MACC invited to vet declarations in Judiciary’s bid to graft-proof operations

The Star
by SHAILA KOSHY and QISHIN TARIQ

PUTRAJAYA: The Judiciary is the latest institution of public interest wanting to further graft-proof its operations by inviting the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on board.

Chief Justice Tan Sri Arifin Zakaria, who issued the invitation yesterday, said judges had nothing to fear if their work was clean.

Justice Arifin said judges of higher courts would be required to declare their assets soon and the MACC called in to check the information if there were allegations.

“I'm sure all of you have nothing to fear so we have to work together with MACC on this matter,” he said during the third day of the Conference of Judges here.

The move would affect judges in the Federal Court, the Court of Appeal and High Courts and judicial commissioners.

Under Section 9 of the Judges Code of Ethics 2009, a judge shall declare in writing all his assets to the Chief Justice of the Federal Court upon his appointment or any time thereafter, if required so.

At the conference, the Chief Justice also reminded judges to maintain the independence of the Judiciary and not put up with any interference in reaching their verdicts.

“But there are other interferences one of them may be your spouse. So, make sure there are no discussions,” he quipped.

The statement by Justice Arifin came just three days after MACC advised mega project owner MRT Corp not to consider a bid by a French company that was still under investigation for alleged corruption.

MRT Corp, the project owner of the multi-billion ringgit Klang Valley MY Rapid Transit, had asked MACC to help keep a hawk's eye to ensure that there was no corruption, especially in the procurement process.

Various groups lauded the move by Justice Arifin and suggested ways of cooperation.

Malaysian Bar president Lim Chee Wee said allegations of financial impropriety against judges would be easier to deal with if MACC audited their assets as soon as they were declared.

“This has been one of the many issues discussed by the Judiciary and the Bar on how to improve public confidence in the Judiciary,” Lim said.

He said allegations although without documentary evidence, so far as the Bar Council was aware impacted negatively on the image of the Judiciary, especially “when lawyers and litigants claim that they have bribed judge(s)”.

Retired Court of Appeal judges Datuk Shaik Daud Ismail and Datuk K.C. Vohrah said they had never been asked to declare their assets as judges.

“But I think it is a good idea,” said Vohrah in an SMS from overseas.

Former chief justice Tun Zaki Azmi said he declared his assets to the Chief Secretary's Office when he was appointed to the Federal Court in 2007.

“I asked new judicial commissioners to declare their assets to me when I was CJ.”

Chairman of Asli's Centre for Public Policy Studies Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam described Justice Arifin's announcement as “important” in judicial leadership.

However, he suggested that judges, Cabinet members and Members of Parliament declare their assets to an independent commission instead, adding that they should also be declaring their liabilities.

Malaysian Centre for Constitutionalism and Human Rights founder Edmund Bon asked for declared assets by the judges to be made public “to a certain extent”.

Girls being raped and tortured

“I saw two of my daughters being raped in front of me,” an old lady from Essa Nagri told The News. “It is considered that Chooras have no integrity.” She says that around midnight, men from other areas start gathering in their neighbourhood. “They are usually drunk. They choose which home they will plunder.”

She adds that one night they stormed into her home and raped two of her girls, while she “was locked in another room hearing their cries for help”. “I am a widow without any financial prospects, but I did go to the MPA representing us. What good is he if he can’t do anything to protect us?” The fear to report these cases is such that at first, no one even admits that an incident of rape or torture has taken place.

Forcible conversions

Within the past three months, nine women have been abducted and forcibly converted to Islam. MPA Javed adds that the purpose is not to gain good deeds, but to sell them. A majority of the Christian girls converted are married, he says.

According to reports he received from different areas of the city, the abducted women are later sold to feudal lords in Sindh and Punjab. Citing a recent example, Javed says that in Essa Nagri, a 23-year-old married girl was forcibly remarried to a 60-year-old Muslim man, who was notorious for selling girls.

Javed said that the man was known to be pious, but had a side business of selling Christian girls. He says many people apart from him knew the truth. The only information that the family received was by a phone call through which they were informed by somebody that their girl is in Punjab.

He points out that there is a judgment by the Lahore High Court which clearly states that a “married Christian woman cannot be remarried to a Muslim even if converted,” but these cases do not even go to the police to be challenged in the high courts.

Brothel beside a church

Ayub Goth, near the Meteorological Department, is another area known for ethnic and religious discord. The Christians living in the area complain that a brothel was recently established right beside a Catholic church in the area.

In the evening women from outside are brought by “some people.” Residents say that these people have enough political clout to ensure that no one dares raise a finger.

Chaudhry, a former councillor of the area, says that the residents have grown tired of squabbling for space and now offer their prayers in a school right behind the church.

Munawar Baig, a resident of the area, says that if the same thing occurred in a Muslim dominated area, it would have been “treated differently”.

“We are not going anywhere,” says Abraham Masih, an 80-year-old resident of Ayub Goth. “We were born here and we’ll die here. I cannot preach with a gun, I can only pray for such people.”

“I have read the Bible as well as the Holy Quran and know for a fact that the religion does not use force on any one. It is not meant to make lives miserable for other people. If only those who cry about knowing the religion would understand that,” adds Javed.

Alien Serial Rapist in France Asks Victims Their Nationality and Religion Before Raping Them

On 23 December this man raped two blonde-haired, blue-eyed women in Paris then another two days later in Étampes (Essonne). The police had numerous photographs and CCTV images of this man but did not release them until the story was picked up in a magazine called Le Nouveau Detective (The New Detective) and then the newspaper Le Parisien, which published an artificial photofit image of him.



Le Parisien said that the detective division of the French police was "observing the strictest silence in this affair" which was described as "very sensitive".

This is yet another example of European police forces putting the lives of Europeans at greater risk for political purposes. They feel they have some kind of professional obligation to prevent the release of information that might cause Europeans to question the wisdom of allowing their countries being colonised by third-world immigrants. We saw exactly the same thing in the case of the Paki rape gangs in Britain. Of course, as I have written about before, this behaviour is imposed on the police by Council of Europe directives.

This man is considered very dangerous. He has shown himself to be very violent but at the same time, he has spoken to his victims a great deal, notably asking them their religious affiliation or their nationality.

"He also wounded the adolescent with several blows of the knife before trying to strangle her. He becomes very violent when the victims struggle. It seems he only attacks young European women, with light-coloured hair and blue eyes. He also apologised to them after having raped them and stabbed them. This type of behaviour is very troubling."

Jelajah Hasan Ali dedah 'parasit' PAS

NFCorp: Credit card bills were ‘business development expenses’

MACC officers arrive at NFCorp’s office in Kuala Lumpur, December 23, 2011. — File pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 16 — The National Feedlot Corporation (NFCorp)’s management today admitted that money from the federally-funded project was used for credit card expenses, but maintained that these were solely for business purposes.

Earlier today, PKR alleged that Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil’s family had used nearly RM600,000 from the NFC project funds to pay for their credit card bills in 2009.

The party’s strategic director, Rafizi Ramli, said in a statement today that the Wanita Umno chief’s husband and three children, all of whom sit on the NFC board, used funds from the RM250 million cattle farming project to pay credit card bills averaging over RM10,000 per month each across the year.

In response, NFCorp executive director Wan Shahinur Izmir Salleh said that the credit card expenses were “corporate cards” and used for “business development purposes.”

“There are no personal expenses as alleged. The business development expenses by the four directors reflect the magnitude of its multi-million ringgit sales,” he said in a statement.

Wan Shahinur said that all the relevant facts were with the authorities, and added that the company would soon clarify other “misnomers and distortions that have affected public perception of the company.”

He also denied allegations that NFCorp’s directors had been paid “unjustifiable salaries”, saying that they were earning “nowhere near” the figures alleged by some parties. He also pointed out the authorities had the necessary information and bank statements for verification.

“The highly exaggerated figures first emerged from a mysterious prank blogger who had drawn the media’s attention to it. Since then, the blogger has disappeared and his erroneous post continues to be picked up by the public,” he added.

In the past two months, PKR has repeatedly accused Shahrizat’s family of abusing public funds, including spending at least RM27 million to buy land and property unrelated to cattle farming.

Rafizi said today NFC released RM182,525, RM160,673, RM127,900 and RM122,402 to pay credit card bills belonging to Shahrizat’s husband and NFC chairman, Datuk Seri Mohamad Salleh, and her three children respectively in 2009.

The women, family and community development minister took three weeks’ leave last week to allow the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to probe the allegations.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced on Saturday that NFC’s assets have been frozen but Wan Shahinur, who is Shahrizat’s son, yesterday said it was “business as usual”.

