Samy to quit in January

KUALA LUMPUR: MIC president S Samy Vellu said he would relinquish his post next January and pave the way for his deputy G Palanivel to take over."Today, I am officially announcing my decision to step down and pass the leadership to my deputy in January next year," he said.Samy Vellu was speaking to reporters after chairing the MIC Central Working Committee meeting at the party headquarters here.The 74-year-old politician, who had helmed the party for three decades, said that he had announced his decision to the CWC earlier.

Samy Vellu lays red carpet for own exit

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 30 — MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu is working to ensure his lasting legacy and has set off on a nationwide charm offensive, even as the curtain begins to fall on his three-decade long tenure as the party’s president.A new and glowing book; a grand 10,000-attendee dinner on December 18 at the Mines Convention Centre, with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak possibly in attendance; and an expected new posting as Special Envoy for South Asia are among the highlights of the grand sent off.
“It will be a night to remember,” an MIC leader said. “The book is about the ‘Legend of Samy Vellu’.”If it all goes well even a Tunship may be in the offing, MIC sources added.

Guilty in a court of press

KUALA LUMPUR: When news of their arrests broke, the media had painted the town red with extensive coverage and photographs of the suspects, especially of the alleged mastermind. The prominent lawyer, his brother and six others were detained for the murders of millionaires Sosilawati Lawiya and three others. Their bodies were torched and the ashes and bones strewn into a river in Banting.The police claimed that the brothers could be responsible for a spate of murders, including that of a well-heeled Indian national. However, they had yet to charge them.

Deputy minister ordered to settle RM1.6 mil debt

M Saravanan, now Federal Territories deputy minister, has been ordered to pay RM1.6 million to VPN Marketing Sdn Bhd to settle an outstanding payment.The Kuala Lumpur High Court also ordered Project Penyelenggara Lebuhraya Bhd (Propel) to pay an additional RM690,000 to the company, for breach of contract in the supply of guard railings for the North-South Expressway among others.The decision was made in chambers today by Justice Anantham Kasinater.Two witnesses from VPN Marketing and another two from Propel had testified during the trial.Saravanan (right) was sued in his personal capacity, before he was made deputy minister, after his company RMW Manufacturing Bhd - of which he was manager and director - wound up.

Temple site a health hazard

The Human Rights Party Malaysia (HRP) warns that the move by the Selangor state government to allocate land to rebuild the Padang Jawa Kuil Sri Maha Mairiamman below a Telekom tower, will endanger the lives of the priests and devotees.It considers the tower a health hazard.The Selangor Pakatan state government had recently allocated 15,000 square feet of land for the temple after BN had demolished it in 2007.
HRP pro-tem secretary-general P Uthayakumar said: "From our records, forcing a place of worship under a Telco tower has never been done before in any other part of the world.

Samy: Protector Najib will save us from racist parasites

KUALA LUMPUR: MIC president S Samy Vellu has proposed a simple method to deal with racist individuals – ignore them. The veteran politician also expressed much faith in Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his 1Malaysia concept to shield Malaysians from such “parasites”.“Normally, parasites will be exterminated once they are identified, but in this case, since this kind of parasites are very rare, we can opt to ignore them as they will not pose a major threat to society.“They are what we call the minority parasites. It is just the views of one individual,” he said.

PM to host special dinner for online friends Nov 4

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak will host a special dinner for his online friends at Seri Perdana, Putrajaya on Nov 4.He said the dinner function scheduled to start at 8pm, was organised following the success of the tea party he hosted in March for his online friends to get to know them and have a dialogue with them."Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of hosting a special event for my online friends, and I had stated that there would be more of such events to come."I am happy to announce the next event, which will take place on the evening of 4th November, details of which can be found here. Registration for an invitation is now open, and I encourage you to sign up and be a part of the event," he said in his blog today.

