Monday, June 30, 2008
Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan Is A Registered Voter Under MP Sivarasa Rasiah and ADUN Eli Wong Constituencies; Has 7 Outstanding Traffic Summonses
Government 'smear' in Malaysia causes crisis for opposition
Richard Lloyd Parry, Asia Editor
Malaysia was facing its gravest political crisis in a decade last night after Anwar Ibrahim, the opposition leader, was accused of sodomy — a charge that led to rioting when it was first made against him ten years ago.
Mr Anwar, the leader of the People's Justice Party (PKR), fled to the Turkish Embassy in Kuala Lumpur yesterday because of death threats, which he received after the fresh allegations. He indignantly denied the claim, made to police over the weekend, that he sodomised a 23-year-old party aide last week in a Kuala Lumpur flat.
Homosexuality is illegal in Malaysia, and in 1999 Mr Anwar was sentenced to nine years in prison after being convicted of having sexual relations with his male driver.
He insisted that the charge was trumped up for political reasons by the ruling United Malay National Organisation (Umno), because of the challenge that Mr Anwar, then Deputy Prime Minister, was planning to make against his boss, Mahathir Mohamad, then the Prime Minister.
In 2004 the conviction was overturned by Malaysia's top court, although Mr Anwar, who was also convicted of corruption, was barred from standing for parliament until April this year. In March, however, the opposition coalition that he leads achieved its greatest electoral success, coming close to toppling Umno and drastically undermining the leadership of Abdullah Badawi, the current Prime Minister.
Mr Anwar said recently that supporters of the Government were planning to change sides and that the PKR would be able to seize control of parliament in September. Among his supporters, the latest accusations will be regarded as a crude ploy to smear and foil again Malaysia's most brilliant leader in a generation.
To his enemies they will be further evidence of his unfitness for office in a Muslim majority country where homosexuality is regarded by many as abhorrent.
“The allegations that have been made against me on Saturday are nothing more than a replay of the events which transpired in 1998,” Mr Anwar, 61, said. “This charade was orchestrated by a corrupt ... leadership which made use of the entire apparatus of the state power including its control of the judiciary, the police force, and its grip on the media.”
Mr Abdullah, who has come under intense pressure to resign after his party's poor performance in the elections, said: “We had no plans to do anything to him just because he says he's made a political comeback ... [it is] common for an accused person to claim he was innocent.”
The arrest and imprisonment of Mr Anwar in 1998 was a moment of high tension for Malaysia, a confrontation between a conservative and authoritarian establishment led by Dr Mahathir and the forces of liberalism, led by Mr Anwar. About 100,000 people marched in protest at his arrest.
When Mr Anwar appeared in court with bruises over his face, worldwide public opinion was outraged.
Anwar said the allegations were aimed at derailing his spectacular political comeback as the figurehead of the opposition which made unprecedented gains in March elections, and came just as he was about to re-enter parliament.
“This is their intention. You know we will announce a by-election this week. I will contest in the by-election, the police knew that,” he said.
The Iraqi government has said it will file lawsuits in US courts against firms and people suspected of illegally profiting from a UN programme.
The UN oil-for-food programme allowed Saddam Hussein's government to sell oil in order to buy humanitarian supplies during UN sanctions from 1996-2003.
An inquiry found that 2,200 firms paid $1.8bn in bribes to Iraqi officials.
Meanwhile, a US army report has said there was little planning for events after Saddam Hussein was overthrown.
Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said in a statement that the legal action was to recover damages and hold those who benefited from the illegal activity "accountable for their actions".
"The oil-for-food programme was subject to huge financial scandals by companies and others [who] conspired with Saddam Hussein to embezzle large sums of money through kickbacks, inflated prices and the supply of shoddy goods," he said.
A UN-commissioned inquiry headed by former US Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker found that 2,200 companies in 66 countries had paid kickbacks to Iraqi officials to win supply contracts under the $60bn (£30bn) programme.
The Iraqi statement did not name the firms or people the legal action will target nor when and in which courts the suits will be filed.
The US army report says military and political leaders were so fixated on overthrowing Saddam Hussein that too little thought was given to what might follow.