Wan Shahinur also pointed out today that the Auditor-General’s report had never stated that the NFC project was in a mess, claiming that it was a false and mischievous allegation.

Anwar a hit in Umno stronghold

Pakatan launches its Negri Sembilan election manifesto in Gemas, where the NFC farm is located.

GEMAS: Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim last night attracted his biggest crowd in Negri Sembilan in recent memory when he launched the Pakatan Rakyat election manifesto for the state.

Estimates put the size of the audience at more than 6,000 people, which was a remarkable number because Gemas is one of the strongest Umno fortresses in the state and the Tampin District Council had torn down hundreds of posters and banners advertising the event.

Before this, no Pakatan Rakyat figure has been able to attract more than 4,000 to an event in Negri Sembilan. The largest crowds before last night were at events in the Pakatan strongholds of Seremban and Rasah.

In his speech, Anwar repeated his challenge to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to an open debate in response to the latter’s oft-repeated remark that Pakatan was making empty promises.

“I tell you again, we will reduce fuel prices the day after we take over Putrajaya,” he told the multiracial crowd.

“In two weeks, we will reduce the electricity tariffs. We will give an ultimatum to the independent power producers to come up with new rates within two weeks.

“We will abolish the highway tolls.

“But Najib says I’m making empty promises. Let us run the government and we’ll show you. If Najib thinks I’m bluffing, let us have an open debate and let the public decide who is bluffing.”

‘Please save the country’

Also at the event were PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu, DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang, state PAS commissioner Mohd Taufek Abdul Ghani, state PKR chairman Kamarul Baharin Abbas and state DAP chairman Loke Siew Fook.

Malays, Chinese and Indians stood shoulder to shoulder listening as Anwar spoke on diverse subjects, ranging from local concerns to his sodomy trial to national issues such as bad governance and systemic corruption.

Gemas is where the beleaguered National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) has its farm. Speaking about PKR’s series of exposé of alleged corruption in NFC, Anwar said it was unfair that the government charge only two percent interest on its loan to the corporation but double the rate on loans given to civil servants.

“Please save the country before it goes bankrupt,” he told the crowd. “The government must be changed in the coming general election.”

According to Tampin PAS chief Zakaria Khalim, Gemas, which hosts a large army camp, has 19,369 voters, including 3,384 postal voters.

Gemas is a state seat within the parliamentary constituency of Tampin. There are six Felda schemes in the area, giving Barisan Nasional a great advantage in any election as Felda folk are known to be hardcore Umno supporters.

Each of the Felda schemes had about a thousand voters.
“Gemas has never been an easy place for us to get support,” Zakaria said.

Strategic reasons

However, he added, the NFC scandal might have opened the eyes of voters in the area, including the Felda settlers.

“Tampin Umno is feeling the heat,” he said. “All of a sudden, the sleeping Tampin Umno is awake. Lately, we have been prevented from having our ceramahs, even at the Repah DAP service centre.

“Somehow, for strategic reasons, the Negri Sembilan Pakatan Rakyat council decided to launch the election manifesto in Gemas.

“Our nightmare started last week when all the posters, buntings and banners along the Tampin-Gemas federal road were torn and removed by the Tampin District Council.”

The removal of the materials resulted in a fight last Monday between district enforcement officers and five Tampin PAS members. Police arrested the PAS five, who included information officer Zainil Suboh, and held them in remand for three days.

“My men were returning from Gemas after sticking the posters, when they noticed a few guys tearing them down,” Zakaria said. “When they approached the vandals, they tried to run away and a fight ensued.
“Both sides lodged police reports, but my men were remanded for obstructing civil servants carrying out their work.

“The issue here is why did they try to run away, why weren’t they in uniform and why didn’t they show their identification?”

No Indian face in Pakatan banners

Pakatan and DAP members feel that the omission was not a mistake, but a deliberate attempt by Pakatan leadership to show that only Malays and Chinese counted in the coalition.

GEORGE TOWN: There was no Indian face in the Pakatan Rakyat banner displayed at its national convention in Alor Setar last Saturday .

And this has riled up Pakatan and DAP Indian members. They feel that the omission was not a mistake, but a deliberate attempt by Pakatan leadership to show that only Malays and Chinese counted in the coalition.

The DAP Indian members are angry that their party supremo Karpal Singh pictorial montage was not included in the banner.

It was Karpal, as a lead counsel, who fought and got Anwar Ibrahim acquitted from the Sodomy II charge last Monday.

“How could Pakatan leadership forget Karpal?” they asked.

Human Rights Party secretary-general P Uthayakumar said that Barisan Nasional, for all its shortcomings, at least showcased Indian faces.

But by omitting an Indian face altogether from its official banner, he said Pakatan had indicated of things to come if it were to capture Putrajaya.

He claimed it was reflective of Pakatan future policies to undermine and sidestep Indian representation at the highest level of its decision-making hierarchy.

“Pakatan Malay and Chinese leaders demonstrated that they will make do without constructive Indian representations if they have federal powers,” alleged Uthayakumar.

He said Pakatan may have omitted Indian face because its leaders thought they can make do with only Malay and Chinese votes.

He reasoned that it was maybe because Indian community does not form a majority in the country’s 222 parliamentary constituencies despite having 715,099 registered voters as of general election 2008 electoral roll.

Since 1957, he alleged that Umno had has gerrymandered constituencies, with sizeable Indian population, to politically paralyse the community.

Sungai Petani, Padang Serai, Batu Kawan, Ipoh Barat, Bagan Datoh, Teluk Intan, Hulu Selangor, Kuala Selangor, Kota Raja, Klang, Teluk Kemang, Rasah and Cameron Highlands are among seats in question.

Compared to Sabah’s 25 federal and 60 state seats with 837,584 registered voters, he noted that Pakatan leaders have shown more political zest to look into the north Borneo state affairs.

Meanwhile, Kota Alam Shah assemblyman M Manoharan has been receiving calls since Saturday over the Pakatan banner.

He said the callers, including his constituents and Pakatan supporters, raised questions on whether “Pakatan was only interested in Indian votes, not Indian representations let alone their problems”.

Interview CNBC:Malaysia Opposition Leader: ‘Racist Policies Must End’

Five tests whether International Conference on Global Movement of Moderates is meaningful and Najib qualifies to be regarded as the voice of moderates in Malaysia

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak is to launch and institutionalize “the Global Movement of the Moderates” at the inaugural International Conference on the Global Movement of the Moderates in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow.

In international conferences in the past two years, whether at the United Nations General Assembly or in Europe, Najib had kept to the theme calling on the moderates of the world to unite against extremists.

However, when he returns to Malaysia, he has allowed the forces of extremism, unreason and falsehoods a field day to the extent that Malaysia had never been more polarised on ethnic and religious grounds in the first three years of a Prime Minister than under him in the history of the nation.

Tonight, I want to put forth five tests to determine whether the International Conference on Global Movement of Moderates is meaningful or an exercise in hypocrisy and double-talk and whether Najib qualifies to be regarded as the voice of moderates in Malaysia.

Firstly, Najib must salvage his signature 1Malaysia policy, which he promulgated on becoming the sixth Prime Minister – to create a Malaysia where every Malaysian regards himself or herself as Malaysian first, and his race, religion, geography and socio-economic status second.

In March 2010, in response to my challenge in Parliament, the Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin rubbished Najib’s 1Malaysia policy, declaring that he is Malay first and Malaysian second.

If after two years, Najib is unable to bring his Deputy Prime Minister into line to unequivocally and unconditionally support his signature 1Malaysia policy, it is a terrible reflection of his failure as Prime Minister and as voice of moderation in Malaysia.

Secondly, let him declare at the International Conference on Global Movement of Moderates tomorrow that he will spearhead a national campaign to end gutter politics and the politics of lies, falsehood and incitement which have seen their worst manifestation in 54 years of Malaysian nationhood in the 33 months he became Prime Minister.

DAP for instance is accused by UMNO leaders and apparatus as anti-Malay, anti-Islam and anti-Malay Rulers when these are downright lies and falsehoods.

Is Najib prepared to be the voice of moderates against the forces of extremism to end gutter politics and the politics of lies, falsehoods and incitement in Malaysia?

Third, let Najib declare at the International Conference of Moderates tomorrow that Utusan Malaysia, the official mouthpiece of UMNO, will immediately be transformed into a Voice of Moderation instead of being the strident voice of extremism and lies, undermining Malaysian nation-building in the process.

Fourthly, let Najib announce that he and all UMNO leaders will not use the threat of May 13 in the forthcoming 13th general elections or any future general elections to create fear and distrust among the voters.

