Praveen's BLoG

Under Construction!!

2009-02-17T11:52:00.001+08:00

Syed Albar extremist and big time liar!

2008-10-25T16:13:00.000+08:00

Hindraf leader P Waythamoorthy did not minced his words in attacking Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar for labelling the outlawed group as an extremist organisation.

MCPX

“The allegation that Hindraf is an extremist group and allegedly ... declare that Malays and Islam are their only enemy is absolutely ridiculous and a blatant lie,” said Waythamoorthy, who is currently in self-imposed exile in United Kingdom.

According to Waythamoorthy, the Hindu Rights Action Force “was never a religious body”.

“It only raises legitimate rights of Hindus and Indians to practise their religion in peace and quiet under the Federal Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

“We have always maintained we never have any problems with Malays and Muslims but we have serious problems with Umno, which is a bully, and practises racist and extremist divide-and-rule policies to survive and maintain its political rule in Malaysia,” said the Hindraf chairperson.

Syed Hamid, in an interview with Malaysiakini yesterday, said that Hindraf “advocates and propagates hatred”.

The minister, who last week declared Hindraf an illegal organisation, cited the speeches made in 338 demonstrations organised by the movement.

But Waythamoorthy challenged Syed Hamid to prove his accusations against Hindraf.

“Each and every Hindraf gathering and meetings are recorded and kept in a safe. We knew these and many other dirty and cheap methods would be used by Umno to demonise and paint an evil picture of Hindraf and were ready for the negative propaganda campaign especially when the entire state machinery and media are controlled by them.”

Syed Hamid denies lying

Earlier this week, Hindraf accused Syed Hamid of lying when he said that Waythamoorthy’s passport was not revoked five months ago.

The movement showed a document purportedly issued by British authorities confirming that the passport had been revoked by the Malaysian government.

On May 26, Syed Hamid said his ministry had been informed by the Immigration Department that the Malaysian international passport issued to Waythamoorthy "is still active in our passport and travel document system".

However, the minister conceded that there was previously a directive for Waythamoorthy to surrender his passport to the Malaysian High Commission in London.

After he was appointed home minister, Syed Hamid said he subsequently gave the order for the directive to be rescinded.

HISHAMMUDDIN - Pot Calling Kettle Black.

2008-10-21T17:50:00.001+08:00

Pot calling the kettle black. This timely advice to politicians to refrain from going overboard from someone who had no qualms brandishing a keris as a reminder.

KHAN YOU BELIEVE IT?

2008-10-21T17:45:00.001+08:00

Source: NORMAN FERNANDEZ

Absurdity is a virtue in Malaysia. How else can one describe Malacca’s decision to confer Datukship on Indian actor Shah Rukh Khan.

Years ago when I was at the Subang airport, a security guard beaconed a driver who had parked his Mercedes Benz right at the entrance of the main door to move on. Somehow the driver just refused to move and so the security guard walked to the driver and told him sternly to drive off. The driver protested saying that he was “tunggu Datuk” (waiting for Datuk). I chuckled pink when the guard told the driver “hello, Daud Kilau (a popular gelek singer) pun Datuk lah… jalanlah”. (Hello, even Daud Kilau is a Datuk.. just move on will ya..). The guard cared too hoots for Datuk’s.

Recently, a writer wrote in the NST, how at the waiting room of Institute Jantung Negara, when a nurse called out the patient “Datuk”, six Datuk’s actually got up !.

Malaysia, it would seem is teeming with Datuks and the running joke is if you were to throw a stone in Malacca, there is a very high possibility that the stone would strike a Datuk. I am confident sooner or later I will also obtain one (well maybe after 20 million other have got theirs).

So just what did Shah Rukh Khan do to deserve his Darjah Mulia Seri Melaka Datukship. According to Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam, the decision to confer the title was suggested to the Yang di Pertua Negeri Tun Mohd Khalil Yaakob by former Finance Minister Tun Daim Zainuddin. Apparently in 2001 the Bollywood heartthrob had shot a movie One Two Ka Four at A Famosa Resort, Alor Gajah Melaka. According to the Chief Minister that has resulted many people visiting Malacca.

Yesterday, was the investure ceremony but the actor did not attend the ceremony. Infact the great Khan was in Singapore for a Zee TV engagement. Apparently, Tun Daim is making arrangements to bring the actor here to receive his gong in a special ceremony. The great Khan must be really looking to the great day but before that he must once again look up in the map where the sleepy hollow is.

Now, if Shah Rukh Khan deserved the award, then other notables like Catherine Zeta Jones and Sean Connery who shot the movie Entrapment against the backdrop of Petronas Twin Tower, Chow Yuen Fatt in King and I shot around Ipoh and Jackie Chan who shot among other Police Story surely also deserves Datukship.

Datukships in Malaysia are too easily dished out. Add to the annual list which seems to grows each year, some Datuk’s are known to have obtained theirs from the Sulu rulers. Now, we have Datuks who are Yoga masters, to mini market owners to “besi buruk” businessmen added to the perenial list of politicians being rewarded more often than not for service to their political masters. Just read the congratulatory advertisement which appear in the neswspapers after each investure ceremonies and you would have an idea what their day job is. Mention also must be made of many lawyers who hardly have any time for service to the BAR but are Datuks by virtue of their public service in the east coast.

I believe it is high time that members of the public should also be allowed to nominate Malaysians who have distinguished themselves in the service for the people for consideration for such awards

They Wont Consider About Us!!!

2008-10-21T17:23:00.007+08:00

Dear Editor,

I’m currently teaching in a secondary school and I am totally dissatisfied with an issue so I am writing this complain hoping that it will make a difference. As most of you are aware of, we had just completed the PMR examinations throughout Malaysia. We as teachers also look forward to marking the PMR papers, as we will be able to gain experience and insights, which will be useful when conducting the Form 3 classes for the coming year.

However, all the hopes of Indian teachers are dashed to the ground as the meeting with the heads of the marking group is being held on the eve of Deepavali in some places. These meetings are held over a span of two to three days so that each group is able to discuss with their respective group leaders on issues concerning the marking of the papers. The examiners will also be given their scripts and briefed on the issues of marking. These meetings are essential and if they are held during the preparations for Deepavali, many Indian teachers will not be able to attend and thus they lose out as they won’t have the chance to mark the papers.

Some may argue that these meetings are not long, and the teachers will be able to attend the meeting and then go back home to continue with the preparations, but I ask you is it fair? Some of us are sent to different states away from our hometowns and we dedicate ourselves to our work but during the holidays we would like to spend time with our loved ones.

I’m not surprised that this sort of incident is taking place as we have come across many incidents like this over the years but I would seriously like to pose this question. Is this what we call BANGSA MALAYSIA? This ignorance of the celebration that is going to take place and the importance of this celebration to a small group of people who are a part of Malaysia.

I can only hope that things will get better and even though we are a small group of people we still contribute to the development of this nation and thus our voices should be heard. The meeting could have been held during the weekday since we already know beforehand when the examinations are going to take place and when it’s going to be over. There is no logical explanation on why the meeting is held on the eve of Deepavali unless it has been done on purpose.

DISAPPOINTED TEACHER

Maapuu Vechitayah ApppppU!!!! No Way We Are Doing It

2008-10-08T20:22:00.007+08:00

Setelah issue Hindraf di Rumah Terbuka oleh Perdana Menteri kita masih dipolitikan oleh pelbagai pihak terutamanya Utusan Malaysia and Menteri Dalam Negeri yang sangat di sanjungi oleh rakyat Malaysia. Pagi ini saya terkejut membaca berita "online" oleh The Star yang bertajuk MIC Loses Grip On Little India. Laporan akhbar tempatan menyatakan bahawa permohonan oleh Dato G. Rajoo untuk melaksanakan Malam Deepavali yang disambut gilang gemilang di Little India IPOH telah ditolak oleh EXCO Kerajaan Negeri A. Sivanesan.

Adakah tindakan Sivanesan wajar untuk menolak permohonan MIC? Pada padangan saya, permohonan MIC patut di tolak walaupun tindakan ini berbentuk balas dendam tetapi tindakan sivanesan boleh dikatakan "Sweet Revenge" balas dendam manis. Pihak MIC tidak langsung mengendahkan masyarakat india di negara ini. MIC telah membiarkan rakyat india di Malaysia terbantut dari segi ekonomi, pendidikan, sukan dan lain lain lagi. Pemimpian MIC tidak ada masa untuk menyelesaikan masalah rakyat india tetapi mempunyai masa untuk merompak negara. Lebih lebih lagi rasuah berleluasa di kalangan ahli.

Setelah Hindraf bangkit menentang kejahilan Samy Velu bersama UMNO terhadap masyarakat india di Malaysia. Hindraf mampu heret ratusan ribu orang protes kezaliman UMNO dan Samy Vellu. Kesemua pemimpin MIC kalah dan dimalukan secara besar besaran dan kekalahan ini merupakan satu hadiah khas oleh masyarakat india kepada Presiden MIC pada hari jadinya yang turut sama di sambut secara gilang gemilang pada hari pilihanraya.

Secara keseluruhanya, semboyan telah dibunyikan, masyarakat india mengantar mesej yang jelas kepada kerajaan bahawa MIC bukan pilihan lagi. Issue kuil roboh baru baru ini, MIC telah melancarkan serangan terhadap pakatan rakyat, soalnya mengapa MIC baru sedar, baru nak lancarkan protest, kenapa tak protest ketika MIC didalam pemerintahan sebelum pilihanraya, kenapa tak protest dihadapan bangunan kerajaan selangor sebelum ini.Apabila hindraf protest, ahli hindraf dipukul and dihumban kedalam penjara. Pihak MIC cuba membina imej yang terjejas and binasa kerana tamak dan rasuah sesama ahli and ketua. Sepandai pandai tupai melompat, akhirnya jatuh ke tanah juga, pepatah ini sering disebut sejak zaman persekolahan. Pada zaman moden ini pepatah tunjuk ajar patut ditukar kepada "Sepandai pandai tupai melompat, akhirnya jatuh ke tanah lalu di langgar bas".

The Star reports :

IPOH: It is game over for Perak MIC chairman Datuk G. Rajoo, who wanted to hold a Deepavali celebration in Little India here as his Ipoh Barat MIC division has been doing for the past 16 years.
Perak executive councillor A. Sivanesan said Rajoo would be going against the law if he did so as the authorities had rejected his application to hold the event there.
“He can’t organise the celebration in Little India,” Sivanesan said yesterday after a meeting with 32 traders and representatives from various authorities and bodies on the state government’s Deepavali celebration.
Sivanesan said the Ipoh City Council had approved the state’s application to hold the celebration in Little India from Oct 14 to 25.
Rajoo, who is the Ipoh Barat MIC division chief, had cried foul over the state government’s rejection of his application to hold the celebration there.
“It is final. The best Rajoo can do is to celebrate Deepavali happily with his loved ones in his house,” said Sivanesan.
He, however, said Rajoo was invited to attend the celebration in Little India.
“Let’s put our differences aside and celebrate Deepavali in good spirits,” Sivanesan added.

Anwar cries foul over case transfer

2008-10-08T19:15:00.001+08:00

From Al Jazeera

Anwar has said he will lead a move to oust Malaysia's current leadership [AFP]

Anwar Ibrahim, leader of Malaysia's opposition alliance, has hit out at government efforts to have his trial on charges of sodomy moved to the country's high court, saying it threatens his right to a fair trial.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday the de facto leader of the Pakatan Rakyat (People's Alliance), said the push to transfer his case from a lower court would likely see him facing a biased judge and was part of a political plot.

Anwar is accused of sodomising a former male aide, and could be jailed up to 20 years if convicted.

But before the trial could begin in a lower court Abdul Gani Patail, the Attorney-General (AG) or country's top prosecutor, ordered the case to be transferred to the high court.

Anwar, a former deputy prime minister, protested the order when he appeared in a district court on Tuesday.

He has repeatedly rejected the allegations, which he says are part of a plot by his political opponents.

"I am concerned over the issue of fair trial," he said at the hearing to decide if the case should be transferred.

"I find it difficult to understand why the AG is so desperate, fighting tooth and nail, to go to the High Court."

He said the order has "raised a lot of suspicion" that the government would pick a biased judge in the high court.

'Disqualified'

Yusof Zainal Abiden, the prosecutor in Anwar's trial, urged the district court to "follow the procedure" and transfer the case.

But defence lawyers have maintained that Abdul Gani should stay out of Anwar's case because of his alleged involvement in a previous sodomy charge against Anwar in 1998, when he was sacked from the government and subsequently jailed.

"The AG should play no part, and he should not be deciding this," Sulaiman Abdullah, Anwar's lawyer, told the district court, adding that the order was void because it was "signed by somebody who has been disqualified".

Anwar's sodomy conviction was overturned in 2004, but a conviction on a separate corruption charge remains.

Malaysian law criminalises sodomy, even if the act is between consenting adults.

Anwar's trial comes amid escalating racial and political tensions in Malaysia, with the government's popularity rating at an all-time low following the loss of its two-third majority in parliament in the March general elections.

The opposition alliance has repeatedly said it plans to remove the present leadership by orchestrating the defection of more than 30 government MPs.

Altantuya’s dad speaks: RPK shouldn’t be a victim of political (in) justice

2008-10-08T18:51:00.000+08:00

By Susan Loone

Altantuya Shariibuu’s dad, Stev, has emailed me his statement (through his lawyer in Mongolia) regarding RPK’s trial and detention under the ISA. The image above is his own handwriting. The translation copy I receive in his mail says:

"I understand, Mr. Raja Petra has good personal character and has a good reputation and runs humanitarian activity.

I understand that the below issues were directly connected with murder case of my daughter:

- Who did arrange visa issue for my daughter while she visited in French?
- Who was attending in the trip to French and what did they do?

If it could make clear those issues, they would understand every thing. Why is there so much force and influence in the case? Because there was a serious issue. Thus they destroyed my daughter.

Unfortunately, they pressed down Mr.Raja Petra’s statement. I think this issue needs to get attention from international human right organizations.

He (RPK) shouldn’t be a victim of politic for justice. It would be justice if they release Mr.Raja Petra.

As we are, all Mongolian worry for him and his justice, we lack of information on truth and situation."

Signed:

Mongolian citizen:Shaariibuu Setev
06.Oct.2008

I am also sending this information to my friends in the media and bloggers. Hope this letter can be distributed for RPK’s sake.

Anwar tops Malaysia poll, economy dominates concerns

2008-09-29T20:46:00.000+08:00

By David Chance | Reuters

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim scored better than the government’s pick to become the next prime minister in an opinion poll which showed that worries over the economy dominated voter concerns.

Anwar is threatening to unseat the government that has ruled Malaysia for 51 years and the rise of the opposition since their success in elections in March has paralysed policy-making as top politicians from the government jostle for power.

The poll by the Merdeka Center published on Monday showed that for half of people questioned, the main concern in this country of 27 million people was the economy at a time when fuel prices have risen and inflation has surged to 27-year highs.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who has offered to quit early to avoid a leadership challenge topped the poll, although his approval ratings continue to fall.

Asked who would make the better prime minister, 40 percent said Anwar and 34 percent said Najib Razak. Najib has been named as successor to Abdullah who scored 43 percent.

Anwar, a former deputy prime minister who was imprisoned on what he says were trumped up sodomy and corruption charges in the late 1990s was characterised as “a strong and visionary leader” and “a competent manager of the economy” by 51 percent of respondents in the poll of 1,003 voters.

He is facing new charges of sodomy which he denies.

Anwar has said that he has won over enough government MPs to oust Abdullah in a confidence vote in parliament and the prime minister on Friday said he would hand power to Najib, most likely in March.

Abdullah had earlier planned to hand over power in 2010.

Since becoming prime minister in 2004, Abdullah has failed to implement key pledges such as ending corruption and boosting the independence of the judiciary. The policy drift, along with rising racial tensions, has unsettled both party activists and investors.

NERVOUS MARKETS

A year ago just 25 percent of those questioned in a similar poll by Merdeka, an independent pollster, were worried about the economy in the poll a year ago compared with 50 percent now.

Markets are nervous over a prolonged transition.

“Political noise remains elevated, which we consider bearish for risky assets, including the ringgit, and bullish for government bonds,” ING said in its morning Asia research report.

ING forecasts that the ringgit will end this year at 3.55 to the dollar compared with 3.4410, a depreciation of over 3 percent. It has already fallen 3.7 percent this year.

The plan to hand power to Najib has also unsettled some in the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the party that dominates the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.

On Saturday, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, a former finance minister said the plan was “extra constitutional” and said he would stand in the party polls.

Home Minister Syed Hamid said on Sunday said that the intense contest for party posts was causing splits in UMNO.

“We see that the heat is becoming more intense, as though there are instigators pitting one group against another,” he said, according to state news agency Bernama.

Traditionally the leader of UMNO is also the prime minister of Malaysia and under party rules, any contenders for UMNO president must garner 30 percent of total nominations to be eligible to run.

Drama Minggu Ini

2008-09-27T12:35:00.005+08:00

Yahooo! Another weekend, those partying tonight,my advise is party safe and don't over booze. Those who are jobless keep trying for current and future job vacancy. Those who have fail in their exams lately, don't worry your life doesn't end here. Well, don't think i am merapu-ing but there is reason for the advises above.

I wonder when Malaysians get to see a proper administration by a group of responsible minister or politicians. I feel currently our country is total damaged and screwed by politicians like Syed Albar, Samy Vellu, Mahathir, a bunch of non qualified politicians and finally Badawi and Najib the partners in crime. Each and every day, this politicians hits the news for greater politic image.

Syed Albar is interfering with Prime Minister Department for investigating remarks made over poor food by Teressa Kok while she was detained in ISA. What is Albar's problem? Let the boys do their work, Is he cutting down the food cost and swindling the rest of it for himself?.Questions arises in the minds of every citizen when Albar reacted towards the Prime Minister's Department. Whats wrong investigating since it is public interest already? You had her in ISA now what ever she complains you cant accept it.

Now Teresa under fire for making the such remarks on poor food. Today morning, malaysiakini reported that two Molotov cocktails were thrown into the family home of Seputeh member of parliament Teresa Kok in Kuala Lumpur. She face this because she made the remarks?

Pelbagai acara menyerang pejabat kerajaan dan media turut disertakan dalam senarai drama minggu ini. Antara paparan hebat ialah Samy Vellu menunding jari bahawa pihak MPAJ telah merobohkan kuil di Ampang. Adakah ini benar? Tidak, Yang benar ialah beliau telah nyanyok dan makin gila setelah kehilangan kepercayaan oleh masyarakat india di Malaysia. MPAJ telah dituduh merobohkan kuil sepertimana di laporkan di Malaysiakini dan TheStar. Apabila disiasat dengan lebih dalam, pihak Kerajaan Negeri Selangor mendapat tahu kuil itu dirobohkan oleh ahli jawantankuasa kuil untuk mengubah suai, tetapi ini dibatas dengan bukti bahawa kuil dirobohkan secara sengaja. Apa tindakan selanjutnya oleh pakatan? Ini antara paparan yang boleh dikatakan Komedi Minggu Ini.

Sekarang siapa yang malu? Samy Vellu and Konco Konconya yang malu. Termasuklah Menteri Sumber Manusia yang kecewa dengan pakatan konon. Semasa mereka berkuasa asyik bersembunyi dibelakang UMNO apasal nak bising sekarang? Kesimpulanya, ahli politik bn and komponen bn tidak ingin berjabat tangan walaupun kalah, cuma yang mereka tahu menunding jari seolah hal hal ini tidak berlaku ketika mereka di dalam pentadbiran negara.

**Just testing out my bahasa malaysia writting skills.

Reported by Malaysiakini :

The Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) ordered the demolition of the 19-year old Sri Maha Kaliamman temple without the knowledge or directive of the Selangor state government, said executive councillor Dr Xavier Jayakumar.

“We have a format prepared for temples in Selangor to register with the state but this temple was not on the list of registered temples. And it is not a temple, it is a shrine which it is located on a forest reserve,” he said.

Yesterday, MIC president S Samy Vellu ticked off the opposition-led state government for breaking its election promise to not demolish any temples.
“It is very careless of the local council to demolish the temple without first relocating the temple,” Samy said in a statement.
Jayakumar however denied the accusation, claiming the MIC was trying to politicise the issue. Instead, the relevant authorities should waste no time finding a way to restore the temple which was torn down on Sept 10, he added.
“The incident happened following a misunderstanding between MPAJ and the temple management on renovation works and documentations relating to management procedures,” said Zuraida, who is PKR Wanita chief, in a statement today.
According to Zuraida, some MPAJ councillors had already met with the council’s vice-chief to resolve the matter. Some documents have already been prepared and were under consideration, she added.
She also pointed out that Murugiah had previously complained the temple’s problems had not been resolved by the previous Barisan Nasional state government even after 19 years.

Pakatan Set To Meet Agong

2008-09-16T18:31:00.000+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

Pakatan Rakyat leaders will seek an audience with the king should Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi decline to meet them to discuss a peaceful transition of power by Barisan Nasional.

MCPX

PKR information chief Tian Chua said this may happen as soon as within the next 24 to 48 hours.

“We’ve already said that we have the numbers, and Anwar (Ibrahim) just now revealed we have more than 31 Barisan Nasional MPs,” said Chua, in reference to a press conference held earlier this afternoon.

In the event they do meet Abdullah but he refuses to resign, he said Pakatan may seek the intervention of the Agong, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin (left in photo), to persuade him to step down.

“As much as possible, however, we will try to avoid dragging the king into this,” Chua said when contacted.

'116 MPs in the bag'

Earlier today, AFP quoted PAS treasurer Dr Hatta Ramli as having said that the opposition coalition would seek an audience with the king to seek a mandate to rule, should Abdullah reject the request for a meeting.

“The issue of the appointment of the prime minister and change of government is very much the role of the king,” Hatta said.

He claimed that the opposition now has the support of as many as 116 parliamentarians. This would mean 35 government defectors.

At the press conference today, Opposition Leader Anwar said he had signed up more than the 31 BN defectors needed to form a new government and called on Abdullah not to implement emergency rule to thwart a takeover.

Anwar, however, did not reveal the names of any of the lawmakers.

“We want a peaceful transition. We hope that Barisan will not (impose) emergency rule to stop MPs from going to Parliament or arrest (government) MPs or stop them from joining Pakatan Rakyat,” he said.

“That's why we have taken a very soft, conciliatory option. I am not making excuses. We have the numbers. We can and are prepared to move. If after a few days there is no response, Pakatan leaders will meet and see what is the next course of action.”

After the March 8 general election, Anwar set himself a target of Sept 16 to persuade at least 30 government lawmakers to switch sides and enable him to form a new administration.

Anwar : We Are Ready To Move

2008-09-16T18:29:00.000+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim said today he had signed up more than 31 defectors needed to form a new government and called on Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi not to impose emergency rule to thwart a takeover.

MCPX

"We have a slight majority, it is in excess of 31," he told a packed press conference held at 2pm in the PKR headquarters in Petaling Jaya.

Anwar, however, did not reveal the list of the defecting lawmakers.

"We name them now and they get harassed immediately. So I'm telling you now that I will choose to confide in the prime minister.

"And if he wants the list I will show the list at the meeting. Until the right opportune moment, we can't declare. We know how the system operates," said Anwar.

His Pakatan Rakyat alliance - made up of the PKR, DAP and PAS - now holds 81 out of the 222 seats in Parliament. Its rival, the Barisan Nasional coalition led by Abdullah's Umno party, currently has 140 seats.

To overthrow the Barisan, Pakatan would need another 31 MPs to join its camp for it to hit 112 seats, the minimum simple majority required.

Anwar also said that many BN MPs were keen to join him in forming a new government.

"It keeps increasing by the hour... seriously. I'm not joking. This morning, I received a signed note from another member. What do you want to know? You want to know if we have the numbers. We've the numbers!" he added.

He revealed that these included cabinet members and their deputies.

The 61-year old Anwar, who has been in talks with a number of disgruntled backbenchers, also said he wants Abdullah's assurance the power transition could proceed smoothly.

Peaceful transition

Abdullah had last week shocked the nation by arresting three civilians under the country's draconian Internal Security Act, which allows for detention without trial.

The move, which sparked widespread condemnation, was seen as a means to shore up his political standing within his Umno party and also as a warning to Anwar's Pakatan.

“We want a peaceful transition. We hope that Barisan (Nasional) will not put up emergency rule to stop MPs from going to Parliament or arrest (government) MPs or stop them from joining Pakatan Rakyat,” he said.

"That's why we have taken a very soft, conciliatory option. I am not making excuses. We have the numbers. We can and are prepared to move. If after a few days there is no response, Pakatan leaders will meet and see what is the next course of action."

Pakatan leaders had yesterday sent a letter to Abdullah, requesting for a meeting.

"We give the PM time to consult and act responsibly as head of the country to heed the wishes of the people," Anwar said.

"I believe he will meet and we will have to wait today or tomorrow. He is a politician under siege, so you can forgive him for sounding desperate."

"We are looking at a matter of days (for a change in government)," he added.

"We've not given any ultimatum to Abdullah. We've said it is of national importance, it is incumbent and urgent for any sitting prime minister to respond positively in the interest of the nation and not just to appease the upheavals and turmoil within Umno," said Anwar.

According to Malaysian law, the king has the right to accept and formalise any new government that can show proof of sufficient mandate in Parliament.

This means that Anwar can approach the monarch with proof that he has the support of enough MPs to be the new leader.

Alternatively, the king could order fresh general elections, provided the prime minister - either outgoing or incoming - recommends it.

And Anwar said that his first option was to discuss the takeover with the prime minister before going to the king.

Malaysia opposition wants “handover talks” with PM

2008-09-16T18:28:00.001+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim is seeking a meeting with Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on Tuesday to discuss a handover of power after declaring that he had won over enough government MPs to form the next government.

Anwar needs to convince 30 legislators from the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition to join his three-party opposition alliance in order to get a parliamentary majority.

At a rally on Monday night, he said he had done so, although none of the government’s 140 MPs have publicly declared for Anwar.

“He wanted to meet with the prime minister,” a spokesman for Anmwar’s Keadilan party said on Tuesday.

No one from the government was immediately available for comment and Abdullah insisted on Monday that he would remain prime minister and that a change of government would not happen.

Anwar’s opposition alliance has 82 MPs in the 222-strong Malaysian parliament and he has been trying to convince 30 government MPs to change sides so as to oust the coalition that has run Malaysia for 51 years since independence from Britain.

He says that if he wins power he will root out corruption and end a system of affirmative action for ethnic Malays, over half of the population in this nation of 27 million people.

Anwar says that the system has not only failed the people it was aimed at helping, but has also created a class of crony businessmen entirely dependent on government contracts, which has hurt the country’s economic prospects.

