Kemelut Gatco masih tiada kesudahan

Masalah yang menimpa peneroka Kampung Serampang Indah (Gatco) merupakan isu yang paling rumit untuk difahami.
COMMENT
Bahagian Pertama

Isu hak milik tanah perladangan (getah) peneroka Kampung Serampang Indah (Gatco) di Jempol, Negeri Sembilan diberi liputan meluas oleh FMT sejak kali pertama lebih 150 peneroka Gatco mengadakan demonstrasi aman di hadapan pejabat Menteri Besar Negeri Sembilan, Mohamad Hassan pada bulan Mac tahun ini.

Dalam beratus-ratus isu rakyat yang FMT pernah membuat liputan di Negeri Sembilan, isu Gatco merupakan isu yang paling rumit (complicated) untuk difahami bukan sahaja oleh FMT malah semua rakan media yang pernah membuat liputan berhubung isu Gatco.

Ini ialah kerana sejak tanah perladangan dan perumahan Gatco mula dibuka pada tahun 1977 kuasa hak milik tanah Gatco bertukar tangan beberapa kali dan pelbagai masalah timbul berkaitan kewangan.

Kerajaan Negeri Sembilan memberikan tanah ini kepada Perbadanan Kemajuan Negeri Negeri Sembilan (PKNNS) melalui pajakan 99 tahun. PKNNS pula memberikan tanah ini kepada GATCO melalui pajakan 66 tahun.

Peneroka di sini membeli tapak kediaman seluas satu ekar dan tanah perladangan seluas 10 ekar daripada Syarikat GATCO pada 8 Ogos 1977. Peneroka Bumiputera membayar RM4,000 dan peneroka bukan Bumiputera membayar RM7,600.

Pada tahun 1983, Syarikat GATCO memperbaharui perjanjian dan melakukan pengubahsuaian dan keluasan tanah perladangan dikurangkan kepada lapan ekar.

GATCO membuat pinjaman dengan dua institusi kewangan iaitu United Asian Bank dan Nederlandse Financierings-Maatschappijvoor Ontwikkelingslanden. Disebabkan masalah pengurusan, Syarikat GATCO diistiharkan muflis pada tahun 1996. Sepanjang tempoh ini peneroka gagal mendapat geran hak milik.

Pada tahun 2004 tanah perladangan ini dilelong. Peneroka bersedia membeli tanah perladangan ini melalui Koperasi dan telah membayar deposit sebanyak RM320,000.00 (Earnest Deposit) kepada Tetuan Singam and Young (Pelelong).

Apabila peneroka ingin membuat bayaran peringkat kedua, pihak pelelong tidak mahu menerima bayaran dari peneroka atas alasan peneroka tidak mampu untuk menyelesaikan keseluruhan lelong tersebut. Seterusnya tanah perladangan ini ditawarkan kepada Syarikat Thamarai Holdings Sdn Bhd dengan RM16 juta.


Peluang tertutup rapat

Peluang untuk mendapatkan kembali hak milik tanah perladangan ini semakin tipis apabila satu-satunya ruang undang-undang untuk peneroka tertutup rapat apabila pada tahun 2004 peneroka kalah dalam kes tuntutan mereka di Mahkamah Tinggi Seremban.

Maka kalau diikutkan dari sudut undang-undang Syarikat Thamarai Holdings merupakan pemegang hak milik tanah perladangan Gatco yang sah ketika ini.

Walaubagaimanapun peneroka Gatco mendakwa cara tanah perladangan itu dilelong adalah tidak betul kerana pilihan pertama lelongan sepatutnya diberikan kepada peneroka.

Peneroka Gatco mendakwa mereka mempunyai dana yang secukupnya untuk membeli tanah perladangan tersebut.

Justeru itu sebahagian besar peneroka Gatco tidak berputus asa dan berusaha dalam pelbagai cara untuk mendapatkan kembali tanah perladangan mereka.

Peneroka Gatco meletakkan harapan kepada pemimpin parti politik tidak kira sama ada dari Barisan Nasional (BN) atau Pakatan Rakyat untuk mendapatkan kembali hak tanah perladangan mereka.

Harapan besar terhadap MB NS

Pada 28 Mac tahun ini, lebih 150 peneroka mengadakan demonstrasi aman di hadapan Pejabat Menteri Besar Negeri Sembilan, Mohamad Hassan dan menyerahkan memorandum kepada beliau meminta campur tangan Mohamad mendapatkan semula hak tanah perladangan peneroka.

Pemimpin PAS, DAP dan Hindraf Negeri Sembilan turut hadir ketika menyerahkan memorandum tersebut.

Mohamad dalam penjelasan ringkas kepada wakil peneroka di pintu masuk Wisma Negeri berkata bahawa Kerajaan Negeri tidak ada kuasa dalam isu tersebut kerana lelongan tanah perladangan Gatco melibatkan Danaharta dan hak milik tanah perladangan tersebut sudah pun dimiliki oleh Syarikat Thamarai Holdings.

Walaubagaimanapun Mohamad berkata beliau akan menjadi orang tengah dan akan cuba berunding dengan Syarikat Thamarai Holdings dalam menyelesaikan tuntutan peneroka Gatco itu.

Pada 13 Julai 2012, dalam satu program di Kampung Serampang Indah, Mohamad mengumumkan peneroka Gatco akan menerima empat ekar tanah perladangan setiap seorang. Kebanyakan peneroka bersetuju dengan tawaran Mohamad, tetapi sebahagian peneroka Gatco pula masih berkeras dan mahu keluasan asal ladang getah mereka iaitu lapan ekar setiap seorang.
Peranan PAS dalam isu Gatco

PAS memainkan peranan dalam usaha membantu peneroka Gatco mendapatkan hak mereka.

Pada 12 April tahun ini, diketuai oleh Pesuruhjaya PAS Negeri Sembilan, Mohd Taufek Abdul Ghani dan Timbalan Ketua Cabang PKR Rasah, R Tangam; seramai 200 peneroka Gatco menaiki empat buah bas berhimpun di hadapan Pejabat Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak di Putrajaya.

Mohd Taufek, Tangam dan Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Bertindak Peneroka Kampung Serampang Indah (Gatco) pada ketika itu, Abdul Rahman Ali Mohamad cuba menyerahkan memorandum kepada Najib meminta campur tangan Najib menyelesaikan kemelut peneroka.

Walabagaimanapun mereka gagal berjumpa dengan Najib kerana beliau mempunyai tugasan rasmi lain dan memorandum itu diserahkan kepada Setiausaha Sulit Kanan Perdana Menteri, Mohammed Amir Haron.

Niat menyerahkan memorandum bertukar menjadi satu tragedi apabila salah seorang peneroka Gatco, Allahyarham Mohd Nordin Bakri, 54, secara kebetulan meninggal dunia pada himpunan tersebut dipercayai akibat serangan jantung.

Pada 17 April, Mohd Taufek, Tangam, Abdul Rahman dan Ahli Jawatankuasa PAS Pusat, Mazlan Aliman mengadakan satu sidang akhbar di Parlimen berhubung isu peneroka Gatco.

Abdul Rahman menyerahkan sebuah memorandum kepada Pegawai Khas Perdana Menteri, Dato’ Ghazali Ibrahim meminta campur tangan Najib menyelesaikan masalah pemilikan tanah peneroka yang berlanjutan sejak 35 tahun itu.

Beliau juga menyerahkan memorandum kepada Presiden PAS dan juga Ahli Parlimen Marang, Dato’ Seri Abdul Hadi Awang untuk isu itu dibawa ke Dewan Rakyat.

Delegasi DAP turun padang

Pemimpin DAP juga terlibat dalam usaha membantu peneroka Gatco. Selepas mengetahui peneroka Gatco diserang dan dipukul dengan rotan oleh 40 orang pemuda; pada 4 Disember lalu, Timbalan Ketua Menteri 2 Pulau Pinang, Prof P Ramasamy (DAP); Ahli Parlimen Teluk Intan, M Manogaran (DAP) dan Timbalan Pengerusi DAP Negeri Sembilan, P Gunasekaran turun padang ke Kampung Gatco bertemu peneroka Gatco untuk mengetahui dengan lebih lanjut berhubung insiden tersebut.

Sesi dialog pemimpin DAP dengan peneroka Gatco tersebut berlangsung dalam suasana emosi yang amat tinggi apabila rata-rata peneroka yang kena pukul tidak dapat memendam perasaan marah mereka.

Malah ada di antara peneroka berkata jika pemuda-pemuda yang memukul mereka datang lagi, peneroka tidak akan teragak-agak menggunakan kekerasan dan akan bertindak balas dengan kekasaran.

Walaubagaimanapun Ramasamy meminta peneroka agar bertenang dan beliau berjanji akan berunding dengan pemilik Syarikat Thamarai Holdings untuk mencapai kata sepakat.

Ramasamy berkata atas dasar perikemanusiaan mungkin ada ruang berunding dengan pihak Syarikat Thamarai Holdings.

