Missing MH370: Search area expanded

70-year-old man held, minor girl found

BHOPAL: The 70-year-old, who eloped with a minor girl, was caught from a village close to Sultanpur bus stand in Raisen district on Thursday night. The girl was also accompanying…

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BHOPAL: The 70-year-old, who eloped with a minor girl, was caught from a village close to Sultanpur bus stand in Raisen district on Thursday night. The girl was also accompanying him. Septuagenarian was booked for kidnapping on a complaint by girl's grandmother.

Accused Hafeez Khan alias Rashid had taken the girl to Tulsipura village in a bus to one of his relative's place.

Police officials said minor, a class X student, was missing from her house since March 4. Daughter of a labourer of Jhansi, she lives with her grandparents in Bhopal.

The elderly man, who is also a quack 'treating' child-less couple, told police the girl had come to him after which he took her to Raisen. Meanwhile, she told police that he had physical relations with her in past. This time, he however did not do anything, she said. Police said the man will also be booked under sections of protection of children from sexual offences act 2012.

When local residents of Bajaria, where the elderly man resided, had objected while he was taking the girl to his room on March 4, he told them that he would marry the girl. But soon, he escaped with her.

Cops said, Hafeez had come in contact with her a year ago. He used to impart religious education to her at her home. However, for past six months he had not visited her house, police said. Cops have also recovered some photographs and other objectionable material from his room in old Bhopal locality.

Hafeez tried his best to come clean in the matter. He told cops that he had stopped going to her house as the family of girl had started suspecting her. Regarding reports that he has been booked for rape in past, the accused said only an arms act case was registered against him.

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Paper reveals Iranian-link in ticket purchase for passengers with stolen passports

Two passengers who boarded MH370 with stolen passports are believed to be from the Middle East
after a Financial Times report revealed that the tickets were bought by an Iranian…

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Two passengers who boarded MH370 with stolen passports are believed to be from the Middle East
after a Financial Times report revealed that the tickets were bought by an Iranian in the Thai resort town of Pattaya.

The Financial Times exclusively reported that a Thai travel agent who booked the tickets for the men said she had been asked to make the travel arrangements by an Iranian contact.

Travel agent Benjaporn Krutnait, booked the tickets through a business contact whom she only knew as "Mr Ali". She said that his first request to book cheap tickets to Europe for the two men was made on March 1.

She told The Financial Times that it was quite common for people to book tickets through middlemen who then retake a commission.

Ali had asked for the cheapest route to Europe for his clients and did not mention the specific booking Kuala Lumpur-Beijing - unlikely behaviour by would-be terrorists.

Benjaporn initially reserved one of the men on a Qatar Airways flight and the other on Etihad. But the tickets expired when Benjaporn did not hear back from Ali.

The Financial Times said when Ali contacted her again on Thursday, she rebooked the men on the Malaysia Airlines flight through Beijing because it was the cheapest available.

A friend of Ali paid Benjaporn cash for the tickets, the paper reported, adding that there is no evidence that Ali knew the two men were travelling on stolen passports.

Benjaporn made the bookings through a China Southern Airlines office in Bangkok.

The two passengers were supposed to fly from Beijing to Amsterdam on Saturday. The passenger travelling as "Luigi Maraldi" was to fly on to Copenhagen and "Christian Kozel" to Frankfurt.

Interpol said it was investigating the passport holders and examining airport footage of the two men.

It is fairly common for fraudulent documents to be used on regional flights for illegal immigration or drug smuggling but the fact that the aircraft has disappeared has triggered speculation of a terrorist attack.

The two, who were of "non-Asian appearance", despite earlier reports, were travelling from Kuala Lumpur, one on an Italian passport and one on an Austrian passport. The passports were reported missing a year ago by the real Maraldi and Kozel, respectively.

The one-way tickets under those names were issued by a travel agency in Pattaya, eastern Thailand. – March 10, 2014.

