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Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Mahathir pours scorn on participation in TPPA

 
Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has emerged as the latest opponent of the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA).

In his latest criticism of prime minister Najib Razak's administration, Mahathir urged the government to walk out of the pact.

Saying its secretive character would harm the country, the former strongman described TPPA as a ploy for Washington to access the resources of smaller economies.

"The US has more debt than income for some time now. They are trying to increase their wealth through these agreements," Mahathir was quoted saying by Malaysiakini at a roundtable on the TPPA.

The secretive talks on TPPA, said Mahathir, had raised suspicion and worries that something was wrong and “there are things in the agreement that the negotiators don't want the public to know.”

Admitting that he had read the 'leaked' details of the agreement, Mahathir said TPPA would only increase imports and reduce exports.

“It is not good for us. I am indirectly telling the government not to sign this agreement.

“Powers-that-be can control the country not only through military power, but through economic muscle as well,” he warned.

Also known as the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement, the US-led initiative aims to link its economy to fast-growing markets in the region, and apart from the US, it includes Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Peru, Mexico, Chile, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei.

While the agreement has been carefully guarded by officials, some details were leaked.

The leaked provision among others shows broad definition of ‘investment’ that includes protecting intellectual property rights, mining and manufacturing licences, and exempting foreign investors from new regulations by member states, as well as binding state and local government authorities to commitments by the Federal government. -HD

Police uncover drug lab in MASSAGE parlour

 
Police uncover drug lab in MASSAGE parlour
GEORGE TOWN : Police uncovered a drug processing laboratory hidden in a massage parlour in Lorong Madras, here last night.

Following intelligence reports and a raid carried out on another illegal drug laboratory in Alma, Bukit Mertajam yesterday afternoon, an operation codenamed 'Ops Cantas Khas' was carried out at 11.30pm by a police team from the Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department and the state contingent police headquarters.

Three men aged between 20 and 40, who were believed to be engrossed in processing the drug, heroin, were detained in the premises.

It is learnt that the arrest led to the discovery of the biggest drug processing laboratory in the state.

State Police Chief Datuk Abdul Rahim Hanafi, when approached by reporters at the scene of the incident, said a press conference on the discovery would be held later in the afternoon.

– Bernama

Pairin’s outburst a sign of fear, says Wilfred

 
KOTA KINABALU: Tamparuli assemblyman Wilfred Bumburing has chided Parti Bersatu Sabah president Joseph Pairin Kitingan for calling on the Registrar of Society (ROS) to reconsider the approval of 20 new political parties in the country.

“This goes to prove that Pairin has reneged on his initial struggle for freedom of association by issuing such statement.

“This also clearly shows that Pairin now is supporting the idea of denying the people their basic right to a free association in a democratic country,” Bumburing said.

Pairin, who is also Deputy Chief Minister, had yesterday said the approval of the new political parties could cause major changes to the political demography, specifically in Sabah.

But Bumburing, who helms Angkatan Perpaduan Sabah (APS), countered that the formation of any political organisation “is a democratic right and should not be construed as self-serving” or based on an agenda or motive as suggested by Pairin.

“Let the people decide whether the setting up of a political party is based on the aspiration of the people or otherwise.

“Pairin’s statements also goes to show that he is no longer confident in getting the support of the younger generation.

“We now have a society that is well-informed and mature enough in knowing what is best for them and we must respect the wishes of the people and let them decide which political party they would like to support,” Bumburing added.

Observers here opined that Pairin’s call to bar registration of new political parties could be due to dwindling support both in his Tambunan state and Keningau parliamentary constituency based on the combined votes of the opposition candidates in the last general election.

The May 5 election results destroyed the former Sabah chief minister’s aura of invincibility and many say that he would have fallen if not for the support of Umno.

Pairin’s surprising plea to the ROS appears to reveal this fear.

Bumburing backs Lajim

On another matter, Bumburing made clear his support for the appointment of Lajim Ukin as the new Sabah PKR chief.

He said he is not with the party’s four state representatives who protested against the Klias assemblyman’s appointment.

