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Monday, September 22, 2014

New Android L OS to Encrypt Data to Reduce Hacking

 
Google's upcoming new mobile operating system, Android L, will for the first time include provisions to encrypt user data by default, rather than providing encryption only after it is turned on by users.

The move was unveiled in a Sept. 18 story by The Washington Post as part of Google's latest push to better protect the data of its millions of users, especially in light of allegations made in 2013 of government snooping in Google and Yahoo data centers. Android L is expected to be released by Google in October

In an email reply to an inquiry from eWEEK, a Google spokesperson confirmed the upcoming changes. "For over three years Android has offered encryption, and keys are not stored off of the device, so they cannot be shared with law enforcement," the spokesperson told eWEEK. "As part of our next Android release, encryption will be enabled by default out of the box, so you won't even have to think about turning it on."

Apple also recently announced that the new iOS 8 operating system found in its just-released iPhone 6 smartphones and other new devices also includes default data encryption for users, according to an eWEEK report.

In a statement on Apple's Website, CEO Tim Cook said the company is renewing its commitment to user privacy. "At Apple, your trust means everything to us," Cook wrote in a letter posted on the new Apple privacy site. "That's why we respect your privacy and protect it with strong encryption, plus strict policies that govern how all data is handled."


Apple's security and privacy policies have been under scrutiny in a number of different instances this year. Security researchers have questioned whether Apple works with governments to provide backdoor access, and earlier this month dozens of celebrities were victimized by an attack.

Cook wrote that he wants to "be absolutely clear that we have never worked with any government agency from any country to create a backdoor in any of our products or services. We have also never allowed access to our servers. And we never will."

That means that since the data will now be encrypted, Apple will no longer be able to comply with legal government requests for access to a user's iOS data, since Apple will not have the passcode to unlock it, according to Cook's post.

With both Google Android and Apple providing such protections, it will likely ultimately affect a large number of mobile device and desktop users around the world, making their communications more secure by default.

Google certainly has been providing data encryption tools for users in the past, but they had to be activated by users themselves to be in operation. In June, Google announced an early alpha version of a new Chrome browser extension that will soon give users the ability to bolster the encryption of their emails while in transit to recipients.

The End-to-End extension for Chrome is available to Chrome developers who want to help add more protections to users' emails while requiring fewer steps than existing stand-alone encryption applications. Because the project is in the early alpha development stage, it is not available yet in the Chrome Web Store as a finalized extension. The End-To-End extension will help users encrypt, decrypt, digitally sign and verify signed messages within the browser using OpenPGP, according to Google.

Encrypted emails are like sealed envelopes, and less vulnerable to snooping, according to Google.

The issue has become so important that Google now includes a new section in its Transparency Reports that shows how much email is being encrypted as it travels over the Internet.

Gmail has always supported encryption in transit by using Transport Layer Security (TLS), and automatically encrypts incoming and outgoing emails if possible, according to an earlier eWEEK report.

In March 2014, Google announced that all incoming and outgoing Gmail messages will also use encrypted HTTPS connections to better protect them from interception by attackers or spying, in response to allegations in the fall of 2013 that the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) had allegedly spied on data in Google and Yahoo data centers.

-eweek.com

Uphold the constitution when naming the new MB

 
There are no two ways about it. The Selangor menteri besar imbroglio has been dragging for a few months but political expediency does not mean naming a person just to end the impasse.

Incumbent MB Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim now leads the caretaker government, a rump Pakatan Rakyat (PR) with only PAS executive councillors after he was sacked from PKR. He has in turn, sacked the PKR and DAP councillors.

The Selangor palace today will finalise who will succeed Khalid and name the person on Tuesday.

Despite the fact that everyone may be getting impatient with the present situation, we must nevertheless be very careful to uphold the state constitution and who it says qualifies to be the menteri besar.

The Nizar decision in the Perak case in 2009 says the palace must appoint an MB who enjoys the majority. That requires the sultan to ascertain that.