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DCA says duo did not look Asian, ropes in Balotelli - Malaysiakini

The ethnicity of the two who boarded Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 with missing passports is now in question, following the claim by Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi that the duo…

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The ethnicity of the two who boarded Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 with missing passports is now in question, following the claim by Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi that the duo had "Asian features".

At a press conference at KLIA today, Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) director-general Azharuddin Abdul Rahman confirmed that the two men "did not look Asian".

"Do you know a footballer (by the name of) Balotelli? He is an Italian, but you know how he looks like," Azharuddin said when pressed to described the appearance of the two men.

Mario Balotelli (left) is a professional Italian footballer who plays for AC Milan.

When pressed further whether two passengers were black, Azharuddin replied: "Yes".

'Stolen passports syndicate'

Asked if he meant that the duo were Africans or were of African origin, Azharuddin declined to elaborate.

He said the investigation team has reviewed the CCTV footage of the duo from check-in to departure.

"We hereby confirm that all security protocol have been complied with," he said.

Azharuddin said police were looking into the possibility that the two passengers were part of a stolen passport syndicate.

The two individuals boarded flight MH370, which lost contact over the Gulf of Thailand, using Italian and Austrian passports.

However, both the Italian and Austrian foreign ministries have denied their citizens were present on the ill-fated flight, adding that the passports used were reported stolen in the last two years.

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ISMA dakwa Anwar mahu hidupkan reformasi kedua

Seluruh perhatian rakyat dialihkan kepada kezaliman pemerintah yang kononnya mahu menyekat Anwar daripada menjadi MB Selangor.

BANGI: Pilihan Raya Kecil (PRK) DUN Kajang yang bakal berlangsung pada bulan ini merupakan…

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Seluruh perhatian rakyat dialihkan kepada kezaliman pemerintah yang kononnya mahu menyekat Anwar daripada menjadi MB Selangor.

BANGI: Pilihan Raya Kecil (PRK) DUN Kajang yang bakal berlangsung pada bulan ini merupakan konspirasi ciptaan Ketua Pembangkang Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim bagi menutup kesalahan liwatnya dan mengalih perhatian rakyat untuk kembali turun ke jalan raya bagi menghidupkan gelombang Reformasi Ke-2.

Menurut Presiden Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (ISMA) Ustaz Abdullah Zaik Abd Rahman, sejak awal lagi pihaknya tidak bersetuju dengan peletakan jawatan bekas ADUN Kajang Lee Chin Cheh tanpa alasan yang munasabah.

“Anwar tahu perjalanan perbicaraan kes liwat sejak awal-awal lagi lalu beliau mereka cipta PRK Kajang dengan alasan yang tidak munasabah.

“Kini apabila beliau didapati bersalah, seluruh perhatian rakyat dialihkan kepada kezaliman pemerintah yang kononnya mahu menyekat beliau daripada menjadi MB selangor,” katanya kepada wartawan ISMAweb.

Jumaat lalu tiga hakim Mahkamah Rayuan sebulat suara memutuskan bahawa Datuk Seri Anwar bersalah atas tuduhan meliwat dan dijatuhi hukuman penjara 5 tahun serta diperintah membayar wang jaminan sebanyak RM10 ribu.

Sementara itu, Ustaz Abdullah mempertikai kenyataan sesetengah pihak yang mendakwa mahkamah tidak berlaku adil ke atas Anwar.

“Bila Anwar kalah, mahkamah dituduh zalim dan tidak adil. Mengapa semasa Anwar menang pada 2011 dahulu mahkamah tidak dituduh zalim juga? Tidak logik,” ujar beliau.

Tambahnya, jalan cerita ‘langkah Kajang’ yang bakal membawa Anwar ke Putrajaya menjadi sempurna apabila keputusan mahkamah dikaitkan dengan persepsi bahawa ia merupakan konspirasi Umno.

