“Semua 8 A + dapat JPA scholarship” 54 years old UMNO and PM Najib Razak lie. Only U.N led Equal Opportunities Commission will ensure fairness. (See Berita Harian Headlines 28/5/2011)

Year in and year out, it is the same old story. The UMNO and the Prime Minister Najib Razak makes the kosong media propaganda that all students scoring 8 A+ and above for SPM will be granted full JPA scholarship locally and overseas.

But when top most Indian science students scoring even 12 A+ e.g Kugnethran a/l Parmusuan, he is offered a mere animal rearing Diploma course at UPM. The racist UMNO P.M will say “Oh, the policy was good, it was the implementation that was bad”. This is what we have been hearing from UMNO for the last 54 years since Independence.

Thus, far in our list that we have compiled we have the following top and high achieving students denied PSD scholarships and in the course of their first choice by not less than the racist and religious supremacist UMNO Prime Minister Najib Razak as follows :

1) Kugnethran a/l Parmusuan (12A+)
2) Asunta top Student ( 8A+ 2A- 1A 1B)
3) Inthran s/o Manickam (10A “3A+ 2A 5A”)
4) Shamala d/o Sundar (8A and 2 B+)
5) Rubanesh s/o Ramachandran (9 A and 1 B+)
6) Sasiskalaregal s/o Selvaraja ( 9A 1B+)
7) Asogan (7A)
Rukaslini (4A, 1A-, 3 B+, 1C+, 1B)
9) Kavita a/p Sriraman (6A 4B)
10) Rubanesh Ramachandran (9A 1B+)
11) Heamanthaa Padmandan (10 A+ 1A)

The implementation of the UMNO racist policies have always excluded and segregated the top and high achieving Indian students save and except for the 0.1 % to 1% top Indian students showpieces who are flaunted to the brim to create the impression that the UMNO and via their MIC and SMC Indian mandores are in fact giving all top and high achieving Indian students and are getting their rightful PSD and other scholarships.

Mr Prime Minister Najib Razak, this kosong wayang kulit does not sell anymore especially after the 25^th November 2007 Hindraf rally Indian poor awakening. UMNO has to stop this degrading level of racism and religious supremacy done with impunity. We no longer trust you or the UMNO PSD, government machinery or your newspaper headlines and by lines or your T.V and Radio propaganda. Only a truly independent Equal Opportunities Commission to also be encompassing of at least 51% United Nation Commissioners is the only way forward against UMNO racism.

Then and only then will we see some semblance of fairness, equality and equal opportunities. The racist UMNO is not going to give it on a silver platter to the Indian poor. We have to fight for it using people power a la 25^th November 2007 Hindraf Rally.

P. Uthayakumar

Make public PSD scholarship recipients

DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang says the prime minister must restore transparency and integrity to the selection process

KUALA LUMPUR:  DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang wants Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to make public the names of PSD scholarship recipients.

“Najib must restore transparency and integrity to the selection process by making public the list of scholarship recipients,” said  Lim.

“It’s a crying shame that even after so long, the Public Service Department is incapable of functioning in a competent and professional  manner.”
The former DAP chairman added that as the government had spent billions of ringgit on computerisation, this should be achievable.

“If it was not possible, those responsible for computerisation project should be sacked,” he said.
Lim also underlined the importance of restoring public confidence in the system by ending the double standard of having two different pre-university examinations.

“Malaysian students should be sitting for one common examination.
Separate systems go against Najib’s 1Malaysia concept as two different pre-U’s with different grading systems are open to accusations of  manipulation.”

Public Service Department (PSD) scholarships are given to students who obtain 8A+ .
Top scorers are offered matriculation and diploma courses, and then given scholarships when they further their studies at the first degree level, said Najib yesterday.

There will be 4,000 scholarships to be given to those who obtained at least 9As. Of the total, 1,500 will be for study abroad and the rest  for study locally.

There is a 60% Bumiputera quota for foreign PSD scholarships. The rest of the quota are given out to students based on merit (20%),  those from East Malaysia (10%) and the needy (10%).

Palani moves to knock off threats to his position

MIC chief dangles Tan Sri-ship 'carrot' to former deputy president Subramaniam to stay out of the party elections.

KUALA LUMPUR: MIC president G Palanivel is said to be consolidating his position and is in the midst of eliminating all possible threats.

According to a source, topping the president’s list of threats that needs to be extinguished is none other than former deputy president S Subramaniam.

In the previous two party polls, Palanivel had defeated Subramaniam with the help of the latter’s arch-rival and former president S Samy Vellu.

The source said, both Palanivel and Subramaniam met at the house of VKK Thiagarajan, the ex-MIC FT chief, earlier this year to discuss the party elections.

“Palanivel convinced Subramaniam not to compete for the president’s seat. He promised a Tan Sri-ship for Subra if he does not contest in the upcoming party election,” said the source.

Since taking over the party’s helm, Palanivel  has been  very tactful in handling the party’s top guns.
“He knew that incumbent deputy president Dr S Subramaniam will go against him in the next election. So, Palani is ensuring that Subramaniam will not lend  his support to his rival in the election,” he added.

The source also said that if Subramaniam is awarded a Tan Sri-ship, it will be a loss of face to Samy Vellu. Samy and Subramaniam have been long time political rivals and bitter foes.

The late MIC president V Manickavasagam decided to bring Subramaniam into politics to sideline Samy Vellu.

However, in the 1977 party elections Samy  managed to beat Subramaniam by a mere 26 votes to become the deputy president.

“It seem like Subramaniam is happy to be made a Tan Sri. By getting the award, he will be one up on Samy Vellu who is still a Datuk, the source said.

He, however, admitted that  Subramaniam still has the desire to head the MIC. According to the source he will not be surprised if Subramaniam contests for the president’s post.

Meanwhile, in another development, the source also claimed that Palanivel had promised almost 40 persons for parliament seats.

He also promised 12 for senatorship and nearly 50 to state assembly seats for the upcoming general election. Currently, MIC has nine parliament seats, 18 assembly seats and five senators.

“I believe that there will be a big scuffle when the president sits down  to prepare the party’s candidate list for the general election,”  said a prominent leader.

Eye on religious teachers from Peninsula

Sarawak State Islamic Council to monitor them to ensure they do not promote extremist teachings that go against the government

KUCHING: Extremist religious teachers from Peninsular Malaysia sent to Sarawak will be closely monitored by the state government, said Daud Abdul Rahman, assistant minister in charge of Islamic affairs in the Chief Minister’s department.

“Those found to be promoting extremist or anti-government teachings will be sent home,” he said. “We will need the cooperation of the public and the education department to inform us of such teachers.”
He was asked to comment on remarks made by Parti Rakyat president and Land Development Minister James Masing that some ‘ustaz’ (religious teachers) sent to Sarawak were not seen as ‘ustaz’ but were ‘counselling teachers’ and was worried of their real intention.

“If they are real counsellors, I don’t mind. But they are masquerading as something else then it is quite dangerous,” Masing said. “Thousands of them are now teaching in rural schools.”

Several quarters including the Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (Sadia) have also expressed concern on the effect of these religious teachers on their children in the rural schools.

Some said that these ‘counselling teachers’ should stay in the peninsular where their services were more needed to help reduce religious extremism, drug addition, rapes, incest and other social problems.

Closely monitoring by MIS

Beginning next year, thousands more of these ‘ustaz’ will be posted to rural schools in Sarawak.
Daud said that ustaz from the peninsular Malaysia would be soon under the watchful eyes of the State Islamic Council (MIS) to ensure they do not promote extremist teachings that go against the state government.

“I do not deny that some teachers from the peninsular especially from the East Coast states have that kind of mentality and we will ensure they are closely monitored by MIS,” he said.

Daud said that Sarawak needs to employ ustaz from peninsular Malaysia as the state lacks religious teachers.

Admitting that there are extremist religious teachers, Daud said, however, the number is small, and that “not all religious teachers from the peninsular have extremist mentalities.”

Some of them, he said, are decent and have good characters.
“Still we have to take precautions,” said Daud, urging the public and the education department to cooperate with MIS and inform them of such teachers.

Suhakam not allowed to view abuse victim’s body

The remains of Pakiam Subramanium, which has been held by the Serdang Hospital for 106 days, has not been released for a second post-mortem either

KUALA LUMPUR: Serdang Hospital has denied Suhakam permission to view the body of a young woman who allegedly died as result of injuries in a domestic violence.

Suhakam commissioner, Mohd Sha’ani Abdullah, said that although they had given prior notice via a letter to view the body this morning at 11am, hospital authorities  refused them.

“I insisted on wanting to view the body as Suhakam has the powers to investigate, but they referred us to the director-general who demanded a letter.

“We have already faxed another letter today, and have scheduled a new appointment for 3pm on Monday.”
He explained that Suhakam had received the complaint regarding discrepancies in the death and inaction by the authorities on Friday.

Mohd Sha’ani added that the family had apparently made five police reports but none were met with any action.

“We need to see the body so we can decide what action to take next, and whether to call for a public inquiry.”

