister) and Mary Yap (deputy minister).

Najib also pointed out that he had downsized the cabinet by 11 deputy ministers, from 38 previously to 27.

“The number of ministers remains almost the same to reflect the Barisan Nasional family,” the prime minister explained.

Sabah and Sarawak which both gave a large chunk of MP seats to BN were rewarded with 15 parliamentarians being named in the cabinet, of which 10 were full ministers.

Prior to unveiling the list, Najib had said: “I describe this cabinet as a balance between the experienced, technocrats and representatives of the youths.

The Pekan MP also said that the new cabinet line up would contribute positively to the administration based on their vast experience, especially those who are made or retained as ministers or deputy ministers

“The technocrats will contribute based on their specific expertise and the youths, aside from their capabilities, will bring us the views of the younger generation for the government’s consideration.”

Najib also promised that the new cabinet would focus on issues of integrity and corruption, and would help continue the country’s national transformation agenda.

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Palani plots to keep his post

Palanivel is apparently making his moves to ensure that he remains the MIC president for another term by plotting a 'no contest' resolution.

PETALING JAYA: Selangor MIC will hold an…

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Palanivel is apparently making his moves to ensure that he remains the MIC president for another term by plotting a 'no contest' resolution.

PETALING JAYA: Selangor MIC will hold an emergency meeting tomorrow to pass a resolution calling for a ‘no contest’ for the party’s top post in the upcoming MIC elections.

Sources revealed that party president G Palanivel, who is also the state MIC chief, had directed all state office-bearers to pass the resolution sensing that he would be challenged at the party’s presidential election slated for later this year.

“Palanivel is taking a preemptive measure to ensure he remains the president after the presidential election. The meeting is called so that the Selangor MIC can come up with a resolution wanting a no-contest for the party top post.

“Palanivel knows that there are leaders who would definitely take him on in the election. He tried postponing the polls but this did not materialize. Now he has resorted to this. The president fears losing the top post,” said the source.

Party insiders also claimed that Palanivel has been asking leaders to issue statements in Tamil dailies supporting him and asking him to continue as the top-man in the party.

The MIC presidential election is long overdue and must be held as soon as possible as the term of the current president has expired.

MIC held its presidential election in March, 2009, and four years have passed, although it is only a three-year term.

MIC has a unique system where the presidential election is held three months before the polling for other national positions in the party.

Elections for the posts of deputy president, three vice-presidents and 25 central working committee members can only be held after the presidential election. Before this the party must hold elections at branch and division levels.

The party’s internal election process, like all other peninsular based Barisan Nasional component parties, came to a standstill due to the 13th general election.

The presidential election should have been held in 2012 but was postponed due to the general election.

In the March 2009 presidential election, then party supremo S Samy Vellu retained the presidency for a record 11th consecutive term. He won the top post uncontested.

Under the party constitution, a presidential aspirant needs to obtain 50 nominations, with each nomination needing one proposer and five seconders, to be eligible to contest. All proposers and seconders must be branch chairmen.

The MIC president would be picked by about 3,700 branch chairmen nationwide in the event of a contest compared to other top national posts which are decided by some 1,500 divisional delegates who attend the party’s annual general assembly.

The new challengers

Samy Vellu, who was works minister before his defeat in the 2008 general election in his parliamentary constituency of Sungai Siput, had been at the helm of the largest Indian-based political party since 1979, when he became the acting president after the death of then president V Manikavasagam.

He stepped down in December, 2010, paving the way for current chief Palanivel to become MIC’s acting president.

Since the last presidential election was in March 2009 and the current term came to an end in March 2012, Palanivel’s detractors claimed that he is now the “illegitimate” leader of the party.

The date of the election can only be extended by the central working committee, the party’s highest decision making body.

Even if this is done, the presidential election must be held by September this year.

Speculation is rife that party deputy president Dr S Subramaniam and vice-president M Saravanan are eyeing the party top post in the upcoming presidential polls.