“Dengan itu keputusan mahkamah dituduh sebagai konspirasi Umno untuk sekali lagi memberi imej bersih kepada Anwar dan sekali lagi mengeksploitasi isu beliau ke jalan raya.

“Demikian sempurna jalan cerita bagaimana ‘langkah Kajang’ boleh membawa Anwar ke Putrajaya,” katanya lagi.

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Kajang: Showdown between Wan Azizah and Mei Fun

The Kajang by-election will likely be a contest between two politically savvy women.


PETALING JAYA: With nomination day for the Kajang by-election set to take place tomorrow, the battle seems…

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The Kajang by-election will likely be a contest between two politically savvy women.


PETALING JAYA: With nomination day for the Kajang by-election set to take place tomorrow, the battle seems to be geared between two politically savvy women.
PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail is the new PKR candidate to replace Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim.

The decision to pull out of the Kajang by-election was made as a result of the Court of Appeal decision on Friday to overturn Anwar’s sodomy acquittal.

The ruling derailed his plans to contest in the Kajang by-election, thus resulting in naming his wife as the new candidate.

MCA meanwhile is pitting its vice president, Chew Mei Fun to contest on behalf of Barisan Nasional (BN).

The two women are definitely forces to be reckoned with.

Wan Azizah, 62, founded the Parti Keadilan Nasional in 1999 after her husband was put behind bars the year before on a sodomy charge. She remains as the president of the party till today.

A doctor by profession, she won the Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat in 1999 and held the seat until 2008 when she stepped down to allow her husband to return to active politics again.

Chew on the other hand was a two-term MP for Petaling Jaya Utara and was defeated by incumbent MP Tony Pua in the 2008 general election.

The 51-year-old quit her Wanita chief post in 2010 after former MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek won the presidency.

As a result, she resigned as senator and Deputy Minister for the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry in line with her pledge to quit all party posts if Dr Chua became party president.

Former PKR member Zaid Ibrahim has also pulled out from the race, saying it was no longer necessary for him to contest.

Zaid had initially planned to contest in the by-election because he believed that Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim’s position was threatened by Anwar, who was seen to be eying the position.

Dangdut singer Herman Tino who had initially shown interest to contest in the by-election has also reportedly pulled out of the race.

The New Gen also pulled out of the race today.

Although tomorrow’s nomination day might witness last-minute participation from independents, it is safe to say that the battle would be focused between the two women.

With Wan Azizah in the picture, the female vote in Kajang may likely be swayed to her advantage, what more with public sympathy for her husband who was convicted.

BN supporters also no longer have the advantage of claiming that their candidate is ‘cleaner’ than the other, as Wan Azizah’s record is thus far free from major controversies.

The Kajang state seat fell vacant following the resignation of incumbent assemblyman Lee Chin Cheh of PKR on Jan 27. The Election Commission fixed March 23 as polling date and nomination day on March 11. Early polling would be held on March 19.

The state seat comprises 39,728 registered voters. At the last general election in May 2013, the seat saw a voter turnout of 87.9% with 541 spoilt votes.

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Missing MH370: Bomoh vows result with fish trap hook, bamboo binocular

I think the plane is still in the air or has crashed into the sea, says Raja Bomoh Ibrahim Mat Zin.

SEPANG: The mystery surrounding the missing Malaysia Airlines flight…

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I think the plane is still in the air or has crashed into the sea, says Raja Bomoh Ibrahim Mat Zin.

SEPANG: The mystery surrounding the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has captured the attention of a well-known ‘bomoh’ (shaman), Ibrahim Mat Zin.

Ibrahim, who is known as Raja Bomoh Sedunia Nujum VIP, arrived at the KL International Airport (KLIA) today, claiming to be invited by one of the country’s top leaders, to help locate the missing plane using a spiritual method and prayer.

“We use fish trap hook and a bamboo binocular to look and ask for the victims to be found as soon as possible,” he told reporters here today.