Fifthly, let Najib make a public commitment that as a moderate to make Malaysia “the best democracy in the world”, he and all UMNO leaders will fully and peacefully accept the electoral verdict of Malaysians in the 13th general elections, including a change of government in Putrajaya and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the seventh Prime Minister to head a Pakatan Rakyat federal government.

He should retract his “crushed bodies, lives lost” declaration (“walau berkecai tulang dan juga badan, walau bercerai jasad dari nyawa”) to the Umno General Assembly two years ago to defend UMNO in Putrajaya, as a moderate will not conceive of any “crushed bodies, lives lost” in a peaceful democratic general elections where the will and verdict of the electorate is regarded as supreme and sacred.

[Speech at the Negri Sembilan Pakatan Rakyat Public Ceramah in Gemas to launch the PR Negri Sembilan Manifesto on Sunday, 15th January 2012 at 10 pm]

Kugan's mum claims RM100mil in damages

CJ: Senior Judges Cannot Influence Decision Made By Lower Court Judges

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 16 (Bernama) -- Senior judges cannot influence the judges of the High Courts and subordinate courts in arriving at their decision on court cases, said Chief Justice Tan Sri Arifin Zakaria.

He said a police report could be lodged if there were attempts of interference.

"Appellate court judges and Federal Court judges cannot influence the decision of a magistrate. Nobody at all, even the Chief Justice cannot talk to the magistrate.

"If I were to tell the magistrate to decide one way, it is an offence," said Arifin at the closing of the Judges Conference held at the Putrajaya Marriot Hotel, here Monday.

"Nobody is above the law, said Arifin.

The chief justice said appellate court judges and Federal Court judges appointed as managing judges to oversee the administration aspect in the High Courts and subordinate courts could not interfere with the decision-making of the high court judges and subordinate court judges.

Arifin said the practice of having managing judges to oversee the administration at the lower courts would be retained.

"This is because it is good practice. The court of appeal judges and Federal Court judges are experienced judges and they would assist and guide these judges," he said.

He said managing judges were appointed to monitor the number of court cases that were being fixed for hearing in a day as well as how many cases were disposed off to ensure expeditious administration of justice.

The system of having managing judges was introduced by former Chief Justice Tun Zaki Azmi replacing the previous system where a judge with similar seniority was designated to manage the courts.

Arifin also said the second judges conference would be held in the middle of the year for the judiciary to see how far it had progressed.

Meanwhile, Court of Appeal President Tan Sri Md Raus Sharif said there would not be any expansion on the number of judges to sit on the appellate panel to hear criminal and civil cases.

He, however, said he would consider constituting a panel comprising more than three judges in exceptional cases if there was an application made by parties in the case.

At the opening of the Legal Year 2012 held on Saturday, Arifin announced that effective January this year, all criminal and civil cases at the Federal Court would be heard by a panel comprising five judges as compared to three previously.

He said the increase in the number of judges to sit on the panel was aimed at improving the quality of judgments and decisions.

‘Hang Li Po, Hang Tuah did not exist’

Historian Prof Khoo Kay Kim says that the Ming dynasty's records do not mention the princess or the famous warrior. He also points out that early Malaysian history is based on stories.

PETALING JAYA: According to history, Chinese Princess Hang Li Po was the fifth wife of Malaccan Sultan Mansur Shah who reigned from 1456-1477.

During this period, there was also the legend of the Sultan’s five famous warriors, Hang Tuah, Hang Jebat, Hang Kasturi, Hang Lekir and Hang Lekiu. It is a tale of friendship and loyalty, which every Malaysian had heard.

However, renowned historian Prof Khoo Kay Kim told radio station BFM this morning that Hang Li Po and the five warriors never existed.

Speaking to FMT later, he explained: “The Chinese Ming dynasty of the 16th century does not have records on them. These are very well preserved records.”

The KDU college chancellor also said he had read the writings of two Western historians and another prominent historian Wang Gung Wu on the Ming records which did not mention the characters either.

“History must be based on empirical records. Historians must only accept written records,” he said, adding that empirical records available here were at best “skanky”.

“There is no evidence in the Malaysian records,” he said. “These are stories. Early Malaysian history is based on stories.”

“We have had many stories. Only recently historians have taken the trouble to research the early Malaysian history period. A lot of stories accepted in the past cannot be proven,” he added.

Khoo also told FMT that there are rumours that the Malacca kingdom was founded in 1292 even though there were records to prove that it was formed in the 15th century.

He added that the government had instructed the syllabus committee to go through the school history syllabus to rectify the errors.

The syllabus, said Khoo, would be introduced in the year 2014.

Protest to protect Bangladesh Temple properties from the Jaws of Islamic Land Sharks.

Dhaka Hindu Human Chain against Temple Land Grabbing by Muslims.

Muslim Syndicates forcefully grabbing Hindu Temples, Trusts and Shrines in Bangladesh.

Press Release in Bangla

HE NEWS DESK DHAKA || 15th January, 2012 :: A big protest and a huge human chain were conducted by the minority Bangladshi Hindus today on 15^th January, 2012 on the very day of Makar Sankranti festival in protest of land grabbing over the Hindu occupation, especially from the Hindu religious sites all over BD (Bangladesh) by the Muslims goons and land grabbing syndicates.

Over thousand Hindu protesters today came down to streets before Press Club Dhaka, Bangladesh and blocked the roads for hours with a demand of to arrest of the perpetrators engaged with such nefarious and forceful land grabbing from the minority Hindus in some under the nose of Police and Administration too.

Three prime organizations namely ‘Moth Mandir and Debbottor Sampatti Raksha Committee’ and ‘ISKCON Dhaka’ and ‘Sree Sree Radha kanto Jeo Temple’ committee jointly organized the  Manabbondhan (Human Chain) and Protest rally  demanding the safety and security of  Hindu and Buddhist Temples and immediate arrest and punishment of the land grabbers and responsible criminals without any delay.

From the Press Release it is known that the 200 years old SREE SREE RADHA KANTO JEO TEMPLE at 222 Lal Mohan Saha Street, Sutrapur, Dhaka, Bangladesh was established by one rich Hindu business man named Mathura Sha Banik in his own land for the purpose of the Seva & Puja (daily offering and services to the God deity) of his ancestral deity of SREE SREE RADHA KANTO DEV JEO, but he could not be able to register the landed property in due time in the name of Revered Deity due to his sudden death. Afterwards, his four sons Gobinda, Ananda, Moni Mohan & Nadia Chand duly registered all these 22 Cottha of land to the Deity Divine as Devettor Property on 11/09/1889 through a Deed bearing No. 2735. Form then an un-interrupted Puja has been conducting with full veneration and active participation of all concerned.

But, since 2008, some notorious Islamist groups headed by the land shark and terrorists like Hazi Islam, Sarowar Hossian Alo, Ibrahim Molla, Arif Mallu have jointly been trying to grab many Hindu Shrines and its property in Dhaka (Capital of Bangladesh), old Dhaka area and adjacent places by ransacking the Hindu temples, bombing and looting of Hindu properties time and again. The perpetrators made fake deeds to capture the SREE SREE RADHA KANTO JEO TEMPLE and attacked the temple and its inmates on 11-08-2010 with bomb sword and other lethal weapons. A diary was also made then for the protection of the Temple properties and its inmates. It may be mentioned that the world famous Hindu Organization and prime Vaishnava Order ISKCON is presently looks after the premises of this complex and consequently ISKCON is also being targeted by the Muslim fundamentalist with a deadly design.

In March 2011, the land sharks threatened that Hindu Temples will not be allowed in Islamic Republic Bangladesh, and Hindus cannot be allowed for any religious program publicly henceforth. The resident Hindus and many Hindu organizations retaliated then vehemently and registered a diary for this in Ramna Model Police Station vides GD NO. 1842 dt. 28.03.2011. But the threatening is still going on and the present BD Govt rather is allowing the land shark Muslim Fundamentalists by not arresting them to stop teir designs to capture many heritage and old Hindu Shrines at Goal Ghat, Jolapur, Ranking Street, Woari and Tipu Sultan Road. It is reported that the present “Sanai Community Center” of Hazi Islam at Woari area is built after a force encroachment of Manik Ghosh Trust property. The Sankha Nidhi Temple complex of Tipu Sultan Road or the ISKCON complex at Swamibag Road are also under the scanner of these fundamental Islamic groups who want to drive away all Hindus from Bangladesh under a severe persecution and conspiracy of ethnic cleansing.

But with the protest of today, the Govt. of Bangladesh can take justified steps to protect the religious rights of non Muslim minority if they think fit to do so.