MIC, DAP claim BTN undermines 1 Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 27 — MIC and DAP leaders agreed today that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1 Malaysia was being undermined by his own men in the government’s controversial National Civics Bureau (BTN). DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang also went a step further to accuse Najib’s deputy Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin of backing the BTN in an open revolt to ruin the prime minister’s brainchild 1 Malaysia. The veteran leader claimed that was because Muhyiddin was one of the biggest champions of the government’s “racist” BTN, saying that this was also one of the main reasons why he had failed to act on the racist principals.

Political twist to murdered businessman saga

KUALALUMPUR : A deputy minister has been implicated in the case involving Indian millionaire A Muthuraja, whom the Malaysian police believe has been murdered. The political link was revealed by Muthuraja's brother Dr Kasi Viswanathan, who arrived in Malaysia yesterday.According to a local tamil daily, Kasi said his family had given RM90,000 to two people who claimed to know Muthuraja well when the latter was in Malaysia.Kasi, who runs a restaurant in Russia, said after his brother had gone missing on Jan 20, a person by the name of Ezhil Velavan called him (Kasi) and told him that Muthuraja had been arrested by the Malaysian police for drug trafficking.

Jeyakumar and gang 'attack' candidate

PETALING JAYA: Kota Raja PKR division chief candidate Kottapan Suppiah was allegedly attacked by Dr Xavier Jeyakumar and a group of his supporters at Bukit Naga yesterday.Kottapan, who was convinced that the Kota Raja election was not being conducted in a fair manner, wanted the polling, which took place at the MBSA Bukit Naga hall, cancelled.He informed the PKR headquarters about it and was told the election had been nullified. Kottapan then walked into the hall and tried to stop the ballot papers that were collected from being sorted out. He was also accompanied by fellow division chief candidate, M Telai Ambalan.It was then that Jeyakumar allegedly hit Kottapan from behind.

Public forum calls for urgent revival of IPCMC

Less than a kilometre away from the Butterworth police station, a forum on the credibility of the force went on uninterrupted despite fierce allegations by panellists that the police were 'corrupted tools of the BN government".Dubbed 'Public Forum: Is the police the defender of the people?' organised by several NGOs at the Dewan Dato' Haji Ahmad Badawi last night, participants reiterated the urgent need to revive the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) which was shelved in 2006.

Key suspect in Sosilawati’s murder cries torture

PETALING JAYA, Sept 26 — The main suspect in the murder of cosmetics queen Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya and three others lodged a police report today, alleging police brutality while under remand.The 41-year-old who filed a report at the Petaling Jaya police headquarters, was escorted by several policemen and watched closely by his two lawyers, Ravi Nekoo and Pushpa Ratnam.The suspect was seen entering the police headquarters at 4.15pm before leaving about an hour later in a police car.

Friendship - Tips For A Special Relationship!

Friendship is a most beautiful thing to happen to human being. We all meet some people with whom we never had a kinship, but they become so special in our life that it becomes hard to live without them. Let us see some points we should consider while playing a role in friendship.Many poets have described friendship as one of the most fascinating bond we ever make in our life. It's the most beautiful thing that happens to us. Friendship is a relation that is entirely based on trust, belief of two friends in each other. We come across many things in our lives, about which we do not tell anything to people near and dear to us, but we freely tell everything to our friends.Many people find good friends but they fail to continue with their friendship, because they do not know their role as a friend. Let us see some important points that we should take care of if we wish to be good friend for someone:

Relief for 10 caught in conversion turmoil

The Human Rights Party (HRP) claims it has achieved its aim of upholding the constitutional right for freedom of religion, in bringing relief to 10 Indian Malaysians caught in conversion turmoil for years.The 10 victims of alleged forced conversions are from the three families -- Rajina a/p Krishnan, Rani a/p Kandasamy and Banggarma a/p Subramaniam .On Tuesday, HRP central committee member S Thiagarajan took them to the National Registration Department (NRD) headquarters in Putrajaya to iron out the long outstanding issue with seven NRD officers.