The four PKR leaders – Jelani Hamdan (Matunggong), Terrence Siambun (Moyog), Jeremy Malajad (Kadamaian) and ChristinaLiew (Api Api) – on Sunday had voiced their disappointment at not being consulted in the appointment of Lajim as the party’s new head for Sabah.

They have reportedly submitted a list of demands to PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim and warned that their support was conditional to it being accepted.

They have also extended a copy of the proposals to Lajim, who is Sabah opposition leader in the State Legislative Assembly.

In a statement issued here, Bumburing congratulated Lajim on his appointment as the new Sabah PKR chief taking over from Ahmad Tamrin Jaini.

“APS is ready and willing to continue its working relationship with Pakatan Rakyat and PKR and offer our continued support for the struggle of Pakatan Rakyat and PKR both at Sabah state level and at national level,” he said.

The former Tuaran MP disclosed that APS was committed in its struggle for change and to achieve the kind of reformation that is desired by Sabahans.

He said APS believed that such change can only be achieved through close cooperation with Pakatan Rakyat.

He pointed out that there were lessons learned together from the outcome of the general election and those lessons have put them in a better position to achieve their goals in the next general election.

“All APS divisions and branches have been directed to provide close cooperation with the other PR (Pakatan) components parties in order to continue with the agenda of change and transformation in order to be prepared for the next general election,” Bumburing said -FMT

A-G files appeal over duo’s acquittal

 
PUTRAJAYA: The prosecution has filed a notice of appeal against the acquittal of two police special action unit personnel on the charge of murdering Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Deputy Solicitor-General II of the Attorney-General’s Chambers Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah confirmed that the prosecution had filed the notice at the Court of Appeal registry on Friday.

The notice of appeal was filed on the same day the court handed down its decision on the appeal of the two policemen, he told Bernama.

Tun Majid said the prosecution would file its petition of appeal within 10 days upon receiving the appeal records.

On Friday, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal chaired by Justice Mohamed Apandi Ali freed Azilah Hadri and Sirul Azhar Umar on the murder charge after unanimously allowing their appeals.

The other two judges on the panel were Linton Albert and Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat.

Azilah, 37, and Sirul Azhar, 42, had appealed against a High Court’s decision which convicted and sentenced them to death for Altantuya’s murder.

They were alleged to have murdered Altantuya, 28, at Mukim Bukit Raja in Shah Alam between 10 pm on Oct 19 and 1 am on Oct 20, 2006.

Former political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda, 50, who was charged with abetting them, was acquitted by the High Court on Oct 31, 2008 after the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against him. The prosecution did not appeal.

In a 47-page judgment, the Court of Appeal said circumstantial evidence adduced by the prosecution were insufficient to sustain the finding of guilt of the two policemen.

It said their guilt had not been satisfactorily proven, thus the court was constrained to give them the benefit of the doubt.

- Bernama

We bungled over Islam, admits MCA

 
Chinese-only party MCA has admitted that its method of opposing PAS through fear-mongering tactics among the Chinese electorate has worked against it.

“The cause for the defeat of the MCA was corruption, environmental issues and good governance. These were the issues at the heart of the people, rather than the threat of hudud and PAS’s Islamic state,” said the party's youth leader Wee Ka Siong (pic) in an interview with news portal Free Malaysia Today.

Both MCA and its sister Chinese party Gerakan were heavily defeated in the last two general elections, following a major shift of support to Pakatan Rakyat among urban as well as non-Malay voters.

The party had hoped to make a comeback by instilling fear of Islamisation by PAS, a key member of PR. Led by its president Dr Chua Soi Lek, the party went on a campaign blitz, even taking up full page advertisements on daily papers with the tagline “a vote for DAP is a vote for PAS’s hudud laws”.

In his interview, Wee conceded that Chinese voters could no longer be influenced with such a campaign.

“After the general election, I can draw the conclusion that hudud is not a concern and the Chinese are not afraid of this,” he said.