Lorry driver M Subramaniam, 52, is seeking an order for a second post-mortem on the remains of his daughter, Pakiam, 23, who died just five months after marriage.

This is the third time he is seeking such an order, with the first two filings being rejected by the magistrate. The results of the first autopsy concluded the cause of death as ‘pending’.

Beaten up by husband
Subramaniam wants the second post-mortem to be done independently at the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre in Petaling Jaya by forensic pathologist Dr Karunakaran Mathiharan.

He also wants the remains of Pakiam brought to UMMC so that the cause of her death could be determined in accordance with Section 326 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Subramaniam also wants an inquest to be called to get to the bottom of the case and for his lawyer, Gurmit Singh Hullon, to be present during the second post-mortem.

In his application, Subramaniam said Pakiam’s arranged marriage took place on Sept 10 and that she was of sound health, physically and mentally.

He said following her marriage, she lived with her in-laws in Padang Serai, Kedah.
On Feb 12, Subramaniam’s wife P Thobathi, 43, went to Padang Serai to visit Pakiam on learning that her daughter had allegedly been beaten by her husband.

Subramaniam claimed was prevented by the husband from seeing Pakiam.
At 11.30pm the same day, he said he received a call from his wife saying that Pakiam had died.
Subramaniam said when he got to Padang Serai, he was told by Pakiam’s husband that Pakiam died after taking medicine for a stomach ache.

He said he found injury marks on her body, including wounds on her hands, cigarette stub marks on her abdomen, finger nails prised off, a swollen head and missing teeth.
He said he then lodged a police report on Feb 14.

Gurmit Singh told reporters that the High Court had set Thursday to hear the application.

Government Plans To Set Up Youth Parliament - Najib

PUTRAJAYA, May 28 (Bernama) -- The government plans to introduce a parliament for youths to get to know their views, aspirations and ideas, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

He said the "MPs" in the parliament would be elected by the youths themselves.

"The age limit for the representatives will probably be below 40," he said when opening the One Million Youths gathering in conjunction with National Youth Day here Saturday.

Also present were Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek and several other Cabinet ministers.

"Debates can be held and proposals made...the government will give due consideration to the inputs provided by the youths' representatives," said Najib.

He said the youth parliament was one of six government initiatives to recognise the role and contributions of the nation's youth.

As future leaders, he said, the government would also be introducing the mentor-mentee concept to youths in several areas including entreprenurship, public service, social activities, industry and in creative and professional fields.

Besides these, he said the government would also be introducing outreach programmes, a news portal for youths, youth icons (role models) and set up a youth park in Putrajaya.

"The youth park initiative is line with Putrajaya being a youth-friendly city," he said.

The mammoth youth gathering, which began yesterday and ends tomorrow, features more than 200 activities and programmes for youths involving sports, extreme sports, the arts and other creative fields.

Najib said he was very pleased with the mammoth gathering and looked forward to seeing a turnout of two million youths next year.

He said this year's turnout was far greater than last year and that this showed youths in the country wanted peace unlike in some countries in the Middle East.

"I believe we can show to the world... Malaysia is peaceful and stable. What happened in Egypt and is happening in Tripoli are their own internal matters.

"Malaysia belongs to us and today's youths know their future is dependent on the success of the national transformation plans," he said.

The prime minister said the government was working very hard for the wellbeing of the people especially youths as they were the catalysts to bring about a transformation to make Malaysia a developed state.

"Although you (youths) may not be at the highest decision making level for the country, it would suffice if you uphold and support the government's transformation plans. I really appreciate that," he said, adding that the support shown by the youths at the gathering relfected that they did not want Putrajaya, the national administrative capital, to fall into the hands of the opposition.

"One day there will among you gathered here today who will occupy powerful positions in Putrajaya. This is what we want to see...not like the opposition who want to "lelong" (auction off) Putrajaya," he added.

A number of foreign envoys also attended the official opening of the mammoth gathering.

Kazim The Crazy Cleric That Preaches Hate

By Mariam Mokhtar

If you are asked to watch the clip called “Ustaz Kazim Elias kutuk Cina India?” (Kazim the Cleric condemns the Chinese and Indians?) on YouTube, don’t bother. 

It is a waste of 11 minutes and far from being inspirational or motivating, the clip was clearly an incitement to violence and every Malay/Muslim should be ashamed of Kazim. Come to think of it, the Malays who were listening to this mad mullah preach, should have walked out of the congregation.

 Prime minister Najib Abdul Razak goes around the nation trying to sell us his 1Malaysia slogan. So if the Chinese and Indians are prepared to accept this unity concept, why has Najib not been able to reach out to Malays like Kazim the cleric?

Kazim is not the only one who is deaf to Najib’s slogan for there are others, like Ibrahim Ali and Najib’s own deputy, Muhyididin Yassin, who are averse to Najib’s 1Malaysia dream.

So why bother with 1Malaysia then? Why do Malays like Kazim escape censure but the non-Malays, who use less inflammatory speech get punished? Why the mixed messages from the government? Why the double-standards? It is obvious that Najib and his Cabinet do not take racism and extremism seriously.

Perhaps the only time Najib and his merry men will take racism seriously, will be when colourful characters like Namewee (Wee Meng Chee) make more videos about racism.

Mohammad Kazim Elias Al Hafiz, is the chairman of the Pusat Pendidiakan Al Barakah, a religious educational establishment which is located in Kampung Manjoi, Ipoh, in Perak.

It is baffling that Kazim has not been hauled up for sedition.

In the clip, he denigrates both the Chinese and Indians, and reproaches these two communities for taking advantage of the Malays, rebukes them for their constant disagreements with the ketuanan issue and for enslaving the Malays – because ‘they (the Chinese and Indians) have never tasted what is like to be ‘slaves’’.

He also says that these two races are lucky to live in a land which is free of conflict.

But the puzzling thing is that Kazim was invited to preach on one of the naval ships.

He described how the bunk beds were cramped and how the sailors had to live onboard ship for three months when they are at sea.

Obviously this cleric has no idea what it is like to be in the service. Perhaps he imagines that every sailor would have the stateroom on a cruise liner and 70 virgins to nurse him every night.

He described the hardships a sailor or soldier in the jungle has to go through, as if the service personnel had been totally unprepared for those privations.

Kazim then makes unfair comparisons with the Chinese who are able to go drinking and to the disco, whilst the ‘poor Malay’ has to suffer in the jungles or on the high seas, in defence of his country; to provide the peace and tranquility enjoyed by the Chinese and Indians.

But his most damning statement was to say that the navy, army and police are composed solely of Malays, that they were prepared to sacrifice life and limb, whilst the non-Malays enjoyed the good life.

Following this description, he then asks: “Who is the master and the slave here?” and “How dare they tell us that they do not want ‘Ketuanan Melayu’”.

Is Kazim so ignorant that he does not realise that it is his government’s policies that have turned the non-Malays from the services?

He asks if we find any Chinese or Indians in the services. He informs us that there are few Indians in the army but that many Indians are criminals.

He tells us that the Malays have been too tolerant, giving the non-Malays land and titles. The rest of his speech is littered with more racist comments.

Why did Kazim not mention the endemic corruption that is crippling the country?

Why did he fail to mention the rempit culture of the Malay youth? He may have condemned the Chinese for going to bars at night, but he did not breathe a word about Malay teenagers who hang out, until the early hours of the morning, in the mamak stalls.

Why did he not condemn the government ministers and ‘elite Malays’ who drink heavily at the casinos of London and Monaco?

Why did Kazim not talk about the deaths caused by the moral police, when raiding hotels and homes?

He forgot about the numbers of sexual assaults on Malay children by older Malay men. He failed to mention the high levels of incest and the illegitimate children borne by unmarried Malay women.

He did not talk about the wives who contracted HIV-AIDS from their husbands who practise unsafe sex with other women, including prostitutes.

And he failed to talk about irresponsible Malay men who marry several women simply because they had got bored with their latest ‘young’ wife, or consider that a wife is too old once she has hit twenty.

The high drug use by Malays is another scourge on the community that he failed to address.

What Kazim talked about, his incitement to violence, is criminal. But the worse crime is that our religious authorities and the police, have failed to censure him for his seditious and inflammatory remarks.

Three to challenge EO

The Star
By SHAILA KOSHY

KUALA LUMPUR: Three young men detained under the Emergency Ordinance (EO) for suspected vehicle theft will be asking the court to compel the Cabinet to advise the King to revoke the 1969 law, in a test case to challenge the long-standing EO.

Muhamad Arif Abu Samah, 19, Mohamed Ramadan Mohamed Ali, 22, and Mohamed Rafe Mohamed Ali, 20, who spent almost two months in detention are now restricted to three different states.

On May 13, their solicitor, K. Shanmuga, wrote to the Prime Minister and the Cabinet requesting that they advise the King to revoke the 1969 Proclamation and EO.

When there was no reply, a second letter was sent yesterday restating the request but also gave notice of intention to seek judicial review of the restriction order on the detainees and for a mandamus order to compel Cabinet to advise the King to end the Emergency.