Manogaran yang juga merupakan seorang peguam berjanji akan membantu Ramasamy dalam rundingan dengan Syarikat Thamarai Holdings dari sudut undang-undang.

Manogaran juga memberi sedikit harapan kepada peneroka bahawa pasti akan ada satu jalan penyelesaian di meja rundingan.

Selepas laporan Ramasamy turun padang ke Kampung Gatco tersiar di dalam FMT, ramai pihak mengecam Ramasamy kononnya beliau datang jauh dari utara ke Negeri Sembilan untuk menjadi hero Kampung Gatco.

Sebenarnya ramai yang tidak tahu bahawa Ramasamylah antara orang awal yang pernah cuba membantu peneroka Gatco dalam isu ini sekitar tahun 1982 atau 1983.

Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Bertindak Peneroka Kampung Serampang Indah (Gatco) sekarang, K Krishnan pernah berjumpa Ramasamy ketika Ramasamy masih menjadi pensyarah di Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).

Khidmat nasihat


Ramasamy yang belum menyertai DAP pada ketika itu memberi khidmat nasihat dan pertolongan berkaitan kepada Krishnan di bawah sebuah NGO bernama INSAN.

Gunasekaran pula berkata beliau pernah mengemukakan pelan tindakan untuk penyelesaian isu tersebut sekitar tahun 2003 dan 2004. Walaubagaimanapun usaha beliau bersama Krishan tidak mendapat sokongan penuh daripada peneroka Gatco pada ketika
itu.

Gunasekaran berkata hampir semua peneroka Gatco pada ketika itu yakin hanya BN sahaja mampu menyelesaikan masalah mereka.

Gunasekaran turut mendakwa bahawa nilai kayu getah yang menunggu masa untuk ditebang pada bila-bila masa sahaja dianggarkan bernilai RM25 juta untuk 4,000 ekar keseluruhannya.

Gunasekaran berkata RM25 juta itu lebih dari cukup sebagai pampasan kepada Syarikat Thamarai Holdings untuk menyerahkan semula lapan ekar tanah perladangan setiap seorang peneroka.

ESOK: Bahagian Akhir – Hidup peneroka Gatco atau hidup Hindraf?

All eight DAP Malay leaders lose badly in CEC polls

(Bernama) - All eight Malay DAP leaders who contested for central executive committee (CEC) posts lost badly at 16th DAP Congress here.

The results show that the party, dominated by the Chinese, does not make room for Malay candidates including Zairil Khir Johari (picture) who served as political secretary to DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.

Zairil only received 305 votes while his boss, Lim garnered 1,576 votes.

A total of 1,823 delegates voted to choose 20 DAP leaders for the 2012-2015 term.

The other Malay candidates who lost were Penang DAP committee member Zulkifli Mohd Noor (216 votes), Senator Ariffin SM Omar (748), Johor DAP vice-chairman Ahmad Ton (347 votes), Pahang DAP deputy chairman Tengku Zulpuri Shah Raja Puji (121), Desa Manjung DAP branch chairman Solaiman Op Syed Ibrahim (98), Roseli Abdul Ghani (39) and Harun Ahmad (28).

Zulkifli Mohd Noor, one of the DAP Malay candidates said he fought for 25 years for the Malays to be elected as CEC members but failed.

"When we say 'Malaysian Malaysia,' we must represent all religions, all races...balance. The message I conveyed did not reached the grassroots. They are still choosing leaders based on race," he told Bernama.

He said that the election was also not based on ability and experience of the candidates in fighting for the party.

"There is no change. The results is a setback for Malay candidates. Perhaps the top leaders who contested want to take care of their own interests, not the party's interests."

Perkasa: Impossible for Malays to compete economically because of Islam

Zurairi AR, The Malaysian Insider

Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali suggested today that the Malays are economically disadvantaged against the non-Malays because of certain limitations in Islam.

The outspoken conservative Malay leader, who was speaking today at Perkasa’s annual meet here, cited this as the reason to continue with affirmative action policies, arguing that this was the best way to address this shortcoming of the Malays.

“Gambling, liquor, entertainment outlets ... how could Malays afford, be able to compete?” Ibrahim (picture) asked in his address.

He had claimed that millions of ringgit were denied to the Malays since those businesses are prohibited in Islam, while non-Muslim entrepreneurs had benefited a lot from them.

“We urge the government to continue affirmative action to ensure the security of our nation,” he added.

The firebrand leader had earlier quoted from the book “World on Fire” by Amy Chua, which suggested that the free market breeds ethnic hatred and global instability.

He gave examples of violence in the Philippines, Indonesia and South Africa, where shops owned by economically-dominant races had been burnt down after the natives felt threatened.

“Free economy can never help the natives,” said Ibrahim.

Yesterday, the Perkasa chief had suggested that the Chinese community will become a national security threat if it grows more powerful politically and economically.

In an interview with Sinar Harian, Ibrahim had warned that this could result in another bloody racial clash like the May 13 tragedy.

“What if there is chaos? Like during the May 13 incident, they could not proceed with their trade.

“We, too, do not want that to happen,” Ibrahim was quoted as saying in the article.

Around 5,000 Perkasa members turned up for the launch of their general assembly in Taman Tasik Titiwangsa this morning.

Their general assembly will resume in the Sultan Sulaiman Club in Kampung Baru here this afternoon.

Lebih 15,000 Sertai HKR Pulau Pinang

Harakah

Para hadirin berdiri mengikuti ucapan pemimpin Pakatan Rakyat kerana padang becak.

NIBONG TEBAL: Sekalipun padang becak kerana hujan petang tadi, namun tidak menghalang lebih 15,000 orang menghadiri Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat peringkat negeri Pulau Pinang di Padang Awan Jawi, malam ini.

Hujan yang turun renyai-renyai kira-kira jam 5.40 petang, yang kemudiannya lebat selama 15 minit pada jam 6.00 petang menyebabkan padang menjadi becak dan sebahagiannya ditakungi air.

Begitupun, selepas solat Isyak, orang ramai yang terdiri daripada pelbagai kaum mula berpusu-pusu ke padang tersebut untuk mengikuti pidato yang disampaikan pemimpin Pakatan Rakyat termasuk Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Lim Guan Eng dan Mohamad Sabu.

Education key to human rights awareness

fz.com
by Kristina Mariswamy

ON Dec 10, 1948, fresh from the nightmares of World War II, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The declaration, a result of the international community vowing never again to allow the atrocities that took place during the war, was to complement the UN Charter, as well as serve as a guide to guarantee the rights of individuals everywhere.

 

Sixty-four years later, the world has come a long way, but there is still a lot to be done where human rights are concerned.

 

The same could be said for Malaysia.

 

While the country has made several improvements within the past few years on the issue of human rights, several areas, especially the treatment of migrant workers, is still a matter of concern.

 

So why exactly does a developing nation that boasts world class infrastructure and education systems still have problems treating fellow human beings with dignity and respect?

 

According to Andrew Khoo, Human Rights committee chairman for the Malaysian Bar Council, the root of the problem starts with the fact that Malaysian society, as a whole, looks down upon foreign workers.

"Malaysian society to an extent feel it is a little superior compared to its neighbours.  So we tend to look down on people who come in to Malaysia to work as foreign workers, not the high paying expatriates of course, but the low paying foreign workers who do dirty and difficult work that Malaysians don’t want to do," he said.

 

"We tend to look down upon them and so we don’t seem to allow them same rights as we would allow ourselves," said Khoo in a phone interview with fz.com.

 

Over the years, Malaysia has time and time again been put in hot water because of its treatment of migrant workers.

 

In 2009, the Indonesian government put a freeze on its citizens coming in to Malaysia to work as maids following repeated reports of abuse by their Malaysian employers. In 2011, Cambodia followed suit.

 

With multiple bans and freezes taking place around the region, it is hard not to question if Malaysia's ill treatment of its migrant workers affects our ties with other countries.

 

According to Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Prof Dr Benny Teh Cheng Guan, who specialises in International Relations, such problems are inevitable.

 

"Reported incidents of bad treatment of foreign workers in Malaysia can and do affect our bilateral ties, more so than regional, with other countries," he told fz.com in an e-mail interview.

 

"Look at Indonesia for example, reports on ill treatment of Indonesian maids has caused tension between Malaysia and Indonesia, putting pressure on both sides to relook at the existing policies or practices and how better mechanisms can be put in place to prevent such incidents from occurring again," said Teh.

 

He also stressed that due to the large number of foreign workers entering and residing in the country, a better management system needs to be in place to avoid situations that allow human rights violations.

 

"We have not been able to manage them successfully because of the huge number of them coming and living in our country be it through legal or illegal means. This inevitably opens up to opportunities for abuse," he said.

 

"The recent 6P legalisation programme and the minimum wage plan are definitely in the right direction but more needs to be done. Signing conventions and treaties is one thing, but managing the flow of foreign workers and their presence and wellbeing in the country is another," added Teh.

