Indian NGOs not convinced over Interlok withdrawal

Representatives of the Federation of Indian NGOs are “not convinced” the dispute over the problematic Form 5 literature textbook Interlok is over, just yet.The novel, which was introduced into the syllabus early this year, was withdrawn last week after almost a year of discontent from various quarters, particularly the Indian community.

The group’s president, Victor Suppiah, said today that it is not certain that is the case until Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin “makes the announcement and provides a detailed reasoning to why it was withdrawn” a year after it was introduced into the education system.  Suppiah said that he is “not convinced” the novel has been withdrawn and replaced with Konserto Terakhir as announced by Education director-general Abd Ghafar Mahmud.

PKR: Shahrizat's family owns RM10mil S'pore condo

In a new twist to the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) saga, PKR today exposed that the family of cabinet minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil owns a luxury condominium in downtown Singapore worth about RM10 million.In a press conference, PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution today revealed documents showing that the minister’s family owns a unit at the award-winning Orchard Scotts condominium on Anthony Road since Jan 27, 2010.

“The condominium was bought for S$4.1 million and has a floor size of 2,282 square feet, which is one of the largest units in the luxury condominium in downtown Singapore, according to the Singapore Redevelopment Authority’s records,” said the Machang MP.

An official search at the Singapore Land Authority, provided to the press today, found that the condominium was registered to Shahrizat’s husband Mohamad Salleh Ismail and their children Wan Shahinur Izran Mohamad Salleh and Wan Izzana Fatimah Zabedah Mohamad Salleh. It is unclear if the unit is rented out or occupied for personal use.

The women, family and community development minister is under fire after the auditor-general flagged the feedlot project run by her family and costing the government RM250 million in soft loans, as a “mess”.

Interlok to be scrapped next year?

PETALING JAYA: The government is expected to pull out Interlok, the Form Five Malay literature textbook which ignited a firestorm of controversy, from schools altogether.FMT understands that Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin will be making an announcement to that effect soon.It was learnt that MIC deputy president Dr S Subramaniam had raised the matter at the last cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

Subramaniam said: "I requested the deputy prime minister to ensure that the novel is not used as a textbook in schools next year."He responded favourably and was quite positive about it. I hope this would quell the unhappy feeling still felt in the Indian community," said Subramaniam when contacted today.

Call to include Tamil announcements at KLIA

KUALA LUMPUR: A former deputy minister has called on the government to reconsider its decision not to introduce announcements in Tamil at the KL International Airport in Sepang for the benefit of passengers from India.T Murugiah, former deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, said there is a need to include Tamil in the airport announcements for the benefit of the large number of Tamil-speaking tourists who visit the country.

Having announcements in Tamil will also be considered as a sign of respect for the visitors from India who are mostly business entrepreneurs and industrialists as well as tourists, he told Bernama today.
Murugiah was responding to the statement by the Transport Ministry yesterday that the government has no plans to make announcements in Tamil at the KLIA as passengers from India speak diverse dialects.
Currently, the announcements are made in Malay, English and Mandarin while announcements in Arabic and Japanese are made seasonally.

Brickfields accident: RapidKL driver suspended

The bus driver involved in an accident on Jalan Tun Sambanthan, which left two pedestrians seriously injured, has been suspended pending an internal inquiry after being accused of "speeding".In statement today Syarikat Prasarana Bhd said despite the accident, which was blamed on the introduction of the contra-flow lane on Jalan Tun Sambanthan on Saturday, its RapidKL buses would operate as usual.

The accident on the new bus and taxi lane in Brickfields, also known as Kuala Lumpur's Little India, could have been "avoided with close cooperation and deep understanding from all parties", Prasarana group director (bus division) Zohari Sulaiman said.

Zohari indicated that the injured pedestrians did not take notice of the recently restructured traffic flow, from a one-way traffic to a two-way traffic.

Bollywood actor Dev Anand dies at 88

MUMBAI: Bollywood romantic hero and fashion icon Dev Anand has died aged 88, prompting a flood of tributes today from across India's Hindi-language cinema industry.The Press Trust of India news agency said in a report from London that Anand, who with Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar reigned supreme in the golden age of Bollywood, died of a heart attack in the British capital yesterday.

He had been in the city for a medical check-up and had been in poor health for the last few days, the agency said, quoting anonymous family sources.Often compared to the US actor Gregory Peck because of his matinee idol looks, "Debonair Dev" was best known for his boundless energy and passion for film. He starred in more than 100 movies.

He made his debut in "Hum Ek Hain" (We Are One) alongside his friend Guru Dutt in 1946, and was still working well into old age, starring in "Chargesheet" – made by his own production company – this year.
"I cannot live without my films, my cinema and my work," he told bollywoodhungama.com in 2007.
"For me, until I die, movie-making and acting will always be my first and last love."

M'sia slides further down TI corruption index

The Corruption Perception Index (CPI) ranking for Malaysia has dipped from 56th place last year to 60th this year, the worst in 10 years,according to Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M).

Speaking during the release of the findings in Subang Jaya this morning, TI-M deputy president Mohamad Ali Hasan said Malaysia's score of 4.3 has also suffered its third consecutive fall since 2009.

While the dip in the score has been marginal, at 0.1 points each year, Mohamad Ali said this was still a cause for concern because the government has embarked on several anti-corruption efforts.

"Why should it drop? The government has held several (anti-corruption) programmes. The perception is that these actions are not effective," he said.

 

In 2003, Malaysia was ranked 37 in the survey covering146 countries. For 2010, the survey involved 178 countries.

 

The CPI ranking is a gauge of perceived corruption in the public sector, determined by business leaders, expert assessments and opinion surveys.

PKR: NFC bought Putrajaya land, Merc

After the 'cows and condos' fiasco, PKR today dropped another bombshell on the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC), claiming that it had squandered a portion of the RM250 million government loan on land, luxury cars and overseas trips.

PKR strategic director Rafizi Ramli (right) today said the company's financial documents had showed that NFC had transferred RM3,363,507 to its sister company National Meat and Livestock Corporation (NMLC) to purchase two plots of land in Putrajaya in December 2009.

"It is highly unlikely that the land bought in Putrajaya are intended for raring cows," quipped Rafizi, in reference to the two plots which are identified as PT1886 and PT1887.

The purchase through NMLC, Rafizi adds, is the same modus operandi adopted in the purchase of two luxury condominiums in Bangsar at RM6.9 million each and the company, unlike NFC, is wholly owned by Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil’s family.

HRP decries ‘ruthless’ razing of temple

SHAH ALAM: The Human Rights Party (HRP) has denounced yesterday’s demolishment of a Hindu temple in Glenmarie and demanded from the Selangor government an acre of land for a new temple.S Thiagarajan, a pro-tem central executive committee member of the party, said Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim must take “full responsibility” for the violation of the Sri Muneswarar Temple by the Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) and make amends by granting the acre of land.

He said he learned of the destruction when a local resident telephoned him while it was going on. The caller told him 30 police and MBSA officers were using sledgehammers to carry out the demolition.“A Malay haji sprinkled something around the shrine and then some 10 uniformed enforcement officers started the ruthless act,” he told FMT.He added that six Hindu deities were smashed into pieces.