In the May polls, MCA secured 19 out of the total 127 state and parliament seats it contested.

Wee, who retained his Ayer Hitam constituency, said he had avoided playing up the hudud issue during his campaign saying the “Chinese was not afraid.”

Yet Wee has not abandoned the MCA's familiar threat to Chinese voters who support PAS:

“Maybe after PAS takes over the government, then they will think otherwise." -HD

Celcom : The unwelcome SMS disturbing Consumers

 
We received a complaint from Celcom users who said he had to pay an
unwelcome SMS while he never require that SMS.

"This is VERY VERY VERY unethical business by giving access to Third
Party of your Server Access....by Right Celcom Should not back charge
Customer like us .....I will forward this email also to MCMC on the
unethical business who wants easy money from customer....Why should
pay an unwelcome cost?" That his complaint against the costs incurred
by the telecommunications company.

He complained why the Celcom does not act quickly stop SMS that are
unknown and online charging without consent, should problems of the
unwelcome SMS that just took profit on consumers should be stopped
with immediate effect due to Celcom say they are not responsible for
that SMS.

The problem is why the company that provides SMS use the services of
Celcom can charge to consumers without permission.

We urge the Celcom should be accountable to consumers who use their
services to take immediate action to stop the unwelcome SMS that take
advantage of consumers without their consent.

Many users feel cheated having to pay the unwelcome SMS with the cost
is too expensive and extreme than the actual cost.

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) should
be also act immediately address the problem from continuing.

PROHIBITED SMS that unwelcome and disturbing online users and
disservice customers and only profitable the company that are not
responsible should be acted upon immediately. The collaboration with
the relevant authorities is greatly appreciated.

Yours faithfully,
Jofri Jaraiee
PAS Sarawak Deputy Commissioner iii cum PAS Miri Chief

http://pas-miri.blogspot.com

Saturday, August 3, 2013

PAS firm against resurrecting ISA, EO

 
PAS has again reiterated its opposition against the resurrection of the Internal Security Act and Emergency Ordinance, saying the draconian laws were not solution to the recent spike in crime that has shocked Malaysians.

It was responding to UMNO vice president Shafie Apdal who welcomed calls to reintroduce ISA.

PAS information chief Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man questioned whether Shafie had the numbers to justify the argument that abolition of ISA and EO had encouraged criminals.

“How many ISA detainees before this had been detained for possession of firearms?” he asked.

ISA and EO, said Tuan Ibrahim, were oppressive and easily abused, saying the laws went against Islam.

Earlier, former police chief Abdul Rahim Noor suggested the government to bring back EO, supported by none other than Home minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, arguing that former detainees of EO who had been released since the law's abolition were behind the spate of violent crimes.

“If it is true that former EO detainees are behind the serious crimes recently, the police can detain them under the Firearms Act 1960 for possessing firearms without license and committing murder using firearms,” Tuan Ibrahim said, adding that prevailing laws could send those guilty of such crimes to life imprisonment and death sentence.

PAS also reminded that ISA had been used to detain political leaders in the past.

He urged the police to focus on covering weaknesses in firearms control.

“PAS is more inclined to believe the armed criminals obtained their weapons illegally due to weaknesses at the country’s entry points,” he said and called on all agencies to cooperate to curb smuggling of weapons. -HD

Don't do what you don't want others do, PR told

 
A human rights activist and blogger has criticised a Pakatan Rakyat member of parliament who recently won an election petition case against her.

In a response to yesterday's decision by the Election Court to strike out a petition against PKR vice president Nurul Izzah Anwar who won the Lembah Pantai parliamentary seat in the last general election, Charles Hector said Nurul's side should have set an example by not raising technical objections.

In rejecting Lembah Pantai UMNO division youth chief Mohamad Sazali Kamilan's petition, judge Zabariah Mohd Yusof allowed technical objections made by Nurul’s counsel Edmund Bon, and ordered Sazali to pay RM40,000 as costs.

"It would have been good if good MPs/ADUNs, like Nurul Izzah would have not just sat happily seeing the court do exactly the same things that we are critical about," Hector wrote.