He was also seen to have performed a prayer at the KLIA entrance.

“During my prayer, my eyes hurt and my vision turned black. I think the plane is still in the air or has crashed into the sea.

“I will come back here (to KLIA) in another two days after performing my prayers and I will bring something,” he said.

At the same time, Ibrahim also called on all quarters to pray for the safety those on board the missing flight.

The Raja Bomoh, who has 50 years of experience, became popular after offering his service to search for victims in several major cases, including in the Highland Tower tragedy, Kuala Dipang flood and the Mona Fendy murder case.

Bernama

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Search area expanded, duo ‘not Asian looking’

Authorities were also searching on land in Malaysia and off western Malaysia.
FULL REPORT


KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has expanded its search area for a missing jet after three days of…

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Authorities were also searching on land in Malaysia and off western Malaysia.
FULL REPORT


KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has expanded its search area for a missing jet after three days of scouring the sea failed to bring forth any confirmed sightings of wreckage, an official said Monday.
“The area of search has been expanded in the South China Sea,” Civil Aviation Department chief Azharuddin Abdul Rahman said.

Azharuddin said the operation to search for the missing Boeing 777-200 was expanded from 50 nautical miles to 100 nautical radius within the Igari sea area and up to North Sumatra by land.

He said the operation which was still termed as ‘search and rescue operation’ – and not body recovery exercise – after entering its third day, was conducted “block by block”.

“Ships and aircraft are assigned to cover each block. Subsequently, we will expand further,” he added.

He added that besides searching in waters between Malaysia and Vietnam, authorities were also searching on land in Malaysia and off western Malaysia.

“We have not found anything that appears to be objects from the aircraft, let alone the aircraft,” he told a news conference – his third and last for the day.

“As far as we are concerned, we have to find the aircraft, we have to find a piece of the aircraft if possible,” he said.

The Malaysia Airlines flight with 239 people aboard lost contact with air controllers early Saturday.

Passengers with stolen passports

Azharuddin also clarified that the two passengers who boarded the plane with stolen passports were not Asian looking as had been identified earlier by Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

“We have looked and re-looked at the footage of the video and the photographs; it is confirmed now that they are not Asian-looking men,” said Azharuddin without elaborating further, stating that the matter was still under investigations.

He said investigators were looking into a new angle of stolen passport syndicates at work.

“Our priority is to find the plane now,” he stressed.

When pressed on the identities of the two passengers, the DCA chief avoided answering the question but gave an example of Italian footballer Mario Balotelli, who was born to immigrants from Ghana but had assumed the surname of his Italian foster parents.

Azharuddin however refused to confirm if the two passengers were of African origin.

Earlier the Inspector General of Police, Khalid Abu Bakar said the police had identified one of the two suspected passengers, but did not make public his identity. He also said that passenger was a non-Malaysian.

Acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein also promised the media to make available the photos of the two passengers as soon as the matter has been investigated by local and foreign intelligence agencies. Counter-terrorism agencies and the FBI are also assisting the investigation.

The Financial Times however exclusively reported today that the two passengers could be from the Middle East.

The daily quoted a Thai travel agent who had booked the tickets for the two passengers as saying that the tickets were arranged by an Iranian contact known only as ‘Mr Ali’.

In his press conference, Azharuddin also stressed that after studying the video footage (from closed-circuit television cameras) from the departure area, all security protocol was complied.

“The team of investigators is looking into the matter. All security protocol has been complied. There is a possibility of a stolen passport syndicate,” he said.

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114 Pengikut Syiah Ditahan

(Berita Harian) - Ketua Polis Selama, Deputi Superintendan Wan Jamil Wan Chik, berkata kegiatan kumpulan itu terbongkar selepas seorang pengikut membuat laporan polis supaya JAIP tidak mengganggu aktiviti mereka yang…

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(Berita Harian) - Ketua Polis Selama, Deputi Superintendan Wan Jamil Wan Chik, berkata kegiatan kumpulan itu terbongkar selepas seorang pengikut membuat laporan polis supaya JAIP tidak mengganggu aktiviti mereka yang diadakan di rumah terbabit.