"The Hindu devotees there could not stop the bloodletting; they were blocked by policemen,” he said.
"This is a clear cut case of the city council violating Article 11 of the Federal Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion, and Article 8, which provides of equality before the law and equal protection before the law."We demand that the state government allocate one acre of land to the temple committee to build a new temple."He also said the state should grant permanent land titles for all Hindu temples in Selangor so that “such flagrant acts of transgression” would not recur.


Source : http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2011/11/25/hrp-decries-%e2%80%98ruthless%e2%80%99-razing-of-temple/

Ambiga: Even Burmese law allows street demos

Bersih 2.0 chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan said the proposed Peaceful Assembly Bill 2011 was even more repressive than a similar law passed recently in Burma's military-dominated Parliament.

"It is shameful that Burma can propose a far more democratic law than us.

"It is a terrible insult to Malaysians because we were promised more democracy, but now it is the opposite," said Ambiga, who is a former Bar Council president.

At a press conference in Petaling Jaya, Ambiga said Burma's new law allows for street demonstrations and organisers only need to notify the authorities five days in advance.

She said this was a stark contrast against Malaysia's Peaceful Assembly Bill 2011, which proposes banning street demonstrations and imposing a 30 day notice period.Putting the numbers together, Bersih secretariat member Wong Chin Huat said Burma was six times more democratic than Malaysia.

Harimau Malaya atau Harimau Malaysia?

PETALING JAYA: Sejak  pasukan bola sepak kebangsaan bawah 23 tahun menggondol pingat emas dalam temasya Sukan SEA di Jakarta Isnin malam, perbualan mengenai kejayaan ini dapat didengar di mana-mana sahaja.Tidak kira di pejabat, warung-warung kopi, di restoran mamak, di dalam bas, komuter atau pengangkutan awam lain, semuanya masih ghairah membicarakan kejayaan anak-anak muda wira negara ini.

Di laman sosial seperti di Facebook dan lain-lain juga turut tidak ketinggalan apabila masing-masing begitu teruja memberi komen yang bernada semangat yang berkobar-kobar.Malahan ada di antara pengguna laman sosial itu yang begitu teruja dan menyambut kepulangan wira-wira negara di lapangan terbang.

Ketika masyarakat di semenanjung meraikan kejayaan ini, senario yang sama juga sedang berlaku di seberang Laut China Selatan, di Sabah dan Sarawak tetapi cuma yang berbezanya, kejayaan yang turut mereka raikan itu disulami rasa terkilan.Seperti penyokong di semenanjung, masyarakat di Sabah dan Sarawak juga sama-sama bersorak tatkala pemain negara melancarkan serangan dan bertempik marah apabila pemain negara dikasari.

Why no Indian-majority seat?

Electoral constituencies in Malaysia are determined in two steps. First, the apportionment of parliamentary constituencies among the various states; and second, the delineation of both parliamentary and state constituencies in each state.The ruling party controls the apportionment among states through amendments to Article 46 of the Federal Constitution. The Election Commission then delineates the apportioned constituencies. As there is a lack of specification of the rules governing the EC on this particular function, the numerous delineation exercises that have been conducted in Malaysia since Merdeka have been carved in particular to favour the ruling Umno government.

In this discriminatory process, the third largest race in the country consisting of more than two million people have ended up been denied and do not have a single constituency of being the majority.

This has been the single biggest contributory factor that has led the Indians in this country to having the lowest demographic index among all races in Malaysia. Even though there are several Indian elected representatives in Parliament as well as in state assemblies, the very fact that they are elected from constituencies where Indians are only a minority, they are in truth toothless to highlight or champion gross marginalisation and discrimination policies of the Indians by the government of the day as they are dependent on the majority communities mainly the Malays and Chinese in their respective constituencies.

Peaceful Assembly Bill 2011 bans street protest

The government tabled the Peaceful Assembly Bill 2011 in the Dewan Rakyat today to allow for the freedom of peaceful assembly.Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz tabled the Bill for its first reading.
Among the main points of the proposed law are:

• 30 days' advance notice for assemblies, except for those in designated areas as defined by the home minister;

• after notification, the assemblies can proceed, unless there are objections from the police;

• no street protests are allowed;

• no protests in or anywhere in a 50-metre buffer zone around prohibited areas defined in a list, which includes hospitals, schools and places of worship;

• Section 8 allows a police officer 'to take such measures he/she deems necessary' to ensure compliance;

• Section 9(5) allows the police to fine organisers up to RM10,000 if no advance notice of a planned assembly is given to the police;

• Section 20(1)(c) allows police to arrest anyone who brings, allows to come or recruits children for an assembly;

• Section 21(3) allows the police to fine those arrested up to RM20,000;

• those under 21 years of age are not allowed to organise assemblies; and

• children under 15 are not allowed to take part in assemblies, except in cultural or religious events such as funeral corteges or events approved by the home minister.

Two die as M’sia retains football gold

JAKARTA: Two fans died in a stampede at the Southeast Asian Games football final in Jakarta, a report said on Tuesday, overshadowing a win on penalties for defending champions Malaysia against hosts Indonesia.The two men, wearing Indonesian red-and-white football team T-shirts were taken to hospital at 8:30 pm, around 90 minutes after the stampede broke out, according to a report by the Detik.com news portal, which cited a paramedic.

Local media reported that several other spectators had been taken to hospital, including a nine-year-old boy who had fallen into a coma, as tens of thousands of fans swarmed to the Gelora Bung Karno stadium for Monday night’s final.Hundreds of people were packed tight against ticket barriers as police closed the gates shortly before kick-off, with many fans inside forced to crouch in aisles and walkways, according to an AFP reporter at the scene.

RM70k rental for cattle condo ‘unbelievable’, say property gurus

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 18 — The reported RM70,000 in monthly rental for not one but two condominiums owned by the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) has property consultants and real estate agents shaking their heads in disbelief. The experts say that the highest rental that can be expected for even the penthouse at Bangsar’s One Menerung condominium is about RM24,000 per month.

They also point out that even if the tenants were renting the biggest condominium unit at One Menerung, which is between 6,000-7,000 square feet, the tenants would be paying least RM10 per sq ft, which is double or more the rate at KLCC’s Binjai On The Park, currently KL’s most expensive condominium address.The NFC also said yesterday that the rental yield for the two condominiums had hit 12.9 per cent, which is far in excess of the industry benchmark of three per cent or less.

“Who is the tenant?” asked one veteran property consultant. “It is unbelievable. To get RM70,000 for a condominium is unheard of. Usually when renters pay more than RM15,000 they expect to get a whole luxury bungalow.”He pointed out that multinationals were very unlikely to have such a huge budget for rent and wealthy Arab businessmen would prefer to buy their own place rather than rent.Real estate agents for One Menerung contacted by The Malaysian Insider said that it was “not possible” to get RM70,000 in monthly rent and that it would be difficult to find anyone willing to pay even RM4 a sq ft.