The report covers the period from May 2003, soon after the invasion, to January 2005.
The US has been widely criticised for failing to anticipate the amount of rebuilding that would be required or the rise of the insurgency against the US-led forces.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Newspaper scan by BarkingMagpie.
Yes, they both co-exist peacefully, well, at least on the first floor of here:
Why 'tenc'? I don't know. I only knew that the janitor wipes off the bar railing in front of the boutique enthusiastically.
Compare it to Det's bakery. Both prices are exorbitant, but guess who won the customers hands down. That's a Saturday evening, mind you. To be fair, uhmm, clothes can't really feed your stomach, rite?
Wel,, this is the second time I've been to Pavilion, since the much-publicised farewell dinner-cum-blogger gathering.
The seats seem so lonely without bloggers around...
Food and service haven't changed much since our last visit (oh, at least they have gas now), but things really have changed for bloggers. A couple is no longer a couple, and one even became a MP!
I ordered the dish that Nat didn't manage to finish without even realising it. And yes, I also couldn't finish it, so took away the rest back home. :P
And yup, ate there alone. Pathetic, rite? Well, just feeling nostalgic and want to reminisce things... So, when you want to ajak me makan? ;-)
While this Beast returns to his Malaysian-timber palace...
Will Bijan (M's clone) build a second palace to congratulate him?
What will happen to Malaysia when our oil runs out?
God, please save us from economic sanctions!
Go read Malaysiakini. I don't have subscription. :P
Friday, June 27, 2008
The NGO members hope to collect signatures from state Umno leaders during a five-day convoy before gathering in Putrajaya on July 12.
Is UMNO not the Government?
Here we go again...
Related post: WSFFM Learning It From Mat Tyson: Auditor Wrongly Translated 'Persembahan' into 'Entertainment'
Related: Eh, Seriously, How Effective Are These Motor Helmet Campaigns?
Thursday, June 26, 2008
It's funny that I don't get that much of forwarded e-mails surrounding the fuel hike issue. Not sure it's a good or a bad thing. Nevertheless, here are some examples of the viral e-mail campaign on Petronas conspiracy theories circulating arround. Take them with a pinch of salt. Or not.
Viral 1: "The Petronas Subsidy Fish Analogy"
Misleading concept of Subsidy:
The word "subsidy" has been brandished by the BN government as if it has so generously helped the rakyat and in doing so incurred losses. This simple example will help to explain the fallacy:
Ahmad is a fisherman. He sells a fish to you at $10 which is below the market value of $15. Let's assume that he caught the fish from the abundance of the sea at little or no cost. Ahmad claims that since the market value of the fish is $15 and he sold you the fish for $10, he had subsidised you $5 and therefore made a loss of $5.
Question : Did Ahmad actually make a profit of $10 or loss of $5 which he claimed is the subsidy?
Ahmad makes a profit of $10 which is the difference of the selling price ($10) minus the cost price ($0 since the fish was caught from the abundance of the sea). There is no subsidy as claimed by Ahmad.
The BN government claims that it is a subsidy because the oil is kept and treated as somebody else's property (you know who). By right, the oil belongs to all citizens of the country and the government is a trustee for the citizens. So as in the above simple example, the BN government cannot claim that it has subsidised the citizen!
Viral 2: "The six 'option holders' of Petronas"
Poster by mob1900.
In view of the shocking developments as inevitable result of the sudden oil price hike, I would like to raise several issues with regards to the situation in Petronas which I believe most people are not aware of.
This is especially pertinent in the face of several revelations, such as the fact that the oil wells in Sabah will dry up six years from now. The issue has also been raised that Petronas ‘could go bust in 2018' forcing us to ask: Where have all the huge amounts of Petronas money gone to?
Has Petronas been managed so badly that despite it being the nation's biggest money-earner, it is now facing the possibility of going bust (bankrupt)? The first problem with Petronas is the fact that it was designed to be a secretive organisation.
The Petronas agreements have been classified secret. Why? What clauses are in the agreement that the people should know? This secrecy also include the secrecy of Petronas' detailed annual report which is shielded from public scrutiny, making it an organisation without public accountability.