 

Teh also added that apart from ensuring the wellbeing of foreign workers, the system in place also needed to be able to empower foreign workers, which in turn will make them less susceptible to abuse.

 

"We need to plug all the loopholes to stop illegal immigrants because they are not only the most susceptible to abuse but involvement in crime. We also need to educate our foreign workers of their rights as some may continue to live in fear of their employers.

 

At the end of the day, according to Teh, the crucial element was educating Malaysians on the issue, as well as ensuring that just action be taken against those that are guilty of abusing or taking advantage of foreign workers.

 

"Unless and until we can successfully integrate foreign workers into our society, we will continue to face such problems.

Ibrahim Ali Ready To Contest General Election On Any Ticket

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 16 (Bernama) -- Pasir Mas Member of Parliament Datuk Ibrahim Ali is ready to contest on any ticket in the coming general election to defend the Pasir Mas seat.

Ibrahim, who is also Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia (PERKASA) president, said he was also ready to negotiate with any quarters or contest independently to defend the seat.

"Discussion is necessary before working with any party. I am hoping for support from all quarters, including the opposition and Barisan Nasional (BN), because I know I can do better than them.

"What banner am I contesting for? I am open for all. I have to see their struggle policy, their behaviour. If I have to contest as an independent, I will do so," he told reporters after the Pribumi Perkasa Negara (PERKASA) rally and Perkasa's 3rd general assembly, here Saturday.

During the last general election, Ibrahim, who contested on a PAS ticket, defeated Ahmad Rosdi bin Mahmad (BN-UMNO) with a majority of 8,991 votes.

Young Generation To Continue Government Efforts To Boost Development And Prosperity - Najib

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 16 (Bernama) -- The young generation is responsible for continuing government efforts to drive national development and prosperity to a higher level, apart from ensuring Malaysia is always respected by the world, said Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

The Prime Minister said today's young generation not only gain knowledge from universities, but must it a mission to be the generation to continue efforts to bring more success to the country.

"We need to provide them with the best and make them our partners in achieving Vision 2020," he said at a function with student leaders at the 2012 Student Leaders Convention here Saturday.

Also present were Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.

Najib said, "If Malaysia wants to be respected by the world, we must present Malaysia as a country where changes and development occurs."

"We don't need the Arab Spring to see changes in the country. This is because countries where such conflict occurred have yet to receive dividends and returnS from changes due to demonstrations and rioting which claimed lives, damaged properties and crippled successful industries."

He said the government had also carried out various changes to give room to the young generation, which includes amendments to the Universities and University Colleges Act (AUKU).

Amendment to AUKU allows the young generation to show their maturity and leadership in the interest of the people as a whole, Najib added.

"We must have trust in the new generation. They are our children and today, no one can say we restrict them from intellectual and leadership development."

A total of 600 university student leaders nationwide, including student leaders from polytechnics and community colleges attended the three-day convention at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC).

'Deepak's claims merit reopening Altantuya case, AG'

PKR-backed NGO Jingga 13 has urged the attorney-general (AG) to reopen the case on the murder of Mongolian interpreter Altantuya Shaariibuu following the exposé of carpet trader Deepak Jaikishan.

Its coordinator Fariz Musa said that Deepak’s recent statement alluding to parties involved in the murder is worth to be investigated by AG.

“...Deepak’s confession and disclosure proves that there were witnesses who were directly involved in the murder of Altantuya,” he told reporters before lodging report at Dang Wangi police headquarters yesterday afternoon.

Recently, Deepak has claimed that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak was linked to the retraction of private investigator P Balasubramaniam's statutory declaration (SD) in 2008.

The Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC), said Fariz, should also reopen the probe on Bala’s case as Deepak has alleged that MACC had tried to close the case of the contradictory SDs.

He added that the MACC itself should also be investigated by the police over the agency’s alleged cover up attempt.

“We urge the reopening of the case to be handled by MACC officers who have more integrity, courage and professionalism in handling the case,” he said.

MACC earlier said the investigation of Balasubramaniam’s complaints was completed and that a review by the deputy public prosecutor and MACC’s operations review panel had decided that no further investigation was needed.

However, responding to public pressure, the MACC later said that they would reinvestigate the case should any “new evidence” emerge.

Police report lodged against Deepak

(Malaysiakini) A police report has been lodged in Penang against carpet trader Deepak Jaikishan for allegedly having knowledge of a crime but failing to report it to law enforcers.

DAP national chief Karpal Singh lodged the report in Penang this afternoon under Section 13 of the Criminal Procedure Code which states:

"13(1) every person aware (a) of the commission of an offence under Section 302 of the Penal Code shall in absence of reasonable excuse, the burden of proving which shall lie upon the person so aware, immediately to give information to the officer in charge of the nearest police station..."

Karpal said Section 302 of the Penal Code states that "whoever commits murder shall be punishable with death".

"I lodge this report so that a thorough police investigation could be launched into the matter as what was uttered by Deepak could constitute an offence under Section 202 of the Penal Code which states:

"'Whoever, knowing or having reason to believe that an offence has been committed, intentionally omits to give information respecting that offence which is legally bound to give, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine, or both'."
Earlier, Karpal said Deepak had knowledge of a murder but did not report it.

"He has committed an offence under the law," said Karpal during his speech at the party's 16th national congress in Penang.

Karpal said the latest revelation by Deepak in Malaysiakini that he would rather not be involved in something as murky as murder means that fresh investigations must commence immediately.

"If Prime Minister Najib Razak is involved, then something must be done.
"What Deepak said has substance. There must be fresh investigations," he said.

Recently, Deepak made a series of allegations on the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu by two former bodyguards of Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Najib was then deputy prime minister and defence minister involved in a RM7.3 billion deal for the purchase of two Scorpene class submarines for Malaysia.

Harakah Daily also quoted Deepak in a separate interview that Najib had played a major role in P Balasubramaniam's retraction of his first statutory declaration, when he asked his younger brother Nazim to meet the former private investigator.

No one is above the law

Karpal, who is also Bukit Gelugor MP, was the lawyer holding a watching brief for the murder trial of the two bodyguards at the Shah Alam High Court.

"There must be fresh police investigation. Immediately after this, a report will be lodged at the police station here against Deepak to enable investigations," said Karpal.

"Any person who has knowledge of the commission of murder must lodge a police report. Deepak has not lodged a police report and thus, he has committed an offence.

"What is important is not Deepak, what is important is the revelations that he made. Will it prompt police investigation? If the PM is involved, he must answer for it," Karpal added.

"The spirit of Altantuya must be laid to rest. And I say this because an offence was committed and no matter how high up you are, you must face the consequences."
Reports by Ahmad Fadli KC, Koh Jun Lin, Lee Long Hui, Low Chia Ming and Susan Loone. 

June 11 hearing for duo's appeal in Altantuya murder

The Court of Appeal in Putrajaya today set three days beginning June 11 next year to hear the appeal of two former Special Action Unit personnel on death row for the murder of a Mongolian woman, Altantuya Shaariibuu, in 2006.

Deputy registrar Darma Fikri Abu Adam set the date when the case was brought up for case management today.

Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, 39 (hooded), and Chief Insp Azilah Hadri, 34, were represented by counsel Kitson Foong and counsel J Kuldeep Kumar respectively, while the prosecution was represented by deputy public prosecutor Manoj Kurup.

Kitson told reporters that the appellants had applied for extended time to peruse relevant documents, and that Sirul would raise more than 20 issues during the proceedings.

The duo were convicted and sentenced to death by the Shah Alam High Court in 2009 for killing Altantuya, 28, at Mukim Bukit Raja in Klang near Putrajaya between 10pm on Oct 19, 2006 and 1am on Oct 20, 2006.

Former political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda, 50, who was jointly charged with them was acquitted by the High Court on Oct 31, 2008 after the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against him.

- Bernama

Again a renowned Hindu Doctor shot dead without any empathy of Islamic Administration in Pakistan.

A Baloch Hindu doctor shot dead again in south-west Pakistan by skull capped gunmen.

QUETTA | Thursday 13th December 2012 | News Agencies :: A well-known Hindu doctor was shot and killed by unidentified gunmen in the restive Mastung district of Balochistan province of south-west Pakistan today, police said. Mastung district of Balochistan, is about 25 kilometres south of Quetta.

Dr. Lakshmi Chand was going home when two gunmen riding a motorcycle fired at him in Mastung town, police officials said. The violent incident remain still clueless and the assailants are suspected as fanatic Islamist.

Dr. Chand was killed instantly and the skull-capped gunmen fled from the spot. Police sent the body for an autopsy and registered a case.

The motive for the killing could not be immediately ascertained.

Members of the minority Hindu community in Balochistan have been targeted by criminal gangs and extremists in recent months.

Several middle class Hindus, mostly petty traders, have been kidnapped for ransom. Daily wager poor Hindus are not paid timely and sometimes treated as bonded labour. Hindu women are abducted and raped.