In the May 13 letter, Shanmuga argued that the Cabinet wanted to continue a state of emergency for convenience.

He quoted de facto law minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz who told the Dewan Rakyat on March 16 the 1969 Proclamation would be maintained because:

> Otherwise, laws made while the Proclamation is in effect will cease to be effective based on Article 150(7) of the Federal Constitution, causing difficulties in controlling crime and public order; and

> The King may need to enact new laws when Parliament is not in session to manage issues related to terrorism, as well as national security and public order which are not covered by current laws.

Shanmuga said the men contended that if the Government has bona fide intention of controlling crime, new and specific laws should be enacted instead of using old ones whose purposes have expired.

Edmund Bon, who is on the legal team, said the men had been detained on March 8 following a raid on their parents' homes.

“They said they were punched and beaten with metal bars and wires while in custody and forced to sign blank documents.

“On March 18, they were detained under the EO for 60 days. That was the first time their parents were told of their whereabouts.”

Their family visited them on March 21, but they only met their lawyers on May 4, said Bon.

PSD scholarships: Perkasa wants 67% for bumis

Mayor tells builder to stop all work in PJ

The decision comes after residents threatened with eviction complain to the Selangor government.

VIDEO INSIDE

SHAH ALAM: Petaling Jaya City Hall (MBPJ) will today order real estate developer Peter Brickworks Sdn Bhd to stop work on all its projects within the city.

This was the promise that Selangor exco Ronnie Liu and Petaling Jaya mayor Roslan Sakiman gave to residents of PJS 1, whom Peter Brickworks has threatened to evict because it is building a condominium complex there.

Fifty of the residents went to the Selangor state government office at 9 this morning and submitted a memorandum complaining about the eviction notice. Their representative, M Sugumaran, subsequently had an hour-long meeting with Liu and Roslan. Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael Jeyakumar, a prominent social activist, was also at the meeting.

The decision to issue the stop-work order was announced at a press conference after the meeting.
Sugumaran said Peter Brickworks issued eviction notices to two residents on May 23, asking them to move out by May 23. This was despite promising the residents on April 22 that it would not do so until it had discussed the issue with them, he added.

The 27 families living in PJS 1 have been dealing with Peter Brickworks since 2003, when it asked them to move out of Kampung Pinang, Kampung Petaling Tin and Kampung Muniandy with a promise that it would build low-cost flats for them. However, it has not been able to build the flats because residents at the proposed site, which is close to PJS 1, have obtained a court injunction against eviction.

Sugumaran said Liu telephoned someone at Peter Brickworks during this morning’s meeting to persuade the company to retract the eviction notices and have a discussion with PJS 1 residents.

“However, they refused to budge,” he said. “Then after some deliberation, Roslan said he would issue a stop-work order by the end of the day.”

He added that Liu also promised to hold a meeting between the residents, the developer and the Selangor exco for housing, building management and squatters, Iskandar Abdul Samad, once the latter returns from overseas.
 

Jeyakumar said the residents were still in danger of getting their homes demolished because other authorities might ignore the mayor’s stop-work order.

“We will lodge a police report against the developer later today,” he said. “We will tell the police that a stop-work order will be issued against the developer so that they will not assist them on Monday.”

Perkasa demands 67pc Bumi quota for PSD scholarships

Ibrahim said Bumiputeras must be “prioritised in all allocations”. — file pic

PUTRAJAYA, May 27 — Perkasa demanded today that the government set a 67 per cent quota for Bumiputeras in Public Service Department (PSD) scholarships to reflect their ratio in the population. “Seeing that the Barisan Nasional (BN) government, which is the ruling coalition, came into power because of majority support from the Malays and Sabah and Sarawak Bumiputeras, and also based on the federal constitution, this group must be prioritised in all allocations, including JPA scholarships,” Perkasa chief Datuk Ibrahim Ali told reporters today, referring to the PSD using its Malay acronym.

“The quota now (for Bumiputeras) is 55 per cent,” he said, after emerging from a discussion with PSD director-general Datuk Seri Abu Bakar Haji Abdullah here today.

The president of the Malay rights group pointed out that the Bumiputera share of PSD’s 1,500 overseas scholarships had fallen from 90 per cent in 2007 to 55 per cent in 2008, and has stayed there since.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz previously said the government had allocated 1,500 overseas scholarships to top students, but only 300 of the total were given based entirely on merit to students scoring straight 9A+.

The remaining 1,200 overseas grants, he said, were distributed according to those qualified within four categories — Sabah Bumiputeras (five per cent), Sarawak Bumiputeras (five per cent), social composition or the population’s racial composition (60 per cent) and socially handicapped (10 per cent).

Nazri also said PSD had an allocation of 2,500 local scholarships and reiterated that in tandem with the prime minister’s pledge last year, all SPM students who scored straight 8A+ and above were guaranteed a place in either local or foreign institutions. Today, Ibrahim accused MCA and MIC today of exploiting the PSD scholarship wrangling for political mileage.

“When they fight for their race, they want to score political points,” said the Pasir Mas MP.
The Barisan Nasional (BN) parties have said the PSD ignored Cabinet directives by giving out scholarships to students who scored below those who passed with distinctions.

Ibrahim stressed that scholarships were a “special right” of the Malays, enshrined under Article 153 of the federal constitution.

Under Article 153, the special position of the Malays is to be safeguarded through the reservation of, among others, scholarships.

The Independent lawmaker also defended PSD from allegations of power abuse.
He said Abu Bakar informed his that students did not receive scholarships for their desired courses because they had not applied for those courses at the relevant universities.
“JPA proved to us there is no abuse,” said Ibrahim.

‘Anwar lacked Dr M’s clout in tackling Islam’

A leaked 1997 diplomatic cable shows that the US had backed Dr Mahathir's version of moderate Islam but felt that Anwar was too soft to handle the religious conservatives.

UPDATED

KUALA LUMPUR: The US embassy here had given its tacit approval to Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s hardline approach against Muslim conservatives in Malaysia as it was in line with the “US interests and values”, revealed a leaked US confidential cable from 1997.
However, the US diplomats were highly concerned if Mahathir’s successor as prime minister could cope with the growing Muslim conservatism.
They were specifically worried if Anwar Ibrahim, who was Mahathir’s deputy at that time, had the “political position or the desire to take on Muslim conservatism as vigorously as Mahathir has done”.
“Moreover, Anwar, if he does become the next PM, will not have Mahathir’s almost unquestioned authority. Thus, for political reasons he may be reluctant to take strong stands that upset the vocal religious constituency,” they added.
And they concluded that in the long run, the “growing proportion of Malays in Malaysia’s ethnic mix will probably lead inexorably to the further Islamisation of Malaysian society”.
The details were revealed in a cable sent by the then US ambassador in Malaysia John R Malott to the US State Department in Washington on Dec 23, 1997.
The confidential cable was leaked by whistleblower site WikiLeaks exclusively to FMT today.
The year 1997 was a critical year for Malaysia as Mahathir was facing a major financial crisis. He was also facing problems with haze and the country’s zealous religious officials, added the cable.
Mahathir takes charge
The cable said several incidents involving “zealous Islamic authorities” have angered Mahathir during this period. They include:

• a proposal by a unit within the education ministry to introduce compulsory Islamic civilization studies for all students. This proposal was then broadened to become Asian civilization following protests and Mahathir’s intervention.

• the arrest of three Malay women by the Selangor religious authorities for taking part in a beauty contest.

• an open warning by the Sarawak religious authorities against Muslim men from taking part in a bodybuilding competition.

Following the messy beauty contest incident, Mahathir had then announced that by early 1998, the government would unify syariah laws at the federal level, thus sharply curbing the autonomy of local religious authorities.
“Theoretically, the government’s plan for standardisation of syariah law will require the agreement of the states’ ruling sultans, but such constitutional niceties have rarely delayed the PM before.
“The ‘unification’ of syariah law early next year is already a fait accompli and conservative clerics know it, but don’t like it,” added the cable.
The cable further stated that Mahathir then in his keynote address at the Umno meeting in September 1997 had called on Malays to reject extremism and noted the results of sectarian violence in Bosnia and the Middle East.
The confidential cable added that Mahathir also criticised Muslims who put more stock in outward appearances (such as traditional clothes and beards for men and headscarves for women) than in leading a moral lie.
“Such a speech might sound sensible enough to Western ears, but by all accounts it was a disaster with the largely Malay audience, including Deputy PM Anwar, sporting traditional dress and goatees and most of the women, including Anwar’s wife, wearing headscarves,” it stated.
It added that Mahathir’s “attack” on “extremist” Islam soon saw a fiery reaction from conservative Muslims, including the Selangor mufti who had apparently labelled the prime minister as an apostate.
“Reportedly, Friday sermons at many mosques have included both oblique and direct criticism of the government. The police confirmed publicly that anonymous ‘poison pen’ literature criticising the PM is circulating at mosques,” added the US cable.
The Selangor mufti, who had denied ever calling Mahathir an apostate, was replaced by the state religious authorities on the grounds that the state needed a mufti whose views “were acceptable to all” and that a replacement was needed due to the mufti’s advanced age.
This prompted the US embassy to point out that the age reasoning was curious as “the PM himself has repeatedly stated that he will not step down, though he is one year older than the mufti”.
Anwar will lack authority
The US cable stated that Mahathir’s moves to modernise Islam made even the moderates feel anxious over the tone and direction taken by the prime minister.
However, the top US diplomat felt that Mahathir “consistently advocates a moderate Islam squarely in line with US interests and values”.
“The PM, for better or worse, is not afraid to take on anyone, including conservative Islamic groups that generally have negative views toward the US.
“Mahathir is also important as a voice of moderation within the international Islamic community,” added the secret cable.
The cable then went on to describe how Anwar, labelled as Mahathir’s “good conscience”, “has not proven he has either the political standing or the desire to take on conservative Islam”.
US diplomats based here also felt that Anwar who started off as a Muslim activist seemed loath to confront his former Muslim associates.
“Anwar’s reaction to the beauty pageant incident, which happened while the PM was out of the country and Anwar was in charge, was much less vigorous.”
The US cable said that “Anwar, if he replaces Mahathir, will not have his predecessor’s almost unquestioned authority”.
“Thus, for political reasons he may be reluctant to take strong stands that upset the vocal religious constituency,” added US diplomats.
The author of the cable is unknown although it was sent to Washington by Malott, who remains a firm Anwar loyalist following his sacking as the deputy prime minister in 1998.
Worried non-Malays