MIC faces ‘cremation’ in Port Dickson

PORT DICKSON: The two “forgotten” crematorium projects in Negri Sembilan, which received government aid of RM270,000 in the 1990s, is set to haunt MIC, which is aiming for a comeback here in the 13th general election.Apparently the crematoriums never got past the “artist's impression” stage and the money is still unaccounted for.Just over two decades ago, one of the choice locations between Port Dickson and Lukut was home to the district's sole Hindu and Sikh crematoriums.

Then the state government divided the 10-acre plot of land along Jalan Seremban and separately allocated portions to the Hindu, Sikh, Catholic and Baha'i communities.The Hindus and Sikhs received 55 percent of the land to build a crematorium each while the Catholics and Baha'i were given 30 percent and 15 percent respectively for their burial sites.But the land turned out to be too swampy for a burial ground hence only the two crematoriums were eventually built there.

'Banks deterring Indians from buying into unit trusts'

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department SK Devamany has hit out at banks that have put putting obstacles in the way of Indian Malaysians who want to buy into the ASM and AS1M unit trust schemes.He said the banks have told these customers that they had run out of units whenever inquiries have been made.

“This is because they fear losing fixed deposits (placed by customers). I have told off the bank managers, asking them why this is so, and informed Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB),” Devamany said during Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat today.He said the Indian Malaysians affected had wanted to withdraw their fixed deposits to buy the special allotment for Indians in the unit trust schemes.

Devamany lamented that Indians are at the losing end, as fixed deposit accounts only pay about 2.5 percent interest, while some unit trust schemes may bring in about 6.5 percent in dividend.
Met later, he reiterated that the PNB must monitor the situation to prevent this from happening as banks play an important role in ensuring that allocations for the Indian community are successfully distributed.

Istana Negara closes with pomp and pageantry

KUALA LUMPUR: After serving for 54 years, Istana Negara at Jalan Istana here, which is the official residence of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, today ended its function officially with pomp and pageantry.
The ceremony beginning at 9am, witnessed the marching in of the First Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment (RAMD) comprising two officers and 58 men of various ranks accompanied by the RAMD central band.The ceremony continued with a team of flag-bearers comprising 10 members of the RAMD who lowered the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s private flag as the last post was being played to signify the shifting of Istana Negara at Jalan Istana to the Istana Negara in Jalan Duta.

Later, the ceremony continued with the procession of the flag-bearers with the ceremonial horse squadron to the palace main entrance to present the flag to Istana Negara Grand Chamberlain Tengku Farok Husin Tengku Abdul Jalil who represented Istana Negara in signifying the palace’s completion of duty.
The flag was presented by acting RAMD First Battalion Officer in Command Major Mohd Kadri Abu Bakar.As a symbolic closure of the monumental building with its golden dome, the Grand Chamberlain later directed Istana Negara officer Rosli Asri to lock the main entrance of the palace signifying all duties at Istana Negara had been completed before moving to the Istana Negara at Jalan Duta for another flag-raising ceremony.

Najib’s pledge on Indians too little, too late

Joe Fernandez

COMMENT

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak belabours under a misconception that the makkal sakthi – people power – wave unleashed by Hindraf Makkal Sakthi in the political tsunami of March 2008 has petered out.As a result, he has erroneously concluded that Indian voters are abandoning the opposition alliance in droves and flocking back to the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) led by Umno.Hence, his public pledge in recent days at a Deepavali function in Kuala Lumpur that BN will not ignore the Indian community and indeed cannot afford to do so.He furthered contended that the BN, unlike the opposition Pakatan Rakyat, will not take Indians for granted.He did not say that “the BN will no longer continue to take Indians for granted”.
There’s a world of difference between the two statements.

The former would mean that the BN has never taken the Indians for granted. The latter would concede that BN has indeed been taking Indians for granted, but more like taking them for a ride. Is there even a hint of an apology from Najib here somewhere?This – taking for granted – is rich with meaning coming from Najib who presides over an apartheid-like state and a caste system rolled into one.He forgets that it’s the very same BN, and its predecessor the Alliance in another incarnation, which has ridden rough-shed over the Indian community for the better part of half a century and more.Why would the Indian community now suddenly accept that BN is a leopard that can indeed change its spots?If Indians have a quarrel with Pakatan, they have even more to beef about with BN, Umno in particular.

‘I like Najib, but I don’t like BN’

KLANG, Nov 11 — Support for Datuk Seri Najib Razak among the Indian community here was palpable at a national Deepavali party last night, but the adoration may not translate to the votes he needs to wrest the state back for Barisan Nasional (BN).Yesterday, thousands thronged to a Deepavali open house at SMK Kampung Jawa here. Many came hoping to catch a glimpse of the country’s top leader.“I’m here to see Najib,” 30-year-old M. Sumathi told The Malaysian Insider. “I took a day off for this event. I spent the whole day getting ready to see him.”Like Sumathi, many arrived in support of the prime minister who, in recent months, has engaged with the people through a series of events and activities. These have garnered him both admiration and support, plus the label “cool”.But more extensive interaction with the visitors exposed an undercurrent of discontent with the BN federal government.

“I like Najib, but I don’t like BN.”

With that, self-employed L. Perichiappan summed up what could be a potential indicator of the upcoming general election, at least among the community here.

 
“Najib is a nice man. He wants to bring about changes for the country. But when it comes to implementation, it does not come down to the public,” Perichiappan, or Pere as he prefers, said.

“His policies are good for the community and country, but the people under him fail to implement it properly... Only them and their cronies are doing well, the rest are suffering,” he explained.“Najib is sincere. He is trying his best. But his own people are stabbing him in the back.”Shan (sole name given), a caretaker born and raised in Klang, agreed that the flawed implementation of policies was to blame for the lack of faith in BN.

“The 1 Malaysia concept by Najib promotes racial unity, so why is it the Indians and Chinese cannot get equal opportunities like the Bumiputeras?” she asked, pointing out the community’s blanket discount for property purchases as one particular bugbear.“It is also very hard for the Indians and Chinese to get a PTPTN (National Higher Education Fund) loan because of the Bumiputera quota. Why is there such a thing? Better give the loan to people who deserve it than to just fill the quota,” Shan said.

“Najib made promises, but he has failed to keep them,” she added.When asked of the present situation in Selangor under Pakatan Rakyat, Pere said the current state government has done more for the people in the past three years as compared to 50 years under BN.“Pakatan show results. They have given land for schools, temples, churches, and do not discriminate against races. Even the (state) Budget yesterday is better compared to Najib’s,” he said, referring to Selangor’s Budget 2012 as announced by Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim on Wednesday.

“It is high time BN gives the opposition a chance to rule. Najib wants to do good, but the damage is already done. Now it’s too late.”During his address to the open house visitors, Najib said the government has never taken lightly the plight of Indians in the country and will “never take Indians for granted”.
“The government has a special committee to look into problems faced by Indians... I see no reason for the Indian community to not support the government,” he said.


Source : http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/i-like-najib-but-i-dont-like-bn/

Govt Has Never Taken Lightly The Plight Of Indians, Says Najib

KLANG -- The government has never taken lightly the plight of Indians in the country, said Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.He said the government had helped solve many problems faced by the community since several years ago like the problem of personal identity documents."The government has a special committee to look into the problems faced by Indians and as such, I see no reason for the Indian community not to support the government," he said at the national-level Deepavali open house held at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Kampung Jawa here last night.

