You are currently browsing the daily archive for October 22, 2008.
Only one BN lawmaker supports ISA review
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 23 — A Barisan Nasional MP and two independents are among 77 mostly opposition legislators who have so far signed a petition to the Prime Minister calling for a debate in Parliament to review or repeal the Internal Security Act.
The anti-ISA parliamentary caucus did not, however, reveal the name of the BN MP, but chairman Lim Kit Siang of the DAP said he hopes to get more MPs from the BN to sign the petition and make it a bipartisan effort.
Lim told reporters in the Parliament lobby today that 77 MPs had signed a petition calling for Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to prioritise a motion to debate the review and repeal of the Internal Security Act when the House reconvenes next Wednesday.
“This includes one BN MP, two independents and 74 Pakatan Rakyat MPs,” the Ipoh Timur MP said, explaining later that other PR legislators were out of town and unable to sign the petition.
He also revealed that the two independents were Datuk Dr Chua Soon Bui and Eric Enchin Majimbun, the MPs from SAPP, which recently exited the BN coalition.
“If more than a third of MPs show their desire to debate this issue, then the Prime Minister must make it a top priority if parliamentary democracy has any meaning here. If he says no, he is completely irresponsible.
“I regret that only one BN MP has supported the motion,” the DAP parliamentary leader said, adding that it was not even a motion to abolish the ISA but merely to debate it.
Caucus secretary Fong Po Kuan also stated that 23 BN MPs had been approached so far to sign the petition but only one agreed.
PKR Sungai Petani MP Johari Abdul said that “some personally agreed but did not dare to sign as they needed to see what those above had to say. Maybe in three or four days they will change their mind.”
“At their national delegates conferences, both Gerakan and MCA called for a repeal of the ISA. By not supporting this petition their ministers and MPs have betrayed the trust of their delegates,” Lim added.
He also said that a second batch of signatures would be sent after the Deepavali break.
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Strange bunch of lawmakers (aka MPs) we have in parliament.
Makes me wonder if the entire BN lot, sans one courageous ‘braveheart‘, have any conscience of their own without having to look over their shoulder at big brother ‘I am not a bully‘ UMNO.
And I honestly thought that there’s some sort of parliamentary immunity accorded to these esteemed YBs.
But then again, the obvious answer is that the UMNO-led BN patronage system have usurped the hands of natural justice to prevail in this nation.
‘Evil shall prevail when good men (and women) do nothing‘ as the old saying goes and just like ‘casting pearls to swines‘, why do the electorate keep casting their votes for eunuchs to scurry aimlessly in the corridors of power?
Are we therefore at a critical juncture in Malaysian history when civil society should rise en masse on the streets to somehow get lawmakers to push for democratic reforms in parliament?
Must there be more street demonstrations before holistic human values are resurrected and placed within the inner fabric of our society for this nation to progress?
All the signs were evident since the Penguin Walk of 26th September ’07, through 10-Eleven, Hindraf, Freedom Walk and the Tsunamic GE12.
Our elected representatives i.e. the Executive and the Legislature have the noble duty to put right what is intrinsically wrong and by any definition, the ISA was never meant to exist in perpetuity. By the same token, when the CPM surrendered in 1989, the ISA should have been discarded in recognition of a great achievement which no other nation had the privilege to accomplish.
It is therefore ironic that an archaic piece of ‘preventive law’ such as the ISA may push civil society to confront its own government. Again and again, until true justice is upheld by nobler lawmakers.
Up To MCMC To Act Against Malaysiakini, Says Shabery
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 21 (Bernama) — Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek said it is up the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to act against Internet news portal Malaysiakini, which published an e-mail supposedly linked to Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s election manifesto for Umno’s polls.
“It is only appropriate if the MCMC, which is under the Ministry of Energy, Water and Communications, takes action against Malaysiakini since it concerns an online news portal,” he told reporters after presenting excellence service awards and farewell gifts to retiring staff of the ministry at Angkasapuri here tonight.
Shabery said this in response to the e-mail published by Malaysiakini, purportedly from a “Najib Support Group” containing a so called Najib’s manifesto for Umno elections to be held in March next year.
In the party’s ongoing nomination process, Najib remains the sole contender for the Umno presidency. The nomination process, where the 191 divisions in Umno pick their choice of candidates for top party posts, ends on Nov 9.
Malaysiakini, without any verification from the Deputy Prime Minister’s office, had published the content of the e-mail.
“This is one of the abuses of cyberspace where people just simply pick up things without checking and publish as the gospel truth. But the damage done is rather obvious.
“It was clearly done with the intention of tarnishing a national leader. The action is very much regretted,” he said.
Shabery also said that if the new media continued to publish articles without prior verification of facts, it will somehow tarnish their credibility in the near future.
Today, Malaysiakini apologised for their oversight while the reporter responsible resigned over the mistake.
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Najib accepts Malaysiakini apology
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 22 – Datuk Seri Najib Razak today accepted an apology from the Malaysiakini news portal for reporting that he had issued an Umno presidential campaign manifesto that had the country buzzing over its conservative slant.