Appointing someone who may not ultimately enjoy the majority means there is a risk the new MB will face a motion of no confidence when the state assembly meets.

As it is, Khalid does not command the majority and has to tender his resignation which he subsequently did. His successor must have the command of the majority, and if not, there will be a repeat of the current impasse.

All Malaysians must be careful not to set any precedent that does not accord with best practices under the constitution, the supreme law of the nation. It has always been the one who can show proof of majority that becomes the head of government in the state or nation.

Any practice that is out of the conventions practised in Malaysia since its formation will have consequences for the future. And it is consequences that the country can ill-afford.

The constitution is the one document that is the basis of our country. It places all of us – the elected government, the royalty, the legislature, the judiciary and the citizens – in our roles for Malaysia.

Let's always uphold the constitution. Without it, we are not a country of free and equal people with a government of the people, by the people and for the people. –TMI

Asian Games: Badminton legend Lee slams court lighting

 
Malaysia's world badminton number one Lee Chong Wei slammed the court conditions in Incheon Sunday, saying that the lights were too bright and causing problems for players.

Lee breezed through his first match against Nepal's Ratna Jit Tamang in the men's team quarter-final, at the start of his Asian Games swansong.
But he was unhappy after the match.

"This was my first match and I just wanted to try out how I felt," Lee told AFP.

"I think this court is very bad for me because the light is not so good.

"Normally there are only lights side to side (at either end), but here you have them all around so you are looking into the light. I think it's tough for all the players."

He took just 25 minutes to see off Nepal's Ratna Jit Tamang 21-10 21-13 in the men's team event, with Malaysia winning overall 3-0.

They will take on either China or Hong Kong in the semi-final Monday.
Tamang also complained about the lighting after the match.

"It's very bright and difficult to see the shuttlecock," he said.
Despite his gripe, the usually tight-lipped Lee seemed more relaxed than usual.

"I'm just going to do my best and enjoy my last Asian Games," he said, hoping that a good performance in the team event would pave the way for a win in the individuals.

Fans want to see another classic between Lee and nemesis Lin Dan -- the 30-year-old Chinese star, who has repeatedly denied Lee at the Games as well as at the Olympics and the world championships.

But Lee remained philosophical about the pressure on him to take the gold and dispel his reputation for falling at the final hurdle in major tournaments.

"It doesn't upset me (that people say I don't win major tournaments). It's different in other countries because in China there are a lot of people (players). In Malaysia I'm alone, so it's very tough for me."

During the first game in Lee's match against Tamang, Lin was watching from the front row as his teammate Chen Long played on the neighbouring court in his team's quarter-final with Hong Kong's Wei Nan.

Lin is to play later Sunday in a team singles match against Hong Kong's Vincent Wong.

All eyes will be on the main men's singles draw Sunday to see whether a clash of the titans between Lin and Lee is on the cards.

But for 21-year-old Tamang, who is at his second Asian Games and had never played Lee, it was an unforgettable experience.

"I wasn't nervous, I was just excited to play him. It made me want to work harder to get to that level," he told AFP.

-afp

This Is The Man Making Bill Gates So Rich

 
Bill Gates is worth an astounding $81.6 billion and he keeps getting richer every year.

His secret weapon is a man you have probably never heard of: Michael Larson.
Gates hired Larson 20 years ago, when his net worth was a relatively paltry $5 billion, report Anupreeta Das and Craig Karmin at the Wall Street Journal, who just wrote a profile on the notoriously secretive Larson.

Larson runs Gates’ personal investment company Cascade Investment LLC, funded solely by Gates.

At one time, Gates wealth depended solely on Microsoft. But for years he’s been selling off his Microsoft stake. The common perception is that he’s been using the proceeds from those sales directly for charity. That’s not entirely how it works.

Although Gates makes his own investments in tech, it is Larson, through Cascade, who has taken Gate’s money and diversified it. Gates now has vast holdings in real estate and non-tech companies like the Canadian National Railway Co., AutoNation Inc., and Republic Services Inc. It is these vast holdings that help fund the Gates’ donations.