“While Subramanian is a natural choice to fight the top post, many in the party feel Saravanan can bring a breath of fresh air to the party. He is a proven leader, young, able to connect with young voters.

“Saravanan and Subramaniam are also prominently given coverage by the Tamil papers. Palanivel knows that both are threats to his position.

“This matter is further complicated by Samy Vellu who has sent out feelers with the intention of contesting the MIC top post.

“Samy Vellu feels let down by Palanivel. He wanted the party to be vibrant and lively but this has not happened. If Samy Vellu does not contest and throws his support for either Subramaniam or Saravanan, then Palanivel will surely lose. Samy Vellu still commands at least 45% support from grassroot leaders,” said the source.

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Anti-Xavier group threatens protests

According to Dr Xavier Jeyakumar's detractors, PKR had received 29 memorandums of his wrongdoings and mismanagement during his tenure as state exco.

KLANG: A large group of PKR Indian leaders…

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According to Dr Xavier Jeyakumar's detractors, PKR had received 29 memorandums of his wrongdoings and mismanagement during his tenure as state exco.

KLANG: A large group of PKR Indian leaders today unanimously rejected the party’s decision to submit Sri Andalas assemblyman Dr Xavier Jeyakumar’s name for executive councillor position in the Selangor state administration.

They’re also planning for a series of protests against PKR if Jeyakumar gets the nod for a second term as an exco member.

In the last state cabinet, Jeyakumar helmed the Health, Estate Workers, Poverty and Caring Government portfolio.

“We were told that Jeyakumar’s name is in the PKR’s exco list for a second term which really shocked the Pakatan Indian leaders in Selangor,” said Dr S Streram from Petaling Jaya Selatan PKR division.

Speaking to reporters here, Streram added: “We are here today and want to send a strong message to PKR’s top leadership not to pick Jeyakumar for the exco post.”

Also present were several PKR grassroots leaders such as ‘OMS’ P Thiagarajan, who is a close ally to PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, P Krishnasamy (Klang), S Murali (Puchong), M Jayabalan (Lembah Pantai), Anthony Dass (Kota Raja), S Balan (Subang), P Maniam (Hulu Selangor) and Dr Neduchelian from Kapar.

Streram said if the PKR leadership was adamant about pushing ahead with Jeyakumar, then they should be prepared to face massive protests.

“We are not threatening the party, but we want the leaders to listen to our suggestions,” said Streram.

He said there was a general consensus among PKR Indian leaders to have DAP’s V Ganapathi Rao as the Selangor exco for Indian affairs.

“We Selangor Indians are disappointed with Jeyakumar’s quality of leadership. Apart from being a ‘postman’ on delivering Tamil schools allocations, he has done nothing for the Indian community,” said Streram, adding that Jeyakumar had failed to empower the Indians in Selangor.

29 memorandums of wrongdoings

He said, on the other hand, Ganapathi Rao, a Hindraf activist and former ISA detainee, was well aware of the real situation of Selangor Indians.

Sharing Streram’s view, Murali and Anthony Dass claimed that so far PKR had received 29 memorandums of alleged wrongdoings and mismanagement on Jeyakumar during his tenure as state exco.

“But, it is a surprise to know that until today there are no actions against him,” said Murali.

Jeyakumar who is a second term Seri Andalas assemblyman is facing a tough time within PKR.

But his increased majority win at the 13th general election has made him a key contender for a second term as Selangor exco.

Pakatan retained Selangor with a two third majority in the GE13 .

Speculations are rife that DAP may be alloted the Indian quota hence Ganapathi’s name. Ganapathi won the Kota Alam Shah state seat. Another possible candidate is Bukit Gasing DAP assemblyman Rajiv Rishyakaran.

Meanwhile the anti-Jeyakumar group is planning to hold a press conference on the issue tomorrow.

According to Krishnasamy, they have invited PKR leaders Anwar Ibrahim, party president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, deputy president Azmin Ali and Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim for the press conference.