Lapan warga asing antara 114 pengikut Syiah yang ditahan dalam serbuan di Hutan Simpan Bintang Hijau, berhampiran sempadan daerah ini dan Gerik, malam kelmarin.

Mereka yang berumur antara tujuh hingga 70 tahun, membabitkan 54 lelaki, 28 wanita, 32 kanak-kanak diberkas kira-kira jam 10 malam ketika meraikan majlis di sebuah rumah.

Warga asing yang ditahan, termasuk tiga dari Thailand, masing-masing dua dari Myanmar dan Pakistan serta seorang warga Indonesia.

Serbuan dilakukan 150 pegawai dan anggota polis bersama penguat kuasa Jabatan Agama Islam Perak (JAIP).

Pengikut Buat Laporan

Ketua Polis Selama, Deputi Superintendan Wan Jamil Wan Chik, berkata kegiatan kumpulan itu terbongkar selepas seorang pengikut membuat laporan polis supaya JAIP tidak mengganggu aktiviti mereka yang diadakan di rumah terbabit.

“Susulan laporan meragukan itu, polis menjalankan siasatan bersama JAIP dan memantau aktiviti mereka sebelum melakukan serbuan.

“Mereka yang ditahan kemudian dibawa ke Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah Selama untuk proses dokumentasi dan diserahkan kepada JAIP bagi tindakan susulan,” katanya.

Sementara itu, Ketua Penguat Kuasa Agama Perak, Ahmad Nizam Amiruddin, berkata tangkapan pengikut Syiah berkenaan adalah yang teramai, berbanding dua operasi sebelum ini.

“Hasil pemeriksaan kami turut merampas beberapa buku mengandungi maklumat mengenai Syiah selain batu turbah, bendera dan gambar. Semua yang ditahan dibebaskan dengan bon jaminan dan akan dipanggil semula oleh JAIP untuk siasatan lanjut,” katanya.

Katanya, kes disiasat mengikut Seksyen 16 Enakmen Jenayah Syariah Negeri Perak 1992 kerana melanggar fatwa berkaitan pengharaman Syiah.

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Opposition reps wear ‘BLACK SUITS’ for opening of Parliament

(The Malaysian Times) – All opposition members of parliament (MPs) did not put on the official ceremonial white uniform today, which is the norm to wear during the opening of…

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(The Malaysian Times) – All opposition members of parliament (MPs) did not put on the official ceremonial white uniform today, which is the norm to wear during the opening of a Parliamentary sitting.

Bernama reported, on the other hand, they wore black suits, with some adding the songkok while the women elected representatives wore national costumes such as baju kurung.

Not only did they not wear the official uniform, they also did not take part in the parade and royal banquet at the Official Opening Ceremony of the First Meeting, Second Session of the 13th Parliament by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah here.

Opposition Chief Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said their move was a sign of protest and opposition to the nation’s laws “which were unjust”.

Nevertheless, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong has been informed of the absence of the MPs at the royal banquet.

“I have sent a letter to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to clarify our stand on the matter. We attend the opening ceremony to show our love and loyalty to His Majesty but we will not attend the feast and parade because we do not want to be in cahoots with a cruel and corrupted group,” he said, when met after the opening.

Anwar said all 89 of the opposition-elected representatives were adamant about not attending the Dewan Rakyat sitting tomorrow to protest against the Court of Appeal’s five-year jail sentence on the opposition chief after finding him guilty of sodomy on Friday.

On the other hand, they will attend the nomination for the by-election in Kajang tomorrow.

Last Friday, the Court of Appeal imposed a five-year jail sentence on Anwar on a charge of sodomising his former aide, Saiful Bukhari Azlan, about six years ago.