The other shocking revelation that had came to my knowledge is that 80% of the oil produced by Petronas is not sold directly to the world market but is channelled through six 'option holders' who obtain the supply from Petronas at below market prices.
These option holder agents are the ones reaping the benefits in the oil price hikes. Who are these people? Why are there in the first place? Why has such a system been created for Petronas? Are these people, in fact, representing certain private interests?
It is also understood that this supply through the option holders is sold by contracts with a binding agreement for 20 or 30 years, causing huge losses for Petronas when oil price increases, as Petronas would then have to continue selling at the old agreed price.
Only 20% of Petronas's supply is sold through direct open bidding. Because of these arrangements, Petronas is sadly not maximising its revenue by dealing direct with the open world market. Instead, it has been incurring incalculable losses for the nation and for the people. How much this monstrous loss is, we will never know.
The members of parliament and the state governments should boldly raise up this very important issue in parliament or directly with the federal government for the benefit of the oil-producing states.
As soon as possible, leaders of the oil-producing states should seek for a review of the oil royalty rate and push for a differentiation of prices and benefits for the oil-producing states and the non- oil-producing states.
This review is being offered by the alternative government which is committed to giving the oil- producing states at least 20% oil royalty. This is a window of opportunity for all of us to demand for a review of the Petronas agreements, and to make Petronas more open and transparent. P
Parti Keadilan Rakyat also demands that the system of having the six option holders be abolished. A new system should be created in which the three oil-producing states are in control of the marketing arm of Petronas, to make Petronas trade directly in the world market with the aim of maximising revenue for the benefit of the nation.
Obviously, Petronas is a huge business organisation which is not accountable, secretive, and has been open to a lot of abuses, including the decision to use its revenue to bail out various individuals who faced bankruptcy as results of the Asian economic crisis ten years ago.
If the federal government truly wants to be responsible and accountable to the people as it claims it wants to be, it can begin to prove its sincerity for excellent governance by looking into the problems with Petronas.
[Source: Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan via Malaysiakini Letters]
Viral 3: "KJ/SIL To Take Over As President and CEO of Petronas"
Petronas bashing is orchestrated.
The target is not PETRONAS, that’s what they want everybody to think. The target is Tan Sri Hassan Merican, PRESIDENT and CEO of PETRONAS.
Before I answer your question why, let me take you a few years back.
Immediately after Pak Lah took over from Tun Dr. Mahathir as of 31.10.2003, a small consulting firm named BINA FIKIR was invited to make a presentation to Pak Lah to present their views of Malaysian Economic situation back then. Subsequent events lead to another, soon they were meeting EVERY OTHER DAY, of course all these with the help from KJ, PM Son-in-Law. There were so many proposals from BINA FIKIR that even the Government senior officers couldn’t keep up. Meanwhile, a plan was hatched to tell the Malaysians that there is NO MORE MONEY IN TREASURY SO ALL PROJECTS ARE HALTED INCLUDING DOUBLE-TRACKING, SINGAPORE CROOKED BRIDGE AND MANY MANY MORE!
But Pak Lah tells Malaysian that an action plan is in place as he called for the General Election in March 2004.
MR. CLEAN won the election in 2004 by breaking records for UMNO as well as BARISAN.
Earlier newspaper reports were focusing on FOCUSING on KHAZANAH NASIONAL BERHAD performance and after several collective comments on Khazanah, Pak Lah announced that the MD, Datuk Anwar Aji, of Khazanah is to be replaced by Azman Mokhtar on June 1, 2004, barely 2 months after election.
AZMAN was the brain and the MD of BINA FIKIR.
Datuk Anwar was given Chairman of Faber Group Berhad.
It was planned so well that people hardly noticed.
KJ was successful in planting his people at Khazanah Nasional Berhad and now has access to ALL THE ASSETS OF KHAZANAH.
Khazanah passive policy on its investments were changed almost overnight.
They were allowed to use their assets as securities to raise monies for INVESTMENTS OVERSEAS.
Invest they did into the billions of ringgits thru certain investments advisors which makes tonnes on advisory fees and services.
Personal greed is difficult to satisfy!
PETRONAS is by far the richest company and most profitable in Malaysia.