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DAP rejects street protests to topple BN

DAP chairman Karpal Singh says such protests, as proposed by Haris Ibrahim, could turn unruly if not handled properly.

KUALA LUMPUR: DAP chairman Karpal Singh today rebuked activist Haris Ibrahim…

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DAP chairman Karpal Singh says such protests, as proposed by Haris Ibrahim, could turn unruly if not handled properly.

KUALA LUMPUR: DAP chairman Karpal Singh today rebuked activist Haris Ibrahim for calling for street protests to topple the Barisan Nasional (BN) government.

Speaking at a press conference today, Karpal said that he could not accept the call for street protests despite agreeing that the recent general election was marred with irregularities.

“I agree there were fraud during the general election but we must address this using the court process,” he said.

Yesterday, Haris was reported as saying that pro-Pakatan Rakyat NGO’s would topple the federal government through massive street rallies.

He said that the people could not wait for another five years to dislodge BN as democracy is not working in Malaysia.

However, Haris qualified his statement by saying that he was not talking about violent street protests against BN.

Karpal, who is also Bukit Gelugor MP, said that his party is against street protests to topple a government.

Although he commended Haris for opposing violent demonstrations, Karpal warned that a street protest may cause unrest if it was not handled properly.

“I know Haris is a good man. Probably he got carried away by anger on the fact that Najib (Tun Razak) is leading a minority government,” he said.

Karpal also commended PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim for holding indoor rallies to create awareness among the masses on the electoral fraud that transpired during the general election.

“What Anwar doing is understandable and the police should cooperate by providing security to the participants, not like what happened in the Kelana Jaya rally where there were no police presence at all,” he said.

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Desak ambil tindakan Azmin kritik presiden

(Berita Harian) - Jawatankuasa Disiplin PKR diminta mengambil tindakan ke atas Timbalan Presiden parti itu, Mohamed Azmin Ali kerana mengkritik secara terbuka Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Jumaat…

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(Berita Harian) - Jawatankuasa Disiplin PKR diminta mengambil tindakan ke atas Timbalan Presiden parti itu, Mohamed Azmin Ali kerana mengkritik secara terbuka Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Jumaat lalu.

Ketua Angkatan Muda Keadilan (AMK) Balik Pulau, Pulau Pinang, Mohd Faizal Ab Rahman, berkata kenyataan Timbalan Presiden PKR merangkap Pengerusi PKR Selangor itu memburukkan nama baik parti selain menimbulkan polemik negatif dari sudut hubungan dalaman parti.
Amal nepotisme

“Azmin pada sidang media di Ibu Pejabat PKR, minggu lalu mengkritik Wan Azizah yang juga Presiden PKR kononnya mengamalkan nepotisme dalam parti. Azmin seharusnya lebih peka dalam perihal menjaga nama baik parti,” katanya ketika dihubungi di sini, semalam.

Minggu lalu, Azmin yang juga Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) Bukit Antarabangsa dan Ahli Parlimen Gombak, mempertikaikan tindakan Wan Azizah yang didakwanya langsung tidak mendapatkan pandangan pemimpin PKR negeri sebelum menyerahkan surat mencalonkan Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim sebagai Menteri Besar kepada Istana Selangor.

Mohd Faizal berkata, beliau sudah menulis surat rasmi kepada Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Disiplin PKR, Datuk Dr Tan Kee Kwong, memohon supaya tindakan disiplin diambil ke atas Azmin.

Sementara itu, Kee Kwong ketika dihubungi BH di sini semalam, berkata beliau belum menerima sebarang surat atau aduan daripada ahli parti berhubung perkara berkenaan.

Hal dalaman parti

Manakala Setiausaha Agung PKR, Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail pula bertegas, tiada keperluan untuk pimpinan tertinggi pakatan pembangkang membincangkan isu berkenaan.