He said instead of raising technical objections - something which Pakatan Rakyat leaders have protested in the wake of a series of election petitions being summarily dismissed by the court - Nurul's counsel could have urged the court to allow the petition to be heard on its merits.

"Now, we will never know if that Election Petition if heard on the merits would have been successful or not - it was knocked out based on technicalities ... and, I say that justice has not been served - the right to a fair trial has been denied that petitioner... and worse, any ordinary person would have been on the way to become bankrupt if forced to pay RM40,000," Hector added.

He said Nurul could at least publicly declined the RM40,000.

"When the court awarded such high costs, Nurul Izzah should have objected and said that as a matter of principle ask the judge to limit cost to a nominal sum - maybe RM500. High cost awards only deter a person from coming to court," he stressed.

PR leaders have condemned the dismissals of petitions by its candidates on technical grounds and questioned whether there was collusion between the government and judiciary to prevent election petitions from going to trial stage.

"To summarily dismiss these petitions purely on so-called technical grounds and ignoring the fact that the issues raised in the petitions are matters of public interest which have a direct bearing on the conduct of free and fair elections," said opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

Echoing him, PAS deputy president lamented that the court had not given the petitions a chance to be heard.

“The Election Commission said those not happy with the election result could bring it to court, but when we brought it, it was not handled with the way one would have expected,” said Mat Sabu, who asked if there were hidden hands since the same excuse was used and extraordinary penalties given in all the cases. HD

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Dog-trainer arrested for Sedition

 
UMNO-STIRRED HYSTERIA: Dog-trainer arrested for Sedition, denied access to lawyerShock and outrage greeted news that dog trainer Maznah Yusof had been arrested, and like bloggers Alvivi, slapped with serious charges including breach of the draconian Sedition Act, which carries heavy penalties.

Maznah, also know as Chetz Yusof, was nabbed for purportedly insulting Islam after a You Tube clip showed her washing her dog in a manner that mimicked Muslim ablutions with the Eid prayers and a Hari Raya song in the background.

"This is outrageous. BN and Umno are responsible for stoking this ill-feeling and tension. Maznah has been denied her access to lawyers and I am still waiting to see when they will release her. This hysteria has to stop," her lawyer Latheefa Koya told Malaysia Chronicle.

Latheefa was referring to the media lynching led by Umno newspaper Utusan and the strident promises by Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to take swift action against those who "insulted Islam" in response to the video clip.

Muhyiddin had also warned that there would be "tensions" in the country if Islam was insulted, prompting another storm of protest from non-Muslims, who demanded if the DPM was suggesting that other religions could be insulted with impunity.

“Is this a manifestation of the assumption of some quarters that we (Muslims) are weak and that they could walk all over us? Or that we are afraid to react when others insult the sanctity of Islam?" Muhyiddin had said.

“Could they be simply ignorant and not understand the values of faith? No Muslim has made fun of other faiths.”

Denied access to lawyer

As of press time, Maznah was still being interrogated by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission at police headquarters in Bukit Aman and denied access to her lawyer.

"This is overkill as usual. The Investigating Officer had indicatad Section 298A, why the need for Sedition Act. These are very serious charges and yet they can bar her from being represented. It is clear breach of the Constitution," said Latheefa.

Kuala Lumpur CID chief Ku Chin Wah has confirmed Maznah was arrested and is being investigated under Section 298A of the Penal Code as well as the Sedition Act.

I love my religion

The 38-year-old Maznah has denied any intention to insult Islam.

"I love my religion. I think these people should learn about their religion first, and not misinterpret my video," Malaysiakini reported Maznah as saying.

"As a religious leader, doesn't he know about Islamic laws? As far as I am concerned, my religion does not forbid me from keeping dogs or caring for them," she added, referring to the cleric in her neighborhood mosque who had condemned the clip.

From pork to dog

The tape, which was made 3 years ago was re-posted on Tuesday. It has since been taken down.

