HINDRAF - PKR love affair ends - malaysiakini

By Baradan Kuppusamy

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 31 - Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) is staring at a permanent and damaging break with the Hindraf/Makkal Shakti movement after Kapar MP S. Manikavasagam resigned today as the deputy chairman of Selangor PKR.

He blamed the Pakatan Rakyat government in Selangor led by Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim for failing to fulfil the promises made to the Indian community during the March general election.

“We feel cheated, we are disappointed, nothing has been done,” he said at a packed press conference at the Crystal Crown hotel in Petaling Jaya.

Manikavasagam remains an ordinary PKR member.

At today’s press conference, he showed open hostility to Khalid, party vice-president R. Sivarasa and Selangor exco member Dr Xavier Jeyakumar, describing them as individuals who have done nothing for the Indians although they claim to be Indian leaders.

“My decision is final,” he said adding however that joining MIC is not an option. “We are exploring several other options and other party leaders have called me. However I will first talk with Hindraf chairman P. Waythamoorthy in India next week before making my next move.”

He said he will also discuss with PKR Ketua Umum Anwar Ibrahim to see whether the opposition leader would offer a fair deal for Indians.

He accused Dr Xavier of holding “too many” positions and alleged that Sivarasa had claimed to be an Indian leader but had not called for a single meeting to discuss Indian woes.

Sivarasa had said previously that as a multi-racial party, PKR cannot have Indian-centric policies and that its leaders represented all races.

However Manikavasagam rubbished that, saying PKR made specific promises to Indian voters and had failed to make good on them.

He also alleged PKR remains Malay-centric and campaigned for the Malay agenda, pointing out that Indians had not been offered positions in GLCs, state agencies and senior positions in local councils.

“Even in Kampung Sentosa where 95 per cent of residents are Indians, Khalid appointed a Malay as the ketua kampung,” Manikavasagam said.

In his two paragraph resignation letter dated Dec 31, Manikavasagam said he was resigning with immediate effect because “PKR did not view his opinions, a person elected by the people, seriously.”

A meeting to be held by over 100 PKR and Indian NGO leaders called by former PKR deputy secretary general P.Jenapala was moved from the Crystal Crown hotel to Grand Pacific for unknown reasons.
The meeting, called to discuss the problems Manikavasagam had with the PKR and how to respond to the PKR shortcomings, started at 4 pm and was also attended by Manikavasagam.

Unlike Dr Xavier or Sivarasa, Manikavasagam has strong roots in the Hindraf and Makkal Shakti movement, having cut his teeth with Hindraf leader P. Uthayakumar and his brother, the movement chairman P. Waythamoorthy.

Manikavasagam rose to prominence with Uthayakumar’s Police Watch NGO before joining PKR and taking up many Indian-based issues including the 2007 death of S. Sujatha, an actress who was romantically linked with Vell Paari, the son of MIC president Datuk Ser S. Samy Vellu.

It would be a big blow to PKR and the PR alliance if Manikavasagam quits the party and joins forces with Uthayakumar and pushes the Hindraf/Makkal Shakti movement away from the opposition into an independent force. - TMI

Ingkar MB: 2 pemimpin PKR pertahan pemilihan ketua kampung - malaysiakini

Oleh ZANARIAH ABD MUTALIB

PETALING JAYA: Dua wakil Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) hari ini mempertahankan tindakan mereka meneruskan proses penamaan calon pemilihan ketua Kampung Baru bagi Kampung Gunung Rapat, Ipoh Ahad lalu walaupun kerajaan negeri telah mengeluarkan larangan berhubung perkara itu.

Ahli Parlimen Gopeng, Dr. Lee Boon Chye dan Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) kawasan Simpang Pulai, Chan Ming Kai menyifatkan tindakan mereka meneruskan proses penamaan calon itu sebagai proses menyatakan hasrat penduduk untuk memilih ketua kampung yang dimahukan oleh mereka.

Dr Lee ketika dihubungi mStar Online lewat petang semalam berkata, beliau akan berjumpa dengan Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin malam tadi bagi menjelaskan keadaan itu. Nizar sebelum ini melahirkan rasa terkilan dengan tindakan Dr Lee dan Chan yang mengingkari arahan itu.

"Bila Menteri Besar kata kita tidak mematuhi arahan, ia sebenarnya satu salah faham kerana apa yang kita lakukan itu tidak bercanggah dengan dasar kerajaan negeri.

"Ia (penamaan calon) adalah satu proses supaya penduduk dapat menyatakan hasrat mereka," katanya.

Beliau berkata, apabila penduduk telah memilih calon ketua kampung Khamis ini, beliau dan Chan akan mencadangkan nama itu kepada kerajaan ini bagi urusan lantikan.

Ditanya kemungkinan calon yang menang itu nanti tidak dipersetujui oleh kerajaan negeri, Dr Lee berkata, beliau tidak mahu membuat sebarang andaian tentang perkara itu.

Sementara itu, Chan berkata, beliau menerima sebarang keputusan kerajaan negeri sama ada akan menerima atau sebaliknya nama calon yang akan dicadangkan nanti.

"Kuasa lantikan masih terletak kepada kerajaan negeri, jadi apa sahaja keputusannya, kita terima," katanya.

Berhubung laporan yang diminta oleh Nizar berhubung pemilihan ketua kampung itu, Chan berkata, beliau akan menyerahkan laporan itu selepas proses pemilihan tersebut berlangsung Khamis ini.

"Kita akan serahkan laporan lengkap termasuk masalah-masalah yang timbul pada hari pemilihan itu nanti," katanya.

Semalam, Mohammad Nizar melahirkan rasa terkilan dengan tindakan Dr Lee dan Chan apabila mereka enggan mematuhi larangan kerajaan negeri tidak membenarkan proses penamaan calon bagi pemilihan ketua Kampung Baru, Gunung Rapat.

Justeru, beliau telah mengarahkan mereka menyerahkan laporan berhubung pemilihan ketua kampung yang akan diadakan pada Khamis ini.

Mohammad Nizar berkata, beliau juga telah mengarahkan proses penamaan calon bagi jawatan berkenaan yang diadakan semalam dibatalkan dan tidak membenarkan mana-mana pihak mengadakan pemilihan bagi jawatan berkenaan.

Dalam proses penamaan calon yang diadakan di Dewan Fook Tat Chee itu, seramai lima penduduk kampung berkenaan berusia 39 hingga 68 tahun menawarkan diri bagi merebut jawatan itu.

Jumaat lepas, Menteri Besar membuat kenyataan bahawa kerajaan negeri tidak membenarkan mana-mana pihak termasuk parti dalam Pakatan Rakyat mengadakan pemilihan ketua Kampung Baru kerana mesyuarat Exco kerajaan negeri telah memutuskan jawatan berkenaan hanya dibuat secara lantikan. -- mStar

Govt on ‘holiday’, Mahathir on attack - malaysiakini

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 31 — Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has come up with an original way to attack Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi without even mentioning his name.

Dr Mahathir continued his long running feud with the hapless Abdullah by citing the long Christmas break that could be stretched to the New Year because of other public holidays in between and using that to wonder who was manning the ship.

“What about work?” asked the former premier in his blog yesterday. “Not to worry. During that time the government... will be on automatic. We are on the ground, we will not crash. It shows that we don’t really need a government. It will just coast along even if no one is steering it. That is how good we have become at governing.”

The continuing jibes illustrate Dr Mahathir’s deeply held resentment against his handpicked successor although his criticism has long become academic.

Abdullah has already signalled his retirement by declining to stand as a candidate in elections for party posts in the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) that’s slated for March 2009.
On another level, however, Dr Mahathir’s comments resonate with many foreign investors who have criticised the many public holidays in Malaysia as a waste of time, productivity and money: keeping factories running would mean extra overtime payments which are required by law.

Malaysia has 13 gazetted public holidays but the 13 individual states have also powers to declare additional mandatory holidays. Standout example: the four states of Johor, Kedah, Perlis and Terengganu have a total of 17 public holidays.

Even so, Malaysia does not have the distinction of having the most public holidays. That goes to Thailand (24) followed by Hong Kong (18), Japan (15) and Indonesia (14). By way of contrast, Singapore has 11, one more than China and the United States. — Business Times Singapore

Massive anti-ISA rally shaping up - malaysiakini

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 30 —Opposition and rights groups are planning a massive rally in March to push for the abolishment of the harsh Internal Security Act. The rally, which organisers are hoping will be as big as the one held in November last year to push for electoral reform, could embarrass the government if thousands turn up on the streets of Kuala Lumpur.

The so-called Bersih rally last year saw up to 50,000 people marching on the streets of Kuala Lumpur to the King's palace to demand changes to the country's electoral system.

It was the biggest anti-government rally since the reformasi street protests in 1998 to support Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who was sacked from government.

Another anti-government rally, this time by Hindu rights supporters, took place in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 25, just two weeks after the Bersih protest. Five leaders of the organisers, the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), were detained under the ISA following the protest.

The planned street demonstration on March 21 next year will be organised after several non-governmental organisations and opposition political parties formed a coalition two months ago called Sekretariat Mansuhkan ISA (Abolish ISA Secretariat), or Mansuh for short.

Mansuh held a mini-rally last night to kick off several anti-ISA events ahead of the big protest in March, the location of which has yet to be decided.

Mansuh's organising committee includes Abolish ISA Movement (AIM) chief Syed Ibrahim Noh and other members of NGOs and opposition parties. AIM itself is a coalition that wants the ISA laws repealed.

While critics say that street protests, such as the ones by Bersih and Hindraf, would serve only to disrupt businesses and soil Kuala Lumpur's reputation, Mansuh disagrees.

Kamaruzaman Mohamad, vice-chairman of Mansuh and a youth leader of the opposition Pas, said attempts by rights groups and the opposition to persuade the government to abolish the ISA had failed.

“We have done so many things — sent memorandums, signature campaigns,” he said. “But the impact is so slow that we decided to try and gather tens of thousands of people on the street to show the government how we really feel about the ISA.”

He brushed aside concerns that such a rally could potentially cause dangerous situations. “The impact of the ISA is worse than the rally itself. Our intention is not to create havoc,” he said.

Critics of the ISA, which allows for detention without trial, say that it is used to control political dissent.

But Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said the ISA is not used for the political interest of the ruling party but to ensure peace and public order, and that it would not be amended or abolished despite threats and criticisms from various quarters, Bernama reported yesterday.

There are still 46 ISA detainees in Malaysia, according to Malaysiakini online news. Most of them are being detained at the Kamunting detention centre.

In recent months, AIM has been holding regular candlelight vigils nationwide to protest against the use of the ISA, prompted by several arrests in September this year.