“Apa yang dibangkitkan Azmin adalah hal dalaman parti dan tidak membabitkan sebarang keperluan untuk dibincangkan dalam Majlis Presiden pakatan pembangkang.

“Kita menganggap hal ini sudah selesai apabila Khalid mengangkat sumpah sebagai Menteri Besar Selangor,” katanya.

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Winner of seats, not votes

The answer is that although in the first past the post system the risk of a party having a majority of seats with a minority of popular votes is always…

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The answer is that although in the first past the post system the risk of a party having a majority of seats with a minority of popular votes is always there, the way to avoid such absurdities is to ensure that all the constituencies are appro­ximately t­h­­e sa­me size in terms of voter numbers. This is obviously not the case in Malaysia.

Azmi Sharom, The Star

WHEN criticising laws and policies in this country, one of the stock answers that one is faced with is that the majority voted for the government in power, therefore, they are obviously happy with those said laws and policies. The majority rules after all.

I’d like to see anyone try that line of argument with me now. Not since 1969 has Malaysia had a government whom the majority of voters did not choose.

The popular vote in the 13th general election had 47% voting for Ba­risan Nasional, 51% for Pakatan Rak­yat and the remainder to Indepen­dents.

The difference in numerical terms shows Pakatan with almost 390,000 more votes than Barisan.

These numbers are almost the mirror image of figures during the 12th general election when BN won, so theoretically it should now be Pa­k­atan’s turn to govern.

Yet in GE13; Barisan lost only se­v­en seats (my calculations are based on results of the 2008 elections before the frog-like behaviour of a handful of MPs) and are thus still holding the majority of seats in parliament.

This is a weird situation of course and one that a teacher would be h­a­r­d pressed to explain to a class of nine-year-olds. Odd as it is, this is a possible outcome when one uses the first past the post system.

However, such abnormalities are usually found in political systems where there are more than two political parties or coalitions.

In those situations the possibility of votes being split are more numerous thus leading to the possibility of a government with less than 50% of the popular votes but more seats in the legislature.

In our situation, because by and large there are only two major players (the Independents and smaller parties had a minimal impact in terms of vote splitting), the popular vote should reflect the number of seats in parliament. Yet it did not.

So the question here is how can the system that we use (one used all over the world) lead to what on the face of it is an unfair result.

The answer is that although in the first past the post system the risk of a party having a majority of seats with a minority of popular votes is always there, the way to avoid such absurdities is to ensure that all the constituencies are appro­ximately t­h­­e sa­me size in terms of voter numbers. This is obviously not the case in Malaysia.

The discrepancies of voter numbers can be huge; this is particularly so when comparing the rural and urban areas with the latter having far more registered voters (although this is not necessarily the case all the time; urban Putrajaya is tiny in terms of voter numbers).

Naturally, rural areas are more sparsely populated than urban areas and therefore a certain degree of flexibility is required when delineating constituency lines. Rural areas will by sheer demographic and geographic realities have fewer voters in them.

However, the difference must not be ridiculously high. The general guideline is that a discrepancy must not be more than 15% and thus when drawing the boundaries of the constituencies, this factor ought to be considered.

This is clearly not the case. To give you an idea as to how big the discrepancies can get; the difference between Kapar (144,159 voters) and Putrajaya (15,791 voters) is just over 900%.

In effect, in the smaller constituencies, a person’s vote carries more weight than in the larger ones and it is no coincidence that the ruling coalition finds its support largely in small constituencies.

This is not a satisfactory situation but it is one that can be fixed because the moment has come for a re-delineation exercise in this country. What perfect timing.

The Election Commission (EC) is charged with the exercise although the final acceptance of their recommendations lies in the hands of parliament (and the state legislatures in the case of state seats).

This is an opportunity for the EC to do the right thing and make good recommendations.

They must if they are to recover any shred of dignity following their performance in the GE13. The fiasco with the so-called indelible ink is one example of how poorly handled things were.