In a follow-up to the decision of the court, DAP national chairman Karpal Singh, who is also Anwar’s counsel, said the opposition leader could not file his nomination paper for the by-election in Kajang.

Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) president Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail was announced as the candidate for the oposition pact for the by-election in Kajang.

Meanwhile, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim, when met, said the boycott of the Dewan Rakyat sitting tomorrow by the oppositions would only be a loss to them because the people would not be able to know the questions raised by their elected representatives.

“We have provided answers to every question in the Dewan Rakyat. The people lose when they cannot hear the questions asked by the members of parliament concerned.

“Here (Dewan Rakyat) is a place where we debate and formulate laws. No need to go to Kajang to debate. We cannot debate the laws in Kajang. Kajang is the deciding place for the selection of an elected representative,” he said.

Dewan Negara president Tan Sri Abu Zahar Ujang said the proceedings of the Dewan Rakyat would not be affected by the absence of opposition MPs.

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Malaysian Plane Mystery Trumps Politics

The tragedy of Flight MH370 stuns a nation, brings bitterness to a temporary halt

The shock of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 seems to have brought a sort of temporary unity…

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The tragedy of Flight MH370 stuns a nation, brings bitterness to a temporary halt

The shock of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 seems to have brought a sort of temporary unity to Malaysia, pushing divisive political news and conflict off the radar, at least temporarily.

“This crash has stunned the nation and put politics on hold,” said an ethnic Malay political observer. “There seems to be a sense of anger and outrage and confusion over why anybody would attack a Malaysian plane.”

People "have been sick of the incessant politicking for a long time," said a businessman source. "It is unfortunate that a national tragedy had to happen for people to push politics off their radar. I can see how my kids are affected and depressed by all this. We have discussed nothing else but MH 370 and how stupid our politicians on both sides of the divide are."

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak postponed an official trip to Mauritius to focus on the search for the missing craft, the prime minister’s office said. Malaysia‘s reigning king, Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah, issued condolences.

It isn’t sure if anybody actually attacked the plane, of course. A flotilla of ships and airplanes from nine countries continues to search for the remains the Boeing 777-200 that left Kuala Lumpur Saturday night for Beijing but vanished from radar screens. Vietnamese military aircraft spotted two oil slicks in the South China Sea, but there is no indication that they were caused by the plane when it hit the water – if it hit the water. It’s even debatable when it disappeared. Its “black box” apparently stopped sending signals to air traffic controllers 40 minutes into the flight. Other reports say it was two hours into its journey when it disappeared.

In particular, the tragedy and the multiplicity of inconsistencies about the loss of the craft has pushed political stories down the page, including a boiling controversy over the sentencing of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim last Friday to a five-year jail term by an appellate court.

The sentencing was stayed on appeal to the Federal Court, the country’s highest tribunal. The verdict was widely believed to have been engineered by forces within the United Malays National Organization to prevent Anwar from registering as a candidate in a Kuala Lumpur suburban by-election that was considered certain to eventually make him the chief minister of the country’s most prosperous and populous state.

Given the fractious nature of Malaysian politics and the stunning turnaround represented by the appeals court overturning Anwar’s 2012 acquittal, in normal times, social media sites and web portals would be bristling with comment and anger.

Instead, most news sites, whether pro- or anti-government, devoted their resources to the plane tragedy.

Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who is widely believed to have been behind the government’s push to put Anwar back in prison for the second time in 15 years, was quoted calling for unity in the face of the disaster. "I think MAS has done its best. Playing the blame game now is not helpful," he told reporters after visiting family and relatives of the 239 passengers on board the missing flight.

The cause of the disaster remains a complete mystery despite speculation that people carrying false passports who boarded the flight might have been terrorists. No explosion has been detected by US authorities who use satellites to monitor the world’s skies.

Whether the plane was blown apart by a bomb – of which there is no evidence there is fury that hijackers might have targeted a Malaysian plane, possibly because of the presence on board of 152 Chinese nationals.