The organizers urged the International Hindu Community to support the cause to protect religious rights of the Hindus including the safety and security of Hindu Math and Mandirs. The interested persons can contact in the address below:

ISKCON Swamibag Ashram
79/1 Swamibag Road, Swamibag, Dhaka.
Dhaka-1100, Bangladesh
Phone: 088-02-7122488, 088-02-7122747
Moth Mandir and Debbottor Sampatti Raksha Committee, Bangladesh.
79, Swamibag Road, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Phone: 088-02-7122488, Mobile: 088-01730059211, 01716136070, 01911012249.

ndonesian Islamists wreak havoc screaming for a Sharia state

JAKARTA — Hundreds of protestors attacked the offices of Indonesian Home Ministry in Jakarta on Thursday, pressing the government to ban alcohol countrywide and to turn the country into an Islamic state.
 
Indonesian Islamists stormed the Home Ministry complex in Jakarta and wreaked havoc inside
Indonesia is a secular state with no official religion. It is the most populous Muslim nation in terms of population, and most of its citizens are moderates. Radical Muslim groups however, have in recent years formed syndicates to raid bars, nightclubs and the office of Indonesia’s Playboy magazine.
Around 500 angry protesters, including members of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) and Islamic People’s Forum (FUI), stormed government office complex in Jakarta to protest a proposal to revoke anti-alcohol rules, damaging a security post, car park and glass panels before threatening to conduct sweeps on bars and beat up customers, Indonesian news agency Kompas reported on Thursday.
Indonesia has bylaws that regulate the sale of alcohol in the country. Under the regulations, alcohol is classified into three categories: A (with an alcohol content of 5% or less), B (above 5% to 20%) and C (above 20% to 55%). The sale of alcohol classified as B and C is limited only to places such as hotels and restaurants, while alcohol classified as A, such as beer, is being sold anywhere.
The new proposal to cancel the bylaw will allow sales of Class B and C alcoholic drinks elsewhere.
 
Indonesian radical group FPI, Osama bin what.
Protesters outside the interior ministry in the city’s main square wore white robes with the word “mujahideen” emblazoned on their shirts. “President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono must issue a decree to ban alcohol and to cut alcohol distribution in Indonesia to zero percent,” said FPI field coordinator Awit Mashuri.
“We will defend anti-alcohol bylaws and we will fight anything that is against the interests of Islam in Indonesia to make it a pure Islamic state,” Zulfi Syukur told the cheering crowd, many of whom pumped their fists in the air and shouted “jihad”, or holy war.
 
Indonesia Home Ministry complex – aftermath
FPI wants to transform Indonesia into an Islamic state with Sharia as its legislature. The group has launched a series of violent vigilante attacks since 2000, with targets including the US embassy and nightclubs.
The Indonesia Home Ministry responded angrily to the attack, Home Affairs Minister Gamawan Fauzi said the ministry would “evaluate” both the the FPI and the FUI. “If necessary, we will freeze them,” he said. The Constitution may respect the right of these groups to exist, he said, but they need to obey the law. “We have decided to take two courses of action,” Gamawan said.
However, it is questionable whether any action will really be taken against the FPI. The Muslim organization is believed to have the backing of both the National Police and the military. The group’s growing aggressiveness is worrisome to human rights groups, who say that the Islamist organization is nothing more than a collection of nearly uncontrollable thugs.

Critics say President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s attitude was reflected in the Oct. 7, 2010 appointment of Timur Pradopo, who has strong ties to FPI, as national police chief. Based on a Wikileaks report in the leaked US diplomatic cables, it was claimed the FPI receives funding from the police.
The FPI has often resorted to violence, ransacking bars, threatening pork sellers and attacking peaceful demonstrations. It has also tried to prevent Christian churches from being built in communities near Jakarta.
Indonesia’s constitution guarantees freedom of religion, but the country has struggled to deal with a radical fringe of extremists who have carried out numerous attacks including the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people.

Transforming Indonesia into an Islamic state however, may prove challenging. Since its inception in 1945, Indonesia has been guided by a nationalist philosophical construct known as the Pancasila rather than a state religion. Any establishment of Shariah-inspired state may risk the secession of almost the entire Eastern Indonesia, most of them Christian-majority, and the famed island of Bali, which is 92% Hindu. Ethnic and religious tensions had resulted in the separation of East Timor into an independent country in 1999, and Indonesia currently has active secessionist movements in both Christian Maluku and West Papua.

Last Ponggal for Kampung Railway Sentul?

MCA believes can oust Guan Eng from Bagan

Lim secured the Bagan seat with a 22,000-vote majority in 2008. — File pic

BUTTERWORTH, Jan 15 — MCA today expressed confidence in edging out Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng from his Bagan seat in the coming polls, despite the trouncing the party took there in 2008.

Bernama Online reported MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Liow Tiong Lai as saying that voters in Bagan were now “open to accept Barisan Nasional (BN)”, adding that his party’s chosen candidate would give the opposition pact a run for its money.

“We already have a candidate for the Bagan constituency, but I cannot reveal who.

“MCA is confident that this person can do well against DAP’s candidate as Bagan wants someone who is hardworking and responsible,” Liow was quoted as telling reporters here tonight.

“We will fight DAP’s candidate to the very end and I’m sure that the people of Bagan are now open to accept BN after they’ve seen what we’ve done for them,” he added.

Lim, who is also DAP’s secretary-general, defeated MCA’s Song Choy Leng for the Bagan parliamentary seat in Election 2008 with a 22,070-vote majority.

The popular leader also led his party’s state chapter to a historic win in Penang, which was one of the first states to fall into opposition hands during the 2008 political tsunami.

After clinching the Air Puteh state assembly seat with a 4,061-vote majority, Lim was appointed to the post of chief minister, unseating Gerakan president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon and effectively ending the latter’s eighteen-year reign.

In November last year, Koh announced that he would refrain from contesting in the coming polls, silencing calls from party members and the opposition for him to take on his arch-nemesis Lim by facing him in Bagan.

Analysts have repeatedly predicted Lim’s tenure would continue after the 13th general election, said to be held soon, due to his prudent management of the state’s finance and persistence in ensuring his principles on competency, accountability and transparency (CAT) are adhered to in all administrative matters.

All sound and fury but no substance

The Pakatan convention made all the right noises but it appears that the alliance is not yet prepared for the coming general election.

ALOR SETAR: The third Pakatan Rakyat convention which ended yesterday saw a resurgent Anwar Ibrahim envisioning a “Malaysian Spring” sweeping through the country, where the politics of conscience, and not self-preservation, will be the order of the day.

Speaking at the Sultan Abdul Halim Stadium here, he said that Malaysian leaders must follow their conscience and do what is right and not for personal glory.

“I envisioned a Malaysian Spring dawning,” Anwar said in a veiled reference to last year’s Arab Spring movement which saw a few long-serving Middle East regimes falling by the wayside in the face of widespread anger of ordinary Arab citizens.

A “Malaysian Spring” has been his most often used line since his acquittal of a sodomy charge last Monday.

Earlier, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, in a typically fiery speech to the delegates, called for the removal of the corrupt Barisan Nasional (BN) government.

His father, DAP doyen Lim Kit Siang also spoke about a Malaysian Spring, saying the time has come to finally dethrone the ruling Barisan Nasional after decades of abuse of power.

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang and spiritual adviser Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat spoke about how Islam can bring about justice and prosperity in Malaysia.

A frail-looking Nik Aziz said tongue in cheek about Umno’s overtures to form a Malay unity government with PAS: “I know who you (Umno) are.”

Same ‘old record’

These are the few words of English that the cleric uttered in public, although those in his inner circle claimed he is quite proficient in the language, as he does read English newspapers in the private comforts of his office and home.

Then there were the second-echelon Pakatan Rakyat leaders, namely Kuala Selangor MP Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, PKR deputy president Azmin Ali, DAP Youth head Anthony Loke, Kelantan executive councillor Husam Musa who spoke about what Pakatan would do when in power.

Dzulkefly tocuhed on the practicality and usefulness of the “Orange Book,” which spells out Pakatan’s pledges for the next general election.

About 50,000 people thronged the stadium to hear sound and fury from the speakers. But for some it was like listening to the same “old record”.

However, PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail saw the gathering as a chance to woo fence-sitters in preparation for the next national polls.

For some observers and delegates, this one-day convention turned out to be a non-starter, simply because there was nothing of substance to indicate that the Pakatan alliance is ready.

Some delegates expressed the hope that the convention would be the rallying point for Pakatan to galvanise its troops for the “mother of all general elections”.