Bekas Ketua Pemuda MIC lapor polis terima ugutan bunuh

SHAH ALAM: Bekas Ketua Pemuda MIC S Vigneswaran hari ini membuat laporan polis di Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah Seksyen 11 berikutan menerima ancaman bunuh melalui panggilan telefon. Ancaman itu diterimanya melalui dua panggilan telefon daripada seorang lelaki tidak dikenali petang semalam pada pukul 2 dan 3.56 petang.Vignesaran berkata, melalui perbualan daripada telefon bimbitnya, lelaki misteri yang berbual menggunakan Bahasa Tamil itu mengugut beliau dengan merujuk kepada sebuah 'kes'."Pemanggil itu bertanya mengenai sebuah kes. Saya tanya kes apa. Pemanggil itu kemudian berkata kepada saya 'kalau kamu masih hidup sahaja kes akan jalan kan?'."Apabila saya tanya identiti pemanggil itu, beliau terus meletakkan telefon," katanya kepada pemberita disini hari ini.

Missing tycoon: Wife offers recording of phone conversations

KAPAR: The second wife of missing Indian tycoon A Muthuraja today revealed new evidence that could aid investigations into his disappearance here in Malaysia. At a press conference here, S Usharani, 24, played two recordings of phone conversations between her and two Malaysians – a lawyer who is the main suspect in the murder of cosmetics millionaire Sosilawati Lawiya and a man claiming to be from Bukit Aman. According to Usharani, she called the lawyer on Jan 28 when she failed to hear from her husband who had left for Malaysia to meet him 10 days before.

Ladang Gadong retreats to solitude

BANTING: “So this is what it looks like,” murmured a middle-aged man as he peered over the white wall encircling a livestock farm in Ladang Gadong. His smiling wife and shy daughter hung back, unsure of whether they really wanted to see what lay beyond. “Those gates were only opened two days ago,” he said, gesturing at a small rusty iron gate a short distance away. “So I decided to take the opportunity to come here before they close it again.”

Najib hits the ground as Samy Vellu dithers

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 23 — Leaving MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu to his intrigues, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak begun reaching out to the Indian community to win their hearts and minds.
Pointing out Najib’s interaction last week with the Malayali community as an example of his direct approach, an Indian NGO leader claimed the prime minister is no longer waiting for the leadership tussle in MIC to play out.“Najib is a man in a hurry,” said the leader.Several months ago, Najib also met Sikh community leaders — including political opponent Karpal Singh — at a “get together; understand each other” function in Ipoh to boost to his image as a prime minister for all Malaysians.

Police Reclassify Missing Indian Businessman's Case as Murder

Police have reclassified the case of a missing Indian businessman as murder. Selangor police chief Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar said the evidence gathered so far into the disappearance of Allal Kathan Muthuraja, 34, early this year indicated that he had been killed. "I confirm that based on the indicators and evidence gathered, we have upgraded the investigation from one of missing person to murder," he said when contacted by Bernama. Khalid said police were now investigating the case of Muthuraja, who had arrived in Malaysia on Jan 18, under Section 302 of the Penal Code.

Missing tycoon's wife arrives with 'damning' evidence

KUALA LUMPUR: The wife of missing Indian businessman A Muthuraja arrived in Malaysia this morning to facilitate police investigations. But she has brought along evidence that could land the police in trouble. S Usharani, 24, has a recording of a telephone conversation between her and a man claiming to be a Malaysian police officer.According to PKR MP S Manikavasagam, the 'police officer' had called Usharani in Chennai and demanded RM1 million for her husband's release.

Land to be given to Malaysia worth billions: analyst

SINGAPORE: The prime pieces of land Singapore will give a Malaysian-led consortium to resolve a long-standing dispute is worth up to seven billion Singapore dollars (US$5.25 billion), a leading property analyst said on Tuesday. The parcels, located around Singapore's glamorous Marina Bay, were ceded in a land swap agreed Monday under which Malaysia will give up property it has owned inside Singapore as part of a railway dating back to British colonial rule over both countries.Singapore offered 5.29 hectares of land in two plots, according to a fact sheet provided by the ministry of national development (MND).