The fact that the ink can be was­hed off (due to the “diluted” version used) has been attributed to the non-shaking of bottles (yes, seriously); Islamic teaching (although in India and Pakistan there appears to be no complaints about using the ink from the hundreds of millions of M­u­s­lims there); in the interest of health, apparently the ink can mess up your kidneys or give you cancer or something equally horrible (which is jolly thoughtful of the EC, but perhaps a tad paranoid and over-protective).

It was ludicrous to say that it does not matter if the ink is washable because you can only vote once with your identity card. What if someone has phantom like tendencies and has more than one identity card?

Which leads us to the EC’s terribly blasé treatment of genuine fears that phan­tom voters existed; another e­x­am­ple of them behaving in a manner that does not engender public confidence.

I am unsure if the EC will redraw the constituency boundaries in a fai­rer manner, and I am even more un­s­ure if the ruling party will accept any­thing that in their minds will be a disadvantage to their grasp on power.

What I am sure about is this country runs the risk of being a joke if something is not done to fix this. Unfortunately, it w­o­n’t be a funny joke and there is the probability of an un-amused and furious populace.

Democratic practices done properly are what ensure peace, not façade democracies which do not ultimately respect the peoples’ choice.

When will those with the responsibility and the power stop t­h­i­n­king in petty terms and realise this? When will they show that they truly care about the nation?

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Anwar Asks if Obama Is Aware of Malaysia Election-Fraud Claims

Wall Street Journal
Malaysia’s opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has found something new to fight over with the country’s government: U.S. President Barack Obama’s message of congratulations to Prime Minister…

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Wall Street Journal
Malaysia’s opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has found something new to fight over with the country’s government: U.S. President Barack Obama’s message of congratulations to Prime Minister Najib Razak.
Mr. Obama called Mr. Najib on May 13 after his win in Malaysia’s parliamentary elections. Mr. Najib’s National Front coalition won 60% of the seats in the national parliament, although Mr. Anwar’s opposition alliance secured 51% of the popular vote on May 5 and is claiming that vote fraud tipped the balance in the government’s favor.

President Barack Obama, shown at a recent news conference, called Prime Minister Najib Razak and ‘welcomed the prime minister’s efforts to address concerns about election irregularities,’ according to the White House.

According to the White House, Mr. Obama “noted that Malaysians had turned out in record numbers to vote and welcomed the Prime Minister’s efforts to address concerns about election irregularities.” He also discussed trade issues and other matters.
The Malaysian government late on Tuesday issued a statement saying that the U.S. President “expressed his understanding and acceptance of the process and results” of the May 5 polls.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, though, Mr. Anwar questioned whether the U.S. was fully aware of the vote-fraud allegations, and also pointed out that Malaysian government statements on calls between Mr. Najib and Mr. Obama sometimes differ from the accounts provided by the White House.
Referring to Mr. Obama, Mr. Anwar said, “I don’t think he is privy to the fact that there is this huge feeling and expression of anger and outrage against this mass rigging and fraud.” Mr. Anwar went on to say that the U.S. had recognized elections under late dictator Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines and under Hosni Mubarak in Egypt.
“So I think it is also important that the Americans be given the facts to objectively evaluate people,” Mr. Anwar said. “Do you accept the process when the media is not free? Do you accept the process when you cannot monitor the votes, where it went to? Do you accept the process when clearly the electoral list is compromised.”
A Malaysian government spokesman said the government’s account of Mr. Najib’s conversation with Mr. Obama was accurate. Mr. Najib previously has denied the opposition’s allegations of electoral fraud, as has Malaysia’s Election Commission. Some political analysts have also noted that decades of gerrymandering have given a strong voice to rural electoral districts that tend to favor government parties.
But the closeness of the election race and the vote-fraud allegations are raising temperatures across this influential, predominantly Muslim country of 28 million people. Tens of thousands of people packed into a sports stadium last Wednesday to hear Mr. Anwar detail his fraud allegations, many wearing black T-shirts bearing the date of the May 5 elections. Subsequent rallies have been held in other areas, including Penang and Perak states.
In an interview last week, Mr. Anwar said the opposition is gathering what he described as further evidence of election fraud that he intends to submit to the country’s Election Commission and local courts to try to force a re-run of the election in dozens of electoral district

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Khalid upbeat on transforming police force

The New Straits Times

KUALA LUMPUR: Newly appointed Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar knows that he has his work cut out for him.