The US cable also predicted that in the long run, Malaysian demographic will probably dictate an increased role for Islam in Malaysia.
It noted that many Malays seem to be reacting by turning back to their Islamic roots – at least in external forms of observance.
“For instance, over the past decade noticeably more Malay women now wear headscarves. This Islamic resurgence, even in its mild Malaysian form, worries Malaysia’s non-Malay communities,” the cable added.
The confidential cable concluded by stating that, given political uncertainties, “it is not clear whether Mahathir’s successor (whether Anwar or someone else) will have sufficient authority to make sure differences do not get out of hand”.
“We expect, therefore, Islamic issues to become more prominent in the coming years.”
Mahathir was eventually replaced by Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who introduced Islam Hadhari, which created more confusion among both Malays and non-Malays alike. It only resulted in government agencies picking up Islamic agenda to mollify the premier.
When present Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak took over in 2008, he moved away from the Islam Hadhari concept, and replaced it with 1Malaysia unity ideology.
However, race relations in the country continue to remain tense, especially in recent years following a hardline attitude shown by the government against other religions. This is not helped by actions undertaken by Malay right-wing groups such Pembela and Perkasa.

Police under probe over stolen cars

Bukit Aman is investigating several police officers for their alleged link with a syndicate specialising in re-selling stolen vehicles.

PETALING JAYA: Bukit Aman police are investigating several of their own men over an alleged link with a syndicate selling stolen cars, sources said today.

The officers are being investigated for allegedly handing over stolen cars which have been recovered by police, to the syndicate instead of returning them to their rightful owners.

These stolen cars would then be re-conditioned and resold to unsuspecting second-hand car dealers or private owners.

It is also alleged that the syndicate has contacts in the Road Transport Department who would ensure the “re-conditioned” cars would not be blacklisted.

A source said that the syndicate’s cover was blown open last year when investigators from an insurance company was preparing to reimburse a victim of a car theft. They had tracked down the stolen car which had been re-conditioned.

“The insurance agency then found out that there were many cases where these stolen cars are on the road or being sold, and lodged a police report,” the source said.

Bukit Aman then swung to action and has been confiscating these “second-hand” cars since early this year.
The source also said that more light was shed on the syndicate when police conducted a highly publicised raid at a warehouse at Taman Wahyu, Kepong, in July last year. There they uncovered a “mini zoo” of illegally traded wildlife.

In the raid, police also recovered 42 stolen vehicles worth about RM1 million. Two men were arrested.
Police had said then that the syndicate members would disguise themselves as insurance agents specialising in stealing impounded cars.

Disciplinary unit
When contacted, Bukit Aman CID director Mohd Bakri Zinin said today he could only reveal more details on Monday after a briefing from his men.

Bakri said he had received several calls since the case was highlighted by DAP’s Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng in a press conference earlier today.

Lim, who lodged a report at the Sentul police district headquarters, claimed that over 60 cars have been confiscated by Bukit Aman’s disciplinary division. It is believed that the syndicate has been operating for at least two years.

Lim claimed that the fact that the disciplinary unit was looking into the case showed that police are investigating their own men.

“The only role of the (disciplinary) unit is to investigate police wrongdoings. Under normal circumstances, stolen car cases are under a different department,” he told FMT.

Lim said he has been receiving more than 15 complaints from used-car dealers from Selayang, Serdang, and Kepong since December last year.

“The latest complaint – from Setiawan, Perak – prompted me to lodge the report today because we now have documents to prove that the police may be involved in foul play,” he said.

He said that another owner was robbed of his Mercedes C200 Compressor on March 13, 2009, and had lodged a police report and made an insurance claim.

“An undated letter from an Inspector Saiful Irwan Abdul Hamid from the CID department in Ampang Jaya district police headquarters stated that the car was found and returned to the owner, but he never got back his car,” said Lim.


Chassis number

A senior officer from Ampang Jaya confirmed that there was an officer by the same name.
Instead, a second-hand car dealer, Pang Koo Tak, from Setiawan had bought the same car but it had been refitted with a different registration number.

“However, Pang was shocked when the car was confiscated on Jan 19 this year by a police officer named Razlam Ab Hamid from the Bukit Aman disciplinary department. He was told the chassis number was the same as that of the stolen vehicle,” said Lim.

Pang then approached Lim to help get back the car as he was still servicing the car loan.
Lim questioned if RTD and Puspakom were involved as the departments had cleared the car given by the syndicate for inspection.

He said many of the used-car dealers who came to him told him that they had checked with all the relevant departments, including the police, RTD and insurance companies and found that the cars were not blacklisted.

Lim said that as a result, car buyers, used-car sellers and insurance companies are suffering.
Meanwhile, MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Michael Chong said he has also received similar complaints.

PSD scholarship is for first degree study

Not everybody will get to study overseas, says Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.

KUALA LUMPUR: Public Service Department (PSD) scholarships which are given to students obtaining 8A+ are for first degree studies either at home or abroad, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak said.

Top scorers who were offered to undergo matriculation and diploma courses would be given scholarships when they further their studies at the first degree level, the prime minister said.

“We can’t promise that everybody will get to study overseas,” he told a news conference after chairing the Umno supreme council meeting at Menara Dato Onn, here today.

“This is what the people sometimes misunderstand… they think that when they take diploma or matriculation, they will no longer be given PSD scholarships.

“This is not true,” he said when asked to comment on claims of irregularities in the award of scholarships by the PSD.

There will be 4,000 scholarships to be given to those who obtained at least 9A. Of the total, 1,500 will be for study abroad and the rest for study in the country.

The prime minister said he had asked Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Aziz to discuss the issue with the PSD and other Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties.

Najib was also asked on the proposal by the Election Commission (EC) to ban mobile phones at vote tallying centres to prevent leakage of unofficial results.

Najib, who is Umno president, said: “I think it’s better for the EC to think this over; the EC is the election authority and it’s an independent body.”

EC chairman Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof was reported to have said this week that the EC was considering banning the use of mobile phone in such centres or requiring owners to sign sworn declarations against any broadcast of unofficial election results.

Abdul Aziz said counting of votes might also be held much later even if there were polling centres being closed much earlier to prevent unofficial election results from being leaked out.
- Bernama

Tampil pelaku mirip Anwar, Rolls Royce jadi habuan

Tawaran itu dibuat oleh Pengerusi Parti Kesejahteraan Tanah Air (Kita) Kedah, Zamil Ibrahim.

PETALING JAYA: Orang ramai ditawarkan sebuah kereta mewah jenis Rolls Royce jika dapat membawa seorang yang mirip Ketua Pembangkang Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yang kononnya didakwa sebagai  pelaku klip video seks.

Tawaran itu dibuat oleh Pengerusi Parti Kesejahteraan Tanah Air (Kita) Kedah, Zamil Ibrahim memandangkan Anwar sebelum ini menafikan bahawa dirinya adalah pelaku dalam klip video berkenaan.

Bagaimanapun menurut Zamil tawaran itu akan berakhir 10 Jun depan dan tiga orang panel khas akan dijemput untuk membuat penilaian bagi mengesahkan pelaku itu.

Zamil berkata tiga penel termasuklah ahli perniagaan Datuk Shazryl Eskay Abdullah, Presiden Kita Datuk Zaid Ibrahim dan bekas Ketua Angkatan Muda Keadilan yang juga Senator Dewan Negara Ezam Mohd Nor.
Menurut Zamil, ketiga-tiga panel itu akan dijemput untuk mengesahkan entiti pelaku itu memandangkan mereka merupakan kenalan rapat Anwar.