Malaysian newspapers treated Anwar’s announcement with scepticism on Tuesday, saying that he had not yet shown that he could form a new government.

“It is the 16th of September, 2008. And we do not know what if anything will happen. We do not know what, if anything is going on,” the pro-government New Straits Times wrote in an editorial.

Malaysia’s stock market sold off early on Tuesday losing 2.26 percent.

Dealers said this was partly due to concerns over Malaysian politics and partly due to global financial market uncertainty caused by the U.S. banking crisis.

Minister walks as pressure piles up on Malaysia’s PM

2008-09-16T18:26:00.000+08:00

From The Age

MALAYSIAN opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim moved closer to a parliamentary showdown yesterday as the embattled Government suffered another blow when its law minister resigned.

Zaid Ibrahim, a minister assisting Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi on legal affairs, resigned over last week’s arrest of two journalists and an opposition member of parliament under the Internal Security Act.

Mr Zaid said the Government was wrong to use the act, which allows indefinite detention without trial.

This came as Mr Anwar was convening a mass meeting in a Kuala Lumpur sports stadium last night to protest against the arrests. Mr Anwar has predicted that enough MPs of the ruling Barisan Nasional, or National Front, will cross to his People’s Alliance coalition for him to form government.

In recent days Mr Anwar has suggested the September 16 deadline for this is not fixed, but sources close to his headquarters said he already had firm promises from about 37 MPs now in Barisan.

The parliament is in recess for the Islamic fasting month, so any immediate shift in power would depend on Mr Anwar persuading the King, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, that he has a majority.

Mr Zaid’s resignation, which was not immediately accepted by Mr Abdullah, came after the arrests of internet political blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin, an opposition Democratic Action Party MP Teresa Kok, and for one night, Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng.

At the same time, the Government issued “show-cause notices” to three newspapers under a press law requiring annual renewal of publishing licences and lets authorities suspend or withdraw licences for public order threats.

Originally enacted in 1960 to fight a long-running communist insurgency, the Internal Security Act allows police to hold and interrogate a suspect for 60 days, and for the Home Minister to authorise detention without trial for renewable periods of two years. But the latest arrests have rebounded on the Government, with Mr Zaid among half a dozen ministers and Barisan’s smaller parties voicing criticism.

“Rightly or wrongly, the perception about the latest arrests is that it’s related to the political situation of the country,” said Malaysian Bar Council president Ambiga Sreenevasan. “Certainly the intention is intimidation and to put fear into people so that they are more careful in the comments that they make.

“It is really a direct threat to the freedom of speech, and very telling that a blogger and a journalist have been held.”

Pakatan Rakyat Sedia Mengambil Alih

2008-09-16T18:25:00.000+08:00

Hari ini rakyat Malaysia menyambut Hari Malaysia- hari di mana negara kita menjadi satu dan rakyatnya bersatu. Hari ini mempunyai makna baru. Selepas bertahun berjuang, melawan sistem yang dilanda dan mengabaikan prinsip keadilan- kita sekarang berada diambang kemenangan. Hasrat kita untuk membina semula negara dan menyatu padukan rakyat Malaysia sebagaimana yang dicita-citakan oleh pejuang-pejuang kemerdekaan sudah semakin dekat.

Keadaan ekonomi yang merudum jatuh dengan kadar pengangguran dan inflasi yang tinggi telah menyebabkan rasa tidak puas hati rakyat yang meluap-luap. Hubungan antara kaum menjadi tegang, diburukkan lagi dengan propaganda oleh media yang dikawal oleh kerajaan. Pentadbiran sekarang gagal untuk menawarkan jawapan buat negara kita keluar dari kedudukan sukar ini.

Pakatan Rakyat yakin dapat menyelamatkan Malaysia dari masalah ekonomi dan politik berbaur perkauman. Kami akan melaksanakannya secara bertanggungajwab, menuruti prinsip undang-undang dan tidak akan sama sekali menjejaskan keselamatan dan kestabilan negara dan rakyat negara ini.

Pakatan Rakyat kini memiliki majoriti yang selesa untuk membentuk sebuah kerajaan baru yang stabil. Kerajaan baru yang mencerminkan masyarakat Malaysia yang majmuk.

Jesteru itu kami ingin duduk semeja dengan Perdana Menteri Abdullah Badawi untuk melaksanakan peralihan kuasa secara bertanggungjawab, lancar dan aman. Hasrat ini telah kami sampaikan kepada Perdana Menteri melalui surat yang dikirimkan jam 2.30 petang semalam.

Dengan mandat ini kami bertekad untuk melaksanakan peralihan kuasa yang aman. Kami tidak ingin berulangnya peristiwa yang berlaku sewaktu mengambil alih kuasa di negeri Perak dan Selangor, di mana dokumen milik kerajaan negeri di lupuskan oleh pentadbiran terdahulu.

Kami mengingatkan kepada elemen radikal di dalam Barisan Nasional agar tidak menyalahgunakan kuasa serta menahan para penyokong Pakatan Rakyat. Penyiasatan yang dibuat secara tergesa-gesa oleh BPR terhadap Dato Seri Yong Teck Lee selepas mengumumkan akan membuat undi tidak percaya terhadap Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi merupakan di antara taktik yang kita tolak. Penggunaan ISA terhadap Ahli Parlimen Teresa Kok merupakan contoh untuk menghalang perubahan dengan tidak mengikut lunas-lunas perundangan.

1) Agar Barisan Nasional tidak menghalang ahli parlimennya dari bertindak menurut suara hati mereka, hak yang dijamin undang-undang serta keputusan yang mereka buat tanpa paksaan.
2) BN tidak boleh menggunakan Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri untuk menahan ahli parlimen yang berhasrat untuk menyertai Pakatan Rakyat atau ahli parlimen Pakatan Rakyat yang berjumlah 82 itu.
3) Kerajaan BN tidak seharusnya menggunakan kuasa darurat, kuasa polis, atau menggantung perlembagaan mahupun membubarkan parlimen di dalam usaha mereka untuk menghalang Pakatan Rakyat dari berkuasa.
4) Dan Kerajaan Barisan Nasional tidak membuat sekatan jalan raya dan menghalang ahli parlimen, dari memasuki parlimen dan juga institusi-institusi kerajaan lainnya.

Kami yakin Perdana Menteri berkongsi keperihatinan yang sama terutamanya berkenaan kebajikan rakyat dan keselamatan negara. Kami percaya beliau akan memastikan Barisan Nasional bertindak mengikut perlembagaan dan prinsip-prinsip demokratik demi memastikan peralihan kuasa yang aman, serta tiada tindakan sabotaj untuk menghalang hasrat rakyat ataupun menggunakan retorik berbaur perkauman.

Kami menyeru masyarakat di semua lapisan agar memahami hasrat kami semata-mata untuk kebaikan negara ini. Saya juga ingin mengingatkan media massa jangan lagi berada di dalam penafian dengan meneruskan propaganda bahawa kami berbohong. Kita sekarang berada dalam era baru maka saya menyeru media massa meninggalkan tabiat lama dan mengambil iltizam untuk meningkatkan professionalisme kewartawanan.

Selepas pertemuan dengan Perdana Menteri, kami berhasrat untuk meneruskan gerak kerja kami sebagaimana yang digariskan oleh Perlembagaan Persekutuan di dalam kami membentuk kerajaan baru dengan perkenan Yang Di-Pertuan Agong.

ANWAR IBRAHIM
Ketua Pembangkang
Ketua Umum Parti Keadilan Rakyat

Raja Petra 'arrested under ISA'

2008-09-12T15:17:00.000+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

Controversial blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin has been detained under the Internal Security Act, said his wife Marina Lee Abdullah.

MCPX

According to her, 10 police personnel from Bukit Aman came to their home in Sungai Buloh at about 1.10pm to arrest him. They also confiscated a computer, some books and VCDs.

When Malaysiakini contacted Marina at 1.25pm, the police personnel were still there. However, he was taken away to an unknown destination at 1.50pm.

On Sept 6, Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar had warned the 58-year-old editor of popular news portal Malaysia Today could be charged under the ISA for comments allegedly insulting Islam and Prophet Muhammad.

Several religious groups - Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim), Yayasan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (Yadim), Federal Territory Islamic Religious Council (Maiwp) and Federal Territory Religious Department (Jawi) - had lodged police reports against him.

The groups complained his comment in an article entitled "I Promise to be a good, non-hypocritical Muslim" allegedly used sentences that insulted Muslims.

The government has ordered the blocking of Raja Petra's Malaysia Today website two weeks ago, but the ban was lifted yesterday.

Second time under ISA

Raja Petra, popularly known by his initials RPK, is also alleged to have allowed comments to appear on his website that degraded Islam and Prophet Muhammad in an article entitled "Not all Arabs are descendants of the Prophet".

This is the second time Raja Petra, a father of five and part of the Selangor royal family, has been detained under ISA, which allows for indefinite detention without trial.

His first arrest under the tough security law was on April 11, 2001. RPK was detained as part of a crackdown against reformasi activists in which nine others were also held.

At that time, he was webmaster for the now defunct FreeAnwar.com site.

Raja Petra was subsequently released after 53 days in detention. However, six of the reformasi leaders were eventually sent to the Kamunting Detention Centre in Taiping where they were detained for two years.

Charged earlier for sedition, defamation

The controversial blogger has earlier been charged with sedition and defamation after linking Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak and his wife to the sensational murder of a Mongolian woman.

Abdul Razak Baginda, a close friend of the deputy premier, has been charged with abetting the murder of 28-year-old Mongolian woman Altantuya Shaariibuu, whose body was blown up with explosives.

Two police officers from an elite force, whose duties included guarding the prime minister and his deputy, were also charged with the killing.

The ISA, which human rights groups have pushed to have abolished, provides for renewable two-year periods of detention without trial and is normally used against suspected terrorists.

It has also been used to lock up opponents of the government, and last year five Hindraf leaders were detained three weeks after mounting a mammoth rally in the streets of Kuala Lumpur on Nov 25.

Difference Between Racist Mahathir and Anwar The Boss

2008-09-07T18:53:00.000+08:00

Mahathir is an Evil, Choose Mahathir For Hell

2008-09-07T16:32:00.003+08:00

A superb documentary on Anwar's 1998 trial, the documentary reveals that Dr.Mahathir had lead and framed Anwar into sodomy charge. The documentary also proves that Mahathir had set-up the entire 98 trial just to get rid of Anwar and some of main key figures testify their statements.

Today, Mahathir is acting like another hero that going to save in the country, Mahathir is total @!!%%%!!!! Referring to Malaysiakini's report, i don't think so i am going to support the evil animal anymore (Mahathir) he is no use to the country.

Racist and Acting Mr.Nice Guy

2008-09-07T16:15:00.003+08:00

Koh Tsu Koon is another hell of liar and covers BN to the max. What is the arguement for? Why Koh Tsu Koon acting like MR. NICE GUY nowdays. People in penang had thrown u away, we dont want corrupt politicians like you each time covers Barisan Nasional corrupted way of administering the country. I was suprised to see Ahmad Ismail "u turn statement" against the press media. Damn man, He twisted it as if he never did anything wrong, you can call chinese as pendatang since your talking history. If you not racist you should have used "masyarakat cina datang ke malaysia" since you are giving the speech after 50years of merdeka.

For further reading on the issue i have posted part of the news which can be viewed in full at Malaysiakini

The war of words among Barisan Nasional component parties over an alleged racist remark made by an Umno division leader has escalated after the latter
MCPX
refused to tender an apology.

Penang BN chief and Gerakan acting president Dr Koh Tsu Koon said today that he could not accept Bukit Bendera Umno division chief Ahmad Ismail’s explanation on the controversy yesterday.

“His explanation has caused more damage. We don’t accept the explanation which was couched in such terms, it was totally irresponsible and uncalled for,” Koh told Malaysiakini this evening.

The Gerakan leader, who has been branded as a “great liar and opportunist” by Ahmad yesterday, insisted that the Umno division leader should have apologised to the Chinese community.

He called on the police to immediately investigate the police reports lodged against Ahmad while Umno, on the other hand, should look into the action to be taken against its division leader.

“Since he (Ahmad) claimed he didn’t say it, the police must investigate. If there is evidence (to show Ahmad had uttered the remark), he should be charged under the Sedition Act,” said Koh.

Sept 16 Takeover Still On Track

2008-09-07T16:08:00.003+08:00

Reference : Malaysiakini

Ten days to go and Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim said today he is on track to meet the Sept 16 deadline to recruit enough members of parliament to topple the government.

MCPX

The opposition is confident it will secure the defection of at least 30 members from the ruling Barisan Nasional government - the number needed to unseat the government of Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, Anwar said.

Anwar, speaking to reporters in Jakarta after meeting with a think tank, said he was "quite positive from the initial response from the members of parliament."

"We have seen some very positive signs, but we have also seen the desperate acts by the government, threats and using institutions to discourage them," he said.

Government attempts to compel members of parliament to travel overseas until after his pledged Sept 16 deadline to take power would not work, Anwar said.

Probably we'll meet on 17th

"The only issue now is that they are going to compel members of parliament to (travel to) China or overseas until after the 16th of September, so we'll have to deal with that.

"Probably we'll meet on the 17th because they'll come back on the 17th," he said.

The 61-year-old leader of the three-party Pakatan Rakyat coalition declined to name or give the number of lawmakers who have pledged to defect.

Asked if he had used his two-day trip to Jakarta to meet with potential government defectors, Anwar said: "I won't comment on that, but I will say it's a good visit."

Abdullah, who is facing calls from his party to quit amid plummeting popularity, has said Anwar's push to take power will fail.

The parties of Pakatan gained unprecedented ground against the Barisan Nasional coalition in the March general election, securing a third of parliamentary seats and five states.

- AFP

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hopefully everything goes fine on Sept 16, this is the only chance Anwar have to topple the current goverment. If he miss this, i think Anwar will be thrown into jail. Hidup Anwar!

It Is RACIST Remark

2008-09-04T19:35:00.004+08:00

Refering to Malaysiakini's report,Yes, it is a racist remark made by Ahmad Ismail, why did Najib apologised the other day behalf of him. Well its time for us to sit and think back, do we need this type of people in in power? In my opinion, Ahmad's racial remark should lead his way to ISA. Talking about "innocent until proven guilty", where was this concept to 5 hindraf leader or those held under ISA previously for questioning the credibility of the government. A perfect mental reform needed for UMNO leaders.

Source : Malaysiakini

The Bukit Bendera Umno division chief added that he did not feel sorry and would not recant his alleged racist remarks against Chinese Malaysians during the recent by-election campaign in Permatang Pauh.

“I am not apologetic because I didn’t do anything wrong,” the Umno division leader from Penang told Malaysiakini via telephone today.

This is Ahmad's first public statement since the controversy erupted last week.

Arguing that ‘one is innocent until proven guilty’, the Bukit Bendera Umno leader decried the public trial on the issue conducted by certain quarters, including the media.

“As far as I am concerned, I did not say or do anything wrong. So why should I apologise?” said the local Umno strongman, who promised to give a full statement at a specially-arranged press conference in Penang this Saturday.

“I have never been racist and will never be. It is rubbish to suggest that I am a racist,” blasted Ahmad, who sounded calm and in good spirit despite the storm swirling around him.

During a Barisan Nasional by-election rally in Kampung Belah Dua on Aug 25, Ahmad was accused to have uttered seditious remarks describing the Chinese as “immigrants squatting in the country, thus were not entitled to equal rights in Malaysia”.

The former municipal councillor also questioned the Chinese community’s willingness to share their wealth with other races.

Expect more than 40 to defect to PKR

2008-09-03T20:39:00.001+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

“Come September 16, we will show who has in fact been dreaming or bragging.”

MCPX

So confident is Sarawak PKR chief Dominique Ng that he told a press conference this afternoon in Kuching that Pakatan Rakyat coalition could now count on more that 40 MPs to cross over from Barisan Nasional.

His statement came amid reports that a top PKR leader met with leaders of a BN component party in Kota Kinabalu this morning to pledge support for the opposition’s move.

Ng said in addition to individual MPs, he expected enough BN parties to join Pakatan for the opposition to have sufficient numbers to oust the government by the Sept 16 deadline.

Meanwhile, Ng announced that the state PKR would be holding a series of dinners, including one in Kuching on Sept 15 and another in Miri on Sept 16, in conjunction with Malaysia Day celebrations.

PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim has on the weekend mooted the proposal to declare Sept 16 as a public holiday in all five Pakatan-held states in Peninsular Malaysia.

Ng, who is the party's sole assemblyperson in Sarawak, added that it would be declared a public holiday in the East Malaysian state “when Pakatan forms the state government”.

According to Ng, Sept 16 was a public holiday for workers in Sarawak until 1994 when the Sarawak Labour Ordinance was amended by the state government.

Ng added the Federal Constitution was also very clear on the significance of those two days - Sept 16 is Malaysia Day, while Aug 31 is Merdeka Day.

The leaders of Sarawak PKR will gather at Padang Merdeka in Kuching on the morning of Sept 16 to commemorate Malaysia Day.

This will be the fourth year the party is observing Malaysia Day with the hoisting of the national and state flags at the site.

Padang Merdeka, which is in the heart of the city, is where the Proclamation of Malaysia was read out on Sept 16, 1963 by a representative of the federal cabinet, the late Khir Johari, in the presence of the then state governor Tun Haji Openg and the then chief minister Stephen Kalong Ningkan.

Who are likely to jump?

There have been intense speculations in Sarawak and Sabah as to which BN component parties are likely to join Pakatan.

In Sabah, the Sabah Progressive Party (Sapp), led by former chief minister Yong Teck Lee, has been frequently mentioned, and this has not been denied by its leaders.

Another party on the list is said to be Upko, which is led by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Bernard Dompok, also a former chief minister of Sabah. The two parties have six MPs between them.

In Sarawak, one of the parties mentioned as a possibility is Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), led by state development minister Dr James Masing. It has six MPs.

A PKR source said the crossovers in Sarawak are likely to come from all the state's four BN component parties - PRS, SPDP, SUPP and PBB. But their leaders have all publicly denied this.

The source added that the crossovers from Peninsular Malaysia are about equal in number.

Dr M : PKR’s victory a death knell for BN

2008-09-03T20:34:00.000+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

He said Umno and Barisan Nasional supporters were left with only one option, that is to vote for the opposition to show their displeasure at the party leadership.

And if the opposition wins, that would destroy the country, argued Mahathir.

“People deserve the government they get. If they get a bad government it is because they are unwilling to fight against it, unwilling to take any risk,” he said.

Mahathir lamented that BN was in doldrums as demonstrated by the coalition’s lackluster campaign during the Permatang Pauh by-election.

He also said coalition partners MCA, MIC and Gerakan were in disarray after senior party leaders left to join PKR.

"Abdullah has already destroyed Umno, MCA, Gerakan, MIC and the BN. Gerakan is talking about leaving the BN. MCA is more muted but its leaders who used to support Abdullah come what may, have deserted him.

“Really, Barisan is in a sorry state. Not one leader has any guts. I hate to say it but the Permatang Pauh victory by PKR probably sounded the death knell of all the BN parties and the BN.

“This is the doing of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi,” he said.

“History will record the failure of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his minions. And the founders of the parties and future politicians will curse the leadership of BN through and through,” he added.

Najib You Can Keep Your Second Hand Apology

2008-09-03T20:11:00.001+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s apology on behalf of a Penang Umno leader for his ‘Chinese are squatters’ remarks is "inadequate and unacceptable".

MCPX

According to DAP leader Lim Kit Siang, the man who made the "racist slurs" against Chinese Malaysians - Bukit Bendera Umno division chief Ahmad Ismail - has shown no sense of contrition or remorse for his action.

"How can Najib's second-hand apology on behalf of Ahmad Ismail be acceptable when Ahmad continues to be defiant and unrepentant?"

Najib had yesterday apologised on behalf of Ahmad for the hurt caused by his racial remarks.

Lim argued the cabinet had set the precedent last year when it rejected an apology by Malaysian student Wee Meng Chee, who is based in Taiwan, as inadequate.

Wee had outraged a number of Malaysian politicians with his videoclip of a rap rendition of national anthem 'Negaraku'.

Ahmad, a relatively unknown Umno division chief, burst into the media spotlight last week for allegedly describing the Chinese as immigrants squatting in Malaysia and as such they should not expect to be treated equally.

The Umno politician purportedly made the comments while campaigning for Barisan Nasional during the recent Permatang Pauh by-election, in which opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim eventually won.

During the ceramah, Ahmad also questioned the Chinese’s willingness to share and distribute their wealth equally with the other races.

Najib was at Ahmad’s ceramah

The opposition leader said that Najib, who is deputy Umno president, was also at the by-election ceramah when Ahmad made the controversial speech.

"Najib should apologise on behalf of himself and not on behalf of Ahmad as Najib had failed to take immediate or prompt action to reprimand Ahmad for the latter's racist and seditious speech...".

Instead, Lim said Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should have made a public apology for "trying to protect" Ahmad.

The prime minister, who is Umno president, said that Ahmad had not meant what he said and the Bukit Bendera party chief would be asked not to utter such remarks again.

MIC man angry

In a related matter, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department SK Devamany also lambasted Ahmad for his racist remarks, urging the latter to issue a public apology as soon as possible.

He said that he was saddened that Najib had to apologise on Ahmad's behalf.

"Ahmad Ismail should not have others apologising for him. He must ask for forgiveness himself as this is a very serious matter," said Devamany in a statement.

"This goes to show that Ahmad remains unrepentant...he shows no respect," he added.

The MIC man also said that Ahmad should be charged with sedition.

Lim's apology

Meanwhile, Lim accused the Malay mainstream media, in particular Umno-controlled Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian, of not reporting Najib's apology.

"A check with Bernama online shows that Najib's apology is reported in Bernama's English news but blacked out in Bernama's Bahasa Malaysia news."

While the news item did not appear in Bernama’s website, Najib’s apology was however reported in both Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian on page two of the newspapers.

Lim later contacted Malaysiakini to "retract and apologise" for his mistake in overlooking the Utusan and Berita Harian reports.

In the latest development on the matter, Penang deputy police chief Salleh Mat Rasid said that the probe against Ahmad would be completed by Friday.

At least five police reports have been lodged by DAP against Ahmad.

In regards to that, Ahmad was summoned by the police to give a statement today. However reporters failed to see him at the Bukit Mertajam police district headquarters until 7.30pm.

DNA evidence can go terribly wrong

2008-09-03T20:10:00.000+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

A lawyer who has successfully argued against the seemingly incontrovertible findings of DNA evidence in one court case said it is “unthinkable” for the government to treat such evidence as irrefutable and absolute.

MCPX

M Puravelan (right), who represented G Sara Lily, had in 2006 successfully fought for the court to recognise a body that had been kept for two years at the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre mortuary was that of her deceased son, Francis Udayappan.

Despite a testimony by a DNA expert to the contrary, the presiding magistrate Nazran Mohd Sham said the clothes, height, gender, relevant period of death and discovery of the body meant there were “reasonable grounds to suspect” that the deceased was indeed Sara Lily’s son Francis.

Puravelan said the government failed to learn from that episode judging by its attempt to bulldoze the DNA Identification Bill 2008 through without placing legal safeguards to prevent or correct deliberate and accidental errors of scientific evidence.

“No doubt, there are uses for DNA as it is a valuable tool of evidence. But just as with other forms of proofs, DNA evidence must also be subject to the normal rules of evidence, and that includes being able to subject it to cross-examination and so on,” he said when contacted.

DNA evidence considered conclusive proof

Last week, opposition MPs failed to force the DNA Bill to a special committee for reconsideration before being debated further in Parliament.

The DNA bill, they claimed, exposes suspects to both police and political manipulation.

Among their concerns with the DNA Identification Bill is Section 24, which states that DNA evidence should be admissible as “conclusive proof” in court.

Recollecting the Udayappan case, Puravelan said the Chemistry Department had “certified” its finding - that Udayappan was not Sara Lily’s son - despite its own expert’s admission that there imbalances, degradations and deteriorations of quality had occurred in the DNA sample.

He also pointed out that justice Nazran in his verdict said the DNA report, which had denied any link between the recovered body and Sara Lily, could not be relied upon due to the possibility of contamination.

“It’s unthinkable what may happen if they allow DNA evidence to be exempted from being challenged in court - it goes against all cornerstones of law,” said Puravelan.

Australian police review 7,000 DNA-related cases

In Australia early last month, Victoria’s police announced they were reviewing 7,000 cases that had used DNA evidence after it was found that DNA evidence used to convict a murder suspect, Russell John Gesah, was contaminated.

Gesah was earlier convicted of a 1984 murder of a mother and her young daughter.

The contamination reportedly occurred when clothing containing Gesah’s DNA - from an unrelated offence - were examined on the same day as the clothing from the murder case.

The Australian police have subsequently apologised to Gesah.

Accidental contamination of DNA can occur anywhere during the handling of DNA samples such as during its collection, testing, analysis, and storage.

What more when the police force - in which corruption is said to be rampant - is in control of DNA forensics, said Puravalen.

According to him, a mistaken conviction based on DNA evidence that goes unchallenged in court can have an effect more disastrous than merely imprisoning the wrong man.

“We have to remember that in Malaysia, we have a mandatory death sentence for certain offences. It’s frightening to think what can happen (if such evidence is deemed as conclusive),” he said.

Ahmad’s tongue undermining BN

2008-09-03T15:52:00.001+08:00

Koh’s lame remark about Ahmad’s racist slur that it had made it extremely hard for BN component parties such as Gerakan to win back the people’s support is an indication that the anger within the BN against Umno is just hot air.

Commentary by The Malaysian Insider

Can Datuk Ahmad Ismail’s alleged racist remarks against the Chinese community in Malaysia be the trigger for the MCA, Gerakan and other Barisan Nasional component parties to leave the coalition?

Or will they continue to grin and bear it, as they have always done for many years, despite the Bukit Bendera Umno division chief calling the Chinese “squatters” and “as the Chinese were only immigrants it was impossible to achieve equal rights amongst races” at a ceramah during the Permatang Pauh by-election recently?

MCA and Gerakan leaders have made tough calls for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to take stern action against Ahmad for his alleged racist remarks.

But the best answer they got from Abdullah was: “I will tell him (Ahmad) not to do it again. You know in a campaign all sorts of things can come up. I don’t think he meant it. I’ll make sure to tell him not to use it again.”

Veteran opposition leader Lim Kit Siang said the Prime Minister had caused great dismay and distress as he chose to demonstrate solidarity with Ahmad.

“Why is the Prime Minister not prepared to show ‘solidarity’ with right-thinking Malaysians who deplore Ahmad Ismail’s insensitive, offensive, derogatory and racist remarks about the Malaysian Chinese?