"It is not an…

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The New Straits Times

KUALA LUMPUR: Newly appointed Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar knows that he has his work cut out for him.

"It is not an easy task to lead the police force and I am aware of the massive responsibility which has been given to me. I will perform my duties to the best of my abilities," said the 56-year-old Khalid.

"I am also aware of the public's perception and expectations of the force.

"These are going to be 'exciting' times and my men and I are up for it."

In his text message to the New Straits Times, the new IGP also thanked Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the government for the trust they have in him for ensuring the safety of the country.

Khalid's deputy is the former Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director Datuk Seri Bakri Zinin.

"It came as a surprise to me as I was on my way back to Kuala Lumpur from Penang.

"But I will fulfil my duties to the best of my abilities to see that the transformation of the police force is in line with the rakyat's expectations," said Bakri while declining to comment further.

Khalid from Seremban, passed out as an inspector at the Police Training Centre on Dec 5, 1976. In 1997, he was appointed head of the Kedah narcotics department.

Six years later, he was made the management department head in Pahang before being appointed as the Kuantan police chief. In 2005, he was appointed Negri Sembilan police chief and then as Bukit Aman CID deputy director before being appointed Selangor police chief in June 2007.

On Oct 13, 2010, he was appointed Federal Internal Security and Public Order Department director and shortly, as deputy Inspector-General of Police.

Bakri, 59, from Penampang, Sabah holds a Diploma in Police Science from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and joined the police force on Nov 6, 1975 as a probationary inspector.

He had served as the deputy district police chief of Kota Kinabalu and Seremban and the district police chief of Kudat, Sandakan, Lahad Datu, Cheras and Dang Wangi.

Bakri was then appointed as principal assistant director of the Crime Intelligence Unit (D4), CID, before heading the Sabah CID in 2003 and in 2005 and as Sabah police commissioner.

In 2006, he was appointed deputy director (Intelligence/Operation) of the Bukit Aman narcotics department and then promoted as the department director. In 2008, he was appointed as the CID director.

Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) vice-chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye congratulated Khalid on his appointment.

He said Khalid was the right person for the job and that MCPF was looking forward to working with him.

He hoped Khalid would continue the good work by Ismail in reducing crime in the country and winning the public's confidence.

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Making sense of Najib’s Cabinet

Malaysian Prim Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. – File pic
ANALYSIS, May 15 — It is apparent that Umno and East Malaysia were rewarded big time for Barisan Nasional's (BN)…

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Malaysian Prim Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. – File pic
ANALYSIS, May 15 — It is apparent that Umno and East Malaysia were rewarded big time for Barisan Nasional's (BN) return to power in GE13.

What else can be deciphered from the choices made by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak?

The Malaysian Insider offers some observations about this Cabinet.