Said opposition lawmaker Tian Chua: “It is perfectly all right to have a peaceful gathering to state our stand... No public demonstrator wants to intentionally create chaos as it would divert attention from the issue.”

The government this month released six ISA detainees who were accused of being Muslim terrorists, saying they have been reformed.

But Kamaruzaman maintained that this was not enough. “The strategy (to appease the critics) is to release some detainees. But we hope that the government will abolish the law,” he said.

In response, Internal Security and Public Order director Hussin Ismail warned that police would not hesitate to take action if the March street protest goes ahead illegally. “For any assembly without police permit, we will take action,” he told The Straits Times.

Under Malaysian law, a public gathering of three or more people requires a police permit.
The government had, in the past, often reacted harshly against street demonstrations, saying it wanted to keep public order.

Protesters at both the Bersih and Hindraf rallies were sprayed with water cannon and some were arrested.

The protests also caused shops in some parts of downtown Kuala Lumpur to be closed. — The Straits Times

Ceramah PAS "Mansuhkan ISA" kecoh, Pewaris serah memo hapus ternakan babi - malaysiakini

BANGI: Ceramah perdana "Mansuhkan ISA" anjuran PAS dan Gerakan Mansuh ISA di sini malam tadi kecoh dan dicuri tumpuan oleh Majlis Permuafakatan Ummah (Pewaris) yang hadir untuk menyerahkan memorandum meminta parti Islam itu membantu usaha memansuhkan ternakan babi di Masjid Tanah, Melaka.

Kekecohan berlaku apabila wakil penganjur menghalang anggota Pewaris memasuki stadium kerana mendakwa ia menjejaskan kelancaran program itu.

Kira-kira pukul 9.15 malam, selepas lebih 10 minit berunding, penganjur membenarkan hanya lima anggota Pewaris memasuki stadium itu bagi menyerahkan memorandum berkenaan.

Jurucakap polis ketika ditemui berkata, kumpulan berkenaan tidak dibenarkan masuk atas faktor keselamatan dan disebabkan kehadiran mereka tidak mempunyai permit.

Timbalan Pengerusi Pewaris, Rahimuddin Md Harun seterusnya menyerahkan memorandum itu kepada Naib Presiden PAS, Mohamad Sabu dan Ketua Pemuda PAS, Salahuddin Ayub ketika isteri salah seorang tahanan ISA, Norlaila Othman sedang berucap.

Pewaris, Gabungan Gerakan Melayu Muda (GGMM) dan Persatuan Pengguna Islam Malaysia (PPIM) mewakili penduduk enam buah perkampungan di Melaka yang mahukan pemimpin PAS membantu mereka menyelesaikan masalah ternakan babi yang semakin berleluasa.

Kira-kira 30 anggota polis dari Ibu Polis Daerah Kajang berkawal di kawasan stadium bagi mengawal keadaan.

Sementara itu, Rahimuddin berkata, penyerahan memorandum itu adalah bagi meminta pertolongan pemimpin PAS untuk menyelesaikan masalah babi di Melaka.

"Pewaris yang bertindak mewakili badan bukan Kerajaan (NGO) Islam, persatuan-persatuan seni, barisan dan organisasi budaya Melayu menentang sekeras-kerasnya ladang serta ternakan babi di Melaka khususnya di kawasan Masjid Tanah yang majoriti penduduknya terdiri daripada bangsa Melayu," katanya.

Katanya, pelbagai saluran telah dilakukan gerakan itu bagi menyelesaikan masalah babi, namun sehingga kini tiada tindakan diambil dan oleh kerana itulah mereka meminta bantuan PAS sebagai jalan terakhir.

Ceramah perdana "Mansuhkan ISA" diteruskan pukul 9.30 malam dengan ucapan Mohamad Sabu dan Salahuddin serta Presiden PAS, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.

Abdul Hadi berkata, pihaknya akan mengadakan perhimpunan besar-besar ala BERSIH pada Mac depan untuk menggesa kerajaan memansuhkan ISA.

Kira-kira 2,000 orang menghadiri ceramah itu. -- mStar

Kekal atau keluar? Pemimpin India Pakatan putuskan esok - malaysiakini

Pertemuan timbangkan 2 opsyen, antaranya tubuh parti sendiri

Oleh G. MANIMARAN

[EKSKLUSIF] PETALING JAYA: Lebih 50 pemimpin India peringkat nasional dalam Pakatan Rakyat bertemu di sini esok - pertemuan terbesar sejak pilihan raya umum Mac lalu - bagi menentukan ala tuju kedudukan dan sokongan mereka dalam ikatan pembangkang itu.

Pertemuan yang dilihat sebagai "amat penting" akan membincangkan rasa tidak puas hati dan kekecewaan ekoran dakwaan bahawa masyarakat India juga terus 'didiskriminasi dan dipinggirkan' oleh kepimpinan ikatan pembangkang itu.

Forum esok yang berpusatkan isu Ahli Parlimen Kapar S. Manikavasagam, yang telah mengumumkan hasrat untuk keluar Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), akan membincangkan beberapa opsyen.

Antara opsyen ialah keluar beramai-ramai daripada Pakatan Rakyat dan menubuhkan parti sendiri yang bagi mewakili kepentingan masyarakat India ataupun kekal dalam Pakatan Rakyat dengan terus mendesak agar tuntutan masyarakat India dibela dengan adil dan lebih baik berbanding kerajaan Barisan Nasional (BN).

Pertemuan itu dianjurkan oleh Jawatankuasa Perhubungan Masyarakat India.

Ketika dihubungi mStar Online lewat petang semalam, Pengerusinya, P. Jenapala berkata, "kami mengadakan pertemuan ini untuk mencapai satu pendirian kukuh sama ada mahu kekal dalam PKR, Pakatan ataupun sebaliknya."

"Jika mahu kekal, kami akan kekal bersama dan jika mahu keluar, kami akan keluar bersama," kata beliau sambil menegaskan, pertemuan esok sebagai adalah amat penting bagi menentukan nasib masyarakat India selepas sembilan bulan pilihan raya umum ke-12 berlalu.

Jenapala merupakan Timbalan Setiausaha Agung PKR dan telah menyatakan hasrat untuk keluar PKR minggu lalu.

Sambil mengakui sudah wujud perasaan tidak puas hati di kalangan sebahagian besar ahli dan pemimpin India dalam Pakatan Rakyat, Jenapala memberitahu, pihaknya mahu mengambil satu pendirian bersama diambil bagi memastikan kepentingan masyarakat India di negara ini terus dipertahankan dalam Pakatan Rakyat.

"Sejak kebelakangan ini banyak pemimpin dan wakil rakyat India dalam Pakatan Rakyat menyatakan pendirian masing-masing, satu persatu satu tentang rasa tidak puas hati mereka.
"Jadi kami hendak mendengar semua pandangan bersama dan membuat satu pendirian bersama," kata beliau.

Beliau menambah, ramai di kalangan pemimpin India dalam Pakatan Rakyat khususnya dalam PKR menyedari bahawa "mereka tidak boleh kembali kepada Barisan Nasional."

"Kami mahu tubuhkan satu badan di bawah satu payung iaitu mempunyai satu parti sendiri," katanya.

Justeru, katanya, perlu membuat pendirian tegas untuk menentukan hala tuju masa depan dengan kemungkinan memikirkan menubuhkan sebuah parti baru bagi masyarakat India.

Jelas beliau, rasa tidak puas hati timbul sekitar isu pelantikan pemimpin India untuk memegang jawatan sebagai ahli majlis kerajaan tempatan serta memegang jawatan dalam agensi-agensi hubung kait kerajaan (GLC) dan dalam jawatankuasa kampung.

Pertemuan itu diadakan lima hari selepas Manikavasagam menyatakan hasrat untuk keluar PKR, yang dijadual diumumkan Rabu ini.

Pendirian Manikavasagam itu juga berkisar pada perkembangan dalam Pakatan Rakyat dan juga PKR, salah satu komponen ikatan pembangkang itu.

Pakatan Rakyat dibentuk selepas prestasi pembangkang dalam pilihan raya umum 8 Mac lalu.
Manikavasagam juga dijadual mengumumkan pendiriannya selepas pertemuan tersebut.

Dianggarkan 150,000 ahli parti komponen Pakatan Rakyat merupakan masyarakat India.

Malah esok, mesyuarat Biro Politik iaitu badan tertinggi penentu dasar politik parti itu akan membincangkan semua perkara yang berkaitan dan mencari penyelesaian.

Ia akan dipengerusikan oleh Syed Husin sendiri memandangkan Presiden PKR, Datuk Seri Dr. Wan Azizah Wan Ismail dan Ketua Umum, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim berada di luar ibu negara sehingga 6 Januari ini.

PKR adalah anggota komponen Pakatan Rakyat yang memerintah lima negeri iaitu Selangor, Perak, Pulau Pinang, Kedah dan Kelantan. -- mStar

William Leong antara khatam dan hudud - malaysiakini

DEC 27 — "Orang kata, buat ini macam gigit semut saja. Tarak sakit. Potong sikit saja. Tetapi sampai sekarang saya pun tak berani nak buat. Kamu semua yang berani."

Inilah kata-kata perangsang yang diberikan YB William Leong, anggota Parlimen Selayang, kepada 20 kanak-kanak Islam ketika merasmikan majlis khatam beramai-ramai yang diadakan di surau As Siddiqin, Bandar Tasik Puteri, Rawang 20 Disember lepas.

Saya sendiri adalah pengacara di majlis tersebut. Sebelum majlis itu, William juga yang merasmikan majlis berkhatam di Kuang. Lebih 70 kanak-kanak terlibat dalam majlis itu.

Apakah pentingnya majlis ini sehingga saya petik perkataan anggota Parlimen PKR ini.

Pertama, inilah hubungannya antara hudud dan khatam. Kedua-duanya adalah wajib bagi orang Islam melaksanakannya. Ia tidak ada kena-mengena dengan orang bukan Islam. Bahkan, dalam kes William Leong, dia sendiri menjalankan tugasnya selaku anggota Parlimen kawasan berkenaan merasmikan majlis tersebut walaupun dia sendiri tidak perlu berkhatam.

Kedua, kedua-duanya melibatkan potong memotong. Kalau berkhatam melibatkan potong sebahagian kemaluan kanak-kanak lelaki supaya tidak timbul masalah kebersihan di kawasan berkenaan, salah satu hukum hudud pula adalah memotong tangan atau kaki atau kedua-duanya jika mereka didapati bersalah dan memenuhi syarat mencuri.

Ketiganya, pemimpin bukan Islam sampai boleh merasmikan majlis ini walaupun dia sendiri tidak perlu berkhatam kerana tidak disyaratkan orang berkhatam dahulu baru boleh merasmikan majlis ini.