“I will declare my solidarity with what is right, just and true — including deploring insensitive, offensive, derogatory and racist remarks whether referring to the Malays, Indians, Kadazans or Ibans, whether it is made by a Chinese or non-Chinese leader. Why is Abdullah not prepared to take a similar stand?” he said in a statement today.

Abdullah’s stand is a disappointment as if he was going against his own 51st Merdeka message urging Malaysians of all races to work together, discard differences and prejudices and to rise as citizens with strength to face all challenges.

“No one citizen is recognised as being of a higher position than another in this nation. This nation belongs to all of us. Whether we rise or fall depends on all of us,” said the Prime Minister on the eve of the Merdeka anniversary, hoping for all Malaysians to give importance to solidarity.

His defence of Ahmad is making BN component parties uneasy. Despite tough calls, it looks like nothing is going to happen much within the federal ruling coalition. Gerakan vice-president Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan said Abdullah’s light and non-deterrent comments would do nothing to prevent similar occurrences.

“The fact that Ahmad has refused to apologise when facing the wrath of the Chinese community showed how recalcitrant, arrogant and insensitive he is to a multiracial society like Malaysia,” he said in urging the police to investigate the police reports lodged against Ahmad’s remarks.

Even Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, as reported by the Chinese-language press, criticised Ahmad as a low-class politician who had no concern for the feelings of fellow Malaysians.

This latest blow is expected to give another boost to the Parti Keadilan Rakyat de facto leader’s plan to persuade BN MPs to cross over to his side in his attempt to take over the government.

The BN is already facing a tough problem in convincing the non-Malays to support the coalition, with many non-Malay politicians describing the situation as a reaction against Umno’s racial and discriminatory practices over the last few years.

It began to escalate with Umno Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein’s brandishing his keris at the Youth wing’s assembly a few years ago which prompted delegates to come out openly against the Chinese and other non-Malays. The attitude hasn’t changed.

A couple of months ago, Perak Umno state assemblywoman Hamidah Osman made a racist remark against the Indian community to the chagrin of the Pakatan Rakyat representatives in the state assembly.

Although she refused to budge, top Umno leaders later directed her to apologise to the Indians in country. As the battle for the top positions in the MCA and Gerakan has begun and would be decided next month, politicians in both parties are taking advantage of the situation to put the blame on Umno.

With Ahmad’s remarks, it will be added ammunition for the aspiring candidates. But are they serious about the future of their parties in the BN?

DAP veteran Lim had provoked them earlier. “Why didn’t the MCA and Gerakan ministers and leaders take a strong stand (on the eve of the Permatang Pauh by-election) to issue an ultimatum that Ahmad apologise and withdraw the racist remark, failing which they would pull out of the Barisan Nasional by-election campaign in Permatang Pauh?

“Wouldn’t this be more effective and fruitful than just making protests ‘after the event’ — when it would still get them into the newspapers — although they are being ignored not only by Umno, the Barisan Nasional supreme council but also the Cabinet?”

Even Gerakan acting president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon made one of the “after the event” arguments, claiming that Ahmad’s alleged racist remarks were a key contributing factor to the BN’s defeat in the by-election.

But top leaders of BN component parties, trying their best to remain in the federal ruling coalition, are worried that their MPs may have different ideas.

Already voices of discontent have been heard in several states among BN component members about the bleak future of remaining within the coalition. It is perhaps giving Anwar the advantage to convince some BN MPs and possibly state assemblymen too to think twice about remaining in the Umno-controlled BN — the fear of Umno hegemony.

The DAP has given its full support for Anwar as the alternative prime minister and while Pas top leaders are still reluctant about it, many of its other leaders and grassroots members have no qualms about the former deputy prime minister taking over the country's leadership.

Navy overspent RM114 mil tax payer money on jetty HQ

2008-09-03T15:43:00.002+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

The Royal Malaysian Navy (TLDM) overspent by RM114.22 million when building its jetty headquarters in Sabah, according to the Auditor-General's Report 2007.

The construction costs of the project, located in Wilayah Laut Dua, Teluk Sapangar, exceeded the navy's initial budget of RM533.9 million.

The report described the project as a poorly planned and managed one, that was completed only 44-months after the original target date of Apr 15, 2004.

According to Auditor-General Ambrin Buang, the delay was caused mostly by interfacing work done by contractors - Ekran Berhad and Muhibah LTAT-JV.

The report also stated that the contractors had made a hasty decision, pushing through the project that resulted in flawed design plans.

It further cited 14 variation orders worth RM38.36 million that pushed up costs.

"Other factors that contributed to this poor planning were squatters and cemetery relocation issues together with the problems regarding water and electricity supply," said the AG.

The report also pointed out other weaknesses where construction work was not executed according to specification, resulting in defects that have yet to be fixed.

Ekran must settle fine

Putting the blame on both contractors, the AG called on the defence ministry to act swiftly in getting the contractors to repair the defects before the warranty period expires.

Muhibah LTAT-JV and Ekran Berhad have until Nov 28, 2009 and Dec 13, 2009 respectively to complete the repairs.

While it did not specify a deadline, the AG also advised the ministry to instruct Ekran Berhad to pay up RM1.42 million in fines for delaying the project.

According to the report, the project's consultant was also to blame for lack of supervision that resulted in poor quality construction materials that were not up to framework standard.

The AG also advised the defence ministry to ensure the consultant submitted all drawings, technical information, catalogues, operation manual, a list of spare parts and maintenance schedule regarding the project.

CIQ complex in JB

The AG report also revealed the construction of the RM1.27 billion Custom, Immigration and Quarantine building at Bukit Chagar, Johor Bahru did not undergo an open tender process.

According to the report, the contractor was directly appointed by the federal Works Department.

Apart from that, it said the project deadline was extended by 334 days from the targeted Oct 31, 2005 .

One of the factors for the delay was due to getting pipe transfer approval from Public Utilities Board, Singapore and also due to the cancellation of the second Johor-Singapore bridge.

The AG recommeded the finance ministry to instruct the assigned contractor to fix the defects before the warranty period expires.

The report also suggested that for a design and build project like this one, it was important that the contract included a clause stipulating the contractor's responsibility in conducting maintenance within an appropriate time-frame to prevent future delays.

Dr M : Choose Pak Lah For Defeat

2008-08-27T19:53:00.001+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

Dr Mahathir Mohamad has once again asked Umno members to desert his handpicked successor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi - in the aftermath of the Permatang Pauh by-election defeat.

MCPX

In his latest blog entry, Mahathir said party members and leaders must accept that under Abdullah’s stewardship, support for Umno and Barisan Nasional has dropped even more than at its post-general elections nadir.

"You can continue supporting Abdullah as party president, but the people won't support Umno because it has become a tool for Abdullah and his family.

"When the 13th general election looms, the people will remove Umno and Barisan because it is the only way they can remove Abdullah... because Umno and Barisan is unwilling to act, the people would have to act," he said.

Yesterday, Umno's Arif Shah Omar Shah was trounced by PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim in a by-election preceded by tumultuous campaigning, which returns the former deputy prime minister to Parliament as leader of the opposition.

The seat was vacated by Anwar's wife Dr Wan Azizah Ismail earlier this month.

Anwar managed a higher majority than his wife, a clear signal that his support has not waned despite the best efforts of the BN election machinery and leaders.

Voters' dilemma

According to Mahathir, Malay and non-Malay voters did not want to vote for Anwar but were even less inclined to vote for BN.

This is the dilemma faced by Malaysian voters, he added.

“The BN candidate was good, but if he won, Abdullah would declare himself the winner and claim that support for BN and himself had returned. He would also claim that BN’s support was restored under his leadership.

“The message which the Malay, Chinese and Indian voters wanted to send were in vain, because Abdullah has no ears to listen, no eyes to see,” he said.

Mahathir said the Permatang Pauh result has left Umno members with only two options - stay loyal to Abdullah and risk losing the next general election, or stay loyal to the party.

"Umno must remember that votes from loyal members alone are insufficient to ensure victory. To win, Umno candidates need votes from non-party members, Chinese and Indians," he said.

Mahathir also predicted that the mainstream media would 'spin' the by-election results to Abdullah’s advantage and present a need for the prime minister to heal the party, by remaining in power.

"Then Umno will unanimously re-elect Abdullah as the party president in December. This would weaken Umno and BN further," he added.
In a related development, Mahathir doubts that Anwar could be the next prime minister despite winning the Permatang Pauh by-election.

He believes that Anwar will not be able to get at least 30 Members of Parliament from BN to cross over to the opposition to form a simple-majority government.

"He (Anwar) may think that he can buy them but other bidders may have more money," he was quoted as saying by Bernama.

Anwar Leads Pakatan By Appointment

2008-08-27T19:48:00.000+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

Pakatan Rakyat has appointed Anwar Ibrahim - who will be sworn in as MP tomorrow - the parliamentary opposition leader.

MCPX

The decision was conveyed in a letter to House speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia this afternoon.

PKR vice-president Azmin Ali submitted the letter inked by him, DAP deputy chairperson Tan Seng Giaw and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, to the speaker at 4pm.

Earlier, Pandikar Amin told reporters that he has not received any formal letter from the opposition recognising Anwar as their leader.

"It is not I who arranges who the opposition leader should be," he said.

"It is up to the opposition members to choose, except for example, if there is only one opposition representative in the House, then the president of that party will be considered as the leader,” he explained.

Pandikar Amin also stressed that parliament proceedings, including the budget presentation on Friday, would go on even without the presence of an opposition leader.

"Let me tell you honestly… it (the debates) will go on as usual," he said. "I don't see why the opposition is not efficient in this matter… unless they are squabbling amongst themselves on who should be the opposition leader."

MPs told to behave

Pandikar Amin also called on legislators to behave themselves and show proper decorum at the swearing-in ceremony to officially admit Anwar into parliament tomorrow.

"The utmost importance in parliament is the decorum," he stressed.

"I have had discussions earlier and the swearing-in ceremony will go on tomorrow after prayer session as stated in the parliament guidelines. According to the rules, a new member must be sworn in and coincidentally, we have a new member."

Anwar, a former deputy prime minister before his shock sacking in 1998 by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, won the Permatang Pauh by-election yesterday with a much bigger-than-expected majority of 15,671 votes over Arif Shah Omar Shah, the candidate from the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.

Anwar's return to Parliament, after an absence of 10 years, is expected to be an emotional one.

His arrest and imprisonment for sodomy and corruption charges that he says were fabricated by political enemies had sparked widespread street protests and international outcry.

Nevertheless, the charismatic 61-year old politician is back in the limelight after leading Pakatan Rakyat to a sterling performance in the March general election. Pakatan won 81 out of the 222 parliamentary seats.

All eyes are now on whether Anwar's huge popularity, especially in the wake of the Permatang Pauh by-election victory, can trigger enough BN legislators to cross over to his Pakatan alliance and help it form a new government.

MALAYSIA TODAY's New Route For Surfers

2008-08-27T19:46:00.001+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

Local internet users however can still access the website by typing in Malaysia Today's IP address or an alternative web address in their web browsers.

MALAYSIA TODAY Blocked

2008-08-27T19:44:00.001+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

In a rare move, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has ordered all internet service providers (ISPs) to block controversial online portal Malaysia Today.

MCPX

MCMC chief operating officer Mohamed Sharil Tarmizi, when contacted today, confirmed that the block was ordered by the commission.

"It is being blocked because we found that some of the comments on the website were insensitive, bordering on incitement," he told Malaysiakini.

As at 7pm, a check by Malaysiakini showed users are unable to access Malaysia Today through three major ISPs - TMnet, Maxis and Time. However, users can still access the errant website through Jaring.

This is believed to be the first time such curbs have been initiated against a non-pornographic website, posing questions as to whether the government is reneging on its no-Internet censorship pledge.

Under the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) Malaysia 10 Point Bill of Guarantees, the government promises to ensure no internet censorship.

The domain name - http://www.malaysia-today.net - has been unaccessible to TMnet subscribers since yesterday evening as a result of the blockage - known technically as 'DNS blackhole list'. [See full image]

Local internet users however can still access the website by typing in Malaysia Today's IP address or an alternative web address in their web browsers.

'Ethical blogging'

Mohamed Sharil said MCMC had instructed all ISPs to block access to Malaysia Today based on complaints received by the general public regarding offensive comments posted on the website.

Asked if the move to block Malaysia Today went against the government’s guarantee of Internet freedom, he said that the matter was subject to interpretation.

“We are governed by the Communications and Multimedia Act (1998) which allows us to take preventive measures and advise our license holders (such as ISPs) when a service user may be contravening national laws,” he said.

Under Section 263 of the Act, a licensee must “use his best endeavour” to prevent his/her facilities from being used to violate any law in the country.

Mohamed Sharil said that MCMC will be communicating with the Malaysia Today owner Raja Petra Kamaruddin and other blog owners soon regarding “ethical blogging”.

“We are not against blogs, but we would like to see ethical blogging,” he stressed.

RPK: Why should I protest?

Meanwhile, Raja Petra said he is in the dark as to why his website was being blocked, adding that he heard rumours of a MCMC circular.

“I couldn’t be bothered to protest (against the move). What do you expect me to do? Do you think they would listen?” he asked when contacted.

Over the years, Raja Petra has attracted a strong fan base and a string of lawsuits due to his no holds barred articles and knack for posting sensitive documents online.

In an immediate reaction, Communication and Multimedia Licensee Association (CMLA) - which represents all ISP licence holders in Malaysia - chairperson Afzal Abdul Rahim urged bloggers to practice self-regulation.

“We support the open flow of information across the internet and a self-regulating environment. The best way for us to find some amenable middle ground between, airing opinions and being partial to community sensitivities, we strongly urge the blogosphere to practise a commensurate amount of self moderation,” he said.

We have burried you Khairy, Never Ever come to Permatang Pauh

2008-08-27T16:26:00.001+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

‘Well, the sheer display of arrogance by BN has once again been rewarded with what amounts to being nothing short of an embarrassing and humiliating defeat.'

On Official: Anwar gets BIGGER majority

G Krishnan: Well, the sheer display of arrogance by the likes of Khairy and his BN ilk has once again been rewarded with what amounts to being nothing short of an embarrassing and humiliating defeat for the BN in Permatang Pauh.

All that venom, all that despicable personal attacks on Anwar, all that fear-mongering, all the race-baiting, all those big guns of the party, and all that money poured into the by-election, and what does the BN have to show for it?

I believe most reasonable people would conclude that the voters had sent a clear message to Abdullah and his son-in-law, and Najib and his groupies as well, several months back.

But that message did not seem to resonate at the Putra World Trade Centre.

I must admit that even as I type these words, I've got a grin on my face that stretches from one ear to the other. Oh, how sweet it is to see the likes of Khairy and Najib with egg on their faces.

All I will say for now is: ‘Hey, Khairy! Look who got ‘buried'!

Rebecca Gaythri: After 51 years of independence, Umno's policies are still not up to today's standards. It's just a race-based party that only cares for one race.

God is watching everything you do. He will put a stop to it one day.

Your days are numbered - the cries of the people will be heard. God created everything equal, but you stole it all for yourself.

In what condition would you like the Indians and Chinese to vote for BN? Under threat? Anwar has won and will bring good policies to suit Malaysians.

Peter Ooi: Yesterday's by-election in Permatang Pauh (PP) will also be hailed as a Good-Bye Election! We hope Permatang Pauh will shout for the rest of Malaysia good-bye to

- racial policies and racist politics

- to the Malaysian hybrid of apartheid

- to unbridled greed and wanton corruption

- to a heavily sullied judiciary and police force

- to a one party system domination where scoundrels lurk and find refuge

And say hello to a New Malaysia! Didn't I say this is a good bye-election ?

Kenny Gan: Anwar has won Permatang Pauh with a thumping majority of more than 15,000 despite the overwhelming odds stacked against him by the BN machinery and polling held on a working day.

This is a convincing victory which declares that all the races, Malays included, endorse PR's multi-racial politics to BN's divisive racial politics.

If the BN government has any sense, it should heed the voice of the people and set about correcting its ways. But I fear that this message from the people will once again be ignored and Umno will continue to play on racial and religious sentiments.

The speaker of Parliament has already stated there is no urgency to swear in Anwar as an MP which is a dishonourable act to frustrate the will of the people.

As the BN government cannot or will not change, there is no choice but to continue the march to Putrajaya.

The huge support given to Anwar during nomination day and throughout the campaigning period shows clearly that the popularity enjoyed by Anwar.

The clarion call has sounded. The people have spoken. It is now up to all conscientious MPs from BN to jump ship and realise the Malaysian dream of a fair and accountable government.

One Malaysia: This marks the dawn of a new Malaysia being liberated from the clutches of BN which in reality is worse than the British colonialists.

BN , in particular Umno, is now in damage control mode. However, the damages are already done and exposed. The rakyat has proven to the hopeless Umno that BN is no longer relevant.

BN's bankrupt mentality has worsened making Umno, MCA and MIC into more incorrigible entities.

No amount of lies will save BN now. The demise of Umno, MIC, MCA are clearly visible.

Raptor 22: The rakyat has shown that the a bigger majority does matter because they are fed-up with BN and its political drama.

Let's talk about more sensible matters and not nonsense. BN will never ever learn.

I believe if only Pak Lah gave ceramah in Permatang Pauh for the past 10 days, BN would not have lost by such a huge majority.

But with the presence of MCA, MIC and worse Najib and Khairy, they buried themselves. So now, what Khairy is going to say?

Congratulations for the big win and welcome back to the parliament, DSAI. We were waiting for this moment long enough.

23PSI: Thank you Permatang Pauh. Thank you for not buying into the racist and bigoted campaign of BN.

In doing so you voted for a better future for all Malaysians. As for Khairy Jamaluddin, what was that you were saying about burying Anwar's political career?

Now let us all focus on making Sept 16 a reality.

Harris J Possible: In any democratic institution, a newly elected member of parliament is immediately sworn in after he has been elected.

What is the problem in the newly elected member for Permatang Puah to be sworn in as early as today as the House is still sitting?

Pray, tell me why cannot the newly-elected MP participate in the deliberations of the House soon after he has been elected?

AR Anpu: Hidup anwar! Hidup Pakatan! Hidup Reformasi! Hidup Malaysia! Hidup Negara Kita! Hidup Malaysians!

We love and die for our country. Malaysia is the best and Malaysians are the best!

Malay, Chinese, Indians and others are no more for we are all Malaysians of our motherland Malaysia.

Today is ia new year - Aug 26, 2008. Anwar, lead us with your leadership to enable us to be the best.Mooshie Mooshie: So, where is the jihadi from Pantai and the funeral parlour man from Rembau who wanted to bury Anwar? Have they gone into hiding?

Most of all, BN - are the special projects or ‘election goodies’ going to be forthcoming after the embarrassing loss in Permatang Pauh?

What are they going to say this time to delay or conveniently scrap these promised goodies?

After all, Malaysians are very forgetful people. And to the Rembau funeral man - get ready to resign, as you have promised to do so when DSAI becomes the PM.

Hiding isn't going to do you any good - come up with something more original next time around. Is there a next time for you? The clock is ticking for you, Mr Funeral Parlour Man.

Kaisim: The by-election of Permatang Pauh has sent a clear message to Umno - the people are no longer interested in racial politics and character slander.

I salute the Malay voters here, although they have been under tremendous pressure from the BN government that talked so much of Ketuanan Melayu ala Umno and that blatantly played dirty racist games in their election campaigns.

Umno must realise that there is more to life than politics and that there are other important issues like unity and the economy. The loss here is a sign of Umno crumbling and that the worst is yet to come.

All eyes are on Anwar Ibrahim, who promised to work with all levels of Malaysians in order to make this country a better place for all of us. Sybas Anwar!

Selandia & Jutlandia: I respect and value the folks of Permatang Pauh, as they know they had had two good chances (the 12 GE and this by-election) to shape the nation. They exhibited consistencies in their duty for the nation.

I knew nothing could stop them from doing their best - not even Saiful or the majority votes issue could not stop them from being consistent in their rightness.

They are people who are mature and that's why the constituency’s name is Permatang Pauh.

Anwar, by nature, being an anak kampung from Permatang Pauh is not a coincidence.

I guess it was meant to begin right. Anwar means ‘A Nation With Absolute Rights’ (A-N-W-A-R), so rakyat, we’re going to see good progress henceforth.

Alfred Ho: Once again, the people of Permatang Pauh have spoken on behalf of all right- thinking Malaysians who desperately want change - change that happened last night when Anwar Ibrahim regained his parliamentary seat.

I wish to convey my heartiest congratulations to Anwar for his resounding victory against the BN candidate. While we celebrate Anwar's huge success, let us not forget the many people who were behind the scenes making this election victory possible for him.

We must also not forget to acknowledge people such as Raja Petra and the leaders of the Pakatan Rakyat parties for their kind assistance in helping to make Anwar's win in the much talked about by-election possible.

With a dynamic person like Anwar returning to parliament to head the opposition, I have no doubt whatsoever that BN will try all ways possible to deprive Anwar of his sweet victory by continually putting obstacles in his path.

The impending court case against Anwar for sexual crimes is just one good example. BN crooks will stop at nothing to prevent Anwar from forming the new government just so that they can continue to plunder the nation with impunity.

As I have said many a time, all right thinking Malaysians are desperately crying out for change, and Anwar is just the right person to help us effect change in this respect by forming the next government.

Augustine Yeo: Firstly, I would to congratulate Anwar Ibrahim for defeating BN with a majority of 15,671 votes. What is BN going to say about the results? Despite the odds against Anwar, the rakyat are the deciders and they don't make U-turns.

With all of their resources behind the BN candidate, they still could not change the mind set of the voters. With the media controlled by the government, we had little access to what Anwar had to say.

We are heading toward vision 2020 thanks to sites like these. Through the Internet, the up-and-coming younger generations cannot be fooled by the BN government with all types of promises and goodies.

All the allocations poured into Permatang Pauh were of taxpayers’ money and were unfairly distributed. This was the dirtiest and most expansive election with the purpose of burying DSAI’s political future.

The dirty tactics used by BN are not well received by the rakyat. What is the outspoken KJ going to say about the results of the election?

Instead of burying DSAI, BN has been thrown out. All the ministers in BN need to be overhauled and replaced with PK leaders by Anwar Ibrahim.Bernard: Let us thank god that PKR has defeated Umno. Now it is time for Pak Lah and his crony Najib to depart.

Najib should be investigated. Is he above the law? It is one beautiful day for Malaysia, and this is just the beginning.

Chelvam Rengasamy: First, my warmest congratulations to Anwar for his victory and my highest appreciation for the people of Permatang Pauh, all of whom stood against government propaganda and made a wise choice.

Indeed, this victory has brought new meaning to the word merdeka. My living area houses a multiracial community with hundreds of people. Every year, in the first week of August, we all raise the ‘Jalur Gemilang’ in our homes and fly it proudly.

However, this year no one did - it was somehow due to the current regime in this country. As the results of the Permatang Pauh by-election became known, all of the residents in my housing area - including me - raised the 'Jalur Gemilang' around 11pm.

What does it show? I guess, for once, we felt there was a certain ‘freedom’ and ‘hope’ for Malaysians of all races - regardless of colour or creed. We are one family, and this land belongs to all.

The rakyat have spoken - it’s time for all to get back to work and get Malaysia back to where it belonged once. Today, Malaysia is lagging behind many countries, even those in the Asean region.

The time has come for serious action to remedy the situation. Merdeka Merdeka Merdeka, Daulat Tuanku!

Millionth Citizen: Like millions of others in the country, we want to thank the people of Permatang Pauh for this new beginning in the nation.

We would also like to thank Raja Petra, the jailed Hindraf members and those recently arrested, everyone seeking refuge from persecution in other countries and all the people who have helped in this by-election - we thank you all.

We also urge the electorates of constituencies now under BN to tell their representatives that the New Dawn has begun, and if they have any conscience, they need to do something for their children and their future and cross over to a party that will be fair to the whole nation.

We also give a million thanks to workers and supporters for seeing the future.

Michael Lee: As a Singaporean, I can only view and comment from the sidelines. Permit me to express my sincere opinion about this person Anwar Ibrahim:

1. He is one of Malaysia’s Malays who can unite all, regardless of language, race and religion,

2. In power as PM, he will bring equality, peace and prosperity to all people,

3. Investments shall pour in from all over the world and, more importantly, he will get a high Singapore commitment,

4. All outstanding issues with Singapore will likely be settled, as he has a good, reasonable vision,

5. He knows what is good for Malaysia and the people, and knows good neighbours for partnerships in win-win situations,

6. He will definitely not betray the Malays, but he will also share prosperity among all races,

7. The world is looking at him to do damage repairs and Malaysian can count on him for this,

Give him a chance to improve and bring Malaysia forward in 2009. As Malaysia prospers, so will Singapore – both forever.

Xman: DSAI to be sworn in tomorrow. This is indeed the dawning of a new era for Malaysia. God willing, our politics will become clean again, a long overdue notion indeed.

Meng: Having just returned from Permatang Pauh, it appears that the ground has shifted completely. During the campaign period, many were puzzled by the lack of the presence of foot soldiers at the many BN bilik gerakan.

The usual floods of BN supporters, their cars and their rumblings - which are often overwhelming and almost intimidating during by-elections - were conspicuously missing this time around.

Perhaps there are no more grassroots. Perhaps, after March 8 and after following the despicable and lowly smear tactics of BN leaders, the BN grassroots have abandoned the ship. All that’s left are the few generals and simple palace guards.

I think BN leaders and MPs have to think long and hard if they desire to continue to serve the people.

It’s not that they are all bad, but they serve a very weak set of leaders who are more concerned about their own survival than that of the nation.

It is time for them, including the remaining upstanding MPs in BN, to come over to Pakatan Rakyat and truly represent the people of Malaysia. The grassroots have all moved. Merdeka!

Dr SK: To all of you who voted for BN, your man Arif and none of the BN big guns or supporters had the grace to attend the announcement of the results of the Permatang Pauh by-election. ‘Thank you’ for voting for them.

It goes to show how typically ungrateful Arif and BN are. They do not care at all about how you feel - deserted in their defeat, they care only about winning.

Once again, Arif’s and BN's disappearance exemplifies exactly what is so despicable about BN.

Ganga: I would like to congratulate Anwar on his win. From now on, PKR has a new set of challenges. The current government will not give up its power just like that. There will be many dirty games starting now.

Some of the things BN might do might be like tales from a Tamil movie. I have seen many episodes, and now I will experience it in my own land. Parliamentarians are subject to money politics.

An entrapment will be elaborately set up to break the opposition MPs in the likes of the Perak case. Racial tension will by played up to create unrest within the opposition.

This will benefit BN, as they are a race-based party.

Anwar himself will be entrapped with many legal charges, like with the lies of the Saiful case. Backstabbing will take place, like the Nallakaruppan allegation of corruption against Anwar.

There are things BN will plan to get Anwar using its government legs to create unrest. There are so many unimaginable things coming to terms.