AG orders further probe on Sosilawati’s murder

PUTRAJAYA, Sept 22 — Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail has demanded that the police conduct further investigations into the murder of cosmetics millionaire Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya and three others before the his office takes any action.It is understood that Abdul Gani had returned the investigation papers to the police, saying that there were many issues relating to the murder which needed further investigation.

Demolished Shah Alam temple to be rebuilt

The Sri Maha Mariamman Hindu temple in Section 16 Shah Alam will soon be rebuilt.Its controversial demolition by the state government in 2007 had led to the Indians turning their backs on BN.The Selangor exco in charge of non-Muslim houses of worship, Dr Xavier Jayakumar, officially pronounced the 15,000 square feet of land which is located near the original site, gazetted as temple land in perpetuity."Tomorrow, the state exco meeting will also approve an allocation of RM300,000 to go to the construction of the temple," added Dr Xavier.

Don't portray bad image of Indians , PAS ticks off Murugiah

KUALA LUMPUR (Harakahdaily) - PAS has urged the police to put forward a comprehensive plan in weeding out gangsterism from the Malaysian society and not just focus its fight within the Indian community.

PAS information chief Idris Ahmad was responding to a call by deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department T. Murugiah, who reportedly said the police should pay more attention to the issue of gangsterism in the Indian community which he claimed was getting serious.

'We can't poke into lawyers' private lives'

The Bar Council cannot go around 'sniffing' into the private lives of its members to uncover wrongdoing and can only initiate action against a lawyer if the complaint relates to his professional conduct. "Any criminal conduct that falls outside the scope of a lawyer's professional practice is beyond the Bar Council's jurisdiction. Blaming the Bar won't solve the problem," said the council's president Ragunath Kesavan.
"Other enforcement agencies such as the police, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, Bank Negara Malaysia or the Inland Revenue Board, have the mandate to conduct other investigations," he said adding the council had no authority to inquire into the private lives of its members.

'Ban Tamil movies depicting excessive violence'

KUALA LUMPUR: "Don''t just censor but ban Tamil movies and dramas which depict excessive violence."

This is the impassioned call made by community leaders and academicians who are gravely concerned over the growing gangsterism among Indian youths in the country.Malaysia Hindu Sangam president RS Mohan Shan said some Tamil movies were found to have ''coached'' youths on how to be involved in crime although it defied logic when it involved reality.

Name leaders with underworld links, Kayveas told

KUALA LUMPUR: Two Indian politicians, from both sides of the fence, have urged PPP president M Kayveas to name the Indian leaders who have links with gangsters.MIC vice-president M Saravanan said Kayveas should " name and shame" these leaders as the blanket allegation that most Indian leaders had links with gangsters was unfair.He said this when asked to comment on Kayveas' statement, published in a Malay daily yesterday, that several irresponsible Indian leaders were actually protecting gangsters in order to consolidate their political strength and protect their immoral activities.

Selangor, battleground for M'sia's future

In most ways, Selangor and its politics cannot help but set the tone for Malaysian governance in the years to come. The federation succeeds or fails, depending on what happens in this key state. One could go so far as to claim that the nature of Malaysian federalism itself depends on how Selangor governance will develop over the next few years, how that will strengthen the Pakatan Rakyat in its bid to take federal power, and to what extent decentralisation of power will define Pakatan Rakyat's federal politics.

Killing pedigree dogs 'disgusting'

PETALING JAYA: Perak DAP vice-chairman A Sivanesan today criticised the Kuala Langat District Council's move to kill nine pedigree dogs belonging to lawyer brothers allegedly linked to the murder of millionaire Sosilawati Lawiya.Sivanesan said he will lodge a police report against the officers in the next couple of days.Speaking to FMT, the Sungkai assemblyman said the district council had no right to kill the dogs as the decision should have been made by the Veterinary Department.