Also present were his wife Rosmah Mansor and Information, Communications and Culture Minister Dr Rais Yatim.Najib said the government might have made some mistakes in the past but had learned from them and now understood very well the Indian community and was doing its best for them."We won't take the Indian community for granted," he said.

He said as the Indian's representative in the Barisan Nasional (BN), MIC president G.Palanivel and other MIC leaders would be given all the assistance they needed to help resolve problems faced by the Indian community.

Najib said national unity was still strong in the country as could be seen by the multi-racial crowds at open houses of the major festivals.He said he was deeply touched that more than 24,000 people attended yesterday's function which had expected a turnout of about 10,000 people.

"Deepavali which is called the festival of lights by Hindus is all the more meaningful as it has brought together people of various races here," he said.He also said Malaysians were blessed to be living in a peaceful and progressive country despite economic woes being faced by many countries.Some countries were facing demonstrations and riots because of austerity measures taken by their governments in addressing their economic problems, he added.

Source : Bernama

Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar today raised concern over a massive spike in the number of postal voters in her constituency, as the most recent electoral roll, released on Nov 2, shows.
Speaking at the Parliament lobby today, Nurul Izzah said the number of postal voters spiked by 1,363 percent in two months - from a mere 149 on Sept 26 this year to 2,180 on Nov 2.

Worse still, she said, checks with the Election Commission revealed that 457 of these postal voters are from the Kampung Bohol in Bukit Jalil, which is outside the Lembah Pantai constituency."There are 2,180 police personnel who are postal voters, and this does not include their wives. The winning majority for PKR in Lembah Pantai in the previous general election was 2,895 votes."

Nurul Izzah said that this finding had been confirmed by the EC, and was among thousands of other "doubtful" voters found in the electoral roll for Lembah Pantai.A report has been lodged with the commission, with a copy forwarded to the parliamentary select committee on electoral reform.

Four minors 'arrested and beaten' by cops, says HRP

Four 14-year-old ethnic Indians allegedly assaulted by a group of Malay youths and went to the Setapak police station to lodge police reports were said to have instead been detained and beaten up by the men in blue and forced to confess to criminal offences.A 21-year-old friend of the Indian teenagers who tried to come to their assistance when they were set upon by the youths, was also allegedly attacked by the mob, who were said to have been armed with parang and iron rods.
He consequently had to be warded at the Intensive Care Unit of Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL).

Assisted by the education bureau chief of the Human Rights Party (HRP), G Ganeson, the frustrated parents and guardians of the five alleged victims called a press conference today and demanded that police release their children immediately and take stern action against those who had assaulted the teens.
Ganeson, who is also representing the families as their lawyer, said M Indran, 14, was on his way back to his house in a flat at Kg Baru Air Panas in Setapak late yesterday evening when some 10 Malay youths stopped him and kicked him in the abdomen, after accusing him of throwing an object at them from an upper floor of the flat.

BN has made Indians irrelevant, says Mipas

Indian Malaysians have been "decimated into irrelevancy", says a grassroot non-governmental group in rebuking government leaders for saying that the community has been well cared for under the BN.Under the BN rule, the numbers of Indian gangsters, school dropouts, unskilled workers and the urban poor have increased. BN has diverted problems of the Indian to temples and Tamil schools, the Malaysian Indians Progressive Association (Mipas) said today.

"Today, BN has turned the Indians into a hamper-receiving community (and) Umno thinks that by giving a bag of rice it has done great service. Only Indians without dignity and pride will ever support and vote for BN," Mipas secretary-general S Barathidasan said in a statement.

He said this in response to Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's statement during a Deepavali event on Oct 27 that the "BN government has never disappointed the Indian community since independence 54 years ago".Muhyiddin assertion that the government had succeeded in resolving the various problems faced by the Indian community, Barathidasan said, was not true.

Indians, who were largely from the rubber estates, have been "reduced to slum dwellers on the fringes of major cities, without proper jobs or houses", he added.

"The community has slowly deteriorated into urban poverty, a ghetto community with increased crime. Today Indian youths make the highest numbers in prisons."Barathidasan also said that the numbers of Indian Malaysians in institutions of higher learning and the civil service have been drastically reduced."Indians (who) once dominated sports especially (the) track and field events (are) today almost non-existent," he said.

Participation in the country's economy has incapacitated Indian business people because of "the exclusive affirmative action policy for the bumiputera", he added."The BN government has outsourced all Indian problems to MIC, which is a weak and small partner in the ruling coalition," he said, calling the MIC "goons" for siphoning funds allocated to the community.Muhyiddin's statement, Barathidasan added, was mere "words that add insult to the injured Indian community" he and urged the community to be wise in voting for future leaders.

Source : http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/180713 

Peniaga Brickfields gusar projek terbaru DBKL

KUALA LUMPUR: Para peniaga di Jalan Tun Sambanthan, Brickfields berasa gusar dan marah terhadap Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL) yang merancang untuk membina beberapa perhentian bas di hadapan premis perniagaan mereka.Projek pembinaan empat tempat perhentian bas di sepanjang Jalan Tun Sambanthan bertentangan dengan KL Sentral akan dimulakan pada hari Jumaat minggu hadapan.

Sejumlah 150 premis perniagaan yang menjalankan perniagaan di situ akan menghadapi kesukaran untuk berniaga.Dr R Narkunam dari Klinik Medic City yang mewakili peniaga di situ hari ini memberitahu media bahawa DBKL memekakkan telinga apabila isu ini diketengahkan oleh golongan peniaga pada bulan lepas.

"Jawapan yang mereka kemukakan seperti rakaman suara yang telah ditetapkan. Apa yang berada di dalam premis anda adalah hak anda dan segala yang diluar adalah hak kami," kata Dr R Narkunam dalam satu sidang media yang diadakan di Brickfields pagi tadi.Menurut beliau, DBKL turut merancang menukar arah aliran trafik di kawasan tersebut.Menurut perancangan DBKL bas dan teksi dari kawasan pudu akan melalui Jalan Syed Putra dan menamatkan perjalanan di Jalan Tun Sambanthan.

Interlok: Niat to petition the Agong, rulers

After 10 months and 56 letters or memoranda to the government, a movement seeking to withdraw the novel ‘Interlok’ from school use is heading to the palace.Niat head Thasleem Ibrahim (right) said the group plans to submit a petition to the Agong, as well as the rulers of Selangor and Negri Sembilan, to seek royal intervention to have the SPM Malay literature textbook withdrawn.

Thasleem told a press conference in Kuala Lumpur yesterday that copies of the petition will be sent to the premier and his deputy, and that its contents would be made public in due course.Also present was Lim Teck Ghee, who heads the Centre for Policy Issues. He said the issue is a Malaysian one, as the education system is multiracial and multi-cultural in scope.

End of the line for Klang Bus Stand

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 31 — Demolition of the Klang Bus Stand will begin by year’s end to make way for the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) interchange with the LRT, the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) said today.The demolition is expected to be completed by early next year, after which work on the Pasar Seni MRT station will begin.Buses here servicing Klang and Banting, including Rapid KL U91, will be moved to Pudu Sentral while all other Rapid KL buses will continue to pick up fares from Jalan Sultan Mohamed just outside Klang Bus Stand.Some 5,000 passengers who use the bus stand daily will be affected by the move, effective from midnight tonight.