“I am satisfied on the basis of the unreserved apology by the editors of Malaysiakini and satisfied that the journalist concerned has taken responsibility,” the deputy prime minister said at Parliament House here.
He added that the real issue was that “the real culprit who released it is still in hiding” but said that he would leave any investigation to the relevant authorities.
The New Straits Times today quoted Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor as saying the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) had started investigating the news portal, under sections 211 and 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Commission Act.
He said this followed a report lodged to the commission on the matter. However, he declined to reveal the origin of the report.
Malaysiakini published the report late Sunday quoting the manifesto, which among others, said Najib will defend Malay supremacy, set up a council of presidential advisers apart from denouncing a string of allegations against him and vowing to use all means to destroy elements that threaten the stability and peace of the country.
Journalist Wong Choon Mei, who wrote and uploaded the report, resigned yesterday to take responsibility for the matter.
Political observers see the e-mail as the latest sabotage effort against Najib, who is set to take over as Umno president next March.
Current incumbent Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi announced on Oct 8 that he would step down by March and pass the baton to his deputy Najib.
When quizzed on what appears to be a concerted attack on him as he gears up to take over the reins from the Prime Minister, Najib said that it looked as he would have to face “all sorts of things” until March.
“Obviously nobody likes to face such totally unfounded and baseless attacks,” the Finance Minister said and called on the public not to be duped by such attempts.
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Arighty, let’s play a little game of chasing the red herring, shall we.
- An e-mail from a dubious ‘support group’ source containing an alleged NTR manifesto related to UMNO matters was sent to Mkini and it was published without further verification.
- NTR then claimed it was not from him and denied responsibility.
- The Mkini journalist who published the ‘false’ manifesto took personal responsibility have resigned whilst the media agency itself apologised unreservedly to NTR.
- And NTR have accepted it.
All’s well that ends well?
Not quite if we’re to consider the news reports that’s unfolding.
It is now up to the MCMC to take action on a report sent in about Mkini’s journalistic faux pas but the minister in charge of the MCMC refused to disclose who made the report.
So we now have two unknown factors to contend with i.e. the origin of the alleged manifesto and the identity of the person who filed the complaint on Mkini’s news report to the MCMC.
Despite NTR’s statement “the real culprit who released it is still in hiding”, don’t you find it strange that nobody has yet to file a police report to ascertain and locate the ‘real culprit’ responsible in forwarding the alleged manifesto?
Instead, we are confronted with ‘wounded pride’ press statements from [UMNO] ministers vilifying ‘unfounded and baseless’ attacks on a national leader which apparently exist in an unfettered cyberspace environment.
By his own admission, NTR acknowledged he will face underhanded efforts to sabotage his ascension to the premiership and it’s therefore par for the course that he gives as good as he gets.
Sidetracking from the real issues (or culprit) will indicate a perception of implicit collusion or worse, political subterfuge.
Speaking of which, can we then surmise that Utusan Malaysia’s publication of unverified news reports which had adversely affected an opposition minister should also get the ‘hands on’ attention the government agencies have accorded to NTR?
Whether it’s mainstream or new media, falsehood still wounds the innocent.
A) New Straits Times
Another commotion by Hindraf, this time at Parliament
KUALA LUMPUR, WED:
Eleven supporters of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) caused a commotion at Parliament today when they wanted to submit a memorandum to the Speaker seeking his intervention to have the government reactivate the passport of their leader.
The group claimed that the passport of P. Waytha Moorthy, who is now in exile in Britain, had been revoked, and as such, he could not return to Malaysia to celebrate Deepavali with his family.
Through the intervention of several leaders of the Pakatan Rakyat opposition coalition, they were allowed to enter Parliament at 10am after waiting over an hour outside the main gate.
The group then passed the memorandum to PKR vice president R Sivarasa to be handed over to Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia.
They then left.
Note: The above news report by NST was culled in toto from Bernama website which was however titled ‘Hindraf members deliver memorandum at Parliament over leader’s passport’ whilst the Nutgraph also carried the same Bernama report with the headine ‘Hindraf members deliver memorandum in Parliament’.
B) The Malaysian Insider
Hindraf alleges senior minister gave false evidence to Parliament
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 22 – Hindraf sympathisers today handed over a document to the Opposition coalition which they claimed to be evidence of a senior minister providing false information in the Dewan Rakyat.
The group of 20, led by R.S. Thanenthiran, who was the national coordinator for the recently outlawed Indian rights movement, met up with several Pakatan Rakyat MPs including senior DAP MP for Ipoh Timur Lim Kit Siang and PKR MP for Subang R. Sivarasa at Parliament House today.
In a press conference, Thanenthiran told reporters that Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar had”misled Parliament and misled the nation” when he announced in July this year in the House that he had not revoked the international passport of Hindraf’s self-exiled leader P. Waytha Moorthy who is now in London.
“We have solid evidence he lied,” Thanenthiran claimed, referring to Syed Hamid.