Then and Now - Life Gets Harder in Malaysia

I started working as a young graduate electrical engineer in 1983 in an engineering firm in Kuala Lumpur. My starting salary was RM1200 which was pretty typical in those days. This may not seem much now but mixed rice was less than RM2.00 with Chinese tea and petrol was RM1.00 a litre. After 6 months and an increment under my belt I plonked down for set of wheels; a cute little Toyota Corolla which I paid off in 3 years. Two years later I put down the deposit for a double storey terrace house in a thriving suburb near the capital.

School for pregnant teens gets five enrolments

Malaysia's first school for pregnant teenagers wecomed its inaugural batch of students Monday, defying criticism of the facility which is aimed at curbing an epidemic of "baby dumping".Conservative commentators in Muslim-majority Malaysia have complained that Sekolah Harapan or "School of Hope", which opened Friday, will only encourage premarital sex.But state officials defended the school as a realistic way of tackling the rising number of abandoned infants who have been dumped, often dead or dying, on rubbish tips and in the streets.Five girls aged between 16 and 17 were enrolled at the school Monday, said school chairman Rahaman Karim, expressing confidence that the other 35 available spots would be filled as enquiries were continuing to come in.

Samy Vellu may quit soon, but not before killing two birds

COMMENT MIC is once again abuzz with speculation that its president of three decades S Samy Vellu would be vacating his post by the end of the year and an announcement on this would be made on Dec 18. This is the date set for the launching of Samy Vellu's biography which is supposedly being penned by a prominent writer from Tamil Nadu.It is said that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak would be launching the book and it is here that Samy Vellu is expected to announce his retirement either on Dec 31 or Jan 15 next year.A grand farewell dinner is also scheduled to be held on the same day and would be attended by MIC’s rank and file.

Teoh inquest: 'Goodbye' message in mystery note

A note said to be deceased DAP political aide Teoh Beng Hock's 'final testament', written mainly in Chinese, has been tendered as an exhibit at the inquest into his death.Speaking to reporters during a recess, Teoh's family lawyer Gobind Singh Deo confirmed that the note is the original copy he had seen last month.

The note was found in Teoh's backpack, left in the Selangor Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office on July 16 last year.

Kulim: SITF's next stop in resolving Indian woes

KULIM: The Special Implementation Task Force (SITF) set up by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to resolve problems faced by the Indian community at strategic locations throughout the country is moving into high gear with its next stop in Kedah followed by Selangor and Pulau Pinang.Following the success of its first meet-the-people programme in Ijok, Selangor last Aug 15, the SITF would hold its second programme on Sept 25 at Taman Selasih in Kulim between 10am and 4.30pm, said Human Resources Minister Dr S Subramaniam, who is also the SITF chairman.

Najib sings 1Malaysia to Malayali community

Every Malaysian should work together and contribute to support the transformation of the country to achieve a developed nation status in the 21st century, said Najib Razak. The prime minister (left in photo) said when he articulated the concept of 1Malaysia, he had decided that all Malaysians had to be part of the 'journey' to achieve the remarkable transformation of the country. "National unity is not just about accepting and celebrating diversity. In the multi-religious cultural context, diversity also means we recognise the strength of each community," he said during his speech at the 1Malaysia Malayali Community Luncheon at the Mines International Exhibition and Convention Centre (MIECC), Seri Kembangan, Kuala Lumpur today.

Compulsory pay deduction for PTPTN borrowers

TEMERLOH – The National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) will carry out compulsory salary deduction to recover loans from defaulters from June next year.Its chairman, Ismail Mohamed Said, said that effective June, all PTPTN borrowers, especially the more than 46,000 defaulters, would be required to make their loan repayments through salary deduction to the Inland Revenue Board (IRB).