I hope PKR and its coalition leaders are ready to once again live up to new challenges to save the country from this tyrant BN.

M Kamil Nurul Azman: Friends, countrymen, comrades - god has helped us. The truth will always triumph over evil. While writing this comment, I still feel the utmost satisfaction with last night’s results.

I believe that the right mind set and the clear judgment by the Malay voters in Permatang Pauh were the determining factors in the victory.

For the second time running, all the BN propaganda on television and in the newspapers fell on the deaf ears of the Permatang Pauh folks. Good job!

As for the PM’s in-law, being a Kelantanese voter, I still remember the time when this person came to campaign in my part of the world.

I remember his words, him saying in campaigns that he wanted to give Kelantan as a present to the PM, and that BN will return to power in the East Coast state.

Well, the rest, as they say, is history.

On Win a 'defining moment for nation'

Lim Keat Hoe: Only the Umnoputras will deny that this is a ‘defining moment’.

In the twilight of his mediocre premiership, will Abdullah now act as a statesman that Malaysians can look back on in the future with pride?

Namely, he should stop the legal pursuit of Anwar.

But, sadly, I am sure he won't or can't. The political high drama will continue, but history has shown that the will of the rakyat cannot be subdued forever.

For the sake of the nation - in the name of peace, unity and prosperity - I pray that the powers-that-be will cease and desist.

On Election Commission denies fraud charges

Maran: Kamaruzzaman said 'Our figures fully accounted for'. Then how come his figure for turnout is only 63% but actual figure shows 80%?

Kamaruzzaman should explain his capablity in mathematics to the country and it is a disgrace for the nation to have people like Kamaruzzaman as election officers.

On Najib regrets polling day scuffle

Timo FP: Dear Mr DPM - you, your party and your candidate have been given a well-aimed kick in your ample behinds.

You would be well advised to return to Putrajaya and lick your wounds instead of pointing fingers for the defeat.

Scuffle? My foot. Your BN goons aren't exactly angels either. It was fair play, and you and your cohorts have lost big-time.

By the way, we can all thank your protege sandiwara-man from Rembau for getting your 'loser-from-the-start' BN candidate buried by the avalanche of votes.

Listen well, Mr DPM - nobody bought your drama. The ones who did, did so for the pay-dirt that is now not going to materialise.

The constant barrage of carefully-documented visuals depicting you greeting locals in a market, kicking a football, visiting a so-called injured pix-man in the hospital and swearing in a mosque (which the mainstream media were quick to publish with blind-loyalty) flopped big-time.

After your sterling performances in box-office hits like ‘An Evening In Port Dickson’ and ‘High-Flying In Mongolia’, we are extremely disappointed by your insipid outing in your latest effort, ‘Why Now? In Permatang Pauh’.

It was a box-office disaster impounded by your novice sandiwara-man from Rembau.

You may be in self-denial, but you would be well advised to pack and await your turn at one of your lifeboats because your once-mighty ship is sinking under its own weight of deceit, sex scandal and corruption.

Sang Kancil: It is always the culture of BN-Umno to blame the opposition for all the bad behaviour.

Just look at the uncvilised behaviour portrayed by those Umnoputeras on nomination day. These guys are fit to be in jungle.

But our friend Najib blames the opposition. Please look and educate your guys first, Mr DPM. Anyway, this election will be the final death siren for BN-Umno.

On 5 'phantom' buses stopped, MP arrested

Sitha: Though I am happy with the victory of Anwar and Malaysia, I am also saddened with what happened to Gopalakrishnan and his family. How many times has Malaysia witnessed a family being arrested for doing good for the country?

And how many times has Malaysia witnessed a family in full swing, working their butts off under the hot sun, trying to make sure the election processes takes place fairly only to get assaulted for it?

Gopalakrishnan and his family should be released immediately. They are the examples of how we want the Malaysians to be - fighting for a good cause, no matter of what race or belief.

We are proud of them and we want them out from detention now.

On PKR leader: If Anwar wins, 13 Sabah MPs will cross over

KSN: I wish to point out to the BN MPs that BN (through Umno, MCA, MIC, Gerakan and the parties from Sabah and Sarawak) has not only betrayed the country, but their respective communities as well.

There is no need to elaborate and provide details, as the country is aware of it - you MPs more than others.

We have seen a lack of leadership in taking the country in the right direction - towards harmony and social justice and away from corruption, abuse and misuse of public funds, cronyism and abuse of power just so that a few could become rich.

Those in the BN with any shred of conscience, integrity and honour left - whether they are from Umno, MCA, Gerakan, MIC, Sabah or Sarawak - should help to stop the country from continuing along this destructive path.

Please cross over - give Malaysia and its people a chance. There is no need to have second thoughts about morality here - to stay with BN and continue to support it is immoral and you know it.

What do you say, BN MPs? Can we count on you to do the right thing?

Umno leaders call PM to quit after defeat

2008-08-27T16:24:00.000+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi faced calls to quit from within Umno after opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim scored a landslide by-election victory.

MCPX

Anwar won the vote to return to parliament despite an intense campaign mounted by the Barisan Nasional, which he has promised to unseat within a month with the help of defecting lawmakers.

The failure to check Anwar has heaped more pressure on Abdullah, who has fought to hold on to his job since the March general election in which the opposition gained unprecedented ground.

Veteran Umno leader Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah called for a new leadership "to unite our people... and forge a clear national direction."

"(Abdullah) does not have the minimal credibility needed to run the country day by day, let alone to take it in the new directions we need to go in a complex world," he said. "This dangerous situation cannot continue."

Razaleigh said the coalition's by-election campaign, which was criticised for its racial overtones and focus on sodomy allegations against Anwar, has "embarrassed and divided the nation with its ugliness."

"It is time to face the music: it is we who have been buried," he said.

"Our leadership is rejected by the rakyat and, moreover, is rejected by our own members. BN's vote count was less than the number of Umno members in the constituency.

"Within and among our component parties we ran a poorly coordinated and listless campaign against a motivated opposition.

"What scraps of credibility the prime minister and his deputy had left after March 8 are gone," he added.

Wave cannot be stopped

Razaleigh also called on Umno members and BN component parties to stand by Umno in 'our hour of crisis'.

"The people of Malaysia and along with them, Umno's ordinary members, have found their democratic voice," he said, warning that the wave cannot be stopped.

Razaleigh plans to challenge Abdullah for the party leadership in the Umno polls this December, but is likely to fail after the premier silenced calls for his immediate ouster by agreeing to hand over power to his deputy Najib Abdul Razak in 2010.

Abdullah's main critic, former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, has also called for the resignation of his successor after relations between the two soured in 2006.

Mahathir's son Mukhriz, another senior Umno figure, who is vying for the top spot in the party's influential youth wing, also called for Abdullah's immediate resignation.

"I think Abdullah should strongly consider for all our sakes, to step down now," he told AFP.

"This is a second time that the Malaysian people have given a clear message, with the first at the general elections. It is a rejection of the present leader and he must leave now."

Anwar won the Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat after defeating BN’s Arif Shah Omar Shah with a majority of 15,671 votes.

Anwar to be sworn in tomorrow

2008-08-27T16:22:00.000+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia announced this morning that Anwar Ibrahim, the new member of parliament for Permatang Pauh, will be sworn in tomorrow.

Anwar makes his return to the House in grand style after an absence of 10 years by winning the Permatang Pauh by-election yesterday with a majority of 15,671.

The de facto PKR leader is also expected to be appointed parliamentary opposition leader for the 81 Pakatan Rakyat MPs.

"The parliament speaker has said Anwar will be sworn in as an MP on Thursday," said Tian Chua, information chief of PKR, which leads the three-member alliance.

"We will all be there to welcome Anwar as the leader of the opposition and the parliament will be very different with his voice," said Tian, who is MP for Batu.

"It is a real morale boost for the Pakatan Rakyat in Parliament."

All eyes now on Sept 16

Anwar yesterday won the by-election in his old constituency of Permatang Pauh with a thumping majority, despite claims of a "dirty tricks" campaign mounted by the ruling coalition to sideline him.

The 61-year-old opposition leader spent six years in jail before the sodomy conviction was overturned in 2004. But he now faces new sodomy charges levelled by a former aide which he says have been concocted by the government.

Anwar has said that the Pakatan Rakyat will be able to form the next government by Sept 16. He needs to secure the support of 30 government defectors in order to topple the coalition.

He told Malaysiakini two weeks ago that one of his first task as opposition leader was to reconnect with those government MPs who had indicated their willingness to defect.

"The prime thing is to get back in contact with those MPs that have given their word that they would support (Pakatan) when I return to Parliament."

Permatang Pauh : This is the dirtiest elections ever, says ANWAR

2008-08-25T18:19:00.001+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

Sleaze and race are dominating the Permatang Pauh by-election where opposition leader and self-proclaimed prime minister-in-waiting Anwar Ibrahim is fighting to return to parliament after a decade-long absence.

MCPX

Anwar tells voters that if he is elected he will be just one step away from toppling the government and replacing it with a new one that is free of racial discrimination and corruption. He proposes to do that by inducing defections from the ranks of the ruling Barisan Nasional.

In response to Anwar’s challenge, the ruling coalition has unleashed money, patronage and the overwhelming control it has over the mainstream media to convince the 58,000 voters in this constituency that Anwar is simply unfit to be anything, let alone the next prime minister.

Their main weapons in this campaign are sleaze and the manipulation of racial fears to influence the voters, 70 percent of whom are Muslim-Malays.

One matter persistently used in the campaign is the charge filed against Anwar on July 26 that he allegedly sodomised former aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan. The trial starts on Sept 13.

In the meantime, Azlan has sworn on the Quran that Anwar had sodomised him and a video recording of the swearing, done at a leading mosque in the capital on Aug 16, is now being screened in every village and town here to influence the Malay voters.

The question voters are prompted to ask at every turn is that if Anwar, who says he is a victim of a frame-up, is not guilty then why is he afraid to swear on the Quran.

Ministers, senior ruling party leaders and even Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi have turned the knife in urging voters to ponder the matter in a desperate attempt to turn away Malays and defeat Anwar in his family stronghold.

Anwar: This is the dirtiest elections ever

Anwar has consistently said he will not swear on the Quran because it is against Islam to do so.

"I have already fulfilled my obligation as a Muslim by filing a complaint against the false accuser in the Syariah court,” he said in an interview on the sidelines of a hectic campaign schedule that starts at 6 a.m. with a walkabout at the morning market and ends well past midnight.

"They are using dirty tactics, race and making false accusations to win over the Malays," Anwar told IPS. "This is the dirtiest election ever."

Despite the use of the sodomy allegation, Malays are flocking to his campaign rallies by the thousands and enthusiastically clapping and cheering as he slams government corruption and mismanagement of the economy.

Anwar faces BN candidate Arif Shah Omar Shah and Hanafi Mamat, of the Angkatan Keadilan Insan Malaysia in the contest for the Permatang Pauh seat which fell vacant when Anwar’s wife, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, vacated it so he could contest.

The move is a strategy to unite the opposition under Anwar’s leadership and take on the BN government which is politically at its weakest point after suffering massively in the March 8 general election.

"This by-election has yet to deliver the quality of campaigning that can generate confident optimism in Malaysia’s future," said Bridget Welsh, an American academic observing the by-election campaign.

"The BN campaign is focused on Anwar’s character, and systematically used character assassination as a means to reduce Anwar’s majority," she said.

"Studies show that this sort of attack serves to consolidate a party's core traditional supporters, and rarely sways undecided voters," she added in an article on the campaigning.

Political analysts said it is significant that both sides have failed to move the campaign debate from political character assignation to meaningful dialogue on freedom, democracy and tolerance in a multi-ethnic society.

Civil society activists are disappointed, saying the key issue before the voters is the future of secular guarantees on which this nation was founded and how freedom has eroded on pressure from Islamic fundamentalism.

What does he mean by change?

While the government has not given voters a clear vision of the future, neither is Anwar giving them a clear idea what he means by ‘change’ - the key word in his campaign arsenal.

"Does change mean a society that puts the constitution over Syariah? Or does it mean just less corruption, more accountability," asked a prominent lawyer who declined to be identified.

"The key issues of today are religious freedom, rule of law, judicial independence and preservation of the constitution from fundamentalists," he said. "None of these major issues are raised or debated.”

Even within the opposition, by now it is clear that five months after the gains of the general election change means different things to the disparate political parties that form the opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalition.

Islamists are increasingly demanding a society entirely based on Syariah, while non-Muslims hunger for a return to an earlier era when secular guarantees were respected and applied to all citizens equally.

Voters at the by-election - mostly rice farmers, petty traders and factory workers - are not being asked to choose between one political programme and another, but are merely bombarded with sordid tales designed to influence their sentiments.

Race is another key factor being exploited to win voter support.

Anwar has won over the minority Chinese and Indians voters with his promise to abolish corruption, apply special rights to all who need it and treat all citizens as equal.

The government is playing on Malay fears that the Chinese, who are economically dominant, are riding on Anwar and would gain if Malays voted for the former deputy prime minister.

"He is a traitor to the Malays," said Umno vice-president Muyhiddin Yassin during a campaign rally last week.

The "Chinese would gain" theme is played over and over in the government controlled mainstream media, at political rallies, in leaflets and during "whispered" house-to-house campaign.

"If Malays fall for it then it is back to the drawing board for him," said a diplomat with a European mission, on customary condition of anonymity.

While the authorities beat the racial drums, Anwar’s camp is also selectively appealing to particular racial groups with particular messages while keeping its promise of inclusive politics and multi-racialism carefully vague and undefined.

Despite the many setbacks, Anwar is expected to win and return to parliament as the opposition leader. Beyond that, becoming prime minister is a difficult task considering the upcoming sodomy trial he faces and the coercive powers that his opponents enjoy.

Nevertheless, the impact of a convincing victory for Anwar would be felt across the country and raise hopes for a new Malaysia without race and discrimination, after five decades of dominance by Umno

The results are also bound to echo across much of the world where Anwar is seen as a leading moderate Muslim leader who is able to successfully marry Islam with secular democracy.

Permatang Pauh : EC SECRETARY Dares To Take Him To Court

2008-08-25T18:17:00.001+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

With just a day left for polling, confusion reigned over the electoral roll that is to be used for Permatang Pauh by-election with at least 710 voters may be unable to cast their votes tomorrow.

MCPX

The problem came amid dispute over two sets of electoral rolls - one gazetted and one ‘updated' - adopted by the Election Commissions (EC) for the Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat.

A heated argument broke out between EC secretary Kamaruzaman Mohd Noor and a group of journalists as he attempted to clarify the matter at a 90-minute press conference in Penang today.

He was met by reporters during a meeting and final preparation works by the EC workers at the Tuanku Bainun Teachers' Training College, which will be used as the counting centre tomorrow.

At the end of the press conference, he suggested to the media to take him to court if they are not happy with the explanations he provided to quell doubts raised by opposition PKR yesterday.

The heated argument however did not stop at the media session as it continued in a separate 40-minute meeting between Kamaruzaman and PKR leaders R Sivarasa and Fuziah Salleh later.

Permatang Pauh : High Turn Out Expected

2008-08-25T18:15:00.000+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

High turnout expected

At the separate 40-minute session with the two PKR leaders later, Kamaruzaman insisted that the EC has come clean and complied with laws in the election's conduct including the electoral roll.

As the two parties insisted on their own stand, the meeting ended with the PKR agreed to submit the 868 names which they have found to be removed to EC this afternoon for verification.

Requests by the journalists to have another EC press conference this evening to clarify the matter was not entertained when Kamaruzaman repeatedly replied that he will check the matter first.

Nevertheless, upon the repeated requests by Fuziah and Sivarasa, Kamaruzaman retracted his earlier claim at the press conference that the PKR was lying.

Meanwhile, Kamaruzaman said he expected a high voters' turnout at the polling tomorrow. In the March general election, it recorded a 81 percent voters' turnout.

The polling result is expected to be announced between 9.30pm and 10.30pm.

PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim faces BN's Arif Shah Omar Shah and Akim president Hanafi Hamat in the three-way fight.

Permatang Pauh : EC Covers Its Mistakes

2008-08-25T18:12:00.001+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

‘This is a lie'

The controversy began with claims from PKR yesterday that there are a total of 868 names which could not be found in the electoral roll which was ‘updated' on July 31 - to be used tomorrow - as compared to the roll which was gazetted on June 19.

Usually, a gazetted electoral roll will be used as the official roll in the conduct of an election. The gazetted roll is final and cannot be questioned in court even if there is any dispute.

However, strangely, the EC has decided to use the ‘updated' roll on July 31 - and yet to be gazetted - for the by-election tomorrow and led to questions over it.

Apart from that, PKR also claimed the electoral roll was tainted with over 400 doubtful postal voters and argued these defects could eventually affect about 2,000 votes in total for the party.

Explaining on the 868 names which went ‘missing' in the ‘updated' roll, Kamaruzaman clarified today that there were only 158 names which were removed in the latest roll.

The reasons why these names were removed among others include ‘wrong' voters registration, deaths, those who aged above 100 and deemed fit by the EC to remove their names from the roll on the presumption that they have passed away.

Hitting out at the PKR's claim, a visibly annoyed Kamaruzaman said: "This is a lie. This is done to tarnish the good name of the EC."

There are a total of 58,459 eligible voters who can cast their vote tomorrow, an increase of 10 new voters compared to the March general election.

Temperature at the press conference ran high as journalists repeatedly attempted to clarify the discrepancy in the figures provided by the EC secretary, which could not be tallied.

Pressed on why a non-gazetted roll was being used in the by-election, he shot back and said: "Can you show me which provision of the law (which requires) me to gazette the roll?"

"Those names which I have deleted (from the roll) was done under the power given to me as a chief registrar, I don't need to display (the new roll)," he argued.

The press conference ended after 90 minutes with the group of journalists leaving in an utterly confused state.

Permatang Pauh : ARIF SHAH, My Wife Is A Naughty Girl

2008-08-24T21:00:00.001+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

‘My wife is a naughty girl’

The Permatang Pauh parliamentary constituency houses three state seats - Permatang Pasir (PAS), Penanti (PKR) and Seberang Jaya (Umno), where Arif Shah has represented for two terms.

The BN man faces PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim and Akim president Hanafi Hamat in a three-cornered fight. Polling is on Tuesday.

According to Arif Shah, Permatang Pasir is the major ‘black’ area, followed by Penanti.

Asked on the possibility of Hanafi taking votes of PAS supporters away from Anwar, Arif Shah said that would be something positive for him.

The BN candidate said he will cast his vote at the Sekolah Seberang Jaya (II) on polling day at exactly 8am, which he believed is an ‘auspicious’ time.

Clad in a blue BN shirt, Arif Shah appeared slightly fatigue during the press conference after eight days of non-stop campaigning but he entertained all questions from journalists passionately.

According to him, he had only sleep for two to three hours a day since nomination day last Saturday.

Despite the hectic schedule, Arif Shah said he wake up every morning to perform his subuh prayer.

“My wife is a naughty girl. She would wake me up at 6.30am. I’d thought she was waking me up for something else, but my wife said, ‘you need to go for prayers’. That somehow forced me to wake up (early),” he quipped.

There are 58,459 eligible voters in Permatang Pauh.

To ensure a higher voter turnout on the polling day, which is a working day, the Pakatan-led Penang state government has today declared a special holiday for Aug 26.

The seat was vacated by PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to pave the way for her husband Anwar to return to Parliament after a 10-year hiatus since his sacking from the government.

Permatang Pauh : Abdul Hadi Awang Calls To Vote For Anwar

2008-08-24T17:30:00.001+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

Any differences on who will become the next prime minister should Pakatan Rakyat form federal government were put aside last night as PAS supporters turned out in full force to back "their" candidate.

MCPX

At Taman Guar Perahu, which is 99 percent Malay voters, party president Abdul Hadi Awang and spiritual healer Dr Haron Din allayed rumours of a PAS pullout by urging the crowd to support "our warrior".

In this particular part of Penanti - one of the three state constituencies in Permatang Pauh - some 4,000 people braved the light drizzle to listen to PAS top guns.

Though Hadi's ceramah only lasted 10 minutes, his final words should be enough for anyone doubting PAS’ commitment to PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim's campaign.

"I urge Permatang Pauh voters to once again give your votes to PKR and let Anwar return to Parliament. And if there is a chance to lead this country as well," said Hadi.

It put to rest, for the moment, his own ambitions to helm the nation.

Before that, he touched on issues of governance and why Barisan Nasional, in particular Umno, should be rejected.

Later, it was announced that Hadi was not feeling well and hence the short but no less crucial message.

Sodomy allegation

Meanwhile, Haron's ceramah also helped kill off lingering doubts Malay voters may have regarding the sodomy allegation against Anwar.

"These people are using Islam when it suits them," said the 68-year-old religious scholar-turned-politician.

"When they made accusations, they go to the mosque, hold the Quran and swear in God's name. But what about the other part of Islam requirements?" he asked.

"If they want to use syariah to swear that the crime did take place, he (accuser Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan) should also present four credible witnesses."

Under Islamic law, accusations must be backed by four credible witnesses otherwise the accuser is guilty of qazaf (false accusations).

So far, the Umno campaign has revolved around the sodomy allegation and Anwar’s ‘betrayal’ of the Malay cause.

Haron's defence just two days before polling is the best that PKR could wish for to help satisfy questions on why Anwar has not taken an oath to deny the allegation.

Umno will no doubt crank up the pressure over the next 48 hours with around-the-clock public screening of Saiful's swearing.

But for the PAS faithful, Haron and Hadi are enough to combat BN's more high-tech campaign.

Aug 26 special holiday in Penang

2008-08-24T17:28:00.000+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

Aug 26, the polling day for the crucial Permatang Pauh by-election, has been declared a special public holiday in Penang by the state government.

MCPX

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng made the announcement today in a press statement saying that the special holiday was to ensure a full turnout of the 58,459 voters for the critical by-election.

“The Penang state government has been mulling over the decision ever since the Elections Commission fixed a working day on Tuesday August 26 as polling day in defiance of public opinion that this will reduce the voter turnout,” he said.

The announcement came a day after the Education Ministry declared a special school holiday in Permatang Pauh to allow schools to be used as polling stations.

“By fixing polling day on a working day and giving such preferential treatment of a special school holiday, the Education Ministry is trying to gain an advantage for a certain party and their candidate,” said Lim.

“To ensure a level-playing field and fairness to all candidates, the Penang state government has decided to declare August 26, 2008 as a state public holiday,”

According to Lim, the special holiday is taken as an additional holiday in the state and need not be replaced by taking away another holiday.

The chief minister urged all voters to turn out to cast their votes on Tuesday.

“The state government requests all factories to assist their workers in Permatang Pauh to carry out their duties to determine not only their choice of wakil rakyat but also decide the destiny of the country.”

No Datukship For Kids

2008-08-24T01:35:00.001+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

First, it was Nicole David.

MCPX

I was really shocked when 24-year-old Nicole was awarded the datukship last month. Why? No doubt she’s the world squash champion but she’s only a ‘kid’ and since when did we start giving out datukships (originally meant for senior, deserving citizens) to school kids?

Now, it’s Lee Chong Wei!

Come on, Mr Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng. This is your most ridiculous act yet in your first few months as Penang’s chief executive.

These are young people only in their twenties - and to award them the datukships - whatever for? What is happening these days? Surely, there are other more appropriate and more useful rewards or incentives we can offer our young sportsmen and sportswomen.

I always think of a datuk as an older person, someone highly revered (even idolised or feared perhaps) and who has contributed immensely to the state and nation. A datukship used to be awarded to those holding high public offices such as governors, ministers, top civil servants and prominent philanthropists.

In recent times however, a datukship has almost become ‘valueless’. Palace hands have been alleged to be involved in ‘selling’ the honorific titles. Ask Dr Rais Yatim. Some years ago, he accused such people of being involved in corruption by acting as middle-men and surprisingly, none of the royal households came out to dispute it. So, we can form our own conclusion on Rais’ allegation.

But right thinking Malaysians are still hoping that our king, sultans and governors give out the datukship to those who are truly deserving, with outstanding contributions to society and nation. It will be better if the number is kept small to uphold the dignity, quality and value of the award.

I will be honest. Since the March 8 general election, I have been hoping that the new Pakatan Rakyat state governments will do away with the Barisan Nasional’s way of rewarding their members and cronies with honorific titles, the datukship in particular.

Titles used as rewards

Let’s look at these examples. Is it not true that when a certain BN leader is not selected as a electoral candidate, he will be given a datukship as a means to pacify him? Isn’t it true that business people who contribute to the BN coffers will be rewarded with honorific titles and with promises that there will be more coming if they remain loyal cronies? And isn’t it correct to say that when a senior BN leader is forced to step down from office, he will be given another high-sounding title - maybe a ‘promotion’ from Datuk to Tan Sri - again to pacify him. As for the heavyweights, they are likely to be made Tuns. (Aha, it’s also the BN’s way of shutting up a ‘big mouth’. Ever wonder why Dr Lim Keng Yaik has suddenly become ‘dumb’!)

But I am really disappointed. Barely two months into office, new Perak state exco members are starting to reward themselves with their sultan’s birthday honours as if these are the ‘spoils from the war’ they just won.

A case in point is senior exco Ngeh Koo Ham, who was made a datuk. I don’t know how he feels when even his more senior and accomplished party colleagues like Lim Kit Siang, Karpal Singh, Dr Chen Man Hin and Dr Tan Seng Giaw are still ‘datuk-less’.

If I were Ngeh, I would not hesitate to decline the datukship out of respect for my party veterans and elders. As it is now, Ngeh is the first serving DAP leader to become a datuk. Oh yes, he has every reason to feel proud about it, but I doubt many in the DAP feel much pride. In case Ngeh is still in dreamland, let me respectfully inform him that several party stalwarts are not pleased with his ditching the DAP’s long-standing, unwritten rule of not accepting honorific titles.

No different from MCA

Of course, Ngeh could always sing the old, familiar tune of ‘it would be disrespectful to decline the award from the sultan’. But then, many of us are aware that before awarding a candidate with a title, the palace or the relevant department will write to inform the candidate and he or she can decide whether to accept or decline the award. It has been said that Kit Siang has turned down a datukship before and I think he genuinely feels good about it.

I do not know Ngeh personally, but I have to say again I am very disappointed. I may sound unfair but it’s also possible that perhaps next year, Ngeh may recommend a datukship for his cousin, Nga Kor Ming, who is also a state exco member.

So now, how is this different from the MCA style of ‘towkay politics’ the DAP has been fighting against all these decades.

I am sorry, DAP. Some of your Perak leaders seem to be falling into the same class-conscious and egoistic-society trap that has destroyed Gerakan and badly damaged the MCA. (To be fair, let me exclude Fong Po Kuan and M Kulasegaran from this equation).