PETRONAS has won several accolades as the BEST MANAGED COMPANY too.
PETRONAS is in the Fortune 500 companies.
And Tan Sri Hassan Marican is a tough nut to crack.
To replace Tan Sri Hassan is not an easy tasks.
So when the opportunity comes, KJ & CO took full advantage to bash PETRONAS.
Using mass media which he controls, using many bloggers to plant hate mails into various local sites and even to the extent of spreading sms-es sent nationwide to boycott Petronas stations and productes, he is seeing the desired results.
He further attack Petronas for not being transparent in the annual account, which is strange because Khazanah Nasional does not even publish its annual account. It is only Petronas being bashed.
Tan Sri Hassan came out defending PETRONAS saying accounts area available, only certain people refuses to read it!
Never before has Tan Sri Hassan has to defend himself. Defend he did, he tried, but Hassan does not have the power KJ has on the media.
Silly allegations were thrown at PETRONAS all with evil intention to make people angry at Hassan for the fuel hike which was actually the DOLLAH’s GOVERNMENT DECISION.
The modus operandi was similar to Khazanah Nasional, ONLY PETRONAS seems more difficult.
More attempts to unseat Hassan will be planned by these greedy people, and all they need is a wrong move by Hassan, so far he has done none of it.
ONCE THEY WIN, THEY WILL REPLACE HASSAN WITH THEIR OWN PEOPLE AND PETRONAS MONEY (OUR MONEY) WILL BE AT THEIR DISPOSAL!
Someone MUST STOP THESE CULPRITS. And don’t say I did not FOREWARN YOU.
BARBARIANS ARE AT THE GATES OF PETRONAS!
[Source: Hamba Allah via Tun Teja]
Oh, Turun! Turun! on 6 July 2008 9 am Amcorp Mall.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
ACA forwards probe report to prosecutors
Selangor Anti-Corruption Agency director Jaafar Ma'ahad said investigations had been completed into the matter with a report forwarded to the agency's prosecution division.
"It's up to them to charge him or not," he said.
It had earlier been reported that the ACA probe had discovered Yahya had been guilty of "improper conduct" and not of involvement in wrongdoing.
Yahya had been alleged to have written supporting letters for cleaning and garbage collection to be awarded to several companies in Petaling Jaya.
Meanwhile, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, said in Parliament yesterday that the ACA had not completed investigations in the matter.
"I understand that the case is still under investigation and that there is no official statement from the agency that investigations to the matter had been completed," he said in a response to Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin.
Meanwhile, in a statement to Bernama, Abdul Khalid said he had never made a statement on behalf of the ACA on the case.
He said the statement which he made previously was based on a Selangor ACA letter, dated June 11, that the investigations into the case had been completed.
"As such, the claim that I made the statement on behalf of ACA was not true."
Abdul Khalid was refuting a claim by Khairy in the Dewan Rakyat that he made a statement on behalf of ACA in connection with abuse of power by a senior officer.
M'sian PM says his deputy not involved in Mongolian murder
KUALA LUMPUR - MALAYSIAN Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on Tuesday denied that his deputy Najib Razak and the man's wife were involved in the 2006 murder of a Mongolian model.
A prominent Malaysian blogger has linked the couple to the case.
Mr Abdullah said that action would be taken against the blogger who made the allegations against Mr Najib and his wife Ms Rosmah Mansor, and who has already been charged with sedition over the issue.
'I don't believe that Najib and Rosmah are involved,' the premier told reporters.
He described blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin's actions as 'unacceptable'.
'The Attorney General has told me that an investigation will be carried out and action will be taken against him,' Mr Abdullah said.
Political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda, a close associate of Mr Najib, is currently on trial for abetting the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu.
Two police officers from the Special Action Force (UTK), whose duties included guarding Mr Abdullah and Mr Najib, were also charged with the killing.
Raja Petra, founder and editor of the popular Malaysia Today site, last week lodged a signed declaration in court linking Ms Rosmah to the case.
He has already been charged with sedition over an earlier article he wrote on his website, linking both Mr Najib and Ms Rosmah to the murder. If convicted, he faces three years in jail.