About one year ago (8th Nov 2011) four Hindu doctors were murdered at their clinics in Sindh province. Eleven Muslim people were held then for the brutal murder.
Experts say that Hindus in Pakistan are being brutally killed as Kafir due to fanatic incitements from the Muslim clergies out of hate preaching of Quran. The incitements are dangerous like these: The Koran defines the kafir and says that the kafir is:
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Hated- Q. 40:35 They who dispute the signs of Allah [kafirs] without authority having reached them are greatly hated by Allah and the believers. So Allah seals up every arrogant, disdainful heart. and despised by Allah.
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Mocked- Q. 83:34 On that day the faithful will mock the kafirs, while they sit on bridal couches and watch them. Should not the kafirs be paid back for what they did?
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Punished- Q. 25:77 Say to the kafirs: My Lord does not care for you or your prayers. You have rejected the truth, so sooner or later, a punishment will come.
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Beheaded- Q. 47:4 When you encounter the kafirs on the battlefield, cut off their heads until you have thor-oughly defeated them and then take the prisoners and tie them up firmly.
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Confused- Q. 6:25 Some among them listen to you [Mohammed], but We have cast veils over their [kafirs] hearts and a heaviness to their ears so that they cannot understand our signs [the Koran].
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Plotted against- Q. 86:15 They plot and scheme against you [Mohammed], and I plot and scheme against them. Therefore, deal calmly with the kafirs and leave them alone for a while.
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Terrorized- Q. 8:12 Then your Lord spoke to His angels and said, “I will be with you. Give strength to the believers. I will send terror into the kafirs’ hearts, cut off their heads and even the tips of their fin-gers!”
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Annihilated- Q. 6:45 So the kafirs were annihilated. All praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.
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Killed- Q. 4:91 If they do not keep away from you or offer you peace or withdraw their hostilities, then seize them and kill them wherever they are. We give you complete authority over them.
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Crucified- Q. 5:33 The only reward for those who war against Allah and His messengers and strive to commit mischief on the earth is that they will be slain or crucified, have their alternate hands and feet cut off, or be banished from the land. This will be their disgrace in this world, and a great torment shall be theirs in the next except those who repent before you overpower them. Know that Allah is forgiving and merciful.
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Made war on- Q. 9:29 Make war on those who have received the Scriptures [Jews and Christians] but do not believe in Allah or in the Last Day. They do not forbid what Allah and His Messenger have forbidden. The Christians and Jews do not follow the religion of truth until they submit and pay the poll tax [jizya], and they are humiliated.
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A Muslim is not the friend of a kafir- Q. 3:28 Believers should not take kafirs as friends in preference to other believers. Those who do this will have none of Allah’s protection and will only have themselves as guards. Allah warns you to fear Him for all will return to Him.
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And 100s of such satanic verses which can be misinterpreted easily are used as the deadly weapons against Hindus and other minorities in Pakistan.

Ex-sarpanch hacked to death for eloping with girl

MACHERLA: In a gruesome incident, a former village sarpanch of a tribal hamlet was hacked to death for eloping with a girl from another community as the elders in her family were against their marriage. The incident took place in the wee hours of Wednesday at Ekonampet village of Macherla mandal in Guntur district. Two others, including the girl who married the tribal leader, were also injured in the incident.

According to information, Sreenu Naik, 30, of Ekonampet village fell in love with one Shaik Fatima, 23, of Macherla town a few years ago. However, Fathima's elders objected to their marriage as Sreenu Naik was already married and had two children. However, to get the consent of the family members of Fathima, Sreenu Naik, reportedly deserted his first wife and children.

Growing Chinese clout may cause new May 13, says Ibrahim Ali

Ibrahim said the Chinese needed to be reminded how living in Malaysia is “like heaven”. — File pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 14 ― The Chinese community will become a national security threat if it grow more powerful politically and economically, Datuk Ibrahim Ali has said, even warning that this could result in another bloody racial clash like the May 13 tragedy.

The Perkasa chief said in a Sinar Harian interview today that the Chinese have been playing up political sentiments of late and accused the country’s second-largest ethnic group of having forgotten how living in Malaysia is “like heaven”.

“What if there is chaos? Like during the May 13 incident, they could not proceed with their trade.

“We, too, do not want that to happen,” the outspoken Pasir Mas federal lawmaker was quoted as saying in the article.

“Today, the Chinese are okay...but it’s not enough... they want more. Now, they control 40 per cent of the country’s economy, and now, they want political power as well,” Ibrahim continued.

“But what will happen in 25 years from now? Today is okay, but tomorrow, when their power spreads, then it will threaten national security and the May 13 incident will return,” he warned.

Ibrahim, or “Tok Him” as he is often called, has positioned himself as the firebrand for the Malay agenda and the face of Perkasa, the Malay right-wing group he founded just after the 12th general election in 2008.

But his fiery rhetoric and often racially-charged remarks have regularly put him on a collision course with non-Muslim politicians across the political divide, despite claims from the opposition that he has the backing of the ruling Umno.

Despite this, Ibrahim insisted in the Sinar Harian interview that none of what he has done or said in the past should qualify him for the “racist” label, even boasting that not a single police report has been lodged against him for being “racist” throughout his tenure at the head of the four-year-old Perkasa.

He added that he has never, in Perkasa’s history, issued statements asking the government to stop helping the Indian or Chinese communities.

Ibrahim explained that Perkasa’s founding struggle is to defend and uphold the “social contract” as guaranteed in the Federal Constitution, including the special privileges of the Bumiputeras, Islam as the religion of the federation, the position for the Malay Rulers and Bahasa Malaysia as the official language of the country.

He added that this also includes the rights of an individual to citizenship and said the group would oppose to those who dared to question this provision.

“Like now, many Indians are squabbling over their rights to become citizens... we are not opposed to it... if we were truly racists, we would have objected.

“The only thing is that we merely want to remind the government to do the right thing... only permit those who qualify for such a right to be awarded citizenships,” he told the Malay language daily.

“Where does it say here that Perkasa or I are racists?” he asked.

The Independent lawmaker, whose political career has seen him through terms in Umno and PAS both, said he was proud of Perkasa’s achievements and struggle over the past years.

“We are not racists or Islamic extremists, if we speak of Islamic extremists, PAS is more extremist than Perkasa.”

To further prove his point, Ibrahim pointed out that Perkasa has never sought the closure of businesses deemed as “haram” in Islam, such as trades involving the sale of alcohol, lottery or gambling, entertainment outlets like karaokes, massage parlours or spas.

“All these businesses are owned by the non-Bumiputeras, especially the Chinese; has Perkasa objected or asked to shut them down?” he asked.

Perkasa started out as a one-man movement in the aftermath of Election 2008 but has since grown into a vocal pressure group on matters related to the Malay community and what the group describes as “Malay special rights”.

The group has been a strident defender of the Bumiputera affirmative action policies and even declared that the Chinese people will use the next general election as an opportunity to take over the country.

It is a non-governmental organisation but counts many Umno members in its ranks. Today, the NGO’s membership numbers some 300,000 nationwide.

Deepak’s claims: Say something, Rosmah

The opposition pact urges the ‘First Lady of Malaysia’ to answer claims she was involved in changing a statutory declaration implicating her husband in the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu.

PETALING JAYA: The prime minister’s wife, Rosmah Mansor, must answer claims that she told carpet dealer Deepak Jaikishan to look for P Balasubramanian after the private investigator’s statutory declaration (SD) was made public, said Pakatan Rakyat.

On Wednesday, Deepak revealed the identity of his “female friend” who allegedly called up many people for favours on the day Balasubramaniam disclosed his first SD linking Najib to the murder of Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Since then, the female friend, Rosmah, has kept silent, but her detractors in the opposition coalition decry her move as being unfair to the contending parties as well as to the public.

When asked to comment, PAS lawmaker Dzulkefly Ahmad pointed out that since Rosmah was the “First Lady of Malaysia”, these were grave allegations and could demolish all that was left of her credibility as well as her husband’s, the Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.

“We are coming this close to an election that is the most critical by the way of a possibility of regime change,” the Kuala Selangor MP told FMT.

“So I think it’s only fair for all players that she immediately come out to challenge Deepak if she truly and honestly thinks that all these are a pack of lies concocted by him and whoever else contriving to bring her and her husband down.

“This is serious because it involves the prime minister, the first lady of Malaysia, the brother of the PM and whatnot.”

Dzulkefly was referring to Deepak’s claims that the latter had met with Nazim Tun Razak, who was representing Najib, and Balasubramaniam at a shopping mall after Rosmah had asked the carpet dealer for help.

According to Deepak, Nazim asked the private investigator what he wanted in return for making the second SD, which retracts all references of Najib’s purported link with Altantuya made in the first SD.

The deal was eventually closed and Nazim allegedly called Najib to arrange for a lawyer to draft the second SD at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

Deafening silence

“It will only get worse by way of the revelation of the exposé coming this way,” Dzulkefly said.

He further declared that all the prime minister’s talk of transformation, his apologies and emphasis on Islam would “go out the window” and “was finished” should the duo continue to keep up the silence.