A commercial development and a new bus stand will be built on the same spot when the MRT is completed in 2016.SPAD chairman Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar said the Klang Bus Stand, built in 1970, needed to be torn down as it no longer met the city’s development needs.But he assured public transport users they would not be unduly burdened by the move, pointing out that Pudu Sentral was a modern facility.
“The 74 buses that make 260 trips from here daily... will be moved to a better, more comfortable place,” he told reporters here after handing out flyers informing the public of the move.

Simoncelli Killed In Horror MotoGP Crash

SEPANG -- Italian MotoGP rider, Marco Simoncelli of San Carlo Honda Gresini, died after a horrific crash at the Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix at Sepang Circuit on Sunday.The organisers confirmed that the 24-year-old was pronounced dead at 4.56pm at the SIC medical centre.The race was earlier cancelled following the crash which entered the second lap."The cause of his death was due to trauma to the head, neck and chest. When our medical staff arrived, he was unconcious. The medical staff had given him the CPR in the ambulance."Immediately at the medical centre, he was incubated. Unfortunately, we couldn't help him. At 1656, he was dead," MotoGP Medical director Dr Michele Macchiagodena told a press conference.

SIC chairman Mokhzani Mahathir was also saddened by the tragic incident and expressed his condolences to Simoncelli's family and team."You can never guarantee a 100 percent safe race in any motorsport racing.

"You expose yourself to danger when you race. As professionals, they know MotoGP is dangerous. Believe it or not, that is what they live for. Our condolences to Marco (Simoncelli). He will be missed dearly," said Mokhzani to Malaysian reporters later in a separate press conference.The International Motorcycle Federation (FIM) in a statement noted that due to the incident, Simoncelli was transported by ambulance to the circuit's medical centre where the medical staff worked to resuscitate him."Despite their efforts, Marco sadly succumbed to his injuries at 4.56pm, local time.

Kg Buah Pala: Where is MIC now?

Penang MIC Youth chief J Dhinagaran (below) has urged DCM II P Ramasamy to bear responsibility for his Buah Pala fisaco mistake .

Tired of being repeatedly blamed for the Kampung Buah Pala controversy, the state government is pushing the responsibility to the MIC for having a hand in the homeslessness of the nine families, he added.

Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P. Ramasamy had asked the families who had failed to get compensation from the developer to seek help from MIC leaders, who backed them during the height of their showdown with developer, Nusmetro Venture Sdn Bhd.

Ramasamy said state MIC leaders had persuaded them not to sign the agreement in February last year for a double storey house measuring 1,400 sq ft, on the Kampung Buah Pala site.

He targetted his missiles at state MIC Youth leaders, who he described as "the ones responsible" for this fiasco, which saw Penang lose its Tamil High Chapparal, one of the last remaining Indian traditional village.

"Where are they now? Ask them to give money to the nine families," Ramasamy told Malaysiakini, when asked to respond to the lamentations of the nine families who will not enjoy any cheer on Deepavali day.

Gaddafi killed as last stronghold falls

SIRTE (Libya): Muammar Gaddafi was killed today as Libya's new leaders declared they had overrun the last bastion of his long rule, sparking wild celebrations that eight months of war may finally be over.Details of the death near Sirte of the fallen strongman were hazy but it was announced by several officials of the National Transitional Council (NTC) and backed up by a photograph of a bloodied face ringed by familiar, Gaddafi-style curly hair."He was killed in an attack by the fighters. There is footage of that," the NTC's information minister, Mahmoud Shammam, told Reuters.

Western powers, who have backed the rebellion which took the capital Tripoli two months ago, said they were still checking.Nato said its aircraft fired on a convoy near Sirte earlier, but would not confirm reports that Gaddafi had been a passenger.Several NTC fighters in Sirte said they had seen Gaddafi shot dead, though their accounts varied.

A video circulating among NTC fighters in Sirte showed mobile phone footage of what appeared to be Gaddafi's bloodied corpse.In the grainy images, a large number of NTC fighters are seen yelling in chaotic scenes around a khaki-clad body which has blood oozing from the face and neck.The body is then dragged off by the fighters and loaded in the back of a pick-up truck.

MIC sets up Mainco to tap into ETP projects

The MIC has set up a special purpose vehicle known as Mainco Bhd to tap into the many development projects unveiled by the government in order for the Malaysian Indian community to reap the economic benefits from these projects.Mainco, which has already been registered, would vie for business opportunities under the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) such as those arising from the Mass Rapid Transit and the Greater Kuala Lumpur development projects, MIC president G Palanivel said today.

It would also acquire new businesses or buy into listed companies.

To operationalise Mainco and undertake these activities, MIC will ask for government support by way of soft loans, said Palanivel (right), who is also Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.

“We want to make Mainco a successful business group and empower the Indian community,” he told Bernama in an interview.

The move would also contribute to efforts to lift the community onto the country’s mainstream of economic development from being a sub-stream community now.

Rebuttal witnesses take the stand

Four mystery prosecution rebuttal witnesses are to take the stand in testifying at the Anwar Ibrahim sodomy trial today.The four include an expert witness from a governmental hospital while the others remain unknown.

The role of these witnesses is mainly to challenge Dutch orthopaedic surgeon Dr Thomas Hoogland's (left) testimony earlier that it was not possible for Anwar to perform the alleged sex act.

Yesterday, the Kuala Lumpur High Court granted leave (permission) for the prosecution to call the rebuttal witness while the case is still at the defence stage.The defence told the court yesterday that it had closed its case after deciding not to call former IGP Musa Hassan and Malacca police chief Mohd Rodwan Mohd Yusof to testify.

LIVE REPORTS


8.51am: Three of the witnesses believed to be from Hospital Kuala Lumpur entering the witness room while being escorted by the police.

8.58am: The accused, Anwar Ibrahim, arrives with wife and PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail along with a number of their supporters.

‘Cop kills man outside ‘no Indians allowed’ pub’

PETALING JAYA: A father of four was shot dead after a scuffle outside a karoake outlet in Ipoh which apparently bars Indians from patronising the waterhole.The deceased's employee has lodged a police report claiming that P Kathir Oli, 31, was gunned down by a plainclothes policeman moonlighting as a bouncer.

In his report filed with the Ipoh Central police headquarters, K Sashiteren, 21, said that he, Kathir and two others had gone to the outlet called Angel Fun Pub & Karaoke on Sept 14.However, they were not allowed to enter the premises.“A man told us that Indians are not allowed to patronise the pub. Kathir got upset and asked why can't an Indian enter the pub?” said Sashiteren, adding that a heated exchange ensued.

At one point, he said, a patron threw a bottle from inside the pub which hit Kathir's face and the latter grew enraged and threw the bottle back.Following this, he added, a man and a woman emerged from the pub and started hurling obscenities
at them.

Unruly youths invade Little India

KUALA LUMPUR: Businessmen in Little India, Brickfields, hoping to cash in on the Deepavali festival are faced with a problem – unruly youths who are scaring away their customers.