And although Gates has given an astounding $38 billion to his charitable foundation, thanks to Larson, he’s getting richer faster than he can give his money away.

His $81.6 billion is nearly $6 billion more than it was as of March 2014, when he was worth $76 billion, we reported at the time. And $76 billion was $9 billion more than he was worth in March, 2013.


-REUTERS/Rick Wilking

PKR: Don’t listen to rumours

 
PKR today sought to quell persistent rumours that its de facto leader, Anwar Ibrahim, had agreed to a compromise on the issue of the party’s nomination of Wan Azizah Ismail as its sole candidate for the post of Selangor Menteri Besar.

PKR Secretary-General Saifudin Nasution Ismail released a press statement essentially repeating an earlier statement that the party stood firm on its stand in the matter.

“There’s been no change in PKR’s decision to nominate Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, PKR President and State Assemby member for Kajang, as the new Menteri Besar of Selangor,” he said.

“Reports that the Ketua Umum of PKR, Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, has orally agreed to a compromise as well as various other reports are incorrect.

“The decision and the stand taken by PKR are based on the belief that it must uphold the constitution of Selangor and the system of constitutional monarchy.”

-Fmt

Gambling the No. 1 issue for police

 
Police say gambling has become the number one problem in Malaysia. They are not talking about casinos or bookmaking, but one-arm bandits. And it seems Sabah is the state that is most worrying.

One-arm bandits or slot machines were first allowed for private clubs such as the Lake Club, Selangor Club, and so on to help them remain economically viable.

Most of these clubs ran at a loss because they more or less subsidised the members with low monthly fees and low prices for food and drinks. Many members had their meals there to avoid paying the comparatively high prices at public restaurants or hotels.

But then this meant these private clubs could not make enough money. So the government allowed them to operate one-arm bandits—but for adult members only—so that they could earn extra income and keep the membership fee and the cost of food and drinks low.

However, even with these gaming rooms, the clubs still sometimes lost money.
Later, the government licensed one-arm bandits for non-private clubs that masqueraded as private clubs which members of the general public, even children, patronised. They just had to pay RM1.00 at the entrance to become a “member” and then they could gamble away until they exhausted their money.
These so-called private clubs have mushroomed all over Malaysia and a certain Chinese tycoon very close to those who walk in the corridors of power owns about 70% of the machines.

These operations have an element of triad involvement in them. Operators who do not have triad protection are harassed, sometimes by the police. In fact, some close down as a result of persistent police raids.

So there appears to be some involvement by rogue policemen who collaborate with the triads in maintaining a sort of union or cartel that you need to join to be able to stay in business.

The police now consider this a serious issue because it is creating a huge social problem where youths, and Muslims at that, have become gambling addicts. And Sabah, police say, is at the top of the list of problem states.

What started with good intentions has been exploited and abused, and the government needs to seriously look into this matter and take action. If not, Malaysia is going to see a problem with gambling addicts who will need to resort to crime, just like drug addicts, to support their habit.

-FMT

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Jeffrey calls for transfer of Batu Sumpah DO

 
Keningau: Bingkor Assemblyman Jeffrey Kitingan has called for the transfer of Keningau District Officer Yusof Osman for saying that the opposition is not allowed to use government facilities.

“I want to know if the statement is his or was directed by his higher-ups,” he said. “If so, name them or I will take the matter to court.

“Is Batu Sumpah exclusively for the government? Is it not for the people?
“Even though I am the leader of Star, I am also a leader of the people and I have the right to hold the memorial ceremony on the historical day of September 16.”

He pointed out that the Oath Stone memorial was created to symbolise the agreement between the people in the interior and the Federal Government.
The memorial should have been opened on Sept 16 to allow Malaysians and tourists to visit it, he said.

A local newspaper quoted Yusof as saying that government policy does not allow any opposition party to enter the compound of government offices for rallies and special events.

On the Oath Stone, Yusof had said the public could only visit the site during office hours on Mondays to Friday, but all day on public holidays.
Sept 16, Jeffrey pointed out, was a public holiday.