“Stop this deafening silence, because, in this case, it is definitely not golden,” he stressed.

He said neither Najib nor Rosmah would be able to sweep the issue under the carpet as Malaysians were a discerning, thinking lot.

“You can’t avoid the perception of the rakyat, especially the discerning, thinking rakyat on which this election stands on.”

He suggested that instead of ignoring the issue, she should pursue a legal case against Deepak to prove such allegations were untrue.

“This is killing them softly, so if she truly feels this is downright lies, come out and say something to challenge Deepak… perhaps a legal suit,” said Dzulkefely.

‘Stop destroying your husband’s image’

Meanwhile, PKR Wanita chief Zuraida Kamaruddin called on Rosmah to fulfil her duty as a wife by clearing both her name and, just as importantly, her husband’s name.

“Rosmah needs to stop destroying her husband’s image,” the Ampang MP told FMT.

“She has been destroying the prime minister’s reputation with her past actions, and now it will be further destroyed with these serious allegations by Deepak.”

Zuraida said that, as the prime minister’s wife, Rosmah should be building up her husband’s image, but was instead smearing it.

“We have not heard anything from Rosmah; no attempts to straighten the facts out, to respond on the matter.

“It is a very serious allegation because it involves the murder of Altantuya, so Rosmah and the PM should come out with a statement.”

Zuraida added that Rosmah should not use the soon-to-be released biography as an excuse to keep silent, as the allegations had been around for far too long.

According to Bernama, the 164-page book will be priced at RM150 and distributed next month. It is expected to negate the “unfounded allegations” against her.

Meanwhile, DAP lawmaker Tony Pua also implored the duo to come out in the open, adding that they could not keep silent forever in the face of Deepak’s unending exposé.

“They must answer. They cannot keep silent, there have been too many allegations on the matter.

“Tell us the truth,” urged Pua.

He said that while he had not been following the case completely, any allegations that could tarnish the prime minister’s reputation as well as that of his direct associates must be dealt with immediately.

‘Rosmah’s denial won’t change anything’

But PKR vice-president Tian Chua went against the grain by saying that Rosmah’s response was irrelevant as he already predicted she would deny everything.

Instead, he said the onus was on the police force and the Attorney-General to take action on all the revelations coming forth from Deepak, as it involved criminal elements such as bribery, coercion and the issuance of false statements.

“What do you expect Rosmah to do? She will of course come out and deny. What else can Rosmah say? Even if she says, ‘oh yes, it was true that I was involved’, it is meaningless until it is translated into action by the police.

“Only the police can investigate and verify all these claims,” the Batu MP told FMT.

“If Deepak and Balasubramaniam are lying, charge them in court, if it’s true Nazim and Rosmah are involved, bring them to court.”

He said there was a bigger issue involved here beyond politics and elections, and that the public should be spared all the “soap opera”.

“What we have now is two men waiting in prison to be hanged, Balasubramaniam claiming he was victimised, and Altantuya’s father crying for help.

“These are the real issues,” he stressed.

“So to me, my biggest concern is, why are the police keeping quiet, why has the AG not come forward to charge Rosmah, Deepak and Balasubramaniam?”

He added that even if Rosmah were to deny her involvement in the matter, it would not change his view.

“My views will only change if the police enter, investigate and found conclusive evidence that it was a sham,” said Chua.

Deepak and Musa: An Umno inside job?

A good many Umno members believe Najib Tun Razak had something to do with Altantuya's murder although they don't believe he had given the order.
COMMENT

The whispers by the anti-Najib faction along the corridors of the recent Umno general assembly were all centred on Rosmah Mansor (Najib Tun Razak’s wife) and Muhyiddin Yassin (Deputy Prime Minister).

Whispers also revolved around the fact that Najib hides behind the office of the prime minster, using his powers not to answer the many allegations thrown at him.

The corridors were abuzz with talk about Rosmah’s insatiable hunger to grab business opportunities, wealth and anything that would enrich her.

The name of a certain prominent Malaysian Indian businessman (not Deepak Jaikishan) kept coming up over and over again, a new television company to rival Astro was mentioned and so many other matters. All roads, however, led back to the house of Najib.

Najib is seen as a weakling because of the Rosmah factor. They feel that Rosmah has too much control over him.

Today, a good many Umno members believe Najib had something to do with the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Although they do not believe that he did it himself or that he ordered his two bodyguards to do it, they have been silently pointing their fingers at someone “so close” to him saying, “only that person would have had the authority to direct the guards”.

In which case, is it then a coincidence that Deepak and former inspector-general of police Musa Hassan have come out at this “opportune” time to reveal “the truth”?

Does Musa know what we do not? Is Umno and Barisan Nasional in for a big fall?

There are just so many questions.

Is it also then a coincidence that Johor PAS had lodged a police report on the matter of Musa’s allegations? Even the national PAS leadership was not aware of the Johor PAS’ move to lodge a police report.

The action, according to some PAS members, was done on the instigation of certain friendly Umno members in Johor.

Friends in PAS, PKR and even DAP

It was, they said, all being done to embarrass and tire Najib.

Imagine the Johor Umno members attacking Najib’s cousin, Hishammuddin Hussein, saying he knows nothing and does not deserve a seat, let alone the position of home minister.

They were comparing him with more prominent Malays who’d do Umno proud. Doesn’t this seem like a direct affront to Najib?

Were these, in the first place, the work of Muhyiddin’s men?

It’s really hard to tell. To them, Muhyiddin may be a “stop gap” and we have had a few in Umno and he seems to be the next.

Najib had almost caved in to “pressure” from Muhyiddin’s supporters. Had it not been for the Deepak and Musa allegations, he would have announced the general election.

He had been hinting that it was going to happen, till Deepak and Musa came and threw the spanner into the works.

Muhyiddin’s men or at least they seem to be “his men”, have many friends in both PAS and PKR. They also have many sympathisers among DAP members.

So were these planned by Umno to rid itself of a man it sees as “a huge liability to the party, race and country”, as one Johor Umno member put it?

What is known is that “these” men who are allegedly aligned to Muhyiddin will all help the opposition no matter what the pledges were at the recent Umno general assembly.

Why? Because they have nothing but contempt for the leadership.

Toffee Rozario is a businessman who spends his free time writing to create awareness. He blogs at Toffee’sTurn.

Protest rally: ‘PKR didn’t invite Indian nationals’

The foreigners could have been planted by someone, says a grassroots PKR leader.

PETALING JAYA: A grassroots PKR leader today squashed allegation that the party had invited Indian nationals to the “stateless” Indians protest at the National Registration Department (NRD) on Wednesday.

He, however, claimed that the “foreigners” at the protest rally could have been “planted by someone”, who was trying to tarnish the image of the party and its aim of helping Malaysian Indians without any documents to prove they were citizens of the country.

Subang PKR division committee member S Bala Kumaran (photo), who is also known as PKR Bala, said the presence of Indian nationals at the protest was pre-planned by those wanting to tarnish PKR’s image.

On Wednesday, an Indian national, Vengadeshwaran Subramaniam, who hails from Tamil Nadu and now resides in Kampung Kayu Ara, Damansara, alleged that someone claiming to be a PKR leader promised to help him get Malaysian citizenship provided he joined the protest.

The Indian national said he received the “offer” through a telephone text message from a person identifying himself as PKR Bala.

He said he called the number from which the message was sent and the mobile telephone was picked up by an Indian man who introduced himself as PKR Bala, who subsequently promised to get him a MyKad if he participated in the protest.

The SMS, which was forwarded to FMT, reads: “To all Indian Nationals from India. Don’t miss this opportunity. U can get Malaysian citizenship. Malaysian government giving u a chance now. Please go and register at Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara (NRD), Putrajaya on 12-12-12 at 10am. Please pass a word to all our Indians friends.”

Bala, meanwhile, denied sending the text message inviting Indian nationals to the protest in return for a Malaysian citizenship.

“I never sent such SMS to anyone. It could be a prank SMS by someone who is really in a dire position to win Indian votes at the 13th general election,” he said.

‘BN very scared’

He, however, refused to elaborate, when asked if he suspected anyone behind the text message.

“Barisan Nasional is very scared, given PKR’s popularity among the Indians. So, I am not surprised with such incidents,” he added.

He said there was no reason for PKR to bring Indian nationals to the protest.

Meanwhile, MIC Youth chief T Mohan claimed that Pakatan Rakyat lied when the opposition coalition said there were 300,000 stateless Indians in the country.

“Only 308 such stateless Indians registered at the NRD on Wednesday. Where are the remainder? Have they all gone into hiding? I challenge [PKR vice-president] N Surendran to show proof or resign. If he gets the 300,000 stateless Indians, I will resign from my position,” he said.

He also alleged that PKR was pulling this stunt just to win a few Indian voters at the next general election.

“Where were they all this while when the MIC was asking real Malaysian Indians without any documents to register with us? We have helped many and are still helping people. Suddenly over the last three months they come up with this allegation.