But they were quite disappointed when they heard the speakers spout only stale topics.

Most of the delegates were seen just going through the paces, with some preferring to walk around and pose for photographs rather than listen to the speeches.

Lacking in substance

Only former Bar Council president S Ambiga caught the attention of the press as she challenged Pakatan to come out with ways on how to deal with corruption effectively.

Later, Ambiga told the press that the Election Commission was not doing enough on electoral reforms.

She proposed that foreign observers be invited to monitor the election’s proceedings.

Pakatan seems to be lacking in substance as it does have any idea on how to take the alliance forward, said part-time blogger Ahmad Noordin, who blogs about social issues.

There is no denying that Pakatan has a strong support base, but still it must reach out to the fence- sitters including the older generation, who have yet to embrace the young leaders, he said.

A DAP Malay leader said the core issue is about turning into reality the well-meaning intentions or policies of Pakatan.

“We fail to implement our great ideas or policies upfront,” he said..

However, he believes that Pakatan can deny the BN its two-thirds majority and may go on to form the next government.

But not everybody has the perseverance like Anwar or DAP chairman Karpal Singh to soldier on, he added.

An observer, Jusof Mohd Hafiz, a teacher, said that he expected to hear new ideas on how to combat the high cost of living but instead, he was presented with a summary of Pakatan’s past achievements.

“We are more interested in the present and the future,” he said.

Another take on border smuggling

These so-called 'smugglers' should be congratulated for helping lower the cost of living for those residing at the border.
COMMENT

Recently the New Straits Times ran a front-page article on brazen smuggling at our borders with Thailand and Indonesia.

In its report, an NST team which joined several Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) covert surveillance operations found that agencies tasked with foiling smuggling attempts were closing an eye to the movement of price-controlled goods by foreigners and Malaysians.

According to the paper’s report, this is costing the government hundreds of millions of ringgit annually. Goods smuggled ranged from diesel, petrol, liquefied petroleum gas to sugar, cooking oil and flour.

The “exposé” was followed by another front-page article the next day with the screaming headline “For RM10, smugglers can breeze in and out” (Jan 3, 2012) and the sub-headline “Corruption is rampant among law enforcers at border checkpoints”.

There has been no response yet from the higher authorities to these sensational reports. But if the NST editors are expecting Malaysians to pat them on the back for being a crusading paper, they are hopelessly wrong.

Let me provide another point of view.

What is NST’s real agenda?

Highly placed officials and politicians have confided to me that the NST is getting out of control by running these articles which are calculated to bring the government agencies and top brass into disrepute.

Their job should be to focus on bringing down Anwar Ibrahim and the Pakatan Rakyat opposition parties, not to invite attention to minor and trivial issues.

I fully agree. In addition, I have to point out that what the NST has described as smuggling is technically correct but a view taken from a biased perspective. A more holistic political economy approach is needed to explain the activity before jumping to rash conclusions.

What we are seeing at the border can be characterised as an adaptation of the long established and traditional people-to-people economic exchange, without the repressive hand of the state to extract duties and taxes.

According to the American social scientist, James Scott – whose acclaimed book, “Weapons of the Weak: Everyday Forms of Peasant Resistance”, incidentally, was based on work in the Muda area of Kedah – “the Brechtian or Schweikian forms of resistance… are an integral part of the small arsenal of relatively powerless groups”.

The said forms of resistance include such acts as foot-dragging, dissimulations, false compliance, feigned ignorance, desertion, pilfering, smuggling, poaching… and so on. “These techniques, for the most part quite prosaic, are the ordinary means of class struggle. They are the techniques of ‘first resort’ in those common historical circumstances in which open defiance is impossible or entails mortal danger.”

These so-called “smugglers” are in fact taking a big risk of breaking the law to facilitate the exchange. Rather than being condemned, they should be congratulated for helping lower the cost of living for those residing at the border.

As to the damage to the Malaysian economy, let’s have a more enlightened view.

Many of the beneficiaries are our Muslim brothers and sisters living on the other side of colonial borders arbitrarily imposed on us. If the British, French and Dutch had not concocted their nefarious slicing up of the region, we may be living with those now on the other side of the border as one big happy family.

Now that colonialism has come and gone, if we can help our Thai and Indonesian kin have access to cheaper goods, why not? Can we not close one eye, especially as these are poorer folk than us? Why begrudge our Narathiwat and Pattani or north Kalimantan relations especially when they are already feeling the oppression of their own central government?

If we close both eyes to this activity, Malaysians will not only be seen as charitable neighbours but we can also proudly claim to be doing more than our fair share for the common Asean good.

Beating up customs officers

The NST articles also went to great lengths to beat up our Jabatan Kastam Diraja officers. Come on. This is not only unpatriotic but also unfair. These customs officers receive only a few ringgit of duit kopi for standing in the sun the whole day to help facilitate this exchange.

Let’s also not forget that these same officers also facilitate the cheap influx of fragrant beras Siam, fruits and other Thai commodities into our country without having the taxman extract his pound of flesh, and having the Defence Ministry appropriate the revenue to buy Scorpene submarines.

Without them, we will not be enjoying our nasi lemak special at bargain prices. So let’s appreciate these men in brown who have to put in long hours at isolated and faraway border outposts protecting our national security. Let’s not carp about the couple of hundred ringgit extra taken home that comes with their job.

Yet another perspective

According to one friend, I and my highly placed Barisan Nasional and civil servant colleagues have missed the entire point of the NST exercise. This is because the two articles are a smokescreen to distract readers’ attention away from the large-scale bribery and looting of the country’s resources that is taking place.

According to him, enormous sums of money amounting to millions and billions of ringgit – not the paltry sums mentioned in the NST article – exchange hands. These vast sums are not slipped furtively hidden between customs papers in the scorching heat at god-forsaken spots but openly in cool air-conditioned coffee houses and hotels in Kuala Lumpur or outside the country at some luxurious resort.

Mainstream media have never highlighted these scandals and never will. But they are making up for this failure to live up to Clark Kent investigative journalism by going after the ikan bilis and making readers think that the NST is really a “people’s paper”.

The friend who believes I missed the point of NST’s exercise made the final deflating rejoinder that my academic background has led me to over-intellectualise the smuggling activity and to overlook the most important reason for the two articles. On further thought, he may be right.

Lim Teck Ghee is the director of Centre for Policy Initiatives.

Muslim body slams Salman Rushdie's visit, calls him apostate

Expressing displeasure over granting of visa to controversial writer Salman Rushdie by the Indian government, a Jammu and Kashmir-based Muslim body today said the author is an "apostate" and liable to be "killed".

"A meeting of the Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Personal Law Board was held today to discuss the issuance of visa to Salman Rushdie and extreme displeasure and anger was expressed on the issue because Rushdie has already been found involved in apostasy and Islamic scholars have unanimously passed death edict against him as per Shariah law," JKMPLB said in a statement here.

"Rushdie's entry into India will naturally hurt the sentiments of 22 crore Muslims including those in Jammu and Kashmir," it said.

Accusing the Congress of exploiting Muslims for electoral gains, the organisation said the Centre should have been sensitive to the sentiments of the community but it is being felt that they are more interested in patronising the entry of Salman Rushdie into the country.

Several Islamic religious bodies have demanded cancellation of Rushdie's visa even as the controversial author said he does not need a visa to come here.

The 65-year-old Rushdie had earned the wrath of Muslims worldwide due to the alleged blasphemous content in his novel "The Satanic Verses", published in 1988.

Muslim Man Throws Black Ink at Baba Ramdev

Kamran Siddiqui, who threw black ink at Baba Ramdev, being held in New Delhi Jan. 14. (PTI photo)

NEW DELHI

Baba Ramdev was the target of an attack by a man who threw black ink on his face on Saturday, as the yoga guru was briefing reporters on his plans to campaign against black money in the coming assembly elections.

Seated along with Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy at the Constitution Club in the heart of the capital, Ramdev’s left eye was blackened with ink by the man, identified as Kamran Siddiqui, a resident of Delhi who is said to be running an NGO called Real Cause, which is a petitioner in the Batla House encounter case.

Ramdev’s supporters at the conference manhandled the assailant before police took him away. The man, whose shirt was torn and removed, was seen bleeding from his lips.

There was lot of jostling around when police escorted the yoga guru away from the club.

Jaideep, Ramdev’s close aide, claimed that Siddiqui had gained entry into the hall carrying a walkie-talkie, apparently posing as a security guard. He also claimed that a bottle of acid was recovered from Siddiqui.

Ramdev, who immediately ended the press conference, later said he was not deterred by such attacks and would continue his campaign with full force against corruption.