Two women claiming to be wife of missing millionaire

KLANG – The case of the Indian millionaire who disappeared after arriving in Malaysia in January has spawned an interesting side show.Two women are now claiming they are the wife of the man. S. Ramalakshmi, a teacher from Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, said the 24-year-old woman who came to Malaysia to report that A. Muthuraja had gone missing on Sept 8, was not legally his wife.In the report, S. Usharani had said that Muthuraja was her husband.

The day that music died - remembering Sudirman

As we celebrate Malaysia Day as a symbol of "freedom and fraternity", it is worth recalling that nearly two decades before the slogan 1Malaysia was coined, one national icon had already been crusading for a nation free from prejudices. The late Sudirman Arshad, showered then with accolades such as "Malaysia's singing ambassador", our "No 1 entertainer" and even our very own Michael Jackson, championed unity up to his very last public concert just before his untimely death in 1992.

Sosilawati murder: And the legal system takes 'No Further Action'

KUALA LUMPUR: I’m not against lawyers. I’m against crooked lawyers and the system that supports shifty lawyers.We know of conniving lawyers who have manipulated and maligned a system that was developed to protect society.They claim to be untouchables. The concerns raised over their disparaging actions are multiple and wide-ranging.So how do we take these rogues to task?Make a police report and you would be lucky if you provoked some action. Make enquiries about your report and you’d be lucky if your report had not been stamped NFA (No Further Action).

MALAYSIA ACCORDING TO LKY

1. Mr Lee Kwan Yew, the Minister Mentor of Singapore is three years my senior. That means he and I practically grew up in the same period of time. That also means that I have been able to watch the progress of Mr Lee, and in fact to interact with him on various occasions.

No, Chandra. The non-Malays are not "belly-aching"

Prof Chandra Muzafar`s interview in the NST dated September 8th 2010 comes out quite balanced, although he glosses over some important issues. These significant issues need to be clarified if the `empathy` that he appeals for, in his NST interview entitled A Plea for EMPATHY IN ETHNIC RELATIONS, is to be realized .

'If Perkasa is racist, how about other race-based NGOs?

While Gerakan, MCA and even Umno have spoken out and distanced themselves from the Malay rights pressure group Perkasa, the popular Malay-language daily Utusan Malaysia continues to defiantly wave its flag."If Perkasa is racist, then what about Suqiu, Dong Zhong and Hindraf?" it questioned in an article today titled 'Why make Perkasa the enemy?'However political scientist James Chin  explained that there are differences between Perkasa and other race-based organisations.Suqiu, the Malaysian Chinese organisations election committee is a Chinese-community reformist group, while Dong Zhong, the United Chinese Schools Association of Malaysia, is the voice for Chinese education.

'47 Minutes of Silence' to midnight

Kuala Lumpur will see a flurry of activity this Thursday as the nation celebrates Malaysia Day as a national holiday for the first time since Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore formed Malaysia in 1963.Three NGOs - Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia (SABM), the KLSCAH civil rights committee and Malaysians for Beng Hock - will kick off the event on the eve of Malaysia Day with '47 Minutes of Silence - Peace for Malaysia' at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall tomorrow night.

Little India to be ready on time, to have tallest fountain

KUALA LUMPUR: The first phase of the project to upgrade and beautify Brickfields into Little India is expected to be completed in time for the historic visit by the prime ministers of Malaysia and India there next month.Deputy Federal Territory and Urban Well-Being Minister M Saravanan said about 60 percent of the work had been done and the rest was expected to be completed by Oct 15."Work on the lights, arches and the main gate are in progress now," he told reporters after checking on the work progress with Indian Ambassador to Malaysia Vijay Gokhale today.

Will Sosilawati's killers get a fair hearing?

KUALA LUMPUR: The arrest of eight people in connection with the murder of millionaire businesswoman Sosilawati Lawiya and three others might solve the mystery of their disapperance since the eve of Merdeka Day on Aug 30. But several legal issues remain to be debated as to whether those arrested will have a fair trial. FMT spoke to several prominent lawyers who expressed their reservations on the matter.Senior lawyer M Kumarendran said Bukit Aman's director of CID, Mohd Bakri Zini, should wait for the prosecution to reveal details of the evidence gathered when the trial commences.