“If it is true, why doesn’t PKR register the so-called stateless Indians and give the list to the NRD for verification? They just pluck this figure from thin air and make all sorts of allegations,” said Mohan.

‘Manikavasagam is unprofessional’

State exco Dr Xavier Jayakumar says that the onus is on Kapar MP S Manikavasagam to clear the air over the allegation.
VIDEO INSIDE

PETALING JAYA: Selangor executive councillor Dr Xavier Jayakumar said today that it was unprofessional of Kapar MP S Manikavasagam to call him a “bastard” and an “idiot”.

“It is unprofessional of a parliamentarian to make such a statement. The onus is on him [Manikavasagam] and the media to clarify the matter,” he said.

He added that he has notified the party leadership on Manikavasagam’s unprofessional conduct.

Jayakumar was commenting on MIC’s exposé of two video clips where Manikavasagam had uttered the words “bastard” and “idiot” when referring to the former.

In the first video, Manikavasagam criticised Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim, urging the latter to resign over the demolition of a shrine in Sepang.

Answering a question on whether the demolition of the shrine was correct, the Kapar MP replied: “Wrong! Cannot accept this! I’m telling you. MB must resign.”

In the second clip, he said: “I’m telling you, I already talk… Xavier is another bastard. First, he protected the Majlis [Sepang Muncipal Council], after that when we pressure him, and then he twist. I also don’t agree to touch ‘kuil’ [temple], how many… already seven [referring to the number of demolished temples under the Pakatan Rakyat government].”

He also claimed that three notices had been served to demolish a temple in his constituency.

Manikavasagam added that Jayakumar was an “idiot” who was adamant in demolishing the temples and did not listen to the former.

On Wednesday, Manikavasagam had joined a rally in Putrajaya led by PKR to protest the plight of stateless Indian Malaysians.

Today, the first-term MP claimed that the video clips were doctored and denied using the deragoratory terms on Jayakumar.

Manikavasagam has also lodged a police report against the MIC based on the FMT’s report.

Justice for Altantuya: PM, AG must respond

Isn't Najib, as head of the government, interested to know what actually happened, more so given the manner in which the murder was executed? asks DAP MP Gobind Singh.
COMMENT

By Gobind Singh Deo

Malaysia will forever remain in a dark cloud over the killing of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu because of the failure of our criminal justice system to secure complete justice for her.

We have failed until now to explain why Altantuya was killed and more importantly who directed her killing.

The recent claims by Deepak Jaikishan surrounding the making of a statutory declaration has added more fuel into a fire which just cannot seem to be put out.

The Attorney-General, Abdul Gani Patail, should respond to the allegations made by Deepak that “justice has not yet been done ” in the case involving Altantuya

Deepak was earlier reported as saying: “Whoever actually killed her, who actually instructed her killing, should be responsible. They must take the responsibility.”

This question has been asked time and again. The AG should tell us, who ordered the killing and why? This is the most important aspect of the case which has not been answered.

This angle ought to have been probed further during the trial of those who were charged with her murder.

It is basic in all cases like this that motive is established. The prosecution owes the family of the deceased and the general public a duty here.

The truth must prevail

It is also surprising to note the prime minister’s silence on this matter.

The prime minister has in past cases involving suspicious deaths, recognised the need for full ‘no stone unturned’ inquiries so as to get to the truth and to find justice and closure for the deceased and the families of the deceased.

Why is it different with Altantuya? Why are we not pressing for answers to these most important aspects of the case?

Isn’t the prime minister as head of the government interested to know what actually happened more so given the manner in which the murder was executed?

It is said that “Justice must not only be done, it must be seen to be done”.

I challenge the prime minister to direct a full inquiry into these aspects of this case. We must get to the truth. The truth must prevail.

With the election looming, the prime minister cannot afford to have this problem hovering over his head.

If he feels there is no need for further inquiry, and that the earlier investigations have answered all questions, then he should tell us, what does the investigation reveal? Who ordered the killing of Altantuya and why?

The writer is DAP’s MP for Puchong

Videos ‘doctored’, says Manikavasagam

The Kapar MP claims that MIC wants to create a rift between him and other PKR leaders over the temple demolition issue.
VIDEO INSIDE
PETALING JAYA: Doctored! This is Kapar MP S Manikavasagam’s response to the videos exposed by MIC, which showed him ranting against Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim and exco Dr Xavier Jayakumar.

“The video was doctored by MIC. I never used the word ‘bastard’ against Jayakumar. I don’t use such terms on my party members. The context for Khalid to step down also was manipulated,” he said.

The PKR leader told FMT that he was fond of using the word “celaka” (damn) and had used it against municipal councillors who did not toe the line.

The recordings, made during Wednesday’s rally for stateless Indians in Putrajaya, were shown at a press conference organised by MIC Youth yesterday.

The recordings showed Manikavasagam calling Jayakumar a “bastard” and urging Khalid to resign over his failure to protect Hindu places of worship.

In his defence, the Kapar MP said: “Even [Opposition Leader] Anwar Ibrahim’s sex videos can be doctored, what more these videos.”

Manikavasagam also claimed that MIC Youth chief T Mohan wanted to drive a wedge between him, Khalid and Jayakumar.

“This is because they know I am vocal, especially when it comes to temple issues,” he said.

Recounting the incident on Wednesday, the Kapar MP said two men, whom he presumed to be journalists, had posed the question on the recent demolition of a shrine.”I explained that Khalid would have to go if he did not investigate the demolition case in Sepang but he is investigating the matter and the Batu Caves case as well,” he added.

Karpal backs Minority Affairs Ministry call

The DAP veteran says that such a ministry will help to serve the interest of the minorities.

PETALING JAYA: DAP chairman Karpal Singh has welcomed Hindraf’s call for the government to set up a Minority Affairs Ministry after the next general election.

“Why not? Such a ministry will definitely serve the interest of minorities in the country,” he said.

Hindraf had also vowed to back whichever political coalition that agreed to set up the ministry once it came into power.

Asked if Karpal would be interested in helming the ministry should Pakatan Rakyat win federal power, the veteran MP paused for a moment before saying, “Frankly, I rather remain a lawyer.”

Karpal added that he loved his practice. “I’m not interested in ministries,” he said.

Sharing his views on Indian leaders in DAP, the Bukit Gelugor MP dismissed notions that there was a dearth of second echelon Indian leaders in the party.

He added that DAP was a party of opportunity as it gave its young leaders time to grow in the fold.

“We have upcoming leaders like V Sivakumar [former Perak speaker] and A Siva Subramaniam [Buntong state assemblyman]. There are others from Negeri Sembilan as well,” he said.

However, he reminded young leaders to be patient as it would take time for them to become prominent at the national level.

“M Kulasegaran [Ipoh Barat MP] and I have been around for a long time. The party gives everyone the opportunity to grow but you have to be patient.

“One way to get into the spotlight is by carrying issues close to the people’s hearts and how you project yourself to the masses,” he said.

Chinese chauvinist stigma

However, Karpal admitted that DAP had problems convincing the Malays to join the party as there was a stigma that DAP was dominated by the Chinese.

“We had a lot of programmes to attract the Malays but it’s tough. The government has managed to poison their minds that DAP is a chauvinistic Chinese party,” he said.

He also recalled the past, saying the party had good Malay leaders such as former Bayan Baru MP Ahmad Nor and former party vice-chairman Tunku Abdul Aziz.

“Unfortunately, Ahmad passed on while Tunku Abdul Aziz left the party,” he said.

But on the bright side, Karpal said that the lack of Malay leaders in DAP was complemented by PAS and PKR.

“So both these parties help us in that way, to offer Malaysians a credible choice of a government in waiting,” he added.

Seniors must sacrifice

For the coming general election, Karpal urged DAP leaders, especially seniors, to make the necessary sacrifices to gain a better chance of winning Putrajaya.

“In a war, we must be able to make sacrifices for strategic purposes. Generals must be able to take the forefront,” he said.

He cited the 1990 general election, when then DAP secretary-general Lim Kit Siang and he had to sacrifice their safe seats in the Penang state assembly to allow new members to contest.

“We decided to go for the Penang state government then. So Lim and I left our safe seats and contested in Kampung Kolam and Sungai Pinang respectively, which were BN strongholds.

“While Lim won the state seat, I lost. But the strategy almost worked as we were only short of two state seats to form the state government.

“In that spirit, we have to make sacrifices to make better gains,” said Karpal, adding that he never contested a state seat after that.

He also said that anything was possible after the 2008 general election, as no one thought Pakatan would be able to deny BN its customary two thirds majority and gain power in five states.

“Some people say it’s a sign but the coming election will decide whether it was a sign or not. For the first time, a change of government is possible,” he said.

Karpal also confirmed that he would be contesting in the 13th general election.

Asked if he would be contesting for the Bukit Gelugor parliamentary seat again, he laughed and replied: “I hope so.”

Torrent of Revelations Against Malaysian PM Continues

Anybody seen Deepak?