Inilah dia isu hudud sebenarnya. Ia sama sekali berbeza dengan isu negara Islam. Kedua-duanya memang menjadi taboo bagi bukan Islam di negara ini tetapi kedua-duanya berbeza.
Hudud, sebagaimana berkhatam, tidak ada kaitan dengan orang bukan Islam. Namun, sebagaimana berkhatam, mereka boleh melakukannya jika menerima falsafahnya.

Sejak kebelakangan ini, ramai orang lelaki bukan Islam pergi berjumpa doktor atau mudim untuk berkhatam. Ini kerana mereka menerima falsafah berkhatam ini untuk kepentingan mereka menjaga kebersihan. Tetapi adakah Islam memaksa mereka. Tidak, ia hanya wajib bagi lelaki Islam sahaja.

Begitu juga hudud. Ia diwajibkan kepada orang Islam sahaja. Bukan Islam tidak ada kaitan. Tetapi jika mereka menerima falsafah di sebalik hudud ini, mereka boleh menerima pengadilan di bawah hudud ini. Ini jelas dinyatakan ketika Rang Undang-undang Jenayah Syariah dibentangkan di Kelantan dan Terengganu sebelum ini.

Apakah falsafah di sebalik hudud? Hudud bermakna had. Ia bertujuan untuk memberikan pengajaran kepada pencuri, perompak, pembunuh, penzina dan lain-lain pesalah bahawa undang-undang yang berat menanti mereka jika mereka berbuat kesalahan sebagaimana yang ditetapkan.

Bagi mereka yang memahami falsafah di sebalik hudud ini, mereka faham hanya inilah caranya untuk menghadapi masalah itu. Hukuman yang berat ini pula datang dengan falsafahnya bukan undang-undang yang kering begitu sahaja. Ia ada roh.

Hukuman mati terhadap pengedar dadah juga berat tetapi ia tidak ada roh. Tidak ada soal dosa dan pahala, sedangkan undang-undang hudud ini ada rohnya.

Saya tidak arif untuk menghuraikan panjang lebar tentang undang-undang ini tetapi itulah yang diajar oleh para guru saya. Saya lebih tertarik dengan isu politik dalam hal ini.

Sebagaimana yang saya kata tadi, isu hudud berbeza dengan isu negara Islam. Hudud hanya untuk umat Islam sahaja dan tidak perlu parti-parti yang mewakili orang Cina atau India bimbang dengannya. Kalau mereka bimbang tentang perasaan orang Cina atau India terganggu dengan isu ini, saya fikir langkah YB William Leong merasmikan majlis berkhatam beramai-ramai di Bandar Tasik Puteri itu patut menjadi pengajaran.

William tidak bimbang dan tidak risau untuk terlibat dengan majlis itu kerana dia tahu berkhatam untuk orang Islam. Dia tidak perlu berkhatam dahulu untuk merasmikan majlis yang dianjurkan rakyat kawasan beliau.

Begitu juga hudud. Ia tidak ada kaitan dengan orang yang belum atau tidak beragama Islam. Jadi, apa isunya apabila Naib Presiden Pas, Datuk Husam Musa, berkata, jika mendapat mandat dari rakyat negara ini, Pas akan melaksanakan undang-undang yang diwajibkan kepada orang Islam ini?

Saya yakin, Umno tahu hal ini. Khairy Jamaludin juga tahu hal ini. Profesor Agus Yusof yang memprovok Datuk Husam Musa di Kota Baru juga tahu hal ini.

Jadi saya sokong sepenuhnya kenyataan Naib Pengerusi DAP, M. Kulasegaran, bahawa masyarakat bukan Islam di negara ini tidak akan terjejas dengan pelaksanaan hukum hudud.

Menurut YB Kula, beliau menghormati pendirian Pas dalam pelaksanaan hukum hudud dan yakin bukan Islam di negara ini tidak akan terjejas kehidupan mereka jika ia dilaksanakan. -- TMI

Keluar parti: PKR serah pada Manika - malaysiakini

Khalid: Manikavasagam sudah cukup matang buat keputusan

Oleh ZANARIAH ABD. MUTALIB

[DIKEMAS KINI, 10.45 MALAM] PETALING JAYA: Pucuk kepimpinan Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) menyerahkan kepada Ahli Parlimen Kapar, S. Manikavasagam sama ada mahu meninggalkan parti itu ataupun terus kekal wakil rakyat Pakatan Rakyat.

"Beliau sudah cukup matang untuk membuat keputusan terbaik kerana beliau sendiri mewakili kira-kira 100,000 pengundi (kawasan Parlimen Kapar)," kata Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, Menteri Besar dan Pengerusi PKR Selangor di sini malam ini.

Ketika mengulas lanjut kenyataan Manikavasagam bahawa beliau akan membuat satu pendirian keras - dipercayai keluar PKR menjelang Rabu ini, Khalid berkata:

"Itu keputusan beliau tetapi tidak bererti Parti Keadilan menggalakkan beliau membuat keputusan itu."

"Tetapi apa pun keputusannya, ia perlu dibincangkan dalam Majlis Kepimpinan Tertinggi parti," kata Khalid yang juga Ahli Parlimen Bandar Tun Razak.

Mengenai masalah dalaman PKR, yang didakwa sebagai punca Manikasavagam membuat keputusan itu, Khalid menjelaskan, beliau tidak nampak kewajaran dakwaan tersebut.

"Manikasavagam mempunyai platform dalam mesyuarat negeri dan juga dalam parti untuk menyuarakan (isu-isu yang timbul)... sebagai Ahli Parlimen beliau dijemput untuk mengadakan perbincangan," katanya.

Ketika ditanya sama ada akan menemui Manikasavagam, Menteri Besar itu berkata, "terpulang kepada beliau berjumpa dengan Majlis Kepimpinan parti."

"Dalam Majlis Kepimpinan parti adalah sebuah biro politik yang diwujudkan untuk menyelesaikan hal-hal seperti ini," katanya.

Apabila ditanya bila ia akan dibawa untuk dibincangkan, Khalid memberitahu, "bila masa yang dirasakan sesuai untuk membincangkan perkara itu."

Khalid yang turut mengulas mengenai kecaman dan kritikan Speaker Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN), Teng Chang Khim terhadap ahli-ahli Parlimen PKR berkata:

"Tak ada... kalau pemimpin DAP pula nanti kata PKR mengkritik DAP, kemudian kamu masukkan pula PAS, kemudian kamu masukkan pula Umno, kemudian semualah.

"Sepanjang pengetahuan saya, perkara ini adalah normal, tiada yang tidak normal tentangnya. Dalam politik ia memerlukan perbincangan untuk membincangkan masalah... ia adalah satu proses."

Semalam, Manikasavagam dalam temu bual eksklusif dengan mStar Online memberitahu, beliau nekad untuk keluar daripada PKR dan dijadual akan mengumumkan pendiriannya secara rasmi sebelum Rabu ini.

Beliau mendakwa berasa kecewa dengan sikap pemimpin Pakatan Rakyat di Selangor yang didakwanya cuai menjaga kepentingan rakyat.

Menurut Manikavasagam, pemimpin Pakatan Rakyat di Selangor juga didakwa tidak sepakat dan rapuh dari segi hubungan sesama mereka, selain segelintir berlagak sombong serta enggan berbincang mencari penyelesaian terhadap isu yang diketengahkan.

Katanya, selain tidak mendapat sokongan daripada pemimpin PKR sendiri, wakil rakyat PKR juga dikecam dan dikritik oleh pemimpin parti komponen Pakatan Rayat khususnya DAP.

Dua bulan lalu, Manikavasagam pernah mengugut akan melepaskan jawatan Timbalan Pengerusi Badan Perhubungan Negeri jika kerajaan negeri tidak menyelesaikan isu kuil yang dirobohkan oleh Majlis Perbandaran Ampang Jaya.

Sebelum itu, beliau juga pernah mencetuskan kontroversi apabila mengkritik secara terbuka dan mendakwa Khalid sebagai tidak prihatin kerana tidak turun padang melawat mangsa ribut pada Oktober lalu. -- mStar

Hadi: Rakyat tidak stabil, PAS sukar laksana hudud - malaysiakini

Situasi ekonomi, pengangguran halang pelaksanaan hudud

SHAH ALAM: Presiden PAS, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang mengakui sukar untuk melaksanakan undang-undang hudud di negara ini kerana ia hanya boleh dilakukan jika rakyat negara ini berada dalam keadaan yang stabil.
Malah, beliau juga mengakui bahawa bukan mudah untuk melaksanakan hukum hudud memandangkan negara dan rakyat berhadapan dengan pelbagai masalah.
Kata Abdul Hadi, situasi ekonomi semasa dan pengangguran di kalangan rakyat negara ini menghalang hudud daripada dilaksanakan.
Ditanya sama ada PAS akan membawa usul mengenai pelaksanaan hukum Hudud di Parlimen untuk dibahaskan, beliau berkata, belum tiba masanya untuk berbuat demikian.
"Masalah pengangguran masih ada lagi dan untuk laksanakan hukum ini kedudukan rakyat Malaysia mesti stabil contohnya daripada segi pendidikan, kehidupan, dan hubungan keluarga juga kena dijaga," katanya.
Katanya, kebimbangan yang dilahirkan oleh segelintir rakyat negara ini sama seperti mentaliti kampung era 1950-an.
Mentaliti kampung tahun 1950-an menyaksikan orang ramai khuatir untuk ke hospital kerana mereka bimbang sebaik sahaja melangkah ke hospital, mereka akan dibedah.
Terdahulu beliau merasmikan kempen 'Jom Sertai Pas' di Dataran Shah Alam di sini hari ini.
Kata beliau, masyarakat bukan Islam tidak seharusnya berasa bimbang jika hukum hudud dilaksanakan di negara ini kerana pelaksanaannya hanya melibatkan kalangan yang beragama Islam.
Beliau berkata, golongan bukan Islam sebaliknya boleh memilih undang-undang yang mereka mahu seperti yang telah tertulis dalam Undangundang Kanun Jenayah Syariah Kelantan dan Terengganu.
"PAS tak perlu terangkan (tentang hukum Hudud) kerana undang-undang ini tiada kena mengena dengan orang bukan Islam.
"Pada kita, tidak timbul lagi soal hudud kerana ia telah diluluskan di DUN (Dewan Undangan Negeri) Kelantan sejak tahun 90-an lagi dan di Terengganu pula telah diwartakan," katanya.
Abdul Hadi berkata demikian ketika ditanya sama ada PAS akan memberi penerangan kepada pemimpin lain dalam Pakatan Rakyat iaitu DAP dan Parti Keadilan Rakyat yang masih kurang senang dengan hasratnya untuk melaksanakan hukum Hudud jika pakatan pembangkang berjaya memerintah negara pada masa akan datang. - mStar