Several businessmen said that the problem happens on an annual basis, when youths gather at the stalls rented by their friends in the late evenings.“They get drunk and start behaving badly around our business premises,” said P Loga, who owns Saradha Silk, a saree shop.

On top of that, he claimed, the youths also harass his customers, especially girls, who patronise his shop.

“They come and complain to us but what can we do? Due to the harassment, many are not coming to my shop anymore, and this is affecting my business,” he told FMT.

Loga hoped that the police would beef up security in the area before Deepavali eve (Oct 25), when most people indulge in last-minute shopping.

Aircel, Ananda and Dr M: A sordid tale of coercion, corruption and thuggery

The average visitor to India does not stay at the Taj. Those who do stay there are not likely to forget the experience in a hurry. You are immediately transported from the dust, dirt and grime that is India’s streets, from the wailing beggars and the unceasing honks of cars, trucks and the ever-present auto-rickshaws, to an enchanted island of quiet and fairy-tale splendor.In Chennai, it is the Taj Coromandel (named after the ancient, romantic name for India’s south-west coast) that the very well-heeled would retire to; as soon as they can escape the all-pervading, throat-clogging dust of Chennai.

Yet it was in this hotel in November 2005, that an episode of what can only be described as white-collar thuggery would take place. Kalanithi Maran, the brother of India’s then Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran would order C Sivashankaran to sell his company, Aircel, to Maxis.

Witnesses


For two years, Dayanidhi Maran had delayed the issue of licences that would allow Mr Sivashankaran to continue to operate his company successfully. Mr Sivashankaran who had been running Aircel since 1994, was forced to sell his company to a company from Malaysia with no presence in India, Maxis. Mr Sivashankaran also had to bear the indignity of having Ralph Marshall, Ananda Krishnan’s factotum, informing him that Maran had cleared the sale.Once Mr Sivashankaran sold his company, all outstanding licenses were processed with alacrity; there were no more burueaucratic hold-ups. The pay-off to the Marans from Maxis was 550 crores, the approximate equivalent of RM 400 million. All this is alleged in the FIR (First-Information Report) that India’s CBI has filed against the Marans, Maxis, Astro, Ralph Marshall and Ananda Krishnan.

Cops probing PPR ‘scam’, to quiz deputy minister

KUALA LUMPUR: Police have launched multiple investigations into a scam purportedly involving Deputy Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister M Saravanan.The scam concerned the alleged selling of Projek Perumahan Rakyat (PPR) low-cost flats on behalf of Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), which falls under the purview of Saravanan's ministry.Sources close to the investigations told FMT that three separate case files have been opened, including one by the Bukit Aman federal police.

The case had been classified as cheating under Section 420 of the Penal Code, which carries a jail-term between one and 10 years, whipping and fine.It is understood that the police recorded statements from several complainants and were currently interviewing more victims and witnesses.

"We received four reports alleging that one man is responsible for informing 41 different buyers that PPR flats are open for purchase and they needed to pay RM35,000 for the units and an additional RM10,000 as 'back door' payment to obtain the houses," said a source."However, the same individual had also lodged a report naming Saravanan," he added.

‘Four acres for Deepavali’ campaign launched'

KUALA LUMPUR: The residents of Bukit Jalil launched their “Four Acres for Deepavali” campaign in Brickfields here today.The launching was officiated by Lembah Pantai MP and PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar and Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael Jeyakumar.

Also present were PSM secretary-general S Arutchelvan, Hindraf Makkal Sakthi national coordinator K Balakrishnan, National Interlok Action Team (NIAT) chairman Thasleem Mohamed Ibrahim and Bukit Jalil estate action committee secretary S Thiakarajan.

However, their programme was stopped short by the police who told them not to address the crowd with loudhailers but later allowed them to do so for five minutes.

The 41 families living in the former estate area are currently embroiled in a tussle with the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) as the latter is poised to evict them from the land.

Delhi seeks Putrajaya help to grill Krishnan, Marshall over Maxis-Aircel deal

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12 — India’s agency that manages foreign currency exchanges is seeking Malaysia’s help to question tycoon T. Ananda Krishnan and his top executive Ralph Marshall over the Maxis-Aircel telecommunications scandal, an Indian daily reported today.Mumbai-based newspaper The Indian Express said the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has stepped up investigations into troubled Indian mobile operator Aircel, the fifth-largest in the Asian sub-continent.The ED was set up under the country’s laws on money laundering and foreign currency exchange management to combat foreign currency leakages through malpractice.“The ED officials will also send a letter rogatory to Malaysia seeking legal assistance to question Krishnan and Marshall,” the paper said.

In legal terms, a letter rogatory is a formal letter of request from a court to a foreign court for some form of judicial assistance, usually to help with the process of recording evidence.Indian investigators have named Ananda, Marshall and two Malaysian companies, Maxis Communications Bhd (Maxis Communications) and Astro All-Asia Networks (Astro), in their case against former Indian telecommunications minister Dayadhini Maran and his media mogul brother, Kalainidhi.The two are being investigated for forcing Aircel founder, C. Sivasankaran, to sell his stake in the Indian telecommunications company to Maxis Communications.The controversy centres on Maxis’ 74 per cent stake in Aircel, which was said to have been bought for Rs78.81 billion (about RM506,556,185).

2012 Budget Highlights

KUALA LUMPUR -- The following are the highlights of the 2012 Budget tabled by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, who is also Finance Minister, at the Dewan Rakyat on Friday:

* Government will introduce other transformation programmes, culminating in the National Transformation Policy, effective 2011-2020.

* RM232.8 billion allocated to implement all government development plans, focusing on the well-being of the rakyat, with RM181.6 billion for operating expenditure and RM51.2 billion for development expenditure.

* RM13.6 billion allocated to the social sector, including education, training, health, welfare, housing and community development.

* Government will implement a special stimulus package through private financing initiative, through which total projects amounting RM6 billion will be carried out.

Doc: Sodomy act 'unlikely' for Anwar in his condition

Dutch orthopaedic surgeon Dr Thomas Hoogland continued his testimony today and was cross-examined by the prosecution in the Sodomy II trial.Yesterday he told the court the extent of Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's injury as a result of a police assault he suffered after being sacked as deputy prime minister in 1998.Anwar had surgery on the fourth and fifth lumbar of his lower back in 2004, which had subsequently restrict his mobility and movement.

Hoogland also testified that following inspections done last month, he believes Anwar cannot undertake   any vigorous activity.

Yesterday also saw Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah striking out the subpoenas served on Prime Minister Najib Razak and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, to testify as witnesses.Lead defence counsel Karpal Singh has indicated they will appeal yesterday's ruling, which they will file later today.

The hearing may not continue in the afternoon as Najib, who is also finance minister, will be tabling the 2012 Budget.

Steve Jobs: A maverick genius

OBITUARY Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Inc, was born in February 1955 in central California to a Syrian father and an American mother who gave him up for adoption a week after birth.Apple's board, which he served as chairman, announced Jobs' death today at age 56.He was raised in a blue-collar home just as nearby Silicon Valley was starting to blossom as a technology centre, and got his first job at the age of 12 by calling Hewlett-Packard founder Bill Hewlett at his home.