A rattled Najib tries to figure out how to counter allegations of criminal cover-up

A controversial businessman and onetime family friend of Malaysia's prime minister appears to be doing what the country’s political opposition has been unable to accomplish for years: publicly tie the top UMNO leader to serious and politically damaging crimes.

In a spate of interviews with opposition and independent websites that seemingly deliver new and damaging revelations each day, Deepak Jaikishan has now connected Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, Najib’s brother Nazim and Najib’s wife, Rosmah Mansor, to the politically charged cover-up of the 2006 murder of the jet-setting Mongolian beauty Altantuya Shaariibuu, itself a part of a much bigger scandal involving €114 million in kickbacks to top Malaysian politicians for the purchase of French submarines.

Deepak, a stocky, bespectacled carpet dealer and real estate speculator, resembles a man walking around holding a hand grenade with the pin pulled. In what seems to be a fresh revelation each day, what Deepak is telling everybody who will listen has been rumored and speculated on for years, but it is remarkable that he is airing the charges as elections approach and doing so seemingly without fear. The latest disclosure, made Thursday to Harakah, the official Malay language newspaper of the opposition Parti Islam se-Malaysia, ties Najib himself into the plot to attempt to destroy the credibility of a witness who said he had been told Najib himself had an affair with the murdered woman.

Whether this represents a deep split inside UMNO or the act of one disgruntled insider who claims to have been cheated out of millions in a business deal, the political fallout for Najib – and especially his wife, who is viewed by a sizable chunk of the electorate as greedy and manipulative, is deeply damaging. Sources with ties to UMNO tell Asia Sentinel that Najib and the political operatives surrounding him are at sea as to how to handle Deepak’s allegations and are mainly trying to keep it out of the mainstream press, which is entirely controlled by the three major political parties in control of the government. In the meantime, however, the Internet news sites and bloggers are having a field day with them.

The big question is how much public credibility Deepak has, and whether the Altantuya murder still has any resonance six years after her death. Reports in Kuala Lumpur said last week he had agreed to shut up in exchange for the rescheduling of RM160 million in loans from Kuwait. But the revelations started again earlier this week.

The ruling national coalition has been successful in branding almost all revelations about the case, even those taking place in French courtrooms, as stratagems put together by the opposition. The question of race is also involved, with UMNO branding itself as the defender of moderate Islam against the religiously conservative Parti Islam se-Malaysia and the upholder of ethnic Malay rights against the country’s sizeable Chinese minority, which is solidly in the opposition’s camp.

Past UMNO strongmen, like Mahathir Mohamad , never saw their names dragged into the mud so publicly. But the Internet – and perhaps Najib's own failings – have changed the equation. What will determine the fate of the premier is likely how this plays out in the so-called Malay heartland. But with Internet penetration rates even in rural areas rising, it has to be assumed that the allegations will percolate widely.

In earlier interviews, Deepak claimed that Najib and Rosmah, once his business partner, had got him kicked off the boards of directors of 26 companies, and that he had lost a fortune on land illegally liberated from Malaysia’s Ministry of Defense and given to a Najib political ally who had ignored his ownership of a chunk of it .

In the latest interview, with the Malay-language Harakah, the official news publication of Parti Islam se-Malaysia, Deepak charged that Najib, then the defense minister, himself played a major role in the retraction of a private investigator’s 2008 statutory declaration in which he recounted conversations with Abdul Razak Baginda, Altantuya’s jilted lover.

Razak Baginda reportedly told the private investigator, Perumal Balasubramaiam, whom he had hired to keep Altantuya away from him after he jilted her, that allegedly said Najib himself had had an affair with the Mongolian translator but passed her onto him because he didn’t want a scandal when he became prime minister. Bala passed on excruciatingly detailed allegations that Altantuya liked anal sex and other comments.

In an interview with Harakah, which has been uploaded to Youtube, Deepak said Rosmah had telephoned him personally on July 3, 2006 to seek his help in attempting to shut up the private detective, inviting him to the couple’s home to meet Najib.

Najib, he said, was anxious to reverse the private detective’s statement to attempt to head off possible action taken by his enemies within UMNO aimed at thwarting his premiership ambitions. He didn’t identify who those interests were, although in particular Najib’s forces were politically arrayed against those of then Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Bala’s revelations added to suspicions that the first couple were somehow involved in Altantuya’s death. Two elite bodyguards attached to Najib’s own office later were arrtested and ultimately convicted of killing the 28-year-old mother of two and blowing up her body with C4 plastic explosives in a trial that appeared on the part of both prosecution and defense to be dedicated to keeping out the name of whoever it was that hado ffered to pay the two RM100,000 to kill her.

According to evidence presented by French prosecutors, Altantuya, as well as being Razak Baginda’s lover, had performed as a translator in the late stages of the US$1 billion purchase of two diesel Scorpene submarines from the French state-controlled defense giant DCN by the Malaysian defense ministry when Najib was defense minister. The documents indicate that then-French foreign minister Alain Juppe, former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir and others had clear knowledge that €114 million euros in “commissions” were to be kicked back to UMNO through a company wholly owned by Razak Baginda.

At the time of her murder, Altantuya left a letter behind in her hotel room saying she regretted blackmailing Razak Baginda for US$500,000.

Deepak said that he was making the new revelations to urge the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to take action and protect the integrity of the institution. Balasubramahiam has repeatedly called for the MACC to examine the allegations in his original statement.

"I'm sure there are good people in the MACC. It is impossible that everyone only take orders from that couple. We have 28 million people in Malaysia," he told Harakah.

16th DAPNC – sound the call to arms for a PR government in Putrajaya with 125 PR seats in Parliament with distribution of 45:40:40 seats respectively for PKR, PAS and DAP

The 16th DAP National Congress the next two days is the focus of national attention for more reasons than one, viz:

• It is the last national conference this year for any political party in Malaysia;

• In fact, it is the last national conference for any political party before the 13th General Elections which would be held in the next 100 days;

• DAP is the only political party in the country which dares to hold party elections on the eve of impending general elections, as all other political parties have postponed their party elections until after the elections;

• Will the DAP emerge stronger or weaker after the 16th DAP National Congress;

• Will Pakatan Rakyat and the cause for “UBAH” to effect political change in Malaysia all the way to Putrajaya be strengthened or weakened?

In the past month, Pakatan Rakyat suffered a serious setback when the four million middle-ground voters who will be the arbiter as to whether it is the Pakatan Rakyat or the Barisan Nasional which will appoint the Prime Minister and form the government in Putrajaya after the 13GE developed doubts and hesitations as to whether Pakatan Rakyat parties of PKR, PAS and DAP are fully committed to the PR Common Policy Framework and Buku Jingga common platforms.

This is a salutary lesson to all the component Pakatan Rakyat parties that in the “hot-house atmosphere” which will further intensify with the approach of the long-awaited 13th General Elections, that they must always be conscious that every statement and action not only of the national leaders but of the other echeleons can have an impact many times larger than ordinary times when exploited and distorted by unscrupulous and unprincipled political propagandists with their biased mainstream media.

The Kelantan gender-segregation ruling affecting non-Muslim hair salons is a case in point where on the one and same issue, DAP is accused of being “subservient” to PAS while PAS is accused of compromising to “appease” the DAP.

It is a lie that DAP leaders are afraid of PAS leaders, just as it is a lie that PAS leaders are afraid of DAP leaders. It is also a lie that the Malays or the Chinese will be oppressed under the PR government, for the PR parties of PKR, PAS and DAP are committed to serve the best interests of all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region.

Our relationship in PR, together with PKR, is one of equals where we respect each other’s views and differences. This is why DAP leaders have communicated our stand on the Kelantan hair salons controversy to the PAS leadership right from the very beginning, although we did not announce it in the media.

But this is not adequate to win the support of the four million middle-ground voters if we are to succeed in effecting a change of government in Putrajaya, as we have to convince them that the three parties in Pakatan Rakyat are fully committed to uphold the principles and platforms that unite us as stated in the PR Common Policy Framework and Buku Jingga while putting aside our historic ideological differences.

DAP stands for a secular state while PAS is in the diametrically opposite pole on hudud – but we agree to disagree in the interests of upholding democracy; restoring the independence of key national institutions whether the judiciary, the civil service, police, the election commission, the anti-corruption agency or the Attorney-General’s office; ensuring justice and prosperity for all Malaysians; promoting national unity and inter-religious harmony; and establishing good governance by declaring an all-out war against corruption.

The basis of DAP reaching out, engaging and co-operating with PAS in Pakatan Rakyast is not on Islamic state or hudud, but on the principles of promoting democracy, pluralism, cultural diversity, human rights, women’s rights and development in Malaysia.

Malaysia is at the historic cross-roads in the forthcoming 13th General Election – whether to perpetuate UMNO hegemony and one-coalition state or to change the political landscape by initiating a two-coalition system to signify the advent of a more mature and healthy form of parliamentary democracy in Malaysia.