* Datuk Seri Hishammudin Hussein.
He came within a cusp of retaining his Home Ministry portfolio, backed by strong support from the now discredited BN war room. But finally Najib realised that if he is going to convince Malaysians that he is serious about tackling crime, his cousin, infamous for inaction, cannot be in that important ministry.
But to prevent the Umno vice-president from being “kecil hati” he was given the defence portfolio and also made acting Transport Minister. Hard to imagine what he can achieve in both ministries, given his lacklustre track record as Education Minister in the Abdullah administration and Home Minister under Najib. Remember his performance in Lahad Datu when he dismissed the Sulu fighters as old men.
But giving him a junior ministry would have been too dangerous in an election year.
* Bye-bye MCA
Branches are being shut down and the party president wants to cling onto to his position despite growing calls for his resignation and now, not one MCA politician is in Cabinet.
Without any representation or a public profile, the party is on road to oblivion come GE14. No recount will be necessary then.
* Bumper for East Malaysia
If you believe conspiracy theorists (and in Malaysia, it is a cottage industry), Sabah and Sarawak politicians were ready to cross the political divide if they had not been amply rewarded with good positions as ministers and deputy ministers.
So hardly surprising that 13 BN politicians from East Malaysia were named as ministers by a government still coming to terms with its less than stellar performance in GE13.
* Is fighting crime a priority?
One of the major issues among urban voters in GE13 was the increase in crime and the perception that Pemandu and the police were fudging numbers and the Home Minister was overwhelmed by the whole situation.
Step in Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, the former defence minister, best known for trying to pin the Sulu invasion/terrorism/criminal activity on the Opposition and sanctioning the purchase of military hardware at astronomical prices.
Now he is in charge of tackling crime. Go figure.
* Umno polls trumps everything else.
A well-balanced Cabinet. A mix of old and new. The simple fact is that the  choice of Umno ministers was dictated by the upcoming party polls in November.
Given the failure of the BN government to regain its two-thirds majority in Parliament and the Tun Abdullah Badawi experience (where the Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin combo worked to force his resignation), it appears critical for Najib to secure support of party warlords in the event of challenge.
So for now, any talk of a reformist Cabinet can wait. Self-preservation is more important.
* Mahathir on the wane?
It is an open secret that pro-Mahathir bloggers have campaigned against Najib appointing Khairy Jamaluddin and his acolyte, Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan, as ministers, seeing them as proxies of Abdullah Badawi.
Quite a few threats were hurled at Najib but the PM did not buckle.
* No Selangor representatives
Najib has always been a traditionalist, giving a post to every Umno state chapter but this time around, Selangor Umno does not even have a minister in the Cabinet with Datuk Seri Noh Omar being dropped.
It shows how poorly Selangor Umno did in GE13 and reflects how hard it will be for the party to get back the country’s wealthiest state.

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Najib Announces List Of Members Of His Transformation Cabinet

KUALA LUMPUR, May 15 (Bernama) -- The new cabinet of Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, which was announced today, consists of those with experience, as well as technocrats and representatives…

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KUALA LUMPUR, May 15 (Bernama) -- The new cabinet of Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, which was announced today, consists of those with experience, as well as technocrats and representatives of the younger generation who are believed to be able to continue the national transformation agenda.

"I am confident that this Cabinet is capable of continuing the momentum of national transformation besides being able to boost public confidence in the government," said the Prime Minister at a briefing for media editors shortly before announcing his list of Cabinet ministers.

"I'm convinced that the Cabinet members who were appointed have the integrity to discharge their duty and responsibilities as members of the administration and are liked by the people," he said.

Besides being strengthened by two representatives of the younger generation, Najib also brought in the president of Transparency International Malaysia, Datuk Paul Low, which is seen as proof of his seriousness in further enhancing the integrity of the government in the efforts to fight corruption.

The selection of Maybank president Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar into Najib's Cabinet was also perceived as the Prime Minister's serious effort in continuing the implementation of the national economic transformation agenda.

"These technocrats can contribute in terms of the expertise that they possess which is most important in contributing creative and constructive ideas for consideration by the government," he said when announcing the cabinet list at his office in Putrajaya.

Najib also introduced 'a leaner' cabinet by reducing the number of ministries from 25 to 24, and streamlining several activities and work scopes of the ministries.

He said that among the ministries streamlined were the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education which were merged to become the Ministry of Education which will have two ministers.

The Ministry of Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing was streamlined to become the Ministry of Federal Territories, while the portfolio of ubran wellbeing under the ministry was merged with the Housing and Local Government Ministry, he said.