DSAI eyes East Malaysia despite pact’s troubles - malaysiakini

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 25 — While his allies argue over hudud laws and fret over the wobbling economy in their five states, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has taken over as liaison chairman for both Sabah and Sarawak in Parti Keadilan Rakyat's (PKR) efforts widen its base and capture the Borneo states.
The opposition leader, who made a triumphant parliamentary comeback in August, is initially eyeing Sarawak in the next state elections due by 2011 as chief minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud faces increased opposition to his 27 years in power.
Sabah is a different proposition as the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition is dominant with 57 of the 60 seats in the state assembly.
But consumed with garnering more support from both states, Anwar has been conspicuously silent about the controversy over implementing Islamic criminal Hudud laws that flared up again this week between Pas and DAP, and Pakatan Rakyat state governments’ efforts to mitigate the fallout from a growing global recession.
“Some things are out of his hand. Anwar will quietly handle Pas and DAP behind the scenes but the economy will take some work,” a Pakatan Rakyat source told The Malaysian Insider, adding the electoral pact had made suggestions in the budget debate.
The PKR supreme council met late Monday night but party president Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who is Anwar’s wife, only announcement was that Anwar has taken over as liaison chairman for Sabah and Sarawak, citing the appointment as proof of the party's focus to struggle for the people from Perlis to Sarawak.
“The agenda to bring change in Sabah and Sarawak needs the support from all levels of society. Sarawak will have its state elections soon and Datuk Seri Anwar’s appointment as state liaison chairman for both states justify our concern for problems there and is significant in Pakatan Rakyat’s power transition to Putrajaya,” she said in a statement issued on Tuesday.
The Pakatan Rakyat electoral pact, which groups PKR, Pas and DAP, has 81 out of the 222 seats in the federal parliament. BN has 137 seats while the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), which pulled out of BN in September, has two seats and one to Independent Datuk Ibrahim Ali. The Kuala Terengganu seat is vacant with the by-election on Jan 17.
PKR’s focus for the Borneo states has been apparent when Anwar predicted he could form capture Putrajaya by Malaysia Day with help from 30 federal lawmakers after Pakatan Rakyat made a historic upset in the March 8 General Elections where BN lost its customary two-thirds parliamentary majority and four more states to the opposition.
Since then, only SAPP has pulled out of the 14-member BN coalition but has chosen to remain independent in Parliament although its president Datuk Yong Teck Lee is close to the sacked deputy prime minister, who has yet to fulfil his prediction to unseat BN from power.
Anwar, in a posting at his weblog today, called the changes routine and said the state leadership in the party are merely coordinators in an effort to dispel notions of consolidating power for himself as “experienced leaders will be act as advisors at the national level while the new leadership will get exposure apart from introducing new approaches to attract new members”.
“Personally, I am not inclined to coordinate activities in Sabah and Sarawak. In fact, even Wilayah Persekutuan asked me to help but I feel that Tan Sri Khalid as Selangor Menteri Besar, is better there,” Anwar said, adding the appointments will be reviewed regularly.
He also said his offer to help both PKR state liaison committees has been announced before and he hoped to get support from all quarters in both states.
Apart from Anwar heading both Sabah and Sarawak, and Khalid leading Selangor and Wilayah Persekutuan, the other state leaders are Datuk Fauzi Abdul Rahman (Pahang), Datuk Zahrain Mohamed Hashim (Penang), Datuk Kamarul Baharin Abbas (Negri Sembilan), Ahmad Kassim (Kedah), Abdul Aziz Abdul Kadir (Kelantan), Johari Shafie (Perlis), Khalid Jaafar (Malacca), Dr Zaliha Mustaffa (Johor), Osman Abdul Rahman (Perak) and Wan Rahim Wan Hamzah (Terengganu). -- TMI

Pressure on DSAI to clarify PR stand on hudud grows - malaysiakini

By Shannon Teoh

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 24 — More voices have joined the roiling debate over hudud, with Wanita MCA adding to the number of those calling for Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to clarify Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) stand on the matter.

Earlier today, DAP chairman Karpal Singh had also repeated his call for Anwar to “break his silence, as DAP has done so” with regards to the support for hudud by Pas, the third partner of the coalition.

Pas vice-president Datuk Husam Musa had said that the Islamist party has not forgotten its aim to implement hudud, which prescribes amputation, whipping and stoning for criminal offences, should it come into power.

When DAP criticised the statement, Pas spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat challenged DAP to make its case as to why hudud laws are not acceptable.

“Husam’s statement has resulted in anxiety among non-Muslims in the country. Pas firmly insisting on introducing hudud has ignored the fact that Malaysia is a multi-racial and multi-religious country and the spirit of Federal Constitution”, Wanita MCA chief Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun said today.

Given that Karpal and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng have already asked Anwar to clarify, Chew said that the de facto PKR leader must “respect the request of the two DAP leaders and respond to Husam's remark accordingly.”

“If Anwar decides to keep quiet, there are only two possibilities, one; Anwar agrees with the remark made by Husam to implement hudud or DAP has been marginalised in PR,” she said.
Karpal had this morning said that the backing of hudud was hurting Pas's credibility and it should be more careful about breaking ranks in the future.

He reminded reporters of the electoral alliance in 1999 where Pas had agreed not to include the formation of an Islamic state in the manifesto.

However, two days before the election, Pas announced it would establish an Islamic state if it took over the state government of Terengganu. Karpal insisted that this proclamation had cost many DAP leaders, including himself and Lim Kit Siang, to lose in the general elections.

With that in mind, he said that DAP had limited “political patience” but was satisfied for now that Husam has backtracked in stating that Pas must obtain a consensus from its PR partners.

“We will still campaign and give our full support to whichever candidate is selected for the Kuala Terengganu by-election,” he assured. -- TMI

Pas leader’s remarks seen as a ‘ploy for unity’ - malaysiakini

KUALA LUMPUR, DEC 24 — When a top Parti Islam SeMalaysia (Pas) official said he would push for the implementation of Islamic criminal laws if the opposition came to power, Umno politicians saw it as a tactical mistake that would bring them easy votes in a crucial by-election days away.

But Pas leaders have countered this, saying: Not so fast.

Some party leaders are now quietly saying that the remarks by vice-president Husam Musa were not a mistake, but a ploy that could unite a party split into pro- Anwar and anti-Anwar factions.

A more united Pas will then have a better chance of winning in the Malay-majority Kuala Terengganu constituency from Umno, they add.

The arguments follow Datuk Husam's comments, which reflected a bitter struggle between the two factions that arose after Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim led the opposition parties to their best-ever victory in March.

The by-election was called after the death of Umno MP Razali Ismail last month. Campaigning will start on Jan 6 and voting is on Jan 17.

“Pas has always wanted to implement Islamic laws. By saying this now, we affirm that we remain true to the struggle and bring our supporters together,” a Kelantan leader told The Straits Times yesterday.

Husam spoke about the Pas plans for hudud, or Islamic criminal laws, in a debate last Saturday in Kelantan. He gave a ‘guarantee’ that Pas would push for the laws to be implemented if the Pakatan Rakyat opposition coalition won in Malaysia.

While he did not say what he meant by hudud, it is understood to mean that the laws will include controversial provisions to chop off the hands of thieves and stone adulterers.

Husam said yesterday he did not understand what the fuss was all about, adding that there was nothing new in what he said.

What had changed was that “in terms of implementation, there won’t be unilateral action. It must be a multilateral decision by all (opposition) members”, he told the Associated Press.

Husam is seen as one of the leaders of the pro-Anwar faction in the 800,000-strong Islamic party. This faction wants Pas to become more multiracial in outlook by working closely with Pakatan, which consists of Pas, Anwar's multiracial Parti Keadilan Rakyat and the Chinese-based Democratic Action Party.

The pro-Anwar faction is called the Erdogans, a reference to Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Anwar, a friend of Mr Erdogan, had taken refuge in the Turkish Embassy when he was accused of sodomising an aide.

The faction’s opponents, however, accuse the Erdogans of wanting to implement a ‘diluted version’ of Islam. Called the Terengganu faction, the anti-Anwar faction is led by top Pas leaders from the state, including party president Abdul Hadi Awang and strategist Mustafa Ali.

The split has resulted in the Islamic party being unable to pick a candidate for the Kuala Terengganu by-election, as each faction wanted to field its own candidate. The party will make a decision only on Jan 1 — while ruling coalition Barisan Nasional last week already named the division chief of Umno Kuala Terengganu as its candidate.

Some sections of PAS see Husam’s comments, however, as an olive branch from the Erdogans for the by-election.

“The Terengganu leaders have said they do not want a candidate from outside the state. Can we work with their man? I hope so,” said a pro-Anwar Pas chief based in Kuala Lumpur. — The Straits Times

Opposition makes inroads but Umno is digging in - malaysiakini

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 24 — The ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition faces a crucial electoral test next month in Terengganu where the dominant United Malays National Organisation (Umno), will square off against the opposition Parti Islam SeMalaysia (Pas).

The by-election is a result of the death of Kuala Terengganu’s lawmaker, a deputy minister from Umno. In the March 8 General Election, he’d narrowly fended off his Pas opponent by a slim majority of over 600 votes. Thus, the outcome is crucial to the BN’s credibility and its claims to be undisputed master of Malaysia’s destiny.

The claim, almost taken for granted following the BN’s continued hegemony since independence in 1957, became doubtful after the March 8 general elections and the BN’s worst ever electoral outing in the nation’s history.

The ruling coalition lost five state governments to a unified opposition coalition as well as its two-thirds majority in Parliament.

The results have had calamitous consequences for Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who is also Umno president. Faced with incessant demands from critics - most notably former premier Mahathir Mohamad — that he take responsibility for the election results and step aside, Abdullah, 68, caved in to the pressure and announced that he would not seek re-election in Umno polls slated for early next year.

He will be succeeded by his deputy, Najib Razak, who will take over as Malaysia’s sixth premier in March.

No one, however, thinks that Najib, 55, will have an easy time of it, electorally speaking. The public disquiet that almost undid Abdullah has not gone away and, for the first time in years, the Opposition is headed by a charismatic leader in the form of former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Indeed, Anwar, 63, was crucial to the Opposition’s performance last March.

He wielded a disparate — and some would suggest, still unworkable — coalition of opposition parties with his National Justice Party (Parti Keadilan Rakyat, PKR) mediating between the religiously conservative Pas on one side and the left-leaning Democratic Action Party (DAP) on the other. But Anwar’s force of will prevailed and the coalition still survives.

Still, Najib is under no immediate threat. Anwar had promised to engineer enough defections from BN to form the next government but that possibility is now remote. Reason: so long as the unpopular Abdullah was prime minister, the possibility of defections was real but with a new prime minister waiting in the wings, the threat of mass crossovers has all but evaporated.