-FMT

Saturday, September 20, 2014

The Best Apps For Your New iPhone 6

 
So you managed to get your hands on an iPhone 6, but what apps should you download?

Every iPhone 6 comes with Apple’s new iOS 8 mobile operating system pre-installed, which is capable of some great features like app extensions, widgets, and better-than-ever graphics.

Apple has curated a collection of apps that highlight iOS 8′s new abilities, and we’ve chosen our favorites that demonstrate just what your new iPhone 6 can do.

Apple’s iMovie app is the best way to edit on the iPhone 6.

With iMovie, you can edit an entire film or add cool effects to any 240 fps footage you shoot with your iPhone 6. The new update introduces an iMovie app extension that lets you add a filter, animated titles, and soundtrack to any clip, right from within the Photos app.
Price: $4.99

Test the capabilities of your iPhone 6′s graphics with “Epic Zen Garden.”

Apple demonstrated “Epic Zen Garden” at WWDC in June to show off what iOS 8 is capable of, and for good reason. This peaceful virtual environment is brimming with detail, and you can interact with literally thousands of cherry blossoms, scores of butterflies, and plenty of other eye-catching effects.
Price: Free

Transform your iPhone 6′s keyboard with Swype.

Swype has always been huge on Android, but with iOS 8, you can now enjoy a new style of texting on your iPhone 6 that lets you use a swiping gesture rather than taps to form words.
Price: $0.99

Yahoo Weather is the most beautiful weather app out there.

Yahoo Weather has been updated to look incredible on the iPhone 6′s bigger screen, and thanks to its new iOS 8 app extension, you can now check out the current weather around you with a single swipe down of the Notification Center.
Price: Free

“Asphalt 8″ is the best-looking racing game out there.

The latest update of “Asphalt 8″ for iOS 8 update gives the visuals a boost, and you can now race three times as many opponents.
Price: Free

Stay entertained with BuzzFeed.

If you’re in the mood for some quizzes or just want a laugh, BuzzFeed’s app has your back. Its newest update includes a widget that will let you see trending posts in the “Today” view in the Notification Center.
Price: Free

Use Litely to turn your iPhone 6 photos into subtle masterpieces.

Litely brings professional-grade photo filters to the iPhone, and its new iOS 8 update introduces four new smart adjustments that let you tweak contrast, temperature, highlights, and shadows.
Price: Free

Never forget your password again with 1Password.

1Password securely stores all of your passwords, logins, and credit card info in one place so you don’t have to keep track of them. 1Password’s new iOS 8 app extension will now fill in your login details and passwords right from within Safari and your favorite apps, all by using the iPhone 6′s Touch ID fingerprint sensor.
Price: Free

Journal in style with Day One.

Day One is a modern journaling app that keeps journaling simple yet elegant. You can now see flashbacks of your previous entries directly from your iPhone 6′s notification center, and the app extension lets you save and send photos and links right into the app without opening it.
Price: $4.99

See what people are interested in with Tumblr.

Tumblr has been around for a while, but it’s now optimized for the iPhone 6 with full-width posts. You can also post directly to Tumblr while inside other apps by using the new Tumblr share button.
Price: Free

“Plunder Pirates” is a fun way to show off how the iPhone 6 can make 3D environments pop with detail.

Made from the same studio that brought you “Angry Birds,” “Plunder Pirates” lets you build your own 3D island and set sale in a pirate ship to battle against other ship captains. It’s also optimized for Apple’s Metal graphics and the iPhone 6.
Price: Free

If you see something you want to view later, save it with Pocket.

Pocket lets you save articles, videos, and links for later viewing, even if you’re stuck without an internet connection. Pocket now features an app extension, which lets you save things directly from within Safari, so you can save and continue browsing without hopping between apps.
Price: Free

If you like “Call of Duty,” you’ll love the stunning graphics in “Modern Combat 5.”