Mr Najib, who is heir apparent to Mr Abdullah, has repeatedly denied any involvement in the death of the 28-year-old Mongolian woman, whose body was blown up with explosives.
Mr Abdullah dismissed Raja Petra's allegations that the premier had seen a military intelligence report on the murder that backed the allegations.
'No, I can't remember receiving anything. He can say anything but I have not seen it,' Mr Abdullah said.
Mr Najib again rejected links to the case in May, telling parliament that they were 'lies aimed at tarnishing my name'.
'As a responsible citizen, I will say again that I have never known or even met this woman before. I pray that the court will continue to seek justice and uphold the law without any interference,' he said at the time. -- AFP
Is the PM the Police Chief? Is the PM the AG?
Oh, I forgot. He is both indeed. And SIL has the intelligence on the murder, remember?
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Source: Malaysiakini; snapshot by Whatalulu.
theSun also has the story here.
Google Earth Image captured by Politics101.
Later: Soalan bocor di sekolah rendah.
Photo modified from Malaysiakini.
Monday, June 23, 2008
It is not clear if Mr Tahir will be able to leave the country
The Malaysian government says it has released an alleged middleman in the nuclear secrets ring run by disgraced Pakistani scientist AQ Khan.
Buhary Syed Abu Tahir, a Sri Lankan businessman, was arrested in Kuala Lumpur in May 2004.
US President George W Bush described him as AQ Khan's "chief financial officer and money launderer".
Malaysia's home minister said that Mr Tahir was no longer a threat to national security.
"Four years he has been inside, I think we have investigated what we need to investigate," Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar said.
Khan was pardoned by Pakistan's President Musharraf for his role
However, he told reporters that Mr Tahir would remain under police watch.
Media reports in Malaysia say Mr Tahir was released on 6 June but will have to report to the police every week.
He was held in a detention camp in northern Malaysia. It is not clear if Mr Tahir, who is married to a Malaysian, will be allowed to leave the country.
In the months before his arrest, he allegedly told Malaysian investigators that Dr Khan had sent enriched uranium to Libya and that Iran had paid Dr Khan $3m for used centrifuge parts in the mid-1990s.
A firm controlled by the son of Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi was also investigated for allegedly supplying Libya's nuclear weapons programme but cleared of wrongdoing.
Dr Khan was pardoned by Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf after admitting illegally transferring nuclear secrets to other countries including Libya, Iran and North Korea.In recent weeks he has retracted his confession.
A few days ago...look at the expression on his face...
Do you blink what I blink?
Malaysia frees Sri Lankan in nuclear parts case
Sun Jun 22, 2008 4:52pm IST
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia has freed a Sri Lankan businessman suspected to be the middleman in a nuclear parts network run by Pakistan's disgraced top nuclear scientist, security and government officials said on Sunday.
Buhary Syed Abu Tahir was released after four years in detention. He had been held under Malaysia's tough Internal Security Act (ISA), allows authorities to detain suspects without charges or trial indefinitely.
Tahir, accused by Washington of helping Pakistani Abul Qadeer Khan to sell illicit nuclear technology, had been in detention since 2004 after a police report detailing his involvement in the nuclear black market scandal.
"Mr BSA Tahir has been released from Kamunting in the last few days," a government official told Reuters, referring to a detention camp in northern Malaysia.
Dozens of suspected militants are being held at the camp.
A regional security official confirmed Tahir had been released earlier this month.
"But he's been placed under restricted residence and that he has to report to the police station weekly," the official said on condition of anonymity.
Malaysia's Home (Interior) Minister Syed Hamid Albar could not be immediately reached for comment.
Khan has been kept under house arrest in Islamabad since 2004.
Still admired by many Pakistanis as the father of the country's atomic bomb, Khan confessed on television in early 2004 to selling nuclear secrets to Iran, North Korea and Libya.
But in recent interviews he has recanted, saying that he only took the blame in return for assurances by President Pervez Musharraf's government that were never honoured.
And the other one is ex-Papa's bff...
June 23, 2008 14:14 PM
Isa Samad's Six-year Suspension From Umno Ends Today
KUALA LUMPUR, June 23 ((Bernama) -- The six- year suspension slapped on former Umno vice-president Tan Sri Mohamed Isa Abdul Samad for money politics ends today.