And Najib has some things going for him. One of the main grouses against Abdullah’s administration was the rising cost of living catalysed primarily by soaring oil prices. But that's come off now and could have taken some of the edge off public anger.
Even so, other problems remain.

Malaysian Indians, who form eight per cent of the country’s 27 million people, remain largely disgruntled with the government over accusations that the vast majority of the community is economically marginalised.

Indeed, political analysts agree that the discontent is manifest among the Indian masses, 85 per cent of whom are largely disenfranchised Tamils and who, paradoxically, form the core constituency of the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), a BN component party. The Indians do not form the majority in any parliamentary constituency but, as they showed in the last election, an emphatic swing either way could make a difference.

The Chinese, who form 26 per cent of the population, aren’t happy either. They weren’t happy by Umno demands in 2007 that affirmative action policies favouring ethnic Malays be reinforced.

More recently, the community was angered by a statement by Mukhriz Mahathir, the youngest son of Dr Mahathir and an aspirant for the post of Umno Youth head, that ‘perhaps’ vernacular schools should have been merged with the national schools to ensure one system.

Najib’s best bet is the possibility that he could get the Malays, who form 64 per cent of the population, to unite behind Umno. In the last election, they were split evenly between the various parties. Given Najib’s lineage — he is the son of Malaysia’s second, and highly respected, premier Razak Hussein, there are those who suggest he could pull it off.

Indeed, political scientists agree that ethnic Malays could swing behind Umno and BN precisely because of non-Malay anger against the government coupled with Anwar’s frequent statements that Malay dominance is a thing of the past.

Historically, anything that can threaten Malay political dominance of the country has been resisted by the Malays and it isn’t at all clear if Anwar’s exhortation resonate among the Malay masses.

The Kuala Terengganu by-election could be the first litmus test for Anwar’s multi-racial appeal.
Looking ahead, the main interest in Umno’s March elections revolves around the deputy presidency, a position that carries with it the post of deputy prime minister. Although it is a three cornered fight, the battle is likely to coalesce into a fight between International Trade Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and Melaka Chief Minister Ali Rustam.

Right now, some pundits are favouring Ali but it’s a long way till March. — Business Times Singapore

RTM Perjelas Kes Lirik Lagu Dr MAZA - malaysiakini

KUALA LUMPUR: Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) hanya meluluskan lagu berunsurkan nilai moral dan kesantunan bahasa di samping aspek teknikal yang dipersetujui oleh Jawatankuasa panel penilai.

"Lagu-lagu yang dihantar ke RTM sama ada individu atau syarikat rakaman adalah tertakluk kepada Jawatankuasa Panel Penilaian Lagu-Lagu RTM," kata RTM dalam satu kenyataan hari ini.

Kenyataan itu menjelaskan mengapa lagu puisi 'Aku Bukan Musuh Harta' karya bekas Mufti Perlis Dr Asri Zainul Abidin dianggap tidak sesuai untuk siaran. Berita pengharaman lagu Dr Asri heboh diperkatakan minggu lepas apabila RTM membuat keputusan mengharamkan penyiaran lagu Aku Bukan Musuh Harta.

Sebelum ini ketika mengulas tindakan yang diambil oleh RTM itu, Timbalan Ketua Pengarah Penyiaran, Datuk Adilah Shek Omar, berkata lagu nyanyian kumpulan Kopratasa itu tidak diluluskan kerana liriknya tidak sesuai.

"Kita tidak luluskan lagu ini kerana liriknya kasar," katanya.

"Aku Bukan Musuh Harta' adalah satu daripada lapan lagu puisi Dr Asri yang dimuatkan di dalam album Yang Benar Tetap Benar nyanyian Kopratasa, Aishah dan kumpulan baru Algebra.
Namun stesen radio dan televisyen swasta yang lain tidak mengharamkan lagu ini.

Antara lain lirik lagu yang tiba-tiba jadi kontroversi ini menyebut "Ya telah kaya para pendusta, syarat mereka lupakan Yang Esa, harta rakyat semua disebat, harta awam semua dibekam, hukum syaitan mereka bertuhan."

Selain daripada menulis lapan lirik lagu itu, Dr Asri turut menyampaikan dua puisi bertajuk Itulah Politik Namanya dan Salah Menduga dalam album Yang Benar Tetap Benar.

Lagu itu merupakan salah satu dari lapan buah lagu puisi Dr Asri yang dimuatkan dalam album 'Yang Benar Tetap Benar' nyanyian Kopratasa, Aishah dan Algebra.

Sementara itu,Dr Asri ketika dihubungi minggu lalu, berkata beliau melahirkan rasa kemusykilan kenapa liriknya digam.

"Saya hairan mengapa lirik saya 'Aku Bukan Musuh Harta' digam oleh pihak berkenaan, sedangkan nilai moral dalamnya tinggi, ia tidak ditujukan kepada pihak tertentu, tetapi untuk sesiapa sahaja yang menyalahgunakan harta rakyat dan awam," jelas beliau dari kediamannya di Lampeter, United Kingdom.

Dalam negara kita hari ini berbagai parti memiliki kerajaan, lagu tersebut mempunyai pengajaran untuk semua.

Jangan anda menghalang sesuatu ungkapan umum atau pengajaran am yang akhirnya orang lain akan menuduh bahawa andalah orang khusus dari yang umum atau am itu," kata Dr Asri yang kini berada di UK untuk tempoh setahun bagi cuti sabatikalnya.
Katanya lagi,"Saya menulis lirik itu untuk mengingatkan sesiapa sahaja yang berurusan dengan harta awam dan rakyat. Apa ertinya perjuangan kerajaan menghapuskan rasuah jika lirik seperti itu pun diharamkan.
"Isinya umum dan untuk kesedaran semua pihak, mengapa ada yang rasa bersalah?
"Semua pihak tahu bahawa saya bukan orang politik, maka ketika saya menulis lirik saya bebas dari kepentingan kerusi atau kepartian. Mereka silap jika bertindak demikian," kata tokoh agama yang terkenal kerana kelantangannya melontarkan idea tentang apa saja berhubung isu agama, politik, sosial mahupun hiburan. Difahamkan sebelum lagu ini diharamkan, terdapat ura-ura untuk menjadikan lagu ini sebagai kempen untuk membenteras rasuah.
Tinjauan yang dibuat di Nasyeed.com, pengedar album ini juga menunjukkan penjualan album 'Yang Benar Tetap Benar' sungguh memberangsangkan kerana ramai yang ingin tahu kenapa lagu 'Aku Bukan Musuh Harta' diharamkan. -- mStar

Lirik Lagu DISINI

BN Govt blocks Perak plan to award land titles - malaysiakini

By Adib Zalkapli

PUTRAJAYA, Dec 23 — The federal government has put a damper on Perak's Pakatan Rakyat government's plan to award freehold titles to villagers in the state, by saying the move violates the National Land Code.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today that state governments could only issue freehold titles for land intended for federal and public use.

"However the Perak state government has voiced its intention to award freehold titles for planned and new villages in the state.

"As we are all aware, the National Land Council was formed according to the Federal Constitution for the purpose of coordinating the national land policy for uniformity. Therefore, the council decided that a special meeting be convened in the near future to discuss the matter," said Najib after chairing the National Land Council meeting here.

He added that the move by the Perak government is unconstitutional and has to be agreed to by the council.

"As far as the policy and the constitution are concerned, it cannot be done unilaterally. It has to go through the National Land Council, and the decision must be adopted by the council," said Najib.

When asked the Perak government's reasons for presenting the proposal, Najib said: "They have their reasons but whatever it is, it cannot go against the national land policy."

Early this month, Perak state executive councillor Ngeh Koo Ham reportedly said 149,000 people living in 349 planned and 134 new villages in the state could now apply for their freehold titles, adding that the titles would be issued within two weeks.

Ngeh also claimed that the move did not violate the National Land Code, saying that the state government had consulted a former Court of Appeal judge and a panel of experienced lawyers.

Soon after it won Perak in the March general election, the PR government had announced the plan to award land titles to new villagers, in what was a popular move seen as an attempt to reward voters there.

The federal government's move to block the plans will certainly result in more friction between PR state governments and Putrajaya. -- TMI

BN Pun Guna Kanak-Kanak, KPN! - malaysiakini

Selanjutnya di Penarik Beca

Pak Lah Fails To Get Cabinet Members To Declare Assets - malaysiakini

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 22 - He may have been successful in pushing through several important pieces of legislation but Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has been an abject failure in persuading his ministers, deputy ministers and their family members to declare their assets.

A few days after the March 8 general elections, the prime minister, reeling from the serious setback suffered by the Barisan Nasional and aware that he needed to snatch the news cycle from Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the resurgent Pakatan Rakyat, announced that all members of the Cabinet, deputy ministers must fill up asset declaration forms by the Anti-Corruption Agency.

Following this, the ACA announced that the information on asset declaration would be made available online so that members of public can scrutinize the information.

But sources have told the Malaysian Insider that the plan has faced stiff resistance from several ministers, who did not want the veil to be lifted on assets owned by family members.

A government official said: "There were strong objections from ministers who felt that it would be an invasion of privacy for the public to know what the financial worth of their spouses, brothers and sisters.

"Several of them were prepared to step down from the Cabinet rather than submit to this asset declaration."

Faced with this wall of resistance, Abdullah backed off. As a result, this plan to make the government more transparent appears headed for nowhere.

To be sure, even the Pakatan Rakyat-run states have not been able to make good its promises of listing down assets owned by its elected representatives. -- TMI

Dua ahli Umno Pokok Sena digantung keahlian - malaysiakini

Oleh ZANARIAH ABD MUTALIB

KUALA LUMPUR: Ketua Umno Bahagian Pokok Sena, Datuk Ahmad Lebai Sudin adalah antara dua ahli Umno bahagian itu yang digantung keahlian selama dua tahun berkuatkuasa 7 Disember lalu.

Ahmad didapati bersalah melakukan sabotaj dalam pilihan raya umum ke-12 yang lalu iaitu kesalahan di bawah di bawah Fasal 20.8 (B) dan (C) Perlembagaan Umno yang dibaca bersama dengan Perkara 3.1.2.

Perkara itu diumumkan Pengerusi Lembaga Disiplin Umno, Tan Sri Tengku Ahmad Rithauddeen Tengku Ismail dalam sidang medianya di ibu pejabat Umno, Menara Dato' Onn di sini, hari ini.

Sementara itu, seorang ahli Wanitanya turut digantung keahlian selama tiga tahun atas kesalahan membuat aduan palsu, kesalahan Perkara 5.4 dibaca bersama Perkara 10.2 Tataetika Ahli Umno.