I am aware that the new Perak menteri besar from PAS was also conferred a title. I refrain from commenting negatively about Malays receiving honorific titles because I believe it is part of their culture. The Malays have long historical ties with titles and awards from the old sultanate days and it would be wrong to deny them the joy and pleasure of receiving such recognition.

But it is a different matter when it comes to the non-Malay communities. Being called a datuk has never been part of Chinese or Indian culture. So let’s be honest about it - it is nothing more than a mere ego-boosting symbol. It sounds good but is actually hollow.

Let me appeal to the Pakatan state governments to stop dishing out such honorific titles to non-Malay leaders or business people. I’m sure there are long queues waiting for the sultans or governors’ birthdays by now. Show the people you intend to make a difference; and making one difference is to NOT do what the BN has done and is still doing - making use of the birthday awards to reward their people and cronies, thereby demeaning them in the process. Put a stop to this.

Give to the retired

A Chinese paper recently speculated that Lim Kit Siang and other DAP veterans like Liew Ah Kim and Dr Tan Seng Giaw are to receive the datukship from the Selangor Sultan on his forthcoming birthday. While they are deserving recipients indeed, there are many who feel that the DAP’s long-standing unwritten rule should stay. However, DAP veterans who had retired like Dr Chen Man Hin, Liew Ah Kim, Sim Kwang Yang, Lau Dak Kee and others should be given priority - if at all they are keen to be made datuks.

Remember Khir Johari and Ghafar Baba. They had respectfully declined all awards while in office and only agreed to be conferred only upon retirement. What exemplary leaders they had been!

Back to Penang, I must salute Guan Eng too for not giving himself any state award on the governor’s birthday last month. Conferring Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail the ‘Datuk Seri’ was a clever move as she is truly a deserving recipient - an exemplary wife, mother and leader.

But to award the datukship to Nicole David and Lee Chong Wei is silly, awkward and un-chief minister-like. I describe them as ‘kids’ because they are viewed as such when weighed against the title which is normally given to senior citizens.

Guan Eng’s reason that “Chong Wei was being honoured because he had done not only Penang but also Malaysia proud with his achievement as the first Penangite to win a silver medal at the world’s biggest sports event” does not hold up for the datukship at all.

Hey, Yap Kim Hock and Cheah Soon Kit also brought the silver medal home from the 1996 Atlanta Games. And what about Jalani and Razif Sidek. They won Malaysia’s first Olympic medal, albeit only a bronze, in Barcelona in 1992. They should all be made datuks too, if Guan Eng’s reasoning is to be taken as a yardstick.

Then what about our other sporting greats like Rabuan Pit, formerly Asia’s fastest man, former Mr Universe Soloman Ismanto, or our football legends like the late ‘Spiderman’ R Arumugam and Santokh Singh - why were they not awarded the datukship? Indeed, there is a long list of sportsmen and sportswomen who had also brought glory and honour to the nation too.

Rethink his style

We can appreciate that Guan Eng is a young chief minister (I consider those below 50 young lah) and he intends to thrive on doing things differently, which is well and good. But this awarding of the datukship to ‘kids’ is definitely not well and good and the young chief minister has to be advised as such.

In future, Guan Eng should consider awarding permanent scholarships from the Penang government to the state’s high achievers in sports.

For example, Nicole or Chong Wei could be given scholarships to further their studies, say in sports science at USM or overseas, when they retire from the sporting arena. That would be a more appropriate reward from the state government than the datukship.

In future, I sincerely hope the chief minister can take a moment to rethink his style of dishing out datukship to ‘kids’.

It ain’t so comforting and it will be even embarrassing to hear RTM’s Hasbullah Awang commenting on Chong Wei when he next steps onto the badminton court, “Oh, Datuk Lee tersungkur ke lantai gelanggang dan tumbang di tangan Lin Dan."

Thanks to CM Lim Guan Eng, Lin Dan has created history by taking his first Malaysian Datuk scalp - he floored and defeated Datuk Lee Chong Wei.

Cheh!

Permatang Pauh : Hindraf leaders arrested in Seberang Jaya

2008-08-24T01:32:00.000+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

Eight Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leaders, including national co-ordinator TS Thanenthiran, were arrested this evening after staging a protest against a splinter group outside a Chinese temple in Seberang Jaya, Penang.

MCPX

The protest began around 2pm, swelling to about 200 people by the time the arrests were made. The splinter group, which also claims to represent Hindraf, was carrying out a bonfire prayer at the temple.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, in town to help campaign for his coalition in the Permatang Pauh by-election, dropped by to visit the temple around 5.30pm. He chatted briefly with members of the splinter group and shook hands with some of them before leaving.

Soon after that, the demonstration got out of hand and the arrests were made around 6.30pm.

Police said the eight people, including two women, were arrested for illegal demonstration.

Hindraf chief P Waythamoorthy called Malaysiakini from London, saying that the splinter group did not represent Hindraf and the prayer ceremony was not sanctioned by the Indian rights group.

Seeking divine intervention

Bonfire organisers VK Regu had told reporters earlier that the event was organised by the Makkal Sakhti movement, which is sometimes used interchangeably with Hindraf, in collaboration with an NGO.

“We want to seek divine intervention to secure the release of the five Hindraf leaders detained under the Internal Security Act,” he said, adding that the event was also to urge Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat to fulfil Hindraf’s 18-point memorandum on Indian affairs submitted to Abdullah last year.

Shortly after, Regu was confronted by the 10 Hindraf activists and a shouting match erupted between the two groups before the protest began.

The Hindraf activist claimed that the bonfire organisers were out to confuse Indian voters in Permatang Pauh by engaging Abdullah at the event.

The demonstration began immediately after Abdullah left the event with protesters shouting “reformasi” and “long live Anwar” before they were dispersed by the police.

Permatang Pauh : Offensive Banner, BN Denies

2008-08-24T01:28:00.001+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

Controversial banners and ‘fake’ leaflets aimed at discrediting PKR candidate Anwar Ibrahim have surfaced in and around Permatang Pauh, as campaigning for the by-election heads into the final lap, with balloting slated for Tuesday Aug 26.

MCPX

Malaysiakini found some of these ‘fake’ leaflets, allegedly originated by groups within PAS and PKR itself, and containing offensive remarks about Anwar in the election campaign offices of archrivals Umno and Barisan Nasional..

One such leaflet, claimed to have come from Permatang Pauh PAS Youth division, carried the headline ‘An insult to Islamic state to be led by a sodomite’ and called on the voters to reject Anwar.

Another leaflet, allegedly from PKR Selangor bearing the party’s logo, attempted to confuse voters with reverse pyschology, asking them to support PKR for advocating ‘rakyat supremacy’.

“The Malay supremacy made Malays live with the crutches. We must get rid of the Malay crutch so that the Malays will be stronger and bolder. The PKR and DAP will lead the Malays to a better future,” the leaflet stated.

It is believed the leaflet was meant to antagonise Malay voters away from the Anwar camp.

Although the name of the printer or publisher were conspicously absent as required under election laws, the leaflets were placed openly on tables in the Umno election campaign offices. Stacks of similar ‘fake’ leaflets can be seen in the offices as well.

Numerous banners too have been put up overnight that sought to snipe at Anwar ‘s bid to be prime minister and over his recent promise to reduce fuel prices the very next day after he succeeds in forming a new government.

Banner: US to be allowed to set up airbase

These banners, spotted in Seberang Jaya, include one which said ‘Today Anwar becomes premier, Tomorrow Israel opens embassy in Kuala Lumpur, The day after the Americans open airbase in Butterworth.” (photo below)

These allegations coincide with Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin’s claim at a ceramah last night that he was privy to Anwar’s alleged discussion with the United States to open an airbase in Malaysia once the PKR leader succeeds in seizing power.

Another banner was about the bumiputera-based Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM). PKR’s Selangor menteri besar Khalid Ibrahim stirred up a hornet’s nest when he recently suggested the university to open up 10 percent of its seats to other races.

On the banner were the Malay wordings ‘Today rule Selangor 10 percent UiTM places for non-bumiputeras, Tomorrow rule Malaysia 90 percent UiTm places for non-bumiputeras’.

Anwar was not their sole target. His colleagues in Pakatan Rakyat were also not spared.

A banner spotted in the Malay-majority Permatang Pasir showed DAP secretary-general and Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng’s face accompanied with the words ‘Penang gua punya’ (Penang is mine). (photo)

Another banner which carried PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s face said ‘Hadi is more qualified to be Pakatan’s prime minister’, an obvious reference to his non-committal answer when recently asked if he would support Anwar’s bid to be prime minister. (photo)

All the banners did not carry a party logo and the name of the printer. This breaches election laws and the Elections Commission can actually take action to have them removed.

Tension too ran high when a group of campaign workers, suspected of being from the BN camp, tried to hang some of the banners during the wee hours of the morning. They clashed with PKR workers who tried to stop them. However, 40 police officers arrived in time to stop the brawl.

Umno: It wasn’t us!

In another incident, two female election workers - who were wearing BN tags - were seen distributing a set of controversial leaflets during a function attended by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in Seberang Jaya this afternoon.

The leaflets carried a ‘frontpage’ portraying DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang and Karpal Singh clad in a traditional baju Melayu alongside Anwar, Hadi, Guan Eng, Anwar’s wife Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and Karpal’s son Gobind Singh Deo. (photo)

The picture showed Anwar apparently holding the Quran, an obvious reference to his refusal to bow to his detractors’ demand that he swear on the holy book to prove he did not sodomised his ex-aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

It carried the caption ‘Anwar said Saiful’s swearing is not Islamic, is this swearing Islamic?’

BN candidate Arif Shah Omar Shah who was present at this afternoon’s function said he would look into the matter. However, Penang Umno deputy chief Abdul Rashid Abdullah denied his party was behind the leaflets and banners, adding that someone else could have done it in the name of Umno.

Cops Raid Raja Petra's House for SD

2008-08-22T16:22:00.001+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

Controversial blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin's house was once again raided by the police. This time in connection with a statutory declaration made by a doctor from Hospital Pusrawi.

MCPX

A five-member team from the Bukit Aman police headquarters arrived at the blogger's house in Sungai Buloh at 8am. They confiscated a laptop computer, a scanner and some documents.

According to Raja Petra, this is the fifth time that the police have raided his house.

"The laptop which they confiscated the last time has yet to be returned to me," he said when contacted.

On Aug 1, Dr Mohamed Osman Abdul Hamid, a Burmese national, had filed a statutory declaration standing by his medical report which ruled out that Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan had been sodomised.

Saiful was examined by Osman before he lodged a police report on June 28 claiming that PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim had sodomised him.

In his statutory declaration, the doctor claimed that he had fled the country with his family following several visits by the police.

Police report lodged against Shafee Adbullah

2008-08-21T20:36:00.000+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

A 57-year-old man has threatened to sue Muhammad Shafee Abdullah for uttering the racist slur ‘pariah' in a televised press conference a few days ago, unless the lawyer publicly apologises to the Indian community.

MCPX

Unemployed A Retanam from Sitiawan, Perak has lodged a police report accusing Muhammad Shafee Abdullah of being a racist and hurting the sentiments of the Indian community by repeatedly attacking blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin with the word ‘pariah' in the news conference last Sunday.

He lodged the report against the lawyer at the Lumut police station on Tuesday, calling on him to apologise to the Indian community in the next three days.

"Otherwise, I will sue him on behalf of all Indian Malaysians," he told Malaysiakini.

Retanam said he came to Penang with the sole purpose of giving a statement to Malaysiakini, which he believed will make his complaint public.

"I have tried giving my statement to other mainstream press in Perak, but none dared to publish it," he said.

Retanam passed a copy of his police report to Malaysiakini today and said a Bukit Aman investigating officer recorded his statement via telephone a few hours after he had lodged the report.

A ‘sensitive' word

Retanam complained that Muhammad Shafee had indiscriminately used the word ‘pariah' several times when verbally attacking Raja Petra at a news conference, and claimed that Indians sentiments in country have been hurt by the lawyer's racist slur.

Although it has been accepted as an English term to describe an outcast of society, Retanam said ‘pariah' was a Tamil word reserved for low-caste Indians and indiscriminate public usage of the word was considered ‘sensitive' to the community.

"I am giving Muhammad Shafee a three-day ultimatum.

"After which, I will initiate legal proceedings against him if he refuses to make a public apology for hurting the community's sentiments," said Retanam.

Muhammad Shafee had held the press conference to deny Raja Petra's allegation that he had a hand in a sodomy conspiracy against Anwar Ibrahim. The furious lawyer had called the blogger various names and repeatedly used the word ‘pariah.'

Last Wednesday, the High Court ordered Raja Petra to reveal the source of the allegations against Muhammad Shafee in three online articles relating to the sodomy charge against Anwar.

Permatang Pauh : Najib Use Govt Machinery For Political Purpose

2008-08-21T19:45:00.001+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng today accused Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak of abusing government machinery in the Permatang Pauh by-election campaign.

MCPX

He said this was particularly evident when Najib used an airplane provided by the Defence Ministry to fly Olympic silver medalist Lee Chong Wei into Permatang Pauh to receive a RM300,000 cheque.

"I cannot understand why he (Najib) is using government machinery, for example sending Lee to the Butterworth air-force base.

"This is the most improper use of defence facilities for political purposes," Lim said, adding that it was "quite clear" that Lee was manipulated into agreeing to receive the cheque in Permatang Pauh.

The Bagan DAP parliamentarian also questioned why the prize-giving ceremony had to take place in Permatang Pauh when it would have been more convenient and cost efficient to have it in Kuala Lumpur.

"And I heard Lee is back in KL today. Why couldn't he (Najib) have presented it here today? Why did he have to give it there?" Lim asked.

Don't abuse government machinery

Lim stressed that government machinery should only be used for official, not political purposes.

"Why does he (Najib) use the air-force base when he goes campaigning? If he uses the international airport, then it is alright," he said, adding that an air-force base should not be used for political functions.

Lim said he used his own private car when he went to Permatang Pauh to campaign.

"He (Najib) represents the government, I also represent the (Penang) government but when I go to Permatang Pauh to campaign, I use my private car rather than my official car," said Lim.

"We have to draw the line between public purpose and private purpose. If we cannot make that decision, we are just encouraging money politics," he said.

Permatang Pauh : Why Arrest Those Who Help?

2008-08-21T19:41:00.001+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

Batu PKR division has defended its deputy chief Mohd Noor Kamil Abd Samad who was arrested in connection with the assault of two photographers during the Permatang Pauh by-election nomination process.

MCPX

"In fact, the photographs of the incident shows that Noor Kamil had compromised his own safety in order to protect the photographers," said the division’s Youth chief Rozan Azen Mat Rasip.

Speaking at a press conference at the Batu PKR headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, he also introduced several witnesses.

Party member S Thavamany said the incident sparked off from a taunting match between suspected Barisan Nasional supporters in a pickup truck stuck in a jam and PKR supporters on foot.

At the time, New Straits Times photographer Mohd Sairen Mohd Nafis was taking photographs on the back of the pickup truck.

"One of the occupants in the pickup truck then showed a clenched fist at the crowd and the crowd became aggressive," he said.

At this point, Mohd Sairen was caught in a melee and fell to the ground while Noor Kamil who was at the scene immediately climbed on top of the photographer to shield him, said another witness Harris Mohd Sani, Batu PKR’s information chief.

"Noor Kamil tried to disperse the crowd and protect the photographer who was attacked due to a misunderstanding," he said.

'No need to detain him'

In a related development, French photojournalist Halim Berbar who witnessed the attack on Mohd Seiren, told Malaysiakini that a few people were trying to stop the mob during the attack.

They included one who was being sought by the police though he was not able to confirm it was Noor Kamil.

"I could recognise him from the photos of the suspects released by the police, which were published in the newspapers," he said, adding that he would go to Penang soon to inform the police of the man’s innocence.

Halim was attacked when he tried to rescue Mohd Seiren from the mob. He had handed a memorandum to Parliament today in protest of violence against journalists.

Given the circumstances, Rozan said Noor Kamil’s arrest yesterday was unnecessary, especially after the latter had voluntarily surrendered to the police to assist investigations.

"He courageously and swiftly reported himself to the police after his name and photographed were published (in the newspapers). He should be commended, not put in a lockup," he added.

Rozan said that since Noor Kamil was willing to cooperate, he should not be arrested.

According to Star Online, Penang police have obtained a remand order to detain Noor Kamil for questioning until Sunday

Permatang Pauh : Haunted By 5 Hungry Ghost

2008-08-21T14:59:00.000+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

People are gathering in the heartland of the Penang mainland as the gates open for the pivotal fight for Anwar Ibrahim's political comeback.

MCPX

However, this ‘mother of all by-elections’ has yet to deliver the quality of campaigning that can generate confident optimism in Malaysia's future. It is haunted by the past and political constraints of Malaysia's highly personalised elite politics.

All sorts of political ghosts have gathered in this constituency of 58,459 voters in Penang's fast developing mainland.

Ghost of obsession with personality

Foremost is the ghost of the obsession with personality. The Barisan Nasional has focused its campaign on Anwar's character, and systematically used character assassination as a means to reduce the majority of the island state’s favourite son.

From charges of sodomy and abuse of power while in office over 10 years ago to the absurd labeling of Anwar as an agent of at least two foreign governments, the gloves have come off in the steady stream of personal attacks.

The BN is planting seeds of doubt by using Ezam Mohd Nor and arguably Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan as a means to create doubt about Anwar's ability to govern. The PKR campaign has spent the majority of time defensively responding to these attacks.

There is no question that Anwar is hungry for power, as evidence by his claim to win national government by Sept 16. The negative campaigning by both sides has yet to engender the positive momentum Anwar will need to win the large majority he so desires. Studies show that this sort of attack serves to consolidate a party's core traditional supporters, and rarely sways undecided voters.

Negative campaigns also reduce voter turnout. The BN understands that this will work in their favour since their attainable goal is to reduce the majority amount and therefore gain a symbolic victory.

Despite PKR's new slogan of ‘Merdekakan Rakyat’ and attempt to move the campaign discourse beyond personality to issues such as freedom and national corruption, neither side as yet has substantially moved their campaigns beyond the messages of the March polls.

BN supporters are asking what they are voting for and have not been given a clear map of Malaysia's future. Pakatan Rakyat voters have been asked to vote for change, but in light of the uncertainties created around the opposition's future and different paths taken by state Pakatan governments, what that change represents is also unclear.

Ghost of coalition disunity

Although personality is dominant, the ghost of party fragmentation is also wandering through Permatang Pauh.

For Pakatan, the issue of inter-party cooperation has been resolved at the elite level with a strong showing of support from the component parties. The logistics of working together operationally, however, has not been so easy. There are many chefs in the Permatang Pauh kitchen, and disorganisation, ineffective communication and mobilisation of supporters has been common.

Cooperation is building as the campaign evolves, but Pakatan is no where near the well-oiled machinery of Barisan. This is expected as it is less than six months old. PKR will rely heavily on PAS machinery for support in the key areas of Penanti and Permatang Pasir, and have to face head on some doubts that exist about the coalition working together effectively. Personal relations rather than institutionalised networks will rule the day.

For Umno, it faces the problems that contributed to serious losses within its own base in March - factionalism. The division contest in an essentially three-faction fight for the seat has slowed the working of the Umno machinery. While the common antipathy toward Anwar unites most of Umno, party infighting has already contributed to slowing of the machinery. Umno has not learnt any of the lessons of the March polls and continues to be in a state of denial.

The sense of isolation and defeatism felt by the component parties within the BN - namely MCA and MIC - underscores lukewarm responses within their core constituencies. Gerakan's divisions and lack of direction compound the lack of effective cooperation and reveal a fundamental of rudderlessness. The BN lacks the usual honed inter-dynamics that are the norm in by-elections. As yet, there is no unanimity around Arif Shah Omar Shah, the candidate.

Ghost of money politics

As a crutch, the BN is turning to the third ghost running around Permatang Pauh, money politics.

This ghost is carrying around bags of money, and runs so fast that it is always talked about but rarely seen. However, some believe that it is real, and reports are being recorded. Throwing money tied with development promises is typical of by-elections, and can sway rural voters. Yet, this technique is having less impact with the diffusion of information and growing disgust with this practice.

Many even in the rural villages of Guar Jering know that a temporary fix only serves as a band-aid for scratches and does not cure the illness of exclusion of the poor. More accept the practice of development goody delivery, however.

The RM1.3 million to the Seberang Jaya hospital is just the top of the surface of funds being allocated if a victory is obtained. The endemic practice of using money to woo voters as a strategic fix however haunts the ability to offer long-term solutions to national problems.

Ghost of racialism

Another ghost runs in the shadow of money politics, but he is larger and hungrier. He is the ghost of zero-sum racial politics. (Forgive me for using a "he" analogy here.)

One ethnic group's gains are seen as at the expense of another. Umno is beating the racial drum, telling Malays that PKR will sell out the community. PKR in contrast is using racial messages to appeal to the interests of particular ethnic groups in the selection use of racial appeals amidst an undefined promise of multiracialism and inclusion.

Racial realities are shaping campaigning on both camps, as the dominant composition of the Malays in Permatang Pauh is leading to the use of Malay-oriented themes. The swearing of Saiful is typical.

Ultimately, this is a contest about who can win the majority of the Malay community, and as such, is being couched as a test of national leadership. Racial discourse is inhibiting the creation of policy solutions in areas such as economic competitiveness, crime and quality of life that require effective policy. Malaysians deserve discussions that move beyond the shade of their skin.

Ghost of fear

In the backrooms,there is an even more ominous ghost, the ghost of Lunas.

In the nearby state of Kedah in November 2000, Keadilan scored a multiracial victory. It ended with an electoral victory, which precipitated a crackdown on political opponents. This impact of this demon, the demon of fear, lies in the shadows in this poll, although many hope that Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will try to hold onto his record of more openness and respect for the votes in his home state.

Each of these five ghosts is hungry. Some believe they are not ghosts at all. It is not clear whether they will go back through the gates after the hungry ghost period is over or whether they will continue to live on after the by-election.

Permatang Pauh : Wan Azizah Fed Up With BN's Dirty Tricks

2008-08-21T14:54:00.001+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

Fed up with the disparaging personal attacks on her husband, PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who has so far kept a dignified silence, slammed Barisan Nasional and Umno campaigners for waging an argot war on Anwar Ibrahim.

MCPX

"What wrong has my husband done to the Malays, non-Malays and the country that he must be slandered and slaughtered with such scornful lies?" she asked some 200 single mothers at a PKR by-election gathering in Bukit Jelutong, Permatang Pauh yesterday evening.

Stressing that the personal attacks on her husband have affected her and her children deeply, the former Permatang Pauh member of parliament said the current hostile campaign waged on Anwar also revealed that Umno leaders have lost their conscience.

"They are not bothered that their sordid falsehoods are hurting my family," said Wan Azizah, who was close to tears as she went on to narrate her family's suffering during Anwar's six-year stay in Sungai Buloh prison on a graft conviction.

Her resignation late last month triggered the parliamentary by-election, which Anwar aims to win to return as an elected parliamentarian after a 10-year absence.

He faces Umno's Arif Shah Omar Shah and Akim president Hanafi Hamat in a three-cornered by-election.

Permatang Pauh : Khairy Wants To Bury Anwar

2008-08-21T14:52:00.001+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

Barisan Nasional (BN) will not only defeat Anwar Ibrahim in the Aug 26 Permatang Pauh by-election, the ruling coalition will also bury his political career.

MCPX

This bold prognosis came from Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin.

Speaking at a ceramah in Seberang Jaya last night, he riled up the audience by characterising the upcoming contest as one that would decide the fate of the nation.

During a fiery 30-minute speech, Khairy said BN candidate Arif Shah Omar Shah's true challenge was to end the career of the ‘power crazy’ opposition leader.

"We are here to bury Anwar’s political career. We are here to make history to ensure our nation’s future is free and safe from him!" he thundered to loud cheers from those present.

Standing on a makeshift stage, the Umno Youth leader fired a volley of scathing attacks, punctuated with biting jokes, against the PKR supremo.

Among others, he took a swipe at the opposition leader’s plan to form government, his alleged cronies, the explosive sodomy charge and the relationship between Pakatan Rakyat parties.

Reveal source of funds

Citing the arrests of two PKR Perak executive councillors by the Anti-Corruption Agency yesterday, he chided the opposition party for being inconsistent in their graft-busting campaign.

He also touched on the RM15 billion worth of contracts which Anwar had allegedly given to his cronies - without tender - while he was in the BN government.

Khairy, who is the son-in-law of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, also asked Anwar to reveal the source of his election war-chest.

"I am afraid that if Anwar is elected as a MP and forms a new federal government, our country will be sold to the United States. I want to know where his (election) fund comes from," he said.

The Rembau MP also reiterated his challenge to Anwar to make a religious oath to prove his innocence in relation to the sodomy allegation against him.

Why take Saiful overseas?

On June 28, Anwar's former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan filed a police report claiming that he was sodomised by the politician, who was subsequently charged with the offence.

Last Friday, Saiful, 23, swore on the Quran that he was sodomised by the opposition leader.

Anwar has denied the accusation, calling it a political conspiracy. He also dismissed the religious swearing, done on the eve of nomination day for the by-election, as a political gimmick.

Meanwhile, Khairy had the crowd in stitches when he avoided using the word sodomy. Instead, he said Saiful had swore on the Quran that he was indeed "dot, dot, dot" by Anwar.

Drilling further into the matter, he also asked why the PKR leader brought 'coffee boy' Saiful along for his travels abroad.

"Anwar had an interview with Malaysiakini. I read Malaysiakini and they asked Anwar whether he took Saiful overseas and he replied 'yes'.

"I don’t understand why he would take a coffee boy, a volunteer without a fixed salary, overseas. I never take my coffee boy abroad.

"However, my friend told me that if Anwar took him overseas then the coffee made by Saiful must be kaw-kaw (strong)," he added to laughter from his audience.

Towards the end of his speech, Khairy once again called on voters to reject Anwar and stressed that the BN-led government would be fair to all.

"Regardless if you are Malay, Chinese or Indian, we help all Malaysians," he said.

Najib on fair policies

Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak also pledged equal treatment for all during another function.

He told a 700-strong Chinese audience that the BN government has been fair to the community and allows them to retain their Chinese name - unlike the forced assimilation policies practised by neighbouring countries.

"If you go to other places in the region, the Chinese had to change their names and couldn’t go to Chinese schools. But here, we let everyone practise their culture.

"The name Lee Chong Wei is still Lee Chong Wei. This is BN’s policy until today," he said at the ceremony to hand over a checque for RM300,000 to the Beijing Olympics silver medalist.

Najib also announced that RM800,000 has been approved for the building of a sports complex in the constituency.