An elated former Negeri Sembilan Mentri Besar said he received a letter from the Umno headquarters on Friday informing him on the expiry of his suspension period.
Isa, who won the Umno vice-president's post in the 2004 party elections, was found guilty of the charge. His suspension took effect on June 24, 2005.
"I thanked God and only smiled when I received the letter," he told Bernama.
Asked whether he would make a comeback to active politics including vying for a post in the Umno elections in December, Mohamed Isa, who was Negeri Sembilan Mentri Besar from 1982 to 2004, said he has not made any decision.
"I'm still thinking about my next move," he said.
The Umno Disciplinary Board suspended Isa, 58, for two terms or six years after finding him guilty on five of the nine charges of money politics during the 2004 party election.
Isa emerged top for the vice-president's post for the 2004/2007 term, garnering 1,507 votes, ahead of Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Ali Rustam and the then Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (now International Trade and Industry Minister).
Following the guilty verdict, Isa was suspended from all party posts including as Negeri Sembilan Umno chief and Teluk Kemang division head.
Isa's suspension was reduced from six to three years upon his appeal on July 6, 2005.
He resigned as Federal Territory Minister on Oct 17, 2005 following his suspension from Umno.
The real ISA detainees? Fat chance!
While You Shed Your Crocodile Tear and Laughing All The Way To The Bank With Your Book Royalties, Please Remember These Children
For their parents have shed truck loads of tears till they ran dry even before you do these:
Remember these kids...
Poster courtesy of Bodohland.
“When a bus brakes down, blame Lee Lam Thye. When food is not nice, blame Lee Lam Thye. Anything wrong in NS, blame Lee Lam Thye,” he said in jest.
The fish rots from its head. 'Nuff said.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Sunday June 22, 2008 MYT 8:45:33 PM
Cops investigating Raja Petra’s allegations
By LOURDES CHARLES
KUALA LUMPUR: The police will be calling up Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kamaruddin to investigate his allegations in a recent statutory declaration, which touched on purported facts related to the ongoing Altantuya Shaariibuu trial.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said the three individuals named in the document filed at the High Court here on June 18 would also be called up.
Raja Petra had claimed that these individuals, one a prominent VIP, were present when Altantuya was killed on Oct 19, 2006.
Copies of the statutory declaration, filed on June 18, have been posted online by bloggers.
In his two-paged statutory declaration, Raja Petra said he had been “reliably informed” of the presence of these individuals at the murder.
Musa said that the matter could be subjudice as the Altantuya murder trial was on going.
Accused of the murder are C/Insp Azilah Hadri and Kpl Sirul Azhar Umar of the Unit Tindakan Khas (Special Action Unit). Accused of abetting them is political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda.
Musa said the allegations made by Raja Petra were “highly defamatory” and if found to be untrue, those making the allegations would have to face the consequences.
Meanwhile, the Attorney-General’s Chambers has filed a police report against Raja Petra over the statutory declaration.
Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patil said, “We want to investigate it as we want the truth. As far as I am concerned, we have to look it seriously.”
“If it’s true, we will act accordingly. If not, the writer will be investigated,’’ he said, adding that the report was lodged in Putrajaya on Saturday.
For the record, here's the Statutory Declaration by RPK again:
I, RAJA PETRA BIN RAJA KAMARUDIN (IC No: 500927-71-5257), a Malaysian citizen of legal age residing at No. 5, Jalan BRP 5/5, BuKit Rahman Putra, 47000 Sungai Buloh, Selangor Darul Ehsan, do solemnly and sincerely affirm and say as follows:-
1. I have been reliably informed that between about 10 p.m. on 19th October 2006 and early hours of the following day, the night Altantuya Shaariibuu was murdered, three (3) other people were also present at the scene of the crime;
(a) Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, wife of the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak
(b) Acting Colonel Aziz Buyong (then Lt. Col.) a C4 expert
(c) Acting Colonel Aziz’s wife, Norhayati (one of Rosmah’s ADC)
2. My informer states that Acting Colonel Aziz Buyong was the person who placed the C4 on various parts of Altantuya’s body while being witnessed by Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor and Norhayati.