The 16th DAP National Congress also has a date with history – not only as the most momentous in the party’s 46-year history but also in the 55-year history of Malaysia.

It appears to be easier for UMNO/BN to regain its two-thirds majority in 13 GE than for Pakatan Rakyat to reach Putrajaya, for UMNO/BN need to win another eight seats from the 140 it won in the 2008 General Elections.

Pakatan Rakyat has a longer distance to cover to reach its objective, as the three PR parties must win at least another 30 seats than they won in 2008 to cross the hurdle to win the parliamentary majority of 112 seats in the 13th general election.

But to be a secure, viable and durable federal government, PR cannot just have a simple majority of one in Parliament, but must reach out to win a larger and more solid parliamentary majority in the 13th GE.

This is an uphill, even herculean, but not impossible task.

Let the 16th DAP National Congress sound the call to arms for the “Hundred Days to Putrajaya” campaign for a Pakatan Rakyat government in Putrajaya with 125 PR seats in Parliament with distribution of 45:40:40 seats respectively for PKR, PAS and DAP.

The secret to a successful “Hundred Days to Putrajaya” Campaign by Pakatan Rakyat will hinge on our ability to win over the four million middle ground/swing voters by focusing on national issues of importance, including PR’s greater ability:

• to manage and reduce corruption in the country;

• to show a new path towards genuine national unity and inter-racial harmony;

• to govern more equitably with social justice and economic efficiency;

• to reduce poverty among the native population in Sabah and Sarawak and bring more sustainable development to both of these states; and

• to usher in a new era of governance where democracy is developed and deepened.

(Eve-of-16th DAP National Congress message on Friday, 14th December 2012)

Monorail for Penang? Thanks, but no thanks, Najib

Why is Putrajaya so keen on monorail for Penang and why is the state government so receptive to this offer?The Penang Forum Steering Committee, however, considers the PM’s pledge of a monorail for Penang as an election gimmick. 
 
The Penang state government needs to be more circumspect about the type of development it allows for Penang. Not all federal projects or mega projects are good for Penang, as we have seen. We need to raise more questions – like why does the federal government need to spend RM780m of public money to upgrade 13km of roads near the second Penang Bridge?

This is the Penang Forum Steering Committee’s response to Najib’s offer:
Dear PM,
Thank you for taking the time in your busy schedule to come to Penang. We do realise that pre-election campaigning is necessary but may we clue you in a little about Penang people? Winning our hearts and minds involves not closing our roads and causing us great inconvenience while waiting for your motorcade to whiz by. It involves not enticing us with affordable housing only if BN wins and it involves not asking us to believe that UDA will not continue to renege on all their promises for Tanjung Tokong villagers as they have done for the last 20 years.

And most importantly it involves not throwing the monorail at us as an election gimmick. If you really cared about Penang, you would check with Penang people if this is what they want and need, you would investigate how the monorail idea came about to start off with. It was also thrown at Penang during BN times, without either public consultation or checking on suitability. It then had the highest ‘crony connections’ as it probably still has today.

Full letter on Penang Forum website.

Show video in toto, Deepak dares Umno bloggers

Show video in toto, Deepak dares Umno bloggers

(Malaysiakini) Carpet trader-cum-property developer Deepak Jaikishan has dared the pro-Umno bloggers who uploaded an edited version of a video on the Internet featuring him allegedly confessing to being a PKR stooge to show the entire footage.
Deepak confirmed that he was indeed the man in the video, which he said had been recorded without his knowledge when he met a "close personal friend" who is a member of the Umno supreme council.

Deepak quipped he would not use the infamous words "It looks like me, it sounds like me, but it is not me" to defend himself.

But he disputed the pro-Umno bloggers' account of what transpired at the meeting and claimed that his remarks were taken out of context.

"What I said is what I said, what they write is what they want to hear... Please run the video from beginning to end...," Deepak told Malaysiakini, referring to the transcript that appeared in the edited video.

"If you look at the video, they worded it differently from what was said."

He said the full video footage showing the moment he arrived at the meeting to the time he left would explain what actually took place and the real context of the snippets shown in the edited video.

"I have nothing to shy away from. I have nothing to hide," he declared.

'I named names and the amount paid'

Indeed, Deepak believes that the Umno supreme council member and the bloggers have reasons not to make public the full video.

This is because during the clandestine meeting, he named members of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's family whom he had paid off to grease the land deal he claimed a senior Wanita Umno leader cheated him of.

"In that video, I explained who took the money, how much, how it was paid," he claimed.
"And they were shocked. They said, if this goes out, it would be trouble, you better don't go forward with this."

Deepak said that the meeting took place on Nov 30 at a private house in Subang Jaya.

The unnamed Umno supreme council member had earlier called to meet him at a hotel in Subang Jaya on that day - the second day of the Umno General Assembly.

His long-time friend's tone was less then friendly, revealed Deepak, leading him to inform a few members of the press.

The manner in which this person spoke sounded like "giving an ultimatum" and "I was worried for my own safety, so I thought if I informed the press, it would be better, " he said.

When he reached the hotel, his friend led him to a house in Subang Jaya, where the Umno leader had invited two friends to join the meeting.

Deepak identified them as "pro-Umno bloggers" but said that he would not identify them nor disclose the identity of the Umno supreme council member when pressed further.

He said that being a "gentleman", he would not reveal their identities despite the indignity being videotaped without his knowledge.

"If they are man enough, they should come out themselves."

Was Muhyiddin faction behind him?

The bloggers, he said, were seated near him, but he was unaware that one of them had a hidden camera which recorded the conversations at the meeting.

Deepak described how he was grilled by the trio on why he went public and who was backing him.

"Why I had taken this step? Was anyone behind me? (Was it) the Muhyiddin (Yassin) faction? The opposition?"

According to Deepak, he told them this had nothing to do with the opposition or any Umno faction.

Deepak also told them that in no way was Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim involved, but he admitted to meeting the Permatang Pauh MP on an unrelated matter with regards to some problems he had with a Middle Eastern bank, which was withholding his bank guarantee.

He added that in business, he rub shoulders with many people of different political persuasions.

Deepak also explained that he only brought in PKR's Subang MP R Sivarasa as his counsel at the last minute as he lacked legal representation in his case against the Wanita Umno leader he claimed had cheated him.

He also denied having met Anwar's daughter Nurul Izzah Anwar, though he conceded to sending some documents her way and spoken to her on the phone on the matter he had raised with Anwar.

"I have seen her in Parliament, I think, twice. I was in the canteen when I saw her, but I was with some other people. I just saw lah. Pretty girls, we see lah. But I never introduced myself to her nor have I met her."

Najib cannot remain silent on allegations, says Pakatan

(Malaysiakini)Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has been urged to to clear his name by answering the allegations raised against him by businessperson Deepak Jaikishan, and not run away from the people's questions.

"Najib should not run from the questions of the public, especially on issues regarding governance, democratic development, economic management and the determination of national policies.

"The people hope that the prime minister will be responsible enough to face criticism and recommendations from the public and not merely act to find cheap political publicity," PKR Youth information chief Lee Khai Loon (right) said in a statement today.

He also noted that the prime minister was mired in several scandals within his short tenure.

"PKR Youth sees Najib as a prime minister who is struck with the most scandals, although his tenure as the prime minister is the shortest in history, compared with the other prime ministers.

"Although there are many allegations made against Najib Razak, not a single explanation or answer has been given," Lee said.

Malaysians, he said, deserved to know the truth and if Najib found Deepak's accusations to be untrue and of bad intention, he should clear his name by taking court action against Deepak.

Instead, he claimed, the premier appeared to be abusing his power by suppressing whistleblowers and NGOs.
Rosmah-Altantuya links
Among Deepak's allegations for which the PKR Youth wing demanded a response to is Najib's wife Rosmah Mansor 's links to murdered Mongolian translator Alantuya Shaariibuu.

Deepak has also claimed that Najib's younger brother, Mohd Nazim Abdul Razak, paid private investigator P Balasubramaniam to sign a second statutory declaration (SD) to refute Najib's link to the case surrounding Alantuya's murder.

In another statement today, DAP's Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo (left) also called on  Najib and the attorney-general (AG) not to remain silent on the Alantuya case and to investigate it further.

"The recent claims by Deepak Jaikishan surrounding the making of a statutory declaration have added more fuel into a fire which just cannot seem to be put out.

"Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail should respond to the allegations made by Deepak that ‘justice has not yet been done' in the case involving Altantuya," Gobind said in his statement.

"The prime minister has, in past cases involving suspicious deaths, recognised the need for full, 'no stone unturned' inquiries so as to get to the truth, to get justice for the families of the deceased," he added.

"So, why is it different with Altantuya? Why are we not pressing for answers to these most important aspects of the case?

"Isn't the prime minister, as head of the government, interested to know what actually happened, more so given the manner in which the murder was executed?"

"I challenge the prime minister to direct a full inquiry into these aspects of this case. We must get to the truth. The truth must prevail."