“Modern Combat 5: Blackout” features a solo campaign, four customizable classes, and a multiplayer mode to keep you busy. With its new update, there’s five times more particles, improved explosions, upgraded environments, and richer weather effects.
Price: $6.99

Evernote is the best collecting your notes and ideas in one easy-to-access place.

Whether you’re writing, collecting pictures, making a list, or scanning business cards, Evernote is the best app for storing your projects, and they’ll sync across all devices. The new widget lets you quickly create notes from the Notification Center, and you can now save content directly to Evernote using the iPhone’s share menu.
Price: Free

“Mr. Crab” is a beautiful arcade game that shows how Apple’s Metal graphics will transform casual games.

“Mr. Crab” is simple to start playing: Just jump your way to the top, and try to rescue as many baby crabs as you can while avoiding enemies.

Cheau Xuen just thankful for surprise gold

 
INCHEON: Tai Cheau Xuen was in a state of shock and struggled to speak to the media.

But she can certainly be forgiven for being tongue-tied. After all, she delivered the first gold for Malaysia as the action got under way at the Incheon Asian Games on Saturday.


A bronze medallist in Guangzhou four years ago, Cheau Xuen put up a stunning display in the women’s nanquan and nandao all-round to amass 19.23 points and glory at the Ganghwa Dolmens Gymnasium.

She was only ranked third after scoring 9.62 points in the nandao, but a near-flawless performance in the nanquan gave her 9.61 points to storm past early leader and favourite Wei Hong of China.

Indonesia’s Juwita Niza Wasni won the silver with 19.19 points while Wei Hong fumbled with her landing in the nanquan and had to be satisfied with the bronze with a 19.15 total.

It was the first time a Chinese exponent failed to win a gold in Asiad history since wushu was introduced in Beijing in 1990.

Diana Bong, the other Malaysian representative, ended up last in the 12-contestant field with 18.25 points after an error-strewn display.

Having performed earlier, the Negri Sembilan-born Cheau Xuen stared blankly at the scoreboard after the final exponent had finished her routine. She just could not believe that she had won.

“I certainly didn’t expect the gold, maybe a medal if I had performed my best. I wish to thank my coaches, the Wushu Federation of Malaysia (WFM), the National Sports Council (NSC), my family and friends for the support and encouragement.

“I don’t know what to say ... This is just totally unexpected,” said Cheau Xuen, who will turn 23 on Oct 2.

Cheau Xuen, who will pick up RM80,000 from the NSC, can now look forward to a nice birthday celebration when she returns home next week as she has continued wushu’s strong tradition of delivering a gold for Malaysia in the Asiad.

Ho Ro Bin started the ball rolling by winning gold in the men’s nanquan and nandao all-round in Busan in 2002. Chai Fong Ying then triumphed in the taijijian and taijiquan all-round in Doha in 2006 and again in Guangzhou in 2010.

Wei Hong was gracious in defeat.

“It’s good to see the other Asian countries have improved. I did my best today,” she said.

There is another chance for Malaysia to grab gold on Sunday when Phoon Eyin starts her routine in the women’s jianshu and qiangshu.

-thestar

Review Apple iPhone 6 Plus

 
Now that everyone from Alcatel to ZTE has discovered that people are trying to replace phones and tablets with single hybrid devices, Apple has grudgingly decided to step into the space with the $299-and-up iPhone 6 Plus. The result is a very big iPhone that will satisfy people who want a very big iPhone, but which doesn't necessarily add to the conversation.

Although this is primarily a review of the Verizon Wireless model, the iPhone 6 Plus is available from all the major carriers at a bewildering range of prices. For instance, Verizon's prices start at $299 with a two-year contract, while T-Mobile offers phones for free up front, but $31.24/month. The phone comes in 16GB, 64GB and 128GB sizes, and they're generally all $100 more than the standard iPhone 6 units.