“Anwar beri kenyataan bahawa pelaku dalam video seks itu bukan dia, muka hanya mirip saya. Anwar sendiri bermati-matian menafikan bahawa dia adalah pelakunya.

“Siapa yang mirip dia kalau pelaku itu adalah dia? Maka parti Kita Kedah nak tamatkan sandiwara Anwar…..dia tidak mahu mengaku sedangkan polis sudah kata video adalah tulen. Tapi Anwar tetap dengan sandiwaranya dengan buat laporan polis yang palsu.

Zamil menjelaskan beliau bertindak sedemikian untuk menamatkan kontroversi yang masih berpanjangan mengenai ‘siapa’ pelaku dalam video seks tersebut.

Beliau turut mencabar Anwar mahupun penyokong setia PKR untuk menampilkan pelaku yang mirip dengan pemimpin pembangkang itu.

“Saya cabar Anwar agar bercakap benar mengenai hal ini. Janganlah sentiasa berbohong sepanjang hidupnya. Hanya penyokong beliau yang masih tidak buka mata sedangkan hakikatnya rakyat sudah bosan dengan perlakuan peribadi Anwar ini.

“Maka saya tawarkan kereta Rolls Rocyce milik saya kepada mana-mana individu yang dapat menampilkan pelaku yang mirip seperti Anwar.

“Saya jemput penyokong-penyokong setia PKR serta Anwar sendiri untuk tampilkan pelaku dalam video seks itu sebagai bukti kepada penafiannya,” katanya kepada FMT.

‘Win-win deal’: Vigneswaran reveals why

The MIED suit has been settled, and the critics rained accusations on him. But the former MIC Youth chief says he did what was best for the education arm.

KUALA LUMPUR: Former MIC Youth chief SA Vigneswaran who initiated the RM100 million suit against MIED chairman S Samy Vellu and seven other trustees has defended his decision to opt for a “win-win formula”.

Vigneswaran said he decided to look into the matter seriously immediately after the Federal Court on April 5 granted leave to Samy Vellu and the trustees to appeal against the June 14 decision of the Kuala Lumpur High Court to grant leave to him (Vigneswaran) to name the MIC education arm as the plaintiff.

“If I lose at the Federal Court, the entire case at the High Court will be thrown out and nothing will come out from the effort that went in for more than a year,” he told FMT.

He said when his legal team was offered the “win-win formula” to settle the dispute out of court, Vigneswaran said he decided to accept it even if it meant giving up on some of his earlier demands.
“This settlement is not like any other settlement, where one goes to court and withdraws the suit. It only can be withdrawn with leave of court and that is what happened. We gave the reason for the withdrawal at the same court which granted us leave to intiate this action (the suit),” he added.

He explained that it meant that the court found the terms reasonable and in the interest of MIED.
Among the settlements recorded at the High Court yesterday were:

• MIED board agrees to let Vigneswaran sit on the board as an observer for a year;
• MIED shall implement one-year order to stop blacklisting MIED students to enable them to repay their loan and the interest to be fixed at 4%;
• repayment of loans to start from the date of their employment or six months after their graduation;
• MIED board to stop a scheduled procedure for study loan approvals;
• to appoint Deloitte Corporate Solutions Sdn Bhd as the management consultants/management accountants for MIED ; and
• full disclosure of major transactions and matters relating to MIED at board meetings.

‘Critics can say what they want’

On the issue of backdoor deals including the speculation that he was “bought over”, Vigneswaran said if he had wanted to do that he would have done it when Samy Vellu brought him back into the party last October.
“They can make whatever allegations against me over this, my conscience is clear. The critics should bear in mind that Vigneswaran is not the only member of MIED but Vigneswaran was the only member who did something about it,” he said.

Since the day he initiated the suit, Vigeswaran said he had consistently stated that it was not to seek revenge but to ensure that MIED was managed properly.

“The crux of the matter is simple. There were some wrongdoings and weaknesses in MIED and I succeded in exposing them and now I have been given the chance to be observer in the board for a year to ensure such things do not recur,” he said.

He said there were occasions where employees of MIED “hijacked” money and this should not happen again.
Vigneswaran also said with the terms of settlement, there would be more transparency. “The board’s decisions in future will be collective and no more unilateral decisions,” he added.

MIED filed the summons after the High Court on June 14 last year allowed Vigneswaran’s application to name MIED as the plaintiff in its proposed suit against the chairman and trustees.

The ex-MIC Youth chief had sought the court’s permission to initiate the suit under Section 181A of the Companies Act 1965.

This section requires a company seeking to be a plaintiff in a suit to first get the court’s permission.
In the suit filed on July 5, last year, he named Samy Vellu, G Palanivel, M Mahalingam, Dr T Marimuthu, SK Ampikaipakam, Karnail Singh Nijhar, K Kumaran and G Vadiveloo and audit firm Kumpulan Naga.

‘Attack on Shi’ites a diversion tactic’

Islamic authorities and the Malay mainstream media have joined forces to attack the Shi'ite community, a leader said.

PETALING JAYA: Raids conducted against the Shi’ite Islamic community are nothing more than a distraction from the bigger picture, a local organisation said.

Ar-Ridha director Mohd Kamilzuhairi Abdul Aziz said that the Selangor Islamic Department (JAIS) had more pressing concerns than harrassing Shi’ite believers.
“JAIS’ actions are seen as an effort to shift public opinion from the increasing social problems that it is unable to overcome,” he said in a press statement.

Kamilzuhairi claimed that there were over 250,000 babies born out of wedlock; a number that was on the rise.

“JAIS also has to curb the widespread use of alcohol,” he said, adding that Malaysians were some of the heaviest drinkers in the world.

He said that JAIS should have had its hands full tackling social problems, but was wasting its time attacking the Shi’ite community.

He also warned that persecution by the state went against resolutions drafted by the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) which supported the Shi’ite school of thought.

On May 24, a group of JAIS officials and police officers gatecrashed a Gombak celebration organised by the Shi’ite community.

Although given official permission with assurances that it was not a religious Shi’ite event, the authorities were nevertheless relentless.

Four Shi’ite community leaders were also arrested.
Kamilzuhairi also took a swipe at the Malay mainstream media for their negative portrayal of the Shi’ite community.

He said that Berita Harian, Kosmo and Utusan Malaysia had labelled Shi’ite beliefs as “deviant teachings” or as “serious threats”.

These included a May 25 Kosmo headline that read: “Deviant groups practise contract marriage”; a message Kamilzuhairi described as slander.

A vote against Barisan Nasional is a vote against…….

Barisan Nasional has still not learnt its lesson. Racism no longer works. Okay, maybe a few small-brained people are still gullible enough. But that group is getting smaller and smaller. Malaysians are becoming more internet-savvy and are no longer ‘frogs under a coconut shell’ like in the past. There is an expiry date on racism and that expiry date is getting closer.
NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin
MCA sticks to its 'no govt posts' call if party performs poorly in polls
(The Star) - The MCA will stick to its 'no government posts at all levels' call, if the party performs poorly in the next general election, said president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.
He said some quarters in the Chinese community had expressed their worries that they would have nowhere to go for help if MCA was not in the Government.
"We are not so fickle-minded. MCA has the integrity, courage and political morality to keep its words.”
"If you still need us in the Government, you have to support us," he told a press conference here Thursday after a dialogue session with Chinese guilds and associations.
Dr Chua, backed by the party's presidential council, had recently called for MCA to give up government posts if the Chinese community did not support its candidates in the general election.

***********************************

Disgruntled members urged to return to Umno
(Bernama) - Umno members who feel marginalised or hurt by the party should rise above such feelings and return to the party's fold to help with the ongoing political and government transformation process.
Party vice-president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said their contributions were needed to support prime minister and Umno president Najib Abdul Razak's push to turn Malaysia into a developed nation of high income.
He said Najib's approach was different from the ones taken by previous leaders and, for this reason, party members who felt marginalised, unwanted or hurt should return to the party.
The same goes for members who had previously been suspended from Umno or even those who had joined the opposition, he told reporters after opening the Alor Setar Umno divisional meeting in Alor Setar today.
"Others may have felt disappointed over not being chosen as election candidates.
"A study conducted following our experience in Perak in the 2008 general election which saw Umno losing seven seats showed that this was 100 per cent due to dissatisfaction among Umno members. Some had even sabotaged the party," he said.
Ahmad Zahid, who is defence minister, said experience would show that a decision made when a person was angry, sad or under pressure would not be an accurate one.
He recalled his own experience of being an Umno Youth chief without any government post.
"In Umno, we need to have resilience and competitiveness. We can already see changes among those who have opened up their minds," he said.
He said it was impossible for the government to achieve its goals without political supremacy and support from all Malaysians.
"Umno members must lead the way in casting aside feelings of hurt and dissatisfation," he added.