Tengku Ahmad Rithauddeen, seramai tiga ahli Umno didapati bersalah melanggar tataetika parti dan telah diberi amaran dalam perbicaraan yang berlangsung pada 17 Disember lalu itu.

"Mereka adalah bekas Ketua Bahagian Hulu Langat, Datuk Ahamad Kuris Mohd Nor kerana mengadakan blog untuk tujuan berkempen bagi jawatan Ketua Bahagian,manakala dua lagi adalah ahli jawatankuasa Umno bahagian Batu, Abdul Kadir Abdul Karim dan Remlah Abd Rahman kerana menjadi ejen bagi mengadakan majlis makan untuk calon yang bertanding dalam mesyuarat cawangan," katanya.

Sementara itu katanya, 13 lagi ahli didapati tidak bersalah dalam perbicaraan itu. Mereka adalah Amir Hassan, Ammar Hassan dan Zoinuddin Yom dari bahagian Arau; Shahanim Mohd Yusoff dan Shaharumi Mohd Yusoff dari bahagian Sungai Petani; Hanapi Daing Dalisang dan Mohd Zahrin Hashim dari bahagian Rasah; dan Abd Lateh Mohd Saman, Mohmad Khir Budin, Abdul Rahman Md Zain, Hashim Md Lazim, Ahmad Lateh dan Zainol Ramli dari bahagian Padang Terap.

Tengku Ahmad Rithauddeen berkata, sebanyak 224 daripada 865 aduan telah disiasat oleh panel penyiasatan Lembaga Disiplin Umno sejak awal tahun lalu.

"Sementara itu, sebanyak 93 aduan masih belum dimulakan siasatan, 82 memerlukan dokumen tambahan iaitu Borang A dan 133 tiada tindakan lanjut.

"Selain itu, sebanyak 177 aduan aduan adalah bukan di bawah Lembaga Disiplin dan sebanyak 151 aduan lagi belum diputuskan sama ada untuk disiasat atau sebaliknya," katanya. -- mStar

80,229 layak undi pilihan raya kecil Kuala Terengganu - malaysiakini

Ahad Disember 21, 2008

PUTRAJAYA: Daftar Pemilih Pilihan Raya yang diwartakan pada 5 Disember lalu akan digunakan untuk pilihan raya kecil Kuala Terengganu bulan depan.

Setiausaha Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR), Datuk Ngah Senik berkata, daftar pemilih tersebut mengandungi 80,229 pemilih, terdiri daripada 79,194 pemilih biasa dan 1,035 pemilih pos.

Menurut beliau, semua pemilih boleh menyemak maklumat pengundian mereka termasuk nama pusat mengundi, nombor tempat mengundi (saluran) dan nombor siri pemilih menerusi laman web rasmi SPR iaitu http://www.spr.gov.my/.

"SPR juga ada menyediakan khidmat Sistem Pesanan Ringkas (SMs) dengan kerjasama Unit Pemodenan Tadbiran dan Perancangan Pengurusan Malaysia (MAMPU).

"Perkhidmatan ini mula beroperasi hari ini sehingga 17 Januari depan dan setiap sms dikenakan caj sebanyak 35 sen," katanya dalam satu kenyataan hari ini.

Ngah berkata, pemilih perlu menaip SPR NO KAD PENGENALAN dan menghantar sms itu ke nombor 15888 untuk mendapat maklumat yang mereka inginkan.

"Selain itu, mereka juga boleh membuat penyemakan di bilik gerakan Pejabat Pilihan Raya Negeri dengan menghubungi talian 09 6221218 atau 09 6236161 mulai pukul 8 pagi sehingga 12 malam setiap hari bermula hari ini hingga 17 Januari depan," katanya. BERNAMA

Malaysian man shot in southern Thailand

RANTAU PANJANG, Dec 21 – A Malaysian man was seriously injured after he was shot several times in an incident in Kampung Mundok, Sungai Golok, in southern Thailand today, Kelantan police chief Datuk Abdul Rahim Hanafi said.
He said Mohd Darus Mohd Daud, 37, was at a karaoke centre in Sungai Golok when three men, one of them known to him, approached him at about 4am and took him away in a Toyota Hilux vehicle.
The men assaulted him in the vehicle and dragged him out when the vehicle stopped by a river bank and a scuffle broke out.
"During the scuffle, the victim fell into the river and was shot at," he told reporters.
He said Mohd Darus, who was shot in the abdomen, buttocks, left wrist and right leg, managed to swim away and was found by villagers in Kampung Jeram Perdah, Pasir Mas, who informed the General Operations Force.
Mohd Darus was taken to the Pasir Mas Hospital and then transferred to the Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital in Kota Baru, where he is reported to be in a stable condition.
Abdul Rahim said the state police were investigating the motive of the shooting and would also inform their Thai counterparts of the incident. – Bernama

Jerit: Jeyakumar mahu perjelas Sultan Selangor - malaysiakini

Oleh ARIFFUDDIN ISHAK

Saya rasa jika Tuanku tahu apa yang benar-benar berlaku, Tuanku akan sokong ... Dr. D. Jeyakumar (gambar)

PETALING JAYA: Ahli Parlimen Sungai Siput, Dr. D. Jeyakumar akan menulis surat kepada Sultan Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah bagi menjelaskan perkara sebenar mengenai kempen Berbasikal Untuk Perubahan anjuran Jaringan Rakyat Tertindas (Jerit) termasuk membabitkan negeri itu baru-baru ini.

Sehubungan itu, kata Jeyakumar, beliau percaya ada pihak-pihak tertentu yang sengaja menyampaikan maklumat tidak tepat kepada baginda sehingga menganggap Jerit telah mengeksploitasi kanak-kanak untuk tujuan-tujuan tertentu termasuk kepentingan politik.

"Saya tak tahu apa yang diberitahu kepada Tuanku (Sultan Selangor) mengenai situasi ini, jadi saya akan tulis surat kepada Tuanku dan buat penjelasan.

"Saya rasa jika Tuanku tahu apa yang benar-benar berlaku, Tuanku akan sokong," kata ahli Jawatankuasa Kuasa Pusat Parti Sosialis Malaysia ini kepada mStar Online.

Beliau berkata demikian bagi mengulas kenyataan Ketua Polis Selangor, Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar bahawa Sultan Selanngor kesal kerana ada pihak tidak bertanggungjawab memperalatkan kanak-kanak dalam kempen mereka.

Kata Jeyakumar, program berbasikal dari utara ke Kuala Lumpur tersebut, yang berakhir Khamis lalu, sebenarnya telah memberikan para peserta pengalaman serta pendedahan baru mengenai kehidupan masyarakat di tempat yang dilawati.

"Anak saya yang berusia 15 tahun juga terbabit dalam kempen ini kerana mereka dapat rasai banyak pengalaman baru tentang dunia luar.

"Mereka juga singgah bermalam di estet serta perkampungan Orang Asli... ini pendedahan yang cukup baik," katanya.

Bagaimanapun beliau kesal dengan tindakan pihak tertentu terutamanya polis yang dilihat begitu tidak menyenangi program Jerit itu.

Ditanya mengenai perkembangan terkini bahawa polis sedang menyiapkan kertas siasatan bagi mendakwa Jeyakumar yang turut ditahan di Rawang minggu lalu kerana menyalahgunakan kanak-kanak dalam kempen berkenaan, anggota Dewan Rakyat itu berkata, beliau sentiasa bersedia untuk menghadapi sebarang kemungkinan.

"Mereka nak dakwa... bagi mereka dakwa, kita boleh jumpa di mahkamah.

"Saya ada cukup peguam kerana saya yakin tidak melakukan apa-apa kesalahan dalam perkara ini," katanya.

Namun kata beliau, usaha pihak polis itu hanya akan merugikan masyarakat kerana mereka sepatutnya menumpukan perhatian kepada menjaga ketenteraman awam.

Pada 15 Disember lalu, polis turut menahan Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) Rawang, Gan Pei Nie kerana dipercayai terbabit dengan penganjuran kempen kayuhan basikal tersebut. -- mStar

PM resists cabinet reshuffle with months to go - malaysiakini

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 21 - Despite being badgered by some of his staunch supporters, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has ruled out reshuffling the Cabinet before he steps down in March.
Several Umno officials told The Malaysian Insider that some pressure has been exerted on Abdullah by his loyalists in the party to drop or demote some of his trenchant critics in the Cabinet or discard several ministers who have not performed well.

Others have bent his ears with suggestions to drop a couple of ministers who have not been amenable to dishing out contracts and projects as freely as before to Umno politicians.At the same time, politicians who have been "loyal'' to him have lobbied to be promoted to the Cabinet. It is understood that under the original transition plan where Abdullah was going to step down in 2010, he planned to overhaul his Cabinet line-up after the Umno elections.

When it became clear after the Permatang Pauh by-election defeat that he could not stay on for two years, he still mulled over the possibility of reshuffling the Cabinet.

His supporters are believed to have encouraged him to demote Minister of International Trade and Industry Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to a more junior position in the Cabinet, as a final act of displeasure for the latter's very public campaign to force Abdullah's resignation.

They also urged him to reward Umno politicians who stood by him through the years, and were steadfast in support after March 8 when the calls for his resignation reached fever pitch.

Privately, the PM seemed in favour of "freshening up'' the Cabinet anddropping some ministers who in his view had not done well, a couple of politicians who attended dinner with him over the last couple of months said.

But in recent weeks, he has indicated to supporters that as the incoming prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak should have full say on any changes to the line-up of ministers.

He also indicated to several government officials that it would be considered petty if he carried out a Cabinet reshuffle just to "punish'' ministers who were not on the same page with him.

This is not to say that he has forgotten Muhyiddin's role in campaigning against him or the role of several ministers in whipping up the groundswell of opinion in the party against him, or aligning himself with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Sources told The Malaysian Insider that Abdullah's relationship with Muhyiddin remains cool, despite efforts by the Johor politician to reach out to the PM and patch up a relationship that was once very close.

Still, the frosty ties between the party president and Muhyiddin is unlikely to alter the fact that the latter is the runaway favourite to win the deputy president's position at the party elections in March. -- TMI

1,500 in Sarawak to lose jobs with closing of Western Digital plant - malaysiakini

KUCHING, — The decision by Western Digital, the world's second-largest hard-disk drive manufacturer, to close its Sarawak plant in the Samajaya Jaya Free Industrial Zone (SJFIZ) here due to the global economic meltdown will affect 1,500 workers, state Assistant Minister for Industrial Development Datuk Daud Abdul Rahman said today.

He said officials from the company, formerly known as Komag USA (M) Sdn Bhd, had confirmed that the United States-based investor, was not only retrenching all its workers but also closing down its operation here as it was no longer economically viable.