Physical Features and Battery Life
The 6 Plus is bigger and heavier than some of its phablet competition. At 6.22 by 3.06 by 0.28 inches (HWD) and 6.07 ounces, it's longer and wider than the LG G3, longer but narrower than the Samsung Galaxy Note 3$99.99 at Amazon and Note 4, and heavier than all three of them. Focusing on narrowness rather than shortness was the right choice, though: What makes phablets unwieldy is not how long they are, but how wide.

Like prominent Apple advocate John Gruber, I come to this review with a bias: I find these huge phones unwieldy and impractical. The iPhone 6 Plus is absolutely a two-handed device, if only that it might flip out of your hand and fall to the ground while you're fidgeting around on it with one hand, trying to reach the left edge of the keyboard or hit the camera shutter button.

That's true for all of these giant phones, of course. Samsung has just been thinking more clearly, and longer, about why you might want a giant phone and how to mitigate its elephantiasis. Samsung's one-handed mode, for instance, moves the UI not just down but also to the side, putting the left edge within reach of your thumb.

Where LG and Samsung's phablets tend to revolve around multitasking and note-taking, Apple's phablet differentiator is dual-paned apps. Apple hints within your first few minutes of using the iPhone 6 Plus that you should try rotating it into landscape mode—for the first time, the home screen rearranges itself horizontally.

That's a nudge to make you look at apps in that orientation as well. When you open the calendar, for instance, it blooms wider, giving you an overall month view on the left and an agenda on the right, just like you're on a grownup tablet. The messages and weather apps are also dual-paned. Very few third-party apps have a dual-pane mode yet, though: CNN and OpenTable were the only two Apple could cite.

The iPhone 6 Plus is made of beautiful matte metal, just like the iPhone 6 is. The faux-leather back on the Galaxy Note series is actually better at this size: It's really grippy, giving you confidence that the big phone isn't going to slip out of your hand. I had slightly less confidence with the iPhone 6 Plus. While the 6 Plus's all-metal body feels significantly more premium than the Galaxy Note does, it's a little slipperier, and I fear I'm going to break the screen when I drop it. Get a case.

The 2,915mAh battery in the iPhone 6 Plus is much bigger than the 1,810mAh battery in the 6, but it didn't make that much of a difference in our toughest battery test, which streams a video on LTE over YouTube. I got 4 hours, 43 minutes of solid streaming on the 6 Plus as compared with 4 hours, 33 minutes on the 6. The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 got 5 hours, 46 minutes.

The culprit, of course, is the gigantic screen. If you don't turn on the screen a lot, I suspect you're going to get much longer battery life from the iPhone 6 Plus than from the 6 (although once again, the Samsung device may be yet longer than that). Background processes like checking the mail will take the same amount of power to run on both the 6 and the 6 Plus, so the 6 Plus's bigger battery will really win out.

-pcmag

Pakatan's doubtful future

 
Selangor's new menteri besar will be sworn in next Tuesday. But whether the Sultan will eventually pick PKR deputy president Azmin Ali or PAS' senior state exco Iskandar Samad as the new MB, it will remain a major blow to both PKR and DAP.

The Sultan has openly rebuked Anwar Ibrahim and PKR, and therefore it could be deduced that Wan Azizah is more or less out of the picture now. If Azmin were to become the new MB, conflicts within PKR could be aggravated, while DAP used to be against Azmin as the new MB because he is not that easy to be put under control.

If Iskandar were eventually made the MB, how will DAP make sure that the state administration will not become Islamized some day?

Anyway, it is almost certain that the crack within Pakatan Rakyat is bound to be widened.

Will PKR and DAP accept a MB appointed by the Sultan? It is anticipated that neither Azmin nor Iskandar would want to defy the order of the Sultan.

If PKR and DAP table a motion of no confidence against the new MB in November, that will be seen as an open defiance to the palace, culminating in the eventual dissolution of the state assembly, in which case it will remain unknown whether Pakatan can still hold on to power.

The next move by PKR and DAP is of critical importance, now that the situation has developed in a way that puts them out of control. The MB crisis has been dragging on for too long, and any delay to a total resolution will only hurt Pakatan further. This is not going to augur well for Pakatan's preparation for the next general elections or the Sarawak state election.