"Why make an issue about it now? I believe this is related to the case of bloggers Alvin Tan and Vivian Lee... because initially, those who viewed the video mistook me for a Chinese," said Maznah.

She was referring to bloggers Alvin Tan and Vivian Lee who created an uproar with their Ramadan greeting on Facebook that showed them having bak-kut-teh ( a herbal soup made usually with pork but can be vegetarian or even halal (kosher) if made with suitable meats).

The two bloggers were unfairly jailed and forced to stay imprisoned for more than a week. They were also slapped with 3 charges including the Sedition Act.

Alvivi, Maznah - pawns in Umnos game of racial and religious politicking?

To many Malaysians, it appears Alvivi and now Maznah are being used by unscrupulous politicians wanting to stir up Islamic righteousness to portray a holier-than-thou image and win political favor from their party members and supporters.

"Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin expressed concern over racial polarisation in the country “as the trend now is as if the people are getting more hypersensitive," DAP adviser and MP for Gelang Patah Lim Kit Siang said in a statement.

"Muhyiddin is right except that he has himself been the problem instead of being the solution to the problem of racial polarisation.

"Can Muhyiddin play his part in this Malaysian nation-building process? Yes, but he must demonsrate that he is a DPM for all Malaysians and not just for UMNO – that he is Malaysian first, Malay second rather than Malay first, Malaysian second as he had declared when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak unveiled his 1Malaysia signature policy four years ago."

Malaysia Chronicle

PR to stop BN from 'sneaking-in' another draconian law

 
The proposed new "preventive law" to tackle crime with a committee to draft it headed by minister in the Prime Minister's Department Idris Jala has been slammed by Pakatan Rakyat today, who warned that the BN government had proven it could not be trusted with the power of preventive detention.

"The BN government has time and again proven that they cannot be trusted with the power of preventive detention," said human rights lawyer and PKR vice president N Surendran, in response to a report that the government was drafting the new law.

Besides Idris, others in the drafting committee are his colleagues Nancy Shukri, Paul Low and Home minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

But Surendran reminded that stiff opposition awaits the BN if it went ahead with tabling it in parliament.

"We will fight such laws at every stage of its tabling in the Dewan Rakyat, we will never surrender the fundamental rights of the rakyat. We call upon the Prime Minister to drop the intention of tabling such laws, and instead focus upon creating a better-trained and more efficient police force," he told Harakahdaily in a statement.

Surendran recalled the arrest of six Parti Sosialis Malaysia activists under the Emergency Ordinance in 2011 in the days leading to the mammoth Bersih rally. The abolition of the EO has been cited by BN leaders and top police personnel as reason behind rising crime, arguing that hardcore criminals were no longer worried of being detained.

Surendran however warned that the BN was trying to exploit the public's fear of rising crime by introducing another draconian law which it would use against political opponents.

"Under the cover of the current public concern over crime, the BN is trying to sneak in again preventive detention laws. The BN's real purpose is to subsequently use these laws to threaten and punish legitimate political dissent, as happened in the case of the PSM 6," said Surendran.

He reiterated PR's stand that existing laws including Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code were already in place, and underlined the importance of more efficient policing as well as redistribution of the police's priorities to make crime-fighting a focus.

"The police must also be freed from unnecessary political tasks on behalf of the BN, such as spying on and prosecuting opposition and civil society leaders and activists. Using the police for these unconstitutional political tasks is a serious waste of resources and demoralizes the police force," he added.

A series of incidents involving the use of firearms and dangerous weapons in the past two months have shocked the nation with many fearing their personal safety amid rising crime.

But it was Saturday's shooting of 29-year old whistle-blower R Sri Sanjeevan, who heads vocal anti-crime watchdog MyWatch, which has renewed public calls on the authorities to be more serious in fighting crime. Closely following the incident was the fatal shooting in broad day light of 75-year old Hussain Ahmad Najadi, founder of the Arab-Malaysian Bank, in the heart of Kuala Lumpur.

Several quarters have also urged the government to implement the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission, saying it would enhance police professionalism. -HD
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