Jobs skipped a grade at school thanks to his high IQ but was later expelled for a series of pranks, such as exploding bombs and releasing snakes in the classroom.After only one semester, Jobs dropped out of university and began working for nascent video-game maker Atari, until he had saved enough money to embark on a spiritual trek to India.

He returned after the trip to his job at Atari, where in 1976 he persuaded colleague and friend Steve Wozniak (left in photo) to quit his job and launch a company - to sell the home computer Wozniak had designed.

Jobs quickly sold 50 of the computer kits to a local store, and Apple was on its way, with Wozniak as the designer and Jobs the marketer.

Land dispute: MIC man says dissolve party if...

KLANG: MIC should be dissolved if it fails to return a plot of land purportedly allocated for a Tamil school in Damansara.And the ultimatum came from a MIC grassroots leader himself, Taman Mujur branch chairman V Thiagarajan.Speaking to FMT, the vexed local leader said MIC would become irrelevant to the Indian community if it continued to overlook the issue.

The Effingham Tamil school is located in Bandar Utama. The accusation about the land grab first surfaced in 2009, with former students and residents of the area claiming that the developer of Bandar Utama had set aside six acres for the school in 1999.They claimed that the late K Sivalingam, a MIC leader and an executive councillor in the then Barisan Nasional-led Selangor state government, decided that only three acres should be given to the school and the rest to the party.

However, MIC claimed that there was an error in the description of the proprietor in the land title and that the party is the rightful owner of the three acres.

Dutch doc: Anwar still suffers from back pain

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and Rosmah Mansor need not testify in the sodomy trial after the Kuala Lumpur High Court today allowed their applications to set aside the subpoenas issued for them to take the witness stand.

Najib and Rosmah's lawyers had claimed that they were not relevant and material witnesses for Anwar's defence.

Their applications were supported by the prosecution.

Lead defence counsel Karpal Singh, however, had argued that Najib could tell the complainant Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan's state of mind when they met - two days before the alleged sodomy incident at the then deputy premier's Taman Duta home in June 2008.

After justice Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah delivered his decision, the court proceeded with its hearing of the Anwar Ibrahim's trial.

Dutch spine specialist Dr Thomas Hoogland who had performed surgery on Anwar's back in 2004 was called to take the witness stand.

What's in store for the Indian M'sian community?

INTERVIEW Indian Malaysians are not united as a community. Says Denison Jayasooria: "The Indian Malaysians are divided politically, religiously, culturally, sub-ethnically, socio-economically (class), professionally, as working class and as English-educated, BM-educated, Tamil-educated and foreign trained or local trained."

The solution, he says is in a "strong political leadership". Jayasooria (left), a principal research fellow at the Institute of Ethnic Studies, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, says there is a need for responsible leadership to build synergies with other communities as the Indians are a minority.

"It is time for the Indian Malaysians to make a stand within the democratic tradition to exercise our human rights. But the Indian Malaysians must also find the time to cut a deal, in an open manner, transparent and in the best interests of the Indian community and nation."

Mystery witness is Saiful's former collegemate

The sodomy II trial continues today with Chemistry Department director-general Lim Kong Boon expected to take the witness stand.Lim is likely to clarify the status of the department's forensic lab certification under ISO 17025, which is evaluated by the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors Laboratory Accreditation Board, or ASCLD.

The status is in dispute following revelations that the forensic lab has not obtained the 17025 certification.

However, the focus today will certainly be on the identity of the mystery witness for Anwar Ibrahim's defence.The individual is not on the prosecution's list of 71 witnesses and is not an alibi witness.Lawyers for Anwar have been tightlipped over the identity of the witness for fear that undue pressure could be put on the person.

It is learnt that this was a tit-for-tat move on the part of the defence in response to the prosecution's failure to provide a list of their witnesses earlier in the trial.

However, the defence team has revealed that spine specialist Dr Thomas Hoogland, who operated on Anwar's back, will testify on Thursday.

Indian voters in the role of kingmakers

Hindraf Makkal Sakthi, earlier this week, released a detailed analysis of how the voting pattern, Indians in particular, went during the 2008 general election with some comparisons from 2004. The figures are both from independent analysts as well as from Hindraf, the ad hoc apolitical human rights movement run from London.Extrapolating from the figures by logical deduction, Hindraf has since discovered that the Indian community is generally split down the middle, confirming earlier observations. Both national coalitions, Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Rakyat, today command equal support from among Indians.

This emerging scenario can only be seen as a severe setback for Pakatan which could commanded 85 per cent Indian support during the 2008 general election. This made a telling difference in 63 of the 67 Parliamentary seats in Peninsular Malaysia where Indians make up a significant number of the voters while Malay votes were generally for BN.

If elections were to be held tomorrow, Hindraf projects that some 30 per cent of the registered Indian voters would again, as in previous elections, not turn out at all. Hence, it appears that one problem here is strategizing in a way which can help increase the Indian voter turnout come polling day to head in a particular political direction. Traditionally, such voters can be seen as pro-opposition.

'Anwar fishing for info from Najib, Rosmah'

The Kuala Lumpur High Court is to hear applications today by premier Najib Abdul Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor against being called as defence witnesses in the Sodomy II trial.Lawyers representing Najib and Rosmah, led by Ghazi Ishak, Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, Salehuddin Saidin and M Athimulan will submit before Justice Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah. This is expected to take an hour.

Anwar Ibrahim's lead counsel Karpal Singh and the prosecution team led by Solicitor-General II Mohd Yusof Zainal Abiden will then make their arguments. Lawyers for Najib and Rosmah will be allowed to reply.

It is not known whether a ruling will be made today. However, Justice Zabidin has at times ruled immediately on an application.

Najib and Rosmah, in separate affidavits, have denied involvement in any conspiracy to frame the charge against Anwar. They have therefore claimed that their presence and testimony will be of little use to the court.

Body snatching: Syariah court can't cite kin

Lawyers familiar with cases of conversion say the Negri Sembilan Islamic Affairs Department (JHEAINS) cannot cite the family of the late Lawrence Selvanathan for contempt of the syariah court for cremating his remains. According to noted syariah lawyer Muhamad Burok, this is because the family is Christian and they therefore do not fall under the jurisdiction of the syariah court.

"The jurisdiction of the syariah court, according to the Administration of the Religion of Islam (Negri Sembilan) Enactment 2003, only extends to cases where all parties are Muslim."This is the law, but if there is a clause that allows (the contempt action) then let me know," Muhamad  said when contacted.

Agreeing with him, lawyer M Kulasegaran said the federal constitution, through the inclusion of clause (1A) into Article 121, clearly states that Malaysia practices two parallel legal systems.

The clause states that the high courts have "no jurisdiction in respect of any matter within the jurisdiction of the syariah court".

It also states that the syariah court has jurisdiction only "over persons professing the religion of Islam". "In view of this, the law does not apply to non-Muslims, subpoenas don't apply and it is my view that contempt also does not apply," Kulasegaran said.