The plane was flying at 11,000 meters, regarded as the safest part of the flight, when it disappeared so suddenly that the pilots were unable to make any radio transmission, an indication of a catastrophic failure of some kind.

When an Air France Airbus disappeared under similar circumstances in 2009, the transponder worked for several days although it took two years to actually find the plane. There is no indication that MH370’s black box has been giving off any signals.

MH370 was also equipped with a floating GPS beacon that was designed to transmit its location if it landed in water. The beacon hasn’t given off any kind of signal, although the beacon doesn’t work if it sinks with the wreckage.

The search for the doomed craft was widened Monday all the way to the Andaman Sea. Conflicting reports had the plane turning back towards Kuala Lumpur when it disappeared, but Malaysian officials said it would have emitted an electronic signal had that been true.

Then there was the matter of the passports stolen in Thailand, one from an Italian male and the other from an Austrian. When they were presented to Malaysian Airlines staff at departure, they were in the hands of ethnic Asians, leading Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to question why immigration offices “cannot think an Italian and an Austrian but with Asian facial features.” Ahmad Zahid announced an immediate investigation into the Immigration Department, particularly the officers who were on duty at the KLIA immigration counter during flight MH370.”

“If the plane can’t be located, many will conclude that an UFO took it,” said one commentator.

One thing is certain: once the wreckage is found and the shock wears off, the anger and bitterness over Anwar’s verdict will return in full voice.

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Woke up with heavy heart like majority of Malaysians as MH370 tragedy enters third day with nothing to go on about the mysterious disappearance of the aircraft and 239 persons on board

By Lim Kit Siang,

I woke up this morning with a heavy heart like the majority of Malaysians with the news that over 50 hours have passed since MH370 was…

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By Lim Kit Siang,

I woke up this morning with a heavy heart like the majority of Malaysians with the news that over 50 hours have passed since MH370 was reported lost from radar and there is nothing to go on as to what happened to the 239 passengers and crew of the Boeing B777-200 aircraft on its flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

There has been no confirmed signs of wreckage or debris, no distress signal from the aircraft before it lost contact with ground control, and no clear indication that the plane had experienced any technical failure in mid-air.

Hopes of Malaysians and people around the world who prayed for the safety and a miracle to ensure that the 239 people on board MH370 could survive their mysterious disappearance have become more and more tenuous.

This has brought home the stark reality that something terrible had in fact happened to the aircraft and the 239 passengers and crew although the international search and rescue (SAR) operation for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane with 239 on board has intensified.

Regardless of political affiliation, race, religion or nationality, all concerned Malaysians and like-minded people world-wide, particularly in the 14 countries whose citizens are on board, should come together as one unit to continue to give support and strength to the families, relatives and friends of the 239 passengers and crew members in their hour of greatest sorrow, trial and tribulations.

With the MH 370 tragedy and mystery entering the third day, there are more and more questions whether about crisis management, the disappearance of the aircraft or the rescue and search operation.

But all these questions should be put aside as they should wait as efforts are focused on finding the aircraft and giving support and strength to the affected families, relatives and friends of the 239 people on board.

For this reason, I will not make any comments, criticisms or responses (including to misconceived or malicious charges against me) for these two days.

Let us focus all our thoughts and prayers on the 239 persons on board MH 370 and their aggrieved families, relatives and friends.

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Judicial process and timing in Anwar’s case implies persecution not prosecution, says Bar Council

The Malaysian Insider

The charge against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the manner in which his appeal was handled fuels the perception that the opposition leader was persecuted and not…

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The Malaysian Insider

The charge against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the manner in which his appeal was handled fuels the perception that the opposition leader was persecuted and not prosecuted, the Bar Council said.

Malaysian Bar president Christopher Leong (pic) said that in the first place, the archaic provision under the Penal Code which criminalises sodomy and oral sex should never have been brought against Anwar.