Reiterating that BN has been fair to all, he said the government approved the building of different universities ran by the Chinese-based MCA and Gerakan, as well as the Indian-based MIC.

Without a fair policy, he added, some of the wealthiest men in the country would not be Chinese and Indians.

Without naming Anwar, the deputy premier took a certain ‘opposition leader’ to task for making irresponsible promises to the people.

"When he was in power, he did not do anything. When he is not in power now, he makes 1,001 promises to the people. This is just playing politics," he said.

BN candidate Arif, who was also present, briefly addressed the crowd in Mandarin and Hokkien before attacking his opponent.

"Anwar said if you vote him, you get two prizes (MP and a new premier) and if you vote me, you will just get one prize. He is lying because no BN MP will defect," he said.

Permatang Pauh : BN Brings In Dirty Tricks And Racial Issue

2008-08-21T14:45:00.002+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

‘Open your eyes'

BN's constant libellous remarks on her husband finally took a toll on the normally cool and ever-smiling Wan Azizah, who condemned the government's by-election propaganda as the ‘most racist and fetid' campaign she had ever witnessed.

The qualified ophthalmologist called on Permatang Pauh voters to ‘open up their eyes and ears to all the wrongdoings happening around them' and to vote wisely on Aug 26.

"I cannot think of anyone in Malaysian politics who has ever suffered like Anwar. He has come back to his constituency hoping to earn his rightful place in Parliament.

"I hope all of you will not let me and him down," said Wan Azizah.

Later, function organiser Permatang Pauh-based NGO Yayasan Aman's welfare bureau chairperson Noordin Abdullah, handed out cash aid to the single mothers.

Lim vs Koh: Koh prefers to hide rather than revealing

2008-08-21T14:39:00.000+08:00

Source: Malaysiakini

Months of verbal jousting on the ‘Penang land scam' culminated in a heated televised debate last evening between Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and his predecessor Dr Koh Tsu Koon.

MCPX

The debate titled ‘The truth on the land controversy in Penang', modeled after the US presidential debate system, lasted one-hour and was broadcast on two free-to-air channels.

Lim fired off his opening salvo by naming five cases of ‘land scandals' - which he claimed had cost losses of up to RM1.5 billion to the state - allegedly due to faults by the former Barisan Nasional administration led by Koh.

Both participants eventually focused most of their attention the one particular case involving the previous administration's approval of an application for a 4.25ha land in Seberang Perai Tengah district to a private contractor for quarrying activities.

This matter was referred to by both participants as the "RM40 million case" which is currently the subject of a legal battle between the state government and the private contractor.

Lim accused Koh's administration of committing a scam as documents indicated that nearly all technical departments have opposed the state's decision to award the land to a sole individual.

Koh however put the blame on an administrative error dating back to the 1960s and that the focus of the state government now should be on winning the court dispute.

When moderator Johan Jaafar quizzed both participants on the need to raise the ‘land scam' now and whether it was a witch hunt, Koh jumped to the opportunity and accused Lim of politicising the matter to damage the credibility of the previous administration.

Lim, also the DAP secretary-general, retorted that it was incumbent upon the new government to expose any wrongdoings by the previous administration.

"We formed a CAT (competency, accountability and transparency) government and you can't expect us to behave like the past government - cover things up and not let the public know," said Lim.

Why no action against the culprits?

Lim and Koh also sparred on why the civil servants responsible for the "RM40 million case" were let off with just a warning.

Lim also accused Koh of merely giving civil servants responsible for the "RM40 million case" a mere slap on the wrist.

Koh replied that the matter had been probed internally and by the Anti-Corruption Agency twice where no concrete evidence can be found to take action on anyone.

"If he is not satisfied with two ACA investigations in the matter, the chief minister should initiated another round of probes," retorted Koh, the Gerakan acting president.

This is the second time Lim and Koh faced off in a debate since 1990. Then the duo squared off in the Chinese Town Hall, Penang.

Today's debate was organised by Internet news-portal Agendadaily.com and televised live on two free-to-air television stations.

Veteran journalist Wan Hamidi Hamid and former Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Abdul Aziz Rahim director-general were panelists brought by Lim and Koh respectively.

Permatang Pauh : Saiful Full of Lies

2008-08-21T14:27:00.001+08:00

Source: harismibrahim

I’ve done this for God and I took my oath in the house of God, that I was humiliated and sodomised by Anwar Ibrahim and I do not wish to lie to the world as he has done’ - statement by Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan after swearing on the Holy Qur’an at the Masjid Wilayah at Jalan Duta yesterday, as reported by Malaysiakini.

Er, Saiful, you did lie to the whole world yesterday.

Saiful was asked by a reporter to explain how the timing was so close to nomination date for the Permatang Pauh by-election.

Saiful replied : It’s all a coincidence. We don’t know that Anwar is going to contest…

Yet, on 2nd August, Malaysiakini reported that in a posting in Saiful’s blog on 1st August, ‘Saiful also briefly wished Anwar ‘good luck’ in contesting for the Permatang Pauh by-election’.

This is what Saiful posted in his blog on 1st August : Kepada DSAI, saya mengucapkan selamat bertanding

PM : Police Should Act On Blogger For Upside Down Flag

2008-08-20T19:13:00.002+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

The move by a blogger to fly the national flag upside down has irked Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

MCPX

He said flying the Jalur Gemilang upside down could not be regarded as an act of mischief alone but a despicable one, what more with Malaysia about to celebrate its 51st independence anniversary.

"This is uncouth behaviour, showing no respect at all for the national flag. What is there to be angry with the Malaysian flag?" he was quoted as saying by Bernama.

"If there are Malaysians who want to take up the idea that came from the pro-opposition blogger, they are insulting this important national symbol (flag)," he added.

Abdullah said the blogger came up with the idea to fly the national flag upside down hoping that others would follow suit, without thinking of the implications.

"It's all in the blog...only he can do a good job. He's simply creating trouble by coming up with dubious stories," he said.

Police should act

Kelantanese blogger Sheih (Kickdefella) had on Aug 3 launched a campaign to fly the Jalur Gemilang upside down as a symbol of the people's frustrations and as a signal of a nation in distress.

The blogger also wrote in his blog that "it is internationally accepted that raising the flag upside down is a mark of a state in distress. It is never a mark of disrespect."

Some bloggers and commentators quickly declared their support for the idea but many, including from the opposition, were against it as they felt the national flag deserved the utmost respect.

A blog visitor wrote that in India, flying the national flag upside down as an international symbol of distress was unacceptable, and in fact an insult to the nation.

Abdullah, meanwhile, hoped the police would act on the matter.

On the televised debate between acting Gerakan president Dr Koh Tsu Koon and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng tonight, Abdullah said it was apt.

Permatang Pauh : Ex Top Guns From MCA & GERAKAN To Back Anwar

2008-08-20T19:08:00.001+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

Anwar Ibrahim's march back into Parliament received a huge boost today with the endorsement of the highly respected Dr Toh Kin Woon.

MCPX

Toh, who had just quit Gerakan on Monday, backed PKR for the Permatang Pauh seat - more importantly giving his thumbs up to their agenda more than their candidate.

Although, Toh hopes that Anwar will return to Parliament to strengthen the opposition’s voice, it was the party's struggles which have impressed him the most.

"I'm not here to support Anwar as an individual but I'm here because I back his programme. His agenda, which emphasises good governance, transparency, is against corruption and is not based on race is something that I agree with.

"This by-election is important (and I hope that he wins with a huge majority) because Anwar will be able to lead an even stronger voice in Parliament in the war against corruption and excesses," Toh explained.

That, he said, is also the wish of all Malaysians regardless of race.

Toh told the crowd that he was recently in Singapore for a conference and presented a paper comparing the New Economic Policy and Malaysian Economic Agenda.

"There is nothing inherently wrong with the ideals behind the NEP. But there is now corruption within the system. On the other hand, MEA is aimed at correcting the same imbalances while curbing excesses.

"And that is what I find attractive," he added.

Furthermore, MEA will also try to reduce the gap between the rich and the growing lower income groups, said Toh.

After explaining his stand on the matter, Toh received a huge round of applause from the predominantly Chinese listeners.

Not an act of betrayal

When asked, Toh disagreed that he being with Anwar was an act of betrayal to his former party.

"First and foremost, I've already resigned from Gerakan and I'm no more a member. Two, when people talk about loyalty what do they mean?

"The agenda put forward by Anwar is something which Gerakan has always wanted to do. So by supporting Anwar, I'm in a sense continuing with the struggles and principles of Gerakan on a different platform and a different approach," he said.

"When you join a political party, it should be the party principles that one should stress on," he added.

The former Gerakan central working committee member again stressed that he has no plans to return to active politics, preferring NGO work instead.

"I will be working in the field of Chinese education NGO work and have just secured a research fellowship with the Ateneo De Manila University in the Philippines and another university in Kyoto till next August.

"I'm also working on a paper entitled How governance affects social situations in a country" said the 64-year-old politician.

In between the 40-minute press conference, Anwar said it was not important for Toh to join the party but PKR will consult him on matters of good governance from time to time.

On whether he would accept an adviser's role in PKR, Toh said he would have to think about it later.

Anwar added that Toh's role in PKR need not be official as long as he can assist in advising the party.

The press conference at PKR's election campaign office in Sama Gagah was also attended by newly-joined and former MCA women's leader Dr Tan Yee Kew (photo) and DAP state assemblyman Phee Boon Poh.

Permatang Pauh : Najib's dark secret in Port Dickson will be reveal soon

2008-08-20T19:02:00.003+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

In a rare outburst that is perhaps telling of the toll the Permatang Pauh by-election is taking on him, opposition icon Anwar Ibrahim is threatening to expose a 'dark secret' of Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's, involving the southern beach town of Port Dickson, if the latter continued to wage personal attacks against him.

MCPX

"Enough is enough. Stop the scornful lies on me," Anwar warned during a rally at the Bukit Mertajam mini-stadium last night. "Otherwise, I will expose Port Dickson."

His words brought the 3,000-strong crowd to its feet, sparking shouts of "bongkar sekarang" (expose it now), but the slim and bespectacled de facto leader of the Pakatan Rakyat opposition alliance Anwar held off, declining to give further details.

Anwar also accused Najib of pretending to be a paragon of virtue, pointing to allegations the deputy premier was involved in the gristly murder case of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu, from which tales of exorbitant commission for a submarine deal as well as a sex-scandal have gripped and titillated the nation.

"Najib will run if I were to narrate its tales," Anwar said.

Today marks the fifth day of campaigning in the Permatang Pauh by-election, with polling due only the following Tuesday on Aug 26.

Tough campaign taking a toll

Touted as the mother of all by-elections, both Anwar and his main rival, Arif Shah Omar Shah from the Umno-led Barisan Nasional ruling coalition have been working feverishly, holding nightly ceramahs and making door-to-door visits.

Anwar, who faces sodomy charges from his former personal aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan that he denies and claims are politically motivated, has borne the brunt of the BN's two-pronged campaign strategy to attack him both as a man and a politician.

The sodomy charges have been wielded by the BN as their number one weapon against Anwar and local party members have been screening almost non-stop a video of Mohd Shaiful swearing on the Quran that his former boss had indeed sodomised him.

Large screens have also been placed at strategic spots throughout the constituency showing the infamous oath-taking ceremony.

And although Anwar had earlier promised he would not resort to mudslinging, he could not resist taking another swipe at Najib, who is in charge of the BN campaign.

He told the crowd that the deputy prime minister should learn to be 'humbly cautious' as the latter too had his bad times, almost losing his Pekan parliamentary seat in Pekan during the 1999 general elections.

"He won due to some dubious votes," said Anwar.

The Permatang Pauh seat fell vacant after PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail vacated it to pave the way for Anwar's return to Parliament after a 10-year absence.

Anwar has promised to overturn BN's existing parliamentary majority and form a new government by Sept 16.

Anwar : Sept 16 Still On Target

2008-08-20T19:00:00.001+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

Anwar once again reiterated that his Pakatan Rakyat opposition alliance is poised to sweep power by Sept 16, even though it now only commands 82 seats in parliament compared with the ruling BN’s 140 seats..

The former deputy prime minister has not given details on how he hopes to achieve the result, but political observers believe there may be switchovers from the BN camp if he wins the Permatang Pauh seat and returns to parliament to officially lead the opposition.

Meanwhile, Anwar also accused BN, especially Umno, of resorting to personal attacks against him in the campaign.

He lashed out at Wanita Umno deputy chief Sharizat Abdul Jalil, who earlier declared 'jihad' (holy war) against him.

He claimed that Sharizat was feeling sour because she lost to his daughter Nurul Izzah during the March 8 polls.

"For that she announced a holy war against me and Sharizat should be the last to talk about it herself!" he hit back.

Confident of winning

Regarded as a hero by his supporters for uniting and leading the opposition to its biggest ever haul during the March general election, Anwar expressed confidence about winning in Permatang Pauh against BN candidate Arif Shah Omar Shah but declined to predict by how many votes.

Permatang Pauh, a quiet northern town, has drawn hordes of supporters and is now the focus of national attention. While many believe it is a given that Anwar will win, bookies are doing a roaring business taking odds on the size of his majority.

According to the latest talk in the warungs or coffee shops that dot the semi-urban town, the going bet now is that Anwar will win with a majority in excess of at least 10,000 votes if the voting turnout is more than 70 percent.

The Permatang Pauh seat fell vacant after Anwar's wife PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail vacated it to pave the way for her husband’s return to parliament after a 10-year absence.

A former prime minister in waiting, Anwar was sacked by ex-premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 1998 and jailed on sodomy and corruption charges he says were framed by his political enemies.

He was released in 2004, a few months after Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi took over from Mahathir.

While the previous sodomy charge was overturned by the courts, Anwar now faces a fresh sodomy allegation, this time by former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

Anwar has pleaded not guilty and claimed that it is a political conspiracy to stop him and his Pakatan alliance from taking power.

Although the sodomy case is being wielded by BN as their main campaign weapon, Anwar said he has never before experienced the kind of support he was now getting from the constituency.

He said feedback from the ground showed that "the people just don't buy it."

Permatang Pauh : Mohd Noor Kamil's arrest as being politically motivated

2008-08-20T18:54:00.002+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

A PKR division leader was arrested this afternoon in connection with the assault of two press photographers in Permatang Pauh last Saturday.

MCPX

Mohd Noor Kamil Abd Samad, 39, was detained when he went to the Sentul police district headquarters at about 2.30pm after seeing his photograph in the newspapers today.

The police had released a series of photographs of those suspected to be involved in the assault of New Straits Times photographer Mohamad Sairien Nafis and French photojournalist Halim Berbar.

The PKR Batu division deputy chief's photo was among those released to the media, along with a statement that he was being sought to facilitate investigations.

According to his lawyer Ngeow Chow Ying, Mohd Noor Kamil went to the police station voluntarily after consulting party leaders.

"He is ready to cooperate fully with the police and wants his account of the incident documented by the police," she said.

'He was protecting them'

Meanwhile, PKR Information chief Tian Chua slammed Mohd Noor Kamil's arrest as being politically motivated.

The Batu MP said it was aimed at tarnishing the party's image as it goes head to head with the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition in the Permatang Pauh by-election.

"This is obviously connected to our election campaign in Permatang Pauh… this is an attempt to smear our campaign," he told Malaysiakini.

He said Mohd Noor Kamil was just trying to stop the mob of people from hurting a local press photographer and a French photojournalist who were both covering the campaign in the northern town.

"I told him to go the police station to report that he (was protecting the journalists) when we saw his pictures alongside others released by the police. So he went to give in his report and he was arrested straightaway," he added.

Both photographers had claimed that they were assaulted by some PKR supporters during a campaign event over the weekend. The NST photographer also claimed that he lost a RM15,000 digital camera during the fracas.

Police have since confirmed that three people have been arrested in connection with the case.

Permatang Pauh : BN Deny Phantom Voters or Buying Voters

2008-08-17T23:04:00.002+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

Barisan Nasional by-election candidate Arif Shah Omar Shah refuted widespread allegations that Permatang Pauh voters were being bribed to stop them from voting for his rival Anwar Ibrahim.

MCPX

Instead, the Seberang Jaya state assemblyperson said BN had only paid party election agents and volunteers to reimburse their daily expenses for food and travel, not to constituents.

"BN will not indulge into such things to prevent voters from exercising their democratic rights," he told journalists at Saffira Country Club in Seberang Jaya, Penang today.

He was commenting on the Pakatan Rakyat leader's allegation that voters were allegedly told by BN agents not to come out to vote on the by-election polling on Tuesday Aug 26.

Anwar told Kampung Bagan Serai residents during an evening hi-tea session that BN had started a whispering campaign - one informing the voters not to go out and vote since ‘Anwar was sure to win'.

He also claimed that voters would be given some ‘gift' for not voting for him.

On Monday, several voters complained to Malaysiakini that they were paid RM50 each by a BN election agent, who also took photocopies of their identity cards.

When asked on this, Arif Shah appeared surprised about the payment to the voters but admitted the agents were collecting identity cards to account for their daily routine duties.

"They have to collect the copies of identity cards to prove their daily work," he said.

However, before he could answer about the payment, he was quickly whisked away from the press conference by an aide.

Arif's seven strategies

BN national chairperson Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who was visiting the constituency for the first time since the Arif Shah was announced as candidate, also brushed aside Anwar's complaint.

"Anwar is always good in accusing others, perhaps because he was the one committing the wrongdoings," said the premier.

The Umno president.said the BN by-election machinery would have to beef up its campaign strategies and style to wrest the seat from PKR's control.

Earlier he met Chinese community leaders and women members of various mosque qariahs in the constituency to woo their voters for Arif Shah.

He had also attended a village function in Tanah Liat area to gauge BN's popularity among rural Malays in Penanti, among the three constituencies under Permatang Pauh.

The other two are Arif Shah's Seberang Jaya and Permatang Pasir.

Arif Shah meanwhile rated his chances of winning the seat as 55-45 in favour of Anwar, and said "a little bit more extra hardwork would win me the constituency."

He said his machinery had lined-up seven strategies to woo the voters, with one being identifying ‘special' voters, who were registered as Permatang Pauh voters but were residing outside the area.

"I do not want to call them phantom voters.

"For instance, there was house with five registered voters, but when checked only two are staying in it," he said.

Permatang Pauh : Gerakan Leader Supports Anwar For Democracy

2008-08-17T22:59:00.002+08:00

Source: Malaysiakini

At a time when most of the BN top brass are expressing great confidence in winning the Permatang Pauh by-election, one top level Gerakan leader today risked party and BN irk by giving his stamp of approval for PKR's Anwar Ibrahim.

MCPX

That support came from Gerakan's Penang-based leader Dr Toh Kin Woon, an outspoken former state executive councillor when Penang was ruled by Gerakan-led BN before the March general election.

Toh not just expressed his support for Anwar, he also visited a PKR election operation room in Permatang Pasir, one of three state constituencies in Permatang Pauh, this evening.

Accompanied by a friend, Toh was welcomed to the operation room by several top level Pakatan Rakyat leaders, including Penang deputy chief minister Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin, Penang exco Law Choo Kiang, PKR vice-president Dr Lee Boon Chye and information chief Tian Chua. Anwar was however not present.

A banner stating ‘let us reform Malaysia together' was also placed at the room during Toh's brief visit.

When met later, Toh said his visit was to show his support for Anwar in the by-election.

"I am not speaking for my party, I am speaking for myself as an individual - I do support Anwar Ibrahim in this by-election. I am not actually supporting him too much as an individual but more on the movement that he leads.

"I feel if Anwar (is elected to) Parliament, the voices of the opposition will be stronger and the chances of strengthening the democracy and widening the democratic space will be better. For these reason, I support him," said the academician-turned-politician.

‘He has been very consistent'

The vocal politician stressed that he was not supporting Anwar-led PKR as a party but the movement and the cause which the PKR politician has been fighting for.

"He is leading the movement for transformation, greater democracy, equality and more openness in the society.

"I think he has been very consistent and courageous, (and) I support the movement that he leads," Toh added.

The Gerakan leader was however coy when asked on the chances of BN candidate Arif Shah Omar Shah in the Aug 26 by-election.

"No comment. I'm just here to say why I'm here and the reason why I'm here is to support Anwar. Arif was my colleague in the state assembly," he said in referring to the BN man who is also a two-term Seberang Jaya state assemblyperson.

Asked on whether he feared of disciplinary action which could be taken against him for openly pledging support to the rival candidate, he replied: "When we decide to take individual action, we have to be prepared. Whatever that comes, we will face it."

He denied he has any immediate plans to quit Gerakan to join PKR, saying that "I will see how it goes".

Rakyat supremacy

Toh also noted that he has retired from electoral politics and would like to join civil society. He said he has been consistent in supporting movements that will strengthen the civil society.

"(These movements must) strengthen the voices of moderation, against racism, for political freedom, a more just and equal society. Anwar has articulated all this," stressed Toh.

Meanwhile, Fairus - who is also PKR's Penanti state assemblyperson - welcomed Toh's support.

"We are pleased with this visit and hope it will inspire the rest in BN to look at the current political development that has to be based on the ‘rakyat supremacy' and not racial politics," the Penang deputy chief minister said.

Simple basic rules Police fail to comply

2008-08-17T19:42:00.005+08:00

Basically, the police officers should take up law classes plus should sit for law examination more often to make sure this type of over seeing doesn't happen. Don't you feel the police is totally unprofessional in handling the matter like this, even the minister at times too. If a woman lodges an information alleging that A has raped her, then by showing or supplying A with the first information, he is given the opportunity to explain the circumstances; he may show that there was in fact no rape and the woman consented to the whole thing.

Similarly, if A is accused of murder in a first information, he may explain that he was elsewhere at the time or show circumstances that the act was an accident. Now if A did not see the information, he would not be able to vindicate himself or to meet the various particulars alleged in the first information.

The illustration is not mine, but that of Syed Othman FJ in Husdi v Public Prosecutor [1979] 2 MLJ 304.

Boys in blue got that?

In that case, the federal court judge, sitting in a criminal revision in the high court, expressed his view that the common law right of an accused to inspect the first information arises from the duty of the police to inform the accused the reason for his arrest, so as to enable the accused, if he so wishes, to explain his conduct as alleged in the first information, which, on the face of it, constitutes an offence.

By the way, the first information (or what is commonly known as the first information report – FIR) is otherwise known as the police report. It is a public document as defined by section 74 of the Evidence Act 1950 (EA).

Consequently, a person having a right to inspect the document must be given on demand a copy of it on payment of the prescribed fees as provided by section 76 of the EA. So, if A is the person named in the police report by the woman alleging rape, then A has a right to inspect the report.

He should be given, on request, a certified true copy of it on payment of the fees. A’s right to inspect is a right based on the common law which accrues right to a person to have access to a document in which he has an interest.

Such inspection, according to the federal court in Anthony Gomez v Ketua Polis Daerah Kuantan [1977] 2 MLJ24 recognising the common law right to inspect, is necessary for the protection of his interests.

Source : Malaysiakini

PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim has finally received a copy of the police report made by his accuser, almost two months after the sodomy complaint was lodged.
MCPX

The opposition leader had earlier made repeated requests for the report, which was lodged by ex-aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan on June 28.

The police however said they would provide a copy of the report only after Anwar had been charged.

But despite being charged for sodomy on Aug 7, Anwar did not get the crucial police report. Anwar’s lawyers have argued that without the report, it would be difficult for them to prepare his defence.

Last Thursday, Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar - who oversees the police - was reported as saying that Anwar should be given the police report as he is entitled to it under the law.

Anwar, who revealed that he had finally got the police report, said at a press conference today that he found yet another inconsistency in Saiful’s complaint but he did not elaborate on the matter.

“We have found there was another inconsistency in the police report that was given to us - six weeks later, (and) on the instruction of the minister,” he told reporters in Yayasan Aman building in Permatang Pauh, where the party’s election campaign office is located.

The politician, who is contesting as a PKR candidate in the Aug 26 Permatang Pauh by-election, is making a bid to return to Parliament after a 10-year hiatus as he struggled to fight the fresh sodomy charge.

When contacted, Anwar’s lawyer Sankara Nair confirmed that the legal team had received a copy of Saiful’s report at about 5pm on Friday from the police.

He however declined to provide further details on the report.

“We have no comment to make until the legal team meets and deliberates on the report.”

Permatang Pauh : Malay Votes Will Boost Pakatan Rakyat Standing

2008-08-17T16:54:00.003+08:00

Source: Malaysiakini

Anwar has said that after March elections that handed the opposition alliance a third of parliamentary seats and five states, he is poised to oust the coalition with the help of defecting government lawmakers.

Analysts said the government would use the by-election to try to undermine Anwar's ability to appeal to all of Malaysia's racial groups - a first in the nation's political history.

"They will probably try to convince voters that Islam is under threat and that Malay rights are under threat," said Ibrahim Suffian from the Merdeka Centre research firm.

DAP leader Lim Kit Siang said the vote would be a referendum on the opposition's performance since March.

"It is not called the mother of by-elections for nothing. It is an indication of national politics and of our track record so far, it is a barometer of politics in Malaysia at large," he told AFP.

"If Anwar succeeds in pulling in a large number of Malay votes, it will boost the oppositions' standing and the road to forming the next government will be clearer."

Permatang Pauh : BN Hits With Tricks and Tales

2008-08-17T16:52:00.002+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim today accused the government of using "dirty tricks" to disrupt his campaign to return to parliament in a by-election.

MCPX

Anwar said the government had ordered its supporters to heckle him over allegations he sodomised a young male aide, which he has dismissed as a plot to derail his ambitions of seizing power.

And he said the ruling coalition was playing on tensions between the majority Malays and minority ethnic Chinese and Indians, by sending SMS text messages to Malay villagers slamming Anwar as an "agent of the Chinese".

"These are dirty tactics. It is a malicious campaign on their part and is completely immoral," he told a press conference.

And he said the government had ordered its supporters to heckle their opposition opponents by yelling "sodomy, sodomy" at political events.

"Look at our campaign slogan, it is "Reform" and "Independence". But their leaders, led by (Deputy Premier) Najib Razak, asked them to shout 'sodomy' to our camp of supporters," he said.

The Aug 26 by-election is being seen as a test of Anwar's popularity after Mohamad Saiful Bukhari Azlan, a 23-year-old former aide, accused him of sodomy - the same charge that saw him jailed a decade ago.

Permatang Pauh : Nomination Day Chronicles

2008-08-16T13:50:00.005+08:00

Source: Malaysiakini

PKR supporters dance in the middle of a sea of humanity to the beat of Indian drums. Picture courtesy of ANILNETTO.COM

Malaysiakini quoted "8.15am Lim Guan Eng and DAP leaders arrive. There are multi-cultural performances at PKR's side, including traditional Chinese lion dance and Indian orami melum to greet supporters."