Indian PM's Visit To Bolster Malaysia-India Ties

MUMBAI, 12 SEPTEMBER, 2010: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who will undertake a three-nation tour of Vietnam, Japan and Malaysia in October, is keen to boost ties with Malaysia where he will explore possibilities of intensifying cooperation in areas such as trade, business, science and technology.

Malaysia’s high commissioner to India, Datuk Tan Seng Sung told Bernama in New Delhi that Malaysia had set an “ambitious goal” of achieving a trade volume target of US$50 billion with India by 2015.

Maicci spat: Rivals seek Hisham's intervention

PETALING JAYA: The spat between two camps in the Malaysian Associated Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Maicci) is intensifying, with several disgruntled members planning to take the matter to the Home Ministry.The members claimed that the Registrar of Societies (ROS) is washing its hands off the dispute and hence, they want the ministry to intervene.One faction led by VKK Teagarajan said they plan to meet Home Minister Hishammuddin Tun Hussein this month to resolve the on-going row plaguing the business chamber.

Lawyers want Aminulrasyid to be remembered

As Muslims celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri tomorrow, lawyers are issuing a reminder that slain teenager Aminulrasyid Amzah's family will not be in a jubilant mood. Human rights NGO Lawyers for Liberty are also still upset that the policemen who had allegedly assaulted Aminulrasyid's friend, Azamuddin Omar, have not been brought to justice.In an emotional press statement signed by lawyers for Aminulrasyid's family, N Surendran and Latheefa Koya, they also took shots at the government for not taking a serious view of the matter.

Lee Kuan Yew at 87, the fire still burns

Singapore's Minister Mentor, Lee Kuan Yew, who was Singapore 's founding father, has always been very direct in his comments. This was the man who outsmarted the communists in Singapore (with the innocent help of Malaya then and the willing help of the British) and who later outwitted the British and outpaced Malaysia in all spheres.Singapore practices corrupt-free meritocracy and Malaysia affirmative action. The former attracted all the best brains and the latter chased out all the brains. The Singapore cabinet consists of dedicated and intelligent technocrats whereas Malaysia has one of the most unwieldy cabinets. Not only that, brain wise it was below par not even good for the kampong.

MIED lawsuit against 'MIC Top 8' to proceed

The Court of Appeal today upheld a decision of a Kuala Lumpur High Court in giving the green light to MIC's educational arm, Maju Institute of Educational Development (MIED), to sue its chairperson and eight trustees for alleged mismanagement. Justices Zainun Ali, Ramly Ali and Jeffery Kok Wha dismissed MIED's appeal to set aside the High Court's June 14 decision to grant leave to former MIC Youth chief A Vigneswaran to name the institute as the plaintiff in a suit against its trustees.

Confusion reigns over housing in Siliau estate

LUKUT: Negri Sembilan Menteri Besar Mohamand Hassan's silence over the housing controversy in Siliau estate may prove to be costly to Barisan Nasional. Confused and angry estate workers are demanding that he resolve the issue once and for all and that BN keep its word on selling the low-cost housing units to the workers.During the Bagan Pinang by-election campaign last year, BN had had promised to build 150 low-cost houses under its Programme for Hardcore Poor (PPRT).The coalition had promised to sell the houses to the Siliau estate workers.

Tamil media war: Paari says rivals drew first blood

PETALING JAYA: The bitter feud between MIC president S Samy Vellu and his former deputy S Subramaniam often spilled onto the pages of the respective Tamil dailies linked to them. In the ring, there are three dailies, the Samy Vellu family-owned Tamil Nesan in one corner, the Subramaniam-owned Makkal Osai and pro-Subramaniam Malaysia Nanban in the other.