"It is sad that the state government was not informed of the abrupt decision in advance (until my ministry decided to call Western Digital officials for a meeting today) because we are sympathetic to the plight of the workers, who were only being given a last-minute notice through a video conferencing with the chief executive officer last week," he told a media conference here.

Earlier he met with Western Digital Media (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd senior director Keong Chan and its human resources director Saiful Bahri Sopar at his office in Petra Jaya here.

He said the affected workers, all locals, including 500 engineers and technicians accounted for 10 per cent of the 15,000 workers in the electronics industry at SJFIZ.

Following the discussion, the state government had requested that the company downsize its operation in stages until March besides providing alternative employment opportunities for those willing to move to its plants in Johor, Kuala Lumpur or Penang, Daud said.

He said Western Digital's “fast” decision to close down its Sarawak plant, which produced 30 million units of hard-disk drives per quarter, was due to the 50 per cent drop in global demand, making it the company's first operation in the country to be affected by the current economic situation.

"We are very disappointed because the state government has spent billions of ringgit, in terms of providing infrastructure and cheap land as well as facilities, including water supply to the company because we thought that they will stay here permanently," he said.

"Of course that is their decision economically. As a listed company on the New York Stock Exchange, they want to see their company make dollars and cents but at same time they must consider the contribution of their workers from each country which contributed to the rise in their stock market shares or profits," he said, adding that laying off workers should not be the first option.

He hoped that it would not have a domino effect and requested other companies to refer to the state government first of their plans to close down their plants to enable the welfare of the workers to be looked after, including re-training them.

"The government, through his ministry, wants to assist the affected workers and I will talk to company CEOs in the coming weeks to see if they can be absorbed into alternative jobs, such as the hospitality industry," he said.

However, he said, Western Digital had given an assurance that all its workers who had lost their jobs would be given retrenchment benefits or be given the option to work in its plants in the peninsular.

He said the company planned to sell its plant here, which first started operation 13 years, while another one in Thailand was expected to be closed soon.

According to a news report, Western Digital Corp planned to cut 2,500 jobs or five per cent of the workforce and halt most of its production after orders slowed.

Sales in the current quarter were also projected to be US$1.8 billion (RM6.3 billion), less than the US$2.03 billion or more predicted on Oct 23. — Bernama

Anwar sniffing victory in Taib’s backyard - malaysiakini

by Nur Jazlan Mohamad

COMMENTARY

DEC 20 — The winds of change are blowing in Sarawak. They are fanning the fire of Dayak nationalism and fuelling increasing Chinese dissatisfaction for the Barisan Nasional government over the state's lethargic economic situation.
Even among the ruling Malay Melanau community, there is growing unhappiness over the reluctance of its leader Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud to step down as chief minister after 27 years.
For the Dayaks, the animosity towards the old stalwart is even stronger. As a young Kayan waitress I met in a Kuala Lumpur restaurant recently remarked to me: "I don't like Taib Mahmud."
She added: "I have to leave my family in Kuching to find work in Kuala Lumpur because there are no jobs available there."
Therefore, it’s not surprising that Parti Keadilan Rakyat adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has set his party's sights on capturing Sarawak at the next state elections due in 2011.
The once impossible ambition of the state's warring opposition parties to defeat the Barisan Nasional may actually come true with Anwar and PKR.
They are hoping to ride the coat tails of Pakatan Rakyat's success in the March 2008 general election and finally remove Taib and consequently Barisan Nasional from power.
PKR is expected to continue attacking the record of Taib’s rule especially his family's dominant business interests in the state. It is also expected to manipulate the negative sentiments of the larger Dayak community to remove Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), which is seen to be the vehicle of the smaller sized Malay Melanau community, from power.
The election is expected be decided on the issues of the day — considering the similar multi-cultural, multi-religious and multi-ethnic composition of both competing main parties, the ruling PBB and the opposition PKR.
Among the issues expected to be aired in the election are denial of land titles to the Dayaks who occupy hundreds of thousands of acres of tribal land settlements in rural Sarawak. The Dayaks have claimed ownership of the land for decades but were denied by the State Constitution after the formation of Malaysia in 1965.
Anwar's PKR is promising to award them the land titles if it wins the upcoming elections.
PKR's junior partner in Pakatan Rakyat, the DAP, is expected to whip up racial sentiments and focus the hatred of the city-dwelling Chinese against Taib over the issue of extending their property leases which are due soon.
The Sarawak Chinese have for a long time worried about the possibility of their livelihood being threatened if their leases are not extended. However, such an event is highly unlikely in Sarawak where the Chinese have benefited from the trust given to them by the Sarawak political leadership to develop the economy of Sarawak.
The DAP is promising them freehold land titles as a reward for putting them in power. It would be interesting to see how the newly formed Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission would perceive these political inducements.
Sarawak is also fertile ground for Pakatan Rakyat to test its much hyped Bangsa Malaysia values.
Sarawak is truly multi-ethnic in nature. The politically dominant Malay Melanaus comprise 20 per cent, the commercially powerful Chinese comprise 30 per cent and the rest is made up of 26 non-Muslim indigenous communities collectively referred to as Dayaks.
The ethnic barriers are broken down further by the high percentage of mixed marriages registered estimated at 30 per cent of all mixed marriages in Malaysia annually.
And there are signs that PKR is fast gaining ground. At a recent party fund-raising dinner in Miri, about 3,000 people, mostly from the Dayak community, attended and raised an estimated RM300,000 for the state PKR war chest to fight in the state elections.
The Sarawak state assembly currently has a total of 71 seats. Taib's PBB holds 35 seats, the Sarawak United Progressive Party (SUPP) 11 seats, the Sarawak Progressive Development Party (SPDP) eight and Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) eight, for a total of 62 seats.
According to reliable sources, the BN could lose up to 30 seats in the next state elections, which would mean that Pakatan Rakyat just needs to capture six extra seats to win power, if the elections were held today.
Anwar is hoping that by capturing the state government, it would force Sarawak BN Members of Parliament to jump ship to Pakatan Rakyat and help him capture power at the federal level.
He would then avoid facing a rejuvenated Umno under the heir apparent prime minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, at the next general election.
BN must work hard to stop Anwar and PKR from winning too many seats in the Sarawak state elections to prevent the erosion of grassroots support which will eventually lead to major losses in parliamentary seats in BN's once impenetrable backyard.
A week is a long time in politics, many people say. But time is not on the side of ailing long-time strongman Taib.
He is exactly in the same position where Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamd was in 2003. He needs to engineer a more sincere and smooth transition of power to a politically acceptable successor. That is his biggest problem.
The next Sarawak state elections will hinge on his statesmanship. Failure to do so may launch Pakatan Rakyat into power in Putrajaya. -- TMI

DSAI: No plans to replace Fairus as Penang DCM - Malaysiakini

PENANG, – Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) has no plans to replace Mohamad Fairus Khairuddin as the state Deputy Chief Minister of Penang, said party de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

He said PKR had no plans to appoint anybody else in the Pakatan-led Government as alleged by some blog reports.

Anwar was responding to alleged blog reports that claimed a delegation comprising several former staff of Fairus' office had met and urged Anwar to sack Fairus and replace him with someone more competent.

“Anyone can voice their views and opinions but as far as I am concerned, there is not going to be any change in the Pakatan-led government,” he told reporters after attending a local futsal tournament in Seberang Jaya, here today.

It is learnt that the state PKR would hold a meeting tonight and the Fairus issue is expected to be among topics discussed.

The blog reports, believed to be tacitly supported by several state PKR leaders, had allegedly attacked Fairus continuously with various allegations of non-performance since he assumed office after the political tsunami on March 8 saw the opposition wrest control of Penang from BN.

Meanwhile, on the cabinet's decision to postpone the sale of the National Heart Institute (IJN) to Sime Darby, Anwar said it was a “heartless political gimmick” by the Barisan Nasional ahead of the Kuala Terengganu by-election next month.

He said the Umno-led Federal government would go ahead with the privatisation plan after the crucial by-election in the east-coast state on Jan 17.

“The postponement is a mere political ploy to avert a voter backlash in Kuala Terengganu,” he said. – Bernama

Kit Siang wants Tee Keat to keep his word on PKFZ - malaysiakini

By Adib Zalkapli

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 19 — DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang said today Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat must keep his promise to tell all about the RM4.6 billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ), and not just provide a chronology of events.
"Now, Ong is backpedalling from his promise, as he said yesterday that he would announce the chronology of events in the PKFZ issue but not its financial aspects," said the Ipoh Timor MP in a statement.
Yesterday Ong reportedly said the audit firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers had yet to conclude its report on the alleged scandal.
"This is a most extraordinary turn of events as more than a month ago, Ong had said publicly that the PricewaterhouseCoopers report into the PKFZ scandal was ready to be made public 'soon'," said Lim.
He added that instead of providing the chronology of events in the PKFZ scandal, Ong should just answer the questions he posed eight months ago.
Opened in 2006, PKFZ is an integrated free commercial and industrial zone in Port Klang, but it has turned into a white elephant with few tenants. It is also facing huge losses amid allegations of impropriety. Former Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy was believed to have been dropped as minister and did not contest the general election in the fallout from the scandal.
Lim alleged that the Port Klang Authority had bought the 1,000 acres for the PKFZ at RM25 per square foot when the Treasury recommended that the land be acquired for RM10.
He said the Cabinet had set a condition that for every RM100 million variation in the development cost, Cabinet approval is required.
"The first condition was breached when the PKFZ project ballooned from RM1.1 billion to RM4.6 billion requiring government intervention and bailout while the second condition was breached with the original PKFZ development cost of RM400 million ballooning to RM2.8 billion without any prior Cabinet approval ever being sought for every RM100 million increase in development cost," said Lim.
He alleged that the Transport Minister had unlawfully issued letters of support to PKFZ contractor Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd to raise RM4 billion bonds as such letters can only be issued by the Finance Minister with Cabinet approval.
"The first letter of support was issued by the former Transport Minister Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik on May 28, 2003, which was Liong Sik's last day as Transport Minister while the other three were issued by Liong Sik's successor Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy," said Lim.
He added that action should be taken against Ling, Chan and government officials responsible for issuing the letters of support. -- TMI

Government allowance for IGP who beat up DSAI - malaysiakini

By Shannon Teoh

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 18 — Former police chief Tan Sri Rahim Noor is getting paid an allowance based on his last drawn salary despite his pension being forfeited after he was convicted of assaulting Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in 1998, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz revealed in Parliament today.

Nazri, who is Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, said Rahim began receiving the alimentary allowance after appealing to the Yang DiPertuan Agong.

“The allowance is the prerogative of the Crown and is based on the IGP’s last drawn salary,” Nazri told reporters after debating the Pensions (Amendment) Bill 2008.