It is rumored that Azmin Ali will become the next MB, and what Anwar Ibrahim needs to do is to ensure that Azmin's takeover will not spark another round of conflicts within the party, or PKR is in for another major crisis.

Next Tuesday's swearing-in ceremony will not signal an end to the crisis within Pakatan, as the ulama-controlled PAS will remain very much a time bomb waiting to go off. PKR and DAP will need to settle their conflicts with PAS first before the three-party pact can move forward anew.

The boycott of senior party leaders from PKR and DAP at the Pengkalan Kubor nomination and PAS general assembly underscore their chilled relationship with PAS president Hadi Awang and other conservative leaders.

Even though Hadi denied PAS will team up with Umno while insisting that the party will stay with Pakatan, he also warned the allies not to betray the party.

Notably, Hadi pointed out on the eve of the party's general assembly that the party's position in Pakatan Rakyat would be determined by the party's political committee and Syura Council and would not be deliberated during the general assembly. Does that mean the general assembly is not the highest policy-making body and the party could decide to pull out of Pakatan anytime in the future?

From the trend that Anwar and more liberal party leaders constantly came under assault in the PAS general assembly, which some PKR leaders described as a twin of Umno general assembly, it is easily seen that the conservatives are still very much holding the reins of the party.

For instance, some 50 Youth delegates left the hall when deputy president Mat Sabu was delivering his speech. Meanwhile, the Youth assembly also passed two resolutions to fully support party president Hadi Awang and to urge a review of the party's political cooperation with Pakatan Rakyat.

In his address, Mat Sabu said PAS must not be split into another new party, as there should only be one that checks the advances of Umno.

Perhaps Mat Sabu can only look forward to next year's party elections to gain a controlling stake in the party. But given the deeply ingrained conservative forces and core power being in the hands of the Syura Council, the transformation of PAS remains a remote, inaccessible dream.

In the manipulating hands of the conservatives, PAS is headed decisively towards the path of religious politics, making it a bane to Pakatan in non-Muslim communities. That said, there is no way for Pakatan to fish the votes of Malay voters in the absence of PAS.

How will Pakatan go from here? I'm afraid neither Anwar Ibrahim nor Lim Kit Siang has any clue to this tacky question right now.

-mysinchew

New MB revealed on Monday?

 
The Sultan of Selangor’s private secretary has revealed that the name of the new Menteri Besar (MB) will be revealed on Monday.

This will put to rest the intense speculation of whether the candidate will be PKR president Wan Azizah, it’s deputy Azmin Ali or someone from PAS, the only party in the opposition coalition that submitted three names to the palace as requested.

According to Bernama, “The Selangor palace will announce who the new MB is by Monday at the latest.”

It is reported the announcement will be made either by a press statement or a press conference.

The private secretary confirmed no letter had been sent to the new MB yet.

-FMT

Rectify past mistakes, Jeffrey tells PM

 
Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak should not resort to rhetoric but instead work on rectifying the mistakes of the past in the formation of Malaysia, Bingkor assemblyman Jeffrey Kitingan said.

Kitingan said granting self-government would enable Sabah and Sarawak to stand on their own feet as equals of Malaya.

He said self-government was inherent in an equal partnership concept and the only way of saving Malaysia from teetering towards a break-up.
He added that the constitutions of Sabah and Malaysia were not on accord on what “Federation” means.

He was commenting on the growing controversy in social media that Article 160 of the Federal Constitution interprets “Federation” as that set up by the Federation of Malaya Agreement 1948 and cemented by the Federation of Malaya Independence Act 1957.

Najib had in his Malaysia Day speech in Miri compared the Federation with the United States and stressed that states joining the American Union after the original 13 colonies did were in the same situation as Sabah and Sarawak when they joined Malaysia.

“If the basis for Sabah and Sarawak to be in the Federation was as that stated by the Prime Minister, it could not be something that our founding fathers would have possibly bargained for.

“There would have been no Malaysia if the Malayan leaders had stated in 1963 what they are claiming today,” said Kitingan.