Distributing copies of a letter to the MPs as well as to the press, Thanenthiran said they were part of an email commucation dated September 23 2008 that Waytha Moorthy’s lawyers had received purportedly from the “UK Border Agency” in response to their client’s queries.
Thanenthiran pointed out that the what the letter said was contrary to what Syed Hamid had said.
He also said Waytha Moorthy’s sympathisers had lodged 42 police reports against Syed Hamid to date.
They want the authorities to detain the Home Minister and to investigate him for statements linking Hindraf to international terrorist groups.
They called on the government to return Waytha Moorthy’s passport to him as it is his personal property and to lift the Home Minister’s ban on Hindraf.
“Hindraf is one organisation that really wants progress,” Thanenthiran said.
“Return to Waytha Moorthy his rights as a Malaysian citizen,” he added.
The Hindraf sympathisers had arrived in four vehicles including a taxi at about 11.30am. They left without much untoward incident about one hour later.
However, upon their exit from the Parliament compound, they were stopped by police who took down their MyKad details and inspected their vehicles.
They were not arrested.
Earlier upon arrival, the group had freed several pigeons in the Parliament compound in a symbolic gesture asking the government to release the five Hindraf members detained under the Internal Security Act.
C) The Star
Syed Hamid denies lying about Hindraf leader’s passport
PUTRAJAYA: Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar has denied he lied about Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leader P. Waythamoorthy’s passport.
He said there had previously been a directive for the Hindraf man to surrender his passport to the Malaysian High Commission in Britain, where he is now living in self exile.
“The order was for him to surrender his passport so that it could be cancelled and we could bring him home for a warrant of arrest to be executed against him under the Internal Security Act. However, he never went.
“I never lied. The passport was never cancelled when I gave my first statement. How can it be cancelled if he never came to the High Commission? We would need to have take it back and stamp the word ‘cancelled’ on it.
“However, I subsequently gave the order in my first meeting as Home Minister — and I am sure they would have implemented it — for this directive to be rescinded,” he told reporters after attending the Rela Hari Raya open house at Taman Warisan here on Wednesday.
“He can travel and come back to face the consequences of his action then. They (Hindraf) have been distorting and misinfoming (people on) the issue,” Syed Hamid alleged, responding to claims made by Hindraf coordinator R.S. Thanenthiran.
Thanenthiran said group, which has since been declared illegal by the Malaysian Government, had a letter from the United Kingdom border agency saying that it had received a notice of cancellation against the passport because Waythamoorthy was being sought for “criminal charges.”
In the letter dated Sept 23, it was stated that the British Embassy in Kuala Lumpur was notified of the cancellation on March 14.
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Duuuhhhh.. any of you guyz having a headache trying to decipher which media agency is more accurate or honest in their report?
Aaaahhh.. And of course, the NST wins hands down with their ‘unique’ headline placed on another media’s handiwork.
The MSM spins, the politicians and wannabes putar-belit, and the rest of us look on in agony.
Yup, that sums up life in Malaysia nowadayz.
Whooa.. hang on to yer breeches and errmm.. thongs. Go read SHA’s politography (sic) here. He’s foaming again.
DAP wants Eurocopter deal suspended
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 22 – The DAP has called for the RM2.3 billion Eurocopter deal to be suspended pending the outcome of the Public Accounts Committee’s (PAC) investigation.
“I call on the Cabinet to take a definitive decision in its Friday meeting that the Letter of Intent issued to Eurocopter is suspended until the outcome of the scrutiny is known,”
its Parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang said in a media statement today.
The Ipoh Timur MP had also asked the government to suspend the deal last week when it was revealed that the 12 Cougar EC725 helicopters being purchased would cost far more than other helicopters in the running.
Soon after, the PAC said it would scrutinise the deal and the Defence Ministry had also defended the deal saying it followed regulations.
However, it has also recently surfaced that Brazil would be acquiring 50 “Super Cougar” helicopters at RM4.2 billion, or RM84 million each. The 12 Cougars to be deployed by the RMAF average RM193 million each.
Lim called for the PAC to have independent experts advise on the investigation.
“Parliament should empower the PAC to engage consultants knowledgeable in aviation… and not be totally dependent on the Defence Ministry or Royal Malaysian Air Force,” he said.
Read more at TMI.
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Dei LKS, please lah check your facts before you start bamboozling people’s intelligence with outdated facts.
Mindef have already disclosed the tender bid from Eurocopter was Euro 233, 345,390 on 17th October ’08 which works out to approximately RM 93 million per unit or RM 1.120 billion for one dozen.
You want to tembak BN, go lah ask why NTR or AAB did not highlight this price differential at the time Mindef provided the tender details.
It’s bad enough to have BN still around becoz AI’s 31 frogs croaked, now yer still terpekik2ing like a plucked chicken and advising PAC to bring on independent experts.
PAC must be independent even from the likes of you mah. Go ask your junior MP who hit out at NTR’s ‘cabinet-approved’ inquiry.
O.B.E. 
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