1 mil ‘anti-Interlok’ CDs to be printed

KUALA LUMPUR: The National Interlok Action Team (NIAT) has come up with a new plan to remove the controversial novel from schools.NIAT steering committee chairman Thasleem Mohd Ibrahim said one million CDs will be printed and distributed nationwide to give the people the true picture of Interlok.

“Our objective is to get the message across to all Malaysians regardless of race, religion or political affliation,” he told FMT."We are now confronted with a new danger – ethnic characterisation. Introducing Interlok as compulsory reading material for SPM students will take these students back 100 years,” he added.He also said that Interlok, penned by national laureate Abdullah Hussain, would damage the respect between the different races in the country.

Indian EC: Only poor quality indelible ink is removable

India's Election Commission has explained that the use of poor quality indelible ink is the reason such an ink used on voters is quite easily "removable".In an email reply to questions from Malaysiakini, Indian EC secretary KN Bhar said this had occurred in India, and has since been rectified through "strict orders" to manufacturer Mysore Paints and Varnishes Ltd (MPVL), which is owned by the Karnataka state government.

"The main cause of failure (of the ink) was poor quality due to some negligence in the preparation process. The MPVL was directed to strictly maintain the quality of ink," Bhar said.The Indian EC is widely known for its independence.

"No complaints were subsequently received. The use of indelible ink has been quite effective in checking multiple voting."In 2009, a candidate in the parliamentary election for the city of Pune was reported by the Times of India to have lodged a complaint that the indelible ink used could be rubbed off.

Explosion rips through Empire Gallery, four hurt

SUBANG JAYA, Sept 28 — Four people were hurt in an early morning explosion at the Empire Gallery shopping mall here, which was heard from as far away as Bangsar.Eyewitnesses described a scene of chaos, adding that police, ambulances and the fire brigade were still on the scene.Police tracker dogs were also there as were Fire and Rescue Department personnel from stations across Subang Jaya, Shah Alam, Damansara and Puchong to investigate the incident.Subang Jaya OCPD ACP Zainal Rashid Abu Bakar told reporters at the scene that the blast was believed to have started in the basement and involved a gas pipeline. “We have yet to determine the cause of the blast but damage is extensive, affecting the parking lot and many outlets on the basement level and even the ground floor,” he said.

“Our forensics team is still investigating. We have not been able to enter certain parts of the mall . . . the damage is too bad and the areas are sealed off.”He confirmed that a distress call was received at 3.45 this morning on the explosion at the mall, which is at the entrance of Subang Jaya from the Federal Highway.
Zainal Rashid said four people were injured — two Nepalese security guards and a couple. They received minor scrapes and bruises. Rescue workers are still combing the basement in search of more victims.
The security guards, who were initially trapped in the basement, have been sent to hospital.

Ambiga conferred France’s top civilian award

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 23 — Resplendent in a black-and-gold sari, Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan was tonight conferred France’s highest honour, the Chevalier de Legion d’Honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honour).As he pinned the distinctive five-pointed medal on her sari, France’s ambassador to Malaysia, Marc Barety, said the award was to recognise Ambiga’s dedication to human rights and to boost the rule of law in Malaysia.Ambiga joins an exclusive club of some 20 to 25 Malaysians conferred the French award. Among them were the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, airline maverick Tan Sri Tony Fernandes and Ipoh-born Hollywood actress Datuk Michelle Yeoh, Barety said.

Yeoh was recognised in 2007 for her contribution to film and the media.Bank Negara governor Tan Sri Zeti Aziz was another recipient this year, but was unable to attend the award ceremony, Barety said.“Ambiga is the right person to get it,” Barety told reporters, adding the latest announcements on political transformation by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak after the Bersih 2.0 street rally on July 9 demanding free and fair elections proved the merit of her fight.He noted the leadership of the then president of the Malaysian Bar in a 2008 forum on Orang Asli issues, jointly organised by the French embassy and the European Union, as having contributed strongly to the nomination of Ambiga.

The order of the Legion of Honour is a merit-based award and there are only 55,000 recipients worldwide at any one time.“I think it reflects well on Malaysia’s civil society,” Ambiga said in her acceptance speech, with a nod to Najib’s latest pledge to repeal the Internal Security Act and other security laws that allowed for preventive detention.“It really shows how important civil society is; they are the eyes and ears of the rakyat,” Ambiga said, vowing to continue her charge to improve the rule of law.

Source : http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/ambiga-conferred-frances-top-civilian-award/

Tussle over body takes another strange twist

It appears the troubles have just piled up for the family of purported Muslim convert Lawrence Selvananthan, as his friends allegedly took matters into their own hands to cremate his body yesterday afternoon.

It is understood that Lawrence's friends, transporting his body to a church in Seremban for funeral rites, decided on their own to cremate his remains and bury the ashes in Segamat.

The situation has left the Lawrence's family in a fix, as they are now facing legal action initiated by the Negeri Sembilan Islamic Affairs Department (JHEAINS), said Port Dickson state assemblyperson Ravi Munusamy, who is acting as mediator in discussions between the family and religious officials.

Ravi said police officers turned up at the family's home in Lukut around midnight to serve a Syariah court order on the family, informing them that action would be taken against them.

"Because of that, the mother suffered some heart problems. She is still a bit sick now, and has not risen from bed yet.

Civil war horrors still torment survivors

KILINOCHCHI (Sri Lanka): Ranjini wakes up screaming. Her mother’s body is on fire, her teenage sister is covered in blood and the mutilated, charred corpses of her relatives lie scattered everywhere.

It’s a recurring nightmare.“I see my mother’s burning face… she is calling me to help her, but I can’t or I will be killed from the shelling also,” says the 23-year-old, petite Sri Lankan woman, wiping the tears from her face with a blue and white chequered handkerchief.“My little sister is lying with blood all over her skirt, but I cannot see the wound. She is unable to speak but from her eyes she is trying to tell me something. She dies. I too want to die.”

More than two years since Sri Lanka’s 25-year-old conflict ended, mental health experts say thousands of survivors are living in torment typical of war survivors – haunted by memories of the final months of fighting between the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and government forces.“The horrific, abrupt end to the war saw people witnessing their family members die, but most could do nothing but run, forced to abandon the bodies of their loved ones without performing important last rites,” said a Western aid worker with an EU-funded charity, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of upsetting the Sri Lankan government.

MIC to look into med student’s plight

KUALA LUMPUR: MIC has promised to look into M Syamala Devi’s case, with party president G Palanivel promising urgent action.Yesterday, FMT reported that the final year medical student needed RM40,000 to complete her studies in a university in Romania.This morning, Syamala, 28, met with Palanivel at the MIC headquarters here.Speaking to FMT after the meeting, Syamala said Palanivel had asked her to apply for a loan with MIC’s education arm, Maju Institute of Education Development (MIED).

“I have to be back in Romania before the end of this month. If I fail to get the money then I have to forget my dream of becoming a doctor,” she added.After completing Form Six, the eldest of five siblings, who lost her father at the age of eight, had applied in vain for a place to do medicine in some 20 local universities.
She also applied for numerous scholarships and loans but was turned down.Refusing to give up, Syamala worked in a courier service agency and provided home tuition to save up enough money to pursue her ambition.