Chronicle of Event

9-10am
Candididates file nominations papers

10-11am
Objection period

11-12 noon
Returning officer to announce decision on objections filed

12.00 noon Crowds disperse in heavy downpour

11.45am Three-way contest it is! Returning officer Roslan Yahya announces a three-cornered fight for Permatang Pauh - PKR's Anwar Ibrahim, BN's Arif Shah Omar Shah and Akim's Hanafi Hamat. As expected, PKR's 'spare tyre' Dr Mansor Othman withdrew,

11.40am It is drawing near to a three-cornered fight bewteen BN, Pakatan and Akim. Dr Mansor is expected to withdraw his candidacy shortly.

11.15am It is now learnt that Akim candidate Hanafi Hamat is president of the party. Akim was formed in 1995 and had contested two seats, Pasir Mas and Kota Baru, in the 1999 general election but was defeated.

11am OBJECTION PERIOD OVER EC officials will now study the objections made - in this case only the three by the BN - and is expected to officially announce the contestants at 12 noon.

10.55am A slight tension arose when a BN supporter taunts Pakatan supporters by showing his back. The supporter was immediately ‘advised' by the police to stop his act.

At about the same time, some 40 FRU personnel placed themselves between BN and Pakatan supporters. They however left the scene after a while.

10.45am Nurul Izzah and sisters go to the field to meet supporters and were met with loud cheers.

10.40am BN submits three protest forms to the returning officer.

10.25am Permatang Pauh PKR election director Mustapha Kamal Yusuf confirms that Dr Mansor is a 'spare tyre' and will withdraw once Anwar's nomination is accepted. Under current election laws, a candidate can pull out three days after nomination. His name will not appear in the ballot paper but the RM10,000 deposit will be forfeited.

10.23am PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat is said to be unwell and is sitting outside the centre near an ambulance. Anwar approaches the Kelantan Menteri Besar to have a word with him.

10.20am PKR veep Azmin Ali confirms that Dr Mansor is still a PKR member. According to Azmin, Mansor is the PKR election bureau deputy chief. Sources indicate that Mansor may withdraw his candidacy at the last minute.

10.10am Lim Guan Eng tells reporters outside nomination centre, "we have our candidate Anwar; whether we will complete this process of transformation will be determined by Permatang Pauh voters. They not only decide for themselves but for 27 million Malaysians."

10am NOMINATION PERIOD ENDS An hour-long protest period follows now.

9.55am Hanafi completes his nomination. Five more minutes for the end of nomination process

9.45am Hanafi submits papers as a Akim candidate.

9.40am Mansor's submission ends. He is on an independent ticket. Hanafi awaits his turn.

9.30am Independent candidate, former Penang PKR leader Dr Mansor Othman , enters nomination centre and readies to submit his papers

9.23am Potential Akim (Angkatan Keadilan Insan Malaysia) candidate Hanafi Hamat, 61, arrives at nomination centre. Still uncertain whether he will submit his nomination paper. Akim is a PAS splinter group.

9.20am Outside, PKR suporters chant Saiful penipu, tangkap boleh boleh (Saiful is a liar, catch him). One group start calling, "Najib", another respond with "Altantuya".

9.15am Anwar submits nomination paper.

9.08am Anwar enters nomination centre with proposer and seconder after hugging Azizah, daughter and other PKR leaders.

9.05am 'I feel good', Anwar replies when asked by Malaysiakini how he felt about contesting again after 10 years in hiatus.

9.03am Arif Shah Omar Shah submits his nomination paper.

9.00am Nomination is from 9am to 10am, followed by a one-hour objection period. If everything is in order, the returning officer will announce the names of candidates and declare that the by-election is on after the objection period.

8.50pm BN crowd start jeering liwat, tetap liwat (sodomise, still sodomise) while the bigger Pakatan group respond with loud cries of Reformasi.

8.40am Anwar Ibrahim arrives, accompanied by Dr Wan Azizah, Nurul Izzah and other key leaders, to the chants of Reformasi. Anwar was in light blue baju melayu. He is seen happily waving and chatting with supporters.

8.30am BN candidate Arif Shah Omar Shah, in yellow baju melayu, arrives. BN marchers were led by Najib, Mohd Ali Rustam, Hishamuddin Hussein, Samy Vellu, Dr Koh Tsu Koon, Liow Tiong Lai and others.

8.25am Pakatan supporters swell to 10,000. They virtually fill up the field allocated for them near the nomination centre.

8.15am Lim Guan Eng and DAP leaders arrive. There are multi-cultural performances at PKR's side, including traditional Chinese lion dance and Indian orami melum to greet supporters.

8.12am 60 FRU men stand guard at the entrance and inside the gates of nomination centre. The teachers training college (Maktab Penguruan Tuanku Bainun) looks like a fortress.

7.55am A BN car convoy, including DPM Najib's car, booed by Pakatan supporters when they enter through the Jalan Kubang Semang-Mengkuang designated for the opposition.

7.54am Supporters from the two camps enter via different routes. Nomination centre is located just outside the Butterworth-Kulim expressway. Orderly entrance seen at this stage, crowd seem well behaved.

7.45am BN and Pakatan supporters, estimated at 5,000, present. Pakatan crowd outnumber BN's. Some PKR people spotted with Anwar's masks. 'Harapan Baru untuk Malaysia' placards seen all over the Pakatan group.

7.37am Police helicopter hovering above. Road blocks, traffic jam. Supporters from both camps, carrying banners and flags, start to swell.

7.25am People start arriving at Maktab Penguruan Tuanku Bainun, the nomination centre. Heavy police presence sighted in and around the centre.

The Truth About Ariff Shah (BN Candidate For Permatang Pauh)

2008-08-16T04:04:00.004+08:00

Looking back at Malaysiakini VOXPOP, G-MAN had indicated about ARIFF SHAH (BN CANDIDATE FOR P44 PERMATANG PAUH BY-ELECTION) and his infamous brother. I found out Malaysia-Today had posted up a brief article who is ARIFF SHAH and his infamous brother. Check out the article i took from MALAYSIA-TODAY.

Malaysia Today

The Permatang Pauh by-election is going to be very interesting not only because the outcome will have a bearing on the future of this country but also because the voters will be asked to choose between a ‘sodomite’ and the brother of two people who executed the biggest fraud in Malaysian history.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Datuk Ariff Shah Omar Shah, the ‘opposition’ Umno Seberang Jaya State Assemblyman, has been named as the Barisan Nasional candidate for the 26 August 2008 Permatang Pauh parliamentary by-election.

There are two things one must note from this. First is that never before (or probably if they have some time in the past it would be very rare indeed) has Barisan Nasional fielded the same candidate in two seats. This is of course quite common for the opposition where one man or woman may be both Parliamentarian and State Assemblyman/woman. But not in the ruling coalition where they would have six or more choices for each seat that they do not need to field the same candidate in two seats.

This seems to point to only one thing: Barisan Nasional is not able to attract any candidate to contest against Anwar Ibrahim. That is why they need to field a candidate who is already a Wakil Rakyat to contest the Permatang Pauh Parliamentary seat. The problem they are facing is the possibility of internal sabotage. If they choose any other candidate, then they face the risk of internal sabotage, the result of internal squabbles and the fight over the Umno Permatang Pauh division leadership. Ariff Shah is the ‘least-hated’ of the five warlords of Umno Permatang Pauh so they hope that with him as the candidate this would reduce the possibility of internal sabotage.

The second point to note is that Ariff Shah is the brother of Tan Sri Amin Shah Omar Shah who is in now in self-imposed exile in the UK. He shuttles between London and Dubai but would never dare come close to Malaysia because there are criminal breaches of trust (CBT) allegations he may have to answer to.

In case you have forgotten, Amin Shah’s company, PSC Industries Berhad, was awarded more than RM24 billion in naval contracts around 1998 at the time Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak was already the Defence Minister. The government paid him billions in upfront money but Amin Shah’s company never fulfilled its side of the bargain.

Billions of Ringgit of Malaysian taxpayers’ money went down the drain in the biggest fraud in Malaysian history. Amin Shah’s brother, Azlan Shah Omar Shah, was the Managing Director of the company. And now yet another brother, Ariff Shah, wishes to represent the voters of Permatang Pauh as its next Member of Parliament.

UMNO-BN terpaksa mempolitikkan bangunan kerajaan.

2008-08-16T03:39:00.003+08:00

Source : PermatangPauh.com

-Yusmar@perawi-

Seberang Jaya- Adakah terlalu terdesak sehingga UMNO-BN menggunakan bangunan kerajaan PERKESO di Seberang Jaya terpaksa dihujani bendera UMNO-BN ?

Adakah sudah tidak ada kampung mahupun kawasan kediaman untuk digantung bendera mahupun poster.

Kesimpulannya kita dapat melihat bahawa sekarang UMNO-BN sudah tidak lagi mendapat sokongan dari rakyat sehinggakan terpaksa memaksa simpati dari kakitangan kerajaan,dimana sekarang ini Kerajaan Pulau Pinang telah diambil alih oleh Pakatan Rakyat

Anwar : They will keep framing me up!

2008-08-16T03:31:00.000+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

Questioning the timing of the swearing on the Quran by his accuser - on the eve of nomination day for the Permatang Pauh by-election - candidate Anwar Ibrahim was hardly amused.

MCPX

When told Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan had swore on the Quran in the Federal Territory Mosque that he was sodomised by the opposition leader, Anwar replied: "This is just a political gimmick."

"One day after the Election Commission announced the date for the Permatang Pauh by-election they charged me.

"Now, on the eve of nominations, this guy is swearing on the Quran. What is the motive for all this?" exclaimed the politician, who will be contesting in the polls.

According to Anwar, this is nothing more than a "dirty trick" by Umno and goes to show that they are desperate.

He said if Saiful wants to adopt the Islamic method then he should follow the syariah way and make his complain there instead of going to the police.

"I too have already referred this case to the Syariah Court and the officers there want to take his statement but the police have stopped them.

"Saiful is under police protection and they have a hold on him and they decide what he should or should not do," said the former deputy prime minister.

All set for nomination day

2008-08-16T03:27:00.002+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat supporters have been told to exercise restraint during tomorrow's nomination for the Pematang Pauh by-election.

MCPX

The police have also beefed up security in the area.

Speaking to reporters in Penang today, Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar urged the campaigners not to provoke each other or do anything that could cause conflict during the nomination.

"If everyone takes responsibility, no untoward incidents will happen. Let us show our matureness in exercising a democratic process," he told a press conference at the Central Seberang Perai district police headquarters.

"Let me remind you, this is an ordinary by-election, not a general election or an election to change the government," he said, adding that supporters must not get emotional.

The minister was speaking to reporters after attending a briefing on the police’s preparation for the nomination.

According to Syed Hamid, 3,000 police personnel, including those from the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU), will be deployed to ensure that the nomination process proceeds smoothly.

He also said the police met with campaigners of both parties in advance to brief them on the traffic diversion to avoid any possible clashes between the supporters.

"They have agreed (to the police’s plan) so I hope they will adhere to it. It’s for the sake of an efficient rally for the by-election," he said, adding that the police are ready to face the worst.

The home minister also noted that a sum of RM4 million has been allocated as the expense for the police’s operations during the 10-day campaign period.

Also present were Penang police chief Ayub Yaakob and Seberang Perai Central district police chief Dr Mohd Shah Hussin Shah.

Independent candidates?

At a separate function in Permatang Pauh today, Umno Youth chief Hishammuddin Hussein urged the wing’s supporters to be disciplined and not to respond to their rival’s ‘aggressive’ campaign.

The nomination is scheduled to be held at the Tuanku Bainun Teachers’ Training College from 9am to 10am tomorrow, to be followed by another hour allocated for any objection on the candidacy.

Ten days have been allocated for the election campaign, with polling fixed for Aug 26.

The upcoming contest is being touted as the ‘mother of all by-elections’ as it will mark the return of former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim after a 10-year hiatus from active politics.

The PKR de facto leader will be taking on BN’s Arif Shah Omar Shah. It is not known whether any independent candidates will join in the race but a Chinese daily has reported that four copies of the nomination forms have been sold.

A check by Malaysiakini at the nomination centre today found that the police have put up barbed wires and barricades at the field where supporters will gather to avoid any clashes.

More than 20 FRU trucks were also spotted outside a hotel in the neighbouring Perai district since yesterday.

Despite the police refusing to divulge their estimation of the crowd’s number for tomorrow, reports have quoted party sources as estimating the number to reach about 20,000 in total.

The road leading to the nomination centre will be closed to traffic from 6am tomorrow until the nomination is over at about noon.

The police have also designated different entry roads for supporters, where the BN candidate will proceed first to the nomination centre through Jalan Mengkuang-Berapit from 7.30am.

This will be followed by Anwar via Jalan Kubang Semang-Mengkuang at 8am.

Pakatan Rakyat leaders such as DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, PAS spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat and president Abdul Hadi Awang are expected to be present to lend their support for the opposition icon.

The Pakatan leaders, together with Anwar and his wife Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, will lead a 1km-parade march towards the nomination centre.

The BN front will be led by Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, Penang BN chief Dr Koh Tsu Koon and Umno Youth chief Hishammuddin Hussein and other big guns.

The Permatang Pauh seat fell vacant after its incumbent Wan Azizah vacated it on July 31 to allow her husband to contest.

There are 58,459 voters in the constituency, of which 490 are postal voters.

BN Candidate, the right person?

2008-08-16T03:21:00.002+08:00

Source: Malaysiakini VOXPOP

'BN-Umno cannot and will not have the chance to smell victory at Permatang Pauh without playing very dirty. This has been their tactic to get what they desire.'

Elsie Goh Siew Khim: As far as I am concerned, it does not really matter who BN's candidate is?

In a strict and impartial democratic gentleman's fight, BN's candidate has no chance over Anwar Ibrahim because the Malays in Malaysia are sick and tired of BN-Umno.

Even if BN-Umno fields in Mahathir, Abdullah or Najib, or the best candidate that money can buy, the BN-Umno regime is very likely to be defeated by a huge margin.

The BN-Umno regime knows that. The question is how to improve the probability of winning.

The answer is through cheating, deceit, vote-rigging, money politics, bribes and maybe by ‘force'.

The BN-Umno regime cannot and will not have the chance to smell victory without playing very dirty.

They will play dirty, as this has been their tactic to get what they desire. That is why Anwar Ibrahim will get a good run for the BN-Umno regime's money.

G-man: I suppose this selection just typifies the mentality of the present ruling coalition.

Arif Shah happens to be the brother of Amin Shah, who is infamous for the Malaysian Navy patrol vessel project failure that used up more than RM6 billion of taxpayers' money from 1998 to 2004.

I wonder if PKR will use this as part of their campaign for the Permatang Pauh elections.

All I can say is that the ruling coalition has practically dug their grave with this one.

Permatang Pauh: The BN-controlled MSM has gone on the offensive - that ‘Arif Shah is well-liked, very popular, humble man, liked by locals, speaks Mandarin and Hokkien', etc.

True, he won Seberang Jaya state assembly seat.

However, his track record in Seberang Jaya is nothing to shout about.

And he is not some ‘humble nice man', rather he is a millionaire himself and often seen ‘politicking' in KL or Georgetown.

He is a brother of Amin Shah, and that is enough said. Speaks Mandarin and Hokkien? So what? Almost all Gerakan candidates did the same and they lost. What is a big deal?

I strongly believe, even with the well-known history that BN blatantly disregards any ethics, fairness, etc during by-elections, BN stands no chance against Anwar Ibrahim in Permatang Pauh.

Lim Leong: First I have to declare that I do not know Arif Shah from a bar of soap or how well he has been serving the constituents of Permatang Puah in the past.

I do wish to make a point to the voters in Permatang Puah that the by election is not about Anwar vs Arif. The contest is about the future direction of Malaysia and whether it is given an opportunity to transform itself in to a progressive, democratic and wealthy nation.

A vote for BN is a vote for continuing the current regime of corrupt practices, mis-management of resources and failed policies which have seen Malaysia sliding backwards economically and socially.

A vote for PR on the other hand is a vote of hope. A hope for a better Malaysia tomorrow. The PR coalition has yet had the test of time to fully prove themselves.

However, I can at least see that PR is run by people who espouse the value of good governance, transparency, fair economic and educational development for all Malaysian regardless of race.

So I come back to my point. A vote for language skills or a vote for the future of Malaysia? Your choice.

1 million for chinese schools to pump victory

2008-08-16T03:16:00.000+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

The 'windfall' for voters in Permatang Pauh has started although the by-election campaign will only kick off officially tomorrow after nomination.

MCPX

The first election goodie came in the form of a RM1 million allocation to five Chinese schools by the Education Ministry in the constituency.

The allocation was announced during a visit by Deputy Education Minister Dr Wee Ka Siong and Barisan Nasional candidate Arif Shah Omar Shah to these schools.

Met at a BN function later, Arif Shah cited the allocation - where the five schools will get RM200,000 each - as an example why the voters should back the ruling coalition.

"The Permatang Pauh people will benefit, you can see it happen (such as this allocation)," he told reporters after the launch of the BN Youth election machinery in Permatang Pasir.

Arif Shah, who is also the Seberang Jaya state assemblyperson, appealed to voters to give him a chance as he said he will then be able to have more allocations to develop the constituency.

"Although I am the Seberang Jaya state assemblyperson but in the state government, I am the opposition. I don’t have the allocation.

"If I am the BN MP, I will be able to help not just Seberang Jaya but also Penanti and Permatang Pasir (voters) through my cordial relationship with the Prime Minister (Abdullah Ahmad Badawi), Deputy Prime Minister (Najib Abdul Razak) and the federal government," he said.

The three state seats fall under the Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat.

Declines to repeat it in BM

On the allocation, Arif Shah - who is Chinese-educated and fluent in Mandarin - described himself as "half-Chinese" and can fully apprehend the woes faced by the community.

Arif talked to reporters in Mandarin after the function.

However, when a journalist from state-owned RTM requested him to repeat the announcement of the allocation in Bahasa Malaysia, Arif Shah declined.

He said it was inappropriate for him to do so as the issue was related to the Chinese community.

Under the Election Offences Act 1954, a candidate cannot spend more than RM200,000 to contest a parliamentary seat and RM100,000 to contest a state seat.

However, there is a grey area on whether the allocation or goodies handed out by the candidate’s party during election campaigns contradicts any election law.

The Election Commission has previously argued that these developmental allocations are not a form of bribery.

Meanwhile, MCA Youth chief Liow Tiong Lai, who accompanied Arif Shah, said the voters should support the BN candidate because the latter will be able to the serve the rakyat.

"If you elect Anwar, he will just treat this as a stepping stone (to overthrow the BN government) but the locals want to see real development in the constituency," said Liow, who is also the health minister.

Lower turnout expected due to irresponsible EC

2008-08-16T03:11:00.000+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

While the opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalition is unhappy with the Election Commission's decision to hold the Permatang Pauh by-election on a working day, it has shot down the idea of the Penang government declaring the vote a public holiday.

MCPX

The state government, which is controlled by Pakatan, has the powers to gazette the Aug 26 polling day a public holiday.

"I had discussions with Chief Minister (Lim) Guan Eng, but we're not in favour of declaring a public holiday...," PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim told Malaysiakini in an exclusive interview on Wednesday just before he left for Penang to kick off his by-election campaign.

According to Anwar, calling a public holiday would send the wrong signal to investors.

However, the Permatang Pauh candidate did not mince his words in lambasting the Election Commission for holding the by-election on a Tuesday.

"To me, it is not only unfortunate but irresponsible on the part of the Election Commission to conduct elections knowing that the most of them (voters), particularly the (state) constituency of Seberang Jaya ... are factory workers.

"Not only Seberang Jaya, up to Bayan Baru and Bagan. Which means that they have to take a half a day off, which is very difficult."

PKR Youth plans to send letters to factory owners and management asking them to give workers time-off to vote on Aug 26.

"You're a factory worker in Kulim (in neighbouring Kedah) - what do you do? Unless you're given almost a day off, you are not able to vote. You can't come back in two hours - back and forth. You can't."

Anwar slammed the EC's move as an attempt to slash the voter turnout in the crucial by-election.

As such, the opposition leader would not be drawn into the debate on whether he would win with a bigger majority than the 13,398 obtained by his wife, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, at the general election five months ago.

"I hope to win comfortably, but I'm not too particular about the numbers because I know I am against the entire machinery - (the) federal government machinery and the party..."

Wan Azizah, a two-term MP for the seat, resigned two weeks ago to force a by-election in the bid to pave the way for Anwar to return to Parliament after a 10-year absence.

Anwar, whose five-year ban in active politics expired in April, had held the seat for 17 years since he wrested Permatang Pauh from PAS in 1982.

Not the toughest, but challenging polls

Interestingly, he did not see the upcoming by-election as his toughest electoral outing in his long political career.

He considered his 1982 bid, where he was given the task as a fresh face to unseat the incumbent, as his most difficult mission.

Yet Permatang Pauh in 2008 will be particularly challenging for the PKR leader as the ruling Barisan Nasional will pull out all stops to kill his comeback bid.

"I'm not underestimating their strength in terms of money - I think hundreds of millions of ringgit will be poured - and their dirty tactics in terms of malicious, scurrilous attacks, and also the use of the government resources, even intimidation...

"I cannot imagine RM218 million in 2004 (elections) just on posters and banners by the federal, not yet for the (party) divisions and the states. We are talking about hundreds of millions of ringgit," he said, referring to a Malaysiakini report that a court had ordered Umno to settle the astounding bills with a poll merchandise supplier.

While most political pundits expect Anwar to score an easy victory, the opposition candidate is not going to let it lure him into complacency.

This will be the first time since 1982 that Anwar will be camping out in Permatang Puah throughout the 10-day campaigning period.

"I'm not taking this for granted, I'm appealing to my supporters, my friends, work very hard to meet every single constituent, and I'll try to cover as many places as possible."

He also expects the campaign to be dirty, especially after he was charged for sodomy last week following a police report lodged by a former aide.

But he intends to meet the allegations head-on. "I think instead of being apologetic or defensive, you should go on the charge."

US: We are paying close attention [MALAYSIAKINI]

2008-08-08T02:11:00.000+08:00

The United States and 'many other friends' of Malaysia are paying close attention to the sodomy case involving opposition stalwart and PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim.

MCPX

A brief statement from the US embassy in Kuala Lumpur, read: "It is our hope that the rule of law will be applied fairly and transparently, given the flawed nature of the process that led to Anwar’s past sodomy conviction, which was ultimately overturned by a Malaysian court."

"Transparent and impartial application of the law in this case is critical to continued confidence in Malaysia’s democratic institutions, particularly its legal and judicial systems," it added.

This morning, Anwar was charged at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court for committing carnal intercourse against the order of nature. He was freed on a personal bond.

On June 28, Anwar’s former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan filed a police report claiming that the opposition leader had sodomised him.

Greeted by hundreds of supporters

Hundreds of PKR supporters cheered and chanted ‘reformasi’ when Anwar emerged from the court complex earlier.

About 500 followers and hundreds of media representatives had been gathering at the entrance of the court compound, with some coming as early as 6am.

Anwar arrived at the entrance gate around 9.40am and was greeted with 'reformasi' chants. In tow were Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and the former’s lawyer Sankara Nair.

Before heading to the courtroom, Lim read out a joint statement by members of the opposition alliance Pakatan Rakyat. It outlined that they rejected the allegations against Anwar.

It also stated that if Anwar was detained, his wife and PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail will be lead coordinator for Pakatan Rakyat.

The statement also stressed that all Pakatan parties will work towards Anwar’s victory in the Aug 26 Permatang Pauh by-election and upon winning he will be declared the country’s opposition leader.

As Anwar prepared to leave the court building later, he was once again mobbed by reporters and supporters.

Wan Azizah accompanied her husband, who was smiling and waving to those assembled as he walked out of the court lobby enveloped by party stalwarts and police officers.

Popularity will double

PKR supreme council member Irene Fernandez, who sat throughout the proceeding, expressed joy that Anwar was free pending trial.

"I think they can’t find the evidence and the element of force (involved), so they have now moved the charge to consensual (sex)," she said.

"Yes we will fight and I think his (Anwar) popularity will double.

"For us the real battle is in Permatang Pauh. This is only a distraction. There is nothing they can do than attack on morality (grounds). But now the people become the judge," she added.

PKR member KG Segar was convinced that the charge against Anwar was ‘false and baseless’.

"The accusations are baseless…they (the police) still haven’t given our lawyer the police report," he said, adding that it was also unnecessary for the police to mount so many roadblocks.

Another PKR member, G Sara Lily, also believes that the charge against the opposition leader was trumped up.

"It is all lies…we go to their (Anwar and Wan Azizah’s) home often and I have never seen him act wrongly. Many young boys and girls go to their home (but) no one has ever made such accusations.

"I never believed it at all. It’s all just lies concocted by the government," she added.

The joint Pakatan statement is as follows:

The Pakatan Rakyat leadership council held a special meeting last night. We reached the following agreements:

a) We consider that the case against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is blatant political persecution, and that it is not only Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim who is being tried but the whole nation is on trial.

b) In case Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is detained or denied bail, then Wan Azizah, the PKR president, will run as coordinator for the council.

c) We fully endorse Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the Pakatan Rakyat candidate in the by-election and we will form a joint machinery to give him our fullest support.

d) We agree that when Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim succeeds to enter parliament, he will be proposed to be the opposition leader effective

How will abuse of power probe against PM proceed?

2008-08-08T02:09:00.000+08:00

G.KRISHNAN Via E-Mail

I refer to the Malaysiakini report ACA report against Abdullah, Najib.

As I understand it, abuse of power is indeed a serious offense. Frankly, it is obviously a major concern regardless who commits it, but when such a charge is levelled against the two who hold the highest office in the government, surely our ‘independent’ and ‘highly conscientious’ law enforcement authorities would have to make sure that the wheels of justice move swiftly and diligently to investigate such allegations.

This recent ACA complaint lodged by Mazlan Harun has got me wondering, about the kind of investigation we might see undertaken.

As reported, ‘The complainant, former Umno youth exco member Mazlan Harun, claimed that both Abdullah and Najib - who are prime minister and deputy respectively - had abused government machineries to garner support among Umno members in a bid to sustain their positions in the coming party elections.

‘The complaint was based on an open letter written by Umno Petaling Jaya Selatan division chief Zahar Hashim and addressed to the party’s secretary-general, demanding that both Abdullah and Najib be disciplined for allegedly abusing their power.’

Furthermore, the open letter apparently notes that ‘Abdullah met with Umno leaders through Jasa in Kuala Lumpur and gave them money and kain pelikat (sarong) or batik while providing them with four-star hotel accommodation as well as entertainment.’

Oooo...troubling, isn’t it? Very troubling indeed.

Do you suppose, in this instance, we might see Abdullah and Najib being summoned to the investigating officers’ premises? Do you think we might even see a high-profile army of investigators being unleashed to question ‘witnesses’ who were present at the gathering where money and other perks were allegedly dolled out?