3. I make this Statutory Declaration because I have been reliably informed about the involvement of these three people who have thus far not been implicated in the murder nor called as witnesses by the prosecution in the on going trial at the Shah Alam High Court. I also make this Statutory Declaration because I am aware that it is a crime not to reveal evidence that may help the police in its investigation of the crime.
4. I have further been reliably informed that Prime Minister, Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has received a written report from the Military Intelligence confirming what I have revealed above and that the report was subsequently handed over to his son-in-law, Khairy Jamaluddin, for safe-keeping.
5. I have also been reliably informed that one of the Rulers has been briefed about this matter and His Highness is fully aware of what I have revealed above.
6. I have knowledge of who has informed me of this matter plus I have knowledge of the Ruler who has been briefed and is aware of the matter but I have agreed that I shall not reveal this information other than mention that the Prime Minister and his son-in-law have been handed a written report confirming what I have revealed.
7. The purpose of this Statutory Declaration is to urge all these parties who have been duly informed and have knowledge of this matter to come forward to reveal the truth so that the police are able to conduct a proper and thorough investigation into the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu.
And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true and by virtue of the provisions of the Statutory Declaration Act, 1960.
SUBSCRIBED and SOLEMNLY DECLARED )
by the abovenamed RAJA PETRA BIN RAJA KAMARUDIN )
at Makhamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur )
this 18th day of June 2008 )
Govt approves separate pumps for fuel stations in border areas
KUALA LUMPUR, SUN: The government has agreed to implement a dual pump system at fuel stations in border areas to ensure foreigners do not buy fuel at subsidised prices.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said that under the system, local citizens could purchase fuel at subsidised prices while foreigners at current market prices through separate pumps.
“The system has two benefits, namely foreigners will pay for petrol at the current price and Malaysians will know the actual market price of petrol,” he said.
He said the system was based on Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad’s suggestion.
Shahrir said the system could be implemented as soon as possible following positive response recieved from fuel station operators who had agreed to shift to the dual pump system.
About 500 fuel stations within 30 to 50 kilometre radius from border areas had agreed to make the change, he added.
Asked on the mechanism used to differentiate purchase by foreigners with that of local citizens, Shahrir said the station operators would have to effect the control including by looking at the vehicles’ plate number.
Meanwhile on a plan by the Petrol Dealers Association of Malaysia (PDAM) for fuel stations to halt operations for eight hours on June 26 nationwide, he said he was sure it would not happen.
“I believe they will not strike... I don’t think it was the association’s decision. I had also met the association Thursday afternoon to discuss their demands and promised to bring their demands to the government for settlement,” he said.
He told reporters this after a briefing on subsidy restructuring for Barisan Nasional members of Parliament and senators at Angkasapuri here today.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
June 21, 2008 17:48 PM
Thorough Review Of NS Programme Soon, Says Outgoing Chairman
KUALA LUMPUR, June 21 (Bernama) -- Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye who will retire as National Service (NS) Training Council chairman after his three-year term ends Sunday, has called for a thorough review of the programme.
In a statement Saturday, he said the review was necessary after five years of the programme's implementation and it should cover all aspects including training modules, training quality, health and hygiene, food quality and camp management.
He said he brought up the matter to the council and NS Training Department at a meeting on June 3, at the end of third batch of NS training.
"I propose that the review should be conducted without fear and favour involving not only the Ministry of Defence, NS Training Department, Health Department but also other stakeholders such as non-governmental organisations, private sector, former trainees, concerned parents and other experts interested to offer their views and suggestions.
"The council accepted my proposal which will be implemented by the director-general (Datuk Abdul Hadi Awang Kechil) during the NS training break between September and December," he said. Lee also said he had decided not to seek reappointment as NS Training Council chairman, and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak who is Defence Minister had accepted it.
"I do not propose to be extended because I feel I have done more than my fair share of the National Service.
"After five years of offering my service to the National Service Training Programme, I feel that the time has come for me to vacate my position and leave it to the minister concerned to find a suitable successor who can provide sterling leadership to the council and bring the programme to greater heights of achievement," he said.
Lee became a member of the NS Traning Council when the programme began in 2004.