***********************************

Can you see the game they are playing?
The Chinese Barisan Nasional leaders are telling the Chinese community that if they do not vote MCA then they are not going to have any Chinese representatives in the government.
The Malay Barisan Nasional leaders are telling the Malays that if the Malays do not want to become slaves and second-class citizens in their own country then all Malays must unite under Umno.
The Indian Barisan Nasional leaders are telling the Indian community that…actually I don’t know what the hell MIC is telling the Indian community because I don’t speak Tamil.
Anyway, it’s all about race. And they are even using religious leaders or ustaz and imams to spread the message of hate through sermons and talks. (See here: http://www.malaysia-today.net/component/content/article/58-video/40691-ustaz-kazim-elias-kutuk-cina-india-berita-hairan-online-).
And this is not an isolated case mind you. It is happening all over the country, even in the Kamunting Detention Centre (and I should know since I have been there).
In fact, one of the allegations against me, which resulted in my detention, is that I had insulted Islam. And the ‘proof’ that was used against me was my article about the mosques spreading hate sermons.
Barisan Nasional has still not learnt its lesson. Racism no longer works. Okay, maybe a few small-brained people are still gullible enough. But that group is getting smaller and smaller. Malaysians are becoming more internet-savvy and are no longer ‘frogs under a coconut shell’ like in the past. There is an expiry date on racism and that expiry date is getting closer.
When next you go out to vote just remember that:
A vote against Barisan Nasional is a vote against racism.
A vote against Barisan Nasional is a vote against religious extremism and manipulation.
A vote against Barisan Nasional is a vote against sacrilege against Islam and the abuse of Islam for political gains.
A vote against Barisan Nasional is a vote against corruption, mismanagement and abuse of power.
A vote against Barisan Nasional is a vote against persecution and discrimination.
A vote against Barisan Nasional is a vote against gambling the future of our children and grandchildren.
A vote against Barisan Nasional is a vote against corrupt and lying politicians.
A vote against Barisan Nasional is a vote against distortion of the truth and manipulation of the media.
A vote against Barisan Nasional is a vote against the violation of the Federal Constitution of Malaysia.
A vote against Barisan Nasional is a vote against a manipulated and non-independent judiciary.
A vote against Barisan Nasional is a vote against the use of all the instruments of government to stifle dissent and opposition.
A vote against Barisan Nasional is a vote against a fraudulent, unfair and unclean election.
A vote against Barisan Nasional is a vote against the stifling of a civil society.
A vote against Barisan Nasional is a vote against…well, why not you fill in this last one, which I sure many of you are capable of.

Skandal Scorpene: Peguam Perancis Akan Tiba Ke Malaysia

Dari Keadilan Daily

Peguam Perancis yang mewakili Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) dijangka tiba ke Kuala Lumpur lewat Jun atau Julai untuk memberi taklimat mengenai perkembangan terbaru skandal pembelian dua kapal selam Scorpene.

Suaram mewakili rakyat Malaysia memfailkan aduan terhadap DCNS pada Disember 2009, di mahkamah Paris kerana aktiviti rasuah dalam urusan pembelian berkenaan.

Suaram juga mengesyaki wang sogokan berjumlah ratusan juta di sebalik transaksi berkenaan, yang butirannya cuba disembunyikan pentadbiran Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Menurut laporan Malaysia Chronicles, peguam berkenaan akan memberi taklimat kepada warga Malaysia di beberapa tempat.

Namun tidak dapat dipastikan samada peguam Joseph Brehem yang tiba ke sini April tahun lalu akan turut hadir.

Akhbar Suara Keadilan baru-baru ini mendedahkan dua lagi bayaran komisen berjumlah RM32.5 juta, selain RM493 juta yang didedah lebih awal dalam proses pembelian dua kapal selam Scorpene.

Dua komisen itu terbongkar selepas pihak berkuasa Perancis memperoleh dokumen hasil serbuan ke atas DNCS, syarikat yang membina dan menjual kapal selam kepada negara ketiga termasuk Malaysia.

Sebelum ini, sebuah laman web Perancis, Rue89 mendedahkan, syarikat Perancis, Armaris tidak pernah membayar Perimekar RM493 juta, sebaliknya dibayar kerajaan Malaysia sendiri.

Perimekar Sdn Bhd adalah syarikat milik isteri Abdul Razak Baginda, Mazlinda Makhzan. Abdul Razak merupakan kenalan rapat Najib yang terlepas dari kes pembunuhan kejam warga Monggolia, Altantuya Shaariibuu pada 2006.

Perjanjian pembelian dua kapal selam Scorpene bernilai berbillion dollar itu dimeterai Najib ketika menjadi Menteri Pertahanan pada 2002.

Pada April tahun lalu, seorang ahli perundangan Perancis, Joseph Breham memfail aduan di mahkamah Perancis berhubung skandal pembelian dua kapal selam Scorpene kepada kerajaan Malaysia.

Pengarah Urusetia Suaram, Cynthia Gibrael turut mendedahkan dua tiket penerbangan yang disahkan atas nama Abdul Razak dan Altantuya, ke Malta, sebenarnya melibatkan seorang lagi individu ketiga.

“Siasatan mendapati Gifen- sebuah subsyarikat kepada DCNS berpengkalan di Malta, berperanan sebagai pembuat bayaran. Mereka jumpa bayaran e-tiket melibatkan Razak baginda, Altantuya dan seorang lagi,” kata Cynthia.

BN Not Worried About Facing Separate Elections - Najib

KUALA LUMPUR, May 27 (Bernama) -- Barisan Nasional (BN) is not worried over the possibility of facing a separate election should the opposition-held states refuse to dissolve their state assemblies, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said.

"We cannot determine what they can do; we can only determine what we can do.

"So, I'm not worried about what they will do because I cannot control their actions. I will only give serious consideration to things that I can do," he told a media conference after chairing the Umno Supreme Council meeting at the party's headquarters Friday.

Najib said that under the Federal Constitution, state governments could advise the sultan or the Yang Dipertua Negeri whether or not to dissolve their state assemblies.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng had previously said that states under the opposition pact would not dissolve their state assemblies if the federal government was to dissolve parliament this year.

Talk: Filming the marginalised

The guest speakers this Saturday are Anjali Monteiro and KP Jayasankar, Professors at the Centre for Media and Cultural Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. Both of them are involved in media production, teaching, and research.

Their presentation explores the treacherous and slippery terrain that documentary filmmakers (as well as researchers and activists) have to negotiate in speaking of/for/with the marginalised. Apart from the ethics and politics of representation, there is also the vexed issue of using the image as evidence. Using excerpts from films, the presentation will discuss these issues, hoping in the process to share some insights and dilemmas that are thrown up in any encounter between public intellectuals and the marginalised.
About the speakers:
Anjali Monteiro and KP Jayasankar have jointly won 21 national and international awards for their films, including the Prix Futura Berlin 1995 Asia Prize for Identity and Best Documentary Award at the Three Continents International Festival of Documentaries, Venezuela. Their work has also been screened widely, at film festivals, on Indian and overseas television networks and at universitites and institutions across the world. They are both recipients of the Howard Thomas Memorial Fellowship in Media Studies, and have been attached to Goldsmith’s College, London, and the University of Western Sydney.
Date: 28 May 2011 (Saturday)
Time: 10.00am – 1.00pm
Venue: University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus KL Teaching Centre, Level 2, Chulan Tower, Jalan Conlay, Kuala Lumpur.
For further information and registration, kindly contact Ms Agnes Irene Selvaragi at Agnes.Selvaragi@nottingham.edu.my or Mr Ng Eng Kiat at EngKiat.Ng@nottingham.edu.my

New airstrikes pound Libya's capital

(CNN) -- Another night of NATO airstrikes on the Libyan capital began late Thursday, with a tribal site near central Tripoli the target of the latest attacks, a Libyan official said.

Five explosions, most large enough to shake buildings some distance away, struck Tripoli shortly before 11:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m. ET). The Libyan official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the target was the tribal compound at Bab Al-Azizya, about 2 kilometers (1.3 miles) from the center of Tripoli.
CNN could not independently confirm the report.

The site is a former military base now used to welcome tribal visitors to Tripoli, offering them guest houses during their stay, the official said. It has been used as a center for people volunteering to support Libyan authorities since the revolt against longtime strongman Moammar Gadhafi erupted in February.

NATO began bombing Libya on March 31, under a U.N. mandate to protect civilians during the fighting between government forces and rebels who have seized most of eastern Libya.

NATO member Spain said Thursday that Libya had sent a message to Madrid and other European capitals, listing "a series of proposals that could lead to a cease-fire," but the allies have so far rebuffed earlier Libyan proposals for an end to the fighting.

Muslim divorces hit all-time high in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, May 27 — Muslim couples get divorced every 15 minutes in Malaysia, a startling number that has the government worried, the Singapore Straits Times reported today.

The latest statistics from the Islamic Development Department (Jakim) showed there were 27,116 divorces in 2009, up from 17,749 in 2005.

The paper said divorce rates among Muslims are now at an all-time high, making up about 82 per cent of total divorces in Malaysia, though Malay Muslims comprise 60 per cent of the population.