The longtime Borneo rights activist reinforced his argument with a reference to Lord Cobbold who chaired the Cobbold Commission on Malaysia.

He pointed out that Lord Cobbold referred in his Report to Malaysia as “a new nation, a partnership”.

Lord Cobbold had said: “It is a necessary condition that from the outset, Malaysia should be regarded by all concerned, as an association of partners, combining in the common to create a new nation but retaining their own individualities.”

-FMT

Only Wan Azizah, never Azmin

 
PKR secretary general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has issued yet another official statement reiterating that the party’s sole candidate to replace Khalid Ibrahim as Selangor Menteri Besar is its president Wan Azizah.

The statement was issued in response to a news report appearing on online portal The Malaysian Insider that claimed otherwise.

In the report titled, “Anwar nod for Azmin to be Selangor MB”, it was claimed that “Anwar had contacted party secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail to include the Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyman’s name (Azmin Ali) into the list of candidates that will be submitted by the multi-racial party to the palace.”

The report also claimed that this came about after Azmin had struck a deal with Anwar Ibrahim.

However the latest official statement from Saifuddin rejects this claim outright and cautions that any information from sources other than PKR, should be deemed as baseless.

In a brief statement released late last night, Saifuddin said the party’s Political Bureau had met to reaffirm its party’s stand that the support of the majority of the state assembly members for the candidacy of Wan Azizah Ismail had not changed.

The party also requested an audience with the Sultan to “get his advice” on the matter.

The statement stressed the party’s loyalty to the Sultan as well as to the Constitution of the State of Selangor.

-fmt

Friday, September 19, 2014

Activist Adam Adli gets one year jail after convicted of sedition

 
The Sessions Court today found activist Adam Adli Abdul Halim guilty of sedition and sentenced him to one year in jail for a speech last year in which he is said to have called for a change of government through undemocratic means.

Adam was charged on May 23 for his May 13 remarks allegedly inciting the public to overthrow the government through street protests during a forum shortly after the May 5 general election which saw Barisan Nasional retain power narrowly.

For first-time offenders like Adam, a conviction under Section 4 (1)(b) of the Sedition Act 1948 carries a maximum jail term of three years or a fine of up to RM5,000 or both.

“We have obtained a stay order on the basis that we will be appealing against the sentence and conviction,” Adam’s lawyer, Latheefa Koya, told reporters outside the courtroom.

Adam was released after he posted a RM5,000 bail with one surety today.
In court earlier, Latheefa had argued to lighten her client’s sentence, saying Adam is now a law student and had a long future ahead of him as he was still young.

Latheefa also said the youth’s speech over a year ago had not resulted in any violence or victims, adding that his speech was merely a “genuine concern” shared by the public on alleged electoral fraud during the 2013 elections.

But Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohamad Abazafree Mohd Abbas argued that Adam’s speech threatened public peace and had portrayed the government as cruel, also saying that he should not have used unlawful methods and incited the public to overthrow the government as he was educated and well-read.

“If the court cannot impress a serious sentence, portray the public’s bad impression to sedition, it will not be acceptable by the public,” Abazafree told a packed courtroom.

N. Surendran, another lawyer representing Adam, disputed the prosecutor’s arguments, saying that there is instead a “public outrage” on the multiple prosecutions under the Sedition Act, with the Bar Council’s Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) set to vote on a resolution condemning the colonial-era law.

The Attorney-General had himself taken into account this “public sentiment” against the Sedition Act when the top prosecutor said earlier this month that he will review cases under this law, Surendran said.

Sessions Court judge Mat Ghani Abdullah did not give the grounds of his judgement today.

Adam and five others — politicians Chua Tian Chang, Tamrin Ghafar and activists Hishamuddin Rais, Haris Ibrahim and Muhammad Safwan Anang — were charged last year with sedition over remarks uttered at the same forum.

On September 5, Safwan was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment after the court found him guilty of making a speech with seditious tendency at the same forum.

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