He said his retirement from the chairmanship of the council came with a sense of fulfilment knowing that he had served his best without any conflict of interest and had acted according to his conscience. "As I leave I still maintain that the NS training is a good programme for our youths in terms of building character confidence, discipline, voluntarism and inter-racial understanding.
"This has been testified by the vast majority of the more than 300,000 trainees who have successfully undergone the programme," he said.
Lee said the NS Training Department required a more caring approach and attitude, strong camp management as well as total commitment from all those involved to ensure success in the future.
"Hopefully the programme will be further improved after the proposed review with more inputs from the various stakeholders," he said.
A Polite Reminder To The Lawyers Who Gave Standing Ovation to PM at The 4th Floor-Sponsored Bar Council Dinner...
More Datukships? More dinners? More bread crumbs?
Friday, June 20, 2008
Five Asian nations branded 'worst' violators of refugee rights
By P.ameswaran AFP
WASHINGTON (AFP) - China, India, Malaysia, Thailand and Bangladesh have been identified as among the worst violators of refugees' rights in a global survey released ahead of Friday's World Refugees Day.
They joined Iraq, Kenya, Russia, Sudan and Europe as the 10 worst places for refugees last year, according to the World Refugee Survey 2008 released in Washington on Thursday.
The annual study, conducted by the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI), a non-governmental group, also showed the total number of refugees growing to 14 million at the end of 2007, the largest it has been since 2001.
Driving the growth again were Iraqi refugees, with more than 550,000 fleeing their country. In all, more than two million refugees from the insurgency-wracked nation are awaiting an end to violence in their homeland.
The worst places for refugees list was based on violators turning refugees away to face further persecution, violence, and possibly death, or letting them enter a country and subjecting them to deprivation and stultifying limbo, USCRI said.
"We've tried to call attention to these countries because they have been particularly egregious in their treatment of refugees," USCRI president Lavinia Limon said.
"Some of them have forced refugees back into dangerous situations, some of them have warehoused refugees in camps for decades, and some of them have done their best to make sure refugees never enter their territory. Some of them have done all of the above," she said.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has made refugee protection the theme of this year's events marking World Refugee Day.
In a report card, where countries are graded from A to F and that formed the basis for the USCRI worst violators' list, China, Malaysia and Thailand received an F grade following a study on forcibly returning refugees to their homes and physical protection of refugees.
Some of the North Korean refugees repatriated by China have reportedly been executed.
Malaysia forcibly sent refugees from Myanmar to Thailand, where "some of them were sold into slavery -- men to fishing boats and women to brothels," said Merrill Smith, USCRI director of international planning and analysis.
Thailand also forced refugees to return to Myanmar and Laos, he said.
Malaysia and Thailand also got an F grade together with Bangladesh and China in a study on conditions in which refugees were detained and provided access to courts.
In the category where freedom of movement of refugees was gauged, Thailand and Bangladesh received the worst grade. "Thailand confined about 140,000 refugees in special refugee camps where they are not allowed to leave -- mostly those from Myanmar and Laos," Smith said.
Malaysia, Bangladesh and Nepal also received the worst grade in a study on whether governments allowed refugees to earn a livelihood.
One of the reasons that India was listed as among the worst places for refugees was because of its "radically discriminatory treatment of refugees," said Smith.
"They treat refugees depending on their nationality -- at the better end of the spectrum would be the Tibetan refugees, they are treated the best. Sri Lankans not so well but worst of all would be the Chin ethnic group from Myanmar," he said.
Smith pointed out that treating refugees well did not mean that they would remain permanently in their host countries, citing Malaysia as an example.
He said that Malaysia in 2005 issued documents to refugees from neighboring Indonesia's Aceh province allowing them to work and move about freely following the tsunami disaster that devastated the province.
Of the 32,000 Acehnese who received those documents, only 6,000 remained in Malaysia as of this year while the others returned home, Smith said.
"The interesting part about that is that treating refugees well does not cause them to stay," he said.
Western nations were also criticized in the report, including the United States and the European Union which received grades of F and D, respectively, for their poor physical protection of refugees including the forced repatriation of some asylum-seekers.