Stateless in Malaysia - the poor suffer most

Fifteen year old Citra Dorai was born in a prison in Alor Setar and her knowledge about the circumstances surrounding her birth is rather vague.She has been illiterate all her life as she does not have a birth certificate or an identity card which makes it impossible for her to register for any school.Her mother died recently and her father has left her and two other siblings in the care of an aunt, and Citra (left) is totally uncertain of her future."I want to be like everyone else, to go to school, and to have something to do in the future," she said, teary-eyed.Citra, is among 40-odd stateless persons who turned up at the Human Rights Party's office in Perai today, to fill in their national registration forms.

Nurul vs Khairy: Who will become Prime Minister

The battle for the hearts and minds of young Malaysia has begun with Nurul Izzah Anwar staking claim on a multi-racial Malaysia that allows no room for racism or religious bigotry - two of the most serious issues ailing the nation, not only curbing economic growth but also making the people grossly unhappy.Hot on her heels is Umno’s Khairy Jamaluddin. The 34-year old Youth chief has been trying to transform himself into a ‘liberal’ of sorts but with mixed success due partly to his own past record of using race-championing to gain popularity but mostly because of his own political inconsistency – even now.

Dr Ling says guilty if Dr M says so

PUTRAJAYA, Sept 3 — Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik declared that he would definitely be guilty as charged for cheating in the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal if his former boss Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad says so.
Dr Ling, the former transport minister in Dr Mahathir’s Cabinet, said today he was thankful to the former PM for his “generous” offer to testify in his PKFZ cheating trial.The former MCA president said his ex-boss’s testimony was important because he chaired Cabinet meetings.

Ex-MIC leader wants action against Tamil daily

PETALING JAYA: Former MIC central working committee member S Kumar Aamaan has lodged a complaint against Tamil Nesan, a vernacular daily run by MIC chief S Samy Vellu's family, with the Home Ministry.In a letter addressed to the ministry's Publication Control and Al-Quran Text Division, Kumar Aamaan said action should be taken against the Tamil daily's editors for playing up racial and religious sentiments in the newspaper.

Early presidential polls in MIC?

COMMENT On the surface, it all appears quiet on the MIC front. But the grassroots is abuzz with news of a possible early presidential election. The head counting of branch chairmen has begun.Of late, branch chairmen are being wooed by the party's top leaders and meetings are frequently held. It is the branch chairmen who would vote in the presidential election.Since announcing that he would be step down in September 2011 to pave the way for a leadership transition and that his deputy G Palanivel would take over, S Samy Vellu has not made a single move. So would the 74-year-old president relinquish the post he has held for three decades?

No third extension for IGP Musa

Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan has not been given a third extension and will be replaced by his deputy Ismail Omar (right). The matter was announced by Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein during a function at Putrajaya today. This has put to rest months of speculation about Musa's future, as his contract is slated to expire on Sept 12.Musa, 59, reached retirement age in 2007 but had his tenure extended twice, much to the chagrin of the opposition and human rights activists. Taking Ismail's place is Hussin Ismail, 57, who is currently head of national security and public order division.

MIC Youth: We feel you Namewee but...

KUALA LUMPUR: MIC Youth said while it understands local rapper Namewee's frustration, he however should not have taken matters into his own hands.In view of this, the wing's chief T Mohan said if Namewee, whose real name is Wee Meng Chee, was found guilty of hurting the feelings of other races, action must be taken against him.Namewee, who is no stranger to controversy, is being investigated over a video he posted on YouTube in relation to the case where a principal in Johor had allegedly uttered racist remarks agaisnt her non-Malay students.He has since removed the video.

Selangor Sultan suspends Ling’s, OC Phang’s titles

KUALA LUMPUR, Sep 1 — The Sultan of Selangor has suspended the state titles awarded to former MCA president Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik and ex-Port Klang Authority (PKA) general manager Datin Paduka OC Phang pending the conclusion of their ongoing court cases over their roles in the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal.The decision to suspend their datukships was made after consultation with the Dewan di-Raja Selangor on August 19, the state secretary said in a statement today.