His shocking revelation came after Pakatan Rakyat lawmakers objected to Datuk Ismail Abdul Muttalib’s (BN-Maran) claim that Anwar is drawing a pension for his service to the country.

Anwar was assaulted on Sept 20 1998 after he was detained under the Internal Security Act. He was earlier sacked as deputy prime minister on charges of corruption and sodomy.

Anwar, who made his parliamentary comeback in August after a thumping victory in the Permatang Pauh by-election, angrily refuted Ismail’s statement by saying that he had not been paid a sen “while in jail”. Anwar was jailed in 1999 but the Federal Court freed him in 2004 from his sodomy conviction.

M. Kula Segaran (DAP-Ipoh Barat) then stood up and declared that “man who beat the former Deputy Prime Minister was paid a pension but the victim did not receive a sen”.

But Nazri then clarified that Rahim was technically not receiving a pension but an allowance.
He added that it was wrong to assume Anwar had not been paid a pension at all but that it only stopped upon his corruption conviction.

Under the law, civil servants, elected representatives and Cabinet ministers receive a pension but this will be withdrawn should the individual be jailed a year or fined RM2,000 or more.

According to Nazri, the Pensions Act provides for an alimentary allowance but at the discretion of the Agong.

Nazri further explained that Anwar’s pension would now be calculated based on total years of service as an MP even from before his conviction.

-- The pension will also be based on his highest drawn salary, i.e., as deputy prime minister. -- TMI

Tighter Control of the Media When Najib Becomes PM? Very Likely - malaysiakini

DEC 17 - One of the most noticeable changes when Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak becomes Prime Minister in March could be tighter control from Putrajaya on the media and on the decision-making process.
And if this happens, the loudest cheers for Najib will be from his Cabinet colleagues, senior Umno politicians and civil servants.
One constant during weekly Cabinet meetings since the March 8 general elections has been griping about the choice of articles and tone of coverage in several mainstream newspapers. Ironically, the sharpest criticisms have been reserved for papers owned by Barisan Nasional political parties.
The dominant view among Ministers and senior Umno politicians is that while Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should be lauded for giving the media some space, they believe that the perimeters were not marked out clearly enough.
As a result, newspapers seem to be critical of any policies announced by the government; and more interested in focusing on crime and negative news, these critics allege.
Part of this griping is prompted by frustration of having to share space with a resurgent Opposition and part with their inability to set the agenda for news outlets even in their own stable. A government official, familiar with discussions on the media, told The Malaysian Insider: "This is a very critical time for the country. The global economy is in a really bad state and there will pain for Malaysians. The government needs everyone to be on the same team and push for the same cause.
"Instead we are seeing some newspapers being more interested in adopting a populist approach.''
A Cabinet Minister confirmed with the Malaysian Insider that there has been some discussion about a few newspapers, adding that there seems to be a trend to criticize government initiatives even without understanding it and explaining it to the public.
"Pak Lah may have meant well but we would like a less messy media scene. Some issues should be out of bounds and the media must respect the boundaries, '' he said, noting that combustible issues such as race relations and Malay rights must be tackled with caution and preferably not discussed openly.
If his views sound familiar, it is because they echo those of former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
While he and many others in Cabinet do not envisage a complete return to the days of Mahathirism, they believe there is merit in ruling Malaysia with a firmer and stronger hand. And with a cache of fear.
The Minister pointed out that though editors of mainstream newspapers did not receive daily calls from Dr Mahathir, they understood clearly the parameters and were afraid to test the limits.
It was the same with decision-making. Only after a policy had been thrashed out by the Cabinet, would an announcement be made, usually by Dr Mahathir himself or the Minister concerned.
As part of the move to empower politicians and civil servants, Abdullah employed a more laissez faire approach to policy-making and dissemination of information.
The result: some confusion and flip-flops.
The most recent case which got under the skin of some Ministers was the rule about seat belts. Road Safety Department director-general Datuk Suret Singh announced that from January 2009, rear seat passengers will have to belt up.
Subsequently, there were questions whether the fourth passenger in the rear seat would only have to comply with the rule.
The authorities clarified that the fourth passenger would not have to wear a seat belt but the driver of the car could be summoned for overloading.
This statement unleashed a gush of criticism and resulted in Suret having to clarify that authorities would not enforce the overloading rule.
Episodes such as this create the impression that government policies are being cobbled together on the run and without much deliberation.
Though there were similar criticisms raised during the Mahathir years, the consensus is that with one man having a strong say and imprint on policies and tighter control on the dissemination of information , there could be fewer embarrassing about turns on policy. -- TMI

Protesters on bicycles defy police - malaysiakini

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 16 — Police have detained more than two dozen teenagers taking part in a protest over low wages that involves a mass bicycle trek across Malaysia to deliver a petition to the prime minister, a labour rights group said today.

The riders are mainly ethnic Indian farmers, factory workers and their children. The minority Indian community, among Malaysia's poorest, has been hit hard by rising inflation that recently reached its highest level in nearly 30 years.

Two groups began pedalling on Dec 3, one setting out from the north and the other from the south, said Y. Kohila, a coordinator for protest organiser, the Oppressed People's Movement (Jerit). They will each cover about 400km before they meet in Parliament on Thursday to hand a petition to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and other lawmakers.

Twenty-eight teenage riders were detained yesterday at a police roadblock in Selangor, said Kohila. They remained in police custody today because authorities were only willing to release them to their parents, most of whom are in northern Malaysia.

"Police made this move to save these children from exploitation by irresponsible parties," Selangor Police Chief Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar told the national news agency, Bernama.

Kohila denied the teenagers were coerced into the campaign, which she said is meant to "make the government take action to alleviate the problems of plantation and factory workers."

Over the past two weeks, police have arrested the riders at separate locations for conducting a public protest without permission, but later freed them without charges. The riders have continued their journey after being released.

The group's wide-ranging demands include a minimum wage law, tighter government control of consumer prices, better public housing and a halt to privatisation of public services including water, health care and education. — AP

In Enemy Ground, KJ Tries Rebranding - malaysiakini

DEC 16 — When Khairy Jamaluddin goes into enemy territory on Saturday to match wits with Pas' rising star Husam Musa, he will be looking to score more than just a few political points.

A rank outsider in the battle to win the top position in Umno Youth in March, he will be trying to use this platform to raise his profile and send a message to Umno Youth members that in him, they have a politician who will not be afraid to confront the enemy face to face in an unfriendly setting and debate on a range of issues.

The forum “Transformation of Politics in Malaysia” is organised by Kelantan Pas and will involve discussions on the transition of power and issues related to the Federal Constitution. Besides Husam and Khairy, Professor Dr Abdul Aziz Bari and Associate Professor Dr Mohammad Agus Yusoff have also been invited for the session in Kota Baru.

Khairy has been going against the tide in his bid to become the Umno Youth chief since he announced his candidacy several months ago. The son-in-law of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, he has been hit by the perception that he will not be able to deliver the goods to party members and will not have influence once the transition of power takes place.

The current No. 2 in the Youth wing managed to snare 52 nominations, coming in third behind Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir (75) and Datuk Mohd Khir Toyo (62).

Anecdotal evidence suggests that Khir has emerged as the frontrunner in the last few weeks with his door-to-door campaigning and reach. Mukhriz has also earned the plaudits of his party men for suggesting that Tamil and Chinese schools be integrated under the umbrella of the national school system for the sake of national unity. This controversial proposal has created outrage among non-Malay politicians, with MIC and MCA urging that disciplinary action be taken against the son of Malaysia's fourth prime minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

But within Umno Youth, Mukhriz is a hero of sorts. The reason: he dared to make public what many Umno politicians have been talking about behind closed doors. His refusal to back down also went down well with Umno politicians who feel that the non-Malays have been become too vocal and demanding since March 8.

Saturday will be Khairy's turn to audition for support from party delegates. He and Husam have clashed publicly over a range of issues over the past few years. Ironically, both of them have felt the sting of criticism from within their own parties for the same reason.

Pas politicians and members have complained that Husam's political rise owes much to the support of the party's spiritual leader Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat while some Umno members believe that Khairy would not have shot up the political ladder so fast if not for Abdullah.

Since of late, Khairy has been trying to persuade Malaysians and party members that he is a politician of substance; someone who cares not only about Malays but Malaysians; someone who has the common touch as well as the intellectual prowess.

In an interview with The Star, he said: "I would like to see Pemuda Umno becoming a truly national movement. Of course the first agenda will always be the Malay agenda. There is no running away from that. But we need to go beyond that and have a broader and inclusive outlook. Pemuda Umno must be representative of Malaysia and the Malaysian view. We need to be able to pull not only people who are on the fence, but also those in the Opposition. We are not doing that now. We are too close-minded, narrow and too elitist.''

The rebranding of Khairy Jamaluddin will continue on Saturday.

Anwar wants more power for the MACC - malaysiakini

Anwar : AG has unfettered powers that has to be curbed.

By Debra Chong

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 15 - While Pakatan Rakyat today welcomed the Prime Minister's new Bill to fight corruption in Malaysia, it is resisting the federal government's effort to make it a law until certain changes are made to give more power to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

The Opposition Leader wants the MACC to be given full discretion to charge in court those who have been investigated and found to have strong proof of corruption against them directly, instead of giving that power to the Attorney General's Chambers, as is done now.

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim told Parliament that the issue at stake is the integrity, authority, and qualification of the Attorney General (AG) and the judiciary.

He claimed that the AG held too much power, to the point that he could decide if a case would be taken to court or simply closed.

Quoting a famous veteran lawyer Raja Aziz Addruse, Anwar noted that it was not a must for the AG to report to the Prime Minister, Cabinet or Parliament, not even "for the failure of a number of high-profile prosecutions, which commenced with much fanfare but ended up being a waste of funds."

"There is a need to limit the powers of the Attorney General because he acts as the chief legal advisor to the government and also as the chief prosecutor," Anwar stressed.The 63-year-old, who spent six years in jail on corruption charges, has repeatedly accused the current AG Tan Sri Gani Patail of abusing his authority in sending him to prison.

"Reform cannot be carried out without first solving the problem of the large amount of power held by the AG," the Permatang Pauh MP said.

The solution, he suggests, is for MACC to have two separate arms: one to investigate and the other to charge in court those who have been investigated.

Among a laundry list of other changes, Anwar said the appointment of the MACC chief must be made more transparent.

He suggests that it be done based on the recommendation of a Special Parliamentary Committee on the MACC instead of by the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong on the advice of the Prime Minister.

Anwar also wants the terms for informants under Sections 27 and 28 to be reviewed, claiming that heavy punishments would stop people from blowing the whistle on corrupt persons in future. -- The Malaysian Insider