Divorce cases among well-known Malays often make headlines. Last year, popular actress Maya Karin (picture) announced she and her British husband Steven Shorthose were divorcing after just two years. Earlier this month, Mahmud Abu Bekir Taib, son of Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, divorced his wife of 19 years, Shahnaz Majid, due to irreconcilable differences. Shahnaz is seeking an eye-popping RM400 million in the divorce.

Jakim said irreconcilable differences — which it defined as “disrespectful towards spouse, communication problems, selfishness, laziness, unwilling to help and psychological issues” — were one of the top factors for Muslim divorces.

The department provided a laundry list of other reasons including irresponsible spouses, health, sexual, social and financial problems, third-party interference, religious background and cultural differences.
However, it did not break out polygamy as a factor — Muslim men are allowed four wives — though such issues could fall under third-party interference or irresponsible spouses.

The Straits Times also reported that the government blames the rising divorce rate on neglect of Islamic teachings. “If they can’t even perform their five daily prayers, imagine how hard it is for them to carry out their duties and roles as husband and wife,” it quoted Datuk Mashitah Ibrahim, deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, as saying last month.

Those who have gone through divorce, however, blame the breakdown of their marriages on the strains of modern life.

“There isn’t any effective communication between spouses, especially when both are working and have children,” it quoted a 40-year-old advertising director, who is divorcing her unfaithful husband after 15 years of marriage, as saying. “They are busy with their own lives and their children’s lives.”

A 37-year-old business planning manager said his wife asked for a divorce after nine years because he was “too busy with work”. They also found it “tough” to live in Kuala Lumpur on his RM5,000 monthly salary, the Straits Times reported him as saying.

The newspaper also said younger couples appear at greater risk of divorce. In 2009, the most recent numbers available, separations were common among couples aged between 25 and 30 in Terengganu. The reasons they gave included body odour, humdrum sex and boring sleepwear.

It reported syariah lawyer Halimatunsa’diah Abu Ahmad as saying that many couples, particularly younger ones, do not understand each other’s obligations. “They are spoon-fed and expect to be rewarded all the time,” she said. “They expect people to do everything for them.”

The Facebook social networking site is a common cause of break-ups, she noted: “For every five divorce cases I see, two or three will have been caused by Facebook. That is where they rekindle their old relationships with their first girlfriend or boyfriend,” the newspaper quoted her as saying.

The Straits Times said Jakim is planning a campaign to create more awareness on the roles of spouses, parenting skills, family education and how to handle finances. Troubled couples may also seek counselling from state religious departments. Muslim couples already go through three-day pre-marriage courses.
But some feel the new campaign will not do much. The 40-year-old art director said: “Any initiative by the government in the form of education has many advantages. But I don’t think it has anything to do with religion or faith per se. It’s a society problem.”

Truth buried in the printed pages

The mainstream newspapers are the voice of their political masters and this has seen the growth of the alternative media.

COMMENT

Not so long ago “don’t believe all that you read in the newspaper” was said in jest. Now, unfortunately there is a ring of truth to this statement.
Ask just about anyone what they think about the mainstream media and chances are you will get a look of disgust. The mainstream media is owned by political parties and their glossed-over news coverage has given rise to the alternative media.
The Barisan Nasional (BN) has a stake in all the country’s premier’ newspapers such as New Straits Times (NST), The Star, Utusan Malaysia, Tamil Nesan and Sin Chiew Jit Poh through its investment companies
The Utusan Melayu Group is owned by Umno and publishes three Malay language dailies.
The major English newspapers, The Star and New Straits Times, are also owned by the political parties. The Star is owned by the MCA while NST is owned by Umno. Besides The Star, MCA also controls four other dailies – Sin Chew Jit Poh, Nanyang Siang Pau, China Press and Guang Ming Daily.
Private interests aligned with the MIC control Tamil newspapers such as Makkal Osai and Tamil Nesan.
Under such tight leash, the mainstream media are left with no space to engage in a fair and free reporting. They end up parroting all that the government of the day says.
Take, for example, the incident in 1995 where an investigative team from The Sun newspaper investigated the circumstances leading to the deaths of 59 detainees, mostly Bangladeshis, in an illegal immigration detention camp. These detainees died of beri-beri, a symptom of malnutrition and typhoid, which is easily preventable.
The team’s report stating that it was a case of criminal neglect on the part of the police who ran the camp was spiked hours before it went to print.
Bias reporting continues

More recently, the lopsided reporting by the mainstream media was evident during Sarawak’s April 16 state election. The NST had nothing but only “nice” things to report about BN, including why the people should dismiss the opposition alliance of Pakatan Rakyat.
But what the NST did is nothing new. Be it the by-elections or general election, these mainstream newspapers do a good job of serving their political masters and betraying the trust of their readers.
The NST is not the only culprit. The government-owned Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) channels have long forgotten the importance of reporting without fear or favour.
RTM1’s Berita Wilayah aired at 5pm daily is a classic example of how reporting is manipulated by the “powers that be”. The one-hour news has all things good to say about the BN government’s “remarkable” job in serving the people when the truth really is otherwise.
Likewise, the television stations including those owned by Media Prima do not have the guts to report the truth. At best, they do a fantastic job of glossing over BN and condemning the opposition parties.
Media Prima Bhd, by the way, is a subsidiary media corporation that controls several television networks, newspapers, and radio stations and is linked to Umno.
Media Prima also controls English newspapers such as NST and Malay Mail, as well as Malay papers like Berita Harian.
Just as bad is the national news agency, Bernama, which has trespassed all sense of accountability it has to the public by manipulating the truth. Because of this, the government propaganda organ has to work very hard to earn its long-lost respect from the public.
The business of restoring public trust has been taken over by the online media which has gone on to reveal all the dirt previously swept under the carpet by the mainstream media.
Mainstream media vs credibility
The biggest culprit that keeps harming racial unity among Malaysians is none other than Utusan Malaysia.
On May 7, the newspaper published a front-page report alleging that Christianity was moving in to replace Islam as the official religion. The article which relied solely on postings by bloggers is akin to adding salt to injury, causing great unrest among the people with its false reporting.
Clearly, the Utusan management has taken the “tabloid” approach, sensationalising issues for the sake of selling its no-longer saleable newspaper.
Prior to this, Utusan Malaysia made a call for 1Melayu, 1Bumi which caused a furore among the non-Malays. When pressured on the matter, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak feigned ignorance on the gravity of the issue, saying the article was the personal opinion of the writer.
On April 20, Utusan Malaysia assistant editor-in-chief Zaini Hassan wrote in his column “Cuit” that the Malay community and the non-governmental organisations can only unite if they come together under the “1Melayu, 1Bumi” banner.
Zaini’s writing bases its logic on DAP’s success in uniting the Chinese when the party won 12 out of 15 seats it contested in the Sarawak state election on April 16.
However, the “1Melayu, 1Bumi” concept Zaini writes of will further wear out the spirit of muhibbah between Malaysians of different races. Does Zaini know something the rest of the Malaysians do not, where unity is concerned?
What then about Najib’s 1Malaysia propaganda? Does Utusan Malaysia have no faith in it? Or does Najib care less if Utusan keeps spinning the racism wheel.
Respect readers feelings
If Utusan Malaysia finds it advantageous to play the racial game, the NST, on the other hand, places little discretion on the headings used to describe a story. Its recent report dated April 18 stated “Besut boot camp for 66 sissies”.
Could the report not have relied on the term “effeminate” instead of “sissies” knowing fully well the deep-rooted prejudice society has against these people?
By using the term “sissies”, the newspaper concerned has only made matters worse, affirming public perception that such boys need “help”.
Is this newspaper not guilty of perpetuating the stigma and prejudice faced by the marginalised communities when its choice of word only serves to discriminate instead of create awareness?
The scenario seems to be that the mainstream media is devoid of compassion when touching on issues concerning marginalised communities. No thought is given to the choice of words used so long as it catches the readers’ attention.
Instead of educating the readers, the mainstream media has for a long time been denying them their right to know the truth. In fact, they have abdicated their responsibilty to tell the truth.

Too many top scorers, not enough scholarships

'Perhaps the major problem is not there are too few scholarships, but too many applicants from an examination that have too many top scorers.'

High achiever's PSD scholarship dreams dashed

Wfworker: While I sympathise with parents with 'brilliant' children, I like to relate two incidents regarding my friends' children.

One parent expressed her surprise over her son's achievement of 5As at the recent SPM examination. The reason being that he had failed in all his subjects at the school trial examination.

Another mother had been complaining that the son was performing equally bad during the school's trial but his result was 9As.

Hence, my apprehension for the nation when As are just churned out by the examination board. Surely the school teachers can't be setting that much higher standard than the syllabus demanded.

Hann Wei Toh: I checked the Singapore PSC (Public Service Commission) scholarship website - it looks like it gives about 90 scholarships every year. I suppose O Level candidates are not eligible.

The Malaysian PSD (Public Service Department) gives about 300 merit-based scholarship to SPM/O Level holders every year, plus several hundred that takes income and other factors into account.

The numbers seem comparable based on the population sizes, though the latter have lower requirements (SPM/O Levels, instead of A Levels).