“We talked about black money, we talked about eradicating corruption and in return as a prize this is what I have got. However, by throwing ink on someone, one cannot malign his character,” he said. “One whose life has been devoted to fighting corruption cannot be deterred by black flags and ink.”

Before the incident, Siddiqui had sought Ramdev’s opinion on the 2008 Batla House encounter in which suspects of the Delhi serial blasts were killed. The yoga guru reportedly ignored the question. The attack soon after.

Prison caused husband's death, claims wife

Bringing back the real Malaysia

Umno veteran and Amanah deputy president Kadir Sheikh Fadzir isn't bothered about hiding his allegiance to civil society even if it means being critical of Barisan Nasional.

Kadir Sheikh Fadzir may be an Umno veteran and former Cabinet minister, but he has no qualms about walking the tightrope between political allegiance and civic-consciousness.

“Help the opposition,” he said within seconds of settling down for an interview at his office in Sazean Holdings.

Then, perhaps accustomed to having such requests being laughed off, he reiterated his call: “Help the opposition, they need it. Especially when they are denied coverage in the mainstream media.”

Kadir doesn’t bother hiding his allegiance, which incidentally is to civil society.

Kadir left Parliament’s circle of top echelons seven years ago after holding six ministerial positions and a successful tourism campaign that put Malaysia on the world tourism map.

The former Tourism Minister, with a penchant for bow ties, has however spent the last few years in the quiet folds of Sazean, of which he is the executive chairman.

Last July, an NGO named Angkatan Amanah Merdeka (Amanah) trotted through Sazean’s doors. Kadir is now among a string of Barisan Nasional veteran politicians who make up Amanah’s central council and himself sits in the seat of deputy president.

The NGO is headed by another Umno veteran, Gua Musang MP, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, and aims to return Malaysians to the spirit and roots of togetherness that flourished during the early days of Independence.

Candid Kadir

And to Kadir that means taking a huge step beyond the 1Malaysia concept to create a level political playing field where the power to form a government lies solely in the hands of the people.

“People power” is a looping soundtrack played by Pakatan Rakyat and civil society groups but it is when a prominent figure from the other camp starts singing along that it takes on a whole new beat.

“Times have changed and the world is now in revolt,” Kadir said.

“The point to note in these uprisings is that the world belongs to its inhabitants and each country to its people. Many have forgotten this.”

“Our founding fathers respected the people’s rights and gave them freedom to analyse and debate before choosing their government. In those days the opposition was allowed airtime in the mainstream media, and political parties were given room for dissent and debate.”

“But over time the media fell under the ruling party’s control and only one voice was allowed to speak to the people.

“Their rights were slowly eroded to the point that there are no longer free and fair elections. So the elected government doesn’t represent the people’s true choice.”

It isn’t the first time that Kadir has been candid in his criticism of BN and commiseration for Pakatan.

His recent media statements have revolved around BN’s open secrets including media restrictions on the opposition, the use of government agencies to fish for rural votes and bribery during elections.

Najib’s aware of BN’s shortcomings

When it was pointed out that he too was once a part of this system, he readily acknowledged to having gone along with it in an effort to be a “good team player”.

“At the time it was easy because there was no viable alternative to BN.

“PAS and DAP were seen as extremists so we went along with whatever was available. But it is different today,” he said.

That difference is in the evolution of Malaysian politics into a two-party system where both sides are championing almost identical objectives.

The pertinent questions therefore are which is the better side and how can the people be given a fair system to make that decision.

The Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) was set up for the purpose of answering the latter question and its report is expected to be ready by the end of March.

But Kadir will continue holding his breath until then for fear that talk of a general election being called before that will materialise. If that happens, he warned, it would not bode well for BN.

“The fact that (prime minister) Najib (Tun Razak) has set up the PSC shows he admits to serious shortcomings in the system.

“So if an election is held before the PSC completes its work and if BN wins, it will be a stolen election and all Najib’s efforts to form a PSC will be nothing more than a drama,” he noted.

Right now, however, the PSC has proved it is doing more than just giving lip service by pushing through the use of indelible ink for the upcoming elections.

Amanah isn’t a political entity

Bersih can now strike one demand off its list of eight but, according to Kadir, indelible ink isn’t the most important of the lot.

“What is of greater importance is fair access to the media,” he stated.

“The government should give the opposition at least 10 percent of airtime for the three to six months preceding an election.

“Then the people can give serious consideration to whom to vote for and we will be one step closer to free and fair elections.”

Kadir’s frankness is reflective of Amanah’s strife to be the voice of conscience and neutrality in Malaysian politics. But it has also given rise to various speculations of hidden political manoeuvring.

Talk is that Amanah has political aspirations despite its insistence on remaining an NGO.

Speculations are rife that it is aligned to the opposition and that its BN leadership are politicians who are struggling to remain relevant for the next election.

Kadir, however, brushed aside all three presumptions.

He agreed that a majority of Amanah members were in favour of the party shedding its NGO status, but said that no decision had been made on the matter as yet.

“We are very new and we’re unsure of where we are headed but right now we know that we have to bring the country as far as we can back to our roots,” he said.

“Tengku Razaleigh and I have gone through it all. We know that unless we bring back the people to the true spirit of independence, our country will shrink in its values.

“And we hope that more Umno members will agree to our views so that there will be change within,” he said.

Tunku’s wisdom guides Amanah

For now, Kadir claimed he has the support of many “dear Umno friends” who silently agree that the party’s “endemic” practices of corruption, nepotism and cronyism must come to an end.

Funnily enough, he also claimed to not have received any brickbats from those who are livid at his washing of Umno’s dirty laundry in public.

“If they want to criticise me, then they first have to criticise many of the Umno leaders,” he said.

“Najib and (deputy prime minister) Muhyiddin (Yassin) have themselves been shrieking ‘kita mesti berubah, jika tidak kita akan diubah’.”

“They are saying that the people are aware of Umno’s bad habits which is exactly what Amanah is saying. And if we are seen to be pro-opposition it is only because we support the issues that they raise.”

To further emphasise his point, Kadir launched into his favourite story of a conversation with former premier, Tunku Abdul Rahman, after the latter’s retirement.

At the time Tunku had left Umno to become a member of Semangat 46 of which Tengku Razaleigh also belonged.

Kadir, who was then deputy foreign minister, sought him out to convey a message from Umno members asking him to rejoin the party.

According to him, Tunku replied: “Kadir don’t you think I love Umno? Umno is the party that helped me gain independence for this country and made me prime minister. Surely, I love it. But if Umno has obviously gone astray and cannot perform its functions, then the country and the people should come first. Remember that, Kadir.”

Umno must do the right thing

Those words have undoubtedly burned themselves into Kadir’s memory as he uses them as a guidepost in taking Amanah forward.

He shared that the NGO’s next step is to open state and district branches so as to further spread the spirit of independence.

“In Amanah we are guided by Tunku’s saying that if we are all to live together as one family and under one roof, then we must be sincere to each other.

“The only way that Umno and BN can continue to be in power is to act sincerely and do the right thing,” he stressed.

Tags: Amanah, Kadir Sheikh Fadzir, Najib Tun Razak, Parliamentary Select Committee, BN, Pakatan, Tunku Abdul Rahman

Prisoner dies, Prisons Dept blamed

Mohd Adnan Razali died due to kidney failure and it was alleged that the prison authorities had denied him treatment.

KUALA LUMPUR: A prisoner, suffering from acute kidney problem, at the Kajang prison died after the prison authorities denied him medical assistance, the Human Rights Party (HRP) alleged today.

The party said Mohd Adnan Razali died in June, 2010 due to kidney problems after the Kajang prison authorities denied him medical access despite knowing that the inmate had serious health problems.

The party lodged a police report against Inspector General of Police Ismail Omar and Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail for failing to initiate action against the prison authorities.

HRP central executive member S Thiagarajan lodged the report on behalf of the deceased’s family at the Jalan Travers police station here.

He said Mohd Adnan was initially held at the Sungai Buloh prison in 2008 and went for dialysis three times a week because of kidney problems.

He was shifted to the Kajang prison in March 2010 and the prison administration refused to facilitate his treatment.

He died in June 2010, and his death certificate states that he died due to kidney failure.

Speaking to reporters, Thiagarajan said action must be taken against both the police chief and attorney-general who had refused to investigate and prosecute the Kajang prison authorities, although it had been two years since the incident.

“We will give the police two weeks to take action. Otherwise the family will file a civil suit against the Prime Minister, Home Minister and the Prisons Department director,” he said.