"As a result, the functions of the ministry would have a synergy so that it will be more effective," he said.

The Ministry of Information Communication and Culture was streamlined to become the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia, while the culture element was merged with the Tourism Ministry.

"Following this move, the number of deputy ministers was reduced to 27, a reduction of 11 compared with 38 previously," he said.

The Prime Minister said however the number of ministers was almost the same as the previous Cabinet because the Barisan Nasional (BN) represented a big family and as such it was difficult to reduce the size of the cabinet as it had to accommodate many parties.

Referring to the absence of the representative from the BN component party, MCA in his Cabinet, Najib said the Transport Ministry which was being looked after by another minister (Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein) might be held by the representative of the party if the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) of the party decided to retract the decision not to join the Cabinet.

MCA president Datuk Seri Chua Soi Lek had earlier announced that it would stick by the decision of the party not to accept any post in the Cabinet if the party's performance in the 13th general election was worse than that of the 12th general election. The MCA only won seven Parliamentary seats out of the 37 in the last general election compared with 15 seats won in 2008.

Najib pointed out, however, that his Cabinet members would serve all the people regardless of race.

"We cannot adopt a racist attitude, we will look after everyone. Among the Sabah and Sarawak bumiputeras, there are Christians. We (BN) must be moderate and become a 'centrist party'," he said.

Commenting further on his move to bring in Abdul Wahid and Paul Low, Najib said he needed a strong team to manage the economic transformation and the social transformation.

He said Abdul Wahid's experience as a technocrat in the field of banking was believed to be able to help the government in proceeding with the transformation programme, while Paul Low would concentrate on strengthening integrity through the Institute of National Integrity (IIN) and handling matters pertaining to the Public Complaints Bureau.

"However, Abdul Wahid will assume his duty three weeks from now as he has to settle his tasks at the Maybank first.

Najib said the entrepreneur development element would be created in one of the ministries to churn out new entrepreneurs and help the existing ones.

"Paul Low personally does not perceive his presence as a representative of the Chinese, but as a Malaysian citizen who is keen and determined to serve," he said.

Najib said he hoped the MCA would be able to join his Cabinet soon because without the post in the government, it would be difficult for the party to recover its position.

Commenting on the appointment of the Umno Youth head, Khairy Jamaludin as the Minister of Youth and Sports, Najib said the Member of Parliament (MP) for Rembau represented the young generation and it was hoped that he would be the link between the government the young generation.

Another individual who would be playing a similar role would be the Member of Parliament for Kota Belud, Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahalan who was appointed a minister in the new ministry, the Ministry of Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government.

Two women representatives appointed into Najib's Cabinet were Datuk Rohani Abdul Karim, the MP for Batang Lupar who was appointed as the Minister for Women, Family and Community Development, and Batang Sadong MP Nancy Shukri who was appointed Minister in the Prime Minister's Department.

Besides Abdul Wahid, Paul Low, Khairy, Abdul Rahman and Nancy, Najib's Cabinet also featured four new faces as full ministers namely the Arau MP, Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim, Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh (Besut), Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor (Putrajaya) and Datuk Dr Ewon Ebin (Ranau).

It was obvious that in Najib's Cabinet, candidates who had lost in the recent general election had not been appointed as ministers or deputy ministers, including leaders of the component parties such as Pertubuhan Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Bersatu (Upko) president Tan Sri Bernard Dompok. The new cabinet line-up was announced live on local TV after Najib had obtained the consent from Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah at Istana Negara this afternoon.

The King had also consented to the ceremony for the presentation of the instrument of appointment and the swearing-in ceremony for the ministers and deputy ministers which would be held at Istana Negara at 9.30am tomorrow.

On May 6, Najib was sworn in as the prime minister before Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim at Balairong Seri Istana Negara.

Najib said he would hold his first cabinet meeting tomorrow to give an inspiration to the new members of the cabinet but the weekly cabinet meeting would be held every Wednesday as usual.

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