Perhaps the major problem is not there are too few scholarships, but too many applicants from an examination that has too many top scorers.

Bangsamalaysia: My son scored perfect 10As out of the 10 subjects he sat for. He also played for Malaysia in the junior world cup for his chosen sport.

He wanted to study medicine overseas under a PSD scholarship. He was rejected with no alternative offers. There was no explanation given.

I took the case to S Samy Vellu, then MIC president, because he made a press statement that MIC would appeal to the education minister and help deserving students. Complete bullshit.

My son was completely devastated because his bumiputera friends and even Indian Muslim friends with lesser results were offered several countries to choose from. Imagine his frustration at this unfair system.

He has gone on to graduate from a top university overseas with his family's support. Do you think he will come back and serve here?

BernieBaby: At 20 , I was an incumbent Computer Engineering student in USM, Penang and they asked me 'how many seats are there in the Dewan Rakyat' during my PSD interview. I replied that I didn't know.

They accused me of not being a true Malaysian and didn't deserve a government scholarship.

So there you go. Singapore will be a better place for Malaysian talents. Besides you can get more income and stay in Johor Bahru, just like I do now.

Don't worry Heamanthaa Padmanaban, you will have the last laugh.

Simpang 4: Where is Minister in the PM's Department Nazri Abdul Aziz now? Are the civil servants becoming the disobedient implementors of government policies?

Is the cabinet in control of the government? It is time the chief secretary crack the whip on recalcitrant government servants before the rakyat become disillusioned.

Joker: We don't hear any sob stories from Malay students but funnily, that clown, Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali, said that it is the Malays who lose out in the scholarships.

If the PSD has the guts and confidence in their selection criteria, then let us see the final list of students of who gets what scholarship to study where and what course. Throw in the results obtained by these students as well.

I don't think such an information should be under OSA (Official Secrets Act) nor is this considered as 'politicising' the issue. This is just plain transparency and fairness. Berani kerana benar, takut kerana salah.

Ben Hor: This is yet another 'government' handout to the bumiputeras. I've personally know someone who received a full government scholarship to attend a university in the US.

He did not achieve outstanding results for his SPM, 6As out of 10 subjects. He received the scholarship only because he had an 'inside connection'.

To Ibrahim Ali and Co, scholarships are not a Malay right, but the right for all Malaysians for stellar performance. Go create your own 'Perkasa Scholarship Fund' if you want it to be exclusive.

Makcik Har: PSD should stop giving scholarships after SPM. There are a lot of students with a collection of distinctions but can't carry out a decent argument or conversation.

Besides I don't trust the passing mark of the Malaysian Examination Syndicate. Somebody suggested 35 percent.

The Education Ministry should make everybody go to Form Six and do the STPM. Then give scholarships to the top achievers regardless of race.

TehTarik: The so-called PSD interview is a farce. When my daughter was called for the interview, there were six candidates being interviewed simultaneously by the interviewer for about 15 minutes.

My impression was that a decision had already been made to select the candidates before the interview. It is also said that some less deserving but politically well-connected candidates are also given scholarships.

Anonymous_5fb: Would Heamanthaa be able to meet Prime Minister Najib Razak to get a scholarship like what Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan did? What was Saiful's examination results then when he met Najib?

Don't Wait Till Last Minute To Register As Voters, 3.9 Million Told

KUALA LUMPUR, May 26 (Bernama) -- The 3.9 million Malaysians aged 21 and above have been advised to register as voters fast so as not to affect their chances of voting in the coming general election.

Election Commission (EC) chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said the advice was given as the process for voting eligibility would take two to three months.

"Malaysians like to do things at the last minute, whether it's paying utility bills, assessment rates or traffic summonses. So I urge that they register as voters immediately when they've reached the voting age," he said in an exclusive interview with Bernama.

Abdul Aziz said the process began with registration, displaying the electoral roll, the objection process, public investigation, appeal against the objection, gazetting the electoral roll, and combining the supplementary electoral roll with the electoral master roll.

He said that until February this year, 15,784,484 Malaysians aged 21 and above were eligible to register as voters and out of this number, 11,811,452 had done so.

"The remaining 3,973,032 or 25.2 per cent have not registered as voters."

Abdul Aziz said the EC had finished displaying the supplementary electoral roll for the first quarter of 2011 from April 28 to May 4 at 1,005 locations nationwide.

"In that quarter, 360,246 people had applied to register as voters, comprising 301,171 new applications and 59,075 for change of polling centre address."

He said the number would increase when the supplementary electoral roll for the 1/2011 quarter was confirmed and combined with the electoral master roll.

Bosnia genocide suspect Ratko Mladic arrested in Serbia

(CNN) -- Ratko Mladic, the onetime Bosnian Serb commander accused of presiding over Europe's worst massacre since World War II, was in custody Thursday after more than 15 years in hiding, Serbia's president announced.

Mladic was the highest-ranking war crimes suspect to remain at large from the wars that accompanied the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s. He was arrested in the Serbian town of Lazarevo after a three-year investigation, President Boris Tadic said in a dramatic and hastily announced news conference in Belgrade.

"All war criminals must face justice," Tadic said. He refused to give more details about the operation but said Serbian authorities continue to probe "who aided and abetted Mladic ... and those people will face justice."

Mladic, now 69, led Bosnian Serb forces during the 1992-95 war that followed Bosnia-Herzegovina's secession from Yugoslavia. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia has charged him with leading a genocidal campaign against Bosnia's Muslim and Croat populations and with having "direct involvement" in the 1995 killings of nearly 8,000 men and boys in the Muslim enclave of Srebrenica.

He was transferred from Lazarevo, about 80 km (50 miles) north of Belgrade, to courthouse in the capital for a preliminary hearing after his arrest, and the tribunal said it looked forward to his "expeditious transfer" to the Hague, Netherlands, for trial.

Once there, he will be allowed to enter a plea to the charges against him, which include genocide, crimes against humanity and violating the laws of war, according to a statement from the court.

"The arrest of Mladic is a milestone in the Tribunal's history and brings the institution closer to the successful completion of its mandate," the tribunal said. The sole remaining fugitive from the court is former Croatian Serb leader Goran Hadzic, "and the Tribunal hopes he will be arrested in the very near future."

Mladic is accused of leading a campaign of "ethnic cleansing," widespread killing, forcible deportations, torture, forced labor and physical, psychological and sexual violence during the Bosnian war. But he remains a hero to some of his former soldiers, said David Owen, a former European Union envoy to Yugoslavia, suggesting that his supporters had sheltered him in Serbia.

The international police agency Interpol praised the arrest as "a triumph for international justice." Interpol officials had met with Tadic in January to discuss closer cooperation in the hunt for war crimes suspects, the organization's secretary-general, Ronald Noble, said in a statement on Mladic's capture.

"After today's arrest, no one should doubt Serbia's commitment to the rule of law and justice," Noble said.

Tadic said the arrest will help the process of reconciliation throughout the Balkans and should pave the way for Serbia's entry into the EU. James Ker-Lindsay, a senior research fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science, called Thursday "an incredibly important day for Serbia."

"Ratko Mladic was the person to get hold of. This totally transforms Serbian prospects for getting into the European Union," he said.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton hailed the arrest as a victory for "the rule of law in Serbia" and praised Tadic and his government for "this courageous action."

Ashton called for the quick transfer of the suspect to the Netherlands for trial. But Tadic declined to say how long the extradition would take, explaining it was not up to him.

Mladic had been on the run since the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina ended in 1995. The Croatian newspaper Jutarnji List was the first to report his arrest, saying police were doing DNA tests on a suspect to determine whether he was the notorious former commander.

Mladic was the last fugitive from a triumvirate of Serbian leaders accused of genocide against Muslims and Croats as the three populations fought a brutal war over Yugoslav territory.

Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic was toppled in 2000 and sent to face charges in The Hague. He died in 2006 while the trial was still going on.

Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic was arrested in July 2008 and is now on trial in The Hague.

Karadzic was removed from power under the Dayton Peace accords that ended three years of brutal fighting. He went into hiding, grew a full white beard and long hair, and was working in an alternative medicine clinic in Belgrade -- right under the noses of authorities -- when he was captured.

Karadzic has insisted on defending himself at The Hague. Prosecutors accuse him of deliberately obstructing the trial with delaying tactics, and judges have threatened to impose a defense lawyer on him if he does not cooperate.

The Bosnian war was the longest of the conflicts spawned by the breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s. Backed by the Milosevic government, Bosnian Serb forces seized control of more than half the country and launched a campaign against the Muslim and Croat populations.

The United Nations declared Srebrenica to be a safe haven, and tens of thousands of Bosnian Muslims flooded in, expecting protection. But a small contingent of Dutch U.N. peacekeepers, lightly armed and aware that no reinforcements were coming, stood aside and allowed Mladic's troops to overrun Srebrenica, leading to the slaughter.

NATO intervened in the conflict, bombing Bosnian Serb military positions. The United States brought the leaders of the warring factions to an agreement in Dayton, Ohio, in 1995, bringing the violence to an end.