Meanwhile, wife of the inmate, Norlailee Hamzah said the family took a long time to file a police report because they could not find a proper channel to air their problem.

Norlailee, from Seremban, said she tried to get help from Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional leaders since June 2010 but to no avail.

“I also paid RM22,000 to a lawyer who promised to help me, but till today not a single action has been taken by him,” she said.

Pakatan akan hapuskan tol jika tawan Putrajaya

Setiausaha Agung DAP Lim Guan Eng berkata tindakan akan diambil terhadap syarikat konsesi tol dan kroni BN yang mengaut keuntungan berlebihan.

PETALING JAYA: Setiausaha Agung DAP Lim Guan Eng menegaskan Pakatan Rakyat akan  menghapuskan tol lebuh raya  yang telah memperolehi keuntungan berlebihan selepas menawan Putrajaya dalam pilihan raya ke 13.

“Kita akan ringankan beban rakyat dengan mengambil tindakan terhadap konsesi tol macam Projek Lebuhraya Utara Selatan.

“Kos pembinaan PLUS ialah RM6 bilion. Kutipan tol dan ganti rugi dari kerajaan 24.3 bilion. Untung buta 18 bilion,” katanya.

Lim yang juga Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang bagaimanapun berkata tindakan tidak akan diambil terhadap syarikat konsesi yang tidak memperoleh keuntungan.

Beliau berkata demikian ketika berucap dalam Konvensyen Pakatan Rakyat di Alor Setar petang ini.
Beliau menambah Pakatan Rakyat akan turut mengambil tindakan terhadap syarikat kroni Barisan Nasional sebagai salah satu usaha untuk mengurangkan beban ekonomi kepada rakyat.

Lim menambah bahawa tindakan terhadap konsesi yang merupakan kroni BN telah pun dibincangkan bersama Ketua Umum PKR, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim dan Setiausaha Agung PAS, Datuk Mustafa Ali.

`Jasad dan nyawa’

Sementara itu Ketua Parlimen DAP, Lim Kit Siang mencabar Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak untuk benar – benar menjadi wakil majoriti suara kesederhanaan.

“Jika benar Umno dan BN mewakili suara kesederhanaan, tarik balik kata-kata “walau bercerai jasad dan nyawa, kita akan pertahankan kuasa di Putrajaya.”

Najib dilaporkan berkata demikian dua tahun lalu semasa perhimpunan agung Umno.

“Ini bukan kesederhanaan. Jika sederhana, terimalah keputusan rakyat,” kata tokoh veteran DAP tersebut.
Beliau turut mencabar Najib menjalankan proses transformasi terhadap akhbar Utusan Malaysia.

Anwar answers gay rights question

(Bernama) - Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has said that there is a need to review Malaysia's archaic law so as not to be seen as punitive and considered as relevant.

Answering a question about gay rights and whether he was prepared to take "the idea of anti-discrimination as far as gay rights" are concerned, Anwar said in an interview with BBC on Thursday, that "we will have to review some of our archaic laws."

"We Muslims and non-Muslims in Malaysia generally believe and committed to support the sanctity of marriage between men and women but we should not be seen to be punitive and consider the archaic law as relevant."

The four minutes 39 seconds interview can be viewed at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16531714.

Anwar also called for a free and fair election and for the goverment to take "necessary measures to free the country" from what he called discriminatory policies.

The government has set up the Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reform to address concerns raised over the country's electoral process.

SUING IN COURT

1. Malaysian politics of today is frequently punctuated with court actions. In particular there are now a lot of litigation cases. And the amounts sued for invariably run into millions of Ringgit.

2. Despite the efforts of the learned judges there are still huge backlogs of cases of all kinds, civil and criminal, which probably will never be heard, much less adjudged. This is because the hearings take such a long time that the parties to the cases would have forgotten the facts or they would have died.

3. And, as they say, “justice delayed is justice denied”.

4. The litigations by politicians may be justified. But politicians must accept that as politicians they would be bad-mouthed by their opponents. It is up to them to counter the allegations made. They should not always be suing in court.

5. For Muslims they should be willing to swear properly that there is no truth to the allegations.

6. Often the litigation is intended to shut the mouths of their opponents. In Malaysia when a case is being heard in a court, it becomes sub-judice and comments outside can constitute “contempt of court”. By suing the matter becomes sub-judice and the opponents’ mouths would be shut. Through repeated appeals the case can be prolonged and the defendants’ mouths would remain shut to the advantage of the litigant for years.

7. For the person sued, much money would have to be spent on lawyers. For years he would be assailed with anxiety that he might be found guilty and if he is unable to pay he may be bankrupted.

8. Yet when the defendant wins, the litigant may need to pay cost only, which the court will fix. Often the amount would be a minute fraction of the amount he is sued for.

9. Because the cost to the litigant is so very little, the tendency is to sue for millions. This is grossly unfair to the defendants. If the law is intended to promote justice then the litigant should also suffer from the same anxieties for the length of time of the hearing and if his allegation is baseless he should pay his victim the same amount he sued for.

10. Then there would be justice and frivolous cases would not be brought before the courts. The judges would then have time for their other cases.

11. Incidentally I was sued for 100 million Ringgit. When after almost five years I won, I was awarded cost at 70 thousand Ringgit, which of course go to my lawyers.

Rakyat Mahu Malaysia Tanpa UMNO

Harakah

ALOR SETAR, 14 Jan: Negara sedang berdepan dengan krisis keyakinan terhadap pentadbiran Datuk Seri Najib yang gagal melaksanakan transformasi politik dan ekonomi.

“Justeru itu, rakyat mahu ‘Malaysia Tanpa Umno’,” ujar Timbalan Presiden PKR, Mohamed Azmin Ali.

Sehubungan itu, tegasnya Pakatan Rakyat bersedia untuk menggalas amanah itu melalui Dasar Bersama Pakatan Rakyat dan Buku Jingga.

“Insya Allah rakyat Malaysia yang cintakan kebebasan akan mengusir Umno dan Barisan Nasional dari Putrajaya,” katanya ketika berucap pada Konvensyen Pakatan Rakyat ke-3 di sini, pagi tadi.

Jelasnya, reformasi adalah agenda pembebasan rakyat yang juga agenda memartabatkan ekonomi, pendidikan, kebudayaan dan pemikiran rakyat.

Katanya, agenda reformasi akan memecahkan mitos kononnya hanya Umno sahaja yang boleh memerintah dan memberikan kesejahteraan untuk rakyat.

“Insya Allah, di bawah pentadbiran Pakatan Rakyat nanti, kita akan kembali memartabatkan Malaysia sebagai sebuah negara yang disegani oleh negara serantau dan antarabangsa,” jelasnya.

Beliau menambah, Pakatan Rakyat sudah ada Dasar Bersama yang menjadi teras perjuangan, Buku Jingga dan Belanjawan Pakatan Rakyat yang akan menjadi agenda Malaysia baru milik rakyat.

Pakatan Rakyat juga, ujarnya sudah ada kepimpinan yang dinamik, berdaya saing serta teruji kesetiaan dan kebolehannya untuk mentadbir negara serta beramanah seperti Tuan Guru Nik Abdul Aziz, Tuan Guru Hadi Awang dan YAB Datuk Seri Azizan Razak.

“Kita mempunyai pemimpin yang berkaliber seperti Lim Guan Eng dan Lim Kit Siang. Malah, sudah pasti kita mempunyai Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yang mempunyai karisma dan pengalaman serta telah dibersihkan dari fitnah dan konspirasi jahat,” ujarnya yang juga Ahli Parlimen Gombak.

Beliau berkata, Pakatan Rakyat berkonvensyen buat kali ketiga hari ini di saat suara rakyat menuntut reformasi dan perubahan menyeluruh semakin nyaring.

Katanya, konvensyen ini menghimpunkan anggota dan pimpinan Pakatan Rakyat yang komited dan mewakili aspirasi rakyat yang mahu melihat muafakat ini terus dipertahankan dan diperkukuhkan atas prinsip dan Dasar Bersama yang telah disepakati dalam kerangka besar agenda perjuangan Pakatan Rakyat.

“Konvensyen ini membuktikan perpaduan Pakatan Rakyat semakin kukuh dan mantap. Pakatan Rakyat semakin kebal dengan asakan parti ekstrimis Umno yang kini berada di ambang senjakala,” katanya lagi.

Konvensyen ini, katanya adalah pecutan terakhir menjelang Pilihan Raya Umum ke 13. Pakatan Rakyat perlu bersedia untuk menggalas aspirasi rakyat yang menuntut sebuah negara Malaysia yang adil dan sejahtera untuk semua rakyat.