"The case has unnecessarily taken up judicial time and public funds, and has muddied the waters of our justice system.

"We also have grave misgivings with respect to the manner and timing in which the appeal was handled, especially over the way in which mitigation and sentencing proceeded," Leong said.

The Court of Appeal had found Anwar guilty of sodomy on Friday, overturning the Kuala Lumpur High Court's January 2012 decision that had found him innocent.

Leong, in a statement today, said that Anwar's legal team was notified on February 27 that substantive appeal would be heard on March 6 and 7, and that lawyer Karpal Singh only had seven days to prepare for a criminal appeal over a case that had gone through a lengthy trial and which involved 32 witnesses, including expert evidence.

According to Leong, prior to this, the Court of Appeal registry had informed Anwar's lawyers to reserve April 7 to 10 as the proposed hearing dates, to which the team agreed.

However, these dates were abandoned and replaced with earlier dates.

"If this is true, it raises the question as to why the Court of Appeal brought forward the appeal to be heard when the April dates had been agreed on.

"After all the defendant was facing a possible 20-year jail term and the April dates would have given the legal team more time to prepare," he said.

Leong further said that while the hearing of the appeal which extended until past 6pm was not unheard of, it was a rare occurrence.

Further to this, after hearing submissions on March 7, the court had taken approximately 90 minutes to consider before giving a unanimous decision in reversing the acquittal by the High Court.

The panel then rejected Karpal's request for an adjournment to the following week for the mitigation and sentencing for the purpose of obtaining a medical report on Anwar and instead gave the legal team one hour to prepare.

The Court of Appeal then sentenced Anwar to five years jail that evening with proceedings ending only at 7pm.

"These matters raise many questions, cause much speculation, and lend to the perception that justice may have been hijacked, Leong said.

He said that questions that must be answered was whether the cause of justice was best served by the manner and timing in which this appeal was handled and whether the administration of justice was compromised or interfered with.

"Justice and independence are not only facts to be established, it is imperative that they are seen to be so established," Leong said. – March 9, 2014.

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Missing MH370: Two Passengers Using Stolen Passports Not Asian-looking

SEPANG, March 10 (Bernama) -- Department of Civil Aviation director-general Datuk Azharuddin Abdul Rahman has confirmed that two male passengers using stolen passports and travelling onboard the Malaysia Airlines (MAS)…

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SEPANG, March 10 (Bernama) -- Department of Civil Aviation director-general Datuk Azharuddin Abdul Rahman has confirmed that two male passengers using stolen passports and travelling onboard the Malaysia Airlines (MAS) aircraft which went missing early Saturday, did not bear Asian characteristics.

"We have looked and re-looked at all the footages, they are not Asian-looking men," he told hundreds of foreign and local reporters who packed the press conference -- the last briefing from the Malaysian authorities Monday.

Azharrudin declined to answer when asked by a journalist whether the men were African-looking, saying that the matter was under investigation by security experts.

He also stressed that after studying the video footages (from closed-circuit television cameras) from the departure area, all security protocol was complied.

"The team of investigators is looking into the matter. All security protocol has been complied. There is a possibility of a stolen passport syndicate," he said.

Azharuddin said the operation to search for the missing Boeing 777-200 was expanded from 50 nautical miles to 100 nautical radius within the Igari sea area and up to North Sumatra by land.

He said the operation which was still termed as 'search and rescue operation' after entering its third day, was conducted "block by block".

"Ships and aircraft are assigned to cover each block. Subsequently, we will expand further," he added.

There are two major search areas currently being conducted. One is the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia while the other is the Melaka Strait.

The next press conference from the authorities will be held tomorrow at 10am.

The Beijing-bound MAS Flight MH370, ferrying 227 passengers, including two infants, and 12 crew members, went missing about an hour after taking off from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 12.41am Saturday.

It was scheduled to have landed in Beijing at 6.30am.

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