How fast do you suppose this investigation will proceed? Well, let me put it this way: do you suppose this ‘investigation’ of the apparent abuse of power will move along like the ‘Altantuya train’ or the ‘Anwar express’? Hmmm…I know, tough question, right?

Well, while we’re on the subject of investigations, do you think we might see our distinguished and highly conscientious home minister come out and call for Najib and Abdullah to come clean on the matter? Do you think he’d be crying foul if they start to profess their innocence?

By the way, one the matter of Anwar Ibrahim’s investigation, you remember Abdullah claiming that Saiful was after all one of Anwar’s own staff? And that that investigation had nothing to do with the Abdullah regime trying to ‘pursue’ Anwar?

So, my dear Umno friends, please realise that this complaint by Mazlan is not something political. It’s after all brought forth by one of your own.

Oh, yes, let me not be remise and fail to point our that there is one key difference - as I recall, in the Anwar matter, Najib himself had – eventually – admitted meeting with Saiful before a police report was lodged against Anwar.

But as far as we know, there is not any apparent ‘link’ established here between Mazlan Harun – or for that matter Zahar Hashim – and Anwar or PR. Only a minor detail and difference, right?

At any rate, let’s not lose sight of the bigger picture. We must let the ‘independent’ arm of the relevant investigative authorities do due diligence on all matters of alleged wrongdoing. As we were recently reminded by the famous words of our prime minister: ‘Everyone is important. The process of law is important. Everyone has the right to seek justice.’

By the way, let’s hope Mazlan Harun and Zahar Hashim don’t go out to Brickfields to have fish-head curry with any police investigators!

Police Discriminates HINDRAF Activist

2008-08-08T01:59:00.002+08:00

Source : MALAYSIAKINI

‘Woman locked up with men'

Surendran also complained that Susila, 41, was being held in a police lockup with seven other unknown men.

"This is unacceptable. Was she treated this way because she is affiliated with Hindraf?" he asked.

At the Dang Wangi police station, Surendran, accompanied by Kapar MP S Manickavasagam and Teluk Intan MP M Manogaran, held a short discussion with Zulkarnain.

Manogaran told reporters later that Zulkarnain had confirmed that Susila was held in a cell with men but a woman police officer was stationed outside the cell.

Manogaran also said they were assured of Susila's safety by Zulkarnain. The police chief however refused to comment on Susila's detention when approached by reporters.

Zulkarnain refused to divulge details of the investigation but said that investigations were being conducted according to Section 27 (5) of the Police Act.

"There are foreign guests there and we must ensure their security," he said when asked if the four were arrested because of tightened security at the KLCC area.

Four Hindraf activists held at Commonwealth meet

2008-08-08T01:58:00.002+08:00

Source: MALAYSIAKINI

Four Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) activists were arrested near the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) today for failing to disperse on police orders.

MCPX

Dang Wangi OCPD ACP Zulkarnain Abdul Rahman told reporters that the four, including a woman, were arrested at the roadside while "picketing."

According to the detainees' lawyer N Surendran (photo:far left), the group were among 30 activists who were leafleting at the 54^th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conference at KLCC at 3.30pm.

The leaflets were meant to raise awareness among international lawmakers of the two-year Internal Security Act (ISA) detention order against five Hindraf leaders.

However 15-minutes later, the police tried to disperse the group resulting in the four - S Jayathas, S Poobalan, K Balakrishnan and B Susila - being arrested.

"They were given 20 seconds to disperse before they were ambushed while leafleting in the rain," said Surendran when met at the Dang Wangi district police headquarters later.

Anwar was at condo - with 5 others

2008-08-07T18:58:00.001+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

Anwar Ibrahim's lawyer revealed that his client was indeed at the Desa Damansara condominium at the time of the alleged sodomy.

MCPX

However, he was there for a meeting with “about five people” - casting a fresh alibi for the opposition leader - according to Sankara Nair today.

“We have a watertight alibi and we have given the alibi (and their names) to the police during police investigation,” Sankara told reporters after Anwar was charged at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court this morning.

“He had people all around because they were all having a meeting in that house (the condominium unit),” he disclosed.
Contacted by Malaysiakini later, Sankara said Anwar has never denied that he had been to the condominium. The unit was owned by a friend to the opposition leader, the lawyer added.

Sankara confirmed that statements of the witnesses who were with Anwar at the time - and now are his alibi - had been recorded by the police.

He however did not elaborate on whether the complainant, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, was among the people present at the meeting. Saiful, 23, is the former aide who claimed that Anwar sodomised him.

Drop the case, prosecution told

Anwar was charged for engaging in sodomy with Saiful under Section 337B of the Penal Code on June 26 between 3.01pm and 4.30pm at Unit 11-5-1 Desa Damansara Condo in Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur.

The provision implies consensual sex, and not assault, as the wording of the section is silent on whether it was done with or without consent.

Anwar pleaded not guilty to the charge and was freed on personal bond of RM20,000.

On July 2, Anwar had also told Malaysiakini that he had never denied going to the luxury condominium where Saiful claims the act occurred.

“I (have) never said that I have never been there,” Anwar was quoted as saying then.

Elaborating on Anwar’s case, Sankara said the legal team has a strong defence with the alibi, as well as a medical report which found there was no signs of sodomy on Saiful.

The lawyer also pointed out that the defence team has yet to receive a copy of Saiful’s police report.

With the evidence in hand, Sankara expressed hope that the prosecution will drop its case.

“We want to see how they (prosecution) want to carry out the prosecution, we hope they will drop the case,” he said.

What would be Samy's view on Anwar's charge today

2008-08-07T18:44:00.003+08:00

I was just surfing youtube and catching up on anwar's trial. I came across this video clip and i wonder how nice it would be if this is the comment given by Samy Vellu on the matter of charging Anwar Ibrahim in court today. Here is the news from Malaysiakini below

PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim today pleaded not guilty at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court against the charge of having carnal intercourse against the order of nature.
MCPX
"This is a malicious and treacherous slander, I'm not guilty," he told Sessions Court judge SM Komathy Suppiah. He repeated this twice from the dock.
The prosecution did not oppose bail and proposed the amount be set at RM20,000 with one surety and that Anwar be required to surrender his passport.
Anwar's lead counsel Sulaiman Abdullah however argued for a personal bond, with no amount set, to be granted as he said there was no possibility of the opposition leader absconding or tampering with witnesses.
He also added that Anwar is "very keen" to answer the accusation thrown at him.
Lead prosecutor, solicitor-general Idris Harun, disagreed when asked by the judge for his view on Sulaiman's argument.
"The possibility is always there," said Idris, drawing laughter from those in the public gallery. The court was packed with about 100 people including Anwar's family members, supporters and top Pakatan Rakyat leaders.
In considering the application, the judge also asked investigating officer DSP Jude Pereira, who was present in court, whether Anwar has been cooperative with the police investigation, to which the police officer replied, "Yes."
Judge Komathy then agreed to release Anwar on RM20,000 personal bond without surety.
The difference between a bail and personal bond is that the amount for the former has to be paid up-front while a bond is a promissory note that the accused would only be required to pay if he absconds.

Police More On Framing Anwar Instead Being Fair

2008-08-07T18:30:00.001+08:00

Source: Malaysiakini

Police recorded statements twice

In his statutory declaration, Mohd Osman also recounted three visits by two police officers from two different police districts - to record his statement.

He said that in July 2008, his statement was recorded by one ASP Rosmi Mat Derus from the Brickfields criminal investigation department (CID).

Mohd Osman explained that ASP Rosmi wrote down about nine or 10 pages of statements in Bahasa Malaysia and produced a printed copy the following week for his signature.

The doctor, who is from Burma, admitted he did not understand most of what was written in the statement as he is not proficient in Bahasa Malaysia.

When confronted with the printed copy, Mohd Osman had to make amendments with the policeman’s assistance.

“I also pointed out to him that certain facts which has not been discussed in the previous meeting were introduced in the typed statements.

“The facts I queried was why the name of Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim appeared in several paragraphs when it was never brought up during the first interview, neither did the patient ever confide in me the identity of the alleged perpetrator.

“He (ASP Rosmi) replied that Anwar is the accused and I already by then knew Anwar was the accused after reading the newspaper,” he added.

Mohd Osman said that he had hesitated to sign the printed statement, but had done so “as I did not want to have any issues with the police”.

Left country with family

Mohd Osman described that a week later, one DSP Choo from the Dang Wangi CID also recorded his statement.

“She asked me to explain, all over again, and I complied by explaining everything that I knew in detail the whole procedures in relations to the examination on the patient,” he said.

“At the onset of the interview, she impressed upon me that I will be charged if I refuse to cooperate with the police.

“The seemingly constant and unending police investigation and being aware of the high-profile nature of the case has disturbed me tremendously and I become worried for my safety and that of my family.

“Approximately one week after the third visit by the police, I decided to apply for leave and left Malaysia with my family,” he said.

He was scheduled to resume his duties at Pusrawi Hospital on Aug 1 - incidentally the day he signed the statutory declaration - but cannot be contacted and has gone missing.

“I think he is afraid to return to duty,” said Pusrawi Hospital medical director Dr Kamaruddin Ahmad, according to mStar online yesterday.

Why Charge Anwar Alone? Why Not S.377C?

2008-08-07T18:15:00.004+08:00

Why 377B of the Penal Code? Section 377B of the Penal Code explains offences involving carnal intercourse against the order of nature which means both parties had consented to the said offence. Meanwhile, S.377C of the Penal Code explains offences involving carnal intercourse against the order nature without consent. Talking about interpretation is open then whats the use of S.377C, as said by the DPP. Thats what i feel after reading the report from Malaysiakini

PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim questioned why he was the only one brought to court if he supposedly had ‘consensual’ unnatural sex with his former aide.

“If it is consensual, why was I the only one being charged? This is a political persecution,” he told reporters upon his release on personal bond after being charged with sodomy at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions’ Court this morning.

Anwar was charged with having committed sodomy with Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan under Section 377B of the Penal Code on June 26 between 3.01pm and 4.30pm at Unit 11-5-1 Desa Damansara Condo in Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur.

According to Anwar’s lawyers, Section 377B refers to consensual sex, not assault.

The former deputy premier was initially expected to be charged under section 377C which reads "committing carnal intercourse against the order of nature without consent”.

Deputy public prosecutor Hanafiah Zakaria however told the media that the interpretation of section 377B is open on whether the offence was done with or without consent as the provision is silent on the word ‘consent’.

PM under fire again

Anwar also continued his scathing attacks on Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for pursuing the sodomy charge.

“This is dirty politics of a man who is losing support and very soon will lose power,” he said.

Yesterday, Anwar called Abdullah a “man under siege” and allegedly orchestrating the “sham trial” against him to deflect attention away from the latter. The premier has denied the allegation.

“The charge is meant to embarrass me, nothing else, but I am not embarrassed,” stressed Anwar, who also described the case has been handled in a “haphazard” manner.

Electoral Commison Contolled by Goverment?

2008-08-06T20:00:00.002+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

PKR information chief Tian Chua has condemned the Election Commission's decision to hold the Permatang Pauh by-election on a Tuesday, instead of on the weekend which is usual practice.

MCPX

"I think the reason they are having it on a weekday is to reduce the turnout," he said.

"This is a deliberate action to inconvenience the voters. We condemn the Election Commission for their decision.

"We fear there could be rigging. We urge our supporters not to be complacent, it is going to be a tough battle but we are confident of victory," he said.

Anwar Ibrahim, the de facto leader of PKR which heads the three-member opposition alliance, has said he is bracing for "massive" vote-rigging by the government to block him from winning the key ballot.

Election Commission chairperson Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman today announced that all parties must nominate their candidates on Aug 16, with polling day on Aug 26.

"During the by-election, it is important for all parties to follow the orders given by the security authorities and ensure peace and stability," he told reporters.

Meanwhile, EC secretary Kamaruzaman Mohamad Noor said Anwar could still contest the by-election even after sodomy charges were laid, although he would be disqualified if he is found guilty and jailed.

"Under Malaysian laws, you are only guilty when you are convicted. Otherwise, being charged does not make you a convict, or a guilty person," he told AFP.

Anwar, a former deputy premier who was jailed a decade ago on sodomy charges that were later overturned, faces new allegations by a 23-year-old aide, Mohamad Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

Police have confirmed that he would be charged tomorrow.

By-election a barometer

Ibrahim Suffian of the Merdeka Centre research firm said Anwar was virtually assured of victory in the by-election.

"Barring any unforeseen situation emerging in the next couple of weeks, I don't think we are in for any surprise - he's going to win the election by a handsome margin," the pollster said.

"The key thing will be the margin by which he wins, and whether it's bigger than his wife's margin, as a barometer of how opposition support has improved or not since March," he added.

Voters are expected to give Anwar a clear victory.

"The government has been telling us that it was wrong for Anwar's wife to resign so soon after the general elections," said 35-year-old businesswoman J Sumathi.

"However, it is a non-issue as far as I am concerned. Anwar is a capable leader who should be in Parliament to fight for our rights."

Anwar: PM and AG Waiting To Frame Me Up

2008-08-06T19:28:00.002+08:00

Pitty this guy, the goverment is trying to put him off in any way that they could think off. Look at this, i can see how dirty and filthy our goverment is. I guess Anwar will be able to put up a fight and may win the election even without campaigning. By reading Malaysiakini report below, Anwar is frustrated with the Prime Minister and AG.

PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim today slammed the government's decision to charge him with sodomy tomorrow.
MCPX
Calling it a sham trial, he blamed Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for orchestrating the trial in order to protect himself (Abdullah).
"This is a man under siege - and he sees no way out but to deflect the attention of the Malaysian people with a sham trial against me," said Anwar at a press conference held at PKR headquarters this afternoon.
"I hold the prime minister responsible for bringing damage to this nation with this sham trial," he said.

He was responding to a police notice served on him earlier today to appear at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions' Court tomorrow morning to be charged with sodomy of his former aide Mohamad Saiful Bukhari Azlan, 23.

Anwar also said that his sources from the Attorney-General's Chambers told him that it was against preferring any charges against him. However he added the police and Abdullah were keen on pursuing with the trial.
"We are also informed that some individuals within the Prime Minister's close circles are adamant about pursuing this case.

"Their involvement further undermines the credibility of the case and proves that the entire conspiracy hatched against me is politically motivated," he added.
The former deputy prime minister also said that he might have to be absent from campaigning as well as during polling for the Permatang Pauh parliamentary by-election as a result of the court case against him.

Unfair By-Election At Permatang Pauh

2008-08-06T19:10:00.003+08:00

What the hell is going on? Its really unfair how the way the government is reacting towards the By-election. I was shocked to see the news in Malaysiakini, which reads like this :

Deputy police chief Ismail Omar confirmed the Attorney-General's office had decided to charge Anwar and that he was required to appear in court at 10am tomorrow.

"The police have completed their investigations into the allegations of sexual misconduct involving Anwar Ibrahim according to the principles and the procedures of law within the country's legal system," he said in a statement.

Anwar has rejected the accusations which he says have been fabricated to prevent him from toppling the government, after landmark March elections that handed the opposition an unprecedented one-third of parliamentary seats.
"This charge is only possible on the orders from the prime minister, who today faces a confidence crisis and leadership struggle," he said.
Anwar said that Abdullah, who has faced calls to quit since March elections that handed the opposition unprecedented gains, was "desperate" and using the case "to cover up his failures and abuses."

All this while the police was taking its ample time to run the investigations, once By-election in Permatang Pauh appears, Everything hit the table fast. Bloody unfair isnt it? Anway, what else i can say, BARISAN NASIONAL is famous for its hanky panky works to take a man down or to gain victory. Even the by-election day is on tuesday, why not on sunday? Barisan Nasional is just too scared for Permatang Pauh!

Pak Lah No Famous Guy

2008-08-01T22:15:00.000+08:00

Source : Malaysiakini

More than half of the 1,030 Malaysians throughout Peninsular Malaysia surveyed in a poll said they were unhappy with Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's performance.

MCPX

About 54 percent of those surveyed expressed dissatisfaction with the prime minister, while 44 percent said they felt otherwise.

This is the first time that Abdullah's popularity has plunged to below 50 percent from a record high of 91 percent in late 2004.

His approval rating was at 61 percent just before the March 8 general elections. In April, it went down to 53 percent and currently it is at 44 percent.

The opinion poll was conducted between July 4-16 by the independent Merdeka Center for Opinion Research and aimed at gauging voters’ perceptions of current issues, the state of the economy and leadership.

Conducted by telephone, it targeted Malaysians throughout the peninsula who were randomly selected and structured along the national electorate profile to achieve proportional balance in terms of gender, ethnicity and state.

The survey's margin of error is estimated at plus or minus 3.1 percent.

Merdeka Center executive director Ibrahim Suffian said the decline in Abdullah’s approval ratings over the past few months is not only restricted to the widespread anger over rising food and fuel prices.

The continuing ‘bickering’ and political uncertainty - both within and outside Abdullah’s Umno - has also been a source of concern, he said.

“The public wants to see him find ways to bring the country back to an even keel,” he told Malaysiakini.

Similar trends were found when the respondents were asked regarding their level of satisfaction with Barisan Nasional.

It found that 54 percent were either “somewhat dissatisfied” or “very dissatisfied” with the BN government, while 44 percent said they were either “very satisfied” or “somewhat satisfied”.

A clearer divide was discernable when respondents were asked regarding Umno and whether they thought it reflects the “aspirations and needs” of Malaysians.

Only one out of three, or 36 percent, responded positively while the majority (58 percent) expressed their dissatisfaction with the party.

Pakatan did slightly better

Among other highlights of the survey was the question whether Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak would make a good prime minister, with almost half saying no.

While 34 percent of the respondents said yes, 47 percent answered no.

The opposition Pakatan Rakyat state governments, in comparison, fared slightly better in terms of the respondents’ level of satisfaction.

Two out of three, or 57 percent, said they were either somewhat satisfied or very satisfied, while 32 percent said they were “somewhat dissatisfied” or “very dissatisfied”.

On the related issue of whether they agreed with the action taken by the BN federal government to disburse development funds to a federal body rather than directly to the Pakatan state governments, only 30 percent gave their approval.

Over half, or 54 percent, on the other hand, said they were either “somewhat” or “very” dissatisfied with the action.

To a question comparing Barisan with Pakatan in terms of the likelihood of either fulfilling their election promises, respondents were almost equally divided.

However, more expressed lack of faith in Barisan in delivering in its promises.

While 55 percent said they were not confident that Barisan would fulfill its promises, 42 percent of the respondents said they were not confident that Pakatan parties would fulfill their promises.

In the section on ‘general directions and the economy’, respondents projected a clear concern towards the state and direction of the economy and worried about their own financial situation.

Economic problems important

A large majority indicated that they perceived the country was going in the wrong direction. Only 28 percent felt satisfied with the way things are going in the country.

Almost two-thirds, or 59 percent, perceive economic problems to be the most important facing Malaysia today, with only 24 percent viewed the economy “favourably”.

Only one in five, or 19 percent, viewed the economy favourably when asked to compare the present situation to 2005.

About one-third, or 34 percent, of the respondents answered positively when asked to relate the economic outlook to their personal income, prices of consumer items and services, and job and business opportunities.

Only 10 percent of respondents said political issues were the most important challenges facing the country.

Reflective of the level of cynicism towards the government’s reduction of subsidies, a large majority (62 percent) said they believed the savings where channeled to benefit “people with political connections”.

Only 23 percent said the savings went to make the lives of ‘ordinary Malaysians” better. Fourteen percent did not know while one percent gave no response.

MB KHALID: Are you man enough to take the challenge?

2008-08-01T21:52:00.004+08:00

Yessssss, Thats what i call a challenge, Are you brave enough to take the challenge EZAM? Talking about bravery, you should show your bravery at a man's fort, not attacking him by words. I stopped by permatang pauh today evening, i sat down with my old school friends from permatang pauh. The only thing that i can say after discussing and sharing view about the by-election, Ezam and Umno can pack your bags and leave!

Malaysiakini on 31st July 2008 by Rahmah Ghazali :

"We in PKR are requesting Umno to let Ezam contest against Anwar in Permatang Pauh because this will bring a new wave in national politics," Khalid (below, centre) told reporters in Shah Alam during a meet-the-media session.
"If he (Ezam) is brave enough, this is the right time," he added.
Ezam, the former PKR youth chief who returned to Umno’s fold on May 28, had previously piped up that he would be willing to contest against Anwar in any by-election adding that he would fight Anwar 'till the end'.
Prior to this, Anwar had set his eyes on the Kulim Bandar-Baru parliamentary seat but today decided on Permatang Pauh due to ‘possible delays in the court decision’ over an election petition for the Kedah seat.

Anwar Set To Kick Off Election Campaign (Schedule Inside)

2008-08-01T19:58:00.005+08:00

Malaysiakini reports on 1 AUG 2008 :

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was set to launch his election campaign this weekend, despite the looming threat of arrest on sodomy allegations he has insisted are a political smear.
MCPX
Anwar is set to contest the by-election in the Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat in Penang that was vacated by his wife Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail after a turbulent decade.
"We will start the campaign programme this weekend. Anwar is heading to Penang to launch it," Tian Chua, his PKR information chief, told AFP.

Anwar is due to speak at the Permatang Pauh constituency at 9pm on Sunday in a rally to be attended by Penang Chief Minister and DAP leader Lim Guan Eng.

Program Lawatan ke Negeri Pulau Pinang

Masa Aturacara

9.00pm ~ 11.30 pm DSAI berucap di Ceramah Perdana Menuju Ke Putrajaya
Di Tapak Ekspo Pertanian Seberang Jaya, Pulau Pinang
Penceramah:

1)YB Husam Musa
2)YB Azmin Ali
3)YAB Lim Guan Eng
4)Datuk Seri Wan Azizah
5)Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim

Untuk Dihubungi:
En. Rozi
Tel: 019-5252552

———————————-
Tarikh: 5hb. Ogos 2008 (Selasa)
Program Lawatan DSAI ke Negeri Pahang

Masa Aturacara

10.30pm ~ 11.30 pm DSAI berucap di Ceramah Perdana di Markas Cegar Medang
(Tempat Ceramah) Benus,Bentong
Penceramah:
1)YB Choong Siew Onn (DAP)
2)Dato Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Mas (PAS)
3)Sdr Mustapa Kamil Ayub
4)Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim
Untuk Dihubungi:
En. Ram
Tel: 017-9708423
En. Nizam
Tel:013-3970011

———————————-
Tarikh: 7hb. Ogos 2008 (Khamis)
Program Lawatan DSAI ke Negeri Selangor

Masa Aturacara

10.30pm ~ 11.30 pm DSAI berucap di Ceramah Perdana di Taman Medan Petaling Jaya
(Tempat Ceramah) Jalan PJS 4/19, Taman Medan off Jalan Klang Lama
Petaling Jaya
Penceramah:
1)YB Haniza Talha
2)YB Hee Loy Sian
3)YB Sivarasa
4)YB Azmin Ali
5)Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim

Untuk Dihubungi:
Puan. Lateefah Koya
Tel: 012-3842972

———————————-
Tarikh: 8hb. Ogos 2008 (Jumaat)
Program Lawatan DSAI ke Negeri Kelantan

Masa Aturacara

10.30pm ~ 11.30 pm DSAI berucap di Ceramah Perdana di Stadium Sultan Mahmood ke 4
(Tempat Ceramah) Kota Bharu Kelantan

Penceramah:
1)Yang Amat Berhormat Tuan Guru Nik Aziz
2)Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim
Turut akan dihadiri oleh Menteri -Menteri Besar Pakatan Rakyat

Untuk Dihubungi:
YB Baihaki -Ketua Penerangan PAS Negeri Kelantan
Tel: 019-9598181
En. Hj Wan Zul
Tel: 019-9240148

Indians believe Anwar is innocent and framed by BN

2008-08-01T19:41:00.003+08:00

Referring to Malaysiakini reports shows that Indian in Malaysia believe that sodomy allegations against Anwar is political motivate and Anwar Ibrahim is innocent. Checkout the part of Malaysiakini report:

Malaysiakini - 1 Aug 2008
A relatively high proportion of the Indians surveyed, 75 percent, said they disbelieved the sodomy allegations.

On the other hand, a slightly higher proportion (13 percent) of Indians also said they believed in the allegations, eight percent did not know while four percent gave no response.

Compared to the overall majority of respondents who agreed that the sodomy allegations against Anwar were politically motivated, a slightly lower percentage (57 percent) of Malays agreed with the view while a slightly higher percentage (17 percent) disagreed.

A much higher percentage, 77 percent of Chinese respondents, meanwhile, agreed that the allegations were politically motivated while only six percent disagreed.
Of the Indians surveyed, 81 percent agreed that the allegations were politically motivated, while only 11 disagreed.

The survey also found that public confidence towards the judiciary, the Attorney-General’s Chambers and the police as institutions likely to be involved in handling the sodomy charges was relatively low.

Not more than 33 percent of all the respondents in the survey expressed confidence or were “somewhat confident” that these institutions would carry out their roles in handling Anwar’s case in a fair and independent manner.

The poll is a part of Merdeka Center’s series of quarterly surveys on issues topping voters’ concerns, perceptions of the economy and views on Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat. The first poll in the series was released in April 2008.

Prime Minister will never help Anwar

2008-07-31T18:19:00.004+08:00

Refering to a letter mail to Malaysiakini :

Therefore, I call upon the prime minister to do justice to Anwar by advising the attorney-general to put an end to this mess as the rakyat already knows that there is no concrete evidence to charge Anwar.
This matter is affecting the image of this country politically, an image which the nation’s first three prime ministers took great pains to build. The foreign investors are keeping away from the country and the stock market is down when all Asians markets are up, all because of our political uncertainty.

Reading the context above which part of the letter, we understand that the writer's concern over our political image which is devastated through out the world. The writer calls the Prime Minister which is our Pak Lah to intervene and call it off the case since there is no evidence to charge Anwar.

What do you people say? You think PM is going to do that? I think he will never since he is primier for the federal goverment and his boys( Cabinet Ministers) who is handling Anwar's case, they will try to sweep it off just like the 1998 incident. Come on, Everybody knows that Anwar pointing things out with facts wherelese the federal goverment fail to do so. The entire nation witness the debate between Anwar and Infomation Minister. Our minister ran way out of topic and bring in irrelevant facts. Plus, using the debate to attack Anwar in personal, this clearly shows typical BN attitude when they are under fire and couldnt face the fact. Anwar decides to stand in Permatang Pauh instead Bandar Bahru. Now, possibilities for Anwar being arrested in the next 48hours seems to be high. Click here (Malaysiakini Reports)

Remember, People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.

V for Vendetta - People Should Not Be Afraid of Their Government -