“Justeru itu, kita bertanggungjawab untuk bersihkan Malaysia daripada gutter politics dan amalan kronisme serta amalan membudayakan rasuah yang diterajui oleh Umno,” ujarnya.

Tegasnya, Pakatan Rakyat perlu memimpin rakyat maju ke hadapan dengan persaingan dasar kepedulian rakyat dan mengangkat martabat rakyat Malaysia.

Pakatan Rakyat, katanya tidak lagi membicara persoalan untuk menafikan majoriti dua pertiga.

“Hari ini kita yakin bahawa Pakatan Rakyat berpotensi untuk membentuk kerajaan pusat yang baru selepas PRU ke 13. Cita-cita ini bukan lagi diluar pencapaian Pakatan Rakyat,” katanya.

Pakatan Rakyat, tambah beliau merupakan parti yang mempunyai substance, punyai kekuatan dan keupayaan untuk mentadbir di Putrajaya.

Rakyat, katanya sudah tidak sabar lagi untuk melihat pemerintahan demokrasi tulen di Putrajaya berteraskan rule of law dan Perlembagaan Persekutuan.

Menurutnya lagi, rakyat mahu Putrajaya diterajui oleh pemimpin yang bersih dan menyayangi rakyat tanpa mengira ras, agama atau warna kulit.

Tambahnya, rakyat mahu Pakatan Rakyat segera membanteras rasuah, menghapuskan keborosan dan ketirisan yang akan memufliskan Malaysia menjelang 2020.

“Hutang negara telah mencecah lebih RM450 billion atau 54% daripada KDNK. Hutang ini akan dibebankan kepada rakyat dan generasi akan datang,” katanya.

Setelah itu, ujarnya rakyat tambah derita dengan kenaikan harga barang dan dasar cukai barangan dan perkhidmatan yang bakal diperkenalkan oleh Umno.

Menurutnya lagi, 40% daripada rakyat Malaysia masih hidup dengan pendapatan isi rumah di bawah RM1,500 sebulan.

Beliau menambah, anak muda memerlukan pekerjaan dan kadar upah yang manusiawi manakala mahasiswa menuntut kualiti pendidikan yang menjamin kebebasan akademik.

Perkhidmatan awam, ujarnya perlu pemerkasaan melalui latihan dan struktur gaji yang setimpal.

“Kita menolak Skim Baru Perkhidmatan Awam yang tidak menjaga kebajikan majoriti penjawat awam,” katanya.

Opposition will devise plan to make country graft free

Himanshu Bhatt - The Sun


ALOR SETAR (Jan 14, 2012): The Pakatan Rakyat will come up with an action plan to combat corruption, should they win the next general elections.

DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang said leaders of the three member parties – PKR, PAS and DAP – will discuss the matter and come with the plan prior the general elections, which must be held by April 2013.

“We will discuss the matter. And probably before the 13th general elections, we will come out with a proposal,” he at the PR’s 3rd annual convention at the Stadium Sultan Abdul Halim here.

“We want a graft free country,” he added in response to a query by guest speaker Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, who is also Bersih 2.0 chairman,

Also present were Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, DAP vice-president Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim, PAS president Datuk Seri Hadi Abdul Hadi Awang and PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat.

Ambiga, who was invited to address the gathering as an NGO leader, had asked for the opposition’s plan on corruption.

“I want to know if PR is looking at setting up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission For Corruption,” she said, stressing that such commissions had been set up in countries like South Africa and Hong Kong.

Ambiga also said the country should have a policy to pardon those who had committed minor graft offences, to help facilitate transformation in the government administration.

She noted that Malaysia’s ranking in the world Corruption Perception Index dropped to 60th place (out of 182 countries) in 2011, from 56th in 2009 and 2010.

She also asked what PR plans to do to have assets that have been lost due to corruption to be returned.

She said more than RM1 trillion has been reported to have flowed out of the country. “What are PR’s plans to bring back the money?” she said adding “This is the people’s money.”

Asked by reporters later, Anwar said the PR leaders were open to ideas about formulating an anti-corruption plan.

“I will meet her (Ambiga) and listen for suggestions,” he added.

Meanwhile, Hadi expressed hope that the freeing of Anwar through the recent judicial decision pronouncing him not guilty in his sodomy trial, was a turning point for the independence of the judiciary, as well as the separation of powers between the political and executive segments.

PAS vice president Datuk Mahfuz Omar explained that the coalition partners will gather pertinent points and important issues that are also raised in the convention, to formulate a single manifesto dereved from the Orange Book which highlighted the opposition’s plan and aspirations if they take over government.

The PR leaders also agreed to hold the coalition’s next convention in 2013 in Putrajaya.

Family sues Govt, cops for RM100mil

The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: The mother of A. Kugan, the suspected car thief who died in police custody two years ago, is suing the police and the Government for more than RM100mil in damages over his death.

N. Indra, 44, is seeking damages arising from alleged negligence, breach of statutory duties on the part of the defendants, assault and battery, false imprisonment and misfeasance (wrong use) of public office.

She filed the suit through her counsel N. Surendran at the High Court civil registry here yesterday. Kapar MP S. Manikavasagam accompanied them.

Kugan, from Puchong, was arrested on Jan 14, 2009, to help in investigation into a luxury car theft syndicate. He died six days later.

His family has named Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Khalid Abu Bakar as the first defendant. He was the Selangor police chief when the incident happened.

The family named constable V. Navindran, who had been charged and acquitted over the case, as second defendant.

The third defendant is the late ACP Zainal Rashid Abu Bakar, who was the former Subang Jaya District Police Chief. The suit is against the third defendant’s estate.

The fourth defendant is Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar while the Government is named fifth defendant.

Surendran told reporters the family was filing the suit as nobody was convicted during the trial of Kugan’s case and neither had the Government apologised to the family although the death happened while in police custody.

Navindran had faced two counts of causing grievous hurt to Kugan at an interrogation room at the Taipan police station in Subang Jaya at 7am on Jan 16, 2009.

However, the constable was discharged and acquitted on Jan 27 last year after the prose­cution failed to establish a prima facie case against him.

Be Fair To All BN Supporters - PRS President

BINTULU, Jan 14 (Bernama) -- Barisan Nasional elected representatives must be fair to all supporters in their constituencies, even if they are not members of their political parties, advised Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president Tan Sri James Jemut Masing.

He has received complaints from his party members who said they have been treated unfairly, he told reporters after chairing the PRS Supreme Council meeting here.

Masing said such attitudes could be dangerous as these supporters could turn hostile towards BN during the election.

"If you do not marginalise them, they'll be strong supporters of BN and will always be happy to help you," he said.

Meanwhile he felt that BN would face major challenges in infrastructure development in rural areas saying, "I hope all promises made by the government will be delivered and must be delivered."

"The usual Native Customary Right land issue might be played up again by the opposition. But I believe, the perimeter survey initiative by the government has eroded its importance and potency," he said.

In this regard, Masing called on the federal government to honour its promises made to the Orang Ulu affected by the implementation of the RM7billon Bakun Dam.

He said it had promised to bear half of the cost of their new longhouses in the Sungai Asap Resettlement Scheme.

"The state government has done its part to pay the other 50 per cent. I hope the payment can be made before the coming election," he said.

On another issue, Masing said a suitable payment mechanism must be thought of by the government in paying the 1Malaysia People's Aid especially to folks living in the interior.

Saying that cash was a more appropriate form of payment, he said even then folks living in Long Busang, deep in the Belaga interiors, will have to pay RM600 in transport charges alone to collect the aid.

Anwar Ibrahim: After the Trial

As the Malaysian opposition leader gets acquitted of sodomy, will his coalition mount its strongest political challenge?


Anwar Ibrahim, the Malaysian opposition leader, has been unexpectedly cleared of sodomy charges.

Government critics believe the trial was politically motivated to stem the growing popularity of an opposition alliance which Anwar led to unprecedented success in the 2008 general election.

Many expected a guilty verdict to end the 64-year-old’s political career, as it would have prevented him from contesting in the general election expected to be held this year.

This is the second time Anwar has faced charges for sodomy, a criminal offence in Malaysia. The first time, it was overturned by the country's Federal Court in 2004 after he had served six years in jail for corruption.

With the acquittal boosting the opposition ahead of the polls, 101 East asks what impact will this have on Malaysia’s political landscape?

Anwar addresses crowd in Alor Star

Anwar has spoken at a large gathering last night in Alor Star, where the Pakatan national convention was held.



I wrote a piece for Asia Times on the impact of Anwar’s acquittal and what Pakatan has to do.

What do you think? Is Pakatan ready to